Much work has been carried out in recent years on the beneficial effect of phenolic compounds which act as natural antioxidants and help to neutralize free radicals. We analysed the antioxidant activity of the rutin (quercetin-3-rhamnosyl glucoside) using different assays including: total antioxidant activity and reducing power, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, superoxide radical scavenging assay, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and lipid peroxidation assay which uses egg yolk as the lipid-rich source. Total antioxidant capacity was determined by the assay based on the decrease in absorbance of β-carotene by the sample. Rutin exhibited strong DPPH radical scavenging activity. At the concentration of 0.05 mg/ml, ascorbic acid (Vc), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and rutin showed 92.8%, 58.8%, and 90.4% inhibition, respectively. In addition, rutin had effective inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Those various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants such as BHT and Vc.

In vitro antioxidant properties of rutin

A few decades ago Amaranthus was rediscovered as a most promising plant genus that may provide high-quality protein, unsaturated oil, and various other valuable constituents. Since then research has focused on various Amaranthus spp. and has been rapidly expanding, and a large number of reports have been published. Several review articles focusing on different aspects, such as botanical, agrotechnological, compositional, biological, chemical, and technological properties, as well as applications and health effects, have also been published since then. This comprehensive review is focused on amaranth composition, antioxidant properties, applications, and processing. The composition includes macrocomponets (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber) and other important constituents, such as squalene, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, phytates, and vitamins. These aspects of amaranth studies have not been comprehensively reviewed for a long time.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1541-4337.12021

Nutritional Components of Amaranth Seeds and Vegetables: A Review on Composition, Properties, and Uses

Bacteria and yeast microbiota in milk kefir grains from different Italian regions

Herbal medicines, a guide for health-care professionals: Carol A. Newall, Linda A. Anderson, J. David Phillipson, The Pharmaceutical Press, London, 1996

Zeolites are crystalline hydrated aluminosilicates with remarkable physical and chemical properties, which include losing and receiving water in a reverse way, adsorbing molecules that act as molecular sieves, and replacing their constituent cations without structural change. The commercial production of natural zeolites has accelerated during the last 50 years. The Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association recorded more than 200 zeolites, which currently include more than 40 naturally occurring zeolites. Recent findings have supported their role in stored-pest management as inert dust applications, pesticide and fertilizer carriers, soil amendments, animal feed additives, mycotoxin binders and food packaging materials. There are many advantages of inert dust application, including low cost, non-neurotoxic action, low mammalian toxicity and safety for human consumption. The latest consumer trends and government protocols have shifted toward organic origin materials to replace synthetic chemical products. In the present review, we summarize most of the main uses of zeolites in food and agruculture, along with the with specific paradigms that illustrate their important role. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Applications of natural zeolites on agriculture and food production

Formulation and characterization of new products – gluten-free crackers based on two types of buckwheat flour (refined and wholegrain) are presented in this study. Their proximate composition, content of main antioxidant compounds (polyphenols and tocopherols), antioxidant activity (radical scavenging activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals – DPPH) and sensory quality were analyzed and compared with those of wheat crackers made from refined and wholegrain wheat flours.

Protocatechuic acid and ferulic acid were quantified in buckwheat and wheat crackers, while two flavonoids, rutin and quercetin, were quantified only in buckwheat crackers. Content of total phenolics and tocopherols was significantly higher (P   δ-tocopherol. Buckwheat crackers exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) radical scavenging activity on DPPH according to their IC50 values.

No significant differences were observed in sensory quality of wholegrain buckwheat crackers in comparison to wheat ones. Crackers made from buckwheat flours can broaden the utilization of buckwheat, increase supply of gluten-free products on the market and may be regarded as health-promoting functional foods, especially for celiac disease patients.

Quality assessment of gluten-free crackers based on buckwheat flour

Feasibility of use of buckwheat flour as an ingredient in ginger nut biscuit formulation

The addition of popped Amaranthus cruentus grain to wheat bread formulation at 10, 15 and 20% levels (flour basis) was carried out to test the effects on sensory and nutritional characteristics of the supplemented bread samples. The addition of popped amaranth grain increased ash, protein and crude fiber content significantly. Zinc content increased by 42.6–74.6%, manganese content by 51.7–90.8%, magnesium content by 75.7–88.0% and calcium content by 57–171% in the supplementation ranges from 10 to 20% of popped amaranth grain. Bread samples supplemented with popped grains had a significantly higher content of squalene in comparison with the control sample (8–12 times higher). Loaf volume of supplemented bread samples decreased from 3.54 to 2.36 mL/g. Also, a significant increase in crumb hardness and lower crumb elasticity was observed. The supplementation contributed to denser crumb structure, more uniform porosity, improved crust color and flavor. It might be concluded that supplementation levels up to 15% (flour basis) were sensorially acceptable.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Bread made from refined wheat flour, besides being a good source of energy, is considered to be nutritionally poor. Therefore, the addition of inexpensive staples with superior nutritional quality such as some pulses, cereals or pseudocereals to wheat flour could improve the nutritional quality of wheat products. Amaranth is a pseudocereal that contains high levels of fat, dietary fibers, lysine and minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. The addition of amaranth grain to wheat bread contributes to higher intakes of proteins, fibers, fat and minerals. The usage of popped amaranth grain is advantageous because it excludes the need for grain milling and the necessity for preparative steps before mixing in bakeries. In addition, thermal treatment increases the protein efficiency ratio and gelatinizes starch that affects positively the stability, strength and freshness of the crumb. Popped amaranth grain also contributes to the pleasant taste and overall acceptability of supplemented bread.

Quality of bread supplemented with popped amaranthus cruentus grain

The buckwheat-enriched wheat bread was produced by the substitution of wheat flour with the wholegrain buckwheat flour at the level of 50%. Hydrothermal treatment of wholegrain buckwheat flour prior to the bread production resulted in a product with better sensory quality than the wheat bread, which was confirmed by the consumer test. The preference test showed that 71.88% of the consumers gave the advantage to the buckwheat-enriched wheat bread. Futhermore, its nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity was significantly improved in comparison with the wheat bread (2.22 times higher total dietary fibre and 4.29 times higher total phenolics content). In order to examine whether changes in dietary components can have beneficial effects on certain markers of atherosclerosis, antihyperlipidemic efficiency of the buckwheat-enriched wheat bread was tested in normal weight patients on statin therapy over one-month dietetic intervention. Significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, as well as the ratio of LDL/HDL cholesterol was obtained.

Quality of buckwheat-enriched wheat bread and its antihyperlipidemic effect in statin treated patients

Molasses is an important by-product of sugar beet or sugar cane refining industry and it was one of the first sweeteners used in human nutrition. Sugar cane molasses has unique characteristics that can make it suitable for application in food industry, especially in confectionery and bakery products. On the other hand, sugar beet molasses has not had greater application in the human diet, primarily because of its strong smell and taste of the beet, which makes it unattractive for consumption. Since recent investigations showed that sugar beet molasses can be used as a hypertonic solution in osmotic dehydration of different materials of plant and animal origin, the objective of this work was to review recently studied sugar beet molasses in terms of its applications in osmotic dehydrations of fruits and vegetables. Previous studies showed that sugar beet molasses is an excellent medium for osmotic dehydration of fruits and vegetables (apple, carrot, plum, etc.) primarily due to a high content of dry matter (80%, w/w) and specific nutrient content. An important advantage of using sugar beet molasses as a hypertonic solution is an enrichment of the dehydrated material in minerals and vitamins, which penetrate from molasses into the plant tissue. Concentration of sugar beet molasses solution and immersion time had the biggest influence on the process of osmotic dehydration of fruit and vegetables, while the temperature of the solution was the least influential parameter. The effect of immersion time on the kinetics of osmotic dehydration in sugar beet molasses increases with an increase in concentration of hypertonic solution. Fruit and vegetables dehydrated in sugar beet molasses had a higher dry matter content compared to samples treated in sucrose solutions. Besides, application of sugar beet molasses in osmotic dehydration of fruits and vegetables had some other advantages such as lower cost of molasses compared to sugar and its liquid aggregate state. Molasses caused darkening of osmotically treated materials due to transfer of colouring compounds (melanoidins) from molasses solution to plant tissue. The intensity of this darkening depended on immersion time and concentration of molasses solution. An increasing trend in tissue firmness observed in dehydrated samples after 1 h of immersion was proportional to the concentration of molasses solution.

/pdf/sugar-beet-molasses-properties-and-applications-in-osmotic-45l2j4pf2v.pdf

Olivera Šimurina

Papers

Quality assessment of gluten-free crackers based on buckwheat flour

Feasibility of use of buckwheat flour as an ingredient in ginger nut biscuit formulation

Quality of bread supplemented with popped amaranthus cruentus grain

Quality of buckwheat-enriched wheat bread and its antihyperlipidemic effect in statin treated patients

Sugar beet molasses: Properties and applications in osmotic dehydration of fruits and vegetables