Low Acrylamide Flatbreads from Colored Corn and Other Flours

Anti-obesity and other health benefits of bioprocessed black rice bran in combination with green tea extract in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells and in mice on a high-fat diet

Black rice bran, a waste product from the commercial milling of black rice that removes the bran and germ leaving the starchy endosperm, contains bioactive anthocyanin, phenolic, and phytosteroid compounds that may have health benefits. This study determined the effect of a polysaccharide-rich bioprocessed (fermented) black rice bran and a green tea extract individually and in combination on weight loss in orally fed mice on a high-fat diet and on concurrent changes in blood glucose and insulin as well as in cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density and low-density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL). At the end of the eight-week feeding study, the combination diet resulted in a 67% lower weight gain than mice on a high-fat diet alone, a greater effect than that of bioprocessed black rice bran or green tea extract individually. The weight loss caused by the combination diet seems to be the result of decreased dietary efficiency. The observed trends in the glucose and insulin data suggest that the combined diet also has anti-diabetic properties, and the corresponding trends in the levels of the serum lipoproteins suggest that the combined diet might also protect against heart disease. Effects on the content, structure, and function of white adipose and liver tissues and on obesity-related biomarkers support the trends in the weight loss data. Based on the observed beneficial effects in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells and mice, we suggest the need to investigate if the new multifunctional combination food product can also protect against obesity and chronic diseases in humans. Mechanistic aspects that govern the anti-obesity effects and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Reducing Acrylamide Formation Potential by Targeting Free Asparagine Accumulation in Seeds

Acrylamide is a probable carcinogen in humans and is formed when reducing sugars react with free asparagine (Asn) during thermal processing of food. Although breeding for low reducing sugars worked well in potatoes, it is less successful in cereals. However, reducing free Asn in cereals has great potential for reducing acrylamide formation, despite the role that Asn plays in nitrogen transport and amino acid biosynthesis. In this perspective, we summarize the efforts aimed at reducing free Asn in cereal grains and discuss the potentials and challenges associated with targeting this essential amino acid, especially in a seed-specific manner.

Enhanced detection of acrylamide using a versatile solid-state upconversion sensor through spectral and visual analysis

Acrylamide (AM) generally forms in high-temperature processes and has been classified as a potential carcinogen. In this study, we put forward a maneuverable solid-state luminescence sensor using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the matrix coupled with upconversion nanoparticles as the indicator. The core-shell upconversion nanoparticles emitting cyan light were uniformly encapsulated in PDMS. Then it was further modified with complementary DNA of AM aptamer. The nanocrystalline fluorescein isothiocyanate isomer (FITC), coupled with AM aptamer, was attached to the surface of PDMS. FITC effectively quenched the upconversion luminescence through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The introduction of AM resulted in preferentially bound to aptamer caused the separation of the quencher and the donor, and led to luminescence recovery. The developed sensor was applied for both spectral and visual monitoring, demonstrating a detection limit (LOD) of 1.00 nM and 1.07 nM, respectively. Importantly, in the actual foodstuffs detection, there is no obvious difference between the results of this study and the standard method, which indicates the developed method has good accuracy. Therefore, this solid-state sensor has the potential for on-site detection using a smartphone device and an Android application.

Influence of coating material and processing parameters on acrylamide formation in potato patties

Influence of moisture content (MC, 65–35%), frying temperature/time (150–200 °C, 4–12 min), and coating materials (patties coated with bread crumbs – PBC and patties coated with wheat semolina – PSC) on acrylamide formation in potato patties was investigated. Acrylamide content increased with decrease in MC and increase in temperature/time, except for PBC at higher temperatures (180 °C, 8 & 12 min and 200 °C). Morphology analysis suggested PBC to possess more porous coating that resulted in higher oil penetration leading to higher heat transfer rate, moisture evaporation and drying at higher frying temperatures. This led to an initial acceleration of acrylamide formation in PBCs at higher temperatures, followed by its degradation resulting in low acrylamide content in final product. Based on sensory analysis and lowest acrylamide formation, the optimal conditions for frying of potato patties were: (i) MC: 66.53 ± 2.2% (ii) frying temperature: 165 °C (iii) frying time: 4 min.

Low Acrylamide Flatbreads Prepared from Colored Rice Flours and Relationship to Asparagine and Proximate Content of Flours and Flatbreads

Acrylamide is a potentially toxic compound present in many plant-based foods, such as coffee, breads, and potato fries, which is reported to have carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and antifertility properties in vivo, suggesting the need to keep the acrylamide content of widely consumed food as low as possible. As pigmented rice contains bioactive phenolic and flavonoid compounds, the objective of this study was to potentially enhance the beneficial properties of flatbreads by evaluating the acrylamide content and proximate composition of 12 novel flatbreads prepared from the following commercial pigmented rice seeds: Black Japonica, Chinese Black, French Camargue, Himalayan Red, Long Grain Brown, Purple Sticky, Short Grain Brown, Wehani, Wild, Indian Brown Basmati, Organic Brown Jasmine, and Organic Jade Pearl. Although acrylamide levels ranged from 4.9 µg/kg in Long Grain Brown to 50.8 µg/kg in Chinese Black, the absolute values were all low (though statistically significantly differences existed among varieties). Acrylamide content did not correlate with its precursor asparagine. The variations in protein, carbohydrate, fat, ash, dry matter, and water content determined by proximate analysis, and the reported health benefits of colored rice cultivars used to prepare the flatbreads, might also be useful for relating composition to nutritional qualities and health properties, facilitating their use as nutritional and health-promoting functional foods.