Agave inulin as a fat replacer in tamales: Physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory attributes

Tamales are a traditional dish rich in fat and carbohydrates with increasing popularity. The present study aimed to investigate the use of agave inulin powder (AIP) as a potential fat replacer in tamales. The effect of replacing 0%, 33%, 66%, and 100% (w/w) of fat with AIP was evaluated in the physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional features of tamales. The fat content of tamales decreased up to 88% in AIP tamales, whereas total dietary fiber (TDF) increased up to 14%. TDF in AIP tamales had a higher proportion of soluble dietary fiber (SDF). Moreover, results indicated that both insoluble and SDF were formed during the processing of tamales. Fat replacement led to a reduction of up to 26% in the calorie load of tamales. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed changes in the absorption bands related to carbohydrates, with increments in peaks associated with inulin (936 and 862 cm-1 ), and inhibition of retrogradation when inulin was included. AIP addition resulted in tamales with lighter color. Fat replacement with AIP affected the texture of tamales increasing their softness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness. In general, inulin positively affected the hedonic attributes and acceptance of tamales. Interestingly, full-fat tamales had a lower glycemic index and presented higher contents of resistant starch compared to tamales with AIP. Nevertheless, agave inulin may serve as a fat replacer yielding reduced-fat tamales with higher TDF and SDF and yielding a lower calorie load without significantly affecting the sensory acceptability of this traditional meal.

Algae as a potential source of protein meat alternatives

With the rise of plant-based meat alternatives, there is a growing need for sustainable and nutritious sources of protein. Alga is a rich protein source, and initial studies show that it can be a good component in developing protein meat alternatives. However, there are certain limitations in their use as the need for efficient and optimal technical process in large-scale protein extraction and purification, as well as overcoming certain negative effects such as potentially harmful compounds, allergenicity issues, or sensorial affections, especially in color but also in textural and flavor characteristics. This review offers a vision of the fledgling research about using alga protein in the development of meat alternatives or supplementing meat products.

Extrusion as a tool to enhance the nutritional and bioactive potential of cereal and legume by-products

Cereal and legume by-products obtained from primary food production industries pose an environmental and economic problem. Nevertheless, these residues can potentially yield value-added products due to their elevated content of dietary fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and residual levels of proteins, which makes them a suitable and heightened option for reutilization in human consumption. Several studies identify extrusion as an innovative technology to modify the technofunctionality and nutritional properties of cereal and legume by-products, resulting in the production of improved ingredients. This review focuses on studies that evaluate the effect of extrusion to improve the nutritional and bioactive potential of cereal and legume by-products. A revision of the extrusion process parameters that improve the profile and bioavailability of dietary fiber, proteins, and phenolic compounds, and minimize antinutritional factors associated to cereal and legume by-products was done. The composition of by-products and process parameters such as feed moisture, barrel temperature and screw speed influence the resulting effect of extrusion. Studies suggest that extruding composite feedstock containing cereal or legume by-products may limit the molecular modifications that trigger the nutritional improvements. Therefore, extrusion applied as a pretreatment represents an interesting and economic alternative to improve the profile and bioavailability of the nutrients found in cereal and legume by-products which might lead to the development of functional ingredients useful to produce foods aimed to prevent chronic diseases.

Black Bean Hulls as a Byproduct of an Extraction Process to Enhance Nutraceutical and Glycemic-Related Properties of Nixtamalized Maize Tostadas

Black bean hulls (BBH) are rich in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, which can be incorporated into common staple foods such as maize tostadas, enhancing the nutraceutical properties of these products. This study incorporates black bean hulls to produce nixtamalized maize tostadas with nutraceutical properties. Nixtamalized corn flour (NCF) and black bean hulls (BBH) were characterized in terms of protein, fat, crude and dietary fiber, anthocyanin concentration, and different starch fractions. NCF and BBH depicted 53.7 and 16.8% of total digestible starch (TDS), respectively, and 1.2 and 7.6% of resistant starch (RS), in the same order. BBH was incorporated into nixtamalized flour at 10, 15, and 20% w/w, and the resulting dough was thermo-mechanically characterized. Tostadas with BBH had higher protein, dietary fiber, and anthocyanin concentrations. Enriched tostadas did not show significant changes in texture or other sensory characteristics. However, a reduction in total digestible starch (61.97 up to 59.07%), an increase in resistant starch (0.46 to 2.3% from control tostadas to 20% BBH tostadas), and a reduction in the predicted glycemic index (52 to 49), among other parameters, indicated that BBH is a suitable alternative for developing nutraceutical food products.

Effects of the substitution of wheat flour with raw or germinated ayocote bean (Phaseolus coccineus) flour on the nutritional properties and quality of bread

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of 10%, 20%, and 30% of raw (ARF) and germinated (AGF) ayocote bean flour as a partial substitute for wheat flour in breadmaking. Substitution with both ayocote bean flours modified the water absorption and development time while maintaining the dough stability. Supplemented breads had 13%, 51%, and 132% higher protein, mineral, and crude fiber content, respectively, than control bread (100% wheat). The breadmaking features, color and crumb firmness, were affected by the substitution level. Sensory analysis revealed that germination could improve the taste and smell of breads produced with ayocote bean flour. The sensory attribute scores of 10% AGF bread were comparable to those of the control bread. Supplementation reduced the in vitro protein digestibility, although the effect was less pronounced in 10% ARF and 20% AGF breads. The limiting amino acid score of supplemented breads increased up to 70%, which improved their protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores. Supplementation with 20% or 30% of both ARF and AGF increased resistant starch values and decreased the total digestible starch of breads. Thus, the results showed that substituting wheat with ARF or AGF improves the nutritional properties of bread. However, low substitution levels should be selected to avoid a considerable decrease in physical and sensory properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Substituting wheat flour with ayocote bean flour improved the nutritional value of bread. Germination of ayocote beans decreased the cooking stability of composite dough. Bread fortified with ayocote flour had high levels of essential amino acids. Bread with raw or germinated ayocote flours had high limiting amino acid scores. Composite bread had high resistant starch and low total digestible starch.

Mimicking gluten functionality with β-conglycinin concentrate: Evaluation in gluten free yeast-leavened breads

Fractionation of soy proteins has proved to produce protein concentrates with viscoelastic properties. In the present study, a β-conglycinin concentrate (βCC) obtained by a pH fractionation of soy flour was tested as structuring agent in gluten-free yeast-leavened bread model. A lean formulation with βCC and corn starch was used to produce gluten-free breads with two hydration conditions and three levels of protein (5%, 10% and 15%). Vital gluten was used to compare the functionality of βCC protein and its performance for breadmaking. Breads were characterized in moisture, color, textural parameters and image analysis. βCC presented lower hydration properties and higher emulsifying activity compared to vital gluten. Blends βCC:starch had higher water binding capacity compared to vital gluten blends. The hydration conditions tested affected the moisture, color and cell density of breads. Breads produced with βCC presented higher 2D area and height and presented higher crumb softness and cohesiveness, and did not present significant differences in springiness and resilience compared to vital gluten breads. The image analysis of crumbs showed higher cell density but lower porosity and mean cell areas in βCC breads. Thus, βCC proved to have potential as a structuring agent in gluten-free breads.