Influence of Thermal Treatment and Granulometry on Physicochemical, Techno-Functional and Nutritional Properties of Lentil Flours.

Legume flours are an increasingly popular food ingredient. Thermal treatments applied prior to milling legumes and granulometry can modify flour properties, altering sensory, digestibility and functional attributes. Raw and treated (soaked and cooked) lentil flours of different granulometry were produced. The applied treatment resulted in an increase in fiber content (25.4 vs. 27.6% for raw and treated lentil flour, respectively) and water absorption capacity. It also led to a decrease in ash content (3.3 vs. 1.8% for raw and treated, respectively) and a darker flour. Treated lentil flour was mainly composed of fractions of high granulometry, which could be beneficial for products where a lower glycemic index is sought, as they demonstrated higher fiber and lower carbohydrate content than the finer fractions. Treated flour may be used as an ingredient in the development of raw products, including beverages and desserts, due to its reduced anti-nutritional compounds' content and enhanced organoleptic aspects. The obtained results allow an in-depth characterization of raw and treated lentils flour with different particle sizes to consider a formal and complete standardization of these flours and for understanding their utility and specific food applications.

Development and Evaluation of a Fermented Pistachio-Based Beverage Obtained by Colloidal Mill.

The aim of the present study was to develop a fermented pistachio beverage as a plant-based alternative to milk-based drinks. For this purpose, a colloidal mill was used to finely grind and homogenize the pistachios to obtain a homogeneous consistency and prevent sedimentation. In addition, lactic acid bacteria fermentation was used to develop unique flavours and characteristics in the final product and to achieve microbiological stability for up to 30 days of storage a 4 °C. The formulated beverages were evaluated for chemical-physical characteristics (pH, organic acid production, and fructose, sucrose, and glucose content), nutritional profile (proximate composition, amino acid and GABA content), and volatile organic composition by HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis. The pistachio-based beverages were characterized by a good source of protein, fat, fiber, and minerals (mainly K and P). The colloidal mill contributed to creating a homogeneous texture and to making the nutrients readily available to the starter microorganisms, which reached concentrations above 108 ufc/mL in the final products. The beverages were characterized by pronounced acidity and some by the presence of acetoin and 2,3-butanedione, volatile components associated with a yogurt- or kefir-like aroma. This innovative approach provides an alternative to traditional milk-based beverages and highlights the role of LAB in the development of nutritious and attractive plant-based beverages.

Pasta fortified with C-glycosides-rich carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) seed germ flour: Inhibitory activity against carbohydrate digesting enzymes.

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) seed germ flour (SGF) is a by-product resulting from the extractionextraction of locust bean gum (E410), which is a texturing and thickening ingredient used for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. SGF is a protein-rich edible matrix and contains relatively high amounts of apigenin 6,8-C-di- and poly-glycosylated derivatives. In this work, we prepared durum wheat pasta containing 5 and 10 % (w/w) of SGF and carried out inhibition assays against type-2 diabetes relevant carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes, namely porcine pancreatic α-amylase and α-glycosidases from jejunal brush border membranes. Nearly 70-80% of the SGF flavonoids were retained in the pasta after cooking in boiling water. Extracts from cooked pasta fortified with 5 or 10% SGF inhibited either α-amylase by 53% and 74% or α-glycosidases by 62 and 69%, respectively. The release of reducing sugars from starch was delayed in SGF-containing pasta compared to the full-wheat counterpart, as assessed by simulated oral-gastric-duodenal digestion. By effect of starch degradation, the SGF flavonoids were discharged in the water phase of the chyme, supporting a possible inhibitory activity against both duodenal α-amylase and small intestinal α-glycosidases in vivo. SGF is a promising functional ingredient obtained from an industrial by-product for producing cereal-based foods with reduced glycaemic index.

Effect of Freezing Wheat Dough Enriched with Calcium Salts with/without Inulin on Bread Quality.

Bread is a popular food that is widely consumed worldwide but has a short shelf life. Besides that, when incorporating prebiotics and calcium, aging mechanisms accelerate, further shortening the shelf-life. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of freezing storage on the rheological (loss tangent, tan δ) and thermal (glass transition temperature, Tg) properties of unfrozen dough, the fermentation times (tf), and the baking quality of wheat bread fortified with calcium and inulin. Formulations studied included wheat flour (control-C), flour with 1800 ppm Ca (calcium carbonate-CA, calcium citrate-CI or calcium lactate-LA), and flour with 2400 ppm Ca and 12% inulin (calcium carbonate-CA-In, calcium citrate-CI-In or calcium lactate-LA-In). Doughs were stored at −18 °C for 1, 7, 30 and 60 days. After storage, the rheological (oscillatory rheometry and texture profile analysis) and thermomechanical properties of the thawed doughs were measured. The quality parameters of breads determined consisted of specific volume (Vs), color, moisture, firmness, elasticity, and alveoli size characterization. Dough freezing neither changed viscoelasticity (tan δ) nor decreased hardness and adhesiveness up to the values observed for fresh wheat dough. The Tg of dough with calcium carbonate increased, while for samples with organic calcium salts, it (citrate and lactate) decreased. The tf of thawed dough significantly increased. The Vs of all breads did not change during the first 30 days but decreased after freezing the dough for 60 days (p < 0.05), probably due to the death of the yeasts. Crumb moisture decreased over time, and in all cases crumb C had the highest moisture content, suggesting a dehydration effect of the calcium salt. The firmness of CA, LA and C crumbs were similar and higher than that of CI (p < 0.05), suggesting a destabilizing effect of CI anion on gluten proteins. Inulin contributed to the depreciation of bread quality, mainly at 60 days of dough freezing storage. It can be concluded that during freezing storage, calcium improves the dynamic elasticity of the dough, although under extreme conditions it generates loaves of smaller volume. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 66.5% of total variance. Principal component 1 (PC1) was associated with dough properties, and accounted for 44.8% of the total variance. In turn, PC2 was mainly related to baking quality parameters (fermentation time, browning index, firmness and springiness of crumbs), and explained 21.7% of the total variance. Fortification with calcium citrate should be recommended for dough freezing, as breads with softer crumbs were obtained under such conditions.

Germination of White and Red Quinoa Seeds: Improvement of Nutritional and Functional Quality of Flours.

Quinoa is an Andean grain, classified as pseudocereal and the exploitation of its nutritional profile is of great interest for the cereal-based industry. The germination of quinoa seeds (white and red royal) was tested at 20 °C for different times (0, 18, 24 and 48 h) to select the best conditions for improving the nutritional quality of their flours. Changes in proximal composition, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, mineral content, unsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids profiles of germinated quinoa seeds were determined. In addition, changes in structure and thermal properties of the starch and proteins as consequence of germination process were analyzed. In white quinoa, germination produced an increase in the content of lipids and total dietary fiber, at 48 h, the levels of linoleic and α-linolenic acids and antioxidant activity increase, while in red quinoa, the component that was mostly increased was total dietary fiber and, at 24 h, increased the levels of oleic and α-linolenic acids, essential amino acids (Lys, His and Met) and phenolic compounds; in addition, a decrease in the amount of sodium was detected. On the basis of the best nutritional composition, 48 h and 24 h of germination were selected for white and red quinoa seeds, respectively. Two protein bands were mostly observed at 66 kDa and 58 kDa, being in higher proportion in the sprouts. Changes in macrocomponents conformation and thermal properties were observed after germination. Germination was more positive in nutritional improvement of white quinoa, while the macromolecules (proteins and starch) of red quinoa presented greater structural changes. Therefore, germination of both quinoa seeds (48 h-white quinoa and 24 h-red quinoa) improves the nutritional value of flours producing the structural changes of proteins and starch necessary for obtaining high quality breads.

High ß-Glucans Oats for Healthy Wheat Breads: Physicochemical Properties of Dough and Breads.

Bread is a highly consumed food whose nutritional value can be improved by adding an oat flour (Avena sativa L.-variety Bonaerense INTA Calen-Argentina) to a high-industrial quality wheat flour (Triticum aestivum L.). This cultivar of oat contains high amounts of ß-glucans, which act as a prebiotic fiber. Wheat flour was complemented with different amounts of oat flour (5, 15, and 25%). A contribution of hydrophilic components from oat flour was evident in the oat-wheat mixtures. At the same time, the high content of total dietary fiber led to changes in the rheological properties of the dough. Mixtures with a higher proportion of oats showed an increase in alveographic tenacity (stiffer dough), higher stability, and a lower softening degree in farinographic assays. The dough showed significant increases in hardness and gumminess, without significant changes in cohesiveness, i.e., no disruption to the gluten network was observed. Relaxation tests showed that the blends with a higher oat content yielded 10 times higher stress values compared to wheat dough. Analysis of the oat-wheat breads showed improvements in nutritional parameters, with slight decreases in the volume and crust color. The crumb showed significant increases in firmness and chewing strength as the amount of oats added increased. Nutritional parameters showed that lipids, dietary fiber, and ß-glucans were significantly increased by the addition of oats. Sensory analysis achieved high response rates with good-to-very good ratings on the hedonic scale set. Thus, the addition of oats did not generate rejection by the consumer and could be accepted by them. Breads with wheat and oats showed nutritional improvements with respect to wheat bread, since they have higher dietary fiber content, especially in ß-glucans, so they could be considered functional breads.

Technological and nutritional characterization of wheat breads added with eggplant flour: dependence on the level of flour and the size of fruit.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is the third solanaceous of horticultural importance in the world, after potato and tomato. In the agricultural production of this vegetable, there are post-harvest losses and waste generation. Reduction of these inconveniences can be avoided by obtaining ingredients with high nutritional value for food processing, as breadmaking. Changes in wheat dough and bread quality due to the incorporation of eggplant flour were studied. Different levels (5, 7.5, 10%) of replacement with flour from Large eggplant were analysed. The optimum level of eggplant flour (7.5%) was used for comparison technological performance of eggplant-wheat breads elaborated with flour from eggplants of different size: small size eggplant (Baby, BE) and large size eggplant (Large, LE). Dough was characterized through farinographic (water absorption, development time, stability, softening degree) and fermentation parameters (maximum volume of fermented dough, fermentation time). Technological quality (specific volume, hardness, elasticity, number of crumb alveolus, colour of crust and crumb) and sensory analysis of breads were evaluated. Proximal composition and antioxidant activity of flour and breads were studied. Water absorption, development time and softening degree increased, while bread volume, elasticity and the area occupied by alveoli decreased with the presence of eggplant flour. Breads also became darker. Breads with 7.5% of BE, presented a harder crumb with lower luminosity than those with LE. Both type of breads were well accepted by consumers; nevertheless, BE was the bread that contains higher amount of compounds with antioxidant activity and therefore it is recommended for formulation of functional breads.

Flour from mature Prosopis nigra pods as suitable substrate for the synthesis of prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides and stabilization of dehydrated Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.

Prosopis nigra, a sucrose-rich crop, was used to enzymatically synthesize fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). The obtained products were used as stabilizing matrices during freeze-drying and storage of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CIDCA 333. The centesimal composition of P. nigra flour was firstly determined. FOS were synthesized using Viscozyme L as biocatalyst. The progress of the enzymatic reaction was monitored by HPLC and compared with a reaction carried out using equivalent concentrations of pure sucrose as substrate (control). Then, P. nigra containing or not the obtained FOS (P. nigra + FOS or P. nigra) were used as matrices for freeze-drying and storage of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CIDCA 333. P. nigra flour was rich in simple sugars (sucrose and fructose), total dietary fiber, and polyphenols. The main products of synthesis were FOS with degrees of polymerization (DP) within 3 and 5, and these results were comparable with those of the controls. DP3 was the first product obtained, attaining the maximal production after 1.29 hours of synthesis. The maximal production of total FOS (DP3 + DP4 + DP5) was achieved after 2.57 hours, indicating that larger FOS (DP4, DP5) were produced from DP3. Glucose was obtained as secondary product, but with significantly lower Vmax and Kf (maximal velocity for the production and constant for the formation) than DP3. Both P. nigra + FOS or P. nigra matrices stabilized the highly sensitive L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CIDCA 333 strain during freeze-drying and storage for up to 140 days at 4 °C, and were significantly better protectants than the controls of sucrose (p <0.05). The concomitant presence of prebiotics (FOS), antioxidants (polypyhenols) and lactic acid bacteria in the matrices provides a smart strategy to increase the value of this underutilized regional crop, turning it in an interesting ingredient potentially useful in the food industry.

Comparative analysis of protein composition and digestibility of Ceratonia siliqua L. and Prosopis spp. seed germ flour.

By virtue of exclusive nutrient composition and nutritional properties, seed germ flours from both European carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) and South American algarrobo (Prosopis alba and Prosopis nigra) or vinal (Prosopis ruscifolia) have potential as a high nutritional value and health-promoting ingredient for food formulations. In order to define their compositional and functional properties, we investigated the germ protein content of carob compared to the P. alba, P. nigra and P. ruscifolia counterparts, applying proteomics and complementary methods. The mono- and two-dimensional electrophoretic profiles of Prosopis spp. were very similar among one another, while C. siliqua exhibited significant differences. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy highlighted a dominant ß-sheet structural conformation for C. siliqua, suggesting that carob germ flour might more suited than Prosopis germ flour for baking and food technological applications. In contrast, Prosopis spp. contained a more adequate nutritional value than C. siliqua, in terms of essential amino acid complement. Both carob and algarrobo germ flour samples were highly digestible, as demonstrated by in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion, releasing high amounts of free amino acids and only minor proportions of low molecular weight peptides.

Comparative analysis of C-glycosidic flavonoids from Prosopis spp. and Ceratonia siliqua seed germ flour.

Seed germ of South American algarrobo (Prosopis species) and European carob (Ceratonia siliqua) contains nutritionally interesting proteins, lipids and phenolics. Using reversed phase-HPLC-diode array detector and nanoflow-HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), we comparatively characterized and semi-quantified flavonoids from germ of three Argentinean algarrobo (Prosopis alba, Prosopis nigra and Prosopis ruscifolia) and one European carob species. The patterns of glycosylated flavonoids were very similar each other, confirming the taxonomic parentage of the species and supporting their functional similarity on a molecular basis, in view of the use of seed germ flour (SGF) for food applications. The predominant phenolic compounds were apigenin 6,8-C-di-glycoside isomers, namely isoschaftoside and schaftoside, accounting for 3.22-5.18 and 0.41-0.72 mg/g SGF, respectively. C. siliqua germ contained relatively high amounts of further glycosilated derivatives of (iso)schaftoside, which occurred at a lower abundance in Prosopis. Apigenin 6,8-C-di-glycosides have been described as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors, suggesting that food preparations obtained with Prosopis spp. and C. siliqua SGF might contribute to modulate the digestion of carbohydrates in humans. CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS: Isoschaftoside (PubChem CID: 13644661); Schaftoside (PubChem CID: 442658); Vicenin-2 (PubChem CID: 442664); Isovitexin (PubChem CID: 162350).

Hydrocolloid interaction with water, protein, and starch in wheat dough.

Interaction of hydrocolloids (xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, and high-methoxyl pectin) with macrocomponents of dough (water, starch, and protein) was evaluated by different techniques. (1)H spin-spin NMR relaxation assays were applied to study the mobility of the gluten-hydrocolloid-water matrix, and the amount of freezable water was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Starch gelatinization parameters (T, enthalpy) were also analyzed by DSC. The influence of additives on the protein matrix was studied by Fourier transform (FT) Raman assays; analysis of the extracted gliadins and glutenins was performed by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A significantly higher molecular mobility was found in matrices containing xanthan gum, whereas pectin led to the lowest molecular mobility. Freezable water showed a trend of increasing in the presence of hydrocolloids, particularly under conditions of water restriction. Starch gelatinization final temperature was decreased when hydrocolloids were added in the presence of enough water. In general, FT-Raman and SDS-PAGE indicated that hydrocolloid addition promoted a more disordered and labile network, particularly in the case of pectin addition. On the other hand, results obtained for dough with guar gum would indicate a good compatibility between this hydrocolloid and the gluten network.