Special Odor Research Articles

Research Progress on the Nutritional Properties of Microalgae and Their Applications in Food

Microalgae are rich in nutrients and bioactive substances, which can provide nutrients to the human body and have functions such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulation. Microalgae are receiving more and more attention as a potential new source of food ingredients. However, the application of microalgae in food is still immature. This paper reviews the physiological active functions of polysaccharides, proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, pigments and other bioactive substances in microalgae, summarizes the current status of the application of microalgae in meat foods, pasta, additives and functional foods. At the end of the article, the existing problems and challenges, such as microalgae with special odor, complex processing, insufficient experimental data, etc., are systematically elaborated, and the outlook and suggestions are put forward to express the confidence in the development of microalgae as a novel raw material in the food industry. The whole article aims to provide theoretical references for the development of microalgae food and the exploration of new food resources.

Evaluation of volatile components from the tuber, fibrous roots, bud, stem and leaf tissues of Bletilla striata for its anti-colon cancer activity.

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Rchb.f., a medicinal plant in the Orchidaceae family, is mainly found in East Asia and has extensive pharmacological activities. Plant's volatile components are important active ingredients with a wide range of physiological activities, and B. striata has a special odor and unique volatile components. Yet it has received little attention, hindering a full understanding of its phytochemical components. Employing the ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, the volatile components of B. striata's fibrous root, bud, aerial part and tuber were extracted, resulting in yields of 0.06%, 0.64%, 3.38% and 4.47%, respectively. A total of 78 compounds were identified from their chemical profiles using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), including 45 components with the main compounds of linoleic acid (content accounting for 31.23%), n-hexadecanoic acid (13.53%), and octadecanoic acid (9.5%) from the tuber, 34 components with the main compounds of eicosane, 2-methyl- (28.42%), linoelaidic acid (10.43%), linoleic acid (4.53%), and n-hexadecanoic acid (6.91%) from the fibrous root, 38 components with the main compounds of pentadeca-6,9-dien-1-ol (9.29%), n-hexadecanoic acid (11%), eicosane,2-methyl- (23.43%), and linoleic acid (23.53%) from the bud, and 27 components with the main compounds of linoelaidic acid (5.97%), n-hexadecanoic acid (15.99%), and linolenic acid ethyl ester (18.9%) from the aerial part. Additionally, the growth inhibition activity against colon cancer HCT116 cells was evaluated using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay and the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining and fluorescence intensity analysis. The volatile extracts exhibited significant growth inhibitory efficacy against HCT116 cells, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 3.65, 2.32, 2.42 and 3.89mg/mL in the SRB assay, and 3.55, 2.58, 3.12 and 4.80mg/mL in the MTT assay for the root, bud, aerial part, and tuber, respectively. Notably, treatment with the aerial part extract caused morphological changes in the cells and significantly raised the intracellular ROS level. In summary, the chemical profiles of the volatile components of B. striata were revealed for the first time, demonstrating a certain tissue specificity. Additionally, it demonstrated for the first time that these volatile extracts possess potent anti-colon cancer activity, highlighting the importance of these volatile components in B. striata's medicinal properties.

Formation of special odors driven by volatile compounds during the growth and maturation in edible fungi (Phallus impudicus)

Composition and content of volatiles, the important factors in flavor formation of edible fungi, are affected by growth process. GC–MS was performed and a total of 102 volatiles were identified in Phallus impudicus. Almost all identified volatile compounds showed an obvious upward trend at four growth period, and reached the maximum at fourth stage (PIII), of which the transition from first stage (ZP) to second stage (PI) achieved a breakthrough for 88 volatile compounds from scratch. The PCA and HCA results showed that the four stages were completely separated and appeared different, among which third stage (PII) and PIII might be the two dramatic change nodes in aroma quality. In addition, the top 50 differential metabolites were screened by OPLS-DA and PLS-DA, and correlation analysis showed that 6-undecyl alcohol, α-terpine-7-al, 2, 4-decenol, and 2-cyano-2-ethyl-butanamide, might co-regulate the flavor formation of Phallus impudicus through synergistic action of other chemical components.

HS-GC-IMS Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Different Varieties and Harvesting Times of Rhizoma gastrodiae (Tian Ma) in Yunnan Province.

Headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the differences in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in four different varieties of Yunnan Huang Tian Ma (containing both winter and spring harvesting times), Yunnan Hong Tian Ma, Yunnan Wu Tian Ma, and Yunnan Lv Tian Ma. The results showed that the flavor substances of different varieties and different harvesting times of Rhizoma gastrodiae were mainly composed of aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, heterocycles, esters, acids, alkenes, hydrocarbons, amines, phenols, ethers, and nitrile. Among them, the contents of the aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and heterocyclic compounds are significantly higher than those of other substances. The results of cluster analysis and fingerprint similarity analysis based on principal component analysis and Euclidean distance showed that there were some differences between different varieties of Yunnan Rhizoma gastrodiae and different harvesting times. Among them, Yunnan Lv Tian Ma and Wu Tian Ma contained the richest volatile components. Winter may be the best harvesting season for Tian Ma. At the same time, we speculate that the special odor contained in Tian Ma should be related to the aldehydes it is rich in, especially benzene acetaldehyde, Benzaldehyde, Heptanal, Hexanal, Pentanal, and butanal, which are aldehydes that contain a strong and special odor and are formed by the combination of these aldehydes.

Ethnobotanical study on herbal tea drinks in Guangxi, China

BackgroundHerbal tea drinks, different from classical Camellia beverages, are a wide variety of herbal drinks consumed for therapeutic purposes or health promotion. Herbal tea is widely consumed in Guangxi. However, the documentation on the plants for herbal tea and their related health benefits is still limited.MethodsAn ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 52 villages and 21 traditional markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires were applied to obtain ethnobotanical information of herbal tea, in which 463 informants had participated. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were used to evaluate the most culturally significant herbal tea plants, and informant consensus factor (ICF) was applied to assess the agreement among informants.ResultsThis study recorded 155 herbal tea species belonging to 49 families. The most commonly used parts included leaf (27.61%), whole plant (22.09%), branch and leaf (19.02%), and flower (13.50%). The most frequent preparation method of herbal tea was decoction. Herbal tea was very popular in Guangxi, attributing to its therapeutic value, special odor, and good taste. There are 41 health benefits classified into eight categories. Among them, clearing heat was the most medicinal effects. Local people had high consistency in tonic, removing cold and cough, improving blood circulation, and clearing heat away. Based on CFSI values of each species, the most culturally significant herbal tea species were Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A. M. Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang, Plantago asiatica L., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Pholidota chinensis Lindl., and Morus alba L.ConclusionHerbal tea is a valuable heritage that carries the local people’s traditional knowledge, like health care and religious belief. The recorded herbal tea species in this study possess tremendous potential for local economic development in the future. Further research on efficacy evaluation and product development of herbal tea species is necessary.

Effects of Different Drying Methods on the Quality of Bletilla striata Scented Tea.

Flower tea is widely loved as a drink, especially for the beautiful and rich flowers of the orchid family, and the drying method for different flowers is also unique. GC-MS is widely used to study volatile substances to determine the quality of flower teas. The findings show that the freeze-drying method can retain the original aroma and flavor of Bletilla striata has the highest sensory evaluation score, with the key flavor substances ethyl caproate and N-heptanal containing 1.14% and 6.28%, respectively, and their ROAV values reaching 54.46 and 100.00. Additionally, the freeze-drying method can well retain flavonoids, polysaccharides, and phenolic components, while providing better antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The stove-drying method would make Bletilla striata slightly burnt and less flavorful and efficacious than freeze-drying; the air-drying method is difficult to retain the special odor and fragrance of Bletilla striata flowers and has the lowest sensory evaluation score, with the presence of volatile components with irritating and unpleasant odors such as pyrazine and 2-pentylfuran, while not showing better efficacy. In addition, steam fixation would destroy the morphology and flavor of Bletilla striata, lose polysaccharide and phenolic components, and reduce the efficacy of Bletilla striata scented tea, but could retain the flavonoid components well. In summary, direct freeze-drying without steam fixation is the best process for drying Bletilla striata scented tea, stove-drying without steam fixation is more economical and convenient in actual production and application, steam fixation and air-drying are not suitable as drying processes for Bletilla striata scented tea. This study analyzed the quality of Bletilla striata scented tea under different drying methods, promoted the further processing of Bletilla striata scented tea, and provided a reference for the comprehensive utilization of Bletilla striata scented tea.

Identification of odor biomarkers in irradiation injury urine based on headspace SPME-GC-MS

Purpose The threat of population exposure to ionizing radiation is increasing rapidly worldwide. Such exposure, especially at high-dose, is known to cause acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Hence, it is necessary to develop specific and sensitive biomarkers to accurately diagnose radiation injury and evaluate medical countermeasures. Materials and methods Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a model organism with a fine and sound olfactory system, was used to examine the odor of urine samples collected from irradiation-injured rats, and compared with those from un-irradiated control rats to investigate the ‘special odor’ of radiation injury. Subsequently, headspace SPME-GC-MS was applied for non-targeted metabolomic analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urine, with the aim to discover changes of small molecule metabolites and identify odor biomarkers of irradiation injury. Results C. elegans showed significant attraction to the urine of total body irradiation (TBI) rats compared with control rats, indicating that irradiation injury can emit ‘special odor’ and the metabolites in urine VOCs were changed. Using metabolomics based on headspace SPME-GC-MS for metabolic profiles analysis, we screened 63 differentially expressed metabolites. Among them, 10 metabolites including p-Cresol with excellent diagnostic ability were identified as odor biomarkers according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Conclusions This study confirmed the ‘special odor’ induced by irradiation injury, and identified biomarkers through urine VOCs analysis for the first time, which can provide a novel approach and insight to evaluate irradiation injury noninvasively, accurately and conveniently.

Identification of volatile sulfur-containing compounds and the precursor of dimethyl sulfide in cold-pressed rapeseed oil by GC–SCD and UPLC–MS/MS

Volatile sulfur-containing compounds (VSCs) provide an important contribution to foods due to their special odors. In this study, VSCs in 21 cold-pressed rapeseed oils (CROs) from 9 regions in China were extracted and separated by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography coupled with sulfur chemiluminescence detection. 19 VSCs were identified by authentic standards, and the total concentration of VSCs in all CROs ranged from 49.0 to 18129 μg/kg. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), with its high odor activity value (7–14574), was the most significant aroma contributor to the CROs. Furthermore, S-methylmethionine (SMM) in rapeseed was first affirmed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and isotope quantitation. The positive correlation coefficient between DMS and SMM was 0.793 (p < 0.05), which confirmed SMM as a crucial precursor of DMS in CROs. This study provided a theoretical basis for selecting rapeseed materials by the distribution of essential VSCs and the source of DMS.

Particular qualities of buildings' transit spaces finishing with respect to the needs of the Blind visitors

The article defines a list of properties of finishing materials, contrast of which creates the potential for improving the effectiveness of visually impaired visitors’ orientation in buildings’ transit spaces. The expediency of accentuating important elements with materials contrasting in texture, thermal conductivity, degree of sound absorption, size, shape of the module and aroma in relation to the main surfaces is established. The contrast of the surface finish of basic planes and their fragments can be used rationally to form tactile symbols, to accentuate important functional zones, and to warn of approaching a dangerous element. Materials contrasting by the thermal conductivity relatively to the main covering plane can be applied in the finishing of the guide planes to accentuate them at the level of thermal sensations. The use of natural wooden railing against the background of glass and metal enclosure could serve an example of such a solution. The use of facing materials, contrasting in terms of sound absorption, the magnitude and geometric form of modules, provides variations in the frequency, height and tone quality of the sound created by visitor's steps and cane. Such a feature can be used to simplify the non-visual identification of key fragments of transit space. Physical properties of facing materials influence the time of reverberation of sound in the premises, which is primarily determined by the size and geometric form of the interior space. This determines the importance of the right choice of finishing materials, taking into account their acoustic properties. The decrease in reverberation, which is associated with a decrease in the size of the room, is achieved with ridget or jagged covering panels, which have a high degree of absorption, and the increase, on the contrary – with flat glossy tiles. In practice of construction of specialized buildings for the Blind the flooring materials are advised to be selected in such a way as to create simultaneous tactile and acoustic contrast. Foer example a combination of a wooden floor with a ceramic tile is contrasting on the surface finish, height and tone quality of the created sound. It has been established that the scent of finishing materials is rarely used by architects as a mean of marking element in the space, while facing materials determine the presence of a special odor in the room and it’s concentration. Consideration of this feature in design of transit spaces creates additional potential for improving the orientation of the visually impaired persons.

Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts and Isolated Coumarins from the Roots of Four Ferulago Species Growing in Turkey.

Ferulago species have been utilized since ancient times as digestive, sedative, aphrodisiac, along with in salads or as a spice due to their special odors. The study reports isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds of Ferulago pachyloba (F. pachyloba), Ferulago trachycarpa (F. trachycarpa), Ferulago bracteata (F. bracteata), and Ferulago blancheana (F. blancheana) via bioassay guided fractionation and isolation process. The structures of compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses. They were also assessed for their activities at 1000-31.25 µg/mL concentrations by microbroth-dilution methods. Antimicrobial activity of aqueous, methanol extracts and dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous residue fractions of methanol extracts from aerial parts and roots of species along with isolated compounds [osthole, imperatorin, bergapten, prantschimgin, peucedanol-2′-benzoate, grandivitinol, suberosin, xanthotoxin, felamidin, marmesin, umbelliferone, ulopterol and a sterol mixture consisted of stigmasterol, β-sitosterol] were evaluated. Antimicrobial effect has been seen against Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and a yeast C. albicans at a concentration between 31.25 and 62.5 μg/mL. Especially, C. albicans (MIC = 31.25 μg/mL) was the most inhibited microorganism. Moreover, growth of P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, E. coli, and S. aureus were inhibited at 62.5 μg/mL MIC values. Among tested samples prantschimgin and dichloromethane fraction of aerial parts from F. pachyloba showed the best activity against C. albicans (MIC = 31.25 μg/mL). However, among aqueous extracts and residue fractions, only F. blancheana aerial parts, F. trachycarpa aerial parts, and roots and F. bracteata roots showed activity against C. albicans. Among microorganisms E. coli was found to be the least affected.

Research Progess of Extraction Methods, Components and Functional Characteristics in Essential Oil

Essential oil (EO), belonging to the secondary metabolites of plant body, was a kind of liquid of volatile oil with certain special odor that exists in leaves, roots, skins, flowers and fruits of a plant, and can be distilled with water vapor. In this paper, the principles, advantages and disadvantages of traditional extraction methods and new extraction methods of EO were expounded. At the same time, the detection and analysis techniques and the major components of EO were summarized. In addition, the functional characteristics of EO were reviewed. The aim of this article was to provide the references for the follow-up research and development of EO.

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anticholinesterase Activities of Ferulago pauciradiata Boiss. & Heldr. Growing in Turkey

Ferulago species have been utilised since ancient times as antihelmentic, peptic, sedative and aphrodisiac, and as the seasoning in view of their special odors. The study reports the antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticholinesterase activities of essential oil of fruit, extracts, fractions from roots and aerial parts and isolated compounds from dichloromethane fraction of root [prantschimgin (1), felamidin (2)] from F. pauciradiata. GC and GC/MS were used for analysis of essential oil. Phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of specimens were performed via Folin-Ciocalteu’s phenol indicator, DPPH and TBA methods. Anticholinesterase activity was carried out via Ellman’s method. They were also assessed for antimicrobial activity by macrobroth-dilution and microbroth-dilution procedures. Trans-chrysanthenyl acetate, α-pinene, 2,3,6-trimethyl benzaldehyde, sabinene and myrcene were gained as primary components of essential oil. Highest total phenolic content was found in EtOAc fraction of root. Highest DPPH activity was observed in essential oil and EtOAc fraction of root (4.59, 6.56 μg/mL, respectively). Among the samples essential oil showed best activity against all microorganism with between 0.097 - 12.5 μg/mL MIC values. Essential oil demonstrated strong inhibition against AChE and BuChE (IC50 = 7.987, 0.567 μl/ml, respectively). It displayed inhibitory activities on AChE and BuChE, moreover considerable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Taihu Lake Safety Management and Determination Technologies Based on Odor Test

There is a more diverse set of substances that may cause special odors in water bodies, so that it is difficult to analyze many factors that will make an increasing impact on the social and economic environment, thus seriously hobbling the people's demand for better life. Against this backdrop, how to quickly and accurately test smelly substances in water, ensure the safety of water areas, and make up for the gaps of the existing technologies has become a worthy focus of concern. In this paper, the headspace solid phase microextraction and the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) are incorporated to analyze the smelly substances, in order to determine the optimal extraction and experiment conditions. In this way, the method has been proven to be effective in determining the smelly substances. Study results show that the accuracy every time reaches above 93%, which suggests that the test and identification technology for smelly substances is feasible. For example, test odorous substances in Taihu Lake, it provides the clues to deodorizing water and ensure the water safety of Taihu Lake and other water areas.

Antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of Ferulago syriaca Boiss. and F. isaurica Peșmen growing in Turkey

Ferulago species have been utilized since ancient times as anthelmintic, digestive, sedative, and aphrodisiac, along with salads or as seasoning in view of their special odors. The study reports the antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of extracts, fractions from roots, and aerial parts together with isolated compounds from chloroform fractions of roots [isoimperatorin (1), bergapten (2), prantschimgin (3), xanthotoxin (4), and felamidin (5)] from Ferulago syriaca Boiss. and F. isaurica Peșmen. The phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds were performed with Folin–Ciocalteu’s phenol indicator, qualitative and quantitative Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and TBA methods. In addition, anticholinesterase activity was carried out via Ellman’s method. The highest total phenolic content was found in the EtOAc fraction from the root of F. syriaca (1156.01 ± 4.92 mg/g), on the other hand, the lowest total phenolic content was shown in the hexane fraction from the root of F. isaurica (12.45 ± 4.45 mg/g). All samples showed antioxidant activity with DPPH test and the highest activities were observed in CHCl3 fractions of roots from F. syriaca and F. isaurica (9.99 and 8.78 μg/mL, respectively). The CHCl3 fraction of root from F. isaurica was found to have strong inhibition against AChE (46.99%) and BuChE (88.56 ± 2.34%) at 20 µg/mL. Prantschimgin (74.82%) and felamidin (77.11%) demonstrated strong inhibition toward BuChE. CHCl3 fractions of roots from these species had notable antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities. It displayed inhibitory activities on AChE and BuChE, and moreover considerable antioxidant activity.

Analysis of Using Ultraviolet Light to Test Color Mothball

Color mothball is a daily necessity in Southeast Asia. Mothball contained nearly 100% naphthalene or 100% p-dichlorobenzene. It was used to resist insects, mothproof and mildew with a special odor. In other words, the odor was thought unpleasant enough to drive animals away in repellent products. This research analyzed color mothball which was manufactured by C and N companies. The mothball was dyed with eight dyes and three essences of fragrance, respectively. The experiment of color fastness with UV-light test is to determine how much the color will fade, when it exposed to a known ultraviolet light source. In the last analysis, the experimental data from the spectrum of GC/MS described all kinds of structure on color mothball after 80 hours phototherapy treatment as shown in the content. This research reveals that color mothball can have better appearance and greater performance, to meet the requirements for customs and various applications.

Preliminary Study on the Safety of a Lithium Ion Battery Pack Under Water Immersion

Most battery packs are required to comply with IP67 standard to guarantee waterproof before commercialization. However, passing the IP67 standard cannot 100% guarantee that the battery pack do not leak when immersed in fluid like dirty water or sea water during the whole life cycle, especially under some extremely conditions. It is reported that, in 2012 several Fisker Karma electric vehicles were burned after sea water intrusion caused by Hurricane Sandy. In 2016, two electric buses were burned into fire after overnight water immersion due to a heavy rain in Nanjing, China. Obviously, it can be very dangerous when water seeps through the cover of battery packs and cause electrical short circuit inside the battery. Therefore, it is critical to study on the phenomena on and the mechanism of water immersion upon battery pack. It is known that the whole battery pack is a complex system. And it is hard to monitor all the phenomena and confirm the repeatability of the experiment if the whole battery pack is thrown into water directly during investigation. Moreover, ruining a whole battery pack cost so much. For these reasons, a substitute experiment was proposed. The two special batteries/modules, which at the highest potential or lowest potential, were considered as the most probably dangerous ones in a battery pack(Figure a). The voltage of the whole battery pack was simulated by a high voltage Digatron battery charger. A single cell was connected with the charger in series. When anode of the single cell is connected to the positive electrode of the charger, it represents that the cell is in the highest potential. Meanwhile the negative electrode of charger is connected with a copper sheet to simulate a full circuit of the battery pack, as shown in Figure b1. Similarly, to simulate the single cell being in the lowest potential, cathode of the single cell was connected to the negative electrode of charger, while the positive electrode of charger was connected with an aluminum sheet as shown in Figure b2. During the experiment, only the tested battery and metal sheet were soaked in salt water with a 3.5 wt% concentration of NaCl to simulate the environment of sea water. In addition, experiments with both electrodes of the charger connected with two metal sheets(Figure b3) or two single cells(Figure b4) were also conducted for references. Pouch cells and prismatic cells were used in the study. During the experiment, we found that when a single cell was immersed into water, electric arc can be observed near the poles of the cell. The poles of prismatic cell fused near the area where the electric arc was triggered. A ball of flames appeared obviously and some other small flames can be seen floated on the water surface. After experiment, the special odor of electrolyte can be smelt above the water, indicating that the electrolyte has leaked from the shell of prismatic battery(Figure c). The cell material and separator were found intact after disassembled. The test of the pouch cell showed similar phenomena of the electric arc, however, no obvious flame appeared on the water surface. For further analysis, dummy cells with only empty shells were used. Electrolyte was injected into the empty battery shells, then similar tests as Figure b2 were conducted. The same experimental phenomena for dummy cells were observed, and the electrolyte was considered the main cause for the flame on water. In conclusion, electric arc containing enormous energy will be released due to high voltage when the battery pack is immersed under water. And the arc hazard is only caused by high voltage, with limited relationship with the cell. The electric arc with large amount of energy will make the poles or the battery shell fuse then lead to battery failure, including electrolyte leakage. The leaked electrolyte can be ignited by electric arc which is one of the most dangerous factors in battery pack water immersion. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by Project U1564205 supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Figure 1

Effect of Mahaleb on Cookie Quality

Mahaleb seed has a public use in many areas including bakery industry, especially to soft wheat products to obtain a special odor and texture. In this study, the effect of mahaleb on the cookie quality was investigated in various concentrations. The cookies were evaluated for physical, textural and sensory properties, total polyphenols and antioxidative potential. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the network was affected. The molecular weight of the proteins changed with mahaleb substitution and detected variation in water extractable to unextractable protein ratio by HPLC. Substitution with mahaleb resulted in a significant increase on the amount of (P < 0.05) protein, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. In consumer acceptance tests, cookies made with 1 and 2% mahaleb were preferred to control and had the highest scores among all the sensory attributes after the sample with 4% mahaleb. Practical Applications Mahaleb seed flour is observed to give a special odor and texture to especially soft wheat products. The quality of cookie which is a primary soft wheat product consumed a lot is affected by mahaleb addition. It is effective in very low substitution rates such as 1–2%. Mahaleb addition resulted in better sensory scores in these rates. The physical, textural, functional and sensory properties of the product were changed by addition of mahaleb. A significant increase on protein rate and antioxidant activity of cookies also reveals that mahaleb has a high potential to be a functional ingredient for the soft wheat product industry. Though, functional ingredients are not generally preferred by consumers; cookies with mahaleb were preferred to control considering all the sensory attributes in consumer acceptance tests.

揮発性物質によるイコサペント酸エチルエステル製剤の品質評価

Eicosapentanenoic acid ethyl ester (EPA-E) formulation is a drug derived from fish oil. Some EPA-E formulations have a special odor depending on the manufacturing process and the type of sardine raw materials used. This odor affects the compliance of some patients. In this study, we report our assessment of the odors in each EPA-E formulation with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). We used 3 lots of an original drug and 5 generic EPA-E formulations. EPA-E formulations were incubated at 40℃ in the absence of light. We collected the volatiles for 24 h immediately and 7 days later. The collected volatiles that were ultrasonically extracted with dichloromethane were used as GC/MS samples. We estimated the components on the basis of the fragment pattern and peak retention time on GC/MS. We performed principal component analysis (PCA) by using the peak area and 2-dimensional mapping, and evaluated the results. There was no change in the appearance of any of the formulations at 7 days, compared at the beginning of the experiment. However, the GC/MS measurements revealed the presence of 1-heptadecanal and 1-eicosanal, which were presumed to be oxidation decomposition products, in some formulations. These products were predicted to be the source of odors, and their intensities increased after 7 days. This difference was observed in the score plot between the 6 formulations as a result of PCA. The odors due to the decomposition products may influence the compliance of patients, and a detailed examination will be required.

Olfactory coding in the insect brain: data and conjectures

Much progress has been made recently in understanding how olfactory coding works in insect brains. Here, I propose a wiring diagram for the major steps from the first processing network (the antennal lobe) to behavioral readout. I argue that the sequence of lateral inhibition in the antennal lobe, non-linear synapses, threshold-regulating gated spring network, selective lateral inhibitory networks across glomeruli, and feedforward inhibition to the lateral protocerebrum cover most of the experimental results from different research groups and model species. I propose that the main difference between mushroom bodies and the lateral protocerebrum is not about learned vs. innate behavior. Rather, mushroom bodies perform odor identification, whereas the lateral protocerebrum performs odor evaluation (both learned and innate). I discuss the concepts of labeled line and combinatorial coding and postulate that, under restrictive experimental conditions, these networks lead to an apparent existence of ‘labeled line’ coding for special odors. Modulatory networks are proposed as switches between different evaluating systems in the lateral protocerebrum. A review of experimental data and theoretical conjectures both contribute to this synthesis, creating new hypotheses for future research.

Volatile Analysis of Maca (&lt;i&gt;Lepidium meyenii&lt;/i&gt; Walp.) by TCT-GC/MS

Volatiles of maca in vitro could be captured by way of dynamic head-space adsorption. Both maca root and leaf volatile compounds were different from essential oil or other extracts. In the root volatiles, isothiocyanates were in the highest content (27.26%), especially 4-ethylphenyl isothiocyanate over 20%. Together with chloro-compounds (near 20%) and tetrahydro-3-methylfuran (14%), the three types of chemicals were probably important factors of maca’s special odor like other vegetables of Brassicaceae. And in the leaf volatiles, the highest contents (about 30%) were found in acid and anhydride. Compared to maca essential oil, ester (&lt;5%) and terpene (&lt;1%) in the volatiles both from root and leaf were not the same compounds.