Texture Studies on Chinese Wet Noodles (Hokkien - Style Noodles)

This study reports the textural evaluation of Chinese wet noodles made from Australian Standard White (ASW) flour, using the Instron Universal Food Tester (Model 1140). Procedures for conducting the instrumental test were set up in the preliminary part of the study. Maximum cutting stress (MCS), percentage of residual force (RF) and tensile stress which denote the internal firmness, elasticity and tensile strength of noodles obtained using cutting blade, compression and tensile attachments respectively, were reliable measures of the textural properties of Chinese wet noodles. These variables were highly correlated to sensory evaluation of firmness,chewiness and tensile strength of noodles (r = 0.93 - 0.99 P<0.0l - P<0.l). The study on the function of various components and conditions in noodle making showed that the texture of Chinese wet noodles were affected by the types and amount of water in the formulation, types and pH of the cooking water, levels of sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium carbonate (Na2C03), potassium carbonate and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in the formulation and the level of protein in flours. Results obtained from the cutting test alone demonstrated that Chinese wet noodles with maximum internal firmness could be made from ASW flour using a water absorption of 32 - 34% and a dough pH of 10.0. Slightly hard water containing 36 ppm Ca2+ should be used in the formulation. Types and pH of cooking water recommended were hard water (64 ppm Ca2+) and pH 9.0 10.0 respectively. The amount of NaOH needed is 0.40% based on the weight of flour. Based on the results obtained from the compress ion test , Chinese wet noodles with maximum elastic property could be processed from ASW flour using 38% water absorption level and a dough pH of 9.0. Distilled or soft water (0 ppm Ca2+) should be used in the formulation and noodles should be cooked in slightly hard water (36 ppm Ca2+) and pH of cooking water suggested was pH 6.0. The amount of Na2C03 or K2C03 needed is 0.25 - 0.50%, whereas if NaOH was used the amount recommended is 0.20% based on the weight of flour. Fortification of ASW flour using wheat gluten and blending of Prime Hard (PH) to ASW flour increase the level of protein in noodle doughs and hence, improved the textural characteristics of Chinese wet noodles. A strong correlation was observed between protein content of flours and MCS and RF (%) with r=0. 99 (P<0.000l) and r=0.90 (P<0.0l) respectively. No significant differences were seen between MCS of Chinese wet noodles processed from ASW and PH flour blends in the ratio of 55:45, 60:40 and 65:35 (P<0.0l). Stability of dough obtained from farinograph can be used to predict the internal firmness of Chinese wet noodles. This study suggested that to produce the required or desirable textural characteristics of Chinese wet noodles several interrelated factors have to be considered and optimised

Pulsed light treatment as an alternative technology to extend shelf life of fresh-cut yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata)

Pulsed light (PL) treatment is a non-thermal method for microbial decontamination on the surfaces of fresh-cut produce. The effect of pulsed light fluencies on microbiological stability and quality changes of fresh-cut yardlong beans were determined. Pulsed light treatments were carried out using an automatic laboratory flash lamp system (Steribeam XeMaticA-2L Kehl, Germany) at different fluencies (1.8 J/cm2, 5.4 J/cm2, 9.0 J/cm2 and 12.6 J/cm2). Microbiological quality (colour changes and textural changes) of fresh-cut yardlong beans stored at 4±1°C were monitored over 14 days. Results show that, the application of PL treatment at high fluencies allowed extension of microbiological shelf life up to 3-7 days in comparison to untreated samples. Apart from that, PL treated sample has no significant difference on the texture and colour as compared to untreated sample of fresh-cut yardlong bean. As a conclusion, the application of PL at dose 9.0 J/cm2 has increased the shelf life of fresh-cut yardlong bean while maintaining the quality when stored at 4±1°C

Water extract of brewers rice induces antiproliferation of human colorectal cancer (HT-29) cell lines via the induction of apoptosis

OBJECTIVE: Brewers' rice, a mixture of broken rice, rice bran, and rice germ, is a rice by-product in the rice industry. The present study was designed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity of the water extract of brewers' rice (WBR) against colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cytotoxicity activity was determined using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. The morphological changes of the HT-29 cells were observed using inverted light and fluorescence microscope. Cell cycle and apoptotic cell death analyses were performed using flow cytometer. Besides that, the selected polyphenolic compounds in WBR were also analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). RESULTS: The cytotoxicity results showed that WBR was more cytotoxic (but not significantly different) in HT-29 cells compared to the MBR, with IC50 value of 21.88 ± 12.43 µg/mL and 34.50 ± 5.92 µg/mL for WBR and MBR, respectively (p > 0.05). WBR-treated HT-29 cells displayed the typical characteristics of apoptosis, as visualized using inverted light and fluorescence microscope. WBR also significantly increased the number of early and late apoptotic HT-29 cells compared to control cells (p < 0.05). Results from UPLC analysis demonstrated that ferulic acid (36.42 ± 2.97 µg/g) was found the highest level in WBR, followed by gallic acid (26.09 ± 2.01 µg/g) and p-coumaric acid (7.13 ± 0.36 µg/g). These phenolics are speculated to partially contribute to apoptotic cell death. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that WBR derived from natural sources might represent a potential chemopreventive agent against colon cancer

Effect of Cosmos caudatus Kunth. (Ulam Raja) aqueous and dry extracts on the physicochemical and functional properties, and sensory acceptability of herbal yellow alkaline noodles

Introduction: Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja) is rich in phytochemicals and can be utilised in diet diversification strategies to improve the health of individuals. This study was designed to incorporate dry and aqueous extracts of C. caudatus for the preparation of herbal noodles. Methods: For this purpose, different proportions of dry extract (2, 4 and 6% dry extract) and aqueous extract (5, 10 and 15% aqueous extract) of C. caudatus were used. The physicochemical properties of noodles evaluated were pH, cooking time, cooking loss, texture and colour. Total polyphenol contents (TPC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay were carried out to assess the antioxidant potential. Lastly, sensory appraisal of functional noodles was carried out to assess consumer acceptance and marketability. Results: The results on physicochemical properties indicated that the pH value of noodles varied from 8.66 to 10.47. In terms of textural analysis and colour properties, firmness and greenness (a*) were higher in dry extract noodles. TPC varied between 115 to 149 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE/100g) whilst the highest DPPH free radical inhibition was exhibited in herbal noodles prepared using 4% dry extract (92.8%). In contrast, in terms of sensory appraisal, herbal noodles prepared with aqueous extract were more acceptable than dry extract noodles. Conclusion: C. caudatus can be utilised to prepare herbal noodles thus enhancing the dietary intake of phytochemicals especially antioxidants. Such functional foods can improve the health of consumers and offer the potential of protection against various ailments

Improvement of glucose production by raw starch degrading enzyme utilizing acid-treated sago starch as substrate

The native sago starch exists as a compact crystalline structure and is not efficiently hydrolyzed by Raw Starch Degrading Enzyme (RSDE). In order to enhance its hydrolysability, the starch was treated with acid and heated below its gelatinization temperature, thus increasing the accessibility of the sago starch granule to enzymatic attack. Results showed that treatment of sago starch with acid at pH 2.0 and temperature 65oC for 2 hours greatly enhanced its conversion rate to glucose from 53.3% to 71.9%. It is clearly shown that high yield of glucose is produced during hydrolysis of acid-treated sago starch using the Raw Starch Degrading Enzyme from Acremonium sp. The difference between the acid-treated and untreated sago starch in this study could be due to the differences on the surface of the sago starch granule which may influence the accessibility and diffusion of enzyme into the starch during hydrolysis

Optimization of pulsed ultrasound-assisted technique for extraction of phenolics from pomegranate peel of Malas variety: punicalagin and hydroxybenzoic acids

Pomegranate peel is a rich source of phenolic compounds (such as punicalagin and hydroxybenzoic acids). However, the content of such bioactive compounds in the peel extract can be affected by extraction type and condition. It was hypothesized that the optimization of a pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction (PUAE) technique could result in the pomegranate peel extract with higher yield and antioxidant activity. The main goal was to optimize PUAE condition resulting in the highest yield and antioxidant activity as well as the highest contents of punicalagin and hydroxybenzoic acids. The operation at the intensity level of 105 W/cm2 and duty cycle of 50% for a short time (10 min) had a high efficiency for extraction of phenolics from pomegranate peel. The application of such short extraction can save the energy and cost of the production. Punicalagin and ellagic acid were the most predominant phenolic compounds quantified in the pomegranate peel extract (PPE) from Malas variety. PPE contained a minor content of gallic acid

Dimension and stackability of cassava (Manihot esculanta Crantz) chips for mass production

Cassava chips that exist in the current market have no standardisation and cannot be stacked nicely into cylindrical container. The objectives of this work are to determine the different dimension of cassava chips produced with different thickness and to develop stackable chips during mass production. Fresh cassava tubers were harvested, washed, peeled and sliced. The thickness measurements used were 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.75 mm and 2.0 mm and 1.27 mm thickness was measured from commercial potato chips as a controlled sample. Then, it was fried in deep fat fryer with the temperature of 170°C. For each thickness studied, different numbers of slice (10, 20, 30 and 40 slices) were fried simultaneously. Results showed that there are 6 shapes of fried chips produced during the frying. To conclude, thickness of the slice and number of slices fried simultaneously give impact towards the shape of fried chip

Development of pistachio (pistacia vera L.) spread.

Pistachio nut (Pistacia vera L.) is one of the most delicious and nutritious nuts in the world. Pistachio spreads were developed using pistachio paste as the main component, icing sugar, soy protein isolate (SPI), and red palm oil (RPO), at different ratios. The highest mean scores of all the sensory attributes were depicted by spreads that were made without addition of SPI. It was found that the work of shear was 0 to 11.0 kg s for an acceptable spread. Sensory spreadability, overall texture, spreadability, and overall acceptability were negatively correlated (R > 0.83) with the work of shear of spreads. The findings indicated that the presence of RPO had a direct effect on the viscoelastic behavior of the pistachio spreads. The a values, which are related to the green color of the pistachio product ranged from 1.7 to 3.9 for spread without addition of RPO, and 4.0 to 5.3 in the presence of RPO

Effect of roasting conditions on hardness, moisture content and colour of pistachio kernels

Roasting of whole-kernels is an important step in the production of pistachio paste. The effect of hot air roasting temperatures (90-190°C) and times (5-65 min) on the hardness, moisture content and colour attributes ('L', 'a' and 'b' values and yellowness index) of both whole-kernel and ground-state were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). Increases in roasting temperature and time caused a decrease in all the responses except for 'a' value of ground-state. The interaction and quadratic models sufficiently described the changes in the hardness and colour values, respectively. The result of RSM analysis showed that hardness and colour attributes ('L' and 'b' values, yellowness index) of kernels and 'a' value of ground-state could be used to monitor the roasting quality of whole-kernels. This study showed that the recommended range of roasting temperature and time of whole-kernel for the production of pistachio paste were 130-140°C and 30-40 min, respectively

The globalization of Malaysia national cuisine: a concept of 'Gastrodiplomacy'

Malaysia national cuisines are inherited through various generations and have been created through multiple evolutions and assimilations, in which formed very unique and delicious cuisines using various tropical ingredients. However, Malaysia national cuisine is still new to some of the global citizens. Therefore, food globalization is very important, because food globalization not only contributes to the trade industries but also contributes to other local industries such as tourism industries. A new term known as 'gastrodiplomacy' has been introduced recently to explains how countries used their national cuisines as a method to promote their countries, cultures, foods, attract foreign tourists and also build political relations. Malaysia also has rigorously applying gastrodiplomacy practices especially through the 'Malaysia Kitchen for the World' programme (MKP). Not only that, media such as documentary programmes and cooking competitions somehow contributes to the globalization of Malaysia national cuisine. Though the government and the citizens have taken various actions, there are still rooms for improvements to make the cuisines further known worldwide. Malaysia has been recognized as one of the best gastrodiplomacy practitioners in the world, and it is hoped that this article could be as a platform to share how Malaysia used this method to promote its national cuisines