Production and Properties of Spin‐Coated Cassava‐Starch‐Glycerol‐Beeswax Films

Cassava‐starch based polymer films containing glycerol as a plasticizer (1.0‐2.5‐5.0%, w/w) and different lipids as additives (paraffin, stearyl alcohol, and beeswax – 0.25‐0.5‐1.0%, w/w) were produced. Control films were produced by heating a mixture of glycerol, starch, and water, while treated films were produced by the addition of lipids/ ethanol solutions. The solutions were kept at around 70ºC during amalgamation, and once congealed, were placed in a vacuum oven for 1 h at 90ºC. The solutions were then spun on 7‐inch diameter non‐stick disks, allowed to dry, and conditioned at 23ºC and 50% RH before testing. Cassava starch‐glycerol‐beeswax films were successfully produced with a stable film structure at glycerol concentration equal or below 5% (w/w). Addition of glycerol and beeswax did not visually change the color of the films. Increasing glycerol content improved elongation while decreasing tensile strength. Increasing the glycerol concentration from 1.0 to 5.0% increased the water vapor permeability by 150% and addition of beeswax further increased these values by 250%.     

Degradation of N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐xylulos‐1‐yl)glycine and N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐xylulos‐1‐yl)proline using thermal treatment

The formation and degradation of N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d ‐xylulos‐1‐yl)glycine and N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d ‐xylulos‐1‐yl)proline, derived from the secondary amine Maillard reaction in xylose‐amino acid model solutions, were detailed in this study. The identification and quantitative analysis of N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)glycine and N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)proline were carried out using high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography. The formation of intermediate and advanced products derived from N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)glycine and N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)proline was also tested using an UV‐Vis spectrophotometer to gain a better comparing of the degradation process of the two important Maillard reaction products using thermal treatment. Results showed that the degradation of N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)glycine was more significant than N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)proline. Moreover, xylose was tested in the degradation products of both N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)glycine and N‐(1‐Deoxy‐d‐ xylulos‐1‐yl)proline, which indicated that the degradation of N‐substituted 1‐amino‐1‐deoxyketoses was a reversible reaction to form reducing sugar.     

Absorption and twenty‐four‐hour metabolism time‐course of quercetin‐3‐O‐glucoside in rats,in vivo

Rats were meal‐fed a semi‐synthetic diet, with or without quercetin 3‐O‐glucoside (Q3G; 100 mg per meal) and groups of three were killed either fasting, or at 2, 5 and 24 post‐feeding. Flavonoids and their metabolites in the diet, stomach contents, small intestinal lumen and mucosa, caecal contents and plasma were determined by LC/MS. Q3G was not hydrolysed in the stomach, but deglycosylation and further metabolism occurred in the small intestinal mucosa. At least 17 flavonoid glucuronides were identified in the lumen and mucosa, with evidence of time‐dependent changes such as de‐ and re‐glucuronidation. Quercetin mono‐sulphate was also detected in the small intestinal contents. Metabolites were still present in tissue and plasma 24 h after feeding. There was also evidence of complex microbial processing of Q3G in the caecal lumen with the appearance of at least one methylquercetin‐mono‐glucuronide, mono‐sulphate unique to this site in the gut, together with phenolic acid derivatives. Intestinal flavonoid metabolism is thus a very complex process in mammals, involving both enterocytes and bacteria. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation,Bioavailability, and Mechanism of Emerging Activities of Ile‐Pro‐Pro and Val‐Pro‐Pro

Ile‐Pro‐Pro and Val‐Pro‐Pro are two most well‐known food‐derived bioactive peptides, initially identified as inhibitors of angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) from a sample of sour milk. These two peptides were identified in fermented and enzymatic hydrolyzed cow and non‐cow (that is, goat, sheep, buffalo, yak, camel, mare, and donkey) milk, as well as sourdough prepared from wheat, rye, and malt. Similar to other bioactive peptides, bioavailability of these peptides is low (about 0.1%), reaching picomolar concentration in human plasma; they showed blood pressure lowering activity in animals and in human, via improved endothelial function, activation of ACE2, and anti‐inflammatory property. Emerging bioactivities of these two peptides toward against metabolic syndrome and bone‐protection received limited attention, but may open up new applications of these peptides as functional food ingredients. Further studies are warranted to determine the best source as well as to identify novel enzymes (particularly from traditional fermented milk products) to improve the efficiency of production, to characterize possible peptide receptors using a combination of omics technology with molecular methods to understand if these two peptides act as signal‐like molecules, to improve their bioavailability, and to explore new applications based on emerging bioactivities.     

2,6‐Di‐Tert‐Butyl‐Hydroxytoluene and Its Metabolites in Foods

2,6‐Di‐tert‐butyl‐hydroxytoluene (BHT, E‐321) is a synthetic phenolic antioxidant which has been widely used as an additive in the food, cosmetic, and plastic industries for the last 70 y. Although it is considered safe for human health at authorized levels, its ubiquitous presence and the controversial toxicological data reported are of great concern for consumers. In recent years, special attention has been paid to these 14 metabolites or degradation products: BHT‐CH₂OH, BHT‐CHO, BHT‐COOH, BHT‐Q, BHT‐QM, DBP, BHT‐OH, BHT‐OOH, TBP, BHQ, BHT‐OH(t), BHT‐OH(t)QM, 2‐BHT, and 2‐BHT‐QM. These derived compounds could pose a human health risk from a food safety point of view, but they have been little studied. In this context, this review deals with the occurrence, origin, and fate of BHT in foodstuffs, its biotransformation into metabolites, their toxicological implications, their antioxidant and prooxidant properties, the analytical determination of metabolites in foods, and human dietary exposure. Moreover, noncontrolled additional sources of exposure to BHT and its metabolites are highlighted. These include their carryover from feed to fish, poultry and eggs, their presence in smoke flavorings, their migration from plastic pipelines and packaging to water and food, and their presence in natural environments, from which they can reach the food chain.     

Moisture‐Absorption and Water Dynamics in the Powder of Egg Albumen Peptide,Met‐Pro‐Asp‐Ala‐His‐Leu

Moisture absorbed into the powder of Met‐Pro‐Asp‐Ala‐His‐Leu (MPDAHL)—a novel egg albumen antioxidant peptide—profoundly affects its properties. In this study, we elucidated water dynamics in MPDAHL using DVS, DSC, and low‐field ¹H NMR. Based on the DVS data, we found that MPDAHL sorption kinetics obey a parallel exponential model. DSC results indicated that both water and heating could change the microstructure of MPDAHL. The T₂ parameters of NMR reflected the different phases of moisture absorption revealed that there were 4 categories of water with different states or mobility in the MPDAHL during the moisture absorption process. The fastest fraction T_2b mainly dominated the hygroscopicity of MPDAHL and the absorbed water significantly changed the proton distribution and structure of MPDAHL. Thus, this study shows that DVS, DSC, and low‐field ¹H NMR are effective methods for monitoring water mobility and distribution in synthetic peptides. It can be used to improve the quality assurance of functional peptides.     

Oxidative stability of palm‐ and soybean‐based medium‐ and long‐chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) oil blends

BACKGROUND: Medium‐ and long‐chain triacylglyerols (MLCT) enzymatically esterified using Lipozyme RM IM lipase has very low oxidative stability as it does not contain any antioxidants. The aim of this work was to study the ability of various antioxidants to increase the oxidative stability of palm‐ and soybean‐based MLCT blends which assist to bring up the oxidative stability of both MLCT blends. In this study, the effectiveness of rosemary extracts, sage extracts, tert‐butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and mixtures of tert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxyanisole (BHA) and tert‐butyl‐p‐hydroxytoluene (BHT) in protecting against oxidation of various MLCT blends was investigated. RESULTS: Blending of MLCT oil with either palm olein or soybean oil improved its smoke point values and oxidative stability. TBHQ addition to both palm‐ and soybean‐based MLCT blends increased oxidative stability. Combination of BHA and BHT showed no significant improvement (P > 0.05) in ability to protect blends from oxidation compared to natural antioxidants such as sage or rosemary extracts. CONCLUSION: Blended oils with 500 g kg^?1 MLCT and 500 g kg^?1 palm olein (MP5) were the most suitable for use at high temperature based on the fatty acid composition of the MLCT blends, which subsequently had an effect on thermal oxidative stability. In general, addition of either natural or synthetic antioxidant assisted in improving the antioxidative strength of both MLCT blends. MLCT blends with added TBHQ showed the highest thermal oxidative stability among the antioxidants used. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Interaction Between Surfactants and 2‐Hydroxy‐3‐(N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐dodecylammonium)‐propyloxy Starches

The phase behavior of temperature‐responsive hydrophobically modified starches and the interaction between oxidized potato amylose and hydrophobically modified potato amylopectin have been investigated by rheology, turbidity measurements and differential scanning calorimetry. When oxidized amylose was mixed with hydrophobically modified amylopectin, a viscosity peak was observed, indicative of a guest‐host interaction between the oxidized amylose and the hydrophobically modified amylopectin. A series of oxidized and hydrophobically modified potato starches were investigated in the presence of an anionic and cationic surfactant. A coil‐helix transition of the investigated starches was observed in the presence of surfactant, with the exception of a cationic surfactant combined with a hydrophobically modified zwitterionic starch of high positive net charge. The destabilizing mechanism (the phase separation) of the hydrophobically modified starches was studied as well as the difference in stabilizing capacity between the investigated cationic and anionic surfactants.