Application of a Depth Sensing Indentation Hardness Test to Evaluate the Mechanical Properties of Food Materials

Study of molecular interaction and texture characteristics of hydrocolloid-mixed alginate microspheres: As a shell to encapsulate multiphase oil cores

This work investigates the molecular interaction of hydrocolloids (xanthan gum (XG), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), carbomer (CBM) and hymagic™-4D (HA)) with sodium alginate (SA) in microspheres in detail. The molecular interaction of hydrocolloids with SA are demonstrated by the rheological property analysis of the mixed solutions as well as the morphology structure and texture characteristics studies of the microspheres. It is found that the hydrocolloids (XG, HEC and CBM) with branches or capable to coil are able to form complex networks with SA through molecular interactions which hinders the free diffusion of calcium ions and changes the texture characteristics of microspheres. In addition, the mixed solutions (SA-XG and SA-HEC) with complex networks and do not have a chelating effect on calcium ions are used to form the shell of the microcapsules through droplet microfluidic technology, and stable with soft microcapsules encapsulating multiphase oil cores have been successfully prepared. At the same time, the textural properties of microcapsules are quantized, which are related to human sensory properties. The developed stable and soft microcapsules which have the properties of sensory comfort are expected to be applied in the personal care industry and a variety of fields.

A method for gel grade determination and application evaluation of two citrus pectins

Citrus paradisi Macf. cv. Changshanhuyou and Citrus paradisi Macf. cv. Star Ruby are two emerging processed citrus fruits. The processing produces lots of peel wastes rich in pectin. While more attentions were paid on pectin's functional properties, the quality about commercial application like gel grade was little investigated. In this study, we established a method for gel grade determination based on texture analyzer, the new method is economical and can be used on a large scale in the laboratory. The commercial application related qualities of two citrus pectins were also studied in detail. The results showed that the yields of Changshanhuyou and Star Ruby pectins (CHP and SRP) were 20.23 % and 18.33 %, respectively. The indexes of CHP and SRP mostly were in line with the commodity standards, except the dry weight loss. The gel grades of CHP and SRP determined by the new method were 109.9 and 96.8, respectively. The CHP aqueous solution exhibited higher apparent viscosity and better performance in stabilizing acidified milk drink (AMD) compared with commercial pectin. From the view of commercial application related qualities and functional properties, CHP could be a good potential commercial pectin.

Postharvest ripening of two varieties of corns: Structure, antioxidant activities and physicochemical properties of zein

The newly harvested Jidan 66 (JD66) and Liangyu 99 (LY99) varieties of corns were stored for 56 days at constant temperature of 15 and 25 °C with relative humidity of 55%. The postharvest ripening resulted in more disordered secondary structure and less compact tertiary conformation of zein. The emulsifying activity and foaming stability reached maximum after storage of corns at 15 and 25 °C for 14 days, while the emulsifying stability and foaming capacity were the highest at two temperatures of storage for 7 days and 28 days, respectively. Furthermore, zein had the highest viscoelasticity as well as the strongest antioxidant activities after the storage of JD66 at two temperatures for 28 days and the storage of LY99 at 15 °C for 42 days and at 25 °C for 28 days. Therefore, appropriate postharvest ripening of corns changed the structure of zein, improving its antioxidant activities and physicochemical properties.

The surface mechanics of cooked rice as influenced by gastric fluids measured using a micro texture analyzer

In this study, a micro texture analyzer (MTA) was employed to explore the texture characteristics of the surface of an individual steamed rice (SR) and fried rice (FR) grain exhibited in four simulated digestion environments in vitro. The elastic modulus, hardness and elastic index of the single cooked rice particle were measured using the MTA. The hardness of SR particles decreased by 66, 81, 89.1, and 95% after simulated digestion in distilled water, HCl, simulated gastric fluid (SGF), and simulated salivary and gastric fluid (SSF + SGF), respectively. This is in line with the most significant volume expansion and structure ruptures when digested in SSF + SGF. Similar mechanical and structural behaviors were shown for FR, but the hardness and elastic modulus decreased less than those of SR under the same digestion conditions. The different surface mechanics are consistent with the reduced expansion and more compact structure with smaller voids in FR during in vitro digestion. This could be attributed to the encapsulation by frying oil on the surface that would retard the diffusion of digestive fluids into the rice kernels. A weak negative correlation was found between the elastic modulus and the moisture content of the cooked rice. The present study has quantitatively assessed the surface mechanics of cooked rice as influenced by gastric fluids using the MTA. This is practically meaningful for gaining an in-depth understanding of the influence of textural modifications on disintegration of solid foods and release of nutrients during digestion.

Chemical Composition and Rheological Properties of Seed Mucilages of Various Yellow- and Brown-Seeded Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Cultivars

When seeds sown in the soil become wet, their hulls secrete viscous matter that can retain water and thus support germination. Flaxseed mucilage (FSM) is an example of such a material and is attractive for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications due to its suitable rheological properties. FSM consists mainly of two polysaccharides, namely, arabinoxylan and rhamnogalacturonan I, and it also contains some proteins, minerals, and phenolic compounds. The genotype and the year of the flax harvest can significantly affect the composition and functional properties of FSM. In this work, FSM samples were isolated from flax seeds of different cultivars and harvest years, and their structural and rheological properties were compared using statistical methods. The samples showed significant variability in composition and rheological properties depending on the cultivar and storage time. It was found that the ratio of two polysaccharide fractions and the contribution of less-prevalent proteins are important factors determining the rheological parameters of FSM, characterizing the shear-thinning, thixotropic, and dynamic viscoelastic behavior of this material in aqueous solutions. The yield strength and the hysteresis loop were found to be associated with the contribution of the pectin fraction, which included homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I. In contrast, the shear-thinning and especially the dynamic viscoelastic properties depended on the arabinoxylan content. Proteins also affected the viscoelastic properties and maintained the elastic component of FSM in the solution. The above structural and rheological characteristics should be taken into account when considering effective applications for this material.

How hair deforms steel

Steels for sharp edges or tools typically have martensitic microstructures, high carbide contents, and various coatings to exhibit high hardness and wear resistance. Yet they become practically unusable upon cutting much softer materials such as human hair, cheese, or potatoes. Despite this being an everyday observation, the underlying physical micromechanisms are poorly understood because of the structural complexity of the interacting materials and the complex boundary conditions of their co-deformation. To unravel this complexity, we carried out interrupted tests and in situ electron microscopy cutting experiments with two micromechanical testing setups. We investigated the findings analytically and numerically, revealing that the spatial variation of lath martensite structure plays the key role leading to a mixed-mode II-III cracking phenomenon before appreciable wear.

Investigation of hot air and foam-mat dried cress seed gum by FT-IR, zeta potential, steady shear viscosity, dynamic oscillatory behavior, and other physical properties

The effects of different drying methods (hot air drying at 40, 60, and 80°C, and foam-mat drying) on the characteristics (FT-IR, zeta potential, conductivity, color, rheology, texture, and emulsifying) of extracted cress seed gum (CSG) have been investigated. The models described the rheological behavior of CSG with high R 2, but in general Herschel-Bulkley's model has higher values of R 2 and lower values of RMSE compared to the fitted models. The HD 80 has high amount of viscosity. This means that as the temperature rises, the gel network is getting stronger, and gums from the internal CSG sections have a stronger gel network. Results of strain sweep test demonstrated that storage ( G LVE ' ) and loss modulus ( G LVE ″ ) for all solutions except foam-mat drying in the linear area showed solid-like behavior. The parameters of strain sweep (Gf, τf, τy, G LVE ″ , G LVE ' , YLVE) increased with increasing temperatures. Frequency sweep test showed that storage ( G LVE ' ) was greater than loss modulus ( G LVE ″ ) and samples have a solid behavior but foam-mat drying exhibited liquid behavior. Increasing temperature has a direct impact on texture, so hardness and adhesion are increased consequently. Generally, CSG has good emulsifying and foaming characteristics, but no significant difference was observed.

Effect of Addition of Antioxidant Flaxseed Polypeptide on the Rheological Properties of Native Maize Starch

Effects of adding antioxidant flaxseed peptides (FP) on rheological properties of native maize starch (NMS) were investigated using temperature sweep and frequency sweep tests. The NMS concentration of 15 % (w/w) and FP concentrations of 0.2–1.0 % (w/w) were used. The FP samples were prepared by controlled hydrolysis flaxseed protein isolate with pepsin. The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (53.25 %) was achieved at 22 % of hydrolysis. The onset gelatinization temperature (Tonset) increased from 67°C to 76°C when the 1 % FP was present in the NMS–FP mixture. The storage modulus (G′) decreased significantly in the presence and increased in concentration of FP. The variation ofG′and loss modulus (G″) of NMS–FP mixtures with angular frequency was fitted well (R2>0.97) Power law type models. The consistency coefficient (K′andK″) decreased in the presence and increased in the concentration of FP. While then′increased with the presence FP, then″decreased. The NMS–FP mixtures produced physical gels (G′>G″). NMS-FP mixtures showed non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior in steady shear flow.

Effect of Drying Methods on the Rheological Properties of Sugar Beet Pulp Pectin

The effect of drying methods on the rheological properties (apparent viscosity, storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli, creep behavior) of sugar beet pulp pectin (SBPP) was investigated using steady shear, frequency sweep, activation energy and creep-recovery tests. SBPP was extracted from sugar beet and dried using freeze (FD), hot air (HD), vacuum (VD) and spray (SD) drying methods. The HD sample showed highest apparent viscosity and the VD sample had the highest activation energy. The 1 % (w/v) samples had higher activation energy than 2 % (w/v) samples. The G′ and G″ versus angular frequency data followed the Power Law model reasonably well (R2 > 0.915). The FD sample deformed the most during the creep test.

Effects of Defatted Flaxseed Addition on Rheological Properties of Wheat Flour Slurry

Rheological property of defatted flaxseed-added wheat flour dispersions was investigated as a function of defatted flaxseed concentration (0–20%), NaCl concentration (0, 0.6, and 1.2%), sucrose concentration (0, 5, and 10%), and slurry concentration (33and 62.5%). Frequency sweep tests at 20°C and temperature sweep tests from 20 to 90°C were applied to the samples. The experimental measurements demonstrated that the viscoelastic moduli of samples increased with the increase in defatted flaxseed concentration from 0 to 20% and decreased with the increase in NaCl, sucrose, and water concentration at 20°C. The gelatinization temperatures of the defatted flaxseed-wheat slurry samples were delayed with the addition of defatted flaxseed, NaCl, and sucrose but hastened with the addition of water.