Vegan brownie enriched with phenolic compounds obtained from a chia (Salvia hipanica L.) coproduct: Nutritional, technological, and functional characteristics and sensory acceptance

This study aimed to develop a nutritious vegan brownie with fiber and bioactive compounds, sensorially accepted by consumers using phenolic compounds extracted from defatted chia flour (a coproduct of the production of chia oil) and chia mucilage. The brownies were developed by evaluating the replacement of 2, 4, and 6% of the flour with the freeze-dried extract obtained from defatted chia flour. The extract obtained from the coproduct presented ferulic acid (1.91 ± 0.006 mg g⁻¹) and rosmarinic acid (3.79 ± 0.03 mg g⁻¹). The brownies prepared with 2, 4, and 6% extract showed 70%, 89%, and 92% of ferulic acid and 60%, 75%, and 91% rosmarinic acid added to the formulation, respectively. Proximate composition analyses demonstrated that replacing egg with chia seed mucilage decreased fat and protein and increased fiber in vegan brownies. However, the addition of phenolic extract obtained from defatted chia flour increased the fat content of vegan brownies. A residual lipid fraction present in the chia flour was probably extracted during the extraction of phenolic compounds. The technological analyzes (firmness, specific volume, symmetry, and uniformity) showed that the physical characteristics of the brownies were not affected by the different formulations used. However, the color of the products was affected by the addition of the mucilage, which appears grayish, and by the extract containing the phenolic compounds, which presents a yellowish color. The 4% replacement brownie was chosen for sensory analysis with the vegan control brownie. The results of the sensorial analysis indicated an excellent acceptance (76%) of the brownie with 4% of the extract, not differing from the vegan control. In this way, we demonstrated the possibility of producing a sensorially acceptable vegan brownie using a phenolic extract obtained from a coproduct of the food industry.