Development and Characterisation of Corn Starch-Based Functional Gummies Enriched with Broccoli and Red Cabbage Microgreen Extracts

Abstract

Microgreens contain a range of phytochemicals, but fresh microgreens are highly perishable and may not be convenient for regular consumption. This study investigated the development of corn starch-based gummies using aqueous extracts of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra) microgreens. The microgreens were cultivated on cocopeat under LED lighting, harvested at the cotyledon stage, dehydrated and extracted in water at a powder-to-water ratio of 1:10. The extracts were characterised in terms of selected phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. Red cabbage extract contained 1.72 mg/ml anthocyanins, 3.08 mg/ml total phenolics and 1.16 mg/ml flavonoids. Broccoli extract contained 3.75 mg/ml total phenolics, 1.02 mg/ml flavonoids and 2.40 mg/ml total glucosinolates. Ten gummy formulations (F0–F9) were prepared with individual or combined extracts. Formulation F8, containing 1.5 ml of each extract, received  the highest overall sensory score (9/9) and was selected for further analysis. The selected gummy contained 5.82 mg/g total glucosinolates and 12.9% moisture, while its total plate count was below 10 CFU/g at the time of testing. DPPH radical-scavenging activity increased from 72.6% at 100 mg to 92.5% at 1000 mg. The findings indicate that broccoli and red cabbage microgreen extracts can be incorporated into a starch-based confectionery matrix with favourable sensory acceptance and measurable phytochemical and antioxidant characteristics. Further work is required to quantify sulforaphane specifically and establish storage stability.