Chapters authored
Carotenoids in Raw Plant Materials
Carotenoids are rich sources of pro-vitamin A. These compounds are usually obtained from pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo, and C. moschata), as well as orange and yellow sweet potatoes. Carotenoids are C40 tetraterpenoids, which stand out for their antioxidant activity. Among them are carotenes (very apolar carbon and hydrogen molecules, like lycopene, β-carotene, α-carotene) and oxygenated derivatives and xanthophylls composed of oxygenated functions (less apolar molecules such as lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin). β-Carotene is the most commonly found carotenoid, accounting for 25–30% of the total carotenoid content of plants. It is also the most active carotenoid, with the highest bioconversibility in the human body. β-Carotene is a suppressor of tumorigenesis in the skin, lung, liver, and colon, promoting the cessation of the cell multiplication cycle. Thermal processing can affect the sensory characteristics and the antioxidant compounds, altering the antioxidant potential of foods. Time, temperature, and style of cooking are determinant conditions for the increase or decrease of total antioxidant activity. The biological activity of carotenoids depends on their bioaccessibility and solubilization in the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this chapter is to offer information about some raw plant materials containing carotenoids.
Part of the book: Progress in Carotenoid Research
Starch Granules from Cowpea, Black, and Carioca Beans in Raw and Cooked Forms
Starch applications in food systems are mainly influenced by solubility, gelatinization, paste viscosity, digestibility, and retrogradation. These characteristics result from properties such as the size and shape of granules, amylose and amylopectin contents, distribution of polymer chains, degree of crystallinity, and extraction of waste. In beans, the percentage of starch contents on dry basis is between 45 and 60%, being 24–65% amylose. This chapter evaluated the structure of common beans starch granules (Phaseolus vulgaris) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in raw and cooked forms, by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thus it was possible to observe the gelatinization of the starch granules especially in cowpea and carioca beans, as well as the “hard-to-cook” phenomenon in the black beans.
Part of the book: Legume Crops