Formulation of cereal-based breakfast mixes with modulated starch digestibility for regulation of hyperglycaemia.

Type 2 diabetes has become an epidemic worldwide, and Asia has become the epicentre of
diabetes, harbouring almost 60% of the world’s diabetic population. The dietary modification
found helpful in diabetes management includes replacing simple carbohydrates with dietary
fibre, protein, and fat. Hence, the current investigation was undertaken with the objective to
modulate the carbohydrate digestibility of starchy staple cereals, viz., wheat and rice using
commonly consumed protein-rich, fibre-rich and fat-rich ingredients. The in vitro starch
digestibility and estimated glycaemic index (eGI) of the cereal flours were significantly
reduced by protein, fibre and fat-rich ingredients. Different composite mixes were formulated
using a combination of pulses, soy protein isolates, whey protein concentrate, spinach
powder, psyllium husk and groundnut oil. Breakfast mixes and ready-to-cook porridge were
prepared using the formulated composite mixes. Traditional snack- Khakhra and Indian-pan
bread prepared from the breakfast mixes showed reduced carbohydrate digestibility. Further,
the efficacy of different processing treatments like particle size and instantization methods
like toasting, pressure cooking, autoclaving, drum-drying and flaking in reducing the eGI and
in vitro starch digestibility was instigated. The shelf-stability of the formulated products was
found to be satisfactory. The efficacy of the added ingredients and processing treatments in
reducing glycaemic response of the food was validated in healthy non-diabetic adults. The
product formulated with the composite mixes with improved protein, fibre and fat content
showed a significantly lower glycaemic response than the cereal flours. This study shows
macronutrient interaction can be an effective tool for modulating glycaemic response of
starchy cereal-based products and can be used at both industrial and domestic level.