Chemically Modified Starches as Food Additives

Starch is a renewable and multifunctional polysaccharide biopolymer that is widely used both in the food industry and other areas of the economy. However, due to a number of undesirable properties in technological processes, it is subjected to various modifications. They improve its functional properties and enable the starch to be widely used in various industries. A modified starch is a natural starch that has been treated in a way that changes one or more of its initial physical and/or chemical properties. Chemical modification consists of the introduction of functional groups into starch molecules, which result in specific changes in the physicochemical and functional properties of starch preparations. The bases of chemical modifications of starch are oxidation, esterification or etherification reactions. In terms of functionality, modified preparations include cross-linked and stabilized starches. These starches have the status of allowed food additives, and their use is strictly regulated by relevant laws. Large-scale scientific research is aimed at developing new methods of starch modification, and the use of innovative technological solutions allows for an increasingly wider use of such preparations. This paper characterizes chemically modified starches used as food additives, including the requirements for such preparations and the directions of their practical application. Health-promoting aspects of the use of chemically modified starches concerning resistant starch type RS4, encapsulation of bioactive ingredients, starch fat substitutes, and carriers of microelements are also described. The topic of new trends in the use of chemically modified starches, including the production of biodegradable films, edible coatings, and nanomaterials, is also addressed.

Physicochemical and Functional Properties and Storage Stability of Chitosan-Starch Films Containing Micellar Nano/Microstructures with Turmeric and Hibiscus Extracts

The dynamic development of the food industry and the growing interest of consumers in innovative solutions that increase the comfort and quality of life push the industry towards seeking pioneering solutions in the field of food packaging. Intelligent and active packaging, which affects the quality and durability of food products and allows one to determine their freshness, is still a modern concept. The aim of our study was to obtain two types of films based on chitosan and starch with micellar nanostructures containing extracts from turmeric rhizomes and hibiscus flowers. The presence of spherical nanostructures was confirmed using a scanning electron microscope. The structural and optical properties of the obtained composites were characterised by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), UltraViolet-Visible (UV-VIS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed the presence of spherical micellar structures with a size of about 800 nm in the obtained biocomposites. The presence of nano-/microstructures containing extracts affected the mechanical properties of the composites: it weakened the strength of the films and improved their elongation at break (EAB). Films with nano-/microparticles were characterised by a higher water content compared to the control sample and lower solubility, and they showed stronger hydrophilic properties. Preliminary storage tests showed that the obtained biocomposites are sensitive to changes occurring during the storage of products such as cheese or fish. In addition, it was found that the film with the addition of turmeric extract inhibited the growth of microorganisms during storage. The results suggest that the obtained bionanocomposites can be used as active and/or intelligent materials.

Effect of Prebiotic Polysaccharides on the Rheological Properties of Reduced Sugar Potato Starch Based Desserts

The aim of the study was to assess the possibility of using polysaccharides: inulin and polydextrose in combination with steviol glycosides as sucrose substitutes in starch-based desserts with reduced sugar content and to determine their influence on the rheological properties of these desserts. The samples (starch-milk desserts) were prepared from native potato starch, milk, dye, flavouring agent, and sucrose. The sucrose was partially or completely substituted with steviol glycosides and inulin or polydextrose. The rheological evaluation of the desserts was performed by determining pasting characteristics, viscosity curves, creep and recovery curves and mechanical spectra. Substitution of sucrose with prebiotic polysaccharides modified the rheological characteristics of the starch-milk desserts to a degree depending on the type and level of the substituting agent. Inulin reduced the peak viscosity of starch-milk paste, while it had no effect on the final viscosity of the product, contrary to polydextrose, which increased value of the latter parameter. The desserts exhibited a non-Newtonian, shear-thinning flow behaviour. The use of inulin, in both the highest and the lowest concentrations, significantly changed the consistency coefficient and the flow index values, while such a phenomenon was not observed in the case of polydextrose. The desserts with inulin showed increased values of the storage modulus and reduced susceptibility to stress, manifesting strengthened viscoelastic structure. The results indicate that the both prebiotic polysaccharides can serve as substitutes for sucrose in desserts with reduced sugar contents.

Contamination of Tea and Tea Infusion with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The aim of this work was to validate the method of determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), i.e., benzo(a)pyrene and sum of benzo(a)pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and chrysene in different types of tea, as well as to assess the transfer of these contaminants from tea to tea infusion. The research materials were popular types of black, green, red and white tea. Quantitative and qualitative determination of PAHs was performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorimetric detection (HPLC-FLD). The samples were prepared by QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) technique followed by cleaning-up by dispersion solid-phase extraction (d-SPE). Values of limit of detection and limit of quantification obtained in the validation of the method were lower than the respective maximum values given in Commission Regulation (EU) No. 836/2011. The level of contamination of popular teas commercially available on the Polish market with PAHs is similar to that of teas available in other countries, with a very large variation in the concentration of each of the compounds. The highest benzo(a)pyrene and Σ4PAHs contents (209 ± 42 μg/kg and 756 ± 151 μg/kg, respectively) were found for black tea leaves. The transfer of Σ4PAHs from black tea to tea infusions was 0.48%, while it was 1.55-1.72% for red, white and green teas.

Physicochemical, thermal and rheological properties of starches isolated from malting barley varieties

The aim of this work was to characterize physicochemical, thermal and rheological properties of starches isolated from malting barley varieties. The analyzed starches contained 19.6-25.2 g of amylose, 42.47-70.67 mg of phosphorus, 0.50-1.26 g of protein and 0.10-0.61 g of fat per 100 g of starch dry mass. The clarity of the 1 % (w/w) starch pastes ranged from 5.4 to 9.8 %. Values of the characteristic gelatinization temperatures were in the ranges of 56.5-58.5 °C, 61.2-63.0 °C and 66.7-68.7 °C, respectively for TO, TP and TE, whereas values of gelatinization enthalpy were from 6.49 to 9.61 J/g. The barley starches showed various tendency to retrogradation, from 24.52 to 44.22 %, measured as R = ∆HR/∆HG value. The pasting curves showed differences in pasting characteristics of the barley starches, where values of peak (PV) and final (FV) viscosities were 133-230 mPa·s and 224-411 mPa·s, respectively. The barley starch pastes exhibited non-Newtonian, shear thinning flow behaviour and thixotropy phenomenon. After cooling the starch gels showed different viscoelastic properties, however, most of them behaved like weak gels (tan δ = G″/G' > 0.1). Significant linear correlations between the parameters of pasting characteristic and some rheological parameters were found.

Phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of propolis from various regions of Poland

The aim of this work was to determine phenolic acid and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant properties of propolis from different regions of Poland. Total phenolic content of propolis samples ranged from 150.05 to 197.14 mg/g GAE, while total flavonoid content was 35.64-62.04 mg/g QE. The dominant phenolic acid was p-coumaric acid, the content of which was from 37.54 to 116.95 mg/g. The samples also contained much ferulic acid. Among the flavonoids, chrysine and galangine were dominant, and for two samples, naringine was dominant. The propolis samples exhibited various antiradical activity measured towards DPPH(·) (1.92-2.69 mM TE/g) and ABTS(·+) (3.96-4.98 mM TE/g) and reducing power was determined by the ferric reducing antioxidant power method (6.23-9.19 mM Fe(II)/g). The significant linear correlations between total phenolic content and antiradical activity and between total phenolic content and reducing power were observed. Moreover, the total flavonoids content significantly correlated with antiradical activity and reducing power.

Phenolic profile and antioxidant activity in selected seeds and sprouts

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of germination on the phenolic acids and flavonoids profile, as well as antioxidant activity (AA), in selected edible seeds of mung beans, radish, broccoli and sunflower. Germination increased the total phenolic (TP) and flavonoid (TF) levels, as well as the AA of the seeds, and influenced the profile of free and bound phenolic compounds. Among the samples, mung bean was characterised by lowest levels of TP and TF, as well as AA, evaluated using ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays. Sunflower and radish sprouts were the most rich in phenolic compounds. Insignificant amounts of free phenolic acids were found in the free phenolic acid fraction; alkaline hydrolysis of the seeds and sprouts extracts provided the majority of the phenolic acids. The amounts of free and bound flavonoids were inconsiderable both for seeds and sprouts.

'Obwarzanek Krakowski' as a traditional food

The aim of this work was to evaluate the quality and to compare the traditional (‘obwarzanek krakowski’) with the non-traditional (‘obwarzanek’) bakery products. Four samples were analysed for chemical composition and texture and colour of crumb. The analysed products differed in the features of general appearance and chemical composition. The traditional products became much more hard during storage time than the non-traditional ones.

The influence of storage conditions of candied fruits enriched with vitamin C by different methods on its content

The aim of this work was to study the effect of storage conditions of candied fruits enriched with vitamin C on its concentration in that product. The materials were candied fruits (black chokeberry and black currant) enriched with vitamin C by two methods during their production. The final products were stored within 3 months at 8 and 20°C. On the basis of the results it was stated that enrichment method affected the concentration of the vitamin C in fruits measured during storage period at the above conditions.