A study on degradation kinetics of riboflavin in green gram whole (Vigna radiata L.)

Inclusion of konjac glucomannan in pea protein hydrogels improved the rheological and in vitro release properties of the composite hydrogels

In this study, a composite hydrogel consisting of pea protein and konjac glucomannan (KG) was fabricated using three approaches, namely neutral, salt-set, and alkaline gelation. Hydrogels made from pea protein were brittle and weak. The addition of KG improved the elasticity and water holding capacity of the pea protein hydrogels. Concomitantly, a decrease in syneresis rate and swelling of the composite hydrogels was observed. The alkaline-set hydrogels exhibited the highest resilience to strain. Thixotropicity was found to be less pronounced for salt-set hydrogels. Sulphate had a greater positive effect on the structural recovery and negative effect on hysteresis area than chloride due to the greater salting-out effect of the sulphates. The addition of KG facilitated the formation of an interconnected structure with limited mobility of biopolymer chains. A sharp increase in G' and G" during the temperature ramp indicated the predominance of hydrophobic interactions towards the aggregation of biopolymers. The infrared spectra of the hydrogels revealed a change in secondary structure of proteins on addition of KG. A controlled in vitro release of riboflavin was observed in neutral and salt-set hydrogels. The alkaline-set hydrogels exhibited a prolonged gastric retention time, thereby establishing in vitro antacid activity in the gastric environment.

UHPLC-DAD Method Development and Validation: Degradation Kinetic, Stress Studies of Farnesol and Characterization of Degradation Products Using LC-QTOF-ESI-MS with in silico Pharmacokinetics and Toxicity Predictions

Farnesol (FAR) is a sesquiterpene molecule with high lipophilicity that has antibacterial and other pharmacological properties along with broad nutritional values with high commercial values. Although having potential, FAR stability behavior and degradation kinetics are not available in the literature. Hence, it is very essential to develop a simple, rapid, accurate, precise, robust, cheap UHPLC-DAD method for FAR. It was also proposed to study mechanistic insights into FAR under different degradation conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized to do systematic stability studies along with degradation kinetic and accelerated stability studies. The developed method was validated. FAR was studied for stress studies, degradation kinetics and ADMET prediction of degradants. Degradation products were characterized using LC-QTOF-ESI-MS. Developed method consists of an isocratic mobile phase with a wavelength of 215 nm. The percent recoveries for FAR were observed within the acceptance limit of 98-102%. The eight major degradation products were formed during stress studies. FAR follows first-order degradation kinetics. FAR and all degradants were found to have more than 75% good human oral absorption, and are non-toxic. FAR UHPLC-DAD method was developed, validated and performed stability studies to know the possible degradation pattern along with degradation kinetic studies.

Thermostability of bioactive compounds during roasting process of coffee beans

The effect of roasting conditions on some physicochemical characteristics of coffee beans as color, browning index, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), caffeine, phenolic acids, and antioxidant capacity were investigated. The thermostability of chlorogenic acid and caffeine was investigated using Arrhenius equation. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reveal the relationship between the phenolic profiles, browning index, and the antioxidant capacity of coffee. Chlorogenic acid was the main phenolic compounds in coffee beans. It gradually decreased from 34.181 to 2.584 mg/g of sample during roasting at 220 °C for 40 min. Gallic acid, caffeic acid and HMF increased at the beginning of roasting time and decreased afterward. The antioxidant capacity of green coffee showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Two principal components, (PC1 and PC2) with eigenvalues 5.89 and 2.5 respectively, which demonstrated 93.35% of the total variance in the data set. Therefore, the paramount way to reserve a good level of phenolic compounds in parallel with a good taste is the roasting of coffee at 180 °C for 20 min or 220 °C at 10 min.

Recent Advances in the Use of Sourdough Biotechnology in Pasta Making

The growing consumers’ request for foods with well-balanced nutritional profile and functional properties promotes research on innovation in pasta making. As a staple food and a common component of diet, pasta can be considered as a vector of dietary fiber, vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, and functional compounds. The conventional process for pasta production does not include a fermentation step. However, novel recipes including sourdough-fermented ingredients have been recently proposed, aiming at enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of this product and at enriching commercial offerings with products with new sensorial profiles. The use of sourdough for pasta fortification has been investigated under several aspects, including fortification in vitamin B, the reduction of starch digestibility, and gluten content. Sourdough fermentation has also been successfully applied to non-conventional flours, (e.g., from pseudocereals and legumes), in which an overall increase of the nutritional value and health-promoting compounds, such as a significant decrease of antinutritional factors, were observed. Fermented non-conventional flours, obtained through spontaneous fermentation or using selected starters, have been proposed as pasta ingredients. As the result of wheat replacement, modification in textural properties of pasta may occur. Nonetheless, fermentation represents an efficient tool in improving, besides nutritional and functional profile, the sensory and technological features of fortified pasta.

Boiled, sprouted, and raw cowpea-incorporated diets modulate high-fat diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of processed (boiled and sprouted) cowpea-incorporated experimental diets on serum cholesterol and serum antioxidant capacity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed Wistar rats. Seven weeks old male Wistar rats were fed 20% fat as a control (CD), for comparison with 20% fat-enriched diets containing 20% whole raw cowpea diets (Bombay Raw Diet; BRD and MI35 Raw Diet; MRD), boiled cowpea diets (Bombay Boiled Diet; BBD and MI35 Boiled Diet; MBD) and sprouted cowpea diet (Bombay Sprouted Diet; BSD) for 6 weeks. The increase in serum total cholesterol as a result of high-fat diet was significantly countered by boiled and raw cowpea-incorporated diet-fed rats. Increased serum non-HDL-C level caused by HFD was significantly (p < 0.05) countered by raw, boiled, and sprouted cowpeas, while HDL-C was increased by raw MI and boiled Bombay incorporated diets. Boiling has improved the hypocholesterolemic ability of Bombay cowpea and BBD has significantly (p < 0.05) modulated serum HDL-C level and liver weight in rats. These findings were supported significantly high soluble fiber content in processed cowpea powder than that in raw cowpea powder. The decrease in serum antioxidant activity as a result of HFD was significantly countered by BRD. Processing has reduced the antioxidant activity in cowpeas and serum antioxidant activity in rats. Cecal lactobacilli population was significantly high in all cowpea diet-fed groups compared to control. Modulated serum cholesterol level in cowpea diet-fed rats was accompanied by dietary fiber composition, antioxidant activity in cowpeas and fecal weight, cecal weight and cecal lactobacilli population in rats compared to control. Both processed and raw cowpea-incorporated diets have modulated HFD-induced hypercholesterolemia by modulating serum antioxidative capacity, cholesterol metabolism, and cecal fermentation.

Kinetics of changes in shelf life parameters during storage of pearl millet based kheer mix and development of a shelf life prediction model

Pearl millet, dairy whitener and sugar powder were blended for preparing pearl millet kheer mix. Pearl millet based kheer mix samples were stored at 8, 25, 37 and 45 °C under nitrogen flushing environment. Changes in HMF and TBA formation in the dry mix and sensory changes in reconstituted kheer were studied upto 180 days. In fresh dry mix, the average value of HMF recorded was 4.87 μmol/g which increased to 11.23, 13.67, 18.13, and 21.43 μmol/g at 8, 25, 37 and 45 °C, respectively after 180 days of storage. From an initial value of 0.067, the TBA value increased to 0.219, 0.311, 0.432 and 0.613 at 532 nm at 8, 25, 37 and 45 °C, respectively after 180 days of storage. Data generated from the chemical kinetics of HMF and TBA development that progressed during storage of pearl millet kheer mix were modeled using Arrhenius equations to predict the shelf life of the product. Changes in HMF and TBA followed first order reaction kinetics. It was found that the potential shelf life of the pearl millet based kheer mix was 396 days at 8 and 288 days at 25 °C, respectively.

Photo, thermal and chemical degradation of riboflavin

Riboflavin (RF), also known as vitamin B2, belongs to the class of water-soluble vitamins and is widely present in a variety of food products. It is sensitive to light and high temperature, and therefore, needs a consideration of these factors for its stability in food products and pharmaceutical preparations. A number of other factors have also been identified that affect the stability of RF. These factors include radiation source, its intensity and wavelength, pH, presence of oxygen, buffer concentration and ionic strength, solvent polarity and viscosity, and use of stabilizers and complexing agents. A detailed review of the literature in this field has been made and all those factors that affect the photo, thermal and chemical degradation of RF have been discussed. RF undergoes degradation through several mechanisms and an understanding of the mode of photo- and thermal degradation of RF may help in the stabilization of the vitamin. A general scheme for the photodegradation of RF is presented.

Prediction of the ageing of commercial lager beer during storage based on the degradation of iso-α-acids

BACKGROUND

Iso-α-acids and their chemically modified variants are responsible for the bitterness of beer and play a disproportionately large role in the final quality of beer. The current study was undertaken to predict the degradation of commercial lager beers related to changes in the concentration of trans-iso-α-acids during storage by using high-pressure liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

In the analysed beers the concentration of isohumulone (average concentration 28 mg L(-1)) was greater than that of isocohumulone (20 mg L(-1)) and isoadhumulone (10 mg L(-1)). The kinetic parameters, activation energy and rate constant, of the trans-iso-α-acids were calculated. In the case of dark beers, the activation energy for the degradation of trans-isocohumulones was found to be higher than for trans-isohumulones and trans-isoadhumulones, whereas in pale and alcohol-free beers activation energies for the degradation of the three trans isomers were similar.

CONCLUSION

The loss of iso-α-acids can be calculated using the activation energy of the degradation of trans-iso-α-acids and the temperature profile of the accelerated ageing. The results obtained in the investigation can be used in the beer industry to predict the alteration of the bitterness of beer during storage.

Kinetics of ascorbic acid loss during hot water blanching of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) leaves

The kinetics of thermal degradation of ascorbic acid in fluted pumpkin leaves were investigated from 60 to 90°C (pH 5.0 to 6.5). Ascorbic acid degradation was modeled as a first order rate reaction with the rate constants increasing with increase in pH of the medium. The pH and temperature dependence of the rates of destruction gave highly significant correlations when analyzed by the thermal resistance and activated complex reaction rate methods. Activation energy (Ea) ranged from 41.2 to 18.2 kJ/mol while D-values ranged from 103.3 to 22.4 min. The changes in activation energy affected Ko values which ranged from 5.98 × 10(4) to 41.7 min(-1).

Biotechnological production of vitamin B2-enriched bread and pasta

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were obtained from durum wheat flour samples and screened for roseoflavin-resistant variants to isolate natural riboflavin-overproducing strains. Two riboflavin-overproducing strains of Lactobacillus plantarum isolated as described above were used for the preparation of bread (by means of sourdough fermentation) and pasta (using a prefermentation step) to enhance their vitamin B2 content. Pasta was produced from a monovarietal semolina obtained from the durum wheat cultivar PR22D89 and, for experimental purposes, from a commercial remilled semolina. Several samples were collected during the pasta-making process (dough, extruded, dried, and cooked pasta) and tested for their riboflavin content by a high-performance liquid chromatography method. The applied approaches resulted in a considerable increase of vitamin B2 content (about 2- and 3-fold increases in pasta and bread, respectively), thus representing a convenient and efficient food-grade biotechnological application for the production of vitamin B2-enriched bread and pasta. This methodology may be extended to a wide range of cereal-based foods, feed, and beverages. Additionally, this work exemplifies the production of a functional food by a novel biotechnological exploitation of LAB in pasta-making.

Effect of cooking methods on selected physicochemical and nutritional properties of barlotto bean, chickpea, faba bean, and white kidney bean

The effects of atmospheric pressure cooking (APC) and high-pressure cooking (HPC) on the physicochemical and nutritional properties of barlotto bean, chickpea, faba bean, and white kidney bean were investigated. The hardness of the legumes cooked by APC or HPC were not statistically different (P > 0.05). APC resulted in higher percentage of seed coat splits than HPC. Both cooking methods decreased Hunter "L" value significantly (P < 0.05). The "a" and "b" values of dark-colored seeds decreased after cooking, while these values tended to increase for the light-colored seeds. The total amounts of solid lost from legume seeds were higher after HPC compared with APC. Rapidly digestible starch (RDS) percentages increased considerably after both cooking methods. High pressure cooked legumes resulted in higher levels of resistant starch (RS) but lower levels of slowly digestible starch (SDS) than the atmospheric pressure cooked legumes.

Modeling weight loss and chlorogenic acids content in coffee during roasting

Roasting is a key step in the production of a high-quality coffee. Roasting degree is directly related to coffee chemical composition and may be determined objectively by weight loss after roasting. Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are thermally labile phenolic compounds that play an important role in the final cup quality and health benefits of coffee. Considering the interest in finding a reliable method to predict weight loss and CGA content in coffee, models have been developed to estimate these parameters during roasting. Weight loss was successfully modeled (r = 0.99) independent of the instant temperature. CGA degradation followed first-order Arrhenius-compliant kinetic models with good predictability (r = 0.98), especially for light to moderately dark samples. In both cases distinct models for Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora were calculated, because of differences in chemical composition and cell wall structure between these species. The proposed models may become important predictive tools in the coffee industry.

Degradation kinetics of folic acid in cowpea (Vigna catjangL.) during cooking

Kinetics of folic acid degradation in cowpea (Vigna catjang L.) as well as in pure folic acid solutions at initial concentrations present in cowpea over a temperature range of 50-120 degrees C (isothermal conditions) followed first order reaction kinetics, where the rate constant increased with an increase in temperature. The temperature dependence of degradation was adequately modeled by Arrhenius equation. The degradation was also evaluated in normal open pan cooking, pressure-cooking and a newly developed and patented fuel-efficient Eco Cooker (non-isothermal heating process). A mathematical model was developed using the isothermal kinetic parameters obtained to predict the losses of folic acid from the time-temperature data of the non-isothermal heat processing method. The results obtained indicate the folic acid degradation is of a similar order of magnitude in all the methods of cooking.