Development and characterization of functional cookies fortified with microencapsulated pomegranate peel extract powder

Pomegranate production exceeds 2 million tons per year around the world, and the pomegranate fruit is widely employed in conventional medicine ascribed to its advantageous and therapeutic characteristics. Fortifying cereal products with natural plant extracts is an intriguing way to meet people’s dietary needs. The present study aimed to address challenges associated with food waste and mitigate the occurrence of diverse metabolic disorders by the utilization of discarded pomegranate peel. The peel contains a high amount of bioactive substances such as phenolic acid, anthocyanins, vitamins, and minerals. The bioactive constituents derived from the peel of pomegranate by applying ultrasound techniques and extracted bioactive compounds were enclosed in maltodextrin and gum Arabic through the process of spray drying. The cookies were developed by incorporating various concentrations (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%) of microencapsulated peels of pomegranate extract as the substitute. Further, the cookies were assessed for their antioxidant, physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics. In addition to the use of scanning electron microscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to examine the structure of cookies. The results of the study indicated that augmenting the percentage of microencapsulated pomegranate peel extract powder in the cookie recipe led to a statistically significant improvement in various parameters, including total phenolic content from 2.51 ± 0.01 to 74.74 ± 0.02 mg GAE/100 g, ash content, fiber content from 0.75 ± 0.01–5.51 ± 0.50, 2.46 ± 0.15–24.63 ± 0.01, and antioxidant activity from 22.40 ± 0.21 to 69.63 ± 0.02. The hardness of cookies was increased by increased incorporation of microencapsulated pomegranate peel powder. The value of L* and b* of the cookies’ color decreased, while a* values increased, corresponding to the percentage of microencapsulated pomegranate peel substitution. Based on the findings of the current investigation, the microencapsulation is promising approach for developing pleasant novel cookies enriched in phenolic compounds and that may serve as an effective way to address the issue of food waste through fortification.