Physicochemical and Consumer Acceptance of Tofu Supplemented with Licorice Powder

The Comprehensive Utilization of Bean Dregs in High-Fiber Tofu

A large quantity of bean dregs is produced by the production of tofu and treated as animal feed or plant fertilizer, which could cause environmental pollution. The purpose of this study was to use commercially available lactone tofu to compare the effects of innovative preparation methods of high-fiber tofu, where the innovative methods used partial de-slagging followed by the addition of soybean residue cellulose to prepare high-fiber tofu. The results showed that there were no significant differences among lactone tofu samples made with 5% cellulose, 10% cellulose, or 15% cellulose and the commercially available lactone tofu during the water-holding capacity and chroma analysis. Texture indices showed that lactone tofu with 10% cellulose was similar to the commercially available lactone tofu in chewiness and hardness, and lactone tofu with 15% cellulose was similar to the commercially available lactone tofu in adhesiveness and chewiness. Magnetic resonance imaging displayed that lactone tofu with 10% cellulose had better water retention and higher moisture content. Gel electron microscopy showed that lactone tofu with 10% cellulose achieved a better gel network, and the bean dreg cellulose had less influence to a certain extent. Volatile organic compound testing by GC-IMS method indicated that the lactone tofu with 10% cellulose had more volatile organic compound content. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that lactone tofu with 10% cellulose had the best market competitiveness in ensuring the quality of high-fiber tofu.

Structure-function relationship of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root extract-xanthan/guar gum mixture in a high sugar content system

BACKGROUND

Foam-gels are one of the most important multicomponent-model systems in aerated confectionery, and an investigation of their microstructure is desirable. In this research, the structure-function relationship of xanthan gum/guar gum (XG/GG) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root extract powder (LEP) was investigated in a high-sugar medium. Foam-gel systems were prepared at 4:10% to 8:20% ratios of LEP to biopolymer.

RESULTS

The results show that increasing the LEP content reduced both the melting point and enthalpy, probably due to higher overrun and weaker junctions. Boosting the XG/GG ratio led the enhancement of mechanical properties, whereas increasing the LEP concentration weakened all textural parameters, which could be due to the poor structure of the network in the presence of the foaming agent, increased moisture content and overrun. In the whipped mixture samples containing 10 g kg^-1 XG/GG, higher foaming capacity was observed. By increasing the level of biopolymers, smaller and more uniform air cells were formed according to a scanning electron microscopical study. At higher concentration of LEP, smaller bubbles and increased porosity were seen, which could be attributed to the availability of surfactant in the interfacial layer.

CONCLUSION

Maximum structural strength was achieved at a 4:20 ratio of LEP to XG/GG. In rheological experiments, pseudoplastic behavior was seen in all samples. Generally, this model system can be simulated for other herbal extracts containing natural surfactants such as saponins. Achieving a more detailed understanding of these structures and their interactions could help in formulating novel food products. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.