Air and argon cold plasma effects on lipolytic enzymes inactivation, physicochemical properties and volatile profiles of lightly-milled rice

This study investigated the effectiveness of cold-plasma treatment using air and argon as input gas on deactivation of lipolytic enzymes in lightly-milled-rice (LMR). The results showed no significant inactivation in lipase and lipoxygenase using air-plasma. However, using argon as input gas, the residual activities of lipase and lipoxygenase were reduced to 64.51 % and 29.15 % of initial levels, respectively. Argon plasma treatment resulted in more substantial augmentation in peak and breakdown viscosities of LMR starch, suggesting an enhancement in palatability of cooked LMR with increased stickiness and decreased hardness. In contrast to the decrease in volatile compounds in LMR following argon plasma treatment, the concentrations of several prevalent aroma compounds, including 1-hexanol, 1-hexanal, and 2-pentylfuran, exhibited significant increments, reaching 1489.70 ng/g, 3312.10 ng/g, and 58.80 ng/g, respectively. These findings suggest the potential for enhancing various facets of the commercial qualities of LMR by utilizing different input gases during plasma treatment.

Characterization of key aroma-active compounds in different types of Douchi based on molecular sensory science approaches

To attain the differences in the flavor profile of Douchi, the key aroma-active compounds of three types of Douchi were investigated. The "Sauce-like", "Smoky", "Nutty", "Roast", "Caramel", and "Flower" of Douchi were favored by customers. Further, a total of 179 volatile compounds were identified using HS-SPME-GC-MS, and 29 aroma compounds were detected using GC-O-MS. Based on the quantification, 9, 13, and 10 compounds were regarded as aroma-active compounds in Yangjiang Douchi (YJ), Pingjiang Douchi (PJ), and Liuyang Douchi (LY), respectively. Moreover, the mixture of these aroma-active compounds successfully simulated the main aromas of PJ, LY, and YJ. And omission experiments confirmed that guaiacol was the key aroma compound for LY, benzene acetaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, and 2-acetyl pyrrole were important for YJ, benzene acetaldehyde and 3,5-diethyl-2-methyl pyrazine notably contributed to key aroma of PJ.

Oxidative Stability and Pasting Properties of High-Moisture Japonica Brown Rice following Different Storage Temperatures and Its Cooked Brown Rice Flavor

The study proposed to investigate the impacts of storage temperatures (15, 20, 25 °C) on the oxidative stability (peroxide value, carbonyl value, malondialdehyde content) and sensory attributes (pasting properties, cooked brown rice flavor) of high-moisture japonica brown rice. According to the findings, the peroxide value, the carbonyl value, and the malondialdehyde content of high-moisture japonica brown rice stored at a temperature of 15 °C exhibited consistently low levels, and the pasting properties were favorable. In addition, 22 out of 51 flavor volatiles were screened as key differential volatile flavor compounds in cooked brown rice via a combination of ANOVA and orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Among them, 3-heptylacrolein had an aroma of fat and mushroom, and its contents were higher at 15 °C and 20 °C. These findings could serve as a valuable reference for storing high-moisture japonica brown rice under low temperature conditions as well as for investigating the flavor characteristics of cooked brown rice derived from this variety.

Review of technology advances to assess rice quality traits and consumer perception

The increase in rice consumption and demand for high-quality rice is impacted by the growth of socioeconomic status in developing countries and consumer awareness of the health benefits of rice consumption. The latter aspects drive the need for rapid, low-cost, and reliable quality assessment methods to produce high-quality rice according to consumer preference. This is important to ensure the sustainability of the rice value chain and, therefore, accelerate the rice industry toward digital agriculture. This review article focuses on the measurements of the physicochemical and sensory quality of rice, including new and emerging technology advances, particularly in the development of low-cost, non-destructive, and rapid digital sensing techniques to assess rice quality traits and consumer perceptions. In addition, the prospects for potential applications of emerging technologies (i.e., sensors, computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence) to assess rice quality and consumer preferences are discussed. The integration of these technologies shows promising potential in the forthcoming to be adopted by the rice industry to assess rice quality traits and consumer preferences at a lower cost, shorter time, and more objectively compared to the traditional approaches.

Factors affecting bacterial community dynamics and volatile metabolite profiles of Thai traditional salt fermented fish

Bacterial diversity of the Thai traditional salt fermented fish with roasted rice bran (Pla-ra) was investigated using classical and molecular approaches. Bacterial population of Pla-ra ranged from 10²-10⁶ in solid-state (SSF) and 10⁶-10⁹ CFU/g in submerged (SMF) fermentation types. Halanaerobium spp. and Lentibacillus spp. were the main genera particularly detected when rRNA analysis was applied. Tetragenococcus halophillus were dominant during the final stage in sea salt-recipe samples while Bacillus spp. were found in those rock salt recipes. In contrast, cultural plating demonstrated that Bacillus spp., generally B. amyloliquefaciens, were the dominant genera. In addition, B. pumilus, B. autrophaeus, B.subtilis and B. velezensis shown some relations with rock salt-recipe samples. The main volatile metabolites in all samples were butanoic acid and its derivatives. Key factors affected bacterial profiles and volatile compounds of salt fermented fish were type of salt, addition of roasted rice bran, and fermenting conditions.

Development and validation of HS-SPME-GCMS/MS method for quantification of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in rice cultivars

The commercial significance of accurate and simple quantification of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) cannot be overstated. Present study was carried out to standardize a method for extraction and accurate quantitation of 2-AP from rice grain using GC-MS/MS equipped with HS-SPME auto sampler. The effect of sample quantity, addition of solvent, grinding process, sample particle size, head space parameters and SPME fiber incubation parameters, were optimized in the developed method. Dehusked rice powder (2 g) prepared under liquid nitrogen, and passed through the 80-mesh sieve, incubated for 40 min at 80 °C in headspace, followed by fiber (DVB/Carbon WR/PDMS) saturation time of 15 min, could produce the maximum response. The recovery of 2-AP from fortified sample ranged between 7.02 and 9.02% at 50-200 ng g-1 fortification irrespective of the grain matrices used. Standard addition method was appropriate to overcome the matrix effect and recovery of 2-AP was more than 90% using this method. The developed method was further utilized for quantification of 2-AP in four Basmati and two non-Basmati aromatic rice samples. The content of 2-AP ranged between 57.17 and 147.10 ng g-1 of rice and varied with geographical location. This fully automated method could improve the work efficiency and reduce error during the volatile extraction and adsorption phase.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05674-7.

Rapid Assessment of Rice Quality Traits Using Low-Cost Digital Technologies

Aroma and other physicochemical parameters are important attributes influencing consumer perception and acceptance of rice. However, current methods using multiple instruments and laboratory analysis make these assessments costly and time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to assess rice quality traits of 17 commercial rice types using a low-cost electronic nose and portable near-infrared spectrometer coupled with machine learning (ML). Specifically, artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to classify the type of rice and predict rice quality traits (aromas, color, texture, and pH of cooked rice) as targets. The ML models developed showed that the chemometrics obtained from both sensor technologies successfully classified the rice (Model 1: 98.7%; Model 2: 98.6%) and predicted the peak area of aromas obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy found in raw (Model 3: R = 0.95; Model 6: R = 0.95) and cooked rice (Model 4: R = 0.98; Model 7: R = 0.96). Furthermore, a high R = 0.98 was obtained for Model 5 to estimate the color, texture, and pH of cooked rice. The proposed method is rapid, low-cost, reliable, and may help the rice industry increase high-quality rice production and accelerate the adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to support the rice value chain.

Identification and Functional Analysis of Glutathione S-Transferases from Sitophilus zeamais in Olfactory Organ

Simple Summary

Sitophilus zeamais is a worldwide pest that destroys many grain products, causing a loss of cereal quality and quantity resulting from its metabolites and behavior. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), as a group of odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs), play an important role in degrading xenobiotic odorant molecules in insect olfactory sensing systems. However, there have been few reports about the function of the GST genes of S. zeamais in the odorant-degrading process. In this study, we characterized 13 full-length genes encoding GST sequences from S. zeamais and analyzed the expression pattern in different tissues of SzeaGSTd1. In addition, we investigated the ability of recombinant SzeaGSTd1 to degrade the volatile molecules of the host, and the data indicated that the content of capryl alcohol significantly decreased in the system. In summary, we believe SzeaGSTd1 plays a key role in the olfactory sensing system of S. zeamais.

Abstract

Odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs) play an important role in rapidly degrading and inactivating odorant molecules that have completed information transmission, as well as in maintaining the stability and sensitivity of insect olfactory sensing systems. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), as a group of ODEs, supposedly bear the ability to catalyze the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) and xenobiotic odorant molecules in the degrading process. However, there are few reports regarding the role of the GST genes of Sitophilus zeamais in the degrading process. Thus, we characterized 13 full-length genes encoding GST sequences from S. zeamais, of which only SzeaGSTd1 contained a high abundance in the antennae. Ligand-binding assays implied that SzeaGSTd1 was able to catalyze the conjugation of GSH with 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (CDNB). We investigated whether recombinant SzeaGSTd1 bears the ability to degrade the volatile molecules of the host; among the host volatiles, and found capryl alcohol to be a suitable substrate for SzeaGSTd1. These results strongly suggest that SzeaGSTd1 probably plays a role in auxiliary host location by degrading the host volatiles of capryl alcohol and exhibits a potential biological function in the olfactory sensing system of S. zeamais. Knowledge of the potential functions of SzeaGSTd1 will provide new ideas for biological control strategies for S. zeamais.

Molecular analysis of aroma gene (BADH2) in Biriyanicheera: a tropical aromatic rice genotype from Kerala, India

BACKGROUND

The aromatic rice cultivars sometimes show variation in aroma when they are grown in regions other than their normal traditional growing regions. An early maturing selection from a Kerala aromatic local landrace with short grains, named 'Biriyanicheera', when grown in normal tropical conditions was sufficiently fragrant. The present study focused on the analysis of aroma in 'Biriyanicheera' rice genotype through molecular methods.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The seeds of two aromatic rice varieties viz., Biriyanicheera and Gandhakasala (aromatic check) along with one non-aromatic rice variety Triveni (control) were used for the study. The BADH2 gene was amplified in all the three rice varieties. Upon sequencing the amplified PCR products of genomic DNA, the mutation in BADH2 gene was detected. The sequencing results of aromatic rice varieties revealed the presence of 8 base pair mutation in exon 7 in Biriyanicheera and Gandhakasaala, whereas this mutation was absent in the non-aromatic variety Triveni.

CONCLUSIONS

Aroma production in Biriyanicheera variety is observed to be due to the similar mutation in BADH2 gene as that of the popular scented rice Basmati.

Effect of rainfall and altitude on the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and volatile compounds profile of black glutinous rice (Thai upland rice)

BACKGROUND

The aroma intensity of rice is mixed of more than 100 volatile compounds. Fragrant rice is famous in Thailand due to specific aroma. One important volatile compound that contributes to aromatic intensity and represents a characteristic compound for fragrant rice is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP). The production of volatile compounds and 2AP in rice is affected by various environmental factors, such as cultivation area, water content and temperature.

RESULTS

Our research employed 29 samples of fragrant colored rice (Luempua black glutinous rice cultivar) from Phetchabun province, Thailand from three harvested rice seasons (2015-2017). The cultivation areas of rice samples exhibited differences in rainfall (976.6-1260.5 mm y r^-1 ) and altitude (26.26-1033.41 m). All volatile compounds and 2AP were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In 29 rice samples, 2AP levels decreased with increasing of rainfall. The increase in altitude seems to increase 2AP levels, but some high-altitude cultivation areas resulted in low 2AP content. A variety of volatile compounds was observed in 29 rice samples from different cultivation areas. The results showed that differences in altitude and rainfall affected the production of volatile compounds in fragrant colored rice. Moreover, our results indicated that different environmental conditions in cultivation areas potentially affect volatile compound production during rice growth.

CONCLUSION

The increase in 2AP levels under low rainfall conditions and the assortment of volatile compound varieties produced in colored rice grown in different cultivation areas may be useful information for rice cultivation management striving to produce rice with high aromatic intensities. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Profiling of 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline and Other Volatile Compounds in Raw and Cooked Rice of Traditional and Improved Varieties of India

Herein, optimized headspace solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS) was used to estimate the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) in raw and cooked rice samples of ten different traditional and improved varieties. Furthermore, HS-SPME-GC-MS-based volatile profiling was subjected to untargeted analyses to identify major odorants in raw and cooked rice samples, and to understand chemical proximities among volatile profiles. Results showed that 2-AP content was remarkably increased in cooked rice compared to raw. Among the varieties studied, Pusa-1652 (Improved Kala Namak) and Kala Namak-2 were superior in the 2-AP content than Basmati varieties. Additionally, Govind Bhog, Kala Jeera and Jeera-32 had 2-AP content equivalent to or superior to Basmati rice varieties. Altogether, 18 and 22 volatiles were identified in the raw and cooked rice samples studied, respectively. Of these, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, 2-undecanone, ethyl benzoate, ethyl benzeneacetate, 2-methylnaphthalene, and 1-methylnaphthalene were characteristically detected in the cooked rice. The high amount of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol was uniquely found in raw rice samples, which can be a marker compound for freshly milled rice. Along with 2-AP, butanoic acid and benzoic acid derivatives, phenylethyl alcohol, ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, and indole may be responsible for the overall perceived characteristic Basmati-like aroma in cooked rice.

Alleviation of Salt Stress in Upland Rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica cv. Leum Pua) Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbionts not only promote the growth of host plant but also alleviate abiotic stresses. This study aimed to investigate the putative role of AMF in salt stress regulation of upland pigmented rice cv. Leum Pua (LP) comparing with Pokkali salt tolerant (positive check). In general, LP is a variety of glutinous rice that contains anthocyanin pigment in the black pericarp, due to which it possesses high antioxidant activities compared to non-pigmented rice. Pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of inoculated AMF, Glomus etunicatum (GE), Glomus geosporum (GG), and Glomus mosseae (GM) strains, in the LP plantlets subjected to 0 (control) or 150 mM NaCl (salt stress) for 2 weeks in comparison with Pokkali (a salt tolerant rice cultivar), which was maintained as a positive check. Root colonization percentage under NaCl conditions ranged from 23 to 30%. Na⁺ content in the flag leaf tissues was increased to 18-35 mg g^-1 DW after exposure to 150 mM NaCl for 14 days in both inoculated and un-inoculated LP plants, whereas Na:K ratio was very low in cv. Pokkali. Interestingly, sucrose content in the flag leaf tissues of un-inoculated LP plants under salt stress was increased significantly by 50 folds over the control as an indicator of salt stress response, whereas it was unchanged in all AMF treatments. Fructose and free proline in GE inoculated plants under salt stress were accumulated over control by 5.75 and 13.59 folds, respectively, for osmotic adjustment of the cell, thereby maintaining the structure and functions of chlorophyll pigments, F_v/F_m, Φ_PSII, and stomatal function. Shoot height, flag leaf length, number of panicles, panicle length, panicle weight, and 100-grain weight in GE inoculated plants of cv. LP under salt stress were maintained similar to cv. Pokkali. Interestingly, cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) and peonidin-3-glucoside (P3G) in the pericarp of cv. LP were regulated by GE inoculation under salt stress conditions. In summary, AMF-inoculation in rice crop is a successful alternative approach to reduce salt toxicity, maintain the yield attributes, and regulate anthocyanins enrichment in the pericarp of grains.

Characterization of the Expression and Functions of Two Odorant-Binding Proteins of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are important in insect chemical communication. The objective of this research was to identify the functions of two OBPs in Sitophilus zeamais. qRT-PCR and western blot (WB) were performed to investigate the expression profiles at the transcript and protein levels, respectively. Fluorescence competitive binding assays were used to measure the ability of the OBPs to bind to host volatiles, and a Y-tube olfactometer was used to verify the results (attraction/no response) via behavioral experiments. The RNAi was used to verify the function by knocking down the ability of proteins to bind odorants. qRT-PCR showed the highest expression SzeaOBP1 and SzeaOBP28 at the low-instar larva (LL) and eclosion adult (EA) stages, respectively. WB showed that both SzeaOBP1 and SzeaOBP28 were highly expressed in the EA stage. Fluorescence competitive binding assays indicated that SzeaOBP1 exhibited extremely high binding affinity with cetanol. SzeaOBP28 exhibited a pronounced binding affinity for 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde. The behavioral experiment showed that the adult S. zeamais responded strongly to 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde and valeraldehyde from Sorghum bicolor. The RNAi knockdown individuals displayed behavioral differences between normal insects and dsRNA (SzeaOBP1)-treated insects. We infer that they both have functions in perception and recognition of host volatiles, whereas SzeaOBP28 may also have other functions.

The Combination Effect of Gamma Irradiation and Salt Concentration on 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Content, Proline Content and Growth of Thai Fragrant Rice (KDML 105)

KDML 105 is the famous fragrant rice of Thailand. 2AP acts as the characteristic compounds in fragrant-rice cultivars. 2AP accumulation has been reported in relationship with proline content and the growth rate of rice. Several factors have been reported to affect the poline and 2AP contents. We determined the combinatorial effect of gamma irradiation and salt concentration on the 2AP and proline contents of 5 day-old KDML 105 rice-seedling. In the growth condition under 20 mM of NaCl concentration the proline content of gamma irradiated rice increased, compared to the gamma-irradiated rice treated without 20 mM of NaCl concentration. While, the shoot-length of 5 day-old gamma irradiated rice-seedlings under 20mM NaCl concentration cannot be observed when compared to gamma irradiated rice-seedling without salt concentration. The 2AP content of gamma irradiated rice-seedlings under 20 mM of NaCl concentration had approximately 2.6 to 3.1 times higher than in the growth condition without salt concentration of gamma irradiated rice-seedlings. Our results indicate that the combination of gamma irradiation technique and salt concentration can be used for improving the 2AP content in rice.

Quantitation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in aseptic-packaged cooked fragrant rice by HS-SPME/GC-MS

Aseptic-packaged cooked rice (APCR) is a rice-based food product with a rapidly increasing market size, and APCR made of fragrant rice (FR) has recently appeared on the market. The fragrance of FR is produced by a combination of odoriferous compounds, among which 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) has been identified as the most important contributor to overall aroma. This study describes the development of a method to quantify 2AP in FR-based APCR using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The recovery of 2AP spiked into APCR was lower than 10%, which suggests significant matrix effects and inappropriateness of external standard-based calibration. For standard addition calibration method, up to 1,000 ng of 2AP were spiked into APCR containing 0% to 100% FR. Subsequent regression analyses of recovered peak area (Y) as a function of the amount of 2AP spiked (X) yielded highly linear calibration curves (R 2 > 0.9917) with consistent slopes (RSD = 2.7%), regardless of FR composition. Y-intercepts, however, which represent the amount of 2AP in APCR without spiking, increased linearly (R 2 = 0.9898) in proportion to the composition of FR in the APCR. The amount of 2AP in APCR, determined by extrapolating the standard addition calibration curves, also increased linearly (R 2 = 0.9963) as a function of FR composition. Practicality of developed method was tested by monitoring 2AP contents in APCR under realistic storage conditions, which successfully demonstrated 38% and 60% 2AP reductions in APCR of 20% FR after 1 and 2 months of storage at 25°C, respectively. The present study demonstrates that a standard addition method, whereby up to 1,000 ng of 2AP standard is spiked into 4 g of APCR containing 5%-100% FR in a 20-mL headspace vial followed by SPME/GC-MS, may serve as an effective means of quantitating 2AP in fragrant rice-based APCR.