Gluten-free sorghum pasta: starch digestibility and antioxidant capacity compared with commercial products

Understanding the physical breakdown and catechin bioaccessibility of third generation extruded snacks enriched with catechin using the human gastric simulator

The nutritional quality of third-generation snacks prepared from rice flour by extrusion can be improved by the addition of polyphenols such as catechins, which are known to be more stable at high temperatures. However, the extrusion parameters can impact the breakdown and release of bioactive compounds and decrease the catechin bioaccessibility. Accordingly, this study investigated the impact of different extrusion parameters, including different extrusion temperatures (110, 135, and 150 °C) and moisture content prior to extrusion (27 and 31%), on the breakdown and bioaccessibility of catechin-enriched snacks during in vitro dynamic digestion using the Human Gastric Simulator (HGS). The extrusion parameters did not significantly impact most measured variables by themselves, indicating that within the tested ranges, any of the processing conditions could be used to produce a product with similar digestive behavior. However, the interaction of extrusion parameters (temperature and moisture content) played a significant role in the snack behavior during digestion. For example, the combination of 27% moisture content and 150 °C extrusion temperature had higher catechin bioaccessibility and higher starch hydrolysis than the other treatments. Overall, these findings suggest that the processing conditions of third generation snacks enriched with catechin can be optimized within certain ranges with limited modifications in the digestive properties.

Whole Flour of Purple Maize as a Functional Ingredient of Gluten-Free Bread: Effect of In Vitro Digestion on Starch and Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds

The growing demand for gluten-free products requires the study of alternatives to produce nutritionally and technologically favorable foods. The aim was to evaluate the content and antioxidant capacity of gluten-free bread enriched with whole flour of purple maize (PM) and how starch and bioaccessibility of antioxidant compounds were modified during in vitro digestion. Gluten-free bread was prepared with the addition of 34%, 50%, and 70% PM, and white maize bread served as control. The content of total polyphenols, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity through FRAP and TEAC was measured. Specific volume, crumb texture, and starch digestibility were determined in the breads. Simultaneously, in vitro digestion and dialysis by membrane were performed to evaluate the bioaccessible and potentially bioavailable fraction. Bread with 34% PM had a similar specific volume and crumb texture to the control, but higher content of polyphenols (52.91 mg AG/100 g), anthocyanins (23.13 mg c3-GE/100 g), and antioxidant capacity (3.55 and 5.12 µmol tr/g for FRAP and TEAC, respectively). The PM breads had a higher antioxidant content and capacity and higher slowly digestible and resistant starch than the control. These parameters increased as the PM proportion rose. After digestion, anthocyanins were degraded, polyphenols and antioxidant capacity decreased, but they remained potentially bioavailable, although to a lesser extent. Bread with 34% shows acceptable technological parameters, lower starch digestibility, and contribution of bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacity. This indicates that purple maize flour represents a potential ingredient to produce gluten-free bread with an improved nutritional profile.

Sorghum Flour and Sorghum Flour Enriched Bread: Characterizations, Challenges, and Potential Improvements

A Sorghum flour (SF) is a leading and prominent food source for humans in African countries. Recently extensive studies have been conducted on Sorghum bread (SB) or sorghum composite bread (SCB), covering various aspects. However, there are many technical challenges in the formation of SF and sorghum composite flour (SCF) that impact the quality of the bread and fail to meet the consumer's desires and expectations. This review primarily focuses on the characteristics of SF, SCF, SB, and SCB, with discussions encompassing the rheological and morphological properties of the dough, improvement strategies, and bread quality. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis has been conducted to investigate the behavior of SF and SCF along with a discussion of the challenges affecting bread quality and the strategies applied for improvement. The significant demand for nutrients-rich and gluten-free bread indicates that sorghum will become one of the most vital crops worldwide. However, further comprehensive research is highly demanded and necessary for an in-depth understanding of the key features of SF and the resulting bread quality. Such understanding is vital to optimize the utilization of sorghum grain in large-scale bread production.

Nutritional contributions and processability of pasta made from climate-smart, sustainable crops: A critical review

Total or partial replacement of traditional durum wheat semolina (DWS) by alternative flours, such as legumes or wholegrain cereals in pasta improves their nutritional quality and can make them interesting vector for fortification. Climate-smart gluten-free (C-GF) flours, such as legumes (bambara groundnut, chickpea, cowpea, faba bean, and pigeon pea), some cereals (amaranth, teff, millet, and sorghum), and tubers (cassava and orange fleshed sweet potato), are of high interest to face ecological transition and develop sustainable food systems. In this review, an overview and a critical analysis of their nutritional potential for pasta production and processing conditions are undertaken. Special emphasis is given to understanding the influence of formulation and processing on techno-functional and nutritional (starch and protein digestibility) properties. Globally C-GF flours improve pasta protein quantity and quality, fibers, and micronutrients contents while keeping a low glycemic index and increasing protein digestibility. However, their use introduces anti-nutritional factors and could lead to the alteration of their techno-functional properties (higher cooking losses, lower firmness, and variability in color in comparison to classical DWS pasta). Nevertheless, these alternative pasta remain more interesting in terms of nutritional and techno-functional quality than traditional maize and rice-based gluten free pasta.

A Decade of Evidence of Sorghum Potential in the Development of Novel Food Products: Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis

Due to the increasing interest in sorghum for human nutrition, recent literature reviews highlight its nutrient and bioactive contents, potential health benefits and its 'gluten-free' feature. Moreover, a current view of research advances on sorghum-based food products is needed to help both food scientists and industry identify current trends and forward-looking approaches. Studies on homemade processing are still scarce. Thus, this review aimed to provide the latest information regarding the use of sorghum to develop ready-to-eat products or food ingredients based on studies published in the last decade (2012-2022), which then guided discussions on recent advances and prospects. The articles were identified by searching the Elsevier Scopus database. Sorghum has great potential as a functional and sustainable food that can be used in daily meals as a substitute for common cereals like wheat, rice and corn. The studies in the review show that it is possible to process sorghum in a wide variety of ways to obtain ready-to-eat products and ingredients for food products and preparations, such as popping, lamination, extrusion and wet cooking. The studies also show promising approaches to use sorghum in acceptable and nutrient-dense bakery and pasta products, highlighting their gluten-free versions. However, more efforts to make these novel food products available to consumers should be made.

Valorization of Two African Typical Crops, Sorghum and Cassava, by the Production of Different Dry Pasta Formulations

Mediterranean diet is changing to keep up with the increasingly multiethnic Italian society. With food being considered as a means of integration, innovative foods capable of mixing different raw materials could be of interest. In this work, some of the most consumed African foods such as sorghum, cassava, and durum wheat were used to produce wholegrain spaghetti to valorize their nutritional and sensorial aspects and to combine Italian and foreign tastes. Different pasta formulations (cassava, semolina, cassava:semolina, cassava:sorghum, cassava:durum wheat whole meal, sorghum:semolina) were developed and compared for their content of proteins, total starch, resistant starch, amylose, fiber, total antioxidant capacity, ash, cooking quality and sensorial characteristics. The enrichment of cassava flour with durum wheat and sorghum wholegrain enhanced the total antioxidant capacity, protein, and fiber content with respect to 100% cassava pasta. The presence of cassava or sorghum resulted in a high diameter variability of pasta samples, lower water absorption, and shorter optimal cooking time with respect to semolina pasta. Sensory evaluation of cooked pasta revealed better scores in blends containing semolina. Although the obtained pasta samples were interesting for their nutritional aspects, further adjustments are required in the pasta-making process to improve pasta quality.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Nutritional Evaluation of Cultivated Sorghum Grains: A Combined Experimental, Theoretical, and Multivariate Analysis

Sorghum grain (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a gluten-free cereal with excellent nutritional value and is a good source of antioxidants, including polyphenols, as well as minerals with proven health benefits. Herein, the phenolic composition, elemental profile, and antioxidant activity of sixteen food-grade sorghum grains (S1-S16) grown under agroecological conditions in Serbia were determined. Nine phenolic compounds characteristic of sorghum grains, such as luteolinidin, 5-methoxyluteolinidin, luteolidin derivative, luteolidin glucoside, apigeninidin, 7-methoxyapigeninidin, apigeninidin glucoside, and cyanidin derivative, were quantified. The antioxidant potential of the analyzed sorghum grains was evaluated by UV/Vis (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy (hydroxyl and ascorbyl radical scavenging assays). The content of macro- and microelements was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy. Theoretical daily intakes of selected major and trace elements were assessed and compared with the Recommended Daily Allowance or Adequate Intake. Sample S8 had the highest amount of phenolic compounds, while S4, S6, and S8 exhibited the strongest antioxidative potential. The sorghum studied could completely satisfy the daily needs of macro- (K, Mg, and P) and microelements (Se, Zn, Fe). Pattern recognition techniques confirmed the discrimination of samples based on phenolic profile and elemental analysis and recognized the main markers responsible for differences between the investigated samples. The reaction between hydroxyl radicals and luteolinidin/apigeninidin was investigated by Density Functional Theory and thermodynamically preferred mechanism was determined.

Papaya dietary fiber concentrates for providing functionality to muffin formulations

BACKGROUND

Papaya leftovers are a good source of dietary fiber (DF) and antioxidants. They can be transformed in dietary fiber concentrates (DFCs) to be used as ingredients in food formulation, improving consumers' health status.

RESULTS

Using the peel or the pulp of papaya, DFCs were produced. These DFCs were used in muffin production. Muffins produced with 7.7% DFCs and 47.6 g water had the same specific volume (2.0 cm³  g^-1 ) but softer crumb than those obtained with a reference formulation without DF addition, showing average hardness of 15 N. In general, the addition of DFCs of pulp or peel slightly affected other textural profile parameters. Also, non-significant differences were observed for muffins containing pulp or peel DFCs, which showed average values of 10.9 N for chewiness, 0.95 for springiness, 0.76 for cohesiveness and 0.42 for resilience. Regarding the crumb structure, muffins with pulp DFCs showed the lowest value for d_3.2 (1.3 ± 0.3 mm). Meanwhile, the highest anti-radical and reducing capacity, 240 ± 2 and 1050 ± 6 mgeq Trolox g^-1 muffin (dry basis), respectively, were observed in the muffins with peel DFC. Finally, the addition of DFCs allowed us to maintain lower hardness values than those of the reference formulation during the whole storage period studied (22 days). Muffins with peel DFCs tended to have a lower rate of crumb hardening (0.08 ± 0.02) d^-1 .

CONCLUSION

The addition of papaya DFCs to muffin formulations confers interesting properties for industry and consumers, providing functionality, extending the shelf life as well as transforming papaya leftovers in new functional ingredients, contributing to a circular economy. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gluten-Free Sorghum Pasta: Composition and Sensory Evaluation with Different Sorghum Hybrids

Although whole grain (WG) sorghum is affordable and a healthier alternative to gluten-free pastas (GFPa), sorghum diversity requires evaluation for application in pasta. We aimed to develop GFPa using six sorghum hybrids. White commercial flour (WCF) and sorghums with brown (BRS 305 and 1167048), red (BRS 330 and BRS 332), and white (CMSXS 180) pericarp colors. Total phenolic content (TPC), total condensed tannins (TAN), total antioxidant activity (TAA—FRAP and DPPH), resistant starch (RS), cooking properties, texture, and sensory evaluation were carried out in sorghum pasta. The statistical analyses were ANOVA, Tukey and Friedman test, and multiple factorial analyses. Brown sorghum GFPa showed the best results for bioactive compounds (RS (1.8 and 2.9 g/100 g), TPC (69.9 and 42.8 mg/100 g), TAN (16.9 and 9.4 mg proanthocyanidin/100 g), TAA for FRAP (305 and 195 mM Teq/g), and DPPH (8.7 and 9.0 mg/mL)), but also the highest soluble solids loss (8.0 g/100 g) and lower flavor acceptance for BRS 305. BRS 332 was highlighted for its higher flavor acceptance and intermediary phenolics content. The most accepted pasta was obtained with WCF, and the least accepted with the brown BRS 305. Sweetness (SWE), soluble starch (SS), and DPPH were associated with liking. The main negative variables were WG_flavor, brown color, FRAP, sandy surface (SAN), WG_odor, and TAN. Sorghum hybrids of different pericarp colors are feasible for GFPa production, leading to differences in pasta quality. SAN and GRA, associated with disliking in antioxidant-rich GFPa, could be improved by milling process adjustments. Increasing the SS proportion and SWE with flavors can contribute to the balance between liking and nutritional advantages.

Gluten-free grains: Importance, processing and its effect on quality of gluten-free products

Gluten-enteropathy affects a significant number of people, making gluten a major concern in the food industry. With medical advancements, the diagnosis of allergies is becoming easier, and people who are allergic to gluten are recommended a complete gluten-free diet. Since wheat provides a major part of the energy and nutrition in the diet, its elimination affects nutrition intake of allergic population. Food scientists are working to formulate products using protein-rich gluten-free grains with quality attributes at par with gluten-containing products. Focused research has been done to provide nutrition and a variety of food to people suffering from gluten-related disorders. Efforts are being made to remove the gluten from the wheat and other gluten-containing grains, while applying different processing/treatments to enhance the properties of gluten-free grains. Hence, the present review summarizes the importance, processing, and products of different gluten-free grains. It also highlights the digestibility of gluten-free grains with clinical trials and gluten elimination strategies for gluten-containing grains.

Improvement of Texture, Nutritional Qualities, and Consumers’ Perceptions of Sorghum-Based Sourdough Bread Made with Pediococcus pentosaceus and Weissella confusa Strains

Enriched gluten-free products are in high demand owing to increasing celiac disease worldwide. Sourdough fermentation can improve the quality of gluten-free cereals, rendering the resulting product beneficial as a functional food. This study produced sorghum bread (SB) using sourdough technology and evaluated the texture, nutrition profile, bioactive components, and sensory attributes of the product. The base formula was composed of sorghum flour and corn starch. Sourdough made with Pediococcus pentosaceus LD7 (PL7), P. pentosaceus SA8 (PS8), or Weissella confusa SD8 (WS8) was added at a 20% substitution level for bread production, while bread without sourdough addition was used as the control sample. The texture profiles of the SB were significantly (p ˂ 0.05) softer than that of the control. The sourdough breads possessed higher crude protein, ash, and dietary fibre contents than the control bread. Tannin and total phenol contents were significantly (p ˂ 0.05) higher in the sourdough breads compared to the control sample. The specific volume of the sample made with PS8 sourdough was the highest at 2.50 cm3/g compared to the other samples (2.17–2.46 cm3/g). The sourdough samples had higher scores for taste, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability than the control, with PL7 SB exhibiting the best overall acceptability (6.56). This study established promising use of sourdough with starters as an ingredient for baked products with improved technological and nutritional attributes as well as consumer acceptability.

Concentration of Pro-Health Compound of Sorghum Grain-Based Foods

More than 35% of the world sorghum seed production is a human food source. The main ingredient of fully ripe sorghum grains is starch. Sorghum does not contain gluten, and it is also a rich source of antioxidant compounds other than vitamins or macro- and microelements, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and sterols. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity and the content of selected bioactive compounds, i.e., total phenolic acids, total flavonoids, and total phytosterols, as well as determination of the qualitative and quantitative profile of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phytosterols in various food products, the basic ingredient of which was sorghum grain. It was found that antioxidant activity is related to the total phenolic compounds content. The ABTS^•+ ranged from 319 to 885 µmol TROLOX/kg. However, white sorghum grain flour contained almost two times more polyphenols than red sorghum grain flour. The FPA ranged from 224 in raw pasta to 689 mgGAE/100 g in white sorghum grain. During this study, the quantitative profile of selected polyphenols in grain flour, wafers, pasta, and cookies containing sorghum grain was also investigated, as well as the content of 11 selected phenolic acids. Total content of the latter ranged from 445 to 2850 mg/kg. Phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were found in all the analyzed products. Based on this research, it was investigated that the products containing sorghum grains can be classified as functional food.

Potential food applications of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and rapid screening methods of nutritional traits by spectroscopic platforms

Sorghum is a drought-resistant crop widely spread in tropical regions of the American, African, and Asian continents. Sorghum flour is considered the main alternative for wheat flour, and it exhibits gluten-free nature. Generally, conventional wet chemical methods are used to analyze the nutritional profile of sorghum. Since many sorghum plants are available in breeding grounds, the application of conventional methods has limitations due to high cost and time consumption. Therefore, rapid screening protocols have been introduced as nondestructive alternatives. The current review highlights novel and portable devices that can be used to analyze the nutritional composition, color parameters, and pest resistance. Sorghum is often a traditional food item with minimal processing, and the review elaborates on emerging food applications and feasible food product developments from sorghum. The demand for gluten-free products has been rapidly increasing in developed countries. In order to develop food products according to market requirements, it is necessary to screen high-quality sorghum plants. Rapid analysis techniques effectively select the best sorghum types, and the novel tools have outperformed existing conventional methods.

Gluten-Free Cereal Products and Beverages: A Review of Their Health Benefits in the Last Five Years

In the past decades, food products and beverages made from gluten-free cereals were initially created for certain groups of people who experience gluten-related disorders such as wheat allergies, gluten ataxia, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and the most well-known, celiac disease. Nowadays, the consumption of gluten-free products is not only restricted to targeted groups, but it has become a food trend for normal consumers, especially in countries such as the UK, the US, and some European countries, who believe that consuming a gluten-free product is a healthier choice compared to normal gluten-containing products. However, some research studies have disapproved of this claim because the currently available gluten-free products in the market are generally known to be lower in proteins, vitamins, and minerals and to contain higher lipids, sugar, and salt compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. The use of other gluten-free cereals such as sorghum, millet, and teff as well as pseudo cereals such as buckwheat and quinoa has gained significant interest in research in terms of their various potential health benefits. Hence, this review highlights the potential health benefits of some gluten-free cereals and pseudo cereals apart from corn and rice in the last decade. The potential health benefits of gluten-free products such as bread, pasta, crackers, and cookies and the health benefits of some other non-alcoholic beverages made from gluten-free cereals and pseudo cereals are reported.

The use of alternative food sources to improve health and guarantee access and food intake

To feed and provide Food Security to all people in the world is a big challenge to be achieved with the 2030 Agenda. Undernutrition and obesity are to the opposite of a healthy nutritional status. Both conditions are associated with unbalanced nutrition, absence of food or excess of non-nutritive foods intake. These two nutritional conditions associated with food production are closely related to some goals highlighted by the United Nations in the 2030 Agenda to achieve sustainable world development. In this context, the search for alternative foods whose sustainable production and high nutritional quality guarantee regular access to food for the population must be encouraged. Alternative foods can contribute to Food Security in many ways as they contribute to the local economy and income generation. Popularizing and demystifying the uses of unconventional food plants, ancestral grains, flowers, meliponiculture products, and edible insects as sources of nutrients and non-nutrients is another challenge. Herein, we present an overview of alternative foods - some of them cultivated mostly in Brazil - that can be explored as sources of nutrients to fight hunger and malnutrition, improve food production and the economic growth of nations.

Sorghum Pasta and Noodles: Technological and Nutritional Aspects

Sorghum is a major cereal crop with various agronomic advantages, contains health-promoting compounds and is gluten-free. There is a growing tendency to use sorghum in pasta and noodle formulations, which are among the most widely consumed products in the world, but its potential benefits in human diet are not being fully exploited. Here we review research carried out during the past few years on the use of sorghum as the main ingredient or as an additive in pasta and noodles, highlighting its properties and production technology. Pasta and noodles can be produced with 5 to 100% of sorghum at laboratory, pilot or industrial scale with suitable cooking and textural quality coupled with distinctive sensory attributes. Cooking loss shows minimum values of 0.85 and 1.9 g/100 g for pasta and noodles, respectively, and high water absorption (up to 345 g/100 g). The interesting nutritional profile of the products generally includes up to 45% resistant starch (RS) and phenolic compound content with high antioxidant activity. In addition, tannins decrease starch digestibility 15-20%, producing low glycemic index (GI) products (below 65). This is especially important for celiac people, offering them the alternative of gluten-free sorghum pasta and noodles.

Gluten-free green banana flour muffins: chemical, physical, antioxidant, digestibility and sensory analysis

Considering the low availability of gluten-free products that are offered an affordable price and good sensory characteristics, the main objective of the study was developed a gluten-free muffin based on green banana flour and evaluate their physical-chemical and sensorial aspects. The quality of the muffin was analyzed through such moisture content, ashes, proteins, lipids, fiber, carbohydrates, total caloric content, yield mass, weight loss in the supply, antioxidant activity, protein digestibility, and hedonic scale. The results showed that the gluten-free muffin had a moisture content of 26.7%, ash of 2.39%, lipids of 15.4%, proteins of 10.3%, fibers of 1.2%, carbohydrates of 44.0%, the total caloric value of 261.2 kcal, high protein digestibility and moderate antioxidant activity. The acceptability index was 84.5%. It has been concluded that gluten-free muffin with green banana flour is a viable alternative for the reason that they have higher protein content than other alternative flours.

Evaluation of the efficacy of toasted white and tannin sorghum flours to improve oxidative stress and lipid profile in vivo

The objective of the present work was to evaluate and compare the effect of toasted white and tannin sorghum flours on lipid metabolism and antioxidant potential in vivo. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were induced to oxidative stress with paracetamol and fed a normal diet (AIN-93M) and diets containing toasted tannin sorghum flour and toasted white sorghum flour (without tannins), replacing 100% cellulose, during 29 days. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by biochemical tests and by quantifying oxidative stress markers. Groups that received toasted sorghum flour with and without tannins showed reduction of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration and improvement of lipid profile, with increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) compared to paracetamol control, and did not differ statistically from the AIN-93M control. Moreover, toasted white sorghum flour presented similar efficacy in reducing oxidative stress in liver tissue compared to toasted tannin sorghum flour, although the former had lower total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, suggesting a greater effect of small phenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids, in the prevention of oxidative stress. Therefore, toasted white and tannin sorghum flours had similar efficacy to improve the lipid profile and oxidative stress in rats treated with paracetamol, constituting potential sources of antioxidants, which can be used as promising ready-to-eat foods and as ingredients for the development of sorghum-based products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The health benefits of sorghum coupled with the growing interest of the food industry in producing healthier food products have motivated the development of toasted sorghum flours as potential sources of antioxidants and dietary fiber. We have demonstrated that consumption of toasted white and tannin sorghum flours by rats treated with paracetamol had similar efficacy to improve oxidative stress and lipid profile. Thus, these toasted sorghum flours have great potential to be used by the food industry as ready-to-eat foods or as ingredients in the development of various food products.

Phenolic Compounds and Bioaccessibility Thereof in Functional Pasta

Consumption of food products rich in phenolic compounds has been associated to reduced risk of chronic disease onset. Daily consumed cereal-based products, such as bread and pasta, are not carriers of phenolic compounds, since they are produced with refined flour or semolina. Novel formulations of pasta have been thus proposed, in order to obtain functional products contributing to the increase in phenolic compound dietary intake. This paper aims to review the strategies used so far to formulate functional pasta, both gluten-containing and gluten-free, and compare their effect on phenolic compound content, and bioaccessibility and bioavailability thereof. It emerged that whole grain, legume and composite flours are the main substituents of durum wheat semolina in the formulation of functional pasta. Plant by-products from industrial food wastes have been also used as functional ingredients. In addition, pre-processing technologies on raw materials such as sprouting, or the modulation of extrusion/extrusion-cooking conditions, are valuable approaches to increase phenolic content in pasta. Few studies on phenolic compound bioaccessibility and bioavailability in pasta have been performed so far; however, they contribute to evaluating the usefulness of strategies used in the formulation of functional pasta.

Edible Brown Seaweed in Gluten-Free Pasta: Technological and Nutritional Evaluation

Seaweed is a novel source of important nutritional compounds with interesting biological activities that could be processed into added-value products, namely gluten-free foods. In this study, two previously developed products obtained from Laminaria ochroleuca processing (liquid extract and a purée-like mixture) were incorporated in gluten-free (GF) pasta in order to develop functional products especially designed for the celiac population. The raw and cooked pastas were characterized in terms of their cooking quality parameters, nutritional composition, texture and rheological properties, and antioxidant activity. It was found that the developed GF pastas had similar mechanical and texture characteristics to the control. Both supplemented GF pastas presented a significantly (p < 0.05) higher fibre and mineral content than the control pasta.

Development and nutritional evaluation of multigrain gluten free cookies and pasta products

Present study was undertaken for development of gluten free processed products i.e. cookies and pasta by incorporation of gluten-free ingredients in different proportions. Gluten free raw ingredients i. e. finger millet (FM), pearl millet (PM), soya bean (SB) and groundnut (GN) were assessed for their nutritional characteristics. Results of nutritional analysis concluded that these ingredients are a rich source of crude fibre, protein, fat and ash or mineral content. Different formulations were prepared depending on variation of ingredients in each formulation. In case of cookies, the formulation containing all the four ingredients i. e. FM, PM, SB and GN in equal proportion (25% each) was liked most and scored highest on 9-point hedonic rating scale. Whereas, in case of steamed pasta (PS) and steamed as well as fried pasta (PF) products, the most acceptable formulation was the one containing 30% PM, 35% FM and 35% SB flour. Also, PF was liked more than PS as frying increased the palatability of fried products. Although, all formulations of both products were moderately acceptable having organoleptic score more than 7.0 as per assessment on 9 point hedonic rating scale but, the formulations containing higher amount of pearl millet were scored slightly lower as compared to other formulation mainly due to the lower values for sensory parameters such as colour, flavour and texture of such products. Incorporation of nutritious gluten free ingredients increased the content of essential nutrients such as crude fibre, crude fat, crude proteins and mineral or ash contents to a significant (P≤0.05) extent as compared to control.

Antioxidant Properties of Four Commonly Consumed Popular Italian Dishes

Four popular dishes belonging to Italian cuisine and widely consumed in the country were experimentally prepared in a dedicated lab-kitchen following a validated and standardized protocol. This study provides their antioxidant properties evaluating the contribution of extractable and non-extractable bioactive compounds, and identifying the assessment of interactions between their natural active compounds and the food matrix. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values in aqueous-organic extract ranged from the highest antioxidant activity in torta di mele (10.72 µmol/g d.m.) to that in besciamella (2.47 µmol/g d.m.); in residue, pasta alla carbonara reached the highest value (73.83 µmol/g d.m.) following by that in pasta alla amatriciana (68.64 µmol/g d.m.). Total polyphenol content (TPC) ranged in aqueous-organic extracts between 36.50 and 64.28 mg/100 g d.m. and in residue from 425.84 to 1747.35 mg/100 g d.m. Our findings may contribute to the updating of the Italian Food Composition Database, by providing for the first time a value for the antioxidant properties. This could contribute to encourage the consumption of recipes rich in key nutrients and bioactive molecules. This information is useful and important for determining the association between diet and a healthy status.