Effect of ultrasound on physicochemical properties of emulsion stabilized by fish myofibrillar protein and xanthan gum

peer-reviewedTo investigate the effects ultrasound (20 kHz, 150–600 W) on physicochemical properties of emulsion stabilized by myofibrillar protein (MP) and xanthan gum (XG), the emulsions were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ζ-potential, particle size, rheology, surface tension, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). FT-IR spectra confirmed the complexation of MP and XG, and ultrasound did not change the functional groups in the complexes. The emulsion treated at 300 W showed the best stability, with the lowest particle size, the lowest surface tension (26.7 mNm−1) and the largest ζ-potential absolute value (25.4 mV), that were confirmed in the CLSM photos. Ultrasound reduced the apparent viscosity of the MP-XG emulsions, and the changes of particle size were manifested in flow properties. Generally, ultrasound was successfully applied to improve the physical stability of MP-XG emulsion, which could be used as a novel delivery system for functional material

Interactions of vegetable proteins with other polymers: Structure-function relationships and applications in the food industry

peer-reviewedBackground In recent years, there has been increasing interest in vegetable proteins, due to their various health beneficial functions and wide applications in the food industry. Vegetable proteins combined with other edible polymers can be used to improve the quality and nutritional value of food products. In these complex food systems, interactions between different components are inevitable, and these interactions have a significant influence on the structure and functions of food products. Scope and approach This study reviews the current status of knowledge of interactions between vegetable proteins and other polymers (proteins or polysaccharides) in food systems and the structure of complexes formed by these interactions. The study also provides a comprehensive review of the applications of the complexes. Key findings and conclusions Vegetable proteins display different types of interactions with other polymers (e.g., polysaccharides, or animal proteins) under different conditions, thus forming a variety of complexes with different structures (e.g., double networks, mosaic textures and cross-linked structures), which showed different impact on properties of the final food products and their applications (e.g., substitution for fat, or encapsulation for bioactive ingredients) in the food industry. However, previous studies mainly focused on leguminous proteins and vegetable-protein-based mixtures of two polymers, further studies on other vegetable proteins and more complex food systems containing vegetable proteins and other polymers are required

Influence of ultrasound-assisted alkali treatment on the structural properties and functionalities of rice protein

peer-reviewedThe poor solubility of rice protein (RP) limits its applications in food industry. In this study, the effects of ultrasound-assisted alkali (UAA) treatment on the solubility, structure and functional properties of RP were investigated. Using UAA treatment, the solubility of RP increased with increasing alkali concentration, reaching a maximum value of 19.79 mg/mL at an alkali concentration of 0.08 M. The solubility was improved by 230-fold compared to un-treated samples. In addition, a reduction in particle size and degradation of the protein subunit were observed. UAA seemed to unfold the protein internal structural conformation and expose buried functional groups, which are linked to good emulsifying properties and foaming properties. A decrease in zeta potential was also observed after UAA treatment, which could be the reason for the decreased stability of the emulsion. UAA treatment modified the protein structure and significantly improved solubility

Effect of plant protein mixtures on the microstructure and rheological properties of myofibrillar protein gel derived from red sea bream (Pagrosomus major)

peer-reviewedIn this study, the influence of plant protein mixtures (soy protein isolate (SPI) + peanut protein isolate (PPI), SPI + rice protein isolate (RPI), and PPI + RPI) on the microstructure, rheological properties and molecular driving forces of myofibrillar protein (MP) gels was studied. SPI could form a gel with smoother and denser network, while the structures of PPI and RPI gels were rougher, which led to the network structures of SPI + PPI and SPI + RPI gels but the disrupted structure of PPI + RPI gel. However, the SPI + RPI and PPI + RPI gels with different microstructures exhibited larger gel strength compared to the RPI gel. After mixing MP with the mixture of SPI + PPI and SPI + RPI, the mixed gels became more compact, evener and smoother, while the mixture of PPI + RPI induced more pores to the MP gel. However, G′ values of these three kinds of mixed gels were similar and much larger than that of MP gel. In addition, the molecular driving forces involved in the mixed plant protein gels and mixed MP-plant protein gels were mainly hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds

The synthesis and characterization of a xanthan gum-acrylamide-trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether hydrogel

peer-reviewedTo improve the thermal stability and adsorption performance, xanthan gum was modified with acrylamide and trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TTE). The modified xanthan gum (XGTTE) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractogram (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The characteristic peaks at 3449, 1655, 1611 and 1420 cm−1 in the FT-IR confirm the modification. The XGTTE crystal grew well upon addition of TTE. The XRD and DSC data revealed that the XGTTE enhanced its thermal stability. Analysis of SEM revealed that the grafting introduced major changes on the microstructure making it porous and resulting in the adsorption of crystal violet (CV) with flocculation. The CV adsorption capacity of the hydrogel with different dosages of TTE (XGTTE2, XGTTE3, XGTTE4, XGTTE5 and XGTTE6) were between 28.13 with 35.12 mg/g. In addition, the adsorption capacity, thermal stability, and swelling property of XGTTE4 were the best

Effects of larval exposure to the insecticide flumethrin on the development of honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers

Flumethrin is a widely used acaricide, but its improper use often leads to residue accumulation in honeybee colonies, thus threatening the health of honeybees, especially at the larval stage. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the direct toxicity of flumethrin on honeybee (Apis mellifera) larvae by conducting bioassays for immune and detoxification-related enzymes and transcriptome sequencing to determine the potential effects on newly emerged adults who were exposed to flumethrin during the larval stage. Results showed that the higher the concentration of flumethrin the honeybee larvae were exposed to, the greater the damage to the physiology of honeybee larvae and the newly emerged worker bees. When honeybee larvae were exposed to flumethrin concentrations higher than 0.01 mg/L, the activities of glutathione sulfur transferase and carboxylesterase were affected, and the metabolism-related genes in the head of newly emerged honeybees exposed to flumethrin during the larval stage were down-regulated. Flumethrin concentration higher than 0.1 mg/L significantly increased mixed-functional oxidase content in honeybee larvae, reduced the larval survival rate, and down-regulated the expression levels of olfactory-related and antioxidant-related genes in newly emerged honeybees. Furthermore, a flumethrin concentration of 1 mg/L significantly down-regulated the expression levels of immune and detoxification-related genes in newly emerged honeybees. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the response of honeybee larvae to sublethal flumethrin toxicity and could be used to further investigate the complex molecular mechanisms in honeybees under pesticide stress

Application of Pressure Data Analysis in Tapping the Potential of Complex Fault Block Oilfield

The B oilfield in Bohai Bay Basin is the fluvial facies sedimentary, reservoir thickness varies rapidly in lateral direction, and what is worse the fracture system is very developed, petroleum reserves are small within a single block. Due to the poor quality of seismic data, the sealing of fault and reservoir connectivity is unclear which directly affect the understanding of reserves and adjusting injection-production well pattern. This paper introduces the working principle of StethoScope, and use formation pressure testing by StethoScope analyzing the fluid system and reserve scale, which can indirectly judge the sealing of fault and reservoir connectivity. This method provides a reliable basis for well pattern deployment

Polydatin Inhibits Formation of Macrophage-Derived Foam Cells

Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati, a Chinese herbal medicine, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. Polydatin, one of the major active ingredients in Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati, has been recently shown to possess extensive cardiovascular pharmacological activities. In present study, we examined the effects of Polydatin on the formation of peritoneal macrophage-derived foam cells in Apolipoprotein E gene knockout mice (ApoE−/−) and explored the potential underlying mechanisms. Peritoneal macrophages were collected from ApoE−/− mice and cultured in vitro. These cells sequentially were divided into four groups: Control group, Model group, Lovastatin group, and Polydatin group. Our results demonstrated that Polydatin significantly inhibits the formation of foam cells derived from peritoneal macrophages. Further studies indicated that Polydatin regulates the metabolism of intracellular lipid and possesses anti-inflammatory effects, which may be regulated through the PPAR-γ signaling pathways

First identification of canine adenovirus 1 in mink and bioinformatics analysis of its 100 K protein

IntroductionAnimal trade favors the spreading of emerging canine adenovirus 1 (CAdV-1) in mink. Because the 100K protein is not exposed to the viral surface at any stage, it can be used to differentiate the vaccine from wild virus infection. However, no related research has been conducted. This study aimed to find evidence of CAdV-1 in mink and predict the character of the 100K protein in the current circulating CAdV-1 strain of mink.MethodIn this experiment, the identification of CAdV-1, the phylogenetic tree, homology, and bioinformatics analysis of 100K were conducted.ResultsThe results showed that the CAdV-1 was identified in the mink and that its Fiber was located in a separate branch. It was closely related to strains isolated from Norwegian Arctic fox and Red fox. 100K was located in a separate branch, which had the closest genetic relationship with skunks, porcupines, raccoons, and hedgehogs and a far genetic relationship with the strains in dogs. 100K protein is an unstable and hydrophobic protein. It had evidence of selective pressure and recombination, 1 glycosylation site, 48 phosphorylation sites, 60 dominant B cell epitopes, and 9 peptides of MHC-I and MHC-II. Its subcellular localization was mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. The binding sites of 100K proteins were DBP proteins and 33K proteins.DiscussionThe stains in the mink were different from fox. The exploration of its genomic characteristics will provide us with a deeper understanding of the prevention of canine adenovirus