Enzymatic hydrolysis of corn starch for producing fat mimetics

Using Carboxymethyl Cellulose as the Additive With Enzyme-Catalyzed Carboxylated Starch to Prepare the Film With Enhanced Mechanical and Hydrophobic Properties

Carboxymethyl cellulose, a hydrophobic derivative from cellulose that can be prepared from different biomass, has been widely applied in food, medicine, chemical, and other industries. In this work, carboxymethyl cellulose was used as the additive to improve the hydrophobicity and strength of carboxylated starch film, which is prepared from starch catalyzed by bio-α-amylase. This study investigated the effects of different bio-α-amylase dosages (starch 0.5%, starch 1%) and different activation times (10, 30 min) on starch to prepare the carboxylated starch. The effects of different carboxymethyl cellulose content on the carboxylated starch film were investigated by analysis viscosity, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and contact angle. The results showed that preparing carboxylated starch using activated starch increased the carboxyl content, which could improve the effectiveness of the activated enzyme compared to prolonging the activation time. The carboxyl starch prepared by enzyme catalysis had a lower gelatinization temperature, and enzyme activation destroyed the crystallization area of the starch, thus facilitating the carboxylation reaction. The addition of 15% carboxymethyl cellulose improved the mechanical properties of the prepared film with maximum tensile strength of 44.8 MPa. Carboxymethyl cellulose effectively improved the hydrophobicity of the starch film with the addition amount of 10–30%, while hydrophobic property was stable at 66.8° when the addition amount was exceeded to 35%. In this work, it can be found that carboxymethyl cellulose improve the mechanical and hydrophobic properties of starch film, laying the foundation for the application of carboxylated starch materials.

Challenges and approaches for production of a healthy and functional mayonnaise sauce

Mayonnaise is a semisolid oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion which is made through the careful blending of oil, vinegar, egg yolk, and spices (especially mustard). In addition, mayonnaise traditionally contains 70%-80% oil, and egg yolk is a key ingredient contributing to its stability. Despite concerns about high cholesterol level in egg yolk, it is yet the most widely utilized emulsifying agent owing to its high emulsifying capacity. Today, the public knowledge about diet and health has been incremented, compelling the people to consume foodstuffs containing functional features. Thus, consumers, aware of the considerable influence of the diet on their health, demand nutritious and healthier food. Mayonnaise is usually cited by health-related issues due to its high cholesterol and fat content. Many researchers have tried to replace fat, as well as egg yolk completely or partially; however, low-fat mayonnaises require extra ingredients to keep the stability. In other words, each ingredient plays a specific role in textural and oxidative stability, and using alternative emulsifiers and fat replacers may affect the sensorial, textural, and antioxidant features of mayonnaise. Furthermore, mayonnaise, like other high-fat foodstuffs, is vulnerable to auto-oxidation. In addition to using fat replacers, mayonnaise is accompanied with bioactive ingredients to produce a healthy system. Therefore in this review, we gathered a quick summary of the ideas, including lowering the cholesterol and fat and using natural antioxidants, prebiotics, and probiotics in order to produce a healthy and functional mayonnaise sauce.

The effect of temperature on the physicochemical properties and lamellar structure of canna starch subjected to enzymatic degradation

Electron density distribution function of paracrystalline model for starch lamellar structure (ρ_c: crystal lamellar density; ρ_a: amorphous lamellar density; Δρ: density differences; d: long period; d_a: amorphous thickness; d_c: crystal thickness).

Ultra-small and innocuous cationic starch nanospheres: preparation, characterization and drug delivery study

This research demonstrated the preparation of ultra-small cationic starch nanospheres for the first time. Unlike conventional cationic starch, the cationic starch in here could not form gel. The starch nanoparticles were obtained via reverse micro-emulsion method and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The formation mechanism of cationic starch nanospheres was proposed and the effects of preparation conditions on particle size were also investigated. A cationic starch nanosphere with a size of 50 nm can be obtained under the optimal condition. Moreover, the drug release behaviors, cytotoxicity test and degradation analysis were tested and indicated that the particles possess good capacity in delivering the negatively charged molecules, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Thus, the cationic nanoparticles exhibit potential applications in the areas of food and medical sciences.

Controlled exogenous enzyme imbibition and activation in whole chickpea seed enzyme reactor (SER)

Chickpeas are of excellent quality (protein, vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids) and very low in phytoestrogen, making them a potentially promising source for vegetarian-based infant formula (VBIF). However, their high starch and fiber concentration could hinder their utilization for infants. To overcome this natural shortcoming, a solid-state "enzymation" (SSE) process was developed in which imbibition of exogenous enzyme facilitates hydrolysis within the intact chickpea seed. The process was termed seed enzyme reactor (SER). Liquid imbibition data of dry chickpeas during soaking were fitted with the Weibull distribution model. The derived Weibull shape parameter, β, value (0.77 ± 0.11) indicated that the imbibition mechanism followed Fickian diffusion. Imbibition occurred through the coat and external layers. The process was tested using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as an exogenous marker, and involved soaking, thermal treatment, peeling, microwave partial drying, rehydration in enzyme solution, and SSE at an adjusted pH, time, and temperature. Amylases, or a combination of amylases and cellulases, resulted in significant carbohydrate hydrolysis (23% and 47% of the available starch, respectively). In addition, chickpea initial raffinose and stachyose concentration was significantly reduced (91% and 92%, respectively). The process could serve as a proof of concept, requiring additional development and optimization to become a full industrial application.

Development of low-fat mayonnaise containing polysaccharide gums as functional ingredients

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to develop a low-fat (LF) mayonnaise containing polysaccharide gums as functional ingredients. Xanthan gum (XG, 15 g kg(-1)), citrus fiber (CF, 100 g kg(-1)) and variable concentration of guar gum (GG) were used to formulate the optimum ratios of polysaccharide gums as fat replacers. The fat content in LF mayonnaise was reduced to 50% if compared with full-fat (FF) mayonnaise, and the products still maintained ideal rheological properties.

RESULTS

The rheological parameters showed that there were no (P > 0.05) differences in yield stress, viscosity and flow behavior index between XG + 10 g kg(-1) GG, CF + 5 g kg(-1) GG and FF control. LF mayonnaises had lower caloric values and higher dietary fiber content than the FF counterpart. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs illustrated that the network of aggregated droplets in LF treatments contained a large number of interspaced voids of varying dimensions. Furthermore, in a comparison of sensory evaluation of LF treatments with commercial and our FF mayonnaises, there were no (P > 0.05) differences in any sensory scores among XG + 10 g kg(-1) GG control.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that XG + 10 g kg(-1) GG and CF + 5 g kg(-1) GG could be used in LF mayonnaise formulations based on its multiple functions on processing properties.