New artichoke flours with high nutraceutical value have been developed. Blanching is a critical pre-treatment in the production of flour from artichokes, as it helps preserve bioac-tive and nutritional compounds before cutting, drying and milling. However, studies on the blanching of artichoke by-products for flour production are scarce, in contrast to those studies on edible artichoke parts. In this article, the effect of different blanching treatments (steam or immersion; 3-15 min) on the bioactive compounds (total phenolic content, TPC; total antioxidant capacity, TAC; and inulin) and color quality of flours (obtained after cut-ting, drying and milling) of artichoke by-products (stems and bracts) was studied. Blanching treatments induced increases in TPC, TAC and inulin, although those incre-ments varied greatly depending on the treatment type and artichoke part. In particular, the steaming (15 min) induced the highest TPC increment in hearts and stems (94 and 46%, respectively), TAC increment in hearts, stems and bracts (987, 1107 and 1660%, respec-tively) and inulin increment in hearts and stems (106 and 14%, respectively). Steaming (3 min) induced the highest inulin increment in bracts (40%). Immersion (15 min) induced the highest TPC increment in bracts (632%). In addition, the short blanching treatment (3 min) was not enough to inactivate browning enzymes with browning index values of 75, 52 and 67, which were similar, or even higher, to control samples (unblanched). In con-clusion, steam blanching for 15 and 3 min induced the highest bioactive contents in stems and hearts, and in bracts for inulin and TAC contents.

New types of fortified breads have been developed from a new ingredient obtained by a two-step process for olive oil extraction, without external water addition, called high-quality dried olive (HQDO). HQDO is a minimally processed ingredient rich in phenolic compounds with beneficial health properties. HQDO has been incorporated in different percentages (1% HDQO1, 5% HDQO5, 10% HDQO10, and control CON) to study how it affects the properties of bread. The effects on the texture and shelf-life extension of the breads have also been studied. The bread samples were evaluated by a trained panel in descriptive sensorial analysis (1–10 scale). Fortified breads improve their nutraceutical quality by increasing their phenolic content from 0.19 mg GAE g⁻¹ CON to 0.73 mg GAE g⁻¹ at HDQO10 (using the Folin–Ciocalteu method). Antioxidant activity was increased from 1.24 mg AAE g⁻¹ CON to 1.49 mg AAE g⁻¹ HDQO10 (using the DPPH method). In sensory properties, all fortified breads obtained a high punctuation with a rating near to seven or superior. In “Aroma” and “Aftertaste”, the fortified breads obtained superior ratings. Finally, in “Flavour”, except for HQDO10, all of them had values close to eight. HDQO1 and HDQO5 were selected for their equilibrium between nutritional qualities and sensorial evaluation.

Artichoke by-products are rich in bioactive compounds and could be valorized for use as flour. Blanching is a critical pretreatment in the production of flour from artichokes, as it helps preserve bioactive and nutritional compounds before cutting, drying and milling. However, studies on the blanching of artichoke by-products for flour production are scarce in contrast to those studies on edible artichoke parts. In this article, the effect of different blanching treatments (steam or immersion; 3–15 min) on the bioactive compounds (total phenolic content, TPC; total antioxidant capacity, TAC; and inulin) and color quality of flours of artichoke by-products (obtained after cutting, drying and milling of stems and bracts) was studied. Blanching treatments induced increases in TPC, TAC and inulin, although those increments varied greatly depending on the treatment type and artichoke part. In particular, steaming (15 min) induced the highest TPC increment in artichoke hearts and stems (94 and 46%, respectively); TAC increment in hearts, stems and bracts (987, 1107 and 1660%, respectively); and inulin increment in hearts and stems (106 and 14%, respectively). Steaming (3 min) induced the highest inulin increment in bracts (40%). Immersion (15 min) induced the highest TPC increment in bracts (632%). In addition, the short blanching treatment (3 min) was not enough to inactivate browning enzymes with browning index values of 75, 52 and 67, which were similar, or even higher, to control samples (unblanched). In conclusion, steam blanching for 15 and 3 min induced the highest bioactive contents in stems and hearts and inulin and TAC contents in bracts.

Hot air drying of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) and its by-products, mainly the peel and placenta with seeds, has been investigated, analysing the influence of pretreatments on drying kinetics and bioactive compound content. Pumpkin flours not only stand out for their microbiological stability (low water activity), but also for their bioactive compounds important for health, including phenolic compounds and other antioxidants. Pretreatments prior to drying may improve both the quality and the drying efficiency, although their optimization has not been studied in pumpkin by-product flours. Hence, we studied different pretreatments, such as steam blanching (SB) and freezing (F) (−18 °C), to investigate their effect on the pumpkin by-product flour quality (color and water activity) after drying and compared to flours made with the edible part (pulp). In addition, different drying kinetics models were evaluated. SB pulp and peel achieved lower water activity (0.25/0.20) than F (0.35/0.36), compared to untreated pumpkin by-product flour (0.40/0.45). The SB placenta with seeds achieved a lower water activity (0.19) than F (0.55). The total phenolic content (TPC) increased up to 41.7, 60.2 and 40.9% in pre-treated and dried pulp, peel and placenta with seeds, respectively, compared to control (CTRL). A similar result was obtained for total flavonoid content (TFC), where increases of up to 86.4, 36.4, and 32.2% were observed in pre-treated pulp, peel and placenta with seeds, respectively. For total antioxidant capacity (TAC), results showed an increase of up to 33.1% in pre-treated peel, with slight reductions in pulp (20.1%) and placenta with seeds (39.1%), compared to CTRL. These results are promising for obtaining new dehydrated plant products from industrial processing by-products, while maintaining their beneficial health characteristics. These powdered products can be used in future research on the formulation of new fortified foods, such as bakery products, or the development of natural additives for beverages or soups.

Paprika is a spice obtained from the dehydration and grinding of red pepper fruits, primarily from the Capsicum annuum species. Its etymology comes from Slavic Balkanian languages and was adopted in Hungarian. The crop originated in America, where it was domesticated by pre-Columbian civilizations over 6000 years ago (specifically in present-day Mexico) for medicinal and culinary purposes. Following the Spanish arrival in the Americas in the 15th century, pepper was introduced first in Spain (Sevilla, Extremadura and Murcia) and later in the rest of the Old World. The agroclimatic conditions of different Mediterranean regions made it an essential crop, turning these regions into centers of production and giving this spice a sense of cultural identity. The purpose of this study lies in the technological and nutritional significance of paprika in the modern food industry, where it is demanded as a natural colorant, preservative and source of bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants and carotenoids. Despite its prevalence, the existing literature is often fragmented into specific disciplines. This article distinguishes itself by proposing a holistic approach expanding the study from its historical evolution to its socioeconomic impact, including its agronomic characteristics and industrial-scale production. It is recommended that the research community and producers focus on the sustainability of processing methods while preserving cultural authenticity, ensuring the preservation of the functional and culinary relevance of this spice.

This study presents a new strategy for the valorization of pepper by‐products. Effects on the convective drying process and quality of pretreatments: pressing with separation of vegetable water (P) and cutting plus pressing (C+P) compared to a control without pretreatments (CTRL) were evaluated and modelled. The objective was to improve process efficiency while preserving the functional quality of the final product. Drying kinetics showed that the C+P pretreatment reduced drying time from 465 min to 335 min, while pressing alone did not significantly affect drying duration. The product obtained exhibited remarkable bioactive properties. TPC values reached in 15.13 ± 0.91^a mg GAE g^‐1 for CTRL samples and remained significantly higher in pretreated samples (12.62 ± 0.42^b mg GAE g^‐1 for P, 12.29 ± 0.64^b mg GAE g^‐1 for C+P), than in commercial paprika (3.91 ± 0.57^c mg GAE g^‐1); TAC values obtained were 93.13 ± 3.04^c mg AAE g^‐1 for CTRL, 97.41 ± 1.01^b mg AAE g^‐1 for P, 97.81 ± 2.09^b mg AAE g^‐1 for C+P, and 112.46 ± 2.20^a mg AAE g^‐1 for commercial. These results demonstrate that pepper by‐products can be successfully transformed into a high‐quality ingredient using simple, scalable pretreatments. Which improves drying efficiency and the production of a functional ingredient with enhanced phenolic and soluble dietary fiber content compared with commercial paprika.