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Pasta is a great vehicle for the incorporation of vegetable-derived ingredients to increase the consumption of the health-beneficial components originating from vegetables. Notably, by-products of vegetable processing can also serve as a rich source of phytochemicals. An important step in pasta processing is drying which can affect the content of bioactive compounds in pasta. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of drying on the nutritional quality and cooking properties of durum wheat pasta fortified with broccoli leaves. Pasta enriched with broccoli leaf powder (BLP) at 2.5% (B2.5) and 5% (B5), and control pasta without BLP (C), which differed in drying conditions: fresh pasta without drying (F), pasta dried at 50°C for 8 h (L), and pasta dried at 80°C for 3 h (H) were formulated. The obtained pasta products were analysed for the cooking properties (optimal cooking time, cooking loss, water absorption and swelling capacity); colour parameters; proximate composition; and contents of free amino acids (FAA), fatty acids and sugars. BLP significantly improved the contents of ash by up to 35 g/100 g, FAA and fatty acids to up to 1298 nmol/g dry matter (DM) and 16741 µg/g DM, respectively, without compromising the cooking quality of pasta. Drying had a significant effect on fatty acids, which content in pasta processed at the highest temperature tested decreased. From the nutritional point of view, the low-temperature drying seems to be an interesting method for pasta preparation, with the highest content of FAA, fatty acids, especially unsaturated ones, and the lowest content of sugar. However, at the same time, the dried pasta products were characterised by greater cooking loss approximating 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the successful development of new gluten-free (GF) mini sponge cakes fortified with broccoli leaves. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of broccoli leaf powder (BLP) on the content of biologically active compounds and the antioxidant capacity of GF mini sponge cakes. Broccoli leaf powder was a good source of nutritional components, including proteins and minerals, as well as bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates and phenolics. Glucosinolate content was higher than expected, which points to a synergistic interaction between bioactive compounds and the food matrix. The incorporation of BLP into GF mini sponge cakes significantly (p < 0.05) increased their antioxidant capacity. The overall sensory acceptance of GF mini sponge cakes was affected by increasing BLP content. The addition of 2.5% BLP as a starch substitute resulted in an optimal improvement in the nutraceutical potential of GF cakes without compromising their sensory quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Optimisation of the germination process of different cultivars of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica cv. Lucky, cv. Tiburon and cv. Belstar) and radish (Raphanus sativus cv. Rebel and cv. Bolide) seeds in relation to the content of glucosinolates (GLS), vitamin C and total antioxidant capacity was carried out in order to maximise the health-promoting properties of Brassica sprouts. The content of total and individual GLS varied between species, among cultivars, and germination time. Glucoraphanin in broccoli and glucoraphenin in radish were the predominant GLS in raw seeds (61–77 and 63–129μmol/g DM, respectively) and, although their content decreased during germination, they were maintained in rather large proportions in sprouts. Vitamin C was not detected in raw seeds and its content increased sharply in broccoli and radish sprouts (162–350 and 84–113mg/100gDM, respectively). Raw brassica seeds are an excellent source of antioxidant capacity (64–90 and 103–162μmolTrolox/g DM in broccoli and radish, respectively) and germination led to a sharp increase. Germination of broccoli cv. Belstar and radish cv. Rebel for 4 days provided the largest glucoraphanin and glucoraphenin content, respectively, and also brought about large amounts of vitamin C and antioxidant capacity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]