Characteristics of <i>Sunsik</i>, a Cereal-Based Ready-to-Drink Korean Beverage, with Added Germinated Wheat and Herbal Plant Extract

• Main Authors: Bo Ram Kim, Seung Soo Park, Geum-Joung Youn, Yeon Ju Kwak, Mi Jeong Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Foods
• Subjects: cereal-based ready-to-drink beverage; convenient meal replacement (CMR); germinated wheat; response surface methodology (RSM); gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA); antioxidant properties
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/11/1654

The purpose of this study was to develop a formulation of <i>Sunsik</i> with improved health benefits by adding germinated wheat (GW) and herbal plant extract (HPE) using a response surface methodology (RSM). The central composite experimental design (CCD) was used to evaluate the effects of <i>Sunsik</i> with added HPE (2–4%) and GW (10–20%) on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, gamma butyric acid (GABA) content, total color changes (△E), browning index (BI), water absorption index (WAI), and water solubility index (WSI). As a result of the CCD, the independent and dependent variables were fitted by the second-order polynomial equation, and the lack of fit for response surface models was not significant except in relation to WSI. The GABA content, TPC, and TEAC were more adequate for a linear model than for a quadratic model, and they might be affected by GW rather than HPE. Alternatively, the TFC, DPPH radical scavenging capacity, WAI, WSI, △E, and BI were fitted with quadratic models. The optimum formulation that could improve antioxidant and physicochemical properties was <i>Sunsik</i> with 3.5% and 20% added HPE and GW, respectively.