Sesame is used mainly to obtain oil, generating a sesame by-product cake that is rich in protein, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. Extrusion is an efficient technology to obtain functional foods. The aim of this work was to optimize the extrusion process to find the best combination of extrusion temperature (ET)/screw speed (SS) in order to produce optimized extruded sesame by-product flour (OESBF), with high values of water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), total phenolic compounds (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AoxA). A rotatable composite central experimental design with two factors and five levels was applied. Desirability function was used to optimize the extrusion process variables. The best combination of extrusion process variables was ET = 139 °C/80 rpm. The OESBF showed higher values of evaluated responses than unprocessed sesame by-product flour, suggesting that OESBF could be used in beverages, porridges, and deserts.

In this research functional beverages based on the unprocessed and extruded sesame seeds byproduct were fabricated; phytochemical profile, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypoglycemic potential were evaluated. Twenty-four phytochemical compounds were identified in total in both beverages; fourteen of the phytochemical compounds were not modified by the extrusion process. Seventeen of the 24 compounds were identified in the unprocessed sesame seeds byproduct flour beverage−10% (UB10) and 21 in the extruded sesame seeds byproduct flour beverage−10% (EB10). The compounds only identified in UB10 are caffeic acid, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and isorhamnetin; and in EB10 those compounds were vanillic acid, acteoside, luteolin, quercetin, and melanoidins. No significant difference was observed in the content of total phenolic compounds (TPC) (14.90 and 15.97 mg GAE/100 mL) and total flavonoids (TF) (5.37 and 5.85 mg QE/100 mL). An increase in the biological activity of ESFB10 (IC50: ABTS = 0.19, DPPH = 0.21, α-amylase = 1.01, α-glucosidase = 0.17, DPP4 = 0.11 mg/mL) was observed, compared to UB10 (IC50: ABTS = 0.24, DPPH = 0.31, α-amylase = 2.29, α-glucosidase = 0.47, DPP4 = 0.30 mg/mL). Therefore, the extrusion process had a positive effect, which displayed the highest efficiency inhibiting the free radicals and enzymes related to carbohydrate metabolism.

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), a by-product originating from the brewing industry, contains substantial amounts of fibers, proteins, and bioactive compounds; however, its utility is restricted by anti-nutritional factors. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) presents a viable method for improving the nutritional and functional properties of BSG. Microorganisms such as Rhizopus oligosporus have been demonstrated to enhance nutrient bioavailability, facilitate the degradation of complex carbohydrates, and improve protein digestibility while simultaneously reducing anti-nutritional components. Furthermore, this fermentation process yields bioactive compounds that exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and prebiotic properties, thereby contributing to improved gut health, the prevention of metabolic disorders, and enhanced nutritional outcomes. Additionally, SSF seeks sustainability by repurposing agro-industrial by-products, reducing waste, and promoting the principles of a circular economy. Collectively, these advantages underscore the transformative potential of SSF in converting BSG into a functional food ingredient, effectively addressing contemporary health and environmental challenges and offering innovative solutions for food security and sustainable development.

An optimized gluten-free healthy snack (OGFHS) was developed from a mixture of protein quality maize/tepary bean (70:30), applying extrusion-cooking. The extrusion conditions were obtained from the axial combination of process variables (feed moisture content [FMC = 15%-25%]/extrusion temperature [ET = 120 °C-170 °C]/screw speed [SS = 50 rpm-240 rpm]). The desirability function response surface methodology was applied as an optimization technique in three response variables (expansion index [EI]/apparent density [AD]/hardness [H]) to obtain maximum EI and minimum AD and H. The best combination to produce OGFHS was FMC = 16.4%/ET = 137 °C/VT = 237 rpm. The optimized conditions to obtain OGFHS caused little change in the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of the unprocessed grains mixture. OGFHS (50 g) was compared with two commercial snacks (CheetosMR, TotisMR), showing better protein content, total dietary fiber and AoxA, as well as high acceptability and lower energy content than commercial snacks. Due to its great nutritional properties and AoxA,OGFHS could be used for health promotion and as an alternative to commercial snacks with low nutritional value and high energy content.

The current market demands gluten-free (GF) foods with better nutritional/nutraceutical value. In this study, a functional GF beverage (GFB) from a flours mixture of optimized extruded quinoa (OEQ) (70%) and extruded defatted chia (EDC) (30%) was developed. To obtain OEQ, a central composed experimental design with two factors (extrusion temperature [TE] = 60 °C-140 °C and screw speed [VT] = 60 rpm-240 rpm) and three responses (antioxidant activity [AoxA], total phenolic compounds [TPC], and in vitro protein digestibility [IVPD]) was used. The optimal extrusion conditions for OEQ were 138 °C/138 rpm, and for EDC they were 147 °C/237 rpm (obtained in a previous work). The mixture had calculated protein efficiency ratio (C-PER) = 2.28 and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory potential (IC50) = 0.271 mg/ml. 200 ml of functional GFB contains 5.61 g of good quality protein, 6.13 g of dietary fiber, 88 kcal, and AoxA = 5091 µmol TE. The functional GFB is a healthy alternative for celiac people.

El objetivo del trabajo fue desarrollar un alimento funcional para adultos mayores (AFAM) con valores altos de aceptabilidad sensorial, propiedades nutricionales, contenido de compuestos fenólicos y actividad antioxidante, usando una mezcla 60%:40% de harinas de maíz y frijol común integrales obtenidas por extrusión con condiciones optimizadas. Las condiciones de extrusión usadas fueron temperatura de extrusión (TE = 95 ºC-195 ºC) y velocidad del tornillo (VT = 80 rpm-240 rpm). Una superficie de respuesta de la función matemática de deseabilidad global se usó para maximizar la actividad antioxidante y aceptabilidad. Las mejores combinaciones de variables de proceso fueron harina de maíz integral extrudido: TE = 97 °C/VT = 236 rpm, y harina de frijol común integral extrudido: TE = 152 ºC/VT = 240 rpm. La mezcla optimizada tuvo actividad antioxidante = 12 384 μmol de ET/100 g y relación de eficiencia proteínica calculada (C-PER) = 2.24. Una porción de AFAM (150 g) contiene 6.85 g de proteínas, 9.91 g de fibra dietaria total y cubre 100% de la ingesta diaria recomendada de antioxidantes calificada con una aceptabilidad de 85. El AFAM optimizado podría utilizarse para promover salud y prevenir enfermedades.