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Food waste occurs frequently worldwide, though hunger and malnutrition issues have received global attention. Short-term spoilage of perishable foods causes a significant proportion of food waste. Developing simple, green, and low-cost strategies to preserve the freshness of perishable foods is important to address this issue and improving food safety. By using strawberries as the model perishable fruit, this study reported a pectin/carboxy methyl starch sodium (PC) based coating using epigallocatechin gallate-loaded eggshell powder (ES@EGCG) as the functional fillers. In comparison to PC coating, the PC-ES@EGCG coating displayed much-enhanced performance, such as enhanced mechanical (2 folds) and barrier (water vapor & oxygen) properties. This composite coating reduced the weight loss of strawberries from over 60% to around 30% after 7-day storage. Coated strawberries exhibit better freshness retention, which achieves the purpose of preserving strawberries during storage. This study provided a cost-effective and eco-friendly coating strategy for reducing food waste., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an effective strategy for high-value utilization of tea residue (TR), and it was noticed the aqueous phase (AP) has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to investigate the chemical components and characteristics of the AP, and applied it in active food packaging films. The results showed that the total phenolic content of AP was 1.86 mg GAE/mL, and the main compounds in AP were organic acids, alcohols, and amino acids. The AP showed excellent antibacterial activity and antioxidant capacity. The active films were prepared using the casting method. The 4:7-AP/PVA film showed outstanding mechanical properties (tensile strength = 34.18 MPa, elongation at break = 458.67%), antioxidant ability (DPPH scavenging capacity 92.01%), antibacterial activity, water resistance and biocompatibility. The banana preservation test showed the AP/PVA films could successfully prolong the shelf-life of bananas and have the potential to be food packaging films., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no 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.)

Chloropropanols are among the major food contaminants, and quantifying their content in food is a key food-safety issue. In response to the demand for highly sensitive and selective analysis, the scientific community is committed to continuous innovation and optimization of various analytical techniques. This paper comprehensively reviews the latest developments in chloropropanol analysis technologies and systematically compares and analyzes the working principles, application conditions, advantages, and challenges of these methods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is the preferred choice for chloropropanol analysis in complex sample matrices owing to its high resolution, sensitivity, and accuracy. Electrochemical methods provide strong support for the real-time monitoring of chloropropanols because of their high selectivity and sensitivity towards electrochemically active molecules. Other techniques offer innovative solutions for the rapid and accurate analysis of chloropropanol at different levels. Finally, innovative directions for the development of chloropropanol analysis methods for food safety are highlighted., 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.)

Sunflower oil (SFO) and Flaxseed oil (FSO) were microencapsulated using simple and complex coacervation techniques with Opuntia (Cactaceae) mucilage (Mu) and with a combination of Mu with chitosan (Chit). The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of SFO and FSO in emulsions using Mu/Chit shells was 96.7% and 97.4%, respectively. Morphological studies indicated successful entrapment of oils in core shells with particle sizes ranging from 1396 ± 42.4 to 399.8 ± 42.3 nm. The thermogravimetric analyses demonstrated enhanced core protection with thermal stability noted for microcapsules regardless of encapsulation method. The stability of the microcapsules, during in vitro digestion was studied. The obtained results revealed that the microcapsules are intact in oral conditions and have a slow release of oil over stomach digestion and rapid release in the small intestine. The results showed that Mu and Mu/Chit coacervates can be used as effective carrier systems to encapsulate sensitive ingredients and functional oils., 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.)

The traditional starch-based intelligent freshness labels struggle to maintain long-term structural stability when exposed to moisture. To solve this problem, we prepared composite crosslinked labels using phytic acid for double crosslinking of corn starch and soybean isolate proteins, with anthocyanin serving as the chromogenic dye. The mechanical properties, hydrophobic characteristics, and pH responsivity of these crosslinked labels were assessed in this study. The prepared double-crosslinked labels showed reduced moisture content (15.96%), diminished swelling (147.21%), decreased solubility (28.55%), and minimized water permeability, which suggested that they have enhanced hydrophobicity and densification. The crosslinked labels demonstrated the ability to maintain morphological stability when immersed in water for 12 h. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the crosslinked labels were enhanced without compromising their pH-sensing capabilities, demonstrated a color response visible to the naked eye for milk and coconut water freshness monitoring, suggesting great potential for application in beverages freshness monitoring., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Recently, fiber-based and functional paper food packaging has garnered significant attention for its versatility, excellent performance, and potential to provide sustainable solutions to the food packaging industry. Fiber-based food packaging is characterized by its large surface area, adjustable porosity and customizability, while functional paper-based food packaging typically exhibits good mechanical strength and barrier properties. This review summarizes the latest research progress on food packaging based on fibers and functional paper. Firstly, the raw materials used for preparing fiber and functional paper, along with their physical and chemical properties and roles in food packaging, were discussed. Subsequently, the latest advancements in the application of fiber and paper materials in food packaging were introduced. This paper also discusses future research directions and potential areas for improvement in fiber and functional paper food packaging to further enhance their effectiveness in ensuring food safety, quality, and sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Starch and modified starch, spanning various structural levels, are comprehensively reviewed, with a special emphasis on the advancement of starch and its derivative-based delivery systems for bioactive substances. The pivotal aspect highlighted is the controlled release of active ingredients by starch-based delivery systems with distinct hierarchical structures. At the molecular level, diverse categories of starch degradation products, such as dextrin and highly branched starch, serve as versatile amphiphilic carriers for encapsulating active ingredients. At the level of helical structure, the distinctive configuration of the starch-guest complex partly determines the mechanism of controlled release for diverse active components. At the crystal and particle structural level, starch assumes the role of a carrier, effectively modulating the release of active substances, and enhances the innate physiological activity of different active components. As a natural polymer molecule, starch can also generate hydrogel materials in polymer form, expanding its utility in the fields of food, materials, and even medicine., 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 quality of wine can be affected by excess Cu 2+ due to the occurrence of oxidation reactions or precipitation. Therefore, it is essential to use simple and effective testing methods to ensure the Cu 2+ content in wine. In this work, we designed and synthesized a rhodamine polymer fluorescent probe (PEG-R). The water solubility of PEG-R was improved by the introduction of polyethylene glycol, which improved the performance and broadened its application in the food field. The PEG-R was characterized by high sensitivity, selectivity and fast response to Cu 2+ and was able to complete the response process within 30 s, with approximately 29-fold fluorescence enhancement of the probe after exposure to Cu 2+ , the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.295 × 10 -6 M. The probe can be used for the determination of Cu 2+ in living cells, zebrafish, white wine and food products, and it was made into practical gels and test strips., 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.)

Two kinds of nanocellulose (cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were synthesized from pomelo peels via a facile approach of TEMPO oxidation and sulfuric acid treatment respectively. The FTIR results illustrated that hemicelluloses and lignin were completely removed from the pomelo peel cellulose substrate. The obtained CNFs and CNCs possessed a uniform morphology and nanoscale particle size. The stability of CNF-based Pickering emulsions was higher than that of emulsions stabilized with CNCs, due to the formation of gel structure induced by the CNFs' longer fibrils. Increased oil fractions enhanced the viscoelasticity of CNF-based Pickering emulsions. The in vitro digestion results suggested that increased oil fractions decreased the lipolysis degree, as a result of the larger droplet size and higher viscoelasticity of emulsion. The release of lycopene showed a trend similar to that of FFA release, suggesting that higher oil fractions were beneficial for controlling lycopene release during gastrointestinal digestion., 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.)

Different mechanisms for inhibiting tyrosinase can be exploited to avoid quality losses caused by the enzymatic browning of fruits and vegetables. Piceid (PI) and piceid 6″-O- azelaic acid ester (PIA) are oxidized by tyrosinase; however, their oxidation products may have inhibitory effects on tyrosinase. This notion is because l-DOPA oxidation was inhibited after the pre-incubation of PI/PIA with tyrosinase, however, l-DOPA oxidation was not affected if this pre-incubation was not performed. Circular dichroism analysis indicated a conformational change in the secondary structure of tyrosinase after pre-incubation. Further, molecular docking and enzyme reaction kinetics assays were employed to reveal the mechanism underlying the effects of PI/PIA on tyrosinase in the absence of pre-incubation with tyrosinase. PI/PIA had anti-browning effects in the potato models. The increased rate of A 420 in PI/PIA groups at 24 h were 281% and 279%, which were approximately 2.4- and 2.5-fold lower than that of control (668%)., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Here, we used techniques of extrusion and coating to produce starch-based foams with a combined function of buffering and controlled release of oxygen. The foams presented open-cell structures and showed a compression recovery ratio of 94%. After coating with poly(vinyl alcohol) solution, in which calcium peroxides were loaded, the developed functional foams showed a behavior of controllable oxygen release under a wet condition, as well as a high compression strength (≥2.2 MPa). Also, these foams showed an improved moisture resistance with a reduction in maximum moisture absorption from 25 to 14%. Under a vibrated storage condition to simulate food transportation, guavas packaged with functional foams showed a reduced physical damage, and browning index from 5.00 to 2.97, owing to the foams' superior buffering ability and self-regulation of storage atmosphere. The functional packaging system of the starch-based foams developed in our work is promising for fruit and vegetable preservations., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The cumulative toxicity of AgNPs has limited their application in food packaging. As such, the quest for AgNPs should focus on controlling their release to reduce the cumulative toxicity. Here, two kinds of green hydrothermal carbonized methods were used to treat sulfhydryl-modified chitosan to obtain two kinds of carbon spheres/AgNPs (Glutinous rice sesameballs-like AgNPs-SMCS and dragon fruit-like SMCS-Ag), which exhibited good stability and high immobilization efficiency for AgNPs, and the release of total Ag from AgNPs-SMCS and SMCS-Ag were only about 5.63% and 3.59% after 14 days, respectively. Subsequently, they were added into chitosan separately to prepare chitosan-based films. Two carbon spheres/AgNPs regulated the microstructure of chitosan-based films because of the electrostatic interaction and the micro-nanometer filling behavior, thus further immobilized the AgNPs. Importantly, the films presented good antibacterial activity and excellent safety. These results will provide a theoretical basis for the green and safe design of AgNPs antibacterial agent., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A low-cost and portable paper-based analytical device has been developed for high throughput and on-site monitoring TC residue in milk through visualized colorimetric reaction. The filtration and concentration effect induced by the porous nature of paper contribute to strengthen the color intensity, leading to quantitative and sensitive detection of tetracycline reaching 1 ppm detection limit, with the linear range of 1-100 ppm both in water and milk samples. The applicability was demonstrated by detection of TC in 18 different types of real milk samples with good recovery ranging from 88% to 113%. Furthermore, the dynamic degradation behavior of tetracycline was monitored through the device. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of colorimetric detection of tetracycline in milk using the paper-based device. This simple, fast, cost-effective (~$0.50 per device) and equipment-free paper-based platform provides a promising tool for future application in food and environmental safety., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The phytohormone ethylene is the main cause of postharvest spoilage of fruit and vegetables (F&V). To address the global challenge of reducing postharvest losses of F&V, effective management of ethylene is of great importance. This review summarizes the various ethylene scavengers/inhibitors and emerging technologies recently developed for the effective removal of ethylene released, paying particular attention to the ethylene scavenger/inhibitors containing catalysts to promote the in-situ oxidation of ethylene without inducing further pollution. Packing ethylene scavengers, such as zeolite, titanium dioxide and transition metals, in a small sachet has been practically used and widely reported. However, incorporating ethylene scavenger into food packaging materials or films along with the in-situ oxidation of ethylene has been rarely reviewed. The current review fills up this gap, covering the latest research progress on ethylene scavengers/inhibitors and discussion on the mechanisms of ethylene elimination and oxidation associated with F&V packaging., 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 © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, recombinant rice quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (rQSOX) was expressed and characterized, and its performance in flour-processing quality was further evaluated. The purified rQSOX exhibited the highest sulfhydryl oxidation activity (1.96 IU/mg) using dithiothreitol as a substrate, accompanying the production of H 2 O 2 . The optimal temperature and pH were 60 °C and pH 8.0 for rQSOX catalyzing oxidation of dithiothreitol. And rQSOX retained 50% of its maximum activity after incubation at 80 °C for 1 h. Moreover, rQSOX supplementation improved the farinograph properties of dough, indicated by the increased dough stability time and decreased degree of softening, and enhanced viscoelastic properties of the dough. Addition of rQSOX (10 IU/g flour) provided remarkable improvement in specific volume (37%) and springiness (17%) of the steamed bread, and significantly reduced the hardness by half, which was attributed to the strengthened gluten network. The results provide an understanding for rQSOX using in flour-processing industry., 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 © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new water-soluble resistant dextrin (WSRD), fabricated by thermal-acid treatment following amylase hydrolysis from corn starch, was expected to strengthen the dietary fibers intake of flour products. This study was to investigate the effects of WSRD on flour processing quality, and further dissect its improvement mechanisms by farinographic and rheological analysis, SDS-PAGE, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, texture analyzer, etc. Results showed that WSRD greatly improved the viscoelasticity and strength of dough, which was predominantly contributed by its formation of gel-like networks. Meanwhile, the WSRD-induced increase of gluten aggregates and β-sheet conformation provided the structural basis for enhancing dough quality. Notably, WSRD greatly promoted the sensory appearance and crumb quality of baked breads. Moreover, the WSRD-treated breads resisted the hydrolysis of digestive fluid and enzymes. Therefore, WSRD can strengthen the processing qualities and nutritional values of flour products, which will broaden the application of the novel dietary fiber in flour industry., 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 © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, steam explosion (SE) was exploited as a green and facile process to deconstruct liquorice's structure and deglycosylate glycyrrhizic acid (GL) to improve conversion and diffusion efficacy of GL and its hydrolyzed products. Results showed SE induced auto-hydrolysis of GL into glycyrrhetic acid 3-O-mono-β-D-glucuronide (GAMG) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), by which 30.71% of GL conversion, 5.24% and 21.47% of GAMG and GA formation were obtained. GL hydrolytic pathways were revealed by reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, which possessed complex consecutive and parallel reactions with endothermic, non-spontaneous and entropy-decreasing features. SE referred to cause cleavage of the β-1,3 glycosidic bond in GL which was hydrolyzed to GA as a main product and GAMG and glucuronic acids as minor products. Diffusion of hydrolyzed products was accelerated by raising the diffusion coefficient and shortening the equilibrium time by over 90%. This work provides a sustainable and efficient route for product conversion and function enhancement of bioactive components., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The instability of Laurel essential oil (LEO) and easy leakage of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) restricts their application in food field. To control their release, liposomes were used to encapsulate LEO and AgNPs (Lip-LEO-AgNPs), and mixed with chitosan to coat polyethylene (PE) films (PC-Lip/LEO/AgNPs) to package pork. The results show that only about 29.30% of LEO and 11.79% of AgNPs were released from the liposome after 7 days at 25 °C. Nevertheless, Lip-LEO-AgNPs showed good antioxidant properties. Moreover, PC-Lip/LEO/AgNPs films had good antimicrobial activity. Evaluation tests on pork indicate that PC-Lip/LEO/AgNPs films could keep the quality of pork at 4 °C for 15 days while pure PE film only kept it for 9 days, and that the coating films had no cytotoxicity. PC-Lip/LEO/AgNPs films exhibited significant combined action in functional packaging to extend storage period, and provided a new idea for the application of LEO and AgNPs in food., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, 11 dehydrodiferulic acids (DFAs) and 8 diethyl dehydrodiferulates (DEFs) were synthesized and evaluated by Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays for their antioxidant properties to understand the Structure-Antioxidant Activity Relationship (SAR) of these dehydrodiferulates. In both assays, the order of antioxidant activity for all tested ferulic acid dimers were consistent except for 3-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzylidene)-5-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-3H-furan-2-one (2, 8-8-lactone DC DFA, not occurred naturally) being the best antioxidant by TEAC test. The order of antioxidant activity of diferulic acid ethyl esters, evaluated by both assays, was not consistent; however, TEAC and DPPH assays provided consistent results for certain set of ethyl diferulates. In this study most of dimeric ferulates, with three exceptions, showed higher radical-scavenging efficacy than the monomers. Comparing the antioxidant activities of the tested diferulates suggested that the phenolic hydroxyl group, electron donating methoxyl group, and stable conjugated transient structures dictate the antioxidant activity of diferulates., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated characteristics of recombinant wheat Endoplasmic Reticulum Oxidoreductin 1 (wEro1) and its influence on Chinese steamed bread (CSB) qualities. The purified wEro1 monomer, which contained two conserved redox active motif sites, bound to flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor with a molecular weight of ∼47 kDa. wEro1 catalyzed the reduction of both bound and free FAD, and its reduction activity of free FAD reached 7.8 U/mg. Moreover, wEro1 catalyzed the oxidation of dithiothreitol and wheat protein disulfide isomerase (wPDI). Both glutathione and the reduced ribonuclease could work as electron donors for wEro1 in catalyzing the oxidation of wPDI. Additionally, wEro1 supplementation improved the CSB qualities with an increased specific volume of CSB and decreased crumb hardness, which was attributed to water-insoluble wheat proteins increasing and gluten network strengthening. The results give an understanding of the properties and function of wEro1 to facilitate its application especially in the flour-processing industry., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report for the first time the usage of mono-dispersed gliadin/chitosan hybrid particles as a particulate emulsifier for Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) development. The hybrid particles with partial wettability were fabricated at pH 5.0 using a facile anti-solvent route. Stable Pickering HIPEs with internal phases of up to 83% can be prepared with low particle concentrations (0.5-2%). The hybrid latexes were effectively adsorbed and anchored at the oil-water interface to exert steric hindrance against coalescence. Concomitantly, the compressed droplets in Pickering HIPEs to form a percolating 3D-network framework endowed the emulsions viscoelastic and self-standing features. The protective effect of Pickering HIPEs on curcumin was confirmed, and the content of primary oxidation products in HIPEs was slightly lower than that in bulk oil. This work opens an attractive strategy to convert liquid oils to viscoelastic soft solids without artificial trans fats, as a potential alternative for PHOs., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Effects of N-terminal domain of high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) 1Dx5 (1Dx5-N) on functional and structural properties of wheat dough were determined by farinographic and rheological analysis, size exclusion chromatography, non-reducing/reducing SDS-PAGE, total free sulfhydryl determination, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that 1Dx5-N improved the quality of dough with the increased water absorption, dough stability time, elastic and viscous modulus, and the decreased degree of softening, loss tangent. These improvements could be attributed to the formation of the macro-molecular weight aggregates and massive protein networks, which were favored by 1Dx5-N through disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Additionally, 1Dx5-N drove the transition of α-helix and random coil conformations to β-sheet and β-turn conformations, further demonstrating the formation of HMW-GS polymers and the enhancement of dough strength. Moreover, all the positive effects of 1Dx5-N were reinforced by edible salt NaCl., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The objective of the present study was to detail the changes of 4(5)-methylimidazole (4-MI) and its precursors in the presence of divalent cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+)) in a fructose/ammonium hydroxide caramel model system. The content of 4-MI and its precursor methylglyoxal (MGO) was inhibited by divalent cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+)). The possible explanation might be that fructose and its Heyns product glucosamine interact with divalent cations to form complexes and inhibit the degradation of glucosamine into MGO. Moreover, the changes of fructose, NH4(+) and brown intensity in the presence of divalent cations indicated that fructose and glucosamine underwent intra-intermolecular polymerisation into melanoidins rather than the degradation reaction into aldehydes and ketones., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel antimicrobial packaging material was obtained by incorporating cinnamon essential oil/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex (CEO/β-CD-IC) into polylacticacid (PLA) nanofibers via electrospinning technique. The CEO/β-CD-IC was prepared by the co-precipitation method and SEM and FT-IR spectroscopy analysis indicated the successful formation of CEO/β-CD-IC, which improved the thermal stability of CEO. The CEO/β-CD-IC was then incorporated into PLA nanofibers by electrospinning and the resulting PLA/CEO/β-CD nanofilm showed better antimicrobial activity compared to PLA/CEO nanofilm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PLA/CEO/β-CD nanofilm against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was approximately 1 mg/ml (corresponding CEO concentration 11.35 μg/ml) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was approximately 7 mg/ml (corresponding CEO concentration 79.45 μg/ml). Furthermore, compared with the casting method, the mild electrospinning process was more favorable for maintaining greater CEO in the obtained film. The PLA/CEO/β-CD nanofilm can effectively prolong the shelf life of pork, suggesting it has potential application in active food packaging., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Waxy rice starch was subjected to pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment at intensity of 30, 40 and 50kVcm(-1). The impact of PEF treatment on the granular morphology, molecular weight, semi-crystalline structure, thermal properties, and digestibility were investigated. The micrographs suggested that electric energy could act on the granule structure of starch granule, especially at high intensity of 50kVcm(-1). Gelatinization onset temperature, peak temperature, conclusion temperature and enthalpy value of PEF treated starches were lower than that of native starch. The 9nm lamellar peak of PEF treated starches decreased as revealed by small angle X-ray scattering. The relative crystallinity of treated starches decreased as the increase of electric field intensity. Increased rapidly digestible starch level and decreased slowly digestible starch level was found on PEF treated starches. These results would imply that PEF treatment induced structural changes in waxy rice starch significantly affected its digestibility., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the adsorption and desorption characteristics of six macroporous resins including XAD-7HP, XAD-16, HP-20, HP-2MGL, SP-207 and SP-825 for enrichment of adlay bran free phenolics were studied. XAD-16, SP-207 and SP-825 were chosen for further study due to their strong adsorption and desorption capacities. XAD-16, SP-207 and SP-825 had similar phenolics adsorption/desorption behaviors. Pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Freundlich isotherm model were suitable for describing the whole exothermic and physical adsorption processes of adlay bran free phenolics on XAD-16, SP-207 and SP-825. After treatment with gradient elution on XAD-16 resin column, the free phenolics were mostly enriched (from 89.61 to 1015.26mg/100g) in 50% ethanol fraction. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity of 50% ethanol fraction was eight times higher than that of the crude extract. Therefore, the production of highly concentrated phenolics might expand the application of adlay bran used as a bioactive ingredient in functional food., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Effects of reaction pH and time on the antioxidant behaviors of Tyr, Trp, Cys, and their related peptides (Tyr-Gly, Tyr-Glu, Tyr-Lys, Trp-Gly, Trp-Glu, Trp-Lys, Cys-Gly and Cys-Gly) in ABTS assay were investigated. Results showed that all these amino acids and peptides displayed a biphasic kinetic pattern with a fast initial step and a slow secondary step. The initial reaction rates of Tyr, Trp and their related peptides were strongly dependent on pH, while those of Cys and Cys-containing peptides were unaffected by pH. They failed to reach equilibrium over the short incubation period of 6-10 min typically used in this assay. Longer incubation time was needed for most of the peptides to approach equilibrium at lower pH. The observed biphasic kinetic pattern as well as the high TEAC values for these amino acids and peptides, could be a result of combined antioxidant behaviors of themselves plus the generated reaction products., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel fluorescence-based immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for rapid detecting 4(5)-methylimidazole (4-MI) is presented in this study. In our work, the conjugates of fluorescent microspheres (FMs) and 4-MI monoclonal antibody were used as probe for ICA. Under optimal conditions, a standard curve of ICA-based detection of 4-MI was developed, linear detection ranged from 0.50 to 32.0 mg/L. The cross-reactivities were observed less than 3.93% by detecting 6 selected structural analogues of 4-MI. The recoveries of 4-MI in caramels detection were ranged from 82.85% to 102.31%, with the coefficient of variation (n = 3) below 9.06%. Quantitative comparison of the established fluorescence-based ICA with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) analysis of real caramel colour samples indicated a good correlation among the methods. Therefore, our developed fluorescence-based ICA method shows great potential for simple, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective quantitative detection of 4-MI in food safety control., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Debranched waxy rice starch was subjected to repeated crystallization (RC) treatment, and its physicochemical properties and digestion pattern were investigated. The A-type crystalline pattern of native starch was crystallized to a complex of B- and V-type patterns by debranching and RC treatment. Among the treated starches, the relative crystallinity of debranched starch reached its maximum (29.6%) after eight repetitions of crystallization. Changes in weight-average molar mass among treated starch samples were not significantly different. The repeated-crystallized starches showed higher thermal transition temperatures and melting enthalpy than that of debranched starch. As a result, slowly digestible starch (SDS) content of repeated-crystallized starches reached a very high level (57.8%). Results showed that RC treatment induced structural changes of waxy rice starch result in a great amount of SDS., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work reports on a full evaporation headspace gas chromatographic (FE HS-GC) method for simultaneously determining the ethanol (EtOH) and methanol (MeOH) content in wines. A small sample (10μL) was placed in a headspace sample vial, and a near-complete mass transfer of ethanol and methanol from the liquid sample to the vapor phase was obtained within three minutes at a temperature of 105°C, which allowed the measurement of the EtOH and MeOH content in the sample by GC. The results showed excellent precision and accuracy, as shown by the reproducibilities of 1.02% and 2.11% for EtOH and MeOH, respectively, and recoveries that ranged from 96.1% to 104% for both alcohols. The method is efficient, accurate and suitable for the determination of EtOH and MeOH in wine production and quality control., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Effects of precipitation modes on the co-precipitation of insoluble oxalates particles during the purification of sugar beet pectins (SBP) from the extract were investigated. It was observed that soluble oxalate ions formed insoluble oxalate salts with calcium and precipitated with pectins during ethanol precipitation as pH of the medium increased and the solvent changed from water to ethanol-water mixture. Comparison among the employed precipitation methods revealed that both the dialysis-ethanol-precipitation and metal precipitation effectively prevented the calcium-oxalate contamination of SBP. Emulsifying properties of DEPP, EPP and MPP were also studied. It was observed that DEPP performed better than the remainder with respect to emulsifying ability. Based on these results, we concluded that the dialysis-ethanolic-precipitation can be a suitable method for improving the purity as well as emulsifying properties of the resulting pectins., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The influence of three surface-active proteins on the oxidative stability and lipase digestibility of emulsified ω-3 oils was examined: deamidated wheat gliadin (gliadin); sodium caseinate (CN); whey protein isolate (WPI). Gliadin and WPI were more effective at inhibiting lipid oxidation (hydroperoxides and TBARS) of fish oil-in-water emulsions than CN. Protein oxidation during storage was determined by measuring the loss of tryptophan fluorescence. The CN-emulsions exhibited the highest loss of tryptophan fluorescence during aging, as well as the highest amount of lipid oxidation. Potential reasons for the differences in oxidative stability of the emulsions with different proteins include differences in interfacial film thickness, protein chelating ability, and antioxidant amino acids profiles. During in vitro digestion, gliadin-stabilized emulsions had the lowest digestion rate of the three proteins. These results have important implications for using proteins to fabricate emulsion-based delivery systems for ω-3 oils., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Waxy rice starch was subjected to annealing (ANN) and heat-moisture treatment (HMT). These starches were also treated by a combination of ANN and HMT. The impact of single and dual modifications (ANN-HMT and HMT-ANN) on the molecular weight (M(w)), crystalline structure, thermal properties, and the digestibility were investigated. The relative crystallinity and short-range order on the granule surface increased on ANN, whereas decreased on HMT. All treated starches showed lower M(w) than that of the native starch. Gelatinization onset temperature, peak temperature and conclusion temperature increased for both single and dual treatments. Increased slowly digestible starch content was found on HMT and ANN-HMT. However, resistant starch levels decreased in all treated starches as compared with native starch. The results would imply that hydrothermal treatment induced structural changes in waxy rice starch significantly affected its digestibility., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A method for simultaneous determination of 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI), 2-methylimidazole (2-MeI) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in beverages was developed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and amino trap column coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (AMTC-PAD). A single amino trap column (P/N: 046122) was first applied to separate the targeted analytes in samples after SPE pretreatment. This method demonstrated low limit of quantification (0.030mg/L for methylimidazoles and 0.300mg/L for HMF) and excellent linearity with correlation of determination (R(2)=0.999 for 2-MeI, 0.997 for 4-MeI and 0.998 for HMF). Nearly no 2-MeI was found in all soft drinks. However, 4-MeI could be detected in cola drinks and soft drinks containing caramel colour (ranging from 0.13 to 0.34mg/L), whereas HMF were only found in cola drinks (ranging from 1.07 to 4.47mg/L). Thus, AMTC-PAD technique would be a valid and inexpensive alternative to analysis of 4-MeI, 2-MeI and HMF., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The kinetics of adsorption and desorption behaviours of five macroporous resins for enriching flavonoids from Glycyrrhizaglabra L. leaf were investigated. All five resins showed similar and effective adsorption and desorption properties. A pseudo-second-order kinetics model was suitable for evaluating the whole adsorption process. Additionally, two representative resins (XAD-16 and SP825) were chosen for adsorption thermodynamics study. The adsorption of the representative resins was an exothermic and physical adsorption process. Further column chromatography of XAD-16 and SP825 showed that the total flavonoids (from 16.8% to 55.6% by XAD-16 and to 53.9% by SP825) and pinocembrin (from 5.49% to 15.2% by XAD-16 and to 19.8% by SP825) were enriched in 90% ethanol fractions. Meanwhile, the antioxidant capacities and nitrite-scavenging capacities were 2-3times higher than those of the crude extract. The fractions with high flavonoid and pinocembrin contents could be used as biologically active ingredients in functional food., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper was aimed at characterising the insoluble substances (IS) responsible for the turbidity of the extract and impurity of the resulting pectins. Results showed that the IS caused a significant increase in the turbidity of the extract. The IS had bi-pyramidal shapes under the SEM observation. The observed XRD peaks for the IS were similar to those of calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD). Moreover, the IS consisted of mainly oxalate and calcium. Results from the present study indicate the IS is COD. The influence of the IS on the purity of pectin was also studied. The presence of the IS in the pectins indicated the IS can precipitate with pectins during the alcohol precipitation, thereby contaminating the resulting pectins., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work was to evaluate the potential of soy protein isolate (SPI)-resveratrol (RES) complex as an emulsifier to improve the effectiveness of RES as a natural antioxidant in corn oil-in-water emulsions. The physical properties and oxidative stability of emulsions stabilized by the native SPI-RES and heated SPI-RES complexes were evaluated. The water solubility of RES was enhanced by complexation with SPI, which was mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions. Heat treatment favoured the formation of the SPI-RES complex and endowed it with a higher antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the emulsions stabilized by the SPI-RES complexes showed an increased oxidative stability with reduced lipid hydroperoxides and volatile hexanal. This improving effect could be attributed to the targeted accumulation of RES at the oil-water interface accompanied by the adsorption of SPI, as evidenced by the high interfacial RES concentration. These findings show that the soy protein-polyphenol complex exhibited a good potential to act as an efficient emulsifier to improve the oxidative stability of emulsions., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hemicelluloses from sugarcane bagasse were subjected to microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis at mild temperature to produce xylooligosaccharides (XOS). The hydrolysis was performed with dilute H2SO4 at 90°C and the influence of acid concentration (0.1-0.3M) and reaction time (20-40min) on the XOS production was ascertained with response surface methodology based on central composite design. The fitted models of XOS and xylose yields were in good agreement with the experimental results. Compared to hydrolysis time, acid concentration was a more significant coefficient in the production of XOS. A well-defined degree of polymerisation of XOS and the monomer in the hydrolysates were quantified. No sugar-degraded byproduct was detected. The maximum XOS yield of 290.2mgg(-1) was achieved by hydrolysis with 0.24M H2SO4 for 31min. The results indicated that the yields of xylose and the byproducts can be controlled by the acid concentration and reaction time in microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In seed extracts of five oilseed species, in bran extracts of three cereal species, and in seed and/or whole berry extracts of 10 berry species, the concentrations of a large number of lignans and the enantiomeric composition of selected lignans were determined. In the case of sesame and hemp seeds, the lignan content and composition of the whole seeds was compared to that of the hulled seeds. The results showed that cloudberry seeds are the third most lignan-rich food source after linseeds and whole sesame seeds, and that most of the berry species analysed were more lignan-rich than the cereal brans. The lignans are concentrated in the hull of the oilseeds and in the seeds of the berries. In most samples, secoisolarici-, pino-, medio-, and syringaresinol were present as a mixture of two enantiomers., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microwave-assisted extraction in organic acid aqueous solution (formic acid/acetic acid/water, 3/5/2, v/v/v) was applied to isolate lignin from bamboo. Additionally, the structural features of the extracted lignins were thoroughly investigated in terms of C₉ formula, molecular weight distribution, FT-IR, (1)H NMR and HSQC spectroscopy. It was found that with an increase in the severity of microwave-assisted extraction, there was an increase of phenolic hydroxyl content in the lignin. In addition, an increase of the severity resulted in a decrease of the bound carbohydrate content as well as molecular weight of the lignin. Antioxidant activity investigation indicated that the radical scavenging index of the extracted lignins (0.35-1.15) was higher than that of BHT (0.29) but lower than that of BHA (3.85). The results suggested that microwave-assisted organic acid extraction provides a promising way to prepare lignin from bamboo with good antioxidant activity for potential application in the food industry., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rabdosia serra has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. In order to illustrate the pharmaceutical activity of R. serra as hypoglycaemic and skin-whitening agents, rosmarinic acid (confirmed as the major compound in R. serra), methyl rosmarinate and pedalitin isolated from R. serra were evaluated for their inhibitory effects and mechanisms on tyrosinase and α-glucosidase. The inhibitory effects on both tyrosinase and α-glucosidase were in decreasing order, pedalitin>methyl rosmarinate>rosmarinic acid. The IC50 values for the tyrosinase and α-glucosidase activity inhibited by pedalitin were 0.28 and 0.29mM, respectively. Both rosmarinic acid and methyl rosmarinate were considered as noncompetitive inhibitors of tyrosinase, while pedalitin was suggested to be a mixed-type inhibitor of tyrosinase. In the assay of α-glucosidase inhibition, rosmarinic acid was found to be a competitive inhibitor, whereas both methyl rosmarinate and pedalitin were considered as mixed-type inhibitors., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The physicochemical changes of myofibrillar proteins, especially oxidation behaviour, were measured to determine their mechanism of action on in vitro protein digestibility during Cantonese sausage processing. The results indicated that the carbonyl level significantly increased (p<0.05) during the process. The SH group level decreased, while S-S group level increased gradually. Protein aggregation was induced by oxidation and heat treatment. Result from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed protein aggregation occurred. The analysis of in vitro digestibility showed a highly significant (p<0.05) correlation between pepsin activity and carbonyl group formation, S-S group level, protein surface hydrophobicity, D 4,3 . A negative and highly significant correlation between trypsin, α-chymotrypsin activity and carbonyl group formation was measured, while no significant correlation with S-S groups, protein surface hydrophobicity, D 4,3 was observed. It indicated that not only protein oxidation and aggregation but also degradation by pepsin would influence proteolysis with trypsin and α-chymotrypsin., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The amino acid (AA) composition and physicochemical and conformational properties of protein isolate (SNPI), globulin (SNG) and albumin (SNA) fractions from soapnut seeds were evaluated. The essential AA of SNG, SNA and SNPI (except sulfur-containing AA) are sufficient for the FAO/WHO suggested requirements for 2-5year old infants. SNG and SNPI showed similar electrophoresis patterns and AA compositions, the subunit of those proteins consisted of two polypeptides linked by disulfide bonds. In contrast, SNA showed a different AA compositions and SDS-PAGE pattern. Both SNG and SNPI presented a typical U-shape protein solubility (PS)-pH profile, SNA showed a completely different PS-pH profile, especially at pH 2.0-4.0. The near-UV circular dichroism (CD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tryptophan fluorescence spectra analyses indicated that the flexibility in tertiary conformations decreased in the order: SNA>SNPI>SNG, while soapnut proteins had a similar secondary conformation, with a highly ordered structure (the β-types), as evidenced by far-UV CD spectra., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)