Functional and sensory properties of toasted tortillas are shaped by structural changes in native maize starch

Gabriela Palacios-Pola^1*Hugo R Perales²Juan de Dios Figueroa Cárdenas³Miguel Abud-Archila⁴Anayansi Escalante-Aburto⁵Lurline Álvarez Rateike⁶Susana Del Carmen Bolom Martínez⁶Verónica Lagunes Quevedo⁶

• ¹Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez 29000, Mexico
• ²El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico
• ³Querétaro, México, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada del IPN, Mexico City, Mexico
• ⁴Instituto Tecnologico de Tuxtla Gutierrez, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico
• ⁵Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
• ⁶Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico

Most maize-based foods are produced via nixtamalization, which include toasted tortillas (tostadas). Women artisanal producers in Chiapas, Mexico, have refined key quality parameters, such as texture and resistant starch content, by using native maize varieties that preserve traditional traits. Nixtamalization modifies maize functionality through the formation of resistant starch, which resists digestion and supports beneficial colonic microbiota via short-chain fatty acid production. This study aimed at evaluating the functional, sensory, and structural properties of tostadas that were prepared via two cooking processes with native maize from Chiapas. In this research, starch gelatinization was achieved with three different processes, which were control traditional nixtamalization (NCT), short boiling (PBP) and full boiling (FBP). Tostada sensory attributes were analyzed by a trained panel that assessed multiple parameters, namely crunchiness, fracturability, hardness, corn aroma, nixtamal aroma, corn taste, nixtamal taste, and stickiness. On the other hand, consumer testing was used to evaluate chewing parameters. PBT and FBT had structural, functional, and sensory properties that are associated with sensation of satiety and liking. Corn races did not have a statistically significant effect on the rheological or sensory properties of tostadas. However, the nixtamalization method significantly influenced stickiness and taste parameters. Stickiness intensity (4.50) and eating rate (62.66 g/min) for FBT were statistically different from PBT’s respective values (3.75 and 56.12 g/min). These are characteristics that favor chewing processes. When maize cooks for longer periods, the peak of amylose-lipid complexes is more easily detected. Resistant starch for FBT was higher (5.6 %) than for PBT and NCT, which were at 3.7% and 2.4%, respectively. Important tostada quality parameters, such as chewiness and sensory characteristics correlated well with structural and rheological properties of the modified starch (partial gelatinization) during preparation of tostadas.