Maillard Reaction Products in Gluten-Free Bread Made from Raw and Roasted Buckwheat Flour.

The formation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) in gluten-free bread made from roasted and raw buckwheat flour was examined. The levels of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids (catechin, naringenin, quercetin, rutin, and others) and phenolic acids (like 4-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, dihydroxybenzoic, ferulic, gallic, syringic, vanillic, and p-coumaric) were measured using reversed-phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-UHPLC-ESI-MS). Early and advanced Maillard reaction products were analyzed using HPLC, whereas spectrofluorimetric analysis was used to determine the levels of fluorescent intermediate compounds (FIC). The total levels of phenolic compounds were higher in the case of buckwheat bread prepared from roasted buckwheat flour (156 and 140 µg/g of crumb and crust, respectively). Rutin, gallic acid, and catechin were the most abundant phenolic compounds detected in roasted buckwheat bread. The roasting process resulted in significantly lower radical scavenging capacities (ABTS) of the total phenolics and flavonoids in the buckwheat bread. Taking into consideration these Maillard reaction products, we observed a significant increase in FIC level in roasted buckwheat crumb and crust (at about 40%, and 38%, respectively). At the same time, the Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) level did not change in roasted or raw buckwheat bread crumb, though in roasted buckwheat crust the concentration of CML increased by about 21%.

Low-Field NMR Study of Shortcake Biscuits with Cricket Powder, and Their Nutritional and Physical Characteristics.

The growing human population renders challenges for the future supply of food products with high nutritional value. Here, we enhanced the functional and nutritional value of biscuits, a popular sweet snack, by replacing the wheat flour with 2%, 6%, or 10% (w/w) cricket powder. Consumer acceptance ratings for reference and 2% augmented cookies were comparable, whereas the higher levels of enhancement received inferior consumer scores. This relatively small change in biscuit recipe provided significant and nutritionally desirable enhancements in the biscuits, observed in a series of analyses. An increase in the protein content was observed, including essential amino acids, as well as minerals and fat. This conversion also affected the physical properties of the biscuits, including hardness, and water molecular dynamics measured by 1H NMR. Cricket powder-augmented biscuits join the line of enhanced, functionally superior food products. This and similar food augmentation provide a viable scenario to meet the human food demands in the future.

B-cell receptor signaling in the pathogenesis of lymphoid malignancies.

B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway plays a central role in B-lymphocyte development and initiation of humoral immunity. Recently, BCR signaling pathway has been shown as a major driver in the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies. As a result, a vast array of BCR-associated kinases has emerged as rational therapeutic targets changing treatment paradigms in B cell malignancies. Based on high efficacy in early-stage clinical trials, there is rapid clinical development of inhibitors targeting BCR signaling pathway. Here, we describe the essential components of BCR signaling, their function in normal and pathogenic signaling and molecular effects of their inhibition in vitro and in vivo.

Formation of Maillard reaction products in a model bread system of different gluten-free flours.

In this study, we determined the levels of Maillard-type products (furosine, free fluorescent advanced glycation end products, 3-deoxyglucosone, methylglyoxal, and N-ε-carboxymethyllysine) in a model gluten-free bread made of wholegrain white, brown, wild, red, and black rice flour, as well as of yellow and purple corn flour. The total protein, lysine, arginine, and cysteine contents were found to relate directly to the formation of Maillard-type products. The malvidin, ferulic, syringic, sinapic, and p-coumaric acids present in gluten-free breads were effective against the formation of furosine, fluorescent compounds, and dicarbonyls, but were ineffective in mitigating CML. Although the bread formulated with purple corn flour had the lowest levels of furosine and fluorescent compounds, this formulation led to an increase in N-ε-carboxymethyllysine and adversely affected the bread's aroma, on account of the presence of polyphenols responsible for a bitter aroma, which were at their highest concentration (1942.34 µg/g) in this bread.

Pasta with Kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta): Effect on Structure, Quality, Consumer Acceptance, and Changes in Bioactivity during Thermal Treatment.

In this study, kiwiberry lyophilizate (KBL) was incorporated into pasta at different levels (5%, 10%, and 15% w/w). Kiwiberry fruits' characteristics (ascorbic acid, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity determination) as well as physical (cooking properties, color, microscopic structure determination, texture, and water molecular dynamics analysis by low-field NMR) and chemical analyses (proximate composition phenolic compounds composition and antioxidant activity) of KBL-enriched pasta were investigated. The replacement of semolina with KBL in the production of pasta significantly changed its culinary properties. Results showed that the addition of KBL leads to a reduction in optimal cooking time and cooking weight (47.6% and 37.3%, respectively). Additionally, a significant effect of the KBL incorporation on the color of both fresh and cooked pasta was observed. A significant reduction in the L* value for fresh (27.8%) and cooked (20.2%) pasta was found. The KBL-enriched pasta had a different surface microstructure than the control pasta and reduced firmness (on average 44.7%). Low-field NMR results have confirmed that the ingredients in kiwiberry fruit can bind the water available in fresh pasta. The heat treatment resulted in increasing the availability of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity (64.7%) of cooked pasta. Sensory evaluation scores showed that the use of 5-10% of the KBL additive could be successfully accepted by consumers.

Functional constituents of plant-based foods boost immunity against acute and chronic disorders.

Plant-based foods are becoming an increasingly frequent topic of discussion, both scientific and social, due to the dissemination of information and exchange of experiences in the media. Plant-based diets are considered beneficial for human health due to the supply of many valuable nutrients, including health-promoting compounds. Replacing meat-based foods with plant-based products will provide many valuable compounds, including antioxidants, phenolic compounds, fibers, vitamins, minerals, and some ω3 fatty acids. Due to their high nutritional and functional composition, plant-based foods are beneficial in acute and chronic diseases. This article attempts to review the literature to present the most important data on nutrients of plant-based foods that can then help in the prevention of many diseases, such as different infections, such as coronavirus disease, pneumonia, common cold and flu, asthma, and bacterial diseases, such as bronchitis. A properly structured plant-based diet not only provides the necessary nutrients but also can help in the prevention of many diseases.

Production of wheat bread with spray-dried potato juice: Influence on dough and bread characteristics.

Spray-dried potato juice, a raw material with pro-health properties that have already been described in recent literature, was used to substitute a part of wheat flour in bread. Bread was chosen based on its popularity. This paper is a report on the results of this substitution. Three levels of flour replacement were chosen - 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% (with respect to the mass of flour). The influence of potato juice addition on some of the most important characteristics of wheat bread was determined. Mixes of wheat flour and spray-dried potato juice were analyzed for fermentative and pasting properties. Baked bread samples were analyzed for their texture, color, consumer acceptance and antioxidant activity. The substitution influenced the volume of the loaf as gasses were not retained by the underdeveloped gluten network. Spray-dried potato juice was also found to influence the pasting properties. The viscosity values (peak viscosity, trough and final viscosity) determined with the RVA device were increased in pastes obtained from raw material mixtures with spray-dried potato juice. These crumb also showed increased firmness and chewiness as well as decreased springiness in the performed texture profile analyses. Spray-dried potato juice was also found to impact the color of bread crumb to an extent noticeable to the human eye. The bread that contained spray-dried potato juice was darker than bread produced with sole wheat bread. The color components (CIE L*a*b*) were shifted toward red and yellow. The bread containing spray-dried potato juice was also significantly richer in antioxidant compounds than the control wheat bread. From the perspective of consumer acceptance, the introduction of larger amounts of spray-dried potato juice resulted in deterioration of the sensory quality. Nonetheless, the acceptance of bread with 2.5% of flour substituted with spray-dried potato juice did not differ significantly from the control.

Seed-Roasting Process Affects Oxidative Stability of Cold-Pressed Oils.

The oxidative stability of vegetable oils mainly depends on their fatty acid composition, their degree of unsaturation, and the presence of compounds with antioxidant activity. This paper reports on the effects of the process of roasting oil seeds, prior to pressing them, on the basic characteristics of the oils produced and their oxidative stability. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was used to study the process of oxidation of the oil samples in an oxygen-flow cell. Chromatographic analysis revealed that roasting the seeds increased the levels of chlorophyll and ß-carotene in all the cold-pressed oils. Similar results were observed for the oil's antioxidant activity, measured by the scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method. Our results also indicated that roasting seeds prior to pressing them for oil had a positive effect on the oil's stability, as determined by the DSC method. This manifested in both the extension of oxidation induction time and the final oxidation time.

Effects of polyphenols on volatile profile and acrylamide formation in a model wheat bread system.

The formation of toxic and potentially carcinogenic acrylamide, alongside volatile aroma compounds, was studied after polyphenols ((+)-catechin, quercetin, gallic, ferulic, caffeic acids) were added to model bread. The addition of as little as 0.1% polyphenols to bread significantly reduced acrylamide (16.2-95.2%). In the case of quercetin, a promoting effect was observed (+9.8%) when its concentration increased. Of all the phenolic compounds, regardless of concentration, ferulic acid showed the highest level of acrylamide inhibition. This is probably due to the presence of 4-vinylguaiacol, a degradation derivative with strong antioxidant activity in heterogeneous systems. Although the phenolic compounds mitigate acrylamide, this adversely affected bread volatile profile. At the highest level (2.0%), caffeic acid most significantly suppressed Maillard-type volatiles (75.9%), followed by gallic acid (74.3%), ferulic acid (65.6%), (+)-catechin (62.4%), and quercetin (59.3%). Among polyphenols, ferulic acid decreased yeast fermentation products level the most (33.1%), simultaneously enhancing lipid oxidation product, probably due to inhibition of amylases and yeast activity.

Effects of the replacement of wheat flour with cricket powder on the characteristics of muffins.

BACKGROUND: Cricket powder (CP) is a cheap and valuable source of protein, unsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium, which makes it useful for the enrich- ment of bakery products. METHODS: The ash, fat, moisture and protein contents of enriched muffins were analyzed ac- cording to PN-EN ISO and AACC methods. The proximate carbohydrate content was estimated by subtract- ing the total fat, protein, ash and moisture content from 100% of food composition. The color of the muffins was measured in the CIE L*a*b* scale using a Chroma Meter CR-410. A TA.XTplus texture analyzer was used to perform texture profile analysis. RESULTS: The protein content in muffins enriched with increased CP in samples with 5% and 10% CP addition, and the carbohydrate content reduced as the percentage of CP increased. Results of texture analysis indicated that the use of CP as an additive caused a significant decrease in the hardness, springiness, chewiness and re- silience of the obtained muffins. There were no changes in cohesiveness. With increasing amounts of CP, the value of lightness (L*) decreased, while the green/red (a*) and blue/yellow (b*) color balances were shifted towards green and blue respectively. The results of consumer acceptance tests showed that control muffins and muffins with 2% CP did not significantly differ from each other. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account the slight changes in color and textural properties, cricket powder can be used for the enrichment of muffins with protein without reducing the sensory attractiveness of the product obtained.

Residual iliofemoral thrombosis in a 31-year-old woman on oral contraceptives possessing heterozygous factor V Leiden, factor XIII Val34Leu allele and alpha-fibrinogen Thr312Ala allele: case report.

We present the case of a 31-year-old woman on oral contraceptives with a 3-year history of iliofemoral thrombosis resistant to recanalization despite satisfactory anticoagulation therapy and absence of concomitant diseases. Thrombophilia screening revealed heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation. We also detected the presence of factor XIII (FXIII) Leu34 allele and alpha-chain fibrinogen 312Ala allele, which are known to adversely affect fibrin clot structure and lysis. It might be speculated that the presence of 3 polymorphisms in this patient could contribute to proximal thrombosis resistant to treatment. We postulate that determination of FXIII and alpha-fibrinogen polymorphisms can be useful in the evaluation of some young patients with deep vein thrombosis.