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Due to the high prevalence of allergies and asthma, awareness about allergens and therapeutic use of functional foods and nutraceuticals have gained immense attention. Spirulina powder is being used as health-boosting and antioxidant agent against several ailments owing to its unique nutritional profile. Considering its antioxidant role, the current study was focused on exploring therapeutic role of spirulina against stress biomarkers in asthmatic model. To assess the therapeutic efficacy of spirulina against allergic asthma-specific oxidative stress biomarkers, a model feed trial was conducted and rats were divided into four groups (n = 10). G0–I (negative control), G0–II (positive control), whereas GI (spirulina) and G2 (salbutamol) served as treatment groups. Salbutamol is a chemical compound which is used in several antiallergic medicines because it works as bronchodilator. G2 group was given salbutamol for comparison of results. For asthma induction, rats were given intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin on 7th, 14th, and 21st day. Treatment groups were given spirulina powder (500 mg/kg body weight) and salbutamol (1 mg/kg), respectively, after the induction of asthma. All three asthmatic groups were also exposed to cigarette smoke daily along with respective treatment for 4 weeks. Asthma induction caused an increase in total cell count in bronchioalveolar fluid (BALF), while spirulina treatment reduced total cells in BALF by 33.50% and salbutamol by 41.7%. Level of interleukins (IL) like IL-4 decreased by 33.32% & 48.56% in G1 and G2. Similarly, IL-5 and IL-13 levels reduced by 40.9% & 49.9% and 18.62% & 38.02%, respectively, in G1 and G2. Serum levels of Immunoglobin-E (Ig-E) declined by 29.70% and 52.82%, while histamine levels were 26.23% & 45.58% less at the end of study in comparison to positive control. Moreover, histological analysis of lung tissue revealed that both spirulina and salbutamol effectively reduced ovalbumin and cigarette smoke-induced moderate to severe necrosis, architectural changes, and congestion. It was concluded that salbutamol showed better results however, spirulina also effectively reduced mild to moderate allergic symptoms in dose-dependent manner. Nutraceutical and functional foods are considered helpful in mitigating oxidative stress-mediated health problems. Spirulina has its unique nutritional profile including phycobiliproteins, phytochemicals, and antioxidant vitamins which make it useful against several ailments. Considering its antioxidant role, current study was focused on exploring therapeutic efficacy of spirulina against stress biomarkers in asthmatic model. Outcomes of present research also demonstrated beneficial effect of spirulina in modulating allergic symptoms. In this regard, ancient concept of “medicine food homology” can be implemented and spirulina can be incorporated in food for additional benefits. However, further research regarding safety aspects is needed for its use in clinical practice for humans.

Electrostatic coating is being developed as an attractive alternative to overcome the problems encountered during conventional coating which includes non-uniform coating, dust generation, high energy and time consuming, equipment cleaning, and operating expenses. In this method, powder particles are charged by passing through an ion-rich region, which repel each other to produce an evenly distributed coating. This results in a uniform distribution of powder on target surface. In this study, the electrostatic coating of black pepper powder was applied by varying the applied voltage (0-20 kV), at a conveyor belt speed of 10 m/s and compared with manually coated cheese slices. The values of transfer efficiency (52.7%-87.0%), dust reduction (76.2%-85.8%), and adhesion (20.8%-85.3%) were higher for electrostatic coatings. The weight losses were lower (0.19%) at 15 kV as compared to 20 kV (0.67%). The total plate count of cheese slice coated at 20 kV was significantly higher (p 0.05), whereas at 15 kV it was lower than all other treatments. The shelf life of coated cheese slices at 15 kV lasted up to 1 month due to better coating compared to other treatments. From the results, it can be concluded that electrostatic coating of cheese slice with black pepper is best at 15 kV along with higher transfer efficiency and dust reduction. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Electrostatic powder coating of cheese resulted in higher transfer efficiency and reduction in dust production. later one has reduce the coating material requirement, thereby, reducing the processing cost. Moreover, dust reduction will reduce the burden of cleaning cost of environment and enhance worker health.

Background Polyunsaturated oils have various health-promoting effects, however, they are highly prone to oxidation. Encapsulation using biopolymers is one of the most effective strategies to enhance oil stability. This research examined the potential of gum arabic and maltodextrin for microencapsulation of omega-3 rich oils, aiming to enhance encapsulation efficiency and stability of encapsulated oil. Results We encapsulated fish and flaxseed oils by emulsification-spray drying. Spray-dried microcapsules were prepared by oil-in-water emulsions consisting of 10 wt% oil and 30 wt% biopolymer (gum arabic, maltodextrin, or their mixture). Results showed that both microcapsules were spherical in shape with surface shrinkage, and exhibited amorphous structures. Gum arabic-based microcapsules had higher encapsulation efficiency as well as better storage stability for both types of oil. Flaxseed oil microcapsules generally had higher oxidative stability regardless of the type of wall material. Conclusions Through a comprehensive characterization of the physical and chemical properties of the emulsions and resulting microcapsules, we proved gum arabic to be a more effective wall material for polyunsaturated oil microencapsulation, especially flaxseed oil. This study provides a promising approach to stabilize oils which are susceptible to deterioration, and facilitates their wider uses as food and nutraceutical products. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The study was aimed to develop protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrient enriched corn snacks through extrusion processing. Corn snacks supplemented with chickpea, defatted soy flour (20-40/100 g) and guar gum (7/100 g) were prepared through extrusion processing. Micronutrients (iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamins A, C, and folic acid) at recommended daily values were added in all formulations. Extruded corn snacks were analyzed for physical, textural, and sensory attributes. Results showed that piece density (0.34-0.44 g/cm3 ), moisture (3.40-5.25%), water activity (0.203-0.361), hardness (64.4-133.2 N), and cohesiveness (0.25-0.44) was increased Whereas, expansion ratio (3.72-2.64), springiness (0.82-0.69), chewiness (1.63-0.42), and resilience (1.37-0.14) was decreased as supplementation with soy and chickpea flour increased from 20 to 40/100 g. Overall corn snack supplemented with 15/100 g of soy and 15/100 g of chickpea flour got the highest acceptance from the sensory panelists. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The article focuses on physical, textural, and sensory attributes of extruded corn snacks enriched with protein, dietary fiber, and micronutrients Awareness about the importance of healthy snacks has grown among the consumers during the last decade. Extruded snacks developed using nutrient rich ingredients with good textural and sensory properties has always remained a challenge for the snack industry. Texture of the extruded snacks varies a lot with high levels of protein and dietary fiber. This study is helpful for the development of healthy snacks especially in developing countries lacking storage infrastructure or tropical environment. Nutrient rich extruded snacks can also be used to alleviate malnutrition by incorporating in school lunch programs.

Fortification of food with micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals is one of the main strategies used to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Fortification in common salt is a fruitful strategy because of the daily consumption of 5-12 g salt per person globally. Therefore double fortification of salt with iodine and iron could be a reasonable approach to prevent both iodine and iron deficiencies. It is reckoned that about two billion people are iodine-deficient worldwide. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy may affect the health status of both mother and fetus and increase infant mortality. Deficiencies of both these micronutrients during childhood affect somatic growth and cognitive and neurological function. Thyroid metabolism is negatively affected by iron deficiency and reduced effectiveness of iodine prophylaxis in areas of endemic goiter. High prevalence of iron deficiency among children may be reduced by the application of effective iodized salt programs. However, ensuring the stability and bioavailability of both iron and iodine as double-fortified salt is difficult. Iodine present in iodide or iodate form in dual-fortified salt is oxidized to free iodine in the presence of ferrous ions and oxygen and consequently loses its characteristics. Moreover, ferrous iron is more bioavailable but is readily oxidized to the less bioavailable ferric form. However, both forms of iron may lead to discoloration of the final product, which can be reduced by providing a physical barrier around the iron. Salt encapsulation is one of the best tools to provide a physical barrier for undesirable reactions and interactions during storage. In this review the concept of dual salt fortification, the impact of fortification on curing various life-threatening maladies, latest assessments of mineral deficiencies and the choice of fortificants are discussed.

Summary Three stabilisation techniques, microwave, dry heat and parboiling were applied to bran followed by enzymatic extraction, biological quality through growth and nitrogen balance study and safety assessment through 45 days feeding trial. Traits linked with protein bio-evaluation were affected significantly by the test diets (P

Defatted maize germ (DMG) was blended with wheat flour for making cookies. DMG flour at 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25% was used to partially replace wheat flour in cookie formulation, and cookies thus made were evaluated for physical characteristics and sensory quality by a small semi-trained panel and a 75-member consumer panel. Proximate analysis of DMG flour showed a composition of 27.6% crude protein, 13.0% crude fiber and 7.5% ash contents. The force required for breaking cookies increased with DMG flour addition. Based on preliminary evaluation of cookies made with all five DMG flour levels by the small panel, three treatments (5%, 10% and 15% DMG flour fortification) were selected for cookies sensory analysis by a consumer panel. On a 9-point hedonic scale, the highest overall acceptability score of 6.6 was obtained with 5% fortification, which was similar to control (6.7). All other treatments, though significantly different than the control, had an overall acceptability score of >5. These results demonstrate that cookies made with up of 15% DMG flour exhibited sensory scores within an acceptable range, as none were≤5 (neither like, nor dislike) that was deemed as a limit of marketability. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Defatted maize germ (DMG), a by-product of the maize milling industry, is a nutrient-dense and relatively low-cost product. In a separate study in our laboratory, the DMG flour was shown to possess excellent functional properties, such as bulk density, water- and oil-absorption capacities, and dough textural properties. The DMG flour addition to different food systems can greatly enhance the nutritional status, especially protein and crude fiber content, without compromising consumer acceptance. The results of the present study can also serve as a valuable resource to further explore the utilization of DMG as a flour extender in marketing of other bakery products – bread, cakes, muffins, to name a few – of acceptable quality.

Summary Composite flour chapaties were prepared by blending wheat, guar gum, lentil and chickpea flours in different proportions to evaluate their hypoglycaemic and hypocholesterolaemic worth because of their fibre content. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that dietary fibre and intestine length contributed negatively, while peroxide value (POV) contributed positively to the serum cholesterol and glucose. Likewise, for total chapati scores, dough stability and phytic acid showed inverse contribution, while folding ability, dough development time, dietary fibre, POV, crude fibre and texture performed positively. The canonical correlation was applied to develop a model between two groups of variables, where the first group comprised three dependent variables, i.e. total chapati scores, cholesterol and glucose and the second set comprised thirteen independent variables, i.e. crude fibre, POV, phytic acid, dietary fibre, dough development time, dough stability, feed intake, intestine length, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, albumin, texture and folding ability. The selection of independent variables was based on the significant chemical, rheological, sensory and efficacy characteristics in a multiple stepwise regression. The value of coefficient of determination for dietary fibre of the flour samples was observed to be 0.99749 indicating that 99.74% of the variation in dietary fibre can be explained by all other variables in the second set. However, 17.35% and 4.83% of variation in total chapati scores and cholesterol levels, respectively, can be explained by the entire variables in the first group, while 17.20% of variation in glucose can be explained by all other variables of the first group. The squared multiple regression of each variable in the first set with all the variables in the second set indicated that a 99.97% variation in total chapati scores, cholesterol and glucose is explained by the variables in the second set. The F-values were significant for total chapati scores, cholesterol and glucose. The results substantiated that all the variables in the second set are important to account for the significant variation for the variables tested in the first set. Canonical analysis revealed the existence of a high correlation between dependent variables and other independent variables.

Gluten, “cohesive, viscoelastic, proteinaceous material prepared as a by-product of the starch isolation from wheat flour” and the storage and dough-forming protein of wheat flour, is the key to the unique ability of wheat to suit the production of leavened products. Wet gluten was only affected by wheat varieties, while dry gluten was affected by wheat varieties, crop years and their interaction. The wet and dry gluten ranged 8.0–43.13% and 2.58–14.55%, respectively, and were positively correlated with Zeleny value, sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation value and falling number. The gluten content was higher in Pavon, SA 42 and Faisalabad 85, while Zeleny value was higher in GA 02 and C 518, resulting in better gluten quality. Zeleny value was negatively correlated with crude protein content (r = –0.1857*). The lowest amount of wet and dry gluten was detected in Triticale and durum wheats as compared to common wheats. Zeleny value and sedimentation value may be used as indicators of gluten content and quality while working on wheats. The information thus collected will be valuable for cereal chemists and wheat breeders for improvements in their future breeding programs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This research work will be a breakthrough and helpful for wheat breeders, growers, millers and bakers for their intended uses as every consumer demand specific wheat quality characteristics for their end products.

Cette etude evalue la capacite de la methode d'analyse des clusters pour diffferencier des bles de printemps et permettre leur selection pour des utilisations differentes. Les resultats indiquent les similarites des cultivars a l'interieur des groupes. Ce type de classification montre que dans les donnees regroupees pour les scores en pain, en chapati et scores generaux, la plupart des cultivars se retrouvent dans le meme groupe. Cependant, certains cultivars se distinguent dans la classification.

Six Pakistani wheat cultivars, namely C-273, Inqulab-91, Pasban-90, Parwaz-94, Shahkar-95 and Rohtas-90, were included in the present study. The kernel weight of the wheat cultivars varied from 31.43 to 36.76 g (per thousand kernels), Parwaz-94 having the highest and Rohtas-90 having the lowest. The test weight of cultivars ranged from 70.23 (Shakar-95) to 76.13 kg hL 1 (Pasban-90). The bran contained the highest amount of phytic acid (6.12%) in C-273 followed by whole-wheat flour (2.23%) in Inqulab-91, and straight-grade flour (0.24%) in Parwaz-94. The phytate content was reduced during the baking of bread and chapati. The bread scores and other quality characteristics varied significantly among cultivars. The total bread scores ranged from 35.20 to 42.00, out of a possible fifty, with Parwaz-94 being the highest. The concentration of minerals varied widely in different milling fractions of various wheat cultivars. The concentration of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn ranged from 5.00 to 52.50, 26 to 147.50, 0.00 to 97.00, 9.0 to 80.80 ppm, respectively, in different milling fractions of the wheat cultivars. The total chapati scores ranged from 22.40 to 24.20 of a possible score of 30. The minimum chapati scores were found in Rohtas-90 and Parwaz-94, while Inqulab-91 produced the maximum score. Le ble est un aliment de base au Pakistan et sa production est en augmentation depuis 30 ans. Cette etude evalue 6 nouvelles varietes de ble de printemps pakistanais pour leurs teneurs en phytate et mineraux. Le son contient la teneur la plus importante en acide phytique (6,12%) dans la variete C-273, suivie par la farine entiere (2,23%) dans le Inqulab-91. Cette teneur est reduite pendant la cuisson du pain et du chapati. Les concentrations en mineraux varient beaucoup dans les differentes fractions des bles.

Summary For 30 spring wheat cultivars, the bread-loaf volume, the total bread-baking scores and the total chapati scores were considered as dependent variables, and 16 other quality attributes were regarded as independent variables. A stepwise regression indicated acid-soluble glutenin, globulin, gliadin, and Mixograph development time contributed negatively to the bread-loaf volume and the total bread-baking scores, whereas dough development time, measured by farinograph readings, and particle size index contributed positively to both these attributes. However, 0.05 M NaOH soluble glutenin, acid soluble glutenin, globulin, albumin, fat and test weight positively affected the total chapati scores while the Farinograph readings (dough development time), ash, moisture and falling number had a negative affect. The canonical correlations were computed between the two groups of variables. The first group comprised dependent variables (bread-loaf volume, bread scores and chapati scores) and the second comprised 21 independent variables. The highest observed value of coefficient of determination for white flour protein was 0.8912 indicating that 89.12% of the variation in white flour protein can be explained by all other variables in the second set. However, 24.36 and 24.60% of variation in bread-loaf volume and total bread scores respectively can be explained by all other variables in the first set. The squared multiple regression of each variable in the first set with all the variables in the second set indicated that 57.13% variation in total chapati scores was explained by the variable in the second set, whereas 50.74% of the variation in the bread-loaf volume and 34% of the variation in total bread scores was explained by the variables included in the second set. The results of the canonical correlation revealed high correlation between the end use quality characteristics and other physico-chemical, rheological and protein components of wheat cultivars.