Crop diversity used in branded products with focus on legume species worldwide.

Food diversity is a challenging issue for sustainable agrifood systems. Diets are increasingly dependent on branded packaged foods. Therefore, the crop diversity offered in the food market through these products is of particular importance.

The Comparison of the Effect of Flour Particle Size and Content of Damaged Starch on Rice and Buckwheat Slurry, Dough, and Bread Characteristics.

The effect of botanical origin, the flour particle size, and the content of damaged starch on flour pasting properties, dough behavior during a uniaxial deformation test, and bread characteristics were evaluated on rice and buckwheat flours. The rice flour with a median particle size D(0.5) of 60.

Rice Bran Lipidome Identifies Novel Phospholipids, Glycolipids, and Oxylipins with Roles in Lipid Metabolism of Hypercholesterolemic Children.

Scope: The purpose of the study is to characterize the chemical diversity in rice bran (RB) lipidome and determines whether daily RB consumption for 4 weeks may modulate plasma lipid profiles in children.

Methods And Results: Untargeted and targeted lipidomics via ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) are applied to identify bioactive RB lipids from a collection of 17 rice varieties. To determine the impact of RB (Calrose-USA variety) supplementation on plasma lipid profile, a secondary analysis of plasma lipidome is conducted on data recorded in a clinical study (NCT01911390, n = 18 moderately hypercholesterolemic children) before and after 4 weeks of dietary intervention with a control or RB supplemented (15 g day ) snack.

Modeling the Thermal Denaturation of the Protein-Water System in Pulses (Lentils, Beans, and Chickpeas).

Thermal treatment applied during the cooking of pulses leads to denaturation and even aggregation of the proteins, which may impact protein digestibility. Thermal transitions of lentil, chickpea, and bean proteins were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Protein-enriched samples were obtained by dry air classification of dehulled seeds and were heated to 160 °C, with water contents ranging from 0.

Do ancient wheats contain less gluten than modern bread wheat, in favour of better health?

Popular media messaging has led to increased public perception that gluten-containing foods are bad for health. In parallel, 'ancient grains' have been promoted with claims that they contain less gluten. There appears to be no clear definition of 'ancient grains' but the term usually includes einkorn, emmer, spelt and Khorasan wheat.

Metabolomics of Pigmented Rice Coproducts Applying Conventional or Deep Eutectic Extraction Solvents Reveal a Potential Antioxidant Source for Human Nutrition.

Rice bran (RB) corresponds to the outer layers of whole grain rice and contains several phenolic compounds (PCs) that make it an interesting functional food ingredient. PC richness is enhanced in pigmented RB varieties and requires effective ways of extraction of these compounds. Therefore, we investigated conventional and deep eutectic solvents (DES) extraction methods to recover a wide array of PCs from red and black RB.

Stress transmission in cemented bidisperse granular materials.

We analyze stress distributions in a two-dimensional bidisperse cemented granular packing for a broad range of the values of particle-size ratio, the volumes of large and small particles, and the amount of cementing matrix. In such textured porous materials, the stress concentration, which controls the fracture and fragmentation of the material under tensile loading or in grinding processes, reflects not only the porosity but also the contact network of the particle phase and the resulting stress chains. By means of peridynamic simulations under tensile loading, we show how both the texture and stress distribution depend on size ratio, volume ratio, and the amount of the cementing matrix.

Evidence of a Synergistic Effect between Pea Seed and Wheat Grain Endogenous Phytase Activities.

Distribution of phytic acid and phytase activity in pea seeds was analyzed and compared with those in wheat grains under identical assay conditions (55 °C, pH 5.5). Most total phytic acid content and phytase activity were found in pea cotyledons.

On the effect of local sample slope during modulus measurements by contact-resonance atomic force microscopy.

Contact-resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) is of great interest and very valuable for a deeper understanding of the mechanics of biological materials with moduli of at least a few GPa. However, sample surfaces can present a high topography range with significant slopes, where the local angle can be as large as  ± 50°. The non-trivial correlation between surface slope and CR-frequency hinders a straight-forward interpretation of CR-AFM indentation modulus measurements on such samples.

Fate of SDS-insoluble glutenin polymers from semolina to dry pasta.

Pasta cooking quality is well known to be related to semolina protein content and composition, however impact of the unextractable polymeric protein content (%UPP) remains disputed. In this work different semolina samples, of variable protein contents (10.5-14.

Bread wheat milling behavior: effects of genetic and environmental factors, and modeling using grain mechanical resistance traits.

Genetic (Pinb-D1 alleles) and environment (through vitreousness) have important effects on bread wheat milling behavior. SKCS optimal values corresponding to soft vitreous or hard mealy grains were defined to obtain the highest total flour yield. Near-isogenic lines of bread wheat that differ in hardness, due to distinct puroindoline-b alleles (the wild type, Pinb-D1a, or the mutated forms, Pinb-D1b or Pinb-D1d), were grown in different environments and under two nitrogen fertilization levels, to study genetic and environmental effects on milling behavior.

Changes in the starch-protein interface depending on common wheat grain hardness revealed using atomic force microscopy.

The atomic force microscope tip was used to progressively abrade the surface of non-cut starch granules embedded in the endosperm protein matrix in grain sections from wheat near-isogenic lines differing in the puroindoline b gene and thus, hardness. In the hard near-isogenic wheat lines, starch granules exhibited two distinct profiles corresponding either to abrasion in the surrounding protein layer or the starch granule. An additional profile, only identified in soft lines, revealed a marked stop in the abrasion at the protein-starch transition similar to a lipid interface playing a lubricant role.

Relationships between wheat grain physical characteristics studied through near-isogenic lines with distinct puroindoline-b allele.

Genetic (different forms of puroindoline-b) and environment (through variations in vitreousness), have important effects on wheat grain mechanical properties. The two methods of hardness measurements (NIRS, SKCS) do not give the same information. Bread wheat near-isogenic lines differing in hardness, due to distinct puroindoline-b alleles (the wild type, Pinb-D1a, or the mutated forms, Pinb-D1b or Pinb-D1d), were grown for three years in seven sites and under two nitrogen fertilization levels, to study genetic and environmental effects on grain mechanical properties.

Localization of phytase transcripts in germinating seeds of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

The work provides the first-time evidence of tissue-specific expression of a phytase gene in the germinating seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris. Phytase enzyme plays a major role in germinating seeds. It is also active during N2 fixation within nodules of legumes.

Exposure or release of ferulic acid from wheat aleurone: impact on its antioxidant capacity.

The relationship between the aleurone cell integrity and the exposure or release of bioavailable ferulic acid (FA) with the antioxidant capacity of aleurone in in vitro and under simulated gastric conditions was explored. The antioxidant capacity of aleurone was increased by around 2-fold when its median particle size was reduced to under 50 μm. The opening of aleurone cells increased the physical exposure of FA bound to the insoluble polysaccharides, which seemed to be responsible of the increased antioxidant capacity.

Impact of durum wheat milling on deoxynivalenol distribution in the outcoming fractions.

The milling behaviour of two naturally infected samples of durum wheat grain with contrasting levels of mycotoxins was studied. Although the two samples showed a similar milling behaviour, an increase of approximately 20% in deoxynivalenol (DON) levels was found in semolina from the sample containing the higher level of mycotoxin. However, even if the highest concentration of DON was found in fractions originating from the grain outer layers, the mycotoxin contamination in semolina and flours were not related to the amount of two compounds (ash or phytic acid) used to monitor these external tissues.

Grain characterization and milling behaviour of near-isogenic lines differing by hardness.

Wheat grain hardness is a major factor affecting the milling behaviour and end-product quality although its exact structural and biochemical basis is still not understood. This study describes the development of new near-isogenic lines selected on hardness. Hard and soft sister lines were characterised by near infrared reflectance (NIR) and particle size index (PSI) hardness index, grain protein content, thousand kernel weight and vitreousness.

Iron and zinc in vitro availability in pearl millet flours (Pennisetum glaucum) with varying phytate, tannin, and fiber contents.

Simulations of gastro-intestinal digestion, used to estimate in vitro iron and zinc availability, were performed on two kinds of samples: (i) samples with decreased phytate contents from whole pearl millet flour and (ii) nondephytinized or dephytinized samples from two pearl millet grain fractions, a decorticated fraction with low fiber and tannin contents and a bran fraction with high fiber and tannin contents. Iron and zinc in vitro availabilities of whole pearl millet flour were significantly improved by phytate degradation, even if the IP6 were not all degraded. Total dephytinization of decorticated fraction led to a marked increase in iron and zinc in vitro availabilities, but that of bran fraction had no effect on either iron or zinc in vitro availability.

Puroindolines form ion channels in biological membranes.

Wheat seeds contain different lipid binding proteins that are low molecular mass, basic and cystine-rich proteins. Among them, the recently characterized puroindolines have been shown to inhibit the growth of fungi in vitro and to enhance the fungal resistance of plants. Experimental data, using lipid vesicles, suggest that this antimicrobial activity is related to interactions with cellular membranes, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown.

Reversible changes of the wheat gamma 46 gliadin conformation submitted to high pressures and temperatures.

The structure of the wheat gamma 46 gliadin was investigated, in aqueous solutions, under high pressure or temperature by the use of ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. We found that high pressure (above 400 MPa) induces a change in the protein conformation that results in a decrease of the polarity of the environment of aromatic amino acids. This new conformation was able to bind the hydrophobic probe, 8-anilino-1-naphtalene-sulfonic acid (ANS), indicating an increase in the gliadin surface hydrophobicity.

Cabbage cryoprotectin is a member of the nonspecific plant lipid transfer protein gene family.

We have recently purified a protein (cryoprotectin) from the leaves of cold-acclimated cabbage (Brassica oleracea) to electrophoretic homogeneity, which protects thylakoids isolated from the leaves of nonacclimated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) from freeze-thaw damage. Sequencing of cryoprotectin showed the presence of at least three isoforms of WAX9 proteins, which belong to the class of nonspecific lipid transfer proteins. Antibodies raised against two synthetic peptides derived from the WAX9 proteins recognized a band of approximately 10 kD in western blots of crude cryoprotectin preparations.

Study of the temperature effect on the formation of wheat gluten network: influence on mechanical properties and protein solubility.

Modifications of mechanical properties of wheat dough during thermal treatments depend mainly on the capacity of wheat gluten proteins to establish intra- and intermolecular interactions when subjected to high-temperature processing. The present study investigates the effect of thermal treatments on the mechanical properties and protein solubility of wheat gluten-based network. The increase in treatment temperatures (from 80 to 135 C) induces an increase in mechanical resistance of the gluten network (tensile strength increases from 0.

Production in Escherichia coli and site-directed mutagenesis of a 9-kDa nonspecific lipid transfer protein from wheat.

The sequence encoding a wheat (Triticum durum) nonspecific lipid transfer protein of 9 kDa (nsLTP1) was inserted into an Escherichia coli expression vector, pET3b. The recombinant protein that was expressed accumulated in insoluble cytoplasmic inclusion bodies and was purified and refolded from them. In comparison with the corresponding protein isolated from wheat kernel, the refolded recombinant protein exhibits a methionine extension at its N-terminus but has the same structure and activity as demonstrated by CD, lipid binding and lipid transfer assays.

Characterization of wheat thioredoxin h cDNA and production of an active Triticum aestivum protein in Escherichia coli.

Two cDNA clones, pTaM13.38 and pTd14.13.

Influence of the 20-kDa protein from Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis on the rate of production of truncated Cry1C proteins.

The potential role of a molecular chaperone on the rate of production of extensively altered Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1C proteins was investigated. Analysis of the proteins produced by the recombinant B. thuringiensis strains showed that the truncated proteins were produced at a low rate.