FUNCTIONAL ENHANCEMENT OF VEGAN WALNUT-BASED BEVERAGE THROUGH DATE PULP FORTIFICATION

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of lactose intolerance, the growing adoption of vegan dietary patterns, and rising consumer awareness of environmental sustainability have substantially driven the demand for plant-based milk alternatives. In this study, a novel walnut-based vegan beverage enriched with date pulp (Phoenix dactylifera L.), a rich source of natural sugars, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds, was developed, and the effects of this fortification on functional and physicochemical properties were investigated. The findings revealed that the addition of date pulp at a level of 15% significantly enhanced the antioxidant capacity, resulting in increases of approximately 120%, 53%, and 51% in ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP values, respectively. A 31% increase in total phenolic content was also observed. Furthermore, total soluble solids and viscosity increased, while protein content rose from 5.60% to 7.19%. Date pulp addition significantly affected the color parameters of the product. In summary, this study demonstrates that date pulp has significant potential as a natural and functional ingredient for the development of innovative vegan milk alternatives enriched with bioactive compounds.

Keywords

• Vegan
• plant-based milk
• walnut
• date
• functional

HURMA PULPU İLE ZENGİNLEŞTİRİLMİŞ CEVİZ BAZLI VEGAN İÇECEĞİN FONKSİYONEL ÖZELLİKLERİNİN GELİŞTİRİLMESİ

Abstract

Artan laktoz intoleransı prevalansı, vegan beslenme eğilimlerinin yaygınlaşması ve sürdürülebilirlik odaklı tüketici farkındalığı, bitki bazlı süt alternatiflerine olan talebi hızla artırmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, doğal şekerler, diyet lifi ve biyoaktif bileşiklerce zengin hurma pulpu (Phoenix dactylifera L.) ile zenginleştirilmiş ceviz bazlı yenilikçi bir vegan içecek geliştirilmiş ve bu zenginleştirmenin fonksiyonel ve fizikokimyasal özellikler üzerindeki etkileri incelenmiştir. Bulgular, %15 oranında hurma pulpu ilavesinin antioksidan kapasiteyi istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde artırdığını ve ABTS, DPPH ile FRAP değerlerinde sırasıyla yaklaşık %120, %53 ve %51 oranlarında yükselme sağladığını ortaya koymuştur. Toplam fenolik madde içeriğinde %31 oranında artış belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, toplam çözünür kuru madde ve viskozite değerlerinde artış gözlenmiş olup, protein içeriğinin %5.60’tan %7.19’a yükseldiği tespit edilmiştir. Hurma pulpu ilavesi, ürünün renk parametrelerini önemli ölçüde etkilemiştir. Özetle, bu çalışma, hurma pulpunun biyoaktif bileşiklerce zenginleştirilmiş yenilikçi vegan süt alternatiflerinin geliştirilmesinde doğal ve fonksiyonel bir bileşen olarak önemli bir potansiyele sahip olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Vegan
• bitkisel süt
• ceviz
• hurma
• fonksiyonel

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