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Common wheat flour is the raw material of choice in bread-making; however, local food customs and the availability of supplies mainly determine the use of ingredients other than common wheat. In Southern Italy, durum wheat semolina from locally grown varieties is mainly used in bread-making that is still performed according to a long-lasting tradition. The traditional traits of some durum breads have been acknowledged by the Italian denomination Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale—standing for Traditional Agricultural Food Product. Among them, “Pane di Monreale” refers to a traditional durum bread produced in the area of Monreale (Sicily). Despite being the cornerstones of the native diet, traditional products have been poorly studied. This paper reports on color characteristics, chemical composition, starch digestibility and carotenoid content of two samples of “Pane di Monreale” bread, made with the durum ancient grains Russello or Tumminia. A dominant red tone was found in the crust of both samples and a low content of lutein was detected. High crude fat and ash content was observed. A low amount of resistant starch was found, while the content of non-starch polysaccharides in Russello bread was two-fold higher than in Tumminia bread.

Two durum wheat bread samples produced using the same re-milled semolina but different leavening agents (sourdough and compressed yeast) have been considered in this study. Chemical composition, color characteristics, lutein content and starch digestibility have been addressed in both samples. In addition, to evaluate possible modifications induced on the protein structure attributable to the different leavening agents used, the secondary structure of proteins was also studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The crumb of bread sample produced by compressed yeast exhibited a higher yellow index compared to the other sample but this difference was completely lost in crust because of the high baking temperature applied. Lutein resulted more preserved after the yeast fermentation due to the shorter time required for the fermentation with respect to sourdough. Total starch and resistant starch content resulted comparable in the two samples with the latter about 1% in both samples. The infrared spectroscopic study of the protein amide I band showed the lack of the random coil structure, related to the protein denaturation, and negligible changes in the relative ratios among the α-helix, β-sheet and β-turn secondary structures of proteins.

Effects of grain milling and bread making process on some bioactive components naturally present in three durum wheat bread samples and the study of the potential antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds by the human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2 were considered in this study. Lutein, the main carotenoid in these matrices, decreased from grain to bread from 50% to 70% depending on the variety while zeaxanthin and β-carotene content was quite negligible both in grain and in bread samples. Semolina generally showed the lowest extractable phenolic compounds (1280.5–1914.6 mg/kg d.m.) either respect to grain (1445.3–1923.0 mg/kg d.m.) or to bread samples (1537.4–1759.0 mg/kg d.m.). Non-extractable phenolic compounds which resulted strongly reduced in semolina, increased in bread respect to semolina (about 50%) due to the modification induced on the food matrix and, probably, to the Maillard reaction, which takes place during baking. No cellular damage was observed up to a dose of 10.0 μg/mL of polyphenolic extract. The same amount resulted able to protect the cell from the damage produced by the oxidant agent AAPH. These results underline that the potential health benefits of these compounds are dose-dependent and this aspect must be always taken into consideration.

The benefits of food phenolic compounds on human health are well documented, and reliable data about phenolic content in foods are more and more necessary for dietary recommendations. However, no standard methods have been developed for the determination of phenolic compounds in foods. Moreover, a thorough literature search shows that several aqueous-organic mixtures have been used so far to isolate free phenolic compounds (FPC) and different hydrolytic procedures have been used in the determination of insoluble-bound phenolic compounds (BPC) from plant foods and cereals, making results hardly comparable and/or the comparison misleading. The aim of this study was to compare different extraction procedures reported in current literature for the isolation of FPC and BPC from pigmented rice. In detail, five different procedures for the extraction of FPC and four procedures for the hydrolysis of BPC were tested and compared. Results showed that a two-step extraction with acidified methanol and aqueous acetone promoted the isolation of FPC from rice matrix, while as concerns BPC the highest content was obtained by using sodium hydroxide 2M under ultrasound treatment. Recovery tests of gallic acid were also performed and results were good (>95%).

The aim of this study was to fully characterize the main pigmented rice varieties, available to consumers on the Italian market, in terms of carotenoids, total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, and to investigate the effect of cooking on these components. Lutein was the main carotenoid in all samples under investigation (0.33-4.11 µg/g d.m.), while anthocyanins were observed only in black genotypes. Phenolic compounds were found mainly in free form, and values ranged between 544.1 and 1508.3 mg/100 g (d.m.) in raw samples. Cooking decreased significantly (p 0.05) total lutein, free phenolic compound and anthocyanin content. In contrast, the increase of insoluble-bound phenolic compounds was observed in some samples, after cooking. The study provides data contributing to gain a better knowledge in novel food composition and enabling the estimation of dietary intake of health-promoting components.

In this paper four rice samples and purified starch thereof characterized by different genetic background, amylose content, and gelatinization behavior were considered. They were examined with respect to chemical composition and pasting properties. To explain differences observed in the Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) curves, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was also used to characterize the rice and starch samples. Double two-dimensional correlation analysis (D2DCORR), a powerful chemometric tool not commonly used in food analysis, was applied to FTIR spectra to support the interpretation of FTIR results. Finally, a study by FTIR spectroscopy was performed to characterize the lipid components extracted from some rice and starch samples. Rice samples showed different pasting properties owing to genetic characteristics, although these differences were mostly evident in the samples of starch thereof. However, the most interesting differences among samples were evidenced in the lipid component relat...

Sourdough bread was prepared from flour of the common buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum ) and of Tartary buckwheat ( Fagopyrum tataricum ) to follow the transformation of rutin and quercetin in these sourdoughs. During Tartary buckwheat sourdough fermentation, there was conversion of rutin to quercetin. The Tartary buckwheat flour contained 14.6 mg/g rutin and 1.9 mg/g quercetin as dry matter. The sourdough starter contained 1.5 mg/g rutin and an unexpectedly high 12.5 mg/g quercetin. The sourdough contained 3.2 mg/g rutin and 8.1 mg/g quercetin. In the Tartary buckwheat sourdough bread there was no rutin, whereas there was 5.0 mg/g quercetin. Thus, during the sourdough fermentation, the rutin was completely degraded. However, despite the long fermentation time (sourdough, 10 h; bread dough, 5 h), most of the quercetin remained in the dough and appeared in the baked bread. In contrast to Tartary buckwheat bread, neither rutin nor quercetin was present in common buckwheat bread. Information on the persistence of quercetin in sourdough bread is important for designing breads with high concentrations of flavonoids and good functional value.

Eleven barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown under the same climatic and soil conditions according to the same organic protocol and corresponding malt samples were considered in this study. In order to assess the modification induced by the mashing process on barley samples cultivated under the same conditions, the enzymatic activity of alpha and beta-amylase was determined in all samples. In addition, the modification induced by the germination process on the protein pattern was also investigated by SDS–PAGE. Barley samples resulted different both in protein content and in amylase quality and quantity; these differences, evidently related to genetic factors, also were found in malt samples. Although two bands at 41–42 kDa and 55–58 kDa were found in the Betamyl extracts analysed by SDS–PAGE, only the 55–58 kDa had discriminating ability, and for this reason, it could be considered in order to evaluate barley suitability for beer production.

Whole grain cereals contain a wide range of phytochemicals and it is often difficult to ascribe protective effects on metabolic health to any one particular constituent. The interactions among bioactive components, which contribute highly to the total antioxidant capacity of cereals, represent the first step in the evaluation of food potential health benefits. This research focused on the determination of antioxidant properties in grains and whole flours of some traditional Italian wheats. Results showed that hydrolysable polyphenols in grains are 85% of total polyphenols and contribute 95% of the total antioxidant properties, which indicates that hydrolysable polyphenols represent an important fraction of polyphenols in cereals. The distinction between extractable and non-extractable antioxidants was shown to be of paramount importance for an adequate determination of antioxidant capacity in cereals and represents a key element in the definition of potential nutritional value of the food matrix under consideration.

We report a procedure for describing the gas chromatographic retention time of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as a function of simple mono-dimensional molecular descriptors such as the number and position of chlorine atoms on the aromatic rings. The mathematical relationships between relative retention time (RRT) of all 209 possible congeners of PCBs and the mono-dimensional molecular descriptors (MDDs) were obtained by the multivariate techniques principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS) used as modelling tools. The good agreement found between experimental and predicted retention times of PCBs shows that a well established mathematical model relating retention time to specific mono-dimensional molecular descriptors can be a useful tool to enhance identification of these pollutants in real samples.

Effects of the addition of okra (Hibiscus esculentus L.) pods to wheat flour devoted to bread preparation were investigated. Results showed the effectiveness of this crop as food additive to produce bread of adequate technological and sensory characteristics.

In this paper we analyze some chemical aspects concerning the browning development associated to the aggregation of marine organic matter (MOM) occurring in anoxic conditions. Organic matter samples obtained by the degradation of different algal samples were daily taken to follow the evolution of the aggregation process and the associated browning process. These samples were examined by Fourier transform mid infrared (FTIR) and Fourier transform near infrared (FTNIR) spectroscopy and the colour changes occurring during the above mentioned aggregation process were measured by means of Colour Indices (CIs). Spectral Cross Correlation Analysis (SCCA) was applied to correlate changes in CI values to the structural changes of MOM observed by FTIR and FTNIR spectra which were also submitted to Two-Dimensional Hetero Correlation Analysis (2HDCORR). SCCA results showed that all biomolecules present in MOM aggregates such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids are involved in the browning development. In particular, SCCA results of algal mixtures suggest that the observed yellow–brown colour can be linked to the development of non enzymatic (i.e. Maillard) browning reactions. SCCA results for MOM furthermore suggest that aggregates coming from brown algae also showed evidence of browning related to enzymatic reactions. In the end 2HDCORR results indicate that hydrogen bond interactions among different molecules of MOM can play a significant role in the browning development. In this study the combination of spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR and FTNIR with Colour Indices measurements shows a peculiar ability to improve the knowledge of the complex mechanisms related to the aggregation of marine organic matter and its colour development under anoxic conditions such like those present in the marine environments at high depth.

Two high temperature drying procedures for pasta production were evaluated and compared. The industrial samples produced were collected at different stages of the drying process starting from semolina to the final pasta product. The main changes were observed after the extrusion process when sample moisture ranged between 18 and 15%. In this phase, the Maillard reaction easily takes place and the active precursors of the reaction, such as free reducing sugars and free amino acids already present in semolina, in addition to residual amylolytic activity, should be determined and controlled.

Analytical methods to determine total carbohydrates in environmental and food samples usually require a preliminary chemical hydrolytic procedure to convert polysaccharides into monosaccharides prior to detection by colorimetric or chromatographic techniques. In this paper, an alternative hydrolytic procedure is presented. The method for hydrolysis of polysaccharides is based on the application of ultrasound at room temperature. The advantages of the method proposed here are reduced time required for analysis (4-5 h) and the improvement of the analytical accuracy due to the absence of the most common reactions of oxidation. The proposed method was applied to the determination of total carbohydrates in several environmental samples (seawater and marine mucilage) and starchy food samples. Results for total carbohydrate obtained using the ultrasound procedure for hydrolysis of samples agreed with those found when applying other published procedures.

A study on the physico-chemical properties and structure together with the evaluation of starch digestibility was carried out on starch isolated from buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) cultivated in different Italian areas. Results showed that buckwheat samples analysed were different among them and from wheat starch used as reference. Buckwheat granules were polygonal in shape and had a smaller diameter than the wheat starch granule. The starch obtained from buckwheat had a higher swelling power than the wheat one, probably as a consequence of the wheaker but more extensive bonding forces in the granule. During cooling, buckwheat samples showed a good paste stability.

Fonio (Digitaria exilis Stapf) starch was isolated from the seeds of two varieties denominated Hothia and Koulli and its physicochemical properties were compared with those of commercial wheat starch. Fonio starch granules seen under a SEM had polygonal shapes and small size (about 8μm). Amylose content of Hothia (22.6%) was significantly lower than that of Koulli and wheat (26.1% and 25.0%, respectively). there was not any significant difference in lipid content of fonio starches (2.8% and 2.9%), whereas significant differences were observed in their water binding capacity (88% and 80%). Protein and ash were also determined. The swelling power and solubility of wheat and fonio starches within the 50°C-90°C temperature range were also studied. Brabender amylograms of 5% fonio starch slurries showed similarly shaped, single-step curves. However, the two fonio varieties reached quite different viscosity values during the heating and cooling cycle.

The present study was performed to evaluate the distribution of phytochemicals in wheat grains and millstreams and the contribution of these compounds to the antioxidant activity. Bioactive molecules, although related to genotype, were highly affected by the milling procedure applied. Carotenoids were unevenly distributed in the kernel and lutein resulted to be the main carotenoid in all samples considered. The WSB method was confirmed to be a useful tool to detect yellow color intensity of semolina but it was not suitable to get information on the true content of carotenoids of the sample. Water-methanol soluble components showed antioxidant activity which decreased from the outer to the inner parts of the kernel. Chloroform-methanol soluble compounds showed generally negligible or negative antioxidant activity due to the inadequate amount of antioxidants unable to counteract oxidative processes already in progress.

The aim of this study is to present and to discuss some characteristics of recalcitrant organic matter mechanism and formation. These aggregates called mucilages that are produced by the degradation reactions of several algae, have been investigated by infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR spectra of macroaggregates produced by different algal samples have been daily collected in order to investigate the steps of aggregation. Afterwards, they have been elaborated by means of Independent Component Analysis (ICA). ICA investigation of FTIR spectra showed that the global aggregation process of marine mucilage always consisted of two different phases or independent components (ICs). One IC is related to the first degradation step of algal cells leading to the production of mono and oligosaccharides with aminoacids and oligopeptides. The second IC is related to the polymerization of oligosaccharides with aminoacids and oligopeptides and to their interaction with less polar compounds such as lipids thus producing supramolecular structures. The emerging mechanisms of anomalous size aggregates of organic matter match those of natural organic matter aggregation. The approach we suggest is to use synthetic mucilages which allows to monitor the macroaggregates formation because it can hardly be performed by means of natural marine macroaggregates.

Six Japonica and three Indica rice samples were considered in this study. Total amino acid composition and protein digestibility were studied in relation to protein component while, amylose content, resistant and damaged starch were considered to assess starch characteristics. Results showed a comparable amino acid pattern and carbohydrate but different protein and starch digestibility. Due to the different botanical origin of samples, the amylose content raged between 15.5 and 25.2 g/100 g d. b. to whom corresponded a wide range of pasting temperatures determined by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Principal Component Analysis, used to perform an exploratory data analysis, evidenced the contribution of some amino acids in recognising samples and this evidence could be usefully employed in breeding programs.

Semolina colour is a technological parameter very useful for pasta makers. Studies to test the possibility of measuring semolina colour by employing the b and the L value (yellowness and lightness) for the routine analysis were carried out. Factors which could systematically affect this measurement were also investigated. For this purpose, the relationship between the chemical method of pigments extraction (AACC) and reflectance measurements was examined. The investigation showed that the b value is the most suitable parameter for the evaluation of semolina colour which can be employed for the classification of products. Several variables affect the reflectance measurement but the results of this work suggest that ash and protein amount did not have a recognizable effect on the measurement of b. On the contrary, the L measurement was influenced by the extraction rate of semolina because of the ash amount in flours.

The possibility of using two different artificial neural networks architectures (multi-layer feed-forward, MLF-NN, and counterpropagation, CP-NN) for the classification of 255 durum wheat samples from Sicily (Italy) was investigated and the performances of the optimal models were compared both among each others and to those resulting from the application of traditional chemometric pattern recognition techniques. When considering predictive ability over an independent test set, counterpropagation NN performed best, being able to correctly predict about 82% of the external validation samples (the corresponding predictive ability for MLF-NN, LDA and QDA was 72.0%, 50.9% and 52.7%, respectively.

Color is an important parameter involved in the definition of semolina and pasta quality. This character is mainly due to natural pigments (carotenoids) that are present at different levels in cereals and cereal products, due to botanical origin, growing conditions, distribution in the kernel, and technological processes. In food industries, color measurements are usually performed by means of automatic instruments that are rapid and safe, as alternatives to the chemical extraction methods. In this study, automatic measurements (CIE, color-space system L, a, b), water-saturated butanol (WSB), and HPLC determinations have been applied to evaluate the carotenoid content in whole meals and respective semolina samples produced from wheat cultivated in the years 2001 and 2002. In whole meals, total carotenoids, determined by HPLC, were about 3.0 microg/g (2001) and 3.5 microg/g (2002) calculated on dry weight (dw) and about 3.0 and 3.2 microg/g dw in corresponding semolina samples. The b values for the same period were 19.78 and 15.75, respectively, in raw materials and 20.03-21.67 in semolina. Results have confirmed lutein and beta-carotene as the main components mainly responsible for the yellow color in wheat grains. The ability of the index b to express natural dyeing was dependent on sample characteristics as demonstrated by the relationships found between this index and pigments, although the best correlation resulted between HPLC and WSB.

In recent years, the renewed interest for foods with a natural image has increased the demand for dry pasta produced from "hulled" wheat such as the Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum, also known as "farro". In order to contribute to the general knowledge, two lines of farro were considered in this study. To have a comparison, an old cultivar of Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (Senatore Cappelli) in addition to a commercial semolina were also examined. All semolina samples were used to produce pasta samples. Results showed some differences among pasta samples that seem to be due not to the presence of specific protein subunits but especially to the quantitative ratio between the different subunits. Results also reconfirmed the role played by the drying technology that is able to affect the sensory characteristics of pasta products.

The determination of the carbohydrate content of environmental and food samples, performed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods, needs a preliminary hydrolysis which converts polysaccharides into monosaccharides prior to the analytical measurement. In this paper, a modified procedure of the ultrasound-assisted method for the determination of total carbohydrates, published by the same authors in a previous paper, is presented and discussed. The modified procedure represents an improvement with respect to the previous one because it shortens the hydrolysis time and the colorimetric determination times through the use of two acid media (formic and acetic acid) that also allows quantitative recoveries of total carbohydrates from food and environmental samples.

Triticum durum ssp dicoccum also called farro in Italy is gaining more and more interest from farmer due to its commercial potentiality. In this paper, thirty lines F 6 of farro obtained by crossing the cvs, Triticum turgidum ssp durum Ofanto and Simeto and T. turgidum ssp dicoccum Molise population were studied. They were evaluated with special reference to chemical composition and technological characteristics in order to select genotypes suitable for the production of food commodities. The storage protein composition (High Molecular Weight and Low Molecular Weight Glutenin) was also considered by different electrophoretic techniques. On assiste a une demande croissante en aliments traditionnels ayant une image naturelle. Le farro, nom italien pour Triticum turgidum ssp dicoccum, a survecu en Italie, seulement dans des regions montagneuses du centre et du sud de l'Italie ou il est cultive selon des methodes biologiques ou avec des fertilisations azotees tres faibles. Il presente des teneurs faibles en lipide, acceptables en proteines et en vitamines, et fortes en fibres et en mineraux ainsi que des proprietes medicinales. Dans cette etude, des lignees F6, obtenues par le croisement de Triticum turgidum ssp durum Ofanto et Simeto avec Triticum turgidum ssp dicoccum Molise sont caracterisees d'un point de vue chimique et technologique pour constituer des genotypes appropries a la preparation de produits alimentaires (pâtes, pain, gâteau).

When the bioluminescent assay (BLA) for the determination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in environmental and food samples is performed by conventional photometers, a computing procedure is necessary to exclude the mixing time of reagents from the global time of the reaction because it produces a poor analytical precision [M. Mecozzi, A. Amici, G. Visco, Fres. J. Anal. Chem. 357 (1997) 747-751]. In this paper three automated procedures for correcting this interference were tested and compared with illustrate their advantages and drawbacks. The three techniques were the robust exponential regression and the outliers detection method (RER), the smoothing technique of Savitzky-Golay (SSG) and the smoothing technique of Kalman Filter (SKF). RER and SSG were found to be more effective than SKF in minimizing the effect of noise produced by the mixing of reagents. In addition, the application of computing procedures such as RER and SSG allow to improve the detection limit in the BLA performed by conventional photometers.

A calorimetric (DSC) method for the analysis of starches and food-related compounds, based on the determination of onset and peak temperature (To, Tp) and the apparent enthalpy change (ΔH) of the starch gelatinization process is described. To set up the best experimental conditions to apply, the parameters that could affect the calorimetric response, such as temperature range of thermal analysis, water/starch ratio in the mixture, heating rate, size and weight of sample, time-temperature condition, were investigated. The method was applied to characterise starches, semolina and alimentary pasta.

(Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, 1995-96, 28-29: 69-80)

The determination of the moisture and ash contents in wheat mills was developed using multistep programmed thermogravimetric analysis. Preliminary research to determine the most suitable analytical conditions (carrier gas and flow rate, furnace temperature, isothermal time, type and weight of sample and size of particles) was also carried out. Commercial flours milled from soft and hard wheats with a wide range of fibre content were analysed using both the proposed method and the Italian official methods. The same results were obtained from all these methods. Nevertheless, the thermogravimetric method has some advantages: the analysis takes place on the same sample; it requires very small samples; and it is easy and rapid.

Starch was isolated from the seeds of 3 sorghum cultivars and compared with commercial wheat starch. The amylose content of sorghum starches was in the range of 22.0–27.8%. Sorghum starches had less total lipids than wheat starch (1.66%) but there was no difference between sorghum Milo and Sorghum “100”. The water binding capacity of sorghum Dabar did not differ from that of wheat (100%) whereas differences in swelling power were observed, over a range of temperatures, between wheat and sorghum starches except for Sorghum “100” at 70°C. Sorghum starches showed single-step viscoamylographic curves with pronounced pasting peaks, good pasting stability and good set-back on cooling.

A hydrolysis procedure for the determination of furosine amount in cereals and dairy products has been applied. Results have been compared with those found by the traditional hydrolysis method. Data obtained by the microwave method correlated linearly with those found by the application of the traditional method (r = 0.99) and the relative standard deviation (1.0−12.0%) was close to that of the traditional hydrolysis (0.5−12.0%) for all of the samples. In addition, the method was applicable to different products having a wide range of furosine level (12.0−400.0 mg/100 g of protein for cereals; 6.0−900.0 mg/100 g of protein for dairy products). Keywords: Furosine; cereals; dairy products; microwave; hydrolysis