High Technological Quality Research Articles

ОСНОВНЫЕ НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ И РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ СЕЛЕКЦИОННОЙ РАБОТЫ ПО ВЫВЕДЕНИЮ СОРТОВ ПРОСА С ВЫСОКИМИ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИМИ

The article reflects the main directions of breeding work on the breeding of millet varieties with high technological and consumer qualities of grain such as: size, alignment and shape of grain, filminess, yield of millet, consistency and brightness of the kernel, digestibility, consistency and taste of porridge. Scientific research is carried out on the basis of the Laboratory of Breeding and Seed Production of Cereals and Sorghum crops of the P.N. Konstantinov Volga Research Institute of Breeding and Seed Production, a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science of the Samara Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The objects of the study are a collection of VIR in the amount of 150 samples and varieties of seed millet (selection of the Volga NIISS): Rossiyanka(accepted as standard), Zaryana, Povolzhskoe 59, Povolzhskoe 80 and Krestyanka.Varieties and hybrids of their own selection are used as the starting material, as well as samples of the VIR collection as separate economically valuable features.Samples of the collection of steppe (Ukrainian, Kazakh and Volga) ecological and geographical groups are of interest for breeding new varieties of millet with high technological qualities of grain and cereals as a source material.Laboratory analysis of millet varieties of seed selection of the Volga NIISS branch of the SamSC RAS showed that all of them have high technological and culinary qualities.The weight of 1000 grains is 8.5 – 10.2 g. The yield of cereals is from 76.3 to 78.8%. The color of cereals and the color of porridge is yellow and light yellow. The structure of the porridge is characterized as crumbly. The coefficient of digestibility for millet ranges from 5.0 – 5.3.

BRS 429: sweet cassava with yellow pulp and high technological and sensory qualities

BRS 429 is a sweet cassava cultivar with yellow pulp and technological qualities (high root yield, early maturity, and favorable plant architecture) and sensory qualities (short cooking time, little fiber, and soft texture) that make it an excellent option for cultivation in the Distrito Federal, Paraná, and São Paulo, Brazil.

Technology of enzymatic-acid hydrolysis of bone raw material in production of gelatine

Bone gelatin is an important and irreplaceable item widely used in the food industry and pharmaceutical production; it is also widely used in tissue engineering and other spheres. Due to widespread use of gelatin it is necessary to search for new safe and effective technologies for bone gelatin production. This research represents the results of enzymatic-acid hydrolysis of raw material in the process of gelatin production. The article presents the results of hydrolysis analyzes, the results of the main quality parameters of the obtained gelatin samples; and the major technological scheme for gelatin production is proposed here. As result of developed technology of enzymatic-acid hydrolysis of bone raw material with the ratio of raw material mass to the volume of solvent (HCl 1M and pepsin with an enzymatic activity of 40 units) as 1:9, duration of exposure: 180 minutes (3 hours), at the stage of demineralization, liming and de-ashing, we obtained samples of gelatin at yield rate of 12.1% from the initial mass of raw materials, which is 6.9% higher in comparison with the lowest yield of gelatin according to the proposed schemes. It is shown that the samples have a high protein mass fraction 91.4%, and a low fat mass fraction 0.4%, the obtained results indicate the high technological qualities of the obtained gelatin sample, this is also confirmed by high strength of gel according to Bloom scale, which value varies within the range of 290 ± 0.7 units.

MODERN WAYS OF RASPBERRY BREEDING

One of the priority tasks in raspberry breeding is to increase the ecological adaptation of varieties to negative biotic and
 abiotic factors of a particular cultivation region. Common task for all raspberry cultivation regions is the breeding of highly
 productive varieties suitable for mechanized cultivation with high commercial, taste and technological qualities of berries.
 The modern breeding process is characterized by a significant increase in the intensity of selection and the acceleration
 of the breeding process. Biotechnological methods of clonal micropropagation of valuable genotypes, as well as the use of PCR
 for genetic analysis and certification of breeding material, are very encouraging. Scientific integration gives the opportunity
 to speed up the breeding process. This is contributed by the creation of modern breeding and nursery-garden centers, where
 joint research is carried out by breeders, geneticists, biotechnologists, physiologists, virologists and nursery breeders.

Inulin, KCL, and Flavor Enhancers: An Efficient Combination to Produce Prebiotic and Low-Sodium Burgers

In this study, prebiotic and low-sodium burgers were produced. In the first experiment, burgers were elaborated with 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12% inulin. The addition of up to 9% inulin did not affect the sensory quality, increased yield and reduced shrinkage. Thus, in the second experiment, prebiotic burgers were produced with 9% inulin and a sodium reformulation was performed by replacing 60% NaCl with KCl and adding monosodium glutamate (MG) and/or liquid smoke (LS). The replacement of NaCl for KCl impaired the sensory quality of the burgers. The isolated or combined addition of MG and LS reduced the sensory defects caused by KCl. Thus, prebiotic and low-sodium burgers with high technological and sensory quality can be produced using 9% inulin, 1% NaCl, 1.5% KCl, 0.2% MG, and 0.1% LS.

Fructo-oligosaccharides, hydrolyzed soy protein and yeast (Saccharomyces sp.) extract as potential cryoprotectans in gluten-free frozen dough and bread quality.

People with celiac disease, wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity required bakery products without gluten. However, gluten-free bread has a high rate of starch retrogradation during shelf life, resulting in loss of softness in the bread crumbs. The inclusion of frozen doughs for gluten-free bread can provide a feasible solution to increase product supply with high technological and sensory quality, providing fresh bread with uniform characteristics. The biggest challenge in the frozen dough for gluten-free bread is related to the high amount of water added to the dough (70-120 % - flour basis) because the ice crystals formed during the freezing step can cause damage to yeast. The use of cryoprotectants in the dough is an alternative for preserving yeast during freezing and cold chain maintenance. This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of fructo-oligosaccharide, hydrolyzed soy protein, and yeast extract as a cryoprotectant in the gluten-free frozen dough and the evaluation of bread quality. Through the Response Surface Methodology, using a Simplex-Centroid Mixture Design, the cryoprotectants were evaluated up to a concentration of 5 % (flour basis) with freezing of the dough for 7 days at -18 °C. The results showed that with the use of cryoprotectants, there was an increase in volume increase of the doughs, in the specific volume of the bread, and the softness of the crumb. The use of 69 % fructo-oligosaccharide and 31 % hydrolyzed soy protein, without the yeast extract, was considered as the optimal formulation for the tested cryoprotectants, with a probability of 79.60 % of success obtained by the desirability function. These levels promoted a better biopreservation of yeast fermentation power and resulting in an improved crumb softness and specific volume at 46 and 40 %, respectively, compared to the standard sample.

Особливості селекції сортів пшениці м’якої озимої степового екотипу у зв’язку зі змінами клімату в умовах Півдня України

Goal. To substantiate the value and suitability of winter soft wheat varieties for growing in arid conditions of the South of Ukraine by a complex of biological, morphological, and economically useful attributes, to improve programs and directions of selection taking into account climate change, to strengthen the impact of extreme environmental factors, to create new high-yielding varieties of high quality. Methods. Analysis of the history of varietal changes, varietal tests, application of various methods of intraspecies and remote hybridization, genotype assessments in field and laboratory experiments on a set of attributes (productivity, growing season, frost resistance, drought resistance), biometric and chemical analysis, phenological observations, cultivation of varieties and lines on provocative backgrounds. Results. During the years of selection programs in the second half of the XX-th and early XXI-st centuries original genetic material was invented to create high-intensity varieties with a yield potential of more than 10 t/ha with high technological qualities of grain, frost-, winter- and drought-resistance. The 74 varieties created under these programs, mainly short-stemmed intensive and universal types, are widely used in production in Ukraine and other countries. The best of them are the most drought-, heat- and frost-resistant and occupy significant sown areas. Conclusions. In the South of Ukraine, as a result of natural evolution, folk selection, and, especially in connection with the successful implementation of scientific research programs, plant breeders of 3 generations created the most drought-, heat- and frost-resistant varieties of soft winter wheat with high technological qualities of grain. The duration of the growing season with a varietal change of varieties for 90 years has decreased by 2-3 days. New early-maturing varieties often have yield advantages over late-maturing varieties, but due to droughts and dry winds, which are periodically early, they may yield to medium-early varieties, which are the most stable in terms of yield in this area. Medium-ripe and even more late-ripe varieties are almost always exposed to heat and summer drought and are significantly inferior in yield to more precocious genotypes.

Genetic parameters and selection of micromineral-biofortified Andean bean lines with high technological quality

The development of new micromineral-biofortified Andean bean cultivars with a grain pattern that meets consumers’ requirements is unprecedented. This study proposes to obtain estimates of genetic parameters for technological-quality traits and micromineral concentration and to select superior Andean bean lines. The cross between cultivars Hooter and Cal 96 generated the recombinant inbred line population that was evaluated in the F5:6 and F5:7 generations. Technological quality was analyzed based on grain color determined in a colorimeter: L* (dark to light), a* (green to red) and b* (blue to yellow) values; and mass of 100 grains. Micromineral concentration (iron and zinc) was obtained by acid digestion. A significant genotype effect was found for all evaluated traits, except for zinc concentration in the F5:7 generation. L*, a* and b* showed high heritability (h2 ≥ 90.85%) and qualitative inheritance. High heritability (h2 ≥ 75.57%) was also observed for mass of 100 grains and iron and zinc concentrations, which exhibited quantitative inheritance. Grains of the cranberry bean lines DFA 39-18 and DFA 01-18 are very light (L* ≥ 52.18), with light red (a* ≤ 9.49) and light yellow (b* ≤ 16.00) shades; large (mass of 100 grains > 40 g); and have high iron concentrations (Fe ≥ 95.00 mg kg-1 dry matter). Grains of the red mottled bean lines DFA 03-18, DFA 27-18 and DFA 44-18 exhibited high technological quality, i.e., they are dark (33.11 < L* < 37.28), light red (16.24 < a*< 18.72) and very light yellow (b* ≤ 9.45) in shade, and large (mass of 100 grains > 40 g). These lines will be selected by the breeding program.

Identification of Plasmatic Biomarkers of Foie Gras Qualities in Duck by Metabolomics.

The foie gras is an emblematic product of French gastronomy composed of waterfowl fatty liver. The organoleptic qualities of this product depend on the liver characteristics such as liver weight (LW) and technological yield (TY) at cooking. One of the main issues for producers is to classify the foie gras with high or low technological quality before cooking them. Thus the study aims at identifying biomarkers of these characteristics with non-invasive biomarkers in duck. 1H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance of the proton) analyses were performed on plasma of male mule ducks at different time points during the overfeeding period to obtain a large range of liver characteristics so as to identify plasmatic biomarkers of foie gras. We used two methods, one based on bucket data from the 1H-NMR spectra and another one based on the fingerprints of several metabolites. PLS analyses and Linear models were performed to identify biomarkers. We identified 18 biomarkers of liver weight and 15 biomarkers of technological yield. As these two quality parameters were strongly correlated (−0.82), 13 biomarkers were common. The lactate was the most important biomarker, the other were mainly amino acids. Contrary to the amino acids, the lactate increased with the liver weight and decreased with the technological yield. We also identified 5 biomarkers specific to LW (3 carbohydrates: glucuronic acid, mannose, sorbitol and 2 amino acids: glutamic acid and methionine) that were negatively correlated to liver weight. It was of main interest to identify 2 biomarkers specific to the technological yield. Contrary to the isovaleric acid, the valine was negatively correlated to the technological yield.

Does crop succession and nitrogen splitting fertilization change the technological quality of common bean?

ABSTRACT The crop succession and nitrogen splitting fertilization are managements that can affect the common bean technological quality and, consequently, the profitability of producer and the food biological value. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether crop succession and N splitting fertilization promote differences in the technological quality of common bean grains. The experiment was carried out during winter over two agricultural years in southeastern Brazil. A randomized block design was used in a split-plot scheme, with four replications. The plots were composed of three crop successional systems (maize sole, maize + Urochloa ruziziensis, U. ruziziensis sole) and the subplots contained nine combinations of N splitting fertilization at a rate of 90 kg·ha-1 N top-dressing in the phenological stages V3, V4, and R5 of the common bean and a control without fertilization. The evaluated variables were: sieve yield greater than or equal to 12 (SY ? 12), crude protein content, cooking time, and hydration ratio. Crop succession promotes differences in the technological quality of common bean; however, the N splitting fertilization did not change the technological attributes of grains. The highest technological quality of common bean was obtained after succession with U. ruziziensis sole, generating large size and crude protein content of grain, followed by the succession with maize + U. ruziziensis intercropping, and finally, the succession with maize sole. Therefore, the crop succession is a fundamental factor for obtaining common bean with higher technological quality, affecting the food biological value and the profitability of producers.

The research, development, and innovation trajectory of the IAC Common Bean Breeding Program

Abstract: Since 1932, the Common Bean Breeding Program of the Instituto Agronomico (PMGF-IAC) has provided bean cultivars with high yield potential and stability, grain of high technological quality and nutritional value, resistance and tolerance to the main common bean diseases, and commercial acceptance. This article presents the main results of the PMGF-IAC from a study of its research, development, and innovation (RD&I) trajectory and from information regarding adoption of cultivars (from 1932 to 2019). The main contributions of this study are (i) to display the trajectory of RD&I in common bean breeding in IAC, (ii) to present a description of common bean cultivars of different commercial types recommended over the period analyzed, and (iii) to provide an analysis of adoption of the new cultivars. This study is directed to researchers that develop common bean cultivars or that act in the sphere of science, technology, and innovation.

Comprehensive assessment of Hordeum vulgare in the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) occupies more than 80% of the sown area of forage crops. Barley is widely cultivated in many areas with contrasting soil and climatic conditions; breeding varieties that are resistant to abiotic and biotic environmental stress factors is an important factor that would make it possible to obtain grain with the required nutritional and forage qualities. The creation of barley varieties is a promising area of breeding in the world. To create varieties, it is necessary to consider the main directions: early ripening and high yield. To create an early ripening, high-yielding variety and hybrid of spring barley with high technological qualities of grain, the leading role belongs to the scientifically grounded selection of the source material. The article presents the results of a 3-year collection samples’ study from the world collection of the All-Russian Institute of Plants’ Genetic Resources named after N.I. Vavilov (VIR).

TECHNOLOGICAL QUALITIES OF SUGAR BEETROOT CROPS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE MIDDLE CIS-URAL REGION

The economic growth and welfare of the state largely dependent on the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex, including the beet-sugar subcomplex. In Russia, including the middle CIS-Ural region, sugar beet is the main technical crop that provides raw materials for the sugar industry. More than 70 % of the area is sown in the Central and Southern Federal Districts. On the territory of the middle CIS-Ural region, sugar beet is currently cultivated on an area of more than 100,000 ha (Kornienko, 2014) The purpose of the research was to identify the productivity and technological quality patterns of new sugar beet hybrids, the influence of varietal characteristics on the content of molassigenic sub-stances, nitrogen fertilizer dosage, crop density and harvest time to obtain the highest yield of root crops with high technological qualities in the middle CIS-Ural region of Russia. Four field studies were conducted. The sugar content was determined by cold digestion with saccharimeter-polarimeter. To determine the α-amino nitrogen, the method of Stanek and Pavlas modified by Wininger and Kubadinov was used. The results showed that with an increased dose of nitrogen fertilizer, the sugar content of the root crops naturally decreased. As the crop density increased, the sugar content also increased. The highest sugar content in the root crops was revealed at a crop density of 95,000 and 110,000 plants/ha. The authors proposed recommendations to obtain the highest gross yield of purified sugar in sugar beet cultivation: for early harvesting – cultivate a sugar beet hybrid of normal-sugary type (Christella), for late harvesting – a hybrid of yielding type (HM-1820); apply nitrogen fertilizer at a dose of 160 kg of active agent/ha;cultivate sugar beet with a density of 95,000 plants per hectare; remove sugar beetroot crops with modern beet harvesters on October 10–25.

Genetic diversity and selection of bean landraces and cultivars based on technological and nutritional traits

This study was undertaken to evaluate the genetic variability of common bean landraces and modern cultivars for 15 technological- and nutritional-quality traits; analyze the correlations between these traits; investigate genetic dissimilarity between the cultivars; and select superior common bean cultivars for human nutrition. Three experiments were carried out between the years 2017 and 2018 in which 49 common bean cultivars were evaluated. A significant genotype × environment interaction effect was observed for all traits. Mass of 100 grains was positively correlated with grain length (r = 0.78) and cooking time (r = 0.59) and negatively correlated with magnesium concentration (r = −0.63). The L* (grain lightness) and a* (color variation from green to red) values were more important in differentiating the cultivars. Eight and three groups of cultivars were formed using the canonical-variable and simple-linkage analyses, respectively. These analyses are not in agreement on the definition of groups and on the composition of the different groups. The cultivars Preguiçoso, Inhoque, Carioca Vila Nova do Sul, Pérola, Trindade, Argentino, Turrialba, Banana, Vagem Roxa and Paraná have high technological quality and high concentrations of various minerals; therefore, their use is recommended for human nutrition and breeding programs.

The extreme factors influence on the grain quality technological indicators of spring wheat of Siberian selection

Cultivation of agricultural crops and obtaining stable yields with high technological qualities of grain are often limited by extreme environmental conditions during the plant growing season. Mongolian agriculture is characterized by a high level of dependence on natural conditions, resources, and changes in ecological systems. Sharp temperature fluctuations, high contrast and insufficient precipitation during the growing season create extreme factors for cultivating crops in Mongolia. Spring wheat varieties of Siberian selection are resistant to adverse environmental factors and have good baking qualities. In the framework of the contract between the Krasnoyarsk state agrarian university and HHK “IngetTolgoy” company (Mongolia), the research on studying extreme factors influence on the technological parameters of spring wheat grain of Siberian selection on the land of HHK “IngetTolgoy” company was conducted. The objects of research were wheat varieties of Siberian selection Novosibirskaya – 15, Novosibirskaya – 31, Kantegirskaya – 89 and varieties Selenge and Tsagaan dagliy, cultivated in HHK “IngetTolgoy” company. Recording was performed using generally accepted methods and existing State Standards. Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed by the method of dispersion and correlation analysis. The obtained results allow to conclude that despite the influence of extreme factors on wheat during the entire growing season, the highest biological yield and the best technological qualities of grain were formed by the spring wheat variety of Siberian selection Novosibirskaya – 31.

INFLUENCE OF BIOLOGICAL PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS ON PHYTO PRODUCTIVITY OF SUGAR CORN PLANTS ACCORDING TO BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE VARIETY

The article presents the results of three annual studies of the application of elements of environmentally friendly technology for growing sweet corn in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. On the basis of the conducted field researches the mutual influence of the investigated factors and their variants is established Thus, treatment of corn seeds before sowing with biological plant protection products, namely a set of protective drugs — biological fungicide + biological insecticide, provided the plants of the hybrid “Barcelona F1”, based on three years of research, the best plant density. Plants of the “Mermaid” variety formed the maximum weight of the cob, from all variants of the experiment. The studied hybrids of sugar corn in accordance with the characteristics of the variety and the influence of biological plant protection products form a high yield, suitable for mechanized harvesting of cobs, resistant to major diseases and pests, have high technological qualities. Studies of sugar corn plants show that pre-sowing treatment of seeds with biological products of protective action contributed to the development of plants. The results of research indicate that in the technology of growing sweet corn it is possible to replace the use of chemical pesticides for pre-sowing seed treatment with biological products, which positively affected the quality of plants, accelerating the initial growth and development of plants. With the help of biological products it is possible to obtain full plant protection, yield growth and high quality.

Analysis of Technological and Consumption Quality of Offal and Offal Products Obtained from Pulawska and Polish Landrace Pigs.

Simple SummaryIn many countries, offal is an important culinary and technological raw material used for the production of offal dishes and products. Given the growing popularity of such products, as well as insufficient knowledge about the technological and nutritional value of offal, it is important to determine the properties of some pork offal and offal products. The study material consisted of 100 fattening pigs: 50 Pulawska pigs and 50 Polish Landrace pigs. The offal components (tongue, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys) were analysed for physical traits, basic chemical composition and energy value. Offal products (pate, liver sausage, brawn) were made from the offal and their physical, chemical and organoleptic parameters were evaluated. The results, obtained in our study, indicate a high technological and consumption quality of offal from Pulawska and Polish Landrace pigs. The organoleptic quality of the evaluated offal products was higher for Pulawska than Polish Landrace pigs, in particular with regard to aroma and flavour. We suggest that our study could influence consumer awareness of the consumption of pork offal and offal preparations while increasing the use for production of the Pulawska breed, and thus, other native breed characteristic of many other countries of the world.The aim of the study was to determine technological and consumption quality of some offal components obtained from Pulawska and Polish Landrace fattening pigs, and to analyse the eating quality of the offal products. The study material consisted of 100 fattening pigs: Pulawska (PUL) and 50 Polish Landrace (PL) pigs. The offal components were analysed for physical traits, chemical composition and energy value. Offal products were made from the offal and their physical, chemical and organoleptic parameters were evaluated. Our study showed that breed had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on pH45 of the tongue, heart (PUL > PL), lungs and kidneys (PUL < PL), and on the fat content of the tongue, heart (PUL > PL), liver and kidneys (PUL < PL). A highly significant effect of breed (p ≤ 0.01) was observed for protein content of the lungs, liver (PUL < PL) and kidneys (PUL > PL), for collagen content of the kidneys (PUL < PL) and liver (PUL < PL), and for energy value (p ≤ 0.01) of the heart (PUL > PL) and liver (PUL < PL). Moreover, our results indicate that the organoleptic quality of the evaluated offal products was higher for Pulawska than Polish Landrace pigs, in particular with regard to consistency (p < 0.05) and flavour (p < 0.01) of the liver sausage.

Quarter-Millimeter Propagating Plasmons in Thin-Gold-Film-Based Waveguides for Visible Spectral Range

A series of long-range plasmonic waveguides based on a thin three-layer Al2O3/gold/Al2O3 film operating in the visible spectral range have been studied experimentally and theoretically. For long-range plasmonic waveguides having identical structure but different lengths, the propagation length of plasmonic waves was determined to be $\text{250} \pm \text{15} \mu {\text{m}}$ at $\lambda = \text{765} {\text{nm}}$ and was in a very good agreement with the theoretical value obtained through numerical modeling. The demonstrated propagation length is the highest one for the gold film-based plasmonic waveguides described in the literature for a uniform (non-photonic-crystal) substrate in the UV, visible, and near IR (up to $\text{1} \mu {\text{m}}$ ) spectral ranges, which is due to high technological quality of the fabricated waveguides and optimized three-layer structure. The proposed waveguides could find applications in optical interconnects and guided-wave optical sensors.

AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY OF WAFFLES WITH FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES

The high-priority tasks of today’s confectionery industry include the development and introduction of functional-purpose confections. These products are supposed to be of high technological qualities, be effective in production to the extent possible, and have physiological functional properties due to the physiologically valuable ingredients in their composition. These ingredients include the synbiotic complex composed of probiotics (bifidobacteria, lactobacilli) and prebiotics (inulin and lactulose). This complex has been studied in this research. The paper gives reasons why waffles with fatty fillings are the ones to which the synbiotic complex should be added. It has been established what mass fraction of the ingredients at what stage of fatty filling production should be added. It has been studied how the synbiotic complex affects the structural and mechanical properties of the fatty filling: its effective viscosity, adhesive strength, and critical shear stress. It has been found that the maximum shear rate that still allows obtaining a high-quality filling is 5.4 s-1. The specific pull-off force of the fatty filling with the synbiotic added becomes lower compared to that of the control sample. This helps reduce the energy consumed in the course of moulding waffles. An innovative manufacturing technology for waffles with synbiotic supplements has been developed and proved practical. It includes the stages of preparing microencapsulated microorganisms and adding prebiotics, and provides the technological parameters of fatty filling preparation. It has been established that the synbiotic included into the composition of the new fatty filling decreases the maturation of waffle blocks by 40–45%, and allows reducing the layer of filling to 1–1.5 mm. It has been proven that the synbiotic complex as an ingredient in the fatty filling of waffles will allow developing and manufacturing confections that improve human microflora. These new specialised products will be socially significant, as they will help solve a topical and important task of the confectionery industry: prevent gastrointestinal diseases.

Artichoke, eggplant and tomato flours as nutritional ingredients for wheat dough: hydration properties.

Artichoke (AF), eggplant (EF) and tomato (TF) flour were used as nutritional ingredients for wheat dough. A replacement of wheat flour with 5 or 10% of these vegetable flour was performed. Hydration properties (equilibrium adsorption isotherms, solvent retention capacity), capacity of blends for dough development (farinographic assay) and the proximal composition of flours were evaluated. Samples with high content of soluble sugar and low of insoluble fiber (EF and TF) presented higher equilibrium water sorption at 20°C and 40°C, at aw > 0.5. The solvent retention capacity of wheat-vegetable flour blends increased mainly at higher levels of replacement (10%) and with samples of artichoke and eggplant. The highest and the lowest stable dough with 10% of replacement was obtained with AF and EF, respectively. Water sorption and absorption parameters should be previously determined so as to obtain the optimum dough structure that lead to a high technological quality bread.