Effect of defatted maize germ flour addition on the physical and sensory quality of wheat bread

Maize (Zea mays L.) processing produces large quantities of defatted maize germ (DMG) that is being used mainly for animal feed. The objective of this study was to exploit use of this nutrient-rich by-product in bread by replacing wheat flour at 5-20 g/100 g levels. Breads prepared with wheat-DMG flour blends were analyzed for loaf volume, density, instrumental dough hardness and bread firmness, Hunter color (“L”, “a”, “b”, chroma, and hue angle), and selected sensory attributes. Loaf volumes decreased significantly, from 318.8 ml to 216.3 ml, as the DMG flour supplementation was increased from 0 to 20 g/100 g; a similar effect was observed for bread specific volume. Increase in dough hardness (7.56-71.32 N) was directly related to increase in DMG flour levels. Instrumental firmness values were significantly higher for breads containing DMG flours, 61.58 N in 20 g/100 g DMG bread versus 32.84 N for the control bread, made with wheat flour only. The control bread was lighter in color, as shown by higher “L” values, than those having DMG flour, with chroma and hue angle values significantly higher in treatment breads. In general, no differences were observed for the sensory attributes of crumb color, cells uniformity, aroma, firmness, mouthfeel, and off-flavor in breads with up to 15 g/100 g DMG flour, while the overall acceptability scores showed a mixed pattern. The results of this study demonstrated that acceptable quality bread could be made with DMG flour addition at ≤15 g/100 g.     

Microbial, physical and sensory properties of yogurt supplemented with lentil flour

In this study, skim milk (9.5% w/v solid content) was supplemented with 1-3% (w/v) lentil flour or skim milk powder, inoculated with a yogurt culture, fermented and stored at 4 °C. Acid production during the fermentation, microbial growth, physical properties (pH, syneresis, and color), rheological properties (dynamic oscillation temperature sweep test at 4-50 °C), during 28 days of refrigerated storage and also sensory properties (flavor, mouth feel, overall acceptance and color) after production, were studied. Milk supplementation with 1-3% lentil flour enhanced acid production during fermentation, but the microbial population (CFU) of both S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were in the same range in all lentil flour and skim milk powder supplemented yogurts. The average pH of samples decreased from 4.5 to 4.1 after 28 days storage. Syneresis in 1-2% lentil flour supplemented yogurts was significantly higher than all other samples; however, greater lentil supplementation (3%) resulted in the lowest syneresis during the 28 days storage. With respect to color, “a” and “L” values did not significantly differ in all samples and remained constant after 28 days whereas “b” value increased as a result of lentil supplementation. Yogurt with 3% lentil flour showed higher storage (G') and loss (G?) moduli in comparison with samples supplemented with 1-3% skim milk powder and the non-supplemented control yogurt. Storage modulus (G') was higher than loss modulus (G?) in all samples and at all temperatures between 4 and 50 °C and they showed a hysteresis loop over this temperature range when the samples were heated and cooled. 1-2% lentil flour supplemented yogurt showed comparable sensory properties in comparison with 1-2% skim milk powder supplemented yogurt and the control sample.     

The accelerated ripening of cholesterol-reduced Cheddar cheese by crosslinked β-cyclodextrin

This study was carried out to investigate the influence of salt content on cholesterol-reduced Cheddar cheese obtained by a treatment with crosslinked β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and to find if the ripening process was accelerated in cholesterol-reduced cheese. The crosslinked β-CD used was made by adipic acid. A primary study indicated that the chemical and rheological properties were not changed by the salt addition and the composition of Cheddar cheese treated with crosslinked β-CD was similar to untreated Cheddar cheese. Approximately 91 to 92% cholesterol reduction was observed in the cheeses that were treated using β-CD. In a subsequent study, we found accelerated ripening by the crosslinked β-CD based on the productions of short-chain free fatty acids and free amino acids. In rheological properties, elasticity, cohesiveness, and gumminess scores in the cholesterol-reduced Cheddar cheese were significantly greater at 5 wk ripening than those in the control at 4 mo ripening. At the early stage of ripening, most flavor properties such as rancidity, bitterness, and off-flavor in the cholesterol-reduced cheese were greater. With ripening, however, those scores changed to similar or lower scores than those in the control. The present study indicated that the crosslinked β-CD treatment for cholesterol removal showed accelerated ripening effect on the properties of Cheddar cheese.     

Entrapment of nutrients during cholesterol removal from cream by crosslinked β-cyclodextrin

This study was designed to elucidate the quantities of nutrients entrapped during cholesterol removal from cream by crosslinked β-cyclodextrin (β-CD, 4–12%, w/v) and to evaluate the amounts of the residual β-CD in cholesterol-removed cream treated by crosslinked β-CD. The content of lactose in the control cream (without the treatment by crosslinked β-CD) was 2.74%, and the amounts of lactose entrapped by crosslinked β-CD ranged from 0.00 to 0.03%. The total amounts of the entrapped short-chain free fatty acid (FFA) and free amino acid (FAA) ranged from 0.04 to 0.12 ppm and from 0.37 to 0.48 μmol/mL, respectively. The amounts of the entrapped water-soluble vitamins (L-ascorbic acid, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin) ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 ppm, from 0.01 to 0.05 ppm, from 0.00 to 0.04 ppm and from 0.02 to 0.05 ppm, respectively. The entrapped amounts of nutrients mentioned above were not remarkably affected by the concentrations of crosslinked β-CD (4–12%, w/v). The very small amounts of residual β-CD in the cholesterol-removed cream were measured (1.86–6.11 ppm). Based on the data obtained from the present study, it is concluded that the amounts of entrapped nutrients were negligible during cholesterol removal from cream by crosslinked β-CD, and the amounts of residual β-CD in cholesterol-removed cream were trace.     

Property changes and cholesterol-lowering effects in evening primrose oil-enriched and cholesterol-reduced yogurt

The present study was carried out to investigate the changes in chemical and sensory properties and the cholesterol-lowering effect of evening primrose oil (EPO) addition to cholesterol-reduced yogurt. The rate of cholesterol removal reached 93.5% by β-cyclodextrin in yogurt before EPO addition. pH, viscosity and microbial counts decreased with amounts of EPO added. The thiobarbituric acid value of cholesterol-reduced and EPO-enriched yogurt increased proportionally to length of storage period and amount of EPO addition, and it was significantly different between the EPO-enriched groups than in unenriched groups in all storage periods. The production of short-chain free fatty acids (FFA) increased with longer periods of storage. From 6 days' storage, the amounts of short-chain FFA in 6 and 10% EPO-enriched groups were significantly different from other groups. Most sensory scores of 2% EPO-enriched group were not significantly different from those of the control, whereas 6 and 10% EPO addition showed an adverse effect on sensory analysis. In blood analysis, the total cholesterol increase after 8 weeks' feeding was dramatically lowered to 39.2% in the 10% EPO-enriched group from 57.7% in the control. In addition, the concentration of blood triglyceride increased in the control, whereas it decreased in the 10% EPO-enriched group. The above results indicated that EPO addition resulted in a profound lowering effect in blood lipids, although it adversely affected some sensory properties.     

Cholesterol Removal from a Lard-water Mixture with β-Cyclodextrin

The effect on removing cholesterol from a lard-water mixture by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) increased with increasing level of β-CD (1–10%). About 90% of cholesterol was removed from lard by 5%β-CD with 1: 1 ratio of lard-to-water and stirrina at 150 rpm and 27°C for 1 hr. The acid value of β-CD treated lard was significantly decreased due to removal of free fatty acid. The peroxide value of β-CD treated lard was slightly increased whereas the fatty acid composition apparently was not changed.     

Combined effect of high pressure treatment and anti-microbial bio-sourced materials on microorganisms' growth in model food during storage

Antimicrobial bio-sourced films based on poly(lactic acid) containing either carvacrol or allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) were prepared and their antimicrobial properties were assessed on Botrytis cinerea during storage and after a high pressure (HP) “pasteurisation-like” treatment (up to 800 MPa at ambient temperature). A dry process (extrusion + thermomoulding) was used to shape the material. The high temperature encountered during film processing dramatically decreased the carvacrol and AITC content in the film, leading to a less efficient antimicrobial activity. The use of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to encapsulate the active compounds before film processing proved to be efficient to protect the AITC against thermal degradation and to control its release from the films during its use. PLA-based films containing either AITC or β-CD encapsulated AITC showed a significant activity against B. cinerea. An effective combination between the antimicrobial activity of AITC-based films and the high pressure treatment was observed on a model food system (PDA) inoculated with N × 10⁴ (N ~ 1–9) conidia of B. cinerea. An HP treatment of only 300 MPa associated with an antimicrobial PLA/β-CD system providing an initial quantity of active agents equivalent to 4 mg of AITC/L of air (i.e. almost 2 folds lower than the minimal inhibition concentration of the active packaging used alone, which was determined to be equal to 10 mg/L of air in the same conditions) was found more efficient (total inhibition of B. cinerea growth during 10 days) than an 800 MPa HP treatment used alone (increase of the lag phase growth of 3.3 days).

Industrial relevance

The consumer demand for “fresh like” product containing reduced amount of preservatives without compromising human and environmental safety needs the development of new preservation strategies. As a consequence, the concept of “hurdle technologies” has risen up. The combined effect of HP treatment and volatile antimicrobial packaging allowed the use of lower individual treatment intensities to inhibit B. cinerea growth. Combining such “hurdles” is of relevance in the context of development of low-cost and eco-friendly food technologies.     

Stability of phenolic compounds in dry fermented sausages added with cocoa and grape seed extracts

The level of eleven target phenolic compounds was evaluated in dry fermented sausages added with vegetable extracts. Grape seed (GSE1 and GSE2) and cocoa extracts, rich in phenolic compounds, were added in the formulation of dry fermented sausages (“salchichón” and “fuet”). Evolution of the major monomeric and oligomeric phenolic compounds of these extracts was evaluated during sausage shelf life by UHPLC-MS/MS. Kind of sausage did not affect significantly overall stability of the target compounds. At the end of the ageing process, catechin and epicatechin were at 54–61%, gallic acid and galloylated flavan-3-ols at 59–91%, oligomeric flavan-3-ols at 72–95% and glycosylated flavonols at 56–88% (in cocoa treatment) and 82–94% (in GSE treatment) of the contents that were added to the meat batter. All phenolic compounds levels did not decrease further significantly after ageing until the end of shelf life. Sensory analyses showed no important differences between control and cocoa added products, while grape seed addition gave these products abnormal sensory profiles. The 0.5% (w/w) addition of vegetal extracts was suitable to enrich dry fermented sausages with health-beneficial polyphenols.     

A Fraction Conversion Kinetic Model for Thermal Degradation of Color in Red Chilli Puree and Paste

The kinetics of degradation of color was evaluated using a fraction conversion model during thermal treatment of red chilli puree at 60, 70, 80 and 90°C (up to 20 min) and storage of red chilli paste at 5, 25 and 37°C (up to 6 mo). Red chilli puree was subjected to heat treatment at different temperatures in a well-stirred water bath. Test samples were removed from the bath at selected time intervals (0-20 min after come-up), cooled immediately and analysed for color using a Hunterlab colorimeter. Chilli paste was prepared by a standard formulation by adding common salt (8%) and the required volume of citric acid to bring the pH to 4.0. The paste was thermally processed at 85°C for 15 min, filled into glass bottles and stored at selected temperatures for 6 mo. Red chilli color was expressed as a tristimulus combination value (L·a·b) as well as the total color difference (ΔE). The fraction conversion model adequately described the kinetic changes in both color values during thermal treatment of puree and storage of puree. The process activation energies were 24.2 and 24.8 kJ/mol, respectively, for ΔE and L·a·b during the thermal treatment, and during the storage the respective values were 24.1 and 25.0 18;kJ/mol. Up to the end of the 6-mo storage, the paste was microbiologically stable with no major changes in other physico-chemical characteristics.     

SENSORY, CHEMICAL, AND PHYSICAL CHANGES IN INCREASED WATER ACTIVITY PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCTS

The effects of moisture, temperature, and storage time on the flavor characteristics of increased water activity peanut butter products were determined by sensory analysis. All three factors affected the sensory attributes of the products. At all temperatures and storage times, peanut butter products with 5.0% water added had lower roasted aroma and roasted flavor, with more off-odors and off-flavors than the 2.5% or 0.0% water added samples. Water activity and color were monitored throughout the study, and samples were evaluated for oxidation.     

The content of polyphenols and carotenoids in three apricot cultivars depending on stage of maturity and geographical region

During the ripening of three apricot cultivars (“Keckemetska ruza”, “Madjarska najbolja” and “Velika rana”) grown in two different geographical region of Croatia the changes of polyphenols and carotenoids were determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV–Vis photo diode array detection. The content of individual polyphenols during ripening was quite similar, whereas their amount differed significantly. Immature fruits showed the highest level of polyphenols, which decreased at semi-mature fruits and did not change remarkably in commercial mature fruits. Among polyphenols, flavan-3-ols, chlorogenic acid and quercetin-3-rutinoside were dominant in all ripening stages of all apricot cultivars. The quantity of polyphenols during apricot fruits ripening depended on cultivars, while the region of cultivation did not have remarkable influence on polyphenols amount. During ripening carotenoids increased significantly especially β-carotene which represented 70–85% of the total carotenoid content. Besides β-carotene, in all apricot cultivars γ-carotene was found. α-Carotene, zeaxantin and lutein were found in cv. “Madjarska najbolja” and in cv. “Velika rana” α-carotene and lutein were determined. The region of cultivation and the cultivar were important factors, which influenced the carotenoid amount of apricot fruits, and this content was higher in cultivars grown in Mediterranean region.     

Classification of pre-sliced pork and Turkey ham qualities based on image colour and textural features and their relationships with consumer responses

Images of three qualities of pre-sliced pork and Turkey hams were evaluated for colour and textural features to characterize and classify them, and to model the ham appearance grading and preference responses of a group of consumers. A total of 26 colour features and 40 textural features were extracted for analysis. Using Mahalanobis distance and feature inter-correlation analyses, two best colour [mean of S (saturation in HSV colour space), std. deviation of b∗, which indicates blue to yellow in L∗a∗b∗ colour space] and three textural features [entropy of b∗, contrast of H (hue of HSV colour space), entropy of R (red of RGB colour space)] for pork, and three colour (mean of R, mean of H, std. deviation of a∗, which indicates green to red in L∗a∗b∗ colour space) and two textural features [contrast of B, contrast of L∗ (luminance or lightness in L∗a∗b∗ colour space)] for Turkey hams were selected as features with the highest discriminant power. High classification performances were reached for both types of hams (>99.5% for pork and >90.5% for Turkey) using the best selected features or combinations of them. In spite of the poor/fair agreement among ham consumers as determined by Kappa analysis (Kappa-value < 0.4) for sensory grading (surface colour, colour uniformity, bitonality, texture appearance and acceptability), a dichotomous logistic regression model using the best image features was able to explain the variability of consumers’ responses for all sensorial attributes with accuracies higher than 74.1% for pork hams and 83.3% for Turkey hams.     

Comparative effect of the addition of α-, β-, or γ-cyclodextrin on main sensory and physico-chemical parameters

Although α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs) have been widely used to improve the color of different fruit juices, a comparative study of the effect of these natural CDs on other properties that also influence pear juice quality, such as odor and aroma, have not been reported yet. In this study, the comparative effect of the addition of α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrin, the only CDs authorized to be used in the food industry by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union, on the pear juice quality was evaluated for the first time. Several instrumental and sensory properties of this fruit juice, such as color, volatile composition, odor, and aroma have been evaluated in the absence and presence of α-, β-, and γ-CD. A study of the aroma profile of pear juice showed that esters, aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes were the most important chemical families. However, the addition of α-, β-, and γ-CD had different effects on both the concentration of individual volatile compounds and their chemical grouping. Furthermore, a trained sensory panel was used to evaluate color, overall odor, overall aroma, and overall quality of pear juice in the presence or absence of CDs. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: After comparing the effects of the addition of α-, β-, and γ-CD on pear juice, our final recommendation is to add α-CD (the natural CD formed by 6 units of glucose) to pear juice because it will significantly increase the global quality of the juice by reducing its browning but without producing a significant reduction in the aroma quality.     

采用β-环状糊精包埋法去除稀奶油中的胆固醇

研究了不同条件下稀奶油中胆固醇去除率和 β 环状糊精残留率的变化情况。试验结果表明 ,稀奶油经 2 0MPa均质后 ,添加 8 5 % β 环状糊精 ,经 3 0℃混合 1 0min ,4℃静置 1 0min ,40 0 0r/min离心 1 0min处理 ,胆固醇去除率能够达到 84 2 1 % ,β 环状糊精残留率为 1 3 1 3 %。     

The use of 2D NMR to study β-cyclodextrin complexation and debittering of amino acids and peptides

This work fully demonstrated the formation of amino acids complexes with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) by the method of nuclear magnetic resonance with the rotating frame Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY) and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) techniques. The tested amino acids display the following decreasing order of affinity for β-CD: tryptophane > tyrosine > phenylalanine > proline > histidine > isoleucine. The influence of complexation on taste perception was determined with a trained panel to qualify taste alterations of single amino acids and quantify the debittering of soy protein hydrolysate by β-CD complexation. The results showed that β-CD complexation is effective for modifying single amino acids taste perception and debittering soy protein hydrolysate. Bitterness sensation of the latter is reduced by 90% when 5% β-CD was added, thus β-CD is recommended as a prospective additive for masking bitter taste of new functional food products.     

The feasibility of antihypertensive oligopeptides encapsulated in liposomes prepared with phytosterols-β-sitosterol or stigmasterol

The feasibility of liposomes with cholesterol substituted by phytosterols and the effect of antihypertensive oligopeptides encapsulated in liposomes on blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were investigated. β-Sitosterol or stigmasterol was used as a substitute for cholesterol to prepare liposomes. OA3, angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory oligopeptides derived from tuna cooking juice, was the agent used to lower the blood pressure in SHRs. Results indicated that sterol contained in liposomes showed better effect for OA3 encapsulation. The highest efficiency was observed when the molar ratio of lecithin/phytosterols was 1/0.5. Encapsulation efficiencies were 50% and 49% for β-sitosterol and stigmasterol, respectively. Furthermore, stabilities of storage, pH, oxidation and gastrointestinal enzyme exhibited no significant difference irrespective of sterol composition. Liposomes containing cholesterol or phytosterol all lowered blood pressure slowly as evaluated in vivo in SHRs. Therefore, replacing cholesterol with phytosterols in preparing liposomes is feasible and recommended.