Commercial Flakes Research Articles

Investigation of the sensory quality, nutritional value and antioxidant capacity of flakes prepared using various pigeon pea-based flours

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.)) is a potential source of nutritional and antioxidant compounds. Germination proved to improve the nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity of pigeon peas. The previous author’s study showed that pigeon pea flour prepared by NaCl elicitation before germination exhibits significantly higher antioxidant capacity and functional properties than that prepared without elicitation or germination. The study aimed to examine the sensory quality, nutrition value, and antioxidant capacity of flakes formulated using non-germinated pigeon pea flour, pigeon pea sprout flour, and NaCl-elicited pigeon pea sprout flour. The potential of the flours to be developed as commercial flakes was also determined using oat-based commercial flakes as a comparator. The NaCl-elicited pigeon pea flour-based flakes showed a higher quality score of both texture and overall qualities than the other pigeon pea flour-based flakes and the commercial ones. Regarding nutritional value, flakes formulated using NaCl-elicited pigeon pea sprout flour also showed better nutritional value, indicated by the lowest fat content and highest soluble, insoluble, and total dietary fiber contents. The highest values of total phenolics content (TPC), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were also observed in the NaCl-elicited pigeon pea sprout flour-based flakes, even though its DPPH radical scavenging activity was not significantly different to the commercial flakes. These results have significant consequences for developing legume-based flakes with higher levels of dietary fibers and antioxidant potential, and lower fat content.

Identifying temporal sensory drivers of liking of biscuit supplemented with brewer’s spent grain for young consumers

Brewer's spent grain (BSG), a by-product of the brewing industry, has great potential as food additive. BSG is particularly rich in protein and fibre content which makes it an ideal nutritional fortifier for biscuits. However, adding BSG to biscuits can lead to changes in sensory perception and consumer acceptance. This study explored the temporal sensory profiles and drivers/inhibitors of liking in BSG-fortified biscuits. Six biscuit formulations were obtained from a design with factors oat flake particle size (three levels: 0.5 mm, small commercial flakes, large commercial flakes) and baking powder (two levels: with, without). Consumers (n = 104) tasted the samples, described their dynamic sensory perception using the Temporal Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA) method, and rated their liking on a 7-point categorical scale. The Clustering around Latent Variables (CLV) approach was used to group consumers into two clusters based on their preferences. The temporal sensory profiles and drivers/inhibitors of liking were investigated within each cluster. Foamy and Easy–to–swallow were sensory drivers of liking for both groups of consumers. However, inhibitors of liking were different in the two clusters: Dense and Hard–to–swallow for one cluster and Chewy, Hard–to–swallow and Hard for the other cluster. These findings give evidence that manipulating oat particle size and presence/absence of baking powder changes BSG-fortified biscuits’ sensory profiles and consumer preferences. A complementary analysis of the area-under-curve of the TCATA data and inspection of individual temporal curves showed the dynamics of perception and showed how oat particle size and presence/absence of baking powder affected consumer perception and acceptance of BSG-fortified biscuits. The methods proposed in this paper can be further applied to understand how enriching products with ingredients that would otherwise go to waste affects acceptance in different consumer segments.

Bee pollen in zebrafish diet affects intestinal microbiota composition and skin cutaneous melanoma development

Bee pollen is recommended as dietary supplement due to immunostimulating functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of such properties is still not well understood. As diet can be associated with animal performance, microbiota modulation and potentially factor for cancer, this study aimed to analyze if bee pollen could influence growth, gut microbial and skin cutaneous melanoma development in zebrafish. Control diets based on commercial flakes and Artemia were compared with the same diet supplemented with bee pollen. Fish weight gain, increased length, intestinal bacteria metagenomics analysis, serum amyloid A gene expression and cutaneous melanoma transplantation assays were performed. Bee pollen affected microbiota composition and melanoma development. Differential abundance revealed higher abundance in the control group for Aeromonadaceae family, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas genus, A. sobria, A. schubertii, A. jandaei and P. alcaligenes species compared with pollen diet group. Pollen group presented higher abundance for Chromobacterium genus and for Gemmobacter aquaticus, Flavobacterium succinicans and Bifidobacterium breve compared with control group. Unexpectedly, fish fed with bee pollen showed higher tumor growth rate and larger tumor size than control group. This is the first study to report intestinal microbial changes and no protective cancer properties after bee pollen administration.

Performance of Co-Housed Neon Tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) and Glowlight Rasboras (Trigonostigma hengeli) Fed Commercial Flakes and Lyophilized Natural Food.

Simple SummaryThe ornamental fish trade is a growing, developing global industry. However, on a scientific level, most aspects of aquarium fish nutrition remain to be a totally uncharted territory, awaiting to be explored. Thus, a feeding trial was conducted to compare the long-term effects of commercial flake feeds and dietary supplementation with natural food on the condition of neon tetras and glowlight rasboras, a setup which exemplified ordinary household community tanks. Even though there were no differences in growth between experimental groups, laboratory analyses revealed that the used feeding strategies had different outcomes in each species. Particularly, natural food appeared to cause a pathological lipid accumulation in the livers of rasboras, while no such effect was found in the tetras. The study highlights the need to conduct more in-depth feeding studies on ornamental fish, with special attention paid to their taxonomic origin and diversity.Little to no research has been conducted thus far regarding aquarium fish nutrition. In order to ensure the welfare of house-kept ornamentals, such studies should take into account that there are distinct biological differences occurring between different fish species/taxa, especially in regard to the structure of their digestive organs. Accordingly, a 12-week trial was executed to assess the effects of two commercial flakes and a mix of lyophilized natural food on the condition of co-reared neon tetras, Paracheirodon innesi (Characidae), and glowlight rasboras, Trigonostigma hengeli (Danionidae). The four feeding groups were as follows: (T)—Tetra flakes; (O)—Omega flakes; (TO)—Tetra + Omega; (TOL)—Tetra + Omega + Lyophilizate (twice a week). There were no differences in final body weight (FBW) between the feeding groups of either species, but in the case of neon tetras, FBW increased significantly from the initial value only for the T group. However, histological observations and measurements of digestive organs (livers, intestines) showed pronounced differences between the two species. The supplementation with natural food in group TOL caused lipoid hepatic degeneration only in the rasboras. The healthiest histological structure of livers and longest intestinal folds were found in group T of the tetras and group TO of the rasboras. Whole-mount staining for bone and cartilage did not reveal any significant deformities or differences in terms of bone mineralization. In conclusion, it was outlined that concurrent feeding of co-housed, anatomically diverse ornamental fish species is a highly ambiguous task, because the nutritional strategy applied for a community tank may yield radically divergent effects, most of which may remain unnoticed when depending only on external body observations and measurements. Most emphatically, this was highlighted in regard to the dietary supplementation with natural food—although no significant effects were observed in neon tetras, severe lipoid liver degeneration occurred in glowlight rasboras.

Bee pollen as a dietary supplement for fish: Effect on the reproductive performance of zebrafish and the immunological response of their offspring

Bee pollen, a natural resource collected by bees, is rich in many nutrients, therefore it may represent a useful dietary supplement. Different uses of bee pollen are proposed due to its beneficial health properties, which includes the capacity to improve animal performance and promote immunostimulation. Animal nutrition can directly affect adults and their offspring, and larval stage is a critical moment for fish due to high mortality related to immune challenges. Thus, the present study attempted to evaluate the effects of adding bee pollen to a zebrafish diet, specifically, analyzing the effects on reproduction and immunity transference to descendants. Zebrafish adults received control diets based on commercial flakes and live food Artemia sp. nauplii or bee pollen-supplemented diets, administered three times a day, at the same time. The animals received the diets over 60 d, and throughout this period, they were tested for: egg production per female, total number of eggs, embryo viability rate, larval survival rate after exposure to spring viremia of carp virus and to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and larval neutrophil recruitment after tail wounding. Bee pollen supplementation failed to improve egg production and embryo viability, and was unable to substitute flakes in zebrafish breeders. Instead, the offspring of breeders fed with bee pollen supplemented diets showed longer survival upon virus exposure and higher neutrophil migration to wounds. These results indicate that bee pollen can influence vertical immunity through important mechanisms related to offspring immunity in the early stages, when larval immune system is not fully developed.

Minerals and their bioavailability in relation to dietary fiber, phytates and tannins from gluten and gluten-free flakes

Flakes are an assortment of grain products mainly consumed for breakfast. Most of them are important source of nutrients including minerals. Twenty commercial flakes from different raw materials were included in this study, both gluten (barley, rye, spelt, wheat) and gluten-free (amaranth, buckwheat, corn, quinoa, millet, oat, rice, teff). The content of minerals (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn), dietary fiber (total, soluble and insoluble), tannins and phytates was determined. Moreover, the phytates:mineral molar ratios and the percentage of the realization of mineral requirements were calculated. For the first time the mineral bioavailability from the gluten and gluten-free flakes was evaluated and compared. It allowed indicating amaranth and teff products as flakes with the highest impact on the realization of daily requirements for minerals, especially for magnesium and iron. This aspect is particularly important for people on a gluten-free diet who often represent mineral deficiencies.

The Effect of Live Food on the Coloration and Growth in Guppy Fish, <i>Poecilia reticulata</i>

Colour production in fish is due mostly to food. In conditions of captivity, the type of food is restricted, while various types of food are used in aquaculture, from processed dry food to small aquatic animals. In this study, we used nauplii of Artemia franciscana, “water fleas” Moina wierzejski, micro-worm Panagrellus redivivus, and commercial flakes. We used Poecilia reticulata, which is one of the most traded fish in ornamental aquaculture and hypothesise that if the live food influences the coloration and growth of P. reticulata, there must be differences in the intensity of colour pattern and growth rate in fish fed with different living animals. Consistent with our prediction, females and males of P. reticulata were more colourful when they were fed on A. franciscana, P. redivivus and M. wierzejski than when they were fed commercial flakes. Females and males of P. reticulata fed with A. franciscana grew in less time than fish fed with P. redivivus, M. wierzejski, or commercial flakes. We conclude that live food is an excellent way to affect growth and coloration in fish.

FORMULASI DAN OPTIMASI FLAKES KAYA SERAT BERBASIS PATI GARUT RESISTEN TIPE III MENGGUNAKAN RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Arrowroot starch contains of 29,67-31,34% amylose which is a good potency as a raw material of resistant starch type III. Resistant starch type III is a starch fraction which is resistant to hydrolysis of human digestion enzyme. Flakes with addition of arrowroot resistant starch type III, red bean flour, and shrimp head bouillon is a high fiber functional food product. The purposes of this experimental research re: 1) to determine the optimum proportion of arrowroot resistant starch type III and red bean flour to produce flakes with high fiber, demanded sensory characteristics, and crispy texture as its commercial flakes. 2) to determine the optimum concentration of shrimp head bouillon to produce nice brown color flakes with savory flavor. 3) to define the chemistry and sensory characteristics of flakes with optimum range proportion of resistant starch, red bean flour, and shrimp head bouillon. The optimum formula of flakes are 71,06% : 28,94% for proportion of arrowroot resistant starch type III : red bean flour and 45,14% for concentration of shrimp head bouillon. The optimum formula has been produced flakes with composition of 2,90% water content; 5,52% ash content; 7,60% protein; 0,43% fat; 84,84% carbohydrate; 22,83% resistant starch; 2,84% crude fiber; 19,84% dietary fiber; 3,56 for bright brown; 4,04 crispy texture; 2,17 less-mid red bean odor; 2,52 less-mid shrimp head bouillon odor; 3,61 neutral – like flavor; and 4,04 overall acceptance.

Total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, crude fibre and digestibility in non-traditional wheat flakes and muesli

The five different types of muesli composed of non-traditional wheat flakes were prepared and analysed. Dickkopf wheat, red wheat, kamut and spelt were compared with commercial wheat flakes. Wheat flakes and muesli were assessed for basic analyses (dry matter, ash, protein, starch and fat content), total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH assays), crude fibre content and in vitro digestibility. Furthermore, sensory evaluation of muesli involving scale and ranking preference tests was provided. Flakes and muesli made from Dickkopf wheat and red wheat showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content and, consequently, the highest antioxidant activity. Moreover, these cereals were high in crude fibre and thus were less digestible. On the other hand, the lowest total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity were determined in commercial flakes and muesli produced from these flakes. The flakes made from non-traditional wheat were sensorially comparable to commercial products.

Exploring ecotoxicological fish bioassay for the evaluation of uranium reprotoxicity.

Although reproduction in fish is known to be sensitive to metal exposure, few ecotoxicological studies have focused on the toxicological effects of metals. Because uranium (U) is naturally present in aquatic ecosystems (0.6-2 mg/L), freshwater organisms are subjected to chronic U exposure. Although new standardized assays are currently being developed to mimic realistic exposure conditions, they could be improved by taking into account the contamination that occurs throughout the life cycle of fish. The authors initially evaluated the effect of food (commercial flakes vs pure Spirulina) and ionic composition of the exposure medium on the reproductive performance of Danio rerio. The effects of U exposure on reproduction then were assessed 1) for the F0 adult stage at short exposure times (5 d, 20 d, and 40 d), and 2) for the F0 stage and the F1 generation after 200 d of exposure to control, low (20 µg U/L), and moderate (250 µg U/L) waterborne levels of U. Reproductive endpoints (reproductive success, fecundity, number of spawns, egg and larvae viability, and hatching) were measured mainly after the first spawn and after 10 d of cumulative spawns. The authors evaluated the plasticity of these endpoints and compared the effect of exposure conditions to identify the most relevant markers of the effect of U exposure on reproductive performance of D. rerio.

Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene Thin Films by Chemical Reduction of Exfoliated and Intercalated Graphite Oxide

Commercial flakes of graphite were prepared into functionalized graphene oxide (GO) by chemical treatment. After the exfoliation and intercalation of graphene into functionalized graphene oxide that formed stable colloidal dispersion in polar aprotic solvent, the reduction process was undertaken by continuous stirring with hydrazine hydrate. The reduced material was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FT‐IR, ultraviolet visible (UV‐vis), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy which confirm the oxidation of graphite and reduction of graphene oxide into graphene sheet.

Preliminary Study on Flakeboard Panels Made from Aspen Slash Wood

The disposal of forest-thinning residue is one of the major problems for sustainable forest management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the technical possibility of utilizing aspen logging slash wood with a diameter ranging from 50 to 76 mm for flakeboard production. Influences of weight ratio between slash wood and commercial flakes on the selected mechanical and physical properties of panels were examined. The need of an extra debarking process for panel fabrication was also evaluated. The results indicated the modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bonding, linear expansion (LE), thickness swelling (TS), and water adsorption of flakeboard made from aspen slash wood flakes were all comparable to those properties of panels made from aspen commercial flakes. The flake weight ratio between slash wood and commercial flakes had little impact on panel MOE, MOR, and LE. The statistical analysis (analysis of variance, P < 0.05) showed that the TS of panels made from 100 percent slash wood (22.8%) was significantly lower than the TS of panels made from a mixture of slash wood and commercial flakes or from 100 percent commercial flakes. The results indicate abundant slash wood, which is normally characterized by inferior mechanical and physical properties, could be a valuable resource for commercially available structural panel products.

Effect of equilibrium oil extraction on the chemical composition and sensory quality of soy flour and concentrates

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that ambient‐temperature equilibrium, hexane extraction of soy flour yielded the same amount of oil as was extracted from soy flakes by conventional high‐temperature processing. The oil obtained at ambient temperatures contained less phospholipid than commercial crude oils obtained by traditional processing. In this study, chemical composition, flavor and odor of soy flour obtained after oil extraction by the equilibrium procedure were evaluated before and after toasting. Results were compared with those obtained for commercial untoasted food‐grade soy flakes. Chemical and sensory analyses were performed on soy protein concentrates (SPC) prepared from defatted flour, defatted toasted flour and commercial defatted white food‐grade flakes. SPC were made by acid and ethanol‐extraction methods. Ethanol extraction of soy flour produced SPC with similar protein, lipid and sensory qualities to those obtained from commercial flakes. Acid extraction produced SPC with more lipid than was obtained by ethanol extraction. Toasted soy flour and flakes had similar sensory properties, as did the SPC prepared from them.