Nutritional profile and cooking quality of a new functional pasta naturally enriched in phenolic acids, added with β-glucan and Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086

A new functional pasta using a durum wheat flour rich in polyphenols, with added barley β-glucan and Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 was developed. Chemical, nutritional and microbiological analyses were carried out to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the final product quality. The settled debranning process of durum wheat produced a flour rich in proteins and phenolic acids (18.18% dm and 392.1 μg/g respectively). These raw material characteristics had a positive influence on pasta cooking performances as well as on its nutritional profile due to the high content of bound ferulic acid content (94% of total phenolic acids). The probiotic strain remained viable during the pasta-making and cooking processes, and its amount in cooked pasta (about 9.0 log CFU/100 g) would be considered sufficient to exert beneficial effects on consumer. The glycemic index of pasta measured in healthy volunteers was 59.7 and the functional ingredients addition did not affect the postprandial glycemic response of pasta in healthy volunteers. The information provided here suggests that the new developed functional pasta could represent a high-quality product for its suitable nutritional appeal and potential beneficial properties.