Background: Legumes contain elevated levels of health functional components. The objective
of the present paper was to evaluate the nutritional properties and the post-prandial glycaemic
responses of pasta obtained using 35% Vicia Faba (VF) bean flour, which is an important source
of fiber and phytochemical compounds.
Results: Protein and fiber content were higher in VF pasta compared with durum wheat
semolina (DWS) pasta. The total phenol content in VF pasta was about two fold higher
compared to that of DWS pasta. A higher total flavonoid content, higher antioxidant activity
against peroxyl radicals evaluated by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay was
also observed in VF pasta. The comparison of post-prandial increase of glucose after VF intake
or DWS demonstrated significant differences and VF pasta exhibited a lower glycemic index
value, a lower glycemic load and higher glycemic profile compared with DWS pasta.
Conclusion: The results suggest that enrichment with 35% Vicia faba bean has potential health
benefits and that VF flour can be used as an ingredient to prepare added-value products
