Comparing the chemical composition of dietary fibres prepared from sugarcane, psyllium husk and wheat dextrin

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma: The popular occurrence of herbal medicine applied in classical prescriptions

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is a well-known herbal medicine with a wide range of pharmacological functions that has been used throughout Chinese history. This review presents a comprehensive introduction to this herb and its classical prescriptions. The article discusses the resources and distribution of species, methods of authentication and determination chemical composition, quality control of the original plants and herbal medicines, dosages use, common classical prescriptions, indications, and relevant mechanisms of the active content. Pharmacokinetic parameters, toxicity tests, clinical trials, and patent applications are discussed. The review will provide a good starting point for the research and development of classical prescriptions to develop herbal medicines for clinical use.

Effect of alkaline hydrogen peroxide assisted with two modification methods on the physicochemical, structural and functional properties of bagasse insoluble dietary fiber

Bagasse is one of major by-product of sugar mills, but its utilization is limited by the high concentration of lignin. In this study, the optimal alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) treatment conditions were determined by the response surface optimization method. The results showed that the lignin removal rate was 62.23% and the solid recovery rate was 53.76% when bagasse was prepared under optimal conditions (1.2% H₂O₂, 0.9% NaOH, and 46°C for 12.3 h), while higher purity of bagasse insoluble dietary fiber (BIDF) was obtained. To further investigate the modification effect, AHP assisted with high-temperature-pressure cooking (A-H) and enzymatic hydrolysis (A-E) were used to modify bagasse, respectively. The results showed that the water holding capacity (WHC), oil holding capacity (OHC), bile salt adsorption capacity (BSAC), and nitrite ion adsorption capacity (NIAC) were significantly improved after A-H treatment. With the A-E treatment, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and BSAC were significantly increased, while WHC, OHC, and glucose adsorption capacity (GAC) were decreased. Especially, the highest WHC, OHC, BSAC and NIAC were gained by A-H treatment compared to the A-E treatment. These changes in the physicochemical and functional properties of bagasse fiber were in agreement with the microscopic surface wrinkles and pore structure, crystallinity and functional groups. In summary, the A-H modification can effectively improve the functional properties of bagasse fiber, which potentially can be applied further in the food industry.

Effects of Xanthan Gum, Lambda-Carrageenan and Psyllium Husk on the Physical Characteristics and Glycaemic Potency of White Bread

White bread contains a high proportion of easily digestible starch, which contributes to an undesirable rapid increase in blood glucose concentration. This study investigated the effects of nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP) -xanthan gum, lambda-carrageenan and psyllium husk on the physical functionality and glycaemic potency of white bread. The amount of water for each formulation was adjusted based on DoughLab set at a target torque value of ~500 FU for sufficient dough development. Adding NSP generally resulted in significantly increased loaf volumes and decreased hardness. The glycaemic potency (glycaemic glucose equivalents (GGE) g) of bread was found to be reduced with the addition of NSP at all levels (1, 3 and 5% w/w based on flour weight). Increasing the concentration of xanthan gum and lambda-carrageenan did not show any further decrease in the glycaemic potency. Notably, adding 5% w/w psyllium husk significantly reduced the glycaemic potency from ~49 GGE/100 g in the reference bread to 32 GGE/100 g. The reduction in the glycaemic potency was attributed to viscosity effects (for xanthan) and starch–NSP interactions (for psyllium husk). Overall, the 5% w/w psyllium husk bread sample was most promising in terms of both physical characteristics and its effect on in vitro glucose release.

Beneficial Effects of Psyllium on the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases

Cardiometabolic diseases are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. Nevertheless, current therapeutic strategies are insufficient; thus, studying novel complementary and alternative medicines remains of the upmost importance. Psyllium has been used for...

Nutritional, Physico-Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of Vegetable Fibers to Develop Fiber-Based Gel Foods

The aim of this research was to evaluate the nutritional and physico-chemical properties of six different vegetable fibers and explore the possibility of using them as a thickener or gelling agent in food. To determine the technological, nutritional and physical parameters, the following analyses were carried out: water-holding capacity, water retention capacity, swelling, fat absorption capacity, solubility, particle size, moisture, hygroscopicity, pH, water activity, bulk density, porosity, antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds and mineral content. Gels were prepared at concentrations from 4% to 7% at 5 °C and analyzed at 25 °C before and after treatment at 65 °C for 20 min. A back extrusion test, texture profile analysis and rheology were performed and the pH value, water content and color were analyzed. As a result, all the samples generally showed significant differences in all the tested parameters. Hydration properties were different in all the tested samples, but the high values found for chia flour and citrus fiber are highlighted in functional terms. Moreover, chia flour was a source of minerals with high Fe, Mn and Cu contents. In gels, significant differences were found in the textural and rheological properties among the samples, and also due to the heat treatment used (65 °C, 20 min). As a result, chia flour, citrus, potato and pea fibers showed more appropriate characteristics for thickening. Moreover, potato fiber at high concentrations and both combinations of fibers (pea, cane sugar and bamboo fiber and bamboo, psyllium and citric fiber) were more suitable for gelling agents to be used in food products.

The goo-d stuff: Plantago as a myxospermous model with modern utility

Mucilage, a gel-like layer formed around wetted seeds in a process called myxospermy, has importance as a proxy for studying cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis and interactions and as a source of valuable health supplements and hydrocolloids. Arabidopsis thaliana has provided unrivalled insight into mucilage/cell wall synthesis, but its lack of commercial utility presents an opportunity to develop an alternative myxospermous model linking genetics, chemistry and functionality. Here, we discuss recent advances in the understanding of mucilage production, composition and properties of Plantago, a promising candidate as an alternative model with economic relevance. We outline how genomic/transcriptomic and chemical analysis advances could be made to strengthen Plantago's use as a model system, through challenging but achievable approaches.

Changes in dietary fiber intake in mice reveal associations between colonic mucin O-glycosylation and specific gut bacteria

The colonic mucus layer, comprised of highly O-glycosylated mucins, is vital to mediating host-gut microbiota interactions, yet the impact of dietary changes on colonic mucin O-glycosylation and its associations with the gut microbiota remains unexplored. Here, we used an array of omics techniques including glycomics to examine the effect of dietary fiber consumption on the gut microbiota, colonic mucin O-glycosylation and host physiology of high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice. The high-fat diet group had significantly impaired glucose tolerance and altered liver proteome, gut microbiota composition, and short-chain fatty acid production compared to normal chow diet group. While dietary fiber inclusion did not reverse all high fat-induced modifications, it resulted in specific changes, including an increase in the relative abundance of bacterial families with known fiber digesters and a higher propionate concentration. Conversely, colonic mucin O-glycosylation remained similar between the normal chow and high-fat diet groups, while dietary fiber intervention resulted in major alterations in O-glycosylation. Correlation network analysis revealed previously undescribed associations between specific bacteria and mucin glycan structures. For example, the relative abundance of the bacterium Parabacteroides distasonis positively correlated with glycan structures containing one terminal fucose and correlated negatively with glycans containing two terminal fucose residues or with both an N-acetylneuraminic acid and a sulfate residue. This is the first comprehensive report of the impact of dietary fiber on the colonic mucin O-glycosylation and associations of these mucosal glycans with specific gut bacteria.

Identification wild and cultivated licorice by multidimensional analysis

Licorice is known as a botanical source in medicine and a sweetening agent in food products. Commercial licorice is from the source of wild and cultivated G. uralensis. It was recognized that the material basis of wild and cultivated licorice is different. This study systematically investigated the difference between them by multidimensional analysis technology. The results showed that the content of starch grain, total dietary fibre (TDF), and 11 secondary metabolite components was significantly different in wild and cultivated licorice. principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square (OPLS-DA) analyses showed that the wild and cultivated licorice samples could be clearly separated based on the acquired data of microscopic, macromolecular substance and secondary metabolite analysis. The main markers were starch grain, isoliquiritin apioside, liquirtin apioside and TDF. Additionally, NIR spectroscpy combined with PLS-DA has demonstrated a suitable, fast and nondestructive methodology for authentication of wild and cultivated licorice.