Development of Novel Pasta Products with Evidence Based Impacts on Health—A Review

Pasta made from durum wheat is a widely consumed worldwide and is a healthy and convenient food. In the last two decades, there has been much research effort into improving the nutritional value of pasta by inclusion of nonconventional ingredients due to the demand by health-conscious consumers for functional foods. These ingredients can affect the technological properties of the pasta, but their health impacts are not always measured rather inferred. This review provides an overview of pasta made from durum wheat where the semolina is substituted in part with a range of ingredients (barley fractions, dietary fibre sources, fish ingredients, herbs, inulin, resistant starches, legumes, vegetables and protein extracts). Impacts on pasta technological properties and in vitro measures of phytonutrient enhancement or changes to starch digestion are included. Emphasis is on the literature that provides clinical or animal trial data on the health benefits of the functional pasta.

Resistant Starches and Non-Communicable Disease: A Focus on Mediterranean Diet

Resistant starch (RS) is the starch fraction that eludes digestion in the small intestine. RS is classified into five subtypes (RS1–RS5), some of which occur naturally in plant-derived foods, whereas the others may be produced by several processing conditions. The different RS subtypes are widely found in processed foods, but their physiological effects depend on their structural characteristics. In the present study, foods, nutrition and biochemistry are summarized in order to assess the type and content of RS in foods belonging to the Mediterranean Diet (MeD). Then, the benefits of RS consumption on health are discussed, focusing on their capability to enhance glycemic control. RS enters the large bowel intestine, where it is fermented by the microbiome leading to the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids as major end products, which in turn have systemic health effects besides the in situ one. It is hoped that this review will help to understand the pros of RS consumption as an ingredient of MeD food. Consequently, new future research directions could be explored for developing advanced dietary strategies to prevent non-communicable diseases, including colon cancer.

New Type of Food Processing Material: The Crystal Structure and Functional Properties of Waxy and Non-Waxy Proso Millet Resistant Starches

Resistant starch (RS) is widely used in the food industry because of its ability to regulate and protect the small intestine, but their distinct effects on the structural and functional properties of waxy and non-waxy proso millet starches are not completely understood. The crystalline structure and physicochemical properties of waxy and non-waxy proso millets’ starch samples were analyzed after heat-moisture treatment (HMT). The analysis revealed significant differences between the RS of waxy and non-waxy proso millets. The crystal type of proso millets’ starch changed from type A to type B + V. The relative crystallinity of the RS of waxy proso millet was better than that of non-waxy proso millet. The gelatinization temperature and thermal stability of RS significantly increased, and the pasting temperature (PTM) of the RS of waxy proso millet was the highest. The water solubility and swelling power of the RS in proso millet decreased, and the viscoelasticity improved. The correlation between the short-range ordered structure of RS and ΔH, and gelatinization properties has a stronger correlation. This study provides practical information for improving the nutritional benefits of waxy and non-waxy proso millet in food applications.

Resistant Starch-Based Edible Coating Composites for Spray-Dried Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Comparative Assessment of Thermal Protection, In Vitro Digestion and Physicochemical Characteristics

Polysaccharides have excellent potential as food-grade coating materials for microencapsulation in pro- and prebiotics-based functional food industry. In this study, potato, maize, and rice resistant starches composite coatings with D-mannose, maltodextrin, and whey protein concentrate were prepared for the spray-dried microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS 1.1003. Assessment of different polysaccharide coatings to enhance the longevity of probiotics at high temperatures of spray-drying process, storage, and targeted delivery in the gastrointestinal tract were the key objectives of the present study. The highest microencapsulation efficiencies were shown by maize (95.80%) and potato (94.30%) resistant starches. Similarly, maize resistant starch (MRS)-based composites provided the highest thermal resistance, with Tg 38.77 ± 1.10–93.13 ± 0.81 °C and showed the least 2.1 log cycles viability loss in simulated GI tract. Viability losses during storage were in the following order: control > RRS > PRS > MRS, and the inactivation rate of the microencapsulated cells followed the first-order kinetics (R2 = 0.9264–0.9918). The resistant starch-based spray-dried microcapsules possessed 27.00 ± 0.03 to 52.28 ± 1.02 µm size range and SEM micrographs showed a unified smooth surface without cracks and ruptures. These findings will expand the potential use of natural food-grade coatings in functional foods and allied industries involving spray-dried products.

261 Dietary Fiber: Chemical and Physical Characteristics and Methods of Analysis

The fiber component of the diet is the major food source for the intestinal microbiota of swine. Included are traditional insoluble (e.g., cellulose) and soluble (e.g., pectin) dietary fibers, resistant starches (four types), and oligosaccharides (some of which are “prebiotics”). Fiber constituents are found both in the primary and secondary cell walls of plants, but some are found in non-cell wall structures as well. In cereals, cell walls consist of a reinforced multi-component matrix of cross-linked polymers (acidic xylans, arabinoxylans, glucomannans) in which a network of cellulose microfibrils is embedded. Proteins form a second network in the matrix, and lignin and phenolic acids may be covalently linked to the matrix polysaccharides. In addition, whole grains have considerable amounts of resistant starch. Physical processing and cooking have a major effect on the chemical composition and subsequent utilization of the whole grain. Techniques are available to quantify both the insoluble and soluble fibers present in swine diets. Solubility often impacts the location of fermentation within the swine gastrointestinal tract, and solubility often, but not always, reflects fermentation potential. Other important attributes of fiber include its viscosity/gel-forming capacity/water-holding capacity, and its fermentability. On the analytical front, considerable progress has been and continues to be made, with many AOAC-approved techniques currently available. In summary, dietary fiber is perhaps the most chemically complicated of any swine feed constituent, making its analysis difficult. Fibers, whether they be intrinsic and intact, isolated, chemically and (or) enzymatically synthesized, alternative, etc.represent the key foods for the swine intestinal microbiota, so a good understanding of their properties is critical to fully understand how to optimize their role in swine nutrition.

Factors contributing to fidelity in a pilot trial of individualized resistant starches for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease: a fidelity study protocol

Background The consumption of resistant starches is a promising adjuvant therapy for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Rigorous evaluation of resistant starches in this setting depends on the intervention being delivered, received, and enacted as intended, that is, with fidelity. As part of a planned pilot trial, participants will be randomized to ingest resistant starches or a placebo. They will also be asked to collect stool samples and keep symptom and dose diaries to inform trial outcomes. We aim to identify potential factors impacting fidelity to the receipt and enactment of trial intervention and data collection activities from the perspective of patients and caregivers in the trial. Identifying fidelity barriers and enablers at the pilot trial phase of a clinical intervention may help to determine optimization processes when expanding to multiple sites in future trials. Methods We will conduct 15-30 semi-structured interviews with pilot trial participants (aged 8-17) and their caregivers. Trial participants will be approached for interviews approximately 6 months after the start of their trial participation. Personal projects analysis, a tool for understanding how individuals manage competing demands in their daily lives, will guide an in-depth exploration of how trial participants engage in activities related to intervention and data collection fidelity (ingesting resistant starches or placebo, collecting stool samples, keeping a symptom and dose diary) amidst the complexities of daily living. Discussion The present study will seek to explore and demonstrate how theory-informed fidelity assessments can be conducted alongside pilot trials to inform future multisite trials. Study results will clarify what factors may affect fidelity to trial intervention and data collection activities. Results may suggest what to modify to optimize the design and conduct, and ensure the integrity, of future multisite trials. Conducting process evaluations alongside clinical trials has the potential to improve our understanding of trial participant experiences. Results will provide a better understanding of how trial participants manage to engage in necessary trial activities along with other priorities.