Levels Of Inulin Research Articles

Emulsion gel-based inks for 3D printing of foods for dysphagia patients: High internal type emulsion gel-biopolymer systems

High internal type emulsion gels (HIPE gels) are usually a soft semi-solid material consisting of tightly packed oil droplets stabilized by a layer of emulsifier. The semi-solid nature of HIPE gels means they can be used as edible inks in 3D food printing applications. However, the rheological properties of HIPE gels are typically unable to satisfy the demands of 3D printing applications, resulting in unsatisfactory printing performance. In this study, HIPE gel-based inks (85% by volume of oil) with improved 3D printing performance were prepared by using pea protein-inulin complexes as emulsifiers. In addition, the effects of oil type (corn, sunflower, flaxseed, or olive oil) on the 3D printing property, rheological properties, and microstructure of the HIPE gels was analyzed since different oils have different nutritional and physicochemical properties. Moreover, International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) foods created by 3D printing with these edible inks were evaluated in a population of the elderly suffering from dysphagia. It was found that HIPE-based edible inks containing an optimized inulin level (0.75% w/v) had the best 3D printing properties. In terms of oil type, the edible inks formulated from corn oil and from flaxseed oil had the best 3D printing property. As analyzed in the Lissajous plot, the addition of inulin remarkably improved the viscoelasticity of the inks, which improved their 3D printing property. These inks also exhibited high thixotropic recovery and good thermal stability. Moreover, cryo-SEM analysis showed that the PPI-inulin complex formed a barrier on the oil droplets' surface and a dense cross-linked structure between the particles. The IDDSI evaluation found that the HIPE gel inks were able to satisfy the requirements of Class IV and V foods in the IDDSI framework and could be classified as transitional foods, which would satisfy the food needs of patients with dysphagia.

Effect of inulin and xanthan gum on the properties of 3D printed Tartary buckwheat paste

This work aimed to investigate the effect of inulin and XG on the 3D printability of Tartary buckwheat paste. A 2 × 3 factor design comprising three levels of inulin (6%, 10%, and 14%) and three levels of xanthan gum (XG) (0.4%, 0.8%, and 1.2%) was used. The effect of inulin and XG on the rheological properties (yield stress, flow behaviour, viscoelasticity, and creep-recovery property), 3D printed structure, and microstructure properties of Tartary buckwheat paste were investigated. Compared with the control sample, a high amount of XG (0.4% and 1.2%) shifted the ink to a more solid-like form and improved the consistency (K), mechanical strength (yield stress, storage modulus (G’)), resistance to deformation, and recoverability, while a high amount of inulin (14%) weakened these properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that adding XG (0.4% and 1.2%) in the ink with 6% and 10% of inulin reinforced the ink structure. This study also identified the best combination of XG and inulin to facilitate the printing of Tartary buckwheat paste and produce a final product with an exquisite appearance. This study provided more insights for developing 3D printing of Tartary buckwheat foods rich in inulin.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Targeted Mutagenesis of Inulin Biosynthesis in Rubber Dandelion

Rubber dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) is a natural rubber-producing dandelion that has the potential to become an industrial crop. Inulin is a storage carbohydrate in rubber dandelion, and its synthesis competes with rubber production for assimilated carbon. We used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) system to simultaneously target two sites in the gene that encodes 1-fructan:fructan-1-fructosyl transferase gene (1-FFT), a key enzyme in inulin biosynthesis. Agrobacterium rhizogenes and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated plant transformation methods were used to generate transgenic plants with CRISPR/Cas9 elements. Transformation rates were 71% and 64% via A. rhizogenes and A. tumefaciens-mediated transformations, respectively. Mutagenesis was confirmed by the loss of restriction site method and Sanger sequencing. Of 13 transgenic plants obtained via A. rhizogenes, six showed editing of both target sites within the 1-FFT gene. Transgenic rubber dandelion plants were obtained within 10 weeks using A. rhizogenes-mediated transformation, which was much faster than the 6 months required for A. tumafaciens transformants. Of 11 transgenic plants obtained via A. tumefaciens, five showed mutations in both target sites. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed Cas9 expression in all edited transformants. Both A. rhizogenes-mediated double-mutant transformants and A. tumefaciens-mediated double mutant transformants had lower levels of inulin than wild-type plants. Moreover, A. rhizogenes-mediated transformants had a higher rubber content than wild-type plants. Therefore, the present study validates the use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing as an efficient tool for the generation of useful mutations in rubber dandelion and could be implemented in future crop improvement approaches.

Karakteristik mutu karbohidrat dan evaluasi mutu sensoris minuman fungsional berbasis FOS dan inulin

Introduction: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin are some of the many bioactive elements that are often used in functional food products. FOS and inulin compounds have various benefits that can be used as low-calorie food products and as raw materials for making fructose syrup. So that FOS and inulin compounds have the potential to be developed into functional drinks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality characteristics of carbohydrates in functional drinks FOS and inulin, as well as to determine the level of preference or feasibility of a product so that it can be accepted by panelists (consumers). Method: The research was conducted in two stages. The first stage was the preliminary stage which includes the production of FOS with PDA solid media, extraction of inulin from dahlia tubers, and the formulation of FOS and inulin functional drinks. The second stage was the main research by conducting chemical quality characteristics in the form of reducing sugar content, fructose, sucrose, glucose, inulin, soluble fiber, and organoleptic tests. Results: Based on the observations, several characteristics of the carbohydrate quality of functional drinks based on FOS and inulin were obtained, namely reducing sugar levels ranging from 0.22 to 5.60%. Fructose and sucrose levels of functional drinks based on FOS and inulin ranged from 1-2%, while glucose levels were between 0.1-2%. The levels of inulin and soluble fiber in functional drinks based on FOS and inulin were 55-86% and 2-5%, respectively. Also, the pH value of functional drinks based on FOS and inulin ranged from 5-7. Conclusion: The results of the organoleptic test showed that the best functional drink based on FOS and inulin was in the AD treatment, namely the addition of 7 grams of inulin and 50 ml of fructooligosaccharides.

Physicochemical, textural and organoleptic properties of functional processed cheese manufactured from ultrafiltered milk

There is growing attention to the functional dairy research area, which has focused on the incorporation of probiotics into dairy products. In response, the objective of the present work was to produce functional UF processed cheese (SUPC) and evaluate the influence of inulin on its properties. Five treatments were manufactured, as follows: C1 was prepared without probiotic strains or inulin; C2 was inoculated with 3% of L. plantarum NRC AM10 and L. reuteri NBIMCC 1587 (1:1) without inulin; and T1, T2 and T3 were inoculated with 3% of L. plantarum NRC AM10 and L. reuteri NBIMCC 1587 (1:1) and supplemented with 2, 4 and 8% of inulin, respectively. The results showed that the moisture, protein, ash, and fat levels of the SUPC treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the levels of inulin. Furthermore, higher inulin concentrations increased meltability, titratable acidity and total dietary fiber. During the storage period, the data revealed that firmness decreased significantly in T1, T2 and T3, while resilience, springiness, and chewiness increased significantly in all treatments. The probiotic counts were significantly higher than the threshold that is required for the health benefits (107 log cfu/ml) in the treatments containing inulin. Finally, the level of 4% inulin in SUPC improved quality characteristics, had acceptable scores and allowed a greater diversification of dairy products with potential health benefits. However, increasing the level of inulin to 8% resulted in a heavy texture and fine crystals in the product.

Effects of natural inulin on the rheological, physicochemical and structural properties of frozen dough during frozen storage and its mechanism

The impact of various substitution levels of natural inulin on the rheological, physicochemical and structural properties of frozen dough was evaluated in this study. Natural inulin increased the G′ and G″ of samples. Natural inulin dough displayed characteristics with increasing the stability of the protein structure, enhancing the interaction of tightly bound water with protein and starch polymers, and more uniform gluten network structure. The freezing and frozen storage processes can lead to dough quality deterioration. Natural inulin could alleviate damage of long-term frozen storage to dough quality, protecting the protein and gluten network structure, reducing the loss of tightly bound water to degree. Generally, various substitution levels of natural inulin had a positive effect on the rheological, physicochemical and structural properties of dough. The 5 g/100 g natural inulin could better alleviate the quality deterioration of frozen dough during frozen storage and improve the quality of frozen dough.

Blue agave inulin-soluble dietary fiber: effect on technological quality properties of pangasius mince emulsion-type sausage.

The aim of the work was to investigate the influence of supplementing pangasius mince-based emulsion sausages with blue agave-derived inulin at 1% (T1), 2% (T2), 3% (T3), 4% (T4), and 5% (T5) on its technological quality attributes and acceptability. The cooking yield of T-2, T-3, and T-4 sausages (96-97%) exhibited no significant difference (P > 0.05), which was higher than the other lots. The T-2 batter exhibited a significant difference with all other treatments, showing the lowest total expressible fluid (12.20%) value, indicating the highest emulsion stability of the batter. There was a significant effect on the diameter reduction of the cooked sausages as the level of inulin increased. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the proteolysis of raw mince without inulin and new bands in cooked sausage samples were observed. Increasing inulin content increased the hardness of the sausages from 2510.81 ± 114.31 g to 3415.54 ± 75.88. The differential scanning calorimetry melting temperatures of peak 2 of the T-1, T-2, T-3, and T-4 increased as the inulin content increased from 1 to 4%. The scanning electron microscope images exhibited a smooth appearance on the surface as the inulin level increased. The sausages incorporated with the 2% and 3% blue agave plant-derived inulin (T-2 and T-3) showed better sensory overall acceptability scores than the control. The results suggested that the blue agave plant-derived inulin could be efficiently utilized at the 2% and 3% levels to enhance the quality of emulsion-type pangasius sausage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hypoglycemic and Hypocholesterolemic Effects of Lesser yam Synbiotic Yoghurt (Dioscorea Esculenta L) on Metabolic Syndrome Wistar Rats

This study aims to determine the effect of consumption of lesser yam synbiotic yoghurt on glucose levels and blood lipid profiles of metabolic syndrome rats. Synbiotic yoghurt has positive effect on health such as increasing body immunity, lowering blood glucose and cholesterol levels. In this study, lesser yam synbiotic yoghurt was made from cow's milk and lesser yam extract with (1:1) proportion, sugar, skim milk and starter of lactic acid bacteria and then followed by bioassay test using experimental rats. The results showed that lesser yam synbiotic yoghurt can reduce glucose levels and improve the blood lipid profile of rats. The best treatment is to give 4 ml of synbiotic yoghurt per day which can reduce glucose levels and total blood cholesterol of metabolic syndrome rats. It can be concluded that lesser yam synbiotic yoghurt which had high levels of dietary fiber and inulin, had hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effect.

The impact of inulin addition and high‐pressure processing on physical characteristics of strawberry‐flavoured egg white pudding

SummaryHigh‐protein egg puddings prepared with traditional food processing may have undesirable textures. Inulin addition and high‐pressure processing (HPP) could improve the texture of these products. The physical properties of strawberry‐flavoured egg white pudding as affected by inulin addition and HPP were investigated. Four levels of inulin (0, 5%, 10%, and 15% w/w) and 3 processing methods (HPP at 450 or 475 MPa at 25 °C for 10 min, and heat treatment at 80 °C for 30 min) were applied. Regardless of % inulin addition, heat‐treated puddings had significantly lower syneresis than HPP‐treated samples. HPP at 450 and 475 MPa was shown to induce egg white gelation and yielded a soft texture of pudding than heat treatment. Overall, the addition of inulin in puddings treated with HPP yielded a softer texture, more microporous, and a fluffy texture compared to heat‐treated puddings. This study suggested that a 10% inulin addition in the egg white pudding significantly improved its texture properties.

Discrimination of three varieties of Codonopsis Radix based on fingerprint profiles of oligosaccharides by high performance liquid chromatography- evaporative light scattering detector combined with multivariate analysis

Codonopsis Radix (CR) is a plant that is important in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 records dried roots prepared from three varieties of Campanulaceae plants under the designation CR (“Dang-shen” in Chinese), including Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf (C. pilosula), Codonopsis pilosula Nannf.var.modesta (Nannf.) L81. T. Shen (C. pilosula var. modesta) and Codonopsis tangshen Oliv (C. tangshen). As major constituents of CR, oligosaccharides might contribute to its clinical efficacy except for other known active compounds, yet the differences in the oligosaccharide profiles of these three varieties of CR remain incompletely understood. In the present study, 135 samples from these different CR varieties were harvested, and oligosaccharide fingerprints for these samples were characterized via HPLC-ELSD, with 19 common peaks being matched. Oligosaccharides were further identified through the combination of electrospray ionization MS/MS (ESI-MS/MS) with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) approaches were then used to compare the oligosaccharide profiles of these three CR varieties. These analyses ultimately revealed that CR was compared with principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant (LDA) methods. The analyses ultimately revealed that these CR samples contained high levels of inulin- and levan-type fructooligosaccharides (FOS), with variations in the relative levels of these FOS compounds among the three analyzed CR varieties. Through the combined analysis of oligosaccharide fingerprints and LDA results, it was possible to differentiate among these CR varieties, with an accurate classification rate of 96.3% and a cross-validation rate of 95.6%. Together, these results highlight a valuable approach to the classification and identification of different CR varieties.

Performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of goat kids supplemented with inulin

• Higher carcass yields were observed after inulin supplementation. • Blood parameters were positive influenced on the oxygen transport system. • The animals exceeded the estimated daily weight gain. • Between sexes, males shown superior results at most of the parameters Inulin is a fructooligosaccharide with prebiotic and bifidogenic properties, contributing to the intestinal health of animals. This study aimed to evaluate the performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and blood parameters of Boer × Saanen goat kids supplemented with inulin. Thirty animals were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 3×2 factorial scheme with three levels of inulin (0, 3, and 6 g/kg DM) and sex (male and female). The diet was formulated and adjusted to gain 0.150 kg/day and the slaughter weight was 30 kg. Inulin supplementation had a linear, positive effect on carcass yield (P= 0.03). However, animal performance, carcass characteristics, tissue proportions, and muscle proximate composition were not influenced by inulin levels. Males had a lower slaughter age, higher muscle proportion, lower fat, and higher protein content than females. Red blood cell, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels increased with inulin supplementation compare to the control treatment (P<0.01). Inulin supplementation at 3 g/kg DM can be used in the diet of goat kids yielding a better carcass yield and improving red blood cell indices in Boer × Saanen goat kids.

Metabolite Profiling of "Green" Extracts of Cynara cardunculus subsp. scolymus, Cultivar "Carciofo di Paestum" PGI by 1H NMR and HRMS-Based Metabolomics.

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus L.), is a perennial plant widely cultivated in the Mediterranean area, known for its edible part named capitula or heads. Its functional properties are related to its high levels of polyphenolic compounds and inulin. “Carciofo di Paestum”, an Italian traditional cultivar, is a labeled PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) product of the Campania region, representing an important economic resource. So far, a few chemical investigations were performed on this cultivar, mainly focused on the analysis of methanol extracts. Due to the increasing use of food supplements, in this study, a comprehensive analysis of green extracts of “Carciofo di Paestum” PGI heads was performed. EtOH, EtOH: H2O (80:20, 70:30, 60:40) extracts, as well as infusions and decoctions prepared according to Pharmacopeia XII were analyzed by LC-ESI/QExactive/MS/MS. A total of 17 compounds corresponding to caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids were identified. The extracts were further submitted to NMR analysis to highlight the occurrence of primary metabolites. Both LCMS and NMR data were analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA), showing significant differences among the extraction methods. Moreover, 5-caffeoylquinic acid and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were quantified in the extracts by LC-ESI/QTrap/MS/MS using the Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) method. Furthermore, the phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of C. cardunculus var. scolymus “Carciofo di Paestum” extracts were evaluated.

Optimisation of the ingredients for the development of low-calorie basundi

In the present investigation the levels of sucralose (55-75 ppm), a mixture of maltodextrin and D-sorbitol (1:1) (4-6%) and inulin (0.5-1.5%), were optimised using General Factorial Design. The combination resulting in maximum desirability of 0.851 with formulation viz., sucralose (65 ppm), a mixture of maltodextrin and D-sorbitol (5%), and inulin (1.5%) was selected as an optimised solution based on the sensorial, rheological and colour attributes of the product. The scores of quality attributes varied significantly when the level of anyone factor changed to interact with the remaining two factors. An increase in flavour score was observed with an increase in inulin level and a mix of bulking agents while a decrease in varying sucralose from 55 to 65 ppm. The decrease was due to an undesirable medicinal flavour perceived in the product. The interaction among the factors gave the unique value for which no common trend was observed. The sensory scores viz., flavour, colour and appearance, consistency and overall acceptability were 7.70, 7.69, 7.54, 7.64, respectively, and the colour attributes viz., L*, a*, b* value, whiteness and brownness index were 78.21, 1.67, 17.79, 71.79, and 29.85, respectively. The calorie content in optimized basundi was reduced to 130.71 C/100g on comparing with control basundi (189.55 C/100g). The optimised basundi contained 65.30±0.01% moisture, 1.11±0.01% fat, 8.49±0.32% protein, 9.22±0.61% lactose, 10.90±0.12% carbohydrates (maltodextrin), 142.12 ppm sucralose, and 1.49±0.18% ash. The fat content was reduced to 1.11% with the complete eradication of sucrose. Thus, the total calorie value was reduced to 58.84 C/100g. All samples had pseudoplastic flow behaviour with consistency coefficient 14.3±1.30 and 32.6±2.10 mPa.s, respectively.

Processing of Red Dahlia Tubers in Produce Inulin Extract and Material Proximate Testing

Dahlia tubers from Berastagi, North Sumatra, are plants that contain carbohydrates and contain high levels of inulin. Inulin is very good as a dietary fiber and has other physiological functions such as lowering blood sugar and blood fat, anticancer, regulating intestinal microbial flora, increasing absorption of minerals and vitamins. Currently, the utilization of dahlia tubers is not optimal in the community and is considered as agricultural waste, therefore it is necessary to manage dahlia tubers in producing inulin extract and study the proximate material, considering that previous studies still obtained varying results. This study aimed to obtain inulin extract and its yield value and to measure the proximate material of red dahlia tuber. The extraction method used is based on the solubility of inulin in water at a temperature of 800 C. And precipitation are carried out with 70% ethanol. Proximate examination of the material consisted of water content using the heating method, ash content using the gravimetric method, fat and crude fiber content using the Soxhlet method, determination of protein content using the Macro Kjedhal method, and carbohydrate content using the proximate method using the carbohydrate percentage formula. The results obtained were 48,25% Inulin Flour yield, the proximate results obtained 80,8% water content, 0,36% ash content, 0,33% total fat content, 1,29% crude fiber content, protein content 1,15%, Carbohydrate content 14.6%. From this study, it can be concluded that dahlia tubers contain high carbohydrates and low-fat content, have crude fiber and protein that can be used as low-calorie foodstuffs.

Inulin determination of yam bean tuber (Pacyrrhizus erosus l.) water extract from different altitude areas using TLC- Densitometry

Inulin is a polysaccharide with a lot of potential in the field of food and pharmaceuticals. Inulin can be found in yam bean tuber. Chemical constituents of yam bean tuber are inulin, pachyrion, and rotenone. The levels of inulin could be influenced by differences in the altitude of the cultivation area. The objective of this study was to determine the inulin of yam bean tuber extract from several areas in East Java based on the altitude difference, they are low (Gresik), middle (Kediri), and high (Malang), using validated TLC Densitometry method. The samples were extracted by the infusion method. The samples were put to silica gel TLC plates and developed using ascending chromatography with a mobile phase of 0.5:7:2 glacial acetic acid: methanol:  deionized water.  Densitometry at 380 nm was used to assess the intensity of inulin spots dipped in Aniline: diphenylamine: phosphoric acid (5:5:1), and winCATS software version 1.3.0 was used to quantify the results. A standard curve  meets the requirement of linearity (r=0.997; Vxo=3.847%), sensitivity (LOD=71.030 ng/spot, and LOQ=236.766 ng/spot), selectivity and specificity, Precision (RSD≤2.754 %), and accurate (% recovery ± RSD = 100.161 ± 1.839%). The results showed that the inulin content in yam tubers produced by areas with different altitudes had different inulin levels. The levels of inulin derived from the low altitude (Gresik) was 9.066 ± 1.218 %, middle (Kediri) was 7.776 ± 0.420 %, and high (Malang) was 6.796 ± 2.045 %. One-Way ANOVA test showed the significant difference between the levels of inulin from different altitude areas (p &lt; 0.01), the highest inulin level comes from yam bean tuber from low altitude. Â

Garlic Inulin as a Fat Replacer in Vegetable Fat Incorporated Low-Fat Chicken Sausages.

Inulin is a non-digestible carbohydrate and a prebiotic that can also act as a fat replacer in various foods. This study examined the effect of replacing vegetable oil with garlic inulin on the quality traits of chicken sausages. Water-based inulin gels were prepared using garlic inulin or commercial inulin to imitate fats in chicken sausages. Chicken sausages were prepared separately replacing vegetable oil with water-based inulin gels to reach final inulin percentages of 1, 2, and 3 (w/w). The control was prepared using 3% (w/w) vegetable oil with no inulin. The physicochemical properties and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) value of prepared sausages were analyzed over 28-d frozen storage. Sausages with 2% garlic inulin recorded higher flavour and overall acceptability scores (p<0.05). Ash, moisture, and protein contents of the sausages were increased with increasing levels of inulin while fat content was reduced from 13.67% (control) to 4.47%–4.85% (p<0.05) in 3% inulin-incorporated products. Sausages incorporated with 2% inulin had lower lightness (L*) values than the control (p<0.05). Water holding capacity (WHC) was similar (p>0.05) among the samples. During storage L* value, pH, and WHC decreased while redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) values increased in all the samples. In addition, TBARS values were increased during the storage in all samples within the acceptable limits. In conclusion, garlic inulin can be used successfully as a fat substitute in sausages without altering meat quality parameters.

The Physiological Role of Inulin in Wild Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L. var. sylvestris Lam.)

Wild cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is a widespread Mediterranean plant that accumulates inulin in its roots. This study aimed to analyze the enzyme systems involved in inulin metabolism in the roots of one Sicilian wild cardoon population in relation to the plant’s growth and development stages. During the winter season, the plant showed slow growth; its biomass was represented mainly by leaves and saccharides were mobilized into its roots. During the spring season, the plant doubled its growth rate and differentiated its reproduction organs as a consequence of the cold conditions. The maximum activities of the 1-SST were recorded in line with the high sucrose and inulin levels in roots, which increased quickly. The increase in the 1-FEH activity suggests that fructan-hydrolyzing activity is associated with the sprouting and elongation of plant stalks. The peak of the invertase activity occurred before the 1-FEH peak. The inulin accumulation in the wild cardoon roots was associated with the plant’s reproduction. Sequential 1-SST and 1-FEH activities and the involvement of invertase and 1-FFT in carbohydrate mobilization, in response to the additional energy demand of the plant for stalk elongation before and for capitula development were observed, along with subsequent grain ripening.

A potential commercial use of cajeta (a traditional milk product from Mexico) in the development of whey beverages

Cajeta is a Mexican artisanal candy elaborated from goat milk. While it is popular among consumers, it is necessary to find alternative uses to improve access to stable and fair trade for producers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a functional beverage using whey with different levels of inulin (4, 8 and 12%) as a prebiotic, guar gum (0.321, 0.625 and 1.25%) as a thickener and cajeta (20% v/v) as flavoring. Nine formulations were prepared, stored at 4 °C and analyzed on days 0, 7 and 14. The pH values were constant (5.9) in all formulations, while acidity exhibited changes on days 0 and 14. Flow properties of the beverages exhibited a non-Newtonian behavior and fitted best with the Power Law (PL). According to acceptance tests and a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questionnaire, it was possible to obtain a cajeta-flavored whey-beverage using lower concentrations of inulin and gum. The physicochemical characteristics provided by ingredients added in lower concentrations did not affect the organoleptic properties of the product, showed lower viscosity, and were highly accepted by most participants.

Effect of inulin/kefiran mixture on the rheological and structural properties of mozzarella cheese

The relationships between chemical, textural, rheological and microstructural properties of low fat mozzarella cheese incorporated with different ratios of inulin/kefiran mixture were studied. By increasing inulin content, the protein and moisture content was increased and as a result, the meltability was reduced. Although, textural properties of low-fat mozzarella was completely influenced by inulin incorporation and hardness was increased, but the lower springiness and higher cohesiveness of cheese was achieved at high level of inulin which may be related to the increase in moisture and protein. Rheological properties of low-fat mozzarella cheese confirmed its shear-thinning behavior in which the G′ value was more than G″. Mechanical properties of cheese showed that inulin incorporation into cheese did not significantly change the rheological properties of the cheese matrix. Consequently, the formation of a more rigid and cross-linked protein structure which is less plasticized achieved at high inulin incorporation through keeping more water and protein and less fat content. SEM results indicated the sponge honeycomb structure of mozzarella cheese which clearly confirmed the textural and rheological properties and there was an interrelationship among chemical, textural, rheological and microstructural properties of low-fat mozzarella cheese incorporated at different ratios of inulin.

Variation in the Physical and Functional Properties of Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Flour Produced by Different Processing Techniques.

Research on the processing of yam (Dioscorea spp.) into flour is aimed at optimizing techniques to obtain a material with high physicochemical and functional properties. The present study investigates the effect of the processing techniques on the levels of inulin, organic acids, total phenolics (TP), antioxidant capacity, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities, as well as on the physicochemical properties of flour derived from two yam species—Dioscorea esculenta and Dioscorea bulbifera. All tubers were peeled and sliced, then subjected to different processing techniques through blanching, soaking, and drying. The results revealed that freeze-drying appears to be the best technique in achieving the highest whiteness index of yam flour. This coincided well with the low phenolics content and POD activity, which suggests a reduced enzymatic browning reaction in the freeze-dried yam flour. On the other hand, chemical analyses showed that D. esculenta and D. bulbifera flours have the highest levels of inulin (23.0 and 27.8 g/100 g DW, respectively) and succinic acid (7.96 and 7.65 g/100 g DW, respectively) in the samples subjected to direct oven-drying. Oven drying without pretreatment neither blanching nor water steeping maintained antioxidant activity in the flour derived from both D. esculenta and D. bulbifera.