Gluten-Free Alternative Grains: Nutritional Evaluation and Bioactive Compounds
Interest in gluten-free grains is increasing, together with major incidences of celiac disease in the last years. Since to date, knowledge of the nutritional and bioactive compounds profile of alternative gluten-free grains is limited, we evaluated the content of water-soluble (thiamine and riboflavin) and liposoluble vitamins, such as carotenoids and tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), of gluten-free minor cereals and also of pseudocereals. The analysed samples showed a high content of bioactive compounds
Evaluation of carotenoids and furosine content in air dried carrots and parsnips pre-treated with pulsed electric field (PEF)
Carrot and parsnip slices were subjected to hot drying at 50, 60 and 70 °C with or without pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment at 0.9 kV/cm and 1000 and 10,000 pulses. The effect of drying on processed samples was assessed by analysis of carotenoids, the furosine value, total phenols and the Whiteness Index (WI). PEF pre-treatment is effective in reducing drying times, but the degree of cellular breakdown makes the compounds more susceptible to chemical and enzymatic reactions. In our condition PEF pre-treatment increased the carotenoid degradation and promoted the Maillard reaction above all at the highest temperature of 70 °C. The assessment of carotenoid stability, together with th…
Evolution of Carotenoids, Sensory Profiles and Volatile Compounds in Microwave-Dried Fruits of Three Different Loquat Cultivars (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)
The consumption of loquat fruits is highly appreciated for their carotenoid content and valuable sensory notes, but it is limited due to the low shelf-life. An on-line temperature controlled microwave system based on infrared thermography was used to dry three different loquat cultivar at 60 °C. The time to reach the target value of 23% moisture content was about 105 min in Claudia fruits and 162 min in Virticchiara and Peluche. Seven carotenoids were identified in loquat fruits, among these the major were all-trans-β-carotene in Virticchiara and Claudia. Virticchiara had the major total carotenoid content (206 μg/g dry basis), followed by Peluche (158 μg/g d.b.) and Claudia (41 μg/g d.b.).…
Bioactive Compounds in Wild Asteraceae Edible Plants Consumed in the Mediterranean Diet
Three wild edible plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family, Crepis vesicaria L. (s.l.), Sonchus asper (L.) Hill s.l., and Sonchus oleraceus L., usually consumed in the Mediterranean diet, were tested for their nutritional composition and content of carotenoids, tocols, thiamine and riboflavin. Low amounts of thiamine and riboflavin were found. All species were sources of xanthophylls (violaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin) and carotenes (α-carotene, β-carotene, 9-cis-β-carotene and 13-cis-β-carotene). Lutein accounted for the highest content (about 4 mg/100 g). They had good tocol amounts, in particular α-tocopherol (about 2–3 mg/100 g). Taking into accoun…
Effect of a physical pre-treatment and drying on carotenoids of goji berries ( Lycium barbarum L.)
In order to evaluate the influence of an abrasive pre-treatment and drying at 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C of goji fruits (Lycium barbarum L.), changes in colour and carotenoids were studied. An extraction method was modified and adapted to assay the main carotenoid esters and saponified carotenoids of goji berries, before and after treatments. Goji berries were confirmed as a high source of zeaxanthin, with zeaxanthin-dipalmitate at about 2 g/kg dry weight. The reliability of the analytical method was confirmed by the high quantitative recoveries, about 100%, a higher repeatability than reference methods and a good reproducibility (lower than 5%). After drying, significant but small carotenoid loss…
Effect of pretreatments and drying processo on health-promoting components of goji berries
Drying is one of the most common preservation methods used to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by reducing water content so as to prevent the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and to inactivate many of the moisture-mediated alterative reactions. Goji berries are mainly consumed dried. Several methods can be used to dry goji berries, such as sun drying, hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying. In this chapter the most used pre-treatment and drying processes found in literature on goji berries are described, together with their effect on their health promoting components, such as carotenoids, tocols, vitamin C, flavonoids and phenols. Moreover the effect of diff…
Effect of pH on malolactic fermentation in southern Italian wines
This study investigated the influence of pH on malolactic fermentation (MLF) in white wines (adjusted to pH 3.2, 3.4 and 3.8, respectively) from Falanghina grapes and red wines (adjusted to pH 3.4 and 3.8, respectively) from Tintilia grapes. The wines were inoculated with Oenococcus oeni and Lactobacillus plantarum strains, and a mix of them (50:50), in red Tintilia only. The time required to complete MLF in wines from white Falanghina grapes at pH 3.4 and 3.8 was lower with O. oeni, while MLF did not occur at pH 3.2. In red Tintilia, MLF was always completed within 35 days; at high pH (3.8) a significant increase in histamine was detected, while the decrease in citric acid concentration ca…
Kinetics of carotenoids degradation and furosine formation in dried apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.)
Abstract The kinetics of carotenoid and color degradation, as well as furosine formation, were investigated in apricot fruits during convective heating at 50, 60 and 70 °C. Degradation of carotenoids and color, expressed as total color difference (TCD), followed a first and zero order kinetic, respectively. The activation energy (Ea) for carotenoids degradation ranged from 73.7 kJ/mol for 13- cis -β-carotene to 120.7 kJ/mol for lutein, being about 91 kJ/mol for all- trans -β-carotene. Violaxanthin and anteraxanthin were the most susceptible to thermal treatment. The furosine evolution was fitted at zero order kinetic model. The Ea for furosine formation was found to be 83.3 kJ/mol and the Q…
Evolution of Carotenoid Content, Antioxidant Activity and Volatiles Compounds in Dried Mango Fruits (Mangifera Indica L.)
The aim of this research was to study the evolution of carotenoid compounds, antioxidant &beta