Clean-label basil seed gum-date seed extract coatings for reduced oil uptake and enhanced lipid quality in deep-fat-fried chicken nuggets: A physicochemical, lipidomic, and machine learning approach.

High oil uptake in deep-fat-fried foods raises health concerns, prompting the development of clean-label strategies to reduce fat absorption, while maintaining product quality. This study investigated the use of basil seed gum (BSG)-based batters enriched with date seed extract to produce low-oil, deep-fat-fried chicken nuggets. Batter functionality, physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, lipid profile, stability, and oil uptake were also evaluated. Increasing BSG concentration (0.50-2.50%) significantly enhanced the water-holding capacity, batter pick-up, and coating thickness, while reducing the oil-holding capacity. These changes resulted in lower shrinkage, higher cooking yield, improved moisture retention and juiciness, and reduced oil uptake, with optimal performance observed at 1-2% BSG. This coating further improved phenolic and flavonoid retention and preserved antioxidant activity after frying, contributing to improved lipid quality, characterized by reduced saturated fatty acids and higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acids. GC-MS-based lipid profiling indicated reduced accumulation of oil-derived degradation products in BSG-treated samples. During refrigerated storage, BSG delayed textural deterioration and the onset of microbiological spoilage. Machine learning identified coating thickness and juiciness as key predictors of oil uptake. Overall, BSG coating showed potential as a clean-label approach for improving the quality of fried poultry products.