Characterisation of starch during germination and seedling development of a rice mutant with a high content of resistant starch

To acquire a better understanding of whether RS influences the dynamics of in vivo starch digestion and seed vigour, the high-RS rice mutant RS4 (RS ca. 10%) and the wild type R7954 were used to investigate total amylase activity, seedling vigour, starch content and starch granule structure during germination. RS4 exhibited similar seed vigour to R7954. Amylose and amylopectin in R7954 showed synchronous degradation throughout the whole process, while amylopectin was hydrolysed significantly faster than amylose in RS4 during the earlier germination stages. The starch residues of RS4 after germination (GD) lost endotherm peaks and showed a special X-ray diffraction pattern with only two peaks at around 16.90° and 21.62°, probably due to remnants of amylopectin and its tight crosslinking with the cell wall. The remaining starch after 10 GD, primarily amylopectin may make a critical contribution to total resistant starch content. These results indicated that RS had no negative impact on seed vigour in rice lines, although RS cannot be hydrolysed by α-amylase from human and animal in vitro. By appropriately increasing the special amylopectin fraction, a new breeding programme of high RS crops and improvement in the eating quality of high RS rice varieties might be achieved.     

Impact of pre-germination on amylopectin molecular structures,crystallinity, and thermal properties of pre-germinated brown rice starches

Ungerminated brown rice (UGBR) and pre-germinated brown rice (PGBR) obtained from different pre-germination durations were studied to investigate the changes in total starch contents of flour, amylopectin molecular structures, crystallinity, and thermal properties of starches as affected by pre-germination. Each paddy of three rice cultivars with different amylose contents (RD6, waxy; KDML105, low amylose; and RD31, high amylose) was soaked in water at 30°C for 12 h and incubated over different periods until the three stages of embryonic growth length (EGL) were achieved. The total starch contents of three-stage PGBR flour from all rice cultivars decreased when pre-germination durations were increased. The three-stage PGBR starches from the three rice cultivars had lower weight-average molecular weight (Mw) and number-average molecular weight (Mn) than UGBR starches. All starches from the three rice cultivars displayed an A-type X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD). Isolated UGBR starch from RD6 had the highest (31.33%) relative crystallinity (RC), while RD31 showed the lowest RC (26.79%). The slight increases in the RC of three-stage PGBR starches from three rice cultivars were found after pre-germination. Isolated PGBR starches from the three rice cultivars had higher gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy, but lower retrogradation enthalpy and %retrogradation than UGBR starches.     

Characterizing the pigmented traditional rice cultivars grown in temperate regions of Kashmir (India) for free and bound phenolics compounds and in vitro antioxidant properties

The purpose of the research was to identify the phenolic and flavonoid compounds of seven different traditional pigmented whole rice cultivars grown in the temperate regions of Kashmir so as to study their relationship with in vitro antioxidant capacities. The completely pigmented rice cultivars were found to have higher phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents and exhibited higher antioxidant capacities than the light colored and sparely colored rice cultivars. A total of 40 compounds had been identified in the analyzed rice cultivars that were found to be distributed in 6 major categories with 6-phenolics, 6-flavonoids, 11-hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, 7-hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, 3-anthocyanins and 7-flavonoid glucosides of different flavonoid compounds. Among the free and bound fractions for each cultivars the light and sparsely colored depicted higher content of phenolics and in vitro antioxidant properties in bound faction, while the completely pigmented cultivars showed higher antioxidant properties in free fractions. The anthocyanins quercetin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and pelargonidin-3-O-diglucoside had been identified by LC-MS existing in the free fractions of the analyzed rice cultivars whereas, the free fraction of acetone + H₂O possessed higher percentage of phenolic compounds as compared to methanolic extracts and bound fractions. The black colored cultivars possessed higher DPPH scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation inhibition.     

Antioxidant,anti-amylase and anti-glycation potential of brans of some Sri Lankan traditional and improved rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties

Brans of 23 traditional and 12 improved (both red and white) rice varieties in Sri Lanka were screened for anti-amylase and anti-glycation activities in vitro. Varieties which showed the highest inhibitory activities at screening were further investigated for anti-glucosidase and glycation reversing as anti-diabetic properties. The same varieties were studied for selected antioxidant properties. Significantly high anti-amylase and anti-glycation activities were observed for bran extracts of red varieties compared to white varieties at screening. Traditional red rice varieties, Masuran, Sudu Heeneti, Dik Wee and Goda Heeneti, exhibited significant and dose dependent anti-amylase, anti-glycation and glycation reversing activities. These varieties also showed marked antioxidant properties. It is concluded that brans of Sri Lankan traditional red rice varieties Masuran, Sudu Heeneti, Dik Wee and Goda Heeneti may be potential food supplements for diabetes.     

Formulating low glycaemic index rice flour to be used as a functional ingredient

Amylose and resistant starch (RS) content in rice flour were manipulated. The experiment was conducted using a full factorial design. Rice flour with average amylose content of 20 and RS content of 0.5 g/100 g dry sample was fortified with pure amylose from potato and high RS modified starch to reach the final amylose content of 30, 40 and 50 and RS content of 2, 4 and 6 g/100 g dry sample. The fortified rice flours were examined for their gelatinisation properties, in-vitro enzymatic starch digestion and gel textural properties. It was found that amylose and RS significantly affect all the fortified rice flour properties (p < 0.05). High amylose and RS improved starch digestion properties, reducing the rate of starch digestion and lowering the glycaemic index (GI) values. Amylose had a more pronounced effect on the fortified rice starch properties than RS. In this study, the fortified rice flour which contained amylose and RS of approximately 74 and 9 g/100 g dry sample respectively was used to produce rice noodles. The noodles exhibited low GI values (GI < 55). However, amylose and RS affected the textures of rice noodles providing low tensile strength and break distance (extensibility).     

Thermal degradation kinetics of bioactive compounds from black rice flour (Oryza sativa L.) extracts

The effect of thermal processing on the degradation of the phytochemicals in black rice flour by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and degradation kinetics was investigated. In order to investigate the influence of food matrices, a comparative analysis between integral rice flour and different fractions was performed. The preliminary compositional results suggested a higher content in phytochemicals in fraction four of the seven fractions of black rice flour, which was sifting through a sieve with a diameter of 180 μm. The compositional complexity was highlighted by fluorescence spectroscopy. The heat-treatment caused structural changes that led to red- or blue-shifts in maximum emission. The first-order kinetic model was used to describe the mechanism of degradation. The activation energies were 10.07 ± 1.04 kJ/mol for total polyphenolic, 7.26 ± 0.58 kJ/mol for total monomeric anthocyanins and 6.71 ± 1.12 kJ/mol for antioxidant activity in case of integral flour extract. For fraction four extract obtained by, the E_a values were: 3.51 ± 0.53 kJ/mol, 11.49 ± 1.47 kJ/mol, 15.80 ± 1.50 kJ/mol and 19.91 ± 3.27 kJ/mol, respectively. The calculated values of the activation energy revealed higher temperature dependence of total polyphenols in integral flour and of antioxidant activity in fraction four, respectively.     

Discrimination of geographical origin of rice (Oryza sativa L.) by multielement analysis using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and multivariate analysis

This study aims to determine the authenticity of the geographical origin of rice using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and chemometrics. The profiles of 25 elements in brown rice measured by ICP-AES were subjected to data-mining processes, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). PLS-DA clearly discriminated the geographical origin of rice samples grown in three countries. Eleven elements (Cu, Ag, Zn, Cr, Ca, Ba, Cd, Bi, K, Pb, and In) significantly contributed to the ability to discriminate the geographical origin of the rice. These results demonstrate the use of multielement profiling combined with chemometrics as a tool for discriminating food origins. This study extends our knowledge about the applications of both multielement profiling and chemometrics for the determination of food authenticity, and thus can be useful for controlling the geographical origin of rice by governmental administration and protecting consumers from improper domestic labeling.     

Antimicrobial effects of black rice extract on Helicobacter pylori infection in Mongolian gerbil

It has been reported that cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (C3G) is an inhibitor of Helicobacter pylori toxin secretion. C3G is classified as an anthocyanin and is a major component of black rice extract (BRE). The present study aimed to identify a new functional food material to prevent H. pylori infection in Mongolian gerbil model. Toxicity in the liver and kidney were not detected after BRE administration (10 or 50 mg/kg). BRE treatment reduced bacterial colonization in animal gastric tissue, as well as infection signs as observed on the analysis of the hematological data. It was also found that the relative mRNA levels of the inflammatory cytokines were reduced in BRE-treated groups. These findings suggest that BRE acts as a potent inhibitor of H. pylori infection and pathogenesis in Mongolian gerbils. We propose that BRE may be used to manage gastroduodenal diseases caused by H. pylori infection.     

Viscoelastic properties and bubble structure of rice-gel made from high-amylose rice and its effects on bread

Rice gel is a novel form of processed rice, where gelatinized rice is sheared at high speed to create a gel with unique viscoelastic properties, which can partially replace wheat flour in bakery products. In this study, the viscoelastic properties and bubble structures of rice gels made from two high-amylose rice cultivars and two different ratios of rice to water were studied, focusing on the effect of cooling the gelatinized rice before high-speed shearing (cooled rice gel) as opposed to shearing the gelatinized rice while hot (hot rice gel). Increasing the water content and cooling the rice before high-speed shearing generally decreased the dynamic storage (E′) and loss moduli (E″) in the viscoelasticity measurement and introduced fewer but larger and uniform bubbles in the rice gel. In addition, breads made from cooled rice gel showed significantly higher volume than those made from hot rice gel. The application of mechanical shearing to gelatinized starch has a great potential in creating novel food materials with characteristic textures, and can also be used for the processing of cereals other than rice.     

Effect of hydrostatic high pressure pretreatment on flavor volatile profile of cooked rice

The impact of high hydrostatic-pressure (HHP) processing on the volatile profile of cooked Japonica rice (Wuchang) and Jasmine rice (Complete Wheel) was investigated by SPME–GC/MS. Presoaked samples were treated at 200, 400 and 600 MPa for 10 min and then cooked for volatile compound analysis. Seventy-seven compounds were identified in two cooked rice varieties: 20 aldehydes, 16 alcohols, 14 ketones, 9 arenes, 7 esters, 5 alkanes, 3 olefins and 3 hetero-cycle compounds. Results showed that both pressure level (P < 0.01) and rice variety (0.01 < P < 0.05) significantly impact the volatile compounds in rice and there is also an interaction between pressure and rice variety (P < 0.01). Overall, HPP decreased the amount of aldehydes more obviously in Complete Wheel rice than that in Wuchang variety. Both 200 and 400 MPa increased the levels of alcohols, ketones, esters and olefins, but reduced those of heterocycles, alkanes and arenes. Similar volatile change trends were found at 600 MPa except the concentration of each component was closer to that of control group. Based on the changes in the three key flavor compounds in rice (aldehydes, alcohols and ketones), the HPP process could be a suitable alternative to traditional pretreatment for improving flavor in cooked rice.     

Combining 1,4-dimethoxybenzene,the major flower volatile of wild strawberry Fragaria vesca,with the aggregation pheromone of the strawberry blossom weevil Anthonomus rubi improves attraction

The aggregation pheromone of strawberry blossom weevil [Anthonomus rubi Herbst (Col.: Curculionidae)], a 1:4:1 blend of Grandlure I, II and racemic lavadulol, has been available for pest monitoring for several years but shows low attractancy. Attempts to control A. rubi using the pheromone alone were also unsuccessful. This paper reports the finding that addition of the major flower volatile from wild strawberry flowers [Fragaria vesca L. (Rosaceae)], 1,4-dimethoxybenzene (comprising 98% of the volatiles emitted from wild strawberry flowers), to the aggregation pheromone increased trap catches by over two fold compared to the pheromone alone. There was no significant difference between the response of overwintered or summer emerged adults. Field trials in 2007–2008 in central and southern Norway, Denmark and southern England used green funnel traps with white cross vanes for the evaluations. (-)-Germacrene D, previously shown to be emitted by plants in increased amounts in the presence of pheromone producing weevils, did not improve trap catches. Thus, the combined use of the aggregation pheromone and 1,4-dimethoxybenzene is promising for improved monitoring and possibly control of this important pest of strawberry.     

Effect of soaking temperature on commingled rice properties

Parboiling involves soaking, steaming, and drying, and soaking is important in achieving desired parboiled rice properties. This study investigated the effects of soaking temperature and commingling on rice properties prior to steaming. Rough rice of four cultivars (Taggart, CL151, XL753, and CL XL745) and their combinations at 1:1 wt ratio were soaked at 65, 70 or 75 °C for 3 h, and dried. Both soaking temperature and difference in onset gelatinization temperature (T_o) of individual cultivars in commingled rice affected milling and physicochemical properties. The head brown rice yield was greater when the soaking temperature was below but close to the T_o for individual rice cultivars, but became difficult to predict for commingled rice. Commingled rice consisting of high T_o rice cultivars required higher soaking temperatures to reduce chalkiness during soaking. The color attributes of commingled rice was predominately affected by the cultivar that exhibited the most change. The gelatinization properties were governed by the low-T_o cultivar, whereas the pasting properties were more influenced by the high-T_o cultivar for the commingled rice. Therefore, using commingled rice with a wide range of gelatinization temperature as a feedstock may lead to inconsistent quality of parboiled rice.     

Inhibition study of red rice polyphenols on pancreatic α-amylase activity by kinetic analysis and molecular docking

This study sought to investigate the possible inhibition mechanism of red rice polyphenols (RRP) on pancreatic α-amylase (PA) activity. RRP showed strong inhibition against PA activity and the half-inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value was 3.61 μg/mL. The fluorescence quenching of PA by RRP was a combination of static quenching and dynamic quenching. RRP could aggregate with PA and the physiochemical properties of the aggregates were closely related to the concentration of RRP. Kinetic analysis suggested that the inhibition mode of RRP on PA was reversible inhibition, which was a mixing of competitive inhibition and noncompetitive inhibition. Molecular docking speculated that RRP could form hydrogen bonds with PA by binding to the catalytic active sites (ASP197, GLU233 and ASP300) and the microenvironments of TRP58 and TRP59 were altered, thus inhibiting PA activity.     

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) protein hydrolysates with in vitro dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory and antioxidant properties

The potential of quinoa to act as a source of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory and antioxidant peptides was studied. A quinoa protein isolate (QPI) with a purity of 40.73 ± 0.90% was prepared. The QPI was hydrolysed at 50 °C for 3 h with two enzyme preparations: papain (P) and a microbial papain-like enzyme (PL) to yield quinoa protein hydrolysates (QPHs). The hydrolysates were evaluated for their DPP-IV inhibitory and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) activities. Protein hydrolysis was observed in the QPI control, possibly due to the activity of quinoa endogenous proteinases. The QPI control had significantly higher DPP-IV half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) and lower ORAC values than QPH-P and QPH-PL (P < 0.05). Both QPH-P and QPH-PL had similar DPP-IV IC₅₀ and ORAC values. QPH-P had a DPP-IV IC₅₀ value of 0.88 ± 0.05 mg mL⁻¹ and an ORAC activity of 501.60 ± 77.34 μmol Trolox equivalent (T.E.) g⁻¹. To our understanding, this is the first study demonstrating the in vitro DPP-IV inhibitory properties of quinoa protein hydrolysates. QPHs may have potential as functional ingredients with serum glucose lowering properties.     

The impact of Septoria tritici blotch in bread making quality among argentinean wheat cultivars

Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by Zymoseptoria tritici is a relevant foliar wheat disease worldwide. Several reports show the importance of STB on grain yield, their components and grain protein while little is known about its effect on the rheological properties of the wheat flour. The scarce literature found, only mentions the effect of the complex of foliar diseases on wheat quality, without individualizing the effect of the different pathogens separately. This study analyze the influence of increasing doses of inoculum of Zymoseptoria tritici, on the bread making quality of ten Argentinean wheat cultivars and its possible variation according to their quality group. The increase of inoculum concentration augmented the area under disease progress curve, decreased green flag leaf area duration and green leaf area duration. Cultivars K. Flecha and B.75 Aniversario had the lowest green flag leaf area duration causing higher reduction in grain filling period and higher reductions in P, indicating a lower gliadin/glutenin ratio. STB decreased P/L and E while L, W, D, SV and bread volume increased. Cultivars differed in rheological parameters according to their quality group. Gluten/protein relationship was significant in quality group 1 and non-significant in cultivars belonging to quality group 2 and 3.     

Clearfield® rice: Its development,success, and key challenges on a global perspective

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa) is a close relative of domesticated rice and a noxious weed prevalent in rice fields in world regions where rice is grown. Weedy rice management has remained challenging to farmers, mainly due to the weed's physiological and morphological resemblance to rice cultivars. The introduction of Clearfield^® rice provides an alternative solution and an additional tool for integrated weed management. Clearfield^® rice-based programs result in the cleanest rice fields in the southern U.S. However, persistent application of the imidazolinone herbicides (imazethapyr, imazamox, and imazapic) in Clearfield^® rice raises concerns about the possible evolution of resistance to ALS-inhibitor herbicides in weedy rice and the transfer of resistance trait. The risk of resistant weedy rice evolution is much higher in Asia, Latin America, and other tropical regions where there is no winterkill and rice is planted at least twice each year. Herbicide carryover to rotational crops is also a concern. We summarized the progress of commercialization of Clearfield^® rice in 15 countries across the continents of America, Asia and Europe. In some countries, imidazolinone-resistant weedy rice outcrosses have been found abundant, thereby negating the utility of Clearfield^® technology. The persistence of imidazolinone herbicide residues in the soil is a concern in regions where multiple crops are planted in a year, or the following year. These challenges should be anticipated by countries that are considering adopting Clearfield^® rice technology. Issues associated with gene escape, resistance evolution in weedy rice, and herbicide carryover to rotational crops remain to be resolved. Research to achieve sustainable solutions for weedy rice management, must be continued and intense educational programs for growers must be sustained.     

Effects of amylose content,cooling rate and aging time on properties and characteristics of rice starch gels and puffed products

This study aimed at investigating the effects of amylose content (AC) of 0.12–19.00% w/w on dry basis, cooling rate (1, 3, 5, and 9 °C/min), and aging time (24, 48, and 72 h) on structure, physical properties and sensory attributes of rice starch-based puffed products. They had an influence upon the crystalline type, and the relative crystallinity (RC). The thermal and physical properties of starch gels were also determined. Amorphism was found for starch gels with 0.12% AC. The polymorphisms (B and V) and differential scanning calorimetric endotherms were found for those with AC ≥4.00%. The RC, retrogradation enthalpy (ΔH_r) and gel hardness increased with AC and aging time. The cooling rate did not affect RC, but increased ΔH_r and gel hardness. The higher AC and aging time resulted in higher hardness, fracturability, crispiness and bulk density, but lower expansion ratio and less oiliness of the puffed products. The hardness, fracturability, crispiness and bulk density of puffed products were well correlated with the RC of starch gel.     

Combined mutations in five wheat STARCH BRANCHING ENZYME II genes improve resistant starch but affect grain yield and bread-making quality

Increases in the proportion of amylose in the starch of wheat grains result in higher levels of resistant starch, a fermentable dietary fiber associated with human health benefits. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of combined mutations in five STARCH BRANCHING ENZYME II (SBEII) genes on starch composition, grain yield and bread-making quality in two hexaploid wheat varieties. Significantly higher amylose (∼60%) and resistant starch content (10-fold) was detected in the SBEII mutants than in the wild-type controls. Mutant lines showed a significant decrease in total starch (6%), kernel weight (3%) and total grain yield (6%). Effects of the mutations in bread-making quality included increases in grain hardness, starch damage, water absorption and flour protein content; and reductions in flour extraction, farinograph development and stability times, starch viscosity, and loaf volume. Several traits showed significant interactions between genotypes, varieties, and environments, suggesting that some of the negative impacts of the combined SBEII mutations can be ameliorated by adequate selection of genetic background and growing location. The deployment of wheat varieties with increased resistant starch will likely require economic incentives to compensate growers and millers for the significant reductions detected in grain and flour yields.     

Distribution of bioactive compounds in maize fractions obtained in two different types of large scale milling processes

Maize kernels contain different bioactive compounds that are important for human health. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of the bioactive compounds in maize fractions derived from two industrial dry-milling processes, characterized by a dry-degermination (DD) system and a tempering-degermination (TD) system.The bioactive compounds in maize resulted unevenly distributed in the milling fractions of the kernel. By-products such as the germ and the animal feed flour, had higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total polyphenol content (TPC) and total dietary fibre content (TDF) than the whole grains, while xanthophyll and resistant starch resulted to be higher in the fractions derived from the vitreous endosperm. The germ fraction showed also the highest folate content. Results also showed that the type of degermination process influences the bioactive compound contents in the milling fraction, in accordance to the effectiveness of the germ and bran removal from the endosperm fractions. In particular, the animal feed flour obtained by means of TD system resulted in a higher TAC, TPC and TDF than the same fraction obtained by means of the DD system. Conversely, the extraction rate do not affect the recovery of bioactive components in particular fractions.