Pilot scale production of functional foods using red palm olein: Antioxidant,vitamins’ stability and sensory quality during storage

The objective of this research work was to produce acceptable quality functional foods, namely, extruded snacks, digestive biscuits and pan bread, on a pilot scale, using vitamin E and β-carotene-rich red palm olein (RPOL) and red palm shortening (RPS). These products were evaluated for their chemical composition and sensory quality along with the antioxidants and vitamin contents during the six months of storage at room temperature (22 ± 1 °C). Extruded snacks and digestive biscuits prepared with RPOL and RPS were found to be good sources of these antioxidant vitamins. The average β-carotene content of the control and test snacks at the end of six months of storage ranged from 26.8 to 56.1 mg/kg fat, and from 430.9 to 468.9 mg/kg fat, respectively. The total vitamin E content in control and test snacks made in Plant No. 1 decreased after six months of storage from 786.1 to 704.4 mg/kg fat, and from 765.1 to 695.4 mg/kg fat, respectively. As expected, the total tocotrienol content was four to five times higher than the total tocopherols in control biscuits. The RPOL containing 600–750 ppm of carotenes (mainly α- and β-carotenes), 710–774 ppm of vitamin E, was found to be suitable for industrial application in producing acceptable quality pan bread, digestive biscuits and snacks. These functional foods contained significant amounts of β-carotene and total vitamin E, indicating the possibility of producing such foods rich in these two of the important antioxidant vitamins coming from a natural source. The research findings strongly indicate that good-quality pan bread, extruded snacks and digestive biscuits can successfully be produced to offer healthier eating choices to the consumers of this region, thereby promoting better health and productivity among the population.     

Distribution of gluten proteins in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain

Background and Aims

Gluten proteins are the major storage protein fraction in the mature wheat grain. They are restricted to the starchy endosperm, which forms white flour on milling, and interact during grain development to form large polymers which form a continuous proteinaceous network when flour is mixed with water to give dough. This network confers viscosity and elasticity to the dough, enabling the production of leavened products. The starchy endosperm is not a homogeneous tissue and quantitative and qualitative gradients exist for the major components: protein, starch and cell wall polysaccharides. Gradients in protein content and composition are the most evident and are of particular interest because of the major role played by the gluten proteins in determining grain processing quality.

Methods

Protein gradients in the starchy endosperm were investigated using antibodies for specific gluten protein types for immunolocalization in developing grains and for western blot analysis of protein extracts from flour fractions obtained by sequential abrasion (pearling) to prepare tissue layers.

Key Results

Differential patterns of distribution were found for the high-molecular-weight subunits of glutenin (HMW-GS) and γ-gliadins when compared with the low-molecular-weight subunits of glutenin (LMW-GS), ω- and α-gliadins. The first two types of gluten protein are more abundant in the inner endosperm layers and the latter more abundant in the subaleurone. Immunolocalization also showed that segregation of gluten proteins occurs both between and within protein bodies during protein deposition and may still be retained in the mature grain.

Conclusions

Quantitative and qualitative gradients in gluten protein composition are established during grain development. These gradients may be due to the origin of subaleurone cells, which unlike other starchy endosperm cells derive from the re-differentiation of aleurone cells, but could also result from the action of specific regulatory signals produced by the maternal tissue on specific domains of the gluten protein gene promoters.     

Zinc deficiency as a critical problem in wheat production in Central Anatolia

In a soil and plant survey, and in field and greenhouse experiments the nutritional status of wheat plants was evaluated for Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in Central Anatolia, a semi-arid region and the major wheat growing area of Turkey.All 76 soils sampled in Central Anatolia were highly alkaline with an average pH of 7. 9. More than 90% of soils contained less than 0.5 mg kg^-1 DTPA-extractable Zn, which is widely considered to be the critical deficiency concentration of Zn for plants grown on calcareous soils. About 25% of soils contained less than 2.5 mg kg^-1 DTPA-extractable Fe which is considered to be the critical deficiency concentration of Fe for plants. The concentrations of DTPA-extractable Mn and Cu were in the sufficiency range. Also the Zn concentrations in leaves were very low. More than 80% of the 136 leaf samples contained less than 10 mg Zn kg^–1. By contrast, concentrations of Fe, Mn and Cu in leaves were in the sufficient range.In the field experiments at six locations, application of 23 kg Zn ha^-1 increased grain yield in all locations. Relative increases in grain yield resulting from Zn application ranged between 5% to 554% with a mean of 43%. Significant increases in grain yield (more than 31%) as a result of Zn application were found for the locations where soils contained less than 0.15 mg kg^-1 DTPA-extractable Zn.In pot experirnents with two bread (Triticum aestivum, cvs. Gerek-79 and Kirac-66) and two durum wheats (Triticum durum, cvs. Kiziltan-91 and Kunduru-1149), an application of 10 mg Zn kg^-1 soil enhanced shoot dry matter production by about 3.5-fold in soils containing 0.11 mg kg^-1 and 0.15 mg kg^-1 DTPA-extractable Zn. Results from both field observations and greenhouse experiments showed that durum wheats were more susceptible to Zn deficiency than the bread wheats. On Zn deficient soils, durum wheats as compared to bread wheats developed deficiency symptoms in shoots earlier and to a greater extent, and had lower Zn concentration in shoot tissue and lower Zn content per shoot than the bread wheats.The results presented in this paper demonstrate that (i) Zn deficiency is a critical nutritional problem in Central Anatolia substantially limiting wheat production, (ii) durum wheats possess higher sensitivity to Zn deficient conditions than bread wheats, and (iii) wheat plants grown in calcareous soils containing less than 0.2 mg kg^-1 DTPA-extractable Zn significantly respond to soil Zn applications. The results also indicate that low levels of Zn in soils and plant materials (i.e. grains) could be a major contributing factor for widespread occurrence of Zn deficiency in children in Turkey, whose diets are dominated by cereal-based foods.     

Assessment of salinity indices to identify Iranian wheat varieties using an artificial neural network

In arid and semi‐arid regions of the world, including Iran, soil salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses. One of the ways to achieve high performance in these areas is to use salt‐tolerant varieties of wheat. Iran is known as one of the places where the D‐genome originated and evolved. In order to evaluate the salt tolerance of Iranian genotypes based on the eight indices using analysis of variance, regression and an artificial neural network (ANN), 41 Iranian wheat varieties (Trticum aestivum L.) were planted in a randomised complete block design with three replications under two saline irrigation conditions, 0.631 and 11.8 dS m^?1, in Kerman, Iran. Significant differences between the varieties were observed, and the significant two‐way interaction of environment × varieties in combined analysis and non‐significant correlation, 0.07, between the yield in two environments (yield in non‐stress conditions, Yp, and yield in stress conditions, Ys) indicates the existence of genetic variation among varieties and the different responses of the varieties in both the environments. The indices of tolerance, geometric mean product (GMP), mean product (MP), harmonic mean (HM) and stress tolerance index (STI) were calculated based on grain yield evidence of positive significant correlation with Yp and Ys. Based on the ANN results, yield stability index (YSI), MP, GMP and STI were the best indices to predict salinity‐tolerant varieties. The varieties selected based on these indices, such as Bolani, Sistan, Ofogh, Pishtaz, Karchia and Arg, produced high yield in both the environments. These results show that bread wheat originating from Iran has salt tolerance potential and can also be used in studies related to salinity tolerance mechanisms.     

一株蜂粮源拮抗细菌的分离鉴定及其抑菌物质特性

【目的】为发掘和利用蜂粮中拮抗菌资源,对分离获得的拮抗细菌菌株PC2进行分类鉴定,并测定其发酵液抑菌物质基本特性。【方法】采用改良牛津杯双层平板法测定菌株发酵液抑菌谱及温度、p H、紫外线和蛋白酶对其抑菌活性稳定性的影响,菌株鉴定结合形态学、生理生化特征和16S r RNA基因序列分析,硫酸铵沉淀法和盐酸沉淀有机溶剂提取法进行抑菌活性物质的初步分离。【结果】从3种蜂粮中分离筛选得到17株拮抗菌株,其中1株细菌PC2以马铃薯葡萄糖液体培养基发酵制备的无菌发酵液对7种供试菌株具有较强抑制作用,经形态、生理生化特征及16S r RNA基因序列分析,将其初步鉴定为解淀粉芽胞杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)。菌株发酵液抑菌活性对温度、酸和紫外线具有较强的稳定性,对蛋白酶K、胃蛋白酶、碱性蛋白酶处理敏感。菌株发酵液存在抑菌蛋白和脂肽类物质。【结论】菌株PC2在食品保鲜和农业生防中具有潜在的开发应用价值。     

The flavonoids in leaves of diploidTriticum species (Gramineae)

Leaf flavonoids have been identified in seven species ofTriticum, all of which have been considered at one time as putative parents of the cultivated tetraploid and hexaploid wheats. The major constituents are apigenin- and luteolin-based glycosylflavones, some of which contain various O-glycosidic attachments at the 6-position. Four tricin glycosides are present in minor amount, as is free tricin. The flavonoid patterns link togetherT. searsii, T. speltoides andT. squarrosa, on the one hand, andT. monococcum, T. boeoticum, T. thaoudar andT. urartu, on the other. These results indicate that the first three taxa are more likely to be diploid ancestors to the hexaploidT. aestivum than the latter four species.     

室内纱笼条件下不同蛋白饲粮对工蜂生理代谢的影响

本文旨在探究不同蛋白饲粮对蜜蜂生长发育代谢的影响进而指导养蜂生产实践,试验选取刚出房的意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica 270头,分为3组,3个重复,每个重复30头工蜂,分别饲喂3种饲粮。对照组饲粮：蜂蜜∶蔗糖粉=1∶3;试验组A饲粮：花粉∶蜂蜜∶蔗糖粉=5∶1∶6;试验组B饲粮：蜂粮∶蜂蜜∶蔗糖粉=5∶1∶6。在纱笼内进行室内喂养,观察记录蜜蜂7 d内的存活情况;采用液相色谱-质谱联用技术（LC-MS）方法检测试验组A与B饲粮对饲喂5日龄蜜蜂的代谢差异,对数据进行模式识别分析,筛选鉴别差异代谢物。结果表明：饲喂试验组B饲粮的蜜蜂比试验组A蜜蜂存活时间显著增长（P<0.05）;代谢组数据显示试验组A和B明显分离,共鉴定出15个差异代谢物,包括氨基酸、维生素、糖类等,其中11个差异代谢物下调,4个差异代谢物上调;代谢物通路分析差异显著有甘氨酸、丝氨酸和苏氨酸代谢通路,精氨酸和脯氨酸代谢通路,赖氨酸降解通路、戊糖磷酸通路（P<0.05）。说明在纱笼等特殊环境中,工蜂饲粮不可直接加入花粉,按照蜂粮∶ 蜂蜜∶蔗糖粉=5∶1∶6的比例混合制成的人工饲粮更适合蜜蜂生存。     

高分子量麦谷蛋白1Bx14亚基AS-PCR标记

根据已发表的1Bx14亚基的基因序列在不同位点设计了10对特异引物,从中筛选出1对引物,对HMW-GS在Glu-1Bx位点已知的10个小麦品种进行了PCR扩增.结果表明,具有1Bx14亚基的4个品种都能扩增出1条1 256 bp左右的特异带.用这一特异标记对山东省种植面积较大的40个品种进行PCR扩增(即等位专一PCR,AS-PCR),发现仅有5个品种携带1Bx14亚基.该AS-PCR标记可用于检测小麦品种在该位点的亚基组成,与SDS-PAGE相比,可显著提高检测的准确性和效率,可为种质鉴定和育种工作提供参考.     

矮秆基因对小麦部分农艺性状的效应

以中国主要麦区的124份小麦品种为材料,利用分子标记和系谱分析相结合,对其按照所含的矮秆基因Rht-B1b、Rht-D1b和Rht8进行分类,结合田间株高、旗叶长、小穗数和穗粒数以及室内苗期根系长度等农艺形状的调查,分析不同矮秆基因对小麦农艺性状的效应.结果显示:(1)参试的124份小麦品种(系)中23份含有Rht-B1b,7份含有Rht-D1b,22份含有Rht8基因,34份同时含有Rht-B1b和Rht8,16份同时含有Rht-D1b和Rht8,可分为6组.(2)Rht-B1b和Rht-D1b在降低株高的同时也缩短了旗叶的长度和苗期叶长,Rht8对株高的影响较弱,对旗叶和苗期叶长的影响也较小;3个矮秆基因对苗期根系长度、小穗数没有显著影响;Rht-D1b和Rht8显著增加穗粒数.研究表明,矮秆基因Rht8对小麦株高以及其他农艺性状的影响均较小,但能够显著增加穗粒数,是小麦矮化育种中比较理想的矮秆基因.