Exploring the phenolic and prebiotic content of purple corn and aloe vera byproducts in the formulation of cereal bars with tarwi flour

Pretell-Vásquez C.C.; Márquez-Villacorta L.F.; Huanes-Mariños M.A.; Barrios-Salazar I.D.; Hayayumi-Valdivia M.L. · Revista Chilena de Nutricion (2026) · DOI: 10.64159/rchnut-53-4-4

Resumen

Functional cereal bars with high protein and dietary fiber content were developed by incorporating Andean ingredients such as tarwi flour, purple corn cob flour and freeze-dried aloe vera powder. Six bar variants were formulated and evaluated, analyzing their physicochemical, technological, and sensory properties. The formulations showed total phenolic contents of up to 63.8 mg GAE/100g in those enriched with purple corn cob flour and up to 53.1 mg GAE/100g in those with a higher amount of aloe vera, highlighting their antioxidant potential. Dietary fiber content ranged from 13.8% to 17.7%, while protein content reached up to 14.6%, directly related to the proportion of tarwi flour. Firmness increased with tarwi flour but decreased with aloe vera due to its gelling polysaccharides, and moisture content varied significantly depending on the composition, reflecting differences in water retention. In the sensory evaluation, formulations F2M2 and F1A1 received the highest acceptance, rated as “moderately liked” on a 9-point hedonic scale. These results demonstrate the technical and sensory feasibility of using Andean ingredients in functional foods, combining nutritional value, antioxidant properties, and acceptability, in line with trends in the healthy food market.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego