Reduced Phytate Content Research Articles

Impact of Hulling and Heat Treatment on the Physicochemical Properties, Bioactivity and Bioavailability of Iron and Zinc of the G196 Soybean Variety Produced in Burkina Faso

This study delved into the impact of hulling and two types of heat treatment on the physicochemical, bioactive properties and bioavailability of the G196 soybean produced in Burkina, in order to not only find the optimal conditions for pre-treatment of seed, but also to guide their use in food formulations. Standard analytical methods were used for physicochemical and biochemical analyses. The results showed an increase in ash content by 0.04% as a result of seed shelling, while steaming led to a significant decrease in ash with a reduction rate by 0.06%; 0.08%; 0.25% after 20min, 40min and one hour, respectively. An average increase in total dry materials by 0.03% and reduction in moisture by 6.33% were observed after one hour of roasting. Additionally, shelling and steaming increased total carbohydrate contents. Roasting and steaming caused a significant reduction in protein, but an increase was observed after hulling. Carbohydrate levels decreased over the course of three roasting times. Regarding bioavailability, the zinc content improved after 40 minutes of roasting. Shelling also reduced the phytate content by 11.89%, while steaming significantly reduced the phytate, resulting in a drop in the phytate content by 17.18%; 18.02% and 19.71% after twenty, forty minutes and one hour, respectively. A significant reduction in phytate content by 26.64% after 40 minutes, and 46.46% after one hour was observed during heat treatment by roasting.

Doum fruit ( Hyphaene thebaica (L.) Mart.) supplementation improves glycemic index of wheat flour bread in apparent healthy volunteers

The increasing demand for plant-based enriched diet has encouraged the food industry to produce fiber-supplemented products such as composite breads using locally available plants products. In the present study, composite breads from doum (Hyphaene thebaica Mart.) fruit and wheat flours were produced. Control bread (0% doum fruit) and four different composite breads (10%, 20%, 30% and 40% doum fruit) were produced. The physical properties, sensory evaluation, shelf-life, proximate composition, antinutrients content and glycemic index (GI) of the composite breads were investigated. Supplementation of wheat bread with doum fruit improved the nutritional content by increasing the fiber and mineral contents with reduction in phytate content. The composite bread, especially at 40% doum fruit inclusion was moderately accepted by the product testing panels. Inclusion of doum fruit further improved the shelf-life of the composite breads at both ambient and refrigerated temperatures. Similarly, the GI was observed to improve with doum fruit inclusion at all the concentration used. Conclusively, inclusion of doum fruit to the wheat flour produced composite breads with improved physical and nutrients quality with moderate overall acceptability and lower GI.

Iron Bioavailability of Maize Is Improved by Degermination for Some but Not All Genotypes: Enhancing Maize Nutrition With Biofortification and Processing

ObjectivesTo evaluate bioavailable Fe, total Fe concentration and phytate concentration of whole and degerminated maize in a diverse panel of 52 genotypes. This work sought to expand upon previous work which identified the germ fraction of the maize kernel as an inhibitory component for Fe bioavailability.MethodsSamples were degerminated manually by scalpel dissection of the germ fraction. Samples were then cooked, lyophilized, and milled to a flour. Iron bioavailability was evaluated with the Caco-2 Cell Bioassay. Iron concentration was measured by ICP-ES. Phytate concentration was determined via a colorimetric assay for total phytate phosphorous (Megazyme Phytate Kit, Megazyme International).ResultsIn 30 of the maize genotypes, bioavailable Fe increased when degerminated, thus indicating a higher fractional Fe uptake as the amount of Fe decreased by more than 70%. The remaining 22 genotypes showed no change or a decrease in Fe bioavailability with degermination. These results confirm previous research showing that the germ fraction is a strong inhibitory component for many maize varieties. Degermination greatly reduced phytate content and phytate:Fe molar ratio; Fe concentrations were positively correlated with phytate, and negatively correlated with phytate:Fe molar ratios for most maize groups. While the high phytate content of the germ fraction likely plays a role, only degerminated yellow maize indicated a significant correlation between Fe bioavailability and phytate concentration, and only pigmented maize indicated a correlation between Fe bioavailability and phytate:Fe molar ratio. Other factors in the maize germ and endosperm fractions are likely relevant to changes in Fe bioavailability.ConclusionsThis study suggests that Fe nutrition from maize can be enhanced by processing (degermination) and or by selecting varieties where the inhibitory effect of the germ fraction is relatively low.Funding SourcesFunded by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

Trait Stacking Simultaneously Enhances Mineral and Provitamin a Carotenoid Bioaccessibility in Biofortified Sorghum bicolor

ObjectivesVitamin A, iron, and zinc deficiencies represent major dietary inadequacies in Sub-Saharan Africa and disproportionately affect women and children. Biotechnology strategies have been tested to individually improve carotenoid or mineral content and/or bioaccessibility in relevant cereal crops such as sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). However, approaches combining carotenoid and mineral enhancement in the same event have not been thoroughly evaluated. This work evaluated genetically engineered sorghum events that simultaneously enhanced provitamin A carotenoid accumulation and reduced the mineral limiting antinutrient phytate.MethodsTwo sorghum transformation constructs containing HGGT, to increase vitamin E accumulation and stabilize provitamin A carotenoids during grain storage, CRTI, to increase provitamin A biosynthesis, PSY1 or CRTB, to increase flux through the carotenoid pathway, and PhyA, to decrease phytate, were engineered to produce transgenic events. These sorghum events were processed into model porridges and evaluated for carotenoid and mineral content as well as bioaccessibility.ResultsAll transgenic events produced markedly higher amounts of carotenoids compared to corresponding null segregants and wild-type control (Tx430). A steeping step prior to porridge production to pre-activate phytase drastically reduced phytate content, altered the profile of inositol phosphate conversion products, and reduced molar ratios of phytate to iron and zinc; preventing the chelation of minerals by phytate and enhancing their bioaccessibility. The subsequent release of minerals did not affect micellarization efficiency and the bioaccessible fraction of provitamin A carotenoids were over 2300% greater in transgenic events compared to corresponding null segregants and wild-type controls; providing 53.7% of a 4–8-year-old child's vitamin A estimated average requirement in a standard 200 g serving of porridge.ConclusionsThese data suggest that a combination of strategies to enhance micronutrient content and bioaccessibility are feasible and warrant further assessment in human studies.Funding SourcesThis work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The enormity of the zinc deficiency problem and available solutions; an overview

The societal cost of micronutrient deficiency (MND) or the “ hidden hunger ” is in millions of dollars/year, reducing the GDP of some countries by as much as 11%. Zn is an important micronutrient for both plants and animals. An estimated 17% of the world population, or around 1.1 billion people, are at the risk of zinc (Zn) deficiency. The deficiency has been related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, stunted growth, premature deaths, immune system dysfunctions, neuro-behavioral disorders, and recently with the failure to recover from COVID-19. These health risks associated with Zn deficiency have compelled FAO and WHO to recommend Zn fortification of diet. Correcting Zn deficiency is a challenge due to several reasons. Close to half of the agricultural soils are Zn deficient, and chemical Zn fertilizers are costly and ineffective. Developing Zn-rich crops through plant breeding and genetic engineering is challenging. Zn-dense diet is costly and cannot be implemented in the low-income region most affected by Zn deficiency. Lack of consensus among regulatory bodies on defining and diagnosing Zn deficiency in plants and Humans. Awareness and other sociocultural issues. Among the most important available solutions are zinc biofortification of the cereal crops, use of zinc biofertilizers, development of Zn-efficient crops with reduced phytate content. The use of Zn supplements, dietary modification, and diversification, especially with fish, are proposed as the most accessible and affordable solutions. Awareness programs in areas suffering the most from Zn deficiency are required. Despite the suggestions from FAO and WHO, global efforts to combat Zn deficiency matching those for combating diseases like HIV are not in place. Coordinated efforts of the international community, especially policy-makers, agricultural scientists, dieticians, physicians, and others, are required to address the issue of hidden hunger.

Improving effect of phytase treatment on the functional properties and in vitro digestibility of protein isolate from Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel

Phytate, an anti-nutritional factor in Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel protein isolate (CPI), chelated with minerals and proteins to form complexes that reduced their bioavailability. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of phytase treatment on the structural and functional properties and in vitro digestibility of CPI. The results showed that the degree of phytate degradation was improved with the increase in phytase treatment time. Most of the original secondary structures were retained in the treated CPI samples. The removal of phytate increased the Zeta potential of CPI, and the protein isoelectric point was increased. Low phytate CPI samples showed higher thermal stability and higher Ca2+ content. In terms of functional properties, foaming capacity was positively correlated with phytate content, whereas foam stability, emulsifying activity index and emulsion stability index were negatively correlated with phytate content. The reduction of phytate content had a positive effect on in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, and the bioavailability of CPI was significantly improved. These results have demonstrated that phytase treatment retained most of the original structure, and improved functional properties and digestibility of the protein isolate from Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel.

Development of an instant-mix probiotic beverage based on fermented quinoa with reduced phytate content

Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd.), a South American grain, has great potential for innovation and development of improved food products because of its protein content and nutritional benefits. The study aimed to develop an instant-mix beverage based on fermented quinoa with reduced phytate content and viable lactic bacteria. Two different lactic fermentation processes were designed known as Fermentation type 1 (F1) and Fermentation type 2 (F2) using Lactobacillus plantarum 299v® to obtain fermented quinoa flour. In F1, roasted quinoa grains were fermented for 9 h whereas raw quinoa grains were fermented for 6 h in F2 followed by drying, roasting and fermenting again for 3 h. Phytate reduction, Lactobacillus growth, acidity, protein content, and estimated mineral absorption were evaluated along with organoleptic acceptability of the product. The fermented quinoa samples (frozen at −20 °C and −80 °C) were freeze-dried for the development of instant powder mix beverage with 3 different fruit flavours. Phytate was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in 61.8% and 64.4% in F1 and F2 respectively, which increased the estimated mineral absorption (Phy:Fe, 5.5 and 5.3); (Phy:Zn, 9.3 and 8.8) in both fermentations. High microbial viability was obtained in the fermented freeze-dried samples. The developed instant-mix of pineapple-orange flavour with 5% of fermented quinoa flour showed highest acceptability among all flavours during the sensory evaluation. Thus, fermentation is an effective way to improve nutritional and sensorial properties of quinoa. The developed instant-mix beverage with fermented quinoa had reduced phytate content, high probiotic count and better sensorial characteristics than a commercial product.

Statement of Removal

ABSTRACT 1. This study tested the capacity of a novel consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant (PhyG) to totally replace dietary supplemental inorganic phosphate (Pi) in broilers from one day of age, using a phased dosing strategy for the phytase and a phased reduction in phytate content of the diet. A 2x2 factorial arrangement including two treatments and two genders was used. 2. A total of 1,248, one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were assigned to 24 floor pens (52 birds/pen). Two treatments included: 1) a positive control diet (PC) based on mixed grains and oilseed meals, containing inorganic phosphorus (Pi) from monocalcium phosphate (MCP) and 2,000 XU/kg xylanase, and; 2) an inorganic P free (IPF) diet reformulated without Pi, reduced in Ca (-2.0 g/kg) vs. PC and supplemented with PhyG at 3,000 FTU/kg in starter (d 0 to 11, 3.4 g/kg phytate-P (PP)), 2,000 FTU/kg in grower (d 11 to 22, 3.3 g/kg PP), and 1,000 FTU/kg in finisher 1 (d 22 to d 35, 2.9 g/kg PP) and finisher 2 (d 35 to d 42, 2.8 g/kg PP) phase. Each treatment was assigned to 12 pens, with six pens containing males and six containing females. Tibia samples were collected on d 11, 22 and 42 from two birds per pen. 3. The IPF treatment maintained or improved ADG, ADFI and FCR compared to PC in all feed phases. IPF increased BW at 42 days of age by 3.97% (P<0.01) and ADG from d 0 to 42 by 4.10% (P<0.01), and reduced corresponding FCR by 1.5 points (P<0.05), respectively, vs. PC. Males exhibited higher BW, ADG and ADFI than females from 11 d of age onwards (P<0.05). An interaction (P<0.05) between treatment and gender was observed for FCR (d 0 to 22, d 0 to 42) and FCRc (body weight corrected FCR, d 0 to 42), whereby IPF treatment reduced (P<0.05) FCR vs. PC in males but not in females. Tibia ash from birds fed IPF was equivalent to PC at 11, 22 and 42 d of age and did not differ between males and females. 4.The data demonstrated that the phytase, when applied in a phased dosing-regimen to broiler diets with a graded reduction in phytate-P content, was effective in totally replacing Pi during all growth phases, as determined by performance and tibia ash from both males and females.

Fermentability and nutritional characteristics of sorghum Mahewu supplemented with Bambara groundnut.

Processing functionality in terms of fermentability and nutritional characteristics of Mahewu (a sorghum-based nonalcoholic beverage product) supplemented with different proportions of Bambara groundnut (BGN) (80:20 and 70:30, respectively) was investigated to develop a sorghum-based beverage product with improved nutritional quality. Sorghum-BGN Mahewu blends showed a rapid reduction in pH and significantly (P< 0.05) lower final pH (4.3) after 24 hr compared to the control (pH 5.1) (100% Sorghum Mahewu). With total titratable acidity (TTA), sorghum-BGN Mahewu blends had significantly higher final TTA (0.7%) than control (0.4%). Sorghum-BGN Mahewu blends had higher protein and crude fiber contents (up to 7.7% and 7.9%, respectively) than control (6.1% and 5.7%, respectively). In general, sorghum Mahewu supplemented with BGN did not show substantial increase in mineral and individual amino acid contents after fermentation compared to the control, possibly due to increase in tannin content with BGN supplementation. Fermentation significantly (P< 0.05) reduced phytate content by more than 90% in sorghum Mahewu supplemented with BGN when compared to the control (28% reduction). Importantly, BGN supplementation improved the level of some essential amino acids such as threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, histidine, and lysine. Therefore, supplementation with BGN can potentially improve the nutritional quality of sorghum Mahewu but modification in processing procedure is required to effectively improve the nutritional quality of sorghum-BGN blends. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research work has direct application in addressing problem of malnutrition, as well as improving utilization of indigenous food crops in commercial food processing. This is one of the practical approach to address food insecurity that is prevalent in most African countries.

Phytate, iron, zinc, and calcium content of common Bolivian foods and their estimated mineral bioavailability.

There is a scarcity of information on mineral and phytate content in plant‐based foods in Bolivia. This study aimed to analyze iron, zinc, calcium, and phytate content and estimate the mineral bioavailability of foods consumed in Chapare, Bolivia. Minerals and phytate were analyzed, and bioavailability was estimated in 17 food samples. Leafy vegetables and green legumes had the highest mineral content, followed by pseudocereals. Estimated mineral bioavailability was low for cereals, dry legumes, pseudocereals, and flaxseeds foods mainly due to phytate content. But estimated zinc bioavailability for black cornmeal, yellow corn, and dry peas was moderate. Strong correlations (p < 0.01) were found between the three minerals, while phytate correlated negatively to iron, zinc, and calcium. To get an overview of the estimated mineral bioavailability of plant‐based diets, we have included foods, from the same area, analyzed in a previous study where the evaluated diet covers 80% of RNI for iron and zinc, but <40% of calcium. In conclusion, leafy vegetables and green legumes had the highest contents of minerals and the lowest phytate content of the foods analyzed in the study. The usage of processing strategies and dietary diversification to reduce phytate content would significantly improve estimated mineral bioavailability in plant‐based diets.

Increased organic acid production and decreased phytate phosphorus by high level of water content of Bacillus subtilis ATCC PTA-6737 fermentation of soybean meal

In order to enrich soybean meal (SBM) by microbial fermentation, SBM (3 mm particle size) with 78 or 85% moisture content were inoculated with 0.0 or 1x107 CFU/g (colony forming unit) Bacillus subtilis ATCC PTA-6737 and fermented at 37 oC for 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. There was a marked decrease in pH with 85% moisture content, associated at higher organic acid production, compared to increased pH at 24 h with 78% moisture content and a gradual decrease hereafter. Bacterial growth peaked at 48 h with both moisture contents. Fermenting SBM increased crude ash level by 65%, soluble amino acid nitrogen by 2.7 folds and degraded phytic acid by 65-75%. Moreover, there was a high level of organic acid production despite of decreased crude protein by 6-7%, but the effect of high moisture level was more pronounced in all case. In conclusion, fermentation SBM with water content of 85% at 35 oC by B. subtilis provided SBM an appreciable amount of bio-functionalities such reduced phytate content, increased soluble amino acid content and more importantly fortified with organic acids. The fermented SBM can therefore be used an antimicrobial agent due to its high organic acid level in animal nutrition.

Зниження вмiсту фiтатiв як засiб бiофортифiкацiї ячменю за мiнеральним складом зерна

Зниження вмiсту фiтатiв як засiб бiофортифiкацiї ячменю за мiнеральним складом зерна

Effect of different treatment on the proximate and antinutritional content of Nigerian cashew apple residue

Abstract In this study, cashew apple residue (CAR) was subjected to various treatments (boiling, soaking and fermentation), thereafter, proximate composition and anti-nutrient content were determined. Fermentation significantly (p &lt; 0.05) increased the protein content of the CAR by 56.07% and reduced the carbohydrate content to 42.49%. Moreover, soaking and fermentation significantly reduced phytate content of the CAR from 0.4123% to 0.2504% and 0.1106% respectively; all the treatments significantly reduced the oxalate content while boiling and soaking had a significant reducing effect on the tannin content of the CAR. These suggest that pre-treated cashew apple residue may be used for animal feed formulation.

The impact of steeping, germination and hydrothermal processing of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains on phytate hydrolysis and the distribution, speciation and bio-accessibility of iron and zinc elements

Chelation of iron and zinc in wheat as phytates lowers their bio-accessibility. Steeping and germination (15 °C, 120 h) lowered phytate content from 0.96% to only 0.81% of initial dry matter. A multifactorial experiment in which (steeped/germinated) wheat was subjected to different time (2–24 h), temperature (20–80 °C) and pH (2.0–8.0) conditions showed that hydrothermal processing of germinated (15 °C, 120 h) wheat at 50 °C and pH 3.8 for 24 h reduced phytate content by 95%. X-ray absorption near-edge structure imaging showed that it indeed abolished chelation of iron to phytate. It also proved that iron was oxidized during steeping, germination and hydrothermal processing. It was further shown that zinc and iron bio-accessibility were respectively 3 and 5% in wheat and 27 and 37% in hydrothermally processed wheat. Thus, hydrothermal processing of (germinated) wheat paves the way for increasing elemental bio-accessibility in whole grain-based products.

The influence of enzymatic pre-treatment of corn or soybean meal on their phytate content under different in vitro conditions

زمینه مطالعه: فسفر یکی از گران‌ترین مواد مغذی موجود در تغذیه طیور می‌باشد. بنابراین، افزایش زیست-فراهمی این ماده مغذی می‌تواند در کاهش هزینه خوراک موثر باشد. هدف: این مطالعه جهت ارزیابی تأثیر پیش‌فرآوری اجزاء خوراک تحت تأثیر مقادیر مختلف pH و آنزیم‌های تجاری بر میزان فیتات در شرایط آزمایشگاهی است. روش کار: سه محلول ( آب مقطر، اسید هیدرو کلریدریک 5/0 % و 1% (به ترتیب دارای pH مساوی 5/5، 12/2 و 88/1)، سه آنزیم تجاری (فاقد آنزیم، Rovabio Excel AP، Bio-phytase،Rovabio Max AP) برای تعیین میزان فیتات در ذرت و کنجاله سویا استفاده شد. ابتدا هر یک از نمونه‌ها با فراورده‌های آنزیمی مخلوط و بعد از افزودن محلول‌های فوق، یرای مدت 3 ساعت و در دو دمای 25 و 40 درجه سانتی‌گراد پیش‌فرآوری شدند و در نهایت میزان فیتات در نمونه‌های مواد غذایی اندازه‌گیری شد. نتایج: نتایج نشان دادند که پیش‌‌فرآوری ذرت از طریق افزودن آنزیم Bio-phytase یاRovabio Max AP و محلول‌های دارای سطوح مختلف pH (در دمای 25 و 40 درجه سانتی‌گراد به مدت 3 ساعت) مقدار فیتات را به طور معنی‌داری کاهش داد. این امر به معنی افزایش آزادسازی فسفر از فسفر فیتاته و بهبود قابلیت زیست فراهمی آن می‌باشد. بهترین نتیجه با افزودن AP Rovabio Max در دمای 25 درجه سانتی‌گراد و محلول اسید هیدروکلریدریک 1% به نمونه‌های ذرت بدست آمد، به‌طوری‌که در مقایسه با گروه شاهد میزان فیتات را تا حدود 5/99 درصد کاهش داد. در ارتباط با نمونه‌های کنجاله سویا نیز نتایج تقریبا مشابهی بدست آمده، به‌طوری‌که بیشترین میزان کاهش فیتات ( تا 4/47 درصد) در نتیجه افزودنAP Rovabio Max و محلول اسید هیدروکلریدریک 1% به نمونه‌ها در دمای 40 درجه سانتی‌گراد حاصل گردید. نتیجه‌گیری: از نتایج حاصل می‌توان نتیجه گرفت که پیش فرآوری ذرت و کنجاله سویا با روش‌های مختلف مانند استفاده از آنزیم‌های تجاری حاوی فیتاز و محلول‌هایی با سطوح مختلف pH برای افزایش زیست‌فراهمی فسفر سودمند می‌باشد.

Thermo-acid-stable phytase-mediated enhancement of bioethanol production using Colocasia esculenta

Phytase production by the thermophilic mould Thermomyces lanuginosus SSBP was enhanced 8.56-fold in submerged fermentation, which was further improved in fed-batch cultivations. The protein was purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Resource Q anion exchange and Superdex gel-filtration chromatography, with an overall purification of 24.7-fold and a yield of 5.16%. The purified 49kDa protein was optimally active at 55°C and pH 5.0, and was stable between 50 and 90°C from pH 3.0–6.0, with a half-life of 138.6min at 70°C. It was moderately stimulated by Ba+2 and Mg+2. The enzyme reduced phytate content in Colocasia esculenta starch (from 1.43mg/g to 0.05mg/g) that resulted in an improvement in the availability of fermentable sugars with a concomitant reduction in viscosity and 1.59-fold improvement in ethanol production. Thermo-acid-stable phytase from T. lanuginosus SSBP could be of major biotechnological interest, especially due to its robustness and wide applicability.

Profile and bioavailability analysis of myo-inositol phosphates in rye bread supplemented with phytases: a study using an in vitro method and Caco-2 monolayers

Commercial preparations of 6-phytase A alone and in combination with phytase B were used in rye breadmaking. Determination of bioavailability of myo-inositol phosphates from bread was performed by an in vitro digestion method followed by the measurement of an uptake by Caco-2 cells in culture. In bread supplemented with a combination of 6-phytase A and phytase B, a significant reduction in phytate content was observed from 3.62 μmol/g in the control to 0.7 μmol/g. Bioavailability of phytate estimated by an in vitro method simulating digestion in the human alimentary tract was 9% in the bread supplemented with phytase B, 7% (6-phytase A) and 50% in the control bread. In cell culture, the bioaccessibilities of inositol triphosphates from bread baked with the addition of 6-phytase A was higher by 36% as compared to the samples baked with phytase B and by 32% in breads baked with combination of both phytases.

Reducing phytate content in wheat bran by directly removing the aleurone cell content with teeth roller mill and ultrasonic cleaner

Wheat bran is good for human health due to the abundance of dietary fiber. However, it also contains much phytate which has been well documented as an anti-nutritional factor. This study is the first to explore the effectiveness of reducing phytate content in wheat bran by directly removing the aleurone cell content utilizing different roller mills (smooth roller, coarse smooth roller and teeth roller) and different clean-up methods (brushing and ultrasonic washing). Through analysis of phytate content in wheat bran obtained from different mill systems, the best raw material was found to be obtained from the 5B system. By investigating various roller types and clean-up methods, the optimal technique was found to use a teeth roller mill combined with ultrasonic washing, which could reduce the phytate content by the greatest amount: the reduction of phytate content achieved 62.98% (from 26.80 mg/g to 9.92 mg/g) in wheat bran. The optical microscope observation indicated that ultrasonic washing could wash the aleurone cell content out from broken aleurone cells which were destroyed by the teeth roller mill.

Selection and use of a Saccharomyces cerevisae strain to reduce phytate content of wholemeal flour during bread-making or under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

The aim of this work was to select a yeast able to hydrolyse phytate during bread-making or under simulated gastro-intestinal (GI) conditions. High levels of cell-bound and intracellular phytate-degrading enzyme activities were found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae LC3, selected among 16 yeast strains. Phytase enzyme of LC3, purified by three chromatographic steps, had a molecular weight of ca. 48 kDa; its optimal activity, displayed on sodium phytate, was at pH 5.0 and at 40 °C. S. cerevisiae LC3 was used together with negative phytase producing Lactobacillus plantarum LP41 to make wholemeal bread that showed a marked decrease (ca. 79%) in phytate content in comparison with bread produced with commercial baker's yeast and the same Lactobacillus strain. In addition, S. cerevisiae LC3 survived and hydrolysed phytate under simulated GI conditions. The results of this study indicate that the selected LC3 could be a promising candidate to be used as starter for the reduction of phytate content of wholemeal flour during bread-making or as a probiotic for human or animal applications.

Activation of Endogenous Phytase and Degradation of Phytate in Wheat Bran.

Wheat bran contains a significant amount of the anti-nutritional factor phytate. This study is the first to explore the effectiveness of activating endogenous phytase and further reducing phytate content through resulting programmed cell death (PCD). Effects of solid-liquid ratio (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:6), incubation temperature (4, 20, 38, 55, and 70 °C), metal ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), gibberellin concentration (0, 5, 50, 500, 2000, and 5000 mg/L), hydrogen peroxide concentration (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0%), and incubation time (30, 80, 180, and 360 min) on activation of endogenous phytase activity and phytate degradation in wheat bran samples are discussed in this study. It was found that when the wheat bran was incubated with distilled water at 55 °C for 80 min, its endogenous phytase activity was dramatically increased 4-fold from 12.96 to 53.54 FTU/g, whereas the phytate content was reduced by about 70% from 45.20 to 13.52 mg/g. By comparison of photomicrographs of raw wheat bran sample and sample incubated with distilled water for 360 min at 55 °C, a conclusion could be drawn that PCD in aleurone cells had occurred.