The influence of different sugars on corn starch gelatinization process with digital image analysis method

Low-sugar egg-based dessert (sweet egg yolk drops): Characterization, consumer acceptance and driver of liking

The addition of sweeteners and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) to partially reduced-sugar syrup allows for the development of high-sugar egg-based desserts, which are a healthier alternative with good consumer acceptance. This study aimed to analyze the effects of different sweeteners and sugar reductions on physicochemical properties, consumer liking, and emotional responses of sweet egg yolk drops. Five experimental desserts were prepared: four with 25 % low-calorie sweeteners (erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol, and tagatose) combined with 25 % FOS in reduced-sugar syrup (50 %), and one as a control (full-sugar formulation). Substitution of erythritol (E50), mannitol (M50), and tagatose (T50) in the syrup significantly decreased the quality of the desserts. This implies a decrease in the sensory properties, leading to negative emotional responses among consumers. However, the application of external preference mapping (EPM) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed that two of the four commercial desserts and one control sample (F100) included sorbitol desserts (S50). Desserts in this group that are related to specific attributes as drivers of liking, such as appearance, yellowness, sweetness, cohesiveness, and juiciness evoke positive emotional responses in consumers ('Auspicious', 'Glad', 'Attractive', 'Secure', 'Loving', 'Natural'). Therefore, sorbitol and FOS are suitable sweeteners in reduced-sugar syrups for producing egg-based desserts with reduced calories and improved consumer acceptance. This study thus paves the way for the development of healthy dessert products.

Oligosaccharides elevate the gelatinization temperature of wheat starch more than sucrose, paving the way for their use in reduced sugar starch-based formulations

The gelatinization of wheat starch influences the final structure and texture of baked goods. Sucrose effectively elevates the gelatinization temperature (T_gel) of starch more than many sweeteners, and maintaining a higher T_gel has been a challenge while reducing the amount of sucrose in baked goods. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of 14 different oligosaccharides (OS: maltose, isomaltulose, kestose, maltotriose, melezitose, raffinose, stachyose, a fructo-OS, a galacto-OS, an isomalto-OS, lactosucrose, a xylo-OS, and two glucose-based dextrins), allulose, and sucrose at different concentrations (0 to 60% w/w) on the T_gel of wheat starch using DSC, and to determine which OS physicochemical properties best explained the T_gel results. OS type and concentration significantly altered T_gel. Many OS elevated the T_gel as much as or more than sucrose at the same solution concentrations, while allulose did not. The onset T_gel in water was 60 °C, in 60% sucrose was 96 °C, in 60% allulose was 80 °C, and T_gel increased up to 107-108 °C in 60% fructo-OS and Nutriose® solutions. The effects of OS on T_gel correlated most strongly (r > 0.95) with two OS solution parameters: the solvent effective volume fraction (ϕ_w,eff, related to solute intermolecular hydrogen bond density) and solution viscosity, to a lesser extent with solution water activity, and not to the glass transition temperature of the OS. Based on T_gel elevation, many of the OS are promising sucrose replacements in baked goods, which could facilitate their use in desirable higher fiber, reduced sugar starch-based baked product formulations.

Effects of sucrose on pasting, thermal, rheological and textural properties of native and alcohol-alkali-treated waxy rice starch

In this work, the physicochemical properties of native waxy rice starch (WRS) and alcohol-alkali-treated waxy rice starch (AAT-WRS) were studied in the presence of sucrose. The results indicated that the addition of sucrose improved the transparency and freeze-thaw stability of WRS pastes and AAT-WRS pastes. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the gelatinization temperatures of WRS increased with increased sucrose concentration, but the gelatinization enthalpy increased at low concentration of sucrose and decreased at high concentration. Rheological measurements indicated that sucrose addition had no significant effect on the pseudoplastic shear-thinning behaviors of WRS pastes and AAT-WRS pastes, but changed the apparent viscosity. Dynamic moduli (G' and G″) values of WRS pastes and AAT-WRS pastes with or without sucrose showed frequency dependency and sucrose addition dependency. The elastic behavior was dominant over viscous in the WRS-sucrose mixed pastes, while the AAT-WRS-sucrose mixed pastes was the opposite. The textural paraments of WRS and AAT-WRS before or after retrogradation increased with the increasing concentration of sucrose. These results suggested that sucrose potentially changed the physicochemical properties of WRS and AAT-WRS.

A digital image method of spot tests for determination of copper in sugar cane spirits

In this work the development and validation of analytical methodology for determination of copper in sugarcane spirit samples is carried out. The digital image based (DIB) method was applied along with spot test from the colorimetric reaction employing the RGB color model. For the determination of copper concentration, it was used the cuprizone - a bidentate organic reagent - which forms with copper a blue chelate in an alkaline medium. A linear calibration curve over the concentration range from 0.75 to 5.00mgL^-1 (r²=0.9988) was obtained and limits of detection and quantification of 0.078mgL^-1 and 0.26mgL^-1 were acquired, respectively. For the accuracy studies, recovery percentages ranged from 98 to 104% were obtained. The comparison of cooper concentration results in sugar cane spirits using the DIB method and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry as reference method showed no significant differences between both methods, which were performed using the paired t-test in 95% of confidence level. Thus, the spot test method associated with DIB allows the use of devices as digital cameras and smartphones to evaluate colorimetric reaction with low waste generation, practicality, quickness, accuracy, precision, high portability and low-cost.

Pasting, rheological, and retrogradation properties of low-amylose rice starch with date syrup

Effects of date syrup on pasting, rheological, and retrogradation properties of low-amylose rice starch were investigated using three levels of date syrup (starch:syrup 1:1, 1:2, or 1:3). Measurements were carried out using HR-2 Discovery Rheometer equipped with a pasting cell and parallel plate geometry. The pasting measurements showed that the peak viscosity of the control is significantly higher than the samples with date syrup (p < 0.05), while the final viscosity increases with increased date syrup levels. Addition of date syrup increases the solid-like behavior of the gel in reverse order with increased date syrup levels. Low-amylose starch gel used in this study showed minor changes in elastic modulus (G') during one week cold storage indicting that low-amylose rice starch is resistant to retrogradation. Addition of date syrup slightly resulted in increased retrogradation compared to the control.

Effects of electron beam irradiation on physicochemical properties of corn flour and improvement of the gelatinization inhibition

The properties and viscosity-reduction mechanism of corn flour irradiated by electron beam have not been understood properly. Here, we investigate the effects of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on the gelatinization and physicochemical properties of corn flour irradiated by 0-5.40kGy of electron beam. The total starch and crude fiber contents of corn flour decreased significantly (P<0.05) after EBI treatment, while the moisture and reducing sugar contents increased significantly (P<0.05). EBI caused perforations on the corn flour particle surfaces, and the irradiated parts of the particles would gradually peel off and afford smooth surfaces, spherical structures, and smaller sizes. Molecular chains of corn flour broke owing to EBI. After irradiation, the pasting peak viscosity decreased dramatically (P<0.01) from 1251.74 to 7.16Pa·s, showing that the gelatinization of corn flour was completely inhibited. Thus, EBI can be used to inhibit the gelatinization of corn flour, which may be beneficial for industrial and food formulations.