Biochemical and nutritional profile of maize bran-enriched flour in relation to its end-use quality

The core objective of current research was determined to nutritional and bioactive profile of maize bran (MB)-enriched flour in relation to its end-use product quality. Furthermore, rheological properties of MB-enriched flour at different levels (5%, 10%, and 15%) were explicated through farinograph and mixograph. Moreover, bread was prepared with the addition of MB-enriched flour and was characterized for nutritional and textural properties. Results showed that MB-enriched flour having high water absorption and water retaining potential up to 4%-7% as compared to wheat flour (WF). Moreover, dough height gradually decreased with the addition of MB due to water-binding ability of bran which causes a decrease in gas retention during fermentation. This resulted in bread volume decrease (4%-7%) as compared to WF. Furthermore, the moisture content and hardness increased with the addition of MB. The water activity of bread slightly increased with the addition of maize bran after 4-day storage. Conclusively, MB-enriched flour improved nutritional, textural, and sensorial properties of final product.

Wheat straw: A natural remedy against different maladies

In millennia, much attention has been paid toward agro-industrial waste which consists of lignin and cellulosic biomass. In this perspective, biomass waste which consists of lignocellulosic mass is an inexpensive, renewable, abundant that provides a unique natural resource for large-scale and cost-effective bioenergy collection. In this current scenario, efforts are directed to briefly review the agro-industrial lignocellulosic biomass as a broad spectrum of numerous functional ingredients, its utilization, and respective health benefits with special to wheat straw. Wheat straw is lignocellulosic mass owing to the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Its microbial culture is the most important and well adjusted, for a variety of applications in the fermentation substrate, feed, food, medicine, industry, and agriculture in order to increase soil fertility. In industrial fermentation, wheat straw can be used as substrates for the production of a wide range of hydrolytic enzymes, drugs, metabolites, and other biofuels as a low-cost substrate or a natural source. Conclusively, wheat straw is the best source to produce bioethanol, biogas, and biohydrogen in biorefineries because it is a renewable, widely distributed, and easily available with very low cost, and its consumption is protected and environment friendly. Wheat straw is a moiety which has health benefits including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-artherogenic, anti-allergenic, antioxidant, antithrombotic, etc.

Fisetin: An anticancer perspective

Despite the provision of safe and cost-effective chemopreventive cancer approaches, still there are requirements to enhance their efficiency. The use of dietary agents as phytochemicals plays an imperative role against different human cancer cell lines. Among these novel dietary agents, fisetin (3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is present in different fruits and vegetables such as apple, persimmon, grape, strawberry, cucumber, and onion. Being a potent anticancer agent, fisetin has been used to inhibit stages in the cancer cells (proliferation, invasion), prevent cell cycle progression, inhibit cell growth, induce apoptosis, cause polymerase (PARP) cleavage, and modulate the expressions of Bcl-2 family proteins in different cancer cell lines (HT-29, U266, MDA-MB-231, BT549, and PC-3M-luc-6), respectively. Further, fisetin also suppresses the activation of the PKCα/ROS/ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, reduces the NF-κB activation, and down-regulates the level of the oncoprotein securin. Fisetin also inhibited cell division and proliferation and invasion as well as lowered the TET1 expression levels. The current review article highlights and discusses the anticancer role of fisetin in cell cultures and animal and human studies. Conclusively, fisetin as a polyphenol with pleiotropic pharmacological properties showed promising anticancer activity in a wide range of cancers. Fisetin suppresses the cancer cell stages, prevents progression in cell cycle and cell growth, and induces apoptosis.

Impact of drying methods on composition and functional properties of date powder procured from different cultivars

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of two different drying methods, that is, spray drying and oven drying on physicochemical and nutritional attributes of date flesh powder of dhakki, aseel, and rabi varieties. Date powders were prepared using mixture of maltodextrin and acacia gum (50:50) as drying aid at the rate of 0.4 kg per 1.0 kg of date fruits (dry weight basis). The oven-drying conditions were 60°C for 48 hr, whereas in spray drying, flow rate of 30 ml/min at 150°C was maintained. Date powder was obtained in both treatments from three varieties. Nutritional profile in all six powders was explored specifically with quantification of sugars using HPLC-RI, followed by physicochemical characterization. The total phenolic compounds, color (L*a*b* values), hygroscopicity, bulk density, wettability, solubility index, and glass transition temperatures (using differential scanning calorimetry, DSC), were determined for the date powders. The nutritional profile and total phenolic contents and sugars (sucrose, fructose, and glucose) were significantly different for the varieties, while treatments showed insignificant effect. The physicochemical characteristics of date powder varied significantly with respect to the date varieties. The colored values were affected due to treatments also, and the spray-dried powders showed better color values. The drying methods also showed effects in some parameters such as wettability time. Similarly, bulk density was different in both treatments for rabi and aseel. The glass transition temperatures were significantly varied in varieties due to difference in sugar contents, but within the treatments, they remain unaffected. The highest glass transition temperature of spray-dried rabi was 53.2 ± 1.31°C.

Investigating potential roles of extruded flaxseed and α-tocopherol acetate supplementation for production of healthier broiler meat

The present study was conducted to evaluate the role of extruded flaxseed (EFS) and α-tocopherol acetate (ATA) for the enhancement of polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio (PUFA) over saturated fatty acids (SFA) in broiler meat as a source of healthier meat. A total of 96 one-d-old Cobb 550 broilers were randomly divided into 8 treatments with three replicates having 4 birds in each. EFS (extruded at 155°C) at 100, 150 and 200 g/kg alone and in combination with ATA at 200 mg/kg were supplemented through normal feed from the third week onward. During the 6-week growth period, body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were recorded. At slaughter, weight of liver, heart and kidney and fat content in breast and leg meat were measured. Fatty acid profiles in breast and leg meat were developed to estimate the PUFA to SFA ratio. The results revealed that FI and FCR changed significantly in all groups and BWG increased in all the supplemented groups. The weight of liver, kidney and heart increased more in the supplemented group containing the maximum level of EFS with ATA compared with single supplementation of EFS. The fat content in breast and leg meat decreased as the inclusion level of EFS increased. The level was low in leg meat compared with breast meat. Mortality decreased in all supplemented groups. The PUFA to SFA ratio was significantly higher in leg meat (3.23) compared with breast meat (1.81) and the study therefore indicates that ATA and EFS supplementation could be used to improve the PUFA to SFA ratio in broiler meat.

Selective deposition of dietary α-lipoic acid in mitochondrial fraction and its synergistic effect with α-tocoperhol acetate on broiler meat oxidative stability

The use of bioactive antioxidants in feed of broiler to mitigate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems is one of promising nutritional strategies. The aim of present study was to alleviate ROS production in mitochondrial fraction (MF) of meat by supplemented dietary antioxidant in feed of broiler. For this purpose, mitochondria specific antioxidant: α-lipoic acid (25 mg, 75 mg and 150 mg) with or without combination of α-tocopherol acetate (200 mg) used in normal and palm olein oxidized oil (4%) supplemented feed. One hundred and eighty one day old broiler birds were randomly divided into six treatments and provided the mentioned feed from third week. Feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR) remained statistically same in all groups while body weight decreased in supplemented groups accordingly at the end of study. The broiler meat MF antioxidant potential was significantly improved by feeding supplemented feed estimated as 1,1-di phenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, 2,2-azinobis-(3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS+) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The maximum antioxidant activity was depicted in group fed on 150 mg/kg α-lipoic acid (ALA) and 200 mg/kg α-tocopherol acetate (ATA) (T4) in both breast and leg MF. Moreover, TBARS were higher in leg as compared to breast MF. Although, oxidized oil containing feed reduced the growth, lipid stability and antioxidant potential of MF whilst these traits were improved by receiving feed containing ALA and ATA. ALA and ATA showed higher deposition in T4 group while least in group received oxidized oil containing feed (T5). Positive correlation exists between DPPH free radical scavenging activity and the ABTS + reducing activity. In conclusion, ALA and ATA supplementation in feed had positive effect on antioxidant status of MF that consequently diminished the oxidative stress in polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched meat.

Effect of zinc and iron fortification of the feed on liver and thyroid function in rats

Changes in plasma glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxin (T4) of male rats, following 8 weeks of administration of different concentrations of elemental iron (EI), sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate (NaFeEDTA), zinc sulfate (ZnSO(4)), and zinc oxide (ZnO) in whole wheat flour were investigated. Liver enzymes and thyroid hormones were determined using colorimetric methods and enzyme immune assay, respectively. Ingestion of fortified diets by the male rats did not show a marked effect on GOT and GPT, the exception being NaFeEDTA fed alone and EI with ZnO-fortified diets indicating a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in GOT levels in rats. Similarly, only NaFeEDTA significantly (p < 0.05) increased thyroxin, while EI, ZnSO(4), and ZnO either alone or in any combination did not alter thyroid secretions. Changes in GOT, GPT, T3, and T4 levels, as a result of ingesting iron and zinc-fortified diets by rats, ranged in the safe limits.

Effect of mineral fortification on plasma biochemical profile in rats

This study aimed at investigating the changes in biochemical profile of male rats following 8 weeks administration of different concentration of elemental iron, sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate (NaFeEDTA), zinc sulfate (ZnSO(4)), and zinc oxide (ZnO) in whole wheat flour. Eight groups comprising five rats each were fed fortified whole wheat flour in the form of baked pallets, while one group served as control. Concentration of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, total proteins, albumin, globulin, plasma glucose, and blood urea nitrogen were assayed. Supplementing mineral-fortified diet to male rats did not indicate any significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on total cholesterol concentration. Diets containing NaFeEDTA alone increased HDL-C and decreased LDL-C; however, the differences remained non significant. Likewise, plasma triglycerides content of male rats remained unchanged on feeding fortified diets. Diets containing iron as NaFeEDTA and elemental iron exerted little effect on total protein concentration in the plasma of rats. Plasma glucose and blood urea nitrogen levels did not exhibit any significant change as a result of ingesting mineral supplemented diets. The study concludes that the forms of fortificants and the fortification levels used in the current study are undamaging for lipid profile, renal function, and glucose levels in rats, suggesting that these may be safely used in wheat flour to combat iron and zinc deficiency in vulnerable groups.

Lipid stability and antioxidant profile of microsomal fraction of broiler meat enriched with α-lipoic acid and α-tocopherol acetate

The importance of the linkage between nutrition and health is a hot issue. Like other food-related sectors, the meat industry is undergoing foremost transformations, driven among other things by changes in consumer requirements. The present study was designed to evaluate the lipid stability and antioxidative potential of leg and breast microsomal fraction of broiler meat fed on ALA and ATA. For the first 3 weeks of growth, broilers were fed on feed supplemented with ATA (200 mg/kg of feed) and during the last 3 weeks broilers were fed on feed supplemented with ALA (25, 75, 150 mg/kg of feed) and a constant level of ATA (200 mg/kg of feed). The body weight of the carcass was measured after every week of growth until 6 weeks. Positive correlation between the antioxidant activity and the TPC was observed. Higher values of TBARS were detected in leg muscles than in breast muscles. HPLC data revealed ALA and ATA contents were higher in T(4) (leg, 5.55 ± 0.19 and 3.87 ± 0.15 μg/mg of protein; breast, 5.63 ± 0.20 and 2.03 ± 0.10 μg/mg of protein, respectively) and lowest in T(5) (ALA, leg, 1.40 ± 0.06 μg/mg of protein; breast, 1.54 ± 0.05 μg/mg of protein; ATA, leg, 1.25 ± 0.06 μg/mg of protein; breast, 0.63 ± 0.008 μg/mg of protein), in which the only oxidized oil was used. Oxidized oil in feed reduced weight gain and increased TBARS, whereas TPC, DPPH, ALA, and ATA values decreased in both leg and breast meat.

Grain hardness: a major determinant of wheat quality

Wheat quality, a complex term, depends upon intentional use for unambiguous products. The foremost determinants of wheat quality are endosperm texture (grain hardness), protein content and gluten strength. Endosperm texture in wheat is the single most important and defining quality characteristic, as it facilitates wheat classification and affects milling, baking and end-use quality. Various techniques used for grain hardness measurement are classified into diverse groups according to grinding, crushing and abrasion. The most extensively used methods for texture measurement are PSI, NIR hardness, SKCS, pearling index, SDS-PAGE and PCR markers. Friabilin is a 15 kDa endosperm specific protein associated with starch granules of wheat grain and is unswervingly related to grain softness. Chemically, it is a concoction of different polypeptides, primarily puroindolines; Pin a and Pin b. Hardness (Ha) locus of chromosome 5DS makes the distinction between soft and hard classes of wheat. Some additional modifying genes are also present which contribute to the disparity within wheat classes. Numerous allelic mutations in Pin have been reported and their relation to end product quality has been established. This treatise elaborates the consequence of grain hardness in wheat eminence.