Effects of quinoa flour (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd) substitution on wheat flour characteristics

Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal with great nutritional and functional qualities, serving as an excellent substitution to develop quinoa-containing foods. This study aimed to explore the influence of quinoa flour substitution on quality characteristics of wheat flour (WF). WF was substituted with different level of quinoa core flour, ground quinoa whole flour and recombined quinoa whole flour. Increasing levels of quinoa flour in WF declined dough swelling index, while increased falling number of composite flours. Besides, quinoa flour substitution considerably decreased the chemical forces of gluten in composite flours. The proportions α-helix and β-sheets reduced, while the random coil proportion increased in gluten secondary structure. SEM images revealed that the gluten network structure was severely damaged. Our findings indicated that substitution of WF with quinoa flours was promising to be developed as an ingredient for food products.

The effect of extruded multigrain powder on metabolism and intestinal flora of high-fat-diet induced C57BL/6J mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of extruded multigrain (Tartary buckwheat, oat and black bean) powder product (MG) fed with a high-fat-diet (HFD) on metabolism and gut microbiota modulation of mice. Thirty C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (n = 10), HFD (n = 10) or HFD replacing 40% MG (HFMG, n = 10) for six weeks. The results showed that MG reduced the weight gain of HFD-induced mice, alleviated the accumulation of epididymal- and perirenal fat, improved the glucose tolerance, and reduced the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Histopathological observation showed that the number and size of fat vacuoles in liver cytoplasm were significantly reduced, the thickness of colon muscle was increased, and the cells were closely arranged after the intervention of HFMG. Moreover, the intervention of HFMG could promote the release of butyric acid in short chain fatty acids, improve the disorder of intestinal flora in HFD-induced mice, increase the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, while reduce the relative abundance of Firmicutes, which may have a positive effect on inhibiting obesity induced by HFD. This study could provide a theoretical basis for improving the economic added value of extruded MG powder-based products and preventing chronic diseases such as obesity.

In vitro digestion characteristics of cereal protein concentrates as assessed using a pepsin-pancreatin digestion model

An alkaline extraction method has been used in many studies to extract total protein from cereal samples. Wheat bran protein concentrate (WBPC), oat bran protein concentrate (OBPC), and barley protein concentrate (BPC) were prepared by alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation to study their functional and nutritional properties. The three protein concentrates were hydrolysed by an in vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestion model. Their digestibility (%) and degree of hydrolysis (DH%) were evaluated, and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was used to illustrate the protein and peptides patterns. The change of the particle sizes and the release of the essential amino acids was followed during the digestion process. The in vitro digestibility of WBPC, OBPC and BPC was 87.4%, 96.1% and 76.9%, respectively. The DH% of protein concentrates were between 50 and 60%. The change of the particle size distribution values Dv(50) was assumed to be related to protein aggregations during the digestion. The protein fractions were identified and the degradation during the digestion and were analysed by SDS-PAGE; the gels of WBPC and OBPC digestion showed virtually complete degradation whereas the intensive bands of undigested protein were presented for BPC. The generation of the free amino acids and short chain peptides were significantly higher at the end of the intestinal digestion compared to the stages of before and after gastric digestion. Higher content of the deficient amino acids such as lysine and threonine were found comparing to the level of deficient amino acids in cereal grains but does not meet the daily recommended intake.

Enhancing the Nutritional Properties of Bread by Incorporating Mushroom Bioactive Compounds: The Manipulation of the Pre-Dictive Glycaemic Response and the Phenolic Properties

Wheat bread supplemented with mushroom powder from three different species of mushrooms was investigated in terms of starch characteristics (content, gelatinisation, and digestibility) and antioxidant capacities. The decrease in total starch contents, and increase in phenolic contents of the breads, were associated with increased mushroom powder contents. Mushroom inclusion reduced the rate of reducing sugar released over 120 min in an in vitro digestion compared to the control sample, implying a lower area under the curve (AUC) value with the inclusion of mushroom powder and a potentially lower predicted glycaemic response of the bread. Mushroom powder incorporation also enhanced the DPPH radical scavenging assay and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) compared to control bread. The action of the addition of different mushroom powders on the bread crust and crumb microstructure properties was also studied. Mushroom powder altered the internal microstructure of the bread crust and crumb by affecting the interactions between starch and the other components of the bread. Overall, this shows that mushroom powder could be added to bread to deliver health benefits to consumers.

Combination of rehydrated whey protein isolate aqueous solution with blackcurrant concentrate and the formation of encapsulates via spray-drying and freeze-drying: Alterations to the functional properties of protein and their anticancer properties

Novel protein ingredients were produced by encapsulating blackcurrant concentrate (BC) with whey protein through spray-, or freeze-, drying strategies. The effects of encapsulation strategies and the addition of BC on the physical and functional characteristics, and anticancer activity of the ingredients were evaluated. The mechanistic interactions between the blackcurrant anthocyanins (BAs) with the whey protein components were predicted via in silico studies. HPLC results revealed that spray-dried and freeze-dried whey protein-BC encapsulates have effectively delivered the BAs. The physical and functional properties of the proteins were altered by drying strategies and the addition of BC. Anticancer effects were linked to reactive oxygen species production and cell apoptosis towards HepG2. Molecular docking results showed that hydrogen bonds were the main binding forces between BAs and various whey protein molecules, resulting in the formation of complexes. These findings are relevant to the formulation of powdered products to be used as ingredients in practical food matrix.

Functionalization of whey protein isolate fortified with blackcurrant concentrate by spray-drying and freeze-drying strategies

A solution of whey protein isolate was combined with blackcurrant concentrate via spray-drying and freeze-drying techniques separately to develop novel protein ingredients, (SWB and FWB). Chemical compositions, colour profiles, total anthocyanin content and encapsulation efficacy of the protein ingredients were evaluated. An in vitro digestion process was employed to observe the changes in total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and predictive in vitro glycaemic response of the protein ingredients. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) towards α-Amylase, and a molecular docking study on the interactions of α-Amylase with anthocyanins, were both performed to investigate the potential mechanisms of hypoglycaemic properties of these protein ingredients. The protein contents of SWB and FWB were 67.94 ± 0.47% and 68.16 ± 0.77%, respectively. Blackcurrant concentrate significantly (p < 0.001) changed the colour profiles of whey protein isolate. SWB obtained a higher total phenol content (3711.28 ± 4.36 μg/g), total anthocyanin content (85390.80 ± 162.81 μg/100 g), and greater encapsulation efficacy (99.64 ± 0.16%) than those of FWB (3413.03 ± 20.60 μg/g, 64230.24 ± 441.08 μg/100 g, and 95.43 ± 0.14%, respectively). Total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of SWB and FWB decreased after the in vitro digestion. The reducing sugar released during the in vitro digestion from SWB and FWB decreased compared with their corresponding controls (SWC and FWC). FWB (IC₅₀ = 73.46 μg/mL) exhibited stronger α-Amylase inhibitory activity than SWB (IC₅₀ = 81.46 μg/mL). Different anthocyanins differed from binding affinities to bind with the active sites of α-Amylase via formation of hydrogen bonds. This study suggested whey protein encapsulated-blackcurrant concentrate might be an innovative food product with improved nutritional profiles. Both spray- and freeze-drying are potential options to this encapsulation.

Edible mushrooms dietary fibre and antioxidants: Effects on glycaemic load manipulation and their correlations pre-and post-simulated in vitro digestion

In this study, mushroom stems were separated from the fruiting body of two edible mushrooms, white button mushroom (WB, Agaricus bisporus) and oyster mushroom (OY, Pleurotus ostreatus), and their functionalities were compared in wheat flour noodles at fortification levels of 5, 10, 15%. The inclusion of WB led to higher protein content than OY, which had more dietary fibre, especially insoluble dietary fibre. The fortification of mushrooms decreased the area under the curve (AUC) of reducing sugars released during in vitro digestion significantly (p < 0.05). WB fortified noodles yielded higher antioxidant capacities than OY fortification, whereas the digesta following digestion of WB and OY groups shared similar free accessible weighted average antioxidants. Mushrooms derived insoluble dietary fibre was negatively correlated with AUC and positively correlated with antioxidants (p < 0.05), suggesting the efficacy of mushroom stems over post-prandial glucose release of foods and providing the antioxidant environment to the intestine.

Benefits of yoga in the treatment of eating disorders: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Yoga has begun to be incorporated into the treatment of eating disorders despite limited empirical support for this practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of incorporating Yoga into the treatment of eating disorders. This preliminary randomized controlled trial investigated the benefits of participating in an eight-week Kripalu Yoga program for 53 women with symptoms of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Compared to waitlist controls, Yoga participants experienced decreases in binge eating frequency, emotional regulation difficulties and self-criticism, and increases in self-compassion. Yoga participants also experienced increases in state mindfulness skills across the eight weeks of the Yoga program. While these results are encouraging and suggest Yoga may have a valuable role to play in the treatment of eating disorders, it is important to stress their tentative nature. Further research, adopting a more rigorous design, is needed to address the limitations of the present study and expand on these findings.

Effect of Egg White Protein and Soy Protein Isolate Addition on Nutritional Properties and In-Vitro Digestibility of Gluten-Free Pasta Based on Banana Flour

The effects of egg white protein and soy protein isolate addition on the nutritional and digestibility of gluten-free pasta based on banana flour were studied. The level of protein additions (soy protein or egg white protein) were 0, 5, 10 and 15% of banana flour (w/w). Pasta made from 100% durum wheat semolina was used as a control. Soy protein isolate inclusion into banana pasta increased total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacities, while egg white protein decreased the TPC and antioxidant capacities with the increasing level of addition. Starch digestibility was affected by the type of protein addition. Egg white protein lowered starch digestibility compared to soy protein isolate. Protein inclusion in banana pasta also altered protein digestibility, amino acid profiles and protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). Soy protein isolate increased protein digestibility of gluten-free pasta compared to egg white protein. Protein enrichment gave better amino acid profiles of banana pasta compared to semolina pasta with egg white protein and performed a better PDCAAS compared to soy protein isolate. These results showed that soy protein isolate and egg white protein addition enhanced nutritional qualities and digestibility properties of gluten-free banana pasta.

The Potential of Modulating the Reducing Sugar Released (and the Potential Glycemic Response) of Muffins Using a Combination of a Stevia Sweetener and Cocoa Powder

Muffins are popular bakery products. However, they generally contain high amounts of sugar. The over-consumption of muffins may therefore result in a high calorie intake and could lead to increased health risks. For this reason, muffins were prepared substituting sucrose with two levels of a base of stevia (Stevianna®). In addition, cocoa powder and vanilla were added to the muffin formulation with and without Stevianna® to mask any potential off flavors. Results illustrate that muffins with 50% Stevianna® replacement of sucrose were similar to the control samples in terms of volume, density and texture. However, replacement of sugar with 100% Stevianna® resulted in reductions in height (from 41 to 28 mm), volume (from 63 to 51 mL), and increased firmness (by four-fold) compared to the control sample. Sugar replacement significantly reduced the in vitro predictive glycemic response of muffins (by up to 55% of the control sample). This work illustrates the importance of sugar in maintaining muffin structure as well as controlling the rate of glucose release during simulated digestions.

Effect of soluble soybean polysaccharides on freeze-denaturation and structure of myofibrillar protein of bighead carp surimi with liquid nitrogen freezing

This paper investigated the synergistic effect of 3% soluble soybean polysaccharides (SSPS) and liquid nitrogen freezing (-80 °C) on the freezing process and protein denaturation of bighead carp surimi. Freezing curve showed that liquid nitrogen freezing could significantly minimize the elapsed time of maximum-ice-crystal formation zone. Both liquid nitrogen freezing and SSPS were useful in preventing protein denaturation of surimi during 12-week frozen storage. Protein denaturation results indicated that SSPS-LNfreezing surimi1 had the highest protein solubility, Ca2+-ATPase activity and total sulfhydryl content. SDS-PAGE indicated that SSPS and liquid nitrogen freezing could effectively inhibit the decrease of myosin heavy chain concentration after 12 weeks of frozen storage. Raman spectra showed that tryptophan and tyrosine were exposed to polar microenvironment, the ɑ-helix and β-sheet turned into random coil and β-turn, and the conformation of disulfide bond changed from trans-gauche-trans (t-g-t) to gauche-gauche-trans (g-g-t). Either SSPS or liquid nitrogen freezing could mitigate these changes during frozen storage and a synergistic effect emerged on preventing myofibrillar protein denaturation and protein structure change. The combination of SSPS with liquid nitrogen freezing could be applied to freeze bighead carp surimi.

Fish Protein and Lipid Interactions on the Digestibility and Bioavailability of Starch and Protein from Durum Wheat Pasta

This research focussed on the utilisation of salmon protein and lipid to manipulate pasta's glycaemic index and protein digestibility. Salmon fish (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) powder (SFP) supplemented pasta flour in amounts from 5% to 20% (w/w). Inclusion of SFP lead to a significant reduction in starch digestibility and hence the potential glycaemic values of pasta (experimental pasta being up to 143% lower than control values). SFP addition to pasta increased the release of phenolic compounds from pasta during both gastric digestion (179%) and pancreatic digestion (133%) in comparison to the control sample. At the same time, the antioxidant activity of the digested pasta was increased by up to 263% (gastric) and 190% (pancreatic) in comparison to durum wheat pasta alone. Interestingly, although protein levels increased with incorporation of SFP, the digestibility values of the protein decreased from 86.41% for the control pasta to 81.95% for 20% SFP pasta. This may indicate that there are interactions between phenols and protein in the pasta samples which affect overall protein digestibility levels.

Protein, Amino Acid, Fatty Acid Composition, and in Vitro Digestibility of Bread Fortified with Oncorhynchus tschawytscha Powder

This study investigated protein, amino acid, fatty acid composition, in vitro starch and protein digestibility, and phenolic and antioxidant composition of bread fortified with salmon fish (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) powder (SFP). The proximate composition in control and SFP breads ranged between (34.00 ± 0.55–31.42 ± 0.73%) moisture, (13.91 ± 0.19–20.04 ± 0.10%) protein, (3.86 ± 0.02–9.13 ± 0.02%) fat, (2.13 ± 0.02–2.42 ± 0.09%) ash, (80.10 ± 0.018–68.42 ± 0.11%) carbohydrate, and (410.8 ± 0.18–435.96 ± 0.36 kcal) energy. The essential amino acids of the control and SFP breads ranged between 261.75 ± 9.23 and 306.96 ± 6.76 mg/g protein, which satisfies the score recommended by FAO/WHO/UNU (2007). Protein digestibility of the products was assessed using an in vitro assay. The protein digestibility, comma, amino acid score, essential amino acid index, biological value, and nutritional index ranged between 79.96 ± 0.65–80.80 ± 0.99%, 0.15 ± 0.06–0.42 ± 0.06%, 62.51 ± 1.15–76.68 ± 1.40%, 56.44 ± 1.05–71.68 ± 1.10%, 8.69 ± 0.10–15.36 ± 0.21%, respectively. Control and SFP breads contained 60.31 ± 0.21–43.60 ± 0.35 g/100 g total fatty acids (saturated fatty acids) and 13.51 ± 0.10–17.00 ± 0.09 g/100 g total fatty acids (polyunsaturated fatty acids), and SFP breads fulfil the ω-6/ω-3 score recommended by food authority. There was a significant effect of SFP on bread-specific volume, crumb color, and textural properties. The in vitro starch digestibility results illustrate that the incorporation of SFP into wheat bread decreased the potential glycemic response of bread and increased the antioxidant capacity of bread. In conclusion, this nutrient-rich SFP bread has the potential to be a technological alternative for the food industry.

Addition of mushroom powder to pasta enhances the antioxidant content and modulates the predictive glycaemic response of pasta

This study reports the effects of addition of mushroom powder on the nutritional properties, predictive in vitro glycaemic response and antioxidant potential of durum wheat pasta. Addition of the mushroom powder enriched the pasta as a source of protein, and soluble and insoluble dietary fibre compared with durum wheat semolina. Incorporation of mushroom powder significantly decreased the extent of starch degradation and the area under the curve (AUC) of reducing sugars released during digestion, while the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacities of samples increased. A mutual inhibition system between the degree of starch gelatinisation and antioxidant capacity of the pasta samples was observed. These results suggest that mushroom powder could be incorporated into fresh semolina pasta, conferring healthier characteristics, namely lowering the potential glycaemic response and improving antioxidant capacity of the pasta.

Effect of Fortification with Fish (Pseudophycis bachus) Powder on Nutritional Quality of Durum Wheat Pasta

This paper investigates the nutraceutical (phenolic content and antioxidant activity) and nutritional potential (protein and starch digestibility) of supplementation of durum wheat semolina with 5–20% fish powder (Pseudophycis bachus). In general, all enriched pasta with fish powder showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in reducing sugar released during an in vitro digestion, and reductions in standardized area under the curve (AUC) values, compared to control pasta. The potentially bioaccessible fraction of pasta enriched with 20% fish powder (FP) was characterized as having a 177–191% increase in phenolic content and a 145–556% higher antiradical activity. Elevation of these parameters in fortified pasta was accompanied by interaction of wheat starch, protein, and fish powder protein. Supplementation of fish powder also influenced protein digestibility (a reduction from 84.60% for control pasta to 80.80% for pasta with 20% fish powder). Fortification improved the nutraceutical and nutritional potential of the studied pasta with the effects depending on factors including protein-starch-phenolic interactions.

Physical, Predictive Glycaemic Response and Antioxidative Properties of Black Ear Mushroom (Auricularia auricula) Extrudates

Black ear mushroom (Auricularia auricula) is an important genus of cultivated mushroom, which contains health benefits. Incorporating black ear (BE) mushroom into brown rice by extrusion changed the physicochemical, and more importantly, the nutritional characteristics of the extrudates. With increased incorporation of BE mushroom in the extrudates in vitro starch digestion of the different extrudates revealed significantly reduced starch digestion, suggesting a lower glycaemic index. In addition, incorporation of BE in brown rice extrudates increased the total phenolic concentration of the samples, which led to higher % scavenging effect against free-radicals in DPPH assay. In the ORAC assay for anti-oxidant activity, BE powder exhibited the highest anti-oxidant activity, followed by 10% BE and 15% BE, and 5% BE extruded products. The extruded brown rice control exhibited the lowest antioxidant activity. Inclusion of black ear mushroom was shown to improve the nutritional qualities of the food product illustrating the connection between plant bioactive ingredients and human health.

The Combined Effect of Blackcurrant Powder and Wholemeal Flours to Improve Health Promoting Properties of Cookies

A diet with high glycaemic index, which causes rapid spikes in blood sugar level, can lead to disorders such as significantly increased risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. These conditions are also linked to the progression of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Blackcurrant powder (BC) is a rich source of dietary fibre and bioactive compounds. Wholemeal wheat, barley and oat flours contain high amount of fibre. In this study, a model food (cookie) was developed and used to investigate the in vitro glycaemic glucose equivalent and antioxidant activities of the cookies made with three different wholemeal flours (wheat, barley and oat) with different replacement levels (5, 10 and 15%) of blackcurrant powder. Increasing the proportion of blackcurrant powder in the cookie resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in glucose release after in vitro digestion compared to the control. In addition, incorporation of blackcurrant powder in cookies up to 15% increased the antioxidant capacity. The combination of wholemeal flour and the bioactive compound rich blackcurrant has the potential to improve the nutritional value and reduce the glycaemic index of such foods.

The Effect of Astaxanthin-Rich Microalgae "Haematococcus pluvialis" and Wholemeal Flours Incorporation in Improving the Physical and Functional Properties of Cookies

Marine-based food supplements can improve human nutrition. In an effort to modulate glycaemic response and enhance nutritional aspects, marine-derived algal food rich in astaxanthin was used in the formulation of a model food (wholemeal cookie). Astaxanthin substitution of cookies made from three flours (wheat, barley and oat) demonstrated a significant reduction in the rate of glucose released during in vitro digestion together with an increase in the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of the food. The significantly (p < 0.005) lower free glucose release was observed from cookies with 15% astaxanthin, followed by 10% and then 5% astaxanthin in comparison with control cookies of each flour. Total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) value also notably increased with increase in astaxanthin content. The results evidence the potential use of microalgae to enhance the bioactive compounds and lower the glycaemic response of wholemeal flour cookie.