Red bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.): Optimization of drying conditions and preparation of functional bread

Technological quality improvement of gluten-free dough and chapatti-making by incorporation of modified oat 1,4-β-D-glucan

The present study aimed to explore the contribution of untreated (UtβG) and modified oat 1,4-β-D-glucan (OzβG) to the quality of gluten-free chapattis at varying concentrations (0, 1.5, 3, and 4.5 % labelled as M0, M1, M2 and M3 for maize chapattis and F0, F1, F2 and F3 for finger millet chapattis, respectively). The functionality of flours was significantly enhanced by the addition of UtβG and OzβG. However, OzβG incorporated flour exhibited a more pronounced influence on both functional and farinographic parameters when compared to flours with UtβG. Further, the hardness of the chapattis decreased with incorporation of OzβG and it was lowest for M2 and F2 i.e. 6.38 N and 5.27 N, respectively due to the formation of more carboxyl and hydroxyl groups, which had more affinity towards water molecules. The sensory analysis indicated that OzβG incorporated M2 and F2chapattis exhibited the highest overall acceptability. Hence, this study provides valuable insights into the utilization of UtβG and OzβG for the formulation of gluten-free chapattis with better dough characteristics and chapatti-making properties.

Evaluation of microbiota-induced changes in biochemical, sensory properties and volatile profile of kombucha produced by reformed microbial community

Kombucha is a traditional beverage produced by a living culture known as SCOBY or "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast". Culture-dependent production is essential for stable kombucha fermentation. The aim of this study was to design a microbial community and to determine the effect of that community on the flavor and chemical properties of kombucha. The fermentations were carried out using combinations of selected species including Pichia kudriavzevii, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Dekkera bruxellensis, Komagataeibacter saccharivorans, Komagataeibacter xylinus, and Acetobacter papayae, which were previously isolated from kombucha. The effects of monocultures and cocultures on fermentation were investigated. The highest acetic acid producer was A. papayae, which has strong antioxidant properties. In the monoculture and coculture fermentations, aldehydes, acids, and esters were generally observed at the end of fermentation. This study confirms that microbiota reconstruction is a viable approach for achieving the production of kombucha with increased bioactive constituents and consumer acceptance.

Effects of Artemisia dracunculus powder on dough rheology and quality properties as a novel ingredient in bread formulation

Tarragon has a great potential to be a healthy functional food ingredient thanks to its rich antioxidant, phenolic compounds, and nutrient content. The possibility of enriching bread with tarragon was investigated. For this aim, tarragon powder was used at the rates of 0, 2, 4 and 6% instead of wheat flour. In this study, the effects of substitution on the rheological properties of bread dough and color, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, texture, sensory, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis of bread samples were performed. The composition of tarragon powder showed significant protein (23.16%), crude fiber (7.4%), antioxidant (48.22 ± 0.11%), and total phenolic content (511.66 ± 1.56 mg GAE/100 g). Bread samples with increased fiber and protein content were obtained by adding tarragon powder to the bread formulation. The major differences in the FT-IR absorbance spectra for the bread samples were not observed. Additionally, tarragon powder significantly increased the antioxidative properties of breads (p < 0.05). Adding up to 4% tarragon powder to the bread formulation increased the sensory scores of the breads.

Flavor Characteristics, Antioxidant Activity and In Vitro Digestion Properties of Bread with Large-Leaf Yellow Tea Powder

Foods containing tea could be widely utilized due to the addition of good tea ingredients, especially large-leaf yellow tea, which is rich with a good flavor. Applying this change to bread containing tea would improve its product quality. In this research, large-leaf yellow tea bread (LYB), possessing a special flavor, was developed using ultrafine large-leaf yellow tea powder and flour as the main raw materials. The amount of ultrafine large-leaf yellow tea powder added to bread was optimized using texture, sensation, and specific volume as comprehensive evaluation indicators. At the optimal dosage, the free amino acids, volatile flavor compounds, antioxidant activity, and in vitro starch digestibility of LYB were measured. Response surface optimization experimental results showed that the comprehensive score of bread was highest when the added amount of ultrafine large-leaf yellow tea powder was 3%. In particular, compared to blank bread (BB), adding ultrafine large-leaf yellow tea powder into bread could effectively increase its amino acid composition, enhance its volatile flavor compounds, improve the antioxidant capacity, and reduce the digestibility of starch.

Development and quality evaluation of polyphenols enriched black carrot (Daucus carota L.) powder incorporated bread

Black carrot is a prominent source of polyphenols and the cheapest source of anthocyanins in India. In this study, an attempt has been made to examine the feasibility of black carrot powder as an ingredient in bread. Black carrot bread was prepared by incorporating different concentrations of black carrot powder (BCP) at 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 %. The developed bread samples were analyzed for physical and textural quality, proximate composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant properties, sensory characteristics, mineral content and storage quality. The results revealed that loaf volume and specific volume decreased (1995-1254 mL, 5.25-3.28 mL/g) with the incorporation of BCP into bread. Textural analysis revealed that the addition of BCP led to increased hardness in the bread (0.110-12 0.151 N), whereas the resilience (43.64-35.10 %), cohesion and springiness (89.930-13 82.146 %) decreased significantly. The content of bioactive compounds such as total phenols, anthocyanins (29.63-112.68 mg/100 g) and flavonoids increased to exceptionally high levels in BCP-incorporated bread and showed high antioxidant activity. Incorporation of BCP up to 7.5 % showed the most acceptable sensory analysis score (7.85) with a significant increase in dietary fiber (40 %) and total mineral content (50 %), which revealed that black carrot powder could be used up to 7.5 % as an ingredient into bread with high acceptability. The present study revealed significant enhancement in bioactive compounds and mineral content of bread after the incorporation of black carrot powder, which supports its immense potential in preventing hunger and oxidative stress-induced disorders in developing countries.

Germinated Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) flour as an ingredient in wheat bread: Physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory properties of bread

Wheat flour (WF) was substituted with germinated Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) flour (GBF) at different proportions (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%) and used in the preparation of bread. The dough mixing, pasting, and gelatinization properties of the blends were evaluated as well as the nutritional quality, in vitro starch digestibility, phytochemical constituents, antioxidant potential, color, texture, and sensory properties of breads. All the wheat dough containing GBF had higher water absorption capacity, gelatinization temperatures, dough development time, low peak, and setback viscosities. The composite breads had significantly higher dietary fiber, minerals, protein digestibility, corrected amino acid scores, resistant starch, slowly digestible starch, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activities and caused significant reduction in rapidly digestible starch content. The addition of up to 15% GBF had no significant impact on the specific volume of wheat bread. Substitution of WF with GBF influenced color and texture properties of bread. Wheat bread supplemented with 20% GBF had significantly higher scores in taste, aroma, and overall acceptability. This study demonstrated the potential of GBF as a functional ingredient in bread making. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides a suitable possibility of partial substitution of wheat flour with germinated Bambara groundnut, to develop functional and acceptable bread. The dough mixing and pasting results in this study would add to knowledge on the dough handling characteristics as there is limited information regarding the mixing properties of wheat dough with germinated Bambara groundnut.

C apsicum fruits as functional ingredients with antimicrobial activity: an emphasis on mechanisms of action

Capsicum spp. fruits (CFs) are a basic ingredient in the diet and have been used as active ingredients in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food products, due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial activity is the most studied property due to its effectiveness against pathogenic species, however, few studies have focused on the mechanisms of action involved. Therefore, this review discusses the effects generated by the CFs compounds on the viability and metabolism of microorganisms, highlighting the mechanisms by which these compounds exert their antimicrobial effects. The information provided shows that CFs are mainly source of capsaicinoids and phenolic compounds responsible for the inhibition of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, through an increase in the permeabilization of the membrane and cell wall. Also, these compounds show an antiviral effect associated with the inactivation of virus binding proteins, preventing their replication and infection. Despite this, there is still a lack of information about the mechanisms that regulate the interactions between CFs compounds and food-important-microorganisms. Therefore, future research should focus on new antimicrobial compounds from CFs for their subsequent use against novel infectious agents, mainly virus of importance in health such as SARS-CoV-2.

Bioactive Properties of Bread Formulated with Plant-based Functional Ingredients Before Consumption and Possible Links with Health Outcomes After Consumption- A Review

Bread is a commonly consumed staple and could be a viable medium to deliver plant-based ingredients that demonstrate health effects. This review brings together published evidence on the bioactive properties of bread formulated with plant-based ingredients. Health effects associated with the consumption of bread formulated with plant-based functional ingredients was also reviewed. Bioactive properties demonstrated by the functional ingredients fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and tea incorporated into bread include increased phenolic and polyphenolic content, increased antioxidant activity, and extension of bread shelf-life by impairment of lipid and protein oxidation. Acute health effects reported included appetite suppression, reduced diastolic blood pressure, improvements in glycaemia, insulinaemia and satiety effect. These metabolic effects are mainly short lived and not enough for a health claim. Longer term studies or comparison of those who consume and those who do not are needed. The incorporation of plant-based functional ingredients in bread could enhance the health-promoting effects of bread.

Preservation of sweet pepper purees: effect on chemical, bioactive and microbial quality

In this study purees were prepared from the three different varieties of sweet pepper (red var. Inspiration, yellow var. Bachata and green var. Indra). The effect of storage on the chemical [water activity, pH, non-enzymatic browning (NEB) index and color], bioactive (total phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid and carotenoids) and microbiological (total plate count and mold yeast count) quality of the purees were observed at the interval of 15 days for 75 days. Antioxidant activity of purees was assessed in terms of DPPH, metal chelating activity and reducing power assay. The non-significant (p < 0.05) changes were observed in the water activity and pH of purees upto 30 days of storage. The NEB index was high in green puree as compared to the others at the end of storage period.There was minor change in the color of purees during storage. Bioactive compounds retention was higher in red (90%) followed by yellow (82%) and green (70%) sweet pepper puree. The purees had microbial stability after the 75 days of storage. This study suggests that shelf life of sweet peppers can be enhanced in the form of purees with maximum retention of bioactive compounds.