Pasta added with chickpea flour: Chemical composition, in vitro starch digestibility and predicted glycemic index

Pasta was prepared with of durum wheat flour mixed with chickpea flour at two different levels and its chemical composition, in vitro starch digestibility and predicted glycemic index were assessed. Protein, ash, lipid, and dietary fiber content increased while total starch decreased with the chickpea flour level in the composite pasta, all in accordance to the composition of the legume flour. Potentially available starch decreased and resistant starch (RS) increased by adding chickpea flour to the pasta. The main indigestible starch component in composite spaghetti was the fiber-associated RS, representing up to 50 % of total RS levels. The starch hydrolysis index (HI) decreased as chickpea flour in the pasta increased, reflecting the slow and low digestion of the starch in the leguminous ingredient. Predicted glycemic index was lower in spaghetti added with chickpea flour than in durum wheat-control pasta. Pasta added with chickpea flour might be a dietetic alternative for people with low-calorie requirements.