Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) as a Functional Component in Durum Wheat Pasta Production: Impact on Chemical Composition, In Vitro Glycemic Index, and Quality Properties

Abstract

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a good source of biologically active compounds with proven beneficial health effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of nettle herb supplementation on chemical composition, including the content of selected minerals and pigments, the in vitro glycemic response, and the cooking and sensory quality of extruded pasta. Tagliatelle-shaped pasta was produced under semi-technical scale by partial replacement of durum wheat semolina with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% of lyophilized nettle. The partial substitution with freeze-dried nettle caused a statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in the content of minerals, especially calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium in the products. The calcium content in the pasta fortified with 5%-addition of stinging nettle was 175.9 mg 100 g−1 and this concentration was 5.8 times higher than in the control sample. At the same time, high content of chlorophylls and carotenoids (237.58 µg g−1 and 13.35 µg g−1, respectively) was noticed. Enriching pasta with a 0–5% addition of stinging nettle resulted in a statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in the content of the total dietary fiber (TDF) (from 5.1 g 100 g−1 to 8.82 g 100 g−1) and the insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) (from 2.29 g 100 g−1 to 5.63 g 100 g−1). The lowest hydrolysis index of starch (HI = 17.49%) and the lowest glycemic index (GI = 49.31%) were noted for the pasta enriched with 3% nettle.

Buckwheat Hull-Enriched Pasta: Physicochemical and Sensory Properties

“…OCT is influenced by various factors such as the raw materials used for pasta preparation [37], the parameters of the technological process [37], and the type of pasta [38]. Some authors found a positive correlation between the total dietary fiber content in pasta and OCT [39,40]. By contrast, a negative relationship was found in the present study and in others [33,41].…”

“…This suggests that different sources of fiber and ratios of soluble to insoluble fiber can have varied effects on the cooking properties of pasta. At a high amount, fiber often negatively influences the cooking properties of pasta due to the disruption of the starch-protein matrix dough during dough mixing and can swell rapidly during pasta cooking [40]. On the other hand, some nontraditional ingredients with high fiber content can have no negative effect on the quality of pasta or even increase its cooking quality [2,42].…”

“…WII was calculated by dividing the weight of the pasta sample after cooking by the weight of an uncooked pasta sample (100 g) [40].…”

Pasta with Kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta): Effect on Structure, Quality, Consumer Acceptance, and Changes in Bioactivity during Thermal Treatment

“…Increasing the cooking loss, due to the enrichment of pasta with KBL, may also be a result of the weakening of the gluten matrix, which resulted in weaker binding of starch granules in the structure of the pasta amylose leaching and solubilization of some salt-soluble proteins into the water during cooking [ 55 ]. Other authors also observed an increase in cooking loss in pasta enriched with new ingredients [ 18 , 50 , 56 ].…”

“…The basic raw material used in the production of pasta is wheat semolina, which is hydrated to the appropriate level and then pressed or formed by the use of rolls. Due to its widespread consumption and universal use in nutrition, pasta is often used as a matrix for introducing new, biologically active compounds and nutrients [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”