Development of fortified dried broken rice as a complementary food

BACKGROUND: Commercially produced dried broken rice is widely used to prepare complementary foods for Thai infants, and it is both convenient and acceptable to persons from all socioeconomic classes. However, inadequate levels of calcium, iron, thiamine, and folate are common in complementary foods for breastfed infants. OBJECTIVE: We developed dried broken rice fortified with these nutrients at levels recommended by the 2001 guidelines of the World Health Organization. METHODS: The fortification process involved predrying broken rice at 90 degrees C for 1 hour, soaking in a nutrient solution (2:1 ratio of rice to solution), and drying at 70 degrees C for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Calcium lactate or calcium lactate gluconate was the calcium source, and ferrous sulfate, ferrous lactate, or ferric sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (NaFeEDTA) was the iron source. The vitamin sources were thiamine hydrochloride and folic acid. The product contained 40 mg of calcium, 5.3 mg of iron, 0.08 mg of thiamine, and 11 microg of folate per 20-g serving. RESULTS: Approximately 5% and 10% of calcium and iron, respectively, were lost during processing, with a thiamine loss of approximately 13%, and a folate loss ranging from 17% to 23%. The thiamine loss during accelerated storage (42 degrees C for three months) was not significant (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: NaFeEDTA was the most appropriate iron fortificant because it provided prolonged product stability and high in vitro dialyzability.     

Combating iodine and iron deficiencies through the double fortification of fish sauce,mixed fish sauce,and salt brine

Two iodine and seven iron compounds were tested for use in the fortification of pure fish sauce, mixed fish sauce, and salt brine for cooking as a means to combat iodine and iron deficiencies. Ferrous sulfate, sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ferric ammonium citrate, and ferrous lactate were combined with potassium iodide with no effect on sensory quality. Product shelf-life testing revealed that no iron or iodine losses occurred during a three-month storage period. Although the color of most products darkened, the color was not significantly different from that of nonfortified products after two to three months. Sensory home-use tests revealed that the fortified products were acceptable to highly acceptable, with only 1.2% to 8.2% of the dishes cooked using the fortified products being reported as discolored. The cost of fortification was minimal, at 0.13 to 2.73 baht per bottle (750 ml) (42 baht = US$1). Consequently, these products show a potential for inclusion in national programs for the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies in Asian countries where fish sauce and its products are routinely consumed.     

Influence of interfacial composition on oxidative stability of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by biopolymer emulsifiers

The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of storage pH (3 and 7) and biopolymer emulsifier type (Whey protein isolate (WPI), Modified starch (MS) and Gum arabic (GA)) on the physical and oxidative stability of rice bran oil-in-water emulsions. All three emulsifiers formed small emulsion droplets (d₃₂ < 0.5 μm) when used at sufficiently high levels: 0.45%, 1% and 10% for WPI, MS and GA, respectively. The droplets were relatively stable to droplet growth throughout storage (d₃₂ < 0.6 μm after 20 days), although there was some evidence of droplet aggregation particularly in the MS-stabilized emulsions. The electrical charge on the biopolymer-coated lipid droplets depended on pH and biopolymer type: −13 and −27 mV at pH 3 and 7 for GA; −2 and −3 mV at pH 3 and 7 for MS; +37 and −38 mV at pH 3 and 7 for WPI. The oxidative stability of the emulsions was monitored by measuring peroxide (primary products) and hexanal (secondary products) formation during storage at 37 °C, for up to 20 days, in the presence of a pro-oxidant (iron/EDTA). Rice bran oil emulsions containing MS- and WPI-coated lipid droplets were relatively stable to lipid oxidation, but those containing GA-coated droplets were highly unstable to oxidation at both pH 3 and 7. The results are interpreted in terms of the impact of the electrical characteristics of the biopolymers on the ability of cationic iron ions to interact with emulsified lipids. These results have important implications for utilizing rice bran oil, and other oxidatively unstable oils, in commercial food and beverage products.     

The Physical Characterization and Sorption Isotherm of Rice Bran Oil Powders Stabilized by Food-Grade Biopolymers

Rice bran oil (RBO) is used in several products in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries due to its desirable health, flavor, and functional attributes. The formation and physicochemical properties of microencapsulated RBO stabilized by different biopolymers were investigated. Oil-in-water emulsions (10% RBO, citrate buffer pH 7) stabilized by either 3.5% whey protein isolate (WPI) or 7.0% modified starch (MS) containing maltodextrin (DE18) as a carrier agent were initially prepared. The diameter of emulsion droplets produced by WPI and MS were considerably smaller than 300 nm and 25 μm for dried particles. The resulting powders had poor to fair flowability and high cohesiveness characteristics: Carr index (27–37) and Hausner ratio (1.4–1.6). The microencapsulation efficiency of the spray-dried powders ranged from 92–95%. Moisture sorption isotherms of the powders were determined by a gravimetric method, while their glass transition temperatures (T_g) were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The experimental water adsorption data were fitted to BET and GAB models. The GAB model fitted better the measured moisture isotherm than the BET model (R² = 0.99). Powders produced with MS showed higher water adsorption than those stabilized by WPI. Powders produced with WPI had a higher glass transition temperature than those produced with MS. Measurements of lipid deterioration in the RBO powder during storage showed that the reaction order was different for WPI-stabilized (n = 1) and MS-stabilized (n = 0) RBO powder. These results have important consequences for the creation of food-grade powders containing functional lipids such as RBO application.     

Fortification of soy sauce using various iron sources: sensory acceptability and shelf stability

BACKGROUND: Soy sauces are available in different types and grades, which allows them to reach consumers of all socioeconomic groups. Ferric sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (NaFeEDTA) has been used for iron fortification of soy sauces in some countries, however, its high cost may make it unattractive to policymakers and industry. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the feasibility of using more economical iron sources for iron fortification, with soy sauce of various types and grades used as a vehicle. METHODS: Seven iron sources were tested for their feasibility for fortification of four types of soy sauce: naturally fermented in the traditional style, naturally fermented according to large-scale industrial formulas 1 and 5, and chemically hydrolyzed at 5 mg per serving (15 mL, per Thailand's food labeling regulations). Either citric acid or sodium citrate was added at 0.1% as a chelator. RESULTS: Five iron sources--ferrous sulfate, NaFeEDTA, ferric ammonium citrate, ferrous lactate, and ferrous gluconate--did not significantly affect the sensory qualities of the product over a period of 3 months (p > .05). Ferrous fumarate and ferrous bisglycinate caused unacceptable precipitation. Less than 3% of 260 and 306 commonly cooked foods out of 871 and 772 preparations using soy sauces fortified with NaFeEDTA and ferrous sulfate, respectively, were found to be different from normal with regard to sensory qualities. The cost of fortification was US 0.22 cents to US 3.28 cents per bottle (700 mL). CONCLUSIONS: Both naturally fermented and chemically hydrolyzed soy sauces could be fortified with all five iron sources. Ferrous sulfate is the most appropriate source because of its low cost and acceptable sensory characteristics. Soy sauce is a promising vehicle for iron fortification, however, the bioavailability of iron in the products examined here needs to be evaluated under normal use conditions.     

Amelioration of hyperglycemia,hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammation in steptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed a high fat diet by riceberry supplement

Dark purple riceberry bran contains a higher dietary fiber and antioxidant compounds than unpigmented rice bran. Riceberry supplement (RB) was used to evaluate the effects on biochemical parameters, skeletal muscle glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), oxidative stress and inflammation in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes rat. To elucidate the effects were due to dietary fiber supplementation and/or bioactive components, equivalent amounts of dietary fiber present in RB were also fed to STZ-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes Sprague–Dawley rats (non-FBG ? 16.65 mM) were randomly divided into five groups: DM fed a high fat (HF) diet, DM-RB1 fed 5% RB, DM-RB2 fed 41% RB, DM-F1 fed 0.6% fiber and DM-F2 fed 5% fiber. After 12 weeks, significant improvement of BG, insulin, HbA1_C, IPGTT and GLUT4 levels were observed in DM-RB1 and DM-RB2 groups. Hyperlipidemia was significantly improved in DM-RB2 and DM-F2 groups. Oxidative stress (TBARS), antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx), antioxidant capacity (ORAC), pro-inflammation cytokine (TNF-α and IL-6) were improved in DM-RB1 and DM-RB2 groups. Improvement of pancreas and spleen histology was found in DM-RB1 and DM-RB2 groups. These indicate the potential of RB to improve hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia conditions as well as alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation.     

Influence of biopolymer emulsifier type on formation and stability of rice bran oil-in-water emulsions: whey protein, gum arabic, and modified starch

Rice bran oil (RBO) is used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals due to its desirable health, flavor, and functional attributes. We investigated the effects of biopolymer emulsifier type and environmental stresses on the stability of RBO emulsions. Oil-in-water emulsions (5% RBO, 10 mM citrate buffer) stabilized by whey protein isolate (WPI), gum arabic (GA), or modified starch (MS) were prepared using high-pressure homogenization. The new MS used had a higher number of octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) groups per starch molecule than conventional MS. The droplet diameters produced by WPI and MS were considerably smaller (d < 300 nm) than those produced by GA (d > 1000 nm). The influence of pH (3 to 8), ionic strength (0 to 500 mM NaCl), and thermal treatment (30 to 90 °C) on the physical stability of the emulsions was examined. Extensive droplet aggregation occurred in WPI-stabilized emulsions around their isoelectric point (4 < pH < 6), at high salt (> 200 mM, pH 7), and at high temperatures (>70 °C, pH 7, 150 mM NaCl), which was attributed to changes in electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between droplets. There was little effect of pH, ionic strength, and temperature on emulsions stabilized by GA or MS, which was attributed to strong steric stabilization. In summary: WPI produced small droplets at low concentrations, but they had poor stability to environmental stress; GA produced large droplets and needed high concentrations, but they had good stability to stress; new MS produced small droplets at low concentrations, with good stability to stress. Practical Application: This study showed that stable rice bran oil-in-water emulsions can be formed using biopolymer emulsifiers. These emulsions could be used to incorporate RBO into a wide range of food products. We compared the relative performance of whey protein, GA, and a new MS at forming and stabilizing the emulsions. The new OSA MS was capable of forming small stable droplets at relatively low concentrations.     

Chemopreventive properties of the bran extracted from a newly-developed Thai rice: The Riceberry

The potential anti-cancer activity of compounds extracted from Riceberry bran was evaluated in human cancer cell lines (Caco-2, MCF-7 and HL-60). Anti-proliferation and BrdU incorporation assays indicated a time–dose dependent effect of dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts, and that HL-60 was the most sensitive cell. DNA fragmentation assay revealed that both extracts could induce different degrees of apoptosis. The apoptotic induction pathway of each extract determined by flow cytometry and immunoblotting assays revealed various phases of cell cycle arrest with alteration of pro-apoptotic p53, caspase-3, and cyclin proteins. The bioactive compounds in each extract were chemically analysed by GC–MS and LC–ESI–MS/MS. Results revealed the presence of two major anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside, in the MeOH extract, while the DCM extract contained higher content of plant sterols. The latter constituents are considered the major contributors to apoptotic mechanism in the sensitive cell. These bran products are worth developing into medicinal supplements.