The use of a 96-well electrochemical plate for the fast and sensitive detection of deoxynivalenol and nivalenol in wheat samples is shown. Deoxynivalenol and nivalenol are hydrolysed using a microwave hydrolysis procedure (2 min) which leads to the production of electroactive compounds that can be sensitively detected by the use of cheap screen-printed electrodes. A procedure of extraction with aqueous acetonitrile and a clean-up step was demonstrated to be suitable for the application with wheat samples providing suitable detection limit (LOD=1.1 µg/g) and working range (2-20 µg/g) for the determination of deoxynivalenol in cereals for feed consumption.

Folate is a fundamental vitamin for human health in prevention of many diseases; however, unfortunately its deficiency is widespread, so a greater availability of folate rich foods is desirable. The aim of this study was to design new cereal products naturally enriched in folate using barley flour from pearling as ingredient. Folate content of unfortified and fortified commercial grain-based products was considered to identify the best ingredients for new formulation and for folate content comparisons. Nineteen Italian barley cultivars were evaluated for their folate content and Natura was chosen for its highest folate levels = 69.3 μg/100 g f.w. Application of pearling gave a by-product flour with a high folate level: 221.7 ± 7.0 μg/100 g; this flour was employed to design pasta and biscuits naturally enriched in folate: 87.1 μg/100 g and 70.1 ± 3.7 μg/100 g f.w., respectively. Folate content of new products is higher than commercial samples: 39.2 μg/100 g in refined pasta, 60.4 μg/100 g in wholemeal pasta, 62.1 μg/100 g in fortified biscuits and 10.4 μg/100 g in unfortified ones. Enriched pasta had higher folate retention (68.5%) after cooking compared to the fortified one (27.8%). This research shows promising results concerning the pearling technique to design new cereal products naturally enriched in folates.

Among the strategies proposed to reduce the formation of acrylamide in bakery products, the use of asparaginase is considered one of the most promising, also due to its limited impact on the sensory quality of the final product. Asparagine, the key precursor of acrylamide that is selectively hydrolysed by the asparaginase treatment, is generally not considered a major contributor to the overall flavour and colour of baked foods. This study investigates the effect of three addition levels of the enzyme asparaginase (500, 750, 1000 ASNU compared to a not added control) and three different preparation conditions (without resting time and with 15 min resting time at 20 °C or 50 °C) on asparagine content in the dough and on the formation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and colour of shortbread biscuits. Results showed that the addition of asparaginase, at all levels, markedly reduced the asparagine content in the dough, with limited effects on the VOC profile and colour. The examined preparation conditions significantly affected the VOC profile: the application of a resting time at 20 °C tended to promote the formation of VOCs through lipid oxidation while reducing the level of many MR-related VOCs. This last effect seemed to parallel the slight reduction of the browning index observed when the resting time was applied. Results suggest that the use of asparaginase does not markedly affect the VOC profile of shortbread biscuits, thus confirming its limited effects on sensory-related quality attributes of baked foods.

In questa rassegna sono riportati i risultati di una sperimentazione che ha evidenziato la possibilità di utilizzare con successo tecniche fisiche, quali la classificazione ad aria, per la produzione di sfarinati d’orzo arricchiti in beta-glucani. Tali sfarinati sono stati quindi utilizzati come ingredienti per la produzione di differenti alimenti funzionali (pasta, pane, biscotti e taralli) caratterizzati da eccellenti proprietà sensoriali e da livelli di beta-glucani appropriati per il controllo della glicemia e della colesterolemia.