High insoluble dietary fibre content causes challenges with structure and texture in extrusion. This paper focused on studying the structure of extrudate enriched with rye bran modified in different ways. Fermentation of rye bran with dextran-producing Weissella confusa (with 10 g/100 g, 5 g/100 g and 0 g/100 g added sucrose as substrate for dextran production), in situ enzymatic production of dextran in the bran and chemical acidification of bran with lactic acid were compared in extrusion trials. Endosperm rye flour was the base in extrusion, of which 32 g/100 g was substituted for rye bran. Fermentation with dextran production showed similar improvement in extrudate expansion as chemically acidified bran samples (489 and 493%), in comparison with native bran (420%). Similarly, these treatments decreased extrudate hardness and increased crispiness index (CI) (16 N, 0.06 and 14 N, 0.071 respectively) compared to the control (39 N, 0.008). Enzymatically produced dextran did not affect expansion, although it decreased hardness (26 N) and increased CI compared to the control (0.023). Chemical changes in the fermented and acidified rye bran included reduction in insoluble dietary fibre (DF) (19 g/100 g → 17 g/100 g) and increase in soluble DF (5.17 g/100 g → 5.51-7.19 g/100 g), as well as soluble protein (8 g/100 g → 11 g/100 g) content. Lactic acid bacteria fermentation or acidification is therefore a promising method to increase the functionality of rye bran in extrusion.

Sorghum and cowpea are very compatible for intercropping in hot and dry environments, and they also have complementary nutritional compositions. Thus, the crops have the potential to improve food security in regions threatened by climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate different enzymes (carbohydrate-degrading, proteases and phytases) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation to improve the techno-functional properties of sorghum and cowpea flours. Results show that sorghum carbohydrates were very resistant to hydrolysis induced by bioprocessing treatments. Most of the protease treatments resulted in low or moderate protein solubilization (from ca. 6.5% to 10%) in sorghum, while the pH adjustment to 8 followed by alkaline protease increased solubility to 40%. With cowpea, protease treatment combined with carbohydrate-degrading enzymes increased the solubility of proteins from 37% up to 61%. With regard to the techno-functional properties, LAB and amylase treatment decreased the sorghum peak paste viscosities (from 504 to 370 and 325 cPa, respectively), while LAB and chemical acidification increased cowpea viscosity (from 282 to 366 and 468 cPa, respectively). When the bioprocessed sorghum and cowpea were tested in breadmaking, only moderate effects were observed, suggesting that the modifications by enzymes and fermentation were not strong enough to improve breadmaking.