The use of microfluidization for the production of xanthan and citrus fiber-based gluten-free corn breads

Modification, biological activity, applications, and future trends of citrus fiber as a functional component: A comprehensive review

Citrus fiber, a by-product of citrus processing that has significant nutritional and bioactive properties, has gained attention as a promising raw material with extensive developmental potential in the food, pharmaceutical, and feed industries. However, the lack of in-depth understanding regarding citrus fiber, including its structure, modification, mechanism of action, and potential applications is holding back its development and utilization in functional foods and drugs. This review explores the status of extraction methods and modifications applied to citrus fiber to augment its health benefits. With the aim of introducing readers to the potential health benefits of citrus fibers, we have placed special emphasis on their regulatory mechanisms in the context of various conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. Furthermore, this review highlights the applications and prospects of citrus fiber, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the utilization and exploration of this valuable resource.

Sucrose ester alleviates the agglomeration behavior of bamboo shoot dietary fiber treated via high pressure homogenization: Influence on physicochemical, rheological, and structural properties

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) is a physical modification method that can rapidly reduce the particle size of bamboo shoot dietary fiber (BSDF), but it can lead to agglomeration. Therefore, the effects of the addition of sucrose ester (SE) to alleviate the agglomeration of BSDF during HPH were investigated. Compared with BSDF without added SE, BSDF obtained the smallest particle size (276.5 nm) and highest ζ-Potential (53.6 mV) when SE was 5 g/L. Water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, swelling capacity, and b* increased, whereas L* and a* decreased significantly with the addition of SE. The shear stress and viscoelasticity of BSDF solution were minimized when 5 g/L SE was added. SE reduced relative crystallinity and thermal stability of BSDF. SE could effectively alleviate the aggregation of BSDF through the mechanism of electrostatic repulsion. This study highlights an innovative and promising strategy for alleviating the agglomeration behavior of BSDF during HPH treatment.

Can Citrus Fiber Improve the Quality of Gluten-Free Breads?

Citrus fiber has a high water absorption capacity, and its properties can be modified by shearing. In this study, the influence of the addition of normal or shear-activated citrus fiber was analyzed in two gluten-free bread formulations. Citrus fiber increases bread optimal hydration and breadcrumb alveolus size due to this high water retention capacity. However, results are negative in the formula based on starches and rice flour because specific volume is significantly reduced, while bread quality improves in the formula based on starches (corn and tapioca). In this case, the breads become less hard and more cohesive, elastic, and resilient, reducing staling. Baking yield also increased due to a greater hydration and a reduced weight loss during baking, without losing acceptability. The mechanical pre-activation of the fiber further increases optimal hydration, without major changes in the quality of the final bread. These effects are associated with cell rupture, and thus the formation of a three-dimensional network, including the increase of surface area and its interaction with water. Citrus fiber increases the hydration of the dough, as well as the cohesiveness, resilience, and elasticity of the crumb, reducing the increase in hardness during storage without affecting acceptability or increasing it.

Gluten-free grains: Importance, processing and its effect on quality of gluten-free products

Gluten-enteropathy affects a significant number of people, making gluten a major concern in the food industry. With medical advancements, the diagnosis of allergies is becoming easier, and people who are allergic to gluten are recommended a complete gluten-free diet. Since wheat provides a major part of the energy and nutrition in the diet, its elimination affects nutrition intake of allergic population. Food scientists are working to formulate products using protein-rich gluten-free grains with quality attributes at par with gluten-containing products. Focused research has been done to provide nutrition and a variety of food to people suffering from gluten-related disorders. Efforts are being made to remove the gluten from the wheat and other gluten-containing grains, while applying different processing/treatments to enhance the properties of gluten-free grains. Hence, the present review summarizes the importance, processing, and products of different gluten-free grains. It also highlights the digestibility of gluten-free grains with clinical trials and gluten elimination strategies for gluten-containing grains.

Comparison and Characterization of the Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Three Citrus Fibers: Effect of Ball Milling Treatment

Effects of ball milling (BM) on the structure and physicochemical properties of three types of citrus fibers were investigated. With the extension of the grinding time, the particle size of citrus fibers significantly decreased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the three citrus fibers had similar chemical groups, and more -OH and phenolic acid groups were exposed after BM, and pectin and lignin were not degraded. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results showed that the appearance of particles changed from spherical to fragmented, irregular shapes. The water holding capacity (WHC), oil holding capacity (OHC), and water swelling capacity (WSC) of citrus fibers LM, JK, and FS reached the maximum value after BM of 2 h (increasing by 18.5%), 4 h (increasing by 46.1%), and 10 h (increasing by 38.3%), respectively. After 10 h BM, citrus fibers FS and JK had the highest adsorption capacity of cholesterol and sodium cholate, increasing by 48.3% and 48.6%, respectively. This indicates that BM transforms the spatial structure of citrus fibers and improves their physicochemical properties.

A Systematic Review on Gluten-Free Bread Formulations Using Specific Volume as a Quality Indicator

This study aimed to perform a systematic review on gluten-free bread formulations using specific volumes as a quality indicator. In this systematic review, we identified 259 studies that met inclusion criteria. From these studies, 43 met the requirements of having gluten-free bread with a specific volume greater than or equal to 3.5 cm³/g. Other parameters such as the texture profile, color (crumb and crust), and sensory analysis examined in these studies were presented. The formulations that best compensated the lack of the gluten-network were based on the combination of rice flour, rice flour with low amylose content, maize flour, rice starch, corn starch, potato starch, starch with proteins and added with transglutaminase (TGase), and hydrocolloids like hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). Of the 43 studies, three did not present risk of bias, and the only parameter evaluated in common in the studies was the specific volume. However, it is necessary to jointly analyze other parameters that contribute to the quality, such as texture profile, external and internal characteristics, acceptability, and useful life of the bread, especially since it is a product obtained through raw materials and unconventional ingredients.

Latest developments in the applications of microfluidization to modify the structure of macromolecules leading to improved physicochemical and functional properties

Microfluidization is a unique high-pressure homogenization technique combining various forces such as high-velocity impact, high-frequency vibration, instantaneous pressure drop, intense shear rate, and hydrodynamic cavitation. Even though it is mainly used on emulsion-based systems and known for its effects on particle size and surface area, it also significantly alters physicochemical and functional properties of macromolecules including hydration properties, solubility, viscosity, cation-exchange capacity, rheological properties, and bioavailability. Besides, the transformation of structure and conformation due to the combined effects of microfluidization modifies the material characteristics that can be a base for new innovative food formulations. Therefore, microfluidization is being commonly used in the food industry for various purposes including the formation of micro- and nano-sized emulsions, encapsulation of easily degradable bioactive compounds, and improvement in functional properties of proteins, polysaccharides, and dietary fibers. Although the extent of modification through microfluidization depends on processing conditions (e.g., pressure, number of passes, solvent), the nature of the material to be processed also changes the outcomes significantly. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of microfluidization on each food component. Overall, this review paper provides an overview of microfluidization treatment, summarizes the applications on macromolecules with specific examples, and presents the existing problems.

Impact of high-pressure homogenization on the microstructure and rheological properties of citrus fiber

Citrus fiber dispersion with different concentrations (5–25 g/kg) was treated by high-pressure homogenization (90 and 160 MPa) for two cycles. The particle size distribution, hydration properties of powders, morphology and rheological measurements were carried out to study the microstructure and rheological properties changes by high-pressure homogenization (HPH). In conclusion, the HPH can reduce the particle size of fiber, improve the water holding capacity and water binding capacity. Furthermore, fiber shape can be modified from globular cluster to flake-like slices, and tiny pores can be formed on the surface of citrus fiber. The apparent viscosity, storage modulus and loss modulus were increased by HPH whereas the activation energy was reduced. The Hershcel–Bulkley model, Carreau model and Power Law mode were selected to evaluate the rheological properties.

Effect of Citrus Fiber on the Rheological Properties of Dough and Quality of the Gluten-Free Bread

The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of citrus fiber for the nutritional enrichment and technological improvement of gluten-free bread. A partial replacement of starch in bread formulation was analyzed in terms of the dough’s rheological properties and selected quality parameters of the bread. The results allowed to conclude that the presence of citrus fiber modifies the rheological properties of the dough, causing an increase in storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) values, as well as zero shear viscosity, accompanied with a decrease in instantaneous compliance (J0) and viscoelastic compliance (J1) to the applied stress, which reflects dough strengthening caused by significantly greater water binding and swelling properties characteristic of this ingredient. The introduction of the citrus fiber to bread formulations caused a significant decrease in bread volume and structure changes in crumb visible in the larger porosity and average pore size. The presence of citrus fiber affected texture, decreasing crumb hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness in comparison to the control. It could also be observed that the use of citrus fiber results in limited crumb hardening during storage, which indicates that this component could be an effective factor retarding the staling of the gluten-free bread based on starch and hydrocolloids.

Comparative Analyses for Gluten-Free Biscuits from Mixture Oat and Corn

Gluten-free products are necessary for the people suffering from celiac disease or having a sensibility for products containing gluten. The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate gluten free biscuits made from a mixture of flours (50% corn flour and 50% oat flour) with various fats (palm fat, coconut oil) and sweeteners (sugar, stevioside with erythritol). Sample biscuits were made and then analyzed to find out the moisture, water activity, braking point, specific volume and sensory evaluation. All samples had the moisture close to 5-6%. Water activity ranged from 0.49 to 0.71. The breaking point was higher for sample prepared with palm fat and sugar (0.43). This sample was accepted by panellist better than others samples of biscuits.