The quality of functional whole-meal durum wheat spaghetti as affected by inulin polymerization degree

Quality characteristics of cereal-based foods enriched with different degree of polymerization inulin: A review

Vegetables, cereals and fruit are foods rich in fibre with beneficial and nutritional effects as their consumption reduces the onset of degenerative diseases, especially cardiovascular ones. Among fibres, inulin, oligofructose or fructooligosaccharide (FOS) are the best-studied. Inulin is a generic term to cover all linear β(2-1) fructans, with a variable degree of polymerization. In this review a better understanding of the importance of the degree of polymerization of inulin as a dietary fibre, functions, health benefits, classifications, types and its applications in the food industry was considered in different fortified foods. Inulin has been used to increase the nutritional and healthy properties of the product as a sweetener and as a substitute for fats and carbohydrates, improving the nutritional value and decreasing the glycemic index, with the advantage of not compromising taste and consistency of the product. Bifidogenic and prebiotic effects of inulin have been well established, inulin-type fructans are fermented by the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids, with important local and systemic actions. Addition of inulin with different degrees of polymerization to daily foods for the production of fortified pasta and bread was reviewed, and the impact on sensorial, technological and organoleptic characteristics even of gluten-free bread was also reported.

Hemp Flour Particle Size Affects the Quality and Nutritional Profile of the Enriched Functional Pasta

The rheological and chemical quality of pasta samples, which were obtained using the durum wheat semolina fortified with the hemp seed solid residue, after oil extraction, sieved at 530 μm (Hemp 1) or 236 μm (Hemp 2) at different percentages of substitution (5%, 7.5%, and 10%, were evaluated. The total polyphenolic content in hemp flour was quantified in the range of 6.38-6.35 mg GAE/g, and free radical scavenging was included in the range from 3.94-3.75 mmol TEAC/100 g in Hemp 1 and Hemp 2, respectively. The phenolic profiles determined by UHPLC-ESI/QTOF-MS showed that cannabisin C, hydroxycinnamic and protocatechuic acids were the most abundant phenolic compounds in both hemp flours. Among the amino acids, isoleucine, glutamine, tyrosine, proline, and lysine were the most abundant in raw materials and pasta samples. Although the hemp seeds were previously subjected to oil extraction, hemp flours retain about 8% of oil, and the fatty acids present in the largest amount were linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid. Characterization of the minerals showed that the concentration of macro and trace elements increased according to fortification percentage. Sensory evaluation and cooking quality indicated that the best performance in terms of process production and consumer acceptance was obtained using Hemp 2 at 7.5%. Hemp supplementation could be a potential option for producing high-quality, nutritionally rich, low-cost pasta with good color and functionality.

Factors Affecting the Nutritional, Health, and Technological Quality of Durum Wheat for Pasta-Making: A Systematic Literature Review

Durum wheat is one of the most important food sources in the world, playing a key role in human nutrition, as well as in the economy of the different countries in which its production areas are concentrated. Its grain also represents a staple and highly versatile ingredient in the development of health foods. Nonetheless, the aspects determining durum wheat's health quality and their interactions are many, complex, and not entirely known. Therefore, the present systematic literature review aims at advancing the understanding of the relationships among nutritional, health, and technological properties of durum wheat grain, semolina, and pasta, by evaluating the factors that, either positively or negatively, can affect the quality of the products. Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched utilising sets of keywords following the PRISMA guidelines, and the relevant results of the definitive 154 eligible studies were presented and discussed. Thus, the review identified the most promising strategies to improve durum wheat quality and highlighted the importance of adopting multidisciplinary approaches for such purposes.

Inulin from Globe Artichoke Roots: A Promising Ingredient for the Production of Functional Fresh Pasta

Globe artichoke roots represent an alternative and sustainable source for inulin extraction and are well-noted for their technological and functional properties. Therefore, the aim of our study was to exploit inulin with high degree of polymerization as a replacement of durum wheat semolina for the production of functional fresh pasta. The effect of increased level of substitution (5, 10, 15%) on cooking, structural, sensory, and nutritional properties were evaluated and compared with a control sample consisting exclusively of durum wheat semolina. Inulin addition caused changes to internal structure as evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The enriched samples showed a lower swelling index, an increasing cooking time, and values of cooking loss (2.37–3.62%), mainly due to the leaching of inulin into the cooking water. Cooked and raw enriched pasta was significantly darker and firmer than the control, but the sensory attributes were not negatively affected, especially at 5 and 10% of substitution levels. The increase of dietary fiber content in enriched pasta (3.44–12.41 g/100 g) resulted in a significant reduction of glycaemic index (pGI) and starch hydrolysis (HI). After gastrointestinal digestion, inulin-enriched pasta increased prebiotic growth able to significantly reduce E. coli cell density.

Spaghetti Enriched with Inulin: Effect of Polymerization Degree on Quality Traits and α-Amylase Inhibition

Inulin is considered a dietary fiber and represents a noteworthy ingredient for food biofortification due to its health effects and its neutral taste. The aim of the work was the evaluation of the quality of pasta produced using whole-meal flours of two ancient Sicilian landraces (Senatore Cappelli-CAP and Timilia—TIM) fortified with two types of inulin (long-chain topinambur inulin IT and low-chain chicory inulin IC), at two different levels of substitution (2 and 4%) to evaluate its possible effect on α-amylase inhibition. The color indices L* and a* were mainly influenced by cultivars, while IT improved the sensory attributes, mainly the elasticity sensation, and influenced less the other sensory attributes: adhesiveness, color, odor, taste, and Over Quality Score for both landraces. The cooking quality was linked mainly to the landrace used, due to the very different gluten matrix of CAP and TIM. IC and IT showed promising α-Amy inhibitory activity with comparable IC₅₀ values of 0.45 ± 0.04 and 0.50 ± 0.06 mg/mL. The enrichment of spaghetti with inulin with an inhibitory effect on α-amylase determined the hypoglycemic properties of pasta, thus lowering the corresponding IC₅₀ value.

Optimization of barley flour and inulin addition for pasta formulation using mixture design approach

The aim of the present work was to optimize the formulation of a new functional pasta containing durum wheat semolina, whole barley flour, and inulin ingredients to enhance both the technological and textural properties of this product using the mixture design approach. Optimally formulated pasta with acceptable technological and textural properties as close as possible to those of control pasta was studied. The microstructure analysis of cooked and uncooked pasta was performed. Cox response trace plots revealed that the increasing amounts of whole barley flour and durum wheat semolina resulted in an increase in the cooking quality parameters and yellowness. However, pasta firmness was negatively influenced by inulin and whole barley flour addition. The ingredient composition of the optimally formulated pasta, which leads to the best technological and textural properties, was 94.8% durum wheat semolina, 3.7% whole barley flour, and 1.5% inulin. This optimal formulation had an optimal cooking time of 335.24 s, a swelling index of 2.15%, and a cooking loss of 10.44%. The firmness values and the color parameters were also satisfactory. The microstructure of the optimally formulated cooked pasta showed the presence of few not gelatinized starch granules incorporated into the protein matrix as compared to the control pasta. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Three ingredients, durum wheat semolina, whole barley flour, and inulin, were used for the production of new functional pasta using a mixture design approach. The obtained optimally formulated pasta, with good technological and textural properties, was rich in several dietary fibers. This allows the application of whole barley flour and inulin in the cereal industry and can be of interest to the human diet.

Fiordilatte Cheese Fortified with Inulin from Cichorium intybus or Cynara cardunculus

The influence of two different types of inulin added to fiordilatte cheese was assessed on product quality during the proper refrigerated storage period. To this aim, the fresh cheese was produced by a pilot plant, adding inulin, either from chicory (low degree of polymerization) or from cardoon (high degree of polymerization), during the stretching phase of the production process. Microbiological stability, sensory acceptability, texture and color changes of fortified dairy food during storage were measured and compared to the control cheese. Results suggest that inulin from different sources, even if characterized by a different degree of polymerization, can keep the texture and color of fiordilatte during storage. Microbiological analyses highlight that inulin seemed to promote a faster Pseudomonas spp. growth; however, the viable cell concentrations were found to be comparable in all the samples after one week. Enterobacteriaceae growth was faster when inulin from chicory was used. Sensory analysis shows that inulin addition to fiordilatte promoted the sensory quality preservation during storage; in fact, the fortified cheese overall quality was found to be always higher (p < 0.05) than that of the control sample, thus suggesting that inulin addition to fiordilatte represents a valid strategy for its fiber fortification.

Using Micropropagation to Develop Medicinal Plants into Crops

Medicinal plants are still the major source of therapies for several illnesses and only part of the herbal products originates from cultivated biomass. Wild harvests represent the major supply for therapies, and such practices threaten species diversity as well as the quality and safety of the final products. This work intends to show the relevance of developing medicinal plants into crops and the use of micropropagation as technique to mass produce high-demand biomass, thus solving the supply issues of therapeutic natural substances. Herein, the review includes examples of in vitro procedures and their role in the crop development of pharmaceuticals, phytomedicinals, and functional foods. Additionally, it describes the production of high-yielding genotypes, uniform clones from highly heterozygous plants, and the identification of elite phenotypes using bioassays as a selection tool. Finally, we explore the significance of micropropagation techniques for the following: a) pharmaceutical crops for production of small therapeutic molecules (STM), b) phytomedicinal crops for production of standardized therapeutic natural products, and c) the micropropagation of plants for the production of large therapeutic molecules (LTM) including fructooligosaccharides classified as prebiotic and functional food crops.

Lentil Fortified Spaghetti: Technological Properties and Nutritional Characterization

Lentil (Lens culinaris), consumed as a part of the diet worldwide, is a functional dietary ingredient that plays a function in human nutrition as a rich source of bioactive nutrients (low quantities of fat, sodium, and vitamin K; high content of potassium, essential amino acids, insoluble dietary fiber, and polyphenols). In this study spaghetti fortified with lentil flours (40% w/w) were developed and characterized. The addition of two different lentil flours significantly affected the sensory attributes and cooking properties of dry spaghetti. Therefore, the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose was adopted as technological option to improve the quality of fortified pasta; specifically, sensory acceptability, cooking loss, swelling index, and water absorption were studied. Chemical results highlighted that the addition of lentil to semolina significantly increased the content of lysine and threonine. It was observed an increase in essential and branched-chain amino acids. Contrary to what was expected, no increase in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed in fortified spaghetti, due to their loss during cooking, even after the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose.

Evaluation of polyphenol bioaccessibility and kinetic of starch digestion of spaghetti with persimmon (Dyospyros kaki) flours coproducts during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

The aim was to study the in vitro starch digestibility, the free and bound polyphenol profile and their bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of durum wheat semolina spaghetti added with two types of persimmon flour concentrates ("Rojo Brillante" flour and "Triumph" flour) at two concentrations (3 and 6%). Results obtained showed that persimmon flour improves the polyphenol profile of spaghetti by addition gallic acid and coumaric acid-o-hexoside, and increasing 2-fold and around 3-fold its content in spaghetti with 3% and 6% persimmon flours, respectively. Cooked process and digestion affected more to free polyphenol content than bound. Furthermore, 3% persimmon flour enriched spaghetti reduce kinetic of starch digestion, while 6% enriched spaghetti increased it. In conclusion, persimmon flours (Rojo Brillante and Triumph) at low concentrations could be used to develop spaghetti with more polyphenol content and less starch digestibility than traditional spaghetti.

Borassus aethiopum-Fortified Bread Reduces Metabolic Risk Factors among Cardiovascular Disease Outpatients at 37 Military Hospital, Accra: A Pilot Study

Background

Dyslipidemia and hypertension are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Objective

The study sought to evaluate the effects of Borassus aethiopum-fortified bread on metabolic risk factors among CVD outpatients.

Method

From August 2016 to April 2017, a pilot study using a single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted by administering Borassus-fortified bread (150 g) and indistinguishable placebo (150 g white flour bread) daily to 122 CVD outpatients at 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana, for 90 days. Body composition, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters were evaluated before and after the intervention.

Results

Following the intervention, the mean waist circumference (before: 98.3 ± 14.6 cm, after: 95.9 ± 15.8 cm, P = 0.030), BMI (before: 31.4 ± 6.9 kg/m², after: 28.0 ± 5.8 kg/m², P = 0.027), and visceral fat (before: 10.4 ± 3.2, after: 9.9 ± 3.0, P = 0.013), as well as systolic (from 161.2 ± 25.5 to 137.6 ± 22.9and diastolic (from 99.2 ± 13.6 to 85.1 ± 10.8) blood pressure, were significantly reduced among the experimental group. Likewise, serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL, and HDL were significantly reduced within the experimental group before (TC: 5.9 ± 1.1, LDL: 3.4 ± 1.1, and HDL: 2.2 ± 0.5) and after the intervention (TC: 4.9 ± 1.1, LDL: 2.8 ± 0.9, and HDL: 1.5 ± 0.4) (TC: P = 0.001, LDL: P = 0.016, and HDL: P < 0.001, in mmol/L). These reductions were not observed in the controls.

Conclusion

The Borassus-fortified bread significantly reduced blood pressure and improved lipid profile and other metabolic risk factors among the CVD outpatients studied. Therefore, its potential in the management of CVDs and other metabolic-related diseases should be looked at.

Improvement of Fatty Acid Profile in Durum Wheat Breads Supplemented with Portulaca oleracea L. Quality Traits of Purslane-Fortified Bread

The addition of functional ingredients to breads could have effects on preventing cardiovascular diseases, cancers and inflammation. The incorporation of 0–5–10–15% of three populations of dried purslane flour on the rheological, sensorial and nutritional quality of fortified durum wheat breads were evaluated. The increase in dried purslane (up to 15%) caused an increase in the resistance to the mixture and a consequent reduction in its extensibility. The “panel test” gave a largely positive evaluation in 10% of enrichment. The fatty acids in breads resulted higher with the 5% substitution. Contrary to what has been imagined, the increase in percentage of substitution to 10 and 15% did not lead to an increase in linoleic (omega-3) and α-linolenic (omega-6) acid and probably the cause is in the cooking. The total phenols content and the antioxidant potential, evaluated by ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays of the enriched breads increased with the percentage of the dry purslane substitution. The enrichment of the durum wheat flour with 5% purslane resulted in a good compromise to obtain good rheological characteristics of loaves and breads with decreased omega-6/omega-3 ratio and good antioxidant properties.

Germplasm evaluation to obtain inulin with high degree of polymerization in Mediterranean environment

Long-chain length (DP) inulin-type fructans show pronounced beneficial effects to colon microbiota. In the past, cardoon roots for inulin production to fortify spaghetti gave very good results, but their harvest requires high costs. The aim of the work was to evaluate different types of inulin, extracted from cardoon roots and buds, topinambur tubers and chicory roots local populations in order to identify crops more suitable for high DP inulin production in Mediterranean environment. The inulin amount resulted in 115 (chicory), 390 (cardoon) and 550 g kg-1 of d.m. (topinambur). Both in cardoon roots and in topinambur tubers the DP was very high. With the aim to produce a functional food, substituting inulin in staple food tubers of topinambur could be a good alternative to cardoon roots, due to the biological cycle of the plant (annual vs poliennal), the lowest costs of harvest and the good amounts of high DP inulin.

Improvement in freeze-thaw stability of rice starch gel by inulin and its mechanism

Three types of inulin with different degree of polymerization (average DP < 10, DP ≥ 10, and DP > 23) were used to improve the freeze-thaw stability of rice starch gel. The gels with or without addition of inulin were subjected to seven freeze-thaw cycles (FTC). Inulin enhanced the water holding capacity and reduced the amount of freezable water of the gels, thereby decreasing the syneresis of the gels during seven FTC. In addition, the amylose and amylopectin retrogradation of the gels were retarded. By adding inulin, the microstructure of gel network was stabilized, and the deterioration in viscoelastic properties of the gels during seven FTC was reversed. Therefore, inulin was an effective additive for preserving the quality of freeze-thawed rice starch gels. Furthermore, low DP inulin had higher water holding capacity than high DP one, as a result the inulin with lower DP was more effective.