Chemical Modifications of Normal and Waxy Potato Starches Affect Functional Properties of Aerogels.

Aerogels are of increasing interest because of their exceptionally large surface area, porous structure, and low weight. Despite the significant increase in interest in the subject of starch-based aerogels, the number of detailed studies is rather scarce, which is especially evident in the case of chemically modified derivatives. Therefore, the study aims to evaluate the physicochemical properties of aerogels from chemically modified potato starch preparations (E 1422 and E 1450) obtained both from normal and waxy starches. Aerogels were prepared through the retrogradation of starch pastes followed by the gradual replacement of water with ethyl alcohol. The obtained preparations were characterized in terms of their bulk density, oil-binding capacity, as well as the texture and rheological properties of the formed pastes. Moreover, their usefulness was evaluated in an emulsion system employing rheological and low-field NMR methods. The obtained aerogels were characterized by a lower bulk density of 0.18-0.59 g/cm3 and 5.4-6.6 times higher oil-binding capacity compared to native potato starch. The chemical modification of starch helped to further alter the functional properties of the obtained aerogels, making them more effective oil binders, emulsifiers, and stabilizers (increasing the stability from 55 to 90%), which was especially evident for E 1450 preparation. Amylose content improved the aerogel properties, as waxy preparations were characterized by worse functional properties with the only exception of improved thickening ability. The most beneficial properties for the preparation of emulsions were observed for the aerogel obtained based on E 1450 normal potato starch.

Delving into the Therapeutic Potential of Carica papaya Leaf against Thrombocytopenia.

Thrombocytopenia is a clinical manifestation that refers to the low platelet count, i.e., <150 × 103/µL, of blood, resulting in imbalanced hemostasis, which leads to several fatal complications. The causative factors vary greatly, but, as a consequence, they interfere with platelet production and promote destruction, leading to death. Carica papaya leaf has unique therapeutic and medicinal characteristics against thrombocytopenia, and this is supported by scientific studies. Secondary metabolites and minerals in the leaf, such as carpaine and quercetin, promote platelet production, inhibit platelet destruction, and maintain platelet membrane through gene expression activity and the ceasing of viral proteases, respectively. This review explores the scientific studies that support the role of papaya leaf in the form of juice, extract, or powder against thrombocytopenia through animal modeling and clinical trials. Phytochemical profiles of C. papaya leaf revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, cardiac glycosides, tannins, terpenes, and saponins, which impart therapeutic potential to the leaf. The therapeutic benefits of the leaf include immunomodulatory, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimalarial, antiangiogenic, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities. Several conducted scientific research studies have proved the efficacy of C. papaya leaf against thrombocytopenia, expanding the implication of natural sources to eradicate numerous ailments.

Bioactive Substances of Potato Juice Reveal Synergy in Cytotoxic Activity against Cancer Cells of Digestive System Studied In Vitro.

More and more literature data indicate the health-promoting effect of potato juice (PJ). However, to date, it has not been precisely explained which of the many compounds present in PJ exhibit biological activity. The work aimed to establish the antiproliferative effect of gastrointestinal digested PJ and the products of its processing. Fresh PJs derived from three edible potato varieties, industrial side stream resulting from starch production, partially deproteinized PJ derived from feed protein production line, and three different potato protein preparations subjected to digestion in the artificial gastrointestinal tract were used in this study. The cytotoxic potential of glycoalkaloids (GAs), phenolic acids, digested PJ, and products of PJ processing was determined in human normal and cancer cells derived from the digestive system. The results showed that GAs exhibit concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against all analyzed cell lines. In contrast, phenolic acids (caffeic, ferulic, and chlorogenic acid) do not show cytotoxicity in the applied cell lines. A correlation between cytotoxic potency and GAs content was found in all PJ products studied. The most potent effects were observed under treatment with deproteinized PJ, a product of industrial processing of PJ, distinguished by the highest effective activity among the fresh juice products studied. Moreover, this preparation revealed a favorable cytotoxicity ratio towards cancer cells compared to normal cells. Statistical analysis of the obtained results showed the synergistic effect of other bioactive substances contained in PJ and its products, which may be crucial in further research on the possibility of using PJ as a source of compounds of therapeutic importance.

Water Behavior of Aerogels Obtained from Chemically Modified Potato Starches during Hydration.

Aerogels are highly porous materials that are prepared by removing water held within a hydrogel in a manner that maintains the three-dimensional structure of the gel. Recently, there has been much interest in the preparation of aerogels from biopolymers, including starch. The applicability of native starches in the food industry is partially limited; therefore, the functional properties of starch are often improved by means of physical and/or chemical modification. The aim of the work was the analysis of molecular dynamics and the transport of water in aerogels obtained from native and chemically modified potato starches of the normal and waxy variety. Chemical modification with OSA (E 1450) as well as cross-linking with adipic anhydrite and acetylation (E 1422) had no significant impact on the hydration of potato starch aerogels as well as equilibrium water activity. The introduction of chemical moieties into starch macromolecules led to the improved binding of water by the biopolymer matrix; this was especially evident in the case of waxy starch derivatives. A increase in the amylopectin-to-amylose ratio of starch used for production of aerogels resulted in a decrease of equilibrium water activity along with spin-lattice relaxation time.

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.

Water Behavior of Emulsions Stabilized by Modified Potato Starch.

Starch is a widely known and used emulsion stabilizer. In order to improve its properties, various types of modifications are made that change its ability to emulsify and stabilize. This paper describes the analysis of the molecular dynamics of water using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR) in oil-in-water emulsions obtained with the use of physically or chemically modified potato starch. The analysis of changes in spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times depending on the temperature allowed the activation energy value of water molecules in the analyzed emulsions to be determined. It has been shown that the presence of starch influences the values of spin-lattice T1 and spin-spin T2 relaxation times, both in the water and the oil phase, and the observed changes largely depended on the type of starch modification. Both types of analyzed starches also differently influenced the energy of activation of rotational movements of water molecules. On the basis of the analyses carried out with the use of LF NMR, it can be concluded that physically modified starch acts not only as a stabilizer, but also as an emulsifier, while acetylated starch does not exhibit good emulsifying properties.

Functionality of Native Starches in Food Systems: Cluster Analysis Grouping of Rheological Properties in Different Product Matrices.

Industrial application of starch as a texture-forming agent is primarily limited to preparations obtained from waxy corn and potatoes. The main reason behind this is its functionality, which depends mostly on rheological properties. However, in food product matrices, these properties change. Despite the vast amount of information on the rheological properties of various starches, the rational choice of thickener appears to be an extremely difficult task. The aim of the work is to systemize the information on the rheological properties of most popular starches in matrices of various food products, applying principal component and cluster analyses. The investigated material is potato and corn starch of the normal and waxy varieties. Binary mixtures containing salts or sweetening agents, as well as four different food products (ketchup, mayonnaise, pudding, and jelly), are investigated. It was found that compared to normal varieties, waxy starches reveal many similar rheological properties in all investigated models and food systems. Furthermore, in most applications, one waxy starch variety may be substituted by another, with no significant impact on the rheological properties and texture of the food product. Moreover, waxy starch preparations are less altered by the presence of cosolutes, i.e., salts and sugar alcohols. Starch model systems were proven to be useful only for rapid thickener screening tests and cannot be recommended as a final reference for the quality design of food products.

Gluten-Free Bread with Cricket Powder-Mechanical Properties and Molecular Water Dynamics in Dough and Ready Product.

Published data indicate that cricket powder (CP) is a good source of not only protein, fat and fiber, but also minerals. Due to the fact that this product naturally does not contain gluten, it is an interesting addition to the enrichment of gluten-free foods. This paper is a report on the results of starch substitution with CP (at 2%, 6% and 10%) on the properties of dough and bread. The rheology of dough and the texture of the final product were studied. While the changes caused in the dough by the introduction of CP were not pronounced, the bread obtained from it was characterized by significantly increased hardness and improved consistency. Analyses of water behavior at the molecular level with the use of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) indicated that CP altered both the bound and bulk water fractions. Moreover, examination of water activity revealed a decreased rate of water transport in samples of bread that contained CP. These results indicate improved availability of water to the biopolymers of bread, which likely plays a role in shaping the textural properties of the product.