An advance in novel intelligent sensory technologies: From an implicit-tracking perspective of food perception.

Food sensory evaluation mainly includes explicit and implicit measurement methods. Implicit measures of consumer perception are gaining significant attention in food sensory and consumer science as they provide effective, subconscious, objective analysis. A wide range of advanced technologies are now available for analyzing physiological and psychological responses, including facial analysis technology, neuroimaging technology, autonomic nervous system technology, and behavioral pattern measurement. However, researchers in the food field often lack systematic knowledge of these multidisciplinary technologies and struggle with interpreting their results. In order to bridge this gap, this review systematically describes the principles and highlights the applications in food sensory and consumer science of facial analysis technologies such as eye tracking, facial electromyography, and automatic facial expression analysis, as well as neuroimaging technologies like electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, we critically compare and discuss these advanced implicit techniques in the context of food sensory research and then accordingly propose prospects. Ultimately, we conclude that implicit measures should be complemented by traditional explicit measures to capture responses beyond preference. Facial analysis technologies offer a more objective reflection of sensory perception and attitudes toward food, whereas neuroimaging techniques provide valuable insight into the implicit physiological responses during food consumption. To enhance the interpretability and generalizability of implicit measurement results, further sensory studies are needed. Looking ahead, the combination of different methodological techniques in real-life situations holds promise for consumer sensory science in the field of food research.

Detection Techniques for Lead Ions in Water: A Review.

Lead pollution has increasingly become the focus of environmental pollution, which is a great harm to the ecological environment and human health. Strict control of the emission of lead pollutants and accurate monitoring of lead are very important. The lead ion detection technologies are introduced here, including spectrophotometry, electrochemical method, atomic absorption spectrometry, and other detection methods, and the methods' applicability, the advantages, and disadvantages are discussed. The detection limits of voltammetry and atomic absorption spectrometry are as low as 0.1 µg/L, and those of atomic absorption spectrometry are as low as 2 µg/L. The detection limit of photometry is higher (0.01 mg/L), but this method can be achieved in most laboratories. The application of different extraction pretreatment technologies in lead ion detection is introduced. The new technologies develop at home and abroad, such as precious metal nanogold technology, paper microfluidic technology, fluorescence molecular probe technology, spectroscopy, and other emerging technologies in recent years, are reviewed, and the principle and application of various technologies are expounded.

Influence of Centrifugation and Transmembrane Treatment on Determination of Polyphenols and Antioxidant Ability for Sea Buckthorn Juice.

When the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn juice were assayed by spectrophotometry, the reaction solutions were not clarified, so centrifugation or membrane treatment was needed before determination. In order to find a suitable method for determining TPC and antioxidant activity, the effects of centrifugation and nylon membrane treatment on the determination of TPC and antioxidant activity in sea buckthorn juice were studied. TPC was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method, and antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. For Treatment Method (C): the sample was centrifuged for 10 min at 10,000 rpm and the supernatant was taken for analysis. Method (CF): The sample was centrifuged for 10 min at 4000 rpm, filtered by Nylon 66 filtration membranes with pore size of 0.22 µm, and taken for analysis. Method (F): the sample was filtered by Nylon 66 filtration membranes with pore size of 0.22 µm and taken for analysis. Method (N): after the sample of ultrasonic extract solution reacted completely with the assay system, the reaction solution was filtered by Nylon 66 filtration membranes with pore size of 0.22 µm and colorimetric determination was performed. The results showed that centrifugation or transmembrane treatment could affect the determination of TPC and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn juice. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between methods (CF) and (F), while there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between methods (C) (F) (N) or (C) (CF) (N). The TPC and antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn juice determined by the four treatment methods showed the same trend with fermentation time, and the TPC and antioxidant activity showed a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05). The highest TPC or antioxidant activity measured by method (N) indicates that method (N) has the least loss of TPC or antioxidant activity, and it is recommended for sample assays.

Preparation of Neohesperidin-Taro Starch Complex as a Novel Approach to Modulate the Physicochemical Properties, Structure and In Vitro Digestibility.

Neohesperidin (NH), a natural flavonoid, exerts multiple actions, such as antioxidant, antiviral, antiallergic, vasoprotective, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as inhibition of tumor progression. In this study, the NH-taro starch complex is prepared, and the effects of NH complexation on the physicochemical properties, structure and in vitro digestibility of taro starch (TS) are investigated. Results showed that NH complexation significantly affected starch gelatinization temperatures and reduced its enthalpy value (ΔH). The addition of NH increased the viscosity and thickening of taro starch, facilitating shearing and thinning. NH binds to TS via hydrogen bonds and promotes the formation of certain crystalline regions in taro starch. SEM images revealed that the surface of NH-TS complexes became looser with the increasing addition of NH. The digestibility results demonstrated that the increase in NH (from 0.1% to 1.1%, weight based on starch) could raise RS (resistant starch) from 21.66% to 27.75% and reduce RDS (rapidly digestible starch) from 33.51% to 26.76% in taro starch. Our work provided a theoretical reference for the NH-taro starch complex's modification of physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility with potential in food and non-food applications.

Inhibitory mechanisms of promising antimicrobials from plant byproducts: A review.

Plant byproducts and waste present enormous environmental challenges and an opportunity for valorization and industrial application. Due to consumer demands for natural compounds, the evident paucity of novel antimicrobial agents against foodborne pathogens, and the urgent need to improve the arsenal against infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), plant byproduct compounds have attracted significant research interest. Emerging research highlighted their promising antimicrobial activity, yet the inhibitory mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this review summarizes the overall research on the antimicrobial activity and inhibitory mechanisms of plant byproduct compounds. A total of 315 natural antimicrobials from plant byproducts, totaling 1338 minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) (in µg/mL) against a broad spectrum of bacteria, were identified, and a particular emphasis was given to compounds with high or good antimicrobial activity (typically <100 µg/mL MIC). Moreover, the antimicrobial mechanisms, particularly against bacterial pathogens, were discussed in-depth, summarizing the latest research on using natural compounds to combat pathogenic microorganisms and AMR. Furthermore, safety concerns, relevant legislation, consumer perspective, and current gaps in the valorization of plant byproducts-derived compounds were comprehensively discussed. This comprehensive review covering up-to-date information on antimicrobial activity and mechanisms represents a powerful tool for screening and selecting the most promising plant byproduct compounds and sources for developing novel antimicrobial agents.

An up-to-date review: differential biosynthesis mechanisms and enrichment methods for health-promoting anthocyanins of citrus fruits during processing and storage.

Anthocyanins, naturally found in citrus, play key roles in improving the qualities of citrus fruits and products. Dietary consumption of fruit-derived anthocyanins is concerned increasingly owing to health-promoting properties. However, anthocyanins are vulnerable to many physical and chemical factors during processing and storage, affecting fruit qualities and consumer acceptance. Thus, the aim of this review is to focus on main advances in chemical structures, differential biosynthesis mechanisms, enrichment methods, and bioactivities of anthocyanins in pigmented and unpigmented citrus fruits. In this review, anthocyanin species and concentrations display tissue specificity in citrus, and the chemical structures and contents of main anthocyanins are summarized. For differential biosynthesis mechanisms, the reasons why most citrus fruits lose the ability of anthocyanin biosynthesis compared with pigmented fruits, and the molecular differences of biosynthesis mechanisms in pigmented citrus fruits are both discussed in detail. Furthermore, anthocyanins' enrichment methods (low-temperature stimulus, light irradiation, xenobiotics inductions, and ripeness influence) during processing and storage have been summarized, which achieve quality improvement by promoting structural gene expression, reducing anthocyanin-degrading enzyme activities, or altering DNA methylation status. Meantime, the health benefits of extract from pigmented citrus and their waste are mentioned, which provides a new approach for citrus waste recycling. HIGHLIGHTS• Chemical structures of individual anthocyanins in citrus are reviewed.• Differential anthocyanin biosynthesis in citrus depends on mutations of Ruby genes.• Anthocyanins are enriched in response to exogenous stimulus during storage.• Health benefits of extract in blood oranges and their waste are summarized.

Evaluation of Water Ammonium Ion Test Kit and Its Feasibility for the Analysis of Protein in Food.

The traditional method for the determination of protein in food needs the operations of digestion, distillation, absorption, and titration; therefore, it is complicated and time-consuming and requires professional personnel. Is there a more convenient and faster detection method that can directly determine the ammonium ions in protein digestion solution to obtain the protein content of food and avoid the distillation−absorption−titration process? The feasibility of water ammonium ion test kits for food protein rapid detection was discussed here. After digestion, the protein in food transforms into ammonium ions in the digestion solution. Because of the variety of food, there are many different inorganic ions left in the food digestion solution, and at the same time, digestion agents are added in the digestion process and become potential interference factors in ammonium determination. Therefore, the detection accuracy of ammonium test kits needs to be evaluated first, including their anti-interference ability. The standard curve of ammonium was established by the test kit. When the ammonium concentration was 0.00−2.50 mg/L, the absorbance at 620 nm was linearly related to the ammonium concentration, the determination coefficient R2 was 0.9995, and the detection limit of this method was 0.01 mg/L. The influences of temperature, pH value, and reaction time on the test kit method were discussed. The precision was 0.90−3.33%; the repeatability was 1.71−4.86%; and the recovery rate of tap water, river water, and sea water was controlled within 90−103%. The anti-interference ability of the evaluated test kit was better than that of the national standard detection method. The test kit, combined with sample pretreatment and protein conversion formula, was used to detect protein in different types of food (milk powder, rice flour, wheat flour, soy, banana, milk, fish food, chicken food, and dog food). The results showed that there were no significant differences (ρ > 0.05) between the national method and the test kit method. The ammonium ion test kit method shortened the determination time and had higher sensitivity, showing its potential for the rapid determination of food protein.

Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Capacities of Young Citrus Fruits Cultivated in China.

Fruits of six varieties of young citrus cultivated in China were collected for phytochemical composition analysis and antioxidant activity determination. The phenolic acids, synephrine, flavone, and flavanone were analyzed using HPLC, and the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu, Ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2- 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) analysis. The results indicated that Ougan variety had the highest total phenolic content (125.18 GAE mg/g DW), followed by the Huyou variety (107.33 mg/g DW), while Wanshuwenzhoumigan variety had the lowest (35.91 mg/g DW). Ferulic acid was the most dominant soluble phenolic acid in the selected young citrus, followed by p-coumaric acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid, whereas nobiletin and tangeretin were the most abundant flavones in the Ponkan, Ougan, and Wanshuwenzhoumigan varieties. Antioxidant capacity that measured by ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH showed similar trends and was positively correlated with the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents (p < 0.05). Considering the high content of phenolics in the young fruits of Ougan and Huyou variety, those two varieties might be potential resources for extracting phytochemicals for health promotion.

Analysis of Proanthocyanidins in Plant Materials Using Hydrophilic Interaction HPLC-QTOF-MS.

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) have been proven to possess a wide range of biological activities, but complex structures limit their study of structure-function relationships. Therefore, an efficient and general method using hydrophilic interaction high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-QTOF-MS) was established to analyze PACs from different plant materials. This method was successfully applied to characterize PACs from Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) leaves (BLPs), sorghum testa (STPs) and grape seeds (GSPs). BLPs with the degree of polymerization (DP) from 1 to 8 were separated. BLPs are mainly B-type prodelphinidins and A-type BLPs were first found in this study. STPs and GSPs belonging to procyanidins showed DP from 3 to 11 and 2 to 12, respectively. A-type linkages were found for every DP of STPs and GSPs, which were first found. These results showed that HILIC-QTOF-MS can be successfully applied for analyzing PACs from different plant materials, which is necessary for the prediction of their potential health benefits.

Short-time acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation improves dispersibility and functionality of pectin-rich biopolymers from citrus waste.

Pectin is a valuable biopolymer used as a natural, clean label additive for thickening and gelling. However, industry faces issues with dispersibility and stability of pectin formulations. To address these issues, the effect of short processing time (30-180 s) with hydrodynamic (HC) and acoustic cavitation (AC) on the dispersibility and gelling functionality of mandarin pectin-rich polysaccharide (M-PRP) was investigated. Short-time processing with HC and AC did not affect polymer composition. HC, but not AC, decreased polydispersity index (PDI) from 0.78 to 0.68 compared to the control. Electron and atomic force microscopy showed that HC and AC decreased aggregation of fibrous and matrix polymers. Both treatments increased apparent viscosity significantly from 0.059 Pa s to 0.30 Pa s at 10 -s. The pectin dispersions showed good gelling capacity upon addition of calcium (final conc. 35 mM). HC and AC treatments for 150 s led to gels that were 7 and 4 times stronger (as measured by peak force) than the control with more homogeneous, less porous structures. In conclusion, short-time HC and AC can improve the dispersibility and functionality of citrus pectin without affecting composition, and are promising technologies to facilitate the use of pectin in industry applications.

Analysis of Processing Effects on Glucosinolate Profiles in Red Cabbage by LC-MS/MS in Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mode.

Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) continues to receive increasing attention on its health-promoting properties because of its high glucosinolate content. Glucosinolates are an unstable active substance; however, there are few studies on their changes in different cooking processes. In this study, we investigated the effects of processing methods (boiling, steaming, microwave heating, frying, stir-frying) and boiling time on glucosinolates in red cabbage. Ten glucosinolates, including 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, neoglucobrassicin, glucoalyssin, glucobrassicin, glucoraphanin, glucoiberin, progoitrin, gluconapin and sinigrin, in red cabbage were detected. Decreases of 32.36%, 24.83%, 25.27%, 81.11% and 84.29% for total glucosinolates were observed after boiling, microwaving, steaming, frying and stir-frying. Indole glucosinolates were more efficiently lost compared to aliphatic glucosinolates after boiling, while microwaving, steaming, frying and stir-frying also resulted in a greater reduction in indole glucosinolates than aliphatic glucosinolates. Glucoalyssin, glucoerucin and sinigrin were more thermal sensitive than other glucosinolates. It was confirmed that microwaving and steaming retained higher levels of glucosinolates than other methods and may be better for cooking red cabbage.

Dietary pectic substances enhance gut health by its polycomponent: A review.

Pectic substances, one of the cell wall polysaccharides, exist widespread in vegetables and fruits. A surge of recent research has revealed that pectic substances can inhibit gut inflammation and relieve inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. However, physiological functions of pectins are strongly structure dependent. Pectic substances are essentially heteropolysaccharides composed of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan backbones substituted by various neutral sugar sidechains. Subtle changes in the architecture of pectic substances may remarkably influence the nutritional function of gut microbiota and the host homeostasis of immune system. In this context, developing a structure-function understanding of how pectic substances have an impact on an inflammatory bowel is of primary importance for diet therapy and new drugs. Therefore, the present review has summarized the polycomponent nature of pectic substances, the activities of different pectic polymers, the effects of molecular characteristics and the underlying mechanisms of pectic substances. The immunomodulated property of pectic substances depends on not only the chemical composition but also the physical structure characteristics, such as molecular weight (Mw ) and chain conformation. The potential mechanisms by which pectic substances exert their protective effects are mainly reversing the disordered gut microbiota, regulating immune cells, enhancing barrier function, and inhibiting pathogen adhesion. The manipulation of pectic substances on gut health is sophisticated, and the link between structural specificity of pectins and selective regulation needs further exploration.

Rethinking the impact of RG-I mainly from fruits and vegetables on dietary health.

Rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) pectin is composed of backbone of repeating disaccharide units →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1→4)-α-D-GalpA-(1→ and neutral sugar side-chains mainly consisting of arabinose and galactose having variable types of linkages. However, since traditional pectin extraction methods damages the RG-I structure, the characteristics and health effects of RG-I remains unclear. Recently, many studies have focused on RG-I, which is often more active than the homogalacturonan (HG) portion of pectic polysaccharides. In food products, RG-I is common to fruits and vegetables and possesses many health benefits. This timely and comprehensive review describes the many different facets of RG-I, including its dietary sources, history, metabolism and potential functionalities, all of which have been compiled to establish a platform for taking full advantage of the functional value of RG-I pectin.

In vitro inhibitory effects of Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) leaves proanthocyanidins on pancreatic α-amylase and their interaction.

Chinese bayberry leaves proanthocyanidins (BLPs) belongs to the prodelphinidin category with potent EGCG unit, whose inhibition effect on α-amylase and their interaction were investigated by in vitro digestion and enzyme kinetic analysis, multi fluorescence spectroscopies (fluorescence quenching, synchronous fluorescence, and three-dimensional fluorescence), circular dichroism spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and in silico modelling. The results revealed that BLPs was a mixed inhibitor to α-amylase with the IC50 value of 3.075 ± 0.073 µg/mL. BLPs could lead to a static fluorescence quenching of α-amylase, mainly by means of interacting with amino acids (mainly Try and Tyr residues) in one site on α-amylase molecule under the action of hydrogen bonding and/or Van der Waals force. This interaction further induced the change of secondary conformational structure, functional group structure and hydrophobicity of α-amylase, thus resulting in lowering activity. Molecular docking simulated that this binding occurred in a cavity on the surface of the α-amylase molecule, and BLPs trimer showed a relatively high binding energy. The present study provided a new insight of BLPs as an α-amylase inhibitor, which could be considered in anti-diabetic therapy.

Hurdle enhancement of acidic electrolyzed water antimicrobial efficacy on Bacillus cereus spores using ultrasonication.

This study evaluated the inactivation effect of ultrasonic treatment combined with acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) on Bacillus cereus spores. AEW treatment reduced the spores by 1.05-1.37 log CFU/mL while the sporicidal effect of ultrasound was minor. More strikingly, simultaneous ultrasonic and AEW treatments for 30 min led to 2.29 log CFU/mL reduction and thus, considered a synergistic effect. Flow cytometry combined with SYTO/PI staining analysis revealed that ultrasound hydrolyzed the cortex while the AEW partially damaged the integrity of the inner membrane. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies were used to characterize the ultrastructural changes. The detachment of the exosporium induced by ultrasound was the most apparent difference compared with the control group, and the electron density of spores appeared to be heterogeneous after treatment with AEW. These results indicated that combining ultrasound with AEW is a promising decontamination technology with potential uses in the food industry and environmental remediation.

Galangin, a Flavonoid from Lesser Galangal, Induced Apoptosis via p53-Dependent Pathway in Ovarian Cancer Cells.

Among women worldwide, ovarian cancer is one of the most dangerous cancers. Patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy might get adverse side effects and develop resistance to drugs. In recent years, natural compounds have aroused growing attention in cancer treatment. Galangin inhibited the growth of two cell lines, A2780/CP70 and OVCAR-3, more strongly than the growth of a normal ovarian cell line, IOSE 364. The IC50 values of galangin on proliferation of A2780/CP70, OVCAR-3 and IOSE 364 cells were 42.3, 34.5, and 131.3 µM, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that galangin preferentially induced apoptosis in both ovarian cancer cells with respect to normal ovarian cells. Galangin treatment increased the level of cleaved caspase-3 and -7 via the p53-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway by up-regulating Bax protein and via the p53-dependent extrinsic apoptotic pathway by up-regulating DR5 protein. By down-regulating the level of p53 with 20 µM pifithrin-α (PFT-α), the apoptotic rates of OVCAR-3 cells induced by galangin treatment (40 µM) were significantly decreased from 18.2% to 10.2%, indicating that p53 is a key regulatory protein in galangin-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Although galangin up-regulated the expression of p21, it had little effect on the cell cycle of the two ovarian cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the levels of phosphorylated Akt and phosphorylated p70S6K were decreased through galangin treatment, suggesting that the Akt/p70S6K pathways might be involved in the apoptosis. Our results suggested that galangin is selective against cancer cells and can be used for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancers in humans.

Mainly Dimers and Trimers of Chinese Bayberry Leaves Proanthocyanidins (BLPs) are Utilized by Gut Microbiota: In Vitro Digestion and Fermentation Coupled with Caco-2 Transportation.

Chinese bayberry leaf proanthocyanidins (BLPs) are Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) oligomers or polymers, which have a lot of health-promoting activity. The activity is closely related to their behavior during in vitro digestion, which remains unknown and hinders further investigations. To clarify the changes of BLPs during gastrointestinal digestion, further research is required. For in vitro digestion, including gastric-intestinal digestion, colon fermentation was applied. Caco-2 monolayer transportation was also applied to investigate the behavior of different BLPs with different degrees of polymerization. The trimers and the tetramers were significantly decreased during in vitro gastric-intestinal digestion resulting in a significant increase in the content of dimers. The dimers and trimers were the main compounds utilized by gut microbiota and they were assumed not to degrade through cleavage of the inflavan bond. The monomers and dimers were able to transport through the Caco-2 monolayer at a rate of 10.45% and 6.4%, respectively.

Effect of Potato Pulp Pectic Polysaccharide on the Stability of Acidified Milk Drinks.

In order to broaden the application of potato pulp pectic polysaccharide (PPP) in stabilizing acidified milk drinks (AMDs) and investigate the stabilizing effect and physical properties of AMDs prepared with PPP, a comparative study was made among PPP, commercial high methoxyl pectin (HMP) and low methoxyl pectin (LMP). The zeta potential, rheology, particle size and serum separation of AMDs were evaluated after preparing with PPP, HMP and LMP, respectively. Results indicated that PPP led to lower serum separation than LMP (14.65% for AMDs prepared with 0.5% PPP compared to 25.05% for AMDs prepared with 0.5% LMP), but still higher than HMP (9.09% for AMDs prepared with 0.5% HMP). However, narrower particle size distribution and lower viscosity of AMDs was achieved by PPP than by LMP and HMP. PPP can electrostatically adsorb on the surface of casein and its abundant neutral sugar side chains would provide steric hindrance to prevent casein flocculation in AMDs. Our results might provide some new ideas for the application of PPP in improving the stability of AMDs.

Extraction Methods Affect the Structure of Goji (Lycium barbarum) Polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides are considered to be the most important active substances in Goji. However, the structure of polysaccharides varies according to the extraction methods applied, and the solution used to prepare Goji polysaccharides (LBPs) were limited. Thus, it is important to clarify the connection between extraction methods and structure of Goji polysaccharide. In view of the complex composition of cell wall polysaccharides and the various forms of interaction, different extraction methods will release different parts of the cell wall. The present study compared the effects of different extraction methods, which have been used to prepare different types of plant cell wall polysaccharides based on various sources, on the structure of cell-wall polysaccharides from Goji, by the single separate use of hot water, hydrochloric acid (0.4%) and sodium hydroxide (0.6%), at both high and low temperatures. Meanwhile, in order to explore the limitations of single extraction, sequential extraction methods were applied. Structural analysis including monosaccharide analysis, GPC-MALLS, AFM and 1H-NMR suggested the persistence of more extensively branched rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) domains in the procedures involving low-temperature-alkali, while procedures prepared by high-temperature-acid contains more homogalacturonan (HG) regions and results in the removal of a substantial part of the side chain, specifically the arabinan. A kind of acidic heteropolysaccharide was obtained by hot water extraction. SEC-MALLS and AFM confirmed large-size polymers with branched morphologies in alkali-extracted polysaccharides. Our results provide new insight into the extraction of Goji polysaccharides, which differ from the hot water extraction used by traditional Chinese medicine.

Physicochemical and Digestion Properties of Potato Starch Were Modified by Complexing with Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins.

Dietary intake of potato starch could induce a dramatic increase in blood glucose and is positively associated with chronic metabolic diseases (type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.). Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) are known to decrease starch digestion by inhibiting digestive enzymes or changing the physicochemical properties of starch. In the present study, GSP were complexed with potato starch to prepare polyphenol-starch complexes. The physiochemical properties and digestibility of complexes were investigated by in vitro digestion model, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, rapid visco analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as texture profile analysis. Results indicated that the peak viscosity, breakdown, trough, and setback of the complexes disappeared, replaced by a special continuous increase in paste viscosity. The complexes showed a lower final viscosity and higher thermal stability with the increasing binding amount of GSP. GSP decreased the hardness of the complexes' gel significantly. FT-IR indicated that GSP might interact with potato starch through noncovalent forces. Additionally, the complexes also showed a higher content of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch than that of the native starch. Thus, we inferred that the addition of GSP could modify the digestibility of potato starch and be an optional way to modify the starch with lower digestion.