Effects of low-frequency magnetic field on solubility, structural and functional properties of soy 11S globulin.

BACKGROUND: Soy 11S globulin has high thermal stability, limiting its application in the production of low-temperature gel foods. In this study, the low-frequency magnetic field (LF-MF, 5 mT) treatment (time, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) was used to improve the solubility, conformation, physicochemical properties, surface characteristics, and gel properties of soy 11S globulin. RESULTS: Compared with the native soy 11S globulin, the sulfhydryl content, emulsifying capacity, gel strength, water-holding capacity, and absolute zeta potential values significantly increased (P < 0.05) after LF-MF treatment. The LF-MF treatment induced the unfolding of the protein structure and the fracture of disulfide bonds. The variations in solubility, foaming properties, viscosity, surface hydrophobicity, and rheological properties were closely related to the conformational changes of soy 11S globulin, with the optimum LF-MF modification time being 90 min. CONCLUSION: LF-MF treatment is an effective method to improve various functional properties of native soy 11S globulin, and this study provides a reference for the development of plant-based proteins in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Ultrasound-Assisted Sodium Bicarbonate Treatment on Aggregation and Conformation of Reduced-Salt Pork Myofibrillar Protein.

To study the effects of an ultrasound (0, 30, and 60 min) and sodium bicarbonate (0% and 0.2%) combination on the reduced-salt pork myofibrillar protein, the changes in pH, turbidity, aggregation, and conformation were investigated. After the ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment, the pH increased by 0.80 units, the absolute value of Zeta potential, hydrophobic force, and active sulfhydryl group significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the turbidity and particle size significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity decreased from 894 to 623, and the fluorescence peak showed a significant redshift, which indicated that the ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment exposed the non-polarity of the microenvironment in which the fluorescence emission group was located, leading to the microenvironment and protein structure of myofibrillar tryptophan being changed. Overall, an ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment could significantly improve pork myofibrillar protein solubility and change the protein structure under a reduced-salt environment.

Changes in Gel Characteristics, Rheological Properties, and Water Migration of PSE Meat Myofibrillar Proteins with Different Amounts of Sodium Bicarbonate.

The changes in the gel and rheological properties and water-holding capacity of PSE meat myofibrillar proteins with different amounts of sodium bicarbonate (SC, 0−0.6/100 g) were studied. Compared to the PSE meat myofibrillar proteins with 0/100 g SC, the texture properties and cooking yield significantly increased (p < 0.05) with increasing SC; meanwhile, adding SC caused the gel color to darken. All samples had similar curves with three phases, and the storage modulus (G') values significantly increased with the increasing SC. The thermal stability of the PSE meat myofibrillar proteins was enhanced, and the G' value at 80 °C increased with the increasing SC. Because water was bound more tightly to the protein matrix, the initial relaxation times of T21 and T22 shortened, the peak ratio of P21 significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the P22 significantly decreased (p < 0.05), which implied that the mobility of the water was reduced. Overall, SC could improve the thermal stability of the PSE meat myofibrillar proteins and increase the water-holding capacity and textural properties of the cooked PSE meat myofibrillar protein gels.

[Research Progress of Pleckstrin Homology Like Domain Family A Member 1 in Tumor].

Pleckstrin homology like domain family A member 1(PHLDA1) is also known as T-cell death-associated gene 51 (TDAG51).Studies have demonstrated that the abnormal expression of PHLDA1 is closely associated with the formation,development,and metastasis of tumors.We summarized the latest research advances in the structure and biological properties of PHLDA1,as well as the roles of PHLDA1 in multiple malignanttumors such as breast cancer,cancer,liver gastric cancer,liver cancer,melanoma,and osteosarcoma,aiming to comprehensively reveal the significance of PHLDA1 in the clinical diagnosis of tumors.

The effects of sodium chloride on proteins aggregation, conformation and gel properties of pork myofibrillar protein Running Head: Relationship aggregation, conformation and gel properties.

The objective of this study was to evaluate relationship with aggregation, secondary structures and gel properties of pork myofibrillar protein with different sodium chloride (1%, 2% and 3%). When the sodium chloride increased from 1 to 3%, the active sulfhydryl, surface hydrophobicity, hardness and cooking yield of myofibrillar protein were increased significantly (p < 0.05), the particle size, total sulfhydryl and Zeta potential were decreased significantly (p < 0.05), these meant the aggregations of pork myofibrillar protein were decreased. The changes of proteins aggregation induced the strongest intensity band of Amide I shifted up from 1660 cm-1 to 1661 cm-1, meanwhile, the ß-sheet structure content was increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the sodium chloride increased. From the above, the lower proteins aggregation and higher ß-sheet structure content could improve the water holding capacity and texture of pork myofibrillar protein gel.

Effect of dynamic ultra-high pressure homogenization on the structure and functional properties of whey protein.

The effects of dynamic ultra-high pressure homogenization (UHPH) on the structure and functional properties of whey protein were investigated in this study. Whey protein solution of 10 mg/mL (1% w/w) was prepared and processed by a laboratory scale high pressure homogenizer with different pressures (25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 MPa) at an initial temperature of 25 °C. Then, the solution samples were evaluated in terms of secondary structure, sulfhydryl and disulfide bond contents, surface hydrophobicity, average particle size, solubility, foaming capacity, emulsifying activity, and thermal properties. It was found that the secondary structure of whey protein changed with the dynamic UHPH treatment. The interchange reaction between the disulfide bond and the sulfhydryl group was promoted and the surface hydrophobicity significantly increased. The functional properties of the whey protein accordingly changed. Specifically, after dynamic UHPH treatment, the average particle size of the whey protein and emulsion decreased while the solubility, the foaming capability and the emulsification stability increased significantly. The results also revealed that with the dynamic UHPH at 150 MPa, the best improvement was observed in the whey protein functional properties. The whey protein solubility increased from 63.15 to 71.61% and the emulsification stability improved from 195 to 467 min.

Morphophysiological responses of detached and adhered biofilms of Pseudomonas fluorescens to acidic electrolyzed water.

Pseudomonas spp. have emerged as the main spoilage bacteria, with many strains easily forming biofilms on food-contact surfaces and causing cross-contamination. The efficacy of disinfectants against bacteria is usually tested with planktonic cells; however, the disinfection tolerance of biofilms, especially detached biofilms, remains unknown. Here, we investigated the tolerance responses of detached and adhered biofilms of Pseudomonas fluorescens to acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) by determining tolerance responses by plate counting, comparing them using a Weibull model, and verifying changes in bacterial morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The experimental data and the responses calculated using Weibull a (scale) and b (shape) parameters agreed well (R2 values: 0.974-0.999), and we found that AEW exhibited effective antimicrobial activity against P. fluorescens, with adhered biofilms were more resistant than detached biofilms and planktonic cells. Additionally, AEW increased the bacterial membrane permeability and decreased the membrane potential, intracellular ATP concentrations, and intracellular pH while also triggering the disruption of extracellular polymeric substances. These results demonstrated that the morphophysiological responses of detached and adhered biofilms differed significantly and provided information on disinfectant-resistance strategies potentially beneficial to the development of novel disinfection approaches.

Antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activities of tannic acid.

Tannic acid widely exists in plants, which forms a part of human diet. The antioxidant activity of tannic acid was evaluated by the chemical and cellular antioxidant assays. And its α-amylase inhibitory activity and behavior were also investigated. It was found that hydrogen- and electron donating capacities of tannic acid were higher than those of tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) based on reducing power, ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays. But for its low hydrophobic property, the antioxidant activity of tannic acid in linoleic acid system was inferior to that of TBHQ. In the cellular antioxidant assay, tannic acid showed the higher activity than gallic acid in the "PBS wash" protocol, which could attribute to its high binding capacity of cell membrane. Compared with acarbose, tannic acid possessed the stronger α-amylase inhibitory capacity. And the static fluorescence quenching of α-amylase in the presence of tannic acid could be also observed, which was caused by their binding interaction.

Effect of High-Pressure Treatment on Catalytic and Physicochemical Properties of Pepsin.

For a long time, high-pressure treatment has been used to destroy the compact structures of natural proteins in order to promote subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. However, there are few reports evaluating the feasibility of directly improving the catalytic capability of proteases by using high-pressure treatments. In this study, the effects of high-pressure treatment on the catalytic capacity and structure of pepsin were investigated, and the relationship between its catalytic properties and changes in its physicochemical properties was explored. It was found that high-pressure treatment could lead to changes of the sulfhydryl group/disulfide bond content, hydrophobicity, hydrodynamic radius, intrinsic viscosity, and subunit composition of pepsin, and the conformational change of pepsin resulted in improvement to its enzymatic activity and hydrolysis efficiency, which had an obvious relationship with the high-pressure treatment conditions.

Structural changes evaluation with Raman spectroscopy in meat batters prepared by different processes.

A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the structural changes of meat and protein of pork batters produced by chopping or beating process through the phase-contrast micrograph, laser light scattering analyzer, scanning electronic microscopy and Raman spectrometer. The results showed that the shattered myofibrilla fragments were shorter and particle-sizes were smaller in the raw batter produced by beating process than those in the chopping process. Compared with the raw and cooked batters produced by chopping process, modifications in amide I and amide III bands revealed a significant decrease of α-helix content and an increase of ß-sheet, ß-turn and random coils content in the beating process. The changes in secondary structure of protein in the batter produced by beating process was thermally stable. Moreover, more tyrosine residues were buried, and more gauche-gauche-trans disulfide bonds conformations and hydrophobic interactions were formed in the batter produced by beating process.

Preparation and characterization of foxtail millet bran oil using subcritical propane and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.

The foxtail millet (Setaria italica Beauv) bran oil was extracted with traditional solvent extraction (SE), supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCE) and subcritical propane extraction (SPE) and analyzed the yield, physicochemical property, fatty acid profile, tocopherol composition, oil oxidative stability in this study. The yields of foxtail millet bran oil by SE, SCE and SPE were 17.14 %, 19.65 %, 21.79 % of raw material weight (corresponded to 75.54 %, 86.60 %, 96.03 % of the total amount of the oil measured by using Soxhlet extraction), respectively. The effect of the extraction methods on the physicochemical properties (peroxide value, saponification value and color) was significant while the difference in fatty acid profile was negligible based on GC analysis. The major components of vitamin E in the obtained oils were identified as α- and ß-tocopherols by HPLC, and SPE was superior to SE and SCE in the extraction of tocopherols. In Rancimat test, the oil obtained by SPE showed the highest oil oxidative stability, which could attribute to its high tocopherol content and low peroxide value. In view of oil quality, SPE employed smaller times and lower pressures compared to SE and SCE. SPE was a suitable and selective method for the extraction of the foxtail millet bran oil.

Effect of atmospheric pressure plasma jet on the structure and physicochemical properties of wheat starch.

The effect of atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with different discharge power (0, 400, 600, and 800 W) on the structure and physicochemical properties of wheat starch were evaluated in this study. After APPJ treatments, significant declines in peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, and final viscosity of wheat starch pasting parameters were observed with increase of plasma treatment power. Being treated with discharge power of 800 W, the PV and BD value of wheat starch paste significantly dropped to 2,578 and 331 cP, respectively. Apparently, APPJ could raise the solubility of wheat starch, while reduce the swelling capacity, and also lower the G' and G″ value of wheat starch gel. Roughness and apparent scratch was observed on the surface of the treated wheat starch granules. Although APPJ treatment did not alter wheat starch's crystallization type, it abated the relative crystallinity. APPJ treatment might be useful in producing modified wheat starch with lower viscosity and higher solubility.

Ultrasound-assisted fabrication and stability evaluation of okra seed protein stabilized nanoemulsion.

The structure and functional properties of okra seed protein (OSP) were characterized, the ultrasonic homogenization process of OSP nano-emulsion was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), and its stability was also evaluated in this study. The results suggested that OSP was a high-quality plant protein, rich in glutamic acid. The molecular weight of its main subunits distributed in the range of 10-55 kDa, and some subunits were connected by disulfide bonds. Although the water and oil holding capacities of OSP were inferior to those of soy protein isolate (SPI), its emulsifying ability was superior to that of SPI. And the OSP concentration, ultrasonic time and ultrasonic power had obvious effects on the droplet size of nanoemulsion. The optimum process of OSP emulsion was determined as follows: OSP concentration 2.4 %, ultrasonic power 600 W, ultrasonic time 340 s. Under these conditions, the median droplet size of the nanoemulsion was 192.03 ± 3.48 nm, close to the predicted value (191.195 nm). And the obtained nano-emulsion exhibited high stability to the changes of pH, temperature and ionic strength in the environment. Our results can provide reference for the application of OSP, and promote the development of plant protein-based nanoemulsions.

Modulation of the conformation, water distribution, and rheological properties of low-salt porcine myofibrillar protein gel influenced by modified quinoa protein.

High-pressure homogenization modified quinoa protein (HQP) was added to porcine myofibrillar proteins (MP) to study its the influence on protein conformation, water distribution and dynamical rheological characteristics of low-salt porcine MP (0.3 M NaCl). Based on these results, the WHC, gel strength, and G' value of the low-salt MP gel were significantly improved with an increase in the added amount of HQP. A moderate amount of HQP (6%) increased the surface hydrophobicity and active sulfhydryl content of MP (P < 0.05). Moreover, the addition of HQP decreased particle size and endogenous fluorescence intensity. FT-IR results indicated that the conformation of α-helix gradually converted to ß-sheet by HQP addition. The incorporation of HQP also shortened the T2 relaxation time and enhanced the proportion of immobile water, contributing to the formation of a compact and homogeneous gel structure. In conclusion, the moderate addition of HQP can effectively enhance the structural stability and functionality of low-salt MP.

Using ultrasonic-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment to improve the gel and rheological properties of reduced-salt pork myofibrillar protein.

To study the impact of ultrasonic duration (0, 30, and 60 min) and sodium bicarbonate concentration (0% and 0.2%) on the gel properties of reduced-salt pork myofibrillar protein, the changes in cooking yield, colour, water retention, texture properties, and dynamic rheology were investigated. The findings revealed that added sodium bicarbonate significantly increased (P < 0.05) cooking yield, hardness, springiness, and strength of myofibrillar protein while reducing centrifugal loss. Furthermore, the incorporation of sodium bicarbonate led to a significant decrease in L⁎, a⁎, b⁎, and white values of cooked myofibrillar protein; these effects were further amplified with increasing ultrasonic duration (P < 0.05). Additionally, storage modulus (G') significantly increased for myofibrillar protein treated with ultrasonic-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment resulting in a more compact gel structure post-cooking. In summary, the results demonstrated that ultrasonic-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment could enhance the tightness of reduced-salt myofibrillar protein gel structure while improving the water retention and texture properties.

Low-frequency alternating magnetic field and CaCl2 influence the physicochemical, conformational and gel characteristics of low-salt myofibrillar protein.

In this study, the improvement mechanism of low-frequency alternating magnetic field (LF-AMF, 5 mT, 3 h) combined with calcium chloride (CaCl2, 0-100 mM) on the gel characteristics of low-salt myofibrillar protein (MP) was investigated. LF-AMF combined with 80 mM CaCl2 treatment increased solubility (32.71%), surface hydrophobicity (40.86 µg), active sulfhydryl content (22.57%), water-holding capacity (7.15%). Besides, the combined treatment decreased turbidity, particle size and intrinsic fluorescence strength of MP. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results indicated that the combined treatment altered the secondary structure of MP by increasing ß-sheet and ß-turn, and reducing α-helix and random coil. The combined treatment also induced a high G' value and shortened T2 relaxation time for forming a homogeneous and compact gel structure. These results revealed that LF-AMF combined CaCl2 treatment could as a potential approach for modifying the gel characteristics of low-salt MP.

Effect of low-frequency alternating magnetic fields on the physicochemical, conformational and rheological properties of myofibrillar protein after iterative freeze-thaw cycles.

In this work, the effects of low-frequency alternating magnetic fields (LF-AMF) on the physicochemical, conformational, and functional characteristics of myofibrillar protein (MP) after iterative freeze-thaw (FT) cycles were explored. With the increasing LF-AMF treatment time, the solubility, active sulfhydryl groups, surface hydrophobicity, emulsifiability, and emulsion stability of MP after five FT cycles evidently elevated and then declined, and the peak value was obtained at 3 h. Conversely, the moderate LF-AMF treatment time can significantly reduce the average particle size, carbonyl content, and endogenous fluorescence intensity of MP. The rheology results showed that various LF-AMF treatment times would elevate the G' value of MP after iterative FT cycles. The FTIR spectroscopy results suggested that LF-AMF influenced the secondary structure of MP after multiple FT cycles, resulting in a depression in α-helix content and an increment in ß-folding proportion. Moreover, LF-AMF treatment induced the gradually lighter and wider myosin heavy chain bands of MP, implying that LF-AMF accelerated the degradation of macromolecular aggregates. Therefore, the LF-AMF treatment efficaciously ameliorates the structural and functional deterioration of MP after iterative FT cycles and could be used as a potential quality-improving technology in the frozen meat industry.

The effects of modified quinoa protein emulsion as fat substitutes in frankfurters.

In the current study, the effects of replacing different proportions of pork back fat (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) with high-pressure homogenization-modified quinoa protein emulsions (HMQE) on the physicochemical, water distribution, and rheological properties of low-fat frankfurters were investigated. HMQE incorporation significantly increased the moisture, ash, protein content, pH and L⁎ values and decreased the a⁎ and b⁎ values and T2 relaxation time of the low-fat frankfurters (P < 0.05). Of note, 50% fat substitution by HMQE yielded higher WHC, textural properties, gel strength, immobilized water percentage and G' value of the frankfurters than others. HMQE incorporation changed the protein secondary structure from α-helix to ß-sheet, forming a compact and uniform gel network structure with small cavities. Moreover, 50% fat substitution by HMQE did not affect sensory characteristics and improved the fat oxidative stability during storage. Therefore, the incorporation of HQME as a partial fat substitute resulted in nutritional benefits and quality enhancements, indicating that HQME could serve as a promising fat alternative in manufacturing low-fat frankfurters with desirable attributes.

Formation mechanism of Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by proanthocyanidin particles: Experimental and molecular dynamics studies.

The feasibility of constructing a Pickering emulsion gel with proanthocyanidin particles (PAP) was evaluated in this study, and the related mechanism was revealed by combining instrumental characterization with molecular dynamics simulation. The results showed that PAP was composed of nano/micron spherical particles or their fragments, which had excellent wettability. Suitable PAP addition amount (w, ≥1%) and oil volume fraction (φ, 40-90 %) were beneficial to the formation of stable Pickering emulsion gel. The oil droplet size of gel was inversely proportional to w and φ. The mechanical parameters (gel strength, loss modulus, and storage modulus) were positively correlated with w and φ. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the proanthocyanidin molecules in the oil-water system could spontaneously reside and aggregate at the interface, and their interactions with water and oil reduced interfacial tension, which was consistent with the experimental results. This study provides a reference for other polyphenol-based Pickering emulsions.

The physicochemical properties and Pickering emulsifying capacity of acorn starch.

In this work, the granule characteristics, functional properties, in-vitro digestibility, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic composition of acorn starch were investigated and compared to those of potato starch and corn starch, and its Pickering emulsifying ability was also evaluated. The results showed that the acorn starch granules were spherical and oval in shape, with a smaller particle size, and the amylose content and crystallinity degree were similar to those of corn starch. However, the acorn starch was difficult to swell, with poor aqueous solubility, though it had a strong gel strength and setback viscosity. Because acorn starch contained more free and bound polyphenols, its resistant starch content after cooking and ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities were significantly higher than those of potato starch and corn starch. Acorn starch also exhibited outstanding particle wettability and could stabilize Pickering emulsions. The assessed emulsion showed an outstanding effect for protecting ß-carotene against ultraviolet irradiation and was positively correlated with the acorn starch addition amount. The obtained results may serve as a reference for the further development of acorn starch.