Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd.) as a source of dietary fiber and other functional components

Four varieties of an Andean indigenous crop, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), were evaluated as a source of dietary fiber, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. The crops were processed by extrusion-cooking and the final products were analyzed to determine the dietary fiber, total polyphenols, radical scavenging activity, and in vitro digestibility of starch and protein. There were no significant differences in the contents of total dietary fiber between varieties of quinoa. In all cases, the contents of total and insoluble dietary fiber decreased during the extrusion process. At the same time, the content of soluble dietary fiber increased. The content of total phenolic compounds and the radical scavenging activity increased during the extrusion process in the case of all 4 varieties. There were significant differences between the varieties and the content of total polyphenols. The in vitro protein digestibility of quinoa varieties was between 76.3 and 80.5% and the in vitro starch digestibility was between 65.1 and 68.7%. Our study demonstrates that quinoa can be considered a good source of dietary fiber, polyphenols and other antioxidant compounds and that extrusion improves the nutritional value.

Some functional characteristics of extruded blends of fiber from sugarcane bagasse, whey protein concentrate, and corn starch

Blends of fiber from sugar cane bagasse, corn starch, and whey protein concentrate were extruded. A single screw extruder, equipped with a screw at a constant compression ratio of 1:1 and a die diameter of 3 mm, was used. The best processing conditions were determined according to a central composite rotatable design (α = 1.41) with 5 central points, which gives a total of 13 tests. During the extrusion process the content of insoluble fiber decreased and that of soluble fiber increased. An increase in the contents of fiber and in the barrel temperature resulted in a decrease in the expansion index values and an increase in the water absorption index values; whereas in blends with intermediate fiber contents the effects in these parameters were found to be the opposite. High fiber contents increased penetration force but decreased luminosity, water solubility index values and the adhesive force in gels. The extrusion process improved the functional properties of sugarcane fiber bagasse enabling its addition to diverse alimentary systems.

The use of cashew apple residue as source of fiber in low fat hamburgers

The main purpose of this study was to produce hamburgers with partial substitution of the meat with cashew apple residue powder. The powder residue was obtained after the extraction of the pulp and dehydration in stove with air circulation. Three formulations of hamburgers with increasing concentration of the residue as well as a control sample were prepared. The formulated products with cashew apple residue powder presented lower humidity and proteins and 35% lipid reduction. However, there was an increase in carbohydrates and pH with the addition of the powder from the cashew apple residue. Some formulations showed an improvement of the final product yield. The total dietary fiber value was between 0 and 7.66%, with higher content of insoluble dietary fiber. The addition of up to 10.70% of the residue did not cause significant sensory changes in the flavor of the samples. The production of hamburgers with a partial substitution of cow meat with the cashew apple residue could be a feasible option since it resulted in product with high nutritional quality that is rich or have high dietary fiber content and is low in fat.

Evaluation of iron bioavailability in a mixture of cereals, seeds, and grains ("Human Ration")

Iron bioavailability was evaluated in three mixtures of cereals, seeds, and grains ("Human Ration"): light, regular, and homemade provided to rats. The animals received an iron depletion diet for 21 days, followed by a repletion diet containing 12 mg·kg-1 of iron for 14 days. The hemoglobin regeneration efficiency and the relative biological value did not differ between the light mixture and control group. The iron bioavailability of the light mixture of cereals, seeds, and grains and the control group were 99.99±27.62 and 80.02±36.63, respectively, while the regular and homemade mixtures of cereals, seeds, and grains showed lower iron bioavailability, 50.12±35.53 and 66.66±15.44, respectively; the iron content of the diet with light cereal mixture light was statistically similar to that of the control (ferrous sulfate 99.99±27.62). The high content of tannin (202.81±19.53 mg·100-1) in the diet with the regular cereal mixture may have contributed to its low iron bioavailability. The higher intake of soluble fiber by the animals fed the light mixture (21.15±0.92 g) was moderately correlated (r=0.5712, p=0.0018) with the concentration of propionate in the caecal bulk (65.49±11.08 µmol/g). The short chain fatty acids produced by soluble fiber fermentation, associated with the low-content of tannin may have improved iron solubility and absorption in the light cereal mixture diet. The iron bioavailability in the light mixture of cereals, seeds, and grains was similar to that of ferrous sulfate.

The production of Pleurotus sajor-caju in peach palm leaves (Bactris gasipaes) and evaluation of its use to enrich wheat flour

The aim of this study was to evaluate of Pleurotus sajor-caju production in peach palm leaves and the addition of different fractions of mushroom powder to wheat flour to increase its nutritional value without changing its characteristics. The best yield (48.4%), biologic efficiency (4.5%), and Pr (0.36 g/day) values were obtained using 20% inoculum fraction and 10% rice bran fraction. The Pleurotus sajor-caju fruiting body cultivated under these conditions had the following composition in 100 g: 29.91 g (carbohydrates), 42.92 g (proteins), 1.24 g (lipids), 15.93 g (fibers), 7.42 g (ashes), 1.6 g (phosphorus), 2.7 g (potassium), 8.73 mg (iron), 23.75 mg (sodium), 0.34 mg (thiamine), and 0.57 mg (riboflavin). The wheat flour with mushroom powder had reduced sugar content, but it did not have increased fat content. The fiber, protein, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and riboflavin contents were increased mainly when 10% mushroom powder was added to the wheat flour. Furthermore, this flour does not undergo drastic alterations in its physicochemical characteristics such as in moisture, wet gluten, color, and falling number.

Modified atmosphere efficiency in the quality maintenance of Eva apples

Modified atmosphere is a method of food preservation that provides increased lifetime, decreases deterioration losses, and facilitates marketing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different plastic films in modifying the atmosphere around Eva apples to assure quality maintenance during postharvest storage. The fruits were cleaned and separated into three treatment groups: polypropylene, low density polyethylene, and high density polyethylene packing with a total of 5 fruits per package for each evaluation period. A group of control apples was not submitted to atmospheric modification. After the treatment, all fruits were stored at 0.5±0.5°C (cold storage) for up to 225 days. The analyses were performed at 45, 135, and 225 days after cold storage. Respiration, ethylene production, firmness, mass loss, total pectin, soluble pectin, soluble solids, total acidity, and epidermis background color of each treatment group were evaluated. The high density polyethylene film treatment did not show a decrease in ethylene production during storage and allowed the fruits to maintain a greater firmness and smaller percentage of mass loss during the study period. Moreover, the storage of the Eva apple cultivar under modified atmosphere allowed the preservation of quality for up to seven months.

Orange fiber as a novel fat replacer in lemon ice cream

Orange fiber was used as a novel fat replacer in light lemon ice cream. Nine ice cream formulations were compared: standard control ice cream (IC); ice cream with fiber (F1) from the peel, bagasse, and orange seed (ICA and ICB); ice cream with fiber (F2) from the orange peel alone (ICC and ICD); ice cream with fiber (F3) from the peel, bagasse, and orange seed pretreated with hydro-distillation (ICE and ICF); and ice cream with fiber (F4) from the orange peel pretreated with hydro-distillation (ICG and ICH).The orange fiber reduced the ice cream fat content (50 %) and the overrun ratio and increased the fiber content and the hardness, gumminess, and springiness values, but it did not affect the adhesiveness and odor of the samples. The samples with 1.0 % of orange fiber showed low melting rate values than those of the control ice cream. The overall acceptance of the ice cream with 1.0 % of pre-treated orange peel fiber did not differ from that of the control ice cream (80 %). The orange fiber proved a promising food ingredient since it can be used to decrease the fat content and increase bioactive compounds content, such as fiber and carotenoids.

Effect of the addition of wheat fiber and partial pork back fat on the chemical composition, texture and sensory property of low-fat bologna sausage containing inulin and oat fiber

The objective of this work was to study the effect of adding wheat fiber and partial pork back fat on the quality characteristics of bologna sausage. The compound central rotating design was used with treatments containing fixed levels of inulin (5%) and oat fiber (1%) and variable levels of wheat fiber (0-4%) and pork back fat (0-10%). The pH and protein were similar in all the treatments, the fat was lower than the control treatment and the moisture content was higher than the control treatment (CF) without fibers. The wheat fiber increased the hardness and reduced cohesiveness and scores were given for overall impression. We found that it was possible to prepare low-fat bologna sausage with the addition of 6.58% fiber (5% inulin, 1% oat fiber and 0.58% wheat fiber), whilst retaining good sensory acceptability, thus reducing the pork back fat levels by between 25 and 42.75%.

Effects of orange by-product fiber incorporation on the functional and technological properties of pasta

AbstractThe incorporation of fiber into products consumed every day by the general population is important and viable. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the impact of incorporating orange juice industry dietary fiber byproducts in fettuccini of fresh pasta. Three different fiber concentrations were added to fresh pastas (25 g/kg, 50 g/kg and 75 g/kg). The results showed a significant increase in solid loss content when the incorporation of orange fiber was greater than 50 g/kg. This difference did not occur regarding weight increase values and color parameters. The pasta with 75 g/kg orange fiber can be considered a “high fiber” product, with the total dietary fiber content of the pasta increasing by 99% compared to control pasta. The carotenoid and phenolic contents of pasta increased significantly with the incorporation of fiber at 75 g/kg, but only the pasta formulation with 25 g/kg of orange fiber did not differ from control pasta in relation to all of the sensory attributes and presented an acceptance greater than 75%. The addition of orange fiber byproducts to pastas is an interesting alternative because fiber has a high nutritional value and an abundance of antioxidants.

Automated static image analysis as a novel tool in describing the physical properties of dietary fiber

Abstract The growing interest in the usage of dietary fiber in food has caused the need to provide precise tools for describing its physical properties. This research examined two dietary fibers from oats and beets, respectively, in variable particle sizes. The application of automated static image analysis for describing the hydration properties and particle size distribution of dietary fiber was analyzed. Conventional tests for water holding capacity (WHC) were conducted. The particles were measured at two points: dry and after water soaking. The most significant water holding capacity (7.00 g water/g solid) was achieved by the smaller sized oat fiber. Conversely, the water holding capacity was highest (4.20 g water/g solid) in larger sized beet fiber. There was evidence for water absorption increasing with a decrease in particle size in regards to the same fiber source. Very strong correlations were drawn between particle shape parameters, such as fiber length, straightness, width and hydration properties measured conventionally. The regression analysis provided the opportunity to estimate whether the automated static image analysis method could be an efficient tool in describing the hydration properties of dietary fiber. The application of the method was validated using mathematical model which was verified in comparison to conventional WHC measurement results.

Energy efficiency and moisture diffusivity of apple slices during convective drying

Abstract The present study aimed at investigating the influences of drying air temperature and flow rate on energy parameters and dehydration behaviour of apple slices. For this purpose, apple slices were dried in a convective dryer at air temperatures of 50, 60 and 70 °C, and air velocities of 1, 1.5 and 2 m s–1. Dehydration rate increased as the air temperature and flow rate increased from 50 to 70 °C and 1 to 2 m s–1, respectively. The effective moisture diffusivity was determined to be in the range of 6.75×10–10-1.28×10–9 m2 s–1. Results of data analysis showed that the maximum energy consumption (23.94 kW h) belonged to 50 °C and 2 m s–1 and the minimum (13.89 kW h) belonged to 70 °C and 1 m s–1 treatment. Energy efficiency values were in the range of 2.87-9.11%. Moreover, the results indicated that any increment in the air temperature increases thermal and drying efficiencies while any increment in the air flow rate decreases both of them.

Effect of dietary fiber on the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds of mango, papaya and pineapple fruits by an in vitro digestion model

The presence of dietary fiber (DF) in the food matrix of some tropical fruits plays an important role in the release and absorption of its bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds (PCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the DF fractions in mango cv. ‘Ataulfo’, papaya cv. ‘Maradol’ and pineapple cv. ‘Esmeralda’, on the bioaccessibility of their PCs and antioxidant capacity (AOXC) under an in vitro digestion model. The highest PCs content and AOXC was found in mango (274.30 mg GAE/100 g FW), followed by papaya (212 mg GAE//100 g FW), and pineapple (107.63 mg GAE/100 g FW), respectively. About 50% of the total PCs in all fruits was released at gastric phase, increasing closer to 60% at intestinal phase in mango and pineapple. However, the highest content of PCs associated to DF was found in mango (2.48 mg GAE/100 g FW) compared with papaya DF fractions (0.96 GAE/100 g FW) and pineapple (0.52 GAE/100 g FW). The presence of DF in mango, papaya and pineapple did not represent a major limitation on the bioaccessibility of its PCs according to the in vitro digestion model used in this study.

Survey of trace element and dietetic fiber composition of “Leblebi” which is a local snack food consumed in Turkey

Abstract In Turkey and several Middle East countries' people consume “leblebi” which is a traditional snack food made from chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.). Chickpea products are highly nutritive and a cheap food for human consumption and have become an essential part of daily diets in the world. The present study aims to determine the chemical, nutritional and dietary composition of fifty leblebi samples marketed in Turkey. Protein values of the leblebi ranged from 19.4 to 23.9% dehulled and 20.3 to 20.8% for nondehulled leblebi while a value of 19.1% was recorded for chickpeas. Mineral results showed that Potassium (K) was the most abundant element in leblebi ranging from 6514 to 14431 mg/kg. The amount of dietary components neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and cellulose did not vary much between the samples analyzed.

Efficiency of methods to detect Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in commercial soybean seed lots

Most soybean pathogens are seed transmitted, deserving emphasis the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which has been presenting worrying levels of field incidence in some soybean cropping areas in several Brazilian states. The objective of this study was to verify the efficiency of different methods for detecting S. sclerotiorum on soybean seeds artificially infected in the laboratory and from field production areas with a historical disease incidence. Seed samples of seven different cultivars collected from naturally infested fields, and one seed sample artificially inoculated in the laboratory were used. The following detection methods recommended in the literature were compared: Blotter test at 7 ºC, 14 ºC, and 21 ºC; Rolled Paper; and Neon-S. Results demonstrated that these methods showed no repeatability and had a low sensitivity for detecting the pathogen in seeds from areas with disease incidence. They were effective, however, for its detection on artificially inoculated seeds. In the Blotter test method at 7 ºC, there was a lower incidence of other fungi considered undesirable during seed analysis.