Influence of blue maize flour on gluten-free pasta quality and antioxidant retention characteristics

Due to its bioactive compounds, blue maize flour is a valuable ingredient for developing gluten-free products. The incorporation of alternative flours into gluten-free pasta is a challenge as it usually results in products that, despite their enhanced nutraceutical features, show reduced quality characteristics. Composite pasta was prepared with variable (25, 50 and 75%) contents of flours from white and blue maize, chickpea and unripe plantain, following a laboratory-scale process. The composite pasta exhibited acceptable cooking loss (9-11%); pasta with blue maize showed lower hardness and chewiness, but higher adhesiveness than its white maize-based counterpart. Blue maize-based pasta presented dark color. The addition of blue maize flour at 75% conveyed the highest total phenolic content retention after extrusion (80%) and cooking (70%). Pasting profile of blue maize pasta (50 and 75%) showed a defined second viscosity peak due to re-arrangement of starch components upon cooling. The observed retention of phenolic compounds with antioxidant capacity after cooking will be useful for further development (selection of ingredients, formulations and conditions of operation) of gluten-free products with potential health benefits.