Plant Cell Walls as Dietary Fibre: Range,Structure, Processing and Function

The ingestion of dietary fibre has been correlated with the prevention of many health-threatening diseases and cancers. Plant cell walls are the major source of dietary fibre and this review investigates the relationship between the structure of different types of plant cell walls and their beneficial effects. The effects of processing and cooking on dietary fibre are also examined. Structure–function relationships between individual cell wall components and the beneficial effects of dietary fibre are not well defined and it may be that the physical, physiochemical and topochemical properties of plant cell walls and their components are also important.     

Lignin and Hydroxycinnamic Acids in Walls of Brown Midrib Mutants of Sorghum,Pearl Millet and Maize Stems

The characteristics of walls from stems of brown-midrib ( bmr ) mutants from Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench bmr6 and bmr18 (watery- to milky-grain stage), Pennisetum americanum (L) Leeke KS81-1089 (soft-dough stage) and Zea mays L bm3 (early-dent stage) with respect to the types of linkages of hydroxycinnamic acids to wall polymers and to structural features of their lignins were investigated. The lignin content of all mutants, determined using the acid detergent lignin procedure, was significantly lower than that of their normal counterparts. There was, however, no significant differences in total lignin contents between bmr and normal lines as determined by the acetyl bromide procedure or the sum of the acid-insoluble (Klason) lignin and acid-soluble lignin. It is suggested that this behaviour could be explained if bmr mutants are characterised by higher amounts of lignin with a lower degree of polymerisation than normal lines. The lowered S/V ratio and lowered total yield of alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation products in lignin from bmr mutants was confirmed. No etherified p -coumaric acid was found in any sample tested, except the normal line of pearl millet. The concentration of etherified ferulic acid, which is probably involved in ester-ether bridges between lignin and polysaccharides, was lower in bmr mutants than in the normal plants. The low content of ferulic acid bridges in bmr mutants may contribute to the elevated digestibilities of their stems.     

Changes in cell-wall composition and degradability of sorghum during growth and maturation

Samples of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench × Sorghum sudanense Stapf, cv ‘P 988’) were harvested at five growth stages. Quantitative methylation and acetalation–methylation methods were used to examine changes during growth of cell-wall polysaccharides, their association with phenolic compounds and the effects of changes on rumen degradability. Cellulose degradability, as measured by a nylon-bag method, decreased from 82·5% at the youngest stage to 36·5% at the milk-ripe stage, at a greater rate of change than degradability of dry matter. Among the monosaccharides contributing to cell-wall polysaccharides, the degradabilities of arabinose and uronic acid residues were consistently higher than those of xylose and glucose, the main components of structural carbohydrates. Recovery of parent neutral sugars from cell wall polysaccharides, calculated as the sum of partially methylated alditols, was in good agreement with the values obtained by direct estimation of individual sugars as their alditol acetate derivatives. Total non-starch polysaccharide content increased from 31·1% to 45·1% between the first two growth states, with little change evident thereafter. The relative proportion of individual to total sugars remained consistent throughout growth. The values for arabinose, xylose and glucose residues accounted for 4·9%, 27·9% and 63·0% of total neutral sugars, respectively. The pattern of glycosidic linkages detected could be mainly ascribed to the presence of (1–4)-β-D -glucans (cellulose), arabinoxylan, (1–3)(1–4)-β-D -glucans, (1–4)-β-D -galactan, (1–3)(1–6)-β-D -galactan, rhamnogalacturonan and, possibly, xyloglucan. The cellulose content of the five sorghums was, in order of growth, 14·3%, 21·8%. 22·3%, 21·2% and 22·0% of dry matter. The ratio of the mixed-linked g1ucan:cellulose decreased during growth. Arabinoxylan, the predominant hemicellulosic polysaccharide, was estimated to comprise about 33% of total neutral sugars consistently for all sorghum samples. Arabinose, found largely as terminal residues in the cell walls, carried various amounts of alkali-labile substituents, particularly at position 0–5, depending on the growth stage of sorghum. The extent of 0–5 substitution was closely correlated with both the lignin content (total phenolics minus phenolic acids, r = 0·903) and with cellulose degradability (r = 0·915).     

Chemical and Structural Analysis of Fibre and Core Tissues from Flax

Samples of flax ( Linum usitatissimum ) stems from the cultivars ‘Natasja’ and ‘Ariane’ were separated into fibre and core fractions and analysed by gas–liquid chromatographic methods, ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectrometry, histochemistry, electron microscopy and UV absorption microspectrophotometry to assist in determining the structure and composition of these cell walls in relation to quality and utilisation. Analyses from chromatography and NMR gave similar results for carbohydrate and phenolic constituents in various samples and in the lower, more mature regions of the stem. Amounts of uronic acids and xylose were lower while amounts of mannose, galactose and glucose were higher in fibre vs core fractions. Quantities of phenolic constituents were significantly higher in the core than the fibre, with groups representative of both guaiacyl and syringyl lignins; amounts of phenolic acids were low. NMR showed a low intensity signal for aromatics in fibre, and it is possible that such signals arise from compounds in the cuticle rather than the fibre. Microscopic studies indicated that aromatic constituents were present in core cell walls, cuticle of the epidermis, and cell corners and middle lamellae of some regions within the fibre tissues. The lignin in fibre appeared to be of the guaiacyl type and may be too low in concentration to be unambiguously detected by NMR. Aromatic compounds were not observed in the epidermis or parenchyma cell walls. Similar analyses of dew-retted (unscutched) samples indicated that core tissues were mostly unchanged from unretted samples. Retted fibre tissues still contained lignified cell corners and middle lamellae in some regions. The cuticle, which was associated with retted fibres, was not degraded by dew-retting fungi. Fungi removed interfibre materials in some places and at times degraded the secondary wall near the cell lumen of fibre cells. Results indicate that microspectrophotometry and histochemistry are useful to identify the location and type of aromatics in fibre cell walls.     

Monitoring Phenolic Composition of Maturing Maize Stover by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Pyrolysis/Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry*

Maize stovers collected every 14 days over an 84-day growth period were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detector (HPLC-ED) and pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PY/GC/MS) in order to monitor changes in the phenolic composition. Prior to HPLC-ED analyses, ground samples were sequentially extracted with (i) methanol, (ii) 0·1M sodium hydroxide and (iii) 2M sodium hydroxide in the presence of nitrobenzene to separate, respectively, free phenolic monomers, alkali-labile phenolic monomers and alkali-resistant lignin. In turn, solution (ii) was treated with alkaline nitrobenzene to obtain (iv) alkali-labile lignin. Pyrolysis was carried out on ground native samples by using a platinum heated filament pyrolyser. Increases in the absolute phenolic concentrations in the residues of 0·1M sodium hydroxide extraction and in the ratio of alkali-resistant lignin vs total lignin were observed by HPLC-ED during the first 28–42 days of maturation, reaching a steady level in the remaining maturation period. A linear increase of syringyl units vs guaiacyl units was for found the alkali-resistant lignin fraction over the entire period of maturation. Similar trends were showed by PY/GC/MS with regard to relative lignin content and syringyl/guaiacyl ratio. Both techniques showed their usefulness to gauge changes in the phenolic composition during the lignification process.     

1,3‐Dimethoxybenzene,a newly identified component of port wine

1,3‐Dimethoxybenzene was identified by GC–O, GC–MS and Kovats indices (polar Supelcowax, 1709; non‐polar Rtx‐5MS, 1158) as a new volatile component of port wine. Sensory evaluation described this compound as having a sweet medicinal odour with hazelnut, resinous and woody notes. Respective threshold limits in model wine and port wine were 21 and 47 µg l^?1. Quantitative analysis by GC–MS, using a selected characteristic ion (m/z 138), indicated that young port wines from the 1998 vintage contained up to 3 µg l^?1 whereas ports from the 1999 vintage contained up to 20 µg l^?1. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Bifidobacteria and humans: our special friends,from ecological to genomics perspectives

Bifidobacteria are widely used as health‐promoting microorganisms in many functional foods. However, the molecular mechanisms as to how these bacteria positively impact on host health are far from completely understood. For this reason these bacteria constitute a growing area of scientific interest with respect to their genomics, molecular biology and genetics. Genome sequencing of an increasing number of strains of bifidobacteria has provided access to the complete genetic make‐up of many representative members of these bacteria. The aim of this review is to highlight the genetic and functional features of bifidobacteria residing in the human gastrointestinal tract using genomic and ecology‐based information. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fiber and lignin analysis in concentrate, forage, and feces: detergent versus enzymatic-chemical method

Hemicelluloses, cellulose, and lignin contents of contrasting feeds, with emphasis on concentrate ingredients and complete concentrates, were analyzed using the Van Soest detergent procedure (analyzing neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin) and the enzymatic-chemical procedure (analyzing cellulose, soluble and insoluble noncellulosic polysaccharides, and Klason lignin). Also, feces from cows fed concentrates differing in carbohydrate composition were analyzed by the 2 procedures. The correlation between acid detergent lignin and Klason lignin was significant, but not as close as the one between individual structural polysaccharides measured with the 2 procedures. The correlation between the results of the 2 procedures was highly significant for apparent cellulose digestibility, as were the correlations between digestibilities of hemicelluloses with total as well as with insoluble noncellulosic polysaccharides. The relationship between dietary lignin content and fiber digestibility was weak. The exclusion of a group of cows fed a concentrate with apple pulp, however, improved the respective correlations. Klason lignin correlated more closely with the measured fiber digestibility than acid detergent lignin. The study showed that results of the detergent method were comparable to those of the enzymatic-chemical method with cellulose, hemicelluloses, and their digestibilities. However, acid detergent lignin was much lower than Klason lignin. When the carbohydrate composition of concentrate varied widely, lignin was not suitable for the prediction of fiber digestibility.     

Identification of four low molecular and water‐soluble proteins from grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seeds

Profiles of soluble proteins isolated from mature seeds of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) pomace were studied using two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D‐PAGE) coupled with matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI–TOF–MS). Two‐dimensional gels stained with Coomassie brilliant blue revealed more than fifty protein spots. Four abundant protein spots showing low molecular weight (Mr) and wide isoelectric point (pI) were analysed by MALDI–TOF–MS, resulting in their identification. Taken together, these results suggest that identified proteins may be linked to seed development and metabolism, but more instructive is that they have some potential functions for future food application. These results provide some insights into conversion of grape processing wastes into useful products or even as raw material for other industries.     

浅谈红麻全秆木素结构特点及其碱脱除特性

利用ＵＶ、ＩＲ等分析手段，揭示了红麻全秆木素化学结构的特点，同时对其在烧碱－ＡＱ法蒸煮过程中的脱除特性进行了探讨。     

Potential carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in foodstuffs: Formation,extraction, analytical methods,and mitigation strategies

During the heat treatment of proteinaceous food, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), a kind of strong mutagens/carcinogens are formed. HAAs can be classified into two major groups based on the heating temperature, which are thermic HAAs generally formed in 150 to 300 °C and pyrolytic HAAs produced above 300 °C. This review focuses on the formation mechanisms of HAAs and identifies different mechanisms of the formation of HAAs in foodstuffs. Moreover, an overview of the available extraction, purification methods, and instrumental analytical methods in the last two decades is shown to determine the HAAs in various foodstuffs. Finally, based on the factors that affect the formation of HAAs in heat‐processed foodstuffs, such as the cooking method, food type, the recipe, and the content of substances with enhancing or inhibiting effects on the formation of HAAs, this review also highlights the most promising strategies for mitigating HAAs, which include adjusting cooking methods or process conditions, adding natural product extracts, antioxidants or other compounds, or reasonable selection of types of foodstuff. The review intends to provide a broad but comprehensive understanding of the formation, extraction, purification, analytical methods, and possible mitigation strategies for isolated and identified HAAs.     

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of lipids in genetically modified potato tubers with varying rates of 14–3–3 protein synthesis

In six transgenic lines of potatoes with the varying rates of 14–3–3 protein synthesis as well as in control cultivar Desiree the content and composition of the lipids extracted from the mature tubers from three years field trials (1998–2000) were analyzed. The transgenic lines J2 and J1 are both overexpressing gene encoding 14–3–3 protein. The J2 exhibited an overexpression of the protein 14–3–3 derived from pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) cDNA and in J1 the 14–3–3 overexpression resulted from modifying of ADP‐ribosylation factor synthesis. In the remaining lines, synthesis of the protein 14–3–3 was modified by the antisense technology. In tubers from 1998, the content of total lipids was within the range of 0.45–0.88% of tuber dry matter. The highest amount of fat was in tubers of line J2 (69% more than in the control). The content of lipids in tubers from subsequent years ranged from 0.36 to 0.63% of dry matter. Consistently the highest amount of fat was in tubers of line J2, however, the increase was very slight (8.6% more than in the control). The fractionation of lipids into polar and nonpolar fractions showed that all transgenic lines from field trials 1998 and 2000 contained more nonpolar lipids than the control (up to 270% in line J2). The percentage of nonpolar fractions in fats of tubers from all transgenes harvested in 1999 were similar, but they were higher than in tubers from the previous years, and they amounted to 44.4–49.1%. Chromatographic separation of methyl esters of fatty acids demonstrated that cis‐α‐linoleic acid was the main fatty acid present in potato tubers. This acid composed the biggest part of all lipids in G2 line. In the nonpolar fraction of lipids, palmitic acid followed by cis‐α‐linoleic acid showed the highest amounts.     

Comparison of common lignin methods and modifications on forage and lignocellulosic biomass materials

BACKGROUND: A variety of methods have been developed for estimating lignin concentration within plant materials. The objective of this study was to compare the lignin concentrations produced by six methods on a diverse population of forage and biomass materials and to examine the relationship between these concentrations and the portions of these materials that are available for utilisation by livestock or for ethanol conversion. RESULTS: Several methods produced lignin concentrations that were highly correlated with the digestibility of the forages, but there were few relationships between these methods and the available carbohydrate of the biomass materials. The use of Na₂SO₃ during preparation of residues for hydrolysis resulted in reduced lignin concentrations and decreased correlation with digestibility of forage materials, particularly the warm‐season grasses. CONCLUSION: There were several methods that were well suited for predicting the digestible portion of forage materials, with the acid detergent lignin and Klason lignin method giving the highest correlation across the three types of forage. The continued use of Na₂SO₃ during preparation of Van Soest fibres needs to be evaluated owing to its ability to reduce lignin concentrations and effectiveness in predicting the utilisation of feedstuffs and feedstocks. Because there was little correlation between the lignin concentration and the biomass materials, there is a need to examine alternative or develop new methods to estimate lignin concentrations that may be used to predict the availability of carbohydrates for ethanol conversion. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose surface activity at equilibrium and adsorption dynamics at the air–water and oil–water interfaces

The surface behaviour of hydroxypropylmethylcelluloses (HPMC) was studied at the air–water (A/W) and oil–water (O/W) interfaces. At the A/W interface, the π-C isotherms were sigmoidal and presented inflexions as the HPMC bulk concentration increases, related with different structural patterns adopted by the biopolymer segments. The behaviour of these biopolymers at the O/W interface resulted different. No inflections in the adsorption isotherm were observed, denoting the absence of any change in the structure of the adsorbed monolayer. The order in the interfacial activity was different at the two interfaces.The dynamics of adsorption showed that the surface pressure (π) values and the rate of adsorption/penetration were lower at the O/W interface.Analogously to π values, the surface dilatational modulus was smallest at the O/W interface, however at long-term adsorption strong viscoelastic films are formed at the O/W interface.     

Phytase–phytate–pectin hypothesis and quality of legumes cooked in calcium solutions

Hard‐to‐cook and easy‐to‐cook bean and lentil seeds were boiled in water containing calcium ions at concentrations of 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mg L^?1 and their texture and concentration of phytate and various peptic compounds were measured. In order to minimise matrix effects, hard‐to‐cook seeds were prepared from easy‐to‐cook seeds by soaking them at 50 °C. It was found that, as calcium ion concentration increased, phytate concentration decreased and seed hardness increased. Also, during soaking and cooking, phytate and peptic compounds were leached into the water. Losses were larger for hard‐to‐cook seeds than for easy‐to‐cook seeds. These results are consistent with the proposed theory that the formation of hard‐to‐cook legume seeds involves an interaction among divalent cations, phytate and peptic compounds, which is based on the phytase–phytate–pectin hypothesis. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry