Enhancing the rheological performance of wheat flour dough with glucose oxidase, transglutaminase or supplementary gluten

The enzymes glucose oxidase and transglutaminase are frequently used to improve the breadmaking performance of wheat flours, as they have the ability to considerably alter the viscoelastic nature of the gluten network. To evaluate a flour’s breadmaking performance, rheological tests offer an attractive framework. In this study, the rheological impact of adding glucose oxidase or transglutaminase to wheat flour dough is investigated by means of linear oscillatory shear tests, creep-recovery shear tests and startup extensional tests. The former tests reveal that the enzymes render the dough stiffer and enhance its elastic character, until saturation is reached. In the breadmaking process, the use of excessive amounts of enzyme is known to be counterproductive. The strain-hardening index clearly reveals this overcross-linking effect. Besides enzymes, the gluten network can also be reinforced by adding supplementary gluten, which was indeed found to enhance the extent of strain-hardening.</p

Scrutiny of chimeric antigen receptor activation by the extracellular domain: experience with single domain antibodies targeting multiple myeloma cells highlights the need for case-by-case optimization

IntroductionMultiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable, despite the advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. This unfulfilled potential can be attributed to two untackled issues: the lack of suitable CAR targets and formats. In relation to the former, the target should be highly expressed and reluctant to shedding; two characteristics that are attributed to the CS1-antigen. Furthermore, conventional CARs rely on scFvs for antigen recognition, yet this withholds disadvantages, mainly caused by the intrinsic instability of this format. VHHs have been proposed as valid scFv alternatives. We therefore intended to develop VHH-based CAR-T cells, targeting CS1, and to identify VHHs that induce optimal CAR-T cell activation together with the VHH parameters required to achieve this.MethodsCS1-specific VHHs were generated, identified and fully characterized, in vitro and in vivo. Next, they were incorporated into second-generation CARs that only differ in their antigen-binding moiety. Reporter T-cell lines were lentivirally transduced with the different VHH-CARs and CAR-T cell activation kinetics were evaluated side-by-side. Affinity, cell-binding capacity, epitope location, in vivo behavior, binding distance, and orientation of the CAR-T:MM cell interaction pair were investigated as predictive parameters for CAR-T cell activation.ResultsOur data show that the VHHs affinity for its target antigen is relatively predictive for its in vivo tumor-tracing capacity, as tumor uptake generally decreased with decreasing affinity in an in vivo model of MM. This does not hold true for their CAR-T cell activation potential, as some intermediate affinity-binding VHHs proved surprisingly potent, while some higher affinity VHHs failed to induce equal levels of T-cell activation. This could not be attributed to cell-binding capacity, in vivo VHH behavior, epitope location, cell-to-cell distance or binding orientation. Hence, none of the investigated parameters proved to have significant predictive value for the extent of CAR-T cell activation.ConclusionsWe gained insight into the predictive parameters of VHHs in the CAR-context using a VHH library against CS1, a highly relevant MM antigen. As none of the studied VHH parameters had predictive value, defining VHHs for optimal CAR-T cell activation remains bound to serendipity. These findings highlight the importance of screening multiple candidates

Investigation of the rheological behavior of blended dough systems: examining the interplay between wheat and rye flour

status: publishe

On the rheology of mixed dough systems: when wheat flour meets rye flour

status: publishe

Subperiosteal orbital abscess from odontogenic origin: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Subperiosteal orbital abcess is a rarely reported complication of odontogenic infections and can be associated visual impairment and neurological symptoms. Because of fast infection spreading, delay in diagnosis and treatment can result in permanent damage. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 55-year old presented with a right-sided subperiosteal orbital abscess originating from a decayed first upper molar. The associated loss of vision improved only after a extraoral surgical drainage. Three years later, recurrent headaches, photobia and ptosis still persist. DISCUSSION: Our case demonstrates a rare but potentially hazardous complication of untreated dental infections. The effect of antibiotics is often overestimated, and lack of treatment may lead to serious sequelae, certainly when the orbital infection is located posterior to the orbital septum. When intraoral drainage is insufficient, the infection should be accessed extraorally. CONCLUSION: Orbital infections require a thorough clinical evaluation, including the oral cavity as dental infections may be overlooked. Dental radiograpy plays a major role. Prompt and adequate treatment is crucial in preventing further spreading of odontogenic infections.status: publishe

Exploring the effect of arabinoxylans on the rheology of blended wheat flour-rye flour doughs via treatment with xylanases

edition: Abstract Book of the 8th International Symposium on Food Rheology and Structurestatus: publishe

Linear and Non-linear Rheology of Bread Doughs Made from Blends of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Rye (Secale cereale L.) Flour

Strain hardening of wheat flour (WF) proteins during fermentation and baking is at the basis of the excellent quality of wheat breads. Yet, there are good reasons to use rye flour (RF), such as its high content of dietary fiber and other bioactives. However, rye proteins lack the ability to form dough with sufficient strain hardening capacity under extension, which partially explains the inferior quality of rye breads. A promising strategy to make high-quality breads with high nutritional value is the use of WF and RF blends. Despite this, the rheological behavior of WF/RF bread doughs has not yet been investigated. This study examines their rheology by non-linear uniaxial extensional and small-amplitude oscillatory shear measurements, and relates these measurements to the quality of the resulting breads. The strain hardening index (SHI), derived from extensional measurements, is expressed as the transient extensional viscosity at maximum strain [ηₑ⁺(εmax)] relative to the linear extensional viscosity extrapolated to maximum strain [ηₑₒ⁺(εmax)]. Both the SHI and bread volume decreased when the level of RF in the blend increased. As an example, replacing 60% WF by RF led to a relative decrease of the SHI and bread volume of 34 and 64%, respectively. The decrease of the SHI is correlated to an increase in ηₑₒ⁺(εmax). Comparison of the extensional curves of doughs made with blends of WF and RF and doughs made with blends of WF and wheat starch (WS) further revealed that RF components play a major role in the rheology of the doughs. In conclusion, it was found that WF/RF blends need to contain at least 60% WF to obtain bread of proper quality.status: publishe