Content of phytic acid and HCl-extractability of calcium, phosphorus and iron as affected by various domestic processing and cooking methods

Importance of binary and ternary complex formation on the functional and nutritional properties of legume proteins in presence of phytic acid and calcium

Nowadays, legumes are considered as a good source of plant-based proteins to replace animal ones. They are more favorable regarding environmental aspects and health benefits, therefore many people consider moving toward a greener diet. Interestingly, recent consumer trends are promoting pea and faba bean as alternatives to soybean. Both are rich in protein and a good source of essential nutrients and minerals (calcium). However, these advantages can be partially impaired due to their high phytic acid content. This natural polyphosphate is a major antinutrient in plant-based foods, as it can bind minerals (particularly calcium) and proteins, thereby reducing their digestibility and subsequent bioavailability. Indeed, complexes formed are insoluble and limiting the absorption of nutrients, thus lowering the nutritional value of pulses. To understand and overcome these issues, the present review will refine specific mechanisms involved in assemblies between these three essential compounds in legumes as soluble/insoluble binary or ternary complexes. Molecular interactions are influenced by the environmental medium including pH, ionic strength and molar concentrations modulating the stability of these complexes during protein extraction. Protein/phytic acid/calcium complexes stability is of high relevance for food processing affecting not only structure but also functional and nutritional properties of proteins in legume-based foods.

Cyclitols: From Basic Understanding to Their Association with Neurodegeneration

One of the most common cyclitols found in eukaryotic cells-Myo-inositol (MI) and its derivatives play a key role in many cellular processes such as ion channel physiology, signal transduction, phosphate storage, cell wall formation, membrane biogenesis and osmoregulation. The aim of this paper is to characterize the possibility of neurodegenerative disorders treatment using MI and the research of other therapeutic methods linked to MI's derivatives. Based on the reviewed literature the researchers focus on the most common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Spinocerebellar ataxias, but there are also works describing other seldom encountered diseases. The use of MI, d-pinitol and other methods altering MI's metabolism, although research on this topic has been conducted for years, still needs much closer examination. The dietary supplementation of MI shows a promising effect on the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and can be of great help in alleviating the accompanying depressive symptoms.

Soaking to Reduce Potassium and Phosphorus Content of Foods

OBJECTIVES

To achieve and maintain normal serum potassium and phosphorus levels reducing potassium and phosphorus intake is frequently recommended for adults living with chronic kidney disease. Exploring food preparation methods to reduce potassium and phosphorus content appears warranted. The study aim is to determine the impact of soaking foods in hot water on potassium and phosphorus content in a variety of plant- and animal-based foods.

METHODS

Twenty foods were selected that are common staples in Brazilian diet patterns. Food was soaked for 5-10 minutes in deionized water that had been brought to a boil and then removed from heat using a 5-part water to 1-part sample ratio. The potassium content was determined by flame photometry. The phosphorus content was determined by visible ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

RESULTS

Soaking foods resulted in a reduction in potassium and phosphorus. Potassium reduction in beef, green leafy vegetables, and grains was 40-49%; in chicken, fish, and nonleafy vegetables 30-39%; and tubers 10-20%. Phosphorus reduction in grains and beans was 30-39%; in nonleafy vegetables 20-29%; and beef, chicken, and fish 10-20%.

CONCLUSIONS

Soaking foods in hot water for 5-10 minutes reduces potassium and phosphorus content. Using this technique to prepare foods may be a more acceptable alternative to longer demineralization periods making it easier for adults living with chronic kidney disease to follow diet recommendations.

Revising Dietary Phosphorus Advice in Chronic Kidney Disease G3-5D

We summarize how practicing dietitians combined available evidence with clinical experience, to define revised dietary recommendations for phosphorus in chronic kidney disease G3-5D. As well as a review of the evidence base, 4 priority topics were reviewed. These were translated into 3 nutrient level recommendations: the introduction of some plant protein where phosphorus is largely bound by phytate; consideration of protein intake in terms of phosphorus load and the phosphorus to protein ratio; and an increased focus on avoiding phosphate additives. This review summarizes and interprets the available evidence in order to support the development of practical food-based advice for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Biofortification of chromium in fenugreek seeds

BACKGROUND

Fenugreek and chromium are known to have anti-diabetic properties and this has been well demonstrated by multiple studies. Researches have been undertaken to study thebiofortification of chromium (Cr3+) in fenugreek. Some of the researchers have studied the biofortification from the soil irrigated with tannery waste water or from soil amended by tannery-sludge, with a view of enhancing the anti-diabetic effect of fenugreek plants. The present research work was also undertaken to increase the chromium content of fenugreek seeds, but through direct treatment of chromium picolinate solution to fenugreek seeds.

METHODS

Fenugreek seeds were procured and divided in four groups having three batches of 10 g seeds- treatment1, treatment2, control1 and control2. Control1 group was kept raw and was given no treatment and control2 group was germinated using double distilled water. Treatment1 and treatment2, on the other hand, were given treatment of 0.02 g and 0.04 g chromium picolinate solution, on first day and 0.01 g and 0.02 g chromium picolinate solution on second day, respectively. The germinated samples were then completely dried, powdered, digested with di-acid mixture and assayed using Inductively Coupled Plasma optical emission spectrometry method for chromium content. The treatment1 sample was selected for further nutritional analysis along with control1 and control2 group to compare the nutritional composition of raw, germinated and chromium treated fenugreek seed flour. Fifteen sprouts from treatment1 group (treatment1A group) and fifteen sprouts from control2 group (control3 group) were sown in earthen pots for the analysis of chromium content in seeds of new plants.

RESULTS

The fenugreek seeds treated with two different concentrations of chromium picolinate viz. treatment1 and treatment2 group attained 55 and 80 times higher chromium content as compared to control2 group, respectively. All the estimated minerals and bioactive compounds were significantly high (p ≤ 0.01) in germinated fenugreek seed flour and chromium treated fenugreek seed flour compared to raw fenugreek seed flour. Germinated fenugreek seed flour and chromium treated fenugreek seed flour were statistically comparable to each other in respect of all the parameters analysed. Hence, it was evident that enriching fenugreek seeds with chromium, did not affect the nutritional content of fenugreek seed by any mean. Also, there was no significant difference between the chromium content in seeds of control3 group and T1A group.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of fenugreek seeds with chromium solution seems to be an efficient and safe method for increasing their chromium concentration as compared to application of chromium to the soil for biofortification with minimal to no chance of chromium accumulation and inheritance in next generation plants. However, there is a need of more research to see how reliable these observations would be when different chromium salts and/or varied chromium concentration are used.

Effect of processing techniques on nutritional composition and antioxidant activity of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed flour

Fenugreek (Pusa Early Bunching) seeds were processed by using different processing methods viz. soaking, germination and roasting. Raw and processed fenugreek seed flours were analyzed for nutritional composition, anti- nutritional, and antioxidant activity. Raw fenugreek seed flour contained higher amount of dietary fiber (45.4 %) followed by 41.7 % in soaked seed flour, 40.9 % in roasted fenugreek seed flour and 31.3 % in germinated fenugreek seed flour. Processing of fenugreek seeds improved in vitro starch digestibility and in vitro protein digestibility. Soaking, germination and roasting enhanced total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of fenugreek seed flour as compared to raw fenugreek seed flour. The phenolic content of soaked, germinated and roasted fenugreek seed flours was 54.4, 80.8 and 48.5 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of sample in contrast to raw fenugreek seed flour (45.4 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of sample). The antioxidant activity of the extracts of soaked, germinated and roasted fenugreek seed flours was 60.7 %, 73.9 % and 32.0 % whereas as the raw fenugreek seed flour exhibited 18.1 % antioxidant activity. Processing of fenugreek seeds also decreased phytic acid content significantly (P < 0.05) as compared to raw seeds.

Effect of different debittering processes on mineral and phytic acid content of lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds

Lupin is a valuable ancient legume which contains high amount of protein, dietary fiber, oil, minerals and different functional components. Bitter lupin seeds cannot be consumed directly since its high toxic alkaloid content. Cooking and soaking are effective processes for removing these toxic substances and antinutrients as phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors and oligosaccharides. In this study, debittering process containing cooking and soaking up to 144 h was applied to lupin seeds. Raw lupin seeds had 3.3 % ash and 41.3 % protein content. Ash and protein content of debittered seeds changed between 2.1 and 2.5 %, 39.5 and 40.9 % respectively. After debittering process, significant (p < 0.05) decreases (between % 5.7 and 75.7) were observed in calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, magnesium and manganese contents of the lupin seeds. Phytic acid was removed from raw lupin seeds up to 71.4 % ratio by debittering processes, and soaking in distilled water at 55 °C and long soaking time (144 h) was found the most effective methods on phytic acid loss. While more lighter (L*) seeds were obtained with soaking in distilled water at 25 °C, soaking in 0.5 % NaHCO3 solution gave more yellowish (b*) seed properties compared to other soaking methods. Soaking in 0.5 % NaHCO3 solution at 144 h gave the most liked products in terms of sensorial evaluation.

Bulgur processes increase nutrition value: possible role in in-vitro protein digestability, phytic acid, trypsin inhibitor activity and mineral bioavailability

Changes in the chemical constituents and nutritive quality of chickpea bulgur process, were studied in seeds that were soaked at different time (2, 8 and 12 h), different soaking water pH (pH 4, 6 and 8). Soaking in pH 8 soaking water and 12 h soaking time significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the ash content of chickpea bulgur samples. Compared to the raw material, the protein content and in-vitro protein digestibility increased, but starch, crude fiber, fat and energy values decreased and trypsin inhibitor activity was completely eliminated by bulgur process. As the soaking time increased, the phytic acid content also decreased. The highest total phenolic content was determinated with bulgur samples soaked in pH 4 soaking water. The P, Ca, and K values decreased with increasing soaking time. The HCl-extractability of P, Ca, Mg, Fe and K present in chickpea bulgur samples were significantly higher than the raw chickpea seeds.

Isolation and characterisation of an lpa (low phytic acid) mutant in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Phytic acid is considered as one of the major antinutritional compounds in cereal and legume seeds. The development of lpa (low phytic acid) grains, resulting in increased mineral cation availability, is considered a major goal in the improvement of the nutritional quality of seed crops, especially those largely consumed in developing countries. From a mutagenized population of common bean we isolated a homozygous lpa mutant line (lpa-280-10) showing, compared to wild type, a 90% reduction of phytic acid, a 25% reduction of raffinosaccharides and a much higher amount of free or weakly bound iron cations in the seed. Genetic analysis showed that the lpa character is due to a recessive mutation that segregates in a monogenic, Mendelian fashion. Germination tests performed using varying ageing or stress conditions, clearly showed that the bean line lpa-280-10 has a better germination response than the wild type. These data, together with those obtained from 2 years of agronomic trials showing that the mutant seed yield is close to that of its parents and other evidence, indicate that the new lpa-280-10 mutation might be the first devoid of visible macroscopic negative effects in plants, pods and seeds.

Phytic acid prevents oxidative stress in seeds: evidence from a maize (Zea mays L.) low phytic acid mutant

A maize mutant defective in the synthesis of phytic acid during seed maturation was used as a tool to study the consequences of the lack of this important reserve substance on seed survival. Data on germinability, free iron level, free radical relative abundance, protein carbonylation level, damage to DNA, degree of lipid peroxidation, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol amount and antioxidant capacity were recorded on seeds of maize B73 and of an isogenic low phytic acid mutant (lpa1-241), either unaged or incubated for 7 d in accelerated ageing conditions (46 degrees C and 100% relative humidity). The lpa1-241 mutant, compared to wild type (wt), showed a lower germination capacity, which decreased further after accelerated ageing. Whole lpa1-241 mutant kernels contained about 50% more free or weakly bound iron than wt ones and showed a higher content of free radicals, mainly concentrated in embryos; in addition, upon accelerated ageing, lpa1-241 seed proteins were more carbonylated and DNA was more damaged, whereas lipids did not appear to be more peroxidated, but the gamma-tocopherol content was decreased by about 50%. These findings can be interpreted in terms of previously reported but never proven antioxidant activity of phytic acid through iron complexation. Therefore, a novel role in plant seed physiology can be assigned to phytic acid, that is, protection against oxidative stress during the seed's life span. As in maize kernels the greater part of phytic acid (and thus of metal ions) is concentrated in the embryo, its antioxidant action may be of particular relevance in this crop.

Influence of the technological know-how of producers on the biochemical characteristics of red sorghum malt from small scale production units in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

The process of red sorghum malt production was monitored three times in five production units (PU) selected upon their ability to produce malt flours having a high capacity to fluidify high-energy-density gruels. Raw, germinated and degermed seeds were analysed for macronutrient, soluble sugars, phytate and cyanide contents and alpha-amylase activity. Know-how differences between producers lay mainly in the duration and type of equipment used for steeping and germination. Moreover, three PUs applied a maturation step before sun-drying and one PU added ashes to steeped seeds before germination. No significant difference was detected in the proximate composition of malts from the five PUs. For all PUs, traditional malting increased the protein content and decreased the lipid and ash contents, while the fibre content was not affected. Significant increases in sugar contents and in alpha-amylase activity were observed but in variable proportions from one PU to another. The phytate content decreased significantly in all PUs. The cyanide content increased in all PUs but more drastically or less drastically according to the PU. Finally, degerming lowered the cyanide content to an acceptable level for human consumption. The between-PU variability may be due either to the nature and origin of the raw seeds or to technological know-how differences between producers. Further investigations are needed to optimize and standardize the malting process with a view to maximizing alpha-amylase and phytase activities and minimizing the variability of their biochemical characteristics.

Effect of Increased Heat Processing and Particle Size on Phosphorus Bioavailability in Corn Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles

Previous studies have reported that increased heat processing and feeding larger particle size ingredients may increase the bioavailability of phytate P in some feedstuffs. Therefore, one chick experiment was conducted to determine the effect of various increased heat processing treatments on bioavailability of P in corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and 2 chick experiments were conducted to determine the effect of particle size on bioavailability of P in DDGS. In addition, one precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay was conducted to evaluate the effects of increased heating on amino acid digestibility. For the chick experiments, a P-deficient cornstarch-dextrose-soybean meal basal diet containing 0.10% nonphytate P was supplemented with 0.0, 0.05, or 0.10% P from KH(2)PO(4) or 1 of 2 levels of DDGS. Diets were fed from 8 to 22 d of age, and P bioavailability relative to the P in KH(2)PO(4) was estimated using the standard curve or slope-ratio methods with tibia ash as the response variable. Increased heating of DDGS by autoclaving at 124 kPa and 121 degrees C for 60 to 80 min or by heating in a drying oven at 121 degrees C for 60 min significantly increased relative P bioavailability in DDGS (from 70 to as high as 91%) in several treatments. Amino acid digestibility, however, was greatly reduced by increased heating in most cases, particularly for Lys. Relative bioavailability of P was not significantly affected by DDGS particle sizes ranging from 542 to 837 microm. Our results indicated that increased heating of DDGS increased bioavailability of P but decreased digestibility of amino acids, particularly Lys, and that bioavailability of P was not affected by particle size.

Phytate, calcium, iron, and zinc contents and their molar ratios in foods commonly consumed in China

A total of 60 food samples commonly consumed in China were analyzed for phytate using the anion-exchange method and for calcium, iron, and zinc using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The foods analyzed included those based on cereal grains and soybean. Phytate contents expressed on a wet weight basis ranged from 0 for foods made from starches to 1878 mg/100 g for dried stick-shaped soybean milk film. The calcium contents were between 2.08 mg/100 g for ground corn and 760.67 mg/100 g for diced fried soybean curd. The lowest values of iron and zinc were 0.04 mg/100 g for Panjin pearl rice cooked with discarding extra water and 0.08 mg/100 g for potato and bean starches, while the highest values of iron and zinc were observed in dried stick-shaped soybean milk film. Although many foods were relatively rich in calcium, zinc, and iron, many also contained a higher level of phytate. Of the 60 food samples, 34 foods had a phytate/calcium molar ratio >0.24, 53 foods had a phytate/iron molar ratio >1, 31 foods had a phytate/zinc molar ratio >15, and only 7 foods had a phytate x calcium/zinc >200. Phytate in foods impair the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and zinc, which to some extent depends upon food processing and cooking methods.

Relative bioavailability of phosphorus and true amino acid digestibility by poultry as affected by soybean extraction time and use of low-phytate soybeans

The objectives of this study were to determine if lengthening the time that soybeans (SB) spend in the extractor during preparation of soybean meal (SBM) results in increased relative bioavailability of phosphorus without negatively impacting true amino acid digestibilities, and to compare those modified SBM with that produced from a low-phytate SB. Three SBM were prepared under uniform conditions with the exception of the length of time SB spent in the extractor [45 min (300 rpm), 60 min (225 rpm), or 90 min (150 rpm)]. A SBM prepared from low-phytate SB was obtained for comparison. Relative phosphorus bioavailability in chicks and true amino acid digestibilities by cecectomized roosters were determined. Increasing the length of time that SB spent in the extractor from 45 to 90 min resulted in lower phytate phosphorus and increased phosphorus bioavailability from 34 to 56%. However, this increase came at the expense of available lysine status, with the SBM extracted for 90 min containing less total lysine and less digestible lysine than the SBM extracted for 45 min (traditional extraction time). Phosphorus bioavailability from SBM prepared from low-phytate SB was 1.5 times higher than for SBM extracted for 45 min. Increasing the length of time that SB spend in the extractor led to an increase in bioavailable phosphorus but a decrease in bioavailable lysine, potentially negating the positive effect on phosphorus.

Content and relative bioavailability of phosphorus in distillers dried grains with solubles in chicks

Total phosphorus analysis was performed on 20 samples of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and three experiments were conducted to determine the bioavailability of P in different samples of DDGS varying in Lys digestibility and heat processing (autoclaving). Relative bioavailability of P was estimated from tibia ash using the slope ratio method after chicks were fed a P-deficient corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with 0.05 or 0.10% P from KH2PO4 or supplemented with 2 levels of the test DDGS (7 to 25%). The mean total P value for the 20 DDGS samples was 0.73 +/- 0.04% (SD), with an average dry matter value of 88 +/- 0.8% (SD). In experiment 1, the bioavailability coefficient for P in a random sample of DDGS relative to KH2PO4 was 69%. In experiment 2, the relative bioavailabilities of P in low digestible Lys DDGS 1, low digestible Lys DDGS 2, and high digestible Lys DDGS 3 were 102, 82 and 75%, respectively (P < 0.05). For experiment 3, the P bioavailability coefficients for a light-colored nonautoclaved DDGS and the same DDGS autoclaved at 121 degrees C and 124 pKa were 75 and 87%, respectively (P < 0.05). Our results showed that the total P content of DDGS was similar to the 0.72% value reported by the NRC (1994), but the relative P bioavailability is higher than the value estimated from NRC (1994) based on table values for total and nonphytate P content. Our results also indicated that there is substantial variability in P bioavailability among different DDGS samples and suggest that increased heat processing may increase the bioavailability of P in DDGS.