Influence of high molecular weight polypeptides on the mouthfeel of commercial beer

Low malt beers have high sales volumes in Japan, but improving their mouthfeel, including softness, smoothness and decreasing astringency, is challenging because the compounds responsible remain unclear. In this study, beer was fractionated by preparative size‐exclusion chromatography, with the polypeptide and maltodextrin fractions purified using solid‐phase extraction and ion‐exchange resin. Sensory data from a spike test showed that the mouthfeel (softness, smoothness, and reduced astringency) of low malt beer was improved both by the degree of polymerisation (DP) of maltodextrins (DP of 2‐10; at increased concentration of 40 to 60%; P < 0.01) and by 10 ‐ 20 kilodalton (kDa) high molecular weight (HMW) polypeptide and 2‐3 kDa low molecular weight polypeptide fractions (at a 50% increase in concentration; P < 0.01). Furthermore, highly purified 10 to 20 kDa HMW polypeptides improved the softness and smoothness and decreased the astringency (at a 25% increase in concentration). This report is the first to provide experimental sensory data indicating that HMW polypeptides improve the mouthfeel of beer. Based on these findings, a new low malt beer was developed that showed significantly higher levels of the 10‐20 kDa HMW polypeptides with an overall improved mouthfeel. Mass spectrometric analysis of the 10 to 20 kDa proteins identified several unique foam positive proteins, including barley dimeric alpha‐amylase inhibitor‐1 and non‐specific lipid‐transfer protein 1. These 10‐20 kDa HMW proteins are likely to be responsible for the improved mouthfeel of beer. © 2020 Kirin Holdings Kabushik Kaisha Co. Ltd. Journal of the Institute of Brewing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Effect of soy protein isolate on gel properties of Alaska pollock and common carp surimi at different setting conditions

The effects of soy protein isolate (SPI) on the gel properties of different grade Alaska pollock and common carp surimi at different setting conditions were evaluated and compared. Breaking force and distance of gels decreased with increasing SPI concentrations in direct cook (85 °C for 30 min) and in cook after setting at 30 °C for 60 min conditions. The effect of SPI on gel strength of common carp surimi was less than in Alaska pollock surimi. The breaking force obtained for addition of 10% SPI to Alaska pollock surimi was higher than for surimi alone when cooked after incubation at 50 °C for 60 min. Addition of SPI decreased the whiteness and increased the yellowness of the gel. The gel structure showed that the addition of SPI modified the microstructure of the fish protein gel, thus resulting in surimi with different gelling properties. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Inhibitory effect of anthraquinones isolated from the Noni (Morinda citrifolia) root on animal A-, B- and Y-families of DNA polymerases and human cancer cell proliferation

During the course of our studies to develop new uses for the Noni (Morinda citrifolia) root, 10 anthraquinones, rubiadin (1), rubiadin 1-methyl ether (2), lucidin (3), damnacanthol (4), 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (5), 3-hydroxy-1-methoxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (6), nordamnacanthal (7), damnacanthal (8), sorandidiol (9) and morindone (10), were isolated. Compounds 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 exhibited remarkable inhibition against the activities of animal pols, and compound 10 was the strongest inhibitor in the anthraquinones investigated. Among mammalian pols, compound 10 inhibited the pol activities of A- (pol γ), B- (pols α, δ and ε) and Y- (pols η, ι and κ) families, but did not influence the activities of X-family pols (pols β, λ and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase). The tendency of pol inhibition showed a positive correlation with the suppression of human colon cancer cell HCT116 growth. These results suggested that the Noni root containing anthraquinones may be used as an anticancer functional food.     

Effects of Low-Viscosity Sodium Hyaluronate Preparation on the Pulmonary Absorption of rh-Insulin in Rats

Purpose: A low-viscosity formulation for pulmonary delivery of rh-insulin as model peptide drugs was developed using a solution of sodium hyaluronate. Method: The effects of different concentrations and pH values of low-viscosity solutions of hyaluronate on the pulmonary absorption of rh-insulin were examined after intratracheal administration in rats. The permeation of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran(molecular weight 4300; FD-4) and insulin through excised rat trachea in vitro were also examined. Results: The hyaluronate (2140 kDa) solutions (0.1% and 0.2%w/v) at pH 7.0 significantly enhanced the pharmacological availability (PAB) of insulin compared to the aqueous solution of insulin at pH 7.0. The absorptionenhancing effect at a concentration of 0.1% w/v hyaluronate was greater than that at a concentration of 0.2% w/v hyaluronate. Furthermore, the greatest absorptionenhancing effect was obtained, regardless of the molecular weight of hyaluronate, when the concentration of hyaluronate was adjusted to 0.47 µM. Absorption-enhancing effects were consistent with the effect of a 0.1% w/v hyaluronate preparation at pH 4.0 and 7.0 on the permeation of FITC-dextran and insulin through excised rat trachea in vitro. Conclusion: Low-viscosity hyaluronate preparation was shown to be a useful vehicle for pulmonary delivery of peptide drugs.     

Structure,properties, and MEMS and microelectronic applications of vanadium oxides

Vanadium oxides have for many decades attracted much attention for their rich and unique physical properties which pose intriguing questions as to their fundamental origins as well as offering numerous potential applications for microelectronics, sensors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This paper reviews the unique structure and properties of the two most common vanadium oxides which have entered into microfabricated devices, VO₂ and V₂O₅, and some of the past and future device applications which can be realized using these materials. Two emerging new materials, sodium vanadium bronzes and vanadium oxide nanotubes are also discussed for their potential use in new microelectronic devices.     

Quantitative measurements of amino acids by terahertz time-domain transmission spectroscopy

The quantitative analysis of amino acids by terahertz (THz) time-domain absorption spectroscopy is demonstrated. The optical densities of the amino acids were found to be linearly proportional to the concentration. The molar absorption coefficients of L-glutamic acid (L-Glu), L-glutamic acid sodium salt (Na-L-Glu), L-glutamic acid hydrochloric salt (HCl-L-Glu), L-cysteine (L-Cys), and L-histidine (L-His) were calculated by averaging the THz spectra of the amino acids at several different concentrations in approximately the 0.2-1.0 mol L(-1) range. The concentrations of L-Glu, L-Cys, and L-His mixed samples were successfully calculated with errors of less than 11% and 20% when their concentrations were higher than 0.45 and 0.22 mol L(-1), respectively, by using the obtained molar absorption coefficient.     

Serine metabolism contributes to cell survival by regulating extracellular pH and providing an energy source in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Changes in extracellular pH affect the homeostasis and survival of unicellular organisms. Supplementation of culture media with amino acids can extend the lifespan of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, by alleviating the decrease in pH. However, the optimal amino acids to use to achieve this end, and the underlying mechanisms involved, remain unclear. Here, we describe the specific role of serine metabolism in the regulation of pH in a medium. The addition of serine to synthetic minimal medium suppressed acidification, and at higher doses increased the pH. CHA1, which encodes a catabolic serine hydratase that degrades serine into ammonium and pyruvate, is essential for serine-mediated alleviation of acidification. Moreover, serine metabolism supports extra growth after glucose depletion. Therefore, medium supplementation with serine can play a prominent role in the batch culture of budding yeast, controlling extracellular pH through catabolism into ammonium and acting as an energy source after glucose exhaustion.