Cereals and pseudocereals represent an important component of the human diet as sources of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, proteins, and bioactive compounds. The increasing prevalence of gluten-related disorders has led to a growing demand for gluten-free products, which are often nutritionally imbalanced, thereby stimulating the development of functional foods with added health benefits. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to develop and experimentally evaluate functional gluten-free cereal products enriched with novel food sources.
    In the experimental part, a wide range of gluten-free cereals, pseudocereals, legumes, and other plant materials were analyzed in terms of their nutritional composition. At the same time, novel food sources (yeasts, microalgae, and fungi) were characterized with respect to their content of bioactive compounds, such as β-glucans, fatty acids, vitamins, and provitamins. Their biological effects were also evaluated, including antioxidant activity, effects on cell viability, modulation of cytokine production, and prebiotic potential. These findings were subsequently applied in the design and analysis of model products.
    The results showed that gluten-free oat flakes, quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth are the most suitable raw materials for the development of functional cereal matrices, while the yeast Rhodotorula toruloides and the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were identified as promising novel sources of bioactive compounds. Enrichment of cereal porridges with 5% R.toruloides cell homogenate led to a significant increase in bioactive compound content and improvement of functional properties. The developed model products exhibited a favourable nutritional profile, an expanded spectrum of lipophilic metabolites including ergosterol, and strain-specific prebiotic effects while maintaining good cellular tolerance.
    Overall, the results demonstrate that the combination of gluten-free cereal matrices with bioactive-rich novel sources, particularly Rhodotorula toruloides, represents an effective strategy for the development of functional foods with enhanced nutritional value, prebiotic potential, and good biological tolerance. These products therefore show strong potential for application in human nutrition, especially for individuals requiring a gluten-free diet.