The potential of aromatic extracts to enhance the sensory perception of bread

Aromas are widely recognized for influencing human stimulation, mood and, consequently, choices and decisions [1]. This work aims to study the extracts of Rosmarinus of icinalis L. leaves and Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb fruits as food ingredients. The extracts were obtained by SFE-CO2technology. Three sample groups were prepared: i) bread containing rosemary extract (40 μL/Kg of bread) ii) bread containing almond extract (10 μL/Kg of bread), and iii) bread without any functionalizing element (control sample). The samples were cooked in industrial ovens and the perception of the cooked products was evaluated by acceptability tests. The nutritional profile (protein, ash, fat, carbohydrate and energy content) was determined using official methodologies for the analysis of food products (AOAC). The chemical profile was evaluated, determining free sugars by HPLC-RI, fatty acids by GC-FID, and the most abundant terpene molecules (D-limonene and eucalyptol) by HS SPME-GC-MS. The results showed a very similar nutritional profile in all tested samples. The moisture presented values of 40%, the protein content varied between 6.4 and 6.8 g/100g fresh weight (fw), the amount of ash was about 1 g/100g fw, and the lipid content was on average 0.15 g/100g fw. Considering the fiber concentration, the values ranging between 3 and 4%, being higher in the control sample. In chemical composition, fructose, glucose and maltose were detected in sugar profile, and in fatty acids composition the polyunsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant in all cases. Regarding the terpene composition of bread crust and crumb samples, the aroma molecules of P. dulcis fruit were manly detected in the crumb samples, with this behavior persisting over the time. Moreover, R. of icinalis molecules were firstly detected (t0) in the bread crust, but after 4 hours (t4), they were identified in crumbs. The inclusion of extracts improved consumer assessment of the visual appearance, texture and overall acceptability of the breads. In conclusion, this work emphasizes the importance of studying natural aromas as food ingredients to improve the sensory perception of bread, maintaining their nutritional profile. It also represents as a steppingstone for a new generation of foods under the olfactive marketing concept, validated in an industrial context.The authors are thankful for the samples provided by Deifil Technology Lda. and M. Ferreira & Filhas Lda. This work was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®. This work was also supported by LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/50020/2020 and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE-LCM), and UIDB/00690/2020 (CIMO) funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). L. Barros also thank the national funding by FCT, P.I. through the institutional scientific employment and individual program-contract, and Júlia Cristiê Kessler acknowledges her Ph.D scholarship (ref. 2020.06656.BD) by FCT.