Vitamins, minerals, protein digestibility and antioxidant activity of bread enriched with spirulina platensis powder

Bread is one of the most popular bakery products, generally made from refined wheat flour which is limiting in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibre. Therefore, in the present study, wheat flour was supplemented with Spirulina powder at 2, 4, 6 and 8% levels to improve its nutritional quality. Developed enriched breads were found organoleptically acceptable by the panelists up to 6% level. With regard to nutritional quality, among the fortified breads, 6% Spirulina fortified bread yielded higher contents of protein (15.43%), in vitro protein digestibility (69.17%), β-carotene (7.81 mg/100g), total carotenoids (28.97 mg/100g) and total lysine (2.24 g/16gN). Total and available calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc contents were also found higher in 6% Spirulina supplemented bread as compared to control bread. Antioxidant activity (16.61%) and total phenolic contents (1.89 mg GAE/g) were also found significantly higher in 6% Spirulina enriched bread.