Nutritional Value, Mineral Composition, Fatty Acid Profile and Bioactive Compounds of Commercial Plant-Based Gluten-Free Flours

Abstract

Nowadays, a wide range of non-traditional gluten-free products can be purchased. Although consumers identify all these as being similar, their nutritional composition can differ depending on the raw materials used and the production process itself. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of ten commercially available flours made from rice, pea, chickpea, soybean and hemp. The proximate composition (moisture, fat, fiber, protein, starch and carbohydrates), the mineral composition (Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Cr, Ni, Se, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cd, Pb), the phenolic composition (total phenols, total flavonoids, flavanones and dihydrofavonols, and total antioxidant capacity) and the fatty acid profile were analyzed. Results showed an important influence of the vegetable species but also of the brand on the flour composition. Soybean flours, followed by hemp, showed the highest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Hemp flour showed a low n6/n3 ratio, while pea flour contained a small amount of fat with a large amount of oleic acid and a satisfactory n6/n3 ratio.