Evaluation of nutrient profile, biochemical composition and anti-gastric ulcer potentialities of khambir, a leavened flat bread.

Khambir is a leavened staple food among the native highlanders of Western Himalaya. It is prepared by sourdough fermentation of wheat flour with yeast (YAK) or buttermilk (BAK). Both types of bread were rich in carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, containing less fat and gluten, and enriched with lactic acid, vitamins, and minerals. The in vitro digestibility test showed a slow glucose-controlled release potential of khambir that reflected improved content of rapidly digestible starch, slowly digestible starch, resistant starch, and predicted glycemic index. The changes of crystallinity to amorphous structures of starch, content of protein and fatty acid, and accumulation of 17 major metabolites were evaluated through FTIR and GC-MS. The extracts of khambir alleviated cold-induced gastric ulcers in the animal model as it exhibited histoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities. This study demonstrated that the traditional leavened bread khambir is nutritious and can alleviate gastric lesions related to acute mountain sickness.

Some Functional Properties of khambir, an Ethnic Fermented Cereal-Based Food of Western Himalayas.

Traditional leavened wheat-based flat bread khambir is a staple food for the high-altitude people of the Western Himalayan region. The health promoting abilities of two types of khambir, yeast added khambir (YAK) and buttermilk added khambir (BAK), were evaluated. A group of microbes like yeast, mold, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and Bifidobacterium sp. were abundant in both khambir but in varied proportions. Both are enriched with phenolics and flavonoids. The aqueous extracts of both breads strongly inhibited the growth of enteropathogens. Molecular docking experiments showed that phenolic acid, particularly p-coumaric acid, blocked the active sites of ß-glucosidase and acetylcholine esterase (AChE), thereby inhibiting their activities. YAK and BAK showed antiradical and antioxidant activity ranging from 46 to 67% evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The aqueous extract of both khambir samples protected the arsenic toxicity when examined under an in situ rat intestinal loop model study. The arsenic induced elevated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and DNA fragmentation, and transmembrane mitochondrial potential was alleviated by khambir extract. These results scientifically supported its age-old health benefit claims by the consumer at high altitude and there are enough potentialities to explore khambir as a medicinal food for human welfare.