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BACKGROUND: The fermentation of Qu (FQ) is a novel method to modify the properties of starch to expand its application and especially to increase the resistant starch (RS) content. Using waxy maize starch (WMS) as a fermentation substrate can increase the RS content significantly but it may be time consuming and not cost effective due to the almost negligible RS content of WMS. To solve this problem, we hypothesized that sub‐high amylose starch (s‐HAMS), with an amylose content close to 50% could be an ideal substrate for FQ. RESULTS: The results showed that FQ did not change the shape and the particle size of starch granules, the gelatinization peak (Tp), or the conclusion temperature (Tc), but the slowly digested starch content declined. Rapidly digested starch content fluctuated during FQ and the amylose content decreased within 36 h and then increased. Within 24h, FQ significanlty increased these values: the RS content, relative crystallinity (RC), the ratio of FTIR absorbances at 1047/1022cm‐1, the diffraction peak at 19.8° in X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and the gelatinization onset temperature (To) increased significantly, within 24 h of FQ. However, after 24 h of fermentation, the RS content, RC, the ratio of FTIR absorbances at 1047/1022 cm−1, and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Sub‐high amylose starch is more suitable for FQ to produce low digestibility starch, and the increase in RS may be due to the formation of 'amylose‐lipid' complexes (RS5). © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim is to explore the breadmaking potential for gluten‐free goods of non‐conventional starches from Andean crops ahipa, oca, and arracacha. Their characteristics and performance in breadmaking are compared with those of cassava, taken as a reference for conventional gluten‐free root starch. Physicochemical properties of breads are studied along with the pasting and thermal properties, composition, and α‐amylase hydrolysis of starches. Arracacha starch has the lowest amylose content (2.4%) and the highest water hydration (1.4 g g−1). Its batter shows adequate proofing, but the bread is highly adhesive, with dense crumb. Ahipa starch paste has the lowest peak, trough and final viscosities determined by rapid visco analyzer, and the highest hydrolysis rate (kRVA = 2.30 min−1). Its batter exhibits, along with oca, the highest volume increase during fermentation (193–197%), but structure collapses in the oven and no alveoli are observed in the crumb. Conversely, oca forms a crumb structure similar to cassava, but with higher cell density (131 alveoli cm−2), cohesiveness (0.95), and resilience (0.65) than the latter (71 alveoli cm−2, 0.88, and 0.45, respectively). Oca starch has lower pasting temperature (64 °C) and the starch paste has similar hydrolysis rate (kRVA = 1.92 min−1) compared to cassava (71.9 °C and 2.08 min−1, respectively), making it a suitable option for providing gluten‐free yeast‐leavened breads with improved technological properties and a comparable glycemic index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six sorghum varieties containing different amylose were selected to investigate the structural and physicochemical characteristics of starches and endosperm texture of grains. The results showed that the outer layer endosperm of sorghum grain changed from waxy to corneous, and its starch granules were more compactly packed and exhibited the spindle‐shaped holes with the increase of amylose content. Higher amylose starch granules exhibited fewer and smaller micropores on the surface and were more likely to deform and agglomerate into larger amorphous particles after heated. Amylose content of sorghum starches was negatively correlated to granule size, relative crystallinity, and the proportion of the long branch chains (DP = 25–36 and > 36), whereas positively correlated to the proportion of the short branch chains (DP = 6–12 and 13–24). Amylose content had negative correlations with To, Tp, ΔH, PV, and SDS (p < .05), positive corrections with FV, SB, and RDS (p < .05), and no correlations with Tc, HPV, BD, and RS. It could be concluded that amylose content affected the endosperm texture of sorghum grain and had strong correlations with structural and physicochemical properties of sorghum starch. These findings may help identify uses for these sorghum varieties in baijiu production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical, milling, cooking, and chemical qualities of basmati cultivars had great concern for researchers, producers, traders, and consumers as instability index of production is higher. Quality may be enhanced by good N optimization to responsive basmati varieties. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years under split-plot design. Results revealed that application of 120 kg N ha−1 improved heat use efficiency (4.85 & 4.91 kg ha−1 degree-day−1), milling quality traits, physical quality, and chemical quality while aroma score (up to 2.50) improved only up to 60 kg N ha−1. Highest protein (7.79 & 7.77%) and least amylose (21.88 & 22.24%) content were recorded with highest N rates while highest protein yield (414.18 & 402.66 Kg ha−1) reported at 120 Kg N ha−1. Basmati varieties, HUBR 10–9 and HUBR 2–1, were superior in most of quality traits along heat use efficiency (4.62–4.70 kg ha−1 degree-day−1). However, short-grained aromatic variety HUR 917 recorded higher head rice recovery (64.34 & 63.21%), protein (7.61 & 7.63%), and amylose content over others. Most important trait, i.e. aroma (1.83–2.38) score, was higher with basmati varieties. Overall, basmati (HUBR 10–9 and HUBR 2–1) grown with 120 kg N ha−1 proved superiority. This study achieved better heat use efficiency along with improved quality of basmati rice which found to be positively correlated with most quality traits of basmati rice. The low amylose in basmati is preferable, and amylose found to be negatively correlated with heat use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The environment in which rice is stored has a big influence on rice quality. Four rice cultivars with various amylose content types were kept at low temperatures (LT, 4 °C) and room temperature (RT, 20 °C) in this study: NAC: (Low‐amylose content <2%), LAC: (low‐amylose content, about 10%), MAC: (medium‐amylose content, about 17%) and HAC: (high‐amylose content, about 25%). After storage at two temperatures and comparison to the harvest year, the amylose content of 4 types increased, and the change range of the HAC was the lowest. The gel consistency held at LT was higher than that at RT. Under LT storage, the breakdown values of MAC and HAC greatly increased (0.47%–0.65%), but NAC significantly reduced. The enthalpy of gelatinisation (▵Hg) drastically reduced (7.81%–49.10%) from the harvest year. Regeneration enthalpy increased at the grain after being sealed for a year at LT (except HAC) and reduced noticeably at RT. With the exception of ▵Hg and pasting temperature, the DSC profiles had a positive correlation with gel consistency. HPV, CPV and SBV showed a positive correlation with amylose content. As a result, the ideal storage temperature should be chosen based on the amylose type and use of the rice during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New concept for the development of supramolecular assemblies from intricate interactions between different classes of biomacromolecules (polysaccharides, proteins and lipids) is yet to come, due to their intrinsic chemical and structural complexity and incompatibility. Herein, we report an interaction mechanism among multiple biomacromolecules, and the structural and digestive properties of their assemblies using amylose (AM), lauric acid (LA), and β‐lactoglobulin (βLG) as exemplars. AM, LA, and βLG interact to form a water‐soluble ternary complex through van der Waals forces between AM and LA and high affinity binding between AM and βLG, which can further assemble into uniform‐sized, semi‐crystalline nanospheres under certain thermodynamic conditions. These nanospheres are substantially resistant to amylolysis, thus can be well utilized by gut microbiota, including increasing short‐chain fatty acid levels and shaping bacterial communities. Illustrating the complexation of AM, LA, and βLG and their assemblies from disorder to order, this work offers potential rationale of assemblies for multiple biomacromolecules driven by non‐covalent interactions and substantial potentials for supramolecular biomaterials development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the requirements for quality testing and breeding Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum Gaerth), it is necessary to find a method for the rapid detection of starch content in Tartary buckwheat. To obtain samples with a continuously distributed chemical value, stable Tartary buckwheat recombinant inbred lines were used. After scanning the near-infrared spectra of whole grains, we employed conventional methods to analyze the contents of Tartary buckwheat. The results showed that the contents of total starch, amylose, amylopectin, and resistant starch were 532.1–741.5 mg/g, 176.8–280.2 mg/g, 318.8–497.0 mg/g, and 45.1–105.2 mg/g, respectively. The prediction model for the different starch contents in Tartary buckwheat was established using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in combination with chemometrics. The Kennard–Stone algorithm was used to split the training set and the test set. Six different methods were used to preprocess the spectra in the wavenumber range of 4000–12,000 cm−1. The Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling algorithm was then used to extract the characteristic spectra, and the prediction model was built using the partial least squares method. Through a comprehensive analysis of each parameter of the model, the best model for the prediction of each nutrient was determined. The correlation coefficient of calibration (Rc) and the correlation coefficient of prediction (Rp) of the best models for total starch and amylose were greater than 0.95, and the Rc and Rp of the best models for amylopectin and resistant starch were also greater than 0.93. The results showed that the NIRS-based prediction model fulfilled the requirement for the rapid determination of Tartary buckwheat starch, thus providing an effective technical approach for the rapid and non-destructive testing of starch content in the food science and agricultural industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different fermented plant-based beverages were prepared and stored for a long period (50 days) to assess the effect of the quinoa-to-chickpea ratio on physicochemical stability and microbiological quality. Physicochemical stability was evaluated based on pH, acidity, Brix degrees, water-holding capacity (WHC), viscosity, and viscoelasticity. At the end of the long-term storage period, the pH, acidity, and WHC remained stable. During the entire storage period, the beverages maintained good bacterial, fungal, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts. Quinoa and chickpea flour ratios of 50% showed a higher viscosity (18 Pa.s) and WHC (65%) during short-term storage (0–30 d), indicating that the presence of chickpea flour had a positive effect on these parameters, possibly because chickpea starch contains higher amounts of amylose and long-branch chain amylopectin, which impacts the retrogradation pattern under acidic and refrigerated conditions. However, at the end of storage (50 days), the same blend had a higher acidity, lower viscosity (0.78 Pa.s), and lower LAB counts (~1 × 108 CFU/mL), indicating that the increase in chickpea flour had an adverse long-term effect on these parameters. These results suggest that although different ratios of plant sources can improve the physical aspects, they need to be incorporated in a balanced manner to avoid negative effects on both short- and long-term storage, owing to the incorporation of different types of starches and proteins affecting the stability of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia is arguably a major player in worldwide rice production. Though white rice is the most predominantly cultivated, red, brown, and red rice are also very common. These types of rice are known to have different cooking properties that may be related to differences in their starch properties. Investigating the starch properties, especially the fine structure of their amylopectin, can help understand these differences. This study aims to investigate the starch characteristics of some Indonesian rice varieties by evaluating the starch granule morphology and size, molecular characteristics, amylopectin unit and internal chain profiles, and thermal properties. Starches were extracted from white rice (long grain (IR-64) and short grain (IR-42)), brown rice, red rice, and black rice cultivated in Java Island, Indonesia. IR-42 had the highest amylose content of 39.34% whilst the black rice had the least of 1.73%. The enthalpy of gelatinization and onset temperature of the gelatinization of starch granules were between 3.2 and 16.2 J/g and 60.1 to 73.8 °C, respectively. There were significant differences between the relative molar amounts of the internal chains of the samples. The two white rice and black rice had a significantly higher amount of A-chains, but a lower amount of B-chains and fingerprint B-chains (Bfp) than the brown and red rice. The average chain length (CL), short chain length (SCL), and external chain length (ECL) were significantly longer for the red rice and the black rice in comparison to both the white rice amylopectins. The long chain length (LCL) and internal chain length (ICL) of the sample amylopectins were similar. Rice starches were significantly different in the internal structure but not as much in their amylopectin unit chain profile. These results suggest the differences in their amylopectin clusters and building blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The physicochemical and technofunctional properties of several pea starches harvested in consecutive years are studied. All samples are cultivated in the same geographical locations. Despite limited variation of amylose content that is found (mean amylose content of 32.1 ± 1.4% and a range from 29.2% to 35.7%), the varieties demonstrate significant differences in their functional properties. During gelatinization, all starches exhibit comparable onset temperatures (To) within the range of 60.8–63.7 °C. However, the conclusion temperature (Tc) displays a considerably broader spectrum, spanning from 73.5 to 80.0 °C. Furthermore, noticeable systematic differences between the samples from 2020 to 2021 are observed. In terms of the hot paste viscosity, two main shear viscosity curves are identified. These are independent of the harvesting period and could be associated with differences in average molar masses examined previously. Pea varieties with comparable low starch molar masses (<25 × 106 g∙mol−1) show a stronger shear thinning behavior. The starches also exhibit substantial variations in mechanical gel strength and gel elasticity. The gel strengths range from 5.5 to 17.0 N. Increasing firmness of gels appears to correspond to reduced elasticities. For comparison, native corn starch, potato starch, and wrinkled pea starch are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION This study aims to quantify the impacts of chilling at the grain filling stage on rice yield and grain quality. A factorial experiment with four levels of temperature and duration of chilling treatments at the early and late grain filling stages was conducted in 2017, 2018 and 2019.Per 10 °C·day increase in the accumulated cooling degree day at the early and late grain filling stages, the rice emergence–maturity duration was delayed by 0.8% (0.6%) and rice yield decreased by 2.2% (1.7%). Chilling at the early grain filling stage decreased the rice heading rate, while chilling at the late grain filling stage increased rice amylose but decreased protein content. For chilling treatment at the early grain filling stage, rice yield and grain quality were mainly correlated with seed‐setting rate, whereas for chilling treatment at the late grain filling stage the rice yield and grain quality were mainly correlated with 1000‐grain weight.This study improved the understanding of how chilling at the grain filling stages affects rice phenology, yield and grain quality, providing a theoretical basis for maintaining rice yield while ensuring grain quality. The results could be used to guide the rice‐growing community in combating chilling at grain filling stages. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a combination method of ultrafine grinding and pregelatinization to modify rice starch (RS) to delay its retrogradation and provide a rationale for prolonging rice product shelf life. The structure and physicochemical properties of the pregelatinized ultrafine grinding rice starch (PURS) were compared with those of RS, ultrafine grinding rice starch (URS), and pregelatinized rice starch (PRS). The microstructure, molecular weight, branched starch length distribution, short‐range order, crystal structure, and physical properties of RS, URS, PRS, and PURS were analyzed, respectively. Results showed that RS, URS, PRS, and PURS granules exhibited similar spherical or polygonal shapes, and the content of amylose and short‐branched starch in PURS increased compared with RS, URS, and PRS. Furthermore, the cross‐polarization of PRS and PURS disappeared. Long‐chain amylopectin and average molecular weight of PURS decreased significantly after ultrafine grinding. Our study suggested reduced breakdown value and setback value and improved gel stability, and PURS was beneficial for delaying retrogradation compared to RS, URS, and PRS. The ultrafine grinding method improved the water swelling capacity (WSC), solubility, pasting properties, and gelation properties of PRS. The hardness of PURS was reduced by ultrafine grinding. These suggest that the combination of ultrafine grinding and pregelatinization could improve the properties of RS. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the structure of PURS significantly influenced the physicochemical properties. The present study was helpful in better understanding the importance of ultrafine grinding in improving the anti‐retrogradation of PURS and provided new insights into extending the shelf life of rice products by ultrafine grinding and pregelatinization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rare sugar D-allulose (Alu), with ca. 10% calories of sucrose (Suc), is a promising alternative sugar that can be used to improve the quality of starch gels in storage. The effects of Alu (compared to Suc) on the hardening and microstructural and molecular order of amylopectin-rich (glutinous rice (GR) and corn amylopectin (CAP)) and amylose-rich (corn (C)) starch gels were investigated. Alu and Suc both suppressed hardening in C gels, while Alu but not Suc was effective in GR and CAP gels. SEM results showed that Alu-containing GR and CAP maintained a relatively large pore size compared to Suc-containing gels. The deconvolution of FTIR spectra revealed that Alu-containing GR and CAP gels had lower ratios of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and higher ratios of loose hydrogen bonds than Suc-containing gels. For amylose-rich C gels, on the other hand, such tendencies were not observed. The influence of Alu on amylopectin-rich gels could be because Alu reduced the ratio of intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which might be involved in amylopectin recrystallization, and increased that of loose hydrogen bonds. The results suggest that Alu is more effective than Suc in inhibiting the hardening of amylopectin-rich starch gels during refrigerated storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Starch is the most abundant constituent (dry weight) in the barley endosperm, followed by protein. Variability of compositional and potentially related physical traits due to genotype and environment can have important implications for the malting and brewing industry. This was the first study to assess the effects of genotype, environment, and their interaction (G × E) on endosperm texture, protein content, and starch traits corresponding to granule size, gelatinization, content, and composition, using a multi‐environment variety trial in California, USA.Overall, environment explained the largest variance for all traits (ranging from 23.2% to 76.5%), except the endosperm texture traits wherein the G × E term explained the largest variance (45.0–86.5%). Our unique method to quantify the proportion of fine and coarse milled barley particles using laser diffraction showed a binomial distribution of endosperm texture. The number of small starch granules varied significantly (P‐value < 0.05) across genotypes and environments. We observed negative correlations between total protein content and each of enthalpy (−0.70), total starch content (−0.54), and difference between offset and onset gelatinization temperature (−0.52). Furthermore, amylose to amylopectin ratio was positively correlated to volume of small starch granules (0.36).Our findings indicate that environment played a larger role in influencing the majority of starch‐related physical and compositional traits. In contrast, variance in endosperm texture was largely explained by G × E. Maltsters would benefit from accounting for environmental contributions in addition to solely genotype when making sourcing decisions, especially with regards to total protein, total starch, enthalpy, and difference between offset and onset gelatinization temperature. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain size is one of the critical factors determining rice yield. Previous studies have found the grain-size-regulating function of Gα in rice. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying the development of rice grain mediated by Gα is still unclear. To reveal the functional mechanism of Gα in grain size regulation, a mutant of Gα (Gα-Cas9) was firstly constructed through a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy and was then grown in a greenhouse and field. The results showed that the seed length, plant height, 1000-grain weight, and spike length were significantly decreased in Gα-Cas9 compared to wild-type (WT) Pi-4b. During the grain filling stage, the increase in the grain dry weight of Pi-4b occurred earlier than that of Gα-Cas9. The total starch content and amylose content of matured grains of Pi-4b were higher than those of Gα-Cas9. Secondly, transcriptome sequencing analysis of Gα-Cas9 and Pi-4b during grain filling was performed to elucidate the functional pathways regulated by Gα. In total, 2867 and 4534 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered at 5 DAF and 10 DAF, and the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway enriched by DEGs was involved in grain size regulation mediated by Gα. Gα regulated the expression of starch-synthesis-related genes during grain filling, and the Gα protein interacted with OsNYC4 to trigger the sugar signaling pathway to promote starch accumulation in grain. Additionally, the GW2-WG1-OsbZIP47 pathway was switched off by Gα to relieve the inhibition of rice grain development. In this study, the results should provide new insights into the G protein signal transduction pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystal type is an important physicochemical property of starch. However, it is currently unclear whether changes in crystal type affect other properties of starch. This study discovered that water deficit resulted in an increase in small starch granules and transparency in Pueraria lobata var. thomsonii, while causing a decrease in amylose content and swelling power. Additionally, the crystal type of P. Thomsonii starch changed from CB-type to CA-type under water deficit, without significantly altering the short-range ordered structure and chain length distribution of starch. This transformation in crystal type led to peak splitting in the DSC heat flow curve of starch, alterations in gelatinization behavior, and an increase in resistant starch content. These changes in crystalline structure and physicochemical properties of starch granules are considered as adaptive strategies employed by P. Thomsonii to cope with water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effects of different deep‐frying times and temperatures on the amylose content, crystal structure, thermodynamics, and other properties of deep‐fried dough sticks. Results showed that the change of amylose content in deep‐fried dough sticks during the deep‐frying process was positively correlated with time and temperature. Moreover, the deep‐frying process of deep‐fried dough sticks was accompanied by the formation of starch–lipid complexes that led to the destruction of starch structure. The degreased sample and the oil sample had the same absorption peaks at 2854 and 1746 cm−1, respectively. The melting enthalpy (ΔH) of the starch–lipid complex decreased significantly. In addition, the viscosity of starch reduced as the deep‐frying time and temperature increased. Furthermore, it was found that the effect of increasing deep‐frying temperature was greater than that of time. Practical Application: As a popular deep‐fried food, the main component of deep‐fried dough sticks is starch. Starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, and interaction among components occurred during deep‐frying. At present, there are few studies focusing on the properties of starch in deep‐fried dough sticks in the real deep‐frying system. Therefore, this study provided a theoretical basis for subsequent research by measuring the effects of different deep‐frying conditions on the properties of starch in deep‐fried dough sticks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amylose and resistant starch (RS) possess numerous industrial applications and health benefits. However, maize grains possess low amylose (<35%) and RS (<5%). To date, no information is available on the genetic variability of amylose and RS in subtropical maize. Here, 21 hybrids developed using half‐diallel mating design are evaluated for starch parameters at three locations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a minor contribution for environments for amylose and RS. Amylose (22.2%–49.1%) and RS (1.02%–23.9%) showed wide variation among the hybrids. The experimental hybrids possessed significantly higher amylose (38.1%) and RS (20.9%) over the check hybrids (amylose: 29.1%, RS: 2.3%). PUSA‐AML‐H12, PUSA‐AML‐H18, and PUSA‐AML‐H16 are observed to be the most promising hybrids. Amylose and RS are positively correlated (r = 0.45), while total starch (TS) is negatively correlated with RS (r = −0.53). PMI‐AML‐147, PMI‐AML‐149, and PMI‐AML‐146 are the best general combiners for amylose and RS. Pusa‐AML‐H1, Pusa‐AML‐H12, and Pusa‐AML‐H5 emerged as the best specific combiners for amylose and RS. Both additive and nonadditive variances are important for amylose and RS. This is the first study of amylose and RS in a subtropical maize background, which could be significant in improving amylose and RS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates wheat, corn, and cassava native starches. Morphological features of the starch granule's surface reveal peculiar granule characteristics. Wheat starch granules are the largest, with 20.83 µm mass median diameter, followed by corn, 13.14 µm, and cassava, 12.37 µm. Nonetheless, cassava and corn starches have the lowest polydispersity and greater surface area average. Corn starch shows more resistance to the gelatinization process when observed. Complete granular disruption and gelatinization occurring at 65–75 °C for wheat, 75–85 °C for cassava, and 85 °C for corn. The curves of viscosity evidence the assertion that the starches from cereals gelatinize at higher temperatures than starch from the tuber. Swelling power indicate that cassava starch held more water, whereas IFTR spectroscopy reveals a more ordered structure when compared to wheat and corn starches. However, corn starch has the highest values of Tonset, Tpeak, and Tendset, with enthalpy of gelatinization of 12.73 J g−1, which can be related to the amylose content of 24.25% and mainly to 0.2% of starch damage. The almost negligible amounts of damaged starch present in corn starch indicate the absence of granule fragments capable of increasing water absorption and decreasing the birefringence of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of animal and clinical experiments show that 1,3‐diglyceride (1,3‐DAG) can significantly ameliorate obesity by improving blood lipid and glucose metabolism. After microencapsulation, it cannot only be used to prepare full‐nutrient food that meets the nutritional requirements of specific patients, but also improve the storage stability of oils. In this study, 1,3‐DAG microcapsules are prepared by using high‐amylose corn starch, resistant dextrin, and sodium caseinate as composite wall materials, and 1,3‐DAG with a purity of 80% as core material. Firstly, the water phase and oil phase are mixed evenly, and then the uniform emulsion is prepared by two steps of high‐speed shearing and high‐pressure homogenization. The prepared emulsion is desiccated by a spray dryer to prepare microcapsules. Taking the encapsulation rate as the judging criteria, five gradients of core and wall material are designed to obtain the optimal formula. The results show that when the amount of core material is 28% and the wall material is 70%, the encapsulation rate of 99.51% is the highest. The prepared 1,3‐DAG microcapsules have water content of 1.9% and solubility of 98.05%, the average particle size is 2.921 µm. The particles are uniform and stable, with fine color and texture, and a high oil content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of diabetes and obesity poses a major threat to global human health worldwide. Increasing the consumption of resistant starch (RS) foods could reduce the occurrence of these chronic diseases.Accurate identification and screening of germplasm resources with high RS content is the initial step in breeding efforts, and Yunnan Province is recognized as the largest center of genetic diversity in Chinese rice varieties. However, there is a lack of systematic studies of genetic variation and evolution of RS content in rice landraces within this region. Here, we selected the SSIIIa gene as the subject that affected the content of RS in rice endosperm and analyzed its natural variation in 93 rice landraces in Yunnan province. Analyses of gene sequence information demonstrated that the 93 landraces were divided into 11 haplotypes and 10 protein types. Evolutionary analysis revealed that indica and japonica rice in these landraces appeared to have experienced different evolutionary. Among these haplotypes, the H4 haplotype exhibited the highest genetic similarity to the two Oryza rufipogon of Yunnan, and the content of RS was significantly higher than other haplotypes. Furthermore, association analysis identified 9 SNPs that consistently correlated with RS content, and revealed several new mutation sites. In addition, haplotypes with high RS content generally had higher amylose content and lower gel consistency. These results provided important experimental evidence for the utilization of high RS germplasm, and also lay the groundwork for further genetic research on the process of RS formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the addition of potato soluble dietary fiber (PSDF) in 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% during concentration freeze-thawing (FT, at − 20 °C for 22 h and then at 30 °C for 2 h) on the structural and physicochemical properties of potato starch was investigated. During FT, the potato starch granules break, which increases the leaching of amylose, However, the addition of PSDF during FT could inhibit the leach of amylose than without PSDF. Besides, addition of PSDF during FT increases the short-range ordered structures, and relative crystallinity reduces the value of G′, G″, and peak viscosity of potato starch treated by FT. Furthermore, PSDF could inhibit the swelling of FT-treated potato starch granules during heating and improve the shear resistance of FT-treated potato starch gel. And the degree of effect is closely related to the concentration of PSDF. These findings indicated that PSDF could be used to adjust the quality of raw starch products during freeze-thawing and thus improve the applications of PSDF in starch-based foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Noodles are generally made from rice flour, wheat flour or mungbean starch. Interestingly, pineapple stem starch (PSS), an alternative starch derived from pineapple stems as agricultural waste, has not yet been investigated for noodle production. The noodles were then prepared in different ratios of commercial rice flour and PSS (100:0, 70:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100) to investigate the effects of PSS on noodle qualities and properties including physical properties, cooking quality, in vitro starch digestibility and sensory attributes. The results showed that high PSS content had a positive effect on the structure and textural properties of noodles by increasing the network structure, hardness and chewiness, resulting in good sensory quality, which could be due to the high amylose content (30.56%) of PSS. However, the optimal cooking time and the cooking loss of the cooked noodles increased with an increasing proportion of PSS. In addition, noodles with a high PSS content had a higher content of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch, which can have a positive effect on our health. Our results suggest that PSS, an alternative starch from agricultural waste, can replace rice flour to develop better‐quality gluten‐free noodles. Similarly, PSS‐based noodles with a high resistant starch content could benefit human health by lowering the glycemic index and reducing the risk of non‐communicable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Ultrasonication is a novel, green, and sustainable method to modify the native starch for improved functionality and pronounced industrial applications. In the present study, the impact of ultrasonication power (40%, 50%, and 60%) on black wheat starch was observed on functional and pasta‐making attributes. Ultrasonication induced surface and microstructural alterations with minimal impact on the overall integrity of starch granules. The sound waves disrupted starch granules through cavitation and starch degradation by radial attack. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that ultrasonication disrupted the starch granules and a porous structure was developed. The treatment induced fissures and pores formation leading to structural rearrangements without any impact at the molecular level. With the increment in the power of ultrasonication, the scratching and fissures on the starch granules are increased which further modifies the starch functionality. Due to structural disruption of long amylopectin helices into short‐chain amylopectin and dextrin resulted in a more crystalline structure of starch, the results were supported by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. This alteration in starch structure increased the amylose concentration, solubility, and swelling capacity of modified starch. Pasta prepared with modified starch shows improved cooking and textural properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluated different rice genotypes regarding physicochemical and instrumental parameters of grain quality and associated the data with sensory analysis to support the creation of rules for classification of the culinary quality of rice (texture), based on isolated or combined parameters. The combination of amylose content and gelatinization temperature was able to predict the rice quality. According to the sensorial panel, the instrumental stickiness was able to segregate rice with very low amylose content or waxy to the other ones. Regarding pasting properties, rice that presented high final viscosity (310-480 RVU), setback (165-245 RVU), and pasting temperature (78 - 88 °C), and low values for breakdown (15-120 RVU), associated with a high stickiness (>-5N) was desirable by the Brazilian consumers. The classification rules created through the relationship between the physicochemical parameters and the texture profile evaluated by the sensory panel will help to verify the culinary profile of the rice samples (through free software), which makes it easier to predict the probability of rice meeting the desired quality standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convenience rice has become widely popular due to its easy availability for cooking. This study investigated the starch structure and composition of leachate and the microstructure of reheated convenience rice using novel processing technologies: super-heated steaming (SHS), auto-electric cooking (AEC), and pressurized-steam cooking (PSC). Additionally, the effect of two different target water contents (58% and 63%) was also evaluated. The PSC_63% sample had the highest total solids and amylopectin amount in the leachate. The amylopectin amount in the leachate differed significantly based on the targeted water content. Morphological characterization revealed that the swelling of starch and the coated layer on the surface of rice grains were most pronounced in the PSC_63% sample due to the pressure processing. The textural hardness of the AEC_58% sample was much higher than that of the other samples. The PSC_63% sample had the highest textural adhesiveness value, which can be attributed to the highest amylopectin amount in the leachate. Sensory characterization showed that the PSC_63% sample had the highest glossiness, whiteness, moistness, and overall acceptability. The principal component analysis score plots presented substantial differences in the leachate and textural and sensory characteristics of reheated convenience rice among the different processing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various types of rice flour are available in Japan, but the quality is inconsistent. Therefore, in order to produce high-quality rice flour consistently, it is necessary to establish guidelines for rice flour production. The author has identified the characteristics of rice flour that are conducive to making high-quality bread, sponge cake, and noodles. There guidelines indicate four indices: particles size under 75 μm, degree of damaged starch, amylose content, and water content. Among these, particles size under 75 μm, degree of damaged starch, and water content are recommended as common indicators across all applications when manufacturing products. The amylose content can vary based on the specific application of the rice flour. Aiming to produce rice flour that meets specific criteria, our institute analyzed rice flour samples from millers in Niigata Prefecture and provided feedback on the results. As a result, flour milling companies in Niigata Prefecture are able to supply rice flour with stable quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-four rice genotypes were examined to assess genetic variability, heritability, and correlations for seven-grain quality traits, eight nutritional elements, and protein. ANOVA revealed significant differences for the quality traits studied. For every trait under study, the phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the correspondence genotypic coefficient of variation. Heritability in a broad sense varied from 29.75% for grain length to 98.31% for the elongation trait. Hulling percentage recovery had a highly significant positive correlation with milling and head rice percentage. Consequently, milling percentage had a highly positive correlation with head rice percentage. In amylose percentage, all the genotypes belonged to low amylose except the Hassawi-1 variety, which had intermediate amylose content. Mineral nutrition contents of magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), or protein percentage gave different variations for 24 rice genotypes under all the nutritional elements. Among the 24 genotypes, ten rice genotypes–HighNutrient-1, HighNutrient-2, HighNutrient-9, HighNutrient-8, HighNutrient-3, Hassawi-2, HighNutrient-7, HighNutrient-6, Hassawi-1, and HighNutrient-4–had the highest heist value for all nutritional and protein contents, and could be used as a donor to improving new varieties. There was a positive and significant correlation between magnesium Mg, K, Zn and Fe. Consequently, K had a positive correlation with zinc Zn, Fe, and protein percentage. Clustering analysis was divided into two groups: the first group included all genotypes rich in nutrients, while the remaining genotypes with low nutritional content were included in the second group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the structural characterization and in vitro digestibility of rice starch processed with the combination of ultra‐high pressure homogenization (UHPH), debranching, and temperature‐cycled crystallization under various pressures (0–160 MPa). After UHPH treatment, the degree of branching (DB) of processed starches (0.65%–2.03%) was lower than that of the native rice starch (NS, 2.96%). Assessment of chain length distribution suggested that the considerable amylose was produced after treatments. Processed starches exhibited an irregular fragmented structure, and the crystalline structure was transformed from A‐type (native rice starch) into B + V‐type (processed starches). Moreover, the relative crystallinity (RC) and the absorbance ratio of 1047/1022 cm−1 (R1047/1022) of processed starches decreased from NS (RC, 22.99%; R1047/1022, 0.79) to 13.47%–18.21% (RC) and 0.51–0.78 (R1047/1022), respectively. Iodine binding curves revealed that processed starches possessed the higher degree of polymerization (DP). Furthermore, the contents of slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) increased in all processed starches, and the RS content of starch treated under 160 MPa (35.33%) was notably greater than that of native starch (9.37%). These results suggested that the UHPH can be used as a pretreatment strategy to reduce the digestibility of starch products. Practical applications: UHPH pretreatment disrupts starch molecular chains to produce the large amounts of short linear amylose. Debranching followed by temperature‐cycled crystallization can increase the content of resistant starch (RS), yielding a raw material suitable for boosting the health of the digestive system and overall health. Therefore, UHPH pretreatment has a high application value in the field of starch modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical techniques are widely applied in the food industry due to their positive impact on food quality and the environment. Temperature differences can effectively modify starch, but the resulting changes in starch structure and quality remain unclear. In this study, the corn starch was processed with high temperature, low temperature, and temperature difference (TD), including high temperature before low temperature (H-L) and low temperature before high temperature (L-H). The results showed that high temperature induced the umbilicus to concave inward shape and sharply decreased the amylose content, while low temperature increased the surface micropores and reduced the A-chain. TD reduced the fluorescence intensity and increased the clearness of the growth ring. TD elevated the relative crystallinity (RC), short-range order, A/B1 chains, hydrolysis parameters, and resistant starch (RS), and reduced amylose content, B2/B3 chains, and viscosity. Moreover, the corn starches treated by H-L had lower amylose content and higher RC, 1047/1022, A-chain, and RS than those treated by L-H. Overall, high temperature degraded the amylose and low temperature destroyed the amylopectin. During the TD, H-L can accelerate the starch molecular rearrangement more than the opposite temperature treatment order. These results will help produce novel starches for better food applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research examined the impact of different concentrations of oat beta-glucan (OG) on the in vitro digestibility of fava bean starch (FS). Our pasting analysis demonstrated that OG effectively decreased the viscosity and regrowth of FS, suppressing its in situ regrowth while enhancing the in vitro pasting temperature. Moreover, OG markedly diminished amylose leaching and minimized the particle size of the pasted starch. Rheological and textural evaluations demonstrated that OG markedly diminished the viscoelasticity of the starch and softened the gel strength of the composite system. Structural analysis revealed that hydrogen bonding is the primary interaction in the FS-OG system, indicating that OG interacts with amylose through hydrogen bonding, thereby delaying starch pasting and enhancing the gelatinization characteristics of FS gels. Notably, the incorporation of OG resulted in a reduction in the levels of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and slowly digestible starch (SDS) in FS, accompanied by a notable increase in resistant starch (RS) content, from 21.30% to 31.82%. This study offers crucial insights for the application of OG in starch-based functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study prepared resistant starch (RS) from waxy corn starch and normal corn starch and analyzed the effects of its molecular and microstructural characteristics on RS content. The RS content of waxy corn resistant starch (RS-WCS) was highest at 57.8%, whereas that of normal corn resistant starch (RS-NCS) was 41.46%. The short-chain amylose contents of RS-WCS and RS-NCS were 47.08% and 37.24%, respectively, proportional to their RS content. Additionally, RS content positively correlated with crystallinity, short-range order degree, and degree of polymerization (DP), exceeding 25. Electron microscopic images, before and after enzymolysis, revealed that RS-WCS was hydrolyzed from the surface to the center by pancreatic α-amylase, while RS-NCS underwent simultaneous hydrolysis at the surface and center. These results indicate that the higher RS content in RS-WCS, compared to RS-NCS, is attributable to the synergistic effects of molecular structure and microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the use of conventional plastics causes environmental problems. Producing biodegradable films from biodegradable sources might help overcome these problems. Brewer rice, a by-product in rice processing, can be potentially converted into rice flour for biodegradable film production. Ultrasonic and chemical modification can enhance the mechanical properties of the rice flour biodegradable film. This study aims to produce a biodegradable film using rice flour with different levels of amylose through conventional and ultrasonic acetylation. The rice flour was mixed and diluted with distilled water and placed in an ultrasonic bath for 15 minutes at 40 kHz agitation. The mixture was then acetylated using acetic acid. The modified rice flour was then mixed with glycerol and dried to form a biodegradable film. The produced biodegradable films were then characterized for their morphological structure, chemical composition, and crystallinity properties. Results show that ultrasonication and acetylation enhanced the elongation at the break until 2.5 times higher than the conventional process (without modification) and improved hydrophobicity. These results suggest that ultrasonication and acetylation improved biodegradable film properties, making it a potential for biodegradable packaging materials and coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Nitrogen is a key factor affecting the quality of rice. Studying the impact of nitrogen fertilizer on the taste, physicochemical properties, and starch structure of Indica rice with different amylose contents is of great significance for scientifically fertilizing and cultivating high‐quality rice varieties for consumption.The results indicate that increasing nitrogen fertilizer application reduces the amylose content and increases the protein content, resulting in a decrease in taste quality. Simultaneously, it reduces the intergranular porosity of starch particles, improving the appearance and milling quality of rice. Compared to the N1 treatment (nitrogen fertilizer application rate of 90 kg ha−1), the taste of low‐amylose rice (Yixiangyou 2115) and high‐amylose rice (Byou 268) decreased by 14.24% and 19.79%, respectively, under N4 treatment (nitrogen fertilizer application rate of 270 kg ha−1). The effect of nitrogen fertilizer on low‐amylose rice is mainly reflected in increased rice hardness, enthalpy value, and setback viscosity, resulting in a decline in taste. The effect of nitrogen fertilizer on high‐amylose rice is mainly reflected in a decrease in peak viscosity, an increase in gelatinization temperature, and crystallinity under high nitrogen levels.Increasing nitrogen fertilizer application can improve the appearance and milling quality of rice, but it also leads to an increase in protein content, hardness, gelatinization enthalpy, decrease in breakdown value, and a decline in palatability. In practical production, different production measures should be taken according to different production goals. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulforaphane is a chiral phytochemical with chemopreventive properties. The presence of a stereogenic sulfur atom is responsible for the chirality of the natural isothiocyanate. The key role of sulfur chirality in biological activity is underscored by studies of the efficacy of individual enantiomers as chemoprotective agents. The predominant native (R) enantiomer is active, whereas the (S) antipode is inactive or has little or no biological activity. Here we provide an enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) protocol for the direct and complete resolution of sulforaphane and its chiral natural homologs with different aliphatic chain lengths between the sulfinyl sulfur and isothiocyanate group, namely iberin, alyssin, and hesperin. The chromatographic separations were carried out on the immobilized-type CHIRALPAK IH-3 chiral stationary phase with amylose tris-[(S)-methylbenzylcarbamate] as a chiral selector. The effects of different mobile phases consisting of pure alcoholic solvents and hydroalcoholic mixtures on enantiomer retention and enantioselectivity were carefully investigated. Simple and environmentally friendly enantioselective conditions for the resolution of all chiral ITCs were found. In particular, pure ethanol and highly aqueous mobile phases gave excellent enantioseparations. The retention factors of the enantiomers were recorded as the water content in the aqueous-organic modifier (methanol, ethanol, or acetonitrile) mobile phases progressively varied. U-shaped retention maps were generated, indicating a dual and competitive hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reversed-phase liquid chromatography retention mechanism on the CHIRALPAK IH-3 chiral stationary phase. Finally, experimental chiroptical studies performed in ethanol solution showed that the (R) enantiomers were eluted before the (S) counterpart under all eluent conditions investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a quantum chemical investigation into the structural analysis and calculated Raman spectra of modeled amylose with varying units of linked glucose molecules. We systematically examined the rotation of hydroxymethyl groups and intramolecular hydrogen bonds within these amylose models. Our study found that as the number of linked glucose units increases, the linear structure becomes more complex, resulting in curled, cyclic, or helical structures facilitated by establishing various intramolecular interactions. The hydroxymethyl groups were confirmed to form interactions with oxygen atoms and with hydroxymethyl and hydroxyl groups from adjacent rings in the molecular structures. We identified distinct peaks and selected specific bands applicable in various analytical contexts by comparing their calculated Raman spectra. Representative vibrational modes within selected regions were identified across the different lengths of amylose models, serving as characteristic signatures for linear and more coiled structural conformations. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of amylose structures and spectroscopic signatures, with implications for theoretical studies and potential applications. This work provides valuable reference points for the detailed assignment of Raman peaks of amylose structure, facilitating their application in broader research on carbohydrate structures and their associated spectroscopic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a cereal crop with a starchy endosperm. Starch is composed of amylose and amylopectin. Amylose content (AC) is the principal determinant of rice quality, but varieties with similar ACs can still vary substantially in their quality. In this study, we analyzed the total AC (TAC) and its constituent fractions, the hot water-soluble amylose content (SAC) and hot water-insoluble amylose content (IAC), in two sets of related chromosome segment substitution lines of rice with a common genetic background grown in two years. We searched for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with SAC, IAC, and TAC and identified one common QTL (qSAC–6, qIAC–6, and qTAC–6) on chromosome 6. Map-based cloning revealed that the gene underlying the trait associated with this common QTL is Waxy (Wx). An analysis of the colors of soluble and insoluble starch–iodine complexes and their λmax values (wavelengths at the positions of their peak absorbance values) as well as gel permeation chromatography revealed that Wx is responsible for the biosynthesis of amylose, comprising a large proportion of the soluble fractions of the SAC. Wx is also involved in the biosynthesis of long chains of amylopectin, comprising the hot water-insoluble fractions of the IAC. These findings highlight the pleiotropic effects of Wx on the SAC and IAC. This pleiotropy indicates that these traits have a positive genetic correlation. Therefore, further studies of rice quality should use rice varieties with the same Wx genotype to eliminate the pleiotropic effects of this gene, allowing the independent relationship between the SAC or IAC and rice quality to be elucidated through a multiple correlation analysis. These findings are applicable to other valuable cereal crops as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three types of starch with different amylose content were esterified and blended with polybutylene succinate (PBS) to obtain esterified manioc starch/PBS (EMS/PBS), esterified corn starch/PBS (ECS/PBS), and esterified waxy corn starch/PBS (EWS/PBS) composites. The EMS/PBS and ECS/PBS composites with high amylose content displayed typical V-type crystal structures. The original crystals of EWS, which had low amylose content, were disrupted during the esterification process. EWS exhibited the strongest interaction with PBS and the most favorable interface compatibility. The pyrolysis temperature was in order of EMS/PBS < ECS/PBS < EWS/PBS. The elongation at break of the three blends was higher than that of pure PBS. The esterification and plasticization of the EWS/PBS composite were the most comprehensive. The EWS/PBS composite showed the lowest storage modulus (G') and complex viscosity (η*). The interfacial bonding force of the composite materials increased with more amylopectin, decreasing intermolecular forces and destroying crystal structures, which decreased G' and η* and increased toughness. The EWS/PBS composite, with the least amylose content, had the best hydrophobicity and degradation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley with high grain β-glucan content is valuable for functional foods. The identification of loci for high β-glucan content is, thus, of great importance for barley breeding. Segregation mapping for the content in β-glucan and other barley grain components (starch, protein, lipid, ash, phosphorous, calcium, sodium) was performed using the progeny of the cross between Glacier AC38, a mutant with high amylose, and CDC Fibar, a high β-glucan waxy cultivar. The offspring of this cross showed transgressive segregation for β-glucan content. Linkage analysis based on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) molecular markers was used for the genotyping of the parents and recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Two Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for β-glucan content and several QTL for other grain components were found. The former ones, located on chromosomes 1H and 7H, explained 27.9% and 27.4% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. Glacier AC38 provided the allele for high β-glucan content at the QTL on chromosome 1H, whereas CDC Fibar contributed the allele at the QTL on chromosome 7H. Their recombination resulted in a novel haplotype with higher β-glucan content, up to 18.4%. Candidate genes are proposed for these two QTL: HvCslF9, involved in β-glucan biosynthesis, for the QTL on chromosome 1H; Horvu_PLANET_7H01G069300, a gene encoding an ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter, for the QTL on chromosome 7H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cassava utilization for food and/or industrial products depends on inherent properties of root dry matter content (DMC) and the starch fraction of amylose content (AC). Accordingly, in the present study, near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) models were developed to aid breeding and selection of DMC and AC as critical industrial traits taking care of root sample preparation and cassava germplasm diversity available in Uganda. RESULTS: Upon undertaking calibrations and cross‐validations, best models were adopted for validation. DMC in calibration samples ranged from 20 to 45 g 100g−1, whereas, for amylose content, it ranged from 14 to 33 g 100g−1. In the validation set, average DMC was 29.5 g 100g−1, whereas, for amylose content, it was 24.64 g 100g−1. For DMC, a modified partial least square regression model had regression coefficients (R2) of 0.98 and 0.96, respectively, in the calibration and validation set. These were also associated with low bias (−0.018) and ratio of performance deviation that ranged from 4.7 to 5.0. In addition, standard error of prediction values ranged from 0.9 g 100g−1 to 1.06 g 100g−1. For AC, the regression coefficient was 0.91 for the calibration set and 0.94 for the validation set. A bias equivalent to −0.03 and a ratio of performance deviation of 4.23 were observed. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the robustness of NIRS in the estimation of dry matter content and amylose content in cassava roots and thus justify its use in routine cassava breeding operations. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Consumer preferences for boiled or fried pieces of roots, tubers and bananas (RTBs) are mainly related to their texture. Different raw and cooked RTBs were physiochemically characterized to determine the effect of biochemical components on their cooking properties. RESULTS: Firmness in boiled sweetpotato increases with sugar and amylose contents but no significant correlation was observed between other physicochemical characteristics and cooking behaviour. Hardness of boiled yam can be predicted by dry matter (DM) and galacturonic acid (GalA) levels. For cassava, no significant correlation was found between textural properties of boiled roots and DM, but amylose and Ca2+ content were correlated with firmness, negatively and positively, respectively. Water absorption of cassava root pieces boiled in calcium chloride solutions was much lower, providing indirect evidence that pectins are involved in determining cooking quality. A highly positive correlation between textural attributes and DM was observed for fried plantain, but no significant correlation was found with GalA, although frying slightly reduced GalA. CONCLUSION: The effect of main components on texture after cooking differs for the various RTBs. The effect of global DM and major components (i.e. starch, amylose) is prominent for yam, plantain and sweetpotato. Pectins also play an important role on the texture of boiled yam and play a prominent role for cassava through interaction with Ca2+. © 2023 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is the staple food of many populations in the intertropical zone, where it is grown. The lack of phenotyping methods for tuber quality has hindered the adoption of new genotypes from breeding programs. Recently, near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used as a reliable tool to characterize the chemical composition of the yam tuber. However, it failed to predict the amylose content, although this trait is strongly involved in the quality of the product. Results: This study used NIRS to predict the amylose content from 186 yam flour samples. Two calibration methods were developed and validated on an independent dataset: partial least squares (PLS) and convolutional neural networks (CNN). To evaluate final model performances, the coefficient of determination (R2), the root mean square error (RMSE), and the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) were calculated using predictions on an independent validation dataset. The tested models showed contrasting performances (i.e., R2 of 0.72 and 0.89, RMSE of 1.33 and 0.81, RPD of 2.13 and 3.49 respectively, for the PLS and the CNN model). Conclusion: According to the quality standard for NIRS model prediction used in food science, the PLS method proved unsuccessful (RPD < 3 and R2 < 0.8) for predicting amylose content from yam flour but the CNN model proved to be reliable and efficient method. With the application of deep learning methods, this study established the proof of concept that amylose content, a key driver of yam textural quality and acceptance, can be predicted accurately using NIRS as a high throughput phenotyping method. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Bananas and plantains are important food sources for many people in the world. Their high starch content places them among the highest energy providers. This study aimed to determine the effects of altitude on banana starch properties in Cameroon. A dessert banana, a cooking banana, a plantain cultivar, and a plantain‐like hybrid were grown at low and high altitudes (respectively at 80 m and 1300 m above sea level). RESULTS: Starch analyses showed an increase in moisture and pH values against a drop in total titratable acidity and dry matter content with respect to altitude. Amylose content, as well as water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity and syneresis of high‐altitude plantain and plantain‐like hybrid, were significantly higher. Starch digestibility was low and ranged between 13.4% and 37.9% after 2 h of incubation. High‐altitude plantain starches contained more amylose and were more resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. CONCLUSION: Starches from CARBAP K74 and Kelong mekintu, grown at high altitude, showed good water and oil absorption capacities, low digestibility, and high resistance. The adequate properties of these banana starches predispose them for use as thickeners and gelling agents as well as ingredients for the formulation of low‐calorie foods. This study highlights the importance of altitude when discussing banana and plantain starch properties. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study was to investigate granule size and distribution and deformability of granules and their effect on the rheological properties of waxy starch gels. Native (granular) waxy rice gels (10%) were prepared, and their response in oscillatory shear was investigated in the linear and non-linear viscoelastic regime. The results show the gels were mainly composed of aggregated and deformed swollen granules. Significance of granule size and its distribution, deformability of granules, and the molecular characteristics of amylopectin (AP) on storage modulus of those gels was demonstrated. A low degree of deformability of granules, typical for small granules with a broad size distribution and small molecular size of AP with short external chains, resulted in rigid and brittle gels. Highly deformed granules and high AP leachates, however, yielded soft gels. It was found that the transition of elastic to plastic behavior in the non-linear regime (LAOS) was gradual when AP had long external chains, but an abrupt transition was observed with the gel with short exterior chains of AP. Differences in rheological properties of cohesive waxy starch gels appear to be mainly impacted by the varying degrees of granule deformability and rigidity, which is further attributed to a combination of factors, including granule size, particle size distribution, molecular size, the external chain length of amylopectin (AP), and lipid content. The significance of this study is that it will assist the food industry in selecting suitable waxy rice starches to gain desired textural properties of end products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin is a naturally occurring hydrophobic polyphenolic compound with a rapid metabolism, poor absorption, and low stability, which severely limits its bioavailability. Here, we employed a starch–protein-based nanoparticle approach to improve the curcumin bioavailability. This study focused on synthesizing nanoparticles with a zein "core" and a carboxymethylated short-chain amylose (CSA) "shell" through anti-solvent precipitation for delivering curcumin. The zein@CSA core–shell nanoparticles were extensively characterized for physicochemical properties, structural integrity, ionic stability, in vitro digestibility, and antioxidant activity. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicates nanoparticle formation through hydrogen-bonding, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions between zein and CSA. Zein@CSA core–shell nanoparticles exhibited enhanced stability in NaCl solution. At a zein-to-CSA ratio of 1:1.25, only 15.7% curcumin was released after 90 min of gastric digestion, and 66% was released in the intestine after 240 min, demonstrating a notable sustained release effect. Furthermore, these nanoparticles increased the scavenging capacity of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) free radical compared to those composed solely of zein and were essentially nontoxic to Caco-2 cells. This research offers valuable insights into curcumin encapsulation and delivery using zein@CSA core–shell nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving rice quality remains a crucial breeding objective, second only to enhancing yield, yet progress in quality improvement lags behind yield. The high temperature and ripening conditions in Southern China often result in poor rice quality, impacting hybrid rice production and utilization. Therefore, to address this challenge, analyzing the molecular basis of high-quality traits is essential for molecular design breeding of high-quality hybrid rice varieties. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of grain shape, amylose content, gel consistency, gelatinization temperature, and aroma, which influence rice quality. We discovered that quality related alleles gs3, GW7TFA, gw8, chalk5, Wxb, ALKTT, and fgr can enhance rice quality when applied in breeding programs. Polymerization of gs3, GW7TFA, gw8, and chalk5 genes improves rice appearance quality. The gs3 and GW7TFA allele polymerization increasing the grain's length-width ratio, adding the aggregation of gw8 allele can further reducing grain width. The chalk5 gene regulates low chalkiness, but low correlation to chalkiness was exhibited with grain widths below 2.0 mm, with minimal differences between Chalk5 and chalk5 alleles. Enhancing rice cooking and eating quality is achieved through Wxb and ALKTT gene polymerization, while introducing the fgr(E7) gene significantly improved rice aroma. Using molecular marker-assisted technology, we aggregated these genes to develop a batch of indica hybrid rice parents with improved rice quality are obtained. Cross-combining these enhanced parents can generate new, high-quality hybrid rice varieties suitable for cultivation in Southern China. Therefore, our findings contribute to a molecular breeding model for grain quality improvement in high-quality indica hybrid rice. This study, along with others, highlights the potential of molecular design breeding for enhancing complex traits, particularly rice grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amylose, a prebiotic found in yams is known to be beneficial for the gut microflora and is particularly advantageous for diabetic patients' diet. However, the genetic machinery underlying amylose production remains elusive. A comprehensive characterization of the genetic basis of amylose content in yam tubers is a prerequisite for accelerating the genetic engineering of yams with respect to amylose content variation. Results: To uncover the genetic variants underlying variation in amylose content, we evaluated amylose content in freshly harvested tubers from 150 accessions of Dioscorea zingibensis. With 30,000 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), we performed a genome-wide association analysis (GWAS). The population structure analysis classified the D. zingiberensis accessions into three groups. A total of 115 significant loci were detected on four chromosomes. Of these, 112 significant SNPs (log10(p) = 5, q-value < 0.004) were clustered in a narrow window on the chromosome 6 (chr6). The peak SNP at the position 75,609,202 on chr6 could explain 63.15% of amylose variation in the population and fell into the first exon of the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) small subunit gene, causing a non-synonymous modification of the resulting protein sequence. Allele segregation analysis showed that accessions with the rare G allele had a higher amylose content than those harboring the common A allele. However, AGPase, a key enzyme precursor of amylose biosynthesis, was not expressed differentially between accessions with A and G alleles. Overexpression of the two variants of AGPase in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in a significantly higher amylose content in lines transformed with the AGPase-G allele. Conclusions: Overall, this study showed that a major genetic variant in AGPase probably enhances the enzyme activity leading to high amylose content in D. zingiberensis tuber. The results provide valuable insights for the development of amylose-enriched genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]