Physicochemical, Sensory, and Cooking Qualities of Pasta Enriched with Oat β-Glucans, Xanthan Gum, and Vital Gluten

The functional properties of β-glucans derived from oats and barley are confirmed by numerous in vitro and in vivo studies. This study aimed to assess the effect of adding 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% oat (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucans to physicochemical properties, as well as the cooking and sensory qualities of durum wheat pasta. Additionally, to improve the cooking and sensory qualities of pasta, we added 5% of xanthan gum and vital gluten. The present study showed that the addition of β-glucans led to an increase of the water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), and viscosity of products. At the same time, an increase in the content of fat, ash, and dietary fiber was observed. The addition of (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucans influenced the cooking quality of the pasta, extending the minimum cooking time and increasing the loss of dry matter. At the same time, the color of the product changed. In the case of cooked pasta, the addition of β-glucans decreased the brightness and increased the yellowness and redness. It was found that the products enriched with 10–15% of β-glucans, as well as 5% of xanthan gum and vital gluten would yield functional pasta that may offer health benefits beyond its nutritional value. Further, this could influence high cooking and sensory quality.

Acceptance of Fresh Pasta with β-Glucan Addition: Expected Versus Perceived Liking

The aim was to recognize the effect of oat β-glucan fiber addition on expected and perceived liking of fresh pasta. Durum wheat semolina was enriched with oat β-glucan fiber in proportions: 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16% in relation to wheat flour. The evaluation of pasta samples was carried out by a group of 150 consumers and 10 panelists. Consumers evaluated pasta samples to assess the expected and perceived liking and the trained panelists established sensory profile.The consumers’ evaluation of cooked pasta with different oat β-glucan fiber additions showed that the sample with 16% oat β-glucan fiber addition was most liked (6.4 in a 1–9 scale). Consistency between expected and perceived liking increased with the increase in oat β-glucan fiber addition and was the highest for the sample enriched with 16% β-glucan. The sensory profile established by the trained panelists compared with the results of the consumers’ assessment showed that an increase in intensity of bran odor and flavor (up to value 4.08 for odor note and 5.31 for flavor) could have been related to higher perceived liking by the consumers. The increased amount of oat β-glucan fiber powder (16%), which provides fiber-rich products, is a promising ingredient for fresh pasta formulation.

Study on Mechanical Properties for Shearing Breakage of Oat Kernel

Breaking force, deformation, breaking energy, strength, hardness and rigidity of oat kernel under different loading rates (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 mm/s) and loading position (ventral and dorsal sides) were determined within a moisture content range of 15.7 %–27.5 % (w.b.) by using a texture analyzer (TA) to investigate mechanical properties for shearing breakage of oat kernel. Complete randomized design was experimented to construct the force–distance curve. In this study, these mechanical properties of oat kernel were expressed as a function of moisture content and loading rate respectively. The result showed that breaking force, energy, strength, hardness and rigidity decreased linearly with the increasing moisture content and increased firstly and decreased then with the increasing loading rate. Deformation had an increasing trend with the increase in moisture content and loading rate. The highest values of breaking force, breaking energy, strength, hardness and rigidity were obtained at 0.08 mm/s loading rate. Moreover the dorsal side of oat kernel had a better shearing capacity compared with ventral side, which reflected in that breaking force, strength and hardness were great significantly at 95 % confident level when dorsal side was loaded.

Rheological, Antioxidative, and Sensory Properties of Chinese Alkaline Noodle Prepared with Regular and Whole Wheat Flour

Chinese alkaline noodle (CAN) is one of popular staple foods in Asia. Whole wheat flour (WWF) is healthier than refined wheat flour (WF). This study investigated the effect of substitution level of WWF on physicochemical and sensory properties of CAN. Results showed that increasing WWF amount significantly reduced tensile strength (TS) and extensibility (E) of cooked CAN, but increased TS/E ratio from 6.05 to 13.22 mN/mm. High WWF substitution (>60 %) significantly increased cooking loss and decreased the elasticity of CAN. CAN prepared with WWF had darker, redder and yellower color than control. However, free and bound phenolics and DPPH radical scavenging capacity of CAN obviously increased with the amount of WWF. CAN with 0–40 % WWF had similar sensory scores in color, flavor, texture and overall preferences. The study suggests that healthy whole grain CAN with higher phytochemicals and acceptable eating quality can be produced by using 20–40 % WWF.