ABSTRACT
This study focuses on the characterisation and incorporation of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOP) from Luanda (Angola) and its extract (MOE) in fortified chocolate mousse. Dark green (DG) leaves presented superior nutritional values compared to other leaves. DG contained a higher concentration of mineral salts (10 ± 1 mg/100 g of dry leaves), phenolic compounds (267 ± 4 mg GAE/g), vitamins (1.9 ± 0.2 mg/g of dry extract) and strong antioxidant capacity (IC50, 115 ± 8 µg/mL). Therefore, DG leaves were used to fortify the chocolate mousse. The leaves were prepared in three samples: control, 2 % MOP (w/w) and 2 % MOE (v/v). Textural and rheological analysis of chocolate mousse samples revealed a pseudoplastic profile for all samples, with decreased texture attributes and viscosity due to the incorporation. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that MOP and MOE samples presented 93 % and 88 % resemblance to the original product regarding general acceptance, respectively.
