Effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris) fruit powder on the quality and shelf life stability of puffed corn extrude

Snacks such as puffed corns are tasty and favorite food products of many people. These products usually have low content of bioactive compounds with high starch and oil contents. To overcome these drawbacks, in the present study, the mixture including the corn grit incorporated with barberry (Berberis vulgaris) fruit powder (BFP), as a rich source of bioactive components and fibers, at level of 0 (control) to 10% were fed into the extruder to make a puffed product. Quality properties of the produced samples were determined during 90 days of storage at ambient condition. Results showed that by incorporation of BFP there were an increase in fiber (from 2.9 to 6.2%) and decreases in oil (from 25.5 to 19.5%) and protein (from 7.2 to 5.8%) levels. BFP could decrease oil hydrolysis and oxidation during storage, and acidity and peroxide values of fortified samples were lower than control during storage. Vitamin C content of samples were increased from 0.28 to 3.4 ppm in samples containing BFP. In the fortified samples, pelarogonidin-3-monoglucoside was the main anthocyanin followed by petunidin-3-monoglucoside and cyanidin-3-monoglucoside. Expansion ratio, brittleness and breaking strength of the fortified samples was also decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Sensory evaluation also showed that puffed corn incorporated with 5% BEP had the highest score and acceptance. Based on the obtained results, incorporation of puffed corn with BFP could produce a nutritious product and can be a new and attractive product to the food market and consumers.