Durum and Bread Wheat Flours. Preliminary Mineral Characterization and Its Potential Health Claims

Wheat is one of the most important cereals in terms of its role in the human diet. The distribution of the nutrients in wheat grains depends largely on their morphology, the bran fraction being the richest in minerals, thus developing important functions related to human health. The main purpose of this study was to point out the potential nutritional and health claims related to the mineral composition based on the current European legislation in order to valorize the interesting wheat varieties traditionally consumed in Spain. The mineral composition (microelements: Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn; and macrolements: Ca, Mg, Na, and K) were evaluated in different milling fractions (white flour, whole grain flour, and bran fraction) of 4 wheat varieties of durum (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum Linnaeus) and bread (Triticum aestivum Linnaeus) wheat. As expected, the mineral concentration was higher in the case of bran and whole grain flour, K and Mg being the principal minerals found. A difference between wheat genotype and harvesting year have been found. Moreover, regarding these preliminary results, some samples analysed in the present study met the conditions of use of different approved health claims that could support the possibility to consider wheat flours, especially whole grain flour and bran fraction as functional foods, but some did not.Depto. de Nutrición y Ciencia de los AlimentosFac. de FarmaciaTRUESpanish Ministry of Science and Technology (project reference AGL2012-38345)ALIMNOVA research group (UCM 252/2017)pu

Chemical composition, nutritional value, and biological evaluation of Tunisian okra pods (Abelmoschus esculentus L. moench)

The aim of this work was to perform an unprecedented in-depth study on the bioactive phytochemicals of Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench Tunisian landrace (Marsaouia). For this purpose, its nutritional, aroma volatile, and phenolic profiles were characterized, and sundry biological activities were assessed in vitro. The approximate composition revealed that total dietary fiber as the most abundant macronutrient, mainly insoluble dietary fiber, followed by total carbohydrates and proteins. In addition, okra pods were rich in K, Ca, Mg, organic acids, tocopherols, and chlorophylls. Gas Chromatography-Electron Impact Mass Spectrometry (GC-EIMS) analysis showed that oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and phenylpropanoids were the predominant essential volatile components in A. esculentus pods. A total of eight flavonols were detected by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a DAD detector and mass spectrometry by electrospray ionization (HPLC-DAD-MS/ESI); with quercetin-3-O-glucoside being the majority phenolic component, followed by quercetin-O-pentosyl-hexoside and quercetin-dihexoside. This pioneering study, evidences that Tunisian okra display promising antioxidant and cytotoxic actions, in addition to relevant inhibitory effects against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, and interesting analgesic activity

Potential health claims of durum and bread wheat flours as functional ingredients

Wheat is an important cereal with a key role in human nutrition. In this study, dietary fiber (DF) and arabinoxylans of di erent durum (Triticum turgidum ssp. Durum L.) and bread (Triticum aestivum L.) wheat flours were analyzed in order to point out their potential nutritional and health claims allege according to the current European regulation (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012). Moreover, other bioactive compounds (phenolics and tocopherols) were quantified as a first approach to their phytochemical composition in the analyzed wheat varieties. DF was analyzed following AOAC enzymatic-gravimetric methods; arabinoxylans and total phenols were quantified by colorimetric methods; tocopherols were determined by HPLC; antioxidant activity was evaluated using three di erent in vitro assays. Insoluble DF was the prevailing fraction in all analyzed samples. Water extractable arabinoxylans were higher in durum wheat flours. Whole flours contained higher total phenolics compounds. Alpha-tocopherol was the major isoform. Whole flours showed higher antioxidant properties. According to the obtained results, it is possible to allege all approved health claims referred to wheat, since all analyzed samples, especially whole flour and bran fraction, showed potential health benefits, as functional ingredients or functional foods, related with their phytochemical composition.This research was funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (project reference AGL2012-38345), the, ALIMNOVA research group (UCM 252/2017); the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Program PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), A. Fernandes grant (SFRH/BPD/114753/2016), and L. Barros contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Extrusion Cooking Effect on Carbohydrate Fraction in Novel Gluten-Free Flours Based on Chickpea and Rice

Extrusion cooking allows the development of value-added products from pulses, such as gluten-free snacks with added functional properties. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the changes induced by the extrusion process on the carbohydrate fraction (total carbohydrates, soluble sugars and oligosaccharides, dietary fiber, and arabinoxylans) of novel flour formulations based on chickpeas and rice enriched with different dietary fiber sources. Moreover, the influence of the addition of fiber-rich ingredients, such as Fibersol® and passion fruit, on the analyzed compounds was also evaluated. Sucrose was the main soluble sugar found in analyzed formulations, and raffinose was the prevalent oligosaccharide, followed by stachyose. The content of total α-galactosides tended to be higher after extrusion cooking. As a consequence of the extrusion treatment, the content of total and soluble dietary fiber was statistically increased in most of the analyzed samples. In general, no significant changes were observed in total arabinoxylan content as a consequence of the extrusion process, while the content of water-soluble arabinoxylans was significantly increased in extruded formulations. It was observed that the content of total available carbohydrates, stachyose, and water-soluble arabinoxylans were significantly influenced by the addition of passion fruit, Fibersol®, and both. The incorporation of these ingredients in gluten-free formulations based on chickpeas and rice allows one to obtain suitable functional formulations for the development of innovative, gluten-free, extruded snack-type products, which could be an interesting alternative for people with celiac disease

Tocopherols content of different wheat varieties: differences between refined and whole-wheat flour

Wheat is an important cereal worldwide that plays an outstanding role in human nutrition [1]. Whole grain consumption has been associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases and this health benefit may be due to different phytochemical compounds, including tocopherols [2]. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the tocopherols presentin four different varieties of wheat flours (Cajeme and Marius as soft wheat and Endural and Aldura as durum wheat),comparing whole grain flour and refined flour. Tocopherols were determined by using HPLC coupled to a fluorescence detector (FP-2020; Jasco, Easton, MD, USA). The quantification was based on the fluorescence signal response of each standard, using the internal standard (tocol) and by using calibration curves obtained from commercial standards of each compound [3]. In the present study α–, β– and γ–tocopherols were identified and quantified, while γ–tocopherol was not found in the analysed samples. The refined Cajeme flour was the only exception in which none of the vitamers were detected. In all samples, α–tocopherol was the major compound (0,53 mg/100g and 0,17 mg/100g, in Marius whole grain flour and Aldura refined flour, respectively).Total tocopherols content ranged from 0.81 mg/100g to 0.23 mg/100g in Marius whole grain flour and Aldura refined flour, respectively. Tocopherols content was significantly higher (p< 0.05) in all whole-wheat flour in comparison with refined wheat flours. Comparing durum wheat flour with soft wheat flour, the present study showed that the content of α–tocopherol is higher in soft wheat varieties. The Relative vitamin E activity (REA) of the analyzed samples ranged from 0,2 mg to 0,7 mg (Aldura refined flour and Marius whole grain flour, respectively), covering up to 5,5% of Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) according to the EU Regulation1169/2011 [4]This work was supported by project reference AGL2012-38345 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, and byFCT, Portugal and FEDER under Programme PT2020 (financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013, A. Fernandes grant (SFRH/BPD/114753/2016) and L. Barros contract).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Novel gluten-free formulations from lentil flours and nutritional yeast: Evaluation of extrusion effect on phytochemicals and non-nutritional factors

7 Pág.The food industry is increasingly innovating and applying new processing technologies and ingredients to develop novel food products that meet the consumers' demand. In this study, the effect of extrusion (at 140 °C and 160 °C) was evaluated in different lentil flours formulations enriched with nutritional yeast, in terms of α-galactosides (raffinose, stachyose, verbascose), inositol phosphates (IPs), trypsin inhibitors and lectins content. The content of α-galactosides and IPs was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) was evaluated using a small-scale quantitative assay. The lectin content was analyzed using a haemagglutination assay and a Competitive Indirect Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Extrusion promoted a significant increase, up to 85% in total α-galactosides content. After extrusion, IPs content was significantly decreased and TIA as well as lectins content had a reduction higher than 90%. Extrusion demonstrated to have a beneficial effect by increasing desirable prebiotic compounds and decreasing non-nutritional factors.The authors are grateful to ALIMNOVA research group (UCM 252/2017) and to the BIOSEGVEG research group (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology: INIA).Peer reviewe