Song Miao

State transitions and physicochemical aspects of cryoprotection and stabilization in freeze-drying of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)

Aims:  The frozen and dehydrated state transitions of lactose and trehalose were determined and studied as factors affecting the stability of probiotic bacteria to understand physicochemical aspects of protection against freezing and dehydration of probiotic cultures.

Volatile Release from Whey Protein Isolate–Pectin Multilayer Stabilized Emulsions: Effect of pH, Salt, and Artificial Salivas

Whey protein isolate (WPI) and pectin can form a multilayer at the oil-water interface when they are oppositely charged. In this study, effects of pH, salt, and artificial salivas on emulsion stability and volatile release from multilayer emulsions were investigated. Results showed that emulsions (0.5 wt % WPI, 10 wt % oil) with pectin content ≤0.1 wt % had rapid phase separation at pH 4 and 5, and emulsions with higher pectin content (≥0.2 wt %) had good stability. Due to an electrostatic screening effect, multilayer emulsions collapsed when subjected to ≥150 mM NaCl solutions at pH 5. When diluted with artificial salivas containing salts, mucin, and/or α-amylase, multilayer emulsions showed rapid droplet aggregation. GC headspace analysis found that volatiles had significantly lower initial headspace concentration (C(initial)) in multilayer emulsions, and the C(initial) correlated negatively with pectin content in emulsions. Emulsions at pH 7 had more volatiles released to the headspace than emulsions at pH 5. However, changes in pectin content and pH did not show a significant effect on release rate of most volatile compounds. In salt-treated multilayer emulsions, C(initial) and release rates of volatiles increased with NaCl content. Addition of salivas triggered higher release of hydrophobic volatiles and lower release of hydrophilic volatiles, which was mostly due to dilution effect and saliva-induced emulsion instability.

Study on the rheological properties and volatile release of cold-set emulsion-filled protein gels.

Emulsion-filled protein gels (EFP gels) were prepared through a cold-set gelation process, and they were used to deliver volatile compounds. An increase in the whey protein isolate (WPI) content from 4 to 6% w/w did not show significant effect on the gelation time, whereas an increase in the oil content from 5 to 20% w/w resulted in an earlier onset of gelation. Gels with a higher WPI content had a higher storage modulus and water-holding capacity (WHC), and they presented a higher force and strain at breaking, indicating that a more compact gel network was formed. An increase in the oil content contributed to gels with a higher storage modulus and force at breaking; however, this increase did not affect the WHC of the gels, and gels with a higher oil content became more brittle, resulting in a decreased strain at breaking. GC headspace analysis showed that volatiles released at lower rates and had lower air-gel partition coefficients in EFP gels than those in ungelled counterparts. Gels with a higher WPI content had lower release rates and partition coefficients of the volatiles. A change in the oil content significantly modified the partition of volatiles at equilibrium, but it produced a minor effect on the release rate of the volatiles. The findings indicated that EFP gels could be potentially used to modulate volatile release by varying the rheological properties of the gel.

Volatile release from self-assembly structured emulsions: effect of monoglyceride content, oil content, and oil type.

Monoglycerides (MGs) can form self-assembled structures in emulsions, which can be used to control volatile release. In this study, initial headspace concentrations (C(initial)), maximum headspace concentrations (C(max)), release rates, and partition coefficients of propanol, diacetyl, hexanal, and limonene were determined in MG structured oil-in-water emulsions using dynamic and static headspace analyses. For all of the volatile compounds, C(initial) values above structured emulsions were significantly lower than those above unstructured emulsions and decreased with increasing MG contents (p < 0.05). However, volatiles had higher release rates in emulsions with higher MG contents. When oil content was reduced from 20 to 10%, C(initial) and C(max) increased for limonene and hexanal and decreased for propanol and diacetyl. When different oils were applied, both C(initial) and C(max) were significantly lower in medium-chain triglyceride emulsions than in soybean oil emulsions (p < 0.05). Static headspace analysis revealed that volatile compounds had significantly lower air-emulsion partition coefficients in the structured emulsions than in unstructured emulsions (p < 0.05). These results indicated that MG structured emulsions can be potentially used as delivery systems to modulate volatile release.

Food emulsions as delivery systems for flavor compounds: A review

ABSTRACT Food flavor is an important attribute of quality food, and it largely determines consumer food preference. Many food products exist as emulsions or experience emulsification during processing, and therefore, a good understanding of flavor release from emulsions is essential to design food with desirable flavor characteristics. Emulsions are biphasic systems, where flavor compounds are partitioning into different phases, and the releases can be modulated through different ways. Emulsion ingredients, such as oils, emulsifiers, thickening agents, can interact with flavor compounds, thus modifying the thermodynamic behavior of flavor compounds. Emulsion structures, including droplet size and size distribution, viscosity, interface thickness, etc., can influence flavor component partition and their diffusion in the emulsions, resulting in different release kinetics. When emulsions are consumed in the mouth, both emulsion ingredients and structures undergo significant changes, resulting in different flavor perception. Special design of emulsion structures in the water phase, oil phase, and interface provides emulsions with great potential as delivery systems to control flavor release in wider applications. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of flavor release from emulsions, and how emulsions can behave as delivery systems for flavor compounds to better design novel food products with enhanced sensorial and nutritional attributes.

Mathematical Modeling and Influence of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on Microwave Vacuum Drying Kinetics of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) Seeds

ABSTRACT The people of Southeast Asia often use lotus as a highly sought-after food source. Here, the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on the drying kinetics of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) seeds under microwave vacuum drying were investigated. The best fit model to predict the drying kinetics was also proposed. Lotus seeds were subjected to ultrasonic pretreatment at frequencies of 20, 35, and 80 kHz and power intensity of 0.75 and 1.50 W/g for 10 min using an ultrasonic bath and then to microwave vacuum drying. Five different mathematical models were fitted to the experimental data and a newly proposed model was selected based on model with highest regression coefficient (R2), lowest root mean square error (RMSE), sum square error (SSE), and chi-square (χ2), respectively. Time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance and field scanning electron microscope were used to describe the water state of ultrasonic samples and examine microstructure, respectively. The results showed that ultrasonic pretreatment performed at a relatively low frequency and relatively high power intensity had a positive effect on reducing the drying time (6.25–31.25%) during microwave vacuum drying because of the redistribution of water and the formation of microchannels. In parallel studies, the new model showed the best fit to the drying curve.

Microwave vacuum drying of lotus seeds: Effect of a single-stage tempering treatment on drying characteristics, moisture distribution, and product quality

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of a single-stage tempering treatment during microwave vacuum drying (MVD) on drying characteristics and quality of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) seeds using two parameters: intermediate moisture content (IMC) and tempering temperature (4 and 25°C). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to examine moisture migration and distribution in individual lotus seed during tempering. Results from MRI showed tempering could reduce the moisture gradient in lotus seeds during MVD. The tempering treatments led to increased moisture diffusivity (3.96–43.56%) and a shortened drying time (6.25–31.25%) when compared with continuous MVD. Furthermore, tempered samples exhibited a greater rehydration capacity, a limited overall color change, and increased amounts of taste-active amino acids when compared with nontempered lotus seeds. High IMC improved rehydration ratios of dried samples. Low tempering temperature provided favorable free amino acid content and desirable product color.

Separation of Oligosaccharides from Lotus Seeds via Medium-pressure Liquid Chromatography Coupled with ELSD and DAD

Lotus seeds were identified by the Ministry of Public Health of China as both food and medicine. One general function of lotus seeds is to improve intestinal health. However, to date, studies evaluating the relationship between bioactive compounds in lotus seeds and the physiological activity of the intestine are limited. In the present study, by using medium pressure liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light-scattering detector and diode-array detector, five oligosaccharides were isolated and their structures were further characterized by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In vitro testing determined that LOS3-1 and LOS4 elicited relatively good proliferative effects on Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. These results indicated a structure-function relationship between the physiological activity of oligosaccharides in lotus seeds and the number of probiotics applied, thus providing room for improvement of this particular feature. Intestinal probiotics may potentially become a new effective drug target for the regulation of immunity.

Bioaccessibility and Cellular Uptake of β-Carotene Encapsulated in Model O/W Emulsions: Influence of Initial Droplet Size and Emulsifiers

The effects of the initial emulsion structure (droplet size and emulsifier) on the properties of β-carotene-loaded emulsions and the bioavailability of β-carotene after passing through simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) digestion were investigated. Exposure to GIT significantly changed the droplet size, surface charge and composition of all emulsions, and these changes were dependent on their initial droplet size and the emulsifiers used. Whey protein isolate (WPI)-stabilized emulsion showed the highest β-carotene bioaccessibility, while sodium caseinate (SCN)-stabilized emulsion showed the highest cellular uptake of β-carotene. The bioavailability of emulsion-encapsulated β-carotene based on the results of bioaccessibility and cellular uptake showed the same order with the results of cellular uptake being SCN > TW80 > WPI. An inconsistency between the results of bioaccessibility and bioavailability was observed, indicating that the cellular uptake assay is necessary for a reliable evaluation of the bioavailability of emulsion-encapsulated compounds. The findings in this study contribute to a better understanding of the correlation between emulsion structure and the digestive fate of emulsion-encapsulated nutrients, which make it possible to achieve controlled or potential targeted delivery of nutrients by designing the structure of emulsion-based carriers.

Improved Bioavailability of Encapsulated Bioactive Nutrients Delivered through Monoglyceride-Structured O/W Emulsions

Effects of monoglyceride (MG) on the properties of WPI-stabilized emulsions and the bioavailability of encapsulated β-carotene were investigated. MG-structured emulsions showed reduced surface charge, higher viscosity, and better creaming stability than an emulsion without MG. Exposure of emulsions to GIT digestion led to significant changes in droplet size and interfacial properties. In vitro bioavailability of β-carotene in 1% MG (63.9%) and 2% MG (77.1%) structured emulsions were higher than that in emulsion without MG (53.4%) (p < 0.05). All MG emulsions demonstrated a better cellular uptake of β-carotene by Caco-2 cells than the emulsion without MG (p < 0.05). A significant increase in the cellular uptake of β-carotene with increasing MG content was observed, increasing from 0.109 μg/well for the 0.5% MG emulsion and up to 0.138 μg/well for 2% MG emulsion. The findings in this study confirm the potential of the MG-structured emulsions as novel carriers for lipophilic nutrients with improved stability and bioavailability.