Acetylation of barnyardgrass starch with acetic anhydride under iodine catalysis.

Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) is an invasive plant that is difficult to control and is found in abundance as part of the waste of the paddy industry. In this study, barnyardgrass starch was extracted and studied to obtain a novel starch with potential food and non-food applications. We report some of the physicochemical, functional and morphological properties as well as the effect of modifying this starch with acetic anhydride by catalysis with 1, 5 or 10mM of iodine. The extent of the introduction of acetyl groups increased with increasing iodine levels as catalyst. The shape of the granules remained unaltered, but there were low levels of surface corrosion and the overall relative crystallinity decreased. The pasting temperature, enthalpy and other gelatinisation temperatures were reduced by the modification. There was an increase in the viscosity of the pastes, except for the peak viscosity, which was strongly reduced in 10mM iodine.

Micronutrient and functional compounds biofortification of maize grains.

Maize, in addition to being the main staple food in many countries, is used in the production of hundreds of products. It is rich in compounds with potential benefits to health, such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin E, and minerals that act as cofactors for antioxidant enzymes. Many of these compounds have been neglected thus far in the scientific literature. Nevertheless, deficiencies in the precursors of vitamin A and some minerals, such as iron and zinc, in maize, in association with the great genetic variability in its cultivars and our genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic knowledge of this species make targeted biofortification strategies for maize promising. This review discusses the potential of the main microconstituents found in maize with a focus on studies aimed at biofortification.

Isoflavone aglycone content and the thermal, functional, and structural properties of soy protein isolates prepared from hydrothermally treated soybeans.

UNLABELLED: Soybeans were hydrothermally treated at 2 different temperatures (40 °C and 60 °C) and for 4 different hydration times (4, 8, 12, and 16 h) to (i) increase the isoflavone aglycone content in a soy protein isolate and (ii) evaluate the changes in thermal, functional, and structural properties of a soy protein isolate as a function of hydrothermal treatment conditions. Our study is the first to evaluate aglycone content, extraction yield, ß-glucosidase activity, differential scanning calorimetry, protein digestibility, scanning electron microscopy, water absorption capacity (WAC), foaming capacity (FC), and foaming stability of soy protein isolates prepared from hydrothermally treated soybeans. For aglycone enhancement and the extraction yield maintenance of soy protein isolates, the condition of 40 °C for 12 h was the best soybean hydrothermal treatment. The structural rearrangement of proteins that occurred with the hydrothermal treatment most likely promoted the capacity of proteins to bind to aglycone. Moreover, the structure shape and size of soy protein isolates verified by scanning electron microscopy appears to be related to the formation of hydrophobic surfaces and hydrophobic zones at 40 °C and 60 °C, respectively, affecting the protein digestibility, WAC, and FC of soy protein isolates. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The aglycone content in the soy protein isolate can be improved with the hydrothermal treatment of soybeans. The temperature and time used for hydrothermal treatment must be selected in order to achieve a soy protein isolate with high aglycone content, extraction yield, and functionality. This technology is suitable for providing healthier soy protein isolates for food industry with improved functional and structural properties.

[The effect of parboiled rice on glycemia in Wistar rats]. / Arroz parboilizado efeito na glicemia de ratos Wistar.

Starch is an important energy source and can represent more than 60% of the calories of the human diet. The starch fraction resistant to enzymatic digestion is called resistant starch. When rice is parboiled, the starch retrogrades with the formation of type 3-resistant starch (retrograded), which presents beneficial effects on the health, since it acts as a prebiotic. In the present study three types of rice were selected, with high, medium and low amylose contents, with the objective of evaluating the effects of conventional and parboiled rice on glycemia in Wistar rats. The samples with high and medium amylose contents were soaked for 6 h at 65 degrees C, and the low amylose sample for 7 h at 70 degrees C. The samples were subsequently autoclaved for 10 minutes at 0.7kgf x cm(-2). Six male Wistar rats were used for each treatment. Seven experimental diets were elaborated, formulated according to AIN-93M, the control diet and diets substituting the carbohydrate source with conventional or parboiled rice. Resistant starch was determined in the diets and glycemia monitored using glucose paper strips, the sample being blood obtained from the distal part of the rat's tail. For the glycemic curve, glycemia was measured in the fasting state and during 90 minutes post-prandial. The results indicated there were no significant differences between the diets formulated with high, medium and low amylose, parboiled or conventionally prepared, with respect to fasting or post-prandial glycemia in Wistar rats.