Alkaline extraction and characterisation of heteroxylans from maize bran

Response surface methodology was used to study the alkaline extraction of heteroxylans from maize bran. The ratio volume of alkali/weight of bran and the particle size had no effect on extraction yield, whereas the yield increased significantly with the temperature and time of extraction and the concentration of the alkali. The variation in the yield depended on the nature of the alkali, and empirical second-order models were built to fit the results obtained by extraction with KOH and Ca(OH)₂. Comparison of the compositional and structural features of the heteroxylans obtained by extraction with 0·8 m KOH at 85 °C, saturated Ca(OH)₂ at 95 °C and 0·5 m KOH at 65 °C with one obtained by industrial lime-cooking of maize kernels showed that all four samples were very similar and that a very high extraction yield (87 %) was achieved.     

Characterisation and functional properties of Australian rice protein isolates

Albumin, globulin, glutelin and prolamin fractions were isolated from an Australian rice variety (cv. Langi) and characterised by yield, protein content and molecular weight profile using both capillary electrophoresis (SDS-CE) and sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The influence of pre-extraction enzymatic hydrolysis of starch and heating to 70 °C was also investigated, as was the extraction of the glutelin fraction without prior removal of the albumin and globulin fractions. Pre-extraction treatment affected mainly the albumin fraction, increasing dry matter yield but reducing protein content. SDS-CE was able to separate the protein fractions over a wider molecular weight range than SDS-PAGE, and the peaks from SDS-CE showed slightly higher molecular weight compared to equivalent bands from SDS-PAGE. The glutelin fraction extracted without prior removal of albumin and globulin fractions had different characteristics compared to those obtained by conventional extraction methods. Pre-extraction hydrolysis of starch did not significantly affect the emulsifying, foaming and gelling properties of extracted protein. Although rice glutelin had poor solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties in aqueous systems, it had good gelling properties which could be important for food applications.     

Optimisation of the Selective Extraction of (Glucurono)arabinoxylans from Wheat Bran: Use of Barium and Calcium Hydroxide Solution at Elevated Temperatures

Two approaches were investigated in attempts to obtain a high extraction yield of (glucurono) arabinoxylans from water-unextractable cell wall material (WUS) of wheat bran using saturated barium hydroxide containing 0·26 M sodium borohydride. First, the effect of three pretreatments (autoclave treatment, alkaline peroxide and chlorite delignification) of the WUS prior to extraction appeared to have no effect on the extraction yield. Moreover, modifications to the composition and molecular weight distribution of the (glucurono)arabinoxylans occurred when such treatments were used. Second, the effect of an increasing extraction temperature and concentration of alkali was investigated. Increasing the extraction temperature improved the extraction yield of (glucurono)arabinoxylans from 29% at 20°C to 50% at 95°C. Increasing the barium hydroxide concentration with the temperature resulted in no further improvements in extraction yield up to 70°C. Above this temperature the extraction yield decreased. Substitution of barium hydroxide by calcium hydroxide resulted in lower yields and a lower selectivity; the lower solubility of calcium hydroxide may have been responsible for this. Supplementary experiments to investigate the mechanism of the selectivity of the bivalent hydroxide extraction with addition of sodium borohydride indicated a possible role for borate, derived from borohydride.     

Fractionation and characterisation of arabinoxylans from brewers' spent grain and wheat bran

Two agro-industrial co-products, brewers' spent grain and wheat bran, were fractionated by sequentially extracting with alkali of increasing strength. Over 60% of the brewers' grain biomass was solubilised by these treatments, compared with only 25% for wheat bran. The carbohydrate and phenolic composition of the solubilised fractions were determined, highlighting two compositionally different sets of fractions. In both co-products arabinoxylan was the main polysaccharide released. The degree of arabinose substitution of the extracted arabinoxylan diminished as the alkali strength increased. Insoluble residues contained both cellulose and non-cellulosic polysaccharides. In spent grain, the composition of the arabinoxylan in the residue was similar to that of the starting material. In wheat bran, the residual xylan was very highly substituted with arabinose. Both ferulic acid and three forms of diferulic acid (5,5′, 8-O-4′ and 8,5′) were present in the solubilised material, even after treatment with 4 M KOH. Esterified acetate was also present on polymers solubilised with KOH at concentrations up to 1 M. The more soluble fractions of spent grain represented a heterogeneous aggregation of feruloylated arabinoxylans with a broad molecular mass range, but the fractions extracted with stronger base were separated into low molecular weight moieties, presumably due to cleavage of covalent cross-links. Potential food and non-food uses for the isolated fractions from the cereal co-products are discussed.     

Functionality and characterization of kafirin-rich protein extracts from different whole and decorticated sorghum genotypes

The study of food-grade isolated kafirin proteins has increased recently due to the interest of their potential applications in gluten-free products. However, functionality of extracted proteins and fractions have been poorly characterized. In this investigation, kafirins were extracted from whole or decorticated sorghum genotypes (white-regular, white-waxy, red-regular and high-tannin) with 70% aqueous ethanol with metabisulfite. Chemical composition, color parameters, functionality and molecular characterization of kafirin extracts were determined. When kafirin extracts were obtained from decorticated sorghums, higher protein purities (81.5–93.3%), lower lipid contents (1.9–12.6%), better color parameters, and higher yields were obtained compared to counterparts extracted from whole caryopses. Functional properties of the extracted kafirins showed low water solubility, free amino nitrogen, and emulsifying activity, but adequate water holding and fat absorption capacities and in vitro protein digestibility. Differences in functionality were attributed to sorghum genotype. SDS-PAGE showed extraction of α₁-, α₂-, β-, and γ-kafirins with no contamination of other protein fractions. FTIR indicated a reduction in α-helix:β-sheet after extraction, especially in proteins obtained from decorticated sorghums. High correlations found from Pearson analysis could be used to optimize protein yield and the functionality (emulsifying activity and solubility) of the extracted proteins to be applied in gluten-free food systems.     

实验室规模分离大豆蛋白7S和11S组分技术研究进展

该文围绕目前实验室制备11S和7S组分的分离技术成果,结合作者所在实验室的分离技术(微小毛霉法),比较了各种分离方法的差异。早期分离提取技术利用的原理多为"碱溶酸提"和"冷沉"作用,之后不断辅以其它物理或生物技术进行改进,以提高各蛋白组分的回收率和纯度。其中,Thanh法首次完整地提出了大豆蛋白的组分分离方法,而Nango法和Wu法的引用次数较多,Deak法采用的Ca2+沉淀的方法效果则是实验室分离方法中的最优方法。     

Fractionation of Oat (1→3), (1→4)-β-D-Glucans and Characterisation of the Fractions

A commercial sample of oat β-glucan was fractionated through stepwise precipitation with ammonium sulphate to yield four fractions. These were analysed for apparent viscosity values, relative molecular weights using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography, and chemical structure by methylation analysis and analysis of water-soluble fragments released from the fractions by lichenase. Fractions exhibiting lower molecular size and decreased limiting viscosity values were precipitated at higher concentrations of ammonium sulphate. Methylation analysis indicated that in all fractions β-(1→3) and β-(1→4) linkages represented more than 90% of all linkages present. The β-(1→3) to β-(1→4) ratio in the fractions decreased with molecular size. β-glucan fractions with distinct physical and structural characteristics were obtained with the ammonium sulphate fractional precipitation technique.     

微波辅助提取绿茶对儿茶素组成及得率的影响

鉴于微波辅助提取绿茶对儿茶素的得率及其组成具有一定的影响但缺乏系统研究的事实,以绿茶为原料,以提取液中儿茶素的组成及得率为主要考察指标,以工业水提为对照,在系统研究微波辅助提取强度、时间、茶水比、水温及次数等单因子对儿茶素组成及得率影响的基础上,通过正交实验与验证实验,优化筛选了对儿茶素组成影响最小且得率较高的微波辅助提取技术参数,以为微波辅助提取茶叶的工业化推广应用提供参考。结果表明,在微波强度为539W、微波辅助提取时间为2min、茶水比为1︰25、水温为90℃、提取2次的条件下,微波辅助提取绿茶时对儿茶素的组成影响最小,EGC︰DL-C︰EC︰EGCG︰GCG︰ECG为3.25︰0.12︰1.00︰7.66︰0.49︰1.82,其得率依次为工业水提的130.47%、22.98%、124.62%、114.40%、7.39%和96.64%。该方法对于茶多酚、儿茶素的提取及利用具有较好的实用性、针对性。     

Potential of dry fractionation of wheat bran for the development of food ingredients,part II: Electrostatic separation of particles

Wheat bran is a composite material made of several layers, such as pericarp, testa and aleurone. It could be fractionated into purified fractions, which might either be used as food ingredients, or serve as a starting material for extraction of bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of using electrostatic separation as a way to obtain purified fractions from wheat bran. Ultrafine-ground bran obtained either by cryogenic grinding or by grinding at ambient temperature was used as starting material. The ultrafine bran was then charged by tribo-electrification and introduced in a chamber containing two high voltage electrodes, where bran particles were separated depending on their acquired charge, allowing positively and negatively charged fractions to be collected separately. The particle size distribution, microstructure and biochemical composition of the obtained fractions were studied. The charge of the particles was influenced by their biochemical composition: particles rich in highly branched and cross-linked arabinoxylans (pericarp) were separated from particles rich in β-glucan, ferulic acid and para-coumaric acid (aleurone cell walls). The testa and the intracellular compounds from aleurone were not highly charged, neither positively nor negatively. The most positively charged fraction represented 34% of the initial bran, and contained 62% of the ferulic acid present in the initial bran. The yield of the separation process was good (5.4% loss), and could be further increased.     

An improved method for extraction of sorghum polymeric protein complexes

A method for fractionating sorghum proteins using extraction solvents and techniques designed to obtain polymeric protein structures (especially disulfide linked) was developed. Extraction and separation conditions were optimized in terms of completeness of protein extraction, sample stability, and analytical resolution. After pre-extraction of albumins and globulins, a 3-step sequential procedure involving no reducing agents was applied to ground whole sorghum flour. The three fractions obtained represented proportionally different protein polymer contents and molecular weight distribution as evidenced by comparative size exclusion chromatography. Protein composition also varied among the extracts with differences in kafirin composition and non-kafirin proteins detected in the fractions by RP-HPLC and SDS-PAGE analysis. The ability to quantify and further characterize sorghum polymeric protein complexes will be useful for additional studies linking protein structures with functionality and digestibility and variations for these properties within diverse sorghum germplasm.     

Response surface optimization of antioxidants extraction from chestnut (Castanea sativa) bur

The chestnut bur, a forest waste product from chestnut processing in the food industry, was studied as a potential source of natural antioxidants. Extractions were performed using aqueous solutions of methanol or ethanol. Experiments were planned according to an incomplete 3³ factorial design to study the influence of temperature (25-75 °C), time (30-120 min) and solvent concentration (50-90%) on extraction yield and on extract properties: total phenols content, antioxidant activity (using the FRAP, DPPH and ABTS methods) and average molecular weights. All dependent variables were influenced by temperature and solvent concentration whereas the influence of time was almost negligible. Using the response surface methodology the optimal extraction conditions were selected: the highest temperature assayed (75 °C), the lowest solvent concentration (50%) and an extraction time of 75 min for the methanolic extractions and of 30 min for the ethanolic ones. Under those conditions the values predicted for extraction yield and total phenols content were 18.95% and 36.32 g GAE/100 g extract for the methanolic extract and 17.95% and 26.11 g GAE/100 g extract for the ethanolic ones. Methanolic extracts showed superior total phenols content and antioxidant properties and slightly higher extraction yields than ethanolic extracts; however, ethanol is recommended for food applications due to its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) qualification. Gallic acid esters of glucose, ellagic acid and small proportions of quercetin-3-β-d-glucoside, phenolic compounds with demonstrated antioxidant properties, were identified in chestnut bur extracts by RP-HPLC-ESI-TOF.     

Pretreatment Techniques and Green Extraction Technologies for Agar from Gracilaria lemaneiformis

Optimizing the alkali treatment process alone without tracking the changes of algae and agar quality with each pretreatment process will not achieve the optimal agar yield and final quality. In this study, we monitored the changes of the morphology and weight of algae with each treatment process, and comprehensively analyzed the effects of each pretreatment process on the quality of agar by combining the changes of the physicochemical properties of agar. In conventional alkali-extraction technology, alkali treatment (7%, w/v) alone significantly reduced the weight of algae (52%), but hindered the dissolution of algae, resulting in a lower yield (4%). Acidification could solve the problem of algal hardening after alkali treatment to improve the yield (12%). In enzymatic extraction technology, agar with high purity cannot be obtained by enzyme treatment alone, but low gel strength (405 g/cm²) and high sulfate content (3.4%) can be obtained by subsequent acidification and bleaching. In enzyme-assisted extraction technology, enzyme damage to the surface fiber of algae promoted the penetration of low-concentration alkali (3%, w/v), which ensured a high desulfurization efficiency and a low gel degradation rate, thus improving yield (24.7%) and gel strength (706 g/cm²), which has the potential to replace the traditional alkali-extraction technology.     

Evaluation of potential applications for chestnut (Castanea sativa) shell and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) bark extracts

The potential of chestnut shell and eucalyptus bark extracts as phenol substitutes in the formulation of adhesives, as chrome substitutes in leather tanning and as a source of antioxidants compounds has been studied. The influence of extraction conditions, type and concentration of alkaline compounds (NaOH, Na₂SO₃ and Na₂CO₃) and temperature, on extraction yield and on extract characteristics: Stiasny number, tannin content, total phenols content, FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) antioxidant capacity and molecular weight distribution was analysed. Chestnut shell extracts had much better properties than eucalyptus bark extracts and significantly higher extraction yields were obtained. The increase of temperature from 70 to 90 °C not only increased the extraction yield but also improved the quality of the extracts. For both materials, the 2.5% Na₂SO₃–90 °C extract, together with the 2.5% NaOH–2.5% Na₂SO₃–90 °C extract for chestnut shell, showed high extraction yields and the best properties for all the applications proposed.     

An extensive look into the effect of mercerization treatment on dimensional properties of cotton plain knitted fabric

Following our previous research [1], an extensive investigation on the effects of four mercerization treatment parameters namely, alkali concentration, time of treatment, bath temperature, and mercerization tension on dimensional properties of plain knitted fabric produced from cotton yarn is presented in this paper. Numerical values of constant geometry of the dry relaxed, wet relaxed, and mercerized samples were calculated according to Munden’s equations. Study shows that the area geometry constant values (K _s ) achieved after mercerization treatment was higher than values obtained for the samples subjected to dry and wet relaxations. Also, ANOVA test confirmed significant effects of each parameter itself and their interactions on dimensional properties of the fabric samples. Based on the results, applying less value of tension improves dimensional stability of the fabric but not for the samples mercerized in higher values of three other parameters. The alkali concentration had an optimum value in mercerization treatment. In mercerizing conditions carried out in high temperature and long time, lower alkali concentration is more efficient. Increasing time of treatment leads to achieve higher K _s value when lower value of alkali concentration is used. Most of the samples mercerized in bath temperature of 40 °C had the highest K _s . At the end of the research a statistical model was derived to predict the area geometry constant of the fabric.     

Fique fibers: Enhancement of the tensile strength of alkali treated fibers during tensile load application

Fique fibers were treated using Na(OH) solution at 5 w/v%, slack and under 1 N of tension, at room temperature, for 4 and 24 h respectively. Changes in their structure and composition were monitored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally their mechanical properties were evaluated and analyzed. Results showed that tensile load application during alkali treatment improves their tensile strength and modulus. The most important change in mechanical properties was achieved in fibers treated for 24 h under tension. However, these fibers presented a high standard deviation; due to this treatment causing an important defibrillation. Moreover, fibers treated for 4 hours under tension, enhance their tensile strength around 56 %, while slack treated fibers improve only 38 %. When fibers were treated under tension, cellulose microfibrills were rearranged in the direction of tensile application and the spiral angle decreased, increasing the molecular orientation.     

Sequential extractions and structural characterization of lignin with ethanol and alkali from bamboo (Neosinocalamus affinis)

A sequential process with the combination of ethanol and alkali aqueous solutions was utilized to extract lignin from bamboo (Neosinocalamus affinis), a potential lignocellulosic material. In this case, the successive treatments of dewaxed bamboo with 70% ethanol at 80 °C, 0.2 and 0.5 M NaOH, 70% ethanol containing 0.6 M NaOH, and 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 M NaOH at 50 °C, resulted in a total yield of acid-insoluble lignin fractions of 10.06%, corresponding to release of 62.25% original lignin from the cell walls. The lignin fractions obtained were then characterized by GPC, FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy, and sugar analysis. As compared to the alkali lignin fractions, the ethanol-soluble lignin fraction had a relatively higher molecular weight (2670 g/mol) and the content of carbohydrates primarily consisted of glucose 2.01% and xylose 1.90%. This suggested that the carbohydrate chains linked to lignin may increase the hydrodynamic volume of lignin and therefore increase the apparent molecular weight of the ethanol-soluble lignin. HSQC spectra analysis revealed that the alkali lignin fractions consisted mainly of β-O-4′ linkages combined with small amounts of β-β′, β-5′, β-1′ linkages, and p-hydroxycinnamyl alcohol end groups. Furthermore, minor amounts of esterified p-coumaric and ferulic acids were also detected in the lignins isolated.     

Ultrasound-Assisted Water Extraction of Mastocarpus stellatus Carrageenan with Adequate Mechanical and Antiproliferative Properties

Ultrasound-assisted water extraction was optimized to recover gelling biopolymers and antioxidant compounds from Mastocarpus stellatus. A set of experiments following a Box–Behnken design was proposed to study the influence of extraction time, solid liquid ratio, and ultrasound amplitude on the yield, sulfate content, and thermo-rheological properties (viscoelasticity and gelling temperature) of the carrageenan fraction, as well as the composition (protein and phenolic content) and antiradical capacity of the soluble extracts. Operating at 80 °C and 80 kHz, the models predicted a compromise optimum extraction conditions at ~35 min, solid liquid ratio of ~2 g/100 g, and ultrasound amplitude of ~79%. Under these conditions, 40.3% carrageenan yield was attained and this product presented 46% sulfate and good mechanical properties, a viscoelastic modulus of 741.4 Pa, with the lowest gelling temperatures of 39.4 °C. The carrageenans also exhibited promising antiproliferative properties on selected human cancer cellular lines, A-549, A-2780, HeLa 229, and HT-29 with EC₅₀ under 51.9 μg/mL. The dried soluble extract contained 20.4 mg protein/g, 11.3 mg gallic acid eq/g, and the antiradical potency was equivalent to 59 mg Trolox/g.     

Ultrasound assisted extraction of natural dyes and natural mordants vis a vis dyeing

Most of the natural dyes require mordants for their fixation on textile materials. Natural mordants are thus gaining importance in order to get complete-natural dyeing. In the present work, natural dyes and mordants were extracted using conventional and ultrasound methods and comparative studies were made. The natural mordants namely harda and tamarind seed coat and natural dyes like turmeric, henna were extracted using conventional and ultrasound approaches and various extracts obtained were described in terms of their optical densities. In order to verify the extraction efficiencies, wool fabrics were dyed with extracts of various combinations of mordants/dyes and dyed fabrics were evaluated for their colour strengths and fastness properties. The extent of colour extraction was higher in case of ultrasound assisted extraction as compared to that of conventional method. The fabrics dyed using extracts of ultrasound method showed higher colour values as compared to those dyed using extracts from conventional methods thus confirming ultrasound as more efficient method of extraction.     

Determination of the Extraction,Physicochemical Characterization,and Digestibility of Sulfated Polysaccharides in Seaweed—Porphyra haitanensis

The aim of the study was to extract Porphyra haitanensis polysaccharides (PHPs) using the water extraction and alcohol precipitation methods and explore their antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties. The single-factor and Box-Behnken response surface methodologies were used to optimize the extraction of polysaccharides from Porphyra haitanensis. Our results showed that the polysaccharide yield was as high as 20.48% with a raw material to water ratio of 0.04, and extraction time of 3 h at 80 °C. The extraction rate observed was similar to the actual extraction rate, thus proving the reliability of the optimization model. The extracted polysaccharides primarily consisted of galactose, glucose, and fucose in the molar ratio 76.2:2.1:1, respectively. The high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC) results showed that the molecular weight of the PHPs obtained was 6.3 × 10⁵ Da, and the sulfate content was 2.7 mg/mL. Fourier infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the functional groups and structures of the polysaccharides. The effect of concentration, temperature, and pH on the apparent viscosity of the PHPs solution were studied using rheology experiments, which revealed that PHPs were a “non-Newtonian fluid” with shear-thinning behavior. The viscosity of the PHPs gradually increased with increasing sugar concentration, and decreased with increasing temperature, acidity, and alkalinity. Detection of the antioxidant activity of OH*, DPPH*, and ABTS* revealed that the scavenging activity of ABTS* was higher than that of OH* and DPPH* in the concentration range of 1–5 mg/mL. In the experiments of simulating gastric juice and alpha amylase in vitro, it was found that PHPs can better resist digestion of alpha amylase, and have better resistance than fructooligosaccharide (FOS), so PHPs have potential prebiotic activity. These findings demonstrate the potential of PHPs for use in the food and cosmetic industries.     

地膜覆盖旱直播栽培对水稻产量及群体冠层特性的影响

通过田间试验,研究了地膜覆盖旱直播栽培水稻群体冠层的结构特性、生态特性以及产量和产量构成。结果表明：地膜覆盖旱直播栽培水稻产量高于常规水育秧栽培（CK）,有效穗数和成穗率增加。地膜覆盖旱直播栽培冠层各个层次的覆盖指数都显著低于常规水育秧栽培,冠层中、下层平均叶倾角大于常规水育秧栽培,叶片直立,增加了光的通透性。地膜覆盖旱直播栽培水稻冠层空气最高温度延迟2 h达到,且小于对照;冠层空气CO2浓度则较对照延迟2 h达到最低点,且12：00之前高于对照,14：00之后则低于对照;冠层空气水分含量12：00之前小于对照,14：00之后则略大于对照。说明地膜覆盖旱直播栽培改善了群体结构和生态特性,为水稻高产提供了较好的生态基础。