Agreeability and gastrointestinal motility responses to fully characterized experimental pasta enriched in wheat by-products

• Published in: Journal of functional foods Vol. 123; p. 106598
• Main Authors: Vacca, Mirco, Khalil, Mohamad, Rampino, Antonio, Celano, Giuseppe, Lanza, Elisa, Caponio, Giusy R., Ungaro, Felice, Bertolino, Alessandro, Di Ciaula, Agostino, De Angelis, Maria, Portincasa, Piero, Annunziato, Alessandro, Calasso, Maria, Difonzo, Graziana, Farella, Ilaria, Miani, Marcello Greco, Perniola, Valeria, Ressa, Arianna, Serale, Nadia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2024
• Subjects: breath tests; dietary supplements; digestibility; dough; durum wheat; fermentation; Fiber enrichment; gall bladder; Gastrointestinal motility; Mediterranean diet; microencapsulation; Nutraceuticals; odors; pasta; semolina; sensory evaluation; Short-chain fatty acids; taste sensitivity; ultrasonography; wheat bran; Wheat by-products; wheat germ; Wheat by-products; Short-chain fatty acids; Fiber enrichment; Gastrointestinal motility; Nutraceuticals
• ISSN: 1756-4646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2024.106598

Pasta, a Mediterranean diet staple, enhances well-being when enriched with healthy ingredients like durum wheat-germ (WG) and wheat-bran (WB). We studied the nutritional and clinical responses to four experimental pastas (EP1-EP4) made with de-oiled WG, WB, and microencapsulated durum wheat-oil (mWO), compared to a control pasta of water and semolina dough. WG addition significantly boosted total phenols and radical scavenging activity. Simulated colonic fermentation showed WG-enriched pasta enhanced short-chain fatty acids production. The clinical response to pasta was studied in 70 healthy subjects by semiquantitative scales of sensory perception, functional ultrasonography of gastric and gallbladder kinetics, and breath test for orocecal transit time. Sensory analysis revealed differences in odor, aftertaste, and overall pleasantness, especially in EP2. Gastrointestinal motility was similar across pastas, but EP3 had a shorter transit time and higher colonic fermentation. This study suggests that wheat by-products enriched pastas offer nutraceutical benefits, agreeability, digestibility, and sustainability. [Display omitted] •We studied the composition and clinical response to four wheat by-products enriched pastas.•Enriched pasta boosts antioxidant capacity and short-chain fatty acids production.•Enriched pastas had similar sensory profiles to control pasta in humans.•Gastrointestinal motility was similar to control pasta, with higher colonic fermentation.