A New Advancement in Germination Biotechnology of Purple Creole Corn: Bioactive Compounds and In Situ Enzyme Activity for Water-Soluble Extract and Pan Bread

Germination is a simple and cost-effective technology that enhances the technological, sensory, and nutritional potential of grains, making them more attractive for use in the food industry. Germinating indigenous seeds is an alternative to increase noticeability and add value to these grains, which hold social and economic significance in the regions where they are cultivated, such as creole purple pericarp corn (PPCC) from the Couto Magalhães de Minas region in Brazil. This study aimed to optimize the germination parameters of time (24-96 h) and temperature (18-32 °C) for PPCC to produce water-soluble extracts and bread. Endogenous enzymes resulting from the germination process significantly enhanced (p < 0.10) the technological (total reducing sugars, total soluble solids, and soluble proteins) and biological properties (γ-aminobutyric acid, total soluble phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity) of the water-soluble extracts. The optimum point for obtaining the extracts was found to be at 85.3 h at 30.46 °C (with desirability of 90.42%), and this was statistically validated. The incorporation of germinated PPCC flours into bread was also promising (p < 0.10) and had a positive impact on the dough property (dough volume increase) and the final product, especially in terms of instrumental texture (springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience), resulting in a softer texture (lower firmness and hardness). The addition of PPCC flours did not alter instrumental color parameters, which may lead to greater consumer acceptance due to imperceptible differences in color to untrained individuals, with the optimized point at 96 h at 29.34 °C, with a desirability of 92.60%. Therefore, germinated PPCC shows promise for use as a base for obtaining water-soluble extracts and in bread as a replacement for commercial flour improvers, while also adding value to a raw material that is part of the local culture and agrobiodiversity.

New Breakfast Cereal Developed with Sprouted Whole Ryegrass Flour: Evaluation of Technological and Nutritional Parameters

Ryegrass is one such cereal that has been underutilized in human nutrition despite its high nutritional and functional value due to the presence of phytochemicals and dietary fibers. Exploiting ryegrass for human consumption is an exciting option, especially for countries that do not produce wheat, as it is easily adaptable and overgrows, making it economically viable. This study evaluated the nutritional content of γ-aminobutyric acid and bioactive compounds (total soluble phenolic compounds) and the physicochemical and technological properties of partially substituting maize flour (MF) with sprouted whole ryegrass flour (SR) in developing extrusion-cooked breakfast cereals. A completely randomized design with substitutions ranging from 0 to 20% of MF with SR was employed as the experimental strategy (p < 0.05). Partial incorporation of SR increased the content of γ-aminobutyric acid and total soluble phenolic compounds. Using sprouted grains can adversely affect the technological quality of extruded foods, mainly due to the activation of the amylolytic enzymes. Still, ryegrass, with its high dietary fiber and low lipid content, mitigates these negative effects. Consequently, breakfast cereals containing 4 and 8% SR exhibited better physicochemical properties when compared to SR12, SR16, SR20, and USR10, presenting reduced hardness and increased crispness, and were similar to SR0. These results are promising for ryegrass and suggest that combining the age-old sprouting process with extrusion can enhance the nutritional quality and bioactive compound content of cereal-based breakfast products while maintaining some technological parameters, especially crispiness, expansion index, water solubility index, and firmness, which are considered satisfactory.

Identification and quantification of phenolic composition from different species of Jabuticaba (Plinia spp.) by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn

The aim of this study was to investigate phenolic compounds in peel, pulp and seeds of five different jabuticabas - Plinia trunciflora, "cabinho", P. cauliflora, cultivars "paulista" and "canaã-açu", P. jaboticaba, "sabará" and P. phitrantha, "branca-vinho". In addition to the commonly reported cyanidin-3-glucoside and delphinidin3-glucoside, it was also found the unreported cyanidin-3-coumaroylglucoside in the peels. Flavonols derived from quercetin and myricetin were also detected in jaboticaba peels, along with a wide variety of derivatives of ellagic acid and methyl ellagic acid. The latter derivatives occurred in acylated forms, which were not usually found in jabuticabas. The pulps and seeds of jabuticabas contained large amounts of ellagitannins vescalagin and castalagin, as well as gallic and ellagic acids. The jabuticabas showed small amounts of catechin and gallocatechin. P. jaboticaba showed the highest levels of anthocyanins and flavonols derived from myricetin, and P. phitrantha presented the highest concentration of ellagitannins and flavan-3-ols.