Song Zhu

Fingerprint analysis of polysaccharides from different Ganoderma by HPLC combined with chemometrics methods

A fingerprint analysis method has been developed for characterization and discrimination of polysaccharides from different Ganoderma by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with chemometrics means. The polysaccharides were extracted under ultrasonic-assisted condition, and then partly hydrolyzed with trifluoroacetic acid. Monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in the hydrolyzates were subjected to pre-column derivatization with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone and HPLC analysis, which will generate unique fingerprint information related to chemical composition and structure of polysaccharides. The peak data were imported to professional software in order to obtain standard fingerprint profiles and evaluate similarity of different samples. Meanwhile, the data were further processed by hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Polysaccharides from different parts or species of Ganoderma or polysaccharides from the same parts of Ganoderma but from different geographical regions or different strains could be differentiated clearly. This fingerprint analysis method can be applied to identification and quality control of different Ganoderma and their products.

Effect of dry heat treatment with xanthan on waxy rice starch.

Waxy rice starch was impregnated with xanthan and heat-treated in a dry state. The effects on the pasting and rheological properties of the treated starch-xanthan mixture were evaluated. Swelling of the granule was restricted, and a continuous rise of the viscosity during pasting was provided for the treated sample. After pasting, the gel forming ability of the treated starch was strengthened, as both storage and loss modulus increased and tan δ decreased. The paste also owned the highest zero order Newtonian viscosity and yield stress. An increase in starch particle size of the dry heated starch-xanthan mixture suggested a cross linking of the starch granules by the xanthan polymers. An increase of crystallinity was observed for the starch after dry heat treatment, but with the addition of xanthan the amorphous region of the granule became more resistant to dry-heating. The melting enthalpy was found to be correlated with the crystallinity.

Influence of Alkalization Treatment on the Color Quality and the Total Phenolic and Anthocyanin Contents in Cocoa Powder

The effects of alkalization treatments on color, colorimetric fractions, total polyphenol content, and anthocyanin content of cocoa powder were investigated. A darker color and a lower total polyphenol content were obtained for cocoa powder alkalized using a K2CO3 solution than with an NaOH solution. A high temperature and basic pH conditions favored formation of dark components during alkalization due to sugar degradation, Maillard reactions, and anthocyanin polymerizing. The anthocyanin content decreased with an increasing alkali concentration, suggesting that more anthocyanins were transformed into brown polymers in darker cocoa powder. Cocoa powder with a heavy degree of alkalization had the lowest ratio of monomer anthocyanins to yellow/brown polymer content. OD460/OD525 values for alkalized samples were higher than for non-alkalized samples. Cocoa powder presented a better color quality after alkalization treatment.

Antibacterial, Antibiofilm Effect of Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) Leaf Fraction and Its Efficiency in Meat Preservation

First, the antibacterial, antibiofilm effect and chemical composition of burdock (Arctium lappa L.) leaf fractions were studied. Then, the efficiency of burdock leaf fractions in pork preservation was evaluated. The results showed that burdock leaf fraction significantly inhibited the growth and biofilm development of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. MICs of burdock leaf fractions on E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium were both 2 mg/ml. At a concentration of 2.0 mg/ml, the inhibition rates of the fraction on growth and development of E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium biofilms were 78.7 and 69.9%, respectively. During storage, the log CFU per gram of meat samples treated with burdock leaf fractions decreased 2.15, compared with the samples without treatment. The shelf life of pork treated with burdock leaf fractions was extended 6 days compared with the pork without treatment, and the sensory property was obviously improved. Compared with the control group, burdock leaf fraction treatment significantly decreased the total volatile basic nitrogen value and pH of the meat samples. Chemical composition analysis showed that the burdock leaf fraction consisted of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, rutin, cynarin, crocin, luteolin, arctiin, and quercetin. As a vegetable with an abundant source, burdock leaf is safe, affordable, and efficient in meat preservation, indicating that burdock leaf fraction is a promising natural preservative for pork.