Pasta is a staple food in the Mediterranean diet, primarily manufactured with two essential ingredients, semolina and water; nowadays, it is often supplemented with functional ingredients. In this work, a sourdough obtained with wheat germ and wholemeal semolina was used, in order to improve sensorial and nutritional properties of fresh pasta, to prevent lipids oxidation, and to improve the shelf life. Three different formulations were prepared, a first one using semolina, a second one with raw wheat germ, wholemeal semolina, and semolina, and the last one with semolina and sourdough. The study highlighted the improved nutritional properties of pasta with sourdough (reduced phytic acid content, higher antioxidant activity and phenolic content). Proteins, ashes, dietary fibers, lipids, and tocols (vitamin E) increased in pasta with wheat germ and wholemeal semolina, and with sourdough. The amount of tocols decreased in pasta samples after cooking, except for the $\mathsf{\beta }$–tocopherol in sourdough pasta, the amount of which remained high, surprisingly. Lipase and lipoxygenase enzymes likely decreased as an effect of the pasteurization process. The NMR analysis showed that lipid oxidation was higher in semolina pasta than in pasta with wheat germ, most likely due to the protective effect of antioxidants deriving from wheat germ.

The aim of this work was to test native microbial strains and fruits for brewing, with a multidisciplinary approach for a sustainable production linked to the territory. Pediococcus acidilactici B5 and Hanseniaspora uvarum L2 strains were isolated from apricot Bisucciu fruits, a Sardinian local variety (Prunus armeniaca L.), and P. acidilactici B5 was used to ferment a sterile apricot Bisucciu puree, which was then added to a malt wort. The H. uvarum L2 strain and the industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae US-05 were used sequentially to ferment a portion of this wort (M2); a control was carried out with an industrial yeast, S. cerevisiae T-58 (T58). Beer standard quality parameters were studied and a sensorial analysis performed in the beers obtained from the two fermentations. Intermediate and end molecular products were characterized by proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) for glucidic, organic acids and amino acids and by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (SPME/GC/MS) for volatile profiles. M2 and T58 samples showed differences in color, foam stability and in the carbohydrates, acids and amino acids profiles. The highest concentrations of ethyl acetate were found in M2, whereas a high concentration of 3-methylbutan-1-ol characterized T58. Sensory analysis highlighted differences in flavor, astringency and balance between the two beers studied.

Wheat milling by-products are nutrient-rich sidestreams whose valorization is limited by low phenolic bioaccessibility and high phytate levels. This study investigates how sourdough fermentation using a mixed starter (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus) modulates the functional properties of whole wheat germ (WWG), defatted wheat germ (DWG), defatted wheat bran (DWB), and wheat middlings (WMs), tested alone or blended with 20% semolina. Fermentation performed shifts in a substrate-dependent manner: it reduced phytic acid content by up to 60% in WWG and WMs while increasing free amino nitrogen (FAN) up to 2.6 mg/g d.b. Conversely, defatted matrices (DWG and DWB) exhibited structural resistance, showing stagnation in both phytate degradation and FAN accumulation, likely due to industrial hexane-treatment limitations. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) assessed via the extraction-free QUENCHER method revealed that conventional solvent extraction underestimates the bioactive potential by 40–60%. Fermentation significantly enhanced radical-scavenging activity across all matrices. However, ferric-reducing power (FRAP) increased exclusively in WWG and WMs (up to 18–19 µmol Fe (II)E/g d.b.), proving strictly dependent on phytic acid degradation. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed a clear trend toward convergence in the functional profiles of heterogeneous matrices during long-term bioprocessing. Controlled sourdough fermentation represents an effective strategy to upcycle specific cereal sidestreams into functional ingredients, though industrial defatting constraints require structural optimization.

Wheat germ is a nutrient-rich cereal by-product with potential for valorization through fermentation. This study employed ¹H NMR metabolomics to characterize the soluble metabolomic profiles of whole soft wheat germ (WWG) and industrially defatted durum wheat germ (DWG), with or without 20% semolina supplementation, fermented using a defined mixed starter culture. Samples were analyzed before fermentation (T0) and after sourdough propagation (TF). Metabolomic data were evaluated through exploratory multivariate analysis, metabolite-level comparisons, and Consensus Pathway Analysis (CPA), a framework integrating metabolite coverage, contrast magnitude, network topology, and reference-framework representation. WWG-based systems exhibited broader fermentation-associated metabolite redistribution than DWG-based systems, particularly involving carbohydrates, organic acids, and fermentation products. CPA highlighted pathway associations related to central carbon metabolism and amino acid- and nitrogen-related processes. Differences between WWG- and DWG-based formulations persisted throughout fermentation, while semolina supplementation was associated with distinct responses in the two wheat-germ matrices, which is consistent with matrix-dependent metabolomic patterns. Because each formulation was represented by a single fermentation experiment, the findings should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than statistically generalizable. Nevertheless, CPA provided a structured approach for organizing metabolomic observations and identifying candidate biochemical relationships for future investigation. Overall, this proof-of-concept study suggests that wheat-germ matrix characteristics may contribute to shaping fermentation-associated metabolomic profiles and provides a framework for future studies on the biotechnological valorization of wheat-germ processing fractions.