Meat analogue preparation from cricket and rice powder mixtures with controlled textural and nutritional quality by freeze alignment technique.

The rising demand for sustainable protein sources has encouraged interest in alternative food products like meat analogues. This study explores formulating meat analogues using cricket powder (CP) and rice flours, comparing them with soy protein-based analogues. CP exhibited a higher soluble protein content (5.9%) than soy protein powder (4.7%), enhancing textural properties by forming fiber-like structures, increasing firmness and adhesion, and reducing chewiness. Despite having a lower water holding capacity (WHC) than soy analogues, all samples outperformed chicken breast WHC. Under freezing conditions, CP and rice flour combinations formed multilayered structures in protein gels. The optimal formulations were CP and sticky rice flour (ratio 6:1) with respect to their texture properties, fiber structure, and nutritional value. This study highlights the potential of cricket powder and rice flour combinations as viable meat analogue ingredients, addressing the need for sustainable protein sources in the food industry.

Impact of Plant Oil Supplementation on Lipid Production and Fatty Acid Composition in Cunninghamella elegans TISTR 3370.

The Cunninghamella genus has been utilized for the production of PUFA-rich lipids. Therefore, we investigate the impact of plant oil supplementation in the culture medium (soybean oil, rice bran oil, and perilla oil), selected based on their different fatty acid predominant, on lipid production and fatty acid composition in C. elegans (TISTR 3370). All oils significantly boosted fungal growth, each influencing distinct patterns of lipid accumulation within the cells. The cells exhibited distinct patterns of lipid accumulation, forming intracellular lipid bodies, influenced by the different oils. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were found to be the most abundant, followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in the fungal lipid cultures. Oleic acid was identified as the primary MUFA, while palmitic acid was the predominant SFA in perilla oil supplements. Remarkably, perilla oil supplement provided the highest total lipid production with arachidonic acid being exclusively detected. The percentage of PUFAs ranged from 12% in the control to 33% in soybean oil, 32% in rice bran oil, and 61% in perilla oil supplements. These findings offer valuable opportunities for advancing biotechnological applications in lipid production and customization, with implications for food and nutrition as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Impact of Cooking Methods on Phenolic Acid Composition, Antioxidant Activity, and Starch Digestibility of Chinese Triticale Porridges: A Comparative Study between Atmospheric Pressure and High Pressure Boiling.

Water boiling under atmospheric pressure (CAP) and water boiling under high pressure (CHP) are two popular domestic cooking methods for Chinese porridge making. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of these two methods on the phenolic acid composition, antioxidant activity, and starch digestibility of triticale porridges. The contents of total free and total bound phenolic acids in the CHP sample were 1.3 and 1.6 times higher than those in the CAP counterpart, respectively, although the DPPH and ABTS values of these two samples were comparable. CAP induced more small pieces of starch than CHP, and the gelatinization enthalpy was 19% higher in the CHP sample than that in the CAP. Both cooking methods increased the starch digestibility, while the CHP sample (58.84) showed a lower GI than the CAP (61.52). These results may promote the application of triticale in health-promoting staple foods.

Chemical composition and nutritional profile of cicada (Meimuna opalifera Walker) at different developmental stages: Implications for functional food applications.

This investigation explored chemical changes in cicadas during their developmental stages (nymph, late nymph, and adult). Tocopherols (α, δ, γ) were found at a total content of 13.7 mg/g, while γ-oryzanol was observed at 2.6 mg/g, with nymphs having the highest levels, followed by late nymphs and adults. Essential amino acids increased progressively with maturation, with methionine being the predominant amino acid in all samples. The index of essential amino acids in each tissue was as follows: adult (0.36), late nymph (0.33), and nymph (0.12). Eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations varied from 230 mg/100 g in adults to 880 mg/100 g in nymphs. Protein analysis using the Protein Simple Jess system revealed a molecular weight distribution ranging from 10 to 75 kDa, accounting for approximately 70 % of the total protein content. These findings offer valuable insights for incorporating cicadas as functional food ingredients, diversifying food product formulations.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation for Antioxidant and Anti-Diabetic Properties of Cyperus rotundus L. Kombucha.

Cyperus rotundus L. exhibits promising potential for the development of functional foods due to its documented pharmacological and biological activities. This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of C. rotundus kombucha. The results demonstrated potent antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 76.7 ± 9.6 µL/mL for the DPPH assay and 314.2 ± 16.9 µL/mL for the ABTS assay. Additionally, the kombucha demonstrated alpha-glucosidase inhibitory with an IC50 value of 142.7 ± 5.2 µL/mL. This in vitro antioxidant potential was further validated in vivo using Drosophila. Drosophila fed a high-sugar diet and supplemented with pure kombucha revealed significant increases in DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activity. Drosophila on a high-sugar diet supplemented with varying kombucha concentrations manifested enhanced resistance to oxidative stresses induced by H2O2 and paraquat. Concurrently, there was a notable decline in lipid peroxidation levels. Additionally, significant upregulations in CAT, SOD1, and SOD2 activities were observed when the high-sugar diet was supplemented with kombucha. Furthermore, in vivo assessments using Drosophila demonstrated significant reductions in alpha-glucosidase activity when fed with kombucha (reduced by 34.04%, 13.79%, and 11.60% when treated with 100%, 40%, and 10% kombucha, respectively). A comprehensive GC-MS and HPLC analysis of C. rotundus kombucha detected the presence of antioxidative and anti-glucosidase compounds. In conclusion, C. rotundus kombucha exhibits considerable antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties, demonstrating its potential as a beneficial beverage for health promotion.

Phytochemical Screening on Phenolic, Flavonoid Contents, and Antioxidant Activities of Six Indigenous Plants Used in Traditional Thai Medicine.

The antioxidant activity of a traditional Thai formula has been studied and compared to each plant. The formula comprised the roots of Caesalpinia digyna Rottler, Huberantha cerasoides (Roxb.) Benth), Oxyceros horridus Lour, Antidesma ghaesembilla Gaerth, Combretum quadrangulare Kurz, and Ziziphus cambodiana Pierre. The stem was also studied in comparison. The ethanolic extract from each plant part and the mixed plants mimicking the traditional formula were prepared and investigated for antioxidant capability in vitro via DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays. The phytochemical constituents were determined by chemical screening, total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC), and high-performance liquid chromatography. The relationship between antioxidant activity and the contributed phytochemicals was determined using correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that extracts from both parts of the plant formula showed the highest antioxidant activity compared to a single plant extract. Among the six plants, C. digyna exhibited the highest TPC and antioxidant activity. TPC had a strong positive correlation with antioxidant activity. PCA revealed that gallic acid contributed to the antioxidant activity. In conclusion, the ethanolic extracts of the traditional formula and C. digyna have the potential for further chemical characterization and study related to antioxidant activity.

Evaluation of Roasting and Grilling Effects on Chemical Composition, Volatile Profiles, and Toxicity of Stink Bugs (Tessaratoma papillosa): Implications for Utilization as Functional Food Ingredients.

The stink bug (Tessaratoma papillosa) is a highly popular edible insect in Thai traditional cuisine, but little research has investigated the effects of heat treatment on the quality of stink bugs. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of roasting and grilling on the chemical changes and volatile compounds of late nymph and adult stink bugs. In general, all treated samples showed increases in phenolic acid, tocopherols, and amino acid contents and a decrease in the content of fiber compared with raw stink bugs (p < 0.05). Cinnamic acid significantly increased by over 200% in late nymph insects and 30% in adult insects after roasting, whereas syringic acid decreased after cooking (p < 0.05). The most predominant volatile compound found in all samples was 5-methyl-octadecane and it decreased after cooking, while volatile alkane compounds increased after cooking. The processed sample extracts showed higher toxicity on oral cancer KB and cervical cancer Hela cells than on Vero cells. We have demonstrated that different cooking methods affected the chemical components which may result in quality attributes if stink bug is to be used as a functional ingredient/food. It may be helpful to improve the nutritional and functional values of stink bugs during deep processing.

Effects of Far-Infrared Radiation Drying on Starch Digestibility and the Content of Bioactive Compounds in Differently Pigmented Rice Varieties.

Far infrared radiation (FIR) was applied to six rice varieties with different coloring of the pericarp (purple, red or non-pigment). Changes were determined in amylose content, in gelatinization parameters, in the content of bioactive compounds, in antioxidant activity and in the in vitro digestibility of pigmented rice as affected by FIR. The highest contents of amylose, total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC) and total anthocyanins (TAC) were found in the purple and red varieties. Overall, FIR increased TPC, TFC and TAC, including antioxidant capacity. Quercetin and apigenin contents were increased while rutin and myricetin decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in all FIR-dried samples. Dephinidin, cyanidin-3-glucosides and pelargonidin increased after FIR treatment. Mostly, FIR-treated samples were found to have greater gelatinization enthalpy, compared with unheated rice samples. FIR-dried rice showed lower starch digestibility (25−40%) than unheated rice. This research suggested that the specific genotype of rice had the greatest influence on amylose content in pigmented rice, while FIR drying had no further effect. Our results suggest that FIR could enhance the content of the bioactive compounds capable of inhibiting α-amylase, thereby lowering starch digestibility. Hence, FIR may be considered as an appropriate drying method for pigmented rice regarding health benefits.

Bioactive compounds, biological activity, and starch digestibility of dried soy residues from the soybean oil industry and the effects of hot-air drying.

BACKGROUND: Soybean residue is a by-product from the soy industry. It is rich in protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and bioactive compounds but it is still underutilized as a food ingredient. The aim of the present study was to investigate the bioactive components, biological activity, and starch digestibility of soybean residues collected from the soybean oil industry (SOI) and the laboratory (SOL), and the effects of hot-air drying on the treated residues. RESULTS: The predominant phenolic acids were protocatechuic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids, and the major flavonoids were rutin, daidzein, and genistein. After hot-air drying, the total phenolic, flavonoid, and isoflavone content of dried SOI and SOL increased significantly, in comparison with untreated whole soybean (WSB), SOI, and SOL. Daidzein of dried SOI and SOL increased from 63 to 510 mg kg-1 dry weight. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryldrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values increased almost twofold in comparison with SOI and SOL. The antioxidant compounds in untreated and treated soy-residue extracts were the most efficient in inhibiting α-amylase. The phenolics and flavonoids caused starch digestion to reduce from 6.6% to 2.7%. The correlations, involving phenolic compounds (including phenolics, flavonoids, and isoflavones), demonstrated that the different phenolic extracts showed different antioxidant properties, which played an important role in soy oil-residue phenolic fractions. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that soy oil residues could be used as ingredients in functional foods because of their health-promoting attributes. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Amino Acid Profile and Biological Properties of Silk Cocoon as Affected by Water and Enzyme Extraction.

We compared the efficacy for protein extraction of water versus enzymatic extraction. The amino-acid composition, inhibitory activity against enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and anti-glycation activities of silk protein extract (SPE) were determined. We used water extraction (100 °C, six hours) and protease-enzymatic extraction. The microstructure of silk fibers was obviously different after extraction. The results showed that enzymatic extraction gave the greater values of protein content, amino acids, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC), as well as all biological activities parameters tested, but it also provided a more bitter taste in the extract-contributing amino acids of 51% (arginine, phenylalanine, histidine, valine, tryptophan, isoleucine, and leucine) and less sweet and umami taste contributing amino acids than did water extraction, which could be more suitable to be used as concentrated nutraceuticals.

Changes in Amino Acid Profiles and Bioactive Compounds of Thai Silk Cocoons as Affected by Water Extraction.

Silk proteins have many advantageous components including proteins and pigments. The proteins-sericin and fibroin-have been widely studied for medical applications due to their good physiochemical properties and biological activities. Various strains of cocoon display different compositions such as amino-acid profiles and levels of antioxidant activity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to find a suitable silk protein extraction method to obtain products with chemical and biological properties suitable as functional foods in two strains of Bombyx mori silk cocoon (Nangsew strains; yellow cocoon) and Samia ricini silk cocoon (Eri strains; white cocoon) extracted by water at 100 °C for 2, 4, 6 and 8 h. The results showed that Nangsew strains extracted for 6 h contained the highest amounts of protein, amino acids, total phenolics (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC), plus DPPH radical-scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), anti-glycation, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition. The longer extraction time produced higher concentrations of amino acids, contributing to sweet and umami tastes in both silk strains. It seemed that the bitterness decreased as the extraction time increased, resulting in improvements in the sweetness and umami of silk-protein extracts.

Changes in curcuminoids and chemical components of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) under freeze-drying and low-temperature drying methods.

We investigated how various drying methods affect the chemical components and microstructure of turmeric. We used freeze drying (FD), hot-air drying (HD) at 50 °C and sun drying (SD). Compared to all dried samples, fresh turmeric had greater amounts of chemical components (curcuminoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids and amino acids) andgreater antioxidantactivity (DPPH and FRAP) except for ABTS.+ values. SD caused a severe decline of three major curcuminoids, resulting from UV and light degradation. Curcumin was decreased the most by SD (72%), followed by HD (61%) and FD (55%), respectively. Curcumin degradation to ferulic acid and vanillin was explored by FTIR analysis. The amino acids were decreased by all drying methods. FD was considered to be most suitable for drying turmeric. Microstructure changes were least after freeze drying, but were still evident compared with fresh turmeric.

Reducing retrogradation and lipid oxidation of normal and glutinous rice flours by adding mango peel powder.

Green and ripe mango peel powders (MPP) were added to normal rice flour (NRF) and glutinous rice flour (GRF) at three levels (400, 800 and 1200 ppm) and their effects on physicochemical properties and lipid oxidation inhibition were investigated. Overall, MPP increased the breakdown viscosity and reduced the final viscosity in rice flours when compared to the control. Decreasing in retrogradation was observed in both NRF and GRF with MPP added of all levels. MPP addition also significantly inhibited the lipid oxidation of all flours during storage (30 days). Retrogradation values were strongly negatively correlated with total phenolic and flavonoid contents, but not with fiber content. The hydrogen bonds and hydrophilic interactions between phenolic compounds with amylopectin molecule may be involved the decrease of starch retrogradation, especially GRF. We suggest that the addition of MPP not only reduced the retrogradation but also inhibited the lipid oxidation of rice flour.

Cratoxylum formosum Extracts Inhibit Growth and Metastasis of Cholangiocarcinoma Cells by Modulating the NF-κB and STAT3 Pathways.

Cratoxylum formosum Dyer has been used in Southeast Asian countries both for food and folk medicine. In this study, the leaf extracts of C. formosum were evaluated for anticancer effects on human cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) KKU-M156 cells. The results showed that the plant extracts possessed potent cytotoxicity against CCA cells. The cytotoxic activity was associated with an induction of cell apoptosis. Moreover, the colony forming ability of CCA cells was also inhibited by C. formosum extracts. Consistent with growth inhibitory effects, the plant extracts induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and downregulated cyclin A and Cdc25A protein expression. The extracts potently suppressed the migration and invasion properties of CCA cells. The effects were associated with the suppression of NF-κB and STAT3 nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity, and downregulation of genes involving in cancer progression and metastasis. Furthermore, the possible bioactive compounds in the extracts were analyzed by HPLC. Taken together, the potent anticancer activity of C. formosum against CCA indicates the plant promising use for CCA prevention and therapy.

Effects of the traditional method and an alternative parboiling process on the fatty acids, vitamin E, γ-oryzanol and phenolic acids of glutinous rice.

The impacts of traditional and alternative parboiling processes on the concentrations of fatty acids, tocopherol, tocotrienol, γ-oryzanol and phenolic acids in glutinous rice were investigated. Differences between the two methods were the soaking temperatures and the steaming methods. Results showed that parboiling processes significantly increased the concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFA), mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), γ-oryzanol, γ-tocotrienol and total phenolic acids (TPA) in glutinous rice, while α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decreased (p<0.05). Both the traditional and alternative parboiling methods increased the levels of γ-oryzanol by three or fourfold compared with the level of γ-oryzanol in raw rice. Parboiling caused both adverse and favorable effects on phenolic acids content (p<0.05). We found that glutinous rice, parboiled using our newly developed method, had higher levels of PUFA, total vitamin E, γ-oryzanol, hydrobenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid and TPA compared to the traditional method.

Marigold flower-powder exhibits significant potential to inhibit lipid oxidation in rice bran tea.

We supplemented marigold flower-powder (MFP) in rice bran tea at different proportions as a source of natural antioxidant compounds. Changes of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, fatty acid composition and lipid oxidation in the rice bran tea with MFP after 30 days of storage were investigated, comparing results with the initial data. Adding MFP in rice bran tea resulted in an increased content and composition of phenolics and flavonoids along with enhanced antioxidant activities, which were increased in a dose-dependent manner. As a result, MFP supplementation of rice bran tea was able to retard the lipid oxidation as determined by the peroxide value (PV), due to the protection of essential fatty acids during 30 days of storage. The PVs were strongly negatively correlated (p < 0.01) with phenolic compounds, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), but were positively correlated with tocopherols and γ-oryzanol contents. We also found that the PV was positively correlated with the PUFA (poly unsaturated fatty acid) content but adverse results were found for SFA (saturated fatty acid) and MUFA (mono unsaturated fatty acid) contents. These findings suggest that MFP could be used as a natural antioxidant in foods for preventing lipid oxidation as well as extending the shelf-life of food products.

Effects of NaCl and soaking temperature on the phenolic compounds, α-tocopherol, γ-oryzanol and fatty acids of glutinous rice.

Soaking is one of the important steps of the parboiling process. In this study, we investigated the effect of changes in different sodium chloride (NaCl) content (0%, 1.5% and 3.0% NaCl, w/v) of soaking media and soaking temperatures (30°C, 45°C and 60°C) on the phenolic compounds (α-tocopherol, γ-oryzanol) and on the fatty acids of glutinous rice, compared with unsoaked samples. Overall, the total phenolic content, total phenolic acids, γ-oryzanol, saturated fatty acid and mono-unsaturated fatty acid of the glutinous rice showed an increasing trend as NaCl content and soaking temperature increased, while α-tocopherol and polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased. Soaking at 3.0% NaCl provided the highest total phenolic content, total phenolic acids and γ-oryzanol (0.2mg GAE/g, 63.61 µg/g and 139.76 mg/100g, respectively) for the soaking treatments tested. Nevertheless, the amount of α-tocopherol and polyunsaturated fatty acid were found to be the highest (18.30/100g and 39.74%, respectively) in unsoaked rice.

Effects of different treatments on the antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds of rice bran and rice husk.

We investigated the changes of antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds in bran, rice husk and ground rice husk after three different treatments, namely hot-air, far-infrared radiation (FIR), and cellulase, compared with raw samples. Overall, FIR-treated group showed a higher DPPH radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total phenolic content (TPC) than did hot-air and cellulase treatments for all samples. A significant increase in α- and γ-tocopherols was found in FIR irradiated rice bran compared to raw bran, while α- and γ-tocopherols in hot-air and cellulase treated rice bran were remained unchanged. Cellulase significantly increased the amount of vanillic acid; however a dramatic decrease of ferulic acid was observed. The contents of γ-oryzanol in cellulase treated ground rice husk were significantly increased. Decreasing particle size in the husk was found to work positively for enhancing antioxidant activities, γ-oryzanol and phenolic compounds.

Wheat bran particle size influence on phytochemical extractability and antioxidant properties.

It is unknown if particle size plays a role in extracting health promoting compounds in wheat bran because the extraction of antioxidant and phenolic compounds with particle size reduction has not been well documented. In this study, unmilled whole bran (coarse treatment) was compared to whole bran milled to medium and fine treatments from the same wheat bran. Antioxidant properties (capacity, ability, power), carotenoids and phenolic compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins) were measured and compared. The ability of whole bran fractions of differing particle size distributions to inhibit free radicals was assessed using four in vitro models, namely, diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity, ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and total antioxidant capacity. Significant differences in phytochemical concentrations and antioxidant properties were observed between whole bran fractions of reduced particle size distribution for some assays. The coarse treatment exhibited significantly higher antioxidant properties compared to the fine treatment; except for the ORAC value, in which coarse was significantly lower. For soluble and bound extractions, the coarse treatment was comparatively higher in total antioxidant capacity (426.72 mg ascorbic acid eq./g) and FRAP value (53.04 µmol FeSO4/g) than bran milled to the finer treatment (314.55 ascorbic acid eq./g and 40.84 µmol FeSO4/g, respectively). Likewise, the fine treatment was higher in phenolic acid (7.36 mg FAE/g), flavonoid (206.74 µg catechin/g), anthocyanin (63.0 µg/g), and carotenoid contents (beta carotene, 14.25 µg/100 g; zeaxanthin, 35.21 µg/100 g; lutein 174.59 µg/100 g) as compared to the coarse treatment. An increase of surface area to mass increased the ORAC value by over 80%. With reduction in particle size, there was a significant increase in extracted anthocyanins, carotenoids and ORAC value. Particle size does effect the extraction of phytochemicals.

Effect of shading on yield, sugar content, phenolic acids and antioxidant property of coffee beans (Coffea Arabica L. cv. Catimor) harvested from north-eastern Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Environmental conditions, including shading, generally influence the physical and chemical qualities of coffee beans. The present study assessed the changes in some phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and agronomic characters of coffee beans (Coffea arabica L. cv. Catimor) as affected by different shading conditions including full sun, three artificial shading conditions using a saran covering (50% shade, 60% shade, and 70% shade) and lychee shade. RESULTS: Bean weight and bean size increased significantly (P < 0.05) when the shade level was progressively increased. The coffee beans grown under lychee shade exhibited superior bean yield, 1000-bean weight, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity compared to all other beans. Chlorogenic acid was the most predominant phenolic acid in all samples studied, being the highest in the beans grown under lychee shade, followed by 60% shade, 70% shade, 50% shade and full sun, respectively. In contrast, bean grown under full sun had the highest amount of vanillic acid and caffeic acid. CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidant activity was highly positively associated with chlorogenic acid content. The content of total sugar (fructose, glucose and sucrose) was found highest in coffee beans grown in 60% shade, with fructose the predominant sugar. Under climatic conditions similar to this experiment, it is advisable that growers provide shade to the coffee crop to reduce heat from direct sunlight and promote yield as well as obtain good quality coffee beans.