Amaranth is a nutritional and naturally gluten-free pseudocereal with several food applications. The germination and pepsin/pancreatin hydrolysis in amaranth releases antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds but the hydrolysis times (270 or 360 min) are too long to scale up in the development of amaranth functional ingredients. The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of the germination and pepsin/pancreatin hydrolysis reduction time on the techno-functional properties and nutraceutical potential of amaranth flours and hydrolysates. The germination process increased 12.5% soluble protein (SP), 23.7% total phenolics (TPC), 259% water solubility, and 26% oil absorption in germinated amaranth flours (GAFs) compared to ungerminated amaranth flours (UAFs). The ungerminated (UAFH) and germinated (GAFH) amaranth hydrolysates showed values of degree of hydrolysis up to 50% with 150 min of sequential (pepsin + pancreatin) hydrolysis. The enzymatic hydrolysis released 1.5-fold SP and 14-fold TPC in both amaranth flours. The water solubility was higher in both hydrolysates than in their unhydrolyzed flour counterparts. The reduction in hydrolysis time did not significantly affect the nutraceutical potential of GAFH, enhancing its potential for further investigations. Finally, combining germination and enzymatic hydrolysis in amaranth enhances nutraceutical and techno-functional properties, increasing the seed. Consequently, GAF or GAFH could be used to elaborate on functional or gluten-free food products.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of applying chitosan (CHT), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and salicylic acid (SA) during cultivation of yellow summer squash on selected nutraceutical properties. Plants treated with SA (3 mM) increased the number of fruits, fruit weight, and crop yield by 91.6, 51.4, and 188.8%, respectively ( p ≤ 0.05). SA (3 mM) and MeJA (1.5 mM) increased the total phenolic content (TPC) by 19.3 and 39.8%, respectively. SA (3 mM) also increased total flavonoid content (TF) by 28.2% and the antioxidant capacity (AC) by 15.5–60.5%. The three elicitors CHT (1.5 g/L), MeJA (1.5 mM) and SA (3 mM) increased (13.3–17.4%) the cellular antioxidant activity (CCA) compared to the control. Among the treatments, SA (3 mM) was the most effective in enhancing crop yield and key nutraceutical properties while preserving postharvest quality. Although pronounced, CHT (1.5 g/L) and MeJA (1.5 mM) also contributed to crop yield, TPC, and CAA, underscoring their potential as complementary strategies to optimise the production and quality of yellow summer squash.

Corn tortillas are consumed daily in Mexico. Alkaline extrusion is an alternative process that generates nixtamalized tortillas and preserves more bioactive compounds. Chickpea germination-extrusion may enhance the bioactive compound content. The aim was to characterize the physicochemical and antioxidant/antidiabetic properties of functional tortillas of alkaline-extruded blue corn (TC) with germinated (TG) or germinated-extruded (TGE) desi-chickpea. Likewise, the effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD) on the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds (phenolics, soluble protein, peptides, anthocyanins, and isoflavones) was estimated. Antioxidant capacity/cellular activity was determined by ORAC (AoxC) and in the Caco-2 cell line (CAA), while antidiabetic potential by α-amylase inhibition. The supplementation with processed chickpeas (TG/TGE) increased protein, ash, and isoflavone content (p < 0.05) compared with TC. SGD (%) released (p < 0.05) bioactive compounds from tortillas, and their bioaccessibility was among 34–70%; noticeably low phenolic bioaccessibility in TG/TGE. The AoxC was higher in TG/TGE (p < 0.05) compared with TC; in contrast, CAA was higher in TC, and both increased after SGD. TG depicted the lowest amylase inhibition; after SGD, the IC₅₀ values were 62–72-fold lower in the digests than in the tortillas. These results suggest that functional tortillas with processed chickpeas enhance nutraceutical potential.

Fresh-cut mango is in high demand in developed countries; however, it deteriorates quickly and represents a suitable medium for microbial growth during storage. Chitosan coatings and other natural materials, such as essential oils, have been used to lessen these issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chitosan (CH), mint essential oil (MEO) and their combination (CH+MEO) on the microbiological incidence, content of bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut mango stored during 15 d at 5 °C. Microbiological analyses (mesophilics, psychrophilics, molds, and yeasts) were evaluated after 0, 7 and 15 d of storage. Physical (color and firmness) and chemical (total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, phenols, β-carotene, and antioxidant capacity) analyses were performed every 3 d. The applied treatments successfully reduced microbial growth with the same intensity, furthermore, none of them caused significantly negative effects on color, firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid. However, the highest total phenolics and β-carotene contents were obtained by CH+MEO, while fruit treated with CH and CH+MEO had the highest antioxidant capacity. The application of CH+MEO could be used to reduce its microbial load while increasing bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut mango.