Intake and bioavailability of phenolic compounds in pasta made with debranning products

The present pilot study investigated the impact of debranning fractions and debranned kernels, used as ingredient, on phenolic acids (PAs) and total phenolic compounds content of pasta. In addition, the bioavailability of PAs in humans following the intake of pasta was investigated. Three different durum wheat products were tested: i) a pasta sample produced by enriching semolina with selected debranning fractions, obtained by sequential debranning; ii) a pasta sample produced by debranned kernels previously whole milled; iii) a pasta sample from standard semolina, considered as control. Results show that the level of phenolic compounds increases significantly when debranned products are used for pasta-making. Preliminary data regarding the bioavailability of phenolic compounds show that PAs bound to the dietary fibre complex of cereals are poorly absorbed but they can be further metabolized by gut microbiota. On the whole, the consumption of pasta with high content of phenolic compounds increases their bioavailability in absolute terms. Therefore, this approach proved to be useful for improving nutritional quality of cereal-based foods.