Food is the source from where a person obtains the body's daily requirements. People's current daily habits force them to consume fast food, which is known for its poor nutritional and safety features. So, it is urgent to provide a suitable substitution product to solve this issue. The present investigation aimed to produce a bar with a dual function: nutritional and long shelf life. Two materials were chosen to support the bar manufacturing regarding their bioactive contents, barley malt grass (BMG) and pomegranate byproducts (PBD). Chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial potency were measured. Β-carotene, vitamin C, and tocopherol were determined using HPLC apparatus. Extracts' bio-safety against cell lines was determined, besides their enhancement against cell-death factors. Simulation experiments were designed to evaluate extracts' impact to extend bar shelf life. Data represented the richness of essential minerals and fibers. Results of the FTIR reflected the existence of various active groups in the contents. Phenolic fractions of PBD are distinctive for their content of ellagic (39.21 ± 5.42 mg/kg), ferulic acid fractions (31.28 ± 4.07 mg/kg) which is a known with antifungal activity. Extracts and their mix (1:1) represented inhibition zone diameters that reach 15.1 ± 1.66 mm for bacteria and 23.81 ± 1.41 mm for fungi. Extracts were shown to have better safety against the cell line strain of hepatic HL-7702, with an elevation of a harmful dose of aflatoxin (IC50 304.5 µg/mL for PBD, IC50 381 µg/mL for BMG). Sensory evaluation of fortified bars reflected a preferable application of mix (1:1) due to color attributes and panelist evaluations, the same result recorded for simulation studies. The experiment recommended applying a mix (1:1) of BMG: PBD in addition to their extracts (200 mg/kg dough) for functional bar manufacturing with antifungal properties.
Keywords: aflatoxin; antimicrobial; barley malt grass; cereal bar; pomegranate byproducts; shelf-life extension.