Impact of black garlic and its encapsulated form on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant potential, and aroma-active profile of wheat bread.

This study investigated the impact of black garlic (BG) and encapsulated black garlic (EBG) additions (2–8%) on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant potential, aroma profile, and sensory characteristics of bread. Antioxidant capacity, measured by DPPH and ABTS assays, was highest in bread with 8% BG, while total phenolic content increased from 48.27 mg/100 g in the control to 86.56 mg/100 g. LC-ESI-MS/MS revealed significant increases in citric, malic, succinic, and pyroglutamic acids with BG addition. Texture profile analysis revealed that hardness significantly increased with BG addition, reaching 1214.67 g in 8% BG bread compared to 237.39 g in the control, while chewiness also followed an upward trend. In contrast, resilience decreased from 0.57 to 0.29 with 8% BG enrichment. HS-SPME-GC-MS and GC-O identified sulfur-containing compounds, especially diallyl disulfide and allyl methyl trisulfide, as key contributors to the distinctive aroma of BG- and EBG-enriched breads. Sensory evaluation showed overall acceptability scores between 3.78 and 4.10, with 8% BG bread rated highest for flavor and aroma. These findings indicate that BG and EBG can enhance both the functional and sensory qualities of bread, supporting their potential as innovative ingredients in commercial bakery products.