Extrusion Cooking Effect on Carbohydrate Fraction in Novel Gluten-Free Flours Based on Chickpea and Rice.

Extrusion cooking allows the development of value-added products from pulses, such as gluten-free snacks with added functional properties. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the changes induced by the extrusion process on the carbohydrate fraction (total carbohydrates, soluble sugars and oligosaccharides, dietary fiber, and arabinoxylans) of novel flour formulations based on chickpeas and rice enriched with different dietary fiber sources. Moreover, the influence of the addition of fiber-rich ingredients, such as Fibersol® and passion fruit, on the analyzed compounds was also evaluated. Sucrose was the main soluble sugar found in analyzed formulations, and raffinose was the prevalent oligosaccharide, followed by stachyose. The content of total α-galactosides tended to be higher after extrusion cooking. As a consequence of the extrusion treatment, the content of total and soluble dietary fiber was statistically increased in most of the analyzed samples. In general, no significant changes were observed in total arabinoxylan content as a consequence of the extrusion process, while the content of water-soluble arabinoxylans was significantly increased in extruded formulations. It was observed that the content of total available carbohydrates, stachyose, and water-soluble arabinoxylans were significantly influenced by the addition of passion fruit, Fibersol®, and both. The incorporation of these ingredients in gluten-free formulations based on chickpeas and rice allows one to obtain suitable functional formulations for the development of innovative, gluten-free, extruded snack-type products, which could be an interesting alternative for people with celiac disease.

Extrusion Process as an Alternative to Improve Pulses Products Consumption. A Review.

The development of new food products obtained by extrusion processing has increased in recent years. Extrusion is used by the food industry to produce a wide variety of food products, such as ready-to-eat foods (e.g., snacks), among others. Pulses have also gained popularity as novel food ingredients in the formulation of a variety of food and food products, due to their high content of macro and micronutrients, and bioactive compounds that improve the nutritional and functional properties of the final food products. In this review, the impact of extrusion variables on proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, phenolics and antinutritional compounds in pulses and pulse-based formulations are highlighted. Particularly, the impact of the specific mechanical energy. Also, the preservation, increase and/or reduction in those functional compounds, as a consequence of different extrusion processing conditions, are discussed.

Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus) as a Functional Ingredient in Gluten-Free Extruded Snacks.

Tiger nut (TN) is a nutritious source of gluten-free flour, used generally in healthy beverages, but its incorporation in gluten-free extruded snacks has not been explored. TN flour was blended at different concentrations (up to 70%) with rice flour and soluble fiber, for the development of gluten-free snacks on a twin-screw extruder. The effect of TN inclusion in the formulations was evaluated on relevant physiochemical characteristics of the snacks. Viscoamylograph of the raw formulations showed that TN addition increased (p < 0.01) onset temperature and delayed peak viscosity. In the extruded flours, TN contributed to limit the starch degradation during extrusion. Diameter, expansion ratio, true density, and total pore volume of the extrudates were reduced (pf < 0.01) by the increased TN content in the formulations, while bulk density rose. The surfaces of the extruded snacks were modified by the increasing inclusion of TN in substitution of rice in the formulations. Extrudates containing 10% TN showed the best overall texture profile. Moreover, TN addition enhanced the ash and protein content of the snacks and increased their total antioxidant activity. This study demonstrated that incorporation of 10% TN flour into rice-based formulation was suitable for making gluten-free snacks with acceptable physical properties.

Effect of size and amount of sugarcane fibers on the properties of baked foams based on plantain flour.

Baked foams made with plantain flour (PF) and sugarcane fiber (SF) were characterized by calorimetric, mechanical, physicochemical and structural techniques in order to assess the results induced by different sugarcane concentrations and fiber size on the structure of baked foams. The addition of SF to the baked samples increased their hydrophobic properties. Thermal conductivity (TC) decreased when the concentration of SF was 10 g and 7.5 g in the baked foams. The density of the biodegradable baked foams (BBFs) decreased with decreasing concentrations of SF, observing an inverse behavior in water vapor permeability (WVP) and solubility properties. The mechanical properties of the baked foams were more influenced by the concentration of SF than by the size of SF, obtained from different sieves. The scanning electron microscopy cross-sectional images of the BBFs showed that the size of SF affected the size and number of the internal cells in the BBFs.

Novel gluten-free formulations from lentil flours and nutritional yeast: Evaluation of extrusion effect on phytochemicals and non-nutritional factors.

The food industry is increasingly innovating and applying new processing technologies and ingredients to develop novel food products that meet the consumers' demand. In this study, the effect of extrusion (at 140 °C and 160 °C) was evaluated in different lentil flours formulations enriched with nutritional yeast, in terms of α-galactosides (raffinose, stachyose, verbascose), inositol phosphates (IPs), trypsin inhibitors and lectins content. The content of α-galactosides and IPs was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) was evaluated using a small-scale quantitative assay. The lectin content was analyzed using a haemagglutination assay and a Competitive Indirect Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Extrusion promoted a significant increase, up to 85% in total α-galactosides content. After extrusion, IPs content was significantly decreased and TIA as well as lectins content had a reduction higher than 90%. Extrusion demonstrated to have a beneficial effect by increasing desirable prebiotic compounds and decreasing non-nutritional factors.

Influence of extruded lentil containing high chromium nutritional yeast on the main physiological factors associated with metabolic syndrome in rodent models.

Insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidemia are the main physiological factors associated with metabolic syndrome. The objectives of this study were to understand the effects of diets containing extruded lentil fortified with high chromium nutritional yeast (YCr) or chromium picolinate on glucose tolerance, clearance and fasting blood glucose concentrations in Normal and Obese (Ob/Ob) mice and to determine the effects of the diets on the mice plasma lipid profiles. Diets A, B and C contained YCr in different doses and concentrations, as follows: Diet A = 15.7 g and 16 ppm, B = 157.1 g and 16 ppm, and C = 299.3 g and 27 ppm, respectively. Diet D contained chromium picolinate at a dose and concentration of 15.7 g and 16 ppm, respectively. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance tests were conducted at 4-weeks and 8-weeks post diet initiation, in addition to, plasma lipoprotein profiles and organ weights. Normal mice showed only slight variability with respect to the studied biological parameters compared to the Ob/Ob mice group. Results indicated that following 4-weeks of diet supplementation, Ob/Ob mice fed diets A, C and D had significantly (p < 0.05) lower fasting blood glucose (FBG) than Ob/Ob mice fed Diet B. However, after 8-weeks Ob/Ob mice fed Diet C, containing YCr, had a significantly (p < 0.05) lower FBG than mice supplemented with Diet D, containing chromium picolinate. Therefore, based on these findings, it was concluded that YCr at the highest concentration and dose was more effective than chromium picolinate. These results indicate that ready-to-eat snacks and breakfast cereal type products supplemented with chromium in the form of YCr could be used as vehicles for the amelioration of main physiological factors associated with metabolic syndrome.

Influence of infrared drying on storage characteristics of brown rice.

The aim of this study was to improve storage characteristics of brown rice by using infrared radiation drying (IRD) through comparison with hot air drying (HAD) and ambient air drying (AAD). After heating by IR from 20 °C to 60 °C within 58 s, 2.17 percentage points moisture of rough rice (initial moisture content is 25.0 ±â€¯0.2% in dry basis) were removed without adverse effect on germination capacity of husked brown rice. Compared with AAD, IRD slowed down the increase in yellowness, water uptake and volume expansion ratio of brown rice by 47.9%, 41.0% and 37.9% after four months of storage, and decreased the temperature range and enthalpy of gelatinization, the peak and breakdown viscosities. These changes might due to the higher stabilization effect of IRD on the microstructure and thermal properties of proteins and starch granules than AAD. IRD is an effective method to improve storage stability of brown rice.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of extruded snack-type products developed from novel formulations of lentil and nutritional yeast flours.

Pulses are well known to be gluten-free functional foods that provide a rich source of nutritional and healthy compounds with antioxidant-promoting activity. In the present study, the bioactive compounds, dietary fibre, arabinoxylans, individual phenolic compounds and tocopherols, were evaluated in different lentil flours (raw and extruded at 140 and 160 °C) formulated with nutritional yeasts, along with the changes induced by the extrusion process. The total dietary fibre and arabinoxylan content significantly (p < 0.05) increased after the extrusion process while a significant decrease of all tocopherol isoforms was also observed. Catechin, caffeic, kaempferol and quercetin derivatives were identified in the raw and extruded lentil flours. The decreases of total phenolic and individual phenolic compounds were directly related to the extrusion temperature; total phenolics and catechin hexoside exhibited a larger decrease in the lentil flours formulated with higher content of nutritional yeast (12 and 16%). The antioxidant activity results, determined using different assays, reflected the important effect of extrusion processing and food ingredients.

Black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) protein hydrolysates: Physicochemical and functional properties.

Black bean protein hydrolysates obtained from pepsin and alcalase digestions until 120min of hydrolysis were evaluated by gel electrophoresis, relative fluorescence intensity, emulsifying properties, light micrograph of emulsions and in vitro antioxidant activity. The emulsion stability of the bean protein hydrolysates were evaluated during 30days of storage. The pepsin-treated bean protein hydrolysates presented higher degree of hydrolysis than the alcalase-treated protein hydrolysates. The alcalase-treated bean protein hydrolysates showed higher surface hydrophobicity. Moreover, the protein hydrolysates obtained with alcalase digestion presented higher emulsion stability during 30-days than those obtained from pepsin digestion. The protein concentrate and especially the hydrolysates obtained from alcalase digestion had good emulsion stability and antioxidant activity. Thus, they could be exploited as protein supplements in the diet as nutritional and bioactive foods.

Extrusion of Rice, Bean and Corn Starches: Extrudate Structure and Molecular Changes in Amylose and Amylopectin.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of starch source and amylose content on the expansion ratio, density, and texture of expanded extrudates, as well as to investigate the structural and molecular changes that occur in starch granules as a function of extrusion. The starches employed were rice starches (8%, 20%, and 32% amylose), carioca bean starch (35% amylose), and Hylon V® corn starch (55% amylose). The extrudates from rice starches containing 20% and 32% amylose exhibited the highest expansion ratio, while, extrudates from Hylon V® corn starch containing 55% amylose exhibited the lowest expansion ratio. The hardness values of the extrudates with 55% amylose were twice those of the extrudates with 20%, 32%, and 35% amylose. An additional finding was that although the amylopectin promoted the expansion of the gelatinized starch matrix, it failed to strengthen and sustain the walls of the extrudate bubbles during expansion.

Non-fermented and fermented jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora Mart.) pomaces as valuable sources of functional ingredients.

Jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora. Mart) is a highly perishable fruit native to Brazil, which is consumed both fresh and industrially processed in the form of juices, jams, wines and distilled liqueurs. This processing generates a large amount of waste by-products, which represent approximately 50% of the fruit weight. The by-products are of interest for obtaining valuable bioactive compounds that could be used as nutraceuticals or functional ingredients. In this study, fermented and non-fermented jabuticaba pomaces were studied regarding their hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds, as well as their antioxidant properties, including: soluble sugars, organic acids and tocopherols (using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to refraction index, diode array and fluorescence detector, respectively); phenolics and anthocyanins, (using liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection, and mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization); and fatty acids (using gas-liquid chromatography with flame ionization detection). The analytical data demonstrated that jabuticaba pomaces are a rich source of bioactive compounds such as tocopherols, polyunsaturated fatty acids and phenolic compounds (namely hydrolyzable tannins and anthocyanins) with antioxidant potential. Therefore, jabuticaba pomace may have good potential as a functional ingredient in the fabrication of human foods and animal feed.

Local Transmission of Zika Virus--Puerto Rico, November 23, 2015-January 28, 2016.

Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, spread to the Region of the Americas (Americas) in mid-2015, and appears to be related to congenital microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome (1,2). On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the occurrence of microcephaly cases in association with Zika virus infection to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.* On December 31, 2015, Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH) reported the first locally acquired (index) case of Zika virus disease in a jurisdiction of the United States in a patient from southeastern Puerto Rico. During November 23, 2015-January 28, 2016, passive and enhanced surveillance for Zika virus disease identified 30 laboratory-confirmed cases. Most (93%) patients resided in eastern Puerto Rico or the San Juan metropolitan area. The most frequently reported signs and symptoms were rash (77%), myalgia (77%), arthralgia (73%), and fever (73%). Three (10%) patients were hospitalized. One case occurred in a patient hospitalized for Guillain-Barré syndrome, and one occurred in a pregnant woman. Because the most common mosquito vector of Zika virus, Aedes aegypti, is present throughout Puerto Rico, Zika virus is expected to continue to spread across the island. The public health response in Puerto Rico is being coordinated by PRDH with assistance from CDC. Clinicians in Puerto Rico should report all cases of microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and suspected Zika virus disease to PRDH. Other adverse reproductive outcomes, including fetal demise associated with Zika virus infection, should be reported to PRDH. To avoid infection with Zika virus, residents of and visitors to Puerto Rico, particularly pregnant women, should strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites, including wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts, using permethrin-treated clothing and gear, using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent, and ensuring that windows and doors have intact screens.

Polishing and parboiling effect on the nutritional and technological properties of pigmented rice.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of polishing and parboiling on proximate composition, structure, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, cooking time and hardness of IAC-600 black rice cultivar and MPB-10 red rice lineage. Proximate analysis and light micrographs revealed higher migration of red rice proteins than black rice proteins to the endosperm as a result of parboiling. Parboiling reduced the ash content of red rice while no difference was determined in black rice. Gelatinized starch granules from both genotypes showed similar appearance. There was a decrease in relative crystallinity on both black and red rice subjected to parboiling, which was an indicative of crystallites disruption. Polishing removed more than 90% of free phenolics for both genotypes, while parboiling allowed the partial preservation of free phenolics content in polished rice. Parboiling induced an increase in the cooking time of red rice, but a decrease in the cooking time of black rice.

Physico-chemical, nutritional and infrared spectroscopy evaluation of an optimized soybean/corn flour extrudate.

A central composite design using RMS (Response Surface Methodology) successfully described the effect of independent variables (feed moisture, die temperature and soybean proportion) on the specific parameters of product quality as expansion index (EI), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI) and total color difference (ΔE) studied. The regression model indicated that EI, WAI, WSI and ΔE were significant (p < 0.05) with coefficients of determination (R(2)) of 0.7371, 0.7588, 0.7622, 0.8150, respectively. The optimized processing conditions were obtained with 25.8 % feed moisture, 160 °C die temperature and 58 %/42 % soybean/corn proportion. It was not found statistically changes in amino acid profile due to extrusion process. The electrophoretic profile of extruded soybean/corn mix presented low intensity molecular weight bands, compared to the unprocessed sample. The generation of low molecular weight polypeptides was associated to an increased in In vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) of the extrudate. The FTIR spectra of the soybean/corn mix before and after extrusion showed that the α-helix structure remained unchanged after extrusion. However, the band associated with ß-sheet structure showed to be split into two bands at 1624 and 1640 cm(-1) . The changes in the ß-sheet structures may be also associated to the increased in IVPD in the extruded sample.

Hemangiopericytoma of the foramen magnum in a pregnant patient: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The presentation of intracranial hemangiopericytomas is very rare, and only one case of a hemangiopericytoma during pregnancy has been reported in the literature. The management of these lesions poses a great challenge to the neurosurgeon, since the physiological and hormonal changes of pregnancy can exacerbate the symptoms of this highly vascularized neoplasm and pose different risks to both the mother and the fetus. We report the case of a patient who had sudden onset of intracranial hypertension at the ninth week of gestation due to a hemangiopericytoma of the foramen magnum and review the literature in this regard. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 23-year-old female who presented with signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension at the ninth week of gestation was initially thought to have hyperemesis gravidarum. Because her symptoms persisted, she was found to have intracranial hypertension due to a tumor in the foramen magnum. She was treated by means of derivative surgery to allow for her pregnancy to progress beyond the first trimester, and at the 22(nd) week of gestation she underwent a sub-occipital craniotomy with partial tumor removal. Pathology was consistent with hemangiopericytoma. Both the mother and the fetus had positive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the second intracranial hemangiopericytoma presenting during pregnancy to be reported in the literature, and it is the first one of its kind to be located in the foramen magnum and causing severe intracranial hypertension.

Optimization of antimicrobial and physical properties of alginate coatings containing carvacrol and methyl cinnamate for strawberry application.

Increasing strawberry consumption has led to a growing safety concern because they are not washed after harvest. An antimicrobial edible coating could be an effective postharvest technique to ensure microbial safety and, at the same time, retain overall quality of the fruits. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Botrytis cinerea and several physical properties (turbidity, viscosity, and whitish index) of an alginate coating. A full factorial design was used to select the concentrations of carvacrol and methyl cinnamate on the basis of their effect against E. coli and B. cinerea. A central composite design was then performed to evaluate the effects/interactions of the two antimicrobials on the coating characteristics. The results from analysis of variance showed the significant fitting of all responses to the quadratic model. To attain the desirable responses, the optimal concentrations were 0.98% (w/w) carvacrol and 1.45% (w/w) methyl cinnamate.

Thermal degradation of anthocyanins from purple potato (cv. Purple Majesty) and impact on antioxidant capacity.

Degradation parameters of purified anthocyanins from purple-fleshed potato (cv. Purple Majesty) heated at high temperatures (100-150 °C) were determined. Purified anthocyanins, prepared by removing salts, sugars, and colorless nonanthocyanin phenolics from the crude extract, were monitored and quantified using HPLC and spectrophotometry for heat-induced degradation products. Separation of colorless phenolics from the anthocyanins was confirmed using HPLC at two wavelengths, 280 and 520 nm. The degradation kinetics of purified anthocyanins followed a first-order reaction with reaction rate constants (k values) of 0.0262-0.2855 min(-1), an activation energy of 72.89 kJ/mol, thermal death times (D values) of 8.06-8789 min, and a z value of 47.84 °C over the temperature range of 100-150 °C. The enthalpy and entropy of activation were 59.97 kJ/mol and -116.46 J/mol·K, respectively. The antioxidant capacity in the purified anthocyanins, measured by DPPH and ABTS assays, was increased after the thermal treatment, indicating antioxidant activities of degradation products in the samples.

Bioactivity of antioxidants in extruded products prepared from purple potato and dry pea flours.

Measuring antioxidant activity using a biologically relevant assay adds important evidence to aid in understanding the role of phytochemicals based on data from in vivo and chemical assays of extrusion processed purple potato and pea flours. A cellular antioxidant activity assay could provide biologically relevant information on bioactive compounds in raw as well as processed food products. The objective of this study was to investigate the complete phytochemical profiles, antioxidant activity, cellular antioxidant activity, and their contribution to bioactivity in purple potato flour, dry pea flour, raw formulations, and extrusion cooked products prepared with the above ingredients. The free fraction of extracts contributed 68, 64, and 88% to total phenolics, total antioxidant activity (ORAC value), and total flavonoids, respectively, in purple potato flour (PPF). Similarly, extracts in the free fraction contributed 87, 86, and 64% to total phenolics, total antioxidant activity (ORAC value), and total flavonoids, respectively, in dry pea flour (DPF). The amount of total phenolics and total flavonoids in purple potato flour and the antioxidant activity of PPF and DPF were comparable to published data. However, a higher amount in the total flavonoids and lower in the total phenolics of DPF were observed. Caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids were mostly observed in the bound extracts of raw formulations as in the extrudates, whereas chlorogenic acid was predominant in the free extracts. The extruded products had significantly higher (p < 0.05) content of total phenolics, ORAC antioxidant activity, and flavonoids, compared to the raw formulations. Extrusion processing increased the cellular antioxidant activity of the extrudates prepared from 35:65 and 50:50 PPF/DPF (w/w) of ingredients compared with control raw formulations in a dose-dependent manner. Increase of PPF significantly increased (p < 0.05) the cellular antioxidant activity of 35-50% PPF formulations.

Effect of extrusion on the antioxidant capacity and color attributes of expanded extrudates prepared from purple potato and yellow pea flour mixes.

Foods with antioxidant capacity provide protection against cardio-vascular, certain forms of cancers, and Alzheimer's diseases caused by oxidative damages and contribute health benefits. The effect of extrusion cooking on the antioxidant capacity and color attributes of extruded products prepared from 3 selected formulations of purple potato and yellow pea flours using a co-rotating twin screw extruder were studied. Expansion ratios of the extruded products varied from 3.93 to 4.75. The total antioxidant capacities (TAC) of the extruded products, using DPPH assay, were 3769 to 4116 µg trolox equivalent/g dry weight sample and not significantly different (P > 0.05) from their respective raw formulations. The total phenolic contents (TP) of the extruded products varied from 2088 to 3766 µg of gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight sample and retained 73% to 83% of the TP from the raw formulations after extrusion. The total anthocyanins contents (TA) in the extrudates were 0.116 to 0.228 mg of malvidin-3-glucosides/g dry weight sample. Compared with their raw formulations, significant losses (60% to 70%) of the TA in the extruded products occurred due to extrusion cooking. Browning indices and color attributes such as brightness, chroma, and hue angle agreed with degradation of anthocyanins in the extruded products. However, extrusion cooking retained antioxidant capacities of the raw formulations in the extruded products either in their natural forms or degraded products with radical scavenging activity. This study demonstrated the potential for the production of puffed extruded food products with the improved antioxidant content from colored potatoes and pulse formulations.