Nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of traditional Italian dishes

This work aims at evaluating the main nutrients (proximate, minerals), their contribution for Dietary Reference Values in Italian population, and the antioxidant properties of some popular dishes prepared in a dedicated lab-kitchen: spaghetti alle vongole, pomodori al riso, gateau di patate, carciofi alla romana, pan di Spagna. Results showed that nutrient contents and energy value varied extensively because of the variety and the nature of ingredients in the analyzed dishes, and thus defined different daily nutrient intakes and their association with health effects. A serving portion of either spaghetti alle vongole or carciofi alla romana showed to contribute to the daily nutritional recommendations respectively, with an appreciable percentage of available carbohydrates (30-22%) and a considerable content of dietary fibre (91%). Gateau di patate was particularly rich in calcium (343mg), both contributing 34% of the recommended intake, in addition to appreciable content of phosphorus and zinc. With regards to spaghetti alle vongole, pomodori al riso, gateau di patate and pan di Spagna, extractable polyphenols contributed less than 15% to total antioxidant activity, and hydrolysable polyphenols give a major contribution; carciofi alla romana showed an inverse trend. Findings provide an important contribution to the update of Italian Food Composition Databases.