Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) Preparations in the Design of Novel Functional Pasta

This study investigated the design of novel pasta enriched with different forms of wild garlic (WG): a powder, an extract and an encapsulated extract applied at three enrichment levels (low/middle/high). The effect of cooking on changes in the content of bioactive compounds, antioxidative activity, cooking behaviour, texture, colour and sensory properties of the cooked pasta was evaluated. WG preparations significantly increased the antioxidant potential (by 185-600%) as well as the content of phenolics (by 26-146%), flavonoids (by 40-360%) and potassium (up to three-fold) in the cooked pasta, depending on WG type and enrichment level. Flavonoids were dominantly present in the free form. Cooking resulted in a significant loss of flavonoids (39-75%) whereas phenolics were liberated from the matrix. The highest increase in total phenolics and antioxidant activity was exerted by the WG powder and extract. Pasta hardness and adhesiveness were increased, but encapsulated WG deteriorated cooking behaviour. The best-scored enriched pasta regarding sensory quality and texture was that enriched with WG powder at the low/moderate level.

The chemical characterisation of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) seed oil

The past decade has seen increasing interest in plant oils in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries due to their diverse functional and nutritional properties, as well as the high levels of consumer acceptance. As a result, there has been a spike in research interest in finding new sources of oils with good potential for industrial use. In this paper, the chemical characterisation (saponification, iodine, acid and ester numbers, as well as fatty acid composition) of nettle seed oil was given. Oil was analysed for its thermooxidative stability by differential scanning calorimetry. The kinetic parameters of oxidation (Ea, A, and k) were also determined. The results showed that nettle seed oil belongs to the group of edible oils of the linoleic type and it is nutritionally highly valuable, it has pronounced thermooxidative stability and could be an alternative source of raw material for the food, cosmetics, and other non-food industries.

Utilization of Amaranthus spp. grains in food

Recently there has been a rediscovery of some ancient crops due to increased consumer demands for a healthier diet with medicinal and therapeutic effects. One such crop is a pseudocereal Amaranthus sp., which is nutritionally more favourable than many widespread kinds of cereal and meets most of the requirements of modern diets. The incorporation of amaranth species in food formulations would expand the assortment of food products present on the market. The high nutritional quality and potential functionality of amaranth-based food products have been the subject of extensive scientific research. This study aims at reviewing the currently available data on the application of amaranth grains in the food industry and manufacturing and focuses on the functionalities of these products, providing an overview of the current amaranth value chain.

Utilization of Amaranthus spp. grains in food

Recently there has been a rediscovery of some ancient crops due to increased consumer demands for a healthier diet with medicinal and therapeutic effects. One such crop is a pseudocereal Amaranthus sp., which is nutritionally more favourable than many widespread kinds of cereal and meets most of the requirements of modern diets. The incorporation of amaranth species in food formulations would expand the assortment of food products present on the market. The high nutritional quality and potential functionality of amaranth-based food products have been the subject of extensive scientific research. This study aims at reviewing the currently available data on the application of amaranth grains in the food industry and manufacturing and focuses on the functionalities of these products, providing an overview of the current amaranth value chain.

Effects of ascorbic acid and sugar on physical, textural and sensory properties of composite breads

The present study was carried out to demonstrate the combined effects of different maize flour, ascorbic acid and sugar on the physical, textural and sensory properties of composite breads. The composite flour was prepared using 70% of wheat flour and 30% of flour obtained from grain of differently colored maize - light blue, blue, red and yellow maize flour. Chemical characterization of composite flours made with four different types of maize was also assessed. Furthermore, the content of total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids and antioxidant capacity in composite flours was determined. A total of 12 breads were prepared, four of which were control composite breads, four breads with ascorbic acid, and four were breads with ascorbic acid and sugar. The content of total phenolic compounds showed clear differences among all composite flours. The anthocyanins content determined in composite flours was in the following descending order: blue>red>light blue, while in the yellow maize composite flour anthocyanins were not detected. The results showed that the addition of AsA (0.025%) and sugar (5%) negatively affected the volume as well as the specific volume of composite wheat-maize breads. The texture analysis showed that the addition of AsA in the amount of 0.025% had no impact on springiness, cohesiveness and resilience of bread crumb, while it increased crumb hardness. However, composite breads made with AsA and AsA/sugar showed a more compact structure, with a larger number of cells and smaller mean cell areas. AsA/sugar bread samples within the tested doses had the lowest springiness, which is indicative of brittleness and reflects the tendency of the bread to crumble when slicing. Results of the sensory evaluation revealed that the AsA and sugar addition had a generally positive effect on the investigated sensory attributes.

Breadmaking performance and textural changes during storage of composite breads made from spelt wheat and different forms of amaranth grain

The objectives of the present study were to assess the baking properties of composite spelt wheat-amaranth blends and to study the staling of composite breads during a six-day storage. Different forms of amaranth grains were added to spelt bread formulation: native amaranth flour and flour from popped amaranth, including their scalded and non-scalded variants. Native amaranth flour (both scalded and non-scalded) gave loaves with the highest volume and contributed to significantly softer crumb but not in comparison to the control bread. Crumb resilience did not show significant differences among the breads but there were differences in the crumb stress relaxation parameters which indicated certain influence on the crumb viscoelastic properties. During storage, all samples developed firmer and less elastic crumbs. Drying loss and staling degree significantly increased with increased storage time. The staling rate was the highest in the bread with non-scalded amaranth flours (native and flour from popped amaranth). The changes in the crumb textural and elastic properties caused by staling turned significant after six days of storage. In general, inclusion of different forms of amaranth flour did not alter the staling of breads and they exerted similar behaviour during storage.

Sugar beet molasses as an ingredient to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of gluten-free cookies

Sugar beet molasses is a raw material with high potential to be a functional ingredient in baked goods. This paper investigated the nutritional and functional properties of gluten-free cookies enriched with sugar beet molasses. At all enrichment levels and forms tested (liquid and dry), the addition of beet molasses improved the micronutrient pattern and antioxidative status of gluten-free cookies. The cookies prepared with molasses were significantly higher in potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, betaine, total phenolics and DPPH radical scavenging abilities. Molasses contributed to wider spectra of phenolic compounds. The dominating phenolic compounds in the molasses-enriched cookies were catechin, ferulic, syringic and vanillic acid. Molasses also contributed to the presence of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the cookies. Addition of molasses increased the content of hydroxymethyfurfural in the cookies, but not above values commonly reported for this product type. Molasses addition improved the overall acceptance of gluten-free cookies up to 30% enrichment level.

Quality of gingernut type biscuits as affected by varying fat content and partial replacement of honey with molasses

Gingernut type biscuits were prepared with varying fat content (10, 20, and 30 % w/w flour basis) and with sugar beet molasses replacing 0, 25, and 50 % w/w of the honey in the formulation. To evaluate the effects of these modifications, dough properties, and the physical, and sensory properties, and chemical composition of the biscuits were determined. Dough properties were significantly affected by the fat content; higher fat gave softer dough with reduced adhesiveness, cohesiveness and springiness. Biscuit height and diameter were also significantly affected only by the fat content. The tested biscuit variants showed no difference with respect to hardness and fracturability. During storage, hardness, fracturability and brittleness of the biscuits significantly increased but significant differences within the biscuits variants were observed after two months of storage in terms of fracturability which was least impaired in the biscuits with 30 % fat. Higher fat content also contributed to better flavour keeping during storage. Substitution of honey with molasses resulted in products with darker colour, less yellow and more red tone. Molasses also contributed to better nutritive value of biscuits by increasing significantly the content of proteins, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.