Anthocyanin-fortified konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba: characteristics of texture,microstructure, in vitro release behaviour and antioxidant capacity

Konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba (KGM/SA-boba) with good taste is very popular in China, and it is an outstanding carrier for health potential ingredients. In this work, KGM/SA-boba were fortified with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00% purple sweet potato anthocyanin (PSPA), then characterised by the water distribution, texture, microstructure, in vitro release property of PSPA and antioxidant capacity. LF-NMR analysis demonstrated that the free water of KGM/SA-boba could transfer to tightly bound water with the addition of PSPA that made it with better water-binding ability, higher springiness and lower hardness. And the results of SEM and rheology showed that PSPA could stabilise the microstructure of KGM/SA-boba by forming more amorphous regions and hydrogen bonds proved by the results of DSC and FT-IR. Furthermore, 50% of PSPA in PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba can be released at the first hour in a simulated gastrointestinal environment. And the scavenging capacity of DPPH and ABTS of the PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba after digestion was higher than that of PSPA alone. Generally, PSPA could improve the texture while KGM/SA-boba in turn would make PSPA more stable in the gastrointestinal digestive system.     

Effect of microwave heating time on the gel properties of chicken myofibrillar proteins and their formation mechanism

The present work was conducted to illustrate the mechanism of gel formation of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) under different microwave heating times. The results showed that the denaturation enthalpy (ΔH) of the MPs significantly decreased when the heating time increased from 3 to 9 s and then completely disappeared as the heating time progressed, indicating that the MPs gradually denatured and subsequently aggregated with increasing heating time, which was further verified by the changes in the secondary structure, electrophoretic bands, and gel properties (e.g., water holding capacity and textural profiles) of the MPs. Microstructural images indicated that the MP gel formed under 12 s had the most compact network, indicating that extended microwave heating time could induce quality deterioration of MP gels. Moreover, the hydrophobic forces, electrostatic forces, and disulphide bonds of the MPs gradually intensified with increasing microwave heating time, suggesting that both non-covalent and covalent bonds could promote molecular denaturation and subsequent aggregation of MPs. In addition, correlation analysis revealed that the changes in the molecular conformation of MPs induced by different microwave heating times could effectively regulate the formation of MP gels and their related properties.     

泸县6.0级地震文化遗产震害调查与分析

2021年9月16日，四川省泸县发生6.0级地震，对当地的文化遗产造成了不同程度的损坏。为掌握文化遗产在此次地震中的破坏情况，对古建筑、古桥、渡槽、摩崖造像、古遗址以及可移动文物进行震害调查，分析破坏原因，提出不同文化遗产的震害等级，并统计其在此次地震中破坏占比。研究结果表明：古建筑中木结构的震害较轻，砖木结构和石木结构的损伤较为严重，表现为墙体开裂、倾斜、倒塌和屋面损毁等破坏；古桥的桥面板产生裂缝和起壳，桥头堡基石发生移位；摩崖造像发生开裂、石像脱落，部分岩石发生坠落；古遗址的原有缝隙增大，石砌墙歪闪或倾斜；可移动文物与陈列台连接的金属卡件在地震下崩落。根据震害调查结果，将文化遗产的震害划分为4个等级，并对古建筑的维修与加固、摩崖造像的一体化监测、古桥的维护与应急抢险、可移动文物的隔震保护提出几点建议，为我国文化遗产的抗震保护提供参考。     

Cloning,sequencing and structural analysis of membrane-bound polyphenol oxidase from Granny Smith apples (Malus × domestica Borkh)

The gene sequence coding for the membrane-bound polyphenol oxidase (mPPO) with a length of 1761 bp was cloned by PCR method and shown to contain one highly conserved sequence encoding a di-copper-binding region. The predicted three-dimensional structure of mPPO indicated that the active site was located near two copper ions and composed of a typical bundle of four α-helices. Each of the two catalytic copper ions was coordinated with three histidine residues in the hydrophobic pocket, yielding His 180, His 201, His 210, His 332, His 336 and His 366. Docking studies showed that 4-methylcatechol and chlorogenic acid have different binding models due to different ligand sizes and binding sites in the active centre, and it was found that the smaller compound exhibited a higher affinity for mPPO. Molecular dynamic simulation results indicated that Phe 353 is important in controlling enzymatic activity through influencing substrate coordination in the active site.     

Reaction Mechanism of Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Extinguishing Agent-Perfluorinated Hexanone Oxidizes Metal-Al

Fire Technology - The use of perfluorinated hexanone as a fire extinguishing agent for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been steadily increasing in China in recent years. It successfully handles...     

Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence and Technology: Trend,Challenges, and Opportunities

Mobile Networks and Applications -