Development and evaluation of gluten free pasta from brown rice, quinoa, and chickpeas for celiac disease patients

Introduction

Pasta is one of the most popular dishes in the world because it is easy to prepare, tasty, long-lasting shelf life, and inexpensive. In the last ten years, its production has increased from 7 to 12 million tons annually^{1, 2, 3–4}. The high gluten content of durum wheat flour, which is mainly responsible for the formation of the matrix structure, gives it special properties such as reduced cooking loss, high hardness, stickiness, and tolerance to overcooking⁵. There is an increasing demand for gluten-free foods for people with gluten allergies (e.g., celiac disease)^6,7. The gluten-free products on the market are based on starch, mainly from rice and maize, which produces goods with low nutritional value. The technological improvement of gluten-free pasta aims to use proteins such as eggs, pseudocereals, legumes, starch, and hydrocolloids (gum) to reproduce/improve the gluten network of wheat⁸. There is a lack of protein, fiber, minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc), and vitamins (folate, niacin, vitamin B12, and riboflavin). Quinoa-based pasta is a good alternative as it has excellent nutritional value and contains essential amino acids and bioactive elements (such as vitamins like folate, tocopherols, and flavonoids like kaempferol and quercetin)^9,10.

Many studies have looked at how to make pasta without the gluten network. To improve the quality of gluten-free pasta, a number of additives and texturizing chemicals are routinely used, including protein isolates, hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and modified starches¹¹. Prior to starch gelatinization and subsequent retrogradation, dough heating and cooling procedures are the mainstays of gluten-free technology¹².

Brown rice contains a wide range of functional and nutritional components, including dietary fiber, gamma-aminobutyric acid, phytosterols, minerals, lipids, amino acids, vitamin E, and phenolic compounds¹³. Furthermore, brown rice has more nutrients than milled white rice, as only the husk, i.e. the outermost layer, is removed during the milling process. Moreover, several studies have documented positive health effects associated with the consumption of brown rice. Brown rice can help lower blood pressure in middle-aged men and women and may also be an excellent way to control body weight¹⁴. According to a study by Sun¹⁵, brown rice may reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Therefore,...