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Cocoa bean shells were subjected to green extraction technologies, based on the absence of toxic organic solvents, to recover polyphenols; the extract was then encapsulated using a spray dryer and maltodextrin as coating agent. The best conditions observed in the spray drying tests (core-to-coating ratio 1:5; inlet temperature 150 °C; flow rate 6 ml min−1) were applied to produce the microcapsules used to enrich the same cocoa mass as the shells and processed for the preparation of the chocolate bars. Sensory analysis showed no significant differences between enriched chocolate bar and the unenriched reference one, except for the appearance. Both samples were then subjected to accelerated storage tests, at the end of which the polyphenols in the control chocolate bar (0.85 g 100 g−1) were reduced by about 50% (0.42 g 100 g−1), while in the enriched chocolate (1.17 g 100 g−1) by only 22% (0.97 g 100 g−1). The proposed process significantly enriched the chocolate bars with phenolic antioxidants recovered from cocoa waste without increasing the sensations of bitterness and astringency.

Folate is a fundamental vitamin for human health in prevention of many diseases; however, unfortunately its deficiency is widespread, so a greater availability of folate rich foods is desirable. The aim of this study was to design new cereal products naturally enriched in folate using barley flour from pearling as ingredient. Folate content of unfortified and fortified commercial grain-based products was considered to identify the best ingredients for new formulation and for folate content comparisons. Nineteen Italian barley cultivars were evaluated for their folate content and Natura was chosen for its highest folate levels = 69.3 μg/100 g f.w. Application of pearling gave a by-product flour with a high folate level: 221.7 ± 7.0 μg/100 g; this flour was employed to design pasta and biscuits naturally enriched in folate: 87.1 μg/100 g and 70.1 ± 3.7 μg/100 g f.w., respectively. Folate content of new products is higher than commercial samples: 39.2 μg/100 g in refined pasta, 60.4 μg/100 g in wholemeal pasta, 62.1 μg/100 g in fortified biscuits and 10.4 μg/100 g in unfortified ones. Enriched pasta had higher folate retention (68.5%) after cooking compared to the fortified one (27.8%). This research shows promising results concerning the pearling technique to design new cereal products naturally enriched in folates.

To evaluate the potential of immature barley grain as a source of bioactive compounds and to elucidate the correlations between polysaccharides accumulation during barley kernel maturation, samples of barley grains (Hordeum vulgare L.) were collected at different stages after anthesis, including ripeness, and accumulation of fructan, β-glucan, total starch and proteins was studied. Fructan concentration in immature barley grain reaches a peak between 6 and 17 DAA with cultivar Scarlett accumulating the highest fructan content (9.5 g/100 g flour). β-Glucan and total starch showed a linear increase over ripening. Results obtained highlight physiological changes in polysaccharide accumulation during barley development and also supported the concept of immature barley kernel as an innovative functional ingredient contributing to fructan intake in the diet of the population.

Dysphagia that involves difficulty swallowing food and liquids is a symptom of different diseases. In some cases, patients who experience this symptom should be fed with modified consistency foods. Dysphagia is often accompanied by malnutrition and dehydration and an interesting approach to dealing with these conditions is to provide patients with nutrient-rich foods. In this study, two new food formulations for dysphagia patients are proposed: a cereal-based protein meal and a vegetable cream. The nutritional and rheological characteristics of the two innovative preparations were assessed and compared with those of commercial products. The proposed protein meal formulations meet the criteria for the “high protein” claim and the vegetable cream meets those of the “source of fiber” claim. The rheological investigation revealed that the flow properties of the innovative formulations were comparable to those of the commercial ones. Based on these preliminary outcomes, this investigation represents an interesting perspective potentially valuable to enlarge the offer of possibilities for people suffering from swallowing disorders.

Pasta has an important role in human nutrition for its high content of complex carbohydrates and its widespread use. It can be an efficient delivery system or carrier of non-traditional raw material, including additional health-promoting ingredients. The partial replacement of semolina with high-protein raw materials leads to the improvement of the biological value of pasta proteins. In order to obtain pasta with high nutritional protein value and with excellent cooking properties, various recipes have been formulated with different percentages of semolina and unconventional high-protein raw materials (peas and soy isolate proteins, egg white, whey proteins and Spirulina platensis). High-protein pasta was produced using a pasta making pilot plant and the nutritional quality (protein content and quality) and sensorial properties were assessed. All experimental pastas showed optimal performances. Pasta prepared with pea protein isolate, whey proteins and Spirulina platensis showed improved chemical score and digestible indispensable amino acid scores, an eye-catching color, and an excellent cooking quality.

Egg products are one of the main ingredients used in bakery industries, and they contain cholesterol. Cholesterol su ers several chemical changes during the food processes, allowing some potentially toxic compounds called cholesterol oxidized products (COPs). Thus, the aim of this work was to study the evolution of lipid oxidation from eggs to egg products, and to evaluate the influence of egg products on COPs formation in biscuits formulated with them. The results confirmed that spray-drying technology improves the cholesterol oxidation 2.6 times compared to pasteurized eggs. Biscuit samples showed a COPs content that is strictly related to the egg products used. Samples formulated with spray-dried eggs noticed lower amounts of COPs compared to those formulated with pasteurized eggs. It is important to stress that COPs composition was di erent between the two samples, underlining that the kinetic of COPs formation is dependent on the type of egg products., Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) RYC-2015-18795

In this study, water-in-extra virgin olive oil emulsions were enriched with vitamins. Water-in oil emulsions are heterogeneous systems able to solubilize both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds. Thus, hydrophilic vitamin C and lipophilic vitamin E were loaded separately or together in emulsion. A suitable emulsion composition was selected after considering different surfactant (mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, E471, sorbitan monooleate, Span 80, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, Tween 80) and water concentrations. The most appropriate emulsion, for the high stability, resulted the one containing concentrations of Span 80 1% w/w and water 1% w/w. The antioxidant effect of vitamins in emulsions was studied considering the variation of the peroxide values during storage. The oxidation reaction was slowed down in emulsions containing vitamin C, but it was quickened by the loading of vitamin E for its high concentration. In emulsions containing vitamin E, indeed, the peroxide values were higher than in emulsions prepared in the absence of vitamins or in oil. The antioxidant activity generated by the co-loading of vitamin C and E was very effective to the point that in presence of high amounts of vitamins the peroxide values did not change in about 40 days of storage, due to the vitamin E regeneration by vitamin C.

Starch (total, amylose and amylopectin), β-glucans (total, soluble and insoluble) and pasting properties of waxy and normal barley genotypes were assessed. Waxy genotypes showed higher β-glucans content, lower starch amount and higher viscosity than normal genotypes. The USA2 waxy genotype characterized by higher β-glucans content, has been subjected to dehulling, pearling, and pin-milling and then to air classification to obtain an enriched flour that showed higher dietary fiber (23.4% d.w.) and β-glucans content (15.3% d.w.) The obtained enriched flour could be used for the production of functional foods (pasta, bread, biscuits etc) that satisfy the requirements of FDA and EU Regulation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of free and bound phenols and alkylresorcinols in functional couscous enriched with barley coarse fraction obtained by air classification. Two different levels of enriched barley flour (20 and 30%) were used for the formulation of couscous and they were compared with a control couscous made with 100% of semolina. HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS was used to determine the phenolic composition in couscous samples. Total free phenolic compounds content in control couscous was 182 μg/100 g d.m. This amount increases significantly when coarse barley flour is added reaching value of 2273 μg/100 g d.m. and 2978 μg/100 g d.m. when 20 and 30% of barley coarse fraction was used, respectively. Moreover, the main free phenolic compounds in enriched barley samples are represented by flavan-3-ols. Bound phenols ranged from 5242 μg/100 g d.m. for control couscous to 27,092 μg/100 g d.m. for couscous with 30% of barley coarse fraction with a strong prevalence of phenolic acids. Finally, regarding alkylresorcinol compounds, they ranged from 1.01 mg/g d.m. for control couscous to 2.46 mg/g d.m. for couscous with 30% of barley coarse fraction. In conclusion, on the basis of obtained results, barley coarse fraction can be considered a good ingredient to develop functional couscous naturally enriched of phenolic compounds and alkylresorcinols.

Buckwheat is a rich source of phenolic compounds that have shown to possess beneficial effect to reduce some diseases due to their antioxidant power. Phenolic compounds are present in the free and in the bound form to the cell wall that are concentrated mainly in the outer layer (hull and bran). Hull is removed before the milling of buckwheat to obtain flours. In order to evaluate the phenolic composition in dehulled buckwheat milling fractions, it was carried out a determination of free and bound phenolic compounds in dehulled whole buckwheat flour, light flour, bran flour, and middling flour by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC&ndash, MS). The most abundant free phenolic compounds were rutin and epiafzelchin&ndash, epicatechin-O-dimethylgallate, whereas the most abundant bound phenolic compounds were catechin and epicatechin in all buckwheat flours. Besides, the highest content of free phenolic compounds was obtained in bran flour (1249.49 mg/kg d.w.), whereas the greatest bound phenolic content was in middling (704.47 mg/kg d.w.) and bran flours (689.81 mg/kg d.w.). Thus, middling and bran flours are naturally enriched flours in phenolic compounds that could be used to develop functional foods.

In this work, an effective and simple approach for vinegar production from olive oil press-mill wastewaters (OMW) is presented. Effects of sterilization and yeast presence on the acetic acid production were investigated. Sugar addition and inoculum of selected yeast starter have been crucial for a satisfactory acidification. In the obtained olive vinegar, the pH and total acidity were 2.92 and 5.6%, respectively. A considerable high level of ash (2%) and total phenols (3600mg/L as GAE) characterized olive vinegar, in comparison with samples of apple, wine and balsamic commercial vinegars. Moreover, a high presence of hydroxytyrosol (1019mg/L) was obtained. This abundant presence of antioxidants makes olive vinegar a promising nutraceutical and environmentally-friendly product, based upon a waste material such as OMW.

The technological quality of a high amylose bread wheat variety (amylose/amylopectin 1:0.7) was explored performing different milling protocols, with subsequent evaluation of the chemical composition and rheological properties of the milling fractions and recombined flours. High amylose wheat yielded a lower amount of flour (

Air classification is a valuable process to obtain flours enriched in phenolic compounds. In this study, dehulled buckwheat grain flour was micronized and air classified obtaining two couple of fractions with different yields (fine fraction 70% and coarse fraction 30%, and fine fraction of 80% and coarse fraction 20%). The total content of phenolic compounds (by HPLC-MS) in coarse fractions increased 1.7–2.1 times compared to fine fractions. In addition, coarse fractions have shown a total phenolic content of 1.4–1.7 times more than dehulled buckwheat flour. Moreover, the antioxidant activity was evaluated using two different assays: FRAP (The ferric reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical). Coarse fractions have shown FRAP values 1.2–1.3 times higher than fine fractions, whereas the DPPH showed a slight increase in coarse fractions in comparison with buckwheat flour and fine fractions. In addition, FRAP and DPPH have exhibited a significative positive correlation with the flavonoids, phenolic acid derivatives and total phenolic content. These results have shown that air classification is an effective technique in order to obtain coarse flour fractions enriched in phenolic compounds such as swertimacroside, (epi)-afzelchin-(epi)-catechin-O-dimethyl gallate, rutin and caffeic acid hexose, among others.

The effect of egg products and drying temperatures on dried egg pasta quality has been considered. Two diagrams of temperature and three egg products were used to develop dried egg pasta. Analyses of furosine and color indexes have been carried out on pasta samples to evaluate the impact of ingredients and drying temperatures on pasta quality. The results confirmed that high drying temperatures caused higher nutritional losses compared with low drying temperatures; in fact, these samples showed a furosine content from 3.3 to 4.7 times higher than the other ones. In addition, the cholesterol oxidation increased 1.6–2 times when high temperature was applied. The only exception has been noticed on pasta formulated with eggs from hens bred with organic method; in fact, the higher tocopherols amounts in these egg products compared with egg products from conventional breeding limited the cholesterol oxidation.

Fractionation processes based on physical separation are a good strategy to produce enriched cereal flours. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate the suitability of sieving of buckwheat flours to produce protein and phenolic (especially rutin) enriched fractions. Because of that, dehulled whole buckwheat flour (GSTQ) was sieved obtaining fractions with a particle size of 215 &micro, m, 160 &micro, m, 85 &micro, m, and 45 &micro, m (GS215, GS160, GS85, and GS45). For that purpose, the determination of protein, ash, and total starch content and free and bound phenolic compounds was carried out. The highest content of total phenolic compounds was obtained in GS215 (3118.84 mg Kg&minus, 1 d.w.), followed by GS160 (2499.11 mg Kg&minus, 1 d.w.), GS85 (989.46 mg Kg&minus, 1 d.w.), GSTQ (983.15 mg Kg&minus, 1 d.w.), and GS45 (481.31 mg Kg&minus, 1 d.w.). Therefore, the phenolic content decreased with the particle size decrease from 215 &micro, m to 45 &micro, m. Besides, there were no significant differences between the total phenolic content in GS85 and GSTQ. The fraction with 215 &micro, m reported the highest protein and mineral salt content and presented rutin amounts four times higher than GSTQ.

The potential of heterogeneous systems like oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions is exploited as an oral delivery system for curcumin, a natural lipophilic compound with numerous health benefits. Two types of O/W nanoemulsions, one stabilized by sodium caseinate (Cas-O/W), a surface-active and emulsifying protein, and the other stabilized by a blend of caseinate and Tween 20 (Mix-O/W), were loaded with the bioactive compound and tested through a simulated gastrointestinal digestion process to evaluate their effects on delivering of curcumin. It was first demonstrated that the amount of curcumin solubilized through Mix-O/W nanoemulsion was higher than that in Cas-O/W nanoemulsion. Cas-O/W nanoemulsions, indeed, at their best, solubilized about 55 µg/mL of curcumin while Mix-O/W nanoemulsions reached a curcumin concentration around 180 µg/mL. Furthermore, for both the systems an increase of curcumin loading capacity was recorded with the rise of incubation temperature. Finally, after the in vitro simulated digestion process, the potential curcumin bioavailability was evaluated and the data suggested that Mix-O/W nanoemulsions provided more than twice the amount of curcumin compared to Cas-O/W nanoemulsions. On balance, the outcomes of this investigation demonstrated that the mixed emulsifier system offered a higher amount of lipophilic compound with a low fat intake compared to nanoemulsions stabilized by sodium caseinate. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The outcomes of this study allow the recognition of the protein/surfactant-stabilized nanoemulsions as a suitable solution to deliver curcumin. The nanoemulsions proposed here provide a high intake of curcumin, a lipophilic compound, with low fat content. The use of such delivery systems helps to overcome limits in oral bioavailability related with the scarce solubility of some compounds in food preparations and beverages.

In this study, β-glucan in samples of sifted flour from six barley varieties was sequentially extracted with water and NaOH obtaining three fractions: water-extractable (WE), NaOH- extractable (NaE) and residual (Res). β-Glucan isolates were incubated with lichenase and oligomers released were analysed with high performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). A higher ratio of 3-O-β-cellobiosyl-D-glucose (DP3) to 3-O-β-cellotriosyl-D-glucose (DP4) is reported in WE, NaE and Res fractions in variety SLU 7 (shrunken endosperm) compared to the other varieties, suggesting a more packed β-glucan structure. Water-extractable and water-unextractable β-glucan fractions were incubated with wheat extract and effects of wheat β-glucanase on the structure was assessed after lichenase digestion and analysis with HPAEC-PAD. Findings suggest that wheat β-glucanase manifests a selective hydrolysis towards β-glucan with lower DP3/DP4 ratio and that β-glucan of SLU 7 is composed of a population with higher DP3/DP4 ratio and hence with a more tighten structure which may be more resistant to enzymic action. Overall, the results obtained are of interest to characterise barleys differing in starch and dietary fibre composition, specifically shrunken endosperm barley SLU 7 in the perspective of its inclusion in the production of β-glucan enriched foods.

In this study, two different acetification procedures to produce olive vinegar (OV) from oil mill wastewaters (OMW) were assayed. Specifically, (i) alcoholic-acetous double fermentation with addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae starter was compared with (ii) spontaneous acetification, without addition of any starter. Within few days from their production, the OMWs were diluted with distilled water (40:60, v/v) and supplemented with sucrose (100 g L−1) and yeast nutrients (0.5 g L−1). Both the procedures gave a satisfactory acidification, leaving a final acetic acid concentration of around 4% on average. Significant amount of residual sugars, especially fructose, was found in the OV by spontaneous acetification. Therefore, in relation to the consumed sugars, spontaneous acetification has been more performing in terms of acetic acid formation; in addition, the acetogenesis appeared to occur bypassing the alcoholic fermentation. Finally, both spontaneous and starter-driven OVs were permanently clear, with a vinous red color and without any abnormal smell.

The consumption of two vital resources (e.g., water and energy) during home pasta cooking has so far received limited attention. The main focus of this work was to assess how the instrumental and sensory quality of cooked pasta is affected by the water-to-dried pasta ratio (WPR) using a model cooking system with three commercial brands of spaghetti. At WPR equal to 10 or 3 L/kg, the three sensory attributes of firmness, stickiness, and bulkiness, as well as the overall cooking quality, displayed no statistically significant sensitivity towards WPR. Cooked pasta water uptake, diameter, hardness at 90% deformation, and resilience were more influenced by the raw protein content of dried pasta than by WPR, while the cooking loss was regarded as approximately constant. Using the model cooking system that assured mild mixing of spaghetti to avoid their sticking during cooking, it would be possible to use 70% less cooking water and consume about 65% less electricity, the latter cutting significantly the climate change potential of home pasta cooking.

Several companies have focused their attention on the development of technologies able to enrich/isolate the wheat aleuronic layer because it is a source of bioactive compounds. In this work two different wheat bran fractions enriched in aleurone (AF1, 55–70% aleurone and AF2, 75–90% aleurone) were obtained by a dry fractionation based on air classification. Free and bound phenolic compounds, and alkylresorcinols were determined in the two fractions by HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF-MS and GC–MS, respectively. To our knowledge, feruloyl di-hexoside was described for the first time in wheat aleurone and flavonoids were quantified for the first time in this fraction. The results have shown that the most concentrated free phenolic compounds were flavonoids, and AF1 was the fraction that presented the highest flavonoid content; whereas trans ferulic acid was the most abundant bound phenolic acid, which highest content was obtained in AF2. Besides, total content of ferulic acid monomers in AF2 was 33.63% higher than in AF1, whereas total content of ferulic acid dimers/trimers in AF1 was 33.9% higher than in AF2. The highest content of alkylresorcinols was obtained in AF1 and it was 10.30% higher than the obtained in AF2. Therefore, it can be stated that this green technology could be used to produce enriched aleurone fractions as source of phenolic and alkylresorcinol compounds. These fractions could be of great interest for the formulation of enriched foods.

The formulations and the operative conditions of the processes involved in the production of buckwheat gluten free pasta were investigated. Buckwheat flour alone and/or in combination with maize and rice flours was used to make balanced formulations that, coupled with emulsifier and stabilizers (monoglycerides of fatty acids, propylene glycol alginate and/or flour of carob and guar), appropriate technologies (gelatinization of flour), and conventional pasta making process, allowed to achieve excellent nutritional and cooking quality properties. The presence of buckwheat flour in the formulation (49.2–99.4%) resulted in an experimental pasta with a high protein and dietary fiber content (values ranging from 8.9 to 11.2% d.w., and 8.9–14.4% d.w, respectively), hence making the innovative products suitable for celiac patients. The combined use of 0.1% propylene glycol alginate, 0.5% monoglycerides of fatty acids, and the gelatinization of mixed flour (buckwheat, maize, rice) allowed to obtain pasta with the highest cooking quality and texture.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is an important mycotoxin produced by several species of Fusarium. It occurs often in wheat grain and is frequently associated with significant levels of its modified form DON-3-glucoside (DON-3-Glc). Ozone (O3) is a powerful disinfectant and oxidant, classified as GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe), that reacts easily with specific compounds including the mycotoxins aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, trichothecenes and zearalenone. It degrades DON in aqueous solution and can be effective for decontamination of grain. This study reports the efficacy of gaseous ozone treatments in reducing DON, DON-3-Glc, bacteria, fungi and yeasts in naturally contaminated durum wheat. A prototype was used to dispense ozone continuously and homogeneously at different concentrations and exposure time, in 2kg aliquots of durum wheat. The optimal conditions, which do not affect chemical and rheological parameters of durum wheat, semolina and pasta, were identified (55g O3h-1 for 6h). The measured mean reductions of DON and DON-3-Glc in ozonated wheat were 29% and 44%, respectively. Ozonation also produced a significant (p

“Plant Resources in the Palaeolithic” is a research project focused on the technologies for plant food processing as documented by use-wear traces and plant residue on grinding tools found in European sites. Many researchers have been involved in the project, which encompasses the fields of archaeology, botany and food processing technologies, within the context of the history of European Prehistoric societies. The first study was carried out on use-wear traces and plant remains recovered from grinding tools from the sites of Bilancino (Italy), Kostienki 16 (Russia) and Pavlov VI (Czech Republic), dating to the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic (Gravettian and Gorotsovian) around 28,000–30,000 cal BP. The results demonstrated that vegetable food processing and the production of flour was a common practice across Europe from at least 30,000 years ago and that flour, a high-energy food, was a component of the food economy of mobile hunter gatherers. Flour production and consumption imply multi-step processing from harvesting to cooking to obtain a suitable and digestible food, and that this was part of an Upper Paleolithic behavioural package. This paper presents new data from two Gravettian pestles, found at Grotta Paglicci – level 23a (Southern Italy) and at Dolni Vestonice I (Czech Republic), which furnish further information about plant exploitation and the technologies related to plant food processing.

Phenolic acids, total phenolics content and DPPH radical scavenging capacity in raw ingredients, fresh and dried spaghetti, and in uncooked and cooked spaghetti were evaluated and compared with semolina spaghetti as a reference. Ferulic acid was the major phenolic acid found in the free and bound phenolic extracts in all the investigated pasta samples. The addition of barley flour into pasta at incorporation levels of 30, 50 and 100% increased phenolic acids and total phenolics content. Pasta processing did not significantly affect the total phenolics content and free radical scavenging capacity, but a significant reduction in total phenolic acids measured by HPLC was found. Drying process differently affected individual phenolic compounds in the free and bound fractions, and thus, the total phenolic acids content. Free vanillic, caffeic and p-coumaric acids did not significantly change, while p-hydroxybenzoic and ferulic acids of the free extracts showed higher values compared to the corresponding fresh pasta. Cooking did not greatly affect total phenolic acids, more leading to conserving free and bound phenolic compounds.

Il deossinivalenolo (DON), prodotto da diverse specie di Fusarium, si ritrova frequentemente come contaminante naturale nel frumento e in altri cereali. Spesso lo si ritrova associato a livelli significativi della sua forma modificata DON-3-glucoside (DON-3-Glc). L'ozono (O3) è un potente disinfettante e ossidante classificato come GRAS (Generalmente riconosciuto come sicuro). Esso reagisce facilmente con molti composti specifici compreso le micotossine, degradandole in soluzione acquosa, per cui ha il potenziale per essere efficace anche per la decontaminazione dei grani. In questo studio sono riportati i risultati sull'efficacia di trattamenti con ozono gassoso per la riduzione di DON, DON-3-Glc, batteri, funghi e lieviti in frumento duro contaminato naturalmente. Per le prove di ozonazione è stato usato un prototipo costituito da un cilindro rotante, contente il campione di cariossidi da trattare, in cui veniva insufflato ozono gassoso a diverse concentrazioni e tempi di esposizione. Sono state identificate le condizioni ottimali (55 gO3 h-1 per 6 h) che erano efficaci nel diminuire i livelli di contaminazione del frumento duro senza alterare i parametri chimici e reologici del frumento trattato, della semola e pasta da esso ottenuti. Le riduzioni medie di DON e DON-3-Glc nel grano ozonato erano rispettivamente del 29 e del 44%. L'ozonazione ha inoltre prodotto una riduzione significativa (p

Barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) is a cereal crop that has been cultivated since ancient times. However, its interest as nutritional food and as food ingredient is relatively new. Thus, in this study, the phenolic compounds of eighteen different varieties of barley (4 waxy and 14 non-waxy) grown under the same agronomic conditions in the same experimental field have been determined by HPLC–DAD-MS. Two new methodologies were developed using new generation superficially porous HPLC columns with different stationary phases: C18 and pentafluorophenyl (PFP). Twelve free phenolic compounds and eight bound phenolic compounds could be identified in barley samples in less than 22 min. The study of different method parameters showed that C18 column was more suitable for the analysis of phenolic compounds of barley. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was conducted in order to assess the different ability of the two different core shell HPLC columns in the discrimination between “waxy” and “non-waxy” varieties, and only HCA of C18 column could separate waxy and non-waxy genotypes. Significant differences in the content of phenolic compounds between waxy and non-waxy samples were found, being waxy barley samples the ones which presented higher content of free and bound phenolic compounds. Once the best discriminant HPLC column was established, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied and it was able to discriminate between “waxy” and “non-waxy” varieties; however it discriminated the barley samples based only in free phenolic compounds. Because of that, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were carried out. PLS-DA and ANN permitted the classification of waxy and non-waxy genotypes from both free and bound phenolic compounds.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a cereal crop that has been cultivated since ancient times. However, itsinterest as nutritional food and as food ingredient is relatively new. Thus, in this study, the phenoliccompounds of eighteen different varieties of barley (4 waxy and 14 non-waxy) grown under the sameagronomic conditions in the same experimental field have been determined by HPLC–DAD-MS. Two newmethodologies were developed using new generation superficially porous HPLC columns with differentstationary phases: C18 and pentafluorophenyl (PFP). Twelve free phenolic compounds and eight boundphenolic compounds could be identified in barley samples in less than 22 min. The study of differentmethod parameters showed that C18 column was more suitable for the analysis of phenolic compoundsof barley. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was conducted in order to assess the different ability of thetwo different core shell HPLC columns in the discrimination between “waxy” and “non-waxy” varieties,and only HCA of C18 column could separate waxy and non-waxy genotypes.Significant differences in the content of phenolic compounds between waxy and non-waxy sampleswere found, being waxy barley samples the ones which presented higher content of free and boundphenolic compounds. Once the best discriminant HPLC column was established, principal componentanalysis (PCA) was applied and it was able to discriminate between “waxy” and “non-waxy” varieties;however it discriminated the barley samples based only in free phenolic compounds. Because of that,partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were carriedout. PLS-DA and ANN permitted the classification of waxy and non-waxy genotypes from both free andbound phenolic compounds.

This study was aimed at investigating the influence of wheat bran arabinoxylans on the dough development and on the qualitative characteristics of the final bread. Furthermore, the impact of microbial fermentation and enzymatic treatment (xylanase, amylase, cellulase) on the solubility of wheat bran arabinoxylans was studied. For this purpose different wheat breads were produced: Control Bread (CB): soft wheat flour 100%; Bran Bread (BB): soft wheat flour 80%, wheat bran 20%; Bran Sourdough Bread (BSB): soft wheat flour 80%, pre-fermented bran 20%; Bran Enzyme Bread (BEB): soft wheat flour 80%, wheat bran 20%, enzyme mixture (0.02%); Bran Enzyme Sourdough Bread (BESB): soft wheat flour 80%, pre-fermented bran 20%, enzyme mixture (0.02%). Flours and doughs were characterized for their rheological properties by alveographic, farinographic and rheofermentometer tests and for dietary fiber and total and soluble arabinoxylan content. Final breads were characterised for dietary fiber, arabinoxylans, moisture content, bread volume, and for miscroscopic evaluation of the bread crumb by scanning electron microscopy. Results highlighted that the use of pre-fermented bran (starter culture fermentation in combination with enzyme treatment) influenced the arabinoxylans solubility, having positive effects on the bread making quality, the water balance and the overall characteristics of the final breads.

Rice bran is one of the most important rice by-products and represents about 10% of rice production. This rice fraction contains large amounts of bioactive compounds; because of that, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of parboiling on the concentration of lipophilic bioactive compounds (fatty acids, tocols, γ-oryzanol and, free + esterified and bound sterols and triterpenic alcohols) and free and cell wall-bound phenolic compounds. Parboiling treatment caused changes in fatty acid composition and increased the total tocols and γ-oryzanol content. GC-qTOF-MS analysis of phytosterol and triterpenic alcohols allowed the determination of 14 compounds that were quantified in free and bound form; free phytosterol and triterpenic alcohol compounds represented 10 and 43% of the total fraction in raw and parboiled rice bran, respectively. The analysis of free and bound phenolic compounds was carried out by HPLC-DAD-TOF-MS. The TOF analyzer permitted the determination of 24 free and 27 bound phenolic compounds and, to our knowledge, some of them have been quantified for the first time in rice.

A possible alternative to minimize the effects of salt and drought stress is the introduction of species tolerating these conditions with a good adaptability in terms of quantitative and qualitative yield. So quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) cultivar Titicaca was grown in an open field trial in 2009 and 2010 to investigate the effects of salt and drought stress on quantitative and qualitative aspects of the yield. Treatments irrigated with well water (Q100, Q50 and Q25) and corresponding treatments irrigated with saline water (Q100S, Q50S and Q25S) with an electrical conductivity (ECw) of 22 dS m−1 were compared. Salt and drought stress in both years did not cause significant yield reduction, while the highest level of saline water resulted in higher mean seed weight and as a consequence the increase in fibre and total saponin content in quinoa seeds.

OBJECTIVE Cochlear implants (CIs) have become the gold standard treatment for deafness. These neuroprosthetic devices feature a linear electrode array, surgically inserted into the cochlea, and function by directly stimulating the auditory neurons located within the spiral ganglion, bypassing lost or not-functioning hair cells. Despite their success, some limitations still remain, including poor frequency resolution and high-energy consumption. In both cases, the anatomical gap between the electrode array and the spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) is believed to be an important limiting factor. The final goal of the study is to characterize response profiles of SGNs growing in intimate contact with an electrode array, in view of designing novel CI devices and stimulation protocols, featuring a gapless interface with auditory neurons. APPROACH We have characterized SGN responses to extracellular stimulation using multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). This setup allows, in our view, to optimize in vitro many of the limiting interface aspects between CIs and SGNs. MAIN RESULTS Early postnatal mouse SGN explants were analyzed after 6-18 days in culture. Different stimulation protocols were compared with the aim to lower the stimulation threshold and the energy needed to elicit a response. In the best case, a four-fold reduction of the energy was obtained by lengthening the biphasic stimulus from 40 μs to 160 μs. Similarly, quasi monophasic pulses were more effective than biphasic pulses and the insertion of an interphase gap moderately improved efficiency. Finally, the stimulation with an external electrode mounted on a micromanipulator showed that the energy needed to elicit a response could be reduced by a factor of five with decreasing its distance from 40 μm to 0 μm from the auditory neurons. SIGNIFICANCE This study is the first to show electrical activity of SGNs on MEAs. Our findings may help to improve stimulation by and to reduce energy consumption of CIs and thereby contribute to the development of fully implantable devices with better auditory resolution in the future.