Effects of chloride,thiocyanate and sulphate salts on β‐lactoglobulin–pectin associative complexes

Protein–polysaccharide complexes are used to improve protein stability and encapsulate high‐value ingredients, yet the influence of different salts on their formation has not been investigated. Using light scattering and turbidimetry, effects of chloride, sulphate and thiocyanate salts on β‐lactoglobulin and pectin complexes (protein/pectin ratio = 2:1 and 4:1) were determined in relation to effects of pH and ionic strength. Effects of anions on complex formation were significant at 25 mmol kg^?1 added ionic strength. Cation effects were not significant. At 100 mmol kg^?1 ionic strength, pH of complex formation increased with sulphate salts (pH 5.1) relative to chloride and thiocyanate salts (pH 4.9), while pH of coacervation increased with sulphate salts (pH 4.7) and decreased with thiocyanate salts (pH 4.4) relative to chloride salts (pH 4.6). Pure β‐lactoglobulin stability was otherwise reduced with thiocyanate salts below pH 5, implying a significant effect of pectin interactions.     

Effect of blanching and drying treatments on quality of bamboo shoot slices

The enzymes activity, texture, pectin, microstructure and colour change in bamboo shoots (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) were examined to evaluate the effect of blanching and drying treatments on quality of bamboo shoot slices (BSS). Peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase and polyphenol oxidase in BSS will become completely inactive at 95 °C for 6‐, 9‐ and 12‐min blanching treatments, respectively. The hardness and protopectin (PP) content decreased after the blanching treatment. Meanwhile, the content of water‐soluble pectin increased initially and then decreased gradually during the blanching. After the blanching treatment, the L* and a* of BSS decreased, while b* increased, ΔE > 2. The hardness of rehydrated BSS decreased by 43.57% after freeze drying (FD), which, however, decreased more after hot air drying (HAD). The pectin of rehydrated BSS was also determined to explain the hardness change in BSS. The BSS acquired similar microstructure of fresh samples after FD, while microstructure of BSS was severely damaged after HAD. The colour of BSS changes significantly after drying treatment. However, FD can maintain better colour of BSS than HAD. The results may provide a reference for industrial production of BSS.     

A comparative study of the physico‐chemical properties affecting the organoleptic quality of fresh and thermally treated yellow tomato ecotype fruit

In recent years, yellow commercial tomatoes have attracted great interest from consumers. The goal of this work was to characterise the parameters of three yellow genotypes that affect the fruit quality, in comparison with those of a red fruit genotype. Compared to the other genotypes, the GiaGiù ecotype was characterised as having the highest titratable acidity, organic acids content and pectin content before and after a thermal treatment simulating industrial pasteurisation. Most of the analysed parameters influence the taste and aroma of fresh fruit and processed products, particularly the high glutamic acid content measured in the GiaGiù ecotype. This genotype was also distinctive for its higher pectin content, which influences the texture. These features might allow the development of new food products that require a specific viscosity, such as sauces and ketchup. Interestingly, the beneficial properties of GiaGiù were preserved after thermal processing.     

Bathochromic and stabilising effects of sugar beet pectin and an isolated pectic fraction on anthocyanins exhibiting pyrogallol and catechol moieties

The formation of anthocyanin–metal chelates, exhibiting intense blue colours was monitored over a period up to 10 weeks. Evaluating normalised absorption spectra in the range of 580–700 nm and their proportion of the total area under the curve (AUC), provided information about the blue colour hue, intensity and stability. Colour stability in model solutions containing commercial sugar beet pectin or an isolated pectic polysaccharide fraction (PPF) therefrom, both being naturally enriched in aluminium and ferric ions, was assessed in a pH range of 3.6–7.0. The pectic structures stabilised anthocyanin–metal chelates, and thus blue colours by efficiently preventing complex precipitation. Highest bathochromic shifts and most intense blue colours were observed in PPF model solutions containing delphinidin-3-glucoside (Dpd-3-glc), exhibiting a pyrogallol moiety in the flavylium B-ring, compared to cyanidin- (Cyd-3-glc) and petunidin-3-glucoside (Pet-3-glc), both carrying a catechol substituted B-ring. Hue and intensity of the blue colour at pH 5.0 were only insignificantly influenced by the buffer system except for citrate and phosphate buffers, which both annihilated anthocyanin–metal chelate formation. The blue colours faded following first order kinetics. Best stabilities as deduced from storage experiments performed at 20 ± 2 °C in the dark were observed for Dpd-3-glc. In contrast, Cyd-3-glc displayed shortened half-life values, whereas blue Pet-3-glc chelates decomposed rapidly. These results demonstrate that the solubilisation of anthocyanin–metal chelates by pectic structures is a promising option for developing water soluble natural blue food colourants.     

枳实-白术及其单味药中挥发油成分的对比分析

采用水蒸气蒸馏法从枳实、白术及其药对中提取挥发油成分,利用气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)分离检测它们,并通过交互移动窗口因子法(AMWFA)对其共有组分进行比较分析,最后通过质谱库结合保留指数、面积积分法进行定性定量分析。枳实、白术及其药对中挥发油分别定性46、45和82个成分,占各自总量的92.51%、91.56%和82.09%。药对与枳实、白术的共有组分分别为38个和37个。药对中挥发油主要成分是:D-苧烯(34.88%)(主要来自枳实);1,2,3,4-四氢-1-丁基异喹啉(22.31%)、大根香叶烯D(4.74%)(主要来自白术);里哪醇(6.17%)(新增)等。实验表明药对种类与含量变化并不是单味药的简单相加。     

Homogenization pressures applied to citrus juice manufacturing. Functional properties and application

Homogenization is a unit operation that can be incorporated in citrus juice manufacturing to improve chemical and physical characteristics relevant for use in subsequent processing operations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different homogenization pressures on suspended solids and antiradical activity in mandarin low pulp juice (LPJ) and to understand their influence on a posterior vacuum impregnation operation. We found the pressure treatments applied to LPJ do not have negative effects on antiradical activity or functional compounds in the juice. In the vacuum impregnation study we found that more LPJ was introduced into the structural matrix of apples when homogenized at higher pressures and therefore more functional compounds may be introduced due to pulp stability and particle size reduction.     

Effect of Phenolic Acid on Antioxidant Activity of Wine and Inhibition of Pectin Methyl Esterase

Antioxidant activity, malolactic fermentation and sensory evaluation of the grape must after fermentation in the presence of gallic acid and coumaric acid, as well as the inhibitory mechanism of gallic acid and coumaric acid on pectin methyl esterase (PME), were investigated. The content of malic acid and lactic acid increased 40.4% and 36.9% compared to the control when commercial pectic enzyme (CPE) was used. The increase in malic acid content was enhanced by 64.8% and 83.4%, compared to the control in the presence of CPE + Gallic acid and CPE + Coumaric acid respectively. Ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) increased in the samples with added CPE. In addition to an increase in the FRAP, antioxidant capacity was enhanced in the CPE + Gallic acid and CPE + Coumaric acid samples. No significant differences were found in the content of total anthocyanin and in the value of sensory characteristics. The content of total flavanols increased significantly in the samples with added CPE. Lineweaver‐Burk plots of PME, with gallic acid or coumaric acid, indicated that gallic acid and coumaric acid were mixed inhibitors of PME.     

Antifungal activity and chemical composition of Citrus reticulata Blanco essential oil against phytopathogens from North East India

The essential oil (EO) isolated by hydro-distillation from the peel of fully matured ripen fruits of Citrus reticulata Blanco were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Thirty seven different components were identified constituting approximately ≥99% of the oil. The major components were limonene (46.7%), geranial (19.0%), neral (14.5%), geranyl acetate (3.9%), geraniol (3.5%), β-caryophyllene (2.6%), nerol (2.3%), neryl acetate (1.1%) etc. The antifungal activity of the oil was tested by poisoned food (PF) technique and the volatile activity (VA) assay against five plant pathogenic fungi viz Alternaria alternata (Aa), Rhizoctonia solani (Rs), Curvularia lunata (Cl), Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) and Helminthosporium oryzae (Ho). The oil showed better activity in VA assay. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Aa, Rs and Cl was 0.2 ml/100 ml whereas >0.2 ml/100 ml for Fo and Ho in PF technique. Fungal sporulation was also completely inhibited at 2 ml/100 ml of the oil except for Cl and Ho, which was only 0.5% (±0.5) and 0.25% (±0.25) respectively as compared to control.     

A simple preparative method for isolation and purification of polysaccharides from mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves

An effective method for preparative extraction and purification of the polysaccharides from mulberry leaves was studied. Orthogonal experiment was carried out to get the optimal conditions (T = 70 °C, pH = 6, t = 60 min, D = 0.4 g g^?1 material) of activated carbon decolorisation. The staged, isocratic and multiple ethanol precipitation procedures were also investigated. Through the activated carbon decolorisation and 20% ethanol precipitation procedure, the polysaccharides yield reached 2.91%, and the content of neutral sugar and uronic acid were improved to 21.87% and 57.43% respectively. This process was superior to the macroporous resin adsorption and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) methods. The structure analysis indicated that the purified mulberry leaves polysaccharide (MLP) was composed of Man, GalA and Rha in the ratio of 1.0:7.2:20.0. The molecular weight measured using GPC was approximately 557 062 D. The IR and ¹H NMR spectra indicated that the MLP was mainly pectin, which was classified as high‐methoxyl pectin.     

Optimisation of acid extraction of pectin from sweet potato residues by response surface methodology and its antiproliferation effect on cancer cells

The response surface methodology was employed to study the acid extraction of pectin from sweet potato residues. The effects of extraction temperature, extraction time, solution pH and liquid/solid ratio on yield and galacturonic acid content of pectin were investigated. Experimental data were fitted to quadratic polynomial models and analysed using appropriate statistical methods. The determined optimum conditions were extraction temperature 93 °C, extraction time 2.2 h, solution pH 1.7 and liquid/solid ratio (v/w) 30:1. Under these conditions, the experimental extraction yield and galacturonic acid content of pectin were 5.09% and 70.03% (w/w), which were in good agreement with predicted values, 5.08% and 69.40%, respectively. In addition, sweet potato pectin exhibited remarkable antiproliferation effects on human colon cancer cells HT‐29 and human breast cancer cells Bcap‐37 by 46.64% and 42.64% at 1.00 mg mL^?1 separately, indicating that it could potentially be used as a natural supplement in functional foods.