Development of vegan, gluten-free macarons using Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) incorporated with wheatgrass powder

Abstract

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. is commonly referred as jackfruit. A widespread fruit in Asia, Africa, and some parts of South America, jackfruit is a tropical climacteric fruit that is native to India's Western Ghats and is a member of the Moracae family. Jackfruit is a nutritious, high-energy food. The freshly sprouted initial leaves of the Triticum aestivum, a species of common wheat, are used as a food, beverage, or dietary supplement known as wheatgrass. Therefore, this study was aimed to develop a portable, nutritious, ready-to-eat jackfruit product (macaron) incorporated with wheatgrass powder and to evaluate the nutritional properties of the product. Flour made from jackfruit and almond flour were utilized for the development of macarons. Egg white was replaced by aquafaba. Aquafaba is the viscous water in which legume seeds such as chickpea have been cooked. It forms stable edible foams and emulsions with functional properties which are similarly produced by whole egg and egg white. Three different formulations were prepared. Sample 1 (F1) received rating of liked extremely as per 9-point hedonic scale. Analysis of macaron reveals that the jackfruit macaron is high in carbohydrates (95.56 g) and low in fat (0.27 g). Thus, jackfruit macaron is an appealing and inexpensive vegan and gluten-free food source for vegetarians and consumers with animal protein allergies and allergic to gluten respectively.