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Starch granule-associated surface and channel lipids (SGALs) were effectively removed from waxy maize starch (WMS) and normal maize starch (NMS), then the starches were crosslinked by different levels of sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) (0.25 %, 0.5 %, 1 % and 2 %). The effective removal of SGALs and successful crosslinking, were evidenced by the disappearance of surface-fluorescence and channel-fluorescence of Pro-Q Diamond-stained granules, and the increased phosphorus content respectively. STMP crosslinking increased peak and final viscosity for WMS and NMS. Crosslinking at high STMP levels (0.5 %, 1 % and 2 %) transformed the starch pastes from thixotropic to anti-thixotropic. STMP crosslinking significantly decreased the tan δ values of maize starches, enhancing the elastic structure of the gel. Crosslinked maize starches without SGALs had lower breakdown than crosslinked starches at same STMP level, indicating higher tightened crosslinked starch granules after SGALs removal. Removal of SGALs increased the anti-thixotropy of crosslinked starches, facilitating the reorientation of crosslinked amylopectin/amylose molecules during shearing. Removal of SGALs increased the tan δ values from frequency sweep of WMS and NMS during STMP crosslinking, indicating the presence of surface-lipids and channel-lipids could enhance the elastic gel network structure of crosslinked maize starch.

Large A-type and small B-type starch granules separated from waxy and normal hull-less barley starches were investigated for their physicochemical properties. Hull-less barley starch granules were covered by a membrane composed mainly of phospholipids. Channels of waxy A- and B-type granules were rich in proteins and phospholipids. Compared with A-type starch, B-type starch exhibited higher specific surface area, volume and average diameter of mesopores. Waxy A-type granules exhibited the higher peak, breakdown, final and setback viscosity than did B-type granules, while normal A-type granules showed the lower peak, breakdown, final viscosity and the higher setback viscosity than did B-type granules. B-type starch gels with lower storage modulus exhibited a less elastic gel network structure and retrograded more slowly. Moreover, in vitro hydrolysis of starch showed that the B-type granules exhibited a higher hydrolysis extent and rate than the A-type granules in the first stage, which was consistent with higher initial α-amylase binding ability of B-type granules. The study showed that the A-type and B-type starch separated from waxy and normal hull-less barley exhibited very different physicochemical properties.

IntroductionStarch is major component in the big seeds of Cycas revoluta, however the characteristics of Cycas revoluta remain unknown.MethodsIn this study, the physicochemical and structural properties of two starch samples extracted from Cycad revoluta seeds were systematically investigated, using various techniques.ResultsThe amylose contents of the two samples were 34.3 % and 35.5%, respectively. The spherical-truncated shaped starch granules possessed A-type crystallinity, and had an average diameter less than 15 μm. Compared to most commonly consumed cereal and potato starch, Cycad revoluta starch showed distinctive characteristics. For physicochemical properties, in the process of gelatinization, the Cycad revoluta starch showed similar viscosity profile to starches of some potato varieties, but Cycad revoluta starch had higher gelatinization temperature. Upon cooling, Cycad revoluta starch formed harder gels than rice starch. For structure, the molecular weight (indexed by Mw, Mn and Rz values), branching degree and the branch chain length distribution were determined.DiscussionThe results suggested that Cycad revoluta starch were different in structure from the main-stream starches. Notable differences in some starch traits between the two samples were recorded, which could be attributed to environmental factors. In general, this study provides useful information on the utilization of Cycad revoluta starch in both food and non-food industries.

Riboflavin is an essential micronutrient for humans and must be obtained exogenously from foods or supplements. Numerous studies have suggested a major role of riboflavin in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. There are mainly three strategies for riboflavin synthesis, including total chemical synthesis, chemical semi-synthesis, and microbial fermentation, the latter being currently the most promising strategy. In recent years, flavinogenic microbes have attracted increasing attention. Fungi, including Eremothecium ashbyii and Ashbya gossypii, and bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and lactic acid bacteria, are ideal cell factories for riboflavin overproduction. Thus they are good candidates for enhancing the level of riboflavin in fermented foods or designing novel riboflavin bio-enriched foods with improved nutritional value and/or beneficial properties for human health. This review briefly describes the role of riboflavin in human health and the historical process of its industrial production, and then highlights riboflavin biosynthesis in bacteria and fungi, and finally summarizes the strategies for riboflavin overproduction based on both the optimization of fermentation conditions and the development of riboflavin-overproducing strains via chemical mutagenesis and metabolic engineering. Overall, this review provides an updated understanding of riboflavin biosynthesis and can promote the research and development of fermented food products rich in riboflavin.

Low stability and bioaccessibility are two unfavourable features that limit the application of many hydrophobic compounds. In this study, lecithin was complexed with polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVPK30) to enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin via a precipitation-ultrasonication method. The curcumin-loaded nanocomplexes exhibited uniform sizes (∼120 nm), low polydispersity (∼0.22), and negative zeta potential (∼−45 mV). Curcumin was molecularly dispersed in lecithin-PVP complexes and exhibited an amorphous state. The curcumin-loaded nanocomplexes possess excellent dilution, thermal, and storage stability. More importantly, in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion experiment showed that the nanocomplexes could significantly improve the bioaccessibility of curcumin, reaching 105 times. Molecular dynamics simulation study revealed that lecithin and PVPK30 stabilized curcumin through hydrogen bonds, π-π interactions, and hydrophobic interactions. Our study provides a new way for curcumin and other hydrophobic compounds with excellent stability and bioaccessibility.

The effect of removal of starch granule associated proteins (SGAPs), annealing and dual-treatment on physicochemical properties of three rice starches with different amylose content (AC) was investigated. SGAPs removal reduced stability of starch granules, thus increasing amylose leaching, swelling power, solubility, and pseudoplasticity of Qiuguang (15.6% AC) and Luhui (22.1% AC) rice starches, decreasing pseudoplasticity of Yangfunuo (1.56% AC) starch, and decreasing To, Tp, and Tc, pasting viscosity and storage modulus of all three rice starches. Annealing decreased amylose leaching of the three starches, and pasting properties, pseudoplastic and storage modulus of Yangfunuo starch, but increased swelling power of the three starches, ΔH and To of Qiuguang starch, and pasting properties and pseudoplasticity of Qiuguang and Luhui starches. The effect of dual-treatment was generally the sum of effect of SGAPs removal and annealing treatment. But an interaction effect of the dual-treatment was observed for some parameters. The effect of annealing was closely related to the variety and composition of the starch.

Coffee cascara is the first and most significant by-product of the coffee processing industry, whose valorization has become an urgent priority to reduce harmful environmental impacts. This work aimed to provide an improved understanding of phytochemicals and polysaccharides in coffee cascara in order to offer information for the better evaluation of potential applications. Phytochemicals in 20 different coffee cascara samples were ultrasonically extracted and analyzed by HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS/MS. Four novel compounds were isolated for the first time from coffee cascara, including two still unknown tautomers (337 Da), and two dihydroflavonol glycosides (dihydromyricetin glycoside and dihydromyricetin rhamnosylglycoside). Their presence can contribute to the design of new value-added applications of coffee cascara. Chemical characterization of two polysaccharides from two of the coffee cascara pulp samples showed that they were mainly composed of homogalacturonan, with rhamnose and arabinose as minor neutral sugars. In addition, principal component analysis results indicated that coffee cultivar and/or country significantly impacted the phytochemical composition of coffee cascara, although differences may be reduced by the external environment and processing method. It is suggested that processing method should be carefully designed when generating coffee cascara from the same cultivar and country/farm.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a nosocomial, multidrug-resistant pathogen that causes significant economic losses in milk production and deterioration of dairy product quality. This study investig...

Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from raw milk, cheese, and human stool samples in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt, and to characterize the antibiotic resistance profile and virulence genes of the isolates. An additional objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of cinnamon oil and Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 for controlling C. jejuni in cheese. A total of 200 samples of raw milk and dairy products, including 50 samples of raw milk and 150 samples of three different types of cheese were used. Fifty-three human stool samples were also collected. The samples were tested for the presence of C. jejuni using culture and molecular methods. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 9.5% (19/200) of the raw milk and cheese samples. The highest prevalence was observed in milk samples (18%), followed by Kareish cheese (14%) and Talaga cheese (6%). In contrast, C. jejuni was not found in any of the Feta cheese samples. Of the human stool samples, 21 (39.6%) were positive for C. jejuni. Of the isolates, 60-90% were highly resistant to the antimicrobial agents tested, that is, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline. Virulent cadF and cdtA genes were detected in all isolates. As milk and dairy products are important sources of contamination, reducing the level of C. jejuni in them will lower the risk to consumers. We showed that L. acidophilus La5 was able to control C. jejuni in Kareish cheese, but cinnamon oil was less effective.

Rutin is one of the most common dietary polyphenols found in vegetables, fruits, and other plants. It is metabolized by the mammalian gut microbiota and absorbed from the intestines, and becomes bioavailable in the form of conjugated metabolites. Rutin exhibits a plethora of bioactive properties, making it an extremely promising phytochemical. Numerous studies demonstrate that rutin can act as a chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive agent, and its anticancer effects can be mediated through the suppression of cell proliferation, the induction of apoptosis or autophagy, and the hindering of angiogenesis and metastasis. Rutin has been found to modulate multiple molecular targets involved in carcinogenesis, such as cell cycle mediators, cellular kinases, inflammatory cytokines, transcription factors, drug transporters, and reactive oxygen species. This review summarizes the natural sources of rutin, its bioavailability, and in particular its potential use as an anticancer agent, with highlighting its anticancer mechanisms as well as molecular targets. Additionally, this review updates the anticancer potential of its analogs, nanoformulations, and metabolites, and discusses relevant safety issues. Overall, rutin is a promising natural dietary compound with promising anticancer potential and can be widely used in functional foods, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals for the prevention and management of cancer.

We review recent applications of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterize microstructural and textural properties of food materials. Based on interaction between probe and sample, AFM can image in three dimensions with nanoscale resolution especially in the vertical orientation. When the scanning probe is used as an indenter, mechanical features such as stiffness and elasticity can be analyzed. The linkage between structure and texture can thus be elucidated, providing the basis for many further future applications of AFM. Microstructure of simple systems such as polysaccharides, proteins, or lipids separately, as characterized by AFM, is discussed. Interaction of component mixtures gives rise to novel properties in complex food systems due to development of structure. AFM has been used to explore the morphological characteristics of such complexes and to investigate the effect of such characteristics on properties. Based on insights from such investigations, development of food products and manufacturing can be facilitated. Mechanical analysis is often carried out to evaluate the suitability of natural or artificial materials in food formulations. The textural properties of cellular tissues, food colloids, and biodegradable films can all be explored at nanometer scale, leading to the potential to connect texture to this fine structural level. More profound understanding of natural food materials will enable new classes of fabricated food products to be developed.

Many phenolic compounds serve as natural antioxidants by preventing food oxidation and oxidative stress in the body. In this study, antioxidant compounds were extracted from five peanut cultivars. Samples were evaluated for their total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant activities using 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, antiproliferative activities against two colon cancer cell lines (HCT116 and HT29), and intracellular ROS generation. The peanuts rich in phenolics (185.4–300.9 mg GAE/100 g DW) and flavonoids (62.79–86.27 mg CE/100 g DW), and has relative good antioxidant capability (DPPH, 6.65–9.45 μmol Trolox/g DW and FRAP, 8.80–13.6 μmol Fe (II)/g DW). The peanut extracts exhibited strong antiproliferative effect against HCT116 and HT29 with IC50 value of 1.39–9.33 mg dry extract/ml and 1.56–7.55 mg dry extract/ml, respectively. The antiproliferative effects are partly due to the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was used to characterize the phenolic profiles of peanut cultivar extract and 23 phenolic compounds were tentatively identified, most of which were flavonoids. Peanuts are rich in phenolic compounds and have antioxidant activity and antiproliferative activity, thus, it may serve as viable functional food ingredients with antioxidant potential.

Background Curcumin has gained increasing attention in recent years due to its biological properties and photosensitivity. Curcumin-mediated photodynamic therapy has been used in antibacterial and anticancer applications. Considering the importance and rapid advances in curcumin-mediated photodynamic treatments and its related beneficial functions, a comprehensive and up-to-date review is timely to summarize the state-of-art in this area and to suggest directions for future progress. Scope and approach In this review, photodynamic therapies (PDT) with curcumin as photosensitizers are discussed, with particular emphasis on their application in anticancer and antibacterial therapies. Through photodynamic activation, enhanced therapeutic effect of curcumin is readily exhibited towards cancer and bacterial treatments. In addition, modification of curcumin with metal complexes and encapsulation of curcumin in nano delivery systems to enhance the PDT effect are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the mechanisms of curcumin-related PDT and to suggest future directions for progress. Key findings and conclusions The key finding of this review is that curcumin in combination with PDT can enhance the therapeutic effects of native curcumin against microbiota and cancer cell lines. However, there is still a lack of curcumin-PDT in vivo studies, and targeted delivery of curcumin has not yet been studied sufficiently, despite clear evidence for its potential. For future studies, more in vivo studies are needed, and the nano-delivery systems for curcumin can be modified with aptamers to realize targeted delivery and to enhance the PDT effect.

The effects of resveratrol (RSV) addition on quality of fractionated wheat flour and the corresponding cooked white‐salted noodles were investigated. Commercial wheat flour was fractionated into four particle size groups, that is 105 μm. RSV was incorporated into the fractionated flour at three different levels. Swelling power increased in each of the four particle size groups with the addition of RSV. RSV at 0.5% led to a decrease in rapidly digestible starch and an increase in slowly digestible starch. Antioxidant capacity increased with the addition of RSV except for the >105 μm particle size group, which declined in oxygen radical absorbance capacity value. Smaller particle size could increase antioxidant capacity, but extremely small particle size may decrease it. Addition of RSV increased tensile strength and decreased hardness of cooked noodles. This study showed that resveratrol addition to wheat flour had potential to bring quality and health benefits.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen, with relatively low incidence but high case-fatality. Phytochemicals have been recognized as a promising antimicrobial agent as an alternative to synthetic chemicals due to their safety and high efficacy with multi-target sites. This study identified and characterized a novel antibacterial agent, dehydrocorydaline, in the Corydalis turschaninovii rhizome using HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS, and its antibacterial effect with lowest MIC (1 mg/mL) and MBC (2 mg/mL) values. In addition, an in vitro growth kinetic assay, cytoplasmic nucleic acid and protein leakage assay, and observation of morphological changes in bacterial cells supported the strong antibacterial activity. Dehydrocorydaline also displayed effective inhibitory effects on biofilm formation and bacterial motility. In order to investigate the potential antibacterial mechanism of action of dehydrocorydaline against L. monocytogenes, label-free quantitative proteomics was used, demonstrating that dehydrocorydaline has multiple targets for combating L. monocytogenes including dysregulation of carbohydrate metabolism, suppression of cell wall synthesis, and inhibition of bacterial motility. Overall, this study demonstrated that dehydrocorydaline has potential as a natural and effective antibacterial agent with multi-target sites in pathogenic bacteria, and provides the basis for development of a new class of antibacterial agent.

The multi-scale structure of combined (A- and B- type granules), A-type, and B-type granules from normal (NHB) and waxy hull-less barley (WHB) starch was studied, including crystalline structure, molecular branching, nanostructural and fractal characteristics. Particle size distribution was applied to determine the separation purity (95%), and micrography was used to distinguish between the A-type and B-type granules. Lacking amylose, WHB had higher relative crystallinity, gelatinization temperature, enthalpy, level of scattering intensity and uniformity of orientation of double helices than NHB starch. Generally, B-type granules had higher gelatinization temperature, lower enthalpy, greater relative crystallinity, higher ratio of crystalline to amorphous region, more fa chains in amylopectin, and thicker semi-crystalline lamellae than A-type and combined granules. The results showed that the multi-scale structure of A-type and B-type granules differed greatly, and the characteristics of combined granules were not the same as those of its two constituent granule fractions.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen, with relatively low incidence but high case-fatality. Phytochemicals have been recognized as a promising antimicrobial agent as an alternative to synthetic chemicals due to their safety and high efficacy with multi-target sites. This study identified and characterized a novel antibacterial agent, dehydrocorydaline, in the Corydalis turschaninovii rhizome using HPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS, and its antibacterial effect with lowest MIC (1 mg/mL) and MBC (2 mg/mL) values. In addition, an in vitro growth kinetic assay, cytoplasmic nucleic acid and protein leakage assay, and observation of morphological changes in bacterial cells supported the strong antibacterial activity. Dehydrocorydaline also displayed effective inhibitory effects on biofilm formation and bacterial motility. In order to investigate the potential antibacterial mechanism of action of dehydrocorydaline against L. monocytogenes, label-free quantitative proteomics was used, demonstrating that dehydrocorydaline has multiple targets for combating L. monocytogenes including dysregulation of carbohydrate metabolism, suppression of cell wall synthesis, and inhibition of bacterial motility. Overall, this study demonstrated that dehydrocorydaline has potential as a natural and effective antibacterial agent with multi-target sites in pathogenic bacteria, and provides the basis for development of a new class of antibacterial agent.

This study compared blending effects of native and octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modified blends (waxy rice and waxy potato starch). OSA groups were observed to be present primarily in the outer layer of waxy potato starch granule, but throughout the whole waxy rice granule. A high linear correlation with blending ratio was observed for trough viscosity and final viscosity of native blends, but for peak viscosity (PV) and breakdown viscosity (BD) of esterified blends. PV and BD of esterified blends showed weaker non-additive effects than those of native blends. Consistency coefficient in downward curve, flow behavior index in downward curve, and loss tangent mainly showed non-additive effects in native blends, but additive effects in esterified blends. OSA modification affects interaction between molecules on the outer surfaces of two starch granules by altering molecular structures on the outer surfaces, resulting in different blending effects between native and esterified waxy starch blends.

Waxy, low‐ and high‐amylose rice were cooked at different temperatures (50, 70, 90 °C) for different times (15, 30, 45 min). The microscopic, rheological and gel textural properties of resultant flours were investigated. There was a coarser and discontinuous honeycomb‐like structure with formation of pores in rice flour with greater cooking degree. TGʹₘₐₓ was positively correlated with cooking temperature and time. As cooking temperature increased, the Gʹ values of pastes first increased and then decreased, whereas the opposite trend was observed for tan δ. Meanwhile, increased cooking temperature was responsible for increases in n values and caused drops in K and hysteresis area. As cooking time increased, the hardness and gumminess of gels from rice cooked were increased at lower temperature, but were decreased at higher temperature. Overall, cooking temperature was more important in determining the processing properties of rice flours than cooking time.

Background Obesity is a leading contributor to numerous diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. Therefore, seeking effective and safe approaches to control obesity is essential. Gut microbiota has been demonstrated to play a critical role in the occurrence of obesity via the regulation of energy metabolism. The composition and abundance of gut microbiota can be altered by the diet. Recently, many dietary plants have been demonstrated to exert anti-obesity effects through bioactive components that modulate gut microbiota, which has drawn increasing research attention. Scope and approach In this review, the obesity-associated gut microbiota has been summarized and classified into obesogenic and anti-obesity categories. Subsequently, some anti-obesity dietary plants with gut microbiota-modulating activities and the mechanisms of action of their bioactive components are discussed. Key findings and conclusions The effects of gut microbiota on obesity have been found in most animal and some human studies. Certain strains of Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroidetes are positively associated with obesity development, while Bifidobacterium, most Lactobacillus, and some Bacteroidetes show anti-obesity activities. Some dietary plants, such as grapes, berries, apple, turmeric, chili, soy, sorghum, and barley, show anti-obesity efficacy through increasing the diversity of gut microbiota, up-regulating anti-obesity gut microbiota and down-regulating obesogenic gut microbiota. This review may stimulate further development of functional foods to treat obesity through modulating gut microbiota. Future work will rely on the exploration of more dietary plants and their components with anti-obesity and gut microbiota-modulating effects, and further investigation of related mechanisms as well as clinical trials.

Gelatinization, pasting, digestibility and estimated glycaemic index of six high amylose rice varieties differing in length/width ratio were studied. Amylose content ranged narrowly (27.8–29.1%). Resistant starch content ranged from 0.44% to 1.4%. In contrast to gelatinisation enthalpy, gelatinisation temperature (GT) ranged narrowly (76.7–77.4 °C). For all rice varieties, melting temperature of amylose‐lipid complex I and II was around 99 °C and 110 °C, respectively. The enthalpy of amylose‐lipid complex I and II ranged between 0.18–0.87 and 0.23–0.55, respectively. Expected in vitro glycaemic index (GI) of all tested varieties was similar (88.2–92.4). The results showed that the size of the rice grain (length/width) and resistant starch content had no apparent impact on the GI of high amylose rice. The dominant factors determining the digestibility and glycaemic response of the tested high amylose rice varieties seemed to be amylose content and the GT. Besides the pasting temperature, other pasting properties varied significantly but were not correlated to starch digestibility and estimated GI among the six rice varieties. Thus, RVA pasting properties, except for pasting temperature, may not be good predictors for the GI of these high amylose rice.

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a dietary fibre with potential to be used as a fat-replacer in Mozzarella cheese. The functional properties (texture, free oil, meltability and stretch performance) of full-fat cheese control (FFC), low-fat cheese control (LFC), skimmed cheese control (SKC), low-fat cheese with KGM (LF-KGM) and skimmed cheese with KGM (SK-KGM) after 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage at 4 °C were measured. The pizza bake properties (appearance for pizza bake and browning) and microstructure were evaluated. Generally, LF-KGM and SK-KGM had lower firmness but higher meltability than LFC and SKC, respectively. The firmness and meltability of LF-KGM were similar to those of FFC. Both the stickiness and free oil content of LF-KGM and SK-KGM were similar to LFC and SKC, respectively. The LF-KGM and SK-KGM showed more complete shred melt, less scorching and lower browning (higher L* value after baking) on the cheese surface than LFC and SKC, respectively, when they were baked as a pizza topping. Microstructure of FFC, LFC and SKC showed that fat globules filled the serum pores/channels in the protein matrix. LF-KGM and SK-KGM showed more dense protein matrix with more coalesced fat globules distributed in the matrix. The stickiness, free oil content and meltability of all the cheeses increased but firmness decreased during storage. We show that KGM may be useful as a fat replacer in manufacturing fat-reduced Mozzarella cheeses to improve functionality and pizza bake characteristics.

In this study, 34 Chinese foxtail millet germplasm accessions (cultivars and breeding lines) were characterized for starch physicochemical properties including apparent amylose content, and gel textural, RVA pasting, thermal and retrogradation properties. The relationships among 21 starch parameters were discussed based on correlation analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Generally, this set of germplasm presented a surprisingly low genetic diversity in starch properties. The apparent amylose content ranged from 18.3% to 25.3% with a CV value of 5.0%, and gelatinization temperature ranged from 72.1 to 73.8 °C with a CV value of 0.5%. AAC was negatively correlated only with ΔHg (p

The properties of flour from polished rice that had been subjected to various milling conditions were investigated. Waxy, low- and high-amylose rice were milled at different speeds (1050, 950, and 750 r/min) for different durations (20, 40 and 60 s). The swelling power was increased with milling duration and speed compared to brown rice flour. The solubility of milled waxy rice flour was substantially lower than for brown rice flour, but for milled low- and high-amylose rice flour, it was unchanged or slightly reduced. The peak viscosity of low- and high-amylose rice flour was more affected by milling duration, whereas the final viscosity was more affected by milling speed. Total milling revolutions led to greater effect on pasting properties of WRF than LARF and HARF. Milling duration was a greater determinant of thermal properties than was milling speed. Milling conditions had different effects on the digestibility of different rice flours. Milling speed had less effect on digestibility than did milling duration for waxy rice flour, but speed had a greater effect on the digestibility of low- and high-amylose rice flour. This study showed that both milling duration and speed impacted the physicochemical and digestibility properties of different rice flours, but to different extents.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a natural phenolic compound found in many plants, especially in green tea, which is a popular and restorative beverage with many claimed health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity activities. Despite its great curative potential, the poor bioavailability of EGCG restricts its clinical applcation. However, nanoformulations of EGCG are emerging as new alternatives to traditional formulations. This review focuses on the nanochemopreventive applications of various EGCG nanoparticles such as lipid-based, polymer-based, carbohydrate-based, protein-based, and metal-based nanoparticles. EGCG hybridized with these nanocarriers is capable of achieving advanced functions such as targeted release, active targeting, and enhanced penetration, ultimately increasing the bioavailability of EGCG. In addition, this review also summarizes the challenges for the use of EGCG in therapeutic applications, and suggests future directions for progress.

An innovative method to reduce hydrophilic synthetic colorant release at interface was presented in this work, based on the anti-solvent effect at the membrane outside surface of liquid-core beads manufactured by reverse spherification between alginate and calcium ion. Zein, a hydrophobic protein which formed precipitation shell ensured the stability of colorant. Acidification of solvent made zein particles more kinetically stable, allowed zein stretching and collated more orderly secondary structures even in high polarity solvents. Colorants that hydrogen bonded or electrostatically interacted with zein could have optimized release properties. The zein/erythrosine samples had the most orderly secondary structure from circular dichroism and had the highest stability among all zein/colorant systems. The release rate of erythrosine was only 2.76% after 48 h storage after soaking in zein shell solution. This study demonstrated a promising clean and scalable strategy to encapsulate hydrophilic compounds in zein-based shells of liquid-core beads for food, supplement and pharmaceutical applications.

Both polyphenols and probiotics have beneficial effects on the human body, so it might be beneficial to develop new functional-enhanced food products containing both components. This study investigated the interactions between pomegranate peel polyphenols and Lactobacillus (L.) acidophilus in milk fermentation. There was no inhibitory effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on the growth of L. acidophilus, suggesting that PPE at

Waxy hull-less barley kernels and their isolated starches were exposed to different microwave conditions (power 640, 720, and 800 W, time 60, 120 and 180 s) and changes in morphology, particle size, digestibility, rheological properties, and molecular structure were measured and analyzed. Microwave treatment caused roughness and deformation of granular surfaces, and an increase in granule size. After treatment, the in vitro digestibility of starch was increased, i.e., the RDS increased, but the RS decreased. Microwave treatment decreased the K values of the in-kernel MWI WHBS. Dynamic rheological results showed that the in-kernel MWI WHBS pastes had lower TG′max, and higher G′max, G′90°C, G′25°C, G′0.1Hz and G′20Hz after treatment. The chain-length distribution did not significantly change after microwave treatment. However, the results for molecular size distributions showed that the peaks of amylopectin (Rh = ~100 nm) shifted left and right, indicating that the molecular volume might become smaller or larger under different processing conditions. The primary effects of microwave treatment may be loosening the molecular structure and cutting main chains of amylopectin.

Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of

Hydrogels, polymeric network materials, are capable of swelling and holding the bulk of water in their three-dimensional structures upon swelling. In recent years, hydrogels have witnessed increased attention in food and biomedical applications. In this paper, the available literature related to the design concepts, types, functionalities, and applications of hydrogels with special emphasis on food applications was reviewed. Hydrogels from natural polymers are preferred over synthetic hydrogels. They are predominantly used in diverse food applications for example in encapsulation, drug delivery, packaging, and more recently for the fabrication of structured foods. Natural polymeric hydrogels offer immense benefits due to their extraordinary biocompatible nature. Hydrogels based on natural/edible polymers, for example, those from polysaccharides and proteins, can serve as prospective alternatives to synthetic polymer-based hydrogels. The utilization of hydrogels has so far been limited, despite their prospects to address various issues in the food industries. More research is needed to develop biomimetic hydrogels, which can imitate the biological characteristics in addition to the physicochemical properties of natural materials for different food applications.

The properties of four small-granule (oat, quinoa, amaranth and rice) starches before and after removal of starch granule-associated proteins (SGAPs), particularly surface-proteins and channel-proteins, were investigated and compared with two large-granule (waxy and normal maize) starches. The hypothesis, which was confirmed by results, was that the small-granule starches would be more susceptible to water and heat than the large-granule starches after removal of SGAPs on surfaces and in channels using protease. Surface-proteins of some granules in oat and rice starch presented as a film and channel-proteins were observed in oat, quinoa and rice starches. Compared to large-granule starches, removing SGAPs led to a greater reduction in gelatinization temperature for small granule starches. Meanwhile the reduced extent of rigidity of swollen small-granules during shearing was greater after removing SGAPs, corresponding to the reduced peak, breakdown and final viscosities. Furthermore, the removal of SGAPs for small-granule starch pastes weakened pseudoplasticity and shear-thinning behaviour. Removing SGAPs contributed to amylose leaching, accelerated the recrystallization and rearrangement of starch molecules, and facilitated retrogradation, thereby leading to a stronger gel network.