Replacement of Native with Malted Triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) Flour in Dry Pasta: Technological and Nutritional Implications.

The use of native and malted triticale (MT) flour in dry pasta has been limited despite the potential of triticale in cereal-based food production. In this study, triticale-based dry spaghetti with increasing levels of substitution (0, 25, 50, and 75 g/100 g w/w) of MT flour were formulated and analyzed. Samples were analyzed for technological and nutritional traits, including the in vitro starch and protein digestions. The gradual substitution of native triticale flour with MT increased (p < 0.05) the total dietary fiber content, whereas total starch decreased (p < 0.05). Adding MT flour increased the cooking loss and the stickiness of cooked pasta (p < 0.05). Using MT flour modulated the in vitro starch digestion, lowering the slowly digestible and resistant starch contents. The in vitro protein digestibility was positively affected using MT at the highest substitution level. Overall, MT could be used to formulate dry pasta products being the substitution to native triticale up to 50 g/100 g, a good compromise between nutritional quality and technological characteristics.

Emerging Parameters Justifying a Revised Quality Concept for Cow Milk.

Milk has become a staple food product globally. Traditionally, milk quality assessment has been primarily focused on hygiene and composition to ensure its safety for consumption and processing. However, in recent years, the concept of milk quality has expanded to encompass a broader range of factors. Consumers now also consider animal welfare, environmental impact, and the presence of additional beneficial components in milk when assessing its quality. This shifting consumer demand has led to increased attention on the overall production and sourcing practices of milk. Reflecting on this trend, this review critically explores such novel quality parameters, offering insights into how such practices meet the modern consumer's holistic expectations. The multifaceted aspects of milk quality are examined, revealing the intertwined relationship between milk safety, compositional integrity, and the additional health benefits provided by milk's bioactive properties. By embracing sustainable farming practices, dairy farmers and processors are encouraged not only to fulfill but to anticipate consumer standards for premium milk quality. This comprehensive approach to milk quality underscores the necessity of adapting dairy production to address the evolving nutritional landscape and consumption patterns.

Effect of the Pasta Making Process on Slowly Digestible Starch Content.

The rate at which starch is digested in the human intestine elicits different glycemic responses and reflects the glycemic index (GI) of foods. In vitro measurement of starch digestibility can reflect the GI of food. Differences in starch digestibility among four durum wheat pasta samples, couscous, and bread were evaluated to better describe the role of the pasta making process in affecting starch digestibility. Statistical differences in RDS (rapidly digestible starch), SDS (slowly digestible starch), and RS (resistant starch) of products were found (p < 0.05). As expected, pasta samples showed the highest value of SDS/av starch compared to couscous and bread. Fusilli and cavatelli samples presented the highest SDS/av starch ratio (55.80 ± 3.06% and 53.91 ± 3.50%, respectively), then came spaghetti 49.39 ± 2.83% and penne 45.93 ± 1.19%, while couscous presented the lowest value of SDS/av starch (2.64 ± 0.50%), followed by bread (11.78 ± 2.63%). Our study confirmed that the pasta making process efficiently mediates an increase in SDS/Av starch content, which has been specifically quantified above 40%, therefore strongly related to a lowered glycemic response in vivo. Our results strengthened the concept that pasta is a good source of SDS, which makes it useful for glycemic control.

Behaviour and fate of Ag-NPs, TiO2-NPs and ZnO-NPs in the human gastrointestinal tract: Biopersistence rate evaluation.

This study aims to provide information on the behaviour and biopersistence rate (BP) of metallic nanoparticles (Ag-NPs, TiO2-NPs, ZnO-NPs) naturally occurring in canned seafood and subjected to static in vitro digestion. Single particle ICP-MS analysis was performed to determine NPs distribution and concentrations in oral, gastric, and intestinal digests. Depending on the conditions of the digestive phase and the sample matrix, the phenomena of agglomeration and dispersion were highlighted and confirmed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) technique. In standard suspensions, Ag-NPs had lower biopersistence (BP) than ZnO and TiO2-NPs (BP 34%, 89% and >100%, respectively). Among Ag-NPs and TiO2-NPs naturally present in the food matrix, those in canned tuna were more degradable than those in canned clam (BP Ag-NPs 36% vs. > 100%; BP TiO2-NPs 96% vs. > 100%), while BP ZnO-NPs showed high biopersistence in both seafood matrix (>100%). The biopersistence rates were higher than the recommended limit set by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (12%), referred to nanotechnologies to be applied in the food and feed chain, thus the investigated naturally occurring NPs cannot be considered readily degradable.

The impact of metallic nanoparticles on gut fermentation processes: An integrated metabolomics and metagenomics approach following an in vitro digestion and fecal fermentation model.

Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) are becoming widespread environmental contaminants. They are currently added to several food preparations and cause a fast-growing concern for human health. The present work aims to assess the impact of zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on the human gut metabolome and microbiome. Water samples spiked with two different concentrations of each MNPs were subjected to in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion and in-vitro large intestine fermentation. The effects of the treatments were determined through 16 S amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Multi-omics data integration was then applied to correlate the two datasets. MNPs treatments modulated the microbial genera Bifidobacterium, Sutterella, Escherichia and Bacteroides. The treatments, especially the lower concentrations of Ag and ZnO, caused modulation of indole derivatives, peptides, and metabolites related to protein metabolism in the large intestine. Notably, these metabolites are implicated in ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. TiO2 NPs treatment in all concentrations increased E.coli relative abundance and decreased the abundance of B. longum. Moreover, for TiO2, an enrichment in proinflammatory lipid mediators of arachidonic acid metabolites, such as prostaglandin E2 and leukotrienes B4, was detected. For all metals except TiO2, low NP concentrations promoted differentiated profiles, thus suggesting that MNPs aggregation can limit adverse effects on living cells.

Italian Grape Ale Beers Obtained with Malvasia di Candia Aromatica Grape Variety: Evolution of Phenolic Compounds during Fermentation.

Italian grape ale (IGA) beers have been categorized by the Beer Judge Certification Program as a sub-category of fruit beers in which grape, or grape must, is added during the brewing process to provide additional characteristics to the final beer. In the present work, IGA beers have been produced with must and pomace of the Malvasia di Candia Aromatica (MaCA) grape variety, which were added before fermentation at two different percentages (10% and 20%). The (poly)phenolic profile of IGA beers have been characterized with HPLC-MS/MS and compared to a golden ale control beer (produced in the same conditions without the addition of grape-derived ingredients). A series of sub-samples have been collected to monitor the (poly)phenol profile at time 0 and during the different phases of the fermentation process (1, 3, 5, 7 30, 65 days). Results demonstrated how the addition of pomace allowed to significantly enrich (p < 0.05) final beers in total (poly)phenols detected by MS, while must addition did not influence that amount if compared to the control sample. However, a PCA cluster analysis identified strong similarities among IGA beers and differentiated them to control beer samples. This study underlined how the addition of must and pomace from the MaCA grape variety improved the (poly)phenolic profile of beer from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view.

Valorization of African indigenous leafy vegetables: The role of phyllosphere microbiota.

In sub-Saharan Africa, malnutrition occurs in various forms going from micronutrient deficiency (MND) to severe malnutrition. In this scenario, African indigenous leafy vegetables (AILVs) could help in alleviating hunger and food insecurity. Principally used by smallholder farmers as subsistence crops thanks to the ease of growing, AILVs have been reported to have valuable nutrient content. Nevertheless, rough handling coupled with microbial activities could lead to phyllosphere deterioration, hence leading to spoilage events that make the sustainable supply and consumption of AILVs difficult. Reviewing the literature regarding AILVs' phyllosphere microbiota, some bacteria such as Pseudomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were commonly found. Their ability to deteriorate vegetables is known, thus stressing the necessity to valorize these commodities. In this review, fermentation was deepened as an inexpensive form of food processing to valorize AILVs, modulating the phyllosphere microbiota in favor of fermenting microorganisms. The literature review revealed that traditional methods implying alkaline fermentation lower the levels of toxigenic compounds in AILVs such as cyanhydric acid. Methods involving lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation with beneficial LAB were able to control the fermentation, hindering the proliferation of spoilage (i.e. Pseudomonadaceae) and potentially pathogenic bacteria (i.e. Enterobacteriaceae). Aside, the improvement of nutritional content is achieved, obtaining increased levels of B-group vitamins, carotenoids, and the reduction of antinutrient and toxic compounds for certain AILVs. Furthermore, the AILVs' shelf life is also prolonged, thus further confirming that the final products are valorized by the fermentation processes. Howbeit, this review also points out some weaknesses in the methods. Indeed, alkaline fermentation can allow the growth of toxin-producing Bacillus spp. that can jeopardize the consumers' health. While the unpredictability of spontaneous LAB fermentation caused in some cases the resilience of certain pathogens such as Enterobacteriaceae. More studies involving alternative ways to inoculate LAB starters such as back slopping might be useful to perfect the fermentation methods and finally valorize AILVs.

The effect of chickpea flour and its addition levels on quality and in vitro starch digestibility of corn-rice-based gluten-free pasta.

Development of gluten-free (GF) pasta with improved nutritional attributes is one of the main trends in the gluten-free pasta industry. Considerable interest lays in introducing legume-based ingredients into traditional corn/rice GF formulations. This work aims to fortify multi-cereal (corn-rice) GF pasta with chickpea to investigate how different chickpea addition levels affect its quality and in vitro starch digestibility. Chickpea significantly increased pasta protein and dietary fibre contents to a level that supports the "source" or "high" fibre/protein content claims. Chickpea addition induced darkening, softening, adhesiveness decrease and solid loss reduction compared to the control. In addition, chickpea substitution significantly modified the in vitro starch digestion, which showed increasing resistant starch and decreasing slowly digestible starch contents suggesting potential mitigation of postprandial glucose response in vivo. Reformulating GF pasta with chickpea flour should, therefore, be considered as an effective tool to improve the corn-rice-based GF products' nutritional profile.

Evolutionary Wheat Populations in High-Quality Breadmaking as a Tool to Preserve Agri-Food Biodiversity.

Plant biodiversity preservation is one of the most important priorities of today's agriculture. Wheat (Triticum spp. L.) is widely cultivated worldwide, mostly under a conventional and monovarietal farming method, leading to progressive biodiversity erosion. On the contrary, the evolutionary population (EP) cultivation technique is characterized by mixing and sowing together as many wheat genotypes as possible to allow the crop to genetically adapt over the years in relation to specific pedoclimatic conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional, chemical and sensory qualities of three different breads obtained using different organic EP flours, produced following a traditional sourdough process and compared to a commercial wheat cultivar bread. Technological parameters, B-complex vitamins, microelements, dietary fibre and phenolic acids were determined in raw materials and final products. Flours obtained by EPs showed similar characteristics to the commercial wheat cultivar flour. However, significant differences on grain technological quality were found. The breads were comparable with respect to chemical and nutritional qualities. Overall, the sensory panellists rated the tasted breads positively assigning the highest score to those produced with EPs flours (6.75-7.02) as compared to commercial wheat cultivar-produced bread (cv. Bologna, 6.36).

Nutritional Quality of Wholegrain Cereal-Based Products Sold on the Italian Market: Data from the FLIP Study.

The consumption of wholegrains (WG) is encouraged worldwide, but the lack of a common legal definition of such products leads to an unclear classification and identification on the grocery store shelf. In Italy, several products are generally sold as WG, but it cannot be determined if they are made entirely with all WG cereal(s) or if they are partially produced with WG ingredients (PWG). The aims of this study were to (a) survey the number of cereal-based food items formulated with WG, PWG, or refined (RG) present on the Italian market; and (b) analyse the nutritional quality, intended as nutrition facts, of WG products in comparison to PWG and RG. Nutritional information and declarations were retrieved from packs of 3040 products belonging to five different categories: breakfast cereals, biscuits, sweet snacks, bread, and bread substitutes. A descriptive analysis of the products and comparison of energy, macronutrients, fibre and salt among RG, PWG and WG products within each category was performed. In all categories, a major portion of the products did not contain WG ingredients. Results showed that the nutritional quality of RG, PWG, and WG products varied in relation to the product category and that WG inclusion cannot be always considered a marker of the overall nutritional quality of foods. Instead, it is necessary to evaluate the global product characteristics, and it is important to pay attention to differences between WG and PWG products that can be perceived by consumers as equivalent.

Evolution of microbial communities and nutritional content of fermented Amaranthus sp. leaves.

Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) is a promising indigenous leafy vegetable plant capable of contributing to food security in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to its adaptability to diverse soils and its drought tolerance. Its edible parts such as leaves are characterized by high nutrient content. Food losses along the supply chain due to spoilage, however, especially of fresh produce is a challenge facing most of the sub-Saharan African countries in tackling food insecurity in the region. This calls for innovative yet inexpensive solutions such as natural fermentation to preserve the quality and safety of the commodity. To demonstrate the feasibility of natural fermentation in the preservation of vegetable amaranth, leaves were submerged (1:0.5 w/v) in distilled water with 3% sucrose and 3% NaCl dissolved. Control batches were prepared using only distilled water (1:0.5 w/v) with amaranth leaves. Samplings of both treated leaves and controls occurred at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h to measure the pH and determine microbial population changes using culture and molecular-based techniques. Furthermore, the effects of treatment on nutritional content were assayed at the end of the process to determine the levels of B-group vitamins, ß-carotene, lutein, and anti-nutrient phytic acid from unfermented fresh air-dried and 3% sucrose and 3% NaCl treated amaranth leaves. Finally, a visive and olfactive analysis was carried out to evaluate the acceptability of the final product. The significant drop of pH and the correct growth of Lactobacillaceae occurred only in treated batches, although Lactococcus was found in both treated and control samples. Furthermore, mean counts observed on selective media for controls and molecular high-throughput sequencing (HTS) analyses confirmed that in control samples, the undesired bacteria represented more than 60% of the microbial population. In treated amaranth leaves the amount of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, ß-carotene and lutein content were higher compared to the fresh unfermented air-dried leaves, and phytic acid content diminished after 7-days treatment. These findings suggest that treatment of amaranth leaves using 3% sucrose and 3% NaCl does not only preserve the commodity by arresting the growth of undesired microorganisms involved in spoilage and fosters the lactic acid bacteria but also improves the nutritional content of the fermented end product that has been warmly welcomed by panelists.

Postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses to breads formulated with different wheat evolutionary populations (Triticum aestivum L.): A randomized controlled trial on healthy subjects.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of breads made with two different wheat evolutionary populations (EPs), compared with a modern variety, on postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses. A randomized controlled crossover postprandial study involving 12 healthy subjects was conducted. Seven non-commercial breads produced with flours from two different bread wheat (T. aestivum L.) EPs (Bio2, ICARDA) and a modern bread wheat variety (Bologna) were considered controls, with two different bread-making processes (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and sourdough), and were specifically formulated for the study. Postprandial incremental curves, incremental area under the curve (IAUC), maximum postprandial peaks for blood glucose and plasma insulin over 2 h after administration of isoglucidic portions of breads (50 g of available carbohydrates) were evaluated. The comparison of incremental curves, IAUC, and maximum postprandial peaks after consumption of breads formulated with EPs and control breads showed no differences among samples. Neither the flour nor the leavening technic used for the baking were effective in inducing a different postprandial response compared with the Bologna variety. EPs, being characterized by higher degree of crop genetic diversity, may have a relevant agronomic role to guarantee good and stable yields and quality under low input management in a changing climate; however, future studies are needed to better investigate their potential positive effect on human health.

Pasta Structure Affects Mastication, Bolus Properties, and Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Metabolism in Healthy Adults.

BACKGROUND: Structure and protein-starch interactions in pasta products can be responsible for lower postprandial glycemic responses compared with other cereal foods. OBJECTIVES: We tested the effect on postprandial glucose metabolism induced by 2 pasta products, couscous, and bread, through their structural changes during mastication and simulated gastric digestion. METHODS: Two randomized controlled trials (n = 30/trial) in healthy, normal-weight adults (mean BMI of 23.9 kg/m2 (study 1) and 23.0 kg/m2 (study 2)) evaluated postprandial glucose metabolism modulation to portions of durum wheat semolina spaghetti, penne, couscous, and bread each containing 50 g available carbohydrate. A mastication trial involving 26 normal-weight adults was conducted to investigate mastication processes and changes in particle size distribution and microstructure (light microscopy) of boluses after mastication and in vitro gastric digestion. RESULTS: Both pasta products resulted in lower areas under the 2-h curve for blood glucose (-40% for spaghetti and -22% for penne compared with couscous; -41% for spaghetti and -30% for penne compared with bread), compared with the other grain products (P < 0.05). Pasta products required more chews (spaghetti: 34 ± 18; penne: 38 ± 20; bread: 27 ± 13; couscous: 24 ± 17) and longer oral processing (spaghetti: 21 ± 13 s; penne: 23 ± 14 s; bread: 18 ± 9 s; couscous: 14 ± 10 s) compared with bread or couscous (P < 0.01). Pastas contained more large particles (46-67% of total particle area) compared with bread (0-30%) and couscous (1%) after mastication and in vitro gastric digestion. After in vitro gastric digestion, pasta samples still contained large areas of nonhydrolyzed starch embedded within the protein network; the protein in bread and couscous was almost entirely digested, and the starch was hydrolyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Preservation of the pasta structure during mastication and gastric digestion explains slower starch hydrolysis and, consequently, lower postprandial glycemia compared with bread or couscous prepared from the same durum wheat semolina flour in healthy adults. The postprandial in vivo trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03098017 and NCT03104686.

Pasta Structure Affects Mastication, Bolus Properties, and Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Metabolism in Healthy Adults.

BACKGROUND: Structure and protein-starch interactions in pasta products can be responsible for lower postprandial glycemic responses compared with other cereal foods. OBJECTIVES: We tested the effect on postprandial glucose metabolism induced by 2 pasta products, couscous, and bread, through their structural changes during mastication and simulated gastric digestion. METHODS: Two randomized controlled trials (n = 30/trial) in healthy, normal-weight adults (mean BMI of 23.9 kg/m2 (study 1) and 23.0 kg/m2 (study 2)) evaluated postprandial glucose metabolism modulation to portions of durum wheat semolina spaghetti, penne, couscous, and bread each containing 50 g available carbohydrate. A mastication trial involving 26 normal-weight adults was conducted to investigate mastication processes and changes in particle size distribution and microstructure (light microscopy) of boluses after mastication and in vitro gastric digestion. RESULTS: Both pasta products resulted in lower areas under the 2-h curve for blood glucose (-40% for spaghetti and -22% for penne compared with couscous; -41% for spaghetti and -30% for penne compared with bread), compared with the other grain products (P < 0.05). Pasta products required more chews (spaghetti: 34 ± 18; penne: 38 ± 20; bread: 27 ± 13; couscous: 24 ± 17) and longer oral processing (spaghetti: 21 ± 13 s; penne: 23 ± 14 s; bread: 18 ± 9 s; couscous: 14 ± 10 s) compared with bread or couscous (P < 0.01). Pastas contained more large particles (46-67% of total particle area) compared with bread (0-30%) and couscous (1%) after mastication and in vitro gastric digestion. After in vitro gastric digestion, pasta samples still contained large areas of nonhydrolyzed starch embedded within the protein network; the protein in bread and couscous was almost entirely digested, and the starch was hydrolyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Preservation of the pasta structure during mastication and gastric digestion explains slower starch hydrolysis and, consequently, lower postprandial glycemia compared with bread or couscous prepared from the same durum wheat semolina flour in healthy adults.The postprandial in vivo trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03098017 and NCT03104686.

Glycemic Index Values of Pasta Products: An Overview.

Durum wheat pasta is considered a low-glycemic index (GI) food. In recent years, the interest in developing enriched pasta has increased. Since both the formulation and processing technologies may affect the GI, this study aimed to investigate the GI values of pasta products (pp) reported in the literature until 2020. GI values of pp analyzed following the ISO guidelines were included in this survey. A total of 95 pp were identified and, according to their formulation, classified into 10 categories (n, mean GI): category n 1: 100% refined wheat (35, 55); category n 2: 100% whole wheat (6, 52); category n 3: other cereal-based products (8, 52); category n 4: containing egg (5, 52); category n 5: gluten free (11, 60); category n 6: containing legumes (9, 46); category n 7: noodles and vermicelli (9, 56); category n 8: containing vegetable or algae (6, 51); category n 9: containing other ingredients (5, 37); category n 10: stuffed (1, 58). Overall, pasta is confirmed to be a medium-low-GI food, even if a high variability among or within each category emerged. The formulation of enriched pp able to elicit a controlled glycemic response could represent a strategy to improve the nutritional value of pasta.

Mediterranean Diet Affects Blood Circulating Lipid-Soluble Micronutrients and Inflammatory Biomarkers in a Cohort of Breast Cancer Survivors: Results from the SETA Study.

Breast cancer (BC) is a major public health concern and substantial research has shown that adhering to a healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean Diet (MD), may prevent the onset of cancer and BC relapses. This study aims at specifically investigating the association of MD with circulating dietary-related biomarkers in a cohort of BC survivors. Eighty patients (mean age of 54.9 ± 10.6) with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of BC who had not received any pharmacological or radiotherapy treatment for at least two months were enrolled. Fasting serum lipid-soluble vitamins (retinol, tocopherol), plant pigments (ß-carotene, lutein + zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, lycopene), inflammatory and oxidative stress markers (ceruloplasmin; haptoglobin; paraoxonases; reactive oxygen molecule; thiol groups, Ferric reducing antioxidant power), and cardiometabolic parameters (body mass index (BMI); glucose; insulin; HOMA-IR; total cholesterol; LDL-cholesterol; HDL-cholesterol; triglycerides) were analyzed. Adherence to the MD was assessed through the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were collected for the evaluation of selected biomarkers. MDS resulted positively correlated with ß-carotene (r 0.331; p < 0.01) and lycopene (r 0.274; p < 0.05) and negatively with retinol (r -0.346; p < 0.05). Among the investigated inflammatory biomarkers, MDS was only correlated with antioxidant capacity (r 0.256; p < 0.05), while none of the investigated cardiometabolic parameters were significantly correlated with this index. The strong significant correlation between ß-carotene and MDS encourages us to consider this pro-vitamin as a putative biomarker to take into account for evaluating the adherence to the MD.

Pre-Pregnancy Diet and Vaginal Environment in Caucasian Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Study.

Vaginal microbes and their metabolic products have crucial functions, affecting local immunity development and maternal-fetal health. The composition of the vaginal microbiome can vary in response to various factors, including body mass index (BMI), and diet. In this study we get new insights into the vaginal ecosystem of Caucasian women (n = 24) at the first trimester of pregnancy, assessing whether pre-pregnancy diet can affect the structure of the vaginal environment in terms of bacterial composition and vaginal metabolite concentration. We characterized 1) the vaginal bacterial composition (Nugent score), 2) the vaginal metabolic profiles (1H-NMR spectroscopy), and 3) the dietary nutrient intake by means of a validated food frequency questionnaire. Pre-pregnancy BMI was negatively related to vaginal health status, indicating that women who begin pregnancy overweight/obese have a greater occurrence of vaginal dysbiosis during pregnancy. A lactobacilli-dominated vaginal microbiota was negatively associated with higher pre-pregnancy intake of animal-sourced protein. Conversely, a higher pre-pregnancy consumption of total carbohydrates and sugars seemed to be a protective factor for vaginal health. The vaginal environment of BV-women was characterized by higher levels of biogenic amines and organic acids, whereas higher levels of phenylpropionate and diverse amino acids were fingerprints of a healthy vaginal status. A significant association between a higher pre-pregnancy BMI and several dysbiosis-related vaginal metabolites was also found. Our study shed light on the role of pre-pregnancy BMI and diet on the vaginal environment during pregnancy, underlining the importance of limiting protein intake from animal foods to maintain a healthy lactobacilli-dominated microbiota.

Fermentation as a tool for increasing food security and nutritional quality of indigenous African leafy vegetables: the case of Cucurbita sp.

Sub-Saharan region is often characterized by food and nutrition insecurity especially "hidden hunger" which results from inadequate micronutrients in diets. African indigenous leafy vegetables (AILVs) can represent a valid food source of micronutrients, but they often go to waste resulting in post-harvest losses. In an attempt to prolong AILVs shelf-life while enhancing their nutritional quality, fermentation was studied from a microbiological and nutritional point of view. Pumpkin leaves (Cucurbita sp.) were spontaneously fermented using the submerged method with 3% NaCl and 3% sucrose. Controls were set up, consisting of leaves with no additions. During fermentation, samples of both treatments were taken at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 168 h to monitor pH and characterize the microbial population through culture-based and molecular-based analyses. Variations between fresh and treated leaves in B-group vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, and phytic acid were evaluated. Data revealed that the treatment with addition of NaCl and sucrose hindered the growth of undesired microorganisms; in controls, unwanted microorganisms dominated the bacterial community until 168 h, while in treated samples Lactobacillaceae predominated. Furthermore, the content in folate, ß-carotene and lutein increased in treated leaves compared to the fresh ones, while phytic acid diminished indicating an amelioration in the nutritional value of the final product. Thus, fermentation could help in preserving Cucurbita sp. leaves, avoiding contamination of spoilage microorganisms and enhancing the nutritional values.

Effect of biscuits formulated with high-amylose maize flour on satiety-related sensations and food intake.

The amount of amylose within a food may elicit lower glycemic and insulin postprandial responses and thus potentially modulate the satiating effect. In this context, the effect of biscuits formulated with high amylose starch (HAS) flour on satiety-related sensations and food intake was studied. Three types of biscuits were produced: control biscuit (CRT, 0% of HAS), Amy-25 (25% HAS), and Amy-50 (50% HAS). Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled to conduct two in vivo experiments. In experiment 1, volunteers consumed biscuits ad libitum and their sensations of satiety and food intake were evaluated. In experiment 2, volunteers received a quantity of biscuits equivalent to the 20% of the daily estimated energy requirements, and both satiety-related sensations and food intake were checked at subsequent meal. The Amy-50 significantly reduced food intake at subsequent meal (p ˂ 0.05), compared to Amy-25 and CRT. The satiety-related sensations were not significantly affected in both experiments, excepted for intra-meal hunger variation induced by Amy-25 which resulted significantly higher (p ˂ 0.05) than Amy-50 and CRT. These findings support the need to reformulate carbohydrate rich foods commonly consumed in a dietary context, to provide consumers healthier alternatives to prevent and tackle obesity and related chronic diseases.

Traditional and Non-Conventional Pasta-Making Processes: Effect on In Vitro Starch Digestibility.

Pasta is a carbohydrate-rich food with a low glycemic index (GI) and is one of the main sources of slowly digestible starch (SDS). The presence of bran fractions (BFs) in pasta may enhance its health potential, owing to the content of fiber, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds; however, at the same time, BF may affect starch digestibility. In this study, the bioaccessibility of starch in pasta made with BF-enriched semolina (BF pasta), or only with micronized debranned kernel (DK pasta), and a control pasta made with traditional semolina was evaluated by applying two different in vitro models. The control pasta showed a percentage of SDS about four-fold higher than that of the BF pasta and 1.5-fold higher than that of the DK pasta (p < 0.05). The amount of starch released during simulated gastrointestinal digestion was slightly lower, but not significantly different, for the control pasta than for both the BF and DK pasta. These results suggest that the presence of a higher amount of dietary fiber in BF pasta can affect the structure of the food matrix, interfering with the formation of the gluten network, water absorption, and starch granule accessibility, while micronization could enhance starch digestibility due to starch gelatinization. These findings emphasize the need to optimize the process for producing fiber-rich pasta without affecting its low starch digestibility and, consequently, its GI.