Healthy Ready-to-Eat Expanded Snack with High Nutritional and Antioxidant Value Produced from Whole Amarantin Transgenic Maize and Black Common Bean

Abstract

The snack foods market is currently demanding healthier products. A ready-to-eat expanded snack with high nutritional and antioxidant value was developed from a mixture (70:30) of whole amarantin transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) and black common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by optimizing the extrusion process. Extruder operation conditions were: feed moisture content (FMC, 15-25 %, wet basis), barrel temperature (BT, 120-170 °C), and screw speed (SS, 50-240). The desirability numeric method of the response surface methodology (RSM) was applied as the optimization technique over four response variables [expansion ratio (ER), bulk density (BD), hardness (H), antioxidant activity (AoxA)] to obtain maximum ER and AoxA, and minimum BD, and H values. The best combination of extrusion process variables for producing an optimized expanded snack (OES, healthy snack) were: FMC = 15 %/BT = 157 °C/SS = 238 rpm. The OES had ER = 2.86, BD = 0.119 g/cm (3) , H = 1.818 N, and AoxA = 13,681 μmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/100 g, dry weight. The extrusion conditions used to produce the OES increased the AoxA (ORAC: +18 %, ABTS:+20 %) respect to the unprocessed whole grains mixture. A 50 g portion of OES had higher protein content (7.23 vs 2.32 g), total dietary fiber (7.50 vs 1.97 g), total phenolic content (122 vs 47 mg GAE), and AoxA (6626 vs 763 μmol TE), and lower energy (169 vs 264 kcal) than an expanded commercial snack (ECS = Cheetos™). Because of its high content of quality protein, dietary fiber and phenolics, as well as high AoxA and low energy density, the OES could be used for health promotion and chronic disease prevention and as an alternative to the widely available commercial snacks with high caloric content and low nutritional/nutraceutical value.

Sensory, Physico-Chemical and Water Sorption Properties of Corn Extrudates Enriched with Spirulina

“…In contrast, a study conducted by Joshi et al [9] showed that corn extrudates made with an addition of 7.5% of spirulina were harder than those made of pure corn. Despite these inconsistencies, the hardness and breaking stress are perceptible to consumers and were generally negatively correlated with the expansion and cell structure of the product, independent of the feed moisture content [16, 17, 26]. …”

Changes in Nutritional Properties and Bioactive Compounds in Cereals During Extrusion Cooking

“…Using optimal conditions for extrusion, these authors found an increase in total phenolic content (74%) and antioxidant activity evaluated as ORAC (18%) and ABTS (20%) in the extruded snack with respect to the unprocessed whole-grain mixture. In general, the increase in phenolics during the extrusion process could be due to the destruction of cell walls, the consequent release of phenolic compounds, and the Maillard reaction products quantified as phenolic compounds [106]. In another study, a significant decrease of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity was observed in a bean/corn mixture during extrusion.…”

“…Other authors are using an optimized technique to obtain extruded products (cereals or mixture cereal/legume) with high nutritional quality and high antioxidant value. A ready-to-eat expanded snack with high nutritional and antioxidant value was developed from a mixture (70/30) of whole amaranthine, transgenic maize, and black beans by optimizing the extrusion process [106]. Using optimal conditions for extrusion, these authors found an increase in total phenolic content (74%) and antioxidant activity evaluated as ORAC (18%) and ABTS (20%) in the extruded snack with respect to the unprocessed whole-grain mixture.…”

Use of Legumes in Extrusion Cooking: A Review

“…The best processing conditions, able to ensure high expansion ratio, were 15% moisture and 238 rpm. A single-screw extruder was used [27]. The effect of the same parameters, feed moisture content and screw speed (in the ranges 14-18% and 400-550 rpm, respectively), was studied also during the production of rice-based extruded snacks containing 30% mung bean flour.…”