Starch-based environment friendly, edible and antimicrobial films reinforced with medicinal plants.

In the current study, cornstarch-based antimicrobial and edible films were designed using solution-casting methods. The medicinal plants (Acontium heterophyllum, Artemisia annua, and Thymus serpyllum) reinforced the gelatinized solution in different concentrations as fillers. The effect of plant extracts on antimicrobial and antioxidant potential, microstructure, barrier, thermal and mechanical properties of cornstarch-based films (SBFs) was investigated using antimicrobial activity, DPPH free radical scavenging values, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, water vapor transmission rate, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile strength. Likewise, it was depicted that the geometric and crystalline structures of medicinal plants' reinforced films remained the same even after processing. The mechanical tests indicated that the plant extracts effects are associated with reduced elongation, increasing tensile strength, and Young's modulus. Morphological analysis revealed the generation of uniform and the compact surfaces. However, films with 10% concentration of plant extracts have the lowest water vapor permeability values, and emerged better barrier properties. Moreover, these films showed the significant antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity.

Modeling the drying of ultrasound and glucose pretreated sweet potatoes: The impact on phytochemical and functional groups.

The influence of ultrasonic frequency (20 kHz) and glucose pretreatments either alone or in combination on the drying of sweet potato slices (3 mm) using a hot-air dryer at 60 °C was tested to study the kinetics modeling, phytochemicals, antioxidant activities, and functional and textural changes of the final dried product. The results indicated that total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were significantly higher in glucose-pretreated samples while antioxidant activities were higher in ultrasound- and glucose-pretreated samples. For vitamin C, much degradation occurred in the glucose-pretreated samples when compared with the other pretreated samples apart from the control. Enzymatic browning made a minor contribution to the ultrasound/glucose-pretreated samples, while no significant differences were noted in the glucose-pretreated samples. A modified Henderson and Pabis (MHP) model, followed by the two-term and Hii models, fitted best among the 15 selected mathematical models. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the presence of glucose, phenols, and flavonols in all samples. Microstructural analysis confirmed the hardness (N) in the final glucose-pretreated samples due to glucose layers and less cell damage.

A new continuous system of enzymatic hydrolysis coupled with membrane separation for isolation of peptides with angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory capacity from defatted corn germ protein.

In this study, separation of peptides with Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory capacity obtained from ultrasonically pretreated defatted corn germ protein (DCGP) by using a new continuous system of enzymatic hydrolysis coupled with membrane separation (EHC-MS) was investigated. Ultrasonic pretreatment was applied to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of DCGP, as proved in our previous study. The EHC-MS system was operated in two modes which included the batch system and continuous system with continuous water and substrate feeding and was compared with the EH-offline-MS system. The selection of the membrane was based on the hydrolysate fraction which had the highest activity for inhibition of ACE. The results showed that the 1-3 kDa fraction of DCGP hydrolysates had the lowest IC50 value (0.124 mg mL-1) for inhibition of ACE. The degree of conversion (%) of DCGP and output of peptides per unit of the enzyme were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 55.3% and 55% in the EHC-MS batch process and 79% and 473% in the EHC-MS continuous operation compared to the EH-offline-MS system. The EHC-MS using continuous water and substrate feeding operation was noted to be the best in terms of a high degree of DCG protein conversion (75.68 ± 1.34) and the output of peptides per unit of the enzyme (78.65 ± 1.13). The results revealed that the EHC-MS method with constant water and substrate feeding could show a better application in peptide production in the food industry.

Effect of a multi-frequency counter-current S-type ultrasound pretreatment on the defatted corn germ protein: enzymatic hydrolysis, ACE inhibitory activity and structural characterization.

In this work, a defatted corn germ protein (DCGP) was pretreated with single frequency ultrasound at 20 kHz (SFU) and multi-frequency ultrasounds (20, 28, 35 and 40 kHz) (MFU). The microstructures, morphology, amino acid content, degree of hydrolysis, protein hydrolysate concentration and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of the DCGP hydrolysate were analyzed. The results showed that both SFU and MFU pretreatments increased the ACE inhibitory activity of the DCGP hydrolysate more than that observed for the traditional method. Also, the SFU pretreatment showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity of 54% in comparison with that of the DCGP hydrolysates obtained via the traditional and MFU pretreatment methods. The results of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, surface hydrophobicity studies, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the extent of the changes that occurred in the microstructures and morphology of DCGP pretreated with SFU and MFU. The results also indicated that the hydrophobic amino acid concentration was comparably higher in DCGP pretreated with SFU and MFU than that in the DCG protein isolated via the traditional method.

Preliminary study to evaluate the phytochemicals and physiochemical properties in red and black date's vinegar.

Antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids, carotenoids, pH, and total titratable acidity of red and black date's vinegar were analyzed. The extraction method was designed and optimized for this purpose with respect to the variety and solvent concentrations along with the time of ultrasonication. The results showed that red dates' vinegar has significantly (p < 0.05) higher total phenols (3.38 ± 0.13 mg GAE/ml) and antioxidant activity as compared to black dates' vinegar, which had a higher amount of carotenoids (3.43 ± 0.11 mg/100 ml). Similarly, red dates' vinegar has more flavonoids as compared to commercially available Zhenjiang vinegar. In terms of physiochemical properties, both red and black date's vinegar were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Use of 50% and 80% methanol with 25 min of ultrasonication for extraction seemed more effective. The total phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, carotenoids, and physiochemical analysis of the red and black date's vinegar indicated that vinegar from dates (red or black dates) is a competitive product in the marketplace.

Effect of infrared drying with multifrequency ultrasound pretreatments on the stability of phytochemical properties, antioxidant potential, and textural quality of dried sweet potatoes.

The study aims to determine drying of sweet potatoes using multifrequency ultrasound (US) pretreatments (20, 40, and 60 kHz) at three different infrared (IR) drying temperatures (60, 70, and 80°C) and evaluate the phytochemical and textural quality of the dried product. Drying time was significantly decreased in moderate US frequency (40 kHz) at 70°C with the increasing drying temperature. Comparing to the fresh samples, the dried samples showed the highest amount of phytochemical contents. The antioxidant activity of the samples increased especially at 60 kHz and 80°C, while US-IR treatments shown a positive impact on total carotenoids contents and ß-carotene. For phenolic compounds, Ellagic acid and Rutin were quantified in higher amount while Quercetin-3-rhamnoside and Quercetin 3-ß-D-glucoside were two new compounds identified for the first time in sweet potatoes. FTIR spectra showed the successful synthesis of OH group and phenolics in samples treated with the US at 20 kHz. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study investigated the effects of multifrequency ultrasound with different infrared drying temperatures. The study provides evidence that infrared drying application in synergy with ultrasonic pretreatments can improve drying efficiency and food quality much better than using each method alone. Total phenolic contents and total flavonoid contents remained stable at US 40 kHz and 60°C conditions. The findings showed that moderate ultrasound frequency (40 kHz) at 60°C improved phytochemical properties while antioxidant activities showed better preservation response at 80°C with 60 kHz. In addition, the samples treated with the same US treatment at 40 kHz showed less cell breakage in SEM analysis.

Relationships between the structure of wheat gluten and ACE inhibitory activity of hydrolysate: stepwise multiple linear regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound pretreatment of wheat gluten (WG) before enzymolysis can improve the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates by alerting the structure of substrate proteins. Establishment of a relationship between the structure of WG and ACE inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates to judge the end point of the ultrasonic pretreatment is vital. RESULTS: The results of stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) showed that the contents of free sulfhydryl, α-helix, disulfide bond, surface hydrophobicity and random coil were significantly correlated to ACE Inhibitory activity of the hydrolysate, with the standard partial regression coefficients were 3.729, -0.676, -0.252, 0.022 and 0.156, respectively. The R(2) of this model was 0.970. External validation showed that the stepwise MLR model could well predict the ACE inhibitory activity of hydrolysate based on the content of free sulfhydryl, α-helix, disulfide bond, surface hydrophobicity and random coil of WG before hydrolysis. CONCLUSION: A stepwise multiple linear regression model describing the quantitative relationships between the structure of WG and the ACE Inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates was established. This model can be used to predict the endpoint of the ultrasonic pretreatment. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Potential Uses of Vinegar as a Medicine and Related in vivo Mechanisms.

While the use of vinegar to fi ght against infections and other crucial conditions dates back to Hippocrates, recent research has found that vinegar consumption has a positive effect on biomarkers for diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases. Different types of vinegar have been used in the world during different time periods. Vinegar is produced by a fermentation process. Foods with a high content of carbohydrates are a good source of vinegar. Review of the results of different studies performed on vinegar components reveals that the daily use of these components has a healthy impact on the physiological and chemical structure of the human body. During the era of Hippocrates, people used vinegar as a medicine to treat wounds, which means that vinegar is one of the ancient foods used as folk medicine. The purpose of the current review paper is to provide a detailed summary of the outcome of previous studies emphasizing the role of vinegar in treatment of different diseases both in acute and chronic conditions, its in vivo mechanism and the active role of different bacteria.

Higher events rate in patients with a normal gated myocardial perfusion imaging with dipyridamole than exercise: "Run for reliability".

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this is to evaluate the negative predictive value (NPV) of a normal gated myocardial perfusion imaging (NGMPI) with exercise and dipyridamole in a propensity matched population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study conducted at Nuclear Cardiology Department of Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, Karachi from December 2008 until June 2010. A total of 809 patients with a NGMPI with adequate exercise (558/809) or dipyridamole (251/809) stress were included and followed-up for 12-30 months (mean 24 ± 3 months) for fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarctions (MI). RESULTS: Mean ejection fraction (%), end diastolic volume (ml), and end systolic volume (ml) in exercise and dipyridamole cohorts were (72 ± 08, 66 ± 11), (68 ± 13, 81 ± 17), and (19 ± 11, 26 ± 12) respectively. On follow-up, in dipyridamole cohort 2 fatal and 6 non-fatal MIs were reported. While in exercise cohort only 2 non-fatal MIs were reported. The NPV of a NGMPI with exercise was 99.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 98.93-99.96%) with an event rate of 0.3% (95% CI; 0.03-0.6%) and annualized event rate of 0.15%. The NPV of NGMPI with dipyridamole was 96.80% (95% CI; 2.2-4.3%) with an event rate of 3.2% (95% CI; 1.39-3.83%) and annualized event rate of approximately 1.6%. Event free survival for dipyridamole group was significantly lower than exercise analyzed by Log-rank test (14.509, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A NGMPI with dipyridamole stress has higher event rate (low-NPV) as compared with exercise and this raises concern over its credibility to label these patients into low-risk group.

Predictive and prognostic values of transient ischemic dilatation of left ventricular cavity for coronary artery disease and impact of various managements on clinical outcome using technetium-99m sestamibi gated myocardial perfusion imaging.

BACKGROUND: Transient ischemic dilatation (TID) of LV cavity during stress gated myocardial perfusion imaging (GMPI) is known as a predictor of severe CAD and signifies worse prognosis. OBJECTIVES: To assess predictive and prognostic value of TID of LV cavity using GMPI and clinical outcome in patients treated conservatively or with revascularization. METHODS: 189 patients out of 2689 were recruited (M:F 127/62, mean age 56 ± 9 years) whose same-day stress GMPI revealed TID ratio (> 1.22) with no (sum stress score, SSS < 2) or reversible perfusion defects (sum difference score, SDS > 2). Coronary angiography (CA) was performed within 3 months in 125/189 cases who were followed for mean period of 18 ± 4 months for fatal or non-fatal MI. RESULTS: CA was positive in 121/125 patients with TID for significant CAD (LAD = 11, multi vessel disease = 110 patients, positive predictive value 95%) and negative for obstructive disease in 4/125 (false-positive cases). 41/121 underwent revascularization within 2 months of CA (Intervention group), and remaining 80/121 were managed conservatively (Non-Intervention group). Overall event rate was 20% (4/16%: fatal/non-fatal MIs). Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed event-free survival in Intervention and Non-Intervention groups for fatal MI 98/96% (P = 0.758), and for non-fatal MI, it was 97/58%, respectively (P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: We conclude that TID is a reliable predictor of multi vessel CAD and is associated with high incidence of non-fatal MIs than fatal MIs. Revascularization (PCI/CABG) rather than medical treatment should be considered in patients with TID for better clinical outcome.