Suitability of unmalted quinoa for beer production

BACKGROUND

This study provides the first detailed investigation into the effect of partially substituting barley malt with quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) on the characteristics of wort and beer. Quinoa seeds and flakes were compared in terms of their suitability for brewing. The benefits of applying a commercial enzyme mixture during beer production with quinoa were also investigated.

RESULTS

These findings show that quinoa is a good starchy raw material for brewing. Even without exogenous enzymes, it is possible to substitute barley malt with up to 30% quinoa. The form in which quinoa is used has a negligible influence on the quality of the wort and beer. The foam stability of beer made with quinoa was better than that of all‐malt beer, despite there being a lower level of soluble nitrogen in quinoa beer in comparison with all‐malt beer and more than twice the amount of fat in quinoa in comparison to barley malt.

CONCLUSION

The addition of unmalted quinoa does not give unpleasant characteristics to the beer and was even found to have a positive effect on its overall sensory quality. This offers brewers an opportunity to develop good beers with new sensory characteristics. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

A study of in situ plated tin-film electrodes for the determination of trace metals by means of square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry

This work is a study of tin-film electrodes (SnFEs) for the determination of trace metals by means of square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). SnFEs represent a new promising type of environment-friendly electrodes but their analytical performance has not been explored in detail so far. Initially, the operational parameters for the simultaneous determination of Cd(II) and Zn(II) on in situ plated SnFEs on different substrates were thoroughly investigated. Using the selected conditions, at a preconcentration time of 120 s the limits of detection were 0.7 μg l⁻¹ for Cd and 0.9 μg l⁻¹ for Zn and the percent relative standard deviations were 4.2% for Zn(II) and 3.6% for Cd(II) at the 20 μg l⁻¹ level (n = 8). Subsequently, a study was conducted to investigate the utility of SnFEs as sensors for the determination of other metals, including those with oxidation potentials close to, or more positive than, the oxidation potential of Sn (Tl(I), Pb(II), Cu(II)). Finally, the SnFEs were successfully applied for the determination of Pb(II) and Zn(II) in tap water.     

Alleviation of Osmotic Stress Effects by Exogenous Application of Salicylic or Abscisic Acid on Wheat Seedlings

The aim of the study was to assess the role of salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in osmotic stress tolerance of wheat seedlings. This was accomplished by determining the impact of the acids applied exogenously on seedlings grown under osmotic stress in hydroponics. The investigation was unique in its comprehensiveness, examining changes under osmotic stress and other conditions, and testing a number of parameters simultaneously. In both drought susceptible (SQ1) and drought resistant (CS) wheat cultivars, significant physiological and biochemical changes were observed upon the addition of SA (0.05 mM) or ABA (0.1 μM) to solutions containing half-strength Hoagland medium and PEG 6000 (−0.75 MPa). The most noticeable result of supplementing SA or ABA to the medium (PEG + SA and PEG + ABA) was a decrease in the length of leaves and roots in both cultivars. While PEG treatment reduced gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll content in CS, and osmotic potential, and conversely, increased lipid peroxidation, soluble carbohydrates in SQ1, proline content in both cultivars and total antioxidants activity in SQ1, PEG + SA or PEG + ABA did not change the values of these parameters. Furthermore, PEG caused a two-fold increase of endogenous ABA content in SQ1 and a four-fold increase in CS. PEG + ABA increased endogenous ABA only in SQ1, whereas PEG + SA caused a greater increase of ABA content in both cultivars compared to PEG. In PEG-treated plants growing until the harvest, a greater decrease of yield components was observed in SQ1 than in CS. PEG + SA, and particularly PEG + ABA, caused a greater increase of these yield parameters in CS compared to SQ1. In conclusion, SA and ABA ameliorate, particularly in the tolerant wheat cultivar, the harmful effects and after effects of osmotic stress induced by PEG in hydroponics through better osmotic adjustment achieved by an increase in proline and carbohydrate content as well as by an increase in antioxidant activity.     

Silver nanoparticles deposited on polysiloxane networks as active catalysts in dye degradation

The article proposes a new method of obtaining silver nanoparticles on polysiloxane networks using the reducing properties of Si–H groups. Three types of networks with different architecture and distribution of Si–H groups were studied as reducing agents for silver ions and as matrices for the obtained silver nanoparticles. As established by FTIR spectroscopic studies, the redox reaction between Ag⁺ ions from the silver heptafluorobutyrate solution in toluene and Si–H groups of the networks occurred, which resulted in the appearance of silver nanoparticles in the systems. The amount of metal introduced into individual polysiloxane networks is closely related to the consumption of Si–H groups in them. The type of polysiloxane networks used affects the size of Ag NPs obtained and their distribution on the carrier. Polysiloxane-Ag systems are observed to be an effective catalyst on reduction of hazardous dye like methyl red, which is confirmed by a decrease in absorbance maximum values.     

The effect of medium on selected life-history traits in three clones of Lecane inermis (Rotifera) from activated sludge

We tested the effect of various culture media on life-history traits in three clones of the rotifer Lecane inermis, a potential bulking control agent. Four types of media were tested: a filtrate of activated sludge, mineral water, and each of these media enriched with molasses. The number of live and dead individuals and the number of amictic eggs were counted during the 14-day experiment, and the egg ratio (ER) and mortality rate were calculated. We found that the rotifers were well adapted to the changes in chemical composition of the medium and that the addition of molasses resulted in a significant increase in rotifer abundance. The highest ER was noted after two days, reaching a maximum of 4 eggs per female in treatments with filtrate and molasses-enriched filtrate. The life-history traits varied depending on the clone and the medium, but all of the clones were able to survive and proliferate, even after 14 days of starvation.