Microwave assisted dehulling of black gram (Vigna mungo L)

Yellow Field Pea Protein (Pisum sativum L.): Extraction Technologies, Functionalities, and Applications

Yellow field peas (Pisum sativum L.) hold significant value for producers, researchers, and ingredient manufacturers due to their wealthy composition of protein, starch, and micronutrients. The protein quality in peas is influenced by both intrinsic factors like amino acid composition and spatial conformations and extrinsic factors including growth and processing conditions. The existing literature substantiates that the structural modulation and optimization of functional, organoleptic, and nutritional attributes of pea proteins can be obtained through a combination of chemical, physical, and enzymatic approaches, resulting in superior protein ingredients. This review underscores recent methodologies in pea protein extraction aimed at enhancing yield and functionality for diverse food systems and also delineates existing research gaps related to mitigating off-flavor issues in pea proteins. A comprehensive examination of conventional dry and wet methods is provided, in conjunction with environmentally friendly approaches like ultrafiltration and enzyme-assisted techniques. Additionally, the innovative application of hydrodynamic cavitation technology in protein extraction is explored, focusing on its prospective role in flavor amelioration. This overview offers a nuanced understanding of the advancements in pea protein extraction methods, catering to the interests of varied stakeholders in the field.

How heavy metal stress affects the growth and development of pulse crops: insights into germination and physiological processes

The current work is an extensive review addressing the effects of heavy metals in major pulse crops such as Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), Pea (Pisum sativum L.), Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.), Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), Black gram (Vigna mungo L.) and Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.). Pulses are important contributors to the global food supply in the world, due to their vast beneficial properties in providing protein, nutritional value and health benefits to the human population. Several studies have reported that heavy metals are injurious to plants causing inhibition in plant germination, a decrease in the root and shoot length, reduction in respiration rate and photosynthesis. Properly disposing of heavy metal wastes has become an increasingly difficult task to solve in developed countries. Heavy metals pose one of the substantial constraints to pulse crops growth and productivity even at low concentrations. This article attempts to present the morphological, biochemical and various physiological changes induced on the pulse crops grown under various heavy metal stress such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Ni.

A comprehensive review on pulse protein fractionation and extraction: processes, functionality, and food applications

The increasing world population requires the production of nutrient-rich foods. Protein is an essential macronutrient for healthy individuals. Interest in using plant proteins in foods has increased in recent years due to their sustainability and nutritional benefits. Dry and wet protein fractionation methods have been developed to increase protein yield, purity, and functional and nutritional qualities. This review explores the recent developments in pretreatments and fractionation processes used for producing pulse protein concentrates and isolates. Functionality differences between pulse proteins obtained from different fractionation methods and the use of fractionated pulse proteins in different food applications are also critically reviewed. Pretreatment methods improve the de-hulling efficiency of seeds prior to fractionation. Research on wet fractionation methods focuses on improving sustainability and functionality of proteins while studies on dry methods focus on increasing protein yield and purity. Hybrid methods produced fractionated proteins with higher yield and purity while also improving protein functionality and process sustainability. Dry and hybrid fractionated proteins have comparable or superior functionalities relative to wet fractionated proteins. Pulse protein ingredients are successfully incorporated into various food formulations with notable changes in their sensory properties. Future studies could focus on optimizing the fractionation process, improving protein concentrate palatability, and optimizing formulations using pulse proteins.

Effect of ultrasound treatment on dehulling efficiency of blackgram

Present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Power ultrasound, on dehulling efficiency, dhal yield, dehulling loss and total colour difference of black gram using response surface methodology. Nine treatments were performed with variation in ultrasound power 343-525 W and treatment time 1-3.5 h. It was observed that ultrasound treatment significantly improved the dehulling efficiency and dhal yield of the black gram and reduced the dehulling loss. The optimized treatment condition obtained for optimum dehulling yield (75.71%), dhal yield (74.63%) dehulling loss (12.72%), and total colour difference (5.08) was ultrasound power of 513.39 W and exposure time of 2.12 h. Moreover the blackgram pretreated with ultrasound required lesser cooking time when compared to soaked alone sample. The SEM analysis revealed the significant effect of ultrasound on the blackgram kernel which led to uniform cavitation of the surface of the kernel compared to the soaked sample without ultrasound treatment. In food industry blackgram is preprocessed i.e. soaked and cooked to produce various soups, canned products, batter, snack foods etc. Hence ultrasonic treatment can be applied to improve and facilitate a faster dehulling efficiency, with added advantage of increased soaking rate and a decrease in the cooking time for blackgram.

Quinacrine pretreatment reduces microwave-induced neuronal damage by stabilizing the cell membrane

Quinacrine, widely used to treat parasitic diseases, binds to cell membranes. We previously found that quinacrine pretreatment reduced microwave radiation damage in rat hippocampal neurons, but the molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Considering the thermal effects of microwave radiation and the protective effects of quinacrine on heat damage in cells, we hypothesized that quinacrine would prevent microwave radiation damage to cells in a mechanism associated with cell membrane stability. To test this, we used retinoic acid to induce PC12 cells to differentiate into neuron-like cells. We then pretreated the neurons with quinacrine (20 and 40 mM) and irradiated them with 50 mW/cm² microwaves for 3 or 6 hours. Flow cytometry, atomic force microscopy and western blot assays revealed that irradiated cells pretreated with quinacrine showed markedly less apoptosis, necrosis, and membrane damage, and greater expression of heat shock protein 70, than cells exposed to microwave irradiation alone. These results suggest that quinacrine stabilizes the neuronal membrane structure by upregulating the expression of heat shock protein 70, thus reducing neuronal injury caused by microwave radiation.