Functional Fortification of Gluten-Free Bread with Melon Seed Powder and Green Lentil Protein Isolate

One of the biggest challenges in food science is still creating gluten-free bread that is both nutritionally and texturally improved. The purpose of this study was to create gluten-free breads enhanced with melon seed powder, a valuable food waste byproduct high in antioxidants and phenolic compounds, and green lentil protein isolate (GLPI). In this study, five gluten-free bread formulations with a constant GLPI content (10%) and varying amounts of melon seed (5%, 10%, and 15%) were made. Chemical composition, mineral content, texture, color, total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, total antioxidant activity (TAA), phenolic profile, sensory attributes, and bioaccessibility analyses after in vitro digestion were performed in gluten-free bread samples. Protein, fat, mineral content such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc and antioxidant activity increased significantly with melon seed incorporation. Significantly, GLPI and melon seed supplementation increased the TAA, TPC, and TFC. When the bioaccessibility values of gluten-free breads were examined, TPC, TFC and TAA values varied between 207 and 363%, 340–764%, and 46–232%, respectively. Protocatechuic acid and catechin bioaccessibility increased after intestinal digestion, according to the phenolic profile. This study showed that combining GLPI with melon seed powder represents a value-added approach to food waste utilization in functional food applications.