Plantain flour: A potential nutraceutical ingredient to increase fiber and reduce starch digestibility of gluten-free cookies

There is interest in the production of gluten-free foods with high dietary fibre content and low caloric supply. It is well known that gluten-free foods present a poor matrix due to the absence of gluten, a protein that builds the network which provides the accepted textural characteristics of bakery products and pasta. Moreover, gluten-free products have a low dietary fibre content due to the use of starch or refined flours. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of unripe plantain flour (UPF) to prepare gluten-free cookies with high dietary fibre content. A commercial high dietary fibre ingredient (Hi-Maize 260®) was used for comparison. The hardness, chemical composition, and starch digestibility of the cookies were assessed. The texture and the proximal composition of both cookies was similar, but the dietary fibre content of the cookie with UPF was 100% higher than that of Hi-Maize 260®, and the former showed a lower predicted glycaemic index. These results indicated that unripe plantain flour can be used as a substitute for commercial ingredients to produce gluten-free cookies with high dietary fibre content and a low predicted glycaemic index.