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.

Breadstick fortification with red grape pomace: effect on nutritional, technological and sensory properties.

BACKGROUND: Grape pomace (GP), a wine-making by-product rich in dietary fiber (DF) and total phenolic compounds (TPC), is a potential functional ingredient in the fortification of baked goods. RESULTS: In the present study, fortified breadsticks samples were obtained by replacing wheat flour with 0, 5 and 10 g 100 g-1 of powdered GP (GPP). The GPP inclusion affected the rheological properties of the doughs by increasing the water absorption and tenacity (P) at the same time as reducing the extensibility (L), with a significant increase in the P/L value and a decrease in the swelling index (G) value and deformation energy (W). Textural characteristics of breadsticks were influenced by the GPP addition, showing a reduction in hardness and fracturability as the amount of GPP increased in the recipe. The GPP fortified breadsticks exhibited decreased pH, volume and specific volume values compared to the control. The TPC and the antioxidant capacity increased in GPP fortified breadsticks, whereas the increased amount of DF allowed the products to benefit from the claim 'high fiber content' at the highest level of GPP inclusion. The sensory evaluation revealed that GPP addition increased wine odor, acidity, bitterness, astringency and hardness, and decreased the regularity of alveolation and friability. Finally, the GPP fortified products achieved good sensorial acceptability. CONCLUSION: GPP improved the nutritional values of fortified breadsticks and changed the rheology of dough and breadsticks' technological properties without affecting sensory acceptability. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

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.

Technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of durum wheat fresh pasta fortified with Moringa oleifera L. leaf powder.

BACKGROUND: Pasta is a staple food that is consumed worldwide and is an excellent product for the addition of ingredients rich in bioactive compounds. The fortification of pasta with such compounds could represent a healthy choice for consumers. RESULTS: In this study, fresh pasta was formulated by replacing durum wheat semolina with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g 100 g-1 of dried Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP), rich in fibers, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. Increasing levels of MOLP influenced the technological and nutritional properties of wheat-based fresh pasta. Moringa oleifera reduced the optimum cooking time, the swelling index and firmness, while increasing the cooking loss and adhesiveness. From a nutritional viewpoint, the inclusion of MOLP enhanced the phenol content, the antioxidant activity, and the mineral content of fresh pasta. The products obtained had good sensorial acceptability and can make several nutritional claims due to MOLP richness minerals. CONCLUSIONS: The fortification of fresh pasta with MOLP could represent a valuable strategy to increase the nutritional value of the product, preserving pasta technological properties without affecting sensory acceptability. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of omnivorous and vegan diets with different protein and carbohydrate content on growth and metabolism of growing rats.

The purpose of this study was to observe, in a rat animal model, the short and medium term effects of vegan (VEG) or omnivorous (OMNI) diets with different energy partition between nutrients (zone or classic). Six different diets were administered, for 72 days to 120 growing male Sprague-Dawley rats: (i) VEG zone diet; (ii) VEG classic diet; (iii) OMNI zone diet; (iv) OMNI classic diet; (v) OMNI zone diet with added fibre and (vi) OMNI classic diet with added fibre. Zone diets (high protein and low carbohydrates), resulted in better growth , feed efficiency, lower blood glucose and insulin responses. VEG diets have lowered cholesterol blood level. Histopathological analysis evidenced no damage to liver and kidney tissue by the intake of any of the diet types. Further longer animal and human duration studies should be performed to exclude detrimental effect of higher protein diet.

Use of principal factor analysis to generate a corn silage fermentative quality index to rank well- or poorly preserved forages.

BACKGROUND: To investigate corn silage fermentative quality, a principal factor analysis was carried out on a database consisting of 196 corn silages sampled from the core, lateral and apical parts of silo feed-out face and characterised by 36 variables. Eleven principal factor components (PCs) were retained and interpreted. Two PCs were related to chemical and digestibility variables; four PCs were characterised by end-products associated with clostridia, heterolactic, homolactic or aerobic fermentations; two PCs were associated with mycotoxins produced by Penicillium roqueforti or by Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium spp., while three PCs explained ensiling procedures adopted to store corn silages. RESULTS: Lower (P < 0.05) yeast or mould counts and greater (P < 0.05) aerobic stability were measured in core than in peripheral samples. Excluding PCs related to ensiling procedures, other PCs were able to predict microbiological counts, aerobic stability or biogenic amine content as verified by multiple linear regression analysis. Based on these results, several corn silage quality index calculations were computed by using a summative equation approach in which different PCs as well as diverse relative weights multiplying each PCs were combined. To compute definitive index calculation, only PCs explaining clostridia, heterolactic and homolactic fermentations were used with relative weights of 30%, 50% and 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The new proposed fermentative quality index was highly correlated to parameters related to corn silage fermentative quality, such as microbiological counts, aerobic stability or biogenic amines and it properly discriminated well- and poorly preserved forages.

New assessment based on the use of principal factor analysis to investigate corn silage quality from nutritional traits, fermentation end products and mycotoxins.

BACKGROUND: A survey on 68 dairy farms was carried out to evaluate the ensiling procedures adopted to store corn silage. Samples from core, lateral and apical zones of the feed-out face of silos were analysed. A principal factor analysis (PFA) was carried out on the entire database (196 silage samples and 36 variables) and 11 principal factor components (PCs) were retained and interpreted. RESULTS: Ensiling procedures influenced the area exposed to risk of air penetration. Cores had higher dry matter, starch and lactic acid content or lower pH, fibre, propionate and butyrate concentrations than peripheral samples (P < 0.05). The highest (P < 0.05) mycophenolic acid and roquefortina C concentrations were detected in lateral samples. Chemical and digestibility variables loaded on two PCs; four PCs were characterized by end-products associated with clostridia, heterolactic, homolactic and aerobic fermentations; two PCs were associated with mycotoxins, whereas three PCs explained ensiling procedures. CONCLUSION: The main quality traits of corn silages differed throughout the entire silo face. Minimization of the area exposed to risk of air penetration represents the best strategy to preserve the nutritional value and safety of corn silages. PFA allowed a clusterization of original variables into 11 PCs, appearing able to discriminate well and poorly preserved corn silages.

Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Phenolic Bioaccessibility and Bioactive Properties of Insect-Containing Beef Burgers.

Mealworm, migratory locust, and house cricket have recently been recognized by the European Commission as novel foods, thus being suitable in different food applications. In this work, we tested their powders as meat extenders at 5% (w/w) inclusion in beef burgers, considering their ability to vehicle phenolic compounds during simulated in vitro static gastrointestinal digestion (INFOGEST). Insect powders were abundant in different phenolic classes, recording the highest values in locust (LP; 314.69 mg/kg), followed by cricket (CP; 113.3 mg/kg) and mealworm (MWP; 51.9 mg/kg). Following a pan-cooking process, LP burgers were confirmed as the best source of phenolics, with a marked abundance of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Interestingly, the insect powders were found to affect the in vitro gastrointestinal bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds when compared with the CTR burger, likely promoted by the interactions between the phenolic compounds and proteins characterizing the tested insect powders. Among the most discriminant phenolic metabolites at the gastrointestinal level, we found several phenolic acids (mainly hydroxycinnamics), recording the highest content for the digested CP-containing burgers. Finally, stilbenes showed significant correlation values at the intestinal level with both antioxidant and enzymatic activities, while total flavonoids were the most correlated with the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Taken together, our preliminary findings demonstrated that insect powders added to beef burgers can promote the bioaccessibility and potential bioavailability of phenolics in the distal tracts of the intestine.

The distinctive effect of different insect powders as meat extenders in beef burgers subjected to cooking and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

Mealworm (MWP), migratory locust (LP), and house cricket (CP) are novel foods recently authorized by the European Commission. This work tested their powders as meat extenders at 5% inclusion in beef burgers. Insect powders were abundant in phenolics, recording the highest values in LP (1184.9 µg/g). The sensory analysis highlighted a higher visual and olfactory acceptability for MWP-burgers, followed by CP- and LP-burgers, whereas the texture of cooked burgers remained unaffected. Following pan-cooking, MWP-burgers and control exhibited comparable chemical profiles, while a significant down-accumulation of the heterocyclic amine 2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline was observed in CP-burgers. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion highlighted metabolomic trends like control for MWP- and LP-burgers. In contrast, a reduced accumulation of lipids and increased content of dipeptides like glutaminylarginine (possibly acting as enzyme modulators) was observed for the CP-burgers.

The addition of polysaccharide gums to Aronia melanocarpa purees modulates the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and gut microbiota: A multiomics data fusion approach following in vitro digestion and fermentation.

This study aimed to determine how the addition of gellan, guar, locust bean, and xanthan gums affected the polyphenol profile of Aronia melanocarpa puree and the human gut microbiota after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and large intestine fermentation. The different gums distinctively affected the content and bioaccessibility of phenolics in Aronia puree, as outlined by untargeted metabolomics. The addition of locust bean gum increased the levels of low-molecular-weight phenolics and phenolic acids after digestion. Gellan and guar gums enhanced phenolic acids' bioaccessibility after fermentation. Interactions between digestion products and fecal bacteria altered the composition of the microbiota, with the greatest impact of xanthan. Locust bean gum promoted the accumulation of different taxa with health-promoting properties. Our findings shed light on the added-value properties of commercial gums as food additives, promoting a distinctive increase of polyphenol bioaccessibility and shifting the gut microbiota distribution, depending on their composition and structural features.

Exploring the bioaccessibility of polyphenols and glucosinolates from Brassicaceae microgreens by combining metabolomics profiling and computational chemometrics.

Microgreens constitute natural-based foods with health-promoting properties mediated by the accumulation of glucosinolates (GLs) and phenolic compounds (PCs), although their bioaccessibility may limit their nutritional potential. This work subjected eight Brassicaceae microgreens to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and large intestine fermentation before the metabolomics profiling of PCs and GLs. The application of multivariate statistics effectively discriminated among species and their interaction with in vitro digestion phases. The flavonoids associated with arugula and the aliphatic GLs related to red cabbage and cauliflower were identified as discriminant markers among microgreen species. The multi-omics integration along in vitro digestion and fermentation predicted bioaccessible markers, featuring potential candidates that may eventually be responsible for these functional foods' nutritional properties. This combined analytical and computational framework provided a promising platform to predict the nutritional metabolome-wide outcome of functional food consumption, as in the case of microgreens.

A Potentially Ecosustainable Hazelnut/Carob-Based Spread.

Commercial cocoa and hazelnut-based sweet spreads typically present a poor nutribiochemical level due to their ingredients and recipes, while nowadays, there is the need of developing sustainable food products addressing both an improved nutritional and environmental profile. The aim of this work was then to develop an innovative hazelnut/carob-based spread with potential high sustainability and nutritional profile, including the exploitation of grape-processing residues (grape skin flour and grapeseed oil) and carob pulp as cocoa surrogate. Rheological (rotational/oscillatory), oxidative, and thermal features of the spread were assessed and compared with two commercial nut-cocoa-based products. Tribology was used to mimic and evaluate the spreads' behavior during oral consumption, and sensory profile (by quantitative descriptive analysis) was also assessed. All products exhibited a pseudoplastic behavior, with the elastic component prevailing over the viscous one. The innovative product showed the highest lubricity from both rheological and sensory analysis, thus well correlating to the obtained lowest viscosity and friction factor trends. Grapeseed oil provided a better nutritional profile, but the largest amount of unsaturated fatty acids promoted oxidation, despite the higher total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity coming from the use of carob and grape skin powders. The sensory perception investigation revealed a characteristic mouthfeel/flavor for the new spread identified having a more fluid consistency and a bitter/sour taste, together with a greater stickiness and a poorer smoothness due to a higher fiber content and solid fat absence.

Effect of water-saving irrigation regime on whole-plant yield and nutritive value of maize hybrids.

BACKGROUND: The effect of a water-saving irrigation regime on yield, chemical composition, rumen in situ dry matter disappearance (DMD) and neutral detergent fiber disappearance (NDFD), along with 7 h in vitro starch degradability (7 h IVSD), in maize hybrids selected for whole-plant silage making was investigated. A plot experiment was conducted in a continental climate location and four commercial maize hybrids (FAO class 700) were used in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of irrigation treatments (fully irrigated (FI) and water-saving regime (WS)) and four replicates/treatment. The total amount of irrigation water was 494 mm in FI plots and 367 mm in WS plots, the latter achieved by skipping irrigations at vegetative growth stage, silking and blistering. RESULTS: Whole-plant yield, chemical composition, DMD, NDFD and 7 h IVSD slightly differed among hybrids and were not influenced by irrigation treatments. Plant dry matter content was lower in FI than WS plots (320 vs. 341 g kg⁻¹) , respectively; P < 0.05). Differences among hybrids were recorded for starch and acid detergent fiber contents (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The lack of differences on yield and nutritive value in tested maize hybrids grown under different water supply suggests the water-saving regime could be suitable for an optimal use of available water in maize management.

The Potential of Wine Lees as a Fat Substitute for Muffin Formulations.

The current study evaluates the prospect of wine lees (WL), a costless by-product from Amarone winemaking, as a fat replacer in muffin formulation. WL have elsewhere replaced sunflower oil, allowing the creation of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% fat-substituted muffins named ML0, ML25, ML50, ML75, and ML100, respectively. Batter rheology, in addition to the textural and colorimetric characteristics, the pore dimension, and the sensory aspect of the different formulations were evaluated. The batter consistency (K) of fat-replaced muffins was lower than that of the control, while the hardness and chewiness of the end products were higher. ML25 and ML50 samples reached the highest volume, while the baking loss decreased due to WL's fiber components. ML25, ML50, ML75, and ML100 accounted for caloric reductions of 9, 18, 22, and 26%, respectively, compared to full-fat muffins. Muffins with WL showed a darker crust and crumb as lightness (L*) decreased. Moreover, a* parameter increased with the increment of WL in the formulation, leading to a redder and less yellow-hued fat-replaced muffin. In conclusion, WL could effectively replace fat in the 25-50% range in muffins, achieving a final product with reduced calories, a higher dietary fiber content, higher volume, and promising sensory aspects.

Effect of different fibre addition on cookie dough and texture.

Different commercial fibres from bamboo (BAM), cocoa (COC), psyllium (PSY), chokeberry (ARO) and citrus (CIT) were characterized for technological (oil- and water-holding capacity, solubility and bulk density) and physical (moisture, colour and particle size) features and added to a cookie recipe. The doughs were prepared using sunflower oil and white wheat flour was substituted with 5% (w/w) of the selected fibre ingredient. The attributes of the resulting doughs (colour, pH, water activity and rheological tests) and cookies (colour, water activity, moisture content, texture analysis and spread ratio) were compared to control doughs and to cookies made with refined flour and whole flour formulation. The selected fibres consistently impacted dough rheology and, consequently on, the spread ratio and the texture of the cookies. While the viscoelastic behaviour of the control dough made with refined flour was maintained in all sample doughs, adding fibre decreased loss factor (tan δ), except for ARO-added dough. Substitution of wheat flour with fibre decreased the spread ratio except for the PSY addition. The lowest spread ratio values were observed for CIT-added cookie, which were similar to whole flour cookies. The addition of phenolic-rich fibres positively affected the in vitro antioxidant activity of the final products.

Characterization of Durum-Wheat Pasta Containing Resistant Starch from Debranched Waxy Rice Starch.

Durum wheat spaghetti samples prepared with increasing levels of resistant starch (RS) from debranched waxy rice starch (DWRS; i.e., 0, 5, 10, 15 g/100 g w/w) were analyzed for chemical composition, quality and sensory parameters and in vitro starch digestion. All the DWRS-containing spaghetti was "high in fibre", the dietary fiber content being > 6 g/100 g. In addition, spaghetti with the highest level of DWRS showed the highest RS content (p < 0.05), being 11.4 g/100 g dry matter. The starch hydrolysis index decreased (p < 0.05) as the level of DWRS increased, with a reduction of >20% comparing the 15-DWRS pasta to the control. DWRS had a negative impact on quality parameters, especially at higher DWRS levels. The use of DWRS shortened the optimal cooking time and impacted the samples' cooking loss, firmness, and stickiness. In addition, sensory analysis revealed differences among samples. However, irrespective of the level of DWRS in the recipe, the score for all attributes was > 5, which is considered the limit of acceptability. Substituting part of the semolina flour with DWRS increased the level of RS and the overall nutritional profile and affected the quality of semolina pasta, mainly at higher levels in the recipe.

Phenolic acids, lignans, and low-molecular-weight phenolics exhibit the highest in vitro cellular bioavailability in different digested and faecal-fermented phenolics-rich plant extracts.

Polyphenols are multifaceted bioactive compounds, but little is known about their real impact on human health after consumption. In this work, the phenolic profiling of quebracho, yellow maize, and violet rice extracts was comprehensively investigated, together with the impact of in vitro digestion and colonic fermentation on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of these phytochemicals. The different matrices showed distinct profiles, potentially influencing in vitro starch digestion under cooking conditions. Furthermore, after the extracts underwent in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and faecal fermentation, phenolics exhibited a differential bioaccessibility trend at every digestion level, with matrix-dependent behaviour. The bioavailability results suggest that polyphenols are metabolised during colonic fermentation, mainly into tyrosols, phenolic acids, and lignans, which are partially absorbed by Caco-2 cells. By combining metabolomics with in vitro cellular methods, this research provides new insights into the fate of these phytochemicals in the gut, yielding comprehensive data on their consumption in food matrices.

Different fractions from wheat flour provide distinctive phenolic profiles and different bioaccessibility of polyphenols following in vitro digestion.

Wheat is a prevalent food worldwide, although its production arises several tonnes of industrial by-products that merit valorisation, owing to sustainable demands. In this work, an untargeted metabolomics approach was applied to shed light on the profile of free and bound phenolic compounds in white and wholegrain flours, as well as the major wheat by-products, namely wheat bran, wheat shorts and wheat middlings. By-products and wholegrain flours were found to be rich sources of ferulic acid derivatives, lignans, and alkylresorcinols, mostly bound to wheat fibre components, whereas different flavonoids were found in their free forms. Afterwards, the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of these matrices showed that flour phenolics, in particular lignans, were more bioaccessible than those from wheat by-products. These results support the carrier effect attributed to dietary fibre and open a wide perspective on the use of underexploited wheat by-products to formulate novel functional foods.

The functional implications of high-amylose wholegrain wheat flours: An in vitro digestion and fermentation approach combined with metabolomics.

Wheat flour is one of the most prevalent foodstuffs for human consumption, and novel strategies are underway to enhance its nutritional properties. This work evaluated wholegrain flours from bread wheat lines with different amylose/amylopectin ratios through in vitro starch digestion and large intestine fermentation. High-amylose flours presented a higher resistant starch content and lower starch hydrolysis index. Moreover, UHPLC-HRMS metabolomics was carried out to determine the profile of the resulting in vitro fermentates. The multivariate analysis highlighted distinctive profiles between the flours derived from the different lines compared to the wild type. Peptides, glycerophospholipids, polyphenols, and terpenoids were identified as the main markers of the discrimination. The high-amylose flour fermentates showed the richest bioactive profile, containing stilbenes, carotenoids, and saponins. Present findings pave the way toward applying high-amylose flours to design novel functional foods.

Hierarchical Effects of Lactic Fermentation and Grain Germination on the Microbial and Metabolomic Profile of Rye Doughs.

A multi-omics approach was adopted to investigate the impact of lactic acid fermentation and seed germination on the composition and physicochemical properties of rye doughs. Doughs were prepared with either native or germinated rye flour and fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, combined or not with a sourdough starter including Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Weissella confusa and Weissella cibaria. LAB fermentation significantly increased total titrable acidity and dough rise regardless of the flour used. Targeted metagenomics revealed a strong impact of germination on the bacterial community profile of sprouted rye flour. Doughs made with germinated rye displayed higher levels of Latilactobacillus curvatus, while native rye doughs were associated with higher proportions of Lactoplantibacillus plantarum. The oligosaccharide profile of rye doughs indicated a lower carbohydrate content in native doughs as compared to the sprouted counterparts. Mixed fermentation promoted a consistent decrease in both monosaccharides and low-polymerization degree (PD)-oligosaccharides, but not in high-PD carbohydrates. Untargeted metabolomic analysis showed that native and germinated rye doughs differed in the relative abundance of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and phospholipids. Sourdough fermentation promoted the accumulation of terpenoids, phenolic compounds and proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids. Present findings offer an integrated perspective on rye dough as a multi-constituent system and on cereal-sourced bioactive compounds potentially affecting the functional properties of derived food products.