No abstract

Rice/yellow pea flour blend (2/1 ratio) was used to produce gluten-free precooked pasta using a single-screw modified extrusion-cooker TS-45. The effect of moisture content (28%, 30%, and 32%) and screw speed (60, 80, and 100 rpm) on some quality parameters was assessed. The phenolic acids profile and selected pasta properties were tested, like pasting properties, water absorption capacity, cooking loss, texture characteristics, microstructure, and sensory overall acceptability. Results indicated that dough moisture content influenced all tested quality parameters of precooked pasta except firmness. Screw speed showed an effect only on some quality parameters. The extrusion-cooking process at 30% of dough moisture with 80 rpm is appropriate to obtain rice-yellow pea precooked pasta with high content of phenolics and adequate quality. These pasta products exhibited firm texture, low stickiness, and regular and compact interne structure confirmed by high score in sensory overall acceptability.

No abstract

Biological activity and composition of teas and tinctures prepared from Rosa rugosa Thunb. IntroductionRugosa rose (Rosa rugosa Thunb.) is an Asian indigenous plant with a long record of traditional medicinal use. Since its introduction to Europe, the hips and flowers of rugosa rose and its hybrids have been widely available and used for production of teas, wines, juices and jams [1,2]. Rose hips are rich in many vitamins, which have prompted their use in medicine, particularly for conditions accompanied by immune deficiency, e.g. common cold [3]. Despite the great commercial potential of the R. rugosa, only a few reports have been published about the phytochemical content and biological activity of this plant; in particular, the knowledge of its roots and leaves remains limited, which is surprising considering that rose roots have been utilized by Asian folk medicine to treat conditions such as diabetes mellitus, pain and chronic inflammatory diseases [4].Previous research has revealed the presence of many biologically active compounds in all parts of R. rugosa [1,[4][5][6][7]. Many of them act as potential natural antioxidants [8][9][10]. Although some R. rugosa extracts were reported to possess antioxidant properties [5,11], there are no detailed studies on their antiradical potential. Similarly, there are only a few data on antibacterial and antitumor properties of the plant. Petals have been shown to have selective antibacterial activity against intestinal and pathogenic bacteria [12]. In terms of antitumor activity, Lee et al. [13] demonstrated that methanolic extracts from rose stem acted as anti-prostate cancer agents. The antiproliferative activity of juice from R. rugosa fruit on several cancer cell lines was indicated as well [14]. However, there are no precise data about phenolic content in different parts of this plant. Research on the composition and activity of other rose species may suggest that in this respect rugosa rose is also of great importance and potential [3].

This is the first such detailed report on chemical composition and biological activity of R. rugosa petals.