Effects of Xanthan gum and Melissa officinalis seed gum on physicomechanical properties, acrylamide formation, and acceptability of baguette bread

Acrylamide, as a toxic and carcinogenic compound, is found in many cooked or fried foods. In this work, the effect of Melissa Officinalis seed gum (MOSG) in the concentration of 1% (w/w) was investigated on acrylamide formation in bread and compared with baguette bread containing xanthan 1% (w/w) and control sample (without gum). The addition of MOSG increased the moisture level of the bread samples from 22.1% to 23.6% (p> 0.05). The acrylamide content of bread and those containing MOSG and xanthan gum were 1180, 836.75, and 1167.6 ng/g, respectively. The addition of MOSG reduced the hardness of the samples from 3380 g to 730 g and the bread containing xanthan gum showed the lowest hardness (410 g). The addition of MOSG to the bread’s formulation increased L* (brightness) and b* (blue/yellow) values and reduced a* (red/green) value of the samples. The sensory evaluation results demonstrated that the addition of MOSG improved porosity, softness, flavor and taste, aroma, color, chewiness, and elasticity of the samples. In conclusion, MOSG was found to be a potential candidate with excellent efficiency to be used for the reduction of acrylamide from bread.