Review Reports

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This study described the use of inulin and psyllium husk as functional ingredients for bread-making. The result is interesting and so some extent not as expected. Normally it’s believed that addition of fiber will decrease quality but the result showed that proper addition of fiber increased bread quality.

Some suggestions are as follows:

Line 84: More details should be provided on how sensory evaluation was performed. For example, how many reviewers? Is the evaluation totally subject, objective or a mixture of both?

 

Line 90-91: For bread formula, more details should be provided. For example, when 4% psyllium husk was added, it the final formula 70g white flour + 30g whole flour + 4g psyllium (total of 104g) husk or 67.2g white flour+ 28.8g whole flour +4g psyllium husk (total of 100g)

 

Line 194: More detail should be provided on this quality index.

 

Line 203: I do not think this recommendation can be made based on result from this study.

 

Author Response

Some suggestions are as follows:

Line 84: More details should be provided on how sensory evaluation was performed. For example, how many reviewers? Is the evaluation totally subject, objective or a mixture of both?

Response: The sensory assessment (method, number of assessors, procedure, etc.) was written in detail in the text. Thanks for the comment.

Line 90-91: For bread formula, more details should be provided. For example, when 4% psyllium husk was added, it the final formula 70g white flour + 30g whole flour + 4g psyllium (total of 104g) husk or 67.2g white flour+ 28.8g whole flour +4g psyllium husk (total of 100g)

Response: transcribed in the text. Thanks for the comment.

Line 194: More detail should be provided on this quality index.

Response: Explained and detailed in the text. Thanks for the comment.

Line 203: I do not think this recommendation can be made based on result from this study.

Response: We agree with the finding. We deleted it in the text.

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper describes the development of formulation of bakery pre-mixes based on white and purple wheat with addition of inulin, psyllium and chia seeds as additional sources of fiber. Basically, the results from various stages of mixes development are presented here. The concept of the paper is very common, merely descriptive and may be interesting for practitioners in the bakery industry but its scientific merit is insignificant. This is more a sort of a professional paper.

The paper brings us information on the standard quality parameters of used flours (farinogram, falling number, microbiology, etc.), total phenolics then describes volume and shape of loaves made from mixtures with various combination of ingredients and gradually leads us to the final bread formulations additionally characterized by determining their crude fibre content. The final conclusion is that the developed formulations are beneficial for health and that breads made from these could be recommended for people suffering from diabetes.

One of many weaknesses is that these conclusions are not evidence-based  and are pure speculative as glycaemic index and load of the breads were not determined therefore it cannot be explicitly stated that it is useful for diabetes sufferers (we assume that it is very likely to be useful but one cannot write a scientific paper based on an assumption). Furthermore, the nutritional characterisation of breads is poor, dietary fibres (total, soluble, insoluble), carbohydrate analysis/profiling is missing, no information on macro and micronutrients, antioxidant properties, etc.

Material and methods contains too much info on standard methods but do not explain and describe bread manufacture, complete ingredient list, fermentation conditions, dough make-up, baking temperature, time, etc. The measurement of volume and shape ratio are not described. Sensory analysis is not described, it is necessary to explain the descriptors, scoring, panelists...

Introduction could be completed with the nutritional benefits of chia, psyllium and inulin. Also, the significance of bread as staple food and its advantages and disadvantages regarding contribution to nutritional/health status of general/specific population groups could be tackled.

If however process of formulation optimisation should be the topic of manuscript, than some of the optimisation experimental designs could be applied and explained the effects of various ingredients on quality parameters of interest.

 

Author Response

The paper describes the development of formulation of bakery pre-mixes based on white and purple wheat with addition of inulin, psyllium and chia seeds as additional sources of fiber. Basically, the results from various stages of mixes development are presented here. The concept of the paper is very common, merely descriptive and may be interesting for practitioners in the bakery industry but its scientific merit is insignificant. This is more a sort of a professional paper.

 

The paper brings us information on the standard quality parameters of used flours (farinogram, falling number, microbiology, etc.), total phenolics then describes volume and shape of loaves made from mixtures with various combination of ingredients and gradually leads us to the final bread formulations additionally characterized by determining their crude fibre content. The final conclusion is that the developed formulations are beneficial for health and that breads made from these could be recommended for people suffering from diabetes.

 

One of many weaknesses is that these conclusions are not evidence-based  and are pure speculative as glycaemic index and load of the breads were not determined therefore it cannot be explicitly stated that it is useful for diabetes sufferers (we assume that it is very likely to be useful but one cannot write a scientific paper based on an assumption). Furthermore, the nutritional characterisation of breads is poor, dietary fibres (total, soluble, insoluble), carbohydrate analysis/profiling is missing, no information on macro and micronutrients, antioxidant properties, etc.

Response: It has been rephrased. Thanks for the comment.

Material and methods contains too much info on standard methods but do not explain and describe bread manufacture, complete ingredient list, fermentation conditions, dough make-up, baking temperature, time, etc. The measurement of volume and shape ratio are not described. Sensory analysis is not described, it is necessary to explain the descriptors, scoring, panelists...

Response: The gaps have been filled. The manufacturing process and the list of ingredients have been described. The parameters at the time of production have been entered. Volume measurement has been described and the procedure for the shape ratio test has been described. The sensory analysis examination was also detailed. Thanks for the comment.

Introduction could be completed with the nutritional benefits of chia, psyllium and inulin. Also, the significance of bread as staple food and its advantages and disadvantages regarding contribution to nutritional/health status of general/specific population groups could be tackled.

Response: A paragraph has been added with a short presentation about the nutritional effects of these ingredients, and the nutritional role of cereals and bread is also discussed briefly in the 1. and 5 paragraph.

If however process of formulation optimisation should be the topic of manuscript, than some of the optimisation experimental designs could be applied and explained the effects of various ingredients on quality parameters of interest.

Response: In this paper, a preliminary study was carried out to investigate the quality of bread that can be made from purple wheat flour, either alone or in a fibre-enriched blend. As these experiences are positive, we will continue this work and set up a new experiment to optimise the quality of the ingredients and technological steps.

Reviewer 3 Report

General remarks:

This study describes the development of high-fiber, ready-to-bake flour mixtures using purple wheat flour and various fiber-rich additives such as inulin, chia seed flour, and psyllium husk flour. The mixtures were tested in the preparation of bread rolls, and three successful blends were identified. The aim of this study was to create healthier flour mixtures with increased fiber content for use in baked goods, given the growing consumer interest in fiber-rich foods and the prevalence of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Overall, the study appears to be well-conducted and provides useful information on the development of these flour mixtures.

Specific remarks:

It is suggested to rewrite the sentences on lines 13-16 of the Abstract in order to provide a clearer description of the research for a first-time reader.

In the Introduction section, it is suggested to provide a brief overview of the diversity and importance of purple grains, including wheat and other grains, with appropriate citations to the existing body of knowledge. This can be followed by a focus on purple wheat itself, which should be the primary focus of the Introduction section.

Please cite:

Violeta, A., Mesarović, J., Srebrić, M., & Mladenović Drinić, S. (2018). Pigmented maize - a potential source of β-carotene and α-tocopherol. Journal of Engineering & Processing Management, 10(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.7251/JEPM181002001A

Paznocht, L., Kotíková, Z., Šulc, M., Lachman, J., Orsák, M., Eliášová, M., & Martinek, P. (2018). Free and esterified carotenoids in pigmented wheat, tritordeum and barley grains. Food Chemistry, 240, 670-678.

Mbanjo, E. G. N., Kretzschmar, T., Jones, H., Ereful, N., Blanchard, C., Boyd, L. A., & Sreenivasulu, N. (2020). The genetic basis and nutritional benefits of pigmented rice grain. Frontiers in genetics, 11, 229.

It is important to note that the writer of this message has no affiliation with the authors of the above-suggested articles and has no personal or professional interest in promoting the citing score of the articles. The inclusion proposal of the articles into this paper is solely based on the belief that there are valuable and relevant to the topic being addressed in your paper.

In the Materials and Methods section, describe the materials used concisely and group the methods according to a common trait, such as qualification tests, Farinograph tests, and end-product tests.

On lines 59-60, it is stated that 'Three parallel measurements were carried out during the test.' However, it is not clear if triplicate measurements were only performed for moisture content or if other analyses were also determined in triplicate. It is recommended to specify the analyses for which triplicate measurements were conducted and to provide this information closer to the paragraph in which statistical tools are mentioned, at the end of the section.

On line 76, the term 'organoleptic tests' is used, while on line 84 the term 'sensory reviewers' is utilized. These terms should be consistent, as the use of organoleptic tests implies the presence of organoleptic reviewers. It is recommended to use the term 'organoleptic reviewers' consistently throughout the text.

It is recommended to move the information presented on lines 90-96 from the Materials and Methods section to the Conclusions section.

It is unclear what is meant by 'Promylograph Unit.' It is possible that the intended term is 'Farinograph Units,' which is a standard unit of measurement for the consistency of dough.

It is stated that the consistency of 320 PU was obtained with the addition of water. However, it is a common practice to aim for a dough consistency of 500 FU. It is recommended to provide a justification for the decision to use a consistency of 320 PU in this study.

In the Conclusions section (lines 186-192), it is recommended to focus more on the main aim of the study rather than on the specific characteristics of the flour used. In addition, the use of the term 'valorigram' on line 193 is not common and it may be beneficial to replace it or provide a brief explanation of its significance in the Results section.

Author Response

This study describes the development of high-fiber, ready-to-bake flour mixtures using purple wheat flour and various fiber-rich additives such as inulin, chia seed flour, and psyllium husk flour. The mixtures were tested in the preparation of bread rolls, and three successful blends were identified. The aim of this study was to create healthier flour mixtures with increased fiber content for use in baked goods, given the growing consumer interest in fiber-rich foods and the prevalence of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Overall, the study appears to be well-conducted and provides useful information on the development of these flour mixtures.

Specific remarks:

It is suggested to rewrite the sentences on lines 13-16 of the Abstract in order to provide a clearer description of the research for a first-time reader.

In the Introduction section, it is suggested to provide a brief overview of the diversity and importance of purple grains, including wheat and other grains, with appropriate citations to the existing body of knowledge. This can be followed by a focus on purple wheat itself, which should be the primary focus of the Introduction section.

Please cite:

Violeta, A., Mesarović, J., Srebrić, M., & Mladenović Drinić, S. (2018). Pigmented maize - a potential source of β-carotene and α-tocopherol. Journal of Engineering & Processing Management, 10(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.7251/JEPM181002001A

Paznocht, L., Kotíková, Z., Šulc, M., Lachman, J., Orsák, M., Eliášová, M., & Martinek, P. (2018). Free and esterified carotenoids in pigmented wheat, tritordeum and barley grains. Food Chemistry, 240, 670-678.

Mbanjo, E. G. N., Kretzschmar, T., Jones, H., Ereful, N., Blanchard, C., Boyd, L. A., & Sreenivasulu, N. (2020). The genetic basis and nutritional benefits of pigmented rice grain. Frontiers in genetics, 11, 229.

It is important to note that the writer of this message has no affiliation with the authors of the above-suggested articles and has no personal or professional interest in promoting the citing score of the articles. The inclusion proposal of the articles into this paper is solely based on the belief that there are valuable and relevant to the topic being addressed in your paper.

Response: The a new first paragraph has been added, in which we present the importance of cereals in nutrition generally, and the research into coloured cereals. Thank you for the comment: we agree that introduces the subject of purple wheat much better.

In the Materials and Methods section, describe the materials used concisely and group the methods according to a common trait, such as qualification tests, Farinograph tests, and end-product tests.

Response: The tests were separated: Flour, dough and product preparation.

On lines 59-60, it is stated that 'Three parallel measurements were carried out during the test.' However, it is not clear if triplicate measurements were only performed for moisture content or if other analyses were also determined in triplicate. It is recommended to specify the analyses for which triplicate measurements were conducted and to provide this information closer to the paragraph in which statistical tools are mentioned, at the end of the section.

Response: All tests were carried out in three parallel measurements. This is noted in the text.

On line 76, the term 'organoleptic tests' is used, while on line 84 the term 'sensory reviewers' is utilized. These terms should be consistent, as the use of organoleptic tests implies the presence of organoleptic reviewers. It is recommended to use the term 'organoleptic reviewers' consistently throughout the text.

Response: Thank you for your comment. We have corrected it.

It is recommended to move the information presented on lines 90-96 from the Materials and Methods section to the Conclusions section.

Response: Thank you for your comment. We have corrected it.

It is unclear what is meant by 'Promylograph Unit.' It is possible that the intended term is 'Farinograph Units,' which is a standard unit of measurement for the consistency of dough.

It is stated that the consistency of 320 PU was obtained with the addition of water. However, it is a common practice to aim for a dough consistency of 500 FU. It is recommended to provide a justification for the decision to use a consistency of 320 PU in this study.

Response: The use of the promilograph was justified by the fact that our aim in the production of the products was to achieve the same dough consistency, so that the final products could be fused together. Water absorption was a secondary consideration in our case.

In the Conclusions section (lines 186-192), it is recommended to focus more on the main aim of the study rather than on the specific characteristics of the flour used. In addition, the use of the term 'valorigram' on line 193 is not common and it may be beneficial to replace it or provide a brief explanation of its significance in the Results section.

Response: Thank you for your comment. We have corrected it.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

General comment: The revised version of the manuscript contributed to some clarifications but obviously could not improve the scientific significance of the paper. This manuscript remains low in scope, originality and depth of scientific work as it is only about the design of bread formulations in which the used ingredients and end-products are characterized by standard methods. In my opinion it is not suitable for scientific journal of high IF and should be recommended for publication elsewhere.

Specific comments: It is a bit confusing what is really meant by white purple wheat flour. Is it refined purple wheat flour? Thus, provide ash, protein and moisture contents for all the used flours.