Development of Gluten-Free Functional Bread Adapted to the Nutritional Requirements of Celiac Patients

Celiac patients suffer from nutritional deficiencies before and during the maintenance of a gluten-free diet; this is due to non-fortified, mostly processed foods that are high in saturated fat and deficient in minerals typically present in wheat. A literature search was carried out to determine the deficiencies of these patients in calcium, iron, fiber, folic acid, omega-3, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Different formulations of gluten-free bread enriched with olive extract (hydroxytyrosol of natural (HXTO) and synthetic (HXTS) origin), acerola extract, citrus extract, spinach extract, calcium, iron and linseed were used. Antioxidant capacity, nutritional composition, folates, minerals, color and pH were studied, and a microbiological study and sensory analysis were conducted to assess organoleptic quality. These studies were carried out on days 0, 4, 7 and 11 to study their evolution. The results of the HXTS bread showed a higher antioxidant capacity, higher antimicrobial capacity and higher fiber content, as well as higher amounts of minerals. It also showed higher consumer acceptability, even relative to commercial gluten-free bread. The HXTO bread showed higher antimicrobial capacity than the control (C), higher fiber content and higher mineral content, but had lower antimicrobial capacity than HTXS bread. It also had better sensory acceptability than C but was worse than HXTS bread. Taking into account the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics, the HXTS sample is the most suitable for enriching the diet of celiac patients.