Electrical Conduction in Co1-χMgχO

Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power were measured on Co_1-χMg_χO (0.16χ 0.87) at 900° to 1200°C. Electrical conductivity σ decreased and the activation energy increased with increasing MgO content. Seebeck coefficient α appeared to be positive for all χ. The difference in temperature dependence of σ and α was 0.2 to 0.5 eV and the hole mobility decreased with increasing MgO content. The results were interpreted as showing that electron holes were localized to cation clusters and their thermally activated hopping conduction was operative in the solid solution. The dominant lattice defect changed from singly to doubly ionized cobalt vacancy with increasing MgO content.     

OCCURRENCE OF RUPTURES ON THE SURFACE OF FOODS DURING FRYING

An attempt was made to clarify the mechanism of ruptures on the surface of foods occurring during frying. Two different products were fried in a corn oil bath at a temperature of 160C or 180C. One of the products was ellipsoidal croquettes coated by the crust with different thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 4 mm, while the other was ring doughnuts consisting of the three different compositions of a fixed size. The type of ruptures on the crust of croquette samples could roughly be divided into two categories according to the results obtained by the precise observations during the process of frying, i.e., a small hole and a crack. The small hole, like a pinhole, occurred in the crust of the croquette with 1 mm thickness early in the procedure, while the cracks could be observed with the crusts of croquettes more than 2 mm thicknesses after 120 s or more of frying time. The cracks also occurred on the curved surface of all the doughnut samples tested, although the location of cracks on the three surfaces, i.e., upper, outer and inner, was much influenced by the composition of the samples. A variety of measurements were made to obtain information on the changes in mechanical properties of the core region and crusted surfaces of the samples in the frying process so as to confirm generalized simple considerations assumed for the occurrence of ruptures.     

Abalone (Hariltis discus): Seasonal Variations in Chemical Composition and Textural Properties

Seasonal changes in adenosine 5′-triphosphate, total free amino acids, and total oligopeptides in abalone meat were analyzed. Levels were higher in summer and lower in winter. In both seasons, the most abundant free amino acid was taurine followed by arginine, glycine, glutamine, and glutamic acid. The largest peptide-bond amino acid was glutamic acid + glutamine. The collagen content decreased in summer and increased in winter. The breaking stress values of the meat were low in summer and high in winter, indicating that summer abalone would be more tender. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the collagen network was more compact in winter.     

PHYTOCYSTATINS AND THEIR TARGET ENZYMES: FROM MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TO PRACTICAL APPLICATION: A REVIEW

Cystatins are protein inhibitors of cysteine proteinases. Oryzacystatin I (OC-I) has been cloned and is apparently the first well-defined cystatin of plant origin (phytocystatin). Besides OC-I, various other phytocystatins occur in rice, corn, wheat and soybean. Phytocystatins have endogenous target enzymes whose expression is induced by gibberellin, and also exogenous target enzymes from viruses and insects. It is thus likely that phytocystatins are involved in the regulation of intracellular protein catabolism as well as in the defense from infection. Better understanding of this phenomenon and cloning of appropriate genes will facilitate the creation of transgenic crops with enhanced resistance to viruses and insects.     

An Integrated Quantitative Correlation of Textural Profiles of Fish

The textural properties of cooked muscle of five fish species, skipjack, flying fish, common horse mackerel, plaice and channel rock fish, were evaluated by a consumer panel. The data thus obtained were analyzed by a Multivariate Analysis Method, using quantitative categories, which normally would be considered qualitative. Although an analysis of the data of the five species as singular components of the total proved unsuccessful, satisfactory discrimination was attained by comparing correlation ratios of the data of each pairing of the fish species, each species paired against the other. Based on these ratios, an integrated correlation indicating the textural profile differences between the totality of five fish species by means of a multidimensional diagram was determined.     

PHASEOLIN RFLP IN BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS) CULTIVARS

A 0.5 kbp phaseolin gene fragment was used as a probe to study phaseolin restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in P. vulgaris cultivars. Results obtained from plants displaying type S and type T phaseolin suggest a genomic organization more variable than that previously described. This variability could be exploited to aid gene identification as well as to improve germ plasm bank organization. The same probe was useful in detecting phaseolin linked RFLP in other leguminosae.     

MODULATING THE CONDITIONING OF MEAT BY THE USE OF ORYZACYSTATIN, A CYSTEINE PROTEINASE INHIBITOR OF RICE SEED ORIGIN

A new process was developed to regulate the papain-induced overtenderization of meat by using oryzacystatin, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor of rice seed origin. Meat cubes (2 × 2 × 2 cm each), aged 3 days, were treated with a 0.1 fold weight of papain solution and incubated at 8°C. The most favorable degree of tenderization resulted when a 2% papain solution was used for 2 h at 8°C. When the incubation was made for 24 h or longer, overtenderization resulted. The incubation of a meat cube with papain for the first 2 h and then with an adequate amount of added oryzacystatin for the subsequent 22 h was effective in regulating overtenderization. It was also confirmed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electro-phoresis that the use of oryzacystatin under similar incubation conditions regulated the papain-aided hydrolysis of myofibrillar proteins.     

Role of Muscle Fibers in Contributing Firmness of Cooked Fish

Cooked muscle tissue of five fish species were observed by optical and scanning electron micrography. Species with firm texture had thin muscle fibers with considerable heat-coagulating material between them; species having soft texture had thick muscle fibers with little heat-coagulating material. When the cooked muscles were compressed by a Texturometer, muscle fibers of the species having firm texture slid or shifted over one another to a lesser extent than those of species with soft texture. The heat-coagulating material seemed to obstruct the displacement of the fibers. The diameter and mobility of muscle fibers are determinative of firmness of fish muscle tissue.     

Heat-induced Egg White Gels as Affected by pH

The functional properties of heat-induced egg white gels were investigated at five pH values. Textural characteristics were determined using the Instron Universal Machine. Hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewiness, and fracturability were maximum at pH 11. Hunter L values were maximum at pH 5 and 7. Microstructure studied with electron microscopy was distinctly different at the five pH values. Alkaline gels showed a fine ordered network that might have contributed to excellent textural characteristics. Water-holding capacity (WHC) was high at alkaline pH, but decreased with addition of 2-mercaptoethanol, suggesting that disulfide bonds were important in egg white gels. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) improved WHC at pH 7 and 9. No significant correlation was observed between textural profiles and WHC.     

PERCEPTION OF GRITTINESS IN AN OIL-IN-WATER EMULSION

Microcrystalline cellulose was dispersed as a gritty substance in an emulsion, and sensory evaluation was conducted to examine the effect of the presence of oil on grittiness felt in the mouth. Samples were prepared with three types of microcrystalline cellulose of average particle size 14, 38, and 76 μm and with a concentration in water of 0.03–2.7%, with three types of emulsion with an oil-volume fraction of 0.2–0.7, and with three rates of homogenization of 500–15,000 rpm. The flow behavior and loss modulus of each sample were measured and sensory evaluation was made of the perceived grittiness. A multiple regression analysis of the data shows that the proportion of people who could perceive grittiness was influenced by the following factors and in that order: concentration of microcrystalline cellulose, oil droplet size, loss modulus, and particle size of microcrystalline cellulose. The proportion of people who perceived grittiness also increased with increasing oil droplet size. This was conceivably caused by the uneven distribution of microcrystalline cellulose particles promoted by large oil droplets. An equation was developed relating the proportion of people perceiving grittiness to the physical properties of the sample. The result indicates that factors effecting grittiness perception are identical for emulsions, aqueous suspensions, viscous suspensions and gels, studied previously.