Intrinsic influence of various plasticizers on functional properties and reactivity of wheat gluten thermoplastic materials

Various compounds, differing in their chemical functions, number of functional group and degree of hydrophobicity, were tested as wheat gluten plasticizers in a thermoplastic process. A low melting point and a moderate hydrophobicity were found to be critical characteristics of a good wheat gluten plasticizer. The influence of five selected plasticizers (water, glycerol, 1,4-butanediol, lactic and octanoic acids) on functional properties of the wheat gluten network was investigated. Dried gluten was used to avoid any plasticization due to hydration water (usually around 10% for commercial gluten). The influence of plasticizer properties and content was studied by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, size exclusion-high performance liquid chromatography, tensile and water swelling tests. The plasticizing effect, at the same molar content, was found to be identical for water, glycerol and 1,4-butanediol. Lactic and octanoic acids were found to have higher and lower plasticizing effects, respectively. Mechanical properties were mainly related to the thermoplastic state of the materials. Water and lactic acid were found to confer smaller and larger extensibilities, respectively, to gluten materials. Thermo-mechanical reactivity also depended on plasticizer properties. Gluten aggregation, normally induced by heating, was prevented by the acidic environment produced by lactic acid. Water swelling behaviour was found to depend on the hydrophobicity of the plasticizer used, on the degree of gluten crosslinking and on the pH of the gluten-plasticizer blend.     

赖氨酸修饰对梯棱羊肚菌黑色素结构和理化特性的影响

为了进一步提高梯棱羊肚菌黑色素的提取率及溶解性,本试验采用单因素、Plackett-Burman试验、响应面试验对纤维素酶-超声波协同提取梯棱羊肚菌黑色素的提取工艺进行优化研究。通过赖氨酸修饰,并对修饰前后的梯棱羊肚菌黑色素进行结构表征、理化性质及稳定性研究。结果表明,在NaOH浓度为1.54 mol/L,纤维素酶添加量为20 mg/g,纤维素酶酶解时间为78.6 min,料液比为1:30,酶解温度为40 ℃,超声时间为80 min条件下提取的梯棱羊肚菌黑色素最优。未修饰的梯棱羊肚菌黑色素不溶于水,色价值为480.24,修饰后的黑色素溶解度为1 016 g/L,色价值为1 771.18,比未修饰的黑色素在溶解性、色价值方面均有所提高。此外,在不同的温度、光照、pH条件下,修饰前后的梯棱羊肚菌黑色素均比较稳定。以上研究结果为梯棱羊肚菌黑色素的高效提取及其产品的开发利用奠定了理论基础。     

Effect of process conditions and amylose/amylopectin ratio on the pasting behavior of maize starch: A modeling approach

The effects of different process conditions on the pasting behavior of the 14%, w/w suspensions of high amylose, waxy and normal maize starches at mixing speeds of 50, 160 and 250 rpm with the heating rates of 2.5, 5 and 10 °C/min were investigated. In addition, the impact of the starch mixture with an amylose-amylopectin ratio of 0–70% at 160 rpm and a heating rate of 5 °C/min on the pasting parameters was studied. According to the results, when stirring speed decreased from 250 rpm to 50 rpm, the peak viscosity dramatically increased. Furthermore, both heating and stirring rates significantly affected the pasting properties (p < 0.05). The amylose content of maize starch had a negative correlation with peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, and setback viscosity. Besides, syneresis values decreased as amylose content decreased from 70% to 0%. According to the kinetic modelling of pasting curves, starch coefficients were found to be higher than 1 for all starches, indicating that the penetration of water into starch granules increased granule swelling rate. The findings of the present study confirmed that both process conditions and amylose/amylopectin ratio can be optimized without necessity of starch modification to obtain the products with the desired quality.     

Thymol attenuates allergic airway inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mouse asthma

Thymol, a naturally occurring monocyclic phenolic compound derived from Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae), has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory property in vivo and vitro. However, the mechanism of thymol is not clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of thymol on allergic inflammation in OVA-induced mice asthma and explore its mechanism. The model of mouse asthma was established by the induction of OVA. Thymol was orally administered at a dose of 4, 8, and 16 mg/kg body weight 1 h before OVA challenge. At 24 h after the last challenge, mice were sacrificed, and the data were collected by various experimental methods. The results revealed that pretreatment with thymol reduced the level of OVA-specific IgE, inhibited recruitment of inflammatory cells into airway, and decreased the levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in BALF. Moreover, the pathologic changes of lung tissues were obviously ameliorated and goblet cell hyperplasia was effectively inhibited by the pretreatment of thymol. In addition, thymol reduced the development of airway hyperresponsiveness and blocked the activation of NF-κB pathway. All data suggested that thymol ameliorated airway inflammation in OVA-induced mouse asthma, possibly through inhibiting NF-κB activation. These findings indicated that thymol may be used as an alternative agent for treating allergic asthma.     

综合设计性实验在食品微生物实验中的应用探讨

随着人们对食品营养与安全问题重视程度的提高,高校对食品微生物实验教学质量提出了更高要求,而综合设计性实验为这种高要求提供了实现平台。探讨了综合设计性实验在食品微生物实验教学中应用的必要性,分析了综合设计性实验实施过程中体现的优势和出现的问题,并提出相应的解决方案,为综合设计性实验的广泛开展提供一定借鉴。     

Can soil moisture deficit be used to forecast when soils are at high risk of damage owing to grazing animals?

A potentially significant cause of damage to grassland soils is compaction of unsaturated soil and poaching of saturated or nearly saturated soil by animal hooves. Damage is caused when an applied stress is in excess of the bearing strength of the soil and results in a loss of soil structure, macroporosity and air or water conductivity. Severely damaged soils can cause reduced grassland productivity and make grazing management very difficult for the farmer. The actual amount of soil damage that can occur during grazing is dependent on the grass cover which acts as a protecting layer, the soil water content and the characteristics of the grazing animal (weight and hoof size). Assuming that the farmer is knowledgeable about the characteristics of the grazing animal and grass cover, it would be very useful for short‐term operational farm planning to be able to predict when soil water contents were likely to be in a critical range with respect to potential hoof damage. In this study soil moisture deficits (SMDs) which can be derived from meteorological forecasts are evaluated for predicting when soil water conditions are likely to lead to hoof damage. Two contrasting Irish grassland soils were analysed using a Hounsfield servo‐mechanical vertical testing machine to simulate static (285.4 N) and dynamic (571 N) hoof loads on the soil over a range of estimated SMDs (0, 5, 10 and 20 mm). The deficits were analysed with respect to the soil volumetric water content, compression (displacement) and change in dry bulk density. The SMDs imposed in the laboratory were similar to those under field conditions and thus the methods used in this study are applicable elsewhere. The change in dry bulk density following loading (0.2–0.7 g/cm³) was linearly related to SMD (R² ranged from 0.90 to 0.99), leading to the conclusion that a forecast of SMD can be used to predict when grassland soils are likely to be at risk of damage from grazing.     

Copper‐Induced Oxidative Stress and Responses of the Antioxidant System in Roots of Medicago sativa

The effects of various copper (Cu) concentrations on the antioxidative system in the roots of Medicago sativa were explored. The results indicated that the Cu content of the roots reached a value of 854 μg g^?1 DW at 10 μm Cu and a value of 4415 μg g^?1 DW at 100 μm Cu, suggesting that M. sativa has better ability to tolerate and accumulate Cu than other Cu‐bioaccumulators, and is a potential plant for phytoremediation. Treatment with Cu resulted in a significant increment in the levels of H₂O₂, O₂˙^? and OH˙. The reduced form of ascorbate and glutathione reached a peak at 30 μm Cu, and was followed by a sharp depletion to a lower level than that of the control. In contrast, the levels of the oxidised forms of ascorbate and glutathione showed a progressive increment with increasing Cu concentrations, suggesting that the antioxidant system was unable to cope with Cu stress at higher Cu levels. Under the Cu concentrations tested, the activity of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) increased at lower Cu concentrations, and then decreased, reaching a maximum at 30 μm of Cu for APX and GR, at 10 μm for CAT, whereas the activities of guaiacol peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) were gradually increased with increasing Cu concentrations. PAGE analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.1.5.1.1) revealed that one band is a Mn‐SOD and five bands are identified as Cu, Zn‐SOD, whereas Fe‐SOD isoforms were not found in the roots of alfalfa. Cu at 10–100 μm increased the intensity of constitutive isozymes of CAT, APX and POD, whereas it decreased the intensity of isozymes of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49) significantly. The activities of lipoxygenases (LOX, EC 1.13.11.12) were gradually augmented with increasing Cu concentrations, demonstrating that LOXs are probably involved in production of lipid hydroperoxides and superoxide anion. There was a continuous and pronounced enhancement in the activity of esterase (EST, EC 3.1.1.1) in roots treated with 10–30 Cu μm , whereas EST activity in roots exposed to above 30 μm Cu declined, suggesting that EST plays a protective role under lower Cu concentrations stress.     

南方地区高水分玉米安全度夏技术探讨

根据水分的高低,对新收购的高水分玉米分别储存在露天囤和高大平房仓中,将露天囤里的玉米通风降水后转入高大平房仓储存,再对玉米通风降温,并采取仓房密封、悬挂防晒网、空调控温等配套措施控制粮温,期间采取磷化铝多次补药熏蒸杀灭粮堆内害虫及霉菌,使玉米安全度夏。     

紫薯淀粉对小麦淀粉凝胶特性的影响

以小麦淀粉和紫薯淀粉为材料，利用质构仪、核磁共振、动态流变仪和扫描电镜等分析了紫薯淀粉添加量（0～15%）对小麦淀粉凝胶特性的影响。结果表明：紫薯淀粉添加量在0～15%范围内，随着紫薯淀粉添加量的增加，小麦淀粉凝胶的弹性和内聚性显著增加(P < 0.05)，添加量为10%时，变化最明显。混合淀粉凝胶的弹性模量（G′）和粘性模量（G″）随着紫薯淀粉增加而增加，而损耗角正切值（tanδ）呈下降趋势且小于1，表明混合淀粉凝胶的固体性质增强。在冻融循环过程中，与纯小麦淀粉相比, 混合淀粉凝胶的脱水缩合率呈下降趋势，表明紫薯淀粉的添加使小麦淀粉凝胶强度增大，凝胶网络结构变致密，所以水分难以从淀粉凝胶网络结构中析出。低场核磁中的结果显示，紫薯淀粉的添加，使小麦淀粉凝胶中的一部分自由水转化为弱结合水，提高了混合凝胶的持水性；凝胶网络结构扫描结果显示，紫薯淀粉的添加使混合淀粉凝胶的孔洞分布均匀且孔洞变小。综合结果表明，紫薯淀粉可增强小麦淀粉凝胶的网络结构，改善小麦淀粉的凝胶特性。