Molecular Oxygen and Reactive Oxygen Species in Bread-making Processes: Scarce, but Nevertheless Important

Catalase-induced changes in rheological properties and structure of wheat gluten proteins

This study investigates the impact of catalase (CAT) on the rheological properties of wheat gluten by analyzing CAT-induced structural changes in gluten proteins to uncover the mechanisms behind these modifications. The results showed that CAT significantly enhanced the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) of gluten while reducing creep strain and recovery strain. The most pronounced effects were observed with the addition of 250 U/g CAT for 30 min. CAT facilitated the formation of larger molecular weight aggregates in gluten proteins and increased the content of disulfide bonds and β-sheets, reaching 11.42 μmol/g and 45.78 %, respectively, after treatment with 250 U/g CAT for 30 min. These structural changes reduced the hydrophobic regions of gluten, lowered gluten extractability, and enhanced the compactness and stability of the gluten network. These effects substantially influenced the rheological behavior of wheat gluten, offering new insights and practical guidance for improving gluten-based products using CAT.

Identification of biochemical indices for brown spot (Bipolaris oryzae) disease resistance in rice mutants and hybrids

Brown spot caused by Bipolaris oryzae is a major damaging fungal disease of rice which can decrease the yield and value of produce due to grain discoloration. The objectives of the current study were to investigate and understand the biochemical indices of brown spot disease resistance in rice. A total of 108 genotypes (mutant and hybrid) along with Super Basmati and parent RICF-160 were evaluated against brown spot disease. The genotypes exhibiting resistant and susceptible responses to brown spot disease according to the IRRI standard disease rating scale were screened and selected. To study the biochemical response mechanism, forty five selected genotypes along with Super Basmati and RICF-160 were analyzed using the biochemical markers. The physiological and biochemical analysis provided valuable insights and confirmed the resistance of rice hybrids and mutants against brown spot disease. Positive correlations were observed among stress bio-markers and disease response. Rice genotypes i.e. Mu-AS-8, Mu-AS-19, Mu-AS-20 and Mu-AS-35 exhibited moderate resistant response while Hy-AS-92, Hy-AS-98, Hy-AS-99, Hy-AS-101, Hy-AS-102 and Hy-AS-107 showed resistant response to brown spot disease. Brown spot resistant rice genotypes had lesser values of malondialdehyde and total oxidant status and higher antioxidant activities i.e. superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, total phenolic content and lycopene. The selected resistant rice genotypes had resistance capacity against Bipolaris oryzae stress. In conclusion, identified resistant mutants i.e. Mu-AS-8, Mu-AS-19, Mu-AS-20 and Mu-AS-35 and hybrids i.e. Hy-AS-92, Hy-AS-98, Hy-AS-99, Hy-AS-101, Hy-AS-102 and Hy-AS-107 could be used in rice breeding program to achieve sustainable rice production by coping the emerging challenge of brown spot disease under variable climate conditions.

The rise of the sourdough: Genome-scale metabolic modeling-based approach to design sourdough starter communities with tailored-made properties

Sourdough starters harbor microbial consortia that benefit the final product's aroma and volume. The complex nature of these spontaneously developed communities raises challenges in predicting the fermentation phenotypes. Herein, we demonstrated for the first time in this field the potential of genome-scale metabolic modeling (GEMs) in the study of sourdough microbial communities. Broad in-silico modeling of microbial growth was applied on communities composed of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and different Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) species, which mainly predominate in sourdough starters. Simulations of model-represented communities associated specific bacterial compositions with sourdough phenotypes. Based on ranking the phenotypic performances of different combinations, Pediococcus spp. - Lb. sakei group members were predicted to have an optimal effect considering the increase in S. cerevisiae growth abilities and overall CO2 secretion rates. Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) revealed mutual relationships between the Pediococcus spp. - Lb. sakei group members and S. cerevisiae through bidirectional nutrient dependencies, and further underlined that these bacteria compete with the yeast over nutrients to a lesser extent than the rest LAB species. Volatile compounds (VOCs) production was further modeled, identifying species-specific and community-related VOCs production profiles. The in-silico models' predictions were validated by experimentally building synthetic sourdough communities and assessing the fermentation phenotypes. The Pediococcus spp. - Lb. sakei group was indeed associated with increased yeast cell counts and fermentation rates, demonstrating a 25 % increase in the average leavening rates during the first 10 fermentation hours compared to communities with a lower representation of these group members. Overall, these results provide a possible novel strategy towards the de-novo design of sourdough starter communities with tailored-made characterizations, including a shortened leavening period.

Enhancing the Techno-Functionality of Pea Flour by Air Injection-Assisted Extrusion at Different Temperatures and Flour Particle Sizes

Industrial applications of pulses in various food products depend on pulse flour techno-functionality. To manipulate the techno-functional properties of yellow pea flour, the effects of flour particle size (small vs. large), extrusion temperature profile (120, 140 and 160 °C at the die) and air injection pressure (0, 150 and 300 kPa) during extrusion cooking were investigated. Extrusion cooking caused the denaturation of proteins and gelatinization of starch in the flour, which induced changes in the techno-functionality of the extruded flour (i.e., increased water solubility, water binding capacity and cold viscosity and decreased emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, and trough and final viscosities). In general, the large particle size flour required less energy input to be extruded and had higher emulsion stability and trough and final viscosities compared to the small particle size flour. Overall, among all of the treatments studied, extrudates produced with air injection at 140 and 160 °C had higher emulsion capacity and emulsion stability, making them relatively better suited food ingredients for emulsified foods (e.g., sausages). The results indicated air injection's potential as a novel extrusion technique combined with modification of flour particle size distribution and extrusion processing conditions to effectively manipulate product techno-functionality and broaden the applications of pulse flours in the food industry.

A flexible visual detection of calcium peroxide in flour employing enhanced catalytic activity of heterogeneous catalysts binary copper trapped silica-layered magnetite nanozyme

Herein, a novel heterogeneous nanozyme with peroxidase (POD)-like activity was conducted to achieve ultrasensitive visual detection of calcium peroxide (CaO2) in flour by the assembly of binary copper-trapped mesoporous silica layer coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 @SiO2 @CuO NPs). The prepared nanozymes were characterized using HRTEM, SEM, FT-IR, XRD, DLS, and EIS, which displayed a dispersed core-shell structure with a uniform diameter of approximately 100 nm. The nanozymes exhibited remarkable and stable POD-like activity in a wide range of pH values, incubation temperature, and reaction time, and the optimum catalytic activity was obtained at pH 3.6, 37 °C, and 10 min. The quantification range of CaO2 of this method is 0.1-5 mM with a limit as low as 5.6 × 10-3 mM, and it is not affected by multiple interferences. In conclusion, this detection method is sensitive, stable, low-cost, and simple to operate, so it has broad application prospects in the detection of food additives such as CaO2.

Anthocyanin Content of Crackers and Bread Made with Purple and Blue Wheat Varieties

Purple and blue wheats contain anthocyanins in the outer layers of the wheat kernel, and therefore purple and blue wholemeals can be a source of anthocyanins when developing processed cereal products. However, cereal processing is anticipated to cause significant anthocyanin losses. In this study, the anthocyanin content of crackers and bread made from one purple and three blue wholemeals was measured during processing and after baking. LC-MS/MS was used to confirm the presence of anthocyanins, and to tentatively identify them. Mixing and baking steps significantly decreased the anthocyanin content, whereas resting and fermentation steps did not. Purple and blue wholemeal samples reacted differently, indicating that the starting anthocyanin content, localization and composition may have some impact on anthocyanin retention. Additionally, dough systems with decreased pH were more protective of anthocyanins during intermediate processing steps, as were high-temperature, short-time baking procedures. This research provides insights into the processing steps that cause significant anthocyanin losses, and proposes some modifications to formulation and processing conditions which can further reduce losses.

Dietary cholesterol oxidation products: Perspectives linking food processing and storage with health implications

Dietary cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) are heterogeneous compounds formed during the processing and storage of cholesterol-rich foods, such as seafood, meat, eggs, and dairy products. With the increased intake of COPs-rich foods, the concern about health implications of dietary COPs is rising. Dietary COPs may exert deleterious effects on human health to induce several inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Thus, knowledge regarding the effects of processing and storage conditions leading to formation of COPs is needed to reduce the levels of COPs in foods. Efficient methodologies to determine COPs in foods are also essential. More importantly, the biological roles of dietary COPs in human health and effects of phytochemicals on dietary COPs-induced diseases need to be established. This review summarizes the recent information on dietary COPs including their formation in foods during their processing and storage, analytical methods of determination of COPs, metabolic fate, implications for human health, and beneficial interventions by phytochemicals. The formation of COPs is largely dependent on the heating temperature, storage time, and food matrices. Alteration of food processing and storage conditions is one of the potent strategies to restrict hazardous dietary COPs from forming, including maintaining relatively low temperatures, shorter processing or storage time, and the appropriate addition of antioxidants. Once absorbed into the circulation, dietary COPs can contribute to the progression of several inflammatory diseases, where the absorbed dietary COPs may induce inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy in cells in the target organs or tissues. Improved intake of phytochemicals may be an effective strategy to reduce the hazardous effects of dietary COPs.

History, mechanism of action, and toxicity: a review of commonly used dough rheology improvers

Dough rheology improvers, which often are oxidative reagents in nature, have long been used in bread-making industry to enhance protein crosslinking and subsequently improve the dough rheological properties and bread qualities. Numerous studies were conducted to explore the effects of these oxidative agents on dough quality improving, however, the underlying mechanism of their action during dough development has not been fully understood. Due to the public health concerns, multiple oxidative reagents were banned in some countries across the world, while others are still permitted in accordance with regulations. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of their application, significance, and safety in bread manufacturing is necessary. This review aims to provide a detailed information about the evolutionary history of several commonly used oxidants acting as dough rheology improvers, their mechanisms of action, as well as their potential toxicity.

Hydrolytic enzymes and their directly and indirectly effects on gluten and dough properties: An extensive review

Poor water solubility, emulsifying, and foaming properties of gluten protein have limited its applications. Gluten is structured by covalent (disulfide bonds) and noncovalent bonds (hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, hydrophobic bonds) which prone to alteration by various treatments. Enzyme modification has the ability to alter certain properties of gluten and compensate the deficiencies in gluten network. By hydrolyzing mechanisms and softening effects, hydrolytic enzymes affect gluten directly and indirectly and improve dough quality. The present review investigates the effects of some hydrolytic enzymes (protease and peptidase, alcalase, xylanase, pentosanase, and cellulase) on the rheological, functional, conformational, and nutritional features of gluten and dough. Overall, protease, peptidase, and alcalase directly affect peptide bonds in gluten. In contrast, arabinoxylan, pentosan, and cellulose are affected, respectively, by xylanase, pentosanase, and cellulase which indirectly affect gluten proteins. The changes in gluten structure by enzyme treatment allow gluten for being used in variety of purposes in the food and nonfood industry.

Gas cell stabilization by aqueous-phase constituents during bread production from wheat and rye dough and oat batter: Dough or batter liquor as model system

Proper gas cell stability during fermentation and baking is essential to obtain high-quality bread. Gas cells in wheat dough are stabilized by the gluten network formed during kneading and, from the moment this network locally ruptures, by liquid films containing nonstarch polysaccharides (NSPs) and surface-active proteins and lipids. Dough liquor (DL), the supernatant after ultracentrifugation of dough, is a model system for these liquid films and has been extensively studied mostly in the context of wheat bread making. Nonwheat breads are often of lower quality (loaf volume and crumb structure) than wheat breads because their doughs/batters lack a viscoelastic wheat gluten network. Therefore, gas cell stabilization by liquid film constituents may be more important in nonwheat than in wheat bread making. This manuscript aims to review the knowledge on DL/batter liquor (BL) and its relevance for studying gas cell stabilization in wheat and nonwheat (rye and oat) bread making. To this end, the unit operations in wheat, rye, and oat bread making are described with emphasis on gas incorporation and gas cell (de)stabilization. A discussion of the knowledge on the recoveries and chemical structures of proteins, lipids, and NSPs in DLs/BLs is provided and key findings of studies dealing with foaming and air-water interfacial properties of DL/BL are discussed. Next, the extent to which DL/BL functionality can be related to bread properties is addressed. Finally, the extent to which DL/BL is a representative model system for the aqueous phase of dough/batter is discussed and related to knowledge gaps and further research opportunities.

Enzymatic modifications of gluten protein: Oxidative enzymes

Oxidative enzymes treat weak flours in order to restore the gluten network of damaged wheat flour and reduce the economic and technological losses. The present review concentrates on oxidative exogenous enzymes (transglutaminase, laccase, glucose oxidase, hexose oxidase) and oxidative endogenous enzymes (tyrosinase, peroxidase, catalase, sulfhydryl oxidase, lipoxygenase, lipase, protein disulfide isomerase, NAD(P)H-dependent dehydrogenase, thioredoxin reductase and glutathione reductase) and their effects on the rheological, functional, and conformational features of gluten and its subunits. Overall, transglutaminase is used in wheat-based foods through introducing isopeptide bonds (ε-γ glutamyl-lysine). Glucose oxidase, hexose oxidase, peroxidase, sulfhydryl oxidase, lipase, and lipoxygenase form disulfide and nondisulfide bonds through producing hydrogen peroxide. Laccase, tyrosinase, and protein disulfide isomerase form cross-links between tyrosine and cysteine residues by generating radicals. Thioredoxin reductase and glutathione reductase create new inter disulfide bonds. The effect of oxidative enzymes on the formation of covalent cross-linkages were substantially more than non-covalent bonds in gluten structure.

Impact of Punicalagin on the Physicochemical and Structural Properties of Wheat Flour Dough

The study explored punicalagin (PGN) as a wheat flour enhancer. The impact of PGN on the physicochemical and structural properties of wheat flour have been investigated. It turned out that PGN increased the formation time, stability, tensile resistance, extension, and viscoelasticity of the dough at the concentrations of 0.13 and 0.26 mg/g. Scan electron microscope images of the cross section of the dough displayed a more compact and ordered network structure with the addition of 0.13 and 0.26 mg/g PGN. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra indicated an increase of α-helix and β-sheet content. However, nonlinear enhancing effects of PGN on the stretching properties, rheology, and structural properties of the dough were observed at concentrations of 0.39 and 0.52 mg/g. Correspondingly, cleavages were observed on the cross section of the dough and the content of β-sheet showed a trend of reduction in the dough with addition of PGN at high concentrations. Taken together, these results indicated the potential usage of PGN as a wheat flour enhancer of natural origin at the concentration below 0.39 mg/g in the flour.

Characterization and Exploration of Recombinant Wheat Catalase for Improvement of Wheat-Flour-Processing Quality

The wheat catalase gene ( wcat1) was cloned and overexpressed in Pichia pastoris. The purified wCat1 exhibits its highest activity at pH 7.5 and 35 °C with K_m and V_max of 22.95 mM and 0.24 μmol/min, respectively. wCat1 could markedly improve the farinographic properties of dough, with the stability time increasing and degree of softening decreasing, and enhance the rheological properties of dough. wCat1 could also elevate bread-making quality, with increased specific volume of the bread and decreased hardness, gumminess, and chewiness, which are attributable to increased amounts of SDS-insoluble protein in dough, resulting in extended glutenin networks and thus larger pores in the fermented dough and bread crumb. The decrease of hydrogen peroxide and increase of free thiol groups in wCat1-treated dough suggest that the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by wCat1 likely promotes disulfide-bond formation and thus the cross-linking of dough proteins.

Microbial Ecology and Process Technology of Sourdough Fermentation

From a microbiological perspective, sourdough is to be considered as a specific and stressful ecosystem, harboring yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), that is used for the production of baked goods. With respect to the metabolic impact of the sourdough microbiota, acidification (LAB), flavor formation (LAB and yeasts), and leavening (yeasts and heterofermentative LAB species) are most noticeable. Three distinct types of sourdough fermentation processes can be discerned based on the inocula applied, namely backslopped ones (type 1), those initiated with starter cultures (type 2), and those initiated with a starter culture followed by backslopping (type 3). A sourdough-characteristic LAB species is Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis. A sourdough-characteristic yeast species is Candida humilis. Although it has been suggested that the microbiota of a specific sourdough may be influenced by its geographical origin, region specificity often seems to be an artefact resulting from interpretation of the research data, as those are dependent on sampling, isolation, and identification procedures. It is however clear that sourdough-adapted microorganisms are able to withstand stress conditions encountered during their growth. Based on the technological setup, type 0 (predoughs), type I (artisan bakery firm sourdoughs), type II (industrial liquid sourdoughs), and type III sourdoughs (industrial dried sourdoughs) can be distinguished. The production of all sourdoughs, independent of their classification, depends on several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Both the flour (type, quality status, etc.) and the process parameters (fermentation temperature, pH and pH evolution, dough yield, water activity, oxygen tension, backslopping procedure and fermentation duration, etc.) determine the dynamics and outcome of (backslopped) sourdough fermentation processes.