Time Course for the Development of Enzymes in Barley1

Barley (Hordeum distichon var. Harrington) was steeped, germinated and extracted to observe the order of enzyme development. Different parts of the barley kernel were extracted to observe the order of enzyme development during the malting process. Five enzymes were investigated: carboxypeptidase (EC 3.4.16.1), endo‐β1–3, 1–4‐glucanase (EC 3.2.1.73), endo‐B1‐4‐xylanase (EC 3.2.1.136), arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55), and α‐amylase (EC 3.2.1.1). Early development of carboxypepti‐dase, followed by later development of β‐glucanase, then α‐amy‐lase, confirmed earlier reports concerning the sequence of synthesis for these activities. However, xylanase developed during the steeping of barley and early in germination, whereas other authors found this enzyme to develop much later in the malting process. Enzyme activities developed to higher levels in the proximal end of kernels for all enzymes except xylanase, which was evenly distributed throughout the kernel. Enzyme development was tested in sterile barley annuli [embryo‐less cross sections taken through the grain, and thus comprising rings of tissue with husk outermost and starchy endosperm innermost] under four effector conditions. Water controls mirrored the development pattern observed in whole barley kernels. Gibberellic acid (GA₃) promoted higher total enzyme activity and development of all enzymes at the same time. Abscisic acid (ABA) promoted earlier development of late developing enzymes (xylanase, arabinofuranosidase and α‐amylase) and significantly higher levels of xylanase than when treatment was with water alone. Mixtures of GA and ABA showed a non‐exclusive, combined response of higher activity levels and a shifting of the initiation of enzyme development. Treatment with a combination of GA and calcium chloride triggered signifycantly higher carboxy‐peptidase activity and significantly lower xylanase activity as compared to treatment with GA or with GA/ABA mixtures.     

Structure and antimicrobial activity relationship of quaternary N‐alkyl chitosan derivatives against some plant pathogens

In the present work, quaternary chitosans as water‐soluble compounds were prepared based on three‐step process. Schiff bases were firstly synthesized by the reaction between the amino groups of chitosan with aliphatic aldehydes followed by a reduction with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) to form N‐(alkyl) chitosans. N,N,N‐(dimethyl alkyl) chitosans were then obtained by a reaction of chitosan containing N‐butyl, N‐pentyl, N‐hexyl, N‐heptyl, and N‐octyl substituents with methyl iodide. The compounds were characterized using IR and NMR spectroscopy. Subsequent experiments were conducted to test their antimicrobial activities against the most economic plant pathogenic bacteria of crown gall disease Agrobacterium tumefaciens, soft mold disease Erwinia carotovora, fungi of grey mold Botrytis cinerea, root rot disease Fusarium oxysporum, and damping off disease Pythium debaryanum. Quaternary chitosans enhanced the antibacterial activity and N,N,N‐(dimethyl pentyl) chitosan was the most active one with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 750 and 1225 mg/L against A. tumefaciens and E. carotovora, respectively. All quaternized chitosans gave stronger antifungal activities than chitosan where N,N,N‐(dimethyl pentyl) chitosan and N,N,N‐(dimethyl octyl) chitosan were significantly the highest in mycelial growth inhibiation against B. cinerea (EC₅₀ = 908 and 383 mg/L, respectively), F. oxysporum (EC₅₀ = 871 and 812 mg/L, respectively), and P. debaryanum (EC₅₀ = 624 and 440 mg/L, respectively). In addition, spore germination of B. cinerea and F. oxysporum was significantly affected with the compounds at the tested concentrations and the inhibition activity was increased with an increase in the chain length of the alkyl substituent. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

DJS水系对米曲霉酶活力提高的研究

研究了DJS水系在酿造酱油制曲中产酶及其活力的影响。试验中与自来水介质进行比较,结果表明:DJS水系能改变米曲霉的孢子数,对其酶活力的提高有显著的影响;在DJS-A介质中的孢子产量虽少于DJS-B介质,而其中的酶活力却较高。     

RCS1, a gene involved in controlling cell size in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cloning and sequencing of RCS1, Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene whose product seems to be involved in timing the budding event of the cell cycle, is described. A haploid strain in which the 3'-terminal region of the chromosomal copy of the gene has been disrupted produces cells that are, on average, twice the size of cells of the parental strain. The critical size for budding in the mutant is similarly increased, and the disruption mutation is dominant in a diploid heterozygous for the RCS1 gene. Spores from this diploid have a reduced ability to germinate, the effect being more pronounced in the spores carrying the disrupted copy of RCS1. However, disrupted cells recover from alpha-factor treatment equally as well as wild-type cells.     

AMYLOLYSIS OF SORGHUM STARCH AS INFLUENCED BY CULTIVAR,GERMINATION TIME AND GELATINISATION TEMPERATURE

The susceptibility to amylolysis of starches derived from two improved Nigerian sorghum cultivars were evaluated at assay temperatures between 50°C and 75°C. Enhancement of gelatinisation rates at temperatures up to 65°C was not significant inspite of the apparent grain modification due to germination for four days. Greater starch gelatinisation rates (20–22%) were achieved in this study compared to previously reported values, suggesting possible roles for cultivar and malting methods. There was a statistical correlation between starch gelatinisation rates over the temperature range 65°C–75°C and the duration of grain germination (r=0.91 for KSV8 and r=0.5 for SK5912 starches). Gelatinisation rate and temperature were affected significantly by assay pH. The occurrence of two pH related maxima of starch gelatinisation for both cultivera at all temperatures examined indicates the possible presence of two sets of “binding forces” within the starch granules and features of starch retrogradation .     

添加丢糟生产酱油大曲的效果研究

通过对添加曲酒丢糟生产酱油大曲的效果研究,并对影响成曲质量和酱油品质的工艺条件(培曲时间、温度)进行了探讨。比较了改良曲与传统曲的性能优势及所产酱油的质量指标差异,确定了丢糟的最佳加入量为10%,培曲的时间24h,最适温度33℃。     

A probabilistic approach to determine thermal process setting parameters: application for commercial sterility of products

The objective of the probabilistic data analysis presented in this paper was to enable the thermal process to be set on actual data rather than on generic or conservative rules. The application was an ambient stable soup product, heated in a continuous UHT line. The data set comes from a decade of microbiological analysis: initial spore load and survival spore concentration after moderate heat-treatment (100 °C for 15 min and 110 °C for 15 min) have been enumerated in forty eight ingredients. The probabilistic analysis was carried out within a risk-based context, considering a Performance Objective, PO, set after the heat-treatment process and an initial spore contamination (H₀) at the ingredient mixing step. The probabilistic analysis was based upon Bayesian inference, chosen for its flexibility when dealing with censored data (some values were reported as less than 1 log cfu/g) and also for its ability to incorporate in the data analysis prior information. Beforehand, Z values around 10 °C for aerobic bacterial spores, and log count error around 1 log, were assumed. The methodology and the results are reported using two ingredients (garlic and milk powder) illustrating the ‘not detected’ (censored data) issue and also the inter-ingredient variability. Indeed, Z was estimated to be 13.6 °C (mean) for spores selected from garlic and 5.9 °C for those selected from milk powder. Based upon a hypothetical soup recipe with these two ingredients, the sterilization value was estimated to be 13 min (95th percentile). The potential use of similar methodology to design and set the sterilization value for the thermal process of future products, is discussed.     

Changes in lipid content and composition during germination of groundnuts

The cotyledons of two varieties of germinating groundnut seeds (Runner and Bunch) were analysed periodically for their lipid content and fatty acid composition over a period of 132 h. The lipid content decreased drastically during germination. More drastic changes in lipid constituents were observed for light-grown seedlings than for dark-grown ones. In general, the non-polar lipids (NPL) were metabolised faster than the polar ones (P > 0.05) especially in those seeds grown in the dark. The rate of decrease in NPL content almost paralleled that of increase in glycolipid (GL) content. Triacyl glycerol content decreased noticeably during germination while other NPL tended to increase. Among the GL, sterylglucoside increased rapidly during early germination under darkness, only to decrease steadily thereafter. A converse effect was observed for acyl sterylglucoside which, in the dark, decreased rapidly at early germination only to increase equally rapidly later on. Among the phospholipids (PL), only phosphatidic acid showed a marked increase during germination, under both growth conditions, while others tended to decrease in varying degrees. The changing patterns of GL and PL during germination seem to follow the pattern of the formation of photosynthetic tissues and the metabolic conversion of PL. The major fatty acids of the three lipid groups, which more or less decreased or increased in varying degrees with germination in light-grown seeds were oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic and lignoceric acids in decreasing order of prominence at early germination.     

Effect of seed treatments on the chemical composition and properties of two amaranth species: starch and protein

The seeds of two Amaranth species were studied. The starch contents were 543 and 623 g kg^?1 while crude protein contents were 154 and 169 g kg^?1 for Amaranthus caudatus and Amaranthus cruentus seeds, respectively. The effect of several treatments, including cooking, popping and germination and flour air classification on the protein and starch properties were studied. Air classification decreased the starch content and increased the protein content, while heating increased the protein but did not affect the starch content. Germination decreased both starch and protein contents. Amylose content was increased by air classification and heating, but was not affected by germination. It was found that all treatments increased the starch swelling power and reduced the falling number. The resistant starch content was increased in the high protein flour (HPF) fraction and germinated flour compared with the raw flour, while its content decreased in the heat treated seed flours. These processes also affected the starch gelatinization temperature and peak viscosity. The thermal properties of the starch flour were not affected by air classification while gelatinization energy was decreased significantly (by 52.0 and 90.0% and by 70.0 and 95.0%) in cooked and popped A caudatus and A cruentus seed flours, respectively. The gelatinization energy was highest in germinated seeds dried at 90 °C with values of 2.67 and 3.87 J g^?1. Air classification reduced the level of all protein fractions. Thermal treatment decreased the water‐soluble fraction (albumins + globulins) and alcohol‐soluble fraction (prolamins) in both species. The levels of all fractions except the water‐soluble fraction (albumins + globulins) were reduced significantly in both species by germination, which mainly increased the amount of aspartic acid, serine and alanine, while the amounts of threonine, arginine and tyrosine decreased in both species. The polypeptide bands of the HPF in both species were unchanged compared with the raw seed flours, but more intensive coloured bands were observed. Thermal treatments eliminated major and minor bands above 35.0 KDa in both species. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry