Valorization of Avocado Leaf as a By‐Product of the Avocado Fruit: Nutritional, Textural, and Sensory Properties of Gluten‐Free Erişte (Turkish Noodles)

TL;DR

This study explores using avocado leaf powder to make healthier gluten-free Turkish noodles, improving nutrition and texture while reducing glycemic index.

Contribution

The study introduces avocado leaf powder as a functional ingredient in gluten-free noodle production, enhancing nutritional and sensory properties.

Findings

ALP increased protein, fiber, and antioxidant content in gluten-free noodles.

GFE10 had the highest sensory acceptance despite lower ALP content.

ALP reduced glycemic index and improved mineral content and hardness.

Abstract

This study investigated the potential use of avocado leaf powder (ALP), a food waste product with high phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, in producing gluten‐free Erişte (GFE). For this purpose, GFE samples were formulated by replacing rice flour with different levels of ALP (5%, 10%, and 15%) and evaluated in terms of nutritional, physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties. Increasing the ALP content in the formulations led to gradual increases in ash (0.65%–1.33%), protein (11.35%–16.04%), fat (4.09%–4.16%), total dietary fiber (1.03%–7.13%), total phenolic content (46.74–90.63 mg GAE/100 g), antioxidant capacity (27.78–50.44 mg Trolox/100 g), mineral content, hardness, chewiness, and resistant starch (2.81%–6.26%). Conversely, cooking loss (10.53%–6.47%), adhesiveness, total starch content (74.59%–65.17%), and glycemic index (82.22%–65.85%) decreased with higher ALP incorporation. The cooking process increased L* in all samples while reducing a* and b* color parameters. According to sensory analysis results, GFE15 received the highest scores for color, aroma, hardness, and stickiness, whereas GFE10 had the highest overall acceptability score. Avocado leaves have been successfully applied as a functional ingredient in enriching gluten‐free noodles, demonstrating their suitability for functional noodle production and high nutritional value.

This study explores the incorporation of ALP, a food waste by‐product, into gluten‐free extrudate (GFE) formulations and evaluates its effects on nutritional, textural, and sensory properties. ALP enrichment significantly enhanced protein, fiber, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity while reducing glycemic index. The GFE10 sample showed the highest overall sensory acceptance, highlighting ALP's potential as a functional ingredient in gluten‐free food development.

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