Comparison between fatty acid profiles of old and modern varieties of T. turgidum and T. aestivum: A case study in central Italy

Lipids and Fatty Acid Composition Reveal Differences between Durum Wheat Landraces and Modern Cultivars

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum) landraces, traditional local varieties representing an intermediate stage in domestication, are gaining attention due to their high genetic variability and performance in challenging environments. While major kernel metabolites have been examined, limited research has been conducted on minor bioactive components like lipids, despite their nutritional benefits. To address this, we analyzed twenty-two tetraploid accessions, comprising modern elite cultivars and landraces, to (i) verify if the selection process for yield-related traits carried out during the Green Revolution has influenced lipid amount and composition; (ii) uncover the extent of lipid compositional variability, giving evidence that lipid fingerprinting effectively identifies evolutionary signatures; and (iii) identify genotypes interesting for breeding programs to improve yield and nutrition. Interestingly, total fat did not correlate with kernel weight, indicating lipid composition as a promising trait for selection. Tri- and di-acylglycerol were the major lipid components along with free fatty acids, and their relative content varied significantly among genotypes. In particular, landraces belonging to T. turanicum and carthlicum ecotypes differed significantly in total lipid and fatty acid profiles. Our findings provide evidence that landraces can be a genetically relevant source of lipid variability, with potential to be exploited for improving wheat nutritional quality.

Exploration of the Genetic Diversity of Solina Wheat and Its Implication for Grain Quality

Different Solina wheat accessions (n = 24) collected in the Abruzzo region (Italy) were studied using 45,000 SNP markers generated from the DarTseq platform. The structure of genetic data was analyzed by Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster analysis that revealed the existence of two main clusters (Clu1 and Clu2) characterized by samples with different geographical origin. The Solina genetic dataset was further merged and analyzed with a public genetic one provided by CIMMYT containing 25,963 genotypes from all over the world. The Solina accessions occupied a vast space, thus confirming a high heterogeneity of this landrace that, nevertheless, is considerably unique and placed quite far from other clusters. Clu1 and Clu2 divergence were clearly visible. Solina clusters were genetically closer to landraces from Turkey and the central fertile crescent than to the Italian genotypes present in the dataset. Selected commercial quality traits of accessions of the two Solina clusters were analyzed (yield, thousand kernel weight, test weight, and protein content), and significant differences were found between clusters. The results of this investigation did not highlight any relationships of Solina with Italian genotypes, and confirmed its wide genetic diversity by permitting to identify two genetic groups with distinct origin and quality traits.

Evolutionary Wheat Populations in High-Quality Breadmaking as a Tool to Preserve Agri-Food Biodiversity

Plant biodiversity preservation is one of the most important priorities of today’s agriculture. Wheat (Triticum spp. L.) is widely cultivated worldwide, mostly under a conventional and monovarietal farming method, leading to progressive biodiversity erosion. On the contrary, the evolutionary population (EP) cultivation technique is characterized by mixing and sowing together as many wheat genotypes as possible to allow the crop to genetically adapt over the years in relation to specific pedoclimatic conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional, chemical and sensory qualities of three different breads obtained using different organic EP flours, produced following a traditional sourdough process and compared to a commercial wheat cultivar bread. Technological parameters, B-complex vitamins, microelements, dietary fibre and phenolic acids were determined in raw materials and final products. Flours obtained by EPs showed similar characteristics to the commercial wheat cultivar flour. However, significant differences on grain technological quality were found. The breads were comparable with respect to chemical and nutritional qualities. Overall, the sensory panellists rated the tasted breads positively assigning the highest score to those produced with EPs flours (6.75–7.02) as compared to commercial wheat cultivar-produced bread (cv. Bologna, 6.36).

Impact of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) Treatments on the Oxidation of Pistachio Kernel Lipids

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a non-thermal technology that could be applied for food decontamination from both biological (microorganisms) and chemical (pesticides, food allergens, mycotoxins) contaminants, thanks to the production of reactive species (RS). However, RS could also promote the onset and the progress of food lipid oxidation, which may limit the quality and acceptability of the final products. The aim of this work was to assess the oxidation degree of pistachio kernels after treatment in a surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD). Two different operative conditions for CAP generation were investigated, resulting in the production of high (800 ppm) or low (300 ppm) concentrations of ozone. Limited amounts of hydroperoxides (3.00–4.22 mEq O₂/kg), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, 0.072–0.600 mg TEP/g oil), and phytosterol oxidation products (POPs, 14.43–17.20 μg/g) were observed in lipids of both control and plasma processed pistachios. Plasma treatments did not significantly affect the total fatty acid composition and the amounts of identified unsaponifiable matter constituents (4-desmethylsterols, 4,4-dimethylsterols, 4-methylsterols), except for an unexpected significant increase of γ-tocopherol content in extracted oils. These findings contribute to gaining further knowledge for the scale-up of CAP technology to industrial processing.

The Assessment of Changes in the Fatty Acid Profile and Dietary Indicators Depending on the Storage Conditions of Goose Meat

The deterioration of food quality due to lipid oxidation is a serious problem in the food sector. Oxidation reactions adversely affect the physicochemical properties of food, worsening its quality. Lipid oxidation products are formed during the production, processing, and storage of food products. In the human diet, the sources of lipid oxidation products are all fat-containing products, including goose meat with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This study aims at comparing the fatty acid profile of goose breast muscle lipids depending on the storage conditions: type of atmosphere, temperature, and storage time. Three-way variance analysis was used to evaluate changes in the fatty acids profile occurring in goose meat. The health aspect of fatty acid oxidation of goose meat is also discussed. In general, the fatty acid composition changed significantly during storage in the meat packed in the high-oxygen modified atmosphere at different temperatures (1 °C and 4 °C). Higher temperature led to a higher degree of lipid oxidation and nutrient loss. During the storage of samples in vacuum, no changes in the fatty acid content and dietary indices were found, regardless of the storage temperature, which indicates that the anaerobic atmosphere ensured the oxidative stability of goose meat during 11 days of refrigerated storage.

Addition of Olive Pomace to Feeding Substrate Affects Growth Performance and Nutritional Value of Mealworm (Tenebrio Molitor L.) Larvae

The well-recognized efficiency of Tenebrio molitor larvae to convert low quality organic matter into a nutritionally valuable biomass was exploited to manage solid wastes coming from the olive oil industry, which represent a severe environmental challenge in the Mediterranean area. Three organic pomace-enriched substrates (mixtures middlings/pomace 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3) were assessed, together with 100% organic wheat flour and 100% organic middlings as control feeds. A feeding substrate made up of 25% olive pomace and 75% wheat middlings appeared to be the best compromise between growth performance (larval and pupal weights, survival rate, development time) and nutritional properties of mealworm larvae. In fact, larvae fed the 3:1 feed showed the highest dry matter (DM) yield (38.05%), protein content (47.58% DM), and essential/non-essential amino acids ratio (1.16). Fat content (32.14% DM) and fatty acid composition were not significantly different than those of larvae fed more pomace-enriched feeds.

Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) powder as a novel baking ingredient for manufacturing high-protein, mineral-dense snacks

Increasing interest in consuming foods that are high in protein, vitamin, amino acid, and mineral contents is steering growth in the market for fortified snacks. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) powder (LP) (at 10 or 30% substitution for wheat flour) for the protein and mineral fortification of crunchy snacks (rusks). Hence, the technological, microbiological, nutritional, and sensory characteristics of the fortified rusks were evaluated. The protein content was enriched up to 99.3% in rusks with 30% substitution; moreover, a notable increase in the essential amino acids content was observed, with histidine fortification reaching up to 129.1% in rusks with 30% substitution. The incorporation of LP has led to an enrichment of almost all the minerals considered here, and especially Fe, P and Zn, with Zn showing fortification percentages of up to 300% in rusks with 30% substitution for LP. The experimental rusks showed pleasant sensory traits and low a_w values. In view of the potential industrial manufacturing of insect-based rusks, the proposed product can be assigned to level 4 (validation in a laboratory environment) of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, and it is thus ready to be tested in a simulated production environment.

Protein fortification with mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) powder: Effect on textural, microbiological, nutritional and sensory features of bread

In the present study, inclusion of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) powder into bread doughs at 5 and 10% substitution level of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour was tested to produce protein fortified breads. The addition of mealworm powder (MP) did not negatively affect the technological features of either doughs or breads. All the tested doughs showed the same leavening ability, whereas breads containing 5% MP showed the highest specific volume and the lowest firmness. An enrichment in protein content was observed in experimental breads where the highest values for this parameter were recorded in breads containing 10% MP. Breads fortified with 10% MP also exhibited a significant increase in the content of free amino acids, and especially in the following essential amino acids: tyrosine, methionine, isoleucine, and leucine. By contrast, no differences in nutritional quality of lipids were seen between fortified and control breads. Results of sensory analyses revealed that protein fortification of bread with MP significantly affected bread texture and overall liking, as well as crust colour, depending on the substitution level. Overall, proof of concept was provided for the inclusion of MP into bread doughs started with different leavening agents (sourdough and/or baker’s yeast), at 5 or 10% substitution level of soft wheat flour. Based on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, the proposed bread making technology can be situated at level 4 (validation in laboratory environment), thus suggesting that the production of breads with MP might easily be scaled up at industrial level. However, potential spoilage and safety issues that need to be further considered were highlighted.