Mixture Of Rice Research Articles

Glycemic Index (GI) Values for Major Sources of Dietary Carbohydrates in Iran.

BackgroundThe glycemic index (GI) values of staple foods are not available in a standardized method in Iran.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to measure the GI values of the major carbohydrate sources in a typical Iranian diet.MethodsUsing the international standard method, the GI values were determined for four wheat flatbreads, barley and rye bread, white and brown rice, as well as white and brown rice mixed with lentils. Twelve healthy adults were given 50 g anhydrous glucose three times (as the reference carbohydrate) and the test foods once each throughout the study. Using finger-prick blood samples, capillary blood glucose was measured using a reliable glucometer. The GI was calculated using the trapezoidal method.ResultsThe GI values of the following types of bread were: Barley 66, Lavash 72, Taftoon 79, Sangak 82, rye 84, and Barbari 99. The GI values for brown and white rice were 65 and 71, respectively. The mixture of brown rice with lentils had a GI value of 55, and the mixture of white rice with lentils had a GI of 79.ConclusionsThe most common types of bread and white rice consumed in Iran have high GI values. There is potential to reduce the overall GI values in the Iranian diet by encouraging the consumption of barley bread and brown rice.

Incremento en la mortalidad del hongo entomopatógeno Metarhizium anisopliae al aplicar un campo eléctrico durante la conidiación

The effects of an electric field on conidia production by Metarhizium anisopliae in solid state culture were determined. A 450-mL electrochemical cell (EC) with titanium ruthenium-oxide coated electrodes and packed with a mixture of rice:corn stubble, was inoculated with 1x106 conidia (g of initial dry support)-1 and incubated for 8 days (30oC). Four days after starting the culture, a current density of 0.09 mA/cm2 was applied for 24 h. The moisture kept constant (75%), with and without electric field. With electric field, conidiation (4.9x108 ± 3.7x107 conidia (g of initial dry support)-1) did not show significant differences, but their viability and germination (67 and 45%, respectively) were lower than in the non-perturbated conidia. Total mortality of Tenebrio molitor larvae provoked by conidia produced in presence of the electric field was 40% higher compared to that provoked by the conidia control. The study showed that the application of electric field improving the conidial infectivity. This new approach is susceptible to be optimized to other fungi for biological control with the purpose of improving field performance and further investigations on the modification of cellular mechanisms by the electric field stimuli.

Rhizopus oligosporus ‘Koji’의 효소활성 및 향미성분

This study was performed to verify the possibility of manufacturing Rhizopus oligosporus ‘Koji’, which is cultured using a range of different substrates. The growth characteristics of R. oligosporus were therefore investigated for the preparation of R. oligosporus ‘Koji’, and the optimal incubation conditions were determined to be 30 °C for 24 h, with an optimal NaCl concentration were 5%. Based on these results, R. oligosporus was incubated using three substrates, namely beans, rice and a mixture of beans and rice, for 6 d, and the enzyme activities and volatile compounds of the fermentation products were investigated. On the fourth day of incubation, the α-amylase activities of the rice and the mixed substrates were 155 and 42 unit/mL, respectively, while on the fifth day of incubation, the neutral protease activities of the beans and the mixed substrate were 14 and 15 unit/mL, respectively. In terms of the lipase activity, the mixed substrate resulted in a higher activity than the other substrates. Various volatile flavor compounds, including alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, and pyrazines, were identified in R. oligosporus ‘Koji’ cultured using the mixed substrate.

Effect of different starch sources in a raw meat-based diet on fecal microbiome in dogs housed in a shelter.

A dietary intervention study was assessed to determine if different sources of starch in homemade diets could significantly modify fecal microbiome of dogs. Twenty-seven adult dogs were enrolled and fed a diet based on a mixture of rice and pasta with fresh raw meat (CD). After 90 d, 8 dogs continued to receive CD diet, 10 dogs received a diet made of a raw meat and a complementary food with rice as the main source of starch (B1), and 9 dogs were fed a diet with the same raw meat and a complementary food with potato as the main source of starch (B2). Samples of feces were collected from each dog in the mornings at the beginning of the study and after 15 d and analyzed for pH, ammonia N (N–NH3) and total N, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and lactic acid. Relative abundance of fecal microbiota was assessed by sequencing and annotating the V3–V4 regions of the 16S rRNA. Total starch intake was similar between diets but differed in the in vitro rate digestion and in the resistant starch, which was higher in B2 than in B1 and CD diets. Dogs fed B2 diet showed lower (P < 0.05) N–NH3 and pH but higher (P < 0.05) molar proportion of lactic acid. Linear discriminant analysis of the genera relative abundances indicated a significant (P < 0.01) increase of SMB53 genus at the end of the study in B1 diet and of Megamonas genus in B1 and B2 diets in comparison to CD diet. These results suggest that changes of starch source in a raw meat-based diet have limited effects on fecal microbiome in healthy dogs, but underline a high variability of microbiota among dogs.

Cultivars of biofortified cowpea and sweet potato: Bioavailability of iron and interaction with vitamin A in vivo and in vitro.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction of pro-vitamin A-rich sweet potato on iron bioavailability of biofortified cowpeas, using in vitro Caco-2 cells and in vivo depletion-repletion rat model. Mixtures of conventional rice with cultivars of iron-biofortified (Aracê, Xiquexique, and Tumucumaque) or conventional (Guariba) cowpeas with or without sweet potato biofortified with pro-vitamin A carotenoids were evaluated. The ratio of ferritin/total protein in Caco-2 cells was used as the index of cellular Fe uptake in the in vitro assay. The animal study evaluated the hemoglobin gain, the relative biological value, and the gene expression of transferrin and ferritin proteins by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In the in vitro study, Xiquexique cowpea presented higher bioavailability of iron in the absence of sweet potato, and no difference was observed between the other cultivars of cowpea with and without sweet potato. The in vivo bioavailability (relative biological value of hemoglobin regeneration efficiency) differed statistically only between Guariba groups added to sweet potato and Tumucumaque. Ferritin mRNA expression did not differ between the test and control (ferrous sulfate) groups. Regarding the transferrin mRNA expression, there was a difference between the test and control groups except for the Xiquexique group. The association of rice and beans with sweet potato rich in carotenoids favored the gene expression of proteins involved in the iron metabolism, as well as its bioavailability, corroborating beneficial effects of this mixture. Xiquexique cowpea was shown to be the most promising compared to the other cultivars, exhibiting higher iron content in the digestible fraction, better in vitro bioavailability of iron, and transferrin gene expression. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Data from the study indicated greater in vitro bioavailability of iron for Xiquexique cowpea and sweet potato mixtures, in addition to the greater regeneration efficiency of hemoglobin in vivo as the bioavailability of iron among biofortified beans, highlighting the promising benefits of biofortification.

Biotechnological Impacts of Different Fungal and Bacterial Strains Treatment on Nutritive Value of Some Straws

The current work was carried out to investigate the biotechnological impact of different strains of fungi (Pleurotus Ostreatus , Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma reesei) and bacterial treatment by LAB (Lactobacillus Plantarum with or without addition of molasses) on the nutritive value of agricultural residues for production of good quality straw silage. Four types of straws namely rice straw (RS), bean straw (BS), mixture of rice and bean straw (RBS) and wheat straw (WS) were subjected to biological treatment under solid state fermentation) with each Microorganism. The experimental groups include, control group of each substrate which did not inoculated with any microorganism (CON) , and five treatments groups , T1 (straws treated by Lactobacillus plantarum with molasses), T2 (straws treated with lactobacillus plantarum without molasses), T3 (straws treated by Trichoderma viride ),T4 (Straws treated by pleurotus ostreatus ) and T5 (Straw treated by Trichoderma reesei). Each treatment was carried out for four types of straws. The results of proximate analysis showed increased crude protein, ether extract and ash contents in all treatment compared to the un treated straws .The biotechnological treatment also led to reduction in dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber and fiber fractions contents in all treatments relative to the control group. So it is recommended to treat agricultural residues by cellulosic fungi and bacteria especially Lactobacillus plantarum for improving its nutritive value for animal feeding. Further investigations are required in vivo to study the effect of feeding of the produced biomass on the performance of ruminants.

Optimization of airflow cylinder sieve for threshed rice separation using CFD-DEM

The airflow cylinder sieve directly affects the harvesting effect as one of the main components of the rice combine harvester. The process of grain separated from threshed rice mixture is a multi-physical random pattern. This paper constructed accurately the components particle models, and reproduced the screening process of mixture via CFD-DEM (Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method). Objectives of this work are to better understand the impact of airflow velocity, aperture and deflectors of cylinder sieve on separation effect of the mixture in an airflow cylinder sieve device. The optimal working parameters of sieve were developed by the OED (Orthogonal Experiment Design) and the weight of the index method. The simulations result show that airflow velocity and aperture have an impact on the loss ratio and efficiency; deflectors have implications on efficiency. It is beneficial for separation of grain from the mixture with the airflow velocity, the aperture and deflectors are of 11m/s, 11mm, and two turns, correspondingly. The experiments result carried out on the test bench with real threshed rice mixture and agree with simulations, which proved the feasibility of the results. This paper provided basic data for the design of screening unite of rice harvester’s equipment.

Comparison of Commercial Gluten Containing and Gluten Free Pastas: Cooking Quality Parameters

Aims: Gluten-free food (GFF) consumers reportedly have problems with the lower cooking quality of gluten-free pastas (GFPs) compared to gluten-containing pastas (GCPs). This work is designed to compare the cooking quality of commercial GFPs and GCPs population wise for contributing to the resolution of the issue in the market. &#x0D; Study Design, Materials and Methodology: Cooking quality parameters of 10 commercial GFPs (maize based and maize-rice based) and 10 commercial GCPs (semolina), namely optimum cooking time (OCT), weight increase (WI), volume increase (VI), cooking loss (CL), and their microstructures were determined.&#x0D; Results: GCPs had shorter OCT, higher WI and VI, and lower CL than GFPs (P &lt; .05), representing higher cooking quality. GCPs showed more consistent cooking quality compared to GFPs. GCPs showed more consistent cooking quality compared to GFPs. GFPs made of maize showed higher cooking quality than GFPs made of maize and rice mixture (P &lt; .05). When considering the microstructure, GCPs has a smooth outer surface where the gluten network provides a framework that holds embedded starch granules. On the other hand, GFPs has a protruding surface where gelatinized starch provides a framework that holds embedded protein patches, which results poor cooking quality. &#x0D; Conclusion: GCPs shows higher cooking quality compared to GFPs. They also exhibited a narrower range for cooking quality parameters indicating their more consistent behavior than those of GFPs. GFPs made of maize showed higher cooking quality than GFPs made of maize and rice mixture. &#x0D; Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work comparing the cooking quality of populations of commercial pastas (10 GFPs versus 10 GCPs) and embodied the issue.

Healthy brown rice‐based extrudates containing straw mushrooms: Effect of feed moisture and mushroom powder contents

This study was carried out to compare the nutritional values, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AOA) of straw mushroom between egg-shaped (ME) and fully expanded pileus (MF) stages. Effects of three levels of feed moisture (FM: 13, 16, and 19%) and four levels of straw mushroom powder (MP: 0, 10, 15, and 20) were also investigated. It was set a constant barrel temperature profile due to temperature is not a factor for this study. The reseult showed that MF had higher nutritional values than ME. Increasing MP resulted in increased true density (TD), TPC, and AOA but decreased expansion ratio (ER), lightness, and texture hardness of extruded snacks. Increasing FM resulted in increased TD and texture hardness but decreased ER, lightness, TPC, and AOA of extruded snacks. The optimum formulation of extruded snacks predicted by RSM was 13−14% FM and 14−17% MP. This study demonstrated that it was possible to incorporate straw mushroom and brown rice mixtures into extruded snacks that were nutritious and acceptable to consumers. Practical applications Mushrooms have been incorporated in normal diets and increasingly popular as an ingredient in many food products. Straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea (Bull. ex Fr.) Sing.) are popular for consumption in Asian countries because of their availability all year round, ease of purchase, and their unique flavor and texture. This study demonstrated that it was possible to produce nutritious snacks containing straw mushroom (14–17%) and brown rice mixtures using extrusion process.

Diversity and Succession of Microbiota during Fermentation of the Traditional Indian Food Idli.

Idli, a naturally fermented Indian food, is prepared from a mixture of rice and black gram (lentil). To understand its microbial community during fermentation, detailed analysis of the structural and functional dynamics of the idli microbiome was performed by culture-dependent and -independent approaches. The bacterial diversity and microbial succession were assessed at different times of fermentation by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results highlighted that most microbiota belonged to phylum Firmicutes (70%) and Proteobacteria (22%). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis confirmed the diversity and succession involved therein. A culture-dependent approach revealed that the microbially diverse populations were conserved across different geographical locations. The fermentation was primarily driven by lactic acid bacteria as they constitute 86% of the total bacterial population, and genus Weissella emerged as the most important organism in fermentation. The natural microbiota of the grains mainly drives the fermentation, as surface sterilized grains did not show any fermentation. Growth kinetics of idli microbiota and physicochemical parameters corroborated the changes in microbial dynamics, acid production, and leavening occurring during fermentation. Using a metagenomic prediction tool, we found that the major metabolic activities of these microbial fermenters were augmented during the important phase of fermentation. The involvement of the heterofermentative hexose monophosphate (HMP) pathway in batter leavening was substantiated by radiolabeled carbon dioxide generated from d-[1-14C]-glucose. Hydrolases degrading starch and phytins and the production of B vitamins were reported. Moreover, culturable isolates showing beneficial attributes, such as acid and bile tolerance, hydrophobicity, antibiotic sensitivity, and antimicrobial activity, suggest idli to be a potential dietary supplement.IMPORTANCE This is a comprehensive analysis of idli fermentation employing modern molecular tools which provided valuable information about the bacterial diversity enabling its fermentation. The study has demonstrated the relationship between the bacterial population and its functional role in the process. The nature of idli fermentation was found to be more complex than other food fermentations due to the succession of the bacterial population. Further studies using metatranscriptomics and metabolomics may enhance the understanding of this complex fermentation process. Moreover, the presence of microorganisms with beneficial properties plausibly makes idli a suitable functional food.

Residual Efficacy of a Deltamethrin Emulsifiable Concentrate Formulation against Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) and Sitotroga cerealella (Oliver) after Partial Treatment of Brown Rice.

Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab.), the lesser grain borer, and Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), the Angoumois grain moth, are internally feeding stored product insects that can infest raw grains. In this test, brown rice was treated with 0.5 and 1.0 ppm of a new emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation of the pyrethroid deltamethrin and stored for 12 months. One day after treatment, and every 3 months for 12 months, treated rice was mixed with untreated brown rice in the following ratios: 0:100 (untreated controls), 10:90, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0 (all treated). Bioassays were conducted by exposing 10 parental adults of each species on the rice mixtures and assessing progeny production, feeding damage, and weight loss. The progeny of S. cerealella ranged from 105.6 F1 adults on untreated brown rice to 69.4 F1 adults on 100% treated rice, but there was little feeding damage or weight loss. The progeny production of R. dominica declined from 177.4 F1 adults on untreated rice to 9.8 F1 adults on 100% treated rice. Weight loss and feeding damage were correlated with progeny production. The results show that the new deltamethrin formulation could be used for protection of brown rice, but S. cerealella may be less susceptible to deltamethrin compared to R. dominica.

Alteration of Basal Blood Glucose Level and Microbiota Metabolic Parameters in Rats Fed with Brown Rice and Herbal Extracts

Obesity has been identified as a cause of various diseases. The main solution in dealing with this metabolic syndrome is a healthy lifestyle, with intake of fibrous and herbal extracts. Various studies have shown that gut microbiota involved in many metabolic syndromes. This study aims to determine the effect of brown rice and herbal extracts (Cuminum cyminum and Alpinia galanga) on the physiological profile of rat gut microbiota. The research was done by measuring changes in the physiological profile of the gut microbiota, analyzing metagenome of gut microbiota using Next Generation Sequencing technology, and also observing changes in blood glucose and cholesterol levels for three weeks in normal condition. Changes in the physiological level of significant microbiota were used as reference points at the later stage. The average blood glucose level of rats in the all treatment groups was decreased except for the group treated with the mixture of brown rice and Alpinia galanga. The rats fed with combination of brown rice and herbal extracts showed the highest Average Well Color Development (AWCD) index. Moreover, this treatment group had also the highest degradation activity in almost all types of substrates as observation proceeds. These results suggest that the combination of brown rice with bioactive compounds contained in those extracts provides a healthy gut microbiome. In conclusion, our results showed that the differences in type of food intake can affect the physiological conditions of the hosts’ body and metabolic parameters of rat intestinal microbiota.

Development of Cookies and Muffins based on Rice, Quinoa and Corn Flours

This research aimed to develop cookies and muffins based on a mixture of Rice (RF), Corn (CF) and Quinoa (QF) Flour as alternative bakery products. Three main formulations were used for the elaboration of cookies (F1: 60%RF, 30%CF, 10%QF; F2: 70%RF, 10%CF, 20%QF; F3: 60%RF, 10%CF, 30%QF); while for muffins elaboration two formulations were used (F1:27%RF, 5%CF, 14%QF; F2: 23%RF, 8%CF, 8%QF). Bromatological (ashes, humidity content, protein, fiber and lipids), microbial and sensorial (30 personnel for anon-trained panel with a 9 point hedonic scale) analysis were done to characterize the developed food products. The bromatological results showed the presence of proteins (10.58%), lipids (6.37%), humidity (9.56%), ashes (2.36%), carbohydrates (74%) and a caloric intake of 288 kcal. Muffins presented in their composition: 14% protein, 10% lipids, 14% humidity, 4% ashes, 40% carbohydrate and 320 kcal. Cookies presented the following microbial counts: 200 UFC/g aerobic mesophiles, <3 UFC/g fungi, <4 UFC/g yeast, <3 NMP/g total coliforms and <3 NMP/g fecal coliforms, while muffins presented the following microbial counts: 300 UFC/g aerobic mesophiles, <5 UFC/g fungi, <4 UFC/g yeast, <3 NMP/g total coliforms and <3 NMP/g fecal coliforms. Finally, both products had a positive sensorial acceptation.

Differences in subjective taste between Japanese and Sri Lankan students depending on food composition, nationality, and serum zinc

Summary Background & aims Taste is a very important factor affecting nutritional intake and compliance. Subjective taste may differ among nationalities. In the present study we examined differences in subjective taste according to food composition and nationality. Methods Twelve Japanese and 4 Sri Lankan students took part in the study. Food samples of 3 different mixtures of chicken and rice were tasted: Food 1, 3 g chicken/10 g rice; Food 2, 6 g chicken/10 g rice; Food 3, 9 g chicken/10 g rice. The sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and astringent taste of each of the food samples, as well as their deliciousness, were scored subjectively on a scale of 0–5. Results were compared between the 3 types of food samples, as well as between nationalities. In addition, concentrations of blood micronutrients were measured. Results Across all 3 types of food, the change in subjective taste of salty, sweet, and sour differed significantly between Japanese and Sri Lankan students (P = 0.022, P = 0.008, and P = 0.025, respectively). However, bitter and astringent taste, as well as the perceived overall deliciousness of the foods, was comparable between the 2 groups. Serum zinc levels were significantly lower in Sri Lankan than Japanese students (P = 0.004). Conclusions Subjective assessment of taste differs according to food composition and nationality, and it is important to consider taste preferences according to nationality when promoting oral nutritional support.

Chemical composition, percent of dietary reference intake, and acceptability of gluten-free bread made from Prosopis nigra flour, added with hydrocolloids

Abstract The objective of the work was to know the nutritional contribution of gluten-free bread made with Prosopis nigra flour, and the acceptability measured by celiac and non celiac persons. Gluten-free bread was made from a mixture of corn, rice and Prosopis nigra flours. To achieve better technological characteristics, xanthan gum and whey concentrate were added. A portion of bread (50g) provided 19% of DRI for protein for children aged 4 to 8 years, while for a pregnant or lactating woman, this value reached 5%. Regarding the fibers, 50g of bread covered 16% and 14% of the DRI for these biological moments. The fat requirement was covered by 16% for all biological moments analyzed. The dietary contribution of this bread surpasses in proteins and fiber to the commercial ones. Bread made with Prosopis nigra flour presented a balanced caloric distribution, contributing a high proportion of proteins, fats, dietary fiber (mainly of the insoluble fraction), and low quantity of carbohydrates available, characteristics that make it a recommendable product for celiac persons in different biological moments.

ENGINEERING CHARACTERISTICS OF ECO - FRIENDLY COMPOSITE MADE FROM STEEL SLAG - RICE HUSK AND GYPSUM

Steel slag waste is a by-product from steel production and rice husk is a renewable waste produced from rice peeling. These wastes can be used as Eco - Friendly building materials instead of polluting materials like gypsum and cement. The aim of this work is to investigate the behavior of building materials resulting from the mix of gypsum, steel slag and rice husk in different percentages. The work was conducted in three phases. The first phase was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing gypsum by steel slag waste with different weight ratio (namely, 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) on the compressive strength of gypsum steel slag mixture at 1, 7, and 28 days. The second phase was conducted to investigate the water resistance of the developed gypsum steel slag mixture. The third phase was conducted to study the effect of addition of rice husk with different weight ratio ( 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 %) to the highest strength of gypsum steel slag mixture, which optioned from last phases. Compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption and density of the gypsum steel slag - rice husk mixtures were determined and investigated. The results showed the highest compressive strength and water resisted for gypsum slag mixture that was at slag percent of 30%. Also, compressive strength and density of gypsum steel slag rice mixture were reduced by increasing the rice husk content. The best rice husk content was 15 % to enhance the flexural properties of steel slag - rice husk- gypsum mixture binder.

Characterization of an acidophilic α-amylase from Aspergillus niger RBP7 and study of catalytic potential in response to nutritionally important heterogeneous compound

An acidophilic α-amylase from Aspergillus niger RBP7 was purified after solid state fermentation on potato peel substrate. Molecular mass of the purified α-amylase was 37.5 kDa and it exhibited 1.4 mg/ml and 0.992 μ/mol/min Km and Vmax values, respectively. The enzyme was stable in the pH range from 2.0 to 6.0, at high NaCl concentration (3 M) and at temperatures between 40 °C and 70 °C. The enzyme showed an optimal activity at pH 3.0 and at 45 °C. The enzyme was inhibited by Hg2+ and was stable in the presence of different surfactants (Tween 60, Tween 80, and SDS at 1% level) and different inhibitory reagents (β-mercaptoethanol, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and sodium azide). This acidophilic amylase enzyme can digest heterogeneous food materials, i.e. the mixture of rice, fish, bread and curry with comparable activity to the commercial diastase enzymes available.

Quality Characteristics and Antioxidant Activities of Rice/Adzuki Bean Mixtures Cooked Using Two Different Methods

This study explored the optimal preparation and the antioxidant levels of rice/adzuki bean mixtures. We compared the quality and physicochemical characteristics of cooked mixtures of rice and adzuki beans prepared using normal and high-pressure rice cookers, with and without the addition of alcohol (15%, v/v). The water-binding capacity and swelling power decreased upon addition of adzuki beans, but water solubility increased. The peak, trough, final, and setback viscosities decreased, but the breakdown viscosity increased. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents increased after addition of adzuki beans. Total polyphenol contents in cooked rice/20% (w/w) Arari and Geomguseul bean mixtures in a normal cooker with addition of alcohol were 3.00 and 3.09 times higher than plain rice. The flavonoid contents were 10.33 and 8.90 times higher than plain rice. The predominant phenolic acids in cooked rice/Arari bean mixtures were p-coumaric acid and trans-3-hydroxycinnamic acid, and in cooked rice/Geomguseul bean mixtures, they were syringic acid and trans-3-hydroxycinnamic acid. Overall, phenolic acid levels were higher in mixtures cooked in plain water. The DPPH- and ABTS-radical-scavenging activities increased upon addition of adzuki beans. DPPH radical-scavenging activities in cooked rice/20% (w/w) Arari and Geomguseul bean mixtures in a normal cooker with addition of alcohol were 9.09 and 9.22 times higher than plain rice. ABTS radical-scavenging activities were 8.74 and 9.01 times higher than plain rice. Moreover, rice/adzuki bean mixtures prepared in a normal cooker, with addition of alcohol, exhibited higher antioxidant levels than other samples. We present the antioxidative properties of rice/adzuki bean mixtures prepared in different ways; these data will aid manufacturers.

Microwave Metamaterial Absorber for Non-Destructive Sensing Applications of Grain.

In this work, we propose a metamaterial absorber at microwave frequencies with significant sensitivity and non-destructive sensing capability for grain samples. This absorber is composed of cross-resonators periodically arranged on an ultrathin substrate, a sensing layer filled with grain samples, and a metal ground. The cross-resonator array is fabricated using the printed circuit board process on an FR-4 board. The performance of the proposed metamaterial is demonstrated with both full-wave simulation and measurement results, and the working mechanism is revealed through multi-reflection interference theory. It can serve as a non-contact sensor for food quality control such as adulteration, variety, etc. by detecting shifts in the resonant frequencies. As a direct application, it is shown that the resonant frequency displays a significant blue shift from 7.11 GHz to 7.52 GHz when the mass fraction of stale rice in the mixture of fresh and stale rice is changed from 0% to 100%. In addition, the absorber shows a distinct difference in the resonant absorption frequency for different varieties of grain, which also makes it a candidate for a grain classification sensor. The presented scheme could open up opportunities for microwave metamaterial absorbers to be applied as efficient sensors in the non-destructive evaluation of agricultural and food product quality.

Effect of HPMC and CMC on rheological behavior at different temperatures of gluten-free bread formulations based on rice and buckwheat flours

This paper reports a study on the effect of cellulose derivative hydrocolloids on the rheological behavior of gluten-free (GF) formulations suitable for bread production. A comprehensive rheological study, based on small amplitude oscillations at different temperatures, was performed with the aim of better understanding the interactions among the components (flours and hydrocolloids). A whole-wheat flour recipe was used as a control. A mixture of rice and buckwheat flour was used in GF products and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were added to the formulation and used separately at four different percentages (0.1–1.5% on flour basis). The effect of water content on the rheological properties of dough was investigated for samples prepared at 1% of hydrocolloids and it was observed that high water levels lead to doughs more similar to the benchmark. The potential results, in bread production, were investigated, in a preliminary way for few formulations, through the qualitative analysis of bread samples obtained by lab scale baking tests.