Development of instantaneous functional pasta based on Yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia) powder extract and rice flour by thermoplastic extrusion process

• Grant number: 05/01345-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2005
• End date: October 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda Paula Collares Queiroz
• Grantee: Fernanda Paula Collares Queiroz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nutraceuticals are foodstuffs or food ingredients that, farther on regular nutritional functions, have in their composition one or more substances able to modulate the metabolic processes, improving health conditions and preventing the early establishment of degenerative illness. It is observed that the functional foodstuffs world market is increasing. Due to functional properties, Yacon is attracting a great interest. Yacon is a species of Asteraceae family, originated from Andes region. Its rizophoros and tuberous roots contain great amounts of glucose, fructose and fructo-oligossacharides of inulin type as reserve carbohydrates, beneficial for diabetics, and also acting as pre-biotics, improving the intestinal microbiota, reducting blood lipids, increasing minerals absorption as Ca, Mg and Fe, inhibiting early stages of color cancer, among others. Moreover, Yacon contains considerable amount of phenolic compounds which are important antioxidants. In order to meet the demand for products with functional characteristics, in this work instantaneous functional pasta based on Yacon powder extract, drying in spray dryer, and rice flour will be developed by thermoplastic extrusion process. (AU)