A comprehensive review of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.): promising ingredient for production of functional foods.

This review aims to measure the different aspects of summer savory including biological activity, medicinal properties, nutritional value, food application, prospective health benefits, and its use as an additive in broiler feed. Furthermore, toxicity related to this is also overviewed. Summer savory leaves are abundant in total phenolic compounds (rosmarinic acid and flavonoids) that have a powerful antioxidant impact. Rosmarinic (α-O-caffeoyl-3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl lactic) acid has been identified in summer savory as a main component. According to phytochemical investigations, tannins, volatile oils, sterols, acids, gums, pyrocatechol, phenolic compounds, mucilage, and pyrocatechol are the primary compounds of Satureja species. Summer savory extract shows considerable biological potential in antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antibacterial assays. Regarding antioxidant activity, summer savory extract displays an inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. Summer savory also has Fe (III) reductive and free radical scavenging properties and contains minerals and vitamins. Summer savory has important biological properties, including antimicrobial activity and antioxidant activity, and protective effects against Jurkat T Cells, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, infection, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cholesterol. The leaves and stems of this plant are employed in the food, feed, and pharmacological industries due to their antioxidant properties and substantial nutritional content. Conclusively, summer savory is widely considered beneficial for human health due to its versatile properties and medicinal use.

A Review of the Changes Produced by Extrusion Cooking on the Bioactive Compounds from Vegetal Sources.

The demand for healthy ready-to-eat foods like snacks is increasing. Physical modification of vegetal food matrices through extrusion generates significant changes in the chemical composition of the final product. There is a great variety of food matrices that can be used in extrusion, most of them being based on cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, or seeds. The aim of this review was to summarize the main effects of the extrusion process on the bioactive compounds content, namely phenolics, terpenes, vitamins, minerals, and fibers of vegetal mixes, as well as on their biological activity. The literature reported contradictory results regarding the changes in bioactive compounds after extrusion, mainly due to the differences in the processing conditions, chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and nutritional value of the extruded material and quantification methods. The thermolabile phenolics and vitamins were negatively affected by extrusion, while the fiber content was proved to be enhanced. Further research is needed regarding the interactions between bioactive components during extrusion, as well as a more detailed analysis of the impact of extrusion on the terpenes since there are few papers dealing with this aspect.

Changes Induced by Heat Moisture Treatment in Wheat Flour and Pasta Rheological, Physical and Starch Digestibility Properties.

Wheat is one of the main crops that is cultivated and consumed in the world. Since durum wheat is less abundant and more expensive than other types, pasta producers can use common wheat by applying various techniques to achieve the desired quality. A heat moisture treatment was applied to common wheat flour, and the effects on dough rheology and texture, and pasta cooking quality, color, texture, and resistant starch content were evaluated. The results revealed that heat moisture treatment temperature and moisture content induced a proportional increase in visco-elastic moduli, dough firmness, pasta cooking solids loss, and luminosity, as they were higher compared to the control. The breaking force of uncooked pasta decreased when the flour moisture content increased, while the opposite trend was observed for resistant starch content. The highest resistant starch values were obtained for the samples treated at the lowest temperature (60 °C). Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were obtained between some of the textural and physical characteristics analyzed. The studied samples can be grouped in three clusters characterized by different properties. Heat moisture treatment is a convenient physical modification of starch and flours that can be employed in the pasta industry. These results underline the opportunity to enhance common pasta processing and final product functionality by using a green and non-toxic technique to develop new functional products.

Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Rheological Properties of Canola Oil Extract of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg from Calimani Mountains, Romania.

Usnea genus (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes) is a potent phytomedicine, due to phenolic secondary metabolites, with various pharmacological effects. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and rheological properties of Usnea barbata (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg (U. barbata) extract in canola oil (UBO) compared to cold-pressed canola seed oil (CNO), as a green solvent used for lichen extraction, which has phytoconstituents. The antiradical activity (AA) of UBO and CNO was investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Their cytotoxicity was examined in vivo through a brine shrimp lethality (BSL) test after Artemia salina (A. salina) larvae exposure for 6 h to previously emulsified UBO and CNO. The rheological properties of both oil samples (flow behavior, thixotropy, and temperature-dependent viscosity variation) were comparatively analyzed. The obtained results showed that UBO (IC50 = 0.942 ± 0.004 mg/mL) had a higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than CNO (IC50 = 1.361 ± 0.008 mg/mL). Both UBO and CNO emulsions induced different and progressive morphological changes to A. salina larvae, incompatible with their survival; UBO cytotoxicity was higher than that of CNO. Finally, in the temperature range of 32-37 °C, the UBO and CNO viscosity and viscoelastic behavior indicated a clear weakening of the intermolecular bond when temperature increases, leading to a more liquid state, appropriate for possible pharmaceutical formulations. All quantified parameters were highly intercorrelated. Moreover, their significant correlation with trace/heavy minerals and phenolic compounds can be observed. All data obtained also suggest a possible synergism between lichen secondary metabolites, minerals, and canola oil phytoconstituents.

Investigation of Quinoa Seeds Fractions and Their Application in Wheat Bread Production.

The present study aimed to investigate the influence of quinoa fractions (QF) on the chemical components of wheat flour (WF), dough rheological properties, and baking performance of wheat bread. The microstructure and molecular conformations of QF fractions were dependent to the particle size. The protein, lipids, and ash contents of composite flours increased with the increase of QF addition level, while particle size (PS) decreased these parameters as follows: Medium ˃ Small ˃ Large, the values being higher compared with the control (WF). QF addition raised dough tenacity from 86.33 to 117.00 mm H2O, except for the small fraction, and decreased the extensibility from 94.00 to 26.00 mm, while PS determined an irregular trend. The highest QF addition levels and PS led to the highest dough viscoelastic moduli (55,420 Pa for QL_20, 65245 Pa for QM_20 and 48305 Pa for QS_20, respectively). Gradual increase of QF determined dough hardness increase and adhesiveness decrease. Bread firmness, springiness, and gumminess rises were proportional to the addition level. The volume, elasticity, and porosity of bread decreased with QF addition. Flour and bread crust and crumb color parameters were also influenced by QF addition with different PS.

Use of Grape Peels By-Product for Wheat Pasta Manufacturing.

Grape peels (GP) use in pasta formulation represents an economic and eco-friendly way to create value-added products with multiple nutritional benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the GP by-product on common wheat flour (Triticum aestivum), dough and pasta properties in order to achieve the optimal level that can be incorporated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was performed taking into account the influence of GP level on flour viscosity, dough cohesiveness and complex modulus, pasta color, fracturability, chewiness, cooking loss, total polyphenols, dietary fibers and resistant starch amounts. The result show that 4.62% GP can be added to wheat flour to obtain higher total polyphenols, resistant starch and dietary fiber contents with minimum negative effects on pasta quality. Flour viscosity, dough cohesiveness, complex modulus and pasta fracturability of the optimal sample were higher compared to the control, while chewiness was lower. Proteins' secondary structures were influenced by GP addition, while starch was not affected. Smooth starch grains embedded in a compact protein structure containing GP fiber was observed. These results show that GP can be successfully incorporated in wheat pasta, offering nutritional benefits by their antioxidants and fiber contents, without many negative effects on the final product's properties.

Potential of grape byproducts as functional ingredients in baked goods and pasta.

Wine making industry generates high quantities of valuable byproducts that can be used to enhance foods in order to diminish the environmental impact and to obtain more economic benefits. Grape byproducts are rich in phenolic compounds and dietary fiber, which make them suitable to improve the nutritional value of bakery, pastry, and pasta products. The viscoelastic behavior of dough and the textural and the sensory characteristics of baked goods and pasta containing grape byproducts depend on the addition level and particle size. Thus, an optimal dose of a finer grape byproducts flour must be found in order to minimize the negative effects such as low loaf volume and undesirable sensory and textural characteristics they may have on the final product quality. In the same time, an enrichment of the nutritional and functional value of the product by increasing the fiber and antioxidant compounds contents is desired. The aim of this review was to summarize the effects of the chemical components of grape byproducts on the nutritional, functional, rheological, textural, physical, and sensory characteristics of the baked goods and pasta. Further researches about the impact of foods enriched with grape byproducts on the human health, about molecular interactions between components, and about the effects of grape pomace compounds on the shelf life of baked goods and pasta are recommended.

Impact of Dairy Ingredients on Wheat Flour Dough Rheology and Bread Properties.

The incorporation of dairy ingredients, such as milk or acid whey in bread, is advantageous considering their functional properties and the positive effects on consumers' health. The introduction of an ingredient in bread making process requires the evaluation of dough behavior and final product quality. Thus, the influence of water replacement by milk or acid whey on the characteristics of wheat flour dough and bread was studied. Dynamic rheological measurements were performed in order to evaluate the viscoelastic properties of dough. Compared to the control, an increase of the elastic character of dough for samples with milk and a decrease for those with acid whey was observed. The resistance to deformation decreased when water was substituted with more than 25% milk and increased for samples with up to 25% acid whey. Higher maximum gelatinization temperatures were obtained when water was substituted by milk or acid whey. Bread crumb presented higher firmness, lower volume and porosity for samples with dairy ingredients compared to the control, therefore, replacement levels lower than 25% were recommended in order to minimize this negative effect. Bread elasticity, chewiness, resilience, pores density and size were improved at replacement levels lower than 25%, while for the sensory characteristics of the specialty bread, high scores were obtained. These results can be helpful for processors, in order to develop and optimize bread with dairy ingredients.

Effects of Supplementing Grape Pomace to Broilers Fed Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Enriched Diets on Meat Quality.

The effects of using grape pomace as natural antioxidant in polyunsaturated fatty acids enriched broiler diets (4% flaxseed meal) on color, texture and lipid peroxidation of meat were evaluated. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 200, Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to 5 groups and housed in an experimental hall with floored pens. Compared to the control group, the diet for the experimental groups included 3% or 6% of two grape pomace varieties, white and red. Diet formulation enrichment with red grape pomace influenced the meat color parameters, underlining an accentuated total color difference (ΔE) for both breast and thigh as compared to the control. The dietary supplementation with grape pomace led to the increase of meat hardness regardless of the amount and variety added. The grape pomace inclusion in broiler diets positively influenced meat color and texture. Regarding the lipid oxidation parameters, there was a decrease of the value of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in thigh meat in all experimental groups. Additionally, significant differences were highlighted for breast in 3% white grape pomace and 6% red grape pomace supplemented groups when compared to the control group. In conclusion, the supplementation of broiler diets enriched in PUFA with grape pomace improved meat color and texture, which are essential parameters for consumer's choice. Also, the grape pomace supplementation indicated an improvement of thigh meat oxidative stability, especially regarding the TBARS value.

A review of the hydrothermal treatments impact on starch based systems properties.

The physicochemical properties of starch can be modified by hydrothermal treatments, inducing changes of dough and final product properties. The effect of these treatments depends on the temperature, the starch-moisture ratio and the exposure time. The most used hydrothermal treatments applied on cereals and pseudocereals starches and flours are heat moisture treatment (HMT) and annealing (ANN). The differences between HMT and ANN consist of working temperatures and moisture content. In HMT the treatment temperature is above the gelatinization temperature, while in ANN it is comprised between the gelatinization temperature and the glass transition. This paper aims to summarize the influence of these thermal treatments on the starches (crystallinity, swelling and water absorption, thermal, gelatinization, pasting, retrogradation, and digestibility properties) and the impact on the rheological and textural characteristics of dough and final product. This review highlights the possibility to use modified starches and treated flours in food products development and to evaluate the effects of hydrothermal treatments on starch and flour functionality.

Consumer Preferences and Sensory Profile Related to the Physico-Chemical Properties and Texture of Different Maize Tortillas Types.

Maize tortilla is a basic food in Mexico, and, lately, the food industry has tried to make the manufacturing process easier by using instant flours and specialized machines. The purpose of this study was to investigate consumers' behaviors related to tortillas and to evaluate the sensory, textural, and physico-chemical parameters of tortillas from the Tlazala region, Mexico. The sensory profile revealed that the artisanal ones had better parameters in terms of smell, taste, and appearance compared to the others. These results are consistent with consumers' preferences for tortillas made of maize grain instead of industrial corn flour. The sensory parameters and the physico-chemical and texture profile parameters varied with the maize type and manufacturing process. Our findings showed that the artisanal hand-made ones were more nutritious, followed by those mechanically made using maize grain, and finally by those mechanically made from industrialized corn flour. The results of this study may help processors to better understand the parameters of their products and people's preferences.