Effect of pea (Pisum sativum) cooking water on the in vitro predicted glycaemic response of wheat pasta

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Growing global interest in sustainability has encouraged the utilization of food by-products with nutritional potential. Pea cooking water (PCW), often discarded, may enhance the nutritional and functional characteristics of food. This study initially investigates the in vitro predicted glycaemic response modulation and nutritional enhancement capabilities of PCW. RESULTS: Pasta and rice samples were prepared with 10–20% freeze-dried PCW (PCWFD). The incorporation of 10% PCWFD into pasta increased the protein content by 21.8% compared to wheat pasta (WP). A disrupted matrix structure PCW-incorporated pasta (PCW-P) with visible pores indicated altered physical characteristics. Differential scanning calorimetry results indicated a decline (0.65 to 0.27 J g‾¹ dry matter (dm)) in enthalpy change (ΔH) for PCW-P, pointing to a significantly enhanced degree of starch gelatinization (P < 0.05). In vitro starch digestibility assay demonstrated a marked increase in slowly digestible starch content for pasta with 20% PCW at 14.2 ± 3.6 g 100 g‾¹ dm, in stark contrast to the WP at 3.2 ± 2.7 g 100 g‾¹ dm. Initial glucose release within the first 20 min of digestion for PCW-P and rice cooked with pea cooking water (PCW-R) was significantly lower compared to their respective controls, with PCW-P and PCW-R showing notable reductions (P = 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Overall, adding PCWFD to pasta can slow starch digestion and improve its nutritional quality. This study underscores the potential of PCWFD as a functional, eco-friendly ingredient that supports both health and resource recovery objectives.