Enhancement of bioactive properties and antioxidant activity in wheat chips enriched with purple wheat flour

The objective of this study was to develop wheat chips fortified with purple wheat flour (PWF) and to evaluate the effects of PWF incorporation, frying temperature, and frying time on starch fractions, bioactive properties, antioxidant activity, and acrylamide formation. Response Surface Methodology was applied to assess the effects of PWF concentration (0%–100%), frying temperature (170–190 °C), and frying time (40–60 s) on the quality and functional properties of wheat chips. Resistant starch ranged from 0.51 to 0.80 g/100 g and increased slightly with higher PWF levels; this increase was found to be statistically significant. Acrylamide content was found to be a statistically significant parameter (p < .05), showing a decreasing trend from 1,362.68 to 1,082.76 μg/kg with increasing levels of PWF incorporation. Total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), free radical scavenging capacity (ABTS)) significantly improved with PWF enrichment, whereas ferric reducing antioxidant power showed no notable change. These findings indicate that PWF can be effectively incorporated into deep-fried wheat chips, enhancing their functional and bioactive properties while reducing acrylamide formation.