Effects of spirulina biomass on the technological and nutritional quality of bread wheat pasta

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of spirulina on technological and nutritional quality of dried pasta. Wheat flour was substituted by spirulina biomass at three levels: 5, 10 and 20 g/100 g, and a sample without spirulina biomass was made as control. The technological quality was analyzed in terms of cooking properties and texture profile, while pasta surface was observed by confocal microscopy. In addition, protein content, in vitro protein digestibility, phenolic compound content and in vitro antioxidant activity were the major bio-functional characteristics measured. An in vitro starch digestion was performed in order to estimate the glycemic index. Only pasta with 20 g of spirulina / 100 g of flour did slightly modify technological quality parameters; microstructure studies revealed the impact of spirulina addition, resulting in a more heterogeneous surface. The glycemic index was not affected by the addition of spirulina. The incorporation of spirulina resulted in an increase of protein content; however, protein digestibility was reduced as microalgae content increased. Pasta with spirulina exhibited high phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity compared to control pasta, which could be used to enhance the nutritional profile of the product.