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Water-holding capacity is an important quality attribute of fresh meat. It is closely related to eating quality attributes such as tenderness, juiciness and color. Water-holding capacity also affects the mass of meat when marketed. Therefore, water-holding capacity has a focus of attention in the meat industry. This paper reviews the fundamental theory of the water-holding capacity of meat and its recent developments. A brief introduction is given to the microstructure of muscle and water distribution in muscle. The roles of electrostatic forces, osmotic pressure, and capillary forces in the water-holding capacity of meat are summarized, and the methods used for water-holding measurement are reviewed. Finally, the latest research progress on the water-holding mechanism in meat is discussed with a focus on net charge and microstructure. This comprehensive review will provide a theoretical basis for meat research and production.

Stevia rebaudiana boasts a wide range of medical and food applications and contains polysaccharides that exert beneficial effects against oxidative stress. In this study, we optimised the extraction of a polysaccharide (SRRP) from S. rebaudiana roots by employing a Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: 93.57 min, 71.67 °C, and a water-to-raw material ratio of 21.40 mL/g. Under these conditions, 14.00 ± 0.35% of crude polysaccharide was obtained. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with SRRP prior to the addition of H2O2, a major contributor to oxidative damage, significantly increased cell viability. In addition, SRRP increased the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione and reduced the levels of malondialdehyde in RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, SRRP can provide effective protection against H2O2-induced oxidative damage. These findings indicate the potential of SRRP as a natural antioxidant in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind-resistant performance of cable-stayed bridges under construction deteriorates sharply as the cantilever length increases, and the arrangement of the temporary pier is an effective measure to improve aerodynamic stability. To investigate the effect of the temporary pier on buffeting response of a long-span three-tower cable-stayed bridge under construction, the nonlinear buffeting analysis and wind tunnel test of aeroelastic model methods are adopted in this paper. The influence of the type and arrangement positions of temporary piers on mean wind response and the nonlinear buffeting response of double-cantilever construction are studied, and the arrangement of the temporary pier is optimized based on the buffeting response. The results show that the reduction rates of the RMS of the torsional moment at the tower bottom and the lateral buffeting displacement at the girder end with the rigid pier are 35.6% and 59.2% compared to those without the temporary pier. Further, the buffeting response will decrease as the distance between the rigid pier and the tower increases in the state. On the contrary, in the double-cantilever construction state before the constraint of temporary piers, the buffeting response will become significant as the distance increases. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the buffeting response under two construction states when optimizing the arrangement position of the temporary pier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for clean-label starch, perceived as environmentally friendly in terms of production and less hazardous to health, has driven the advancement of food physical processing technologies aimed at modifying starch. One of the key objectives of these modifications has been to reduce the glycaemic potency and increase resistant starch content of starch, as these properties have the potential to positively impact metabolic health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent updates in typical physical processing techniques, including annealing, heat-moisture, microwave and ultrasonication, and a brief discussion of several promising recent-developed methods. The focus is on evaluating the molecular, supramolecular and microstructural changes resulting from these modifications and identifying targeted structures that can foster enzyme-digestion resistance in native starch and its forms relevant to food applications. After a comprehensive search and assessment, the current physical modifications have not consistently improved starch enzymatic resistance. The opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of modifications lie in (1) identifying modification conditions that avoid the intensive disruption of the granular and supramolecular structure of starch and (2) exploring novel strategies that incorporate multi-type modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]