Maintaining and improving the nutritional quality of foods during processing are the main market and industry concerns. Thus, research should focus on novel and sustainable ways for selecting the appropriate processing method that either increases or does not affect the nutrient content of foods. Thermal processing techniques such as extrusion cooking are widely used for producing breakfast cereals, snack foods, pasta, pet food, etc. Extrusion cooking is a continuous process that uses a combination of high-temperature, highpressure, and high shear conditions in a short period of time, which results in molecular transformation and chemical reactions within the extruded products. Extrusion cooking brings on many biochemical changes such as denaturation of proteins, gelatinization of starch, lipid modifications, inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes, formation of volatile flavor components, and increase in soluble dietary fiber. Furthermore, extrusion cooking has the potential to improve the nutritional quality of the products by improving starch and protein digestibility and increasing the retention of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. Also, this highly efficient technology minimizes water pollution and energy consumption. This review aims to discuss the current information regarding changes in nutritional properties and bioactive compounds in cereals processed by extrusion cooking.

Elicitation appears to be a promising alternative to enhance the bioactive compound content and biological activities of legume sprouts. Multi-response optimization by response surface methodology (RSM) with desirability function (DF) was used to optimize the elicitor concentration (hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)) and germination time in order to maximize total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (AOX) of chickpea sprouts. Chemical, antinutritional, and nutraceutical properties of optimized chickpea sprouts (OCS) were also determined. The predicted regression models developed were efficiently fitted to the experimental data. The results of the desirability function revealed that optimum attributes in chickpea sprouts can be achieved by the application of 30 mM H2O2 and 72 h of germination time, with global desirability value D = 0.893. These OCS had higher (p < 0.05) TPC (7.4%), total iso-flavonoids (16.5%), AOX (14.8%), and lower phytic acid (16.1%) and saponins (21.8%) compared to H2O2 non-treated chickpea sprouts. Optimized germination conditions slightly modified the flavonoid profile in chickpea; eight iso-flavonoids were identified in OCS, including formononetin and biochanin A, which were identified as the major compounds. Results from this study support elicitation with H2O2 as an effective approach to improve phytochemical content and antioxidant activity in chickpea sprouts.

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The lime-cooking extrusion process depicts emerging technologies to making maize tortillas with the advantages of reducing energy, little water use, and not environmental deletions effluents. Multi-response optimization by response surface methodology (RSM) was a tool to optimize native pigmented maize lime-cooking extrusion process to obtain flours to develop tortillas with high lipophilic compounds. The effects of extrusion temperature (ET, 65–135 ºC) and screw speed (SS, 78–212 rpm) were investigated. The best extruded blue maize tortillas were selected over response variables: Linoleic acid (LA), Oleic acid (OA), Campesterol (CP), Stigmasterol (SP), and b-sitosterol (bSP), where the quadratic predictive developed models were adequate and reproducible inside the specified array of process factors. Appling desirability function, the optimum lime-cooking extrusion conditions to development extruded blue maize tortillas correspond to ET (119 °C), SS (78 rpm) and a global desirability value (D = 0.906). Values response variables obtained from the predictive models were compared from experimental tests, a close agreement between both values was observed. Hence, RSM is still convenient for optimization, particularly once used in mixture with other procedures.

Legumes have high nutritional value and play an important role in traditional diets throughout the world. Consumption of legumes has been linked to reduced risk of diabetes and obesity, coronary heart disease, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and gastrointestinal disorders. Some biotechnological processes such as germination are considered both simple and economical to improve the nutritive and functional value of legumes due to the increase in the bioactive compounds and related antioxidant acitivity. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important grain‐legume crops in the world. Chickpeas contain high levels of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, unsaturated fatty as well as bioactive compounds.The aim of this study was to optimize the germination conditions of desi chickpea seeds that would maximize the antioxidant activity (AoxA), total phenolic (TPC), and flavonoid (TFC) contents. To optimize the germination bioprocess, response surface methodology was applied over three response variables (AoxA, TPC, TFC). A central composite rotable experimental design with two factors [germination temperature (GT), 20–35ºC; germination time (Gt), 10–240 h] in five levels was used; 13 treatments were generated. The sprouts from each treatment were lyophilized, tempered, and ground to obtain germinated chickpea flours (GCF). The best combination of germination bioprocess variables for producing optimized GCF with the highest AoxA [ABTS: 14,435 □mol Trolox equivalents (TE) / 100 g simple, dw; ORAC: 15,143 □mol TE/100 g sample, dw], TPC [217.69 mg Gallic acid equivalents (GAE) / 100 g sample, dw], and TFC [122.61 mg Quercetin equivalents (QE)/100 g sample, dw] was GT= 34ºC/Gt=171 h. The germination bioprocess increased AoxA, TPC, and TFC in 146–178, 98, and 111 %, respectively. The germination is an effective strategy to increase the TPC and TFC of desi chickpea seeds for enhancing functionality with improved antioxidant activity. The chickpea germinated flour or extract might be recommended for use as a source of natural antioxidants in functional foods.Domínguez‐Arispuro DM1, Cuevas‐Rodríguez EO1,2, Milán‐Carrillo JM1,2, Garzón‐Tiznado JA1, Canizalez‐Roman VA1, Gutiérrez‐Dorado R1,2, Reyes‐Moreno C1,2*1 Programa Regional de Posgrado en Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas (FCQB), Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Ciudad Universitaria, AP 1354, CP 80,000 Culiacán, Sinaloa, México.2 Programa de Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, FCQB‐UAS, Cd Universitaria, AP 1354, CP 80,000 Culiacán, Sinaloa, México.(*) C Reyes‐Moreno, Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Calle Lichis Ote 1986, Col La Campiña, CP 80,060 Culiacán, Sinaloa, México, e mail: creyes@uas.edu.mx