The physicochemical properties of the emulsions prepared with four different proteins (pea protein isolate, whey protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, and soy protein isolate) were characterized in terms of particle size, rheological property, and freeze-thaw stability, while the feasibility of the protein-stabilized emulsions as a fat replacer was evaluated. Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis showed that O/W emulsions were successfully prepared with all the proteins; however, the smallest particle size and excellent syneresis were observed in the WPI-stabilized emulsions. The use of WPI-stabilized emulsions as an alternative for shortening up to 50% level did not lead to differences in the muffin batters’ specific gravity and viscoelastic properties. After baking, the substitution of shortening with the WPI emulsions at up to 50% by weight did not significantly affect the muffins’ specific volume and texture characteristics.

Marigold powder is recognized to be a good source of lutein that plays significant roles in promoting the health of eyes and reducing age-related cataract risk. Because lutein cannot be synthesized in a human body, it needs to be supplied from the diet. However, there are no lutein-incorporated food products in a market other than capsules or powders. In this study, the processing performances of marigold powder in a fresh noodle system was investigated in terms of pasting, viscoelastic, and textural properties. In addition, the levels of lutein in the marigold powder-incorporated fresh noodles were quantitatively analyzed before and after cooking by HPLC. The pasting and dynamic viscoelastic parameters of wheat flour were reduced with increasing levels of marigold powder. The SEM images demonstrated that the wheat flour paste samples with higher levels of marigold powder show a highly cellular structure. However, the use of marigold powder at a level of 2% did not significantly affect the tensile properties of fresh noodles. When marigold powder was incorporated into the formulation of fresh noodles, their lutein contents were ranges from 61.22 to 204.91mg/100 g noodles. After cooking, the lutein contents were reduced by almost 50% while they seemed to satisfy the recommended dietary intake of lutein.