Quality and functional properties of bread containing the addition of probiotically fermented Cicer arietinum.

This study aimed to determine the impact of supplementation with probiotically fermented chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) seeds on the quality parameters and functional characteristics of wheat bread. The addition of chickpea seeds caused significant changes in the chemical composition of the control wheat bread. The legume-supplemented products exhibited higher values of a* and b* color parameters and higher hardness after 24 h of storage than the control. The application of fermented or unfermented chickpeas contributed to an increase in total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, iron chelating capacity, and antioxidant properties of the final product. The variant containing unfermented seeds had the highest riboflavin content (29.53 ± 1.11 µg/100 g d.w.), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (227.02 ± 7.29 µmol·L-1 TX/100 g d.w.), and free radical scavenging activity (71.37 ± 1.30 % DPPH inhibition). The results of this preliminary research have practical importance in the production of innovative bakery products with potential properties of functional food.

Medicinal Mushrooms: Their Bioactive Components, Nutritional Value and Application in Functional Food Production-A Review.

Medicinal mushrooms, e.g., Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers.), Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst.), Chaga (Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát), Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones and Spatafora), Shiitake (Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler), and Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd), are considered new-generation foods and are of growing interest to consumers. They are characterised by a high content of biologically active compounds, including (1,3)(1,6)-ß-d-glucans, which are classified as dietary fibre, triterpenes, phenolic compounds, and sterols. Thanks to their low-fat content, they are a low-calorie product and are classified as a functional food. They have a beneficial effect on the organism through the improvement of its overall health and nutritional level. The biologically active constituents contained in medicinal mushrooms exhibit anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and immunomodulatory effects. In addition, these mushrooms accelerate metabolism, help fight obesity, and slow down the ageing processes thanks to their high antioxidant activity. The vast therapeutic properties of mushrooms are still not fully understood. Detailed mechanisms of the effects of medicinal mushrooms on the human organism still require long-term clinical studies to confirm their nutraceutical effects, their safety of use, and their dosage. Medicinal mushrooms have great potential to be used in the design of innovative functional foods. There is a need for further research on the possibility of incorporating mushrooms into food products to assess the interactions of their bioactive substances with ingredients in the food matrix. This review focuses on the properties of selected medicinal mushrooms and their effects on the human organism and presents current knowledge on the possibilities of their use in the production of functional foods.

Yellow-coated quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) - physicochemical, nutritional, and antioxidant properties.

BACKGROUND: Quinoa seeds are an excellent source of nutrients and phytochemical compounds with well documented activity; however, different cultivars are usually characterized by different physical properties and chemical composition. This study presented the physical properties, nutrient content, and antioxidant capacities of 25 cultivars of yellow-coated quinoa. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that quinoa seeds may be an excellent source of dietary fiber (up to 198 g kg-1 d.m. - Baer cultivar), with a 1:2 ratio of the soluble to insoluble fraction. Digestible carbohydrates were present at the highest level in the Puno cultivar (640 g kg-1 ). The highest content of proteins was determined in the Colorado 407D and Faro cultivars (c.a. 16%). The average content of albumin and globulins in the seeds was 29.2 and 65.6 g kg-1 , respectively. The quinoa seeds were characterized by low activity of protease inhibitors. The lowest inhibition of trypsin was determined for the UDEC-3, Faro Orange, and Titicaca cultivars, and the highest value was exhibited by the Titicaca White and UDEC-5 cultivars. Phenolics in the tested cultivars ranged from 7.1 g kg-1 (UDEC-3) to 10.6 g kg-1 (Temuko). The best antiradical properties were determined for Temuco and Rainbow (2.05 g TE kg-1 and 1.85 g TE kg-1 , respectively), while the Baer and Temuco cultivars were characterized by the highest reducing power (2.28 g TE kg-1 and 2.17 g TE kg-1 , respectively). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that quinoa cultivated in European countries is a good source of nutrients, dietary fiber, and antioxidants; however, its composition varies significantly. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.