Saiwarun Chaiwanichsiri

Different Oils and Health Benefit Statements Affect Physicochemical Properties, Consumer Liking, Emotion, and Purchase Intent: A Case of Sponge Cake

Effects of different oils on physicochemical properties, consumer liking, emotion, and purchase intent of sponge cakes were evaluated. Three healthy oils (extra virgin coconut oil, EVCO; extra virgin olive oil, EVOO; rice bran oil, RBO) compared with butter (the control), were used at 20% (w/w, wheat flour basis) in sponge cake formulations. Five positive (calm, good, happy, pleased, satisfied) and 3 negative (guilty, unsafe, worried) emotion terms, selected from the EsSense Profile(®) with slight modification using an online (N = 234) check-all-that-apply questionnaire, were used for consumer testing. Consumers (N = 148) evaluated acceptability of 9 sensory attributes on a 9-point hedonic scale, 8 emotion responses on a 5-point rating scale, and purchase intent on a binomial scale. Overall liking, emotion, and purchase intent were evaluated before compared with after health benefit statement of oils had been given to consumers. Overall liking and positive emotion (except calm) scores of sponge cake made with EVCO were higher than those made with EVOO and RBO. Specific volume, expansion ratio, and moisture content of control, EVCO, and EVOO were not significantly different, but higher than RBO sponge cake. JAR results showed that sponge cake made with RBO had the least softness that was reflected by the highest hardness (6.61 to 9.69 compared with. 12.76N). Oil (EVCO/EVOO/RBO) health benefit statement provided to consumer significantly increased overall liking, positive emotion, and purchase intent scores while decreased negative emotion scores. Overall liking and pleased emotion were critical attributes influencing purchase intent (odds ratio = 2.06 to 3.75), whereas calm and happy became not critical after health benefit statement had been given.

Properties of Cassava Starch Modified by Amylomaltase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Amylomaltase (α-1,4-glucanotransferase, AM; EC 2.4.1.25) from Corynebacterium glutamicum expressed in Escherichia coli was used to prepare the enzyme-modified cassava starch for food application. About 5% to 15% (w/v) of cassava starch slurries were incubated with 1, 3, or 5 units of amylomaltase/g starch. Apparent amylose, amylopectin chain length distribution, thermal properties, freeze-thaw stability, thermo-reversibility, and gel strength of the obtained modified starches were measured. The apparent amylose content and retrogradation enthalpy were lower, whereas the retrogradation temperatures, freeze-thaw stability, and thermo-reversibility were higher than those of the native cassava starch. However, when amylomaltase content was increased to 20 units of amylomaltase/g starch and for 24 h, the modified starch showed an improvement in the thermo-reversibility property. When used in panna cotta, the gel strength of the sample using the 20 units/24 h modified cassava starch was similar to that of using gelatin.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamic acid contents, and the GAD activity in germinated brown rice (Oryza sativa L.): Effect of rice cultivars

The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamic acid (Glu) contents, and the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity in brown rice (BR) and germinated BR (GBR) of the 5 Thai rice cultivars KDML105, PT1, CN1, SP1, and PL2 were investigated. BR was soaked at 35°C for 12 h and then germinated for 24 h to produce GBR. Amounts of GABA and Glu, and the GAD activity in samples were determined. The GABA content and GAD activity in GBR samples of all cultivars were increased 7–50× and 10–100× over levels in BR. The GABA content in BR had no effect on GABA accumulation in GBR. There was no trend in changes in the Glu content for different cultivars after soaking and germination. Variation in the GABA amount in GBR was due to both the GAD activity and the amount of Glu. These two parameters affected accumulation of GABA in all cultivars.

Physicochemical properties of thermal alkaline treated pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) flour

Thermal alkaline treatment, normally used for corn, was applied to pigeonpea grains. Starch granules were isolated using wet milling and alkaline treatments. Effects of the calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] concentration in the range of 0–1% (w/v) on granule structure, crystalline structure, chemical composition, and physicochemical, thermal, and pasting properties of isolated starch granules were determined. Compared to native samples, thermal alkaline treated samples had higher protein, lipid, calcium, and phosphorus contents, but lower starch and amylose contents. Thermal alkaline treatment increased starch granular size and gelatinization temperatures, but decreased relative crystallinity, gelatinization enthalpy, swelling power, solubility, amylose leaching, and the pasting viscosity. Amylose-lipid complexes were not found in thermal alkaline treated flours. As the Ca(OH)2 concentration increased, the amylose content, relative crystallinity, gelatinization temperature, and enthalpy also increased, but the swelling power, solubility, amylose leaching, and paste viscosity decreased. A higher Ca(OH)2 concentration produced more stable starch granules that resisted re-gelatinization.

Development of a sterilized mixed herbal drink product.

A sterilized mixed herbal drink formula and process was developed for the mixed herbal extracts from Imperata cylindrical (L.) P. Beauv [IC], Murdannia loriformia (Hassk.) Rolla Rao et Kammathy [ML], Hedyotis corymbosa Lamk. [HC] and Orthosiphon aristatus Miq [OA]. Increasing extraction temperature and time decreased the antioxidant activity and increased the total potassium and phenolic compound contents of the herb infusions. Using response surface methodology (RSM), the appropriate extraction condition was 74.6°C for 41 minutes. The most acceptable formula contains a % weight ratio (w/w) of 14:35:27:17of IC: ML: HC: OA infusions to 7% (w/w) sucrose. Decreasing the sterilization temperature and increasing the F0-value reduced the antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds. The appropriate sterilization temperature and F0 were 135°C and 3 minutes.