Effects of Different Pilot-Scale Milling Methods on Bioactive Components and End-Use Properties of Whole Wheat Flour

Radio-frequency treatment of medium-gluten wheat: effects of tempering moisture and treatment time on wheat quality

BACKGROUND

Wheat and wheat flour are important raw materials of staple foods. Medium-gluten wheat is now the dominant wheat in China. In order to expand the application of medium-gluten wheat, radio-frequency (RF) technology was used to improve its quality. Effects of tempering moisture content (TMC) of wheat and RF treatment time on wheat quality were investigated.

RESULTS

No evident change in protein content after RF treatment, but a reduction in wet gluten content of the sample with 10-18% TMC and RF treatment for 5 min, was observed. By contrast, protein content increased to 31.0% after RF treatment for 9 min in 14% TMC wheat, achieving the requirement of high-gluten wheat (≥30.0%). Thermodynamic and pasting properties indicated that RF treatment (14% TMC, 5 min) can alter the double-helical structure and pasting viscosities of flour. In addition, the results of textural analysis and sensory evaluation for Chinese steamed bread showed that RF treatment for 5 min with different TMC (10-18%) wheat could deteriorate wheat quality, while the wheat (14% TMC) treated with RF for 9 min had the best quality.

CONCLUSION

RF treatment for 9 min can improve wheat quality when the TMC was 14%. The results are beneficial to the application of RF technology in wheat processing and improvement of wheat flour quality. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Accumulation of Wheat Phenolic Acids under Different Nitrogen Rates and Growing Environments

The health benefits of whole wheat grains are partially attributed to their phenolic acid composition, especially that of trans-ferulic acid (TFA), which is a powerful natural antioxidant. Breeders and producers are becoming interested in wheat with enhanced health-promoting effects. This study investigated the effects of different nitrogen (N) application rates (0, 42, 84, 126, and 168 N kg ha^-1) on the phenolic acid composition of three wheat varieties in four locations for two years. The results indicate that the different N rates did not affect the TFA concentration but that they significantly affected the concentrations of para-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, and cis-ferulic acid in the wheat grains. A statistical analysis suggested that the wheat phenolic acid composition was predominantly determined by wheat variety, though there existed some interaction effect between the wheat variety and environments. The TFA concentration of the variety Jimai 22 was generally higher (with a mean value of 726.04 µg/g) but was easily affected by the environment, while the TFA concentration of the variety Zhongmai 578 (with a mean value of 618.01 µg/g) was more stable across the different environments. The results also suggest that it is possible to develop new wheat varieties with high yield potential, good end-use properties, and enhanced nutraceutical values.

Multiple Approaches to Improve the Quality of Cereal-Based Foods

The interest in improving the health benefits of cereal foods is continuously increasing [...]

Research Progress of Applying Infrared Spectroscopy Technology for Detection of Toxic and Harmful Substances in Food

In recent years, food safety incidents have been frequently reported. Food or raw materials themselves contain substances that may endanger human health and are called toxic and harmful substances in food, which can be divided into endogenous, exogenous toxic, and harmful substances and biological toxins. Therefore, realizing the rapid, efficient, and nondestructive testing of toxic and harmful substances in food is of great significance to ensure food safety and improve the ability of food safety supervision. Among the nondestructive detection methods, infrared spectroscopy technology has become a powerful solution for detecting toxic and harmful substances in food with its high efficiency, speed, easy operation, and low costs, while requiring less sample size and is nondestructive, and has been widely used in many fields. In this review, the concept and principle of IR spectroscopy in food are briefly introduced, including NIR and FTIR. Then, the main progress and contribution of IR spectroscopy are summarized, including the model’s establishment, technical application, and spectral optimization in grain, fruits, vegetables, and beverages. Moreover, the limitations and development prospects of detection are discussed. It is anticipated that infrared spectroscopy technology, in combination with other advanced technologies, will be widely used in the whole food safety field.

Approach of probiotics in mental health as a psychobiotics

Probiotics are those beneficial microbes that confer various health benefits to humans when integrated in diet in adequate amount. They possess vital metabolites having nutritional and therapeutic properties which provide countless health benefits. Scientific discoveries demonstrated that these living microbial consortiums may exert impact on anxiety, depression, cognitive functions, stress responses and behaviours. Those probiotics that controls the functioning or actions of central nervous system (CNS) conciliated by the gut brain axis (GBA) through neural, humoral and metabolic pathways to ameliorate the gastrointestinal activity as well as anti-depressant and anxiolytic capacity are known as psychobiotics. Few evidences have confirmed the remedial effects of psychobiotics against neurological conditions or disorders. So, therapeutic approach of psychobiotics leads to the future possibilities in the development field for researchers. This review article describes the potential role and mechanism of action of psychobiotics.