Search Results (48)

Soybean flours are widely used as a protein-rich ingredient in fish aquafeeds, and to obtain value-added compounds after a previous treatment with proteases. Additionally, non-starch polysaccharidases (NSPases) enhance dietary protein bioaccessibility and have been used as feed additives. In this study, defatted soybean flour was hydrolyzed using Sparus aurata gastric proteases and varying doses of a commercial blend of acidic NSPases. Reactions occurred at 25 °C for 3 h under typical fish stomach pH conditions (3.5–5.6). We modeled the hydrolytic process using response surface methodology, focusing on the released peptides and carbohydrates. The main finding was the efficient control of the degree of protein hydrolysis. We achieved 6–25% hydrolysis for peptides below 10 kDa by adjusting the carbohydrase dose and reaction pH. This work confirms that acidic commercial NSPases improve soybean flour protein hydrolysis when combined with S. aurata gastric proteases. Full article

Endogenous α-amylase activity is crucial for determining the end-use value of glutinous rice flour (GRF), and controlling it is a key goal in the milling process. Although the structure and properties of starch and protein in GRF have been extensively studied, there is little information on endogenous α-amylase in GRF. In this study, endogenous α-amylase isolated from GRF was purified and characterized. It was found to have a molecular weight of about 32 kDa, with the highest specific activity at 60 °C and a pH of 6.0. The enzyme is stable below 50 °C and in the pH range of 4.0–7.0. Its activity is Ca²⁺-independent but inhibited by Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Ba²⁺. Its activity is also reduced by β-mercaptoethanol. The enzyme hydrolyzes amylopectin most efficiently. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the enzyme contains 7.9% α-helix, 35.4% β-folding, 21.1% β-turning, and 35.9% random coils, with a T_m value of 63.68 °C. These results suggest that temperature control may be the best strategy for reducing amylase activity in dry-milled GRF, providing a new approach for the development of GRF dry-milling techniques. Full article

Fermented pulses offer health benefits due to their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. The objective was to optimize the fermentation conditions of black bean (BB), black eyed pea (BEP), green split pea (GSP), red lentil (RL), and pinto bean (PB), using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v), based on the antioxidant-scavenging capacity and the ability to modulate type-2 diabetes markers. Pulses were grounded, dispersed in water, hydrolyzed with α-amylase, and pasteurized and inoculated with Lp299v. Optimization was performed by using the Box–Behnken response surface methodology, with the fermentation time, bacterial concentration, and flour concentration as variables. The values of antioxidant capacity measured as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging of RL, BEP, PB, BB, and GSP were 57%, 68%, 71%, 72%, and 83%, respectively, under optimal conditions (8–9 h, 0.76–3.5 × 10⁹ a colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL, and 5.5–15 g flour/100 mL). These models demonstrated strong predictive power (p < 0.01) and a non-significant lack of fit (p ≥ 0.05). Additionally, fermentation increased the soluble protein content (3–10 mg/mL) and significantly inhibited dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase activities by 40–70% and 30–60%, respectively. These results suggest that fermentation with Lp299v enhances the nutritional and functional quality of pulses, producing bioactive ingredients with antioxidant and antidiabetic potential. These functional ingredients may be used in the development of dietary interventions or as part of health-promoting foods, especially those targeted at the management of type-2 diabetes. Full article

Early-life nutrition is crucial for healthy infant development. This study explored the effects of high-temperature (30 min, 121 °C) and high-humidity treatments on the starch properties and digestibility of infant purees made from wheat, rice, and maize. Purees were prepared using whole grains (WGs), whole grain flours (WGFs), and flour suspensions (FSs) subjected to thermal treatment. Untreated whole grain samples from each cereal served as controls. Samples were analyzed for microstructure, thermal properties, viscosity, and starch digestibility. Microstructural analysis revealed partial to complete loss of amyloplast birefringence, particularly in FS. The thermal treatment reduced peak viscosity in WGs, WGFs, and FSs. Also, the flour suspensions showed lower thermal stability and a phytic acid content reduction of 30%. In vitro digestion revealed a significant reduction in total hydrolyzed starch (THS) in wheat- (27.8 g/100 g starch) and maize- (11.3 g/100 g starch) WG purees compared to controls. In contrast, WGF purees showed significant increases in THS: 29% (wheat), 70% (rice), and 92% (maize). FS purees also showed significant increases in THS (57.4, 39.3, and 45.4 g/100 g starch for wheat, rice, and maize, respectively), alongside a decrease in resistant starch. In conclusion, thermal treatment modulates starch digestibility and viscosity properties in a cereal-dependent manner, offering a potential approach to optimize infant nutrition. Full article

In recent years, several studies have shown the antioxidant and antihypertensive potential of bioactive peptides. Thus, bioactive peptides are likely to be a valuable substance for the development of functional foods. There are a wide variety of sources of these peptides, including several cereals. Teff is an Ethiopian-rooted cereal with an interesting nutritional profile, mainly due to its high amount of protein. In this study, teff flour was subjected to a defatting process for optimizing the protein extraction. Such extraction was performed by precipitation from its isoelectric point, a crucial step that separates the protein from other components based on their charge. The protein obtained was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis by pepsin and Cynara cardunculus L. The antihypertensive (angiotensin-I-converting enzyme ―ACE-I― inhibitory activity) and antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl ―DPPH― radical scavenging activity) of the peptides were determined. According to the IC₅₀ values, the results obtained showed that the peptides from teff flour show promising bioactivity compared to other cereals. Furthermore, the peptides from teff flour obtained from C. cardunculus L. showed higher antioxidant activity (defatted teff flour ―DTF―: 0.59 ± 0.05; protein extract ―EP― : 1.04 ± 0.11) than those obtained with pepsin (DTF: 0.87 ± 0.09; EP: 1.73 ± 0.11). However, C. cardunculus L. hydrolyzate peptides showed lower inhibitory activity of ACE-I (DTF: 0.59 ± 0.07; EP: 0.61 ± 0.05) than the pepsin hydrolyzate (DTF: 0.15 ± 0.02; EP: 0.33 ± 0.05). Full article

IgE-mediated wheat allergy can take on various forms, including childhood food allergy to wheat, wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis in young adults, baker’s respiratory allergy/asthma in workers exposed to wheat flour inhalation, and contact urticaria that is caused by hydrolyzed wheat proteins in some cosmetics, and that is sometimes associated with a food allergy. Singleplex and multiplex immunoassays detect specific IgE antibodies to wheat allergenic molecular biomarkers such as omega-5 gliadin Tri a 19, lipid transfer protein Tri a 14, and alpha-amylase inhibitors. The fluorescence enzyme immunoassay with capsulated cellulose polymer solid-phase coupled allergens is a commonly used singleplex assay. Multiplex methods include the ELISA-based macroarray immunoassay using nano-bead technology and a microarray immunoassay on polymer-coated slides. Another promising diagnostic tool is the basophil activation test performed with omega-5 gliadin and other wheat protein types. Detailed comprehension of the structural and immunological features of the numerous wheat allergens significant in clinical settings is imperative for advancing diagnostic biomarkers for IgE-mediated wheat allergies. Full article

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) is an under-exploited crop with great potential due to its nutritional and medicinal characteristics. A Sacha inchi protein isolate (SII), obtained from defatted Sacha inchi flour (SIF), was hydrolyzed by Bioprotease LA 660 under specific conditions. The hydrolysates were characterized chemically, and their digestibility and antioxidant capacity were evaluated by in vitro cell-free experiments to select the hydrolysate with major antioxidant activity. Sacha inchi protein hydrolysate at 20 min (SIH20B) was selected, and the anti-inflammatory capacity was evaluated by RT-qPCR and ELISA techniques, using two different doses in monocytes THP-1 stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results obtained showed that the in vitro administration of SIH20B down-regulated the TNF-α gene and reduced the release of this cytokine, whereas the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-4 were up-regulated in LPS-stimulated monocytes and co-administrated with SIH20B. The peptides contained in SIH20B were identified, and the 20 more relatively abundant peptides with a mass by 1 kDa were subjected to in silico analysis to hypothesize those that could be responsible for the bioactivity reported in the hydrolysate. From the identified peptides, the peptides AAGALKKFL and LGVKFKGGL, among others, are proposed as the most biologically actives. In conclusion, SIH20B is a novel, natural source of high-value-added biopeptides that could be used as an ingredient in formulations of food or nutraceutical compounds. Full article

The effect of sulfuric acid hydrolysis on the Pickering emulsifying capacity of Tartary buckwheat flour (TBF) rich in starch was evaluated for the first time. The results indicate that the sulfuric acid concentration and hydrolysis time had a significant impact on the Pickering emulsifying capacity of acid-hydrolyzed Tartary buckwheat flour (HTBF). A low sulfuric acid concentration (1–2 mol/L) could reduce the particle size of HTBF, but it also decreased the Pickering emulsifying ability. At a sulfuric acid concentration of 3 mol/L, appropriate treatment time (2 and 3 days) led to particle aggregation but significantly improved wettability, thereby resulting in a rapid enhancement in emulsifying capacity. Under these conditions, the obtained HTBF (HTBF-D2-C3 and HTBF-D3-C3) could stabilize medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)-based Pickering high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) with an oil-phase volume fraction of 80% at the addition amounts (c) of ≥1.0% and ≥1.5%, respectively. Its performance was significantly superior to that of TBF (c ≥ 2.0%). Furthermore, at the same addition amount, the droplet size of HIPEs constructed by HTBF-D3-C3 was smaller than that of HTBF-D2-C3, and its gel strength and microrheological performance were also superior to those of HTBF-D2-C3, which was attributed to the higher wettability of HTBF-D3-C3. The findings of this study can facilitate the in-depth application of Tartary buckwheat and provide references for the development of novel Pickering emulsifiers. Full article

Xylanase is an essential component used to hydrolyze the xylan in wheat flour to enhance the quality of bread. Presently, cold-activated xylanase is popularly utilized to aid in the development of dough. In this study, ancestral sequence reconstruction and molecular docking of xylanase and wheat xylan were used to enhance the activity and stability of a thermophilic xylanase. The results indicated that the ancestral enzyme TmxN3 exhibited significantly improved activity and thermal stability. The Vmax increased by 2.7 times, and the catalytic efficiency (K_cat/K_m) increased by 1.7 times in comparison to TmxB. After being incubated at 100 °C for 120 min, it still retained 87.3% of its activity, and the half-life in 100 °C was 330 min, while the wild type xylanase was only 55 min. This resulted in an improved shelf life of bread, while adding TmxN3 considerably enhanced its quality with excellent volume and reduced hardness, chewiness, and gumminess. The results showed that the hardness was reduced by 55.2%, the chewiness was reduced by 40.11%, and the gumminess was reduced by 53.52%. To facilitate its industrial application, we further optimized the production conditions in a 5L bioreactor, and the xylanase activity reached 1.52 × 10⁶ U/mL culture. Full article

Sourdough bread is a traditional product made using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast. The influence of rye arabinoxylans (AXs) of different molar masses on sourdough wheat bread has not been studied to date. The aim of this study was to research the influence of arabinoxylans of different molar masses on the properties of sourdough wheat bread. The breads were baked using the sourdough method with wheat flour without and with 1% or 2% rye AX with different molar masses, which were unmodified, partially enzymatically hydrolyzed and cross-linked. The addition of all the AX preparations significantly increased the water absorption of the wheat flour. In particular, the addition of the preparation of cross-linked arabinoxylans at an amount of 2% caused the highest increase (by 9.8%) in the addition of water to the wheat flour dough. It was shown that a 2% addition of partially hydrolyzed AXs, with a low molar mass (190,440 g/mol), had the highest influence on increasing (by 23.7%) the volume of the bread and decreasing (by 41%) the crumb hardness of the sourdough bread, determined on the day of baking. The addition of the cross-linked AXs at an amount of 2% had the strongest influence on increasing the moisture content of the crumbs on the day of baking, both in the central (by 2.6%) and peripheral (by 5.1%) parts of the bread compared to the bread without the addition of AXs. The breads with all the AX preparations after the first and third days of storage had a higher crumb moisture content compared to the bread without the AXs. Full article

Bread is a basic element of the human diet. To counteract the process of its going stale, semi-finished bakery products are subjected to cooling or freezing. This process is called postponed baking. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of the molar mass of rye arabinoxylans (AXs) on the properties of wheat breads baked using the postponed baking method. Breads were produced using the postponed baking method from wheat flour without and with 1 or 2% share of rye AXs clearly differing in molar masses—non-modified or modified AXs by means of partial hydrolysis and cross-linking. The molar mass of non-modified AXs was 413,800 g/mol, that of AXs after partial hydrolysis was 192,320 g/mol, and that of AXs after cross-linking was 535,630 g/mol. The findings showed that the addition of all AX preparations significantly increased the water absorption of the baking mixture, and the increase was proportional to the molar mass of AXs used as well as the share of AX preparation. Moreover, for the first time, it was shown that 1% share of partly hydrolyzed AXs, of a low molar mass, in the baking mixture had the highest effect on increasing the volume of bread and reducing the hardness of the bread crumb of bread baked using postponed baking method. It was also shown that the AXs had a low and inconclusive effect on the baking loss and moisture content of the bread crumb. Full article

Amino acids have relevance in biorefining as fermentation nutrients but also as valued coproducts obtainable from plant biomass. Soy flour was studied as a representative low-cost protein source requiring hydrolysis to free primary amino acids for utilization. Within the context of biorefining, process schemes, reactant concentrations, times, and temperatures were varied to explore the efficiency of dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis of soy flour to release amino acids. Two process strategies were optimized. Either soy flour was co-processed with switchgrass biomass using a dilute-acid pretreatment, or it was hydrolyzed alone with dilute acid. Significant improvement to hydrolysate fermentability was accomplished by adding 2.5–10 g/L soy flour to switchgrass pretreatment with dilute sulfuric acid (0.936% v/v) for 15 min at 160 °C. This practice optimized accumulation of neutral sugars and resulted in a 25% reduction in furfural while boosting xylose 7% and up to doubling primary amino nitrogen (PAN), as compared to no soy flour addition to switchgrass pretreatment. When soy flour was hydrolyzed alone, PAN titers were optimized to 1588 mg N/L (9.9 g amino acids/L) and yield to 0.0529 g PAN/g flour (61% of theoretical) using a 10% (v/v) (1.8 M) sulfuric acid hydrolysis 30 min at 160 °C. Full article

In this study, Lactococcus lactis lactis subspecies 1.2472, Streptococcus thermophilus 1.2718, and thermostable Lactobacillus rhamnosus HCUL 1.1901–1912 were used to ferment rice flour for preparing rice bread. The characteristics of fermented rice bread were studied to elucidate the mechanism by which fermentation improves the anti-staling ability of rice bread. The amylose content of rice flour increased after fermentation. The peak viscosity, attenuation value, final viscosity, recovery value, and gelatinization temperature decreased. Amylopectin was partially hydrolyzed, and the amylose content decreased. The crystallinity of starch decreased, and the minimum crystallinity of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis fermented rice starch (LRS) was 11.64%. The thermal characteristics of fermented rice starch, including To, Tp, Tc, and ΔH, were lower than RS (rice starch), and the △H of LRS was the lowest. Meanwhile, LRS exhibited the best anti-staling ability, and with a staling degree of 43.22%. The T₂₂ of the LRF rice flour dough was lower, and its moisture fluidity was the weakest, indicating that moisture was more closely combined with other components. The texture characteristics of fermented rice bread were improved; among these, LRF was the best: the hardness change value was 1.421 times, the elasticity decrease was 2.35%, and the chewability change was 47.07%. There, it provides a theoretical basis for improving the shelf life of bread. Full article

The jumbo squid fishery in Peru is the second most important after the anchovy fishery. During its manufacturing process, only 50% to 60% of the total jumbo squid is used, thereby, the residues could be used to develop functional foods. Cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is an Andean pseudocereal from the highlands of Peru characterized by its high nutritional value. This work aimed to develop extruded snacks with protein hydrolyzed (PH) from jumbo squid by-product (JSBP) due to its high protein content, low price, and high availability. Four extruded snacks with corn flour (55%), rice flour (20% to 30%) and cañihua flour (15%) were enriched with PH from JSBP (4% to 10%) and developed using a twin-screw extruder. The extruded snacks were characterized by their physical properties (density, expansion ratio, water absorption index) and shelf life. The addition of PH from JSBP increased the protein content from 11.20% to 15.39%; ash content from 1.40% to 1.66% and fat content ranged from 1.10% to 1.18% compared to the control sample, the moisture content was from 4.46% to 5.81%. Also, the extruded snacks showed high phenolic concentration, 5633 µg GAE/g snack to 7315 µg GAE/g snack, high antioxidant activity, 698 mg trolox/g snack to 1274 mg trolox/g snack, high in vitro protein digestibility, 72.58% to 74.40%, and low acid index (0.095 mg KOH/g snack to 0.105 mg KOH/g snack) and peroxide index (0.00 meq O₂/kg snack to 0.063 meq O₂/kg snack), respectively. The snacks were accepted by the panel evaluators, complied with the Peruvian standard NTP-209.226 and microbiological requirements. Therefore, these snacks can be a healthier alternative product and satisfy market trends. Full article

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an important pseudocereal for its high nutritional value, versatility in cooking, gluten-free nature, and potential contribution to food security and sustainable agriculture. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different levels of substitution (10, 20, and 30%) of hydrolyzed quinoa flour (HQF) on the nutritional, physical, and antioxidant characteristics and protein digestibility of cookies elaborated with wheat and broad bean flours. Cookies without HQF were the control (C0). The addition of HQF increased the protein content by between 12 and 68% compared to C0. The increase in HQF improved the cookies’ quality according to the spread ratio. Adding HQF resulted in more compact cookies, decreasing their specific volume (1.30 to 1.15 cm³/g) and increasing their hardness (2791 to 6515 g). The total polyphenols increased by 2 to 3 times, and the antioxidant activity increased by more than three times with a 30% addition of HQF with respect to C0. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity with fluoresceine (ORAC-FL) index (stoichiometry or amount of antioxidants) revealed that up to a 20% and 30% addition of HQF increased the antioxidant compounds by up to ~1.5 times. On the other hand, the antioxidant reactivity, according to the oxygen radical absorbance capacity with pyrogallol red (ORAC-PGR) index, increased by 2.4 times with a 30% addition of HQF. Finally, the cookies’ digestibility improved with a 10% addition of HQF. Therefore, HQF represents a viable option in the development of cookies with highly reactive antioxidant compounds that are nutritionally improved. This application could be extended to other baked products. However, a 30% addition of HQF affects its textural properties and decreases its digestibility. Full article