Due to growing consumer interest in fitness and wellbeing, foods and beverages with therapeutic and functional qualities are in higher demand. In addition to being significant staple crops and major providers of nutrition and energy, cereals are rich in bioactive phytochemicals with health benefits. Cereal grains offer a lot of promise for processing into functional beverages since these include a wide variety of bioactive phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, dietary fibres, phytosterols, tocols, gamma-oryzanol, and phytic acid. Despite the fact that a wide variety of beverages made from cereal grains are produced globally, they have received very little technological and scientific attention. The beverages confer replacements for milk made from cereal grains, roasted cereal grain teas and fermented non-alcoholic cereal grain drinks. This review emphasizes on the three primary kinds of functional beverages made from cereal grains. Further, the potential applications and directions for the future related to these beverages are discussed with elaborated processing methods, health benefits and product attributes. Cereal grain-based beverages may represent a promising new class of healthy functional beverages in our daily lives as the food industry gets more diverse.

The study aimed at evaluating the influence of water-chestnut starch-based coatings loaded with rosemary essential oil (REO) at concentrations of 0.10%, 0.25% and 0.50% (w/v) on postharvest cold storage stability of apple var. Golden delicious for 120 days. Average droplet diameter of nanoemulsions was in range of 315–450 nm and it increased with increase in the REO concentration. Minimum weight loss was observed in fruits treated with coating material containing 0.50% REO. Samples coated with starch+0.50% REO exhibited highest firmness value of 68.22 ± 1.02 N under controlled atmosphere storage (CAS). Anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were retained in all samples coated with formulated emulsion. Antifungal assay against Pencillium expansum indicated that 0.50% REO had maximum antifungal activity. Increase in REO concentration from 0.10 to 0.50% in starch coating formulations resulted in reduced lesion diameter in coated samples under both the storage conditions. Lesion diameter (LD) was found highest in control (39.40 ± 0.20 mm) under ambient conditions. Coated fruit samples showed a significant (p≤0.05) reduction in LD under both the ambient and CAS conditions however, more pronounced effect was reported under CAS. Fruits coated with edible coatings enriched with different REO concentrations under CAS exhibited significantly (p≤0.05) lower chilling injury index (ST+0.50%REO < ST+0.25%REO<0.10%REO) compared to control.

This study aimed at investigating the influence of different postharvest treatments with oxalic acid (OA) and salicylic acid (SA) on quality attributes and postharvest shelf life of temperate grown apricot varieties stored under controlled atmosphere (CA) storage conditions. After each treatment was given, the samples were stored in CA store maintained at a temperature of 0 °C, 90 ± 5% relative humidity, 5% oxygen and 15% carbon dioxide for 30 days. Results indicated that both OA and SA treatments significantly (p ≤ 0.05) retained total soluble solids, titratable acidity, color profile, ascorbic acid content and total phenolic content of apricot varieties and had a positive effect on antioxidant activity and texture of samples compared to control. However, carotenoid content was found to be higher in control. Both the treatments reduced chilling injury index, weight loss and decay percentage of samples. Moreover, it was found that SA treatment was the most effective treatment in maintaining visual color of apricots while OA maintained fruit firmness and effectively decreased the decay percentage and chilling injury index of apricot varieties. In conclusion, it was found that both OA and SA have the potential to extend storage life of apricots and maintain quality attributes of the crop during CA storage.

Low glycaemic index (GI) rice flour was prepared by the enzymatic hydrolysis method. The protein content of treated (high-protein, low GI) rice flour was about 3.5 times higher than untreated rice flour, suggesting its use in infant formula or other protein-fortified food products. The GI of untreated and treated rice flour was found to be 88.0 ± 0.2 and 46.1 ± 0.2, respectively. High-protein, low-GI rice flour was studied for thermal and structural properties, which showed significant (p < 0.05) differences from untreated rice flour. The results of thermal properties showed a decrease in transition temperatures and enthalpy of gelatinization. The ratio of peaks at 1045 cm⁻¹ and 1015 cm⁻¹ of treated rice flour was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that of untreated rice flour. This could be ascribed to the loss of crystallinity due to enzymatic degradation. These results further support the decrease in transition temperatures and enthalpy of gelatinization. The results of the rheological studies of high-protein, low-GI rice flour revealed that both untreated and treated rice flour samples exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thinning flow behaviour (n < 1), which is characterized by a decrease in viscosity with an increase in shear rate.

Low glycemic index (GI) rice flour was prepared through enzymatic hydrolysis. Slowly digestible and resistant starch contents increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) by 195.82% and 204.03%, respectively, while as total, rapidly digestible and digestible starch contents decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) by 55.40%, 51.67%, and 18.74%, respectively, after enzymatic hydrolysis. Glycemic load of low GI rice flour was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower than untreated rice flour. The degradation temperature of low GI rice flour (~275°C) was lower compared to untreated rice flour (~298°C). Particle size distribution analysis indicated that both surface mean- D [3, 2] and volume mean diameter – D[4, 3] of low GI rice flour were higher than untreated rice flour. SEM results revealed numerous cracks in low GI rice flour whereas the surfaces of starch granules of untreated rice flour were smooth without scratches. Low GI rice flour presented A- and V-type polymorphs while as untreated rice flour showed only A-type crystallinity pattern.

This study aimed to access the influence of rice flour incorporation on various quality attributes of low-gluten wheat-based pretzels viz., functional, rheological, starch digestibility, color, textural and sensorial properties. Significant increase in swelling power (18.33 ± 0.51) and bulk density (0.58 ± 0.04) was observed in flour blend upon incorporation of rice flour, whereas, significant decrease in oil absorption capacity (0.62 ± 0.09), solubility index (6.72 ± 0.17), foaming capacity (9.67 ± 0.34), and foaming stability (3.39 ± 0.15) was recorded. Pasting properties of samples were studied using a Rapid Visco Analyser which indicated that all the pasting properties increased with an increase in rice flour incorporation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies revealed no difference in the basic functional groups of flour blend upon the incorporation of rice flour, however, it had a pronounced effect on elastic modulus (G′) of flour blend. In vitro starch digestion characteristics revealed 7.23% surge in slowly digestible starch and 13.36% reduction in rapidly digestible starch of developed low-gluten pretzels upon the incorporation of rice flour. Apparent amylose content (27.3 ± 1.45) and resistant starch content (6.12 ± 0.97) increased and starch digestibility index (69.87 ± 1.72) decreased in developed low-gluten pretzels. In conclusion, the developed low-gluten pretzels had significantly (p < 0.05) higher mineral profile and lightness (L*) and lower breaking strength in addition to having better overall acceptability. This study indicated that substituting wheat flour with rice flour up to a level of 35% affected the quality attributes of developed low-gluten pretzels. Graphical abstract