Pfaffia glomerata by-product: drying, characterisation and utilisation in cereal bars

This study aimed to evaluate the convective drying of a by-product obtained by hydrodistillation of Pfaffia glomerata roots (PGB) and investigate the utilisation of the resulting powder in the preparation of cereal bars. Drying at 80 degrees C for 120 min was the selected condition for PGB due to the higher levels of phenolic acids (gallic, coumaric and ferulic) catechin and higher antioxidant activity than drying at 60 degrees C for 180 min, and, better technological properties and higher beta-ecdysone content than drying at 100 degrees C for 100 min. There was an increase in fibre content (110%), antioxidant compounds (97%) and compressive strength (377%) and a decrease in lipid content (31%) when the PGB content of cereal bars was increased from 0% to 9%. Colour parameters, purchase intention and most sensory parameters were similar among cereal bar formulations, indicating that PGB is a promising ingredient for the nutritional enrichment of cereal bars.