Effects of ozone treatment on the physicochemical and functional properties of whole grain flour

Effect of continuous instant pressure drop treatment on the rheological properties and volatile flavor compounds of whole highland barley flour

Continuous instant pressure drop (CIPD) treatment effectively reduces microbial contamination in whole highland barley flour (WHBF). Base on it, this study further investigated its effects on flour properties (especially rheological properties) and volatile compounds (VOCs) profile of WHBF, and compared it with that of ultraviolet-C (UV-C), ozone and hot air (HA) treatments. The results showed that the damaged starch content (6.0%) of CIPD-treated WHBF was increased, leading to a rough surface and partial aggregation of starch particle, thereby increasing the particle size (18.06 μm of D10, 261.46 μm of D50 and 534.44 μm of D90). Besides, CIPD treatment exerted a positive influence on the structure and rheological properties of WHBF, including an elevation in pasting temperature and viscosity. Notably, CIPD-treated WHBF exhibited higher storage modulus and loss modulus compared to the other three groups of sterilization treatments, contributing to the formulation of a better-defined and stable gel strength (tan δ = 0.38). UV-C and ozone, as cold sterilization techniques, also induced alterations in specific characteristics of WHBF. UV-C treatment led to changes in WHBF's crystallinity, while ozone treatment caused modifications in the secondary protein structure of WHBF. A total of 68 VOCs were identified in raw WHBF (including 3 acids, 19 alcohols, 25 aldehydes, 1 alkene, 8 esters, 2 ethers, 3 furans, and 7 ketones). The maximum flavor-contributing VOC in CIPD-treated WHBF remained dimethyl sulfide monomer (cabbage aroma), consistent with the raw WHBF. Conversely, in HA-treated WHBF, the maximum flavor-contributing VOC shifted to 2-furanmethanethiol monomer (roasted coffee aroma), altering the initial flavor presentation. These findings will provide strong support for the application of CIPD technology in the powdery foods industry.

Effect of electron beam irradiation on granular cold-water swelling chestnut starch: Improvement of cold-water solubility, multiscale structure, and rheological properties

In this study, granular cold-water swelling (GCWS) starch was prepared from chestnut starch by ethanol-alkali method, after which it was further modified by electron beam irradiation (EBI) technique to investigate the effect of EBI on GCWS chestnut starch. It was shown that the alcohol-alkali treatment disrupted the starch double helix structure and the starch crystalline form had been changed from "C" to "V" type. On this basis, EBI continued to act on the disrupted starch chains and further cleaved the long chains into short chains, which significantly improved the solubility of starch to 90.08 % in cold water at a 24 kGy irradiation dose. Therefore, this study can broaden the application scope of starch and provide new ideas for GCWS starch applications in food and water-soluble pharmaceutical industries.

Evaluation of Hydrothermal Treatment of Winter Wheat Grain with Ozonated Water

Products must be cleaned or otherwise treated to keep them clean when they are prepared for further production or when they are supplied fresh to the consumer. Cereals have significantly lower settling losses than succulent agricultural products, but the risks that can arise from their hydrothermal treatment before milling-where the cereals are moistened and left to rest for 14 h (temperature 30 °C)-are often underestimated. This operation creates a favourable environment for the development of micro-organisms, which, if not destroyed, can continue throughout the processing stages and be passed on to the consumer. This study investigated the qualitative characteristics of winter wheat hydrothermally treated with ozonated water at a concentration of 1.51 ± 0.1 mg L-1, such as the amount of mould in the grains and flour, as well as the grain protein, moisture, gluten, sedimentation, starch and weight per hectolitre. For the assessment of these parameters, the account was taken of the State standard, which provides the grain class and the type of grain. The reduction in mould fungi after the treatment of the winter wheat grain with ozonated water ranged between 440 and 950 CFU g-1. The results of the microbiological analysis showed that the ozone treatment improved the mycological safety of the flour samples made from the grain from an average of 390 ± 110 CFU g-1 to 29 ± 12 CFU g-1. On the other hand, the treatment of kernels with ozonated water did not significantly affect the basic composition of the winter wheat grains.

Ozone application in different industries: A review of recent developments

Ozone - a powerful antimicrobial agent, has been extensively applied for decontamination purposes in several industries (including food, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, textiles, healthcare, and the medical sectors). The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to recent developments in the deployment of different ozone-based technologies for the decontamination of surfaces, materials and indoor environments. The pandemic has also highlighted the therapeutic potential of ozone for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, with astonishing results observed. The key objective of this review is to summarize recent advances in the utilisation of ozone for decontamination applications in the above-listed industries while emphasising the impact of key parameters affecting microbial reduction efficiency and ozone stability for prolonged action. We realise that aqueous ozonation has received higher research attention, compared to the gaseous application of ozone. This can be attributed to the fact that water treatment represents one of its earliest applications. Furthermore, the application of gaseous ozone for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical device disinfection has not received a significant number of contributions compared to other applications. This presents a challenge for which the correct application of ozonation can mitigate. In this review, a critical discussion of these challenges is presented, as well as key knowledge gaps and open research problems/opportunities.

Multipin cold plasma electric discharge on hydration properties of kodo millet flour: Modelling and optimization using response surface methodology and artificial neural network – Genetic algorithm

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Hydration properties of kodo millet flour was improved with plasma treatment.

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Independent variables such as voltage and time were optimized with RSM and ANN – GA.

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ANN – GA showed best optimized combination as compared to RSM.

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DSC, FTIR, XRD and SEM had positive effect on millet flour for optimized values.

The effect on functional properties of kodo millet flour was studied using multipin cold plasma electric reactor. The analysis was carried out at various levels of voltage (10–20 kV) and treatment time (10–30 min) for four different parameters such as water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), solubility index (SI) and swelling capacity (SC). Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network – genetic algorithm (ANN – GA) were adopted for modelling and optimization of process variables. The optimized values obtained from RSM were 20 kV and 17.9 min. On the contrary, 17.5 kV and 23.3 min were the optimized values obtained from ANN – GA. The RSM optimal values of WAC, OAC, SI and SC were 1.51 g/g, 1.40 g/g, 0.06 g/g and 3.68 g/g whereas optimized ANN – GA values were 1.51 g/g, 1.50 g/g, 0.06 g/g and 4.39 g/g, respectively. Infrared spectra, peak temperature, diffractograms and micrographs of both optimized values were analyzed and showed significant differences. ANN showed a higher value of R² and lesser values of other statistical parameters compared to RSM. Therefore, ANN – GA was treated as the best model for optimization and modelling of cold plasma treated kodo millet flour. Hence, the ANN – GA optimized values of cold plasma treated flour could be utilized for practical applications in food processing industries.

Influence of ozone treatment on functional and rheological characteristics of food products: an updated review

In this milieu, ozone technology has emerged as an avant-garde non-thermal mode of disinfection with potential applications in the food industry. This eco-friendly technology has a comprehendible adeptness in replacing alternative chemical sanitizers and is recognized as a generally safe disinfectant for fruits and vegetables. Several researchers have been focusing on the biochemical impacts of ozone on different quantitative and qualitative aspects of fruits and vegetables. A collection of those works is presented in this review highlighting the effect of ozone on the functional, antioxidant, and rheological properties of food. This can be a benevolent tool for discovering the processing states of ozone applications and ensuing influence on safety and quality attributes of previously studied foods and opening further research areas. It extends shelf life and never leaves any harmful residues on the product since it decomposes to form oxygen. It was seen that the impact on a specific property of food was dependent on the ozone concentration and treatment time, and the adverse effects of ozone exposure can be alleviated once the processing conditions are optimized. The present review can be used as a baseline for designing different food processing operations involving ozone.

Recent advances on the impact of novel non-thermal technologies on structure and functionality of plant proteins: A comprehensive review

The recent trend in consumption of plant-based protein over animal protein opens up a new avenue for sustainable agriculture practice, less environmental impact and greenhouse gas emission. The modification of plant-based proteins by novel non-thermal technologies includes the structural transformation followed by the modulation of their functional properties that are exploited to develop a protein ingredient system for application in food formulation. This review explores the impact of non-thermal process technologies on structural modification of plant proteins followed by improvement in protein's function in food formulation. Novel concepts articulating the impact of non-thermal technologies on structural and functional modification of plant proteins affecting it's digestibility and bioavailability are addressed. Limitations and prospects of applying non-thermal technologies in developing an alternative plant-based protein food system are also summarized. Non-thermal processes are considered as the emerging technologies that results in conformational changes in secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of plant proteins which helps in modification of functional properties without jeopardizing the organoleptic properties and bioactivity of the protein. However, extensive future study is needed to optimize the non-thermal process parameters along with the finding of new protein sources to achieve healthy and sustainable plant-based food system.

Freeze Moisture Treatment and Ozonation of Adlay Starch (Coix lacryma-jobi): Effect on Functional, Pasting, and Physicochemical Properties

Adlay starch has great potential as a cereal starch, but it has several weaknesses, namely a low swelling volume, low solubility, and low stability. The purpose of this study was to improve the characteristics of adlay starch, such as porosity, functional properties, and pasting properties, through starch modification using freeze moisture treatment (FMT) and ozonation. This study consisted of several treatments, namely FMT, ozonation, and a combination of FMT + ozonation. The results show that the FMT and ozonation generally increased water absorption capacity, swelling volume, solubility, and number of pores of the starch granule. The pasting properties showed an increase in the viscosity of the hot paste and caused a decrease in the gelatinization temperature, breakdown, and setback viscosity. FMT 70% + ozonation produced modified adlay starch with a porous granular surface, swelling volume value of 21.10 mL/g, water absorption capacity of 1.54 g/g, a solubility of 9.20%, and an increase in the amorphous structure but did not cause the emergence of new functional groups. The combination of FMT + ozonation was effective in improving the functional, pasting, and physicochemical properties of adlay starch.

Highly digestible nitrogen-enriched straw upgraded by ozone-urea pretreatment: Digestibility metrics and energy-economic analysis

Ozone is a powerful oxidative gas widely used as a green pretreatment to enhance the delignification of cereal straws. Urea pretreatment can enrich straws with nitrogen to make them more accessible to anaerobic microorganisms. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ozone-urea pretreatment on the digestibility of wheat straw (i.e., physicochemical, nitrogen enrichment, gas production, nutritional value, and surface chemistry). The results of ozone-urea pretreatment were compared with non-pretreated, ozone-pretreated, and urea-pretreated samples. This pretreatment method outperformed the other methods in terms of digestibility metrics. The ozone-urea pretreatment resulted in a 50% reduction in lignin, a 4.2 times increase in crude protein, a 22.5% increase in bonded organic-N, a 2 times increase in 24 h-gas production, and a 43.67% increase in total digestible nutrients compared to the non-pretreated sample. Based on the total digestible nutrients index, one-tonne ozone-urea-pretreated straw would be 70.6 USD cheaper than the non-pretreated one.

Effect of atmospheric nonthermal plasma on physicochemical, morphology and functional properties of sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps)-damaged wheat flour

To improve the quality of sunn pests (Eurygaster integriceps)-damaged wheat flour, the effects of nonthermal plasma on physicochemical, rheological, functional, and microstructural properties were investigated. Gas type (air and oxygen), voltage (22 and 25 volts), and time (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 min) were the variables of the experiments conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. The results show that with increasing voltage and time of plasma treatment, the pH decreased significantly (p ≥ .05), and brightness parameter, yellow-blue parameter, water-solubility, water absorption, oil absorption, and swelling power increased significantly (p ≥ .05). The duration of plasma treatment, voltage, and change in input gas from air to oxygen did not significantly change the gluten index, particle size, and negative electric charge of flour particles, and the amount of zeta potential of samples. Differential calorimetric analysis showed the first and second peaks of the thermogram in the range 55-99°C and also 114-99°C. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed hydroxyl group, CH bonds, C=O bonds, as well as the presence of types I and II amide bonds in the structure. Microstructural results indicated that plasma treatment reduced the particle size and increased particle sorting. By Increasing voltage and the duration of plasma treatment, peak viscosity, final viscosity, breakdown viscosity, pasting time and temperature significantly increased and setback viscosity decreased (p ≥ .05), which reduced retrogradation which improved the dough stability during the cooling process.

The Properties, Modification, and Application of Banana Starch

Banana is a tropical fruit crop that is consumed at large, not only because of the quantity produced but also because it serves the calorific needs of millions of people. Banana is a potential source of high starch content (more than 60%). The application of starch for various purposes is dependent upon its structural, physicochemical, and functional properties. A native starch does not possess all required properties for specific use in the food product. To improve its application, starch can be modified physically, chemically, and enzymatically. Each of these modification methods provides different characteristics to the modified starch. This review aims to examine the chemical composition, granule morphology, crystallinity, pasting, thermal properties, and digestibility of banana starch, and discusses the various modifications and potential applications of banana starch in the food industry.

Reduced of mycotoxin levels in parboiled rice by using ozone and its effects on technological and chemical properties

Contamination of foods by mycotoxins is a reality. However, emerging technologies such as ozonization can be used to reduce the levels of these contaminants. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using ozone at different period and application times during the soaking step of parboiling process. Samples were analyzed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of mycotoxins, swelling power and solubility, head rice yield, protein solubility, cooking time, texturometric profile, colorimetric profile and defective grains. The results showed tha parboiled rice grains treated with ozone present significant reduction of mycotoxins contamination, regardless of the time and period of application and the mycotoxin evaluated. Regardig to technological properties, the samples treated with ozone in the final 3 h and for 5 h of soaking presented higher head rice yield, luminosity and hardness, with decreases in cooking time, percentage of defective grains and soluble protein.

Modifying the plant proteins techno-functionalities by novel physical processing technologies: a review

Plant proteins have recently gained market demand and momentum due to their environmentally friendly origins and health advantages over their animal-derived counterparts. However, their lower techno-functionalities, digestibility, bioactivities, and anti-nutritional compounds have limited their application in foods. Increased demand for physically modified proteins with better techno-functionalities resulted in the application of different thermal and non-thermal treatments to modify plant proteins. Novel physical processing technologies (NPPT) considered 'emerging high-potential treatments for tomorrow' are required to alter protein functionality, enhance bioactive peptide formations, reduce anti-nutritional, reduce loss of nutrients, prevention of damage to heat liable proteins and clean label. NPPT can be promising substitutes for the lower energy-efficient and aggressive thermal treatments in plant protein modification. These facts captivated the interest of the scientific community in designing novel functional food systems. However, these improvements are not verifiable for all the plant proteins and depend immensely on the protein type and concentration, other environmental parameters (pH, ionic strength, temperature, and co-solutes), and NPPT conditions. This review addresses the most promising approaches of NPPT for the modification of techno-functionalities of plant proteins. New insights elaborating the effect of NPPTs on proteins' structural and functional behavior in relation to other food components are discussed. The combined application of NPPTs in the field of plant-based bioactive functionalities is also explored.

Physicochemical properties of seed protein isolates extracted from pepper meal by pressure-assisted and conventional solvent defatting

Pepper seed is one by-product in pepper processing, rich in protein, fat, and fiber, and is a new plant-based protein source. In this paper, the physicochemical and functional properties of pepper seed protein isolates (PSPIs) extracted from pepper meal by pressure-assisted defatting (PAD) and conventional solvent defatting (CSD) were investigated. The yields of SPIs extracted by CSD and PAD were 22.8% and 20.5%, respectively. Compared with the PSPIs obtained by CSD, the solubility, water-holding and oil-holding capacities, and emulsifying and foaming abilities of the PSPIs obtained by PAD were significantly increased by 11.22%, 29.17%, 40%, 160%, and 100%, respectively. Additionally, UV-visible, intrinsic fluorescence and infrared spectroscopic characterization revealed the tertiary and secondary conformation changes of the PSPIs, which might contribute to the improvement of their functional properties. Overall, PAD significantly improved the functional properties of the PSPIs. The PSPIs extracted by this innovative technology would be a new plant protein alternative for food formulations with better functional properties.

Effect of Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide Treatment on the Quality Characteristics of Buckwheat-Based Composite Flour and Storage Stability of Fresh Noodles

In this study, the effects of gaseous chlorine dioxide treatment on the physicochemical properties of buckwheat-based composited flour (buckwheat-wheat-gluten) and shelf-life of fresh buckwheat noodles (FBNs), as well as the textural qualities and sensory properties of noodles were investigated. Chlorine dioxide treatment significantly reduced the total plate count (TPC) and the total flavonoids content in the mixed flour (p < 0.05), but the whiteness, development time and stability time were all increased. During storage, the microbial growth and darkening rate of FBNs made from chlorine dioxide treated buckwheat-based composite flour (CDBF) were delayed significantly, slowing the deterioration and improving storage stability of buckwheat noodles. In addition, chlorine dioxide treatment had no apparent adverse effect on the cooking loss and sensory characteristics during noodle storage. This finding would provide a new concept for the production of “low bacterial buckwheat-based flour” and have important consequences for the application of gaseous chlorine dioxide in food industry.

Non-thermal emerging technologies as alternatives to chemical additives to improve the quality of wheat flour for breadmaking: a review

Wheat flour is the main ingredient used in the preparation of bread. Factors such as low gluten content and the addition of nontraditional ingredients in baking affect the quality of wheat flour and may limit its use in baking. With the increasing trend of "clean label" products, it may be interesting to develop and use physical processes to improve the quality of wheat flour and avoid the use of chemical additives. High hydrostatic pressure, non-thermal plasma, ultrasound, ozonation, ultraviolet light, and pulsed light treatments are non-thermal emerging technologies (NTETs) that have been studied for this purpose. They were originally developed to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes in foods. Additionally, these technologies can be used at low temperatures to modify the most important component of wheat flour, i.e., gluten and its fractions, which are responsible for the rheological properties of wheat flour dough. Thus, this review focuses on the effects of these NTETs by considering the following factors: (1) the technological properties of gluten, (2) gluten-starch interactions, (3) possible effects of NTETs on minor components of flours, and (4) the quality of wheat flour and the resulting final products.

Physicochemical Properties of Sago Ozone Oxidation: The Effect of Reaction Time, Acidity, and Concentration of Starch

The disadvantageous properties of sago starch has limited its application in food and industrial processes. The properties of sago starch can be improved by changing its physicochemical and rheological characteristics. This study examined the influence of reaction time, acidity, and starch concentration on the oxidation of sago starch with ozone, a strong oxidant. Swelling, solubility, carbonyl, carboxyl, granule morphology, thermal profile, and functional groups are comprehensively observed parameters. With starch concentrations of 10–30% (v/w) and more prolonged oxidation, sago starch was most soluble at pH 10. The swelling power decreased with a longer reaction time, reaching the lowest pH 10. In contrast, the carbonyl and carboxyl content exhibited the same pattern as solubility. A more alkaline environment tended to create modified starch with more favorable properties. Over time, oxidation shows more significant characteristics, indicating a superb product of this reaction. At the starch concentration of 20%, modified sago starch with the most favorable properties was created. When compared to modified starch, native starch is generally shaped in a more oval and irregular manner. Additionally, native starch and modified starch had similar spectral patterns and identical X-ray diffraction patterns. Meanwhile, oxidized starch had different gelatinization and retrogradation temperatures to those of the native starch.

Impact of ozone-induced oxidation on the textural, moisture, micro-rheology and structural properties of egg yolk gels

The impact of ozone-induced oxidation on the gel properties of egg yolk was investigated for the first time in this research. The textural properties, water-holding capacity, cooking loss rate and color of the chicken egg yolk gel (CEYG) were significantly improved after ozonation. The maximum hardness value (976.04 g) was reached at 20 min of ozonation and it was 134.92 g higher than that of the natural group. Additionally, the ozone-treated yolk showed an increase of 58.47% in carbonyl content and a decrease of 44.33% in free sulfhydryl groups. The results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that ozone promoted the conversion of free water to non-flowing water in the CEYG. Scanning electron microscopy represented that the moderate ozone treatment resulted in a more regular, continuous and smooth network structure of the CEYG. These results provided a theoretical basis for the application of ozone to improve the performance of heat-induced CEYG.

Starch modification through environmentally friendly alternatives: a review

Starch is a versatile and a widely used ingredient, with applications in many industries including adhesive and binding, paper making, corrugating, construction, paints and coatings, chemical, pharmaceutical, textiles, oilfield, food and feed. However, native starches present limited applications, which impairs their industrial use. Consequently, starch is commonly modified to achieve desired properties. Chemical treatments are the most exploited to bring new functionalities to starch. However, those treatments can be harmful to the environment and can also bring risks to the human health, limiting their applications. In this scenario, there is a search for techniques that are both environmentally friendly and efficient, bringing new desired functionalities to starches. Therefore, this review presents an up-to-date overview of the available literature data regarding the use of environmentally friendly treatments for starch modification. Among them, we highlighted an innovative chemical treatment (ozone) and different physical treatments, as the modern pulsed electric field (PEF), the emerging ultrasound (US) technology, and two other treatments based on heating (dry heating treatment - DHT, and heat moisture treatment - HMT). It was observed that these environmentally friendly technologies have potential to be used for starch modification, since they create materials with desirable functionalities with the advantage of being categorized as clean label ingredients.

Ozone technology to reduce zearalenone contamination in whole maize flour: degradation kinetics and impact on quality

BACKGROUND

Maize is one of the most important cereals. It is used for different purposes and in different industries worldwide. This cereal is prone to contamination with mycotoxins, such as zearalenone (ZEN), which is produced mainly by Fusarium graminearum, F. culmorum and F. equiseti. Toxin production under highly moist conditions (aw > 0.95) is exacerbated if there are alternations between low temperatures (12-14 °C) and high temperatures (25-28 °C). Even if good production practices are adopted, mycotoxins can be found in several stages of the production chain. For this reason, an alternative to reducing this contamination is ozonation. This study evaluated the reduction of ZEN in naturally contaminated whole maize flour (WMF) treated with 51.5 mg L^-1 of ozone for up to 60 min. Pasting properties, peroxide value, and fatty acid composition were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Zearalenone degradation in ozonated WMF was described by a fractional first-order kinetic, with a maximum reduction of 62.3% and kinetic parameter of 0.201 min^-1 in the conditions that were evaluated. The ozonation process in WMF showed a decrease in the apparent viscosity, a decrease in the proportion of linoleic, oleic, and α-linolenic fatty acids, an increase in the proportion of palmitic acid, and an increase in the peroxide value.

CONCLUSION

Ozonation was effective in reducing ZEN contamination in WMF. However, it also modified the pasting properties, fatty acid profile, and peroxide value, affecting functional and technological aspects of WMF. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Disinfestation of stored wheat grain infested with Rhyzopertha dominica by ozone treatment: process optimization and impact on grain properties

BACKGROUND

Ozone is a highly oxidative gas that has a long history of safe use as a disinfectant and sanitizer from producers of pharmaceuticals and many other organic compounds. In the current work, disinfestation of stored wheat grain infested with a common insect, Rhyzopertha dominica, was attempted through ozone (O₃ ) treatment as an alternative to chemical fumigants.

RESULTS

The optimized treatment conditions for ozone fumigation of stored wheat grain were 12% (w/w) grain moisture, 2.5 g m^-3 ozone concentration and 8 h of treatment. The mortality of R. dominica adults, pupae, larvae and eggs was 97, 100, 99 and 100%, respectively. Moisture and protein content of the ozone-treated wheat was found to be lower as compared to infested wheat. Microstructural changes in the treated samples were clearly visible on scanning electron microscopy images, whereas minimal changes at the molecular level and of rheological parameters were evident based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy peak and rheometry data.

CONCLUSION

Ozone was found to be an effective reagent for disinfestation, aimed at all life stages of R. dominica in stored wheat grain, that leaves no residue behind. Rotational strategies can be applied to obtain increased mortality while maintaining the usability of the grain for different purposes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.