Search Results (62)

In this study, the effects of pregelatinization on the physicochemical properties of corn grits and the quality of cooked waxy corn wrapped in plant leaves were investigated. This investigation was conducted to address the issues of partial gelatinization and poor texture in corn grits when applied to food processing such as cooked waxy corn wrapped in plant leaves. After the corn grits were soaked at 55 °C, they were steamed for 30 min and dried at 45 °C (steam temperature maintained at 100 °C), reaching a gelatinization degree of 48.28%. The modified grits were characterized using Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze pasting properties, retrogradation behavior, crystallinity, molecular structure, and morphology. The results showed that pregelatinization significantly reduced setback viscosity (from 274.83 to 154.52 mPa·s), crystallinity (from 11.12% to 3.62%), and retrogradation tendency while improving solubility, swelling power, and water-holding capacity. When used in cooked waxy corn wrapped in plant leaves, pregelatinized grits enhanced the gelatinization degree (96.11%), texture (reduced hardness by 19.49%, increased chewiness and cohesiveness), and moisture retention during storage. The findings demonstrate that pregelatinization optimizes starch functionality, mitigates retrogradation, and improves the overall quality of traditional corn-based foods, providing a practical approach for industrial applications. Full article

Gamma oryzanol (GO) is a natural anti-oxidant found in rice bran with potential health benefits. Conventional isolation of GO from rice bran requires the use of non-eco-friendly solvents such as acetone, ethyl acetate and hexane due to its low aqueous solubility. Further, nanoencapsulation of GO is required for the enhancement of stability and bioavailability. Plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) are natural/intrinsic exosome-mimetic vesicles isolated from edible plants using green methods. Washed/soaked rice water (SRW) is often discarded as waste prior to cooking rice. However, traditional knowledge indicates its health-promoting anti-oxidant benefit, probably contributed by the presence of GO. Herein, for the first time, we isolated PDNVs from SRW by the cost-effective Polyethylene glycol 6000(PEG) precipitation method and demonstrated the presence of GO in PDNVs. In our initial screen, PDNVs were isolated from both rice grains (RGs) as well as the SRW of four different rice varieties, in which we identified the copious presence of GO in black RGs and brown SRW PDNVs. Both RG and SRW PDNVs were non-toxic to keratinocytes. SRW PDNVs displayed distinct cellular uptake mechanisms compared to RG PDNVs in human keratinocytes. Compared to native GO, brown SRW PDNVs containing GO displayed superior anti-oxidant activity in HaCaT keratinocytes, likely due to its enhanced cellular uptake. Overall, we describe here a waste-to-wealth green approach using an economical PEG method for the extraction of GO in bioavailable form. Given that oxidative stress is a driving factor for inflammation and related diseases, SRW PDNVs provide an affordable natural formulation for the treatment of diseases with underlying oxidative stress and inflammation. Full article

This study explores the multifaceted aspects of sushi rice preparation, including the washing, soaking, and cooking processes and their impact on the texture, microbial, colour, and sensory properties of rice. Selenio rice, a premium short-grain rice of the Japonica variety, was analyzed for variations in amylose content and viscosity profiles. The study highlights how the rice’s compositional characteristics, particularly the amylose-to-amylopectin ratio, influence gelatinisation and cooling behaviour. The study examined washing duration, water-to-rice ratios, soaking times, and seasoning effects on product quality. The results demonstrated that washing rice for 230 s was optimal for the nigiri-forming process, while extending soaking beyond 3 min provided no additional water absorption benefits. Water temperature during soaking (10–50 °C) had minimal impact on water absorption. The addition of a vinegar mix reduced the pH to below 4.5, improving shelf life and sensory properties. During storage, textural profile analysis revealed that hardness and chewiness increased while adhesiveness decreased across all samples, with lower water-to-rice ratios resulting in firmer rice that maintained structural integrity better during storage. Sensory evaluation showed declining scores for odour, taste, texture, and overall acceptability over the 10-day storage period, though colour and appearance were less affected. Microbial loads remained relatively low across all samples during storage, and rice colour showed minimal changes over time. These findings contribute significantly to optimizing sushi rice production processes, ensuring consistent quality and desirable textural attributes throughout storage while advancing the broader fields of rice research and culinary science. Full article

Sweet potatoes play an important role in the global food supply, as they are rich in bioactive components and have numerous health benefits. Their minimally processed, ready-to-eat form is increasingly popular among consumers; however, discoloration and microbiological problems threaten the safety of these products. The aim of this study is to investigate the shelf life of cleaned, cut, ready-to-eat, vacuum-packed, and refrigerated Bonita (white) and Covington (orange) varieties of sweet potatoes after soaking in apple and chokeberry pomace extracts and treatment with citric and ascorbic acids. A series of microbiological and analytical tests was conducted during the storage period. The microbiological tests included the enumeration of cells of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microbes, as well as lactobacilli, lactococci, Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts, and moulds. The analytical tests encompassed the determination of the total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, water-soluble solid content, and pH value. The prevalent microbial groups detected in the examined sweet potato varieties were lactic acid bacteria, which were present in both fresh samples and following storage. This study established that low-temperature refrigeration (5 °C), vacuum packaging, and organic acid treatment can effectively control lactic acid bacteria, which are pivotal to spoilage. The combination of preservation steps is of particular significance for ready-to-cook sweet potatoes, as this approach effectively extends the shelf life of these products. Full article

Vegetables, as an important source of vitamins and minerals, are highly recommended in a healthy diet. At the same time, vegetables can contain elevated amounts of nitrates and nitrites, which are the possible nitrosating agents responsible for the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. In young children, they can cause methemoglobinemia. Determining the level of nitrates and nitrites, as well as the possible reduction in their concentrations during culinary processing, is especially important for the diet of young children, who are introduced to leafy vegetables during the first year. For some types of vegetables that are often found in the diet, maximum permissible concentrations have not yet been established. Our goal was to estimate the reduction factors of nitrates and nitrites and suggest the best ways to properly prepare foods. For this purpose, samples of Swiss chard, spinach, and white cabbage were collected from the market to determine the nitrate and nitrite content. Vegetable samples were subjected to culinary preparations: soaking, cooking, and a combination of soaking and cooking. Quantitative and qualitative determination of nitrates and nitrites in vegetables was carried out on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a diode array detector (DAD). The obtained results showed that the highest nitrate concentrations were in Swiss chard samples, followed by spinach, and the lowest in white cabbage samples. The impact of culinary preparation was highest on spinach samples. Considering the average nitrate concentrations achieved after cooking or soaking and cooking, there was no risk of exceeding the ADI limit. However, the ADI values would be exceeded at the maximum nitrate concentrations. Full article

The inhibitory effect of compound soaking solution on the quality deterioration of fish fillets during storage and its repair effect on a cell oxidative damage model were investigated. Water holding capacity, cooking loss, thawing loss, thiobarbituric acid and sensory evaluation were used to verify that the composite soaking solution could improve the water loss and quality deterioration of fillets during frozen storage. At 180 d, water holding capacity was increased by 4.59% in the compound soaking solution group compared with the control. Cooking loss decreased by 6.47%, and thawing loss decreased by 13.06% (p < 0.05). The TBA value was reduced by 50%, and the degree of lipid oxidation was lower (p < 0.05). The results of the microstructure analysis showed that the tissue structure of fillets treated by the compound soaking solution was more orderly. The oxidative damage model of cells was achieved by soaking in treated fish fillet digestive juice, which inhibited the increase in reactive oxygen species content, maintained the integrity of the cell structure, and increased cell viability by 32.24% (p < 0.05). Compound soaking solution treatment could inhibit the quality deterioration of fish fillets during storage, and the digestive solution of fish fillets could improve the oxidative stress injury of Caco-2 cells induced by H₂O₂. Full article

This study investigated the impact of gradient milling on the cooking properties and sensory characteristics of Yangxian black rice. The results showed that as the degree of milling increased, the gelatinization time decreased (36.85–23.54 min) and the water uptake ratio of whole black rice (188.29%) was significantly lower compared to that of refined grains (194.05%). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was further used to monitor the water concentration and distribution of black rice during soaking and cooking. It was found that the bran layers of black rice, as a physical barrier, impeded the water penetration into the kernels for a given soaking and cooking duration. The sensory evaluation conducted by a panel of trained volunteers demonstrated a high score for all sensory attributes in slightly milled black rice, corroborating findings from the taste analyzer. Through correlation analysis of volatile components determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), smell scores in sensory evaluation, and electronic nose response values, 2-pentyl-furan (54.84–12.72 ng/g) and guaiacol (19.39–5.51 ng/g) were found to be the predominant volatile flavor contributors in cooked black rice. Overall, this study provides valuable insight into the intricate relationship between milling degrees and the cooking properties, sensory characteristics, and volatile flavor compounds of Yangxian black rice. Full article

The main aim of this study was to determine the effects of different processing methods on the antinutritional factors of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) of the Pusa Baisakhi variety. The values obtained were as follows: tannin 477 mg/100 g, oxalate 227 mg/100 g, phytate 627 mg/100 g, total phenolic content 772 mg/100 g, and saponin 2618 mg/100 g in raw mungbean, on a dry basis. The maximum reduction in tannin (63%) was observed when the mungbean was processed by the soaking and dehulling processes. The reduction achieved by soaking for 12 h and germination for 36 h was the most effective method in reducing the phytate content of mungbean (39%). The maximum reduction in saponin (22%) and oxalate (71%) was observed by autoclaving the soaked seeds. In comparison to other methods, roasting was the least effective method to reduce tannin, phytate, and oxalate. Autoclaving of the soaked seeds was the most effective method for reducing the antinutrients of mungbean among the cooking treatments. The processing methods such as soaking, dehulling, germination, roasting, raw open cooking, raw autoclaving, soaked open cooking, and autoclaving of soaked seeds significantly reduced the antinutrient contents of mungbean (p < 0.05). However, the effects of the treatments combined were more effective than those of the single process. Full article

Legume flours are an increasingly popular food ingredient. Thermal treatments applied prior to milling legumes and granulometry can modify flour properties, altering sensory, digestibility and functional attributes. Raw and treated (soaked and cooked) lentil flours of different granulometry were produced. The applied treatment resulted in an increase in fiber content (25.4 vs. 27.6% for raw and treated lentil flour, respectively) and water absorption capacity. It also led to a decrease in ash content (3.3 vs. 1.8% for raw and treated, respectively) and a darker flour. Treated lentil flour was mainly composed of fractions of high granulometry, which could be beneficial for products where a lower glycemic index is sought, as they demonstrated higher fiber and lower carbohydrate content than the finer fractions. Treated flour may be used as an ingredient in the development of raw products, including beverages and desserts, due to its reduced anti-nutritional compounds’ content and enhanced organoleptic aspects. The obtained results allow an in-depth characterization of raw and treated lentils flour with different particle sizes to consider a formal and complete standardization of these flours and for understanding their utility and specific food applications. Full article

Legumes, rich in protein, fiber, and micronutrients, are increasingly popular in pulse-based and gluten-free foods despite global consumption stagnating at 21 g/day due to taste, low protein digestibility, anti-nutrients, and long cooking times. Bean resistance to cooking causes textural defects like the hardshell and hard-to-cook phenomena. The pectin–cation–phytate hypothesis explains why soaking beans in sodium salts reduces cooking time by enhancing pectin solubility in water. Gradoli Purgatory beans (GPB), from Italy′s Latium region, were malted, reducing phytic acid by 32% and oligosaccharides by 63%. This study evaluated the hardness of cooked GPB seeds in various conditions, including decorticated or malted states, using a modified standard method. Cooking at 98 °C for 7–75 min on an induction hob with a water-to-seed ratio of 4 g/g was tested. Soaking was applied before cooking for conventional seeds only, followed by texture analysis. Conventional GPBs were adequately cooked if their cotyledons disintegrated upon pressing, requiring a force peak of 250 to 220 N and cooking times of 52 to 57 min. Malted, decorticated, and split GPBs cooked similarly to raw decorticated and split ones, with times of 32 and 25 min, respectively. Faster cooking was due to bean coat removal and splitting, not chemical changes. Sodium or potassium carbonate/bicarbonate at 1–2 g/L improved cooking efficiency, with 2 g/L of sodium carbonate reducing cooking time to 13 min. Higher concentrations caused non-uniform cooking. Cooking malted, decorticated, and split GPBs in sodium-carbonated water reduced greenhouse gas emissions from 561 to 368 g CO_2e/kg, meeting the demand for eco-friendly and nutritionally enhanced plant protein sources. Full article

It is widely recognized that foods, biodiversity, and human health are strongly interconnected, and many efforts have been made to understand the nutraceutical value of diet. In particular, diet can affect the progression of intestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and intestinal cancer. In this context, we studied the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of extracts obtained from a local endangered variety of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fagiola di Venanzio, FV). Using in vitro intestinal cell models, we evaluated the activity of three different extracts: soaking water, cooking water, and the bioaccessible fraction obtained after mimicking the traditional cooking procedure and gastrointestinal digestion. We demonstrated that FV extracts reduce inflammation and oxidative stress prompted by interleukin 1β through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2 expression and prostaglandin E2 production and through the reduction in reactive oxygen species production and NOX1 levels. The reported data outline the importance of diet in the prevention of human inflammatory diseases. Moreover, they strongly support the necessity to safeguard local biodiversity as a source of bioactive compounds. Full article

Pulses are considered superfoods for the future world due to their properties, but they require processing to reduce antinutritional factors (ANFs) and increase bioactivity. In this study, bean flour (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was fermented under different conditions (addition of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CRL 2211 and/or Weissella paramesenteroides CRL 2182, temperature, time and dough yield) to improve its nutri-functional quality. Fermentation for 24 h at 37 °C with the mixed starter increased the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population, acidity, polyphenol content (TPC) and ANF removal more than spontaneous fermentation. Statistical and rep-PCR analysis showed that fermentation was mainly conducted by Lp. plantarum CRL 2211. Metabolic modeling revealed potential cross-feeding between Lp. plantarum and W. paramesenteroides, while the molecular docking and dynamic simulation of LAB tannases and proteinases involved in ANF removal revealed their chemical affinity to gallocatechin and trypsin inhibitors. Fermentation was better than soaking, germination and cooking for enhancing bean flour properties: it increased the free amino acids content by 50% by releasing glutamine, glutamic acid, arginine, leucine and lysine and modified TPC by increasing gallic acid and decreasing caffeic, ferulic and vanillic acids and quercetin-3-glucoside. The combination of experimental and simulation data may help us to understand fermentation processes and to design products with desirable features. Full article

Recently, global warming has led to an increase in chalky rice grains. This has consequently resulted in the deterioration in quality of rice products. Although we previously reported that hard water, rich in Ca, is useful for the quality improvement of high-temperature-damaged rice grains, the mechanism was not elucidated sufficiently. Therefore, we used various kinds of rice cultivars, from waxy to high-amylose ones, for soaking and boiling in hard water and compared physical and chemical properties of the products. It was shown that the degree of quality improvement, such as final viscosities in pasting property, and textural properties of boiled rice, was more remarkable for high-amylose rice than low-amylose rice. As we found that the phosphorus contents showed positive correlations with amylose and long chains of amylopectin, we estimate that the effects are mainly due to binding of calcium and phosphorus. Because that high-amylose or long-chain-rich amylopectin rice cultivars showed high calcium contents in rice products, these rice cultivars would be very useful to supply calcium through dietary intake via hard water cooking. Full article

Both the soybean variety and processing method affect the end soybean product’s characteristics. This study’s objective was to characterize the effects of four extraction methods (variations of soaking and grinding) combined with cooking on the content and composition of phenolic substances and the antioxidant and anti-DU145 prostate cancer cell proliferation properties of soymilks prepared from a yellow soybean of the ProSoy variety, which is a high-protein variety. The results showed that the soymilk processing yield was the greatest using method 4, although method 2 gave the highest solid and protein yields by about 14 and 12%, respectively. Method 4, a two-step grinding method, also gave increased yields (8 and 7% for solids and proteins, respectively), and in all but one instance produced higher total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), condensed tannin content (CTC), and total isoflavone content values in both raw and cooked soymilks as compared to method 1. Cooking the soymilks reduced 14–17% of their total phenolic substances. Cooking reduced the anti-cancer capacity of the phenolic extracts from the soymilk prepared using method 4 by increasing the IC50 value from about 4.9 mg/mL to 6.8 mg/mL. The increases in phenolic compounds and antioxidants produced in the Prosoy soymilks using methods 2 and 4, with simultaneous increases in product and solid yields, are of significant benefit to the soymilk industry and consumer health. Full article

Soft-packed ready-to-eat (RTE) shrimp has gradually become popular with consumers due to its portability and deliciousness. However, the browning caused by high-temperature sterilization is a non-negligible disadvantage affecting sensory quality. RTE shrimp is processed through “boiling + vacuum soft packing + high temperature and pressure sterilization”. Ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectroscopy with CIELAB color measurement showed that phytic acid (PA) + lactic acid (LA), PA + citric acid (CA), and PA + LA + CA soaking before cooking alleviated browning, as well as UVabsorbance and the browning index (BI). Meanwhile, UV spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy showed that organic acid soaking reduced the content of carbonyl, dityrosine, disulfide bonds, surface hydrophobicity, and protein solubility, but promoted the content of free sulfhydryl and protein aggregation. However, in vitro digestion simulations showed that organic acid soaking unexpectedly inhibited the degree of hydrolysis and protein digestibility. This study provides the basis for the application of organic acids as color protectors for RTE aquatic muscle product. Full article