Pasta Fortification with Leaves of Edible Wild Plants to Lower the P Glycaemic Index of Handmade Fresh Noodles

Abstract

Edible wild plants are a largely available food at no cost and an emblem of sustainability. Among the numerous varieties of edible wild plants, purslane (<em>Portulaca oleracea L.</em>) and common mallow (<em>Malva sylvestris L.</em>) are good sources of healthful bioactive compounds. Therefore, there is a growing interest in their consumption for health-related nutritional and sustainable perspectives. Fresh durum wheat tagliatelle fortified with dried and pulverized leaves of mallow or purslane at two distinct percentages of integration (3%, 6%) were handmade. Polyphenols, pigments, and carotenoids were extracted and quantified. The <em>in vitro</em> inhibitory effect against digestive enzymes and the predicted glycaemic response were assessed. All samples exhibited appreciable quantities of polyphenols, pigments, and enzymatic inhibition of α-amylase and α glucosidase <em>in vitro</em>. The estimated glycaemic index for pasta fortified with 3% or 6% purslane powder was reduced by 10.8% or 28.3%, respectively, compared to pasta with durum wheat semolina alone. For mallow-enriched pasta at 3 and 6%, the reductions were 24.3% and 21.6%, in the order. The lowest expected glycaemic index was obtained with pasta 6% purslane powder enriched (P6c = 53 +/- 2.2). In this study, mallow and purslane were tested to be used as natural sources for producing handmade enriched pasta. All the fortified samples presented a lower pGI concerning control pasta, thus indicating that plant powder addition could be suitably adopted. Their valuable and functional compounds reduced the pGI and imparted a pleasant natural color to the pasta.