Carrot flour-enriched pasta with improved nutritional properties and in vitro antioxidant activity counteracted inflammatory pathways in human colon cell line

Wheat-based pasta, a staple food for many populations, represents a potential vehicle for bioactive compounds and micronutrients. Although some wheat varieties naturally contain high levels of these micronutrients, they are often underrepresented in conventional pasta products. This study aimed to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of fresh pasta by incorporating 12.5% orange or purple carrot flour. Pasta containing orange (O) or purple (P) carrot flour and a conventional pasta (control) were characterized in terms of nutritional composition, sensory profile and microbiological stability. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were investigated using in vitro assays with the human Caco-2 cell line. The enriched pastas could be labelled as "rich in fibre", while only pasta O could be labelled as a “source of vitamin A”. Both enriched pastas showed lower starch hydrolysis index and predicted glycaemic index. The enriched samples exhibited increased antioxidant capacity, attributable to the high content of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins in P and β-carotene in O. Exposure of Caco-2 cell to pasta digests in the presence of a synthetic pro-oxidant did not result in significant differences in reactive oxygen species levels. However, P digest, after colonic fermentation, induced a decrease of NF-κB phosphorylation, suggesting an inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory response. Both enriched pastas led to a decrease in vimentin expression, while an increase in E-cadherin expression was exclusively observed in cells treated with the P digest, as confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis. Microbiologically, all pasta samples were stable for 110 days. Overall, using carrot flour, particularly from purple cultivars, has proved to be an effective strategy of improving the nutritional and functional properties of fresh pasta while maintaining good sensory profile.