Effect of vapor-phase glutaraldehyde crosslinking on electrospun starch fibers

In this work, we have proven that starch nanofibrous membranes with high tensile strength, water stability and non-cytotoxicity can be produced by electrospinning of starch solution and post-treatment with GTA in vapor phase. GTA vapor phase crosslinking plays a key role in forming water-stable nanofiber membrane and improving the mechanical properties. Comparing with non-crosslinked starch fibers, the crosslinked fibers are increased by nearly 10 times in tensile strength. The crosslinked starch fibrous membranes are non-cytotoxic. They may find applications in the fields of tissue engineering, pharmaceutical therapy and medical.

Resistant starch in the Australian diet

We set out to estimate resistant starch (RS) intakes using the 24-hour food intake data from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) database of 13 858 Australians. As there are often significant differences in the RS content of foods reported by various authors. we calculated intakes based on both published maximum and minimum value, for individual food,. RS intakes (mean and SEM) for all persons were in the range 3.4 ± 0.03 g/d (minimum estimate) to 9.4 ± 0.07 g/d (maximum estimate). Adult males (19+ years) consumed more RS (10.7 ± 0.11 g/day maximum estimale) than adult females (19+ years) (8.2 g ± 0.08 g/day maximum estimate). RS comprised a greater proportion of the total starch intake in the very young and in the older age groups. Across the population. foods contributing most to RS intake were potatoes, bananas and white bread.

Increased probiotic yogurt or resistant starch intake does not affect isoflavone bioavailability in subjects consuming a high soy diet

Objective - Probiotics and prebiotics that affect gut microflora balance and its associated enzyme activity may contribute to interindividual variation in isoflavone absorption after soy intake, possibly enhancing isoflavone bioavailability. This study examined the effects of the consumption of bioactive yogurt (a probiotic) or resistant starch (a known prebiotic) in combination with high soy intake on soy isoflavone bioavailability.

Methods - Using a crossover design, chronic soy consumption was compared with soy plus probiotic yogurt or resistant starch in older male and postmenopausal females (n = 31). Isoflavone bioavailability was assessed at the beginning and end of each 5-wk dietary period by sampling plasma and urine after a standardized soy meal.

Results - Chronic soy intake did not significantly affect plasma or urinary isoflavones after the soy meal and there were no significant effects of probiotic or resistant starch treatment. However, there were trends for increased circulating plasma daidzein and genistein after the probiotic treatment and for increased plasma daidzein and genistein 24 h after soy intake with resistant starch treatment. Neither treatment induced or increased equol production, although there was a trend for increased plasma equol in “equol-positive” subjects (n = 12) after probiotic treatment.

Conclusion - The weak or absence of effects of probiotic yogurt or resistant starch supplement to a chronic soy diet suggests that gut microflora were not modified in a manner that significantly affected isoflavone bioavailability or metabolism.

Dietary resistant starch interacts with non-starch polysaccharide and protein to influence colonic protein fermentation, with possible implications for colon cancer risk in humans

Resistant starch is dietary starch that passes undigested into the colon where it can have effects similar to non-starch polysaccharide (dietary fibre). The results support the potential health benefits of incorporating foods containing high levels of both resistant starch and non-starch polysaccharide, such as whole grain breads and legumes, as part of well balanced diets containing fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat/alternatives and dairy foods.

Tailoring enzymes for biofuel production with reference to Australian biomass

Manufacture of biofuels from existing biomass may provide a sustainable alternative to the extensive utilization of fossil fuels. Biomass offers environmental advantage over fossil fuels as it is a renewable energy source with low sulphur and nitrogen content and is carbon neutral over its production and utilization. Ranges of biomass are reported worldwide to be suitable raw material for bioethanol production. These can be generally classified into three groups; sucrose based (sugar cane), starch based (corn, wheat and barley) and lignocellulosic (which is mostly comprised of lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses in grasses, wood and straw) materials. However, the limited supply of two biomass groups (sucrose and starch) will not satisfy society’s growing energy demands; thus biofuel technology based on lignocelluloses is under intense investigation. The main bottleneck in lignocellulosic biomass conversion for biofuel production is the enzymatic depolymerisation of cell wall polysaccharides into fermentable sugars. Protein engineering has recently been used to improve the performance of lignocelluloses degrading enzymes, as well as proteins involved in biofuel synthesis pathways. We have produced a recombinant enzyme that has the ability to produce monomeric sugars from a complex substrate. This presentation will summarize current efforts to develop an enzymatic treatment which would facilitate the economical processing of biomass available in Australia for bioenergy generation.

A case study on waste minimisation and wastewater treatment in starch and noodle factories

A medium scale Mung Bean starch factory was taken in this study to assess the pollution caused by various streams in starch and noodle factories, and to provide the basic information for wastewater management in them. This study shows that the wastewater from starch processing unit with 46~54 tons of production capacity is the main polluting source, contained high values of COD and SS. Also the specific water consumption to process one ton Mung Bean in 16~25m3 is higher that theoretically required one. Methods have been proposed for minimizing and treating the wastewater produced by the factory to overcome the pollution problems. One of the alternatives is to use water in a controlled way by making optimum flow rates on the tab valves, in which water consumption can be brought down. However, bio-treatability of wastewater can be used for treating the total wastewater due to the suitability in characteristics.

Immunologic significance of respirable atmospheric starch granules containing major birch allergen Bet v 1

Background: Birch-pollen allergens are an important cause of early spring hay fever and allergic asthma. Recently, we reported a mechanism for the release of respirable allergenic particles from birch pollen containing the major allergen Bet v 1. In this study, we aimed to assess the immunologic significance of the released Bet v 1-containing starch granules in the environment.

Methods: A two-site monoclonal antibody-based assay (ELISA) was employed to quantitate Bet v 1 in high-volume air sampler filter extracts, and immunogold-labelling was used on sections of these extracts to localize Bet v 1. Immunoblot analyses were performed with pooled sera from patients sensitive to birch pollen.

Results: Atmospheric starch granules contained Bet v 1, and the concentration increased upon light rainfall. Sera from patients allergic to birch allergens recognized extracts from isolated starch granules.

Conclusions: The clinical implications of these findings are that starch granules released from birch pollen are potentially able to trigger allergic asthmatic reactions to Bet v 1, since the allergen occurs in respirable particles. Thus, clinicians can advise asthma patients to remain indoors on days of light rainfall during the birch-pollen season to avoid high levels of allergen exposure.

Preparation and electrospinning of acidified-oxidized potato starch

This paper investigates the preparation and electrospinning of acidified-oxidized potato starch. In this article, acidified-oxidized potato starch was prepared by adding ammonium persulfate as an oxidizing agent and hydrochloric acid as a catalyst. The effect of reaction time, temperature, the concentration of hydrochloric acid and the content of ammonium persulfate on the viscosity and content of carboxyl were discussed. The optimum reaction conditions were as follows: 1.5 hours ,50℃, 0.5mol/l HCl, 2.5% (NH4)2S2O8. And then, the acidified-oxidized potato starch prepared at the optimum condition was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to be electrospinned by contrast to native starch. Electrospinning of 5wt%-21wt% of modified starch in DMSO produced beads, beaded fibers, and smooth fibers, depending on the concentration range. Smooth fibers were observed until the concentration reached 19wt%, while native starch was 5wt%.

Effect of sorghum flour addition on resistant starch content, phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of durum wheat pasta

Foods containing elevated levels of health functional components such as resistant starch and polyphenolic antioxidants may have beneficial effects on human health. Pasta incorporating either red sorghum flour (RSF) or white sorghum flour (WSF) each at 20%, 30% and 40% substitution of durum wheat semolina (DWS) was prepared and compared to pasta made from 100% DWS (control) for content of starch fractions, phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity, before and after cooking. Total, digestible and resistant starch contents were determined by the AOAC method; individual phenolic acids and anthocyanins by reverse phase-HPLC analysis; total phenolic content by the Folin–Ciocalteu method and antioxidant capacity by the ABTS assay. The addition of both RSF and WSF increased the resistant starch content, bound phenolic acids, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity at all incorporation levels compared to the control pasta; while free phenolic acids and anthocyanins were higher in the RSF-containing pasta only. Cooking did not change the resistant starch content of any of the pasta formulations. Cooking did however decrease the free phenolic acids, anthocyanins, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity and increased the bound phenolic acids of the sorghum-containing pastas. The study suggests that these sorghum flours may be very useful for the preparation of pasta with increased levels of resistant starch and polyphenolic antioxidants.