Effect of starch degradation induced by extruded pregelatinization treatment on the quality of gluten-free brown rice bread.

There is considerable interest in preparing high-quality gluten-free bread. The effect of the molecular structure of extruded pregelatinization starch on the dough's rheological properties and the brown rice bread's quality was investigated. Extruded rice starch (ERS) was prepared with various added moisture contents of 20 % (ERS20), 30 % (ERS30), and 40 % (ERS40), respectively. ERS had smaller molecular weight and more short branched chains as the moisture content decreased. The dough elasticity and deformation resistance were improved with the ERS supplementation and in the order of ERS40 > ERS30 > ERS20 at the same level. Fortification with ERS improved the gluten-free brown rice bread quality. Compared to the control group, breadcrumbs supplemented with ERS20 at the 10 % level showed an increase in cell density from 17.87 cm-2 to 28.32 cm-2, a decrease in mean cell size from 1.22 mm2 to 0.81 mm2, and no significant change in cell area fraction. In addition, the specific volume increased from 1.50 cm3/g to 2.04 cm3/g, the hardness decreased from 14.34 N to 6.28 N, and the springiness increased from 0.56 to 0.74. The addition of extruded pregelatinization starches with smaller molecular weights and higher proportions of short chains is promising for preparing high-quality gluten-free bread.

A review of the effects of fermentation on the structure, properties, and application of cereal starch in foods.

Fermentation is one of the oldest food processing techniques known to humans and cereal fermentation is still widely used to create many types of foods and beverages. Starch is a major component of cereals and the changes in its structure and function during fermentation are of great importance for scientific research and industrial applications. This review summarizes the preparation of fermented cereals and the effects of fermentation on the structure, properties, and application of cereal starch in foods. The most important factors influencing cereal fermentation are pretreatment, starter culture, and fermentation conditions. Fermentation preferentially hydrolyzes the amorphous regions of starch and fermented starches have a coarser appearance and a smaller molecular weight. In addition, fermentation increases the starch gelatinization temperature and enthalpy and reduces the setback viscosity. This means that fermentation leads to a more stable and retrogradation-resistant structure, which could expand its application in products prone to staling during storage. Furthermore, fermented cereals have potential health benefits. This review may have important implications for the modulation of the quality and nutritional value of starch-based foods through fermentation.

The value of D-dimer to lymphocyte ratio in predicting clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: D-dimer to lymphocyte ratio (DLR) is a novel composite metric. This study investigated the association between DLR and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 683 STEMI cases treated between January 2018 and June 2021 at a single center. DLR was calculated for each patient. Receiver operating characteristic curves assessed the predictive value of in-hospital and long-term MACEs, with calculated AUC. Based on the optimal DLR cutoff value, the population was categorized into groups for clinical characteristic analysis. Multivariate logistic and COX regression analyses determined factors independently associated with MACEs. Kaplan-Meier estimation method and log-rank tests assessed event-free survival among different DLR groups. Spearman's test explored the correlation between DLR and Gensini score. RESULTS: DLR demonstrated an AUC of 0.792 for predicting in-hospital MACEs and 0.708 for long-term MACEs in patients with STEMI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a high DLR (cutoff value, 0.47) independently increased the risk of MACEs during hospitalization in patients with STEMI (P = 0.003; odds ratio: 3.015; 95 % CI: 1.438-6.321). Multivariate COX regression showed that a high DLR (cutoff value, 0.34) independently predicted MACEs during long-term follow-up in patients with STEMI (P = 0.011; hazard ratio: 1.724; 95 % CI: 1.135-2.619). Furthermore, DLR exhibited a positive correlation with the Gensini score (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: DLR is a valuable predictor for MACEs occurrence in patients with STEMI during hospitalization and long-term follow-up after PCI.

Encapsulation of rutin in protein nanoparticles by pH-driven method: impact of rutin solubility and mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: The use of rutin in the food industry is limited by its poor solubility. Encapsulation can be used as an effective way to improve polyphenol solubility. Proteins with high safety, biocompatibility and multiple binding sites are known as the most promising encapsulating carriers. Therefore, the improvement of rutin solubility by pH-driven encapsulation of rutin in soy protein isolate (SPI) nanoparticles, as well as the form of rutin after encapsulation and rutin-protein binding index were investigated. RESULTS: SPI had a high encapsulation efficiency (87.5%) and loading amount (10.6%) for rutin. When the mass ratio of protein to rutin was 5:1, the highest concentration of rutin in solution was 3.27 g L-1 , which was a 51.57-fold increase compared to the original rutin. At this situation, rutin transformed from crystalline to amorphous form. During the formation of nanoparticles, SPI was in a dynamic change of unfolding and refolding. Rutin deprotonated in alkaline conditions increasing its solubility and bound to protein to form nanoparticles during the process of returning to neutral. Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding promoted the formation of the nanoparticles and there were at least 1-2 binding sites between rutin and each SPI molecule. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that encapsulation of rutin in protein nanoparticles can effectively increase the solubility of rutin. This study may provide important information for the effective utilization of polyphenol functional foods. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Complex bio-nanoparticles assembled by a pH-driven method: environmental stress stability and oil-water interfacial behavior.

BACKGROUND: Protein-based nanoparticles have gained considerable interest in recent years due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functional properties. However, nanoparticles formed from hydrophobic proteins are prone to instability under environmental stress, which restricts their potential applications. It is therefore of great importance to develop green approaches for the fabrication of hydrophobic protein-based nanoparticles and to improve their physicochemical performance. RESULTS: Gliadin/shellac complex nanoparticles (168.87 ~ 403.67 nm) with various gliadin/shellac mass ratios (10:0 ~ 5:5) were prepared using a pH-driven approach. In comparison with gliadin nanoparticles, complex nanoparticles have shown enhanced stability against neutral pH, ions, and boiling. They remained stable under neutral conditions at NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 mmol L-1 and even when boiled at 100 °C for 90 min. These nanoparticles were capable of effectively reducing oil-water interfacial tension (5 ~ 11 mNm-1 ) but a higher amount of shellac in the nanoparticles compromised their ability to lower interfacial tension. Moreover, the wettability of the nanoparticles changed as the gliadin/shellac mass ratio changed, leading to a range of three-phase contact angles from 52.41° to 84.85°. Notably, complex nanoparticles with a gliadin/shellac mass ratio of 8:2 (G/S 8:2) showed a contact angle of 84.85°, which is considered suitable for the Pickering stabilization mechanism. Moreover, these nanoparticles exhibited the highest emulsifying activity of 52.42 m2 g-1 and emulsifying stability of 65.33%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study revealed that gliadin/shellac complex nanoparticles exhibited excellent resistance to environmental stress and demonstrated superior oil-water interfacial behavior. They have strong potential for further development as food emulsifiers or as nano-delivery systems for nutraceuticals. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Primary Sebaceous Carcinoma of the Eyebrow: A Case Report.

Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is an uncommon but aggressive malignancy and has a specific anatomic preference for the ocular region, especially the eyelids. However, periocular SC originated from the eyebrow is rare, which may cause poorer outcomes due to a greater likelihood of orbital invasion and excessive tumor volume. In the present case, we exhibited a 68-year-old male presenting with a large solid mass in his right eyebrow region developing in ten months. Based on the patient's history, clinical conditions, orbital computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan results, a malignant tumor was suspected preliminarily. Excisional biopsy was performed, and the histopathologic examination and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of the tumor revealed SC. The patient declined the enlarged surgery recommended next and ended up with death caused by the distant metastasis of SC. The case highlighted the fact that despite its rarity, SC should be considered as a differential diagnosis of tumors located in the eyebrow region and histopathologic evaluation must be performed to reach a definite diagnosis. Ophthalmologists are supposed to have a comprehensive understanding of the clinicopathological characteristics of this disease and help patients accept the appropriate treatments promptly via properly and adequate communication if necessary.

Impact of starch-lipid complexes on oil absorption of starch and its mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, fried food has a huge demand and good development prospects. Low oil in foods is the standard that everyone is now pursuing for a healthy diet. RESULTS: The oil absorption behavior of rice starch during frying was investigated in the presence or absence of fatty acids or fatty acid esters with different carbon chain lengths. The complex formed between starch and fatty acids or fatty acid esters was dependent on lipid chain length, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and complexing index. The formation of starch-lipid complexes could significantly reduce the oil absorption of starch, and the complexes with higher complexing index had lower oil absorption. The starch-palmitic acid complex showed the lowest oil absorption after frying, which was 14.06 g per 100 g lower than that of gelatinized starch. This was attributed to the ability of the palmitic acid to increase the density of starch crystalline polymorphs as well as their ability to complex with the amylose spiral cavity. CONCLUSION: These results may be useful for development of healthier fried starch-based foods with reduced oil contents. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Degradation kinetics of rutin encapsulated in oil-in-water emulsions: impact of particle size.

BACKGROUND: Rutin is a natural bioactive flavonoid that is poor in water solubility and chemical stability. Encapsulation can be used to protect bioactive molecules from chemical or physical decomposition during food processing and storage. Thus, the effect of initial particle size on the ability of oil-in-water emulsions to retain rutin during storage was investigated. RESULTS: Rutin was encapsulated in oil-in-water emulsions with different mean surface-weighted diameters: d3,2  = 0.56 µm (small), 0.73 µm (medium), and 2.32 µm (large). As expected, the resistance of the emulsions to coalescence and creaming during storage increased as the particle size decreased due to weakening of the colloidal and gravitational forces acting on the droplets. The concentration of rutin in the emulsions decreased during storage (28 days), which was mainly attributed to photodegradation of the flavonoid. The loss of rutin from the emulsions during storage was fitted using a second-order equation. The rutin degradation rate constant k decreased and the half-life t1/2 increased with decreasing droplet size, which was attributed to the stronger encapsulation and light scattering by smaller oil droplets reducing the amount of light that can penetrate into the emulsions. CONCLUSION: This study has important implications for the design of more efficacious emulsion-based delivery systems for incorporating health-promoting nutraceuticals into foods. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Homogenization Modified Rice Protein on the Pasting Properties of Rice Starch.

Modification of plant-based protein for promoting wide applications is of interest to the food industry. Rice protein from rice residues was modified by homogenization, and its effect on pasting properties (including gelatinization and rheology) of rice starch was investigated. The results showed that homogenization could significantly decrease the particle size of rice protein and increase their water holding capacity without changing their band distribution in SDS-PAGE. With the addition of protein/homogenized proteins into rice starch decreased peak viscosity of paste. The homogenized proteins decreased breakdown and setback value when compared with that of original protein, indicating homogenized protein might have potential applications for increasing the stability and inhibiting short-term retrogradation of starch paste. The addition of protein/homogenized proteins resulted in a reduction in the viscoelasticity behavior of starch paste. These results indicate that homogenization would create a solution to alter the physicochemical properties of plant proteins, and the homogenized proteins may be a potential candidate for development of protein-rich starchy products.

Impact of rutin on the foaming properties of soybean protein: Formation and characterization of flavonoid-protein complexes.

The aims of present study were to determine the impact of rutin complexation on the ability of soybean protein isolates (SPI) to form and stabilize foams and its mechanism. At pH 7.0, the foaming capacity and foaming stability of the rutin-SPI complexes (28.33% and 14.22%) was appreciably changed when compared with that of SPI alone (19.64% and 32.95%). The improvement in foaming properties was mainly attributed to decrease gas bubble size and increase interfacial thickness as suggested by light microscopy analysis. UV-visible spectroscopy showed that the absorption peak of the SPI was increased and red shifted after complexation with rutin. ITC confirmed that there was an interaction between rutin and SPI. This interaction was hydrophobic interaction and the binding process was entropy driven. This study shows that the foaming properties of plant-based proteins can be improved by forming complexes with flavonoids, which may be useful for foaming agents in foods.

Fabrication of Oil-in-Water Emulsions with Whey Protein Isolate-Puerarin Composites: Environmental Stability and Interfacial Behavior.

Protein-polyphenol interactions influence emulsifying properties in both directions. Puerarin (PUE) is an isoflavone that can promote the formation of heat-set gels with whey protein isolate (WPI) through hydrogen bonding. We examined whether PUE improves the emulsifying properties of WPI and the stabilities of the emulsions. We found that forming composites with PUE improves the emulsifying properties of WPI in a concentration-dependent manner. The optimal concentration is 0.5%, which is the highest PUE concentration that can be solubilized in water. The PUE not only decreased the droplet size of the emulsions, but also increased the surface charge by forming composites with the WPI. A 21 day storage test also showed that the maximum PUE concentration improved the emulsion stability the most. A PUE concentration of 0.5% improved the stability of the WPI emulsions against environmental stress, especially thermal treatment. Surface protein loads indicated more protein was adsorbed to the oil droplets, resulting in less interfacial WPI concentration due to an increase in specific surface areas. The use of PUE also decreased the interfacial tension of WPI at the oil-water interface. To conclude, PUE improves the emulsifying activity, storage, and environmental stability of WPI emulsions. This result might be related to the decreased interfacial tension of WPI-PUE composites.

Spray drying and rehydration of macadamia oil-in-water emulsions: Impact of macadamia protein isolate to chitosan hydrochloride ratio.

The utilization of oils in the food industry can be facilitated by converting into a powdered form using microencapsulation technologies. In this study, coatings formed from macadamia protein isolate (MPI) and chitosan hydrochloride (CHC) were assessed for their ability to facilitate the microencapsulation of macadamia oil by spray dried, and all encapsulation efficiency was higher than 87.0%. The physicochemical properties of macadamia oil powders were then characterized. In addition, changes in the particle size, aggregation state, and creaming stability of rehydrated emulsions were analyzed during storage. The addition of CHC significantly enhanced the water-solubility and wettability but decreased the flowability of microencapsulated oil. Powdered macadamia oil produced at MPI/CHC = 5:1 had the highest encapsulation efficiency (94.2%), best oxidation stability (<4 meq/kg), and best rehydration properties. Overall, MPI/CHC could be used as a good emulsifier for producing stable rehydrated emulsion, which may therefore be useful in certain food applications.

Accelerated aging of rice by controlled microwave treatment.

To obtain the desired technological properties (pasting, texture, and rheology) of naturally aged rice (AR), the aging process of freshly harvested rice was accelerated by controlled microwave treatment at 540 W for 1-3 min. Similar to AR, the rice microwave treated for 2 min showed increased pasting viscosities (peak, trough, breakdown, final, and setback) and pasting temperature, enhanced gel hardness and strength, and reduced gel adhesiveness. The mechanism by which microwaves accelerated rice aging was illustrated. Microwave treatment promoted the formation of protein disulfide bonds and the release of free phenolic acids, which enhanced protein gel network and cell wall strength. This phenomenon inhibited the swelling of starch granules and consequently modified the technological properties of rice. The crystalline structure and fatty acid content of rice flour was uninvolved in the mechanism, but the microwave-induced micromechanical change (intercellular cleavage to intracellular cleavage) of rice endosperm may be involved.

Improvement in freeze-thaw stability of rice starch gel by inulin and its mechanism.

Three types of inulin with different degree of polymerization (average DP < 10, DP ≥ 10, and DP > 23) were used to improve the freeze-thaw stability of rice starch gel. The gels with or without addition of inulin were subjected to seven freeze-thaw cycles (FTC). Inulin enhanced the water holding capacity and reduced the amount of freezable water of the gels, thereby decreasing the syneresis of the gels during seven FTC. In addition, the amylose and amylopectin retrogradation of the gels were retarded. By adding inulin, the microstructure of gel network was stabilized, and the deterioration in viscoelastic properties of the gels during seven FTC was reversed. Therefore, inulin was an effective additive for preserving the quality of freeze-thawed rice starch gels. Furthermore, low DP inulin had higher water holding capacity than high DP one, as a result the inulin with lower DP was more effective.

Modification of the digestibility of extruded rice starch by enzyme treatment (ß-amylolysis): An in vitro study.

The rate and extent of starch hydrolysis in the digestive tract impacts blood glucose levels, which may influence an individual's susceptibility to diabetes and obesity. Strategies for decreasing starch digestibility are therefore useful for developing healthier foods. ß-amylase is an exo-hydrolase that specifically cleaves α-1,4 glycosidic linkages of gelatinized starches. In this study, starch granules were disrupted by extrusion under different feed moisture conditions, and then subjected to ß-amylolysis. The degree of starch gelatinization increased with increasing feed moisture content during extrusion, leading to faster ß-amylolysis. The hydrolysis of in vitro starch digestion study was reduced for extruded samples treated with ß-amylase, which was attributed to an increase in resistant starch (RS) after ß-amylase treatment. Indeed, X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the crystalline structure in the extruded starch was either partially or fully lost after ß-amylase treatment. Similarly, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis indicated there was a higher level of amorphous regions in the starch after ß-amylase treatment. Overall, our results suggest that enzymatic treatment of extruded starch with ß-amylolysis reduces the ratio of crystalline-to-amorphous regions, which increases the level of resistant starch, thereby slowing down digestion. These results have important implications for the development of healthier starch-based foods.

Effect of endogenous proteins and lipids on starch digestibility in rice flour.

The composition and structure of the food matrix can have a major impact on the digestion. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of endogenous proteins and lipids on starch digestibility in rice flour, with an emphasis on establishing the underlying physicochemical mechanisms involved. Native long-grain indica rice flour and rice flour with the lipids and/or proteins removed were subjected to a simulated digestion in vitro. A significant increase in starch digestibility was observed after removal of proteins, lipids, or both. The starch digestibility of the rice flour without lipids was slightly lower than that without proteins, even though the proteins content was about 10-fold higher than the lipids content. Microstructural analysis suggested that the proteins and lipids were normally attached to the surfaces of the starch granules in the native rice flour, thus inhibiting their contact with digestive enzymes. Moreover, the proteins and lipids restricted the swelling of the starch granules, which may have decreased their digestion by reducing their surface areas. In addition, amylose-lipid complex was detected in the rice flour, which is also known to slow down starch digestion. These results have important implications for the design of foods with improved nutritional profiles.

Short-Term Effects of Overnight Orthokeratology on Corneal Sensitivity in Chinese Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of the 3-month period of orthokeratology (OK) treatment on corneal sensitivity in Chinese children and adolescents. METHODS: Thirty subjects wore overnight OK lenses in both eyes for 3 months and were assessed at baseline, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the treatment. Changes in corneal sensitivity were measured by the Cochet-Bonnet (COBO) esthesiometer at the corneal apex and approximately 2 mm from the temporal limbus. Changes in refraction and corneal topography were also measured. RESULTS: Central corneal sensitivity suffered a significant reduction within the first month of the OK treatment period but returned to the baseline level at three months (F = 3.009, P=0.039), while no statistically significant difference occurred in temporal sensitivity (F = 2.462, P=0.074). The baseline of central corneal sensitivity correlated with age (r = -0.369, P=0.045). A marked change in refraction (uncorrected visual acuity, P < 0.001; spherical equivalent, P < 0.001) and corneal topographical condition (mean keratometry reading, P < 0.001; eccentricity value, P < 0.001; Surface Regularity Index, P < 0.001) occurred, but none of these measurements were correlated with corneal sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: A 3-month period OK treatment causes a reduction in central corneal sensitivity in Chinese children and adolescents but with a final recovery to the baseline level, which might be because neuronal adaptation occurred earlier in children and adolescents than in adults.

Advanced technology for nanostarches preparation by high speed jet and its mechanism analysis.

Nanostarches were successfully prepared by high speed jet (HSJ) after pretreatment of micronization. The nanostarches were obtained at the conditions of micronization treatment for 60min, and then one cycle at 240MPa of HSJ (188.1nm). Moreover, after HSJ treated for three cycles, the particle size could reach the level of nanometer materials (66.94nm). The physicochemical properties of nanostarches had been characterized. Rapid Visco-Analysis (RVA) showed that the viscosity of nanostarches significantly decreased compared with native tapioca starch and slightly decreased with increasing processing cycles of HSJ. Steady shear analysis indicated that all samples displayed pseudoplastic, shear-thinning behavior, while the flow curves of nanostarches were little impact by the processing cycles of HSJ. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the complete destruction of tapioca starch crystalline structure was obtained after HSJ treatment. Molecular characteristics determination suggested that the degradation of amylopectin chains occurred after the treatment of micronization and HSJ, which was proved by the decrease of weight-average molar mass. The results demonstrated that nanostarches were obtained due to the breakdown of starch molecules. This study will provide useful information of the nanostarches for its potential industrial application.

Physicochemical and structural properties of pregelatinized starch prepared by improved extrusion cooking technology.

Pregelatinized starch was made from indica rice starch using a so-called "improved extrusion cooking technology" (IECT) under 30%-70% moisture content. IECT-pregelatinized starch (IPS) had higher water solubility and water absorbability compared to native starch at low temperature. For pasting properties, the breakdown and setback viscosities of IPS were significantly (p<0.05) lower than native starch, suggesting improved gel stability and reduced short-term retrogradation. The rice starch granules lost their integrity in IPS, and formed a honeycomb-like structure with increased moisture content in the raw material. These properties can be explained in terms of molecular structural features, particularly the large reduction in the size of molecules, but without significant changes in the chain-length distributions of amylopectin component, and no significant change in amylose fraction. These results indicate that IECT is suitable for preparing IPS with desirable water solubility and gel stability properties.

Freeze-thaw stability of rice starch modified by Improved Extrusion Cooking Technology.

This study aimed to explore freeze-thaw (FT) stability of rice starch modified by Improved Extrusion Cooking Technology (IECT). FT stability of IECT-modified rice starch was investigated and compared with native one. Syneresis and SEM analysis showed that IECT-modified rice starch had better FT stability than native starch. Furthermore, IECT-modified rice starch had less significant changes in the rheological parameters during the FT cycles than the native starch. XRD and iodine binding analysis demonstrated that IECT treatment inhibited the association of rice starch, especially amylose retrogradation. Additionally, the peak at around 20° was detected in XRD patterns of IECT-modified rice starch, which confirmed the formation of amylose-lipid complex during the IECT treatment. These results suggested that the IECT treatment could improve FT stability of rice starch, which was ascribed to inhibition of starch retrogradation by IECT.