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A highly sensitive method based on MBs-cDNA@Apt-AuNCs 519 was developed for deoxynivalenol (DON) detection in wheat. The MBs-cDNA@Apt-AuNCs 519 was established using green emission gold nanoclusters (AuNCs 519 ) with aggregation-induced emission properties as signal probes and combining amino-modified DON-aptamer (Apt), biotin-modified DNA strand (the partially complementary to Apt (cDNA)), and streptavidin-modified magnetic beads (MBs). The Apt-AuNCs 519 were well connected with MBs-cDNA without DON but dissociated from MBs-cDNA@Apt-AuNCs 519 with the addition of DON, leading to a noticeable reduction in the fluorescent intensity of the aptasensor. Moreover, this fluorescence aptasensor showed two linear relationships in the concentration range of 0.1-50 ng/mL and 50-5000 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 3.73 pg/mL with good stability, reproducibility and specificity. The results were consistent with high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, further indicating the potential of this method for accurate trace detection of DON in wheat., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the effect mechanism of selenium (Se)-enriched yeast on the rheological properties of dough from the perspective of yeast metabolism and gluten alteration. As the yeast Se content increased, the gas production rate of Se-enriched yeast slowed down, and dough viscoelasticity decreased. The maximum creep of Se-enriched dough increased by 29%, while the final creep increased by 54%, resulting in a softer dough. Non-targeted metabolomics analyses showed that Se inhibited yeast energy metabolism and promoted the synthesis of stress-resistance related components. Glutathione, glycerol, and linoleic acid contributed to the rheological property changes of the dough. The fractions and molecular weight distribution of protein demonstrated that the increase in yeast Se content resulted in the depolymerization of gluten. The intermolecular interactions, fluorescence spectrum and disulfide bond analysis showed that the disruption of intermolecular disulfide bond induced by Se-enriched yeast metabolites played an important role in the depolymerization of gluten., 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.)

Side streams from milling result in significant food wastage. While highly nutritious, their harmful elements raise concerns. To repurpose these side streams safely, this study designed a dry fractionation technique for anthocyanin-rich purple bread wheat. Four fractions - from inner to outer layers: flour, middlings, shorts and bran - alongside whole-wheat flour were obtained and examined by microstructure, antioxidant activity, anthocyanin profiles, and essential and harmful minerals. Across the four investigated cultivars, both anthocyanin content and antioxidant capacity increased from inner to outer layers. In comparison to flour, cyanidin-3-glucoside concentrations in middlings, shorts and bran were 2-5 times, 3-9 times, and 6-19 times, respectively. Concentrations of Cr, Ni, Sr and Ba progressively increased from inner to outer layers, Pb and Se exhibited uniform distribution, while Al was more concentrated in inner layers. These findings indicate that the fractionation technique is effective in deriving valuable ingredients from underexploited side streams, especially bran., 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.)

Some wheat-based foods require different doses of oil to moderate quality of dough during processing and the influence mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the effect of rapeseed oil addition on physicochemical characteristics and fine structure of dough and underlying mechanism were elucidated by rheometer, scanning microscope and molecular spectroscopic method. Results showed that compared with native dough (without exogenous rapeseed oil), the addition of rapeseed oil changed the fine structure, improved extensibility, but reduced viscoelasticity of the dough. Moreover, high addition especially 20 wt% oil (based on wheat flour) significantly changed gelatinization and retrogradation behaviors of the dough, whilst disrupted gluten network and increased random coil content (32.1%) of dough except that decreased its α-helix (21.2%), β-sheet (23.1%), disulfide bond (7.9 μmol/g) compared with native dough which were 16.3%, 29.2%, 33.1%, 11.0 μmol/g, respectively. Results in the study could provide a certain understanding for application of vegetable oils in wheat-based products., 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.)

Sprouting can enhance the bioavailability and stimulate the production of health-promoting compounds. This research explored the potential health benefits of wheat sprouting, focusing on underexplored areas in existing literature such as alterations in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity and glutathione levels during wheat sprouting. Furthermore, special attention was directed toward asparagine (Asn), the main precursor of acrylamide formation, as regulatory agencies are actively seeking to impose limitations on the presence of acrylamide in baked products. The results demonstrate elevated levels of PAL (4.5-fold at 48 h of sprouting), antioxidants, and total phenolics (1.32 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry matter at 72 h of sprouting), coupled with a reduction in Asn (i.e. 11-fold at 48 h of sprouting) and glutathione concentrations, after wheat sprouting. These findings suggest that sprouting can unlock health-promoting properties in wheat. Optimizing the sprouting process to harness these benefits, however, may have implications for the techno-functionality of wheat flour in food processing., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Improving the freezing resistance of yeast in dough starters is one of the most effective methods to promote the healthy development of frozen dough technology. When the dough starter was composed of yeast, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria, the microbial proportion was 10:1:5, and the ratio of wheat flour to corn flour was 1:1. The proline contents of the starters and the survival rates and fermentation capacity of yeast significantly increased compared with those of the starter composed of yeast and wheat flour only (P < 0.05). Laser confocal microscopy observation showed that the cell membrane damage of yeast obviously decreased. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance method revealed that the water distribution state of starters changed. Adding corn flour and acetic acid bacteria to dough starter in appropriate proportions improves yeast freezing resistance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors confirm that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Corynebacterium glutamicum was used to ferment wheat gluten hydrolysates (WGHs) to prepare flavour base. This study investigated the effect of hydrolysis degrees (DHs) and fermentation time on flavour of WGHs. During fermentation, the contents of amino nitrogen, total acid and small peptides increased, while the protein and pH value decreased. Succinic acid, GMP, and Glu were the prominent umami substances in fermented WGHs. The aromas of WGHs with different DHs could be distinguished by electronic nose and GC-IMS. Based on OAV of GC-MS, hexanal was the main compound in WGHs, while phenylethyl alcohol and acetoin were dominant after fermentation. WGHs with high DHs accumulated more flavour metabolites. Correlation analysis showed that small peptides (<1 kDa) could promote the formation of flavour substances, and Asp was potentially relevant flavour precursor. This study indicated that fermented WGHs with different DHs can potentially be used in different food applications based on flavour profiles., 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.)

In this study, chlorogenic acid (CA), piceatannol (PIC), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and ferulic acid (FA) was selected to explore the influence of polyphenol on the structural properties of wheat germ albumin (WGA) and wheat germ globulin (WGG). The emulsifying properties of the emulsions prepared by WGA-EGCG complex were also evaluated. The results indicated that all polyphenols could significantly enhance the antioxidant capacity of WGA and WGG. In particular, EGCG increased the ratio of random coil in WGA and WGG, resulting in protein unfolding and shifting from an order to disorder structure. In addition, lipid oxidation and protein oxidation of the soybean oil emulsion was significantly slowed down by WGA-EGCG. The stability of the emulsions under various environmental stress and the storage time was significantly improved by WGA-EGCG. These findings can provide a reference for expanding the application of wheat germ protein in food 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Comparative proteomics and non-target metabolomics, together with physiological and microstructural analyses of wheat grains (at 15, 20, 25, and 30 days after anthesis) from two different quality wheat varieties (Gaoyou 5766 (strong-gluten) and Zhoumai 18) were performed to illustrate the grain filling material dynamics and to search for quality control genes. The differential expressions of 1541 proteins and 406 metabolites were found. They were mostly engaged in protein metabolism, stress/defense, energy metabolism, and amino acid metabolism, and the metabolism of stored proteins and carbohydrates was the major focus of the latter stages. The core proteins and metabolites in the growth process were identified, and the candidate genes for quality differences were screened. In conclusion, this study offers a molecular explanation for the establishment of wheat quality, and it aids in our understanding of the intricate metabolic network between different qualities of wheat at the filling stage., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

To improve the stability of anthocyanins and techno-functionality of purple and blue wheat, the selectively hydrolyzed soy protein (reduced glycinin, RG) and β-conglycinin (7S) were prepared and their enhanced effects were comparatively investigated. The anthocyanins in purple wheat showed higher stability compared to that of the blue wheat during breadmaking. The cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutincoside in purple wheat and delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside in blue wheat were better preserved by RG. Addition of RG and 7S enhanced the quality of steamed bread made from colored and common wheat, with RG exhibited a more prominent effect. RG and 7S suppressed the gelatinization of starch and improved the thermal stability. Both RG and 7S promoted the unfolding process of gluten proteins and facilitated the subsequent crosslinking of glutenins and gliadins by disulfide bonds. Polymerization of α- and γ-gliadin into glutenin were more evidently promoted by RG, which contributed to the improved steamed bread quality., 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.)

In our study, we explored how gluten's role during dough formation and thermal processing can mitigate the adverse effects of physical factors on product quality. We discovered that a gluten network with a gliadin/glutenin ratio of 5:5 effectively limits oil penetration into the dough's core. This particular ratio is found to reduce the exposure of hydrophobic groups due to the presence of hydrated β-sheet structures. In contrast, gluten networks with higher gliadin proportions than typical wheat gluten tend to be looser, leading to increased chromophore exposure and facilitating more oil absorption. These observations highlighted the complex link between changes in gluten structure, varying protein compositions, and oil content in fried dough sticks. This research provided a foundation for developing specialized low-fat wheat flour and improving the quality of fried dough products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest exists in the submission of this manuscript, and the manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been previously published and was not contemplated for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this study, six types of amino acids (Ala, Phe, Glu, Gly, Ser, and Lys) were combined with glucose to produce Maillard reaction products (MRPs) named G-Ala, G-Phe, G-Glu, G-Gly, G-Ser and G-Lys. The effect of MRPs on bread staling was evaluated through texture and sensory analyses during storage. Furthermore, the study comprehensively analyzed the anti-staling mechanisms of MRPs by examining moisture content, starches, and gluten network changes. The results indicated that G-Gly and G-Glu delayed bread staling, with G-Gly showing the most significant effect. Compared with control, the staling rate and starch crystallinity of G-Gly bread decreased by 24.07% and 7.70%, respectively. Moreover, G-Gly increased the moisture content (3.48%), weakly bound water mobility (0.77%), and α-helix content (1.00%) of bread. Component identification and partial least squares regression further confirmed the aldonic acid, heterocyclic acids and heterocyclic ketones in MRPs inhibit water evaporation, gluten network loosening, and starch degradation, thereby delaying bread staling., 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 work investigated structure-properties changes of reconstituted wheat A/B starch doughs under different ratios during dynamic thermal processing. Results indicated that a change in spatial conformation and aggregation structure of the starch-gluten system was induced with heating (30 °C-86 °C). Moderately increased B starch ratio can effectively fill the gluten network and improve starch-protein interactions, which promotes the free sulfhydryl group oxidation and results in the formation of more glutenin macropolymer; this contributes to a higher degree of cross-linking and stability to the gluten network matrix. This improvement is enhanced as the heating temperature is increased. Notably, the B starch ratio requires to be controlled within a suitable range (≤ 75%) to avoid aggregation and accumulation on the gluten matrix triggered by its excess. This work may provide insights and optimization for clarifying the on-demand regulation strategy of A/B starch in dough processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest in this work, the data of this work has not been published elsewhere., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Alkylresorcinols are important biomarkers for evaluating whole wheat foods. However, their structures encompass a broad spectrum of homologs, making isolating and analyzing individual alkylresorcinol notably challenging. Herein, we synthesized highly selective molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) utilizing a facile and cost-effective precipitation polymerization method and 5-heneicosylresorcinol (AR C21:0 ) as the template molecule. Various crucial preparation parameters were systematically optimized, such as different porogens, functional monomers, imprinting ratios, and polymerization time. The polymers were characterized through scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and their adsorption performances were thoroughly evaluated. MIPs exhibited a notably enhanced adsorption capacity compared with that of non-imprinted polymers, reaching an optimal adsorption amount of 71.75 mg·mL -1 and imprinting factor of 2.02. Altogether, the synthesized MIPs showed superior affinity and selectivity for AR C21:0 , as confirmed by their selective extraction, suggesting their potential applications in the analysis, separation, and monitoring of AR C21:0 in whole wheat foods., 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.)

In this study, dynamic behaviors of proteins and water during fresh noodles processing associated with the quality of fresh noodles were systematically investigated by using wheat near-isogenic lines carrying high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) 2 + 12, 3 + 12 or 5 + 10 at the Glu-D1 locus. The results showed that subunits 5 + 10 tend to form a complex gluten network and had a poorly hydrated ability, that prevent the intrusion of external water during cooking; subunits 3 + 12 formed a moderate strength gluten network that generated a medium ability to resist the hydrated and mechanical treatment, which explained the highest water absorption and less cooking loss of cooked noodles; while subunits 2 + 12 formed fragile protein aggregates that had a poor ability to resist mechanical. The findings demonstrated that subunits 3 + 12 provided a suitable gluten network which was crucial for intrusion and hydration of external water thus formed a uniform gluten network and excellent fresh noodle quality., 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 research explored the impact of binary cereal blends [barley with durum wheat (DW) and soft wheat (CW)], four autochthonous yeast strains (9502, 9518, 14061 and 17290) and two refermentation sugar concentrations (6-9 g/L), on volatolomics (VOCs) and odour profiles of craft beers using unsupervised statistics. For the first time, we applied permutation test to select volatiles with higher significance in explaining variance among samples. The unsupervised approach on the 19 selected VOCs revealed cereal-yeast interaction to be the main source of variability and DW-9502-6/9, DW-17290-6, CW-17290-6 and CW-9518-6 being the best technological strategies. In particular, in samples DW-9502-6/9, concentrations of some of the selected volatiles were observed to be approximately three to more than seven times higher than the average. PLS-correlation between VOCs and odour profiles proved to be very useful in assessing the weight of each of the selected VOCs on the perception of odour notes., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to prepare active intelligent gluten protein films using wheat gluten protein (WG) and apple pectin (AP) as film-forming matrices, and blueberry anthocyanin extract (BAE) as a natural indicator. SEM and FT-IR analyses demonstrated the successful immobilization of BAE in the film matrix by hydrogen bonding interactions and its compatibility with WG and AP. The resultant WG-AP/BAE indicator films demonstrated notable antioxidant activity, color stability, barrier qualities, pH and ammonia response sensitivity, and mechanical properties. Among them, WG-AP/BAE5 exhibited the best mechanical properties (TS: 0.83 MPa and EB: 242.23%) as well as the lowest WVP (3.92 × 10 -8  g.m/m 2 .Pa.s), and displayed high sensitivity to volatile ammonia. In addition, WG-AP/BAE5 showed a color shift from purplish red to green to yellowish green, demonstrating the monitoring of shrimp freshness in real time. Consequently, this study offers a firm scientific foundation for the development of active intelligent gluten protein films and their use in food freshness assessments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As an emerging physical technology, magnetic fields have been used to improve the quality of frozen and refrigerated foods. This study compared the effect of applying a static magnetic field (2 mT) at different stages of freezing and storage on the quality of frozen dough. Results suggested that the magnetic field significantly impacted frozen dough quality. It not only prevented the formation of ice crystals during the pre-freezing stage but also inhibited ice crystal growth during the following frozen storage. This effect helped to maintain the integrity of gluten proteins and their adhesion to starch granules by preventing the breakage of disulfide bonds and the depolymerization of gluten macromolecules. It was also observed that yeast inactivation and glutathione release were reduced, resulting in improved air retention and air production capacity of the dough. This, in turn, led to a more appealing volume and texture quality of the finished bread., 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. Data availability. Data will be made available on request., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

B-group vitamins are important micronutrients for maintaining human health; nevertheless, B vitamin deficiency is a globally widespread issue. Thus, it is relevant to accurately assess the B-vitamin content in staple crop products such as wheat grains. Here, we developed a multi-enzyme extraction method allowing accurate quantification of seven B vitamins in wheat using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Free forms of thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7) and folates (B9) were determined with recoveries ranging from 81 to 118% and accuracy below 15% bias. The precision was below 20% relative standard deviation and the internal standards adequately compensated for matrix effects. The method was applied to determine the B vitamin stabilities in wheat grains stored at different temperatures and periods. The results provide an important basis in future studies aiming at understanding nutritional availability of B vitamins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Wheat-based products are staples in diets worldwide. Organic food frauds continuously threaten consumer trust in the agri-food system. A multi-method approach was conducted for the organic authentication and safety assessment of pasta and bakery products along their production chain. Bulk and Compound-Specific (CS) Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) suggested the δ 15 N bulk , δ 15 N leucine and δ 15 N proline as promising organic markers, with CS able to distinguish between pairs which bulk analysis could not. Processing significantly affected the values of δ 15 N leucine , δ 13 C proline and δ 13 C leucine . Multi-mycotoxin analysis (HT-2, T-2, DON, ZEN, OTA, AFB1) revealed higher contamination in conventional than organic samples, while both milling and baking significantly reduced mycotoxin content. Lastly, from the evaluation of 400 residues, isopyrazam was present at the highest concentration (0.12 mg/kg) in conventional wheat, exhibiting a 0.12 Processing Factor (PF), while tebuconazole levels remained unchanged in pasta production (90 °C) and reduced below LOQ in biscuits and crackers (180-250 °C)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Zoe Giannioti reports financial support was provided by European Commission Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions. If there are other authors, they 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The growing global interest in physical and environmental health has led to the development of plant-based products. Although soy protein and wheat gluten are commonly utilized, concerns regarding gluten-related health issues have driven exploration into alternative proteins. Zein has emerged as a promising option. This research investigated the impact of extraction methods on zein characteristics and the structures of SPI-zein composite gels. Different extraction methods yielded zein with protein contents ranging from 48.12 % to 64.34 %. Ethanol-extracted Z1 and Z3, obtained at different pH conditions, exhibited zeta potential of -3.25 and 5.43 mV, respectively. They displayed similar characteristics to commercial zein and interacted comparably in composite gels. Conversely, alkaline-extracted Z2 had a zeta potential of -2.37 mV and formed distinct gels when combined with SPI. These results indicated that extraction methods influence zein behaviour in composite gels, offering possibilities for tailored formulations and expanding zein's applications, particularly in gluten-free plant-based products., 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.)

In view of the merits of all-purpose wheat flour (APWF) to soft wheat flour (SWF) in cost and protein supply, the feasibility of heat-moisture treatment (HMT, 19% moisture for 1 h at 60, 80 and 100 °C, respectively) to modify APWF as a substitute SWF in making short dough biscuits was explored. For underlying mechanisms, on the one hand, HMT reduced the hydration capacity of damaged starch particles by coating them with denatured proteins. On the other hand, HMT at 80 °C and 100 °C significantly denatured gluten proteins to form protein aggregates, highly weakening the gluten network in dough. These two aspects jointly conferred APWF dough with higher deformability and therefore significantly improved the qualities of biscuits. Moreover, the qualities of biscuits from APWF upon HMT-100 °C were largely comparable to that from SWF, even higher values were concluded in spread ratio, volume, specific volume and consumer acceptance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest in this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microwave (MW) heating shows higher efficiency in preparing wheat starch-stearic acid (WS-SA) complexes than the traditional water bath (WB) heating method, while the detailed "time-energy-quality" evaluations and the potential anti-digestion mechanism of the MW-processed WS-SA remain further exploration. In this study, 95 % time cost and 73 % energy consumption were saved when using MW processing WS-SA, and the MW-processed complexes were verified to show significantly higher relative crystallinity, short-range ordered structure degree, thermal stability, complex index, and resistant starch content. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation demonstrated that MW treatment notably facilitated the binding rate of amylose and SA molecules, generating a tight and stable helical structure through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. Analyses of solvent-accessible surface area and water status cross-verified that the denser structure could endow the MW-processed complexes with higher resistance to water solvation effects and correspondingly reduce the water mobility for enzymatic hydrolysis reactions, ultimately making the MW-processed complexes more undigestible. This study provides a further understanding of the anti-digestion mechanisms of the MW-processed WS-SA from the molecular level, and it is expected that the current work could attract more concerns to the highly cost-effective MW heating method for processing starchy food., 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 study investigated the impact of Selenium (Se)-enriched yeast autolytic peptides (SeYAP) with different Se levels on dough properties as well as the related mechanism by focusing on gluten. SeYAP prolonged the dough's development time by up to 131 % and stability time by up to 28 %. It also decreased dough's viscoelasticity and rendered dough softer. Additionally, SeYAP diminished the binding capacity of dough to water and augmented the fluidity of water. Protein composition, disulfide bonds and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that SeYAP could induce depolymerization of glutenin aggregate through sulfhydryl/disulfide bond exchange and hydrophobic interactions. Seven Se-enriched peptides were identified from the fraction with strong ability to depolymerize gluten. Specifically, six peptides contained selenocysteine, while another peptide contained selenomethionine. Molecular docking indicated that Se-enriched peptides could interact with amino acids (such as glutamine, tyrosine and proline) in gluten via hydrophobic interactions and/or hydrogen bonds., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) is key factor in gluten strength and end-use quality. However, the contribution of individual HMW-GS on dough strength and Chinese southern-type steamed bread (CSTSB) quality remained unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of individual HMW-GS deletion on CSTSB quality. The HMW-GS deletion led to significant reductions in glutenin/gliadin ratios, disulfide bond content, and SDS-unextractable polymeric protein formation. Additionally, HMW-GS deletion resulted in decreased gluten protein chain length, molecular weight, and particle size, contributing to increased thermal instability and reduced crosslinking. The HMW-GS deletion weakened dough strength but improved CSTSB performance, particularly in Dx2d and Dy12d. In-silico analysis further revealed strong interactions between Bx7 and Dx2, primarily driven by desolvation energy, highlighting their crucial role in stabilizing gluten protein interactions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Numerous SERS based platforms have been designed to address the emerging need for detecting fungal metabolite contamination in foodstuffs, and specifically the Group 1 carcinogen aflatoxin B1. Herein, 4-aminothiophenol modified silver-coated porous silicon was used as the SERS substrate. Two ratiometric responses were individually assessed upon direct target capture using specific aptamers or antibodies. Under optimized physical features, elevated enhancement factor, wide dynamic range, low detection limits and pronounced recycling capabilities were achieved (7.39 × 10 7 , 0.2-200 ppb, 0.0085 and 0.0110 ppb, 7 and 1 regeneration cycles without impairing the performances for aptasensor and immunosensor, respectively). The accuracy and anti-interference responses in several intricate matrices (maize, peanut, wheat, oats and rice) were compared to a routine HPLC method with equivalent recoveries. Overall, the comparative assessment revealed preferable features of reusability, durability and accuracy of the aptasensor over the immunosensor. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the substantial potential of the proposed SERS substrate for diverse on-site analytical applications using simple and portable monitoring instrumentation., 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.)

Ochratoxin A (OTA) poses significant risks to human health, being potentially nephrotoxic, carcinogenic, genotoxic, and immuno-toxic. In this work, we developed a dual-mode aptasensor for OTA analysis, integrating colorimetric, electrochemical, and smartphone-based detection. The bifunctional Fe-MIL-88 metal-organic framework, acting as both a nanozyme capable of catalyzing the 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine substrate and an electrochemical signal amplifier, enabled OTA quantification through current response or changes in color and absorbance intensity. Besides, the spatial confinement effect enhances the local concentration of Fe-MIL-88 signal probes through rolling circle amplification reaction, thereby contributing to a substantial enhancement in sensitivity. The proposed technique is simple, disposable, highly sensitive and selective, enabling OTA detection in the range of 1 fg/mL to 250 ng/mL, with a limit of detection of 0.22 fg/mL (3σ rule). Furthermore, we successfully detected OTA in corn, wheat, and red wine samples, with results good concordance with those obtained using commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay kits., 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.)

Many plant proteins are amphiphilic molecules that can adsorb to air-water interfaces and form protective coatings around gas bubbles. In this study, the composition, structure, physicochemical properties, air-water interfacial properties, and foaming properties of 16 plant and microbial proteins were characterized. We found a correlation between the composition, structure, physicochemical properties, and foaming properties of the proteins. The foaming capacity of them showed a highly significant positive correlation (p ≤ 0.01) with their foaming stability, α-helix content, surface hydrophobicity, and free sulfhydryl content. The foaming capacity and foaming stability showed highly significant negative correlations with disulfide bond content (p ≤ 0.01). We found wheat gluten protein (WGP) and mung bean protein (MBP) had higher foaming capacity (102.67 ± 8.08 % and 89.33 ± 4.72 %), which could be attributed to higher surface hydrophobicity (179.68 ± 1.40 and 130.28 ± 1.41) and larger contact angle (82.369 ± 0.016° and 82.949 ± 0.228°)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled, “Interfacial and Foaming Properties of Plant and Microbial Proteins: Comparison of Structure-Function Behavior of Different Proteins”., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we propose a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method for quantifying aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). This method relies on the target-triggered release of a SERS reporter from aptamer-sealed aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). These MSNs were synthesized to accommodate 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) within their well-defined micropores, which were subsequently sealed with AFB1 aptamers. Upon specific binding of AFB1 to its aptamer, the conformational change in the aptamer is regulated by the presence of the target. Consequently, a positive linear relationship between the AFB1 concentration and the 4-MPBA SERS signal was observed. Under optimal conditions, the method exhibited a good linear relationship over the range of 0.1 to 5 ng/mL AFB1, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.03 ng/mL. This strategy was validated using wheat samples, yielding results comparable to high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector (P > 0.05), confirming its reliability for detecting AFB1 in complex food matrices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have 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.)

Wheat germ is one of the richest natural sources of polyamines, especially spermidine. Cell proliferation property of polyamines has given them inductive effects in the reduction of a variety of chronic diseases and fertility enhancement. Preparing a polyamine-rich extract powder from wheat germ for use in supplements is the aim of the present study. For the first time, the effects of three independent variables of clean-up replicate (A), extraction time (B), and solid-to-liquid ratio (C) on the response of total spermidine content (Y) were investigated using a central composite design optimizing polyamine enrichment. The optimal extraction conditions were 7 h, 3 clean-up replicates, and 1:4 solid to liquid ratio. This is the first production report of spermidine-enriched powder for encapsulation purposes. To obtain an acceptable rheological property, the polyamine-enriched extract was spray dried together with a selected group of excipients, among which glucose was evidenced as the best choice based on encapsulation properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. All co-authors have seen and agree with the contents of manuscript and there is no financial interest to report. We certify that the submission is original work and is not under review at any other publication., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Water absorption in wheat flour is a crucial parameter for optimizing bread-making processes. The determinants of wheat flour water absorption were investigated through the analysis of 28 compositional and technological properties of 150 wheats grown in France. A multiple linear regression approach was used to predict the water absorption, selecting the best model through successive examination of Bayesian Information Criterion, Variance Inflation Factor and minimizing the total number of variables. A model with protein content, soluble starch, damaged starch and specific viscosity from water extractable arabinoxylans was identified as the best trade-off between the number of variables and the predictive performances among all possible models. Soluble Starch, varying between 1.11 and 6.21 g/100 g flour a new criterion measured alongside water-extractable arabinoxylans content, varying between 0.26 and 0.86 g/100 g flour, shows significant potential to predict water absorption compared to damaged starch., 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The structural features of reconstituted doughs play a crucial role in determining the oil uptake properties of fried potato crisps. Wheat starch (WS), corn starch (CS), potato starch (PS), or tapioca starch (TS) and tea polyphenols (TPs) complexes were prepared, and their effects on the physicochemical and structural properties of reconstituted dough and oil uptake of potato crisps were investigated. A denser and consistent network structure was observed in the reconstituted dough produced by PS-TPs and TS-TPs complexes. Thus, the reconstituted dough prepared using PS-TPs and TS-TPs complexes displayed slower water evaporation and less matrix swelling during frying, leading to a denser matrix and limited oil uptake of potato crisps. The potato crisps with PS-TPs and TS-TPs complexes had 20.83 % and 10.15 % lower oil content. Consequently, the starch-TPs complexes can be used to improve the properties of reconstituted doughs and produce fried snacks with lower oil content., 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.)

Wheat bran (WB), a byproduct of milling, is rich in bioactive compounds with significant health benefits. This study aimed to enhance the release of phenolic compounds, sugars, and organic acids from WB by integrating ultrasound (UsP) and microwave (MWP) pretreatments with solid-state fermentation (SSF). UsP and MWP disrupted WB cell walls, followed by SSF with Aspergillus niger. UsP increased total phenolic content by 21.30 % on day 1 of SSF. UsP and MWP boosted the availability of bound phenolic compounds like vanillic acid and dihydroxybenzoic acid. Both pretreatments enhanced antioxidant activity compared to untreated fermented WB, with peak activity on day 5 of fermentation at 1411 ± 5.156 μM Trolox/100 g DW for UsP WB and 291.6 ± 1.092 μM Trolox/100 g DW for MWP WB. This integrated approach improved the extraction efficiency of fermentable monosaccharides, particularly glucose and xylose, offering a sustainable bioprocessing strategy for WB valorization and supporting the circular bioeconomy., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Wheat bran (WB) was solid-state fermented by either Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (LGG), Levilactobacillus brevis (LB) or Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP), respectively, and then their corresponding physicochemical and metabolic characteristics were investigated. Current study revealed fermentation of either Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus or Lactiplantibacillus plantarum quickly generated lactic acid, but not for Levilactobacillus brevis. Importantly, all LAB fermentation promoted total phenolic acids contents, fermentation of LB-WB led to the greatest total phenolic content, followed by LGG-WB, with the least for LP-WB. Moreover, LGG fermentation significantly increased levels of oleic acid, stearic acid and phosphoenolpyruvic acid on carbon metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis, while LB fermentation mainly increased levels of L-phenylalanine, cholecalciferol, D-gluconic acid and D-glucarate with the influence on the entire metabolic pathway. In contrast, LP fermentation significantly decreased levels of alpha-ketoglutaric acid, cis-aconitic acid on the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). This study revealed their corresponding metabolic characteristics, which might highlight potentially individual nutritional aspects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no competing interests in this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dietary fibers with excellent processing characteristics and water-holding capacity garnered significant attention in low-fat fried products manufacturing, but further research is lacking to elucidate fat reduction mechanisms. Three dietary fibers were added to the batter of fried batter-breaded fish nuggets, the increased maximum wavelength, fluorescence intensity, surface hydrophobicity value, and S-S/free-SH ratio revealed the enhanced exposure and interaction of hydrophobic groups within gluten. Conversion from both -SH into S-S bonds, and α-helix into β-turn confirmed the establishment of the gluten gel network and a substantially increased gel strength. X-ray diffraction demonstrated the inhibition of amylose-lipid complex formation due to the competitive amylose binding to dietary fiber. Finally, reduced oil effects were evident in surface and penetrated oil contents and oil distribution fluorescence diagram. The work clarified the interactions among dietary fiber, wheat starch and gluten, indicating the composite gel network formation and the crust characteristics alterations, ultimately inhibiting oil penetration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could appear to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To study the alkylresorcinols ability to trap lipid oxidation products in foods, crackers were prepared with either whole grain rye, wheat, spelt, or oat flour, and either sunflower or linseed oil, and were stored for up to 36 days at room temperature. During storage, polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains degraded, malondialdehyde was produced, and alkylresorcinol content decreased. At the end of the storage, alkylresorcinol content in crackers was reduced by 61-78 % and a part of disappeared alkyresorcinols (3-8 %) appeared as malondialdehyde/alkylresorcinol adducts. Formed adducts were unambiguously identified by using synthesized and characterized (NMR, MS) labelled and unlabelled standards, and determined by LC-MS/MS. This ability of alkylresorcinols to trap malondialdehyde, and most likely other lipid oxidation products, might be playing a role in both the reduction of hazardous reactive carbonyls in whole grain foodstuffs and the observed flavor differences between whole and refined grain food products., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Blending two or more materials to create better high-moisture meat analogues has been actively studied in the food science and technology field. Walnut protein is a high-quality plant-based protein resource, yet its full potential remains underexploited. Thus, this study focused on exploring the quality characteristics and fibrous structure formation mechanism of walnut protein (WP) and wheat gluten (WG) meat analogues during high-moisture extrusion cooking process. Results showed that the optimized WP and WG-blended high-moisture meat analogues exhibited a more pronounced anisotropic and oriented fibrous structure. The blending of WP and WG can protect the molecular chains from the thermal transition, and promote the aggregation of protein molecules mainly by enhancing the interaction between hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, increasing the apparent viscosity and forming protein subunits with larger molecular weights (>100 kDa) to stabilize the newly formed conformation. Additionally, the content of α-helix was the highest among the secondary structures. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of WG and WP to produce HMMAs with rich fibrous structures., 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 structure, properties, as well as the oil absorption characteristics of wheat flour (WF) treated with varying concentrations of transglutaminase (TG) (0 U/g ∼ 50 U/g) were characterized. The content of free amino groups in WF modified by TG (TG-WF) decreased and protein aggregated. The isopeptide bonds and disulfide bonds played important roles in protein crosslinking. The thermal stability, the peak viscosity after gelatinization and protein secondary structure stability of TG-WF were improved. In addition, the oil absorption and surface oil content of TG-WF after frying were reduced. TG enhanced the protein-protein interactions in WF, so that protein played barrier roles in the process of high-temperature frying, protecting the starch particles covered by them from the infiltration of oil, thus reducing the oil absorption of TG-WF during frying. Among them, the oil content of TG-WF-30 U/g after frying was the lowest, which decreased by 10.73 % compared with the control group., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Wheat bran is a significant byproduct of wheat flour milling and is enriched with dietary fiber. Arabinoxylan (AX), the major constituent of dietary fiber, plays a crucial role in the nutrition and processing of cereal food. This review comprehensively focuses on AX as a functional additive, specifically addressing its fractionation methods, structural characteristics, techno-functionality, and interactions with dough components. Structural features such as molecular weight (Mw), branching degree, and ferulic acid (FA) content significantly influence the functionality of AX, affecting gluten protein and starch characteristics during cereal food processing. Specifically, studies have shown that AX with optimum Mw and FA levels improved dough rheology and gas retention during bread-making. Furthermore, the solubility of AX varies across wheat bran fractions, with soluble AX fractions demonstrating notable dough-improving properties. By integrating structural complexity with functional properties, this review highlights the promising applications of wheat bran AX as a sustainable, functional dough additive., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The unique flavors of fermented foods significantly influence consumer purchasing choices, prompting widespread scientific interest in the flavor development process. Fermented rice and wheat foods are known for their unique flavors and they occupy an important place in the global diet. Many of these are produced on an industrial scale using starter cultures, whereas others rely on spontaneous fermentation, homemade production, or traditional activities. Microorganisms are key in shaping the sensory properties of fermented products through different metabolic pathways, thus earning the title "the essence of fermentation." Therefore, this study systematically summarizes the key microbial communities and their interactions that contribute positively to iconic fermented rice and wheat foods, such as steamed bread, bread, Mifen, and rice wine. This study revealed the mechanism by which these core microbial communities affect flavor and revealed the strategies of core microorganisms and related enzymes to enhance flavor during fermentation., 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. We confirm that there are no financial, personal, or professional interests that could potentially bias our research findings or influence the interpretation of the results presented in the manuscript. Additionally, we have not received any financial support, grants, or other forms of compensation that could be perceived as influencing the objectivity of our research. Furthermore, we declare that there are no relationships or affiliations with any organizations, companies, or individuals that could pose a conflict of interest for the content of the manuscript. We affirm that this Declaration of Interest accurately reflects our commitment to transparency and integrity in research, and we stand by the authenticity and impartiality of the findings reported in the manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to enhance bread functionality while maintaining its organoleptic attributes by employing superfine grinding and purple wheat, through characterizing dough properties, bread quality attributes, and in vitro starch digestibility. Compared with dough made from commercial-superfine-whole-wheat flour, the superfine-whole-purple-wheat dough was less strong, comparably extensible, and higher in gassing power during mixing, moulding and proofing, respectively. The subsequent bread quality analysis of crumb grain features and texture indicated that the bread made from superfine-whole-purple-wheat flour was more porous and softer with a larger specific volume (3.21 ± 0.20 cm 3 /g) than that made from commercial-superfine-whole-wheat flour (2.30 ± 0.17 cm 3 /g). Additionally, the superfine-whole-purple-wheat bread had a significantly slower glucose release (k = 0.0048 min -1 ) during in vitro starch digestion as compared to the superfine-whole-wheat bread (k = 0.0065 min -1 ). Therefore, this study demonstrates that using superfine-whole-purple-wheat flour leads to bread with desirable quality attributes and potential health benefits compared to conventional whole-wheat flour., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

High-throughput and low-cost quantification of the nutrient content in crop grains is crucial for food processing and nutritional research. However, traditional methods are time-consuming and destructive. A high-throughput and low-cost method of quantification of wheat nutrients with VIS-NIR (400-1700 nm) hyperspectral imaging is proposed in this study. Stepwise linear regression (SLR) was used to predict hundreds of nutrients accurately (R 2  > 0.6); results improved when the hyperspectral data was processed with the first derivative. Knockout materials were also used to verify their practical application value. Various nutrients' characteristic wavelengths were mainly concentrated in the visible regions of 400-500 nm and 900-1000 nm. Finally, we proposed an improved pix2pix conditional generative network model to visualize the nutrients distribution and showed better results compared with the original. This research highlights the potential of hyperspectral technology in high-throughput and non-destructive determination and visualization of grain nutrients with deep learning., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

High-sensitivity 4D label-free proteomic technology was used to identify protein components related to gluten quality and celiac disease (CD) in strong-gluten wheat cultivar KX 3302 and medium-gluten wheat cultivar BN 207. The highly expressed storage protein components in KX3302 were high-molecular-weight-glutenin-subunits (HMW-GSs), α-gliadin, and globulin, whereas those in BN207 were γ-gliadin, low-molecular-weight-glutenin-subunits (LMW-GSs) and avenin-like proteins. In addition, BN207 had more upregulated metabolic proteins than KX3302. The abundance of storage proteins increased during dough formation. After heat treatment, the upregulated proteins accounted for 57.53 % of the total proteins, but the downregulated storage proteins accounted for 79.34 % of the total storage proteins. In cultivar KX3302, CD proteins mainly included α-gliadin and HMW-GSs, whereas in BN207, they were mainly γ-gliadin and LMW-GSs. Thermal treatment significantly reduces the expression levels of CD-related proteins. These findings provide a new perspective on reducing the content of CD-related proteins in wheat products., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The retention of bioactive compounds in the blend of wheat and rye flours and 4% roasted buckwheat hulls, dough before and after fermentation, and obtained bread were determined. In parallel, the content of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) and antioxidant capacity (AC) during technological steps of bread production were studied. The dough formation and fermentation process increased the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids and reduced the content of tocopherols, and no changes in glutathione as compared to the blend were noted. Moreover, the increased level of available lysine and AC were observed after dough fermentation. The baking process resulted in further increased phenolic acids, and flavonoids and decreased the tocopherols and glutathione contents. The bread was characterized by the highest values of parameters related to MRPs, such as the content of fluorescent intermediary compounds and final browning index compared to other analyzed steps., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This study used a green validated method to evaluate the risk of exposure of individuals of different ages to acrylamide (AA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) by consuming white and wholewheat bread. Recoveries of AA and 5-HMF were 100.7% and 100.1%, respectively, while uncertainty was 2.3% and 6.2%. Levels of AA ranged from 617.22 to 3151.8 μg/kg while levels of 5-HMF ranged from 180.5 to 648.2 μg/kg. Female adolescents were almost 2-fold exposed to AA when they consumed 100% wholewheat bread (2.93 μg/kg bw/day) by comparison with white bread (1.72 μg/kg bw/day). Estimated daily exposure to AA was 1.5-fold higher than international recommendations. These findings raise concern for health risks associated with exposure to processing contaminant as the result of bread consumption, especially made from whole grains. Since development of those compounds is inevitable during breadmaking, it is crucial to standardize processing conditions and recipes to mitigate it., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxin that contaminates grains in storage. Moisture and temperature sensors give delayed responses due to their slow kinetic movement within the silo. This study examines if CO 2 production could predict OTA contamination and identify storage conditions exceeding the maximum limit (5 μg/kg). The impact of water activity levels (0.70-0.90 a w ), temperatures (15 and 20 °C), and storage duration on (a)Penicillium verrucosum population, (b)CO 2 respiration rates (RR), and (c)ochratoxins concentrations in stored wheat was investigated. 96 samples were analysed for ochratoxins with LCMS-MS. RR was >7 times higher at wetter conditions than at drier a w levels. A positive correlation between CO 2 , OTA, OTB, and OTα was observed at the wettest conditions. OTA exceeded the limit at >0.80 a w (16% moisture content) with RR > 0.01 mg CO 2 kg -1  h -1 . The knowledge of the RR of stored grain would alert grain farmers/managers to improve grain storage management., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Vitamin B12 deficiency poses significant health risks, especially among populations with limited access to animal-based foods. This study explores the utilisation of cereal bran by-products, wheat (WB) and oat bran (OB), as substrates for in situ vitamin B12 fortification through solid-state fermentation (SSF) using Propionibacterium freudenreichii. The impact of various precursors addition, including riboflavin, cobalt, nicotinamide and DMBI on vitamin B12 production, along with changes in microbial growth, chemical profiles, and vitamin B12 yields during fermentation was evaluated. Results showed that WB and OB possess favourable constituents for microbial growth and vitamin B12 synthesis. The substrates supplemented with riboflavin, cobalt, and DMBI demonstrated enhanced B12 production. In addition, pH levels are essential in microbial viability and cobalamin biosynthesis. Monosaccharides and organic acids play a crucial role, with maltose showing a strong positive association with B12 production in OB, while in WB, citric acid exhibits significant correlations with various factors., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Jute in food packaging offers several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, renewability, and low environmental impact. Nevertheless, its hydrophilic characteristic makes it susceptible to airborne humidity and precipitation moisture. We combated this by chemically treating jute to make it water-resistant. The coated jute (WCA = ∼162°) exhibits high mechanical endurance against exposure to air (>1 month), ultrasonic washing (6 h), brush scrubbing (>50 cycles), and mutual abrasion (>150 cycles), along with good thermal stability. During a 2-month experiment involving seed storage in an RH of 85%, wheat grains stored in the coated bag showed 8.08% less moisture content than that stored in control. Furthermore, the preserved grains in the control jute exhibited altered colour, texture, and fungal development. Additionally, compared to the control, the coated jute delivers >50% bacterial growth reduction in 48 h. The proposed jute offers a sustainable packaging solution that promotes eco-friendly practices and reduces plastic waste., 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.)

In this study, the effects of wheat flour treated with ball milling (BM) and maltodextrin on the oil absorption and textural characteristics of fried batter-coated cashews and almonds (BCAs) were investigated. The result showed that the crystallinity of the starch granules in wheat flour decreased after the BM treatment. Furthermore, the ΔH of the batter decreased as the BM time was elongated, but the addition of maltodextrin had no significant impact on ΔH. Both BM-treated wheat flour and maltodextrin increased the fracturability and decreased the oil content of the fried BCAs' batter. The addition of BM-treated wheat flour and maltodextrin decreased the oil content of the batter from 28.93% to 18.75% for batter-coated cashews and from 30.92% to 18.61% for batter-coated almonds. Overall, the addition of BM-treated wheat flour and maltodextrin in batter is an effective approach to decrease oil content and improve the textural quality of fried BCAs., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

An emerging fluorescent ratiometric aptasensor based on gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties was prepared and studied for deoxynivalenol (DON) detection. The ratiometric aptasensor used red fluorescent AuNCs 620 labelled with DON aptamer (Apt-AuNCs 620 ) as an indicator and green fluorescent AuNCs 519 modified by complementary DNA (cDNA) and magnetic beads (MBs) as internal reference, namely MBs-cDNA-AuNCs 519 . Under the optimal conditions, the aptasensor exhibited two good linear ranges of 0.1-50 and 50-5000 pg/mL for DON detection with coefficient of determination (R 2 ) of 0.9937 and 0.9928, respectively, and the low detection limit (LOD) of 4.09 pg/mL was achieved. Furthermore, this aptasensor was feasible to detect DON in positive wheat samples, and the results were in line with those from HPLC and ELISA, thus providing a promising route to detect DON with high sensitivity in cereals, even for other mycotoxins by replacing the suitable aptamer and cDNA., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)