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Effect of β-Glucan on Technological, Sensory, and Structural Properties of Durum Wheat Pasta

¹NSW Department of Industry and Investment, Tamworth Agricultural Institute, 4 Marsden Park Road Calala, NSW 2340, Australia. ²School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. ³Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia. ⁴Corresponding author. Phone: +6-2-67631119. Fax: +61-2-67631222. E-mail: mike.sissons@dpi.nsw.gov.au

β-Glucan is known to have valuable properties for preventative health and is finding widespread use in foods. This study investigated the benefit of adding a commercial source of β-glucan, Barley Balance (BB) flour, as a functional ingredient in spaghetti. Durum wheat semolina was substituted with BB at levels of 7.5, 15, and 20%, from which spaghetti was prepared on a laboratory scale. The substitution of BB increased the β-glucan content of semolina from 0.3 to 6% in uncooked and 8% in cooked pasta. Antioxidant activity (measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) increased with BB and did not decline significantly on processing and cooking. Compared with the control, 7.5% BB had no or minimal effect on pasta cooking loss, stickiness, water absorption, aroma, and sensory texture. However, at higher doses, pasta became less yellow and more brown, firmer, of inferior aroma, more rubbery, and chewy, but less floury to the mouth. The extent of starch digestion decreased with increasing quantities of BB, suggesting that BB may lower glycemic index, with microscopy data suggesting that this decrease was mediated through the development of a more intensive fiber or fiber/protein matrix retarding enzymatic access to starch granules.