The prevalence of gluten-related disorders and diabetes is rising, demanding the development of innovative food products to address the specific dietary requirements associated with these conditions. Utilizing gluten-free (GF) bakery products enhances the nutritional profile of baked goods, but they can also have favorable or unfavorable effects on the technological attributes of the final products, primarily sensory attributes. Therefore, it is important to understand these factors to design appropriate technological methods that could be fully practicable. Therefore, the review provides information about the difficulties in making GF bakery items utilizing GF flours, which are important as highly profitable products. This study examined the formulation, nutritional composition, and potential health benefits of staple food items made from corn and other GF flours with a low glycemic index. Several processing and production aids have enhanced foods' texture, flavor, and nutritional value. These processes include microbial and enzymatic treatment of flours, extrusion cooking, and fortification with additives, dietary fibers, and protein sources. Furthermore, this comprehensive review also examined the mechanism behind the low-glycemic index characteristics of such food items, involving biological studies. Finally, brief details about GF noodles, breads, and flours, which have been positively developed so far, are presented. This would provide a viable food option for those with specific health considerations while promoting overall well-being. Graphical abstract

Xanthine oxidase is a frontier enzyme to produce oxidants, which leads to inflammation in the blood. Prenylated isoflavones from Flemingia philippinensis were found to display potent inhibition against xanthine oxidase (XO). All isolates (1–9) inhibited XO enzyme with IC₅₀ ranging 7.8~36.4 μM. The most active isoflavones (2–5, IC₅₀ = 7.8~14.8 μM) have the structural feature of a catechol motif in B-ring. Inhibitory behaviors were disclosed as a mixed type I mode of inhibition with K_I < K_IS. Binding affinities to XO enzyme were evaluated. Fluorescence quenching effects agreed with inhibitory potencies (IC₅₀s). The compounds (2–5) also showed potent anti-LDL oxidation effects in the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) assay, the lag time of conjugated diene formation, relative electrophoretic mobility (REM), and fragmentation of apoB-100 on copper-mediated LDL oxidation. The compound 4 protected LDL oxidation with 0.7 μM in TBARS assay, which was 40-fold more active than genistein (IC₅₀ = 30.4 μM).

F. philippinensis Merr. et Rolfe has been cultivated on a large scale and is widely consumed by local inhabitants as an important nutraceutical, especially against rheumatism which has a deep connection with antioxidants. In this study, a total of 18 different phenolic metabolite compounds in F. philippinensis were isolated and identified, and evaluated for their antioxidant and DNA damage protection potential. The antioxidant activity of the 18 identified compounds was screened using DPPH, ORAC, hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenging assays. The antioxidant potential of the compounds was found to differ by functionality and skeleton. However, most compounds showed a good antioxidant potential. In particular, seven of the identified compounds, namely, compounds 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 15 and 16, showed significant protective effects on pBR322 plasmid DNA against the mutagenic and toxic effects of Fenton’s reaction. The most active compound, compound 2, displayed a dose-dependent DNA damage protection potential in the range of 7.5~60.0 μM. The DNA damage protective effect of the identified compounds was significantly correlated with the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Compounds that exhibited effective (IC₅₀ = 5.4~12.5 μg/mL) hydroxyl radical scavenging activity were found to be the ones with higher DNA damage protection potential.

Introduction: The complex protein structure, high glycemic index (GI), coarse taste and poor formability of corn significantly hinder its deep processing performance and represent key technical bottlenecks in the industrialization of corn-based food products. Methods: In this study, co-modification with optimized lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus HR) and transglutaminase (TGase) effectively converted corn flour into a low-glycemic index (GI) product, primarily due to flour’s high starch content. Results: The results revealed that fermentation under the optimum circumstances (36.83 °C, fermentation time of 49.25 h, inoculum level of 1.03 × 108 CFU/mL, and enzyme dosage of 2.58‰) produced flour with significant nutritional improvements. Co-modification yielded the lowest GI (48.87) and enhanced the nutritional profile, with increased soluble protein content (5.96 mg/g) and resistant starch levels (51.19%). FTIR analysis revealed an increase in the (1047/1022) cm ⁻¹ absorbance ratio, suggesting a higher degree of starch molecular order and consequently, enhanced resistance to enzymatic digestion. Compared with untreated corn flour, the treated samples showed a 10.3% decrease in water-holding capacity and a 29.7% increase in gel strength. Conclusion: The co- modification of Lactobacillus HR and TGase caused a more compact internal structure, which further reduced the hydrolyzability of corn starch. Based on the above results, this study indicates that the integrated biological treatment is a feasible method for improving the nutritional quality and functional properties of cereal flours.