Chin-Fung Li

Effects of granular structures on the pasting behaviors of starches

ABSTRACT Japonica (Tainung 67 [TNu67]) and waxy (Taichung 70 [TCW70]) rice, normal and waxy corn, and cross-linked waxy rice and corn starches were used in an investigation of the influence of the granular structure on the pasting behavior of starch, using small amplitude oscillatory rheometry. Both normal corn and normal rice (TNu67) starches had the highest storage moduli (G′), followed by their cross-linked versions; native waxy corn and rice starches had the lowest. Native waxy starches showed paste characteristics (G′ 0.2) at concentrations of up to 35%. However, cross-linked waxy starches exhibited gel behavior at 10% concentration (cross-linked TCW70) or higher (cross-linked waxy corn starch). The degrees of swelling power were in the order: TCW70 > native waxy corn > TNu67 ≅ cross-linked TCW70 ≅ normal corn ≅ cross-linked waxy corn starches. Solubilities were in the order: normal corn > TNu67 > native waxy > cross-linked waxy starches. The addition of 2% purified amylose from ind...

Antibacterial activity of N-alkylated disaccharide chitosan derivatives

Antibacterial activity of the water-soluble N-alkylated disaccharide chitosan derivatives against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. It was found that the antibacterial activity of chitosan derivatives was affected by the degree of substitution (DS) with disaccharide and the kind of disaccharide present in the molecule. Regardless the kind of disaccharide linked to the chitosan molecule, a DS of 30-40%, in general, exhibited the most pronounced antibacterial activity against both test organisms. E. coli and S. aureus were most susceptible to cellobiose chitosan derivative DS 30-40% and maltose chitosan derivative DS 30-40%, respectively, among the various chitosan derivatives examined. Although the disaccharide chitosan derivatives showed less antibacterial activity than the native chitosan at pH 6.0, the derivatives exhibited a higher activity than native chitosan at pH 7.0. Antibacterial activity of the chitosan derivatives (DS 30-40%) against E. coli increased as the pH increased from 5.0 and reached a maximum around the pH of 7.0-7.5. The effect of pH on the antibacterial activity of chitosan derivatives against S. aureus was not as pronounced as that observed with E. coli. Population reduction of E. coli or S. aureus in nutrient broth increased markedly upon increasing the concentration of chitosan derivatives from 0 to 500 ppm. No marked increase in population reduction was noted with further increase in the concentration of chitosan derivatives even up to 2000 ppm.

Preparation, water solubility and rheological property of the N-alkylated mono or disaccharide chitosan derivatives

N-alkylation of chitosan was performed in a mixture of methanol and 1% acetic acid containing different amounts of monosaccharides or disaccharides including glucose, galactose, glucosamine, fructose, lactose, maltose and cellobiose. All the N-alkylated chitosan derivatives with monosaccharides were insoluble in aqueous solution (pH 7), while N-alkylated chitosan derivatives with disaccharides were easily soluble in distilled water, and the N-alkylated chitosan derivatives with lactose were soluble only at high pH. The degree of substitution (DS) of the N-alkylated chitosan derivatives increased with increasing disaccharides levels and with increasing reaction time. The reduced viscosity of the N-alkylated chitosan derivatives with disaccharides decreased with increasing DS. Apparent viscosity and pseudoplasticity of the N-alkylated disaccharide containing derivative solutions generally decreased with increasing DS. Although apparent viscosities of N-alkylated chitosan derivatives with low DS decreased with increase in pH or ionic strength, changes in high DS N-alkylated chitosan derivatives with pH values or ionic strength were not marked.

Removal characteristics of h2s by thiobacillus novellus ch 3 biofilter in autotrophic and mixotrophic environments

Abstract Thiobacillus novellus, like other facultative chemoautotrophs, possesses the unique ability to grow autotrophically as well as heterotrophically. Since in nature the bacteria are likely to encounter different environments, i.e., autotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixotrophic conditions, it is of considerable interest to determine the removal characteristics of H2S in different environments. Thiobacillus novellus CH 3 was isolated from piggery wastewater and used to remove H2S gas from air in this study. The results indicated that the Thiobacillus novellus biofilter under mixotrophic conditions possessed broad adaptability of pH (5 ‐ 10) compared to the one under autotrophic conditions. In a batch experiment high H2S concentration (>140 ppm) inhibited the enzymatic activity, thus the H2S removal was limited by the reaction rate rather than the diffusion rate at diluted H2S concentration. During the environmental shock experiment, 99.5% of the H2S content from the inlet was eliminated in a mixotrophic ...

Quantification of racemization of amino acids in alkaline-treated duck eggs by micellar capillary electrophoresis.

Duck eggs were pickled in 4.2% NaOH/5% NaCl solution for 20 days to prepare the traditional Chinese Pidan. The extent of racemization of compositional amino acid in egg albumen and yolk over the alkaline pickling period was investigated with micellar capillary electrophoresis (MCE) using beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector. The racemization value of amino acids in egg albumen was in the order serine > aspartic acid > glutamic acid > phenylalanine > leucine > valine > threonine = isoleucine, whereas the order in egg yolk was aspartic acid > glutamic acid > phenylalanine > leucine > valine. Therefore, the tendency of amino acid racemization appeared to be closely related to the properties of its residual side chain, as well as the pH and alkaline treating period. Moreover, racemization of most of the amino acids was remarkably induced by the alkaline treatment during the initial pickling period.

Characterization of pectinesterase inhibitor in jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes.

Pectinesterase inhibitor (PEI) extract prepared from intact jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes was separated by membrane (MWCO 3 and 10 kDa) and fractionated by a Sepharose G-50 gel permeation chromatography. Results from Sepharose G-50 gel permeation chromatography and concanavalin A Sepharose chromatography revealed PEI as polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 kDa. Incubation of a PE (1 unit/mL)-PEI (2 mg/mL) mixture for 1 min decreased the PE activity by approximately 50%. On the basis of the results of Lineweaver-Burk double-reciprocal plots, Michaelis constant (K(m)) and V(max) values for jelly fig achenes PE (pH 6.0, 30 degrees C) were 0.78 mM -OCH3 and 1.09 microequiv of -COOH/min, respectively. In addition, PEI competitively inhibited both citrus and jelly fig achenes PEs.

Inhibition of lysinoalanine formation in alkali-pickled duck egg (Pidan)

Abstract Duck eggs were pickled in 4.2% NaOH/5% NaCl solution for 20 days to prepare the traditional Chinese Pidan. Influence of some additives, such as 0.2% CuSO4 0.2% ZnSO4 0.2% PbO, 10 mM l -cysteine or 10 mM reduced glutathione solution, in the pickle solution on the formation of lysinoalanine (LAL) as well as the degradation of lysine in albumen and egg yolk were investigated. It was observed that CuSO4 exhibited the most prevalent inhibition effect on LAL formation in both Pidan albumen and egg yolk, followed by ZnSO4 and PbO. Addition of l -cysteine or reduced glutathione in the pickling solution marked a decreased LAL formation in Pidan.