Research from northern Italy is exploring whether very bitter plant extracts can be used in baked products without making them unpleasant to eat.

The study, led by Alessandro Candiani, Giada Diana and colleagues at the University of Piemonte Orientale, with collaborators from the University of Torino, looks at how Artemisia absinthium L. (wormwood) can be incorporated into biscuits using microencapsulation. The work was published in Gels in January 2026, with Lorena Segale as corresponding author.

Wormwood is well known for its intense bitterness, largely due to sesquiterpene lactones such as absinthin. These compounds activate bitter taste receptors not only on the tongue but also in the gastrointestinal tract, where they are associated with delayed gastric emptying and appetite-related hormonal responses. The challenge is that their taste is usually too strong for conventional bakery products.

Turning a bitter extract into a usable ingredient

The researchers prepared an ethanolic extract of A. absinthium and confirmed the presence of absinthin and related bitter compounds. As expected, the extract also showed measurable total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

To make the extract usable in food, two microencapsulation techniques were tested: spray drying and ionotropic gelation.

Spray drying produced fine powders with reasonable flowability, but recovery rates were modest and particle sizes were very small (below 35 µm). While this is often acceptable in other applications, the authors note that such fine powders can be difficult to handle and less practical for bakery processing.

Ionotropic gelation, using alginate crosslinked with calcium ions, proved more promising. This method produced spherical microparticles mostly between 700 and 1000 µm in size, with low residual moisture and good flow properties. The particles remained stable at baking temperatures and did not show signs of structural breakdown during processing.

What happens during baking?

The alginate-based microparticles were incorporated into cocoa biscuits produced at pilot scale using standard industrial steps, including dough mixing, rotary moulding and baking at 160 °C. Cocoa powder was included to help mask any remaining bitterness.

From a compositional point of view, the addition of the microparticles did not significantly change the biscuits’ moisture, fat or fibre content. Protein content was slightly higher, though the absolute difference was small.

Total phenolic content in the finished biscuits was similar to that of the control biscuits, indicating that the encapsulation process did not lead to major losses during baking. Antioxidant activity was slightly lower in the enriched biscuits, which the authors suggest may be due to interactions between phenolic compounds and the alginate matrix rather than degradation.

The fatty acid profile of the biscuits was unaffected. Oleic acid remained the dominant fatty acid, reflecting the use of olive oil, and the ω6/ω3 ratio stayed the same in both control and enriched products.

Analysis by HPLC confirmed that absinthin and anabsinthin survived baking. Based on the authors’ calculations, a daily portion of five biscuits would deliver around 10.5 µg of absinthin.

How did they taste?

A consumer acceptance test with 50 untrained volunteers compared biscuits with and without the encapsulated wormwood extract.

There were no differences in appearance, odour or texture. Taste and flavour scores were slightly lower for the enriched biscuits, with panellists noting a mild vegetal bitterness that did not resemble cocoa.

Overall liking, however, was not significantly different between the two samples.

Interestingly, the authors suggest that some of the negative flavour perception may have been linked to the use of hemp oil in the recipe rather than the encapsulated extract itself, pointing to possible formulation improvements.

What this means for bakers

The study shows that microencapsulation, particularly via ionotropic gelation, can make extremely bitter plant extracts workable in baked products without causing major sensory rejection. From a technical point of view, the particle size, flowability and heat stability achieved are relevant for bakery production.

At the same time, the researchers are clear about the limits of their work. While the biscuits contain quantifiable amounts of bitter compounds, the study does not demonstrate physiological effects such as reduced hunger or increased satiety in consumers. Further trials, including measurements of appetite-related hormones, would be needed to support any functional claims.

For bakeries looking at functional or health-oriented products, the research highlights both an opportunity and a caution: bitterness can be managed, but translating botanical bioactives into meaningful consumer benefits remains the next step.