The aim of this study was to compare mineral, amino acid composition, physical properties and use in gluten-free bread of seeds of holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) with those of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica). Holy basil and chia seeds have variable chemical compositions. Holy basil is a valuable source of calcium, manganese, and iron andcontains significantly more methionine sulfone and tryptophan. However, higher levels of asparagine, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, proline, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine were found in chia seeds compared to holy basil seeds. With regard to energy consumption during grinding, holy basil appears to be more cost-efficient. The addition of both whole and ground O. tenuiflorum and S. hispanica had a favorable effect on bread crumb texture. Holy basil and chia swell intensely in water and can be used as hydrocolloid replacements in gluten-free bread.

Dandelion flowers (DF) are a rich source of many phytochemicals which can reduce oxidative stress in the human body. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of dried and powdered DF addition into wheat flour (WF) on dough and bread properties. WF was replaced with DF at levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6%. Physical properties of dough and quality of control and supplemented bread were studied. The addition of DF increased water absorption of flour, development time and dough stability during mixing. However, these changes had no positive effect on bread quality. With an increase in the proportion of DF in the bread recipe, the volume of loaves and lightness of crumb decreased while its hardness and yellowness increased. As a result of these changes, the overall sensory acceptability of DF-enriched bread decreased. On the other hand, supplementation of WF with DF increased minerals, fiber and fat content in bread. Most importantly, DF enhanced the antioxidant capacity of bread and increased content of phenolics. Total phenolic content ranged from 1.00 mg GAE/g dry mass (DM) for control bread to 3.45 mg GAE/g DM when wheat flour was replaced with 6% of DF. To summarize, we showed that DF can be a valuable ingredient for bread fortification. However, the amount of WF replaced with DF should not exceed 2–3% while taking into account the sensory results.

There are no reports of addition of carob fibre to gluten-free bread, as only carob germ flour was used. The research task was to determine what level of carob fibre can be used and how it influences the physical and sensorial properties of gluten-free bread. Especially, the knowledge of the antioxidant properties of such bread is very valuable. The gluten-free bread from rice, corn, and buckwheat flour (35:35:30%) was prepared after mixing (5 min), proofing (40 min, 30°C), and baking (45-50 min, 230°C) of dough. Carob fibre was added in the amounts of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% of the total flour content. The results showed that increased content of carob fibre induced significant and favourable changes in the volume, colour, and texture (hardness and springiness) of the bread crumb. Carob fibre enriched the breads with lipophilic compounds able to chelate metal ions. The activity of hydrophilic compounds was significantly higher in the case of control bread and bread with the lowest percentage of the additive. In conclusion, the highest increase in antioxidant activity was found for breads with 1 and 2% of carob fibre. The most acceptable gluten-free bread can be obtained by adding up to 2% of carob.

The quality of pasta can be evaluated by measuring the characteristics which encompass the most important quality parameters, such as colour, cooking properties and texture. The aim of the study was to suggest new indices which can be used to evaluate the quality of pasta. For the tests, 15 samples of spaghetti (produced from either semolina or common wheat flour) were used. The bending test was performed for the determination of the strength properties of raw pasta, while the pasta colour parameters were evaluated via the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage system. The pasta cooking test included the evaluation of optimum cooking time, weight increase index and cooking loss. The samples of cooked spaghetti were cut, and the parameters describing pasta texture were determined. Statistical analysis showed significant correlations (α = 0.05) between colour parameters (lightness and redness) and pasta ash content (R = -0.90 and 0.84, respectively). The mechanical properties of raw pasta correlated positively with pasta density. The strongest correlation was found between pasta density and flexural strength. The destruction force for raw spaghetti during the bending test correlated significantly and positively with the cutting force of the cooked pasta. The obtained correlations can be helpful in pasta quality evaluation.