Development of Ready-to-Cook Functional Food Formulations Based on Cereals and Pulses for Elevated Nutritional, Nutraceutical and Antioxidant Activities

Abstract

Despite their high nutritional and potential health benefits, cereals and pulses intake has not been increased in the last three decades. Several ready-to-eat (RTE) or ready-to-cook (RTC) formulations were implemented to overcome this and increase their consumption in bakery and snack products. In the present study, we selected five (5) different cereals and pulses, i.e., barley, finger millet, chickpeas, green gram, and horse gram, along with skimmed milk and unripe banana, and arrowroot powder, for the development of functional food formulations. The LC-HRMS/MS confirmed a total of 22 compounds with the MS/MS fragment ions for rutin, quercetin rhamnoside, quercetin-3-xyloside, chlorogenic acid, p-coumarylquinic acid, coumaric acid hexoside, epicatechin, ferulic acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid respectively. A dose-dependent antioxidant potential against TAA, FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS radicals. Hence, the RTC formulations could merit balanced nutritional and nutraceutical needs of the growing malnourished population as sustainable, functional foods.