Nutritional contributions and processability of pasta made from climate-smart, sustainable crops: A critical review

Total or partial replacement of traditional durum wheat semolina (DWS) by alternative flours, such as legumes or wholegrain cereals in pasta improves their nutritional quality and can make them interesting vector for fortification. Climate-smart gluten-free (C-GF) flours, such as legumes (bambara groundnut, chickpea, cowpea, faba bean, and pigeon pea), some cereals (amaranth, teff, millet, and sorghum), and tubers (cassava and orange fleshed sweet potato), are of high interest to face ecological transition and develop sustainable food systems. In this review, an overview and a critical analysis of their nutritional potential for pasta production and processing conditions are undertaken. Special emphasis is given to understanding the influence of formulation and processing on techno-functional and nutritional (starch and protein digestibility) properties. Globally C-GF flours improve pasta protein quantity and quality, fibers, and micronutrients contents while keeping a low glycemic index and increasing protein digestibility. However, their use introduces anti-nutritional factors and could lead to the alteration of their techno-functional properties (higher cooking losses, lower firmness, and variability in color in comparison to classical DWS pasta). Nevertheless, these alternative pasta remain more interesting in terms of nutritional and techno-functional quality than traditional maize and rice-based gluten free pasta.

Storage stability of encapsulated ascorbyl palmitate in normal and high amylose maize starches during pasting and spray dryin

This study determines storage stability and release of encapsulated ascorbyl palmitate in normal and high amylose maize starch by pasting and spray drying. The amount of ascorbyl palmitate released was analysed in the stored samples (dark cupboard, and under UV light at a temperature of 40 °C for 12 weeks) and their antioxidant activity determined. Storage of encapsulated ascorbyl palmitate at 40 °C under both dark and UV light conditions did not affect the amount release and the ability to scavenge the free radical (ABTS⁺). However, the antioxidant activity of free ascorbyl palmitate exponentially decreased at 40 °C under UV light condition. The analysed residues after α-amylase digestion of encapsulated ascorbyl palmitate showed some endothermic peaks, suggesting that amylose-lipids complexes formed were resistant to α-amylase digestion. Encapsulation of ascorbyl palmitate in maize starch may improve its storage stability under light (UV) conditions.

Alteration of kafirin and kafirin film structure by heating with microwave energy and tannin complexation

Heating with microwave energy and tannin complexation of kafirin both increase the tensile strength of cast kafirin bioplastic films. The effects of these treatments on the molecular structure of kafirin and of kafirin in the film were investigated. SDS-PAGE of heated wet kafirin showed an increase in kafirin oligomers. Disulfide groups increased in heated kafirin and in films made from the heated kafirin. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of heated kafirin and films made from the heated kafirin indicated an increase in beta-sheet conformation. In contrast, kafirin complexation with tannic acid (TA) and sorghum condensed tannin (SCT) resulted in a slight decrease in beta-sheet conformation in the kafirin and a larger decrease in the kafirin in the films. Raman spectroscopy showed that, with TA, there was a shift in peak from 1710 to 1728 cm(-1) for kafirin-tannic acid complexes, indicating kafirin and tannic acid interaction. The protein conformational changes presumably facilitated cross-linking between kafirin molecules and/or between kafirin and the tannins. Thus, although both heating with microwave energy and tannin complexation cause cross-linking of kafirin to increase film tensile strength, their effects on kafirin structure appear to be different.