Corn is a vital cereal produced globally, especially in Mexico and other Latin American countries, where it is a daily dietary staple, primarily consumed in various corn products prepared through nixtamalization. Tortillas are a significant component of the Mexican diet, serving as a major source of protein and energy. The average consumption of nixtamalized corn tortillas in Mexico is around 80 kg per capita per year. Tortilla production, over 12 million tons annually, is a key sector in Mexico’s food industry, ranging from artisanal to industrial methods. Tortillas are made from fresh nixtamal masa , instant nixtamalized corn masa flour, or both. More than 50% of the tortillas in Mexico are commercially produced and distributed through various channels. Consumer preferences vary regionally, with instant corn masa flour tortillas favored in the north and fresh nixtamal masa tortillas preferred in central and southern Mexico. Globally, tortillas are usually made from instant masa flour. The instant flour offers advantages such as vitamin and mineral enrichment, easier handling, and longer shelf life (about 3 months), compared to fresh nixtamal masa , which typically lasts only 4–24 h depending on storage conditions. However, the nixtamalization process requires a substantial consumption of water and energy, and their byproduct, known as nejayote , contributes to water pollution. Mexico alone produces approximately 14.4 million cubic meters of nejayote daily, which negatively impacts the environment due to its highly alkaline pH (> 10). In response to these challenges, the scientific community has been exploring alternative methods to reduce resource consumption and mitigate the environmental impact of tortilla production, focusing on processes such as extrusion cooking. While nixtamalization by extrusion presents a potential alternative, previous studies have highlighted significant starch damage that affects the rheological, functional, and textural attributes of the corn, impacting the quality of instant corn masa flour, fresh nixtamal masa , and tortillas, as well as consumer acceptance of nixtamalized products. Therefore, the objective of this review is to describe in detail the nixtamalization and extrusion processes utilized in tortilla production, including the requirements and elements involved in both processes, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. In past research and articles about nixtamalization and extrusion processes, the data and information contained within them are insufficient to thoroughly explain the modifications that occur along these processes and how those changes could affect the characteristics that consumers expect from the final product. The relevance of this investigation in food science and technology revolves around the comparison of traditional nixtamalization and extrusion to determine their viability as alternative methods to produce maize‐derived products to diminish the use of resources and pollutants identified in the traditional nixtamalization process.

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.

The by-product of extracting oil from sesame has good functional properties for use in the development of new food products. In this study, the effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds, as well as the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypoglycemic properties of a beverage from sesame by-products was analyzed. Oral digestion significantly decreased the total phenolic content of the beverage, while the total flavonoid content increased. Both phytochemicals increased after gastric and intestinal digestion. Twenty-five phenolic compounds were characterized in the sesame by-product beverage, including feruloylquinic acid, which was present in all the digestive fractions analyzed. The most abundant free phenolic was quercetin, which was also present in all the digested fractions. On the other hand, the most abundant phenolic in the digested fractions was isorhamnetin. During gastrointestinal digestion, the antioxidant activity and inhibitory effects on the α-glucosidase and DPP-IV of the beverage significantly improved, while the ability to inhibit the α-amylase significantly increased during oral digestion, remaining constant throughout digestion. Correlation analysis indicated that flavonoids, including quercetin, may be the compounds with the greatest effect on the evaluated activities. The results of this study not only improve the understanding of the impact of gastrointestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds but also suggest potential applications in formulating functional foods with enhanced antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and antidiabetic properties, contributing to the development of health-promoting food products.

Sesame oil extraction byproduct (SOEB) contains a high percentage of protein (49.81 g/100 g), making it a suitable plant-based source for producing protein hydrolysates with nutraceutical potential. In this study, albumins, globulins, glutelins, and prolamins fractions were extracted and characterized from SOEB. These fractions were then enzymatically hydrolyzed with alcalase, yielding high soluble protein content (>90%) and hydrolysis degrees ranging from 34.66 to 45.10%. The hydrolysates were fractionated by molecular weight (<5 kDa, 3–5 kDa, 1–3 kDa, and <1 kDa). These fractions demonstrated potential for inhibiting the DPPH radical (25.19–95.79%) and the α-glucosidase enzyme (40.14–55.63%), particularly the fractions with molecular weight <1 kDa. We identified 28 peptides, with molecular weights between 332.20 and 1096.63 Da, which showed potent antioxidant activities (IC₅₀ = 90.18 µg/mL), as well as inhibitory effects on key enzymes such as α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 61.48 µg/mL), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (IC₅₀ = 12.12 µg/mL), and pancreatic lipase (IC₅₀ = 6.14 mg/mL). These results demonstrate the antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, antidiabetic, and anti-obesity potential of SOEB peptides, highlighting their use in the formulation of new functional foods or nutraceuticals.