The effect of extrusion screw-speed on the water extractability and molecular weight distribution of arabinoxylans from defatted rice bran.

Arabinoxylans (AXs) are major dietary fibre in cereals. Recently, AXs have attracted a great deal of attention because of their biological activities. These activities have been suggested to be related to the content of low molecular weight (Mw) AXs, in particular those with Mw below 32 kDa. Rice bran is a rich source of AXs. However, water extraction of AXs is difficult and often gives low yield. Extrusion processing has been used to increase the solubility of cereal dietary fibre. The aim of this research was to study the effect of extrusion screw-speeds (80 and 160) rpm on the extraction yield and Mw of water extractable AXs from rice bran. It was found that the extraction of AXs increased significantly with an increase in screw speed and was accompanied by a significant decrease in the Mw of AXs from extruded rice bran. The percentage of very low molecular weight AXs (0.79-1.58 kDa) significantly increased with increasing screw speed.

Determination of added fat in meat paste using microwave and millimetre wave techniques.

By evaluating the sensitivity of measurement parameters such as dielectric constant and microwave loss to fat content, several microwave and millimetre methods were compared to identify optimal frequency measurement bands. The results showed that the optimum frequency range lay between 8 and 20GHz where these parameters vary linearly, by up to a factor of 8, as fat is increased to 50% volume. A narrowband waveguide sensor cell was designed and constructed for this optimum range. The imaginary part (ε'') of the complex permittivity demonstrated a better measurements resolution for determining fat content than the real part (ε'). The waveguide method has excellent repeatability as indicated by low relative standard deviation (RSD<4.88%). Temperature and sample density had minimal impact on the accuracy, repeatability and robustness of the final measurement system. A method of mixtures model for complex permittivity was shown to be a useful predictor of fat content.

Health-related effects and improving extractability of cereal arabinoxylans.

Arabinoxylans (AXs) are major dietary fibers. They are composed of backbone chains of ß-(1-4)-linked xylose residues to which α-l-arabinose are linked in the second and/or third carbon positions. Recently, AXs have attracted a great deal of attention because of their biological activities such as their immunomodulatory potential. Extraction of AXs has some difficulties; therefore, various methods have been used to increase the extractability of AXs with varying degrees of success, such as alkaline, enzymatic, mechanical extraction. However, some of these treatments have been reported to be either expensive, such as enzymatic treatments, or produce hazardous wastes and are non-environmentally friendly, such as alkaline treatments. On the other hand, mechanical assisted extraction, especially extrusion cooking, is an innovative pre-treatment that has been used to increase the solubility of AXs. The aim of the current review article is to point out the health-related effects and to discuss the current research on the extraction methods of AXs.

Iron and the female athlete: a review of dietary treatment methods for improving iron status and exercise performance.

Iron is a functional component of oxygen transport and energy production in humans and therefore is a critically important micronutrient for sport and exercise performance. Athletes, particularly female athletes participating in endurance sport, are at increased risk of compromised iron status due to heightened iron losses through menstruation and exercise-induced mechanisms associated with endurance activity. Conventionally oral iron supplementation is used in prevention or/and treatment of iron deficiency. However, this approach has been criticised because of the side effects and increased risk of iron toxicity associated with the use of supplements. Thus, more recently there has been a growing interest in using dietary modification rather than the use of supplements to improve iron status of athletes. Dietary iron treatment methods include the prescription of an iron-rich diet, or/and haem iron-based diet, dietary advice counselling and inclusion of novel iron-rich products into the daily diet. Although studies using dietary modification are still scarce, current literature suggests that dietary iron interventions can assist in maintaining iron status in female athletes, especially during intensive training and competition. Future research should focus on the most efficient method(s) of dietary modification for improvement of iron status and whether these approaches can have a favourable impact on sports and exercise performance.

The use of dry Jerusalem artichoke as a functional nutrient in developing extruded food with low glycaemic index.

This study considers the use of dry Jerusalem artichoke (JA) as a functional nutrient in developing food products with enhanced nutritional characteristics and low glycaemic index (GI). Three different formulations based on buckwheat and JA were developed and processed using extrusion technology. Nutritional properties including the levels of total dietary fibre (TDF), protein, inulin, total carbohydrates and lipids were analysed. A clinical study was performed on ten healthy volunteers (aged between 21 and 56) to determine the level of GI and glycaemic load (GL). The results revealed that JA significantly (P<0.05) increased the levels of TDF and inulin whilst decreasing carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The resulting products had a significant (P<0.05) effect on IAUC between reference food and extruded products, GI and GL. Samples containing 80% of Jerusalem artichoke were considered as a low GI food whilst samples containing 30% and 60% of Jerusalem artichoke as a medium GI food. A similar trend was seen in terms of GL.

Dietary iron intervention using a staple food product for improvement of iron status in female runners.

BACKGROUND: Adequate nutrient intake is critically important for achieving optimal sports performance. Like all athletes, female runners require a nutritionally balanced diet to maintain daily activities and a successful training regime. This study investigates the effects of cereal product based dietary iron intervention on iron status of recreational female runners (n = 11; 32 ± 7yr; 239 ± 153 minutes exercise/week, of which 161 ± 150 minutes running activity/week; VO2max 38 ± 4 ml/kg/min). METHODS: Participants completed a 6-week dietary intervention study. They were asked to replace their usual bread with iron-rich Teff bread as part of their daily diet. During this period, their dietary habits were assessed by multiple pass 24-hr recalls; iron status was determined by venous blood analysis for serum transferrin, serum transferrin receptor, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity and transferrin receptor/ferritin log index. RESULTS: Pre-intervention a cohort of 11 female runners reported inadequate daily dietary iron intake of 10.7 ± 2.7 mg/day, which was associated with overall compromised iron status. Over a third of all participants showed depleted bodily iron stores (serum ferritin <12 µg/L). Pre-intervention macronutrient assessment revealed adequate energy, protein and fibre intakes, whilst total fat and saturated fat intake was above the recommendations at the expense of carbohydrate intake. A 6-week dietary intervention resulted in significantly higher total iron intakes (18.5 mg/day, P < 0.05) and improved iron tissue supply but not enlarged iron stores. Improvements in heamatological indices were associated with compromised baseline iron status, prolonged intervention period and increase in dietary iron intake. CONCLUSION: Dietary iron interventions using a staple cereal product offer an alternative way of improving dietary iron intake and favourable affecting overall iron status in physically active females.