Kati Katina - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kati Katina

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Helsinki, 2005. Includes bibliographical references.

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2021

Background: The use of grains as an alternative to wheat in breadmaking has rapidly grown in the ... more Background: The use of grains as an alternative to wheat in breadmaking has rapidly grown in the last few years, driven by the Sustainable Development Goals toward improving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Flours from legumes, pseudo-cereals, minor cereals and milling by-products, such as bran, are of particular interest. The production of partially substituted or wheat-free bread is, however, a challenging task in terms of texture and flavour attributes. Scope and approach: The present review covers recent advances in the application of dextrans in improving dough rheology, baking performance and bread flavour characteristics. Emphasis has been given to in situ application of dextran via sourdough technology as a 'clean label' alternative to commercial hydrocolloid additives. Key findings and conclusions: In-situ dextran production leads to bread with higher specific volume, softer crumbs and increased moisture content. Dextran also provides an anti-staling effect attributable to its ability to reduce water mobility and retard starch retrogradation. A structure-function relationship has suggested that dextran with high molecular weight and less branching is superior in enhancing bread quality. Furthermore, mild acidification favours the functionality of dextran in dough and bread systems, while intensive acidification results in adverse effects. Lactic acid bacterial strains belonging to the genus Weissella exhibiting mild acidification are therefore appreciated in regard to the utilisation of in-situ produced dextran. This review highlights the novel application of dextran as a flavour masking agent to minimise off-flavours (e.g. beany flavour, bitter taste, and aftertaste) originating from non-wheat grains, consequently improving the acceptability of the final products.

Foods, 2021

Daily use of wholegrain foods is generally recommended due to strong epidemiological evidence of ... more Daily use of wholegrain foods is generally recommended due to strong epidemiological evidence of reduced risk of chronic diseases. Cereal grains, especially the bran part, have a high content of dietary fiber (DF). Cereal DF is an umbrella concept of heterogeneous polysaccharides of variable chemical composition and molecular weight, which are combined in a complex network in cereal cell walls. Cereal DF and its distinct components influence food digestion throughout the gastrointestinal tract and influence nutrient absorption and other physiological reactions. After repeated consumption of especially whole grain cereal foods, these effects manifest in well-demonstrated health benefits. As cereal DF is always consumed in the form of processed cereal food, it is important to know the effects of processing on DF to understand, safeguard and maximize these health effects. Endogenous and microbial enzymes, heat and mechanical energy during germination, fermentation, baking and extrusion...

LWT, 2021

Surplus bread is a major bakery side stream that should be strictly kept within the human food ch... more Surplus bread is a major bakery side stream that should be strictly kept within the human food chain to reduce waste and ensure resource efficiency in baking processes. Optimally, surplus bread should be recycled as a dough ingredient, however, this is known to be detrimental to the volume and texture of bread. The purpose of this study was to investigate how gelatinized starch in surplus bread, untreated or enzymatically hydrolyzed, affects dough development, bread volume and textural attributes. Starch was hydrolyzed to various degrees using commercial α-amylase and amyloglucosidase. Bread hydrolysates containing different carbohydrate profiles (untreated, 75%, 57%, and 26% starch remaining) were evaluated as dough ingredients. More complete starch hydrolysis resulted in better dough visco-elastic properties and higher dough level, and reduced dough water absorption by 13%. Nonetheless, breads containing hydrolysate with high-malto-oligosaccharides had the lowest intrinsic hardness and similar volume yield when compared to control bread. Furthermore, compared to untreated slurry, the hydrolysate with high-malto-oligosaccharides, reduced crumb hardness by 28% and staling rate by 42%, and increased specific volume by 8%. The present findings show that enzymatic hydrolysis dramatically transforms the impact of gelatinized starch. Thus, by selecting correct bioprocessing approaches, bread recycling performance may be significantly improved.

LWT, 2021

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Food Hydrocolloids, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2019

The present study investigated the effect of co-fermentation on vitamin B12 content and microbiol... more The present study investigated the effect of co-fermentation on vitamin B12 content and microbiological composition of wheat bran. Propionibacterium freudenreichii DSM 20271 was used as the producer of vitamin while Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 14869 was selected to ensure the microbial safety of the bran dough. Fermentation trials were conducted in bioreactors to monitor and adjust the pH of the ferments. Vitamin B12 level reached 357 ± 8 ng/g dry weight (dw) after 1 day of pH-controlled fermentation with P. freudenreichii monoculture and remained stable thereafter. In co-fermentation with L. brevis, slightly less vitamin B12 (255 ± 31 ng/g dw) was produced in 1 day and an effective inhibition of the growth of total Enterobacteriaceae and Bacillus cereus was obtained. On day 3, vitamin B12 content in pH-controlled co-fermentation increased to 332 ± 44 ng/g dw. On the other hand, without a pH control, co-fermentation resulted in a stronger inhibition of Enterobacteriaceae and B. cereus but a lower level of vitamin B12 (183 ± 5 ng/g dw on day 3). These results demonstrated that wheat bran fermented by P. freudenreichii and L. brevis can be a promising way to produce vitamin B12 fortified plant-origin food ingredients, which could reduce cereal waste streams and contribute to a more resilient food chain.

European Food Research and Technology, 2019

Vicine and convicine may be removed from faba bean by hydrolysis to the corresponding aglycones, ... more Vicine and convicine may be removed from faba bean by hydrolysis to the corresponding aglycones, divicine and isouramil. For total elimination of their toxicity, further degradation of the aglycones should be shown. The aim of the study was to investigate hydrolysis of vicine and convicine using the enzymatic activity in faba bean in flour suspensions and selected lactic acid bacteria used as starters for faba bean fermentation. In addition, the effect of acidity on the stability of vicine and convicine was investigated. Sourdoughs were used in a baking process to obtain breads as final products. Vicine, convicine, and their aglycones were analyzed using reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography with UV detection (RP-HPLC-UV). Incubation of the suspensions showed rather small vicine and convicine losses. Acidity itself did not cause losses under the conditions studied, apart from that of convicine at low pH. In sourdough fermentation with strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus, losses of vicine and convicine were dependent on the fermentation temperature and the β-glucosidase activity of the starter. Compared to fermentation at 20 °C, more intense acidification at 25 °C resulted in decrease of vicine up to 85% and convicine up to 47%. Levels of vicine and convicine in breads were comparable to levels in sourdoughs. Furthermore, the aglycones were not detected from breads.

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2018

Background: High whole grain intake has consistently been associated with lowered risk of develop... more Background: High whole grain intake has consistently been associated with lowered risk of developing a number of chronic diseases. Among cereals, rye has highest content of dietary fiber, together with a wide variety of bioactive compounds. There is accumulating evidence from intervention studies of physiological effects of rye foods with potential health benefits. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the state of the art of rye and health and identifies future directions for research and innovation, based partly on findings presented at the international conference "The Power of Rye",

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2017

This study investigated the metabolic traits of 27 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains belonging t... more This study investigated the metabolic traits of 27 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains belonging to different species, previously isolated from faba bean. The activities assayed, related to technological and nutritional improvement of fermented faba bean, included peptidases, β-glucosidase, phytase, as well as exopolysaccharides synthesis and antimicrobial properties. In addition, the bacteria performance as starter cultures during faba bean fermentation on proteolysis, antioxidant potential, and degradation of condensed tannins were assessed. Fermentative profiling showed that only 7 out of 27 strains were able to metabolize D-raffinose, particularly Leuc. mesenteroides I01 and I57. All strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus exerted high PepN activity and exhibited β-glucosidase activity higher than the median value of 0.015 U, while phytase activity was largely distributed among the different strains. All the weissellas, and in lower amount leuconostocs, showed ability to produce EPS from sucrose. None of the strains showed antimicrobial activity toward Staphylococcus aureus, while eight strains of P. pentosaceus exhibited a strong inhibitory activity toward Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Generally, the doughs fermented with pediococci exhibited high amount of total free amino acids, antioxidant activity, and condensed tannins degradation. These results allowed the identification of LAB biotypes as potential starter cultures for faba bean bioprocessing, aiming at the enhancement of faba bean use in novel food applications.

Journal of Cereal Science, 2018

Vitamin B12 is a micronutrient naturally existing in animal products. A growing interest and need... more Vitamin B12 is a micronutrient naturally existing in animal products. A growing interest and need to replace animal protein with plant protein sources have resulted in increased attention to developing vitamin B12-fortified plant-based food. Natural fortification by Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a promising alternative to chemical fortification, as P. freudenreichii can synthesize active vitamin B12. In this work, we studied vitamin B12 production in non-sterile matrices prepared from three raw materials of wheat: durum flour, wholewheat flour and wheat bran. Viable cell counts, pH, total titratable acidity and concentration of acids were determined. After seven days of fermentation, vitamin B12 levels reached 33 ± 4, 87 ± 10 and 155 ± 17 ng/g dry weight in durum flour, wholewheat flour, and wheat bran, respectively. While durum flour supported the growth of P. freudenreichii to higher cell densities and more efficient propionic acid production compared with the other two matrices, wholewheat flour and wheat bran were found to be the most promising of the three matrices for in situ production of vitamin B12.

Carbohydrate polymers, Jan 15, 2018

The aim of this study was to study the interactions between dextran and fava bean protein. Two de... more The aim of this study was to study the interactions between dextran and fava bean protein. Two dextrans produced by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 and Weissella cibaria Sj 1b were purified and mixed with fava bean protein isolate (FPI) in water or in different buffers. The two isolated dextrans presented a typical dextran structure, mainly α-(1 → 6) linkages (above 95%) and few α-(1 → 3) branches, but they differed in molar mass and conformation. Dry-heating incubation of FPI and dextran mixture facilitated the conjugation of dextran to FPI through the Maillard reaction. Both mixed and conjugated systems were further heat-treated, and different influences of the formed covalent bonds on rheological properties were observed. The W. cibaria Sj 1b dextran had a much higher gel-strengthening ability than the Ln. pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 dextran. The intermolecular FPI-dextran interactions played an important role in stabilizing the mixed systems at different pH.

Food microbiology, 2018

This study focused on the performance of the dextran producer Leuconostoc citreum as starter cult... more This study focused on the performance of the dextran producer Leuconostoc citreum as starter culture during 30 days of wheat flour type I sourdough propagation (back-slopping). As confirmed by RAPD-PCR analysis, the strain dominated throughout the propagation procedure, consisting of daily fermentations at 20 °C. The sourdoughs were characterized by consistent lactic acid bacteria cell density and acidification parameters, reaching pH values of 4.0 and mild titratable acidity. Carbohydrates consumption remained consistent during the propagation procedure, leading to formation of mannitol and almost equimolar amount of lactic and acetic acid. The addition of sucrose enabled the formation of dextran, inducing an increase in viscosity of the sourdough of 2-2.6 fold, as well as oligosaccharides. The transcriptional analysis based on glucosyltransferases genes (GH70) showed the existence in L. citreum FDR241 of at least five different dextransucrases. Among these, only one gene, previous...

LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2017

The effects of the substitution of wheat flour with faba bean flour and faba bean sourdough on th... more The effects of the substitution of wheat flour with faba bean flour and faba bean sourdough on the properties of composite bread were investigated. Bread was prepared by replacing wheat flour with 30% of faba bean flour, native or after sourdough fermentation. The addition of faba bean flour influenced the structure of the breads, causing a slight decrease of volume and higher hardness compared to wheat bread. However, when fermented faba bean flour was added, the crumb porosity of the bread was not affected. The addition of 30% of faba bean flour increased wheat bread protein content from 11.6 up to 16.5 % of dry matter. The addition of native faba bean flour did not affect the in vitro protein digestibility, resulting similar to wheat bread (64%). On the contrary, faba bean sourdough bread showed higher protein digestibility (73%). Generally, the addition of native faba bean flour caused an improvement of the nutritional indexes of the composite bread, further enhanced when fermentation was carried out. The free amino acid profile, protein chemical score, and biological value index were the highest in faba bean sourdough bread. In addition, the predicted glycemic index was the lowest in faba bean sourdough bread.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2017

The microbial ecology of faba bean sourdoughs obtained from an Italian (Ita) and a Finnish (Fi) c... more The microbial ecology of faba bean sourdoughs obtained from an Italian (Ita) and a Finnish (Fi) cultivar, belonging respectively to Vicia faba major and V. faba minor groups, was described by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and culture-dependent analysis. The sourdoughs were propagated with traditional backslopping procedure throughout 14 days. Higher microbial diversity was found in the sourdough deriving from V. faba minor (Fi), still containing residual hulls after the milling procedure. After 2 days of propagation, the microbial profile of Ita sourdough was characterized by the dominance of the genera Pediococcus, Leuconostoc and Weissella, while the genera Lactococcus, Lactobacillus and Escherichia, as well as Enterobacteriaceae were present in Fi sourdoughs. Yeasts were in very low cell density until the second backslopping and were not anymore found after this time by plate count or pyrosequencing analysis. Among the lactic acid bacteria isolates, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Weissella koreensis had the highest frequency of occurrence in both the sourdough. Lactobacillus sakei was the only lactobacillus isolated from the first to the last propagation day in Fi sourdough. According to microbiological and acidification properties, the maturity of the sourdoughs was reached after 5 days. The presence of hulls and the different microbial composition reflected on biochemical characteristics of Fi sourdoughs, including acidification and phenolic compounds. Moreover, proteolysis in Fi sourdough was more intense compared to Ita. The microbial dynamic of the faba bean sourdoughs showed some differences with the most studied cereal sourdoughs.

International journal of food microbiology, Jan 2, 2017

Fava bean flour is regarded as a potential plant-based protein source, but the addition of it at ... more Fava bean flour is regarded as a potential plant-based protein source, but the addition of it at high concentration is restricted by its poor texture-improving ability and by anti-nutritional factors (ANF). Exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are regarded as good texture modifiers. In this study, fava bean flour was fermented with Leuconostoc spp. and Weissella spp. with or without sucrose addition, in order to evaluate their potential in EPS production. The contents of free sugars, organic acids, mannitol and EPS in all fermented fava bean doughs were measured. Rheological properties of sucrose-enriched doughs, including viscosity flow curves, hysteresis loop and dynamic oscillatory sweep curves, were measured after fermentation. As one of the ANF, the degradation of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) was also studied by analyzing RFO profiles of different doughs. Quantification of EPS revealed the potential of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20...

Scientific Reports, 2016

In spite of its positive repercussions on nutrition and environment, faba bean still remains an u... more In spite of its positive repercussions on nutrition and environment, faba bean still remains an underutilized crop due to the presence of some undesired compounds. The pyrimidine glycosides vicine and convicine are precursors of the aglycones divicine and isouramil, the main factors of favism, a genetic condition which may lead to severe hemolysis after faba bean ingestion. The reduction of vicine and convicine has been targeted in several studies but little is known about their degradation. In this study, the hydrolysis kinetics of vicine and convicine and their derivatives during fermentation with L. plantarum DPPMAB24W was investigated. In particular, a specific HPLC method coupled to ESI-MS and MS/MS analysis, including the evaluation procedure of the results, was set up as the analytical approach to monitor the compounds. The degradation of the pyrimidine glycosides in the fermented flour was complete after 48 h of incubation and the aglycone derivatives could not be detected i...

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2016

Wholegrain foods are known to be health-beneficial but their sensory characteristics may be a lim... more Wholegrain foods are known to be health-beneficial but their sensory characteristics may be a limiting factor for consumption. Many cereals like rye, oats, barley and sorghum are actually used mainly as wholegrain, whereas for wheat the situation is the opposite. This review deals with factors that differentiate the sensory properties of wholegrain and bran-rich foods from those of refined cereal foods. Hitherto established means of modulating sensory quality and thus improving acceptability of wholegrain foods are also presented.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Helsinki, 2005. Includes bibliographical references.

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2021

Background: The use of grains as an alternative to wheat in breadmaking has rapidly grown in the ... more Background: The use of grains as an alternative to wheat in breadmaking has rapidly grown in the last few years, driven by the Sustainable Development Goals toward improving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Flours from legumes, pseudo-cereals, minor cereals and milling by-products, such as bran, are of particular interest. The production of partially substituted or wheat-free bread is, however, a challenging task in terms of texture and flavour attributes. Scope and approach: The present review covers recent advances in the application of dextrans in improving dough rheology, baking performance and bread flavour characteristics. Emphasis has been given to in situ application of dextran via sourdough technology as a 'clean label' alternative to commercial hydrocolloid additives. Key findings and conclusions: In-situ dextran production leads to bread with higher specific volume, softer crumbs and increased moisture content. Dextran also provides an anti-staling effect attributable to its ability to reduce water mobility and retard starch retrogradation. A structure-function relationship has suggested that dextran with high molecular weight and less branching is superior in enhancing bread quality. Furthermore, mild acidification favours the functionality of dextran in dough and bread systems, while intensive acidification results in adverse effects. Lactic acid bacterial strains belonging to the genus Weissella exhibiting mild acidification are therefore appreciated in regard to the utilisation of in-situ produced dextran. This review highlights the novel application of dextran as a flavour masking agent to minimise off-flavours (e.g. beany flavour, bitter taste, and aftertaste) originating from non-wheat grains, consequently improving the acceptability of the final products.

Foods, 2021

Daily use of wholegrain foods is generally recommended due to strong epidemiological evidence of ... more Daily use of wholegrain foods is generally recommended due to strong epidemiological evidence of reduced risk of chronic diseases. Cereal grains, especially the bran part, have a high content of dietary fiber (DF). Cereal DF is an umbrella concept of heterogeneous polysaccharides of variable chemical composition and molecular weight, which are combined in a complex network in cereal cell walls. Cereal DF and its distinct components influence food digestion throughout the gastrointestinal tract and influence nutrient absorption and other physiological reactions. After repeated consumption of especially whole grain cereal foods, these effects manifest in well-demonstrated health benefits. As cereal DF is always consumed in the form of processed cereal food, it is important to know the effects of processing on DF to understand, safeguard and maximize these health effects. Endogenous and microbial enzymes, heat and mechanical energy during germination, fermentation, baking and extrusion...

LWT, 2021

Surplus bread is a major bakery side stream that should be strictly kept within the human food ch... more Surplus bread is a major bakery side stream that should be strictly kept within the human food chain to reduce waste and ensure resource efficiency in baking processes. Optimally, surplus bread should be recycled as a dough ingredient, however, this is known to be detrimental to the volume and texture of bread. The purpose of this study was to investigate how gelatinized starch in surplus bread, untreated or enzymatically hydrolyzed, affects dough development, bread volume and textural attributes. Starch was hydrolyzed to various degrees using commercial α-amylase and amyloglucosidase. Bread hydrolysates containing different carbohydrate profiles (untreated, 75%, 57%, and 26% starch remaining) were evaluated as dough ingredients. More complete starch hydrolysis resulted in better dough visco-elastic properties and higher dough level, and reduced dough water absorption by 13%. Nonetheless, breads containing hydrolysate with high-malto-oligosaccharides had the lowest intrinsic hardness and similar volume yield when compared to control bread. Furthermore, compared to untreated slurry, the hydrolysate with high-malto-oligosaccharides, reduced crumb hardness by 28% and staling rate by 42%, and increased specific volume by 8%. The present findings show that enzymatic hydrolysis dramatically transforms the impact of gelatinized starch. Thus, by selecting correct bioprocessing approaches, bread recycling performance may be significantly improved.

LWT, 2021

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Food Hydrocolloids, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2019

The present study investigated the effect of co-fermentation on vitamin B12 content and microbiol... more The present study investigated the effect of co-fermentation on vitamin B12 content and microbiological composition of wheat bran. Propionibacterium freudenreichii DSM 20271 was used as the producer of vitamin while Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 14869 was selected to ensure the microbial safety of the bran dough. Fermentation trials were conducted in bioreactors to monitor and adjust the pH of the ferments. Vitamin B12 level reached 357 ± 8 ng/g dry weight (dw) after 1 day of pH-controlled fermentation with P. freudenreichii monoculture and remained stable thereafter. In co-fermentation with L. brevis, slightly less vitamin B12 (255 ± 31 ng/g dw) was produced in 1 day and an effective inhibition of the growth of total Enterobacteriaceae and Bacillus cereus was obtained. On day 3, vitamin B12 content in pH-controlled co-fermentation increased to 332 ± 44 ng/g dw. On the other hand, without a pH control, co-fermentation resulted in a stronger inhibition of Enterobacteriaceae and B. cereus but a lower level of vitamin B12 (183 ± 5 ng/g dw on day 3). These results demonstrated that wheat bran fermented by P. freudenreichii and L. brevis can be a promising way to produce vitamin B12 fortified plant-origin food ingredients, which could reduce cereal waste streams and contribute to a more resilient food chain.

European Food Research and Technology, 2019

Vicine and convicine may be removed from faba bean by hydrolysis to the corresponding aglycones, ... more Vicine and convicine may be removed from faba bean by hydrolysis to the corresponding aglycones, divicine and isouramil. For total elimination of their toxicity, further degradation of the aglycones should be shown. The aim of the study was to investigate hydrolysis of vicine and convicine using the enzymatic activity in faba bean in flour suspensions and selected lactic acid bacteria used as starters for faba bean fermentation. In addition, the effect of acidity on the stability of vicine and convicine was investigated. Sourdoughs were used in a baking process to obtain breads as final products. Vicine, convicine, and their aglycones were analyzed using reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography with UV detection (RP-HPLC-UV). Incubation of the suspensions showed rather small vicine and convicine losses. Acidity itself did not cause losses under the conditions studied, apart from that of convicine at low pH. In sourdough fermentation with strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus, losses of vicine and convicine were dependent on the fermentation temperature and the β-glucosidase activity of the starter. Compared to fermentation at 20 °C, more intense acidification at 25 °C resulted in decrease of vicine up to 85% and convicine up to 47%. Levels of vicine and convicine in breads were comparable to levels in sourdoughs. Furthermore, the aglycones were not detected from breads.

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2018

Background: High whole grain intake has consistently been associated with lowered risk of develop... more Background: High whole grain intake has consistently been associated with lowered risk of developing a number of chronic diseases. Among cereals, rye has highest content of dietary fiber, together with a wide variety of bioactive compounds. There is accumulating evidence from intervention studies of physiological effects of rye foods with potential health benefits. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the state of the art of rye and health and identifies future directions for research and innovation, based partly on findings presented at the international conference "The Power of Rye",

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2017

This study investigated the metabolic traits of 27 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains belonging t... more This study investigated the metabolic traits of 27 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains belonging to different species, previously isolated from faba bean. The activities assayed, related to technological and nutritional improvement of fermented faba bean, included peptidases, β-glucosidase, phytase, as well as exopolysaccharides synthesis and antimicrobial properties. In addition, the bacteria performance as starter cultures during faba bean fermentation on proteolysis, antioxidant potential, and degradation of condensed tannins were assessed. Fermentative profiling showed that only 7 out of 27 strains were able to metabolize D-raffinose, particularly Leuc. mesenteroides I01 and I57. All strains of Pediococcus pentosaceus exerted high PepN activity and exhibited β-glucosidase activity higher than the median value of 0.015 U, while phytase activity was largely distributed among the different strains. All the weissellas, and in lower amount leuconostocs, showed ability to produce EPS from sucrose. None of the strains showed antimicrobial activity toward Staphylococcus aureus, while eight strains of P. pentosaceus exhibited a strong inhibitory activity toward Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Generally, the doughs fermented with pediococci exhibited high amount of total free amino acids, antioxidant activity, and condensed tannins degradation. These results allowed the identification of LAB biotypes as potential starter cultures for faba bean bioprocessing, aiming at the enhancement of faba bean use in novel food applications.

Journal of Cereal Science, 2018

Vitamin B12 is a micronutrient naturally existing in animal products. A growing interest and need... more Vitamin B12 is a micronutrient naturally existing in animal products. A growing interest and need to replace animal protein with plant protein sources have resulted in increased attention to developing vitamin B12-fortified plant-based food. Natural fortification by Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a promising alternative to chemical fortification, as P. freudenreichii can synthesize active vitamin B12. In this work, we studied vitamin B12 production in non-sterile matrices prepared from three raw materials of wheat: durum flour, wholewheat flour and wheat bran. Viable cell counts, pH, total titratable acidity and concentration of acids were determined. After seven days of fermentation, vitamin B12 levels reached 33 ± 4, 87 ± 10 and 155 ± 17 ng/g dry weight in durum flour, wholewheat flour, and wheat bran, respectively. While durum flour supported the growth of P. freudenreichii to higher cell densities and more efficient propionic acid production compared with the other two matrices, wholewheat flour and wheat bran were found to be the most promising of the three matrices for in situ production of vitamin B12.

Carbohydrate polymers, Jan 15, 2018

The aim of this study was to study the interactions between dextran and fava bean protein. Two de... more The aim of this study was to study the interactions between dextran and fava bean protein. Two dextrans produced by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 and Weissella cibaria Sj 1b were purified and mixed with fava bean protein isolate (FPI) in water or in different buffers. The two isolated dextrans presented a typical dextran structure, mainly α-(1 → 6) linkages (above 95%) and few α-(1 → 3) branches, but they differed in molar mass and conformation. Dry-heating incubation of FPI and dextran mixture facilitated the conjugation of dextran to FPI through the Maillard reaction. Both mixed and conjugated systems were further heat-treated, and different influences of the formed covalent bonds on rheological properties were observed. The W. cibaria Sj 1b dextran had a much higher gel-strengthening ability than the Ln. pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 dextran. The intermolecular FPI-dextran interactions played an important role in stabilizing the mixed systems at different pH.

Food microbiology, 2018

This study focused on the performance of the dextran producer Leuconostoc citreum as starter cult... more This study focused on the performance of the dextran producer Leuconostoc citreum as starter culture during 30 days of wheat flour type I sourdough propagation (back-slopping). As confirmed by RAPD-PCR analysis, the strain dominated throughout the propagation procedure, consisting of daily fermentations at 20 °C. The sourdoughs were characterized by consistent lactic acid bacteria cell density and acidification parameters, reaching pH values of 4.0 and mild titratable acidity. Carbohydrates consumption remained consistent during the propagation procedure, leading to formation of mannitol and almost equimolar amount of lactic and acetic acid. The addition of sucrose enabled the formation of dextran, inducing an increase in viscosity of the sourdough of 2-2.6 fold, as well as oligosaccharides. The transcriptional analysis based on glucosyltransferases genes (GH70) showed the existence in L. citreum FDR241 of at least five different dextransucrases. Among these, only one gene, previous...

LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2017

The effects of the substitution of wheat flour with faba bean flour and faba bean sourdough on th... more The effects of the substitution of wheat flour with faba bean flour and faba bean sourdough on the properties of composite bread were investigated. Bread was prepared by replacing wheat flour with 30% of faba bean flour, native or after sourdough fermentation. The addition of faba bean flour influenced the structure of the breads, causing a slight decrease of volume and higher hardness compared to wheat bread. However, when fermented faba bean flour was added, the crumb porosity of the bread was not affected. The addition of 30% of faba bean flour increased wheat bread protein content from 11.6 up to 16.5 % of dry matter. The addition of native faba bean flour did not affect the in vitro protein digestibility, resulting similar to wheat bread (64%). On the contrary, faba bean sourdough bread showed higher protein digestibility (73%). Generally, the addition of native faba bean flour caused an improvement of the nutritional indexes of the composite bread, further enhanced when fermentation was carried out. The free amino acid profile, protein chemical score, and biological value index were the highest in faba bean sourdough bread. In addition, the predicted glycemic index was the lowest in faba bean sourdough bread.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2017

The microbial ecology of faba bean sourdoughs obtained from an Italian (Ita) and a Finnish (Fi) c... more The microbial ecology of faba bean sourdoughs obtained from an Italian (Ita) and a Finnish (Fi) cultivar, belonging respectively to Vicia faba major and V. faba minor groups, was described by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and culture-dependent analysis. The sourdoughs were propagated with traditional backslopping procedure throughout 14 days. Higher microbial diversity was found in the sourdough deriving from V. faba minor (Fi), still containing residual hulls after the milling procedure. After 2 days of propagation, the microbial profile of Ita sourdough was characterized by the dominance of the genera Pediococcus, Leuconostoc and Weissella, while the genera Lactococcus, Lactobacillus and Escherichia, as well as Enterobacteriaceae were present in Fi sourdoughs. Yeasts were in very low cell density until the second backslopping and were not anymore found after this time by plate count or pyrosequencing analysis. Among the lactic acid bacteria isolates, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Weissella koreensis had the highest frequency of occurrence in both the sourdough. Lactobacillus sakei was the only lactobacillus isolated from the first to the last propagation day in Fi sourdough. According to microbiological and acidification properties, the maturity of the sourdoughs was reached after 5 days. The presence of hulls and the different microbial composition reflected on biochemical characteristics of Fi sourdoughs, including acidification and phenolic compounds. Moreover, proteolysis in Fi sourdough was more intense compared to Ita. The microbial dynamic of the faba bean sourdoughs showed some differences with the most studied cereal sourdoughs.

International journal of food microbiology, Jan 2, 2017

Fava bean flour is regarded as a potential plant-based protein source, but the addition of it at ... more Fava bean flour is regarded as a potential plant-based protein source, but the addition of it at high concentration is restricted by its poor texture-improving ability and by anti-nutritional factors (ANF). Exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are regarded as good texture modifiers. In this study, fava bean flour was fermented with Leuconostoc spp. and Weissella spp. with or without sucrose addition, in order to evaluate their potential in EPS production. The contents of free sugars, organic acids, mannitol and EPS in all fermented fava bean doughs were measured. Rheological properties of sucrose-enriched doughs, including viscosity flow curves, hysteresis loop and dynamic oscillatory sweep curves, were measured after fermentation. As one of the ANF, the degradation of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) was also studied by analyzing RFO profiles of different doughs. Quantification of EPS revealed the potential of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20...

Scientific Reports, 2016

In spite of its positive repercussions on nutrition and environment, faba bean still remains an u... more In spite of its positive repercussions on nutrition and environment, faba bean still remains an underutilized crop due to the presence of some undesired compounds. The pyrimidine glycosides vicine and convicine are precursors of the aglycones divicine and isouramil, the main factors of favism, a genetic condition which may lead to severe hemolysis after faba bean ingestion. The reduction of vicine and convicine has been targeted in several studies but little is known about their degradation. In this study, the hydrolysis kinetics of vicine and convicine and their derivatives during fermentation with L. plantarum DPPMAB24W was investigated. In particular, a specific HPLC method coupled to ESI-MS and MS/MS analysis, including the evaluation procedure of the results, was set up as the analytical approach to monitor the compounds. The degradation of the pyrimidine glycosides in the fermented flour was complete after 48 h of incubation and the aglycone derivatives could not be detected i...

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2016

Wholegrain foods are known to be health-beneficial but their sensory characteristics may be a lim... more Wholegrain foods are known to be health-beneficial but their sensory characteristics may be a limiting factor for consumption. Many cereals like rye, oats, barley and sorghum are actually used mainly as wholegrain, whereas for wheat the situation is the opposite. This review deals with factors that differentiate the sensory properties of wholegrain and bran-rich foods from those of refined cereal foods. Hitherto established means of modulating sensory quality and thus improving acceptability of wholegrain foods are also presented.