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In this work, a novel reinforcing filler, millet gliadin (MG), was used for the improvement of the mechanical properties of zein nanofibers. The structural and physicochemical properties of MG were compared with those of zein, and the influence of MG on the morphology, physical properties, and molecular structure of zein nanofibers was investigated. The results indicated that MG has an obviously smaller weight-average molecular weight (7623) in comparison to zein (13,330). Transmission electron microscopy showed that zein molecules more easily form aggregates with larger diameters than MG molecules in acetic acid. At a concentration of 30% (w/v), MG exhibited a significantly higher viscosity (0.66 ± 0.03 Pa·s) than zein (0.32 ± 0.01 Pa·s), indicating the stronger interactions of MG molecules. With the incorporation of MG, the tensile strength was significantly increased to 49.32 MPa (ZM-1/2), which is 2.08 times and 4.45 times higher than that of pure zein nanofibers (ZM-1/0) and MG nanofibers (ZM-0/1-1), respectively. Moreover, zein/MG composite nanofibers exhibited improved water stability. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed evidence of the hydrogen bonding interaction between zein and MG. Therefore, MG is a good candidate for use as a natural reinforcing filler in electrospun nanofibers made of biopolymers. Full article

Celiac disease is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals and means a lifelong intolerance to gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye and oats, and leads to inflammatory changes in the lining of the small intestine. This is not a rare disease; it occurs in about 1% of the population. Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in the number and assortment of gluten free foods, which is marked with a crossed grain symbol or “gluten free” wording. The labeling, presentation and content of gluten in food intended for people intolerant to gluten is prescribed by the EU Regulation 828/2014 which has been harmonized in Serbian regulation. Gluten content not exceeding 20 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg justifies “gluten free” and “very low gluten” claims, respectively. The aim of this study was to assess gluten content in grain-based “gluten free” foods. Sixty samples of various grain-based food products (flour, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and snacks, mainly made from corn, rice, buckwheat and millet) were analyzed using a commercially available sandwich ELISA test RIDASCREEN^® Gliadin (R-Biopharm AG, Darmstadt, Germany). Gluten was not detected (<5.0 mg/kg) in 75% of the samples, 10% had gluten content up to 20 mg/kg, while 8% slightly exceeded the limit for gluten free products (22.0–24.0 mg/kg), which could be tolerated taking into account measurement uncertainty. One flour (52.0 mg/kg), one snack (58.0 mg/kg) and one pasta sample (96.6 mg/kg) had gluten concentrations at the levels requiring “low gluten content” product labeling instead of “gluten free” displayed on their packages. Furthermore, one snack product reached 196 mg/kg of gluten. The labeled composition of this product did not indicate the presence of raw materials that are natural sources of gluten. If true, this implicates cross contamination. The presented results indicate that there is a need for continuous education and rise of awareness among producers of gluten free food as well as improved efficiency of market control. Although the restaurants that offer a gluten free menu are nowadays a rarity in Serbia, they too should be included in control programs. Full article

The effect of nitrogen and zinc treatment on quality and yield was studied to provide a theoretical basis for generating high-quality and high-yielding foxtail millet. In the years 2021–2022, ‘Jingu 21’ was utilized as the test material in a split-plot design. The main plot was subjected to nitrogen treatment, while the sub-plot was treated with zinc. An arrangement of random blocks was employed. Four levels of nitrogen application (0 kg/hm², 120 kg/hm², 180 kg/hm², 240 kg/hm²) and three levels of zinc application (20 mg/L, 40 mg/L, 80 mg/L foliar spraying) were set, resulting in a total of twelve treatments. Each treatment was replicated three times, with each plot covering an area of 15 m². (1) The findings indicated that the contents of crude fat and crude protein in foxtail millet increased initially and then decreased with the increase in nitrogen application concentration. Additionally, the protein components were found to be in the following order: gliadin > albumin > glutenin > globulin. (2) Adding an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer under the same zinc level promoted the contents of amylose, total carotenoids, and flavonoids in millet to some extent. Over the course of two years, the content of flavonoids in millet was highest when treated with N180Zn40 (nitrogen 180 kg/hm², zinc 40 mg/L), showing an increase of 50.14% and 58.67%, respectively, compared to the treatment of applying zinc fertilizer alone at the same zinc level. (3) The phytic acid content and phytic acid/zinc molar ratio exhibited a pattern of initially decreasing and then increasing with the rise in nitrogen and zinc concentrations. (4) The application of zinc fertilizer and increased nitrogen fertilizer for two consecutive years had a significant impact on the yield of millet. Additionally, the application of zinc fertilizer had a highly significant effect on both the ear weights and thousand-kernel weights of millet (p < 0.001). The results demonstrated a positive synergistic effect when nitrogen fertilizer and zinc fertilizer were applied together. This combination significantly improved millet yield and thousand-kernel weights, enhanced the nutritional quality, and increased the content of functional components. Additionally, it also improved the availability of zinc. Full article