Non-food Industrial Applications Research Articles

Advances in Microbial Exopolysaccharides: Present and Future Applications.

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are receiving growing interest today, owing to their diversity in chemical structure and source, multiple functions, and immense potential applications in many food and non-food industries. Their health-promoting benefits for humans deserve particular attention because of their various biological activities and physiological functions. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of microbial EPSs, covering (1) their chemical and biochemical diversity, including composition, biosynthesis, and bacterial sources belonging mainly to lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or probiotics; (2) their technological and analytical aspects, especially their production mode and characterization; (3) their biological and physiological aspects based on their activities and functions; and (4) their current and future uses in medical and pharmaceutical fields, particularly for their prebiotic, anticancer, and immunobiotic properties, as well as their applications in other industrial and agricultural sectors.

Particle Size Modification of Breadfruit Starch (Artocarpus altilis) into Nanoparticle Size Through Top Down Technique using Acid Hydrolysis

<br /><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" lang="EN-US">Breadfruit (<em>Artocarpus altilis</em>) is a significant starch source, comprising up to 70.25% of its composition, and holds extensive industrial applications. However, the physicochemical properties of natural starch pose several challenges to its direct use as an industrial raw material. These challenges include high viscosity, substantial swelling power, low solubility, significant retrogradation, limited digestibility, and poor thermal stability. To address these issues, modification of the starch particle size to the nanometer scale is proposed, which is anticipated to enhance both functional and physicochemical properties. This study employs a top-down approach through 2.2 N HCl acid hydrolysis at 38°C for 24 hours. This method offers simplicity, efficiency for scale-up in industrial applications, and relatively higher stability than alternative approaches. Particle size analysis using Particle Size Analysis (PSA) revealed an average particle size of 215 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed characteristic bands similar to natural starch, with slight variations in peak intensity, indicating successful acid hydrolysis and structural disruption of the molecular order. Morphological analysis revealed minimal changes in the granules' surface structure, with clumping observed due to acid hydrolysis. The resultant starch nanoparticles exhibited decreased viscosity and swelling while solubility was enhanced. Therefore, nanoparticle starch holds promising applications in food and non-food industries</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-ID; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">.</span>

Dietary Fiber from Plant-Based Food Wastes: A Comprehensive Approach to Cereal, Fruit, and Vegetable Waste Valorization

The agri-food industry generates significant quantities of plant-based food waste from processing, which offers a valuable research opportunity aimed at minimizing and managing these wastes efficiently in support of zero waste and/or circular economies. In order to achieve food security, all of these wastes can be valorized using downstream processes in an integrated manner, which results in the conversion of waste into secondary raw materials. Specifically, plant-based food wastes and/or byproducts are recognized sources of bioactive chemicals, including dietary fibers that are beneficial as food additives or functional food ingredients that can meet the technological and functional requirements of health-promoting value-added products. Additionally, cellulosic ingredients can be utilized directly within nonfood industries, such as textiles, resulting in a reduction in the environmental impact of secondary raw materials, as well as an increase in market acceptance compared to those currently on the market. On this basis, the present review was designed to provide an overview of introducing novel concepts for effective reuse, recyclability, and maximal utilization of plant-based food wastes and/or byproducts from food-processing industries, which creates a potential opportunity for the extraction of value-added dietary fiber with potential applications in food and nonfood industries.

English

Starch was extracted from aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera) using water, sodium hydroxide, ammonium oxalate, and oxalic acid as extraction solvents, oven-dried at 45°C for 24 h, and milled to flour. The starch obtained was evaluated for yield, chemical and functional properties using standard procedures. The sensory attributes of the starch cooked pastes were also determined. Aerial yam extracted with oxalate gave the highest yield of 20.20% and high amylose content was observed in the water extracted aerial yam samples. A higher purity of 90.45% was observed in the aerial yam starches extracted with oxalate. Water extracted aerial yam starch had the highest swelling power and solubility index of 48.44% and 25.75 g/g with the least gelation capacity of 4% with high pasting viscosities and also low pasting temperature and time. The cooked paste of the starch extracted with oxalic acid was the most acceptable in terms of appearance (8.60) and overall acceptability (8.16). The starch extracted with water had higher swelling power and a solubility index than other starches extracted. Extraction of aerial yam starch with different solvents resulted in variations in the characteristics of the starch, which can find wide applications in both food and non-food industries.   Key words: Aerial yam starch, extraction solvents, yield, chemical, functional, sensory properties.

Cottonseed feedstock as a source of plant-based protein and bioactive peptides: Evidence based on biofunctionalities and industrial applications

The upsurging global population, along with the increasing cost of traditional sources of food proteins, provides an opportunity to directly utilize plant-derived proteins in human diets. Recently, the utilization of agro-industrial-generated raw byproducts has attracted the attention of modern food industries toward the production of sustainable, nutritious, and biofriendly products. Plant-derived proteins are among the promising materials being investigated. In particular, cottonseed protein, an important byproduct generated during the processing of cottonseed, is abundant in basic amino acids linked with several bioactivities. The suitability of using cottonseed protein products in terms of functional attributes and nutritional value in food systems will ultimately determine the magnitude of their application in the food industry. Techniques used for the most effective extraction of cottonseed protein with an esculent gossypol concentration have been comprehensively discussed. The bioactivities of enzymatically obtained cottonseed protein hydrolysates can be employed for fabricating bioactive packaging materials. Cottonseed proteins exhibit a plethora of bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activities. Their superior functional food properties and relatively lower cost than other plant proteins make them suitable candidates for various food and nonfood applications. In this review, recent developments regarding the extraction, hydrolysate preparation, bioactivities, and industrial applications of cottonseed protein are thoroughly discussed. • First review considering extraction of cotton seed protein and preparation of its hydrolysates. • Bifunctionalities associated with bioactive peptides from cottonseed are discussed. • Bioactive peptides exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. • Cottonseed protein have multifaceted food and non-food industrial applications.

Integrated Starches and Physicochemical Characterization of Sorghum Cultivars for an Efficient and Sustainable Intercropping Model.

Sorghum has good adaptation to drought tolerance and can be successfully cultivated on marginal lands with low input cost. Starch is used in many foods and nonfood industrial applications and as a renewable energy resource. Sorghum starches with different amylose contents affect the different physicochemical properties. In this study, we isolated starches from six sorghum varieties (i.e., Jinza 34, Liaoza 19, Jinnuo 3, Jiza 127, Jiniang 2, and Jiaxian) and investigated them in terms of their chemical compositions and physicochemical properties. All the starch granules had regular polygonal round shapes and showed the characteristic “Maltese cross”. These six sorghum starches showed an A-type diffraction pattern. The highest amylose content of starch in Jinza 127 was 26.90%. Jiaxian had a higher water solubility at 30, 70, and 90 °C. From the flow cytometry analysis based on six sorghum starch granules, Liaoza 19 had a larger and more complex granules (particle percentage (P1) = 66.5%). The Jinza 34 starch had higher peak (4994.00 mPa∙s) and breakdown viscosity (4013.50 mPa∙s) and lower trough viscosity (973.50 mPa∙s). Jinnuo 3 had higher onset temperature, peak temperature, conclusion temperature, gelatinization enthalpy, and gelatinization range. The principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis based on classification of different sorghum starches showed that Jiniang 2 and Jinnuo 3 had similar physicochemical properties and most divergent starches, respectively. Our result provides useful information not only on the use of sorghum starches in food and non-food industries but for the great potential of sorghum-based intercropping systems in maintaining agricultural sustainability.

Grain Yield Performance and Quality Characteristics of Waxy and Non-Waxy Winter Wheat Cultivars under High and Low-Input Farming Systems.

Waxy starch with a modified amylose-to-amylopectin ratio is desired for a range of applications in food and non-food industries; however, yield performance and grain quality characteristics of waxy wheat cultivars are usually inferior in comparison to advanced non-waxy cultivars. In this study, we compared waxy (‘Eldija’, ‘Sarta’) and non-waxy (‘Skagen’, ‘Suleva DS’) winter wheat cultivars grown under high and low-input farming systems over two cropping seasons by evaluating their yield and grain quality, including flour, dough, and starch physicochemical properties. The yield of waxy cv. ‘Sarta’ was significantly lower compared to the non-waxy cultivars across all trials; however, waxy cv. ‘Eldija’ had a similar yield as non-waxy cultivars (except under high-input conditions cv. ‘Skagen’). Moreover, no significant differences were observed between protein and gluten content of waxy and non-waxy cultivars. Low amylose content typical for waxy wheat cultivars highly correlated (r ≥ 0.8) with lower falling number, flour yield and sedimentation values, lower nitrogen % used for grain, higher flour water absorption and flour particle size index. In general, properties dependent on starch structure demonstrated consistent and significant differences between both starch types. The prevailing heat waves during the grain filling period decreased grain test weight but increased protein and gluten content and caused gluten to be weaker. Dough development time at these conditions became longer, dough softening lowered and starch content decreased, but A-starch, starch peak and final viscosity values increased. Low-input farming had a negative effect on grain yield, grain nitrogen uptake and grain test weight but increased phosphorus content in grain. The unique dough mixing properties of waxy cultivar ‘Eldija’ suggest that it could be used in mixtures along with non-waxy wheat for dough quality improvement.

Sveobuhvatan pregled primene lanenog semena u inovativnoj hrani i industrijskoj preradi od 2014. godine do danas

Flaxseed or linseed is an oilseed obtained from a plant, known as the flax (Linum usitatissimum). It is a valuable source of various bioactive components such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, lignans, dietary fibres and phytochemicals. The in-vivo, in-vitro studies and research on human subjects and in animal models, conducted throughout the globe, on health benefits associated with the consumption of various forms of flaxseed are discussed in this review. It provides an insight into recent developments and potential applications of flaxseeds in the form of whole seeds, meals, flour or oil in an array of food and feed products and non-food industrial applications. The details about novel health benefits associated with flaxseeds and information related to commercially available flaxseed-based i.e. enriched products are also the salient feature of the review. Here, we have provided the state of the art of most recent comprehensive information post the first detailed review on flaxseed as a modern food released in 2014.

Sveobuhvatan pregled primene lanenog semena u inovativnoj hrani i industrijskoj preradi od 2014. godine do danas

Flaxseed or linseed is an oilseed obtained from a plant, known as the flax (Linum usitatissimum). It is a valuable source of various bioactive components such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, lignans, dietary fibres and phytochemicals. The in-vivo, in-vitro studies and research on human subjects and in animal models, conducted throughout the globe, on health benefits associated with the consumption of various forms of flaxseed are discussed in this review. It provides an insight into recent developments and potential applications of flaxseeds in the form of whole seeds, meals, flour or oil in an array of food and feed products and non-food industrial applications. The details about novel health benefits associated with flaxseeds and information related to commercially available flaxseed-based i.e. enriched products are also the salient feature of the review. Here, we have provided the state of the art of most recent comprehensive information post the first detailed review on flaxseed as a modern food released in 2014.

Proteins Derived from the Dairy Losses and By-Products as Raw Materials for Non-Food Applications

The disposal of a high volume of waste-containing proteins is becoming increasingly challenging in a society that is aware of what is happening in the environment. The dairy industry generates several by-products that contain vast amounts of compounds, including proteins that are of industrial importance and for which new uses are being sought. This article provides a comprehensive review of the potential of the valorisation of proteins that can be recovered by chemical and/or physical processes from protein-containing milk by-products or milk surplus, particularly whey proteins or caseins. Whey proteins and casein characteristics, and applications in non-food industries, with special emphasis on the textile industry, packaging and biomedical, are reported in this review, in order to provide knowledge and raise awareness of the sustainability of these proteins to potentiate new opportunities in a circular economy context.

Cross-linked-substituted (esterified/etherified) starch derivatives as aqueous heavy metal ion adsorbent: a review.

Starch is a biopolymer with outstanding economic and environmentally friendly attributes which has driven technological innovations to enhance its applications in food and non-food industries. Starch is constituted by O-H groups with valency and electronic characteristics that can initiate adsorption of aqueous heavy metal ions (AHMIs). However, this can be enhanced using various modification sequences. A common procedure is the cross-linking and substitution of the O-H groups via esterification and/or etherification reactions to produce starch derivative adsorbents (SDAs) with improved structural and functional properties for adsorption of AHMIs. The efficiency of SDAs developed using these procedures depends on the botanical source of the native starch base, porosity and structural stability of the derivative (i.e. degree of cross-linking), substituted functional group(s), degree of substitution and the steric/conformation effects of the substituted groups. Many works have been done to optimize these factors, and this review highlighted some of the tailored procedures and the results obtained.

The study on starch granules by using darkfield and polarized light microscopy

A deep understanding of starch granule properties is important for its food and non-food industrial applications. On the other hand, the advance of optical microscopy has been ongoing. In this study, optical microscopies including transmission light microscopy, darkfield microscopy (DFM), differential interference contrast microscopy and polarized light microscopy (PLM) are compared for studying starch granules. It was found that detailed morphology and size of native starch granules could be precisely obtained by DFM, while crystalline is reflected by the Maltese cross under PLM. Optical images showed that native starch granules from rice and maize are polygonal, while starch granules of sweet potato are oval-shaped. Starch granules from sweet potato have the largest size of 15.2 ± 3.8 μm. After gelatinization, starches aggregated and chunks were formed under DFM, accompanied by the vanishing of crystalline (Maltese cross) under PLM. More importantly, the technique can visualize gelatinization progress of single rice starch granules in situ with a time scale of 100 ms at 1 mol/L NaOH. Due to gelatinization, micelle structures of granules with a decreasing size were determined by DFM, while the branched structure with an increased size was observed through PLM. The gelatinization at different subregions of starch granules was heterogeneous; structural changes at specific subregions are relatively faster. The combination of PLM and TLM may become an important technique for studying starch properties, especially obtaining detailed dynamic changes.

Structural changes induced by high pressure processing in Bambara bean proteins at different pH

Bambara bean protein is a promising ingredient for further applications in food and non-food industries. In this study, structural changes in Bambara bean protein isolate (BBPI) produced during high pressure processing (HPP) in the 200–600 MPa range at different pH (4.5, 7 and 9) were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modelling. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that vicilin, a 7S globulin, was the major protein in BBPI. Intrinsic fluorescence analysis at pH 4.5 showed a red-shift when BBPI was treated at high pressure. Phase diagram and quenching experiments demonstrated a third-state model for dissociation of vicilin at pH 9, and existence of four intermediate states when HPP was applied on BBPI at pH 7. Detailed information at atomic level on the structural changes of main proteins from BBPI was provided by molecular modelling. At a glance, HPP resulted in decrease of the total number of hydrogen bonds stabilizing the structure of proteins, which altered exposure of both Tyr and Trp residues. This work is important in development of new food formulations with adequate nutritional and functional properties based on Bambara bean protein.

Comparison of the structural characterizatics and physicochemical properties of starches from sixteen cassava germplasms cultivated in China

ABSTRACT Starches from sixteen cassava germplasms harvested at the same time in the Hainan region were evaluated for their physicochemical and structural properties. The granule morphology of all the isolated cassava starch samples showed round, bell or oval shapes and exhibited the same A-type crystalline pattern. The crystallinity range was 26.6–30.8%. The selected cassava germplasms showed a wide variation in granule size distribution: The D[4,3] (the average particle size) ranged from 13.49 μm to 306.27 μm. The water absorption capacity (192.6–226.7%), oil absorption capacity (185.0–216.9%) and transparency (6.8–16.5%) indices varied significantly among the cassava germplasms. However, the retrogradation rates of the cassava starch pastes increased rapidly during the first 1 h and then stabilized. The solubility of starch increased with the temperature. In addition, the FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer) ratios of 1045/1022 cm−1 and 1022/995 cm−1 of the sixteen cassava starches varied in the range of 1.06–1.78 and 0.78–1.04, respectively. These results indicated that the granule size, relative crystallinity, degree of short-range order, water and oil absorption capacities, solubility and transparency of the cassava starches were greatly influenced by the variety of cassava, which could help in determining the advantages of these starches for applications in different food and nonfood industries.

Insight Into the Prospects for the Improvement of Seed Starch in Legume-A Review.

In addition to proteins and/or oils, mature seeds of most legume crops contain important carbohydrate components, including starches and sugars. Starch is also an essential nutritional component of human and animal diets and has various food and non-food industrial applications. Starch is a primary insoluble polymeric carbohydrate produced by higher plants and consists of amylose and amylopectin as a major fraction. Legume seeds are an affordable source of not only protein but also the starch, which has an advantage of being resistant starch compared with cereal, root, and tuber starch. For these reasons, legume seeds form a good source of resistant starch-rich healthy food with a high protein content and can be utilized in various food applications. The genetics and molecular details of starch and other carbohydrate components are well studied in cereal crops but have received little attention in legumes. In order to improve legume starch content, quality, and quantity, it is necessary to understand the genetic and molecular factors regulating carbohydrate metabolism in legume crops. In this review, we assessed the current literature reporting the genetic and molecular basis of legume carbohydrate components, primarily focused on seed starch content. We provided an overview of starch biosynthesis in the heterotrophic organs, the chemical composition of major consumable legumes, the factors influencing starch digestibility, and advances in the genetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic studies in important legume crops. Further, we discussed breeding and biotechnological approaches for the improvement of the starch composition in major legume crops. The information reviewed in this study will be helpful in facilitating the food and non-food applications of legume starch and provide economic benefits to farmers and industries.

NegFluo, a Fast and Efficient Method to Determine Starch Granule Size and Morphology In Situ in Plant Chloroplasts.

Starch granules that accumulate in the plastids of plants vary in size, shape, phosphate, or protein content according to their botanical origin. Depending on their size, the applications in food and nonfood industries differ. Being able to master starch granule size for a specific plant, without alteration of other characteristics (phosphate content, protein content, etc.), is challenging. The development of a simple and effective screening method to determine the size and shape of starch granules in a plant population is therefore of prime interest. In this study, we propose a new method, NegFluo, that combines negative confocal autofluorescence imaging in leaf and machine learning (ML)-based image analysis. It provides a fast, automated, and easy-to-use pipeline for both in situ starch granule imaging and its morphological analysis. NegFluo was applied to Arabidopsis leaves of wild-type and ss4 mutant plants. We validated its accuracy by comparing morphological quantifications using NegFluo and state-of-the-art methods relying either on starch granule purification or on preparation-intensive electron microscopy combined with manual image analysis. NegFluo thus opens the way to fast in situ analysis of starch granules.

Chemical and functional properties of durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) seed flour and starch

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) seeds are a waste from durian paste processing that could find applications in food or non-food industries. Durian seeds are mainly composed of starch and mucilage (gum), which influence its properties and hence the potential applications. The objective of this research was to compare the properties of durian seed flour in different forms. Chemical and functional properties were compared among whole durian seed flour (WDSF), demucilaged durian seed flour (DDSF), and durian seed starch (DS), for two varieties of durian called native (N) and Chanee (C). It was found that the durian variety made little difference in chemical and functional properties, in contrast to the processing of the sample. WDSF contained both starch and gum, and had significantly (p < 0.05) more protein, lipid, ash, and fiber than DDSF or DS. The functional properties of WDSF, especially swelling power, water absorption capacity, peak viscosity and emulsifying capacity and activity, were also significantly higher than for DDSF or starch. Among the three forms of durian seed, WDSF showed the lowest gel hardness but highest syneresis, due to its high ability to bind with water to form a weak gel network. In conclusion, the three forms of durian seeds showed different properties. Gum or mucilage in durian seeds had important roles in the functional properties.

Effects of nitrogen level on the physicochemical properties of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) starch.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) because this substance affects the yield and quality of Tartary buckwheat. The physicochemical characteristics of starch represent the important parameters of Tartary buckwheat quality. The effects of different levels of nitrogen application at different levels (0, 45, 135 and 225kg/ha in 2015 and 0, 90, 180 and 270kg/ha in 2017) on the physicochemical characteristics of Tartary buckwheat starch were studied. The amylose content, particle size and retrogradation of Tartary buckwheat starch with nitrogen were lower than those of without nitrogen. The structure complexity, pasting temperature, gelatinization enthalpy, relative crystallinity, light transmittance and solubility of the former were higher than those of the latter. Nitrogen application did not change the 'A'-type crystalline pattern of Tartary buckwheat starch. This study indicated that nitrogen level and years and the interactions among nitrogen fertilizer levels and years significantly affected the physicochemical properties of Tartary buckwheat starch. These integrated results also provided information about the management of fertilization conditions to obtain starches with special properties for applications in food or nonfood industries.

Opportunities to Commercialize Cassava Production for Poverty Alleviation and Improved Food Security in Tanzania

Author(s): Mtunguja, MK; Beckles, DM; Laswai, HS; Ndunguru, JC; Sinha, NJ | Abstract: Cassava is the world's fourth most important staple crop after rice, wheat and maize, and plays an essential role in food security. Due to cassava's growth characteristics and ability to grow in poor soils and regions prone to drought, it is preferred by resourcepoor farmers in many tropical countries. While cassava plays an important role as a food security crop for subsistence farmers, it is prone to rapid postharvest deterioration. Processing cassava for starch is another strategy for overcoming post-harvest losses, can add value to end products and has the potential to create additional employment opportunities along the supply chain. Cassava starch is an important source of biomaterial for different food and non-food industrial applications. Moreover, farmers producing cassava can increase their income by finding alternative end uses to home consumption. To meet the high demand for cassava in Tanzania, cultivar selection, production and processing all need to be improved. Enabling policies that create satisfactory business opportunities for small holder farmers, traders and processors for starch industries is also critical. The aim of this review is to explore the potential of the cassava subsector to contribute to the economy of sub-Saharan countries, particularly Tanzania, and to present how industrial use of domestic cassava starch can help tackle problems of unemployment and food security.

High-throughput quantitation of bovine milk proteins and discrimination of commercial milk types by external cavity-quantum cascade laser spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Analysis of bovine milk proteins is crucial in many food and non-food industrial applications, nevertheless labour-intensive wet-chemical, low-throughput methods are still routinely used. In this work, external cavity-quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) mid-infrared spectroscopy is employed as a rapid method for protein analysis of commercial bovine milk. Combined analysis of the amide I and II bands enabled quantitation of individual proteins (casein, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin) and total protein content. IR spectra of spiked and diluted milk samples were employed for calibration of the target analytes in the presence of a complex matrix by partial least squares (PLS) regression modelling. A sample set of different milk types (pasteurized; differently processed extended shelf life, ESL; ultra-high temperature, UHT) was analysed, and results agreed well with reference methods. Quantitation of temperature sensitive proteins enables detailed distinction between milk types experiencing different heat loads during processing, and discrimination between diverse bovine milk types is successfully demonstrated.