Digestibility and Acceptability of Wheat Flour Cookies Partially Substituted with High Amylose Maize Starch Abstract Cookies are one of the most consumed bakery products and the formulation could be modified to consider them as a functional food. The high amylose maize starch (HAMS) is considered as resistant starch (RS) type 2. The objective of this work was to assess the starch fractions, texture, sensory properties and acceptability of wheat flour cookies added with HAMS at different percentages. Adding 15% of HAMS into the formulation increased the amount of RS from 2.3 to 12.8%. In sensory analysis, children and adults showed a good acceptability of cookies since the addition of HAMS did not result in significant changes in flavor or color. Cookies made with HAMS could be considered as functional foods since they had an acceptable texture and low caloric content.

Valorisation of Ginger and Turmeric Peels as Source of Natural Antioxidants Abstract The antioxidant activity of ginger and turmeric powders derived from freeze-dried rhizomes and peels as well as commercial spices has been evaluated by two spectrophotometric assays based on electron transfer such as DPPH and FRAP. The phenolic characterization has been also carried out by detecting total polyphenols through Folin-Ciocalteu method and HPLC analysing 6-gingerol and curcumin. Ginger and turmeric peels showed greater antioxidant activity than commercial powders because of their higher phenolic yields. Hence, ginger and turmeric peels can be considered a rich source of phytochemicals which contribute to the antioxidant effects of these agro-food wastes.

Sorbus umbellata (Desf.) Fritsch var. umbellata Leaves: Optimization of Extraction Conditions and Investigation Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, and β -Glucuronidase Inhibitory Potential Abstract This study aimed to optimize the extraction conditions for Sorbus umbellata (Desf.) Fritsch var. umbellata leaves to maximize the phenolic content and their antioxidant activity and to investigate β-glucuronidase (GUS) enzyme inhibitory, antimicrobial and cytotoxic potentials of the extracts obtained under optimum conditions. The optimum extraction conditions were found to be 78.2 and 79.7% solvent, 73.1 and 71.5 °C, and 89.9 and 88.8 min to maximize phenolic content and antioxidant activity, respectively. Low values of coefficient of variations indicate the high reliability and reproducibility of the conducted extraction experiments. Bioactivity results showed that extracts had cytotoxic effect on the MCF-7 and A549 cells where the highest cell proliferation inhibition was observed for the A549 cell line (71.8% at 150 μg/mL). Staphylococcus aureus showed highest zone of inhibition (19.3 mm) in all bacteria followed by Escherichia coli. Additionally, extracts displayed potential GUS inhibitory activity. In conclusion, Sorbus umbellata leaf extract can be obtained by optimized cost-saving extraction and has a potential bioactivity to be utilized as a food ingredient for high value-added products and/or nutraceuticals development where it can combat oxidative stress and GUS mediated reactive metabolite formation.

Comparison of Structural and Functional Characterizations of Arabinoxylans from Different Wheat Processing Varieties Abstract Water-extracted arabinoxylans (WEAXs) of different varieties and structures have important effects on wheat end products. However, the functional performances of WEAXs, particularly relating to prebiotic potential, are not yet clear. The present study compared the structural features, physicochemical properties, and prebiotic potential of WEAXs from three wheat varieties, which were used as special wheat varieties to make steamed buns, bread flour, and noodles. The results showed that WEAX-1, WEAX-2, and WEAX-3, derived from Jinqiang wheat, American red hard spring wheat, and Australian white wheat, respectively, had different structural properties, gelation properties, and prebiotic potential. WEAX-3 had a low arabinose to xylose (A/X) ratio (0.49), high ferulic acid content (2300 μg/g), and excellent gelation capacity. WEAX-2 had a high A/X ratio (0.62), low ferulic acid content (1300 μg/g), and poor gelation capacity. When fermented with human feces, WEAX-3 significantly increased the numbers of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and increased the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), while WEAX-2 had weaker effects on the number of beneficial bacteria and SCFAs production (P < 0.05). The physicochemical properties and prebiotic potential of WEAXs depended strongly on their structural properties. WEAX with a low A/X ratio and a high ferulic acid content showed excellent gelation property and a strong prebiotic potential.

Pulp in Shop-Bought Orange Juice Has Little Effect on Flavonoid Content and Gut Bacterial Flavanone Degradation In Vitro Abstract Orange juice is an important source of flavanones in the Western diet. However, little is known of the variation in flavanone content of shop-bought orange juice with pulp (OJP) or without pulp (OJ), nor the impact of pulp on the fate of flavanones in the gut. Total phenols, total flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, hesperidin and narirutin, and dietary fibre were measured in six orange juice brands sold as OJP and OJ. The inclusion of pulp had little impact on fibre content. Apart from total phenols (OJ: 208.4 ± 10.7 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) ml−1; OJP: 225.9 ± 16.7 μg GAE ml−1, P < 0.05), there were no differences between OJ and OJP. The fate of flavanones in OJ and OJP (Tropicana) were further compared using in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) models. After in vitro upper GI digestion, recovery of hesperidin was higher in OJ compared with OJP (89 ± 6 vs. 68 ± 3%, P = 0.033). After 2 h colonic fermentation, hesperidin was 1.2 fold higher in OJP than OJ. However, after 24 h colonic fermentation there was no significant difference between juices in terms of hesperidin, hesperetin, narirutin, naringenin and catabolites. In conclusion, the amount of pulp included in these shop-bought orange juices had little impact on flavanone metabolism in models of the GI tract. The effects of greater amounts of orange pulp remain to be determined.

Beta-Glucan as Wall Material in Encapsulation of Elderberry ( Sambucus nigra ) Extract Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the potential of using β-glucan as wall material to microencapsulate the elderberry extract. Firstly, the extract was obtained by the water-acetone extraction method to extract mainly anthocyanins from ground dried fruits. The extract was mixed with wall materials: maltodextrin-β-glucan mixture and the control sample as a widely used combination of maltodextrin and arabic gum (92.5:7.5). In the examined samples the content of β-glucan was 0.5, 1, 2 and 3%. Properties of encapsulated extracts of final powders were measured using particle size and morphology, encapsulation efficiency, color measurement, total anthocyanin and ascorbic acid content (TAC and TAAC) methods. Our results indicated that the β-glucan wall material samples had higher process quality compared to control samples. Addition of β-glucan insignificantly decreases encapsulation efficiency. Among powders with β-glucan content, the powder with 1% β-glucan content was characterized by the smallest (24 μm) particle size. The sample with 2% β-glucan content had the highest water solubility and polydispersity index. Due to the encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, and water solubility index, the optimum condition of microencapsulation process for elderberry extract was for samples with 0.5% β-glucan as wall material content. To conclude, due to high molecular weight of β-glucan the higher than 0.5% ratio of β-glucan is not recommended for spray-drying method. However, small quantity of health-beneficial β-glucan could act as potential encapsulation agent in clean label products to replace Arabic gum.

A Review of the Potential of Chilean Native Berries in the Treatment of Obesity and its Related Features Abstract Obesity is a major worldwide health threat. It is characterized by an abnormal adipose tissue overgrowth together with increased monocytes infiltration, causing inflammation and oxidative stress, events associated with several illnesses. Investigations have focused on the benefits of native fruit consumption, claiming these to be natural sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. It has been widely stated that berries are a source of the most antioxidant compounds, and, thus, seem highly promising to endure research efforts on these vegetal matrices. The present article describes botanical, chemical and biomedical features of the Chilean native berries, Aristotelia chilensis, Ugni molinae, and Berberis microphylla. This work aims to potentiate incoming research focused on the search for novel treatments for first-order diseases with these particular plant sources.

Flash Vacuum-Expansion Process: Effect on the Sensory, Color and Texture Attributes of Avocado ( Persea americana ) Puree Abstract The flash vacuum-expansion process (FVE) consists of two stages. In the first, the raw material is heated by a steam flow in a chamber at 101.325 kPa; in the second, the plant material passes into an expansion chamber (2 to 5 kPa), where the disintegration of the tissues occur. The puree obtained from the avocado pulp subjected to the first stage of the process was evaluated sensorial and instrumentally (T1), in the same way the puree obtained from fruits that were subjected to the whole process (T2) was evaluated, these were compared with avocado puree obtained by means of a food processor (control). The parameters shiny, avocado-like, luminosity, stretching and hue are more significant to describe the puree control, while boiled vegetable and homogeneity to describe T1; grainy texture, adhesiveness and fibrous are more significant to describe T2.

Single Varietal Dry Bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Pastas: Nutritional Profile and Consumer Acceptability Abstract Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a nutrient dense food rich in protein, dietary fiber, minerals, and folate. Consumption of dry beans is relatively low in the United States and this may be due in part to the lack of diversity in bean products beyond whole seeds. Products that incorporate beans in new forms, such as flours, offer the potential to increase dry bean utilization. In this study whole dry beans were milled into flour and used to make gluten free fresh pastas. Six bean varieties each from a different market class (white kidney, navy, otebo, cranberry, dark red kidney and black) were made into pasta. Their consumer appeal was compared to fresh wheat pasta and their nutritional value was compared to fresh wheat pasta and whole boiled beans. The dry bean pastas were nutritionally superior to wheat pasta with higher protein, ash, resistant starch and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) as well as lower total starch content. While consumers preferred the flavor, texture and appearance of the wheat pasta to the dry bean pasta, 36% of participants said they would definitely or probably purchase the dry bean pastas from the light colored beans. There was some loss of nutritional value of bean pasta vs. whole boiled beans but this can mostly be attributed to the bean pasta being 90% bean. These results suggest that single variety fresh dry bean pastas have commercial potential in the U.S. as healthy gluten free pasta options.

Fruit Physical Features, Phenolic Compounds Profile and Inhibition Activities of Cranberry Cultivars ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ) Compared to Wild-Grown Cranberry ( Vaccinium oxycoccus ) Abstract This study analysed fruits of cranberry cultivars: Ben Lear, Bergman, Early Richard, Pilgrim and Stevens and compared them with wild-grown cranberry fruits. The fruits were characterised in terms of dimensions, colour, content of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, and hydroxyl radical and trypsin inhibition activities. It was shown that the wild-grown cranberry fruits were characterised by much smaller dimensions and redder colour than fruits of the cranberry cultivars. The most phenolic compounds were found in the Early Richard fruits (357.6 mg/100 g fw), and they showed the highest antitrypsin activity. The highest anthocyanin content (60.6 mg/100 g fw) was determined in the Pilgrim fruits, while the Ben Lear fruits were the richest source of proanthocyanidins (27.9 mg/100 g fw). The antioxidant activity was correlated with the content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, while the antitrypsin activity was correlated with phenolic compounds and anthocyanin contents.