Antioxidant capacity,phenolic compound content and sensory properties of cookies produced from organic grape peel (Vitis labrusca) flour

The by-products of the food industry can be used as nutrient source to improve the nutritional characteristics of other food products. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant activity and phenolic compound content of organic grape peel flour in cookies using response surface methodology. Composition analysis using different assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, ORAC) revealed that this flour was low in calories (180.22 ± 0.25 kcal%), with low dietary fibre content (50.10 ± 0.01 g%) and high antioxidant capacity. The total phenolic compound analysis showed high values of phenolic compounds (1063.58 ± 8.09 mg%), consisting of resveratrol (54.27 ± 0.79 mg%), epicatechin (43.94 ± 0.90 mg%) and chlorogenic acid (35.70 ± 1.47 mg%). A 2³ factorial experimental design was formulated to optimise the ingredients for cookie production. The resulting cookies presented high acceptance and good sensory properties, confirming that organic grape flour did not interfere with product acceptability. Thus, cookies with an acceptable quality and improved nutrition can be prepared using organic grape peel flour.     

Effect of whole amaranth flour on bread properties and nutritive value

This study investigated the effect of replacing wheat flour by whole Amaranthus cruentus flour (up to 40 g/100 g) to evaluate its potential utility as a nutritious breadmaking ingredient. The incorporation of amaranth flour significantly increased protein, lipid, ash, dietary fibre and mineral contents. Breads with amaranth have significantly higher amounts of phytates and lower myo-inositol phosphates, which could predict low mineral bioavailability at high levels of substitution (30–40 g/100 g). An increase in crumb hardness and elasticity was observed, and tristimulus colour values were significantly affected when the amaranth concentration was raised. Mineral contents, both micro- and macroelements, were increased significantly by the wheat flour substitution. Whole amaranth flour could be used as a partial replacement for wheat flour in bread formulations, increasing the product’s nutritional value and raising dietary fibre, mineral and protein levels, with a significant slight depreciation in bread quality when used in proportions between 10 and 20 g/100 g. Thus, the inclusion of amaranth flour could be limited to a maximum proportion of 20 g/100 g, thereby maintaining both product quality as well as the nutritional benefit of this ingredient.     

Precooked sorghum flour as proper vehicle of ACE-I and DPP-IV inhibitory sorghum peptides

Sorghum flour was heat treated for producing an instant dispersion ingredient. The precooked sorghum flour was added with ACE-I and DPP-IV inhibitory sorghum peptides (3.0 g peptide 100 g⁻¹). The product was reconstituted in water, and peptide bioaccessibility was evaluated by equilibrium dialysis method after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Total peptide dialysability of precooked sorghum flour added with sorghum peptides was higher than those obtained for precooked sorghum flour (315.9 ± 14.8 vs. 45.2 ± 5.6 µmol, respectively) (P < 0.05). The ACE-I and DPP-IV-IC₅₀ values of the bioaccessible peptides from the bioactive product were lower than those obtained for precooked sorghum flour ingredient (1.04 ± 0.12 vs. 1.82 ± 0.09 and 0.86 ± 0.02 vs. 2.12 ± 0.08 mg protein mL⁻¹, for ACE-I and DPP-IV, respectively) indicating a higher activity. Precooked sorghum flour was a good vehicle since it did not affect the bioaccessibility of ACE-I and DPP-IV inhibitory peptides provided by sorghum protein hydrolysate.     

Cookie making behavior of wheat–barley flour blends and effects on antioxidant properties

Refined wheat flour was replaced with whole barley flour at varying levels and the blends were evaluated for their cookie making behavior. The spread factor of cookies decreased as the proportion of barley flour increased while snap force and water activity increased significantly upto 114.7 N and 0.397 in only barley flour cookies. Increasing levels of barley flour lead to a significant decrease in L^∗ and b^∗ values of cookie dough. Peak viscosity (PV) and final viscosity (FV) increased significantly as the levels of barley flour increased. A significant increase in antioxidant activity (AOA), total phenolic content (TPC), metal chelating activity (MCA), reducing power (RP) and total flavonoid content (TFC) was observed as the proportion of barley flour increased. Baking lead to a significant decrease in TPC and TFC whereas AOA, MCA and RP increased. Baking lead to a significant increase in the non-enzymatic browning index of cookies.     

Gluten-free cookies added with fibre and bioactive compounds from blackcurrant residue

A blackcurrant by-product of juice production was dehydrated and added to a gluten-free chocolate cookies formulation as a source of dietary fibre and antioxidants. The blackcurrant ingredient showed high bioactive compounds content: total phenolics (TPC) = 37.5 ± 0.9 mg GAE per g d.b., total monomeric anthocyanins = 18.0 ± 0.4 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside per g d.b., antioxidant activity (AA) = 22.1 ± 0.3 mg GAE per g d.b. and total dietary fibre (TDF) = 32.3 ± 0.4% d.b. The cookie formulation was added with 3.75% blackcurrant powder without causing severe organoleptic changes. The cookies presented 62% and 70% increase of TPC and AA, respectively. The in vitro digestion showed that a relevant level of AA could reach the large intestine. Also, the TDF increased 2.5 times, reaching a final content that would enable the use of the claim 'source of dietary fibre' in the labelling according to the Codex Alimentarius. The obtained cookies showed a high level of acceptance among coeliac and non-coeliac consumers in the sensory analysis.     

Mitigating effect of amaranth (Amarantus hypochondriacus) protein on acrylamide formation in foods

The effect of addition of amaranth flour and amaranth protein isolate to both a glucose/asparagine model system and real foods (cookies, fried tortilla chips, and baked tortilla chips) was studied to analyse the acrylamide mitigating potential of this underexploited plant with attractive nutraceutical properties. Addition of amaranth flour, with a relatively low protein content (16.45%), did not mitigate acrylamide in either the model system or the studied foods. On the contrary, addition of amaranth protein isolate decreased acrylamide content by 35–40% in the model system, 89% in cookies, 51% in fried tortilla chips, and 62% in baked tortilla chips. This acrylamide reduction was obtained without change in the colour or the texture of the cookies. On the contrary, colour remained unchanged in tortilla chips, but the addition of amaranth protein isolate increased the hardness (16–36%) of the produced tortillas. Although a much more detailed sensory evaluation of cookies and tortilla chips prepared using amaranth protein isolate is needed, the above results suggest that the use of amaranth protein may be an interesting way to both mitigate acrylamide formation and improve nutritional properties of foods.     

Pretreatment eliminates throat irritation by water yam and facilitates the development of functional cookies

Water yam (Dioscoreaalata) provides sufficient nutrients in terms of protein (10.075 ± 0.02%), fibre (3.40 ± 0.03%) and minerals (potassium and phosphorous). However, due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors such as saponins, water yam causes throat irritation. Consequently, it is less preferred among consumers, and thus, the commercial importance of yam tubers has been limited. The current investigation aims to reduce the saponin content of water yam by pretreatment of yam tubers at the optimised conditions (blanching with 0.2% potassium metabisulphite, 0.5% tartaric acid and 0.5% citric acid) that rendered a 50% reduction in the saponin content (1.65% to 0.86%). The said nutritious yam flour was utilised as a replacement of refined wheat flour (13%) in the development of functional cookies. The yam cookies showed higher mineral content (phosphorous: 116.20 ± 0.80 mg/100 g; potassium: 221.11 ± 0.98 mg/100 g). Reduced water activity and incorporation of antioxidants in yam cookies decreased the peroxide value of the same during storage attesting its higher shelf-life.     

Effect of incorporation of amaranth flour on the quality of cookies

Studies were carried out on composite flour cookies by incorporating amaranth seed (Amaranthus gangeticus) flour, which is rich in protein at 0–35% levels, showed a small reduction in water absorption capacity from 58.0 to 56.5%, a considerable reduction in Farinograph stability from 3.0 to 1.5 min and increase in the mixing tolerance index from 40 to 120 BU of the dough. The pasting characteristics of the blends using rapid visco analyser (RVA) showed a reduction in peak viscosity, cold paste viscosity as well as break down viscosity from 261 to 192, 204 to 153 and 151 to 108 RVU, respectively. Incorporation of amaranth flour improved the colour of the cookies from pale cream to golden brown. The cookies became crispier which is evident from the reduction in the breaking strength value from 6.2 to 4.02 kg. Considering the colour, taste, flavour, surface appearance of the cookies, 25% incorporation of amaranth flour was found to be optimum. By the addition of glycerol mono stearate (GMS) and soy lecithin in combination at 0.5% level, the quality of the cookies further improved.     

Physicochemical, functional and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory properties of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) 7S globulin

BACKGROUND: Amaranth 7S globulin is a minor globulin component and its impact on the properties of an amaranth protein ingredient depends on its proportion in the variety of amaranth being considered. Some physicochemical, functional and angiotesin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory properties of amaranth vicilin were studied in this work and compared with the 11S globulin. RESULTS: Fluorescence spectroscopy results indicated that 7S globulin tryptophans were more exposed to the solvent and, by calorimetry, the 7S globulin denaturation temperature (T_d) was found lower than the 11S globulin T_d, suggesting a more flexible structure. The 7S globulin surface hydrophobicity was higher than that of the 11S globulin, which is in agreement with the better emulsifying properties of the 7S globulin. The solubility in neutral buffer of the 7S globulin (851 ± 25 g kg^?1) was also higher than that of the 11S globulin (195 ± 6 g kg^?1). Bioinformatic analyses showed the presence of ACE inhibitory peptides encrypted in 7S tryptic sequences and peptides released after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion showed a high ACE‐inhibitory capacity (IC₅₀ = 0.17 g L^?1), similar to that of 11S globulin peptides. CONCLUSION: Compared with the 11S globulin, the 7S globulin presents similar ACE inhibitory activity and some functional advantages, better solubility and emulsifying activity, which suits some food requirements. The functional behavior has been related with the structural properties. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Amaranth Sprouts: A Potential Health Promoting and Nutritive Natural Food

Amaranth sprouts are an edible food with good nutritional qualities and potential biological activities of their proteins. The chemical composition, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of the sprouts were determined. Sprouts showed a protein content similar to the seeds’ on a dry basis (16%) and a high fiber content (17%). Amaranth sprout proteins presented a capacity to inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme activity similar to other plant proteins (IC₅₀ = 0.9 ± 0.6 mg/mL). This capacity increased after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (IC₅₀ = 0.26 ± 0.07 mg/mL). Besides other non protein molecules, the amaranth sprout proteins also presented ABTS^+. scavenging activity (TEAC = 0.32 ± 0.05 μmol/mg) that increased after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (TEAC = 0.72 ± 0.08 μmol/mg) and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity. According to these results amaranth sprouts are a nutritive food with potential health promoting properties.     

The effect of in vitro gastrointestinal simulation on bioactivities of kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage and known to have positive effects on gut microbial diversity and human health. In this study, digested and undigested kefir samples were compared for changes in their antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Results showed that the amount of total phenolic substances, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) activity, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) activity increased from 43.76 ± 0.005 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/L, 4.20 ± 0.55%, and 9.91 ± 3.90% in undigested kefir to 668.16 ± 3.332 mg GAE/L, 63.06 ± 0.64%, and 98.88 ± 0.42% in digested kefir, respectively. While the dipeptidyl peptidase IV-inhibitory (DPPIV-I) activity of undigested kefir increased by 19.11 ± 7.35% after digestion, the optical density of the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) decreased from 1.188 ± 0.05 to 0.278 ± 0.009, and the protein amount decreased from 101.4 mg L⁻¹ to 12.42 mg L⁻¹ in digested kefir. No antimicrobial effect was observed in undigested kefir, whereas, digested kefir samples were active, but only against Escherichia coli. These results show that the gastrointestinal digestion processes of kefir generally increase the number of bioactive molecules, and the digestion process must be taken into account to determine the biological capability of foods.     

Phytochemical composition,cellular antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity in mango (Mangifera indica L.) pulp and peel

Cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and inhibition of hepato‐cellular carcinoma (HepG2) proliferation were evaluated for the first time in the pulp and peel of mango cultivars. Comparatively, peel had high flavonoids and tocopherols content and showed significant antioxidant activity. Among all the studied cultivars, the Xiao Tainong peel was predominant with highest fistein, mangiferin and alpha‐tocopherol content and significant cellular antioxidant activity value 2986 ± 380 μmol QE/100 g FW. The HepG2 cells antiproliferation was maximum in the peel of Da Tainong and pulp of Aozhou with lowest EC₅₀ values, 2.35 ± 0.65 (peel) and 185.4 ± 10.9 (pulp) mg mL^?1, in a dose‐dependent manner. Negative associations of flavonoids and tocopherol compounds with CAA and antiproliferative activity in mango confirmed synergistic, additive or antagonistic actions of phytochemicals. The current study suggests that mango peel could be used as a value added ingredient or functional food and may contribute considerably to promote consumer health.     

Effects of Soy and Corn Flour Addition on Batter Rheology and Quality of Deep Fat-Fried Shrimp Nuggets

In this paper, the effects of soy and corn flour (5 and 10% w/w) addition to the batter formulation on the quality of deep fat-fried shrimp nuggets were evaluated. Rheological properties of batters, coating pick-up, moisture content, and oil content of the samples were determined. Shrimp nuggets were fried at 150 °C, 170 °C, 190 °C, for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min. The coating pick-up, oil and moisture content were found to be directly proportional to batter viscosity. All batters were found to show shear thinning behavior by exhibiting flow behavior index ≤ 1. The batters were modeled as power law fluids. Batter formulation, frying time, and temperature significantly (p < 0.01) affected moisture and oil content of shrimp nuggets. Soy flour added batters provided the highest consistency index, 7.595 and 10.635 Pa.sⁿ for 5% and 10% soy flour added, respectively. Soy flour was found to be an effective ingredient in decreasing oil content of fried nuggets. Batters containing 5% corn flour showed the lowest moisture content and the highest oil content among all the formulations. The mean moisture and fat content of shrimp nuggets coated with batter contained 10% soy and 5% corn flour, fried at 190 °C, for 5 min were 0.59 ± 0.022, 0.480 ± 0.029 and 0.149 ± 0.035, 0.346 ± 0.024 (g/g db), respectively.     

Designing gluten-free,anthocyanins-enriched cookies on scientific basis

The essential treatment of the coeliac disease is a strict lifelong gluten-free diet based on the avoidance of gluten, thus requiring new perspectives for identifying technological and functional alternatives for gluten-free products, with similar functionality and efficiency. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the potential of purple corn flour (PCF) as a functional and technological alternative to design new gluten-free, anthocyanins-enriched cookies. The PCF was characterised in terms of phytochemical and antioxidant activity, yielding an extract with a total anthocyanin content of 14.94 ± 0.68 mg cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) per g dry weight (DW). The results of the thermo-mechanical tests indicated that composite flour consisting of rice flour (RF, 75%) and PCF (25%) is suitable for obtaining gluten-free cookies. Tests showed increased anthocyanin content in cookies with 75% addition of PCF, up to 6.99 ± 0.20 mg C3G per 100 g DW, yielding an antioxidant activity of 18.46 ± 0.18 mm Trolox equivalents per g DW. The ELISA test confirmed the absence of prolamins recognised by the monoclonal antibody R5. The sensory analysis revealed that the substitution of RF with PCF had no significant influence on overall acceptability. The results of the shelf-life tests performed on the cookies showed slight variation in phytochemicals in both variants, influencing the antioxidant activity. The obtained results may bring potential benefits to people on restricted diets and coeliac consumers, which can benefit from a contribution of bioactives, with significant health benefits.     

Physical and sensory characteristics of cookies prepared with flaxseed flour

BACKGROUND: Flaxseed has many health benefits and is considered a functional food ingredient. Flaxseed flour (0–18%) was used to partially replace wheat flour in cookies and its effects on the physical and sensory characteristics of the cookies were investigated. A correlation analysis was conducted between the instrumental and sensory data. RESULTS: The cookie dough stickiness significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in relation to higher percentages of flaxseed flour. The 18% flaxseed cookies had the firmest texture, darkest color and lowest water activity. The 18% flaxseed cookies had the greatest spread ratio. However, this resulted in cookies of unacceptable quality properties. In consumer acceptance tests, cookies made with 6% and 12% flaxseed flour had the highest rating among all sensory attributes, while the 18% flaxseed cookies had the lowest sensory scores. The flavor attribute was most highly correlated with the overall acceptability (r = 0.90). CONCLUSION: Results indicated that flaxseed flour can be incorporated in cookies as a partial replacement up to 12% of wheat flour without negatively affecting the physical and sensory quality. The correlation results suggest that the flaxseed flavor attributes best predict consumer preference for overall acceptability, though texture and color attributes also contribute. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synergism between lipoxygenase‐active soybean flour and ascorbic acid on rheological and sensory properties of wheat bread

BACKGROUND: The interaction between lipoxygenase‐active soybean flour (LOX) and ascorbic acid (AA), on colour, rheological and sensory properties of wheat bread was studied with the aim of reducing the applied quantity of additives in bread formulations. RESULTS: The ascorbic acid (0–500 ppm) and active soybean flour (0–1%) mixture improved bread‐crumb colour by lowering the yellow hue in a higher proportion than those expressed by the components alone, characterising a synergistic mechanism (?_b = 15.1? (1.7 × LOX) ? (0.5 × AA) ? (5.8 × LOX × AA), where ?_b represent the estimated value for the yellow hue parameter). No differences in flavour and porosity were seen between the samples. As supported by the instrumental methods, breads made with active soybean flour and ascorbic acid (LOX + AA) had whiter crumbs and were softer and springier than controls as assessed by a trained sensory panel. In summary, the combination of both active soybean flour and ascorbic acid showed synergism, promoting a greater bleaching effect than when used alone. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the potential use of active soybean flour as a synergistic ingredient in the substitution of artificial additives in bread making. Since the interaction on the bleaching response was not linear and active soybean flour showed a higher iron concentration (66.40 ± 4.23 µg g^?1) than non‐active soybean flour (52.30 ± 0.40 µg g^?1), more studies are warranted to establish the biochemical mechanisms involved in this interaction. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of Brazilian hop (Humulus lupulus L.) extracts

Bioactive compounds from Brazilian hop (Humulus lupulus L.) cultivars were extracted by ultrasound and their phenolic profile compared with commercial hop from the USA. The most effective extraction conditions (solution of ethanol 49%, at 52 °C and a solid/liquid ratio of 1 g per 34 mL) for the total phenolic compounds (TPC) were determined using a Central Composite Rotatable Design. The Brazilian hop showed higher content of TPC (33.93 ± 0.67 mg GAE g⁻¹), total flavonoids (54.47 ± 0.10 mg QE g⁻¹) and higher antioxidant activity (ABTS: EC₅₀ 21.29 ± 1.36 μL mL⁻¹; DPPH: EC₅₀ 3.91 ± 0.17 μL mL⁻¹) when compared with the USA hop. The main phenolic compounds present in the extracts were the flavonoids isoquercitrin and quercetin. The antioxidant properties of the Brazilian hop extract had not been reported yet in the literature for this raw material, thus showing potential to be incorporated in polymeric films used as active packaging.     

Environment,food residue,and dry cleaning tool all influence the removal of food powders and allergenic residues from stainless steel surfaces

The aim of this study was to investigate how the properties of powered food (particle size and chemical composition), food contact surface (surface roughness), and the environment (ambient relative humidity) impact the efficacy of brushing and scraping in removing wheat flour and non-fat dry milk (NFDM) from stainless steel coupon surfaces. Scraping was significantly less effective than brushing in the removal of powder under all conditions. The number of brush passes (7 ± 2) required to remove NFDM at 0.81 a_w was significantly greater than for samples at lower a_w levels. Moreover, surface protein residues were still detected following brush removal of NFDM at 0.69 and 0.81 a_w. Adhesion and cohesion in samples equilibrated at different relative humidity levels (i.e. different resulting a_w) were measured using custom test cells to quantify shear force. Greater adhesion and cohesion were detected for NFDM at higher a_w levels. Adhesion and cohesion of NFDM at 0.81 a_w were determined to be 129 ± 60 N/m² and 5418 ± 633 N/m²_, respectively. In addition, the particle size of NFDM (75, 180 and 355 μm) and the interaction between particle size and surface roughness (Ra = 0.17 ± 0.09, 0.77 ± 0.12, 1.08 ± 0.37 and 2.05 ± 0.40 μm) had significant effects on residual ATP following brushing. However, surface roughness did not significantly affect cleaning outcomes under the tested conditions. Overall, these findings highlight the potential for allergenic residue retention after conventional dry cleaning using hand tools. By better understanding the baseline efficacy of conventional hand tools used in dry cleaning under different scenarios, more effective cleaning technologies can be developed.     

Grass carp peptides hydrolysed by the combination of Alcalase and Neutrase: Angiotensin‐I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity,antioxidant activities and physicochemical profiles

In this study, grass carp peptides were prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of grass carp protein using the combination of Alcalase and Neutrase, and angiotensin‐I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity in vitro, antihypertensive activity in vivo, antioxidant activities, and physicochemical properties of peptides achieved from grass carp protein were characterised after ultrafiltration and desalted processes using mixed ion exchange resins. The purified peptides exhibited strong ACE inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 105 μg mL^?1), antihypertensive activity with the maximal drop for systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 43 mmHg at a dosage of 100 mg per kg body weight in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), and antioxidant activities indicated by thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance values in a liposome‐oxidising system, radical‐scavenging activity and chelation of metal ions (Fe²⁺). The molecular weight of peptides was <1000 Da. Compared to grass carp protein, the peptides separated from enzymatic hydrolysates possessed similar amino acid compositions, but contained higher concentrations of essential amino acids. Moreover, the peptides exhibited excellent solubility at a wide range of pH values from 2 to 10, and lower apparent viscosity than the protein. The peptides separated from enzymatic hydrolysates might be used as a promising ingredient in antihypertensive functional foods and nutraceuticals.     

Olive stone powder: A potential source of fiber and antioxidant and its effect on the rheological characteristics of biscuit dough and quality

Being waste products of olive fruits, olive stones could be used as a healthy functional food ingredient thanks to their rich antioxidant properties, nutrients and dietary fibers. In this study, wheat flour was substituted by olive stone powder at levels of 0, 5, 10 and 15%. The rheological properties of biscuit dough and proximate composition, color values, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, textural characteristics and sensorial properties of biscuit samples were investigated. Wheat flour replacement by olive stone powder increased antioxidant activity, fat and fiber content of biscuit samples (p < 0.05). The biscuits prepared with addition of 15% olive stone powder had 30.44 ± 0.03% DPPH radical scavenging activity, 11.22 ± 0.09% crude fiber, and 26.32 ± 0.22% fat. According to results of sensory analysis, wheat flour could be substituted up to 15% by olive stone powder to prepare biscuits without causing unacceptable product in terms of sensory properties.