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Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 32210

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Dr. Alfio Spina

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Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria - Centro di Ricerca Cerealicoltura e Colture Industriali (CREA-CI), Acireale, Italy
Interests: cereal; pulse and industrial crops pathology and disease management strategies; diagnosis and tolerances/resistances to pathogenic fungi of durum and bread wheat genotypes; breeding for cereal and pulse resistance; postharvest management of durum and bread wheat
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Prof. Dr. Antonella Pasqualone

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Dipartimento Di Scienze Del Suolo, Della Pianta E Degli Alimenti (Di.S.S.P.A.), Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
Interests: cereal science and technology; enrichment of cereal-based foods; ethnic foods; food waste upcycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Plants will be publishing a Special Issue “Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products”.

In the recent decades, consumer expectations in the field of food production have changed considerably. Modern consumers are increasingly demanding food with a high qualitative standard which arises from the use of high-quality raw materials. Moreover, today, foods are not only intended to satisfy hunger and provide the needed nutrients but also to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve physical and mental wellbeing. In this regard, cereals, pseudocereals, and pulses, representing the most important agricultural products for human and animal nutrition worldwide, play an outstanding role. These crops and their products are important staple foods, providing essential nutrients and bioactive compounds, and can be easily functionalized. With regard to wheat, bread is an essential part of the diet throughout the world and is consumed daily, so it represents an ideal food to vehicle health-promoting substances. The other baked goods and pasta can also act as ideal functional foods. Today, advances in food science and technology have led to a wide range of strategies to produce cereals, pseudocereals, and pulse-based functional products.

Therefore, considering the high interest in quality assessment and development of functional foods from cereals, pseudocereals, and pulses as an emerging challenge for modern food industries, this Special Issue will cover a wide variety of related areas, with the aim of contributing to the overall knowledge of different quality aspects, such as physical–chemical, rheological, technological, microbiological, and sensorial aspects.

Dr. Alfio Spina
Prof. Dr. Antonella Pasqualone
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

soft and durum wheat
minor cereals
pseudocereals
pulses
physicochemical and sensory quality
rheology
microbiological characteristics
functional and nutraceutical foods
bread and other bakery products
pasta

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Related Special Issue

Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products, Volume II in Plants (5 articles)

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1075 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Durum Wheat Bread with a Potentially High Health Value through the Addition of Durum Wheat Thin Bran or Barley Flour

by Donatella Bianca Maria Ficco, Michele Canale, Virgilio Giannone, Maria Concetta Strano, Maria Allegra, Silvia Zingale and Alfio Spina

Plants 2023, 12(2), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020397 - 14 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2048

Abstract

The enrichment of semolina bread with prebiotic ingredients such as β-glucans may exert health-promoting effects. This work presents the results of a general recipe development aimed at improving the nutritional value of bakery products. In this study, increasing amounts (0%, 2%, 5%, 7%, and 10%) of thin bran or barley flour were added into re-milled durum wheat semolina to prepare breads. The technological quality of doughs and breads was investigated. In general, the Farinograph water absorption of flour and dough stability increased with increasing inclusion levels of barley flour or thin bran (up to 73.23% and 18.75 min, respectively), contrarily to the increase of dough development time only in barley inclusion (4.55 min). At the same time, the softening index decreased for almost all of these, except for 2% of thin bran or barley flour inclusion. At Mixograph, mixing time increased (up to 5.13 min) whilst the peak height decreased. The specific volume and hardness of loaf differently decreased for almost all thesis (ranges 12.6–24.0% and 39.4–45.5%, respectively). The other quality parameters remained unchanged compared with semolina bread. After baking, β-glucan levels increased differently at all the inclusion levels (2.35-fold, on average). The breadcrumb color was deep brown, while the crust became lighter in color. The breads contain β-glucans even at low percentages of barley/bran inclusions while maintaining their technological performance. In conclusion, the results show an interesting potential of barley flour or thin bran as ingredients in breadmaking to increase the β-glucans daily intake, but further investigations are needed to achieve improved quality features. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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15 pages, 1536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Waste from Artichoke Processing Industry: Reuse in Bread-Making and Evaluation of the Physico-Chemical Characteristics of the Final Product

by Michele Canale, Alfio Spina, Carmine Summo, Maria Concetta Strano, Michele Bizzini, Maria Allegra, Rosalia Sanfilippo, Margherita Amenta and Antonella Pasqualone

Plants 2022, 11(24), 3409; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243409 - 7 Dec 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2815

Abstract

A relevant amount of waste is produced in the canning industry of globe artichoke. This study proposes to use flours of artichoke waste (stems and bracts) in durum wheat bread-making, replacing the re-milled durum wheat semolina at increasing levels (5, 7.5 and 10 g/100 g). No study had evaluated this type of enrichment in durum wheat bread, widespread in the same area where artichoke waste is mostly produced. The replacement had a visible effect on the flour color, increasing a* and reducing b* and L*, and this was reflected in the color of bread crumb. The water absorption determined by farinography, dough development time and dough stability increased as the level of replacement increased (up to 71.2 g/100 g, 7.3 min and 18.4 min, respectively). The mixograph peak height and mixing time increased compared to control. The alveograph W decreased, while the P/L ratio increased. The artichoke waste-enriched breads had a lower volume (as low as 1.37 cm³/g) and were harder than control, but they did not show relevant moisture losses during five days of storage. The obtained data show therefore an interesting potential of artichoke waste flours in bread-making, but further investigations are needed for achieving improved quality features. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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19 pages, 2040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors (ATIs) in a Selection of Ancient and Modern Wheat: Effect of Genotype and Growing Environment on Inhibitory Activities

by Emanuela Simonetti, Sara Bosi, Lorenzo Negri and Giovanni Dinelli

Plants 2022, 11(23), 3268; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233268 - 28 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2275

Abstract

Wheat amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are a family of plant defense proteins with an important role in human health for their involvement in allergies, celiac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity. Information about the differences in ATI activities among wheat genotypes and the influence of the growing environment is scarce. Therefore, ten selected wheat accessions with different ploidy level and year of release, previously characterized for their ATI gene sequences, were grown during three consecutive crop years at two growing areas and used for in vitro ATI activities. The contributions of the genotype and the crop year were significant for both activities. The hexaploid wheat genotypes showed the highest inhibitory activities. Einkorn had a peculiar behavior showing the lowest alpha-amylase inhibitory activity, but the highest trypsin inhibitory activity. It was not possible to observe any trend in ATI activities as a function of the release year of the wheat samples. The two inhibitory activities were differently affected by the growing conditions and were negatively correlated with the protein content. This information can be important in understanding the extent of variation of ATI inhibitory properties in relation to the wheat genotype and the growing environment and the impact of ATIs, if any, on human health and nutrition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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12 pages, 2466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Protein Maps for Durum Wheat Precision Harvest and Pasta Production

by Giovanna Visioli, Marta Lauro, Francesco Morari, Matteo Longo, Andrea Bresciani, Maria Ambrogina Pagani, Alessandra Marti and Gabriella Pasini

Plants 2022, 11(22), 3149; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223149 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1827

Abstract

The quality traits of dough and dry pasta obtained from semolina (Triticum durum Desf. var. Biensur), harvested from a 13.6 ha field, subjected to variable-rate nitrogen (N) fertilization, were assessed to test site-specific pasta production for a short supply chain. Based on the grain quality spatial distribution, two distinct areas with protein content lower or higher than 13% were delineated and harvested selectively. The rheological properties of semolina samples obtained from those areas were evaluated. Furthermore, dry pasta was produced and characterized for its cooking behaviour and sensory characteristics. Semolina was demonstrated to have rheological characteristics (i.e., gluten aggregation time and energy, as evaluated by GlutoPeak test) positively related to the protein content as well as the related pasta, showing better cooking quality. These results are driven by the high amounts of gluten proteins, as well as by the glutenin/gliadin ratio, which are indicators of the technological quality of semolina. Overall, the results indicate that segregation of the grain with >13% of protein at harvest led to the production of semolina with a higher gluten protein content and a higher glutenin/gliadin ratio and, hence, to the production of pasta with better cooking quality. Therefore, site-specific pasta could be a potential asset for a short supply chain, aiming at improving traceability, as well as environmental and economic sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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14 pages, 293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional Facts and Health/Nutrition Claims of Commercial Plant-Based Infant Foods: Where Do We Stand?

by Nicola Gasparre, Marina Mefleh and Fatma Boukid

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2531; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192531 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2180

Abstract

One of the current drivers of the infant food market is the rising demand for vegan products, and thus accurate knowledge of their nutritional composition is required to guide parents and health professionals. Thus, this study aimed to assess the nutritional composition of commercial plant-based infant foods, in addition to analyzing their health/nutrition claims. A selection of infant products launched in the global market (2017–2021) were classified into eight types and each type was divided into vegan and vegetarian products. Based on the ingredients list, cereals, seeds, pseudocereals and/or pulses were the most used ingredients in the retrieved products. The nutritional composition of six out eight types varied significantly among vegan and vegetarian products. When protein, calcium and iron contents differed significantly, vegan products had the highest protein content in all categories, compared to those that were vegetarian. When significant differences were found in sugar content, vegan products have lower amounts in all categories, compared to vegetarian products. Health and nutrition claims were found mostly used in vegetarian products. Strategies to reduce added sodium and sugar, and saturated fatty acids is required to ensure a healthy diet for infants. This study also implies the importance of a complete labelling of infants’ foods, especially vegan products to help parents making a reasonable choice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

11 pages, 747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selected Physico-Chemical, Nutritional, Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of Wheat Bread Supplemented with Apple Pomace Powder as a By-Product from Juice Production

by Veronika Valková, Hana Ďúranová, Michaela Havrlentová, Eva Ivanišová, Ján Mezey, Zuzana Tóthová, Lucia Gabríny and Miroslava Kačániová

Plants 2022, 11(9), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091256 - 6 May 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3015

Abstract

The present article aimed to study the effects of four selected concentrations (1%, 2%, 5%, and 10%) of apple pomace powder (APP), obtained from juice production, on the nutritional value and selected physico-chemical, antioxidant, and sensory properties of wheat bread. We have found that the ash and total carbohydrate contents, total polyphenols content, and antioxidant activity of the supplemented bread loaves were markedly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to the control ones. On the other hand, values for protein and fat contents and loaf volume in APP-containing bread samples were statistically lower (p < 0.05). Finally, sensory evaluation revealed no significant differences in all tested attributes between the investigated groups of bread samples. The current results suggest that 10% APP addition appears to be an attractive ingredient applied to bread formulation to obtain a bakery product with high nutritional value and required qualitative and sensory properties. In such a manner, apple pomace as by-products from apple juice processing can be efficiently utilized in an eco-friendly way by the food industry to decrease unnecessary waste and environmental pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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10 pages, 259 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Complementarity of Amino Acids in Cooked Pulse/Cereal Blends and Effects on DIAAS

by Fei Han, Paul James Moughan, Juntao Li, Natascha Stroebinger and Shaojie Pang

Plants 2021, 10(10), 1999; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10101999 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2944

Abstract

The aim was to study the complementary effect between cereals and pulses on protein quality. The values for the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) in cooked cereals and pulses, given alone, and blends of cooked cereals and pulses, were determined. True ileal digestibility (TID) values of amino acids for adult humans were obtained. It is difficult to determine ileal amino acid digestibility in humans directly, and for this reason, the growing pig is often used to obtain such values, as a preferred animal model. Seven growing pigs fitted with a T-cannula at the terminal ileum were allotted to a 7 × 6 incomplete Latin square with seven semi-synthetic diets (cooked mung bean, adzuki bean, millet, adlay, mung bean + millet, adzuki bean + adlay, and an N-free diet) and six 7-day periods. The mean TID values for crude protein differed significantly (p < 0.05), with millet having the highest digestibility (89.4%) and the adzuki bean/adlay mixture having the lowest (79.5%). For lysine, adzuki bean had the highest TID (90%) and millet had the lowest (70%). For the mean of all the amino acids, there was a significant (p < 0.05) effect of diet, with the TID ranging from 72.4% for the adzuki bean/adlay mixture to 89.9% for the adzuki beans. For the older child, adolescent, and adult, the DIAAS (%) was 93 for mung beans, 78 for adzuki beans, 22 for millet, 16 for adlay, and 66 for mung beans + millet, and 51 for adzuki beans + adlay. For mung beans, valine was first-limiting, and the SAA for adzuki beans, while lysine was first-limiting for the other foods. Chinese traditional diets, containing both cereals and pulses, are complementary for most, but not all of the indispensable amino acids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

15 pages, 727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Diversity for Agronomic Traits and Phytochemical Compounds in Coloured Naked Barley Lines

by Anna Iannucci, Serafino Suriano and Pasquale Codianni

Plants 2021, 10(8), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081575 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2418

Abstract

Interest of breeders is increasing toward the development of new barley cultivars with functional properties and adapted for food uses. A barley breeding program was initiated to develop germplasm with naked and coloured grains rich in bioactive compounds In the present study, a set of 16 F8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the following four parental lines: 2005FG, K4-31, L94 and Priora, were evaluated in the experimental trials in Foggia (Italy) during the 2017–2019 growing seasons with the aims to assess the genetic variability for desired traits and identify superior genotypes. Lines were characterised for agronomic traits (earliness, plant height, seed yield, specific weight, 1000-seed weight) and biochemical compounds accumulation (phenolics, anthocyanins, flavonoids, carotenoids, β-glucans, proteins, antioxidant activity). A high heritability and selection response were observed for most of the biochemical compounds. The grain yield showed high significant positive genetic and phenotypic correlations (p < 0.05) with phenols and antioxidant activity. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into three groups. The barley RIL lines L1997, L3005, L3007 and L3009 were superior for more than four traits including seed yield and antioxidant compounds. These genotypes may serve as potential sources of nutraceuticals for healthy food and in breeding programs. In the present study, the new barley genotypes with naked and coloured grains have been selected without compromising their productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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Review

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37 pages, 5144 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Factors Affecting the Nutritional, Health, and Technological Quality of Durum Wheat for Pasta-Making: A Systematic Literature Review

by Silvia Zingale, Alfio Spina, Carlo Ingrao, Biagio Fallico, Giuseppe Timpanaro, Umberto Anastasi and Paolo Guarnaccia

Plants 2023, 12(3), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030530 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4344

Abstract

Durum wheat is one of the most important food sources in the world, playing a key role in human nutrition, as well as in the economy of the different countries in which its production areas are concentrated. Its grain also represents a staple and highly versatile ingredient in the development of health foods. Nonetheless, the aspects determining durum wheat’s health quality and their interactions are many, complex, and not entirely known. Therefore, the present systematic literature review aims at advancing the understanding of the relationships among nutritional, health, and technological properties of durum wheat grain, semolina, and pasta, by evaluating the factors that, either positively or negatively, can affect the quality of the products. Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched utilising sets of keywords following the PRISMA guidelines, and the relevant results of the definitive 154 eligible studies were presented and discussed. Thus, the review identified the most promising strategies to improve durum wheat quality and highlighted the importance of adopting multidisciplinary approaches for such purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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22 pages, 1118 KiB

Open AccessReview

Buckwheat and Amaranth as Raw Materials for Brewing, a Review

by Adriana Dabija, Marius Eduard Ciocan, Ancuța Chetrariu and Georgiana Gabriela Codină

Plants 2022, 11(6), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060756 - 12 Mar 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6310

Abstract

Globally, beer is considered the most-consumed low-alcohol beverage, it ranks third, after water and tea, in the top sales of these drinks. New types of beer are the result of the influence of several factors, including innovations in science and technology, changing requirements for food consumption of the population, competition between producers, promotion of food for health, flavor, and quality, the limited nature of traditional food resource raw materials, and the interest of producers in reducing production costs. Manufacturers are looking for new solutions for obtaining products that meet the requirements of consumers, authentic products of superior quality, with distinctive taste and aroma. This review proposes the use of two pseudocereals as raw materials in the manufacture of beer: buckwheat and amaranth, focusing on the characteristics that recommend them in this regard. Due to their functional and nutraceutical properties, these pseudocereals can improve the quality of beer—a finished product. Additionally, all types of beer obtained from these pseudocereals are recommended for diets with particular nutritional requirements, especially gluten-free diets. Researchers and producers will continue to improve and optimize the sensory and technological properties of the new types of beer obtained from these pseudocereals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality Evaluation and Functional Food Development of Cereals, Pseudocereals and Pulse Products)

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