Measurement of Blend Concentrations of Conventional and Waxy Hard Wheats Using NIR Spectroscopy

Breeding development of waxy (amylose‐free) hard wheat lines adapted to the North American climate has been underway for more than a decade, with releases of competitive varieties imminent. Because of required identity preservation and a possible premium value placed on waxy lots, a rapid and accurate method is desired to identify and quantify the mixing of conventional wheat with waxy wheat, a condition that might occur at harvest or any point downstream. Our previous work demonstrated that lines pure with waxy starch can be identified from nonwaxy lines by use of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy applied either on a whole kernel or ground meal basis. However, mixture quantification by NIR techniques has not been examined until now. Using hard winter wheat grown in two seasons (2011 and 2012) and at two locations (Nebraska and Arizona), a series of mixtures ranging in proportion (conventional/waxy) percentage by weight, from 0:100 to 100:0, were formed from nine pairs of waxy and nonwaxy varieties or lines, with year and location being consistent within a pair. Twenty‐nine mixtures (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, …, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, and 100%) were formed for each pair. Partial least squares regression models were developed by using eight of the nine pairs, with model validation accomplished by using the pair excluded. This procedure was repeated for each pair. The results indicate that, regardless of sample format or spectral pretreatment, the optimal models typically produce coefficients of determination in excess of 0.98, with standard errors of 4–7%, thus demonstrating the feasibility of the use of the NIR technique to predict the mixture level to within 10% by weight.     

Whole Grain Amylose Analysis in Maize Using Near-Infrared Transmittance Spectroscopy

The development of genetically modified starches has relied on the use of maize (Zea mays L.) endosperm mutant alleles that alter starch structural and physical properties. A rapid method for predicting amylose content would benefit breeders and commercial handlers of specialty starch corn. For this reason, a study was conducted to investigate the use of near-infrared transmittance spectroscopy (NITS) as a rapid and nondestructive technique for predicting grain amylose content (GAC) in maize. Many single- and double-mutant inbreds and hybrids were used to create a calibration set for the development of a predictive model using partial least squares analysis. A validation set composed of similar genetic material was used to test the prediction model. A coefficient of correlation (r) of 0.94 was observed between GAC values determined colorimetrically and those predicted by NITS; however, the predicted values were associated with a large standard error of prediction (SEP = 3.5). Overall, NITS discriminated well among high amylose and waxy genotypes. The NITS calibration was used to determine levels of contamination by normal kernels in waxy and high-amylose (Amy VII) grain samples intended for wet milling. In both cases, a 5% contaminated sample could be detected from pure samples according to predicted NITS values.     

Estimation of the Deoxynivalenol and Moisture Contents of Bulk Wheat Grain Samples by FT‐NIR Spectroscopy

Deoxynivalenol (DON) levels in harvested grain samples are used to evaluate the Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance of wheat cultivars and breeding lines. Fourier transform near‐infrared (FT‐NIR) calibrations were developed to estimate the DON level and moisture content (MC) of bulk wheat grain samples harvested from FHB screening trials. Grains in a rotating glass petri dish were scanned in the 10,000–4,000 cm⁻¹ (1,000–2,500 nm) spectral range using a Perkin Elmer Spectrum 400 FT‐IR/FT‐NIR spectrometer. The DON calibration predicted the DON levels in test samples with R ² = 0.62 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 8.01 ppm. When 5–25 ppm of DON was used as the cut‐off to classify samples into low‐ and high‐DON groups, 60.8–82.3% of the low‐DON samples were correctly classified, whereas the classification accuracy of the high‐DON group was 82.3–94.0%. The MC calibration predicted the MC in grain samples with R ² = 0.98 and RMSEP = 0.19%. Therefore, these FT‐NIR calibrations can be used to rapidly prescreen wheat lines to identify low‐DON lines for further evaluation using standard laboratory methods, thereby reducing the time and costs of analyzing samples from FHB screening trials.     

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Flour Pasting Properties Influenced by Free Fatty Acids and Protein

A second unusually high viscosity peak appeared at the cooling stage (50°C) of a Rapid Visco‐Analyser (RVA) profile of short‐term stored (two months at room temperature) whole grain sorghum flour, while freshly ground flour had a typical pasting curve with one viscosity peak at the 95°C holding period. The formation of the second viscosity peak was caused by liberation of free fatty acids (FFA), mainly palmitic (15.6%), oleic (41.9%), and linoleic (37.9%) acids from stored flour. After the flour samples were pretreated with pepsin or the protease thermolysin, the second peak disappeared in the presence of FFA while the high viscosity was partially retained, indicating that flour protein was another essential component to the production of the actual peak. Effects of dithiothreitol (DTT), pH, and NaCl on RVA profiles of stored flour suggested that disulfide‐linked protein and electrostatic interaction are required for the peak production. In the presence of sufficient FFA, similar cooling stage viscosity peaks appeared in the RVA profiles of flour samples from maize, rice, millet, and wheat; thus, the effect was not unique to sorghum flour. Coinciding with previously reported findings from our laboratory of a three‐component interaction and discernable complex in a model system, a similar three‐component (starch, protein, and FFA) interaction was revealed in natural flour systems resulting in formation of an unusual and notably high cooling stage viscosity peak. Practical applications and an interaction mechanism are discussed.     

Removal of Fatty Acids from Palm Oil Effluent by Combined Electro-Fenton and Biological Oxidation Process

The objective of this paper is to design a pilot plant electrochemical reactor and to prove the operational concept of the electrochemical production of ferrate in situ and its online application for sewage treatment. To that end, the first part of this paper focuses on the analysis of the main engineering aspects of the reactor and the electrochemical process that affect the ferrate production, using laboratory scale experiments such as the interelectrode gap, the space-time yield, the area/volume (A/V) ratio, the current efficiency, and the energy consumption. The second part focuses on the production of ferrate using a pilot plant scale to prove the operational concept of the electrochemical generation of ferrate in situ and its online application as a step towards its full scale application for water and wastewater treatment.     

Relationship of Bread Quality to Kernel,Flour, and Dough Properties

This study measured the relationship between bread quality and 49 hard red spring (HRS) or 48 hard red winter (HRW) grain, flour, and dough quality characteristics. The estimated bread quality attributes included loaf volume, bake mix time, bake water absorption, and crumb grain score. The best‐fit models for loaf volume, bake mix time, and water absorption had R² values of 0.78–0.93 with five to eight variables. Crumb grain score was not well estimated, and had R² values ≈0.60. For loaf volume models, grain or flour protein content was the most important parameter included. Bake water absorption was best estimated when using mixograph water absorption, and flour or grain protein content. Bake water absorption models could generally be improved by including farinograph, mixograph, or alveograph measurements. Bake mix time was estimated best when using mixograph mix time, and models could be improved by including glutenin data. When the data set was divided into calibration and prediction sets, the loaf volume and bake mix time models still looked promising for screening samples. When including only variables that could be rapidly measured (protein content, test weight, single kernel moisture content, single kernel diameter, single kernel hardness, bulk moisture content, and dark hard and vitreous kernels), only loaf volume could be predicted with accuracies adequate for screening samples.     

On the Compositional Analysis of Fatty Acids in Pork

Fatty acid (FA) composition of pork is an important issue for the pig industry and consumers. Fatty acid composition is commonly described as the percentages of a set of FA relative to total FA and therefore should be statistically treated as compositional data. To our knowledge there is no reference in the literature where specific methods for compositional data analysis have been applied to analyze FA composition in meat quality research. The purposes of this study were (1) to present an overview of compositional data analysis techniques, (2) to apply them to the analysis of the FA composition of muscles and subcutaneous fat from 941 pigs as a case study, and (3) to discuss and interpret the results with respect to those obtained using standard techniques. Results from both approaches indicate that FA composition differed across tissues and muscles but also, for a given muscle, with the intramuscular fat content. It is concluded that FA composition in pork did not display enough variability to become critical for standard statistics, particularly if the individual FA parts remain the same across experiments. However, even in such case, compositional analysis may be useful to correctly interpret the correlation structure among FA.     

胆碱脂肪酸/氨基酸对PEG模拟干旱胁迫下玉米萌发的影响

为探究秸秆预处理过程中产生的胆碱类离子液体残液对干旱胁迫下玉米种子萌发的影响,以典型农作物玉米(Zea mays L.)为研究对象,使用13％聚乙二醇-6000(PEG)模拟干旱胁迫,以种子萌发参数、根芽长、种胚抗氧化酶活性为指标,研究200 mg·L-1胆碱脂肪酸离子液体(胆碱己二酸、胆碱辛二酸)和胆碱氨基酸离子液体...     

NIR Transmittance Estimation of Free Lipid Content and Its Glycolipid and Digalactosyldiglyceride Contents Using Wheat Flour Lipid Extracts

Free lipids (FL) in 72 hard winter wheat flours were extracted and dissolved in hexane. Absorbance (log 1/T) values were measured using a scanning spectrophotometer with a 2‐mm cuvette, and used to develop calibration models for estimating flour FL content and glycolipid (GL) and digalactosyldiglyceride (DGDG) contents. Fifty‐one calibration samples were selected based on the cutoff point of 0.3 of Mahalanobis distance, and the remaining twenty‐one samples were used for validation. The best model for the estimation of FL content showed coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.95 for the calibration set and R² = 0.89 for the validation set. Glycolipid contents could be estimated by a model which had R² = 0.87 for the calibration set and R² = 0.89 for the validation set. For DGDG, the best model showed R² = 0.94 for the calibration set and R² = 0.88 for the validation set.     

狭鳕鱼皮脂肪酸组成分析及其营养评价

为研究狭鳕鱼皮脂肪酸的营养价值,对狭鳕鱼皮的一般营养成分和脂质组成进行分析,同时采用气相色谱-质谱法对其脂肪酸组成进行分析和营养评价。结果表明,狭鳕鱼皮总脂含量为干重的6.09%,且总脂以甘油三酯(53.85%)和磷脂(25.54%)为主;脂肪酸组成丰富,以C16∶0、C18∶1n-9、C20∶1n-11、C20∶5n-3(EPA)和C22∶6n-3(DHA)为主,且C20∶5n-3和C22∶6n-3占总脂肪酸含量的27.64%;饱和脂肪酸、单不饱和脂肪酸和多不饱和脂肪酸三者之比为0.85∶1.00∶0.92,且脂肪酸致动脉粥样硬化指数和血栓形成指数分别为0.50和0.23,表明狭鳕鱼皮具有促进神经系统发育以及降血脂、抗动脉粥样硬化和抗血栓形成等功效。本研究为狭鳕鱼皮的营养评价及其产品的高值化综合利用提供理论依据。     

Compost Maturity Assessment Using Calorimetry,Spectroscopy and Chemical Analysis

This work is aimed at characterizing compost maturity and, organic matter transformation during this process, by the use of nondestructive spectroscopic and thermal techniques, together with some chemical analysis. Composting was conducted in a laboratory over a period of one year using the organic fraction of domestic wastes, fresh farmyard manure, spent coffee and sawdust as the raw materials. Samples were retired after different periods of composting and were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as well as by routine chemical parameters including temperature, pH, C/N, ash content and humic-like substances content. Results showed that in case of domestic wastes, spent coffee and farmyard manure, the C/N ratios, ash and humic acid content showed a typical high rate of change during the first 197 days of composting and tended to stabilize thereafter, probably as a result of the maturity of the produced composts. In contrast, sawdust underwent only a very limited transformation even after one year of composting. Thermoanalytical and spectroscopic data confirms these finding and gives useful and complementary information with respect to the structure, the heterogeneity and the relative stability of the compost products. In particular, as the decomposition proceeded, there was an increase in aromatic to aliphatic structure ratio and a decrease in the importance of peptide structures of composts. Besides, both the spectroscopic and the thermal behavior of compost samples, retired beyond 197 days of composting, tended to be regular, less dependent on the raw material and close to that characterizing mature composts, with the exception of sawdust samples. We concluded that the spectroscopic and thermal techniques used are complementary to one another and to chemical tests and could be a powerful and fast approach for the study of compost maturity.     

Extraction of Antioxidants from Wheat Bran Using Conventional Solvent and Microwave-Assisted Methods

Total phenolic and tocopherol contents and free radical scavenging capability of wheat bran extracted using conventional and microwave-assisted solvent extraction methods were studied. Three different solvents (methanol, acetone, and hexane) were used in the conventional solvent extraction. Methanol was the most effective solvent, producing higher extraction yield (4.86%), total phenolic compound content (241.3 μg of catechin equivalent/g of wheat bran), and free radical scavenging capability (0.042 μmol of trolox equivalent/g of wheat bran) than either acetone or hexane. However, there was no significant difference in the total tocopherol contents (13.6–14.8 μg/g of wheat bran) among the three different solvent extraction methods. Microwave-assisted solvent extraction using methanol significantly increased the total phenolic compound content to 467.5 and 489.5 μg of catechin equivalent; total tocopherol content to 18.7 and 19.5 μg; and free radical scavenging capability to 0.064 and 0.072 μmol of trolox equivalent/g of wheat bran at extraction temperatures of 100 and 120°C, respectively. However, extraction yields of conventional methanol solvent and microwave-assisted methanol extractions at different temperatures were not significantly different.     

Rapid Determination of Mercury in Plant and Soil Samples Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, a Comparative Study

The objectives of this study were to simplify sample preparation and validate mercury detection in soil and plant samples using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). A set of mercury contaminated and mercury free soil and plant samples were digested and analyzed by ICP-AES, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (CVAAS). Results show that mercury measurements in soil and plant samples using ICP-AES were in agreement with those analyzed using ICP-MS and CVAAS. The concentrations of mercury in soils and plant tissues determined by ICP-AES were 92.2% and 90.5% of those determined by CVAAS and ICP-MS, respectively. Digestion of soil samples with 4 M HNO₃ and direct measurement by ICP-AES without reduction of Hg²⁺ to Hg⁰ gave a reasonable and acceptable recovery (92%) for determining Hg in soils. We conclude that ICP-AES with optimized conditions (addition of gold chloride, extension of washing time, linear working range, and selection of wavelength – 194 nm) resulted in reliable detection of mercury in environmental samples.     

Effects of Leavening Acids and Dough Temperature in Wheat Flour Tortillas

Functionality of four leavening acids (sodium aluminum phosphate [SALP], sodium aluminum sulfate [SAS], monocalcium phosphate [MCP] and sodium acid pyrophosphate [SAPP‐28]) was evaluated during processing of wheat flour tortillas. Formulas were optimized to yield opaque, large‐diameter tortillas with pH 5.9–6.1. Each leavening acid and sodium bicarbonate was first evaluated at 38°C and then evaluated in combination with fumaric acid at 34 and 38°C. Ionic and pH interactions of leavening salts adversely affected dough properties and resting time. Opacity and pH of tortillas prepared with MCP was lower than for other treatments. Higher dough temperature required more leavening acid and base to compensate for some of the loss of CO₂ incurred during dough mixing and resting at 38°C. The addition of fumaric acid decreased the amount of leavening acid, the dough‐resting time and tortilla pH, and improved storage stability. Combinations of MCP, SALP (or SAS), and fumaric acid produced dough and tortillas with good qualities. Tortillas prepared using SALP (or SAS) and fumaric acid tended to be of better quality.     

Methodological Aspects of the Determination of Fatty Acids in Soil by Thermochemolysis

Eurasian Soil Science - Fatty acids (FAs) are among the most informative parts of nonspecific soil organic matter). Their composition and content reflect the specific features of many soil...     

Placement Effect of Controlled-release and Conventional Urea Blend in Maize

ABSTRACT

A single application of polymer-sulfur coated urea (PSCU) and conventional urea (U) blends can supply nitrogen (N) throughout the maize (Zea mays L.) cycle but it could become harmful for plants if not properly placed in the soil due to a possible salt stress which would reduce dry weight (DW) and N uptake (NU) in maize. DW and NU in maize plant as well as soil pH and electrical conductive (EC) were evaluated in a greenhouse pot trial. Treatments consisted of different placements (0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 m below and 0, 0.05 and 0.1 m to the side of seed row) of fertilizers (70%PSCU + 30%U, and 100%U) applied at maize sowing in band at a rate equivalent to 180 kg N ha^?1 in a Rhodic Eutrustox soil. Control treatment (without N) was also included. At V7 (vegetative leaf stage 7), N fertilizers placed 0.15 m below of seed row provided higher total DW, total NU, EC and pH (in fertilizer row) than 0.05 m and 0.1 m. 70%PSCU + 30%U provided higher total DW and total NU than 100%U in placement 0 m. In addition, 70%PSCU + 30%U placed 0.1 m to the side of seed row provided lower total NU and EC (in fertilizer row) than 0 m. 70%PSCU + 30%U and 100%U placement can negatively interfere maize in vegetative stage when applied incorporated in band at sowing. The proper placement for this condition was 0.15 m below and 0.1 m to the side of seed row.     

多支链饱和脂肪酸质谱特征及其在海洋动物中的含量分析

采用气相色谱-质谱法对4,8,12-三甲基十三烷酸甲酯、2,6,10,14-四甲基十五烷酸甲酯和3,7,11,15-四甲基十六烷酸甲酯的断裂规律和质谱特征进行分析归纳,并对常见海洋动物中的上述3种多支链饱和脂肪酸含量进行分析.试验结果表明:依据有机质谱学规律,通过较强碎片离子间相差[-CH(CH3)-](即离子质荷比相差28)能准确分析出多支链饱和脂肪酸中甲基支链所处碳链位置,同时结合分子离子以及麦氏重排离子等特征离子能准确有效地对多支链饱和脂肪酸进行分析鉴定.对多种海洋动物分析发现,海洋动物中多支链饱和脂肪酸的含量较低,一般在0.1％以下,但皱纹盘鲍、杂色鲍等海洋贝类以及鳕鱼、南极磷虾等海洋动物对多支链饱和脂肪酸表现出不同的积累作用和组织差异性.     

Quantitative Analysis of Benzyl Modification in Waxy Maize Starch by Fourier Transform (FT) Raman Spectroscopy

Waxy maize starch was chemically modified to varying benzylation levels and the degree of benzylation substitution was measured using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. Fourier Transform (FT) Raman spectra of the chemically modified starches were acquired and aromatic C=C stretch Raman bands characteristic of the benzylation modification were used to derive a calibration curve for the Raman intensity of these marker bands versus the degree of benzylation substitution. The best‐fit linear regression to the plotted data gave a linear correlation coefficient of 0.997. The FT‐Raman technique provides a fast, nondestructive method for the measurement of the degree of benzylation substitution of modified waxy maize starches and should be applicable for use with benzylated starches from other botanical sources.     

拉曼光谱结合UVE-SVR算法预测加热食用油反式脂肪酸的含量

为实现拉曼光谱技术对食用油加热后反式脂肪酸(TFAs)含量的快速预测,将3种食用油在190℃下(常用煎炸温度)进行不同时间加热,每个样品采集36条拉曼光谱。首先,采用多项式平滑与标准正态变量变换(SNN)对原始光谱数据进行预处理,以去除背景和噪音的干扰,然后采用无信息变量消除法(UVE)对光谱数据进行特征变量筛选,最后分别基于全谱数据和筛选的特征光谱变量建立定性和定量分析模型,并对试验结果进行对比分析。结果表明,基于筛选后的变量,运用Fisher判别分析(FDA)建立定性判别模型,其判别正确率由40%～50%提升至90%以上,表明筛选后的变量能较好表征样品的特征信息;分别基于筛选变量和全谱数据,运用偏最小二乘回归(PLSR)、BP神经网络(BPNN)和支持向量回归机(SVR)方法,建立不同样品中TFAs含量的数学预测模型。通过对预测结果对比分析,表明UVE结合SVR方法具有良好的检测效果,菜籽油、大豆油、玉米油的测试集R²分别从0.850 4、0.943 5和0.753 4升至0.952 6、0.954 8和0.958 5。因此,利用UVE-SVR方法不仅简化了预...     

Use of Pigmented Maize in Both Conventional Dry‐Grind and Modified Processes Using Granular Starch Hydrolyzing Enzyme

In the dry‐grind ethanol process, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is the main coproduct, which is primarily used as an ingredient in ruminant animal diets. Increasing the value of DDGS will improve the profitability of the dry‐grind ethanol process. One way to increase DDGS value is to use pigmented maize as the feedstock for ethanol production. Pigmented maize is rich in anthocyanin content, and the anthocyanin imparts red, blue, and purple color to the grain. It is reported that anthocyanin would be absorbed by yeast cell walls during the fermentation process. The effects of anthocyanin on fermentation characteristics in the dry‐grind process are not known. In this study, the effects of anthocyanin in conventional (conventional starch hydrolyzing enzymes) and modified (granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes [GSHE]) dry‐grind processes were evaluated. The modified process using GSHE replaced high‐temperature liquefaction. The ethanol conversion efficiencies of pigmented maize were comparable to that of yellow dent corn in both conventional (78.4 ± 0.5% for blue maize, 74.3 ± 0.4% for red maize, 81.2 ± 1.0% for purple maize, and 75.1 ± 0.2% for yellow dent corn) and modified dry‐grind processes using GSHE (83.8 ± 0.8% for blue maize, 81.1 ± 0.3% for red maize, 93.5 ± 0.8% for purple maize, and 85.6 ± 0.1% for yellow dent corn). Total anthocyanin content in DDGS from the modified process was 1.4, 1.9, and 2.4 times of that from the conventional process for purple, red, and blue maize samples, respectively. These results indicated that pigmented maize rich in anthocyanin did not negatively affect the fermentation characteristics of the dry‐grind process and that there was a potential to use pigmented maize in the dry‐grind process, especially when using GSHE.