Interactive Effects of Arabinoxylan Oligosaccharides and Green Tea Polyphenols on Obesity Management and Gut Microbiota Modulation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice.

Dietary fiber and polyphenols have been shown to possess antiobesity properties. However, their combined effects need further investigation. This study investigated the individual and combined effects of arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (AXOS) from rice bran and green tea polyphenols (GTP) in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. We found that the combination of AXOS and GTP (A + G) significantly reduced overall fat mass and improved lipid profiles, although the effects were not synergistic. AXOS and GTP regulated lipid metabolism in different tissues and exhibited counteractive effects on gut microbiota. AXOS decreased α diversity and promoted Bifidobacterium, with GTP counteracting these effects. In vitro fermentation confirmed that GTP counteracted AXOS-induced microbiota changes in a dose-dependent manner. This study highlights the potential of tailored combinations of dietary fiber and polyphenols to treat obesity while considering their complex microbial interplay.

Extrusion treatment of rice bran insoluble fiber generates specific niches favorable for Bacteroides during in vitro fermentation.

To investigate the morphological changes of insoluble fiber and their effects on microbiota modulation, particularly Bacteroides, rice bran insoluble fibers were extruded at different feed moisture levels (E20, E40, and E60). The physicochemical properties and SEM revealed that E20 exhibited the highest water holding capacity and displayed the most fragmented edges. E40 had the highest swelling holding capacity and displayed the most lamellar gaps. E60 showed minimal change in physicochemical properties but had a rough surface. After 48h fermentation, E40 showed the highest levels of Bacteroides and SCFAs. E20 and E60 resulted in a modest increase in Bacteroides abundance. SEM showed that bacteria were attached to fragmented edges, loosened lamellar gaps, and rough surfaces of the extruded insoluble fibers. The results suggested that Bacteroides gained a competitive advantage within the extrusion treatment created structural changes. Extrusion treatment can be used to generate specific niches favorable for Bacteroides.

Resistant starch and tannic acid synergistically ameliorated dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis, particularly in the distal colon.

We previously confirmed that tannic acid could delay the metabolism of resistant starch in vitro, which suggested that tannic acid might deliver resistant starch to the distal colon in vivo. Accordingly, co-supplementation of resistant starch and tannic acid might be beneficial for keeping the distal colon healthy. Thus, this study compared the effects of resistant starch, tannic acid and their mixtures on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice. It was found that the mixtures had a more profound effect on ameliorating DSS-induced ulcerative colitis than resistant starch or tannic acid. In particular, the mixtures reversed the histology damage of the distal colon induced by DSS, while resistant starch or tannic acid alone did not. The mixtures also had a stronger ability to resist oxidative stress and inhibit inflammation in the distal colon. These results suggested that resistant starch and tannic acid synergistically alleviated DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, particularly in the distal colon. On the other hand, DSS decreased the production of short-chain fatty acids and induced significant microbial disorder, while the administration of resistant starch, tannic acid and their mixtures reversed the above shifts caused by DSS. In particular, the mixtures exhibited stronger prebiotic activity, as indicated by the microbial composition and production of short-chain fatty acids. Therefore, it was inferred that tannic acid delivered resistant starch to the distal colon of mice, and thus the mixtures had stronger prebiotic activity. As a result, the mixtures effectively alleviated ulcerative colitis in the whole colon.

Recent advances in the impact of gelatinization degree on starch: Structure, properties and applications.

During home cooking or industrial food processing operations, starch granules usually undergo a process known as gelatinization. The starch gelatinization degree (DG) influences the structural organization and properties of starch, which in turn alters the physicochemical, organoleptic, and gastrointestinal properties of starchy foods. This review summarizes methods for measuring DG, as well as the impact of DG on the starch structure, properties, and applications. Enzymatic digestion, iodine colorimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry are the most common methods for evaluating the DG. As the DG increases, the structural organization of the molecules within starch granules is progressively disrupted, the particle size of the granules is altered due to swelling and then disruption, the crystallinity is decreased, the molecular weight is reduced, and the starch-lipid complexes are formed. The impact of DG on the starch structure and properties depends on the processing method, operating conditions, and starch source. The starch DG affects the quality of many foods, including baked goods, fried foods, alcoholic beverages, emulsified foods, and edible inks. Thus, a better understanding of the changes in starch structure and function caused by gelatinization could facilitate the development of foods with novel or improved properties.

Effect of starch degradation induced by extruded pregelatinization treatment on the quality of gluten-free brown rice bread.

There is considerable interest in preparing high-quality gluten-free bread. The effect of the molecular structure of extruded pregelatinization starch on the dough's rheological properties and the brown rice bread's quality was investigated. Extruded rice starch (ERS) was prepared with various added moisture contents of 20 % (ERS20), 30 % (ERS30), and 40 % (ERS40), respectively. ERS had smaller molecular weight and more short branched chains as the moisture content decreased. The dough elasticity and deformation resistance were improved with the ERS supplementation and in the order of ERS40 > ERS30 > ERS20 at the same level. Fortification with ERS improved the gluten-free brown rice bread quality. Compared to the control group, breadcrumbs supplemented with ERS20 at the 10 % level showed an increase in cell density from 17.87 cm-2 to 28.32 cm-2, a decrease in mean cell size from 1.22 mm2 to 0.81 mm2, and no significant change in cell area fraction. In addition, the specific volume increased from 1.50 cm3/g to 2.04 cm3/g, the hardness decreased from 14.34 N to 6.28 N, and the springiness increased from 0.56 to 0.74. The addition of extruded pregelatinization starches with smaller molecular weights and higher proportions of short chains is promising for preparing high-quality gluten-free bread.

Preparation of liquid yogurt in the presence of pectin and its formation mechanism.

We had previously observed that adding pectin into milk before fermentation inhibited gelation of yogurt but did not affect the pH. Thus, this work aimed to prepare such liquid yogurt and clarify its formation mechanism. It was found that liquid yogurt was obtained in the presence of 0.10%-0.20% pectin. However, at lower or higher pectin concentrations, yogurt was gelled. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis demonstrated that 0.10%-0.20% pectin induced milk protein aggregating into separated particles rather than a continuous network, which explained why liquid yogurt was formed. Moreover, adding 0.10%-0.20% pectin into the casein micelle suspension induced aggregation of casein micelles at pH 6.8. After pH decreased to 4.3, casein micelles showed more aggregation but they were still separated particles, which was the same in the corresponding yogurt samples. These results suggested that pectin changed the aggregation mode of casein micelles and induced formation of liquid yogurt.

A review of the effects of fermentation on the structure, properties, and application of cereal starch in foods.

Fermentation is one of the oldest food processing techniques known to humans and cereal fermentation is still widely used to create many types of foods and beverages. Starch is a major component of cereals and the changes in its structure and function during fermentation are of great importance for scientific research and industrial applications. This review summarizes the preparation of fermented cereals and the effects of fermentation on the structure, properties, and application of cereal starch in foods. The most important factors influencing cereal fermentation are pretreatment, starter culture, and fermentation conditions. Fermentation preferentially hydrolyzes the amorphous regions of starch and fermented starches have a coarser appearance and a smaller molecular weight. In addition, fermentation increases the starch gelatinization temperature and enthalpy and reduces the setback viscosity. This means that fermentation leads to a more stable and retrogradation-resistant structure, which could expand its application in products prone to staling during storage. Furthermore, fermented cereals have potential health benefits. This review may have important implications for the modulation of the quality and nutritional value of starch-based foods through fermentation.

Preparation, structural characterization and properties of feruloyl oligosaccharide-rice protein hydrolysate conjugates.

Rice protein hydrolysate (RPH) and feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs) were conjugated under the catalysis of laccase and free radical, and the structure and properties of the resultant conjugates were studied. Electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that conjugation with FOs increased the molecular weight of some fractions in RPH, which confirmed the formation of both conjugates. The conjugation degree of laccase-induced conjugate and radical-induced conjugate was 60.45% and 22.70%, respectively. Laccase-catalyzed conjugation decreased the tyrosine residue content of RPH but had no significant effect on the free amino group content, which suggested that tyrosine residues were the conjugation site in the laccase-induced conjugate. However, radical-catalyzed conjugation decreased both the free amino group content and the tyrosine residue content, which indicated that both free amino groups and tyrosine residues were the conjugation site in the radical-induced conjugate. The ultraviolet, fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis revealed that conjugation with FOs significantly altered the secondary and tertiary structure of RPH. In addition, conjugation with FOs increased the solubility and antioxidant activity of RPH but decreased the emulsifying activity and stability. Particularly, the radical-induced conjugate had greater anti-aggregation capacity and antioxidant activity but lower emulsifying activity and stability than the laccase-induced conjugate, which might be due to that their conjugation site and degree were different.

Encapsulation of rutin in protein nanoparticles by pH-driven method: impact of rutin solubility and mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: The use of rutin in the food industry is limited by its poor solubility. Encapsulation can be used as an effective way to improve polyphenol solubility. Proteins with high safety, biocompatibility and multiple binding sites are known as the most promising encapsulating carriers. Therefore, the improvement of rutin solubility by pH-driven encapsulation of rutin in soy protein isolate (SPI) nanoparticles, as well as the form of rutin after encapsulation and rutin-protein binding index were investigated. RESULTS: SPI had a high encapsulation efficiency (87.5%) and loading amount (10.6%) for rutin. When the mass ratio of protein to rutin was 5:1, the highest concentration of rutin in solution was 3.27 g L-1 , which was a 51.57-fold increase compared to the original rutin. At this situation, rutin transformed from crystalline to amorphous form. During the formation of nanoparticles, SPI was in a dynamic change of unfolding and refolding. Rutin deprotonated in alkaline conditions increasing its solubility and bound to protein to form nanoparticles during the process of returning to neutral. Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding promoted the formation of the nanoparticles and there were at least 1-2 binding sites between rutin and each SPI molecule. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that encapsulation of rutin in protein nanoparticles can effectively increase the solubility of rutin. This study may provide important information for the effective utilization of polyphenol functional foods. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Complex bio-nanoparticles assembled by a pH-driven method: environmental stress stability and oil-water interfacial behavior.

BACKGROUND: Protein-based nanoparticles have gained considerable interest in recent years due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functional properties. However, nanoparticles formed from hydrophobic proteins are prone to instability under environmental stress, which restricts their potential applications. It is therefore of great importance to develop green approaches for the fabrication of hydrophobic protein-based nanoparticles and to improve their physicochemical performance. RESULTS: Gliadin/shellac complex nanoparticles (168.87 ~ 403.67 nm) with various gliadin/shellac mass ratios (10:0 ~ 5:5) were prepared using a pH-driven approach. In comparison with gliadin nanoparticles, complex nanoparticles have shown enhanced stability against neutral pH, ions, and boiling. They remained stable under neutral conditions at NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 mmol L-1 and even when boiled at 100 °C for 90 min. These nanoparticles were capable of effectively reducing oil-water interfacial tension (5 ~ 11 mNm-1 ) but a higher amount of shellac in the nanoparticles compromised their ability to lower interfacial tension. Moreover, the wettability of the nanoparticles changed as the gliadin/shellac mass ratio changed, leading to a range of three-phase contact angles from 52.41° to 84.85°. Notably, complex nanoparticles with a gliadin/shellac mass ratio of 8:2 (G/S 8:2) showed a contact angle of 84.85°, which is considered suitable for the Pickering stabilization mechanism. Moreover, these nanoparticles exhibited the highest emulsifying activity of 52.42 m2 g-1 and emulsifying stability of 65.33%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study revealed that gliadin/shellac complex nanoparticles exhibited excellent resistance to environmental stress and demonstrated superior oil-water interfacial behavior. They have strong potential for further development as food emulsifiers or as nano-delivery systems for nutraceuticals. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tannic acid delaying metabolism of resistant starch by gut microbiota during in vitro human fecal fermentation.

This work investigated the effect of tannic acid on the fermentation rate of resistant starch. It was found that 1.0 and 1.5 µmol/L tannic acid decreased the rate of producing gas and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from fermentation of resistant starch, and 1.5 µmol/mL tannic acid had a more profound effect, which confirmed that tannic acid delayed the metabolism of resistant starch. Moreover, tannic acid significantly inhibited the α-amylase activity during fermentation. On the other hand, tannic acid delayed the enrichment of some starch-degrading bacteria. Besides, fermentation of the resistant starch/tannic acid mixtures resulted in more SCFAs, particularly butyrate, and higher abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Blautia and Dorea, than fermentation of resistant starch after 48 h. Thus, it was inferred that tannic acid could delay the metabolism of resistant starch, which was due to its inhibitory effect on the α-amylase activity and regulatory effect on gut microbiota.

Fermentation of resistant starch from the starch-ferulic acid inclusion complex compared with high-amylose corn starch.

Fermentation of resistant starch from the starch-ferulic acid inclusion complex, one representative of the starch-polyphenol inclusion complex, was investigated in this study. It was found that this complex-based resistant starch, high-amylose corn starch and the mixture of ferulic acid and high-amylose corn starch were mainly utilized at the initial 6 h as indicated by the gas production and pH. Besides, the supplement of high-amylose corn starch, the mixture and the complex promoted production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), reduced the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) and selectively stimulated the proliferation of some beneficial bacteria. Specifically, the production of SCFAs in the control and high-amylose starch, mixture and complex groups was 29.33 mM, 140.82 mM, 144.12 mM, and 167.4 mM after fermentation for 48 h, respectively. Moreover, the F/B ratio of those groups was 1.78, 0.78, 0.8 and 0.69, respectively. These results suggested that the supplement of the complex-based resistant starch led to the most SCFAs and the lowest F/B ratio (P < 0.05). Moreover, the complex group had the largest abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001 (P < 0.05). In summary, the resistant starch from the starch-ferulic acid inclusion complex exhibited stronger prebiotic activity than high-amylose corn starch and the mixture.

Improving the Yield of Feruloyl Oligosaccharides from Rice Bran through Enzymatic Extrusion and Its Mechanism.

Rice bran, rich in feruloyl arabinoxylan, is a good source of feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs). To prepare FOs, bran was often hydrolyzed by amylase and protease to remove starch and protein and then hydrolyzed by xylanase, which was time-consuming and had a low yield. To solve the above problems, enzymatic extrusion was used to treat rice bran, and the effects of traditional hydrolysis, a combination of traditional extrusion and hydrolysis (extrusion-hydrolysis) and enzymatic extrusion on the yield of FOs were investigated and compared in this study. It was found that traditional extrusion and enzymatic extrusion significantly increased the yield of FOs. Particularly, the yield of FOs resulting from enzymatic extrusion was increased to 5.78%, while the yield from traditional hydrolysis was 4.23%. Microscopy analysis showed that extrusion damaged the cell wall of bran, which might increase the accessibility of xylanase to arabinoxylan and the yield of FOs. Spectroscopy analysis suggested that FOs obtained by different pretreatments had similar structures. It was obvious that enzymatic extrusion saved the time for removal of starch and protein and increased the yield of FOs. In addition, the highest yield of FOs was found at the moisture content of 30% and the screw speed of 50 rpm. This study provided an efficient method for the preparation of FOs that is suitable for industrial production.

Effect of sodium alginate on the yogurt stability was dependent on the thickening effect and interaction between casein micelles and sodium alginate.

The effect of sodium alginate (SA) on the yogurt stability and the related mechanisms were investigated. It was found that low-concentration SA (≤0.2 %) increased the yogurt stability, while high-concentration SA (≥0.3 %) decreased the yogurt stability. Sodium alginate increased the viscosity and viscoelasticity of yogurt and this effect was positively correlated with its concentration, suggesting that SA worked as the thickening agent in yogurt. However, addition of ≥0.3 % SA damaged the yogurt gel. These results suggested that interaction between milk protein and SA might play an important role in the yogurt stability besides the thickening effect. Addition of ≤0.2 % SA did not change the particle size of casein micelles. However, addition of ≥0.3 % SA induced aggregation of casein micelles and increased the size. And the aggregated casein micelles precipitated after 3 h storage. Isothermal titration calorimetry analysis showed that casein micelles and SA were thermodynamically incompatible. These results suggested that the interaction between casein micelles and SA induced aggregation and precipitation of casein micelles, which was critical in the destabilization of yogurt. In conclusion, the effect of SA on the yogurt stability was dependent on the thickening effect and the interaction between casein micelles and SA.

Impact of starch-lipid complexes on oil absorption of starch and its mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, fried food has a huge demand and good development prospects. Low oil in foods is the standard that everyone is now pursuing for a healthy diet. RESULTS: The oil absorption behavior of rice starch during frying was investigated in the presence or absence of fatty acids or fatty acid esters with different carbon chain lengths. The complex formed between starch and fatty acids or fatty acid esters was dependent on lipid chain length, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and complexing index. The formation of starch-lipid complexes could significantly reduce the oil absorption of starch, and the complexes with higher complexing index had lower oil absorption. The starch-palmitic acid complex showed the lowest oil absorption after frying, which was 14.06 g per 100 g lower than that of gelatinized starch. This was attributed to the ability of the palmitic acid to increase the density of starch crystalline polymorphs as well as their ability to complex with the amylose spiral cavity. CONCLUSION: These results may be useful for development of healthier fried starch-based foods with reduced oil contents. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Degradation kinetics of rutin encapsulated in oil-in-water emulsions: impact of particle size.

BACKGROUND: Rutin is a natural bioactive flavonoid that is poor in water solubility and chemical stability. Encapsulation can be used to protect bioactive molecules from chemical or physical decomposition during food processing and storage. Thus, the effect of initial particle size on the ability of oil-in-water emulsions to retain rutin during storage was investigated. RESULTS: Rutin was encapsulated in oil-in-water emulsions with different mean surface-weighted diameters: d3,2  = 0.56 µm (small), 0.73 µm (medium), and 2.32 µm (large). As expected, the resistance of the emulsions to coalescence and creaming during storage increased as the particle size decreased due to weakening of the colloidal and gravitational forces acting on the droplets. The concentration of rutin in the emulsions decreased during storage (28 days), which was mainly attributed to photodegradation of the flavonoid. The loss of rutin from the emulsions during storage was fitted using a second-order equation. The rutin degradation rate constant k decreased and the half-life t1/2 increased with decreasing droplet size, which was attributed to the stronger encapsulation and light scattering by smaller oil droplets reducing the amount of light that can penetrate into the emulsions. CONCLUSION: This study has important implications for the design of more efficacious emulsion-based delivery systems for incorporating health-promoting nutraceuticals into foods. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Arabinoxylan from rice bran protects mice against high-fat diet-induced obesity and metabolic inflammation by modulating gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids.

Rice bran is an important by-product of the milling industry. Arabinoxylan extracted from rice bran (RAX) is available in large quantities and is structurally different from other arabinoxylans from cereals. The anti-obesity effects of RAX and the role of microbiota have not been studied. In this work, we investigated the beneficial effects of RAX in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). We found that supplementation of RAX significantly ameliorated HFD-induced obesity. RAX decreased HFD induced lipid accumulation and regulated genes related to hepatic fatty acid metabolism. Regulated lipid metabolism is associated with reduced systemic inflammation as indicated by TNF-α and IL-6. RAX normalized the gut microbiota and its major metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). RAX restored the alpha diversity of the gut microbiota and increased the relative abundance of anti-inflammatory bacteria including Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia. RAX decreased pro-inflammatory bacteria including Anaerotruncus, Helicobacter, Coprococcus, and Desulfovibrio. Our results suggest that systemic inflammation bridges to the gut microbiota through LPS and SCFAs. RAX modulates the gut microbiota and SCFA production in the large intestine, thereby reducing systemic inflammation and ameliorating obesity. In brief, RAX prevented obesity through a mechanism related to the modulation of the microbiota and its metabolites.

Pre-fermentation of rice flour for improving the cooking quality of extruded instant rice.

Extruded instant rice (EIR) could not maintain an intact grain morphology during cooking, which seriously affected its cooking quality. The problem was solved by pre-fermentation of rice flour for 5-10 days. Consequently, the cooking loss was significantly reduced, while the hardness, stickiness and water absorption of EIR were significantly increased. The mechanism was that the gel network of EIR was strengthened by the following ways: (1) pre-fermentation significantly increased the total starch and amylose contents of rice flour due to the dissolution or leaching of lipids, ash and soluble proteins into the fermentation broth; (2) pre-fermentation degraded the amorphous region of starch granules by enzymes and organic acids, resulting in a molecular structure with lower polydispersity index and molecular weight, and higher proportion of long- and ultra-long branched chains of amylopectin. This kind of molecular structure was conducive to the formation of ordered double helix structures and strong gel network.

Influence of structural features and feruloylation on fermentability and ability to modulate gut microbiota of arabinoxylan in in vitro fermentation.

Introduction: Arabinoxylan (AX) is a versatile polysaccharide that shows various effects in modulating gut microbiota and health. The influence of arabinoxylan carbohydrate structural feature and feruloylation on fermentability and the effect of modulation of gut microbiota of AX was not clear. Methods: Arabinoxylans from rice bran and corn bran (RAX and CAX), and their deferulyolated counterpart dRAX and dCAX were fermented using an in vitro fermentation model. Structural information was determined based on monosaccharide composition. Gas production of fermentation products, SCFAs production, pH change, and microbiota change were measured. Results: RAX and dRAX posessed lower A/X ratio compared with CAX and dCAX. The gas and total SCFAs production were lower in RAX and dRAX, and the butyrate production were higher in RAX and dRAX compared with CAX and dCAX. Butyrate production was lower at dRAX compared to RAX. On the other hand, butyrate production was higher in dCAX than in CAX. The microbiota shift were different for the four fibers. Discussion: The AXs from rice have a higher A/X ratio than the AXs from maize, suggesting more branching and a more complex side chain. The structural difference was crucial for the difference in fermentation pattern. Different Bacteroides species are responsible for the utilization of rice AXs and corn AXs. Although feruloylation had a minor effect on the overall fermentation pattern, it significantly affected butyrate production and alpha diversity. dRAX promoted less butyrate than RAX, which is associated with a significantly lower amount of Faecalibacterium prausnitzi. dCAX promoted more butyrate than CAX, which may be associated with a lower amount of Bacteroides ovatus and a higher amount of Blautia in dCAX compared to CAX. The effects of feruloylation on the fermentation pattern and the resulted microbiota shift of AX varied depending on the carbohydrate structure.

Impact of rutin on the foaming properties of soybean protein: Formation and characterization of flavonoid-protein complexes.

The aims of present study were to determine the impact of rutin complexation on the ability of soybean protein isolates (SPI) to form and stabilize foams and its mechanism. At pH 7.0, the foaming capacity and foaming stability of the rutin-SPI complexes (28.33% and 14.22%) was appreciably changed when compared with that of SPI alone (19.64% and 32.95%). The improvement in foaming properties was mainly attributed to decrease gas bubble size and increase interfacial thickness as suggested by light microscopy analysis. UV-visible spectroscopy showed that the absorption peak of the SPI was increased and red shifted after complexation with rutin. ITC confirmed that there was an interaction between rutin and SPI. This interaction was hydrophobic interaction and the binding process was entropy driven. This study shows that the foaming properties of plant-based proteins can be improved by forming complexes with flavonoids, which may be useful for foaming agents in foods.