**1. Introduction**

Functional food is part of the fastest growing sector of the global food market and is a response to the growing consumer demand for health products [1]. According to the European Commission, the term "functional food" denotes food that not only has nutritional effects but also exerts a beneficial effect on the physical functions of the body and, in some cases, reduces the risk of specific diseases. These beneficial effects must be confirmed by scientific research. Functional food must have a form easily accessible to the consumer in order to be part of the daily diet [2]. On an industrial scale, these are usually products to which a health-promoting component has been added, its bioavailability has been increased, or an adverse component has been removed [3–5].

A poorly balanced diet has a great impact on the development of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD). There is still an upward trend in the incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases [6,7]. An integral part of preventing these diseases is to increase dietary fiber intake [8–10]. Several studies have emphasized that high consumption of cereal-derived fiber is associated with a reduction in the risk of development of type 2 diabetes [11–13]. Dietary fiber has been used for fortification for many years. Its soluble fractions (SDF) are thought to be extremely functional. They increase viscosity in the stomach and delay its emptying. In the intestines, they create a barrier to enzymes and consistently slow down the hydrolysis of nutrients and absorption of glucose and

cholesterol from food [14–17]. What is more, soluble fiber is easily fermented by bacteria living in the colon, resulting in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which lower the pH of the environment and stimulate the development of beneficial microflora [13]. The soluble fiber fraction includes (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucans, which are polymers of glucose present in the cell walls of cereal grains, especially barley and oats [18]. These ingredients have been documented to exert pro-health effects and may be used as a functional component in food [19]. As reported by Jenkins et al. [20], a 1-g increase in the content of β-glucans in a product reduces a food's glycemic index (GI) by 4 units. A number of scientific studies confirmed that a 4–6-week diet based on products with a low glycemic index significantly reduces the fasting blood glucose level and insulin secretion, in addition to increasing insulin sensitivity. Concurrently, it reduces the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c); hence, it is an effective method to prevent and treat diabetes [21–23]. The consumption of β-D-glucans at the level of 4 g/30 g of digestible carbohydrates present in a meal helps reduce postprandial glucose, while the consumption at a level of 3 g/day helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels [24].

Pasta produced from semolina durum or common wheat flour is one of the most popular cereal products and can be a suitable food matrix for fortification with functional ingredients. Many studies focus on the possibility of enriching pasta with high-fiber raw materials, including oat flour, β-glucan concentrates [25–31], legume components [32], or pomaces [33,34]. It should be noted that the addition of both insoluble and soluble fractions of dietary fiber can weaken the protein-starch matrix and has a negative effect on the cooking and textural qualities of pasta [17,34,35]. However, some high-fiber materials such as xanthan gum or high-protein material (e.g., vital gluten) can improve dough strength and the cooking and sensory qualities of pasta [36–41]. At the same time, these components may improve the health-promoting value of a product. The effects of adding β-glucans to pasta have been examined by other authors, but there is no research on the possibility of reducing the negative effect of this component addition on pasta sensory and cooking qualities. For this reason, the aim of the study was to determine the possibility of using oat β-glucans and additionally xanthan gum and vital gluten to obtain functional pasta with high quality properties and health benefits.

#### **2. Material and Methods**

#### *2.1. Characteristics of Raw Materials*

The raw material used in the study was semolina durum (Julia Malom, Kunszállás, Hungary), from which the control sample was produced (i.e., pasta without additives (CON)). Subsequent samples were supplemented with the same level of xanthan gum (5%) (Agnex, Białystok, Poland) and vital wheat gluten (5%) (Polmarkus, Pyskowice, Poland) to the semolina. The oat β-glucans supplement (Brenntag Polska Sp.z o.o., K ˛edzierzyn-Ko´zle, Poland) was variable and amounted to 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% (samples BG0, BG5, BG10, BG15, BG20, respectively). Samples of raw materials weighing 5 kg were moistened to 33% humidity. The detailed model of the experiment is presented in Table 1.

#### *2.2. Pasta Preparation*

Fusilli pasta was produced in a semi-technical laboratory scale using a MAC-30S Lab pasta extruder (ItalPast, Parma, Italy). The ingredients of the dough were premixed for 15 min under atmospheric pressure and, subsequently, the dough was mixed and extruded under a vacuum (0.086 MPa). The rotational speed of the screw of the pasta extruder was 48 rpm. The pasta samples were dried at a controlled temperature and humidity in a pasta dryer EAC30-LAB (ItalPast, Parma, Italy) in conditions described previously by Sobota et al. [42].



CON—control sample; BG—β-glucans.
