Flour Content Research Articles

Moisture sorption isotherm characteristics of sago flour

The equilibrium moisture content of sago flour is essential information, especially for predicting the product’s shelf-life, which can be affected by various factors, such as temperature, relative humidity, and packaging condition. This research was conducted to study the characteristic of moisture sorption isotherm and determine the best mathematical equation model for studying sago flour’s isotherm sorption characteristics. Sago flour was stored in an incubator at a 10-80% humidity range with temperature variations of 30°C and 40°C. Humidity setting was done using various types of salt solutions. This study showed that all the sorption curves were found to be Type II. The higher the RH in the incubator, the higher the equilibrium moisture content of the material. Meanwhile, the water sorption capacity decreased with increasing temperature. Different models were fitted to the data, including Oswin, Chung-Pfost, and Halsey models. The Chung-Pfost model was found as the best model to represent the experimental data in the water activity range of 0.1-0.8.

Fortification of carrot (Daucus carota L.) and snakehead fish (Channa striata) in bagea product for nutrition fulfillment patients of type II diabetes mellitus (DM)

Sago (Metroxylon sago) is generally found in central and eastern Indonesia. The nutritional content of sago flour per 100 grams is 94 g of carbohydrates, 0.2 g of protein, 0.2 g of fat, 14 g of water content, and 355 cal of calories. Sago flour also has a low glycemic index of <55. One of the sago product developments is Bagea, typical Sulawesi cookies made from sago that can be fortified with local natural resources such as carrots and snakehead fish flour. The purpose of this study was to obtain the best composition, to determine the chemical characteristics of the bagea products produced after fortification, and to analyze the glycemic index and glycemic load levels of the bagea so that it is safe for consumption by people with Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM). The stages of this study were sample preparation, bagea making with two treatment factors in the form of variations in the concentration of snakehead fish flour (10%, 15%, 20%) and variations in physical treatment in the form of carrots (flour, puree, juice) of 15 grams each. The results obtained were the best formulation of 85% sago flour: 15% snakehead fish flour with fortification treatment of carrot flour, carrot juice, and carrot puree of 15 grams each. The conclusion obtained was that bagea (85% sago flour: 15% snakehead fish flour) with fortification treatment of carrot juice and carrot puree has a high IG category (>70). However, it is still safe to be consumed by DM Type II sufferers with a BG value of 9.44 each for bagea fortification of carrot juice and 9.60 for bagea fortification of carrot puree (low BG<10) if consumed as much as 20grams/serving dose.

Study on physicochemical characteristics of local colored rice varieties (black, red, brown, and white) fermented with lactic acid bacteria (SBM.4A).

In this study, the physicochemical properties of local colored rice flour were studied after modification through fermentation with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) SBM.4A. SBM.4A was LAB isolated from the rice washing water and was in the cladogram of the Pediococcus pentosaceus strain SRCM102739 CP028266.1 and Pediococcus pentosaceus strain SRCM102738 CP028264.1. The studied rice varieties were wakacinda (white rice), wakawondu (red rice), warumbia (brown rice), and wakaombe (black rice). Characterizations of both fermented and native rice flour included chemical composition, FTIR profile, crystallinity, morphology, and pasting properties. Fermentation did not introduce new chemical functional groups to the flour and only slightly increased crystallinity from approximately 22.5% to 25.05%. In contrast, fermentation greatly affected the chemical composition and pasting properties of rice flour. Protein content of the fermented flour increased up to 214% relative to the native rice flour. Effect of fermentation on pasting properties varied between rice varieties. Increase in peak and final viscosities was observed in red, brown, and black rice. The opposite effect was found in white rice. However, fermentation improved the stability of flour to retrogradation for all rice varieties. These showed that the fermentation improved the properties of the local-colored rice flour and may widen their application as food ingredients.

Polypropylene-based composites reinforced with waste tropic wood flours: Determination of accelerated weathering resistance, tribological, and thermal properties

This study investigated the effects of Iroko wood flour (WF) and nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) concentration on the properties of polypropylene (PP)-based composites, including accelerated weathering resistance, tribological behavior, thermal stability, physical characteristics, mechanical strength, morphological features, color changes, and surface roughness. The results showed that the presence of WF and TiO2 significantly influenced the density, hardness, thermal stability, crystallinity, coefficient of friction, and wear rate of the composites. Both fillers positively impacted the tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of the composites, although the elongation at break values decreased. TiO2 addition enhanced thermal stability and protection against UV radiation, whereas using wood flour negatively affected color properties. Moreover, the surface roughness of the composites was affected by weathering time and wood flour content. These findings highlight the potential of WF and TiO2 as effective fillers for enhancing PP-based composites’ properties and weathering resistance.

Effect of sulfur fertilization on the composition, functionality, and protein quality of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

AbstractBackgroundSoil sulfur deficiency leads to reduced crop yield and quality loss, which is especially critical for pulses as sulfur is a major component of methionine and cysteine. The present research evaluated the influence of sulfur fertilization on two varieties of navy beans grown at soil sulfur levels of 17, 26, 35, and 44 kg/ha by analyzing their composition, functionality, and protein quality.ResultsIncreasing the soil application of sulfur did not affect the protein content of the test navy bean flours. Methionine, cysteine, and tryptophan were limiting, and their concentrations were not enhanced by sulfur fertilization nor was protein digestibility. The oil holding capacity and emulsion stability were different among sulfur treatments; however, no clear trend was observed.ConclusionSulfur fertilization had only a minimal effect on the quality attributes of navy beans, possibly due to a combined effect of environmental factors that limited the plant's response to sulfur supply. Despite the limited change, the findings underlined the possible role of the environment (e.g., location, crop year, and other variables) in determining the sulfur fertilization response of navy beans and provided valuable insight for researchers to further investigate the topic and optimize navy bean production and quality.

The effect of fermented sweet potato flour supplementation on the characteristics of ambon banana yoghurt

Starch can be added to yogurt to improve its body and texture, specially to increase viscosity and reduce syneresis. Starch utilization in a product can be done in the form of flour containing the main component of the starch. This study aims to determine the concentration of fermented sweet potato flour (FSPF) to produce the best quality characteristics of Ambon banana yogurt, significantly reducing syneresis and retain sensory yogurt. In this research, three levels of fermented sweet potato flour (0, 1, and 2 %) with three replicates were considered. The results showed that fermented sweet potato flour affects the quality characteristics of Ambon banana yogurt, and FSPF supplementation is proven to reduce syneresis. The best characteristics of yogurt are found in fermented sweet potato flour concentration of 2%, which produces a viscosity of 3400 cP, protein content of 3.72%, and fat content of 4.45%; syneresis 3.97%; total dissolved solids was 18.77%, and the sensory score was around four or like.

Development of Gluten-Free Cake for Improving Textural and Sensory Characteristics with Chia Flour

Lack of gluten affects the quality of gluten-free (GF) cake. Mainly due to the ingredients used and their characteristics, GF cake has numerous drawbacks such as unsatisfactory texture. The present study determines the influence of different percentages of chia seed flour and xanthan gum on the consumer aspects and also the physical quality of rice/sweet potato flour-based gluten-free (GF) cakes by adding xanthan gum. A composite central design (CCD) was applied to optimize the levels of effects of ratio of rice/sweet potato flours, chia seed flour concentration, and xanthan gum concentration on the textural and sensory properties. The results of optimization analysis observed that the best formulation was prepared from ratio of rice to sweet potato flours of 60 to 40% w / w , chia seed flour of 2.5% w / w , and xanthan gum of 0.03% w / w as optimum point. Also, one sample t –test results indicated that the experimental values of responses were close to predicted ones and confirmed them. The textural, physical, and also sensory properties showed that adding whole chia seed flour led to increase the hardness and a reduction in the specific volume of the cakes. The presence of xanthan gum was essential to soften the texture of the cake. In final, it can be stated that whole chia seed flour with suitable quality and healthy characteristics can be utilized as a good alternative ingredient to prepare various gluten-free products.

Studies on Sensory and Phytochemical Characteristics of Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) Varieties for Their Oil Utilisation.

Poppy is a significant pharmaceutical crop, but the seeds and the cold-pressed oil have a big potential as healthy foods. Breeding has mainly focused on agronomical characteristics and alkaloid content. Here, we compared the sensory values, fatty acid and headspace volatile composition of poppy oils and flours produced from different varieties. Two industrial and four culinary varieties were cultivated in our field in 2021-2022. The sensory test differentiated well among varieties. Typical poppy odour and flavour were stronger both in the oils and the flours of the blue-seed varieties compared to the white-seed ones. For most varieties, the harvest year caused no relevant differences. Linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids were the main components both in oils and flours. Larger differences were detected in the volatiles (e.g., 2 and 3 methyl-butanal and 3 methyl-butanol γ-n-caprolactone, pentofuran), depending on genotype and year. A higher ratio of saturated fatty acids negatively influenced the flavour and odour characteristics. In the headspace volatiles, these features correlated negatively with 2-pentylfuran and hexanal. The oil content of poppy flour has a positive effect on colour, appearance, tactility and poppy flavour. Our results support a goal-oriented use of poppy genotypes for high-quality dietary products.

Characterization of Glucomannan and Ca-Oxalate from Porang Flour (&lt;i&gt;Amorphophallus muelleri &lt;/i&gt;Blume) as Candidates for Hydrogel Materials

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume), a plant belonging to the Araceae family, has the main content of glucomannan and calcium oxalate which is quite high. This study aims to determine the characteristic values ​​of glucomannan and calcium oxalate content from porang flour so that it can be used for various applications, especially hydrogel. The characteristics of glucomannan obtained from porang flour will be compared with commercial glucomannan from konjac using 3,5-DNS analysis, permanganate titration method, Fourier Transforms Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the glucomannan content of porang flour was 99.84% dry basic (db) and the calcium oxalate content of porang flour was 0.005% wet basic (wb). The characterization results show that the glucomannan content in porang flour is higher than the commercial glucomannan content from konjac, so that porang flour has good potential as a candidate for hydrogel materials.

Response surface methodology for the mixed fungal fermentation of Codonopsis pilosula straw using Trichoderma reesei and Coprinus comatus.

The objective of this study was to investigate the cellulose degradation rate (CDR) and lignin degradation rate (LDR) of Codonopsis pilosula straw (CPS) and the optimal fermentation parameters for mixed fungal fermentation. Single-factor tests were used to study the effects of the fungal ratio (Trichoderma reesei: Coprinus comatus), fungal inoculum, corn flour content, and fermentation time on the degradation rate of cellulose and lignin. Based on the results of this experiment, the optimal fermentation factors were identified, and the effects of various factors and their interactions on the degradation rates of cellulose and lignin were further evaluated using the response surface method. The quadratic polynomial mathematical model of degradation rates of the cellulose and lignin in CPS by mixed fungus fermentation was established using Design Expert software v8.0.6. Under the optimal parameters for fungal fermentation of CPS straw (fungal ratio 4:6, fungal inoculum 8%, corn flour content 10%, fermentation time of 15 d), the CDR and LDR reached 13.65% and 10.73%, respectively. Collectively, the mixed fungal fermentation of CPS resulted in decreased lignin and cellulose content, better retention of nutrients, and enhanced fermentation quality. The results of this study indicate that fermentation using Trichoderma reesei and Coprinus comatus is a productive method for straw degradation, providing a theoretical basis for the development of CPS as feed.

Nutritional and Sensory Quality Attributes of Bread Produced from Wheat-Sprouted Finger Millet Flour

The current study was conducted to investigate the nutritional and sensory quality of wheat flour supplemented with sprouted finger millet flour in varying ratio to produce bread. Phytochemical screening of the ethanol extract of the flour samples confirmed the presence of many phytochemicals including flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids and tannins. The results of flavonoid, phenolic and alkaloid content of white wheat flour (WWF) are 1.34 ± 0.05 (mg QE/g), 2.25 ± 0.05 (mg GAE/g) and 1.26 ± 0.01 (%) respectively. The mean concentration of raw finger millet flour (RFF) : sprouted finger millet flour (SFF) for flavonoid, phenolic and alkaloid are 2.15 ± 0.15 mg QE/g : 2.87 ± 0.05 mg QE/), 4.24 ± 0.04 mg GAE/g : 5.10 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g and 2.56 ± 0.03 (%) : 2.58 ± 0.05 (%). The results of moisture content, ash and carbohydrate of the bread increases from 8.28-10.18 %, 1.70-2.55 %, and 69.30-70.21 % while crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber of the bread decreases from 12.80-11.20 %, 3.62-2.01 %, and 4.30-3.90 %. The sensory score results revealed that bread made with 100 % WWF (sample A) was most acceptable. The study has revealed that acceptable nutrient dense bread can be made from wheat and sprouted finger millet flour up to 30 % substitution.

Influence of wheat and amaranth grain mixture ratio on chemical and physicochemical parameters of wheat-amaranth flour

A new source of vegetable raw materials for the food industry has appeared on the Russian market - amaranth grain and products of its processing, which have a valuable chemical composition, high nutritional and biological value, containing a wide range of physiologically functional nutrients. The studies on the effect of different ratios of the grinding mixture of wheat and amaranth grains on the chemical and physico-chemical properties of wheat-amaranth flour as a result of their joint processing are presented. The object of the study was the grain of winter wheat of the variety Nemchinovskaya 85 and the grain of amaranth of the variety Voronezhsky. Processing of the control sample of common wheat and milling wheat-amaranth mixtures of various ratios was carried out in the laboratory grinding mills (LGM-4) with threaded (for break systems) and smooth microroughened rollers (for grinding systems). It has been found that in the control sample of wheat flour, the weighted average content of fat and protein was 1.12% and 11.57%, respectively, with the addition of 5% amaranth to the grinding wheat-amaranth grain mixture, the weighted average fat content in wheat-amaranth flour was 2.47 %, and the protein content - 12.55%, with the addition of 10% amaranth to the grinding wheat-amaranth grain mixture, the weighted average fat content of wheat-amaranth flour was 3.13%, and the protein content - 12.66%, with the addition of 15% amaranth in the milled wheat-amaranth grain mixture, the weighted average fat content in wheat-amaranth flour was 3.88%, and the protein content was 13.34%, with the addition of 20% amaranth to the milled wheat-amaranth grain mixture, the weighted average fat content in wheat-amaranth flour was 4.29%, and the protein content was 13.78%, respectively. It has been found that the addition of amaranth grain to the milled wheat-amaranth mixture up to 20% of amaranth grain significantly increases the yield of wheat-amaranth flour. It has been established that the addition of amaranth grain to the grinding grain mixture makes it possible to increase the fat content in wheat-amaranth flour by 282.1% and the protein content by 18.4% compared to the control wheat flour.

Hyperspectral imaging system to on-line monitoring the soy flour content in a functional pasta

Pasta enriched with soy flour can be considered as a functional food, due to its content in nutraceutical compounds such as isoflavones, carotenoids, and other antioxidants. The quantification of the amount of a functional ingredient is an important step in food authenticity. The availability of non-destructive techniques for quantitative and qualitative analyses of food is therefore desirable. This research was aimed to investigate the feasibility of hyperspectral imaging in reflectance mode for the evaluation of the soy flour content, also to investigate on the possibility to implement a feed-back control system to precisely dose the soy flour during the industrial production of pasta. Samples of pasta in shape of spaghetti were produced with durum wheat semolina and soy flour at increasing percentages (0, to 50%, steps of 5%). A feature selection algorithm was used to predict the amount of soy flour. The most influent wavelengths were selected, and a six-term Gauss function was trained, validated, and tested. The identified transfer function was able to predict the percentage of soy flour with high accuracy, with an R2adj value of 0.98 and RMSE 1.31. The developed system could represent a feasible tool to control the process in a continuous mode.

TEKNOLOGI PENGOLAHAN TEPUNG MOCAF DENGAN 3 METODE FERMENTASI KAJIAN ANALISA PROKSIMAT

Mocaf (Modified Cassava Flour) was a product derived from fermented cassava flour. Mocaf has characteristics similar to wheat flour and can be used for processed products such as wet cakes, kue kering, sweet bread, instant noodles and substitutes for certain products, vermicelli, brownies. The problem that occurs was that the price of flour continues to increase along with the high demand, so the price is expensive. The aim of the study was to analyze the nutritional value content, namely proximate in mocaf flour which was processed using 3 fermentation methods. The experimental design is a quantitative analysis method. The parameters measured were water content, ash content, protein, fat, starch. Experimental treatment: there are 3 types of cassava chips processing fermentation methods, namely a. Yeast b. Lime Water c. Enzimo. The results of proximate analysis using the yeast fermentation method contained 13.71% water content, 4.12% ash content, 1.43% crude protein, 2.82% fat, 71.38% starch; Using lime water has a water content of 13.14%, ash 4.82%, protein 1.12%, hasar fat 4.38, starch 69.54%. while the third with enzyme has a water content of 12.66%, ash 3.17, protein 1.83%, fat 3.83%, starch 73%. The ingredient of mocaf flour which has the highest starch was the fermentation method using yeast, the best protein ses the fermentation method with enzymes. The highest fat was mocaf with the fermentation method with lime solution. The water content of flour between the lowest 12 and the highest 13, 66%.

Chiral cholesteric molecular tweezer artificial receptors 7a for the rapid detection of tryptophan and the chiral resolution of D-/-tryptophan

A cholesteric chiral molecular tweezer 7a was synthesized using deoxycholic acid as the raw material. The effects of various amino acids on the fluorescence spectra of molecular tweezer 7a were investigated. The chiral molecular tweezer 7a exhibited a specific recognition ability for tryptophan in Ethanol/Tris (1:1, v/v, pH 7.0) buffer, with a low detection limit of 0.17 μmol/L. In addition, the interference behavior of common metal cations and anions on compound 7a recognition of tryptophan was investigated. After eliminating the interference of anions and cations, a new method for the rapid determination of tryptophan in food samples was established. The recoveries of the method ranged from 97.53% to 107.35%, and the relative standard deviation ranged from 0.204% to 0.825%, according to the new method, the tryptophan content in infant milk powder, wheat flour and chicken meat were 2.029 mg/g, 1.844 mg/g and 3.306 mg/g, respectively, which were close to the reference value, indicating that the new method was accurate and reliable. Concurrently, molecular tweezer 7a was used for the chiral resolution of D-/L-tryptophan enantiomers. Baseline separation of D-/L-tryptophan enantiomers was realized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a methanol solution (86.5/13.5, V/V) of cholesteric molecular tweezer 7a as the mobile phase. Data will be made available on request.

Optimization of Single Screw Extrusion Processing Variables and Soy and Rice Flour Blend Formulations based on Physical Properties of Extrudates

Background: Extruded cereals and snacks are mainly carbohydrates. Most adults require more protein above RDA by restricting carbohydrates for many health benefits. A wide variety of soy protein-rich extrudates can be produced by blending with rice flour. However, optimum extrusion processing variables (i.e., screw speed, die temperature, and product formulations) are required for maximum retention of nutrients with desired product characteristics. Objective: The objective of this study was to optimize the extrusion operating conditions and soy flour and rice flour blend formulations for developing protein-rich cereal-like extrudates. Methods: Twenty formulations using CCRD with the combinations of soy flour content (43-77%), die temperature (123-157°C), and screw speed (250-350 rpm) were extruded using a single screw extruder. The physical properties (expansion ratio, density, porosity, hardness, crispness, color, and water solubility index) of extrudates were determined. The regression models and 3-dimensional response surface models were developed for each property of extrudates using RSM. Numerical and graphical optimizations were conducted based on the desirability to determine an optimum condition. Results: The regression models were able to predict the physical properties of extrudates with an accuracy of 75-90%, depending on their properties. The 3-dimensional response surface models indicated that the soy flour content, die temperature, and screw speed affected the physical properties of extrudates significantly (p &lt; 0.05). Soy flour content (50-55%), die temperature (140-145°C), and screw speed (290-320 rpm) were very effective for the desired quality of soy flour and rice flour blend extrudates. Conclusion: The optimum condition is expected to be very useful for soy protein and rice flour blend extruded cereal-like product development commercially within the experimental range.

Получение биокомпозитов с полимерной фазой пластифицированных ацетатов целлюлозы с различной степенью ацетилирования

It is anticipated that the creation of wood-polymer composites (WPC) made of naturally renewable polymers and their derivatives (biocomposites) would have a significant practical use due to the rise in prices for synthetic thermoplastic polymers derived from oil and gas. Furthermore, the necessity to replace synthetic polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and others as components of composite materials is also associated with environmental hazards caused by their low degradation rate in the natural media (soil, water, and air). A further problem for manufacturers of WPC is the legislative requirement for autonomous neutralisation of production waste. One of the potential materials for practical application in the production of WPC are binders based on plasticised cellulose acetates. Russian and foreign scientists have studied the influence of the degree of acetylation of cellulose acetate on the properties of polymeric materials that do not contain lignocellulose fillers. There is no information found concerning the secondary use of cellulose acetate waste for the production of WPC. This article presents the results of an investigation into the hot pressing of biocomposites with a polymer phase of plasticised cellulose acetates of varying degrees of acetylation and fillers: wood flour and waste acetate photographic film. An experimental and statistical dependence of the effect of the degree of acetylation of cellulose acetate and filler content in the biocomposite on its properties was developed, sufficient to exceed a confidence level of 0.9. The experimental specifications included decomposition in activated soil, water absorption, bending strength, Brinell hardness, etc. Some test results showed that the derived biocomposites have the same level of properties as the reference WPC, which consists of a high-density polyethylene phase with a wood flour content of 50 %. The derived dependencies allow us to predict changes in the properties of biocomposites at different degrees of acetylation of plasticised cellulose acetate and filler content. Moreover, they solve the problem of choosing the optimal chemical combination for WPC for manufacturing a specific product by hot pressing. For citation: Shkuro A.E., Glukhikh V.V., Usova K.A., Chirkov D.D., Zakharov P.S., Vurasko A.V. Deriving Biocomposites of Polymer Phase Plasticised Cellulose Acetates with Varying Degrees of Acetylation. Lesnoy Zhurnal = Russian Forestry Journal, 2023, no. 4, pp. 155–168. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.37482/0536-1036-2023-4-155-168

Encapsulation of olive leaf extract using double emulsion method

Olive leaves are obtained as a waste product of the olive industry. Biophenols, abundantly found in olive leaves, are susceptible to heat, light, and oxidizing agents, which necessitates encapsulation to increase their bioavailability. In this study, the double emulsion method was preferred due to its protective effect on the active substance and the control over its release. The effects of different pea flour concentrations (15%, 20%, and 25%) used in outer aqueous phase of double emulsion and homogenization methods [high-speed homogenization (HSH) and ultrasonication (US)] on emulsion properties were investigated. The particle size, rheology, encapsulation efficiency, stability, optical images, and release behavior of the emulsions were determined. As hypothesized, flours acted as emulsifiers in the outer aqueous phase to increase the stability of emulsions. It was observed that the stability of emulsions was correlated with the viscosity and particle size. Increasing pea flour concentration from 15% to 25% resulted in a 25% and 30% increase in the stability of double emulsions prepared with HSH and US, respectively. The higher stability of emulsions prepared with 25% was due to their higher viscosity and smaller particle size. Samples were found to have shear-thinning behavior. Moreover, emulsions stored at 20 °C showed faster degradation compared to 4 °C. US treatment did not decrease the average particle size of emulsions. Average encapsulation efficiency for double emulsions prepared with HSH and US was 88.3% and 85.9%, respectively. As a result, pea flours could be used to encapsulate olive leaf extract successfully with high encapsulation efficiencies by using the double emulsion method.

Dietary kelp meal (Thallus laminariae) improves the immunity of hybrid snakeheads under ammonia stress

This study determined the effect of dietary kelp meal (KM) on metabolism of the hybrid snakeheads (Channa maculatus ♀ × Channa argus ♂), and the spatiotemporal changes in their resistance to ammonia stress, including survival rate, histopathology, biochemical parameters, and the expression of immune-related genes. The experimental diets contained: 0% KM, 5% KM, 10% KM, 15% KM, 15% KM + 5% binder. After eight weeks of feeding, six fish per diet were sampled for metabolic studies, and the remaining fish were placed under ammonia stress at two concentrations (1200 mg/L and 120 mg/L) for 48 h. Our results showed that replacing flour with kelp meal to the diet could alter the activities of some metabolic enzymes and reduced the lethality of hybrid snakeheads under high ammonia exposure. Histopathological results revealed a variety of pathological features in the liver after exposure to ammonia nitrogen. The levels of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamine synthetase (GS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) showed the trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the decrease of the flour concentration in the diet under high concentration of ammonia stress. Besides, kidneys receive more severe oxidative damage than the liver. Similar results were found in the mRNA abundance of immune-related genes, and the kidney were mostly significantly down-regulated, but feeding moderate amounts of kelp meal can alleviate this damage. The transcriptome analysis showed that kelp meal can affect antigen processing and presentation process by the MHCⅠ signaling pathway mechanism, and thus regulate the immune response of hybrid snakeheads. Our study suggests that adding kelp meal in the diets could improve the ability of hybrid snakeheads to resist ammonia stress and the optimal replacement group is 10% KM group.

The Application of Purple Yam Flour for Stick Crackers

This study was conducted to determine the effect of substitution of wheat flour with purple yam flour on the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of sticks cracker and to obtain the appropriate concentration of purple yam flour for the best physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of stick crackers. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 6 levels of purple yam flour (0, 12.5%, 25%, 37.5%, 50%, and 62.5%) and 4 replications. The purple yam flour substitution gave a significant effect on physical parameters, namely hardness and color (L*, a*, b* and hue), anthocyanin content of stick crackers, and on the color and texture of sticks cracker, but gave no significant effect on its taste and aroma. The purple yam flour substitution increased the water, ash, fat, and crude fiber content, but decreased the value of carbohydrate and protein content when compared to the control. It is suggested that stick crackers be made with substitution of 50% purple yam flour. This level of substitution produced stick crackers with hardness value 1.55 gF, L* 14.58, a* 4.60, b* 0.19, 54.87% carbohydrate, 4.35% water, 28.87% fat, 9.34% protein, 2.57% ash, 0.67% crude fiber and anthocyanin 62.48 mg cyanidin3-glucoside equivalent/g.