Application of RVA and Time‐Lapse Photography to Explore Effects of Extent of Chlorination,Milling Extraction Rate,and Particle‐Size Reduction of Flour on Cake‐Baking Functionality

Three factors (extent of chlorination, milling extraction rate, and particle‐size reduction) in cake‐baking functionality of Croplan 594W flour were explored using a Rapid Visco‐Analyser (RVA) and time‐lapse photography. The extent of chlorination and milling extraction rate showed dramatic effects, but postmilling to reduce flour particle size was a less significant factor. RVA results showed that starch pasting was accelerated, and both peak and set‐back viscosities were enhanced, with increasing extent of chlorination. These effects were exaggerated by the high sugar concentration relevant to cake baking, compared to the same effects in water. Cake baking with chlorinated flours, in a formulation with 50% sugar (%S) and 275 parts total solvent (TS), showed that, as the extent of chlorination increased, cake moisture content and edge height decreased. Cake center height and shape factor were curvilinear, with maxima near flour with pH 4.6. Dramatic collapse occurred for cakes baked with unchlorinated flour samples, due to delayed starch pasting, as documented by time‐lapse photography and comparison to the geometry of the final cooled cakes. Starch pasting and egg white setting occurred too early for the cakes baked with excessively chlorinated flour (pH ≤4.0), but too late for the cakes baked with unchlorinated or insufficiently chlorinated flours (pH ≥4.9), compared to the ideal starch pasting and egg white setting behavior with appropriately chlorinated flours (pH >4.0 and <4.9). Informal sensory texture evaluation showed that cake mouthfeel was related to both moisture content per se and the relationship between moisture content and cake relative humidity (%RH). Excessive flour chlorination resulted in unacceptably dry cake mouthfeel.     

Influence of cambial age and climate on ring width and wood density in Pinus radiata families

? Context

The correlation between tree ring width and density and short-term climate fluctuations may be a useful tool for predicting response of wood formation process to long-term climate change.

? Aims

This study examined these correlations for different radiata pine genotypes and aimed at detecting potential genotype by climate interactions.

? Methods

Four data sets comprising ring width and density of half- and full-sib radiata pine families were used. Correlations with climate variables were examined, after the extraction of the effect of cambial age.

? Results

Cambial age explained the highest proportion of the ring to ring variation in all variables. Calendar year and year by family interaction explained a smaller but significant proportion of the variation. Rainfall had a positive correlation with ring width and, depending on test site, either a negative or positive correlation with ring density. Correlations between temperature during growing season and ring density were generally negative.

? Conclusion

Climate variables that influence ring width and wood density can be identified from ring profiles, after removing the cambial age effect. Families can be selected that consistently show desirable response to climate features expected to become prevalent as a result of climate change.     

Identification of strong aggregating regions in soy glycinin upon enzymatic hydrolysis

Upon hydrolysis with chymotrypsin, soy glycinin has a strong tendency to aggregate. The regions of glycinin from which the aggregating peptides originate were identified by accumulative-quantitative peptide mapping. To this end, the aggregating peptides were further hydrolyzed with trypsin to obtain peptides of which the sequence can be identified using RP-HPLC-MS/MS. This resulted in a hydrolysate in which 90% of the proteinaceous material was dissolved. The soluble fraction was analyzed using the method of accumulative-quantitative peptide mapping: fractionation using ion exchange chromatography, followed by identification of peptides by RP-HPLC-MS/MS, quantification based on the absorbance at 214 nm, and finally peptide mapping. For the peptide mapping the proportions in which each of the five glycinin subunits are present, as determined by Edman degradation, were taken into account. The results showed that mainly the basic polypeptide and a part of the acidic polypeptide, close to the location of the disulfide bridge between the basic and acidic polypeptides, are present in the aggregating peptide fraction. On the basis of the results obtained, an aggregation mechanism was proposed. The hydrophilic acidic polypeptides shield the hydrophobic basic polypeptides, and the former are preferentially degraded upon hydrolysis. This results in a net increase in hydrophobicity of the remaining material, which mainly consists of the basic polypeptide fragments. This increase in hydrophobicity is proposed to be the driving force in the aggregation of chymotrypsin-derived peptides of glycinin.     

Pesticide contamination of the upper Elbe River and an adjacent floodplain area

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Pesticide contamination of river waters is a global problem, and therefore, authorities regularly monitor the water quality status. Especially, flood events might...     

Phage display selection and characterization of single-chain recombinant antibodies against Eimeria tenella sporozoites

A single-chain antibody library against Eimeria tenella sporozoites was constructed by phage display. Antibody-displaying phage was selected in five panning rounds against cryopreserved E. tenella sporozoites. A 1000-fold increase in phage output and a 3000-fold enrichment were obtained after three rounds of panning, as the binding clones became the dominant population in the library. Ten clones were randomly selected from the last selection round, and their nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared to chicken germ-line sequences. Analysis of the light chain variable regions revealed possible donor pseudogenes which act as donors in gene conversion events, and contribute to the diversification of the V(L) immune repertoire. Possible somatic hypermutation events, a consequence of affinity maturation, were also identified. Soluble antibody was produced in a non-suppressor E. coli strain, purified by nickel affinity chromatography, and characterized by immunoblotting. In an immunofluorescence assay, this recombinant antibody showed specific binding to E. tenella sporozoites.     

Isolation of Escherichia fergusonii from the feces and internal organs of a goat with diarrhea

A fecal sample from a 42-year-old goat with a 2-month history of poor weight gain and diarrhea yielded a moderate growth of an organism resembling Salmonella spp. on MacConkey agar. The organism was identified as Escherichia fergusonii. The animal was euthanized. Samples of intestine, lung, liver, and kidney yielded the same organism, E. fergusonii.     

Biofortification of common bean as a complementary approach to addressing zinc deficiency in South Africans

Deficiencies of vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc (Zn) in humans are caused partly by the consumption of food that has insufficient quantities of these. Their deficiency has a negative impact on the health, wellbeing, social and economic status of human beings. A national survey conducted in 2012 identified deficiencies of vitamin A, Fe, and Zn among other nutrients in South Africans and regarded the deficiencies of vitamin A and Fe as a moderate but not Zn. This review discusses causes of Zn prevalence in low-income South Africans and that it is largely caused by the low content of Zn in their diets. Initiatives to reduce Zn deficiency include fortification of wheat products and maize meal which has failed to address it successfully. Weaknesses of fortification include high cost of fortified food products to low-income populations, poor regulation in ensuring compliance in fortification, non-fortification of sorghum meal, and leaching of fortified nutrients during processing. This review suggests Zn-biofortification of locally-preferred common bean cultivars as an alternative strategy to compliment fortification. The review also discusses advantages of adopting biofortified Nutritional Andean common beans. Furthermore, the review suggests initiatives including evaluation of the common bean genotypes’ adaptation to different agro-ecologies.     

Development of a Benchtop Baking Method for Chemically Leavened Crackers. I. Identification of a Diagnostic Formula and Procedure

A benchtop baking method has been developed to predict the contribution of gluten functionality to overall flour performance for chemically leavened crackers. To identify a diagnostic cracker formula, the effects of leavening system (sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and ammonium bicarbonate), sugar concentration (%S), and total solvent (TS) on cracker‐baking performance were explored. From preliminary experiments to establish a production procedure, 10 min of dough‐mixing time, a cord‐weave baking mesh, and a 500°F oven temperature were selected. For the leavening system, increasing ammonium bicarbonate (ABC) level at constant sodium bicarbonate (soda) and monocalcium phosphate (MCP) levels resulted in increased cracker height. For the diagnostic formula, 1.25 g of soda, 1.25 g of MCP, and 1.25 g of ABC were selected, based on 100 g of flour. As the sugar concentration in the cracker formula, at constant total solvent (38 TS), decreased to <20%, the resulting cracker dough became softer, and the baked cracker exhibited an increased blistering tendency because of a too‐high formula water level. In contrast, a cracker dough formulated with >40% sugar concentration was too crumbly to handle and sheet. As the total solvent in the cracker formula increased at constant sugar concentration (≈23.7%S), the resulting dough became softer. A dough with 34 TS was too crumbly to handle, while doughs with 42 and 46 TS were too soft to handle and resulted in blistering. Therefore, 38 TS and 23.7%S were identified for the diagnostic formula. Crackers baked with a hard wheat flour, a soft wheat flour, and blends validated the utility of the developed method.