Air classification as a useful technology to obtain phenolics-enriched buckwheat flour fractions

Spanish chickpea gene-bank seeds (Cicer arietinum L.) offer an enhanced nutritional quality and polyphenol profile compared with commercial cultivars

BACKGROUND

In the global socioeconomic context and the current climate change scenario, investigating the nutritional and bioactive characteristics of landraces can provide interesting profiles with technological applications and benefits for human health. The purpose of this work was to improve our knowledge regarding the nutritional and phenolic composition of several chickpea accessions preserved in a gene bank compared with widely consumed cultivars, as a first approach to establish their potential nutritional interest. CIELab colour, mineral content, protein, and amino acids were determined, as well as a comprehensive characterization of free and bound phenolic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

The chickpea accessions displayed a superior macro-mineral profile and higher levels of protein, arginine, and bound phenolic compounds than commercial cultivars did. The total phenolic content ranged from 307.55 to 940.46 μg g-1 dry weight and clearly categorized the crops into desi or kabuli types. The ratio of free to bound phenolic compounds ranged between 2.8 and 50.2 in the kabuli seeds and 0.4-1.3 in the desi type. The most remarkable finding was the quantification of a total of 42 phenolic compounds, nine of them reported for the first time in chickpea seeds (methyl and dimethyl citric acids, glabranin, 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid, myricetin 3-O-rutinoside, dihydromyricetin, phlorizin, kaempferol 7-(6″-p-succinylglucoside) and phloretin).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite variations in genetic backgrounds and specific agronomic conditions, this research unveils a sufficiently attractive nutritional and phenolic profile to justify further investigations aimed at exploring the future expansion and applications of these chickpea accessions. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of subcritical water flash release processing on buckwheat flour properties

BACKGROUND

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is rich in bioactive components. However, many of these components are trapped within cellular structures, making them inaccessible. Buckwheat flour was hydrothermally modified using subcritical water coupled with a flash pressure release (SCWF). The effects of the SCWF parameters (120, 140, and 160 °C and hold times of 0, 15, and 30 min) on the flour's structure, physicochemical, and functional properties were studied relative to the raw flour.

RESULTS

Treatment deepened the flour color with increasing processing temperatures and hold times. Starch content remained unchanged though its granular structure was disrupted. SCWF treatments lowered total phenolic content compared with the raw flour, except for 160 °C-30 min, where total phenolic content increased by 12.7%. The corresponding antioxidant activities were found consistent with phenolic content. Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber amounts were not substantially influenced at 120 and 140 °C, whereas treatments at 160 °C (15 and 30 min hold) decreased soluble dietary fiber while increasing insoluble dietary fiber. Protein content increased 70-109% in some treatments, suggesting greater protein accessibility. Water-holding capacity significantly increased for flour treated at 120 °C, whereas only slight improvements occurred at 140 and 160 °C.

CONCLUSIONS

Subcritical water flash processing can modify the compositional and functional properties of buckwheat flour depending on the choice of reaction conditions. Observed changes were consistent with alteration of the flour's cellular structure and allow some components to become more accessible. The resulting SCWF-modified buckwheat flours provide new food ingredients for potential use in ready-to-eat foods and spreads with improved health benefits. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Beneficiation of Magnetically Separated Iron-Containing Ore Waste

Rough processing of iron ore employs dry methods which means that equipment is tuned to process large particles, but fine magnetic material less than a few tenths of a millimeter in size is not separated as efficiently. The relevance of this study is determined by the fact that dry beneficiation waste contains recoverable iron-bearing magnetite of commercial value. Commercial justification of waste beneficiation is associated with mining and grinding costs that are already included in the prime cost of the commercial concentrate. The future of tailings retreatment prospects depends on technology and efficiency of the employed equipment, the development of which is the subject of this paper. At first stage, fine iron is recovered by air sizing, with pitched curtain air classifiers embedding simple design and high performance. Powder materials were magnetically separated by a manufactured drum-type separator in which, to increase the separation efficiency, the process was performed at increased drum rotation speeds using Nd-Fe-B magnets and a drum made of electrically non-conductive materials. The separator performance was determined for various rotation speeds of the drum. Research has proven that a multi-stage magnetic separation with a consequent increase in drum rpm is reasonable. A new cascade separator was manufactured and tested for this purpose. It is shown that iron-containing ore tailings beneficiation is optimal without any additional grinding.

Technological, sensory, nutritional and bioactive potential of pan breads produced with refined and whole grain buckwheat flours

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Breads made with 30% refined buckwheat flour or 30% whole grain buckwheat flour had minor interference in technological quality.

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Breads made with 30% or 45% whole grain buckwheat flour presented higher mineral contents.

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Breads made with refined buckwheat flour presented higher mineral bioaccessibility.

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After baking, rutin and quercetin levels increased, mainly in breads with 45% whole grain buckwheat flour.

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Breads made with 30% refined buckwheat flour or 30% whole grain buckwheat flour were well accepted by consumers.

The nutritional quality and bioactive potential of breads made with partial replacement of refined wheat flour (RWF) with 30% or 45% refined buckwheat flour (RBF) or whole buckwheat flour (WGBF) was assessed through mineral bioaccessibility, starch digestibility, dietary fiber content and bioactive potential by determining rutin and quercetin levels during processing. Moreover, technological quality and sensory acceptance were also evaluated. Breads made with 30% or 45% WGBF showed higher mineral and fiber contents compared to the control, while the formulations with RBF showed higher bioaccessibility. No changes were observed in the rutin levels of the dough before and after fermentation, but after baking, rutin and quercetin levels increased. The highest starch hydrolysis was found in the formulation containing 45% RBF. The formulations made with 30% RBF or 30% WGBF were well accepted by consumers. Our study shows interesting results, as few studies report the effect of processing on bioactive compounds.

Color, Starch Digestibility, and In Vitro Fermentation of Roasted Highland Barley Flour with Different Fractions

Highland barley (HB) is commonly milled into flour for direct consumption or further processed with other food formulations. Nevertheless, the association between milling and HB flour properties remains lacking. This work studied the effect of particle sizes (coarse, 250–500 μm; medium, 150–250 μm; fine, <150 μm) on physicochemical and nutritional properties of raw and sand-roasted HB flour. Gelatinization enthalpy decreased with increasing particle sizes of raw HB flour, while no endothermic transitions were observed in sand-roasted flour. Sand roasting destroyed starch granules and decreased short-range molecular order. Starch digestibility increased while total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production decreased with decreasing particle sizes in all samples. The relative crystallinity of sand-roasted HB flour decreased by 80–88% compared with raw samples. Sand roasting raised in vitro starch digestibility, while total SCFAs during in vitro fecal fermentation decreased. Sand-roasted HB flour with particle sizes <150 μm had the highest starch digestibility (94.0%) but the lowest production of total SCFAs (1.89–2.24 mM). Pearson’s correlation analysis confirmed the relationship between the nutritional qualities of HB flour and milling.

Bran-Enriched Milled Durum Wheat Fractions Obtained Using Innovative Micronization and Air-Classification Pilot Plants

Dietary guidelines recommend the consumption of unprocessed, or minimally processed, wheat foods because they are richer in health-promoting components (i.e., minerals, vitamins, lignans, phytoestrogens, and phenolic compounds) compared to traditionally refined products. The design and implementation of technological solutions applied to the milling process are becoming a key requirement to obtain less refined mill products characterized by healthier nutritional profiles. This study presents the development of an upgraded micronization plant and of a modified air-classification plant to produce several novel types of durum wheat milling fractions, each enriched in bran particles of different sizes (from 425 µm > Ø to Ø < 180 µm) and percentage ratios. A preliminary quality assessment of the milling fractions was carried out by measuring yield percentages and ash content, the latter being related to detect the presence of bran particles. A wide array of milling fractions with different original particle size compositions was provided through the study of the process. Results indicate the ability of the novel pilot plants to produce several types of less refined milling fractions of potential interest for manufacturing durum wheat end-products beneficial for human health.