Delivery of Functionality in Complex Food Systems: Physically Inspired Approaches from Nanoscale to Microscale

The purpose of this Delivery of Functionality in Complex Food Systems symposium was to develop a fundamental understanding of the rational design principles required to create high-quality and healthy foods. The symposium highlighted the need for a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to rational food design, involving physicists, chemists, biologists, food technologists, physiologists, sensory scientists, psychologists, chefs, and social scientists. The conference moved from a consideration of the characteristics and interactions of basic food components to the nanoscopic and microscopic structures created by assembly of these basic components, to the bulk physicochemical and sensory properties of foods, to the interaction of foods with the mouth and gastrointestinal tract, and finally, to the scientific basis of fine cuisine (molecular gastronomy).     

From the Chef’s Mind to the Dish: How Scientific Approaches Facilitate the Creative Process

This work describes a practical way to optimize the high level of the chef creativity to produce rational approaches to food design. It is particularly focused on the preparation of two dishes: bubbly juice and false skin. For the first dish, three samples were prepared with egg white protein (EWP) and xanthan gum at pH 4.6 and pH 7.0. At pH 4.6 (isoelectric point), there were substantial differences of the interfacial dilational modulus of EWP when xanthan gum was added. At 1 mg/ml xanthan, the system showed a very strong interface (high viscoelasticity) compared to the other samples. Measuring half drainage time revealed which samples were the most stable. The properties discussed were related to stability. For the false skin dish, edible films were made by gelatin extracted from cod skins (A solution) and a mixture of cod skin gelatin and commercial gelatin (AG solution). The results showed that tensile strength (TS) of gelatin films increases almost by 25%, elongation at break (EAB) by 14%, and the Young modulus (E) by almost 100% when increasing protein concentration. To confirm water plasticizer effect, the results were compared to a gelatin film made with 30% glycerol (plasticizer). Water content affects to a great extent the mechanical properties of the films. Finally, images of the dishes are presented in order to have a full view of the purpose and the results obtained. This research has been supported by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries from the Basque Government. This work was presented at the conference Delivery of Functionality in Complex Food Systems, Amherst, USA, October, 2007.     

不同品种水稻种子贮藏蛋白质组分的差异

水稻是我国的主要粮食作物,它的蛋白质含量为6—14%。在水稻种子蛋白质中,谷蛋白占80%,球蛋白占10%,醇溶蛋白占5%,清蛋白占5%。据研究,水稻种子清蛋自主要由分子量16800的亚基组成,球蛋白由10种不同分子量的亚基通过疏水交互作用相结合,谷蛋白由分子量38000、25000和16000三种亚基通过双硫键相结合。但是,不同品种水稻种子贮藏蛋白质组分有何差异?研究报道的很少。本文简要报道不同品种水稻种子(籼稻和粳稻)贮藏蛋白质组分的差异,为     

Metabolomics reveals abundant flavonoids in edible insect Antheraea pernyi

The natural flavonoids in foods of plant origin have been well-characterized due to their beneficial biological properties. However, the information regarding the flavonoid compounds in edible insects remains severely limited. In the present study, we used a metabolomics approach to identify the flavonoid compounds in the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), an traditional edible insect. Our study identified over 200 flavonoid metabolites in the larval midgut of A. pernyi with LC-ESI-MS/MS system. These flavonoid metabolites come from eight subclasses, including flavones (1 0 3), flavonols (34), flavonoids (28), flavanones (20), polyphenols (19), isoflavones (9), anthocyanins (9), and proanthocyanidins (4). The relative content of the flavones is the most abundant, with a value of 36.74% of the total. The top five flavonoid components in A. pernyi are hyperoside, isoquercitroside, tricin 7-O-hexoside, hesperetin 5-O-glucoside and protocatechuic acid, accounting for 51.17% of the total flavonoids. Hyperoside is the most abundant flavonoid compound (18.07% of the total) in A. pernyi. Our findings indicated targeted metabolomics is a useful approach to identify flavonoids in edible insects which contain abundant flavonoids than we already knew.     

Consumer value‐based edible insect market segmentation [edible insect market segmentation]

Edible insect food products have been launched and in the market since 2011. Since then the number of companies that produce edible insect food product has increased greatly. However, the guidance of how these firms should effectively target which consumer market is unclear. The goal of this study is to provide information about the US consumer market that could potentially increase edible insect food product sales. This study uses consumer value as a segmenting axle and provides the cluster analysis results. From this analysis, academics and industry practitioners can have better insights about edible insect food product consumer profiles.     

Optimal hatching conditions of Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) eggs under various culture conditions

Supermealworm, Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a tropical species used for human consumption and as an ingredient in animal feed. We investigated the hatching characteristics of Z. atratus eggs under varying conditions to optimize artificial rearing conditions. Overall, the average egg weight, width, and length decreased by 42.3%, 3.7%, and 10.1%, respectively, on the 6th day post-oviposition. We varied either temperature, photoperiod, illuminance, or humidity, while the other conditions remained constant. Of the four experimental temperatures—25 °C, 27 °C, 30 °C, and 33 °C–30 °C was associated with the highest hatching rate (91.0%) during days 5–7. Although other experimental conditions did not have a significant effect on hatchability, we were able to elucidate the ideal conditions for improved hatchability. For photoperiod, hatchability was the highest (84%) at 12L/12D, followed by 81.0% at 15L/9D, and 70% at 9L/15D. Among the illuminance conditions tested—600, 1800, and 3000 lx—hatchability was the highest at 1800 lx (82.3% on days 4–6). Among the relative humidity (RH) levels tested—50%, 65%, and 80%—hatchability was the highest at 65% RH (88.5% on days 5–6). Thus, the ideal conditions for maximum hatchability were 30 °C, 12L/12D, 65% RH, and 1800 lx. Under these combined conditions, the hatching rate increased by 93.6%, and the hatching time was reduced by two days.     

叶蛋白食用研究与开发应用

随着世界人口的剧增和人民生活水平的提高,人类对优质蛋白的需求越来越大,开发新的蛋白质势在必行。植物叶蛋白因具有来源广泛、营养丰富、不含动物性胆固醇等特点而备受关注。从叶蛋白的组成特点、食用研究、研究进展及应用现状出发,论述了叶蛋白的食用研究状况和开发价值。最后提出其在食品应用中的局限性以及一些改进措施。     

Diversity, vitality and activities of intestinal lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria assessed by molecular approaches

While lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria have been scientifically important for over a century, many of these are marketed today as probiotics and have become a valuable and rapidly expanding sector of the food market that is leading functional foods in many countries. The human gastro-intestinal tract with its various compartments and complex microbiota is the primary target of most of these functional foods containing lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria (LAB&B). In addition, their use as vectors for delivery of molecules with therapeutic value to the host via the intestinal tract is being studied. This review focuses on molecular approaches for the investigation of the diversity of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in the human intestine, as well as tracking of probiotic bacteria within this complex ecosystem. Moreover, methodologies to determine the viability of the lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria and molecular approaches to study the mechanisms by which they adapt, establish and interact with the human host via the digestive tract, are described.     

A polydisperse linear random coil model for the quaternary structure of pig colonic mucin

The distribution of molecular weights for polymeric colonic mucus glycoprotein or ``mucin' isolated and solubilised in the presence of protease inhibitors from pig colons is shown to be considerably greater than its ``subunit' (thiol reduction product) and papain digested forms using the technique of size-exclusion chromatography coupled to multi-angle laser light scattering, and confirmed by sedimentation equilibrium measurements. The conformation of this mucin is probed by examining the molecular weight – intrinsic viscosity relationship in terms of the Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada analysis for its polymeric (or ``whole'), reduced and papain-digested forms: an exponent ``a' of (1.1±0.1) is obtained indicating a linear random coil conformation consistent with other mucins. Size-exclusion chromatography coupled to multi-angle laser light scattering is shown to provide a relatively simple complementary technique to sedimentation equilibrium for the molecular weight distribution analysis of polydisperse materials. Received: 29 November 1996 / Accepted: 2 December 1996     

Plant molecular farming: systems and products

Plant molecular farming is a new and promising industry involving plant biotechnology. In this review, we describe several diverse plant systems that have been developed to produce commercially useful proteins for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are discussed. The first plant-derived molecular farming products have reached the marketplace and other products are poised to join them during the next few years. We explain the rationale for using plants as biofactories. We also describe the products currently on the market, and those that appear likely to join them in the near future. Lastly, we discuss the issue of public acceptance of molecular farming products.Communicated by P.P. Kumar     

猪肠粘膜大分子肝素的研究

本文报导了用凝胶层析法从猪肠粘膜商品肝素中分离制备得到分子量最高达113 500d的几个大分子肝素,并且用碱降解法测定了其平均分子量,分别为He~Ⅰ:113 500、He~Ⅱ:60 256、He~Ⅲ:37 300。     

细菌(Pseudomonas maltophilia)之绒毛膜促性腺激素(hCG)结合物质之研究

 细菌(Pseudomonas moltophilia)与hCG及LH有特异的亲和力,实验发现,细菌之生长曲线与hCG结合活性成平行关系,96小时达高峰,细菌之培养液中含有可溶性结合蛋白,该蛋白经硫酸铵沉淀(80％饱和度)、Sephadex G-100柱层析、DEAE-纤维素柱0.5mol/L NaCl梯度洗脱,再过Sepharose CL-AB柱,收集之活性部分经SDS电泳测得其分子量为70,000,凝胶层析测Stokes radius为41A,Schiff氏染色未见着色带。     

An electrophoretic analysis of proteolipids from different rat brain subcellular fractions

Proteolipid proteins were extracted from adult rat brain subcellular fractions and purified by chromatography on Sephadex LH-60. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the delipidized proteins, in the presence or absence of 8 M urea, was carried out with all fractions. The distribution of the various types of proteolipid proteins was studied and their molecular weight calculated by the Ferguson relationship. Several bands of proteolipid proteins were found in the five membrane fractions analyzed. Some of them, such as the 17.5 K and 37 K components were very prominent in mitochondria and synaptosomes. The 30 K component was found in myelin-derived membranes and in microsomes, while the 20 K and 25 K proteolipid proteins were present in all subcellular fractions. The 30 K component (proteolipid protein (PLP)), typical of the purified myelin membranes, showed a similar distribution to that of 2′,3′-cyclic-nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (EC 3.1.4.37) activity, while the other major proteolipid protein present in all subcellular fractions (25 K) did not show such parallelism, indicating that it might not be an exclusive component of myelin. The electrophoretic pattern of microsomal proteolipid proteins did not show the high molecular weight components (aggregates of PLP) which are found in myelin. Furthermore, the 30 K component showed a smaller $\text{Y}{}_0$ value than that of the 30 K found in myelin. Thus the presence of 30 K proteolipid protein in microsomes should not be considered as being due to myelin contamination.     

Variation in thickness and protein content of the cuticle of the female of Glossina austeni

The thickness and total protein content of the ventral abdominal cuticle of the female tsetse, Glossina austeni, increase during the early part of each pregnancy cycle, reaching a maximum at approximately 2 days after ovulation. They decrease thereafter, and reach a minimum value just before larviposition. Virgin females do not exhibit a cycle of protein content or thickness in the cuticle. Preliminary data on the incorporation of [³H]tyrosine or [³H]leucine into the water-soluble proteins of the ventral abdominal cuticle at the time of the second larviposition suggest that there is rapid turnover of protein in the cuticle at this time. These observations are consistent with the net storage of protein in the cuticle during the early part of pregnancy cycle followed by a net depletion of that store as the nutritional demands of the rapidly growing larva in utero exceed the capacity of the ingested blood meals to supply them.     

昆虫触角气味结合蛋白的研究进展

昆虫触角气味结合蛋白是一类亲水性的酸性蛋白,在触角感器淋巴液中浓度很高,主要分为4种,即性外激素结合蛋白、普通气味结合蛋白1、普通气味结合蛋白2和气味结合蛋白类似蛋白。由于它们在昆虫识别外界气味物质中起着重要的作用,近10年来,国外对其进行了广泛、深入的研究。该文从气味结合蛋白的研究方法、生化特性、分子结构和生理功能等方面进行综述。     

昆虫体内储存蛋白的研究进展

储存蛋白是昆虫体内普遍存在的一种特异性血淋巴蛋白 ,通常在幼虫的脂肪体内合成 ,释放进入血淋巴中。化蛹时 ,又被脂肪体选择性吸收 ,作为氨基酸的贮存库对成虫变态发育和雌性卵发育起着重要的作用。该文介绍了昆虫体内储存蛋白的特性、功能、及调节机制。     

Purification of antibacterial attacins induced in Hyalophora cecropia pupae immunized with Enterobacter cloacae C7-501 using ion-exchange chromatography,hydrophobic interaction chromatography,and Rotofor® isoelectric focusing

Hyalophora cecropia pupae were infected by Enterobacter cloacae C7-501 to induce antibacterial attacins for purification. The induction of attacins in immunized pupae was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Ion-exchange chromatography (IEC), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), and Rotofor® isoelectric focusing (ISEF) were applied to isolate attacins from the hemolymph. IEC separated attacins from most hemolymph proteins, but the fractions containing attacins also had other proteins of 20 and 64 kDa in length. In IEC, attacin was eluted with ~0.2 M NaCl. The best conditions for IEC were pH 9, flow rate of 2 mL/min, with step elution (0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 1.0 M NaCl). In HIC, most other proteins were eluted with the ammonium persulfate treatment. HIC isolated attacin proteins under hydrophobic conditions, at ~50% EtOH. However, the fraction with attacins also contained other proteins. The Rotofor® ISEF produced fractions containing attacins at isoelectric points ranging between 5.7 and 8.3. However, non-specific proteins were detected in the fraction samples, and the recovery of attacins was low. The purification efficiency of ISEF was lower than IEC and HIC. In this study, the expression of attacins was induced in H. cecropia pupae infected with E. cloacae C7-501, and attacins could be purified by IEC and ISEF. Overall, IEC provided better separation of attacins from the hemolymph of H. cecropia pupae immunized with E. cloacae bacteria than HIC and Rotofor® ISEF.     

Release of a neurosecretory protein from the corpora cardiaca of Locusta migratoria induced by high potassium saline and compound action potentials

Electrical stimulation of nervus corpus cardiacum I (NCCI) resulted in the propagation of a compound action potential into the storage and glandular lobes of the corpus cardiacum (CC) of Locusta migratoria. The compound action potential was abolished in the presence of both sodium-free saline and tetrodotoxin (TTX). Calcium-free saline had variable effects.The release of a neurosecretory protein (estimated following precipitation with an antiserum directed against neurosectetory protein) was examined after treatment with high potassium saline and electrical stimulation of NCC I. Release was induced by elevated potassium salines and by the propagation of a compound action potential along NCC I. The release was calcium-dependent. TTX and sodium-free saline abolished the electrically-induced release of protein. Concomitant with the release of protein was the release of a factor with diuretic activity, illustrating that hormones are also being released along with the neurosecretory protein. The release of this protein was dependent upon the frequency of electrical stimulation (up to approx. 5 Hz) and the patterning of electrical stimulation. This neurosecretory protein which has previously been shown to be very similar in both size and amino acid composition to the pituitary neurophysins, now also shares the characteristic of being released along with hormone.