The nutritional property of endosperm starch and its contribution to the health benefits of whole grain foods

The synergistic effect of dielectric barrier discharge plasma and phycocyanin on shelf life of Oncorhynchus mykiss rainbow fillets

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dielectric barrier discharge treatment (DBD) combined with phycocyanin pigment (PC) in extending the shelf life of Oncorhynchus mykiss rainbow fillets stored at 4 ± 0.1 °C. Microbiological, physicochemical, sensory and antioxidant properties were assessed over an 18-day storage period. The combined DBD and PC treatment significantly inhibited total viable counts and Psychrotrophic bacteria counts compared to the rest of the samples throughout storage. While Total Volatile Nitrogen concentrations remained below international standard until day 18, they exceeded this threshold in control sample by day 9. DBD treatment notably reduced Trimethylamine levels compared to controls (p < 0.05). PC and DBD combined inhibited DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging capacities by 80% and 85%, respectively, while demonstrating heightened iron-reducing antioxidant activity compared to controls. Analysis of 24 fatty acids indicated that PC mitigated DBD's adverse effects, yielding superior outcomes compared to controls. The ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids in all samples met or fell below international standard. Thus, the combined use of DBD and PC shows promise in extending fillet shelf life by over 15 days at 4 °C.

Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a "Planeterranean" diet

Over the last decades, the Mediterranean diet gained enormous scientific, social, and commercial attention due to proven positive effects on health and undeniable taste that facilitated a widespread popularity. Researchers have investigated the role of Mediterranean-type dietary patterns on human health all around the world, reporting consistent findings concerning its benefits. However, what does truly define the Mediterranean diet? The myriad of dietary scores synthesizes the nutritional content of a Mediterranean-type diet, but a variety of aspects are generally unexplored when studying the adherence to this dietary pattern. Among dietary factors, the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, such as consumption of fruit and vegetables, olive oil, and cereals should be accompanied by other underrated features, such as the following: (i) specific reference to whole-grain consumption; (ii) considering the consumption of legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices often untested when exploring the adherence to the Mediterranean diet; (iii) consumption of eggs and dairy products as common foods consumed in the Mediterranean region (irrespectively of the modern demonization of dietary fat intake). Another main feature of the Mediterranean diet includes (red) wine consumption, but more general patterns of alcohol intake are generally unmeasured, lacking specificity concerning the drinking occasion and intensity (i.e., alcohol drinking during meals). Among other underrated aspects, cooking methods are rather simple and yet extremely varied. Several underrated aspects are related to the quality of food consumed when the Mediterranean diet was first investigated: foods are locally produced, minimally processed, and preserved with more natural methods (i.e., fermentation), strongly connected with the territory with limited and controlled impact on the environment. Dietary habits are also associated with lifestyle behaviors, such as sleeping patterns, and social and cultural values, favoring commensality and frugality. In conclusion, it is rather reductive to consider the Mediterranean diet as just a pattern of food groups to be consumed decontextualized from the social and geographical background of Mediterranean culture. While the methodologies to study the Mediterranean diet have demonstrated to be useful up to date, a more holistic approach should be considered in future studies by considering the aforementioned underrated features and values to be potentially applied globally through the concept of a "Planeterranean" diet.

Lowering glycemic levels via gastrointestinal tract factors: the roles of dietary fiber, polyphenols, and their combination

Dietary fiber (DF) and polyphenols (DP) are typical blood sugar-lowering components, and both play distinct yet interconnected roles in exerting their blood sugar-lowering effects. We comprehensively summarized the single and combined effects of DF and DP on blood glucose homeostasis through regulating the relevant factors in the upper gastrointestinal tract (UGT) and lower gastrointestinal tract (LGT). In the UGT, DF slowed down glucose metabolism by enhancing digesta viscosity and hindering enzyme-substrate interaction. DP primarily targeted enzymes and substrates. When combined, DP enhanced the adsorption capacity of DF for glucose. DF weakened DP's inhibitory effect on enzymes. Both DF and DP disrupted glucose intestinal uptake via physical or genomic modulation, but the co-consumption of DF and DP demonstrated a lower inhibitory effect on glucose uptake than DP alone. In the LGT, DF and DP showed synergistic or antagonistic effects on gut microbiota. Remarkably, whole foods exhibited potent prebiotic effects due to their compound-rich matrix, potentially enhancing glucose homeostasis and expanding dietary options for glucose regulation research.

Research Advances in Plant Protein-Based Products: Protein Sources, Processing Technology, and Food Applications

Plant proteins are high-quality dietary components of food products. With the growing interest in sustainable and healthy food alternatives, plant proteins have gained significant attention as viable substitutes for animal-based proteins. Understanding the diversity of protein sources derived from plants, novel processing technology, and multiple applications is crucial for developing nutritious and sustainable plant protein-based products. This Review summarizes the natural sources of traditional and emerging plant proteins. The classifications, processing technologies, and applications of plant protein-based products in the food industry are explicitly elucidated. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of plant protein-based food products are revealed. Strategies such as protein fortification and complementation to overcome these shortcomings are critically discussed. We also demonstrate several issues that need to be addressed in future development.

Whole grain rice: Updated understanding of starch digestibility and the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism

Nowadays, resulting from disordered glucose and lipid metabolism, metabolic diseases (e.g., hyperglycemia, type 2 diabetes, and obesity) are among the most serious health issues facing humans worldwide. Increasing evidence has confirmed that dietary intervention (with healthy foods) is effective at regulating the metabolic syndrome. Whole grain rice (WGR) rich in dietary fiber and many bioactive compounds (e.g., γ-amino butyric acid, γ-oryzanol, and polyphenols) can not only inhibit starch digestion and prevent rapid increase in the blood glucose level, but also reduce oxidative stress and damage to the liver, thereby regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. The rate of starch digestion is directly related to the blood glucose level in the organism after WGR intake. Therefore, the effects of different factors (e.g., additives, cooking, germination, and physical treatments) on WGR starch digestibility are examined in this review. In addition, the mechanisms from human and animal experiments regarding the correlation between the intake of WGR or its products and the lowered blood glucose and lipid levels and the reduced incidence of diabetes and obesity are discussed. Moreover, information on developing WGR products with the health benefits is provided.

Food Matrix Effects for Modulating Starch Bioavailability

As the prevalence of obesity and diabetes has continued to increase rapidly in recent years, dietary approaches to regulating glucose homeostasis have gained more attention. Starch is the major source of glucose in the human diet and can have diverse effects, depending on its rate and extent of digestion in the small intestine, on postprandial glycemic response, which over time is associated with blood glucose abnormalities, insulin sensitivity, and even appetitive response and food intake. The classification of starch bioavailability into rapidly digestible starch, slowly digestible starch, and resistant starch highlights the nutritional values of different starches. As starch is the main structure-building macroconstituent of foods, its bioavailability can be manipulated by selection of food matrices with varying degrees of susceptibility to amylolysis and food processing to retain or develop new matrices. In this review, the food factors that may modulate starch bioavailability, with a focus on food matrices, are assessed for a better understanding of their potential contribution to human health. Aspects affecting starch nutritional properties as well as production strategies for healthy foods are also reviewed, e.g., starch characteristics (different type, structure, and modification), food physical properties (food form, viscosity, and integrity), food matrix interactions (lipid, protein, nonstarch polysaccharide, phytochemicals, organic acid, and enzyme inhibitor), and food processing (milling, cooking, and storage).

In vitro digestibility of starches with different crystalline polymorphs at low α-amylase activity to substrate ratio

In this study, potato, lotus seed and wheat starch samples with different degree of gelatinization (DG) were prepared and their in vitro digestibility at low α-amylase activity evaluated by measuring the release of reducing sugar. The hydrolysis rate (k) and the final equilibrium concentration (C_∞) of the three starches increased with increasing DG. Kinetic analyses showed that the Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m) and the catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) increased with increasing DG, indicative of the increasing affinity and catalytic efficiency of α-amylase with all three starch samples. Of the three starches, lotus seed starch showed a much greater increase in k and k_cat/K_m than potato and wheat starches as the DG of starch increased. From this study, we concluded that at low activity of α-amylase, DG is a major determinant for the binding affinity and catalytic efficiency of α-amylase to starch and in turn the digestion rate of starch.

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.

Nutritional Features and Bread-Making Performance of Wholewheat: Does the Milling System Matter?

Despite the interest in stone-milling, there is no information on the potential advantages of using the resultant wholegrain flour (WF) in bread-making. Consequently, nutritional and technological properties of WFs obtained by both stone- (SWF) and roller-milling (RWF) were assessed on four wheat samples, differing in grain hardness and pigment richness. Regardless of the type of wheat, stone-milling led to WFs with a high number of particles ranging in size from 315 to 710 μm), whereas RWFs showed a bimodal distribution with large (>1000 μm) and fine (<250 μm) particles. On average, the milling system did not affect the proximate composition and the bioactive features of WFs. The gluten aggregation kinetics resulted in similar trends for all SWFs, with indices higher than for RWFs. The effect of milling on dough properties (i.e., mixing and leavening) was sample dependent. Overall, SWFs produced more gas, resulting in bread with higher specific volume. Bread crumb from SWF had higher lutein content in the wheat cv rich in xanthophylls, while bread from RWF of the blue-grained cv had a moderate but significantly higher content in esterified phenolic acids and total anthocyanins. In conclusion, there was no relevant advantage in using stone- as opposed to roller-milling (and vice versa).

Synergistic Effect of Multiple Saccharifying Enzymes on Alcoholic Fermentation for Chinese Baijiu Production

Chinese Jiuqu (fermentation starter) provides saccharifying enzymes for baijiu (Chinese liquor) fermentation, which undergoes a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process. However, the key saccharifying enzymes associated with alcoholic fermentation from Jiuqu and their effects on ethanol production remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified 51 carbohydrate hydrolases in baijiu fermentation by metaproteomics analysis. Through source-tracking analysis, approximately 80% of carbohydrate hydrolases in the baijiu fermentation were provided by Jiuqu Among these enzymes, alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) and glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3), from Aspergillus, Rhizomucor, and Rhizopus, were positively related to starch hydrolysis and ethanol production, indicating that they were the key saccharifying enzymes associated with alcoholic fermentation in the baijiu fermentation. Moreover, a combined mixture of alpha-amylase and glucoamylase (in a ratio of 1:6, wt/wt) enhanced ethanol production in a simulative baijiu fermentation under laboratory conditions. This result revealed a synergistic effect of multiple saccharifying enzymes on ethanol production in baijiu fermentation. Our study provides a potential approach to improve the efficiency of saccharification and alcoholic fermentation by optimizing the profile of saccharifying enzymes for fermentation of baijiu and other beverages.IMPORTANCE Jiuqu starter provides enzymes to the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process of baijiu (Chinese liquor) production; however, the key saccharifying enzymes associated with alcoholic fermentation from Jiuqu and their effects on ethanol production remain unclear. We confirmed that Jiuqu was the main source of carbohydrate hydrolases for baijiu fermentation and identified two types of saccharifying enzymes from multiple microbes as the key enzymes associated with alcoholic fermentation. Moreover, a proper combination of multiple saccharifying enzymes could enhance ethanol production in baijiu fermentation. This combination provides an approach to optimize the profile of saccharifying enzymes for enhancing ethanol production in baijiu and other food fermentations.

Starch and β-glucan in a whole-grain-like structural form improve hepatic insulin sensitivity in diet-induced obese mice

WGLSF improves hepatic insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis in diet-induced obese mice.

Innovative processing techniques for altering the physicochemical properties of wholegrain brown rice (Oryza sativa L.) - opportunities for enhancing food quality and health attributes

Rice is a globally important staple consumed by billions of people, and recently there has been considerable interest in promoting the consumption of wholegrain brown rice (WBR) due to its obvious advantages over polished rice in metabolically protective activities. This work highlights the effects of innovative processing technologies on the quality and functional properties of WBR in comparison with traditional approaches; and it is aimed at establishing a quantitative and/or qualitative link between physicochemical changes and high-efficient processing methods. Compared with thermal treatments, applications of innovative nonthermal techniques, such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasound and cold plasma, are not limited to modifying physicochemical properties of WBR grains, since improvements in nutritional and functional components as well as a reduction in anti-nutritional factors can also be achieved through inducing related biochemical transformation. Much information about processing methods and parameters which influence WBR quality changes has been obtained, but simultaneously achieving the product stabilization and functionality of processed WBR grains requires a comprehensive evaluation of all the quality changes induced by different processing procedures as well as quantitative insights into the relationship between the changes and processing variables.

Mild high hydrostatic pressure pretreatments applied before soaking process to modulate wholegrain brown rice germination: An examination on embryo growth and physicochemical properties

This investigation aimed to examine the effects of a novel processing pattern, combining high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) with germination, on the embryo growth and physicochemical characteristics of wholegrain brown rice (WBR). WBR grains were firstly subjected to mild HHP stress (30-90 MPa/5 min) and then incubated at 37 °C for 52 h for obtaining germinated samples (GBR). The results showed that HHP shock resulted in a delayed embryo growth of WBR grains, maintaining acceptable sprouting rates ranging from 65% to 76% when germination was finished. The contents of gama-aminobutyric acid in GBR were greatly increased responding to HHP stress, showing pressure intensities dependent. Total digestible and resistant starch contents in samples stressed at 60/90 MPa were decreased, mainly associated with high pressure-induced amorphization as revealed by SEM imaging and FTIR, which promoted starch hydrolysis during germination. Besides, the levels of zinc and iron were influenced by HHP pretreatments due to the high pressure-mediated degradation behavior for phytic acids. The storability of HHP-stressed GBR grains was significantly enhanced through reducing free fatty acids formation and maintaining color stability during a storage testing. These results obtained from the current work demonstrated that mild HHP stress pretreatment prior to germination process could be used as a promising strategy to modulate certain physicochemical characteristics of WBR products.

Whole Grain Consumption and Risk of Ischemic Stroke: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Higher intake of whole grains may exert cardiometabolic benefits, although findings on stroke risk are inconclusive. The potentially differential effects of individual whole grain foods on ischemic stroke have not been examined.

METHODS

We analyzed whole grain consumption in relation to ischemic stroke among 71 750 women from the Nurses' Health Study and 42 823 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who were free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer at baseline (1984 and 1986, respectively) through 2010 using a Cox proportional hazards model. Validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires were used to assess consumption of whole grain intake, including whole grain cold breakfast cereal, dark bread, oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, bran, and germ. Self-reported incident cases of ischemic stroke were confirmed through medical record review.

RESULTS

During 2 820 128 person-years of follow-up in the 2 cohorts, 2458 cases of ischemic stroke were identified and confirmed. Intake of total whole grains was not associated with risk of ischemic stroke after adjustment for covariates: the pooled hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) comparing extreme intake levels was 1.04 (0.91-1.19). However, intake of whole grain cold breakfast cereal and total bran was inversely associated with ischemic stroke after multivariate adjustment: the pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.88 (0.80-0.96; Ptrend=0.008) and 0.89 (0.79-1.00; Ptrend=0.004), respectively. Other whole grain foods were not associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

Although overall consumption of whole grains was not associated with lower risk of ischemic stroke, greater consumption of whole grain cold breakfast cereal and bran was significantly associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke. More studies are needed to replicate these associations between individual whole grain foods and risk of ischemic stroke among other populations.