Functional Characterization of Marigold Powder As a Food Ingredient for Lutein-Fortified Fresh Noodles

Marigold powder was utilized as a food ingredient to produce lutein-fortified fresh noodles for eye health, and its functionalities were characterized in terms of thermo-rheological, structural, and antioxidant properties. The pasting parameters and starch-gelatinization enthalpy values of wheat flour had a tendency to decrease with increasing levels of marigold powder. The use of marigold powder led to decreases in the storage and loss moduli of wheat flour pastes by weakening their cellular microstructure, which was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopic images. When marigold powder was incorporated into the formulation of fresh noodles, the cooking loss and water absorption of the noodles were not negatively affected at a level of 2% (w/w). Also, the noodles with 2% marigold powder were not significantly different from the control for the maximum resistance to extension. The levels of lutein in the noodles prepared with marigold powder (61.2 to 204.9 mg/100 g) were reduced by almost 50% after cooking. However, they seemed to satisfy the recommended daily dose of lutein for visual functions. Moreover, the use of marigold powder provided antioxidant properties for noodles by enhancing the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical-scavenging activities.