Development of a mango (mangifera indical.)-bagasse functional confectionery as a food strategy to combat childhood overweight and obesity

Abstract

Confectionery products are highly consumed by children population and have contributed to the increase of morbidities such as obesity and overweight. Both have reached a prevalence in Queretaro of 13.8% for children and teenagers (12-19 years old). As an alternative to such a problem, this work aimed to develop a functional confection (CBM) using mango bagasse, a bioactive compounds-rich by-product. It was evaluated CBM’s nutritional contribution, sensory acceptance, and the functionality of specific CBM’s components (bioaccessibility or release) through an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. Moreover, an untargeted metabolomics analysis was conducted for the metabolites produced during the colonic fermentation. A protein and dietary fiber-rich product (10.27 and 17.3%, respectively) was obtained. Compared to a commercial product, CBM did not exhibit differences in odor, flavor, texture, or acidity. Gallic acid and mangiferin were the most bioaccessible phenolics (22.05-232.11%). During the colonic fermentation, CBM produced significant levels of butyric acid and butyl-butyrate, which are known for their prebiotic and obesity-reduce effects. In conclusion, CBM is an alternative of functional confection that provides bioactive compounds with the potential for the reduction of obesity and overweight in children population. This project has a social reach taking advantage of a by-product to generates a high value-added product that impacts the economic and health sector creating high-consumption products that help in the childhood obesity and overweight prevention, reducing the environmental impact of the mango’s industry