BookSCO_85011392076

abstract

• © 2015 AACC International, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Corn and wheat are an important source of nutraceuticals such as dietary fiber, phenolics, carotenoids/xanthophylls, phytosterols, and polar and nonpolar lipids known to enhance health and prevent chronic diseases and cancer. Most of these phytochemicals exert antioxidant properties and thus prevent oxidative stress. The nixtamalization and the wheat dry-milling processes cause relevant changes in the nutraceutical profiles of corn and wheat tortillas. During lime-cooking, important phytochemicals leach into the nejayote, lowering the antioxidant properties of tortillas and related products. However, lime-cooking generates significant amounts of type-3 resistant starch that acts similarly to soluble fiber in the hind gut. Likewise, dry milling of wheat to produce refined flour removes most of the dietary fiber and antioxidants present in the bran, germ, and aleurone layer. Therefore, both corn and flour tortillas contain lower amounts of important phytochemicals present in raw kernels. Whole-wheat flour tortillas have become popular during recent years because federal agencies are prohibiting the use of regular tortillas in school lunch programs. The main phenolic compound associated with both types of tortillas is ferulic acid, which is recognized as an antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and anticarcinogen. Blue corn tortillas are unique because they contain important amounts of anthocyanins, which can significantly decrease the incidence of chronic diseases and improve public health. Corn and wheat tortilla processors have recently launched an array of new products with enhanced nutraceutical properties. These products are made from whole-grain flours and supplemented with flax or linseed, quinoa, amaranth, soybeans, beans, and other flours that contain high protein and nutraceuticals.