No abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of quinoa fractions (QF) on the chemical components of wheat flour (WF), dough rheological properties, and baking performance of wheat bread. The microstructure and molecular conformations of QF fractions were dependent to the particle size. The protein, lipids, and ash contents of composite flours increased with the increase of QF addition level, while particle size (PS) decreased these parameters as follows: Medium ˃ Small ˃ Large, the values being higher compared with the control (WF). QF addition raised dough tenacity from 86.33 to 117.00 mm H2O, except for the small fraction, and decreased the extensibility from 94.00 to 26.00 mm, while PS determined an irregular trend. The highest QF addition levels and PS led to the highest dough viscoelastic moduli (55,420 Pa for QL_20, 65245 Pa for QM_20 and 48305 Pa for QS_20, respectively). Gradual increase of QF determined dough hardness increase and adhesiveness decrease. Bread firmness, springiness, and gumminess rises were proportional to the addition level. The volume, elasticity, and porosity of bread decreased with QF addition. Flour and bread crust and crumb color parameters were also influenced by QF addition with different PS.

Usnea genus (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes) is a potent phytomedicine, due to phenolic secondary metabolites, with various pharmacological effects. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and rheological properties of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg (U. barbata) extract in canola oil (UBO) compared to cold-pressed canola seed oil (CNO), as a green solvent used for lichen extraction, which has phytoconstituents. The antiradical activity (AA) of UBO and CNO was investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Their cytotoxicity was examined in vivo through a brine shrimp lethality (BSL) test after Artemia salina (A. salina) larvae exposure for 6 h to previously emulsified UBO and CNO. The rheological properties of both oil samples (flow behavior, thixotropy, and temperature-dependent viscosity variation) were comparatively analyzed. The obtained results showed that UBO (IC50 = 0.942 ± 0.004 mg/mL) had a higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than CNO (IC50 = 1.361 ± 0.008 mg/mL). Both UBO and CNO emulsions induced different and progressive morphological changes to A. salina larvae, incompatible with their survival; UBO cytotoxicity was higher than that of CNO. Finally, in the temperature range of 32–37 °C, the UBO and CNO viscosity and viscoelastic behavior indicated a clear weakening of the intermolecular bond when temperature increases, leading to a more liquid state, appropriate for possible pharmaceutical formulations. All quantified parameters were highly intercorrelated. Moreover, their significant correlation with trace/heavy minerals and phenolic compounds can be observed. All data obtained also suggest a possible synergism between lichen secondary metabolites, minerals, and canola oil phytoconstituents.

Germination is a convenient technique that could be used to enhance the nutritional profile of legumes. Furthermore, consumers’ increasing demand for diversification of bakery products represents an opportunity to use such germinated flours in wheat-based products. Thus, this study aimed to underline the effects of soybean germinated flour (SGF) and lentil germinated flour (LGF) on the rheological behavior of dough during different processing stages and to optimize the addition level. For this purpose, flour falling number, dough properties during mixing, extension, fermentation, and dynamic rheological characteristics were evaluated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of SGF and LGF addition levels in wheat flour, optimal and control samples microstructures being also investigated through epifluorescence light microscopy (EFLM). The results revealed that increased SGF and LGF addition levels led to curve configuration ratio, visco-elastic moduli, and maximum gelatinization temperature rises, while the falling number, water absorption, dough extensibility, and baking strength decreased. The interaction between SGF and LGF significantly influenced (p < 0.05) the falling number, dough consistency after 450 s, baking strength, curve configuration ratio, viscous modulus, and maximum gelatinization temperature. The optimal sample was found to contain 5.60% SGF and 3.62% LGF added in wheat flour, with a significantly lower falling number, water absorption, tolerance to kneading, dough consistency, extensibility, and initial gelatinization temperature being observed, while dough tenacity, the maximum height of gaseous production, total CO2 volume production, the volume of the gas retained in the dough at the end of the test, visco-elastic moduli and maximum gelatinization temperatures were higher compared to the control. These results underlined the effects of SGF and LGF on wheat dough rheological properties and could be helpful for novel bakery products development.

Capitalization of winery by-products has received high interest among scientists, producers and consumers concerned with healthy diet and environment protection. Grape peels are rich in fiber and polyphenols and can be used as ingredients in pasta matrix in order to increase the nutritional and functional value of such a staple food. The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of grape peel flour added in various amounts (1–6%) to common wheat pasta dough viscoelasticity and texture and on pasta chemical composition, color, cooking behavior and texture, revealing at the same time the relations between characteristics. Grape peel flour induced the increase of the elastic (G′) and viscous (G″) moduli, dough hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, pasta crude ash, crude fat, crude fiber, total polyphenols and resistant starch contents, pasta water absorption, cooking loss and breaking force as the addition level was higher and compared to the control. On the other hand, dough resilience, pasta luminosity, chewiness and firmness decreased as the amount of grape peel flour raised. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were obtained between the chemical composition and color parameters, while crude fiber, protein and fat were correlated with dough and pasta texture, total polyphenols with resistant starch content, cooking loss with crude fiber and dough textural parameters. The obtained results underlined the opportunity to use a valuable byproduct such as grape peels in novel pasta formulations, being helpful for processors to extend the product variety and to optimize the processes in order to better satisfy consumer’s demand for functional foods.