Addition of Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate to Corn and Sorghum Starch Extrudates Enhances the Performance of Pregelatinized Beer Adjuncts

Double mashing for wort production is a time‐consuming process that can be reduced if pregelatinized adjuncts are used. Optimal extruding conditions were determined to obtain brewing adjuncts from corn and sorghum starch. For corn starch extrusion, a Box–Behnken design was devised in which moisture, screw speed, temperature of the barrel, and concentrations of sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) were varied, and sorghum starch was extruded according to a 2³ model in which the modified variables were moisture, SSL concentration, and temperature. The aim was to maximize starch damage and minimize resistant starch and final viscosity as determined with a Rapid Visco Analyzer. The treatments that satisfied these requirements were mashed, and wort extract yield was determined. Glucose, maltose, and maltotriose concentrations in the resulting worts were determined by HPLC with a refractive index detector. Feedstock tempering and SSL content were the most important factors affecting the response; for corn starch, treatments with lower moisture (20%) and middle levels of SSL (0.5%) or with high levels of both moisture (40%) and SSL (1%) produced the most desirable samples for mashing, whereas for sorghum starch the best treatment was tempering to 20% moisture and containing middle levels of SSL (0.5%). No statistical differences were found between these experimental treatments and the control.     

Biology,incidence and host susceptibility of Pineus boerneri (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) in Colombian pine plantations

Adelgids (Hemiptera) in the genus Pineus have been reported as introduced insect pests causing serious losses to Pinus plantations worldwide. In 2008, Pineus boerneri was recorded for the first time in Colombia, with infestations noted on Pinus kesiya, P. tecunumanii, P. maximinoi and P. oocarpa. The lack of information on this insect in Colombia prompted investigations of its life cycle and infestation levels as well as host susceptibility of the main Pinus species planted in Colombia. In addition, the possibility of using a Ceraeochrysa species, an already established predator of adelgids in Colombia, for biological control was considered. Results showed that Pineus boerneri in Colombia has an anholocyclic life cycle comprised of four instars with a complete duration of between 49 and 97 d. Infestations were higher in the middle and upper part of trees. Pinus kesiya and P. maximinoi had the highest levels of susceptibility in field as well as in greenhouse trials. A survey of naturally infested trees showed P. tecunumanii to be moderately susceptible, whereas P. patula and P. oocarpa had low levels of susceptibility in a greenhouse trial but were not susceptible in the field. Investigations considering the impact of predation of Ceraeochrysa species showed a high predation rate of up to 140 P. boerneri consumed per day by a single Ceraeochrysa individual. Other predators of P. boerneri were recorded but were not sufficiently common to warrant detailed study.     

Generation of a Mixolab Profile After the Evaluation of the Functionality of Different Commercial Wheat Flours for Hot‐Press Tortilla Production

Refined wheat flours commercially produced by five different U.S. and Mexican wheat blends intended for tortilla production were tested for quality and then processed into tortillas through the hot‐press forming procedure. Tortilla‐making qualities of the flour samples were evaluated during dough handling, hot pressing, baking, and the first five days on the shelf at room temperature. The predominant variables that affected the flour tortilla performance were wet gluten content, alveograph W (220–303) and P/L (0.70–0.94) parameters, farinograph water absorption (57%) and stability (10.8–18.7 min), starch damage (5.43–6.71%), and size distribution curves (uniform particle distribution). Flours produced from a blend of Dark Northern Spring (80%) and Mexican Rayon (20%) wheat had the highest water absorption, and tortillas obtained from this blend showed the highest diameter and lowest thickness. The whitest and best textured tortillas were obtained from the flour milled from three hard types of Mexican wheat blend. A Mixolab profile was generated from the best tortilla flours, those produced by mills 3 and 4. The Mixolab profile showed that a good flour for hot‐press tortillas had a relatively lower absorption and short dough mix time compared with a bread flour and should have a significantly higher gluten compared with an all‐purpose flour. Compared with bread flour, the tortilla flour had higher retrogradation and viscosity values. The Mixolab profile proved to be a good preliminary test to evaluate flours for hot‐press tortillas.     

Nutrient status of apple leaves not affected by three years of irrigation using partial rootzone drying

Partial rootzone drying (PRD) is a water‐saving irrigation technology that may affect apple (Malus domestica Borkh cv. Golden Delicious/Malling7)‐tree nutrition if applied for an extended period. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that long‐term application of PRD causes seasonal changes in macro‐ and micronutrients of apple leaves. The irrigation treatments were: (1) commercial irrigation as control (CI) and (2) PRD. After 3 years of evaluation, PRD irrigation had saved about 3240 m³ of water per hectare. Leaf xylem water potential was slightly lower in the PRD treatment than in CI. The seasonal concentration of macro‐ and micronutrients was comparable between treatments, although significant differences were found at times. The macronutrient concentrations were within the normal range in PRD apple leaves. All micronutrient concentrations were slightly above the normal range except for Zn, which was slightly below the normal range. No physiological disorders associated with plant nutrition were observed on leaves or fruits. Therefore, data suggest that PRD did not alter apple‐tree nutrition during the 3‐year trial. Thus, PRD may be feasible for apple production in Central Mexico. However, further studies need to be conducted in those regions where groundwater is the main water source for irrigation and rain is negligible, particularly during the growing season.     

Polyphenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of White and Blue Corns Processed into Tortillas and Chips

White and blue corns of Mexican and American origins were lime-cooked to obtain nixtamals with optimal moisture (48–50%) for tortillas and chips. Blue kernels had less bulk density, softer endosperm and, consequently, required less cooking time than the white kernels. The optimum cooking regime for the white kernels was 100°C for 20 min, while the optimum for both pigmented genotypes was 90°C for 0 min (until the lime-cooking solution reached 90°C). Doughs, tortillas, and chips were characterized by total soluble phenolics (TSP), anthocyanins (ACN), and antioxidant capacity (AOX). A dough acidification procedure using fumaric acid (pH 5.2) was assessed as a means to improve TSP, ACN, and AOX retention. The Mexican blue corn had higher AOX (16%) than the American blue genotype, although the latter had a threefold higher TSP content (12.1 g/kg, dwb). Mexican and American blue corns had higher AOX capacity (29.6 and 25.6 μM trolox equivalents [TE]/g dwb), respectively, than the white corn (17.4 μM TE/g). White corns did not have detectable amounts of ACN, while blue Mexican and American kernels contained 342 and 261 mg/kg. Lime cooking had the greatest negative impact on the stability of TSP, ACN, and AOX. However, the acidification reduced ACN, TSP, and AOX losses by 8–23, 3–14, and 4–15%, respectively. Similar ACN losses were observed for both types of blue kernels when processed into nixtamal/dough (47%); however, ACN losses in tortillas and chips manufactured from the American blue genotype were higher (63 and 81%, respectively) than those of Mexican blue corn products (54 and 75%). ACN losses were highly correlated to TSP (r = 0.91) and AOX capacity losses (r = 0.94).     

Three-dimensional deformation measured in an alaskan glacier

Measurements of movement along 28 boreholes reveal the three-dimensional flow field in a 6 million cubic meter reach of Worthington Glacier, a temperate valley glacier located in Alaska. Sliding at the bed accounted for 60 to 70 percent of the glacier's surface motion. Strain rates in the ice were low from the surface to a depth of about 120 meters, but then increased rapidly toward the bed. Ice deformation was not affected by temporal changes in the sliding rate. The three-dimensional pattern of motion indicates that plane strain, which is often assumed by models, is a poor approximation of this viscous flow.     

Effect of Germination and UV‐C Radiation on the Accumulation of Flavonoids and Saponins in Black Bean Seed Coats

In the present study, we evaluated UV‐C radiation and germination treatments as an approach to increase the concentration of bioactive molecules in black bean seed coats. Black beans were germinated for 20 h under UV‐C radiation. Germination rate was higher in seeds radiated with UV‐C light compared with the control (nonirradiated seeds). Flavonoid content was increased twofold in seed coats of beans germinated for 10 h under UV‐C compared with the control. Quercetin‐3O‐glucoside was the major flavonoid identified in stressed seed coats. Furthermore, the application of UV‐C radiation during germination increased the content of soyasaponin Af, Ba, and αg, and it induced the de novo biosynthesis of soyasaponins (phaseoside I, soyasaponin deacetyl Af, and soyasaponin deactyl Ah) not present in the control. Germination of black beans under UV‐C radiation was an effective and simple approach to increase the concentration of bioactive molecules in black bean seed coats.     

Resistance levels of Spanish conifers against Fusarium circinatum and Diplodia pinea

Pitch canker, caused by Fusarium circinatum, and Diplodia shoot blight, caused by Diplodia pinea, are both damaging to pines (Pinus spp.) grown in plantations throughout the world, including Spain. To assess the potential for interspecific differences in susceptibility to contribute to the management of pitch canker and Diplodia shoot blight in the Atlantic region of Spain, the present study was undertaken to characterize the susceptibility of six pine species (P. sylvestris, P. nigra, P. pinaster, P. radiata, P. halepensis and P. pinea) and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) to F. circinatum and D. pinea. Based on inoculations of 2‐year‐old trees, Ps. menziesii, P. pinea and P. nigra were the most resistant to F. circinatum, with lesion lengths ranging from 3.7 to 21.5 mm, 2.2 to 12.6 mm and 2.8 to 30.9 mm, respectively. At the other extreme, Pinus radiata was the most susceptible, sustaining lesions that ranged from 8.5 to 74.8 mm in length. Pinus sylvestris, P. pinaster and P. halepensis showed an intermediate response to F. circinatum. Broadly similar results were observed in inoculations with D. pinea, with Ps. menziesii being relatively resistant and P. radiata being highly susceptible. Consistent with these results, field surveys revealed no pitch canker in stands of Ps. menziesii and low severity of Diplodia shoot blight, whereas P. radiata was severely affected by both diseases. Our findings suggest that selection of appropriate species can greatly reduce the risk of damage from two important canker diseases affecting pine plantations in the Atlantic region of Spain. Furthermore, intraspecific variation in susceptibility implies that selection may allow for the enhancement of resistance in otherwise susceptible species.     

Effect of Sorghum Decortication and Use of Protease Before Liquefaction with Thermoresistant α‐Amylase on Efficiency of Bioethanol Production

The aim was to study the dual effect of sorghum decortication and protease treatment before liquefaction with α‐amylase on the performance of subsequent steps of saccharification and fermentation. A bifactorial experiment with a level of confidence of P < 0.05 was designed to study differences among grains (maize, whole, and decorticated sorghum) and the effectiveness of the protease before liquefaction. Sorghum was decorticated to remove most of the pericarp and part of the germ and increase starch concentration of the feedstock. The decorticated sorghum had significantly higher starch hydrolysis during liquefaction compared with the whole kernel. These hydrolyzates contained ≈50% more reducing sugars than the untreated counterparts. At the end of saccharification, the final glucose concentration in hydrolyzates treated without protease was the highest for maize (180 mg/mL), followed by decorticated sorghum (165 mg/mL), and whole sorghum (145 mg/mL). Decortication and protease treatment had a significant effect on fermentation times. In decorticated sorghum mash treated with and without protease, fermentation times were 22 and 60 hr, respectively. The decorticated sorghum treated with protease yielded similar amounts of ethanol compared with maize and 44% more ethanol compared with the untreated whole sorghum. Both sorghum decortication and protease treatments before hydrolysis with α‐amylase are recommended to increase ethanol yields, lower yields of distilled grains, and save liquefaction, saccharification, and fermentation times.