Characteristics of Selected Bioactive Compounds and Malting Parameters of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Seeds and Malt.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds are an interesting raw material for malting regarding its relatively high bioactive compounds concentration and proven advantageous properties in different food products and dietary supplements. In the first stage of the study, important seeds properties relevant to the malting process including moisture content, seed viability, and water absorption capacity were determined. However, a few parameters determining the seeds' usability for malt preparation, such as germination ability and water sensitivity, are different in comparison to typical malting raw materials such as barley or wheat. However, they make it possible to obtain high-quality hemp malt. In the next stage of research, spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses, including measurements of antioxidant activity and protein separation by SEC-HPLC, were conducted. The results showed that the malting process improved the total antioxidant potential of hemp seeds by 15%, leading to an increase in the concentration of lower molecular weight proteins and oligopeptides-below molecular mass of 10 kDa-responsible for this high antioxidant activity. The processing of hemp seeds reduced the phytate content while increasing phosphate fractions with fewer phosphate groups, which may have a beneficial effect on nutritional value. These results suggest that malting hemp seeds needs optimalization of the process but can increase its nutritional value as a promising raw material in the food industry.

Impact of Hydrothermal Treatments on Nutritional Value and Mineral Bioaccessibility of Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera).

Hydrothermal treatment of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) induces both physical and chemical changes in nutrients and non-nutrients. It also affects the bioaccessibility of individual compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of hydrothermal treatment (boiling, steaming, and sous vide technique) on the concentration of the selected nutrients and non-nutrients in Brussels sprouts and in vitro bioaccessibility of the mineral components. It has been shown that, in terms of the leaching of nutrients and non-nutrients into the aqueous medium, traditional cooking in water involves the greatest percentage loss (the highest decrease in dry matter (11.8%), ash (13.3%), protein (10.4%), crude fat (43.3%), dietary fiber (9.5%), digestible carbohydrates (12.2%), and most of mineral components (7.6-39.8%)). In contrast, steam cooking and sous vide cooking of Brussels sprouts allow a higher level of preservation of the individual compounds. By using reduced process temperatures and vacuum packaging, sous vide cooking can be an alternative to traditional cooking to preserve the higher nutritional value of Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera (preservation of dry matter, ash, crude fat, and most of the mineral components at the level of the raw sample p ≤ 0.05).

Fermentation with Edible Rhizopus Strains to Enhance the Bioactive Potential of Hull-Less Pumpkin Oil Cake.

Solid-state fermentation with food-grade fungal strains can be applied to enhance the bioactive parameters of agro-industrial by-products. Tempe-type fermentation can be adapted to various substrates, but the key factor is the appropriate strain selection. The aim of this study was to compare the potential of Rhizopus strains for obtaining products of improved antioxidant activity from pumpkin oil cake. For this purpose, substances reacting with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, with free radical scavenging potential, as well as reducing power were assessed. The effect of the fermentation on the phytate level and inositol phosphate profile in the material was also monitored. The fermentation resulted in the significant enhancement of the antioxidant potential of pumpkin oil cake in the case of all the strains tested, but the most efficient one was R. oligosporus ATCC 64063. During the course of fermentation, the level of phytate in the material decreased (the highest reduction rate was observed in the oil cake fermented with R. oryzae CBS 372.63), while peptides and fungal glucosamine were accumulated. Tempe-type fermentation can be considered as an alternative way of improving the bioactive parameters of pumpkin oil cake and, thanks to the various activities of different Rhizopus strains, it is possible to obtain products of desired parameters.

Solid-State Fermentation Reduces Phytic Acid Level, Improves the Profile of Myo-Inositol Phosphates and Enhances the Availability of Selected Minerals in Flaxseed Oil Cake.

Flaxseed oil cake was subjected to fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus (DSM 1964 and ATCC 64063), and the phytate (InsP6) content, myo-inositol phosphate profile and in vitro bioavailability of essential minerals were studied. Flaxseed oil cake had a phytate mass fraction of 13.9 mg/g. A 96-hour fermentation of flaxseed oil cake by R. oligosporus DSM 1964 and R. oligosporus ATCC 64063 decreased the InsP6 content by 48 and 33%, respectively. The strains had different phytate-degrading activities: fermentation of flaxseed oil cake with R. oligosporus DSM 1964 was more advantageous, yielding InsP3-5 as a predominating myo-inositol compound, while fermentation with R. oligosporus ATCC 64603 produced predominantly InsP5-6. Solid-state fermentation of flaxseed oil cake enhanced in vitro bioavailability of calcium by 14, magnesium by 3.3 and phosphorus by 2-4%.

Phytases Improve Myo-Inositol Bioaccessibility in Rye Bread: A Study Using an In Vitro Method of Digestion and a Caco-2 Cell Culture Model.

Preparations of 6-phytase A (EC 3.1.3.26) and phytase B (acid phosphatase, EC 3.1.3.2) were applied alone and combined in the preparation of dough to estimate their catalytic potential for myo-inositol liberation from rye flour in the breadmaking technology. The experimental bread samples were ground after baking and subjected to determination of myo-inositol bioavailability by an in vitro method that simulated digestion in a human alimentary tract, followed by measurements of myo-inositol transport through enterocyte- -like differentiated Caco-2 cells to determine its bioaccessibility. Myo-inositol content was measured by a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) technique. The concentration of myo-inositol in the dialysates of control bread was 25.3 µg/mL, whereas in the dialysates of bread sample baked with 6-phytase A, the concentration increased to 35.4 µg/mL, and in the bread baked with phytase B to 64.98 µg/mL. Simultaneous application of both enzymes resulted in myo-inositol release of 64.04 µg/mL. The highest bioaccessibility of myo-inositol, assessed by the measurement of the passage through the Caco-2 monolayer was determined in the bread baked with the addition of 6-phytase A. Enzymatically modified rye bread, particularly by the addition of 6-phytase A, may be therefore a rich source of a highly bioaccessible myo- -inositol.

Effect of Fungal and Fungal-Bacterial Tempe-Type Fermentation on the Bioactive Potential of Grass Pea Seeds and Flaxseed Oil Cake Mix.

Tempe is an Indonesian food product traditionally obtained from soybeans through solid-state fermentation with Rhizopus. A variety of substrates can be processed into tempe in the presence of other microorganisms. In this study, grass pea seeds with the addition of flaxseed oil cake (20% w/w) were either fermented using individual mould strains-Rhizopus oryzae, R. oligosporus, and Mucor indicus-or cofermented with the moulds and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. In the obtained products, the content of dietary fibre, B group vitamins, and the level of peptides and antioxidant potential in aqueous extracts were measured. Moreover, peptides, angiotensin I convertase inhibitor, and antioxidant activity were determined after in vitro digestion. The effect of digestates on the differentiation of enterocytes was also investigated. Fermentation generally resulted in a decrease in the dietary fibre, especially the insoluble fraction (30-50%). The product obtained with R. oryzae was the best source of riboflavin and thiamine among all tested. The fermentation process promoted the accumulation of water-soluble peptides and antioxidant compounds. After in vitro digestion, the largest amount of antioxidant and antiradical compounds was released from tempe obtained with R. oryzae. However, the enrichment of the products with antioxidants resulting from solid-state fermentation did not simply translate into an improvement in antioxidant potential after digestion. Generally, fermentation carried out in the presence of L. plantarum brought positive effects only in the case of R. oligosporus DSM 1964. Digestion products obtained from R. oryzae tempe had a positive effect on the viability of Caco-2 cells differentiated into enterocytes. Interestingly, a higher activity of differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase and sucrase-isomaltase) was observed under the influence of digestate of R. oryzae and L. plantarum tempe.

Protocol for Designing New Functional Food with the Addition of Food Industry By-Products, Using Design Thinking Techniques-A Case Study of a Snack with Antioxidant Properties for Physically Active People.

The aim of the work was to develop an easy-to-follow protocol for designing novel functional products with the addition of food industry by-products using design thinking techniques. As a result, a 12-step protocol has been designed and presented. The protocol consists of steps from the initial formation of the design team, through all the stages of the production and prototyping, until establishing the final storage conditions and creating final documentation. The protocol has been validated and explained using a case study in which a fish industry by-product hydrolysate with bioactive properties was used to develop a novel functional food product for physically active people: a date bar with carp meat and carp skin gelatin hydrolysate. Following the 12 steps presented in the protocol resulted in developing a food product with high nutritional value and antioxidant power which remains stable during storage at reduced temperatures. Moreover, the product is characterized by good sensory qualities and can be easily implemented into full-scale production. The newly designed protocol is an easy-to-follow method that could be used in almost any kind of food industry sector to sucesfully develop user-focused functional food products with by-product addition.

The Impact of Phytases on the Release of Bioactive Inositols, the Profile of Inositol Phosphates, and the Release of Selected Minerals in the Technology of Buckwheat Beer Production.

A relatively high concentration of phytate in buckwheat malt, and the low activity of endogenous buckwheat phytases, both of which limit the effective use of substrates (starch, proteins, minerals) for fermentation and yeast metabolism, gives rise to the potential for application of phytases in beer production. This study aims at obtaining a 100% buckwheat wort with high bioactive cyclitols (myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol) concentrations released by exogenous phytases and acid phosphatases. Two mashing programs were used in the study, i.e., (1) typical for basic raw materials, namely the well-established Congress method, and (2) optimized for phytase activity. The results indicated a nearly 50% increase in the level of bioactive myo-inositol and an 80% degradation of phytate in the wort as a result of simultaneous application of phytase and phosphatase enzymes in the mashing of buckwheat malt. In addition, high D-chiro-inositol concentrations were released from malt to the buckwheat wort. The concerted action of the two phytases significantly increased (19-44%) Zn2+ concentrations in wort. This may be of great importance during mash fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts. There is a potential to develop technology for buckwheat beer production, which, in addition to being free from gluten, comprises high levels of bioactive myo- and D-chiro-inositols.

Polypeptide components of oligomeric legumin-like thiamin-binding protein from buckwheat seeds characterized by partial amino acid sequencing and photoaffinity labeling.

Among thiamin-binding proteins that ubiquitously occur in plant seeds, that of common buckwheat became a model of extensive studies of the chemical mechanism of ligand-protein interaction. In this work, the polypeptide components of buckwheat seed thiamin-binding protein (BSTBP) are identified and characterized. We suggest that BSTBP is probably a fraction of major storage 13 S globulin (legumin), has an average molecular mass of 235 kDa and comprises hexamers of 57-kDa and 38-kDa subunits in variable combinations. Each subunit is a pair of disulfide-linked polypeptide chains, 36 kDa plus 24 kDa and two-times 22 kDa, respectively. The N-terminal sequences of 22-kDa and 24-kDa components show strict homology with those reported for "basic subunits" of buckwheat legumin. By photoaffinity labeling of BSTBP with 4-azido-2-nitrobenzoylthiamine, it is shown that the 36-kDa chain plays the major role in thiamin binding, but the other chains may also be variably involved. Putative thiamin-binding fragments are identified and sequenced.

Attenuated kinin release from human neutrophil elastase-pretreated kininogens by tissue and plasma kallikreins.

Components of kinin-forming systems operating at inflammatory sites are likely to interact with elastase that is released by recruited neutrophils and may, at least temporarily, constitute the major proteolytic activity present at these sites. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of kininogen degradation by human neutrophil elastase (HNE) on kinin generation by tissue and plasma kallikreins. We show that the digestion of both low molecular mass (LK) and high molecular mass (HK) forms of human kininogen by HNE renders them essentially unsusceptible to processing by human urinary kallikrein (tissue-type) and also significantly quenches the kinin release from HK by plasma kallikrein. Studies with synthetic model heptadecapeptide substrates, ISLMKRPPGFSPFRSSR and SLMKRPPGFSPFRSSRI, confirmed the inability of tissue kallikrein to process peptides at either termini of the internal kinin sequence, while plasma kallikrein was shown to release the kinin C-terminus relatively easily. The HNE-generated fragments of kininogens were separated by HPLC and the fractions containing internal kinin sequences were identified by a kinin-specific immunoenzymatic test after trypsin digestion. These fractions were analyzed by electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. In this way, multiple peptides containing the kinin sequence flanked by only a few amino acid residues at each terminus were identified in elastase digests of both LK and HK. These results suggest that elastase may be involved in quenching the kinin-release cascade at the late stages of the inflammatory reaction.