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This study aimed to develop a novel gluten-free bread using a rice/chickpea flour-based sourdough, fermented by a commercial starter culture, to improve the quality characteristics and shelf life of this product. The effects of sourdough incorporation, chickpea flour content (6.5 and 10.0%), and added water level (80-110%) on batter rheology and bread quality were investigated; bread textural characteristics upon storage (0-2 days) were also monitored. The level of added water was the primary factor influencing batter rheology, as evaluated by the back extrusion test. Sourdough incorporation decreased the pH and increased the acidity of batters and breads. The inclusion of sourdough, the water level, and the storage time affected the moisture and texture parameters of the bread crumb. Sourdough incorporation into bread formulations decreased crumb hardness and staling rate and increased loaf specific volume. Moreover, intermediate water (90 and 100%) and high chickpea (10%) levels in the batters increased loaf specific volumes and crust redness, respectively. Sensory analysis revealed that sourdough-enriched breads were preferred by the assessors concerning general appearance and crumb texture. Overall, bread formulations with the incorporation of sourdough, at a 90% level of added water in the batter mixtures, exhibited the most desirable characteristics according to both instrumental and sensory analyses.

Incorporation of two sesame cake preparations, differing in fat, 11 % (LF) and 17 % (HF), and protein, 51 % (LF) and 44 % (HF), contents, respectively, into breads at 6, 12 and 20 % wheat flour substitution levels, led to enriched end-products with antioxidants, suitable also to carry the 'high protein' and 'fiber source' nutrition claims (at ≥ 12 % substitution level). Sesame cake decreased wheat dough resistance to mixing and extension, and peak viscosity (empirical rheology), in a concentration-dependent manner, being more pronounced for LF formulations. Breads with LF incorporation ≥ 12 % had lower specific volumes and harder crumb (texture analysis) throughout storage, than control (100 % wheat flour); however, such adverse effects were diminished in HF bread formulations due to the plasticizing and emulsifying action of the sesame cake fat. Calorimetry showed that the sesame cake had no effect on starch retrogradation, but enhanced amylose-lipid complex formation. Antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays), and phenolic acids (ferulic, p-coumaric and sinapic) and lignan (sesaminol glucosides and sesamolin) contents, determined by HPLC-DAD-MS, were higher in LF breads than their HF counterparts. The presence of some sulfur (off-flavor) and pyrazine (nutty flavor) compounds (SPME-GC-MS), as well as the sesame flavor and bitterness (sensory analysis) were of higher intensity in HF breads, while the 6 % LF product received the highest overall acceptability score among all fortified products. Overall, the sesame cake can be a promising ingredient for production of functional wheat bread depending on its composition and fortification level., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This is a unique case of retinoschisis as an ocular manifestation of brucellosis. A 38-year-old male presented with recurrent episodes of bilateral eye redness, predominately in his left eye. His visual acuity was not affected, and he did not report any other symptoms. On slit lamp examination, binocular Koeppe nodules of the iris and cells in the left anterior chamber were observed. Fundoscopy followed by meticulous multimodal imaging confirmed left inferior retinoschisis. The patient was diagnosed with panuveitis, and a series of laboratory examinations revealed positive anti-IgM Brucella antibodies. Ocular brucellosis can cause variable, atypical, and serious presentations, hence, early diagnosis is paramount to avoid complications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The influence of incorporation of post-distillation solid wastes of the aromatic plants (SWAP), oregano, rosemary, lemon balm, and spearmint into wheat breads at 1% and 2% levels on their physicochemical and sensorial properties, and antioxidant and volatile profiles were investigated. SWAP breads had darker crumbs and crust and greener crumbs compared to the control, but rather similar loaf specific volume and textural attributes (crust puncture test and crumb Texture Profile Analysis). Although the mold growth on bread crumb surface was not inhibited by SWAP presence, LC-DAD-MS revealed a large increase in terpenoids, like carnosic acid (all SWAP), carnosol (rosemary) and carvacrol (oregano), phenolic (rosmarinic and salvianolic) acids and flavonoids in bread with SWAP inclusion, leading to enhanced antioxidant capacity (ABST, DPPH and FRAP assays). The distinct aromatic plant flavors were detected in the fortified breads by trained assessors and confirmed by SPME-GC/MS volatile analysis, showing high levels of terpenoids in SWAP breads, like carvacrol (oregano), caryophyllene (rosemary and lemon balm), and carvone (spearmint), and rendering the 2% fortification unacceptable by consumers. Nevertheless, breads with 1% oregano or rosemary waste had similar control overall acceptability scores, indicating that SWAP can be a promising ingredient for developing antioxidant-enriched wheat breads.

A traditional Greek sourdough, based on the fermentation of chickpea flour by an autochthonous culture, was evaluated as a wheat bread improver. The dominant indigenous microflora ( Clostridium perfringens isolates) was identified by 16S rDNA analysis, and a selected strain ( C. perfringens CP8) was employed to ferment chickpea flour to obtain a standardized starter culture (sourdough) for breadmaking. In accordance with toxin-typed strain identification, all isolates lacked the cpe gene; thus, there is no concern for a health hazard. Loaf-specific volumes increased with the addition of liquid, freeze-dried, and freeze-dried/maltodextrin sourdoughs compared to control bread leavened by baker's yeast only. Following storage (4 days/25 °C), the amylopectin retrogradation and crumb hardness changes (texture profile analysis) revealed a lower degree of staling for the sourdough-fortified breads. Modifications in the protein secondary structure of fortified doughs and breads were revealed by FTIR analysis. High amounts of organic acids were also found in the sourdough-supplemented breads; butyric and isobutyric acids seemed to be responsible for the characteristic 'butter-like' flavor of these products (sensory analysis). Overall, the addition of liquid or freeze-dried chickpea sourdough in wheat bread formulations can improve the specific volume, textural characteristics, and sensorial properties of loaves, along with extending bread shelf life.

Gluten-free (GF) breads, based on rice flour and corn starch (50:50), were fortified with a mixture of acorn flour (ACF) - chickpea flour (CPF) at 30% substitution level of corn starch (i.e., rice flour:corn starch:ACF-CPF 50:20:30) using different flour blends of ACF:CPF at weight ratios of 5:25, 7.5:22.5, 12.5:17.5, and 20:10 in order to improve the nutritional quality and antioxidant potential as well as the glycemic responses of the GF breads; a control GF bread with rice flour:corn starch 50:50 ratio was also prepared. ACF was richer in total phenolic content than CPF, whereas CPF was characterized by higher amounts of total tocopherols and lutein compared to ACF. For both ACF and CPF as well as the fortified breads, the most abundant phenolic compounds were gallic (GA) and ellagic (ELLA) acids as found by HPLC-DAD analysis, while a hydrolysable tannin, valoneic acid dilactone, was also identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS in high amount in the ACF-GF bread having the highest level of ACF (ACF:CPF 20:10), even though it seemed to decompose during breadmaking, possibly into GA and ELLA. Therefore, the inclusion of these two raw materials as ingredients in GF bread formulations resulted in baked products with enhanced concentrations of such bioactive compounds and higher antioxidant activities, as indicated by three different assays (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). The extent of glucose release, as evaluated by an in vitro enzymic assay, was negatively correlated (r = -0.96; p = 0.005) with the level of added ACF, and was significantly reduced for all ACF-CPF fortified products when compared with their non-fortified GF counterpart. Furthermore, the GF bread containing a flour mixture of ACP:CPF at a weight ratio of 7.5:22.5, was subjected to an in vivo intervention protocol to assess the glycemic response when consumed by 12 healthy volunteers; in this case, white wheat bread was used as reference food. The glycemic index (GI) of the fortified bread was significantly lower compared to the control GF bread (97.4 versus 159.2, respectively), which along with its lower amount of available carbohydrates and the higher level of dietary fibers, resulted in a significantly reduced glycemic load (7.8 versus 18.8 g per serving of 30 g). The present findings underlined the effectiveness of acorn and chickpea flours in improving the nutritional quality and glycemic responses of fortified GF breads with these flours., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of a sourdough (SD) preparation based on a fermented chickpea extract (FCE) starter as a leavening and anti-staling agent in gluten-free breads was explored in this study. The FCE starter was prepared by a submerged fermentation (at 37 °C for 15 h) of coarsely ground chickpeas and the gluten-free bread formulations, based on rice and corn flours, were made using a rice sourdough produced with the FCE starter as additional leavening agent; the FCE-SD breads and samples containing merely baker's yeast as microbial leavener (control) were both prepared at three different levels of added water, i.e., 85, 92 and 100% (flour weight basis). The loaf specific volume significantly (p < 0.05) increased with sourdough inclusion into batters and by increasing the amount of added water. Moreover, inclusion of sourdough into the gluten-free formulations resulted in a finer porous crumb macrostructure and a lower crust moisture content than control breads. Upon bread storage (25 °C for 5 days), water migration from crumb to crust was noted. Staling events were also monitored by compression testing and differential scanning calorimetry, showing an increase in crumb firmness and the apparent melting enthalpy (ΔH) of retrograded amylopectin during bread storage; the values for both parameters decreased with inclusion of FCE-SD and with higher amounts of added water into the gluten-free formulations. Kinetic data in modelling crumb firmness and ΔH values by linear regression analysis and the Avrami equation, respectively, revealed a slower staling rate for breads with sourdough, compared to control formulations; moreover, with increasing level of added water to the batter, the firming rate was reduced, while the amylopectin retrogradation was enhanced. Finally, in vitro enzymatic starch digestibility of the crumb was lower for staled breads stored for 5 days, compared to fresh products, while there was no pronounced effect by sourdough inclusion. Overall, the incorporation of FCE-SD into gluten-free bread formulations seems to be a promising alternative for improving quality and extending the shelf life of gluten-free baked products., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In an effort to combine a child-friendly dosage form for medication administration in hospitalized pediatric patients and a user-friendly automated process for its preparation by health-care providers, the current study proposes a method for drug administration with breakfast using semi-solid extrusion 3D printing. Cereal was used as the platform carrier of the hydrophobic ibuprofen and the hydrophilic paracetamol to develop the drug loaded cereal ink. Rheological analysis was performed to identify the cereal ink with optimum viscosity for extrusion printing. Drug distribution and crystallinity within the printed cereal were assessed with confocal Raman microscopy and thermal and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively, indicating molecular dispersion of both drugs within the cereal. High cereal porosity was associated with a higher milk absorption capacity and a decrease in their flexural force upon immersion in milk. Dissolution studies were performed in biorelevant media under fasted and fed state conditions and in the presence of full-fat and low-fat milk showing dissolution enhancement of the poorly soluble ibuprofen in the presence of the higher fat content milk. Concealing drug administration under the auspice of this essential daily eating habit is expected to facilitate overcoming adherence barriers to medication intake by pediatric patients within a hospital setting., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 American Pharmacists Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Roasted yellow split pea (YSP) flours were used to substitute wheat flour, at 10-20% (flour basis) in wheat bread formulations. Rheometry showed that roasted YSP flour addition increased elasticity and resistance to deformation and flow of the composite doughs, particularly at 20% substitution; instead, at 10% addition (either raw or roasted YSP flour), there were no effects on dough rheology and bread textural properties. Breads fortified with roasted YSP flour at levels >10% exhibited lower loaf-specific volume and harder crumb compared to control (bread without YSP flour). Moreover, only breads with 20% roasted YSP flour displayed a significantly higher staling extent and rate, compared to control, as assessed by large deformation mechanical testing and calorimetry (starch retrogradation) of crumb preparations. This formulation also showed a large increase in β-sheets and β-turns at the expense of α-helix and random coil conformations in protein secondary structure as assessed by FTIR spectroscopy. Roasting of YSP effectively masked the "beany" and "grass-like" off-flavors of raw YSP flour at 10% substitution. Overall, roasted YSP flour at the 10% level was successfully incorporated into wheat bread formulations without adversely affecting dough rheology, bread texture, and shelf-life, resulting in final products with a pleasant flavor profile.

Pomegranate peel is a byproduct of pomegranate juice production, and is rich in polyphenol compounds. The objective of this study was to investigate the incorporation of pomegranate peel extract in chitosan films. Green deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used as extraction solvents. Choline chloride (ChCl) and glycerol (Gly) were used as the hydrogen bond acceptor and hydrogen bond donor, respectively; the molar ratio of the DES ingredients, ChCl:Gly, was 1:11. The extraction process was optimized by deploying response surface methodology. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction yield in total polyphenols amounted to 272.98 mg of gallic acid equivalents per g of dry matter and, for total flavonoids, 20.12 mg of quercetin equivalents per g of dry matter, with a liquid to solid ratio of 47 mL g -1 , time of 70 min, and 30% ( v / v ) water concentration in the DES. Afterwards, composite chitosan films were prepared by using five different formulations; the DES containing extract was incorporated as a plasticizer in the chitosan films. Specimens of every recipe were submitted to large deformation tensile testing in Texture Analyzer. Furthermore, water sorption behavior and color parameters of the films were determined.

In this study, the potential use of ancient plant ingredients in emerging bakery products based on possible prehistoric and/or ancient practices of grinding and breadmaking was explored. Various ancient grains, nuts and seeds (einkorn wheat, barley, acorn, lentil, poppy seeds, linseed) were ground using prehistoric grinding tool replicas. Barley-based sourdough prepared by multiple back-slopping steps was added to dough made from einkorn alone or mixed with the above ingredients (20% level) or commercial flours alone (common wheat, spelt, barley). Sieving analysis showed that 40% of the einkorn flour particles were >400 μm, whereas commercial barley and common wheat flours were finer. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that lentil flour exhibited higher melting peak temperature and lower apparent enthalpy of starch gelatinization. Among all bread formulations tested, barley dough exhibited the highest elastic modulus and complex viscosity, as determined by dynamic rheometry; einkorn breads fortified with linseed and barley had the softest and hardest crust, respectively, as indicated by texture analysis; and common wheat gave the highest loaf-specific volume. Barley sourdough inclusion into einkorn dough did not affect the extent of starch retrogradation in the baked product. Generally, incorporation of ancient plant ingredients into contemporary bread formulations seems to be feasible.

Peach (Prunus persica) products are destined for fresh consumption or are being consumed after processing in various forms. Despite its huge economic importance, no standardized protocols to define sensorial attributes and mechanical properties of canned peaches exist. Thus, the aim of the current study was dual and included the setting up of a list of sensorial descriptors and the elaboration of a toolkit to evaluate the textural properties of canned peaches using large deformation mechanical testing. A standardized vocabulary ("consensus language") was initially developed toward the determination and quantification of 15 sensorial attributes through a descriptive quantitative analysis (QDA) approach. Textural properties were additionally evaluated with a TA-XT Plus texture analyzer by applying three discrete large deformation tests [(a) puncture test with a flat cylindrical probe; (b) texture profile analysis (TPA) with a flat compression plunger; and (c) Kramer shear test (KST) cell with a bladed fixture]; that is, a total of nine textural properties, namely, "puncture firmness" (individual halves), "Kramer" hardness (applied in a complex mixture of peach slices), "TPA" hardness (central section of halves), fracturability, consistency, cohesiveness, springiness, chewiness, and total hardness were assessed. We hereby present novel protocols that encompass the comprehensive determination of sensorial and textural properties. The established protocols, providing complementary information, are readily applicable to the canning industry in setting up qualitative tests to determine product shelf life as well as to assist on going breeding programs for the evaluation of new candidate clingstone cultivars destined for canning purposes., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different stabilization treatments-namely, dry-heating, infrared-radiation, and microwave-heating-on the nutritional, antinutritional, functional, and bioactivity attributes of rice bran (RB). Among the heating treatments, infrared-radiation exerted the strongest inactivation, resulting in 34.7% residual lipase activity. All the stabilization methods were found to be effective in the reduction of antinutrients, including phytates, oxalate, saponins, and trypsin inhibitors. No adverse effect of stabilization was noted on chemical composition and fatty acid profile of RB. Instead, stabilization by all heat treatments caused a significant decrease of vitamin E and total phenolics content in RB; the same trend was observed for the antioxidant activity as evaluated by the DPPH test. The antioxidant activity, as evaluated by ABTS and FRAP tests, and water absorption capacity were improved by the stabilization of RB, whereas the oil absorption capacity and emulsifying properties decreased. Microwave-heating enhanced the foaming properties, whereas infrared-radiation improved the water solubility index and swelling power of RB. Consequently, treatment of RB with infrared-radiation has a potential for industrialization to inactivate the lipase and improve some functional properties of this material for uses as a nutraceutical ingredient in food and cosmetic products.

In this study, three pearling fractions, namely bran, dehulled grains and pearled grains, derived from fourteen hulled and one hull-less Greek barley cultivars ( Hordeum vulgare L.), were analyzed for the protein, ash, β-glucan, phenolic compounds and tocols contents. High variations appeared in the bioactive contents across the barley cultivars and fractions as well. The protein and ash contents decreased from the outer to the inner layers, whereas β-glucans presented an inverse trend. The highest protein and β-glucan contents were in the hull-less cultivar; however, one hulled cultivar (Sirios) exhibited similar β-glucan content, while another (Constantinos) had even higher protein content. The results also revealed that functional compounds were mainly located in bran fraction. Similar trends were also noted for the antioxidant activity. Ferulic acid was the primary phenolic acid in all fractions, followed by sinapic and p-coumaric acids that were dominant in bound form. However, oligomeric flavonoids, such as prodelphinidin B 3 , catechin, and procyanidin B 2, were more abundant in free form. Overall, this study highlights that different barley cultivars can provide pearling flour fractions of varying composition (nutrients and bioactives), which have the potential to serve as nutritionally valuable ingredients in formulations of cereal-based functional food products., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The detection of direct archaeological remains of alcoholic beverages and their production is still a challenge to archaeological science, as most of the markers known up to now are either not durable or diagnostic enough to be used as secure proof. The current study addresses this question by experimental work reproducing the malting processes and subsequent charring of the resulting products under laboratory conditions in order to simulate their preservation (by charring) in archaeological contexts and to explore the preservation of microstructural alterations of the cereal grains. The experimentally germinated and charred grains showed clearly degraded (thinned) aleurone cell walls. The histological alterations of the cereal grains were observed and quantified using reflected light and scanning electron microscopy and supported using morphometric and statistical analyses. In order to verify the experimental observations of histological alterations, amorphous charred objects (ACO) containing cereal remains originating from five archaeological sites dating to the 4th millennium BCE were considered: two sites were archaeologically recognisable brewing installations from Predynastic Egypt, while the three broadly contemporary central European lakeshore settlements lack specific contexts for their cereal-based food remains. The aleurone cell wall thinning known from food technological research and observed in our own experimental material was indeed also recorded in the archaeological finds. The Egyptian materials derive from beer production with certainty, supported by ample contextual and artefactual data. The Neolithic lakeshore settlement finds currently represent the oldest traces of malting in central Europe, while a bowl-shaped bread-like object from Hornstaad-Hörnle possibly even points towards early beer production in central Europe. One major further implication of our study is that the cell wall breakdown in the grain's aleurone layer can be used as a general marker for malting processes with relevance to a wide range of charred archaeological finds of cereal products., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: LKM and HK are paid by commercial companies (BIAX Consult and Braxar GmbH, respectively). This does not alter their adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Background: Rain-induced fruit cracking is a major physiological problem in most sweet cherry cultivars. For an in vivo cracking assay, the 'Christensen method' (cracking evaluation following fruit immersion in water) is commonly used; however, this test does not adequately simulate environmental conditions. Herein, we have designed and evaluated a cracking protocol, named 'Waterfall method', in which fruits are continuously wetted under controlled conditions., Results: The application of this method alone, or in combination with 'Christensen method, was shown to be a reliable approach to characterize sweet cherry cracking behavior. Seventeen cherry cultivars were tested for their cracking behavior using both protocols, and primary as well as secondary metabolites identification was performed in skin tissue using a combined GC-MS and UPLC-MS/MS platform. Significant variations of some of the detected metabolites were discovered and important cracking index-metabolite correlations were identified., Conclusions: We have established an alternative/complementary method of cherry cracking characterization alongside to Christiansen assay., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Despite the application of girdling technique for several centuries, its impact on the metabolic shifts that underly fruit biology remains fragmentary. To characterize the influence of girdling on sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit development and ripening, second-year-old shoots of the cultivars 'Lapins' and 'Skeena' were girdled before full blossom. Fruit characteristics were evaluated across six developmental stages (S), from green-small fruit (stage S1) to full ripe stage (stage S6). In both cultivars, girdling significantly altered the fruit ripening physiognomy. Time course fruit metabolomic along with proteomic approaches unraveled common and cultivar-specific responses to girdling. Notably, several primary and secondary metabolites, such as soluble sugars (glucose, trehalose), alcohol (mannitol), phenolic compounds (rutin, naringenin-7-O-glucoside), including anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3.5-O-diglucoside) were accumulated by girdling, while various amino acids (glycine, threonine, asparagine) were decreased in both cultivars. Proteins predominantly associated with ribosome, DNA repair and recombination, chromosome, membrane trafficking, RNA transport, oxidative phosphorylation, and redox homeostasis were depressed in fruits of both girdled cultivars. This study provides the first system-wide datasets concerning metabolomic and proteomic changes in girdled fruits, which reveal that shoot girdling may induce long-term changes in sweet cherry metabolism., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Sweet cherry, a non-climacteric and highly perishable fruit, is usually cold-stored during post-harvest period to prevent senescence; therefore, metabolic profiling in response to cold storage in sweet cherry is of economic and scientific interest. In the present work, metabolic analysis was performed in fruit and stem tissues to determine the metabolic dynamics associated with cold storage in response to 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene-action inhibitor, and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Fruit (cv. Regina) following harvest were treated with 1-MCP and then cold-stored (0 °C, relative humidity 95%) for 1 month in the presence or in the absence of MAP and subsequently maintained at 20 °C for up to 2 days. Physiological analysis suggested that cold storage stimulated anthocyanin production, respiration rate and stem browning. Cherry stem exposed to 1-MCP displayed senescence symptoms as demonstrated by the higher stem browning and the lower stem traction force while MAP treatment considerably altered these features. The metabolic profile of fruits and stems just following cold storage was distinctly different from those analyzed at harvest. Marked tissue-specific differences were also detected among sweet cherries exposed to individual and to combined 1-MCP and MAP treatments, notably for amino acid biosynthesis. The significance of some of these metabolites as cold storage hallmarks is discussed in the context of the limited knowledge on the 1-MCP and MAP response mechanisms at the level of cherry fruit and stem tissues. Overall, this study provides the first steps toward understanding tissue-specific postharvest behavior in sweet cherry under various conditions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Sunflower oil was structured with monoglycerides and phytosterols. The properties of the oleogels were studied by optical microscopy, large deformation mechanical measurements, dynamic rheometry and differential scanning calorimetry. The interaction between monoglycerides and phytosterols resulted in stronger oleogel networks with a differentiated crystalline structure, increased hardness and gel strength, increased storage modulus (G') values and decreased melting temperatures compared to monoglycerides oleogels. The oleogel structured with 15:5 monoglycerides to phytosterols weight ratio was selected to replace 50% of the pork backfat in frankfurter sausages. The control treatment (FSS1) presented higher values of hardness, brittleness, gumminess and chewiness than the oleogel-substituted samples (FSS2), whereas cohesiveness and elasticity did not present any differences. Instrumental color measurements indicated that FSS1 samples had higher a*, lower L* and similar b* values compared to FSS2. No differences were detected in the oxidation levels and sensory evaluation revealed similar overall liking for the two treatments., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Calcium (Ca 2 ) nutrition has a significant role in fruit physiology; however, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this study, fruit quality in response to CaCl 2 , applied via foliar sprays (Ca 2 ) or/and hydro-cooling water (Ca HC ), was characterized in 'Lapins' cherries at harvest, just after cold storage (20 days at 0 °C) as well as after cold storage followed by 2 days at 20 °C, herein defined as shelf-life period. Data indicated that pre- and post-harvest Ca 2+ applications increased total Ca 2+ and cell wall bound Ca 2+ , respectively. Treatment with Ca reduced cracking whereas Ca + Ca HC condition depressed stem browning. Both skin penetration and stem removal were affected by Ca 2+ feeding. Also, several color- and antioxidant-related parameters were induced by Ca 2+ treatments. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant alterations in primary metabolites among the Ca 2+ treatments, including sugars (eg., glucose, fructose), soluble alcohols (eg., arabitol, sorbitol), organic acids (eg.,malate, quinate) and amino acids (eg., glycine, beta-alanine). This work helps to improve our knowledge on the fruit's response to Ca 2+ nutrition., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Sweet cherry fruits (Prunus avium cvs. 'Canada Giant', 'Ferrovia') were harvested at commercial maturity stage and analyzed at harvest and after maintenance at room temperature (storage at ∼20°C, shelf life) for 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days, respectively. Fruit were initially analyzed for respiration rate, qualitative attributes and textural properties: 'Canada Giant' fruit were characterized by higher weight losses and stem browning index, being more intense over the late stages of shelf life period; meanwhile 'Ferrovia' possessed appreciably better performance even after extended shelf life period. A gradual decrease of respiration rate was monitored in both cultivars, culminated after 8 days at 20°C. The sweet cherry fruit nutraceutical profile was monitored using an array of instrumental techniques (spectrophotometric assays, HPLC, (1)H-NMR). Fruit antioxidant capacity was enhanced with the progress of shelf life period, concomitant with the increased levels of total anthocyanin and of phenolic compounds. 'Ferrovia' fruit presented higher contents of neochlorogenic acid and p-coumaroylquinic acid throughout the shelf life period. We further developed an (1)H-NMR method that allows the study of primary and secondary metabolites in a single running, without previous separation and isolation procedures. Diagnostic peaks were located in the aliphatic region for sugars and organic acids, in the aromatic region for phenolic compounds and at 8.2-8.6 ppm for anthocyanins. This NMR-based methodology provides a unifying tool for quantitative and qualitative characterization of metabolite changes of sweet cherry fruits; it is also expected to be further exploited for monitoring temporal changes in other fleshy fruits.

In this research, the microbiological and physicochemical changes during preservation of pears in water in the presence of Sinapis arvensis seeds (PWS FL) according to the traditional Greek home food manufacture were studied. Pears preserved in water served as control (PW FL). The growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) coming from the pear surface was enhanced in the presence of Sinapis seeds, while Enterobacteriaceae and Gram-negative bacteria declined coincidently with the lower (P<0.05) pH of the PWS FL. LAB predominated over the other microbial groups in the fermentation liquids (FLs) of both systems. All the 49 LAB isolates from one fermentation experiment were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris by the SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins, while RAPD-PCR fingerprinting and partial 16S rRNA sequence determination of selected isolates did not discriminate them at the subspecies level. Fruit preserved in PWS FL had higher titratable or volatile acidity, phenolic compounds or antioxidant capacity as well as lower pH and firmness than the control fruit. All physicochemical parameters of the FLs increased except of the pH which decreased. Coincidently with higher population of LAB in PWS FL the levels of citric, lactic and acetic acid were higher than in control. Oxalic acid and related unknown substances were found at higher levels in PWS FL than the control and may be the agent(s) enhancing the growth of LAB and/or contributing partially to the decline of Enterobacteriaceae. The organoleptic test showed that fruit preserved in PWS FL had better overall acceptance than the control, and that it retained most of the positive traits., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The sol-gel transition of aqueous barley β-glucan solutions which undergo gelation with ageing has been studied by conventional bulk rheology, phase contrast microscopy and particle tracking microrheology. Characterisation of the primary structure of the β-glucan isolate was carried out by enzymic methods and HPLC. The Brownian diffusion of fluorescent microspheres (0.75 μm diameter, carboxylate-coated particles) was used to probe the spatial mechanical properties of the gelling systems at the scale of microns; the potential use of passive particle tracking to study biopolymer gelling systems that present spatial heterogeneities is thus explored. For the β-glucan gels cured at 25°C both microrheology and bulk rheology revealed that with increasing the polysaccharide concentration the gelation time decreased, while the gelation rate and gel strength of the barley β-glucan gels increased. The particle tracking method had higher sensitivity and could map molecular ordering and structural heterogeneities in the evolving polysaccharide network at a micro-level. That is, different size pores were generated upon ageing with regions of depleted or less amount of β-glucan molecules. Furthermore, this method could detect changes in the fine structure of the system before such events can be registered by bulk rheological measurements; i.e. microheterogeneity and aggregation of β-glucan chains were revealed by particle tracking at earlier temporal stages of the experiment., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to examine the composition and molecular structure of the endosperm cell walls (CW) derived from barley grain grown in three environments in Canada, and differing in grain hardness, protein, and total β-glucan contents. The endosperm CW were isolated from barley, cv. Metcalfe, grown in Davidson, SK (Sample A), Hythe, AB (sample B), and Hamiota, MB (sample C). The CW were sequentially extracted with water at 65(o)C, saturated Ba(OH)2, again with water at 25(o)C, and 1M NaOH, resulting in fractions designated WE65, BaE, Ba/WE, and NaE, respectively. The monosaccharide analysis indicated the presence of β-glucans, arabinoxylans, and small amounts of arabinogalactans, glucomannans, and xyloglucans. Cellulose was detected in the CW remnants. The CW of sample A, exhibiting a lower grain hardness than sample B, contained the lowest amount of β-glucans, but the highest amount of arabinoxylans and the mannose-containing polysaccharides. The CW of sample C, characterized by very high protein content in the grain, contained the highest amount of β-glucans and the lowest amount of other polysaccharides. Polysaccharides in the CW of sample B, exhibiting the highest grain hardness, were characterized by the highest weight average molecular weights (Mw). β-Glucans in the CW of Sample B showed the highest ratio of DP3/DP4 and the longest cellulosic fragments in the polymeric chains. Of the three barley samples, arabinoxylans in the endosperm CW of sample A exhibited the lowest degree of branching, the highest amount of unsubstituted Xyl residues, and the highest ratio of singly to doubly substituted Xylp. The highest water solubility of the CW of sample C was associated with the highest concentration of β-glucans, the lowest DP3/DP4 ratio, and the lowest Mw of the polymeric constituents. Arabinoxylans with the lowest amount of doubly substituted but the highest amount of unsubstituted xylose residues and long sequences of unsubstituted xylan regions were found in the NaE fractions. The NaE fractions showed a high ratio of →4)-Glcp-(1→ to →3)-Glcp-(1→ linkages and some →4)-Manp-(1→ linkages, indicating a high level of long cellulosic regions in β-glucan chains and the presence of glucomannans., (Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The thermal properties, solubility characteristics, and crystallization kinetics of four commercial phytosterol preparations (soy and wood sterols and stanols) and their blends with corn oil were examined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed narrow melting peaks between 138 and 145 degrees C for all phytosterol samples, reversible on rescan. Broader and less symmetrical melting transitions at lower temperatures with increasing oil content were observed for two samples of phytosterol-oil admixtures. The estimated, from the solubility law, deltaH values (34.7 and 70.7 mJ/mg for wood sterols and stanols, respectively), were similar to the DSC experimental data. Fatty acid esters of soy stanols differing in the chain length of the acyl groups (C2-C12) exhibited suppression of the melting point and increase of the fusion enthalpy with increasing chain length of the acyl group; the propionate ester exhibited the highest melting point (Tm: 151 degrees C) among all stanol-fatty acid esters. Solubility of phytosterols in corn oil was low (2-3% w/w at 25 degrees C) and increased slightly with a temperature rise. Plant sterols appeared more soluble than stanols with higher critical concentrations at saturation. The induction time for recrystallization of sterol-oil liquid blends, as determined by spectrophotometry, depended on the supersaturation ratio. The calculated interfacial free energies between crystalline sediments and oil were smaller for sterol samples (3.80 and 3.85 mJ/m2) than stanol mixtures (5.95 and 6.07 mJ/m2), in accord with the higher solubility of the sterol crystals in corn oil. The XRD patterns and light microscopy revealed some differences in the characteristics among the native and recrystallized in oil phytosterol preparations.

The structure and gelation kinetics of mixed linkage barley beta-glucans of varying Mw have been investigated. The fractal concept has been applied to describe the structure development of barley beta-glucan gels using a scaling model and dynamic rheometry data. The model supports that the gel structure consists of fractal clusters that upon aggregation lead to a three-dimensional network. The analysis showed that with increasing Mw a denser (more packed) network is formed as indicated by the corresponding fractal dimension (df) values. The microelastic parameter of the model, alpha, showed that all gel structures were in the transition regime implying structural reordering upon ageing. The description of the microstructure as a fractal network seems to be able to explain syneresis and other observations from large deformation testing of such systems. The molecular treatment of the gelation kinetics suggests that the gelling behavior is governed by the probability of collision of chain fragments with consecutive cellotriosyl units. This is greater for small chains due to their higher diffusion rates, for chains having lower amounts of cellulose like fragments and finally for those showing smaller degree of intrachain interactions. As a result, the faster gelling systems exhibit lower fractal dimensionality (more disordered systems) something that is in accordance with current kinetic theories.

The production of pullulan from beet molasses by a pigment-free strain of Aztreobasidium pullulans on shake-flask culture was investigated. Combined pretreatment of molasses with sulfuric acid and activated carbon to remove potential fermentation inhibitors present in molasses resulted in a maximum pullulan concentration of 24 g/L, a biomass dry wt of 14 g/L, a pullulan yield of 52.5%, and a sugar utilization of 92% with optimum fermentation conditions (initial sugar concentration of 50 g/L and initial pH of 7.0). The addition of other nutrients as carbon and nitrogen supplements (olive oil, ammonium sulfate, yeast extract) did not further improve the production of the exopolysaccharides. Structural characterization of the isolated polysaccharides from the fermentation broths by 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and pullulanase digestion combined with size-exclusion chromatography confirmed the identity of pullulan and the homogeneity (>93% dry basis) of the elaborated polysaccharides by the microorganism. Using multiangle laser light scattering and refractive index detectors in conjunction with high-performance size-exclusion chromatography molecular size distributions and estimates of the molecular weight (Mw = 2.1-4.1 x 10(5)), root mean square of the radius of gyration (R = 30-38 nm), and polydispersity index (Mw/Mn = 1.4-2.4) were obtained. The fermentation products of molasses pretreated with sulfuric acid and/or activated carbon were more homogeneous and free of contaminating proteins. In the concentration range of 2.8-10.0 (w/v), the solution's rheologic behavior of the isolated pullulans was almost Newtonian (within 1 and 1200 s(-1) at 20 degrees C); a slight shear thinning was observed at 10.0 (w/v) for the high molecular weight samples. Overall, beet molasses pretreated with sulfuric acid and activated carbon appears as an attractive fermentation medium for the production of pullulan by A. pullulans.