Functional, textural and sensory properties of dry pasta supplemented with lyophilized tomato matrix or with durum wheat bran extracts produced by supercritical carbon dioxide or ultrasound

Can your favorite bowl of pasta become a powerhouse of health without ruining dinner? Researchers tested novel green extraction methods to find out.

As the demand for healthy foods grows, researchers explored turning everyday pasta into a functional food. They enriched pasta using either a powdery lyophilized tomato matrix or durum wheat bran extracts. These extracts were produced using cutting-edge green technologies: ultrasound for aqueous extracts and supercritical carbon dioxide for oleoresins.

Not all additions performed equally. Adding the tomato matrix created unconventional taste and odor, while the aqueous bran extract failed to boost antioxidant activity. However, the bran oleoresin extract changed the game entirely.

Pasta enriched with bran oleoresin boasted impressive levels of tocochromanols and carotenoids, alongside the highest hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activities. Although the oleoresin slightly altered the gluten network and starch swelling—resulting in a slightly higher cooking loss compared to the control—overall sensory judgment remained remarkably unaffected. Ultimately, bran oleoresin proved to be the most effective additive for supercharging pasta with antioxidants while preserving its overall quality.

Key Points

• Bran oleoresin delivered the highest antioxidant activities.
• Tomato matrix supplementation caused unconventional taste and odor.
• Oleoresin increased antioxidant levels without harming overall sensory quality.