Nutritional profile of Asparagus officinalis stem and glycemic response of its stem-based products on euglycemic subjects

Abstract

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is one of the perennial herbs, which has excellent nutritional composition and bioactive compounds. The objective of this study was to analyze the nutritional composition of Asparagus stem and the glycemic response of its stem-based products euglycemic subjects. The proximate analysis (by AOAC 2012) and mineral profile (AAS) of the Asparagus stem were analyzed with modifications in standard protocols. Food products i.e. Thepla, Chakli, Biscuit, and Momos were developed by the incorporation of the Asparagus stem powder in different concentrations i.e. 2%, 4%, and 6%. The organoleptic evaluation was done by using a 9-point hedonic rating scale. Furthermore, the most acceptable products were tested against glucose to evaluate post-meal glycemic response in normal subjects. The result of the proximate (g/100 g) analysis revealed that the stem of asparagus contained moisture (5.53±0.26), protein (8.16±0.76), ash (2.30±0.59), fat (2.24±0.65), fiber (24.64±036) and carbohydrates (57.13±0.61). In terms of mineral profile (mg/100 g) stems of Asparagus contained iron (1.20±0.23), Calcium (1.27±0.21), Sodium (2.04±0.87), potassium (8.34±0.76), and Zinc (3.28±0.58). Sensory evaluation revealed that variant A of Thepla and Chakali (2%) was liked by most of the panel members and found insignificant differences (p≤0.05) when compared to its respective variant and other products. The data of glycemic response showed that the test Chakali had a low glycemic index and medium glycemic load when compared to test Thepla. Thus it is concluded that the Asparagus stem had superior nutritional and favorable sensory characteristics. It can be used as a functional ingredient to develop low-glycemic food products.