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Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean...
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Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Grain".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2023) | Viewed by 17070

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Barbara Laddomada

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), Lecce, Italy
Interests: phenolic acids; bioactive compounds; quality of wheat-based products; genetic diversity; traceability of agri-food products; wheat by-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Weiqun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics & Health, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Interests: functional foods; transgenic plants; seconday metabolites; nutraceuticals; phytochemicals; cancer prevention; weight control; exercise
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Numerous studies show that adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet is beneficial for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The rise in the incidence of NCDs in the last few decades is due to a number of “behavioural risk factors”, including the harmful use of alcohol and tobacco, physical inactivity, and the spread of harmful dietary behaviours.

In this context, it is desirable to promote beneficial diet habits such as the “Mediterranean diet”, which helps to prevent NCDs when compared with following other dietary patterns. The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet are associated with a frequent and high consumption of cereal grains (e.g., rice, oatmeal, barley, wheat) and their derived products such as pasta, couscous, bulgur, freekeh, bread, and traditional snacks, along with a wide range of regional foods and pulses.

The correlation between the Mediterranean diet and a favourable microbial composition of the intestinal lumen is also becoming clearer every day. Functioning as an extra organ, the intestinal microbiota contributes to regulating the immune system and preventing a range of gastrointestinal diseases and dysfunctions.

This Special Issue is open to all contributions that may help to improve our knowledge of the health and nutritional properties of cereals, pulses, and their derived foods typical of the Mediterranean diet.

In particular, the present Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews dealing with: 1) the exploration of genetic variation in the nutrients and bioactive components in cereal grains and pulses; 2) the development of new processes aimed to improve the content of health-promoting components in cereal-based products; and 3) the evaluation of the health properties of new and traditional Mediterranean foods and of specific food components.

Dr. Barbara Laddomada
Prof. Dr. Weiqun Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cereals
  • grains
  • pulses
  • milling
  • food processing
  • Mediterranean diet
  • bioactive compounds
  • dietary fibres
  • polyphenols
  • minerals
  • health
  • NCDs
  • chronic disease prevention

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3184 KiB  
Article
Effect of Grape Pomace Flour in Savory Crackers: Technological, Nutritional and Sensory Properties
by Joana Marcos, Raquel Carriço, Maria João Sousa, M. Lídia Palma, Paula Pereira, M. Cristiana Nunes and Marisa Nicolai
Foods 2023, 12(7), 1392; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071392 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2078
Abstract
The wine industry generates large amounts of by-products that are usually destined as waste. Grape pomace is the residue of the winemaking process and is rich in compounds with functional properties, such as dietary fiber and phenolic compounds. The aim of this research [...] Read more.
The wine industry generates large amounts of by-products that are usually destined as waste. Grape pomace is the residue of the winemaking process and is rich in compounds with functional properties, such as dietary fiber and phenolic compounds. The aim of this research was to study the influence of white and red grape pomace flour (GPF) addition in the enhancement of functional properties of savory crackers. Different levels of incorporation were tested (5%, 10% and 15% (w/w)). Analysis of physical properties, nutritional composition and sensory acceptability were conducted to evaluate the effect of GPF incorporation. GPF cracker stability throughout a four-week period was achieved with regard to firmness and color. These products presented distinctive and appealing colors, ranging from a violet (GPF of Touriga Nacional variety) to a brown hue (GPF of Arinto variety). Concerning nutritional composition, both crackers incorporated with 10% GPF of Arinto or Touriga Nacional varieties could be considered “high in fiber”, as per the Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006, suggesting a functional food. GPF crackers demonstrated an overall great acceptance of this kind of innovative foods, with the majority indicating that they would certainly/probably buy them. Moreover, the cracker with 10% Arinto GPF achieved the most balanced and overall preference. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods)
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22 pages, 2829 KiB  
Article
How Cooking Time Affects In Vitro Starch and Protein Digestibility of Whole Cooked Lentil Seeds versus Isolated Cotyledon Cells
by Dorine Duijsens, Sarah H. E. Verkempinck, Audrey De Coster, Katharina Pälchen, Marc Hendrickx and Tara Grauwet
Foods 2023, 12(3), 525; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030525 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2993
Abstract
Lentils are sustainable sources of bioencapsulated macronutrients, meaning physical barriers hinder the permeation of digestive enzymes into cotyledon cells, slowing down macronutrient digestion. While lentils are typically consumed as cooked seeds, insights into the effect of cooking time on microstructural and related digestive [...] Read more.
Lentils are sustainable sources of bioencapsulated macronutrients, meaning physical barriers hinder the permeation of digestive enzymes into cotyledon cells, slowing down macronutrient digestion. While lentils are typically consumed as cooked seeds, insights into the effect of cooking time on microstructural and related digestive properties are lacking. Therefore, the effect of cooking time (15, 30, or 60 min) on in vitro amylolysis and proteolysis kinetics of lentil seeds (CL) and an important microstructural fraction, i.e., cotyledon cells isolated thereof (ICC), were studied. For ICC, cooking time had no significant effect on amylolysis kinetics, while small but significant differences in proteolysis were observed (p < 0.05). In contrast, cooking time importantly affected the microstructure obtained upon the mechanical disintegration of whole lentils, resulting in significantly different digestion kinetics. Upon long cooking times (60 min), digestion kinetics approached those of ICC since mechanical disintegration yielded a high fraction of individual cotyledon cells (67 g/100 g dry matter). However, cooked lentils with a short cooking time (15 min) showed significantly slower amylolysis with a lower final extent (~30%), due to the presence of more cell clusters upon disintegration. In conclusion, cooking time can be used to obtain distinct microstructures and digestive functionalities with perspectives for household and industrial preparation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods)
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19 pages, 4518 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Profiling and Untargeted Metabolite Fingerprinting of the MEDWHEALTH Wheat, Barley and Lentil Wholemeal Flours
by Giuseppe Romano, Laura Del Coco, Francesco Milano, Miriana Durante, Samuela Palombieri, Francesco Sestili, Andrea Visioni, Abderrazek Jilal, Francesco Paolo Fanizzi and Barbara Laddomada
Foods 2022, 11(24), 4070; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11244070 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1523
Abstract
An important research target is improving the health benefits of traditional Mediterranean, durum wheat-based foods using innovative raw materials. In this study, we characterised wholemeal flours obtained from a traditional durum wheat cv. Svevo, two innovative durum wheat varieties (Svevo-High Amylose and Faridur), [...] Read more.
An important research target is improving the health benefits of traditional Mediterranean, durum wheat-based foods using innovative raw materials. In this study, we characterised wholemeal flours obtained from a traditional durum wheat cv. Svevo, two innovative durum wheat varieties (Svevo-High Amylose and Faridur), the naked barley cv. Chifaa and the elite lentil line 6002/ILWL118/1-1, evaluating them for targeted phytochemicals, untargeted metabolomics fingerprints and antioxidant capacity. To this aim, individual phenolic acids, flavonoids, tocochromanols and carotenoids were identified and quantified through HPLC-DAD, and the antioxidant capacities of both the extracts and whole meals were detected by ABTS assays. An untargeted metabolomics fingerprinting of the samples was conducted through NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that the innovative materials improved phytochemical profiles and antioxidant capacity compared to Svevo. In particular, Svevo-HA and Faridur had higher contents of ferulic and sinapic acids, β-tocotrienol and lutein. Moreover, Chifaa is a rich source of phenolic acids, β-tocopherols, lutein and zeaxanthin whereas lentil of flavonoids (i.e., catechin and procyanidin B2). The NMR profiles of Svevo-HA and Faridur showed a significant reduction of sugar content, malate and tryptophan compared to that of Svevo. Finally, substantial differences characterised the lentil profiles, especially for citrate, trigonelline and phenolic resonances of secondary metabolites, such as catechin-like compounds. Overall, these results support the potential of the above innovative materials to renew the health value of traditional Mediterranean durum wheat-based products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods)
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15 pages, 4149 KiB  
Article
Characterization of a Collection of Colored Lentil Genetic Resources Using a Novel Computer Vision Approach
by Marco Del Coco, Barbara Laddomada, Giuseppe Romano, Pierluigi Carcagnì, Shiv Kumar and Marco Leo
Foods 2022, 11(24), 3964; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11243964 - 07 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1913
Abstract
The lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is one of the major pulse crops cultivated worldwide. However, in the last decades, lentil cultivation has decreased in many areas surrounding Mediterranean countries due to low yields, new lifestyles, and changed eating habits. Thus, many landraces [...] Read more.
The lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is one of the major pulse crops cultivated worldwide. However, in the last decades, lentil cultivation has decreased in many areas surrounding Mediterranean countries due to low yields, new lifestyles, and changed eating habits. Thus, many landraces and local varieties have disappeared, while local farmers are the only custodians of the treasure of lentil genetic resources. Recently, the lentil has been rediscovered to meet the needs of more sustainable agriculture and food systems. Here, we proposed an image analysis approach that, besides being a rapid and non-destructive method, can characterize seed size grading and seed coat morphology. The results indicated that image analysis can give much more detailed and precise descriptions of grain size and shape characteristics than can be practically achieved by manual quality assessment. Lentil size measurements combined with seed coat descriptors and the color attributes of the grains allowed us to develop an algorithm that was able to identify 64 red lentil genotypes collected at ICARDA with an accuracy approaching 98% for seed size grading and close to 93% for the classification of seed coat morphology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods)
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15 pages, 1772 KiB  
Article
Effect of Thermal Treatment on the Physicochemical, Ultrastructural, and Antioxidant Characteristics of Euryale ferox Seeds and Flour
by Qin Li, Hong-Tao Li, Yi-Peng Bai, Ke-Rui Zhu and Ping-Hsiu Huang
Foods 2022, 11(16), 2404; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11162404 - 10 Aug 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
Euryale ferox seeds (EFS) were less gelatinized, preventing the release of nutrients and functional compounds, resulting in limited applications in meals and the food industry. Nutraceutical importance of EFS includes starch, protein, lipids, 20 amino acids, minerals, and vitamins (C, E, and beta [...] Read more.
Euryale ferox seeds (EFS) were less gelatinized, preventing the release of nutrients and functional compounds, resulting in limited applications in meals and the food industry. Nutraceutical importance of EFS includes starch, protein, lipids, 20 amino acids, minerals, and vitamins (C, E, and beta carotene). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of three different thermal treatments on EFS’s physicochemical and nutritional properties and expected to improve its applicability. The results showed that the bulk density, thousand-grain weight, and hardness of thermal treated EFS were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), whereas the maximum decrease was observed in the industrial infrared heating-assisted fluidized bed (IHFH) treatment. Meanwhile, there were more crevices, fissures, and heightened porous structures in EFS between the pericarp and episperm and the endosperm after heat treatment, which facilitated grinding and water absorption. Notably, EFS’s water and oil absorption capacities increased significantly (p < 0.05) with microwave and IHFH treatments. EFS ground’s solubility into powder was increased significantly with thermal treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the functional properties of TPC, TFC, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and reducing power were significantly increased (p < 0.05). In general, the changes in the physicochemical properties of EFS and increased bioactivity were caused by microwave and IHFH treatments. Hence, it might improve the food value of EFS while providing valuable information to researchers and food manufacturers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods)
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Review

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18 pages, 2372 KiB  
Review
Genetically Modified Rice Is Associated with Hunger, Health, and Climate Resilience
by Kaori Kobayashi, Xiaohui Wang and Weiqun Wang
Foods 2023, 12(14), 2776; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142776 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6072
Abstract
While nearly one in nine people in the world deals with hunger, one in eight has obesity, and all face the threat of climate change. The production of rice, an important cereal crop and staple food for most of the world’s population, faces [...] Read more.
While nearly one in nine people in the world deals with hunger, one in eight has obesity, and all face the threat of climate change. The production of rice, an important cereal crop and staple food for most of the world’s population, faces challenges due to climate change, the increasing global population, and the simultaneous prevalence of hunger and obesity worldwide. These issues could be addressed at least in part by genetically modified rice. Genetic engineering has greatly developed over the century. Genetically modified rice has been approved by the ISAAA’s GM approval database as safe for human consumption. The aim behind the development of this rice is to improve the crop yield, nutritional value, and food safety of rice grains. This review article provides a summary of the research data on genetically modified rice and its potential role in improving the double burden of malnutrition, primarily through increasing nutritional quality as well as grain size and yield. It also reviews the potential health benefits of certain bioactive components generated in genetically modified rice. Furthermore, this article discusses potential solutions to these challenges, including the use of genetically modified crops and the identification of quantitative trait loci involved in grain weight and nutritional quality. Specifically, a quantitative trait locus called grain weight on chromosome 6 has been identified, which was amplified by the Kasa allele, resulting in a substantial increase in grain weight and brown grain. An overexpressing a specific gene in rice, Oryza sativa plasma membrane H+-ATPase1, was observed to improve the absorption and assimilation of ammonium in the roots, as well as enhance stomatal opening and photosynthesis rate in the leaves under light exposure. Cloning research has also enabled the identification of several underlying quantitative trait loci involved in grain weight and nutritional quality. Finally, this article discusses the increasing threats of climate change such as methane–nitrous oxide emissions and global warming, and how they may be significantly improved by genetically modified rice through modifying a water-management technique. Taken together, this comprehensive review will be of particular importance to the field of bioactive components of cereal grains and food industries trying to produce high-quality functional cereal foods through genetic engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Benefits of Traditional Niche Foods and New Cereal-Based Mediterranean Foods)
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