# Effect of Microwave-Assisted Processing of Acorn Flour on Muffin Quality
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Effect of Microwave-Treated Acorn Flour Addition on Color Parameters of Muffins  
The incorporation of microwave-treated acorn flour into wheat-acorn muffins significantly influenced the color of the baked goods (Table 4, Figure 2). These color changes were observed in both the crust and the crumb of the muffins and were dependent on the microwave power and the duration of exposure to the flour. The crust lightness of muffins baked with dry microwave-treated acorn flour was generally lower than that of the control sample. The highest crust lightness was observed in the sample with dry microwave-treated flour subjected to 1.0 min at 925 W (L* = 36.32), which was the only sample to exhibit an 11.5% increase in lightness compared to the control. In the other samples with dry microwave-treated flour, crust lightness either did not differ significantly or was lower than that of the control sample. Changes in crust lightness were primarily influenced by the duration of microwave treatment: the longer the flour was treated, the lower the crust lightness of the resulting muffins. Microwave power had a lesser effect on crust color changes; statistically significant differences were observed only at 925 W, which produced muffins with the lightest crust. Dry microwave-treated flour also affected other crust color parameters, specifically a* and b*. The values of these parameters decreased as a function of both time (a* parameter) and time and power (b* parameter). The crust lightness of muffins baked with wet microwave-treated flour was lower than that of muffins baked with dry microwave-treated flour. An increase in treatment time and power resulted in a decrease in the L parameter, though these changes were less pronounced than those in muffins with dry microwave-treated flour. The lowest L* values were recorded for samples microwaved at 1295 W, with a reduction of up to 22.5% compared to the control sample. The values of the a* and b* parameters were lower than those of the control sample but the changes were irregular, with no clear relationship between treatment time and power. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Sample Type**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Crust Color**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Crumb Color**} \\ \cline{2-5}  & **L* [-]** & **a* [-]** & **b* [-]** & **L* [-]** & **a* [-]** & **b* [-]** \\ \hline AF\_0 & 32.57 \(\pm\) 0.33 \({}^{\rm{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{ \small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small{\small  
The color changes resulting from microwave-treated acorn flour also influenced the crumb color of muffins (Table 4). The lightness (L* parameter) of the crumb in muffins with dry microwave-treated flour depended on treatment time and power. For shorter treatment times, regardless of power, the differences were not statistically significant. However, with prolonged microwave treatment, the crumb became darker. The darkest crumb was observed in the sample containing flour microwaved at 1295 W for 1.5 min, with a 46.3% reduction in the L* value compared to the control sample. The values of the a* and b* parameters also changed, though these changes were less pronounced than those observed for crumb lightness. The proportions of red (a* value) and yellow (b* value) hues remained statistically unchanged, except in samples subjected to the longest microwave treatment times. The crumb color of muffins with wet microwave-treated flour was darker than both the control sample and muffins with dry microwave-treated flour. The most pronounced decrease in lightness was observed in the sample treated for 3.0 min at 925 W, with a 26.5% reduction in the L* parameter value compared to the control sample. Increasing treatment time further reduced crumb lightness. The changes in the a* parameter among samples treated for the same time but at different power levels were not statistically significant.