Elderly-targeted a branched-chain amino acid-enriched snack incorporated with fermented wheat bran: Assessment on physicochemical and sensory characteristics

There is a lack of specialized food addressing the specific dietary needs of the elderly. To this end, extruded snacks containing fermented wheat bran were developed, and their nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory properties were investigated. Different levels (0, 25, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg) of L. acidophilus-inoculated fermented wheat bran were added to brown rice snack formulations. Their physicochemical properties, amino acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant property, and sensory profile were investigated. At the highest fermented wheat bran incorporation (150 g/kg), the snacks exhibited higher protein and dietary fiber (86.6 and 112.8 g/kg, respectively) than other samples. The highest amounts of branched-chain amino acids, isoleucine (5.3 mg/kg), leucine (6.7 mg/kg), and valine (13.8 mg/kg) were seen in snacks with 150 g/kg fermented wheat bran. Upon sensory analysis by serving snacks with or without soaking in milk, the preference scores of milk-soaked snacks were significantly higher than those of snacks alone. Snacks containing 25 g/kg fermented wheat bran garnered overall high acceptability. Incorporating fermented wheat bran into snacks could improve their nutritional, textural, and sensory characteristics.