European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety

Avocado (Persea americana) seeds are potential components for food fortification, which contain several numbers of phytochemicals, nutrients and each of them plays a beneficial role in preventing diseases, by enhancing the nutritional value of foods. Incorporation of avocado seed powder into bread formulation occurred at 5% and 10% of the weight of flour, alongside fixed ratios of other ingredients (yeast, butter, milk, egg, sugar and water). The fortified dough underwent evaluation for proximate composition, antioxidant activity, and functional properties utilizing standardized chemical methodologies. Furthermore, a sensory evaluation involving 30 participants was performed employing a hedonic scale. The study concludes that the addition of avocado seed powder, at levels up to 10%, enhances the nutritional profile of bread without substantially compromising consumer acceptability.

Aims: The aim of the research work is to assess the efficacy of avocado seed powder in bread fortification.

Study Design: A laboratory based experimental study design was used to assess the nutritional composition and sensory acceptability of bread fortified with avocado seed powder.

Place and Duration of Study: Sample: This experiment was carried out at the laboratory of Human Nutrition and Dietetics Lead City University, Ibadan. Between November 2023- December 2024.

Methodology: Flour composition of white bread were replaced by 5% and 10% ASP and compared the one without ASP. The samples of the breads produced were analyzed for proximate composition, antioxidant activity, and functional characteristics. A 9-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate the sensory attributes of the bread. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at (P<0.05)

Results: Findings indicated that fortification of bread with ASP significantly elevated its fiber content (P<0.05), concurrently leading to a reduction in protein and fat content (P<0.05) as the levels of ASP increased. The total phenolic content varied from 0.39 ng/kg in the control bread to 2.10 ng/kg in the bread containing 10% ASP. Additionally, avocado seed powder enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the bread, with Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity increasing from 57.83% in control samples to 62.41% in bread comprising 5% ASP. Functional attributes such as bulk density and water absorption capacity were markedly improved with the incorporation of ASP. Sensory evaluation showed that the inclusion of ASP adversely influenced the appearance of the bread but did not significantly affect flavor or overall acceptability (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Addition of ASP up to 10% improved the nutritional value of bread, while retaining acceptable taste features, indicating its potential as a functional food component.