Grapefruit albedo-incorporated pasta: effect on the phytochemical, functional, textural, cooking and sensorial properties of semolina pasta

Grapefruit albedo is a byproduct obtained from primary processing and is usually discarded as waste. The current study investigated the influence of grapefruit albedo at different concentrations (3, 6, 9, and 12%) on phytochemical, functional, textural, and sensorial quality of semolina pasta. The obtained results showed that the antioxidant activity improved from 17.60 to 38.76% (at the 12% level). The FRAP, TPC, and TFC of the prepared pasta were determined and progressively increased with increasing grapefruit albedo incorporation. Grapefruit albedo addition significantly (P < 0.05) reduced cooking time; however, cooking loss increased from 3.47% to 5.02%, but remained below the technologically acceptable limit, i.e., less than 8%. Higher levels of incorporation decreased L*, while a* and b* increased. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of functional compounds in the prepared pasta. SEM analysis revealed that albedo powder incorporation affected the structural integrity of the pasta owing to the increased level of fibers, which resulted in a weaker matrix, also confirmed via textural profile analysis (TPA) by decreased hardness. Sensory analysis revealed that the addition of albedo to pasta affected the overall acceptability; however, among the different combinations, pasta with 6% albedo powder concentration was acceptable with the highest overall acceptability score of 7.75.