Functional Cereal Products: Current Status, Challenges and Future Opportunities

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2025 | Viewed by 2404

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
Interests: functional foods; whole grain products; cereal processing and quality improvement; nutraceutical and bioactive compounds

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: whole grains; bioactive compounds; glycolipid metabolism; energy metabolism; molecular nutrition; development of novel functional food products
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutritional strategies are a promising way to prevent and modulate metabolic-related disorders. Whole grain consumption has been shown to prevent and ameliorate metabolic syndromes, such as obesity, hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Epidemiological research has shown that diets rich in whole grain cereals could significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease while being inversely correlated with the intake of refined grain foods. The possible reason might be ascribed to the rich content of bioactive compounds presented in cereal grains. In recent years, the development and application of functional cereal products have drawn increasing scientific and industrial interest. Therefore, we kindly invite researchers to submit original research articles as well as review articles related to the current status, challenges and future opportunities of novel functional cereal products and bioactive components from cereals as functional food ingredients.

Dr. Ziyuan Wang
Prof. Dr. Jie Liu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cereal products
  • cereal-based bioactive compounds
  • enriched food quality
  • comprehensive utilization of agro-industrial by-products
  • cereal proteins
  • polyphenol–protein complexes
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 827 KiB  
Article
Impact of Ferulated Arabinoxylans from Maize Bran on Farinograph and Pasting Properties of Wheat Flour Blends
by Muzzamal Hussain and Senay Simsek
Foods 2024, 13(21), 3414; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213414 - 26 Oct 2024
Viewed by 726
Abstract
This research explores the extraction of ferulated arabinoxylans (FAXs) from maize bran and their incorporation into wheat flour to assess their impact on rheological and pasting properties. Flour blends were prepared with FAX concentrations of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%, and [...] Read more.
This research explores the extraction of ferulated arabinoxylans (FAXs) from maize bran and their incorporation into wheat flour to assess their impact on rheological and pasting properties. Flour blends were prepared with FAX concentrations of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%, and these blends were then evaluated using farinograph, mixograph, micro-extensibility, and viscosity analyses. The results indicated that farinograph water absorption increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05), ranging from 54.9% to 60.5%, as the FAX content rose, correlating with higher gel-forming potential. Notably, the 2% FAX treatment (FAX2) exhibited the longest dough development time at 24.7 min. Stability and mixing time index (MTI) values also varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05) among treatments, with FAX2 displaying a longer mixing time of 14.4 ± 3.3 min. A pasting analysis revealed a significant decrease in peak and hot paste viscosity (p < 0.05) with increasing FAX concentrations, suggesting an association between lower hot paste viscosity and reduced breakdown. Micro-extensibility measures further indicated that blends with 0% and 2% FAX had greater extensibility, while the 4% FAX blend showed higher resistance. Overall, this research aims to advance the understanding of how these components can enhance flour functionality and contribute to the development of healthier, higher-quality baked products. Full article
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18 pages, 2560 KiB  
Article
Fermentation of Rice, Oat, and Wheat Flour by Pure Cultures of Common Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria: Growth Dynamics, Sensory Evaluation, and Functional Properties
by Konstantin V. Moiseenko, Olga A. Glazunova and Tatyana V. Fedorova
Foods 2024, 13(15), 2414; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152414 - 30 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1360
Abstract
Recent consumer demand for non-dairy alternatives has forced many manufacturers to turn their attention to cereal-based non-alcoholic fermented products. In contrast to fermented dairy products, there is no defined and standardized starter culture for manufacturing cereal-based products. Since spontaneous fermentation is rarely suitable [...] Read more.
Recent consumer demand for non-dairy alternatives has forced many manufacturers to turn their attention to cereal-based non-alcoholic fermented products. In contrast to fermented dairy products, there is no defined and standardized starter culture for manufacturing cereal-based products. Since spontaneous fermentation is rarely suitable for large-scale commercial production, it is not surprising that manufacturers have started to adopt centuries-known dairy starters based on lactic acid bacteria (LABs) for the fermentation of cereals. However, little is known about the fermentation processes of cereals with these starters. In this study, we combined various analytical tools in order to understand how the most common starter cultures of LABs affect the most common types of cereals during fermentation. Specifically, 3% suspensions of rice, oat, and wheat flour were fermented by the pure cultures of 16 LAB strains belonging to five LAB species—Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus helveticus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactococcus lactis. The fermentation process was described in terms of culture growth and changes in the pH, reducing sugars, starch, free proteins, and free phenolic compounds. The organoleptic and rheological features of the obtained fermented products were characterized, and their functional properties, such as their antioxidant capacity and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity, were determined. Full article
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