Gluten-Free Precooked Rice-Yellow Pea Pasta: Effect of Extrusion-Cooking Conditions on Phenolic Acids Composition, Selected Properties and Microstructure

Dragon fruit peel extract microcapsule incorporated pearl millet and dragon fruit pulp powder based functional pasta: formulation, characterization, and release kinetics study

The pearl millet based functional pasta was formulated by incorporating freeze dried dragon fruit pulp powder and 2% (w/w) microcapsule containing dragon fruit peel extract. The control pasta consisted of 100% pearl millet flour. The other four functional pasta samples consisted of pearl millet and freeze-dried dragon fruit pulp powder (DFP) in the ratio of 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, and 80:20 (w/w), respectively. The inclusion of dragon fruit powder enhanced the swelling index, water absorption index, color, and functional properties of the pasta. The total phenolic content (0.24-0.43 mg GAE/100 g d.w.), antioxidant activity (17.76-30.67%), and betacyanin content (0.149-0.152 mg/g d.w.) of the pasta was increased with the increase of dragon fruit pulp level in the formulation. The release kinetics of phenolic compounds into the simulated gastric juice was modeled using Higuchi and Peppas- Sahlin models. Out of these two models Peppas- Sahlin model (R 2 > 0.980 and R M S E < 1.527 ) found to predict the release of phenolics into simulated gastric juice with respect to time of release when compared with Higuchi model (R 2 > 0.964 and R M S E < 6.126 ). The onset of transition temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization of pasta samples was found to be in the range of 66.321-74.681 °C and increased with the increase of dragon fruit level in the formulation.

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.

Effect of Moisture Distribution Changes Induced by Different Cooking Temperature on Cooking Quality and Texture Properties of Noodles Made from Whole Tartary Buckwheat

While precooking and processing have improved the quality of gluten-free noodles, the effects of different cooking temperatures on their quality—neither gluten-free noodles nor whole Tartary buckwheat noodles—have rarely been clarified. This study investigated the key role of moisture distribution induced by different cooking temperatures in improving the noodle quality of whole Tartary buckwheat. The results showed that cooking temperatures higher than 70 °C led to a sharp increase in cooking loss, flavonoid loss and the rate of broken noodles, as well as a sharp decrease in water absorption. Moreover, the noodles cooked at 70 °C showed the lowest rate of hardness and chewiness and the highest tensile strength of all cooking temperatures from 20 °C to 110 °C. The main positive attribute of noodles cooked at 70 °C might be their high uniform moisture distribution during cooking. Cooking at 70 °C for 12 min was determined as the best condition for the quality improvement of whole Tartary buckwheat noodles. This is the first study to illustrate the importance of cooking temperatures on the quality of Tartary buckwheat noodles. More consideration must also be given to the optimal cooking conditions for different gluten-free noodles made from minor coarse cereals.

Changes in Phenolics during Cooking Extrusion: A Review

In this paper, significant attention is paid to the retention of phenolics in extrudates and their health effects. Due to the large number of recent articles devoted to total phenolic content (TPC) of input mixtures and extrudates, the technological changes are only presented for basic raw materials and the originating extrudates, and only the composites identified has having the highest amounts of TPC are referred to. The paper is also devoted to the changes in individual phenolics during extrusion (phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, flavanones, flavones, isoflavons, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins). These changes are related to the choice or raw materials, the configuration of the extruder, and the setting the technological parameters. The results found in this study, presented in the form of tables, also indicate whether a single-screw or twin-screw extruder was used for the experiments. To design an extrusion process, other physico-chemical changes in the input material must also be taken into account, such as gelatinization of starch; denaturation of protein and formation of starch, lipids, and protein complexes; formation of soluble dietary fiber; destruction of antinutritional factors and contaminating microorganisms; and lipid oxidation reduction. The chemical changes also include starch depolymerization, the Maillard reaction, and decomposition of vitamins.

Gluten-Free Rice Instant Pasta: Effect of Extrusion-Cooking Parameters on Selected Quality Attributes and Microstructure

In the present study, we applied extrusion-cooking to polished rice flour so as to prepare gluten-free pasta. The aim of the work was to investigate the effect of feed moisture (28, 30 and 32%) and screw speed (60, 80 and 100 rpm) on selected rice pasta quality attributes (water absorption, cooking loss, firmness, stickiness and microstructure) and extrusion response (specific mechanical energy). Our results showed that feed moisture significantly affected all tested quality attributes of the rice pasta, while screw speed exhibited a significant effect on all quality attributes except cooking time and stickiness. Moreover, raising the feed moisture increased the cooking time, water absorption, cooking loss, hardness and stickiness, but decreased the firmness at high screw speed. In addition, increasing the screw speed enhanced the cooking loss and hardness, but diminished the water absorption and firmness of pasta with low feed moisture. Rice pasta prepared with 30% moisture content and at 80 rpm showed adequate quality, as confirmed by a firm texture and low cooking loss and stickiness. Microstructure analysis showed a compact and dense internal structure of the dry pasta, and the surface was smooth and even when at least 30% moisture was applied at 80 rpm screw speed during processing.

Impact of Extrusion Temperature on In Vitro Digestibility and Pasting Properties of Pea Flour

Pea flour was extruded at 50, 70, and 90 °C. The in vitro digestibility and characteristics of native and extruded pea flour were investigated. The in vitro starch digestibility (IVSD) and in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) of the extruded pea flour were higher than those of the native pea flour and increased with increasing extrusion temperature from 50 to 90 °C. The rapidly digestible starch increased to 28.34% at 90 °C, the highest slowly digestible starch (SDS) content was 22.70% at 50 °C, and resistant starch content decreased to 4.71% at 90 °C. The IVPD increased from 80.94% relative to the native pea flour to 90.21% at 90 °C. Improved swelling power enabled the extruded pea flour to exhibit better performance and higher breakdown viscosity and lower setback viscosity than the native pea flour demonstrated that extrusion reduced the thermal stability and retrogradation tendency. Increasing extrusion temperatures greatly reduced the relative crystallinity (based on X-ray diffraction analysis) from 32.69% relative to the native pea flour to 9.76% at 90 °C. Extrusion treatment also reduced β-sheet content (based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis) from 36.40% relative to the native pea flour to 31.79% at 90 °C. IVPD and IVSD improved, and the SDS content increased at 50 °C and 70 °C, thereby indicating that extruded pea flour can be applied to healthy food products.

Autoclaved and Extruded Legumes as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals: A Review

Legumes have been consumed since ancient times all over the world due to their easy cultivation and availability as a low-cost food. Nowadays, it is well known that pulses are also a good source of bioactive phytochemicals that play an important role in the health and well-being of humans. Pulses are mainly consumed after processing to soften cotyledons and to improve their nutritive and sensorial characteristics. However, processing affects not only their nutritive constituents, but also their bioactive compounds. The final content of phytochemicals depends on the pulse type and variety, the processing method and their parameters (mainly temperature and time), the food matrix structure and the chemical nature of each phytochemical. This review focuses on the changes produced in the bioactive-compound content of pulses processed by a traditional processing method like cooking (with or without pressure) or by an industrial processing technique like extrusion, which is widely used in the food industry to develop new food products with pulse flours as ingredients. In particular, the effect of processing methods on inositol phosphates, galactosides, protease inhibitors and phenolic-compound content is highlighted in order to ascertain their content in processed pulses or pulse-based products as a source of healthy phytochemicals.

Optimization of Xanthan and Locust Bean Gum in a Gluten-Free Infant Biscuit Based on Rice-Chickpea Flour Using Response Surface Methodology

Incorporation of xanthan gum and locust bean gum in rice flour supplemented by chickpea flour was used to obtain a good quality of nutritionally enriched biscuit for celiac children. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the levels of xanthan and locust bean gum added to the composite gluten-free flour. Analysis was based on the rheological (hardness and viscoelastic) characteristics of the dough and specific volume, water activity, and hardness of the biscuit. The results revealed that the regression and variance analysis coefficients related to the rheological and physical properties of dough and biscuit under the influence of independent variables were sufficient for an adequate and well-fitted response surface model. Linear terms of variables significantly affect most of the dough and biscuit parameters, where the xanthan gum effect was found to be more pronounced than locust bean gum. Interaction terms showed a significant positive effect on the specific volume of the biscuits and a negative effect on the water activity. However, the interactive effect of gums did not significantly affect the rheological parameters of the dough. Optimized conditions were developed to maximize the specific volume of biscuit and minimize water activity and biscuit hardness, while keeping hardness and viscoelastic properties of the dough in range. Predicted responses were found satisfactory for both rheological and physical characteristics of dough and biscuit.

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.

Cooking Effect on the Bioactive Compounds, Texture, and Color Properties of Cold-Extruded Rice/Bean-Based Pasta Supplemented with Whole Carob Fruit

Pasta is considered as the ideal vehicle for fortification; thus, different formulations of gluten-free pasta have been developed (rice 0-100%, bean 0-100%, and carob fruit 0% or 10%). In this article, the content of individual inositol phosphates, soluble sugars and α-galactosides, protease inhibitors, lectin, phenolic composition, color, and texture were determined in uncooked and cooked pasta. The highest total inositol phosphates and protease inhibitors contents were found in the samples with a higher bean percentage. After cooking, the content of total inositol phosphates ranged from 2.12 to 7.97 mg/g (phytic acid or inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) was the major isoform found); the protease inhibitor activities showed values up to 12.12 trypsin inhibitor (TIU)/mg and 16.62 chymotrypsin inhibitor (CIU)/mg, whereas the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed the elimination of lectins. Considering the different α-galactosides analyzed, their content was reduced up to 70% (p < 0.05) by the cooking process. The total phenols content was reduced around 17-48% after cooking. The cooked samples fortified with 10% carob fruit resulted in darker fettuccine with good firmness and hardness and higher antioxidant activity, sucrose, and total phenols content than the corresponding counterparts without this flour. All of the experimental fettuccine can be considered as functional and healthy pasta mainly due to their bioactive compound content, compared to the commercial rice pasta.

Opuntia Fruits as Food Enriching Ingredient, the First Step towards New Functional Food Products

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.) is a rich source of vitamins C, B1, B2, A, and E, minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus, as well as bioactive substances, i.e., carotenoids, betalains, and phenolic compounds. Of these, the phenolic acids, betalains, and flavonoids are notable in that they are largely responsible for the health-promoting properties of this plant. The purpose of the presented research was to first determine the antioxidant properties and the content of polyphenolic compounds (including individual phenolic acids) in prickly pear fruit, then to produce an innovative gluten-free pasta from rice-field bean flour enriched with various amounts of pear prickly fruit. The content of free phenolic acids, the sum of polyphenols and antioxidant properties of pasta were subsequently determined in the supplemented pasta. Chromatographic analysis (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) showed a wide variety of phenolic acids. In the fruit sample, 14 acids were detected, whereas in the pasta sample without additives, 9. The dominant acid was isoferulic. The total content of free phenolic acids and the sum of polyphenols increased with increasing content of the functional additive. Moreover, the content of individual acids generally increased as the Opuntia fruit was added. The antioxidant activity was also positively correlated with the addition of fruit, with the content of free phenolic acids and the sum of polyphenols. Our research has shown that our innovative pasta with the addition of prickly fruit can become a source of the free phenolic acids indispensable for human health.

Banana Powder as an Additive to Common Wheat Pasta

This study aimed to analyse the effect of dried banana powder (BP) on common wheat pasta characteristics. Wheat flour (type 500) was replaced with 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% of BP. Control pasta without BP addition was also prepared. Pasta quality parameters including texture, colour, cooking characteristics and sensory evaluation were determined. Total phenolics content and antioxidant activity were also evaluated. The increase in BP in the pasta recipe resulted in an increase in the weight increase index (from 2.88 to 3.55) and cooking loss (from 5.2% to 6.4%). The effects of the addition of bananas were also observed in changes in colour coordinates. It was shown that BP slightly decreased the lightness of cooked pasta and had little influence on colour coordinates of raw pasta. It was also found that the addition of BP higher than 3% decreased pasta firmness. The total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity of pasta increased with the addition of BP. Sensory evaluation of pasta showed that the replacement of common wheat flour with BP should not exceed 3%.

The Influence of Fresh Kale Addition on Selected Properties of Corn Snacks

Enrichment of snack foods with plant ingredients has become very popular. Corn extrudates with fresh kale leaves are an example of a healthy snack food. During the study, these snacks were produced by extrusion-cooking and contained from 5 % to 20 % of fresh kale leaves in their recipe. For the obtained extrudates, the following parameters were determined: extrusion efficiency, specific mechanical energy requirement, bulk density, specific density, water absorption index, water solubility index, radial expansion ratio, cutting force, as well as the color coordinates on the CIE-Lab scale. It was observed that the addition of fresh kale leaves led to a significant decrease in processing efficiency as well as the expansion ratio, water solubility index and brightness of supplemented snacks. Increased density, cutting force and greenness of snacks was observed with increasing amounts of kale in the recipe.

Chemical composition and selected quality characteristics of new types of precooked wheat and spelt pasta products

New types of precooked pasta products have been developed based on refined and wholegrain wheat and spelt flours. The resulting dry pasta was then assessed for chemical composition, including amino acids composition, phenolics content, as well as antioxidant activity. The precooked pasta quality was also evaluated for starch gelatinization degree, physical properties, hardness, color profile of dry and hydrated pasta, and sensory characteristics. We found that the application of the extrusion-cooking technique for wheat and spelt pasta processing allows to achieve instant products with good nutritional characteristics and high degree of gelatinization, as well as attractive quality and sensory profiles. Microstructure showed compact and dense internal structure with visible bran particles if wholegrain flours were used. Wholegrain wheat and wholegrain spelt precooked pasta were characterized by better nutritional composition and greater antioxidant potential, but lower firmness and increased adhesiveness when compared with refined flours.

Rice-Buckwheat Gluten-Free Pasta: Effect of Processing Parameters on Quality Characteristics and Optimization of Extrusion-Cooking Process

A new type of gluten-free pasta has been developed based on a rice-buckwheat mixture. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of process parameters of moisture content (30, 33, and 36%), barrel temperature (80, 100, and 120 °C), and screw speed (60, 80, and 100 rpm) on cooking and textural properties of rice-buckwheat pasta produced by a single-screw extrusion-cooker. The process uses response surface methodology based on a Box-Behnken experimental design. Results showed that with regard to this rice-buckwheat pasta, raising moisture content of the raw materials increased cooking loss and stickiness, but decreased firmness, while increasing barrel temperature reduced cooking loss and stickiness, but increased hardness and firmness. Screw speed increase also affected positively hardness and firmness of the obtained products. Thus, optimal conditions (moisture content 30%, barrel temperature 120 °C, and screw speed 80 rpm) were established to produce good quality rice-buckwheat pasta. At this optimum, the pasta showed a compact and homogeneous inside microstructure. Furthermore, the pasta products exhibited low cooking loss (less than 6%), good hardness and firmness, with low stickiness and acceptable scores for all sensory attributes and for overall quality.

Impact of xanthan gum addition on phenolic acids composition and selected properties of new gluten-free maize-field bean pasta

Replacing the gluten network to produce high quality pasta is a great technological challenge. One of known solutions to the problem is the addition of xanthan gum. This paper focuses on the possibility of obtaining a new type of gluten-free maize-field bean pasta and explores the characteristics of phenolics content, antioxidant activity, cooking quality, textural and thermotropic behavior as well as the microstructure of pasta products with the various levels of added xanthan gum. The obtained results revealed that 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% addition of xanthan gum to pasta did not have significant influence on its phenolics content and antioxidant activity, whereas 1.00% addition caused a decrease in the tested parameters. On the other hand, the opposite effect of gum addition on the cooking quality, texture characteristic and microstructure was observed. The addition of xanthan gum to the formulation improved pasta quality while reducing the leaching of its components into the cooking water. Pasta prepared with 1.00% xanthan gum showed the lowest cooking loss, the highest firmness, and the lowest adhesiveness. These results revealed a significant influence of xanthan gum content on pasta properties as confirmed by the thermal analysis and SEM microstructure observations.

Composition, physicochemical properties of pea protein and its application in functional foods

Field pea is one of the most important leguminous crops over the world. Pea protein is a relatively new type of plant proteins and has been used as a functional ingredient in global food industry. Pea protein includes four major classes (globulin, albumin, prolamin, and glutelin), in which globulin and albumin are major storage proteins in pea seeds. Globulin is soluble in salt solutions and can be further classified into legumin and vicilin. Albumin is soluble in water and regarded as metabolic and enzymatic proteins with cytosolic functions. Pea protein has a well-balanced amino acid profile with high level of lysine. The composition and structure of pea protein, as well as the processing conditions, significantly affect its physical and chemical properties, such as hydration, rheological characteristics, and surface characteristics. With its availability, low cost, nutritional values and health benefits, pea protein can be used as a novel and effective alternative to substitute for soybean or animal proteins in functional food applications.

Content of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of New Gluten-Free Pasta with the Addition of Chestnut Flour

Chestnut fruit abounds in carbohydrates, proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, polyphenolic compounds, as well as vitamins and micronutrients, that are behind the health-promoting properties of this plant. The purpose of the discussed research was to obtain innovative gluten-free pasta from rice and field bean flour enriched with a various addition of chestnut flour. Regarding the studied pasta, the following were determined: the content of free phenolic acids, total polyphenols, and antioxidant properties. Chromatographic analysis (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS (high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry)) revealed a wide variety of phenolic acids. In a sample with 20% and higher content of chestnut flour, as many as 13 acids were detected. Isoferulic acid prevailed. The total content of free phenolic acids and total polyphenols increased along with the increasing chestnut content. Moreover, in most cases, the content of individual acids increased with the addition of chestnut flour. Besides, the antioxidant activity was positively correlated with the addition of chestnut fruit flour, the content of free phenolic acids, and total polyphenols. Our research has demonstrated that our innovative gluten-free pasta, with the addition of chestnut flour, has a potential to be a source of polyphenolic compounds, including free phenolic acids, that are valuable for human health.

The influence of Cistus incanus L. leaves on wheat pasta quality

Modern nutritional trends and looking for functional food and dedicated products for various consumers are a source of inspiration for scientists to develop new pro-health supplemented foods with high quality. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the selected properties of common wheat pasta fortified with dried Cistus incanus in amount from 1 to 5% as a replacement of wheat flour. Pasta was made with a spaghetti shape and dried. Supplemented pasta was tested for total phenolics content, the total activity against DPPH, the ability to neutralize free radicals to ABTS and the antioxidant capacity reduction power, using various extraction procedures. Selected physicochemical properties of pasta were evaluated: cooking time, cooking weight, cooking loss, hardness and color profile of dry and cooked pasta in CIE-Lab scale, as well as the sensory properties of supplemented products. The addition of C. incanus to fortify wheat pasta increased total phenolics content and antioxidant activity with some significant differences according to the extraction procedure used. Methanolic extraction was more efficient than buffer extraction. Increased addition of dry Cistus herb caused higher cooking weight, cooking loss and increased hardness of cooked pasta. Studies have shown that C. incanus addition had a slight effect on color change with the largest decrease in brightness, especially for cooked products. Finally, it was found that advisable application of C. incanus addition to achieve nutritionally improved composition of pasta should not exceed 3% due to the proper sensory characteristics.

The Impact of Processing Parameters on the Content of Phenolic Compounds in New Gluten-Free Precooked Buckwheat Pasta

Buckwheat is a generous source of phenolic compounds, vitamins and essential amino acids. This paper discusses the procedure of obtaining innovative gluten-free, precooked pastas from roasted buckwheat grains flour, a fertile source of natural antioxidants, among them, phenolic acids. The authors also determined the effect of the extruder screw speed and the level of moisture content in the raw material on the quantity of free phenolic acids. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic acids in pasta was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The chromatographic method was validated. For extracts with the highest total content of free phenolic acids and unprocessed flour from roasted buckwheat grain, the TLC-DPPH test was also performed to determine the antioxidant properties of the tested pasta. The level of moisture in the raw material had an impact on the content of phenolic acids. All pastas made from buckwheat flour moistened up to 32% exhibited a higher total content of free phenolic acids than other mixes moistened to 30 and 34% of water.

Influence of Production Parameters on the Content of Polyphenolic Compounds in Extruded Porridge Enriched with Chokeberry Fruit (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott)

Chokeberry fruit (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) is known for its antioxidant properties and generally beneficial impact on human health. The aim of the research was to produce innovative corn porridge with a different content of chokeberry fruit percentage-wise and to test it to determine the content of polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids and individual free phenolic acids, and determine the antioxidant properties of analysed extracts. One of the objectives was also to identify the optimum porridge production parameters, including, among other things, the rotational speed of the extruder screw during the extrusion process.

Obtained results showed that an increased content of chokeberry fruit in porridge enhances its antioxidant properties, as well the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, and free phenolic acids. The greatest free radicals scavenging activity by all extracts was reported after 10 minutes of the process. The results of the above study demonstrate that extruded porridge enriched with chokeberry fruit have a potential for becoming a good source of natural antioxidants, and the extrusion process at 80 rpm does not degrade the tested active compounds.

Technologies for enhancement of bioactive components and potential health benefits of cereal and cereal-based foods: Research advances and application challenges

Cereal grains are a major source of human food and their production has steadily been increased during the last several decades to meet the demand of our increasing world population. The modernized society and the expansion of the cereal food industry created a need for highly efficient processing technologies, especially flour production. Earlier scientific research efforts have led to the invention of the modern steel roller mill, and the refined flour of wheat has become a basic component in most of cereal-based foods such as breads and pastries because of the unique functionality of wheat protein. On the other hand, epidemiological studies have found that consumption of whole cereal grains was health beneficial. The health benefit of whole cereal grain is attributed to the combined effects of micronutrients, phytochemicals, and dietary fibre, which are mainly located in the outer bran layer and the germ. However, the removal of bran and germ from cereal grains during polishing and milling results in refined flour and food products with lower bioactive compounds and dietary fibre contents than those from whole grain. Also, the level of bioactive compounds in cereal food is influenced by other food preparation procedures such as baking, cooking, extrusion, and puffing. Therefore, food scientists and nutritionists are searching for strategies and processing technologies to enhance the content and bioavailability of nutrients, bioactive compounds, and dietary fibre of cereal foods. The objective of this article was to review the research advances on technologies for the enhancement of bioactive compounds and dietary fibre contents of cereal and cereal-based foods. Bioactivities or biological effects of enhanced cereal and cereal-based foods are presented. Challenges facing the application of the proposed technologies in the food industry are also discussed.

Phenolic Acid Content and Antioxidant Properties of Extruded Corn Snacks Enriched with Kale

Prohealth food contains specific components which have positive influence on the health and well-being of the consumer. An important position among bioactive compounds occurs for polyphenols. Many results have indicated that an increased intake of phenolic compounds may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. The objective of the study was production of extruded corn snacks with addition (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%) of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. sabellica)-a polyphenol-rich plant. Afterwards, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and antioxidant activity analyses of snack extracts were performed. In the corn snacks enriched with kale, fifteen phenolic acids were indicated. These were protocatechuic, 4-OH-benzoic, vanillic, trans-caffeic, cis-caffeic, trans-p-coumaric, cis-p-coumaric, trans-ferulic, cis-ferulic, salicylic, gentisic, syringic, 3-OH-cinnamic, trans-sinapic, and cis-sinapic acids. Both the qualitative and quantitative content of polyphenols increased with the addition of B. oleracea. Data from spectrophotometric analyses of the samples showed high DPPH radical scavenging potential of snacks enriched with 4, 6, and 8% of kale. Snacks enriched with kale contain high level of phenolic acids and, therefore, have great potential to make a valuable source of natural antioxidants. High-temperature short-time extrusion-cooking process had no negative impact on polyphenol's activity.

Effect of hydrothermal treated corn flour addition on the quality of corn-field bean gluten-free pasta

Corn semolina supplemented by field bean semolina in ratio of 2/1 (w/w) were used for obtaining protein and fiber enriched gluten-free pasta. The effect of hydrothermal treatment of corn flour on its applicability as gluten-free pasta improver was tested. A central composite design involving water hydration level and the amount of hydrothermal treated corn flour were used. Instrumental analyses of pasta (cooking loss, water absorption capacity, hydration and pasting properties, textural parameters and microstructure) were carried out to assess the impact of experimental factors. Results showed that hydrothermal treatment of corn flour affected in different extent on pasta properties, improving cooking and textural characteristics of pasta. The optimum formulation of corn-field bean contained 7.41 g of treated corn flour and 77.26 mL of water was selected on the base of desirability function approach with value of 0.825 which showed the best pasta properties. Obtained results showed also that addition of treated flour induced significant differences (p < 0.05) in all parameters in comparison with control pasta.

Modeling Biometric Traits, Yield and Nutritional and Antioxidant Properties of Seeds of Three Soybean Cultivars Through the Application of Biostimulant Containing Seaweed and Amino Acids

In recent years, attempts have been made to use preparations that allow obtaining high and good quality yields, while reducing the application of pesticides and mineral fertilizers. These include biostimulants that are safe for the natural environment and contribute to the improvement of yield size and quality, especially after the occurrence of stressors. Their use is advisable in the case of crops sensitive to such biotic stress factors like low temperatures or drought. One of these is soybean which is a very important plant from the economic viewpoint. Field experiments were established in the years 2014-2016 in a random block design in four replicates on experimental plots of 10 m². Three soybean cultivars: Annushka, Mavka, and Atlanta were planted in the third decade of April. Fylloton biostimulant was used at 0.7% or 1% concentrations as single spraying (BBCH 13-15) or double spraying (BBCH 13-15, BBCH 61) in the vegetation period. The number of seeds per 1 m², seed yield, thousand seed weight, number of pods per plant, number of nodes in the main shoot, height of plants, and protein and fat contents in seeds were determined. The content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and antioxidant effect of soybean seeds were assayed as well. Foliar treatment of soybean with Fylloton stimulated the growth and yield of plants without compromising their nutritional and nutraceutical properties. The double application of the higher concentration of Fylloton was favorable for the plant height, seed number and soybean yield. Moreover, the highest number of pods was obtained after single treatment of plants with the lower biostimulant concentration. There was also a positive effect of using this biostimulant on the content and activity of some bioactive compounds, such as phenolics and flavonoids, and on the reducing power.

Application of Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) leaves addition as a functional component of nutritionally valuable corn snacks

Application of Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) leaves in extruded snacks was evaluated. Directly expanded corn snacks (crisps) were supplemented with 5-20% of dragonhead leaves. The supplemented snacks were characterized to have improved nutritional value and were a good source of dietary fibre. The presence of phenolic compounds, especially rosmarinic acid, showed a high antioxidant potential and a radical scavenging activity of tested snacks, especially if a high content of additive was used. The increasing amount of additive also had an impact on the physical properties of extrudates lowering the expansion ratio, water absorption and solubility, yet increasing bulk density, cutting force and the breaking index of the enriched snacks. The highest viscosity was observed at 5 and 10% addition level. The increasing amount of dragonhead leaves lowered the brightness of snacks and increased the greenness tint significantly. A sensory evaluation showed good acceptability of snacks enriched with up to 15% of dragonhead dried leaves. Dried leaves of the Moldavian dragonhead seem to be a prospective functional additive for extruded crisps with a high nutritional value, especially because of dietary fibre and rosmarinic acid content, a strong antioxidant potential and acceptable sensory properties.