High Starch Content Research Articles

Amylase potential of filamentous fungi isolated from sweet potato pulp

Sweet potato is a rustic culture, widely adapted and with a high starch content, thus having innumerable aptitudes. For the transformation of sweet potatoes into biofuel, some processes are necessary. The success of ethanol production from sweet potatoes depends on the transformation of starch into fermentable sugars. The most used conversion process is enzymatic hydrolysis, which uses commercially available enzymes. However, this process can be carried out through enzymes secreted by filamentous fungi. In this work, filamentous fungi that naturally colonized sweet potatoes were studied. These were isolated, tested for enzymatic activity, and identified by microculture. Fifty-one fungi from the pulp of sweet potatoes Beauregard and BRS-Amélia were isolated, 27 of them showed the ability to hydrolyze starch. Out of these, six showed an enzyme index ≥ 2.0 and were identified as Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. This fact indicates the potential of these fungi in the production of amylase, an important enzyme for ethanol production.

Analisis kandungan glukosa dan daya terima gula cair berbahan dasar Ubi Cilembu (Ipomoea batatas L.)

Background: Diabetes prevention can be pursued by utilizing abundant local food. Cilembu sweet potato is a staple food in demand by the community because it has a distinctive sweet taste. The higher starch content than other sweet potatoes makes Cilembu sweet potato a potential starch source, namely into liquid sugar with enzyme hydrolysis. Liquid sugar has advantages over crystal sugar; it dissolves easily during processing and is more practical. Cilembu sweet potato liquid sugar can be used as an alternative to prevent the occurrence of Diabetes Mellitus. Objectives: This study aims to determine glucose levels and acceptability of Cilembu sweet potato liquid sugar (Ipomoea batatas L.) by adding α-amylase and glucoamylase 1, 2, and 3 mL enzymes.Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). This study consisted of 3 treatments and 3 replications, adding 1 ml, 2 ml and 3 ml of α-amylase and glucoamylase enzymes. The research on glucose levels was located at the Food Analysis Laboratory of the Jember State Polytechnic, and the acceptance test was carried out at the Faculty of Public Health, University of Jember, on 30 people aged 18-25 years. Glucose levels were tested using the Luff school method. Analysis of glucose level data used the One-Way ANOVA test, while the acceptance test used the Kruskal Wallis test.Results: The results of this study indicate that the lowest average test value for glucose levels in liquid sugar made from Cilembu sweet potato is with the proportion of adding 1 ml amylase enzyme, namely 31,55% with statistical test results p=0,000 with α=0,05. In the acceptability test, which included scent, texture, and taste, the highest score was found in liquid sugar with the addition of 1 ml of the enzyme with statistical test results p=0,012; p=0,014; p=0,000, while the color acceptability had the highest value in liquid sugar with the addition of 2 ml of the enzyme (p=0,004).Conclusion: The best formulation based on the glucose content and acceptability test is liquid sugar with adding 1 ml of enzyme.

Performance of six potato genotypes as raw material for the national potato chip industry

Industries that process potato chips still use imported raw materials because the potatoes grown by farmers are table potato varieties that are not suitable for making chips. The research aims to obtain raw material varieties suitable for national chips industry. The study was arranged using a Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 Replications. The number of genotypes tested was 6 genotypes derived from breeding programs of Ministry of Agriculture, the plant population per plot was 60 plants. The test results obtained the Bonito Agrihorti variety with very good quality attributes of processed chips such as high Specific Gravity (Sg) of 1.080, low reducing sugar of 0.07%, high starch content of 11.44% and also high yield productivity of 24.5 ton Ha-1. Test frying was obtained that Bonito Agrihorti showed excellent due to taste, chip color, crispness, appearance with a score of 4. The impact of the results of this study can be used as a recommendation for potato chip growers as well as industries to use the Bonito Agrihorti variety as an industrial raw material and can substitute imports industrial potato raw materials.

Development of ternary polymeric films based on cassava starch, pea flour and green banana flour for food packaging

The development of alternative materials to replace plastics used in food packaging is an important approach to reducing environmental pollution and minimizing harmful impacts on ecosystems. In this study, biopolymeric films were formulated using cassava starch (Manihot esculenta Crantz), pea flour (Pisum sativum) and green banana flour (Musa sp.) to obtain a material for application in food packaging. The influence of a plasticizer on the optical and physicochemical properties of the films was analyzed and the synergy between higher concentrations of starch and plasticizer resulted in films with low opacity. In addition, the morphology, thermal, mechanical and barrier properties were examined. The film with the best formulation (p < 0.05) contained 12 g cassava starch, 3.6 g pea flour and 30 % glycerol (the maximum levels of the experiment). This film presented average values of thickness, moisture, solubility, opacity, maximum strength (F), maximum tensile stress (σ), elongation at break (ε) and elasticity (E) of 0.47 mm, 19.95 %, 87.45 %, 20.93 %, 9.30 N, 1.75 MPa, 30.10 % and 5.93 %, respectively. This research demonstrates the potential application of films obtained by combining starches from different sources. The sustainable production of environmentally-friendly packaging provides an alternative to fossil-based plastics, which have well-documented adverse effects on the environment.

Cross-linked poly(ester urethane)/starch composite films with high starch content as sustainable food-packaging materials: Influence of cross-link density

This study focused on the development of cross-linked poly(ester urethane)/starch (PEUST) composites containing 50 wt% starch content for food-packaging materials. The NCO-terminated poly(caprolactone-urethane) prepolymer (PCUP) was first synthesized through bulk condensation. Then, low-moisture starch (0.21 wt%) and PCUP-based PEUST films were fabricated through an intensive extrusion process, followed by thermo-compression molding. The chemical structure of PCUP and PEUST was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted to assess the influence of cross-link density on the physicochemical properties of the composite films. The results showed that an increase in the cross-link density within the composites improved component compatibility and tensile strength but reduced crystallinity, water sensitivity, hydrolytic degradability, and water vapor permeability (WVP) of the films. In addition, the cytotoxicity tests were conducted to evaluate the safety of the composite films, and the high cell viability demonstrated non-toxicity for food application. The PEUST-II films with moderate cross-link density exhibited a suitable degradation rate (27.7 % weight loss at degradation for 140 d), optimal tensile properties (tensile strength at break: 12.4 MPa; elongation at break: 352 %), and low WVP (68.4 g/(m2⋅24h) at 30 % relative humidity). These characteristics make them highly promising as fresh-keeping food packaging.

Impact of germination on the techno-functional properties, nutritional composition, and health-promoting compounds of brown rice and its products: A review.

Rice is a popular grain and forms part of the daily diet of people throughout the world. However, the consumption of rice and its products is sometimes limited by its high glycemic index due to its high starch content, low protein content and quality, and low bioavailability of minerals due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors. This has partly stimulated research interest in recent times toward the use of bioprocessing techniques such as germination as cheap and natural means to improve the nutritional quality, digestibility, and health properties of cereals, including rice, to partially achieve nutrition and food security in the developing regions of the world. This review highlights the impact of germination on the nutritional quality, health-promoting properties, and techno-functional characteristics of germinated brown rice grains and their products. The review demonstrated that germinated rice grains and their products have improved nutritional quality and digestibility, modified functional properties, and showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, and anti-cardiovascular activities. Germination appears to be a suitable bioprocessing method to improve the nutritional quality and bioactive constituents and modify the techno-functional properties of rice grains for diverse food applications and improved global nutrition and food safety.

Study of hybrid potato offspring based on the manifestation of quantitative and qualitative traits

The main focus of the institution's breeding work is the creation of highly productive potato varieties based on high-quality breeding material characterized by a higher manifestation of economically valuable traits and stability of their expression regardless of external conditions. The aim of the research is to study the peculiarities of manifestation of economically valuable traits in hybrid combinations created from intervarietal crosses with subsequent selection of valuable genotypes to improve selective traits in new promising potato varieties. Field, laboratory, measuring and weighing, organoleptic, mathematical and statistical methods were used in the research. The research was conducted in 2020–2022 in the Polissya Research Department of the Institute of Potato Growing of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine according to generally accepted methods in potato growing. The object of the research is intervarietal hybrids created with the participation of the best domestic varieties. According to the research results, it was found that highly productive offspring are obtained by combining parental forms by maturity: early/medium early, super early/early, mid-season/medium early, mid-season/super early and mid-season/early. Significant potential was found in some genotypes of combinations that demonstrate a 2–2.5 times higher yield than the parental form. Combinations have been identified in which an increase of 1.5–2 times the average weight of tubers is observed compared to the variety. At the same time, it should be noted that the 100 % share of genotypes in the combinations in preference to the parental form is as follows: productivity 48 %, average tuber weight 13 %, starch content 13 % and taste 22 %. Of the 23 combinations studied, 10 showed low starch content at the level of 14.3–16.0 % and 13 variants with an average ranging from 16.1 % to 18.0 %. Based on the research results, hybrid combinations were identified: «Vzirets» / «Svitana», «Vektar» / «Vzirets», «Svitana» / «Mezhyrichka 11» and «Bohach «/ «Vyhoda», which contain forms with a high starch content of 20.1–20.6 %. It should be noted that in terms of taste, the proportion of offspring with a positive increase in the trait to the parental form is 87 %. The most effective combinations with the highest tasting score have been selected. It was found that in the studied offspring, a positively high and medium correlation was observed between yield and average tuber weight. Key words: potato, selection, variety, offspring, type of crossing, maturity, crop productivity, average tuber weight, starch content, taste qualities, correlation coefficient.

PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF RS3 OBTAINED FROM CILACAP BREADFRUIT (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg) STARCH

Cilacap breadfruit is a variety native to Indonesia, characterized by superior properties, including fast growth, large fruit size, high carbohydrate, and starch content. This plant has a relatively high content of amylose and resistant starch (RS), allowing its conversion into RS for health benefits. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of autoclaving temperature (100, 121, and 140℃), cooling at 4ºC, and storing time (24 and 48 hours) on the formation of RS from Cilacap breadfruit, and determine its physicochemical (amylose, amylopectin, resistant starch, pasting properties, and thermal properties), as well as functional properties. The results showed that autoclaving-cooling increased the amylose and RS content, water solubility, onset, and peak of thermal temperature. The pasting properties of all parameters, gelatinization enthalpy, swelling power, and amylopectin content were decreased. Amylose content also significantly increased (p≤0.05) from 31.01±0.24 to 37.91±0.43, and RS content (p≤0.05) from 10.98±0.07 to 19.41±0.05. Furthermore, native starch and Cilacap breadfruit RS3 were categorized as high in Amylose. The autoclaving cooling process on Cilacap breadfruit starch effectively increased RS levels, making it a viable alternative for developing functional food

Chemical Characteristics of Gluten-Free Noodle Made from Mocaf and Porang Flour

The development of gluten-free noodles has become an option for those with gluten intolerance or aiming to reduce their gluten intake. Mocaf (Modified Cassava Flour), rich in starch and porang flour with glucomannan content, can be used as the base ingredient for making gluten-free noodles. This research aims to determine the optimal proportions of gluten-free noodles based on mocaf and porang flour. This research used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 1 factor, namely the proportion of mocaf flour and porang flour in 3 levels (60:40, 50:50, and 40:60). Observation data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's further test at the 5% level. The results showed that the lowest water content of the noodles was found in treatment 60: 40 mocaf and porang flour, with a moisture content of 7.52%. The highest starch content was found in the treatment of 60:40 mocaf and porang flour, with a starch content of 44.04%. The highest crude fibre content was found in the 40:60 mocaf and porang flour treatment, with 6.52% crude fibre content.

Pre-gelatinized high-amylose starch enables easy preparation of flexible and antimicrobial composite films for fresh fruit preservation

While high-amylose starch (HAS) possesses advantageous properties such as high resistant starch content and favorable mechanical attributes, its gelatinization constraints have limited its applicability. This study enhances its versatility by focusing on pre-gelatinized (PG) HAS with exceptional rehydratability, achieved by disorganizing native HAS granules (with amylose contents of 55 % and 68 %, respectively) using a 33 % CaCl2 solution, followed by water-ethanol precipitation and freeze-drying. The resulting PG-HAS exhibited elevated amylose content (61 % and 75 %) with minimal changes in amylose molecular weight. PG-HAS displayed superior water-absorption index (WAI) and water-soluble index (WSI) compared to native HAS, further improved by 2 % CaCl2 solution incorporation. Furthermore, composite films were prepared by mixing PG-HAS with PVA at a 6:4 (w/w) ratio. The PG-G50 (61 % amylose content)/PVA composite film exhibited remarkable elongation (131.1 ± 5.4 %), nearly three times that of a normal corn starch (NCS, with 27 % amylose)/PVA film, attributed to improved starch dispersity and higher amylose content. Nonetheless, the PG-G70 (75 % amylose content)/PVA film at the same ratio showed lower elongation (54.7 ± 8.0 %), potentially due to strong cohesive forces between amylose chains that impede starch-PVA interactions. Moreover, the PG-HAS/PVA composite films, enriched with antibacterial agents, demonstrated effective antibacterial properties with a gradual and sustained release of active compounds. Notably, the PG-G50/PVA/tannic acid (TA) film effectively preserved fresh apple slices by inhibiting bacteria growth and preventing browning. These findings underscore the excellent rehydration of PG-HAS and its potential as an inner packaging material for irregularly shaped foods, such as sliced fruits or meats, due to its nontoxic nature, softness and flexibility, which allows the film to maintain close contact with food surfaces.

The identification of potato genotype diversity based on morpho-agronomy and nutritional traits in the highland areas of Papua, Indonesia

Abstract. Prabawardani S, Yogi DJ, Mawikere NL, Gari NM, Noya AI, Taberima S, Djuuna IA, Luhulima FDN. 2023. The identification of potato genotype diversity based on morpho-agronomy and nutritional traits in the highland areas of Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 5137-5145. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are a potential food crop in terms of economic value and food security, and, therefore, its development must be considered. The missionaries introduced several potato genotypes from 1959 to the 1960s in Papua; however, this area has not been widely studied. This research aimed to identify the agro-morphological characteristics and analyze the tuber nutritional traits of potato genotypes. The research was conducted in Mimin Village, Oksop Sub-district, Pegunungan Bintang District of Papua Province, Hungku Village, Anggi Sub-district, Pegunungan Arfak District of West Papua Province. The research in both locations was designed using a descriptive method, and the samples were collected based on the random sampling technique. There were 2 potato genotypes found in Mimin (KM-O and KP-O) and 5 in Hungku (KM-A, KH-A, KP-A, KB-A, and KT-A) with quite diverse traits, particularly in tuber components. With several prominent morphological characters, potato genotypes from Hungku (KM-A, KBH-A, KT-A) produced the highest yields (0.8 kg/plant). Based on the agro-morphological and nutritional characteristics, it shows the formation of two main clusters with a dissimilarity index of Squared Euclidean Distance ranging from 6.112 to 46,643. Cluster one consisted of genotypes KM-O, KP-O, KM-A, and KH-A, and cluster two consisted of KP-A, KBH-A, and KT-A genotypes, and the dissimilarity mainly lies in the yield and nutrient characters. Based on the nutrient analysis, the highest dry matter content was found in KH-A. The highest starch content was in KP-O and KBH-A, and the highest reducing sugar was in KM-A. The potato genotype with the lowest reducing sugar content was KP-A. Each potato genotype shows various agro-morphological and nutritional characteristics that can be used as a basis material for plant breeding.

Tailored biodegradable films via extrusion blow molding using PBS, PBAT, and TPS

AbstractResearch to replace synthetic polymers with biodegradable polymers is on the rise because common plastics have generated serious ecosystem problems. Films with thermoplastic starch (TPS), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate‐co‐butylene terephthalate (PBAT), and citric acid (CA) were produced by blown extrusion. They were characterized by blow‐up ratio (BUR), water vapor permeability (WVP), soluble ratio (SR), water sorption isotherm, and thermogravimetric (TG) techniques. Films were uniform and showed BUR &gt; 205%. The different proportions of PBS and PBAT significantly influenced the WVP of the films. All samples had WVP with an order of magnitude similar to other blends with high starch content (10−6 g m−1 day−1 Pa−1). CA efficiently decreased the WVP of the PBS/PBAT/TPS formulations (15/15/70% and 20/10/70% by mass) by 25.2% and 24.7% compared to the acid‐free formulations. There was no significant difference in SR (19.0%–20.1%). These materials were sensitive to moisture since the equilibrium moisture content increased pronouncedly from water activity of 0.5. Films showed good thermal stability, with a maximum decomposition temperature close to pure polyesters. CA did not increase the thermal stability of blends, probably because of the low content used (0.1%). Given the outcomes of this study, these films could be deemed appropriate for applications in food packaging.

Yield Performance of Intercropped Marantha arundinacea L. (Arrowroot) in Two Rubber Plantation Designs

Developing rubber agroforestry systems is crucial to ensure the sustainable development of natural rubber cultivation. This study focuses on the starch crop Maranta arundinacea (arrowroot) and assesses its productivity and influencing factors when intercropped in 6–7-year-old conventional single-row and double-row rubber plantations. We analyze various aspects, including light resources, root distribution, soil nutrients, arrowroot growth characteristics, and product quality. The results indicate that the daily average photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the double-row rubber agroforestry system intercropping area ranges from 896.4 to 940.2 μmol·m−2·s−1. Additionally, the rubber tree roots near the intercropping area are less dense (107.0 g cm−3). In contrast, the conventional single-row rubber agroforestry system has a significantly lower daily average PAR of only 145.7 μmol·m−2·s−1, and the nearby rubber tree roots are more abundant (616.2 g cm−3). Although soil nutrient levels were slightly lower in the intercropping area on the double-row treatment compared to the single-row treatment, there was no statistical difference (p &lt; 0.05). Arrowroot’s photosynthetic capacity in the double-row rubber agroforestry system intercropping area is significantly greater than in the single-row rubber agroforestry system intercropping area. The yield per unit area in the former (23.46–27.47 t·ha−1) is also significantly higher than in the latter (2.87–4.75 t·ha−1, p &lt; 0.05), with higher starch content. Therefore, arrowroot exhibits higher productivity when intercropped in double-row rubber agroforestry systems, making it suitable for establishing a “rubber–arrowroot” agroforestry model to enhance the yield per unit area of rubber plantations.

Formation of resistant starch and cracker products from leftover rice in Saudi Arabia

Food leftovers are a worldwide concern and the Food and Agriculture Organization reported about 400 billion USD worth of food is wasted yearly. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, food waste is increasing; the loss is about 33.6% of the rice commodity only. To achieve sustainable development goals including zero hunger and sustainable consumption, the current investigation aimed to study the recycling possibilities of rice leftovers through the production of resistant starch (a nutraceutical active component). Proximate analysis, in vitro digestibility (rapidly, slowly, and resistant starches), and conformational techniques (SEM, FTIR, and DSC) were accomplished before and after treating heated or not samples with acetic, citric, and tartaric acids. Also, crackers were produced from rice starch and its sensory evaluations were completed. Results reported variations in starch content between the controls and acid treatments, but interestingly, amounts of protein, and fiber were not different. The highest production of resistant starch (more than 35%) was when treated with tartaric acid and heat treatment, followed by citric acid and heat treatment (32.5%), then acetic acid and heat treatment (28%). The FTIR pictograms revealed the acetylation of heat and acid-treated rice samples. The gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) decreased from 10.51 to 7.81 J/g for control and treated rice by acetic acid without heat. Surprisingly, the panelists reported no differences in the sensory evaluations of crackers produced from treated rice with a high content of resistant starch, which considered as functional food. These findings help achieve food sustainability through commercial-scale functional food production.

Exploration of unique starch physicochemical properties of novel buckwheat lines created by crossing Golden buckwheat and Tatary buckwheat

Buckwheat is considered as a healthy cereal food, and it is essential to cultivate new buckwheat lines with good starch physicochemical properties for both consumers and food producers. Six novel buckwheat (Duoku, Dk) were generated by crossing of Golden buckwheat and Tatary buckwheat, and their kernel appearance properties and starch physicochemical properties were analyzed together with one domestic line (Cimiqiao) and one wild line (Yeku). The results showed that Dk samples had better appearance properties than two control samples. The Dk samples showed lower amylose content, similar amylopectin molecular structure and chain length distributions, and larger starch granules compared with Cimiqiao. The digestion results showed that two Dk samples: Dk6 & Dk9 had high resistant starch content; while the other two Dk samples: Dk37 & Dk38 had a steady glucose releasing rate. The Dk samples also showed high gelatinization temperature, indicating they were good raw materials for producing glass noodle. This study proved that Dk buckwheat had unique starch physicochemical properties, and could be used as new food materials in the future.

Intensification of corn fiber saccharification using a tailor made enzymatic cocktail

The transition from an economic model based on resource extraction to a more sustainable and circular economy requires the development of innovative methods to unlock the potential of raw materials such as lignocellulosic biomasses. Corn fiber differs from more traditional lignocellulosic biomasses due to its high starch content, which provides additional carbohydrates for fermentation-based biomanufacturing processes. Due to its unique chemical composition, this study focused on the development of a tailor made enzymatic cocktail for corn fiber saccharification into monosaccharides. Three commercially available hydrolytic enzymes (Cellic® CTec2, Pentopan® Mono BG, and Termamyl® 300 L) were combined to hydrolyze the polysaccharide structure of the three main carbohydrate fractions of corn fiber (cellulose, hemicellulose and starch, respectively). Prior to saccharification, corn fiber was submitted to a mild hydrothermal pretreatment (30 min at 100 °C). Then, two experimental designs were used to render an enzymatic cocktail capable of providing efficient release of monosaccharides. Using 60 FPU/g DM of Cellic® CTec2 and 4.62 U/g DM of Termamyl® 300 L, without addition of Pentopan® Mono BG, resulted in the highest efficiencies for glucose and xylose release (66% and 30%, respectively). While higher enzyme dosages could enhance the saccharification efficiency, adding more enzymes would have a more pronounced effect on the overall process costs rather than in increasing the efficiency for monosaccharides release. The results revealed that the recalcitrance of corn fiber poses a problem for its full enzymatic degradation. This fact combined with the unique chemical composition of this material, justify the need for developing a tailor made enzymatic cocktail for its degradation. However, attention should also be given to the pretreatment step to reduce even more the recalcitrance of corn fiber and improve the performance of the tailored cocktail, as a consequence.

Application of a pilot-scale solar still for wine lees management: characterization of by-products and valorization potential

Wine lees is a heavily contaminated by-product of wine making process. A pilot-scale solar still, equipped with an underfloor heating system, was used for dewatering the wine lees and recovering the evaporated water. Two solar distillation experiments were conducted, and the average distillate productivity rate ranged between 1.43 L/d·m2 and 3.86 L/d·m2. The higher productivity was observed at Experiment B when the daily maximum wine lees temperature in the still was 34.3 °C. The collected distillates were characterized by acidic pH and low conductivity while the average concentrations of COD and total phenols were ranged up to 82.5 g/L and 10.7 mg/L, respectively. UPLC-QToF-MS analysis revealed the existence of eighteen and five bioactive compounds in the wine lees and produced distillate, respectively, at concentrations up to 183 mg/kg and 12 mg/L for ethyl hydrogen succinate. Target screening analysis of the solid residuals allowed the quantification of seven bioactive compounds while four extra substances were identified via suspect screening. Ethyl hydrogen succinate was measured at the highest concentration (10.8 mg/kg) while the highest recovery was observed for 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (23.8%). The calorific values of the solid residuals exceeded 28 MJ/kg indicating their potential use as solid biofuels. Batch experiments showed that Chlorella sorokiniana can be grown in diluted distillates of the still. The higher average biomass productivity was observed for a dilution factor of 1:5 and it was equal to 31.4 mg/L per day. Analysis of the collected biomass indicated high lipid and starch content ranging up to 38.8% and 56.9%, respectively.

Factors Affecting the Starch Extraction from Jackfruit Seed (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.)

The study was conducted to investigate some factors affecting the starch extraction from jackfruit seeds (JS), including: Jackfruit seed drying temperature, extraction time and ratio of water to jackfruit seed flour (JSF). The JS were dried at various temperatures (50, 60 and 70oC) before grinding into flour. Starch was extracted in 4 levels of time (5, 6, 7 and 8 hours) interacted with 4 ratios of water to JSF (10, 15, 20 and 25 times, v/w). The efficiency of the extraction process was evaluated through the yield and the physicochemical properties of JSS, such as starch content, the color (L value and browning index - BI), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI) and swelling power (SP); the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the average particle diameter (APD). The drying temperature of 60oC is considered suitable for obtaining good flour for performing starch extraction. Starch extraction from the JSF was carried out with the ratio of water to JSF of 15 times (v/w) for 6 hours at ambient temperature. The yield was 44.96?0.29%; the starch content was 92.06?0.48%. The JSS exhibited the values of WAI, WSI and SP in range of from other starches. The APD of JSS is 6.90–8.50 µm and is classified as small granules. All physicochemical properties as well as the APD of JSS were interrelated. These results showed that the extraction is high yield. The extracted JSS has high starch content and suitable physicochemical properties. When purified effectively, it has the potential to become food or effective complementary ingredients in the development of functional food products.

The Sink–Source Relationship Regulated Camellia oleifera Flower Bud Differentiation by Influencing Endogenous Hormones and Photosynthetic Characteristics

To explore the reasons for the differences in flower bud differentiation in Camellia oleifera under different sink–source relationships, different types of new shoots (T1 and T2) were selected to represent different sink–source relationships (new shoots with one fruit borne alongside at the bottom of the new shoots-T1; new shoots without one fruit borne alongside at the bottom of the new shoots-T2), and the flower bud differentiation rate, endogenous hormones and photosynthetic characteristics were determined. With the increase in the sink, the flower differentiation rate decreased significantly and the IAA and GA3 content in the leaves and ABA content in the buds increased significantly, while the GA3 and ZT content in the buds decreased significantly, which were significantly and positively correlated with the flower differentiation rate, with correlation coefficients of 0.777 and 0.817, respectively. Furthermore, an increase in the number of sinks contributed significantly to the increase in soluble sugar and starch content in leaves, while the soluble sugar and starch content in flower buds decreased significantly with the increase in sinks, with maximum differences of 3.45 mg·g−1 (soluble sugar in leaves), 4.09 mg·g−1 (soluble sugar in flower buds), 7.08 mg·g−1 (starch in leaves) and 4.87 mg·g−1 (starch in flower buds), and the high soluble sugar and starch content in flower buds at preflower bud differentiation with correlation coefficients of 0.854 and 0.837, respectively. The chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate increased with increasing sinks. In the presence of fruit at the base of the new shoot, more 13C assimilates were allocated to fruit and less to flower buds, resulting in a decrease in the rate of flower bud differentiation. The 13C assimilate allocated to the flower buds of T1 (6.71 mg·g−1) was significantly lower than the 13C assimilate allocated to the flower buds of T2 (10.26 mg·g−1) during late bud differentiation, and the difference between T1 and T2 was greatest during this period. Our work demonstrated that the sink–source relationship regulated Camellia oleifera flower bud differentiation by influencing endogenous hormones and photosynthetic characteristics. To achieve stable production of Camellia oleifera in successive years in the future, the ratio of the number of new shoots of the two types in relation to the different sink–source relationships should be reasonable.

Impact of varying light spectral compositions on photosynthesis, morphology, chloroplast ultrastructure, and expression of light-responsive genes in Marchantia polymorpha

Marchantia polymorpha is a convenient model for studying light of different spectral compositions on various physiological and biochemical processes because its photoreceptor system is vastly simplified. The influence of red light (RL, 660 nm), far-red light (FRL, 730 nm), blue light (BL, 450 nm), and green light (GL, 525 nm) compared to white light (high-pressure sodium light (HPSL), white LEDs (WL 450 + 580 nm) and white fluorescent light (WFL) on photosynthetic and transpiration rates, photosystem II (PSII) activity, photomorphogenesis, and the expression of light and hormonal signaling genes was studied. The ultrastructure of the chloroplasts in different tissues of the gametophyte M. polymorpha was examined. FRL led to the formation of agranal chloroplasts (in the epidermis and the chlorenchyma) with a high starch content (in the parenchyma), which led to a reduced intensity of photosynthesis. BL increased the transcription of genes for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites - chalcone synthase (CHS), cellulose synthase (CELL), and L-ascorbate peroxidase (APOX3), which is consistent with the increased activity of low-molecular weight antioxidants. FRL increased the expression of phytochrome apoprotein (PHY) and cytokinin oxidase (CYTox) genes, but the expression of the phytochrome interacting factor (PIF) gene decreased, which was accompanied by a significant change in gametophyte morphology. Analysis of crosstalk gene expression, and changes in morphology and photosynthetic activity was carried out.