The Combined Effect of Blackcurrant Powder and Wholemeal Flours to Improve Health Promoting Properties of Cookies

Modulation of the glycaemic index value of shortbread cookies by the use of erythritol and fruit pomace

Fruit pomace, as a by-product of fruit and vegetable processing, is a cheap and easily accessible material for further processing that can replace selected recipe ingredients, most often flour. In addition, their advantage is their high health-promoting potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the simultaneous use of erythritol (100% sucrose substitution) and the addition of varying amounts of blackcurrant, chokeberry and apple pomace (0%, 10%, 30% and 50% by weight of flour) on the glycaemic response after consumption of shortbread cookies in an in vivo study with humans (ISO 26642:2010). It was shown that an increase in the addition of each type of pomace reduced the glycaemic index value of the cookies. The pomace and sucrose-sweetened cookies were classified in the medium and low GI group. For each type of pomace, an increase in its share in the recipe of cookies was associated with a reduction in GI values (pomace: apple 49.1-37.2%, blackcurrant 56.4-41.0%, chokeberry 59.4-35.5%). Similar correlations were shown for the use of erythritol (pomace: apple 39.5-29.1%, blackcurrant 43.9-31.9%, chokeberry 34.6-20.7%). A significant effect of pomace addition on the GI values of shortbread cookies, was only observed for sucrose-sweetened products. The results obtained allow the conclusion that there is potential for the use of waste raw materials in the production of functional foods.

The use of blackcurrant pomace and erythritol to optimise the functional properties of shortbread cookies

As a result of the production of blackcurrant juice, pomace is produced, which is a cheap, easy to further process raw material with high health benefits. The aim of the research was to develop a recipe for shortbread cookies based on blackcurrant pomace (0, 10, 30, 50%) and erythritol, and to assess their nutritional value (content of proteins, fats, sugars, dietary fibre, selected minerals and energy value), pro-health properties (antioxidant and anti-diabetic capacity) and sensory evaluation. The energy value of products with 50% of pomace sweetened with erythritol was nearly 30% lower compared to traditional cookies, while the content of dietary fibre was 10 times higher in products with the highest percentage of pomace. The antioxidant capacity and the total content of polyphenolic compounds increased with the increase in pomace content. The ability to inhibit α-amylase by shortbread cookies without pomace was about 400 times lower than those with 50% pomace. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that erythritol-sweetened cookies have more desirable characteristics compared to sucrose-sweetened cookies. Finally, it was proved that the proposed products are an excellent proposal for people struggling with food-dependent diseases, as well as being an opportunity to manage waste from the fruit industry.

Select Polyphenol-Rich Berry Consumption to Defer or Deter Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Complications

Berries are considered "promising functional fruits" due to their distinct and ubiquitous therapeutic contents of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavanols, alkaloids, polysaccharides, hydroxycinnamic, ellagic acid derivatives, and organic acids. These polyphenols are part of berries and the human diet, and evidence suggests that their intake is associated with a reduced risk or the reversal of metabolic pathophysiologies related to diabetes, obesity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and hypertension. This work reviewed and summarized both clinical and non-clinical findings that the consumption of berries, berry extracts, purified compounds, juices, jams, jellies, and other berry byproducts aided in the prevention and or otherwise management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and related complications. The integration of berries and berries-derived byproducts into high-carbohydrate (HCD) and high-fat (HFD) diets, also reversed/reduced the HCD/HFD-induced alterations in glucose metabolism-related pathways, and markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid oxidation in healthy/obese/diabetic subjects. The berry polyphenols also modulate the intestinal microflora ecology by opposing the diabetic and obesity rendered symbolic reduction of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction-restoring bacteria, short-chain fatty acids, and organic acid producing microflora. All studies proposed a number of potential mechanisms of action of respective berry bioactive compounds, although further mechanistic and molecular studies are warranted. The metabolic profiling of each berry is also included to provide up-to-date information regarding the potential anti-oxidative/antidiabetic constituents of each berry.

Biscuits Enriched with Dietary Fibre Powder Obtained from the Water-Extraction Residue of Maize Milling by-Product

A maize milling by-product was defatted by aqueous extraction and the residue was dehydrated, comminuted and sieved to obtain two powders differing in particle size and having a very high fibre content. The powders were then incorporated into the structure of short-dough biscuit, at two wheat flour substitution levels (10 and 20%), aiming at the development of a nutritionally improved product. Their impact on biscuit dough properties and the quality and sensory characteristics of the final products was evaluated. As it was revealed, powders' addition altered dough consistency and alveograph indices mainly due to interactions between wheat flour proteins and polysaccharides and enhanced the nutritional profile of the biscuits by inducing a 4- to 6-fold increase of their fibre content. Additionally, it influenced only to a limited extent the degree of some of the final product characteristics, e.g., protein and fat content, spread ratio, breaking strength, depending both on the level of incorporation and the particle size of the residue. On the whole, products' sensory quality was not negatively influenced, suggesting that it is possible to use both powders for the fortification with fibre of biscuits and possibly other bakery products.

Carbohydrate-Based Fat Mimetics Can Affect the Levels of 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-Diol Esters and Glycidyl Esters in Shortbread Biscuits

Shortbread biscuits have become one of the most desirable snacks in all population groups but due to its high fat content it is searching for new solutions of fat reduction such as the use of carbohydrate-based fat mimetics. However, the thermal processing of food containing lipids in the presence of certain carbohydrates can contribute to the formation of toxic compounds or alter its levels. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the use of inulin and pectin gels as partial fat replacers (10-40%) in classical shortbread biscuits in a view of the changes of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol ester (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl ester (GE) levels after baking, and also after a two-months storage. The experiment showed that the amount of inulin gel higher than 10% promoted the endogenous formation of 3-MCPDE probably due to the higher amount of Maillard products formed in the biscuits, but after two months the levels decreased and were comparable with those transferred from shortening. Pectin did not demonstrate such phenomenon, owing to the presence of bound water in gel. Glycidyl esters were partially decomposed during baking and also during storage, particularly in the samples with the addition of pectin gel, which presumably caused by low stability of GE under acidic conditions resulting from the occurrence of galacturonic acid in pectin.