## 4 Discussion
Although inulin is not a potent natural antioxidant, it is safe to say that to the extent this dietary component has a greater presence, there could be benefits associated with antioxidant activity, in addition to benefits already attributed to inulin-derived dietary fiber. This was concluded by a study that evaluated its antioxidant activity and its role in preventing the impairment of human colonic muscle cells. The study results showed a significantly higher antioxidant activity when compared to that of simple sugars. In addition, inulin protected the human colonic mucosa from LPS-induced damage, suggesting that inulin may protect the gut from oxidative stress-related damage [42]. Inulin has been widely used in the food industry and incorporated into several products; however, its use in bakery and confectionery products is probably the most well-known. In our study, we have used inulin as a replacement for oil at a percentage of 60%, since higher concentrations altered the structure of the dough, turning it dryer, tougher or rubberier. [PERSON] and her team, who examined replacement levels of 0%, 35%, 50%, 70%, and 100%, concluded that using inulin instead of oil significantly decreased (\(p\) < 0.05) batter viscosity. It was determined that the best concentration was 70%, since the resulting products were softer and classified as acceptable by an untrained sensory panel [43]. However, in another study that addressed the use of inulin as a fat substitute (in concentrations of 50%, 75%, and 100%) to be used in bakery products, it was concluded that as the percentage of inulin increased, the volume of muffins decreased. Moreover, a descriptive analysis revealed significant effects on the appearance of the product, determining that the best replacement concentration was 50%, which resulted in comparable muffins whose crumb was slightly firmer [44]. On the other hand, [PERSON] (2016) reached the conclusion that using inulin as a replacer at a concentration of 45% would result in a reduction of 22 calories, equivalent to 36% of calories from fats and 14% of the total caloric value. In our study, it was found that the average calorie reduction was 51.5 calories, with the lowest reduction being observed in the inulin sample that did not contain berries (MI), at 27.11 calories; followed by the sample with inulin and Maqui (MIMa), at 63.19 calories; and finally, the greatest calorie reduction was seen in the sample with added inulin and Calafate (MICa). On the other hand, our products showed an average reduction of 55.93 g in terms of the fat contribution, and when the reduction in fats was ranked from the lowest to the highest, the MI, MIMa, and MICa samples had 4.75 g, 11.45 g and 11.59 g, respectively. These results differ from those obtained by [PERSON], who achieved a reduction in fats from 4 g to 2.4 g in the development of his inulin product [45]. It should be noted that reductions in fat contents and calories have also been found by [PERSON] et al. (2015), whose study demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in both macronutrients in all products with added inulin, which included cookies, croissants, muffins, and sponge cakes [46]. The results of our dietary fiber analyses did not show statistically significant differences; however, it was found an increase in the total fiber content of the products supplemented with inulin. In general, studies that have examined the addition of inulin in bakery and confectionery products are primarily focused on the organoleptic characteristics that inulin confers to the dough, as well as on the ability of inulin to contribute to fat reduction in the final product. However, it is quite hard to find studies focused on the total dietary fiber content [47; 48; 49; 43].