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Dietary fibre intake has beneficial effects on immunonutritional health and prevents the development of chronic non-communicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Currently, dietary fibre consumption worldwide is below the WHO recommended daily intake of 25 g. An excellent source of dietary fibre is the fibre-rich fractions of quinoa, which have a high technological potential, nutritional value, and biological activity. This fraction can be isolated via wet-milling, which offers a higher yield and recovery of the main chemical components of cereals/pseudocereals with a higher purity than those obtained via dry-milling. The objective of this work was the isolation of fibre-rich fractions of Royal Bolivian quinoa (white, red, and black) obtained via wet-milling and their characterization as technofunctional ingredients in the formulation of cereal-based food products. The extraction yield of the fibre fraction and its proximal chemical composition were determined, in addition to phytic acid content; minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc; and technofunctional properties (particle size distribution, water and oil holding capacity, and swelling capacity). All fibre fractions isolated via wet-milling could be used as food ingredients. In particular, the fibre-rich fraction of black quinoa contains the highest amount of insoluble fibre. However, from a technological point of view, red quinoa fibre could be the most suitable for inclusion in the formulation of food matrices due to its high water and oil retention capacity, as well as its swelling capacity. The incorporation of a low proportion of quinoa dietary fibre (5–10%) allows increasing the nutritional profile of cereal-based food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet milling is a fractionation process widely used in the corn industry, which allows the separation of its main chemical components (starch, proteins, fiber and lipids) with high efficiency and purity compared to dry milling. The first stage of this process consists of maceration; after softening the grain, the actual milling is carried out, and the germ is separated by flotation because of its high lipid content. The chemical composition of pseudocereals is similar to that of cereals, hence their name, so they could be processed in the same way. In this way, the traditional corn wet milling process was adapted to quinoa. The objective of this work is to isolate the germ of red Bolivian Royal quinoa using wet milling, and evaluate its efficiency and physicochemical characteristics due to its large size and nutrient concentration. By cold pressing the red quinoa germ, crude oil was obtained and characterized in terms of: Acid Index, Iodine Index, Saponification Index, K Index, Refractive Index (20 °C) and fatty acid composition, determined by gas chromatography coupled to a mass detector (GC-MS). This profile was compared with the fatty acid profile of the solvent-extracted quinoa oil, and it was observed that there were no significant differences between the two oil samples. In addition, the sample obtained via cold pressing showed similar characteristics to corn oil, except for a higher Saponification Index and proportion of linolenic acid (omega-3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the effects of Chenopodium quinoa's ingredients on the major lipids' hepatic profile and the functional selective differentiation of monocyte-derived macrophages and innate lymphoid cells in mice on a high-fat diet. Six-week-old Rag2-/- and Rag2-/-Il2-/- mice received (12 days) a low-molecular-weight protein fraction (LWPF) or the lipid fraction (qLF) obtained from the cold pressing of C. quinoa's germen. At the end of the experiment, mouse serum and liver tissue were collected. The differences in triglycerides, phospholipids, and the major lipids profile were analyzed. Infiltrated monocyte-derived macrophages and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and the expression of liver metabolic stress-related mRNA were measured. In the Rag2-/- mice, feeding them LWPF appeared to improve, to a larger extent, their hepatic capacity to utilize fatty acids in comparison to the qLF by preventing the overwhelming of triglycerides (TGs), despite both reducing the hepatic lipid accumulation. An analysis of the hepatic major lipids profile revealed significant increased variations in the PUFAs and phospholipid composition in the Rag2-/- mice fed with the LWPF or LF. The Rag2-/-Il2-/- mice, lacking innate and adaptive lymphocytes, seemed resistant to mobilizing hepatic TGs and unresponsive to lipid accumulation when fed with the LF. Notably, only the Rag2-/- mice fed with the LWPF showed an increased proportion of hepatic CD68+F4/80+ cells population, with a better controlled expression of the innate immune 'Toll-like' receptor (TLR)-4. These changes were associated with an oriented expansion of pluripotential CD117+ cells towards ILC2s (CD117+KLRG1+). Thus, C. quinoa's ingredients resulted in being advantageous for improving the mechanisms for controlling the hepatic lipotoxicity derived from a high-fat diet, promoting liver macrophage and ILCs expansion to a selective functional differentiation for the control of HFD-driven immune and metabolic disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bread is one of the staple foods of many countries, and its enrichment with bioactive compounds is trending. This phenomenon is focused on breads with a good nutritional profile, such as wholemeal rye bread (WRB), in which enrichment with plant sterols (PSs) is allowed in accordance with European regulations. The objective of the present study was to optimize the production of a WRB enriched with PS (PS-WRB) and to evaluate the proximate composition and starch digestibility as an indicator of nutritional quality. The rheological analysis showed that the bread dough presents satisfactory farinographic properties (dough development time 6 min; stability 4 min; degree of softening 100 Brabender units) but high water absorption (67%). The PS-WRB is high in dietary fiber and low in protein (20.4 and 7.7% w/w, dry basis, respectively) compared with other cereals reported in the scientific literature. In turn, a low starch proportion was hydrolyzed during the simulated digestion (59.9% of total starch), being also slowly hydrolyzed, as deduced from the rapidly digestible starch value (56.5% of total starch). In conclusion, WRB is a suitable matrix for PS enrichment, which allows for obtaining a product with a good nutritional profile and potential health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hulled buckwheat cultivars (Aktaş cv. and Güneş cv.) were wet-milled, and then some chemical, yields, colour, functional properties, phenolic compound, antioxidant activity, and pasting, thermal and retrogradation properties of starches were investigated and compared with the wholegrain buckwheat flour (with hull) and buckwheat groat flour (without hull) of the same cultivars. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of flours and protein fractions were examined under reducing and non-reducing conditions. The hull, germ+dietary fibre, protein and starch fractions were collected. The total recovery for Aktaş cv. and Güneş cv. cultivars were 98.1% and 96.1%; total starch yields were 51.6% and 49.7%; pasting temperatures of the starches were found as 83.7 and 85.7°C; and final viscosities of starches were determined as 3.5 and 3.4 Pa·s, respectively. The resistant starch contents of starch fractions of Aktaş cv. ve Güneş cv. were found as 3.28% and 3.62%, respectively. The highest total phenolic compound contents were detected with dimethyl sulphoxide extraction in the germ+dietary fibre fractions. The highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity were found in the hull fraction (as 81.7%) and germ+dietary fibre fraction (as 11.8 mmol/kg) of Aktaş cv. cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore the feasibility of fortifying bread with cooked Vitelotte potato powder and Citrus albedo, comparing the use of baker's yeast or sourdough as leavening agents. Breads obtained were thus subjected to physico-chemical and sensory characterizations. The replacement of part of the wheat flour with purple potato and albedo determined a significant enhancement of the phenolic profile and antioxidant status of fortified breads, as well as a longer shelf life. Thanks to its acidity and antimicrobial activity, sourdough improved the levels of health-promoting compounds and stability. Both the fortification and the leavening agent deeply affected the organoleptic, expression, and the aroma profile, of the fortified bread. Interestingly, albedo addition, despite its effectiveness in boosting the phenolic profile, determined a higher perception of aftertaste and bitterness, irrespective of the leavening agent. Based on these results, the use of purple potatoes and Citrus albedo, if properly formulated, could represent a valuable strategy for the development of high-quality products, with longer shelf-life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, food processing by-products, which have long raised serious environmental concerns, are recognized to be a cheap source of valuable compounds. In the present study, incorporation of phenolic-rich extracts (500 and 1000 mg kg−1) from olive leaves (OL) and olive mill wastewater (OMW) into conventional gluten-free formulations has been exploited as a potential strategy for developing nutritious and healthy breadsticks with extended shelf-life. To this end, moisture, water activity (aw), visual and textural properties, the composition of biologically active compounds (soluble, insoluble, and bio-accessible polyphenols), antioxidant activity, oxidation stability, and consumer preference of the resulting breadsticks were investigated. Fortified breadsticks had higher moisture and aw, lower hardness, and similar color in comparison to the control, especially in the case of OL extract supplementation. All enriched formulations significantly affected the phenolic composition, as evidenced by the decrease in insoluble/soluble polyphenols ratio (from 7 in the control up to 3.1 and 4.5 in OL and OMW, respectively), and a concomitant increase in polyphenol bio-accessibility (OL: 14.5–23% and OMW: 10.4–15% rise) and antioxidant activity (OL: 20–36% and OMW: 11–16% rise). Moreover, a significant shelf-life extension was observed in all fortified breadsticks (especially in case of OMW supplementation). Sensory evaluation evidenced that 61% of the assessors showed a marked, but not significant, tendency to consider the sample supplemented with high levels of OL as a more palatable choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innate immunity plays a determinant role in high fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance. This study compares the effects of immunonutritional bioactives from Chenopodium quinoa (WQ) or Salvia hispanica L. (Ch) when used to partially replace wheat flour (WB) into bread formulations. These flours were chosen to condition starch and lipid content in the products as well as because their immunonutritional activity. To be administered with different bread formulations, HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice were distributed in different groups: (i) wild type, (ii) displaying inherited disturbances in glucose homeostasis, and (iii) displaying dietary iron-mediated impairment of the innate immune TLR4/TRAM/TRIF pathway. We analyze the effects of the products on glycaemia and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), plasmatic triglycerides, intestinal and hepatic gene expression and variations of myeloid (MY), and lymphoid (LY) cells population in peripheral blood. Our results show that feeding animals with WQ and Ch formulations influenced the expression of lipogenic and coronary risk markers, thus attaining a better control of hepatic lipid accumulation. WQ and Ch products also improved glucose homeostasis compared to WB, normalizing the HOMA-IR in animals with an altered glucose and lipid metabolism. These positive effects were associated with positive variations in the peripheral myeloid cells population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccinium genus berries—wild bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and cultivated highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)—are consumed worldwide, and their consumption has a trend of stable increase. Thus, considering their wide use in ethnomedicine, for juice and jam production, as functional food, as well as their use in preparations of extracts which have application potential in pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, studies regarding the composition of these berries are of special importance. The aim of this study is to characterise the elemental and isotopic composition, as well as variation in element concentration in bilberries gathered from different sites in Northern Europe and in commercially available blueberry samples from across the World. Furthermore, our aim was to develop tools for authenticity and quality control of these berries. The elemental composition of berries was analysed using inductively coupled plasma with optical emission detection (ICP-OED), while isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) was used for the determination of isotope ratio values. The results demonstrated detectable differences between macro- and microelement values in bilberries. IRMS analysis of blueberries revealed significant differences in isotope ratios based on the place of origin, indicating the possibility to use this analytical method for authenticity testing. In none of the samples, pollution was detected, even though there were indications of different growth conditions and geochemical differences affecting bilberry composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]