Batch-wise versus continuous dough mixing of Danish butter cookies. A near infrared hyperspectral imaging study.

The Danish buttered cookie is a famous confectionery product. Its success makes manufacturing of the large volumes required challenging, introducing the need for different strategies to increase production while maintaining a high-quality standard. Two manufacturing lines used are batch-wise and continuous dough mixing. Despite the recipe being the same, the outcome of the two production types differs in texture and external appearance. While this does not infringe on the quality, changes in texture are observable. This manuscript analyses the physicochemical differences of the cookies after baking using Near Infrared hyperspectral imaging and Chemometrics. The study demonstrates that the changes in texture between batch and continuous production are mostly due to the difference in crystalline sucrose emerging in invisible spots on or near the surface of the cookies and a higher tendency of migrated butter-fat spots on the surface of the cookies for the continuous manufacturing procedure.

The Effect of α-, ß- and γ-Cyclodextrin on Wheat Dough and Bread Properties.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides that have found widespread application in numerous fields. CDs have revealed a number of various health benefits, making them potentially useful food supplements and nutraceuticals. In this study, the impact of α-, ß-, and γ-CD at different concentrations (up to 8% of the flour weight) on the wheat dough and bread properties were investigated. The impact on dough properties was assessed by alveograph analysis, and it was found that especially ß-CD affected the viscoelastic properties. This behavior correlates well with a direct interaction of the CDs with the proteins of the gluten network. The impact on bread volume and bread staling was also assessed. The bread volume was in general not significantly affected by the addition of up to 4% CD, except for 4% α-CD, which slightly increased the bread volume. Larger concentrations of CDs lead to decreasing bread volumes. Bread staling was investigated by texture analysis and low field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (LF-NMR) measurements, and no effect of the addition of CDs on the staling was observed. Up to 4% CD can, therefore, be added to wheat bread with only minor effects on the dough and bread properties.

Physiological Genetics Reformed: Bridging the Genome-to-Phenome Gap by Coherent Chemical Fingerprints - the Global Coordinator.

Forward-focused molecular genetics is successfully framing DNA diversity and mapping primary gene functions. However, abandoning the classic Linnaean fingerprint link between the phenome and genome by suppressing gene interaction (pleiotropy), has resulted in a genome-to-phenome gap and poor utilization of molecular data. We demonstrate how to bridge this gap by using an example of a barley mutant seed model, where pleiotropy is observed as covarying global molecular patterns that define each endosperm. Global coherence was discovered as a covariate coordinator within and between local genotype specific fingerprints. This implies that any of these fingerprints can select its recombinant global phenotype variant, including composition. Introducing the law of coherence, and the movement of gene complexes by chemical fingerprint traits as selectors, introduces a revolution in understanding physiological molecular genetics and plant-breeding.

Identification of weak and gender specific effects in a short 3 weeks intervention study using barley and oat mixed linkage ß-glucan dietary supplements: a human fecal metabolome study by GC-MS.

INTRODUCTION: Mixed-linkage (1→3),(1→4)-ß-d-glucans (BG) reduce cholesterol level and insulin response in humans. Despite this, their role in human metabolism and a mode of action remains largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of three structurally different BG on human fecal metabolome in a full cross-over intervention using GC-MS metabolomics. METHODS: Over three weeks of intervention, young healthy adults received food supplemented with BG from oat, two different BG from barley or a non-fiber control in a full cross-over design. Untargeted metabolomics and short chain fatty acid analysis was performed on day three fecal samples. ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis was applied to partition the data variation according to the study design, and PLS-DA was used to select most discriminative metabolite markers. RESULTS: Univariate and multivariate data analysis revealed a dominating effect of inter-individual variances followed by a gender effect. Weak effects of BG intake were identified including an increased level of gamma-amino-butyrate and palmitoleic acid in males and a decreased level of enterolactone in females. Barley and oat derived BG were found to influence the human fecal metabolome differently. Barley BG increased the relative level of formate in males and isobutyrate, isovalerate, 2-methylbutyrate in females. In total 15, 3 and 11 human fecal metabolites were significantly different between control vs. BG, control vs. oat BG, and barley BG vs. oat BG, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study show that human fecal metabolome largely reflects individual (∼28% variation) and gender (∼15% variation) differences, whereas the treatment effect of the BG (∼8% variation) only manifests in a few key metabolites (primarily by the metabolites: d-2-aminobutyric acid, palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid and 11-eicosenoic acid).

From metabolome to phenotype: GC-MS metabolomics of developing mutant barley seeds reveals effects of growth, temperature and genotype.

The development of crop varieties tolerant to growth temperature fluctuations and improved nutritional value is crucial due to climate change and global population growth. This study investigated the metabolite patterns of developing barley seed as a function of genotype and growth temperature for ideal vegetable protein production and for augmented ß-glucan production. Seeds from three barley lines (Bomi, lys3.a and lys5.f) were sampled eight times during grain filling and analysed for metabolites using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The lys3.a mutation disrupts a regulator gene, causing an increase in proteins rich in the essential amino acid lysine, while lys5.f carries a mutation in an ADP-glucose transporter gene leading to a significant increase in production of mixed-linkage ß-glucan at the expense of α-glucan. Unique metabolic patterns associated with the tricarboxylic acid cycle, shikimate-phenylpropanoid pathway, mevalonate, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were observed for the barley mutants, whereas growth temperature primarily affected shikimate-phenylpropanoid and lipid metabolism. The study applied recently developed GC-MS metabolomics methods and demonstrated their successful application to link genetic and environmental factors with the seed phenotype of unique and agro-economically important barley models for optimal vegetable protein and dietary fibre production.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Using a Supercontinuum Laser: Application to Long Wavelength Transmission Spectra of Barley Endosperm and Oil.

The supercontinuum laser is a new type of light source, which combines the collimation and intensity of a laser with the broad spectral region of a lamp. Using such a source therefore makes it possible to focus the light onto small sample areas without losing intensity and thus facilitate either rapid or high-intensity measurements. Single seed transmission analysis in the long wavelength (LW) near-infrared (NIR) region is one area that might benefit from a brighter light source such as the supercontinuum laser. This study is aimed at building an experimental spectrometer consisting of a supercontinuum laser source and a dispersive monochromator in order to investigate its capability to measure the barley endosperm using transmission experiments in the LW NIR region. So far, barley and wheat seeds have only been studied using NIR transmission in the short wavelength region up to 1100 nm. However, the region in the range of 2260-2380 nm has previously shown to be particularly useful in differentiating barley phenotypes using NIR spectroscopy in reflectance mode. In the present study, 350 seeds (consisting of 70 seeds from each of five barley genotypes) in 1 mm slices were measured by NIR transmission in the range of 2235-2381 nm and oils from the same five barley genotypes were measured in a cuvette with a 1 mm path length in the range of 2003-2497 nm. The spectra of the barley seeds could be classified according to genotypes by principal component analysis; and spectral covariances with reference analysis of moisture, ß-glucan, starch, protein and lipid were established. The spectral variations of the barley oils were compared to the fatty acid compositions as measured using gas chromotography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Comprehensive and Comparative Metabolomic Profiling of Wheat, Barley, Oat and Rye Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Advanced Chemometrics.

Beyond the main bulk components of cereals such as the polysaccharides and proteins, lower concentration secondary metabolites largely contribute to the nutritional value. This paper outlines a comprehensive protocol for GC-MS metabolomic profiling of phenolics and organic acids in grains, the performance of which is demonstrated through a comparison of the metabolite profiles of the main northern European cereal crops: wheat, barley, oat and rye. Phenolics and organic acids were extracted using acidic hydrolysis, trimethylsilylated using a new method based on trimethylsilyl cyanide and analyzed by GC-MS. In order to extract pure metabolite peaks, the raw chromatographic data were processed by a multi-way decomposition method, Parallel Factor Analysis 2. This approach lead to the semi-quantitative detection of a total of 247 analytes, out of which 89 were identified based on RI and EI-MS library match. The cereal metabolome included 32 phenolics, 30 organic acids, 10 fatty acids, 11 carbohydrates and 6 sterols. The metabolome of the four cereals were compared in detail, including low concentration phenolics and organic acids. Rye and oat displayed higher total concentration of phenolic acids, but ferulic, caffeic and sinapinic acids and their esters were found to be the main phenolics in all four cereals. Compared to the previously reported methods, the outlined protocol provided an efficient and high throughput analysis of the cereal metabolome and the acidic hydrolysis improved the detection of conjugated phenolics.

Extracted oat and barley ß-glucans do not affect cholesterol metabolism in young healthy adults.

ß-Glucans are known to exhibit hypocholesterolemic effects. Increased intestinal viscosity is thought to be crucial for cholesterol lowering. It is suggested that concentration, molecular mass, and structure, including the ratio of (1→3) to (1→4) glucan bonds in the molecule, are of importance for ß-glucan functionality. This study investigated the effects of 3 different ß-glucan sources, incorporated into a beverage and yogurt, on blood lipids and fecal endpoints. Fourteen participants completed this randomized, crossover, single-blinded study with four 3-wk periods: control and 3.3 g/d oat, barley, and barley mutant ß-glucans of similar molecular mass. Before and after each period, fasting and postprandial blood samples were drawn and 3-d fecal samples were collected. Treatment did not affect changes in total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol compared with control; however, consumption of 3.3 g/d of oat ß-glucans for 3 wk resulted in greater decreases in total (-0.29 ± 0.09 mmol/L, P < 0.01), LDL (-0.23 ± 0.07 mmol/L, P < 0.01), and HDL (-0.05 ± 0.03 mmol/L, P < 0.05) cholesterol compared with baseline. Changes in LDL in the ß-glucan treatments were not related to ß-glucan structure (cellotriosyl:cellotetraosyl). Decreases in fasting triacylglycerol were substantially greater after oat ß-glucan treatment compared with control (P = 0.03). Fecal dry and wet weight, stool frequency, fecal pH, and energy excretion were unaffected. The results do not fully support the hypocholesterolemic effects by differently structured oat and barley ß-glucans. However, substantial differences compared with baseline suggest a potential for oat ß-glucan, presumably due to its higher solubility and viscosity. This underlines the importance of elusive structural ß-glucan features for beneficial physiologic effects.

Phenolic compounds in different barley varieties: identification by tandem mass spectrometry (QStar) and NMR; quantification by liquid chromatography triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (Q-Trap).

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important cereal that has many applications; as a human food, in malt products and as livestock feed. The content of soluble health-promoting fibers, beta-glucans, varies substantially among barley varieties. In the present study, the content of secondary metabolites with potential positive health effects in different high- and low-beta-glucan barley varieties was studied. Five different flavanols were isolated and identified: (2R,3S)-catechin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), prodelphinidin B3 (2), procyanidin B3 (3), (+)-catechin (4) and procyanidin B1 (5). Procyanidin B1 has never been reported in barley grains before. The compounds were identified using 1H NMR and quadrupolar time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A quantitative analytical method was developed for prodelphinidin B3, procyanidin B3 and (+)-catechin in liquid chromatography triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry and these compounds were quantified in all varieties, together with four phenolic acids: ferulic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Catechin was the compound that was present at the highest concentration in all varieties. The variation, between cultivars, in catechin concentration varied four fold. A Principal Component Analysis indicated no correlation between concentrations of beta-glucan and secondary metabolites. Concentrations of catechin and prodelphinidin B3 were strongly correlated, whereas the concentration of procyanidin B3 was not correlated with that of catechin or prodelphinidin B3. Either two different enzymes could be responsible for the dimerization of prodelphinidin B3 and procyanidin B3, or the affinity of the enzyme could be different whether the dimerization is between two catechin units or between units of gallocatechin and catechin.