Properties and nutritional value of wheat bread enriched by hemp products

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is annual plant that is native to China and remained as important material for food, industrial and medical purposes. As source of cannabinoids belongs to controversial, but due to its excellent nutritional profile, non-gluten protein, fat and fibre it has potential in bakery products. Addition of 5% - 20% of hemp press cake fine flour and fine wholemeal significantly increased dietary fibre content, but their influence on volume of laboratory baked bread was different. Reflecting actual dosage, both types of hemp press cake flour diminished bun sizes about 6% - 33%; volumes of bread containing hulled wholemeal were comparable to standard (mean 310 mL/100 g vs. 333 ml/100 g, respectively. Only dehulled wholemeal hemp form increased the bread specific volume (6% - 30%), especially as 10% fortification (434 mL/100 g). Six Canadian hemp products were added as 10% and 20% on wheat flour base, comprising fine hemp flour and coarse hemp powder, dehulled whole seeds, hulled hemp seeds with sea salt as well as 50% and 43% hemp protein concentrates (KP1-KP6, respectively). The higher level of KP1, KP2, KP5 and KP6, the lower bread specific volumes were determined (decrease about 9% - 48%). Soft increase in buns size caused by 10% and 20% KP3 (323 and 319 ml/100 g vs. 296 mL/100 g) was insignificant. The effect of KP4 was reversely verifiable, magnifying the parameter about 25% and 17%, respectively. In terms of protein content in bread, a level 11.75% in wheat bread has risen to approx. 14.5% and 18.0% when 10% and 20% of KP3 and KP5, respectively, was included into bread recipe. All six Canadian hemp products increased dietary fibre content in bread, mainly owing to KP4 and both protein concentrates (up to 4 and 3 times, respectively). Incorporation of hemp flour up to the level of 10% positively affected bread sensorial properties

Linseed fibre - effect on composite flour properties and cereal products quality

Wheat flour was fortified by 2.5 or 5.0 wt. per cent of linseed fibre, gained from seeds of golden flax varieties Amon and Raciol and brown one Recital (granulation 500 - 700 m), prepared from 2015 harvest. Technological quality of six flour composites was described analytically by Falling Number and Zeleny sedimentation test. Both screening methods shown a little impact on amylases activity and protein quality, respectively. Rheological tests included the farinograph, the extensigraph and the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) proofs. Additions of brown and yellow flax fibre significantly increased farinograph water absorption and shortened dough stability, somewhat stronger by addition of brown linseed fibre. Extensigraph curves course depended on dough resting time, higher differences between wheat control and flour composites were observed after 60 min dough resting. Linseed fibre supported dough extensibility, and energy as area under curve significantly decreased about 7 - 18%, mainly due to increasing alternative material portion in dough. In general, fibre is characterised as hydrophilic material, and pasting profiles of flour composites confirmed this experience. During dough leavening, tested samples were differentiated according to maturograph dough resistance; optimal leavening time of wheat-linseed fibre dough was shorter than control. Regardless described modifications in dough machinability, specific volumes of bread buns were similar though whole sample set. A weak worsening of buns vaulting reflected a partial dilution of dough gluten skeleton. Cut-off biscuits were characterised by gradually lowering spread ratio, correspondingly to elevated dough elasticity. Laboratory prepared elbow-pasta have the same cooking time as the control (8.0 min), and data variation could not be attributed to linseed fibre or addition level. All three cereal products were found to have acceptable sensory profiles. PCA method verified partial lowering of protein quality and pointed at tested sample differentiation according to linseed addition level

Features of flour composites based on the wheat or wheat-barley flour combined with acorn and chestnut

To elevate dietary fibre content in wheat bread, additions of barley flour were tested (30%) alone, and in combination with 5% or 10% of chestnut and acorn flour. Acorn flour elevated dietary fibre content more effectively than the chestnut flour did (TDF up to 7.8%). Non-gluten nature of proteins in non-traditional raw materials also affected farinograph, extensograph and amylograph features, used for predicting bakery procedure. Technological parameters (Falling Number, Zeleny sedimentation value) decreased to nearly 30% compared to the wheat flour. Water absorption increased about 2% in total, especially owing to the chestnut presence in the composite flour. All three alternative crops slowed dough development, but the dough softening degree depended on their combination. Viscoelastic behaviour has worsened (mainly parameter extensograph energy), depending on the type and the addition of the non- traditional products in the tested mixtures. Changes of suspension structure were reflected in maximum viscosity, which became lower during the amylograph test. A significant worsening of the buns specific volume and vaulting reflected a partial dilution of the gluten network of the dough. The highest addition of the chestnut flour in the recipe caused a decrease to less than one half compared to the wheat product. By the principal component analysis, some rheological parameters, together with specific bread volume, were identified as principal for sample distinguishing. In terms of wheat flour and bread quality, barley flour addition in the mixtures had a prevailing effect on the tested tri-composites

Forest leaf litter beetles of Taiwan: first DNA barcodes and first insight into the fauna

We report the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 spe- cies of 36 beetle families. This is the first bulk of data from the Taiwanese Leaf Litter beetles project focused on uncovering the under-explored diversity of leaf litter beetles across Taiwan. Based on these data, we provide the first records of the following taxa for Taiwan: family Sphindidae (genus Aspidiphorus Ziegler, 1821); tribes Trichonychini, Ctenistini, and Bythinoplectini (all Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae); genera Gyrelon Hinton, 1942, Thyroderus Sharp, 1885, Cautomus Sharp, 1885 (all Cerylonidae), Dermatohomoeus Hlisnikovský, 1963 (Leiodidae), Paraploderus Herman, 1970 (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae), Thinocharis Kraatz, 1859 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Cephennodes Reitter, 1884, Napoconnus Franz, 1957 (both Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Bicava Belon, 1884 (Latridiidae), Otibazo Morimoto, 1961, Seleuca Pascoe, 1871 and Acallinus Morimoto, 1962 (all Curculioni- dae); species Oodes (Lachnocrepis) japonicus (Bates, 1873) (Carabidae: Licininae), Drusilla obliqua (Bernhauer, 1916) (Staphylin- idae: Aleocharinae) and Coccotrypes advena Blandford, 1894 (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The records of Anapleus Horn, 1873 (Histeridae) and Batraxis Reitter, 1882 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) have been confirmed. The male of Sivacrypticus taiwanicus Kaszab, 1964 (Archeocrypticidae) is described for the first time. Gyrelon jenpani Hu, Fikáček & Matsumoto, sp. nov. (Cerylon- idae) is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. DNA barcodes associated larvae of 42 species with adults, we are concisely illustrating some of these: Oodes japonicus, Perigona cf. nigriceps Dejean, 1831 (both Carabidae), Ptilodactyla sp. (Ptilodactylidae), Maltypus ryukyuanus Wittmer, 1970 (Cantharidae), Drusilla obliqua, Myrmecocephalus brevisulcus (Pace, 2008), Diochus sp., Mimopinophilus sp. (all Staphylinidae), Stelidota multiguttata Reitter, 1877, Lasiodites inaequalis (Grouvelle, 1914) (both Nitidulidae), Lagria scutellaris Pic, 1910, and Anaedus spinicornis Kaszab, 1973 (both Tenebrionidae). We also report the first cases of Rickettsia infections in Scydmaeninae and Pselaphinae. All data (sequences, metadata, and voucher photos) are made public in BOLD database and in a Zenodo Archive

Association of kidney fibrosis with urinary peptides: a path towards non-invasive liquid biopsies?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A hallmark of CKD progression is renal fibrosis characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation of the urinary proteome classifier CKD273 and individual urinary peptides with the degree of fibrosis. In total, 42 kidney biopsies and urine samples were examined. The percentage of fibrosis per total tissue area was assessed in Masson trichrome stained kidney tissues. The urinary proteome was analysed by capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry. CKD273 displayed a significant and positive correlation with the degree of fibrosis (Rho = 0.430, P = 0.0044), while the routinely used parameters (glomerular filtration rate, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio) did not (Rho = -0.222; -0.137; -0.070 and P = 0.16; 0.39; 0.66, respectively). We identified seven fibrosis-associated peptides displaying a significant and negative correlation with the degree of fibrosis. All peptides were collagen fragments, suggesting that these may be causally related to the observed accumulation of ECM in the kidneys. CKD273 and specific peptides are significantly associated with kidney fibrosis; such an association could not be detected by other biomarkers for CKD. These non-invasive fibrosis-related biomarkers can potentially be implemented in future trials

Fermented Dough Characteristics of Wheat-barley-hemp Composites. Comparison of Two Dosages of Barley and Hemp Wholemeal/Flour

Wheat flour substitution by barley one led to shortening of fermentation and leavening times (about 14–57% and 35–83%, respectively) as well as to lessening of dough volumes (about 25–75%), based on lowered protein quality (Zeleny value). Addition of barley flour affected specific bread volume; diminishing for wheat-barley blends 70:30 and 50:50 reached 30% and 43%, respectively. Volume of bread prepared from wheat-barley blend 70:30 enhanced by dehulled hemp wholemeal was the highest within the tested tri-composites set, achieving 130% of wheat-barley control; other hemp products caused the parameter decrease (from 8 to 33%). Within a group of bakery products containing 50% of barley flour, hulled hemp wholemeal partially supressed negative effect of barley flour – specific bread volumes increased about ca 15%. Commercial fine hemp flour samples demonstrated a reversal influence – its addition resulted into lower buns size than wheat-barley control (about 3–34%). Between wheat flour and both groups of flour tri-composites, PCA confirmed differences in dough and bread technological quality. Specific bread volume could be predicted according to maturograph dough elasticity, dough or bread OTG volumes

Enterococcus alcedinis sp nova, isolated from common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

Two Gram-positive, catalase-negative bacterial strains were isolated from the cloaca of common kingfishers (Alcedo atthis). Repetitive sequence-based PCR fingerprinting using the (GTG)5 primer grouped these isolates into a single cluster separated from all known enterococcal species. The two strains revealed identical 16S rRNA gene sequences placing them within the genus Enterococcus with Enterococcus aquimarinus LMG 16607T as the closest relative (97.14 % similarity). Further taxonomic investigation using sequencing of the genes for the superoxide dismutase (sodA), phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase alpha subunit (pheS) and the RNA polymerase alpha subunit (rpoA) as well as application of whole-cell protein fingerprinting, automated ribotyping and extensive phenotyping confirmed that both strains belong to the same species. Based on data from this polyphasic study, these strains represent a novel species of the genus Enterococcus, for which the name Enterococcus alcedinis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is L34T ( = CCM 8433T = LMG 27164T)