Pickering emulsion stabilized by composite-modified waxy corn starch particles.

The starch-based Pickering stabilizer has attracted more research interest recently, however, its application in food system is limited due to the low digestibility of raw starch particles. In this study, waxy corn starches were modified with octenyl succinic anhydride and then treated by dry heating at 180 °C for 20-60 min. Pickering emulsions stabilized by the composite-modified starch particles were fabricated, the physical stability, rheology property and microstructure of the emulsions were investigated. The results showed that the composite-modified starches maintained granule structure, their gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy significantly reduced after heat treatment (p < 0.05). Compared with native starch, the composite-modified starches had bigger three-phase contact angles and higher in vitro digestibility, while the relative crystallinity decreased from 32.46% to 24.87%. Pickering emulsions stabilized by composite-modified starch particles had long-term stability up to 300 days. The rheology results showed that all emulsions exhibited pseudoplastic behaviors and had higher storage modulus than loss modulus. Moreover, the viscosities decreased when the starch was roasted for 40 and 60 min. The composite-modified starch particles and few starch macromolecules at oil-water interface stabilized the emulsions collectively. These results provide a new strategy for designing an edible Pickering stabilizer.

Contribution of tobacco composition compounds to characteristic aroma of Chinese faint-scent cigarettes through chromatography analysis and partial least squares regression.

To further explore the aroma mechanism of Chinese faint-scent cigarettes, the contribution of tobacco leaf composition, including six kinds of saccharides, eight tobacco alkaloids, seventeen kinds of organic acids, eighteen kinds of amino acids and four ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+), on aroma quality characteristic (freshness, flowery and acidic notes) of faint-scent cigarettes was analyzed by chromatography and PLSR. The results showed that (i) xylose, fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose were negatively correlated to acidic note, while galactose showed significantly positive correlation to acidic note. (ii) Phenylalanine and proline showed significant and positive correlation with characteristic aromas. Proline contributed to freshness and flowery, while leucine significantly contributed to acidic note. (iii) Most organic acids were significantly correlated to characteristic aromas. Palmitic acid and stearic acid contributed to the freshness, while dodecanoic acid and palmitic acid significantly contributed to flowery. (iv) Tobacco Na ion plays negative and significant correlation to acidic note.

Tobacco alkaloids reduction by casings added/enzymatic hydrolysis treatments assessed through PLSR analysis.

Based on encouraged development of potential reduced-exposure products (PREPs) by the US Institute of Medicine, casings (glucose and peptides) added treatments (CAT) and enzymatic (protease and xylanase) hydrolysis treatments (EHT) were developed to study their effect on alkaloids reduction in tobacco and cigarette mainstream smoke (MS) and further investigate the correlation between sensory attributes and alkaloids. Results showed that the developed treatments reduced nicotine by 14.5% and 24.4% in tobacco and cigarette MS, respectively, indicating that both CAT and EHT are potentially effective for developing lower-risk cigarettes. Sensory and electronic nose analysis confirmed the significant influence of treatments on sensory and cigarette MS components. PLSR analysis demonstrated that tobacco alkaloids were positively correlated to the off-taste, irritation and impact attributes, and negatively correlated to the aroma and softness attributes. Additionally, nicotine and anabasine from tobacco leaves positively contributed to the impact attribute, while they negatively contributed to the aroma attribute (P<0.05). Meanwhile, most alkaloids in cigarette MS positively contributed to the impact and irritation attributes (P<0.05). Hence, this study paved a way to better understand the correlation between tobacco alkaloids and sensory attributes.