1. Introduction

Food diversification based on local resources is a key strategy for supporting food security and developing functional foods, particularly in tropical countries with a wide variety of nonwheat food commodities. The development of widely consumed food products using local raw materials with enhanced nutritional quality is gaining increasing attention within sustainable food system approaches [1]. Noodles are cereal‐based foods widely consumed across Asia and other regions worldwide [2]. Noodle consumption continues to rise as people′s lifestyles shift toward more convenient foods that require relatively little preparation. Alongside convenience, greater attention is now directed by modern consumers toward health considerations, nutrient composition, and bioactive constituents in their food choices [3]. Therefore, the development of noodle products focuses not only on sensory characteristics and physical quality, but also on enhancing their nutritional value and health‐related functional benefits.

Most conventional noodle products still use wheat flour as their main ingredient. Wheat flour can form gluten networks, which give the dough its elastic structure [4]. However, wheat production in many tropical countries is relatively limited, so the demand for wheat flour is still largely met through imports. Dependence on imported wheat can increase the food system′s vulnerability and raise food production costs [5]. These conditions underscore the need to develop noodle products made from local ingredients as part of a strategy to diversify the food sector and strengthen food self‐reliance. Utilizing local carbohydrate sources can also increase the value of local agricultural commodities and expand innovation in food products based on domestic resources [6].

One local ingredient with potential as a wheat‐flour substitute is modified cassava flour (mocaf) [7]. Mocaf is a cassava‐based flour obtained through fermentation, a process that alters its physicochemical properties, particularly the structure of starch granules and their hydration behavior [8]. This fermentation treatment increases water absorption capacity, enhances starch functional properties, and produces dough with greater stability compared with conventional cassava flour. Furthermore, cassava is widely cultivated in tropical regions, so its use as a food ingredient can add value to the development of products based on local resources. Several studies have reported that mocaf can be used as a substitute ingredient in various flour‐based food products, including noodle products [9, 10]. However, the absence of gluten protein in mocaf can affect dough structure and potentially compromise the textural characteristics of the noodle product if the formulation is not properly optimized.

In addition to using local ingredients as substitutes for wheat flour, the functional value of noodle products can also be enhanced by adding food ingredients rich in bioactive compounds. Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) is a horticultural crop widely cultivated in various Asian countries and is known to contain relatively high levels of β‐carotene, phenolic compounds, vitamins, and dietary fiber [11]. Pumpkin is recognized for its health‐promoting properties, attributed to its rich content of carotenoids, tocopherols, and antioxidant compounds [12]. As a provitamin A, β‐carotene exhibits antioxidant activity that helps protect cells against oxidative stress induced by free radicals [13]. Phenolic compounds present in pumpkin have been shown to exhibit antioxidant activity, thereby potentially increasing the functional value of food products [14]. According to Slamet et al. [15], an instant porridge formulated from a combination of brown rice and pumpkin was able to restore pancreatic cell damage in diabetic mice. Several other studies have shown that adding pumpkin flour to noodle products can enhance their natural color, antioxidant activity, and nutritional value [16]. However, the fiber and pectin present in pumpkin may influence gluten network development and consequently modify the textural properties of the noodle product.

Starch digestibility is an essential consideration in the development of starch‐based noodles, alongside ingredient composition and bioactive compounds. This digestibility is typically described using starch fractions, including rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS), which reflect starch behavior in the human digestive system [17]. The proportions of these starch fractions are closely related to the glycemic response of the food, which can be expressed as the estimated glycemic index (eGI) [18]. Food products containing higher proportions of resistant and SDS are typically associated with reduced glycemic responses and may offer benefits as healthier functional foods [19]. Furthermore, alterations in molecular and microstructural features contribute to determining the characteristics of the noodle product [20]. The incorporation of gluten‐free ingredients such as mocaf, together with dietary fiber from pumpkin, may influence starch–protein interactions within the dough matrix [21]. Structural analysis techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are used to elucidate molecular and microstructural changes arising from compositional modifications in starch‐based products [22]. These structural analyses offer insights into how modifications in starch structure are associated with the functional properties of food products [23].

However, research integrating the substitution of mocaf and pumpkin flour, particularly in relation to their effects on starch structural characteristics and digestibility in noodle products, is still limited. Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on physicochemical quality, sensory characteristics, or nutritional composition, this study provides an integrated evaluation of fresh noodles formulated with mocaf and pumpkin flour by simultaneously examining physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, starch digestibility fractions (RDS, SDS, and RS), eGI, and structural characteristics at both molecular (FTIR) and microstructural (SEM) levels. Furthermore, the findings provide practical insights for the development of nutritionally enhanced fresh noodles utilizing locally available ingredients, thereby supporting food diversification strategies and the potential industrial application of mocaf and pumpkin flour in value‐added noodle products. The present study investigates the impact of substituting wheat flour with mocaf and pumpkin flour on the physicochemical properties, chemical composition, bioactive compounds, starch fractions, eGI, structural characteristics, and sensory acceptance of fresh noodles.