This study evaluated the effects of mycelial inoculation from edible mushrooms on the protein quality and functional properties of oats. The oats were inoculated with mycelia of Sanghwang (SH), Chaga (CH), Shiitake (SI), and Yellow oyster (YO) mushroom under solid-state fermentation conditions. The amino acid composition, protein quality, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities were evaluated. Most amino acid contents increased following inoculation, with the YO treatment showing the highest total amino acids, branched-chain amino acids, methionine, and PDCAAS values, indicating improved protein quality. Tryptophan was identified as the first limiting amino acid in the SI treatment, resulting in the lowest PDCAAS value. SI and YO treatments resulted in increased extraction yields, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity. The YO treatment showed the highest DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, whereas the SI treatment exhibited the strongest ferric reducing antioxidant power. Conversely, the CH treatment demonstrated minimal functional enhancement. These results suggest that edible mushroom mycelial inoculation effectively improves the protein quality and functional properties of oats. Notably, YO-inoculated oats hold strong potential as a plant-based protein source tailored for elderly nutrition.
This study investigated the physicochemical properties, microstructure, and sensory characteristics of pan bread prepared with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% of ladybell (Adenophora triphylla var. japonica) leaf powder (LLP). With increasing LLP content, the pH of the dough and bread increased significantly (p<0.05), whereas the fermentation expansion rate, height, volume, specific volume, and baking loss rate decreased significantly. Bread weight did not differ significantly. Colorimetric analysis revealed that the lightness (L*) and redness (a*) decreased, whereas the yellowness (b*) increased at higher LLP concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy showed that bread with a higher LLP content exhibited thicker pore walls, smaller pores, and a less developed gluten network than the control. Hardness, gumminess, and chewiness significantly increased in the texture profile analysis, whereas springiness and cohesiveness decreased with increasing LLP addition. In the sensory evaluation, the control had the highest overall acceptance, whereas among LLP-added breads, the 4% LLP treatment received the highest scores. Therefore, 4% LLP is considered a suitable candidate level for the formulation and processing conditions used in this study.
Retort processing causes severe textural deterioration in seafood through protein denaturation, collagen gelatinization, and moisture loss. Fish generally undergo excessive tissue softening, whereas mollusks become undesirably tough during thermal sterilization. This study systematically evaluated physicochemical pretreatment strategies to control these contrasting mechanisms of texture deterioration and improve the textural integrity of retorted seafood products. Among the chemical pretreatments, 2% (w/w) apple powder increased the post-retort hardness of pollock by 51%, while 2% (w/w) chia seed dietary fiber had the greatest effect, improving hardness by 78% through enhanced moisture retention and structural reinforcement. Physical pretreatments further enhanced texture, with superheated steam (400°C, 5 min) and vacuum pretreatment (10 min) increasing hardness by 46% and 43%, respectively. Conversely, 0.3% (w/w) alkaline calcined shell calcium reduced the excessive toughness of retorted long-arm octopus by approximately 30%. These findings demonstrate that species-specific physicochemical pretreatment strategies may effectively control opposing texture deterioration phenomena during retort processing. This study provides a scientific basis for developing species-specific pretreatment technologies and optimizing retorted seafood processing. Further studies incorporating comprehensive texture profile analysis, sensory evaluation, storage stability, microstructural characterization, and pilot-scale validation are required to confirm the applicability of the proposed strategies.
This study investigated the food science research trends in North Korea through a literature review of the database of the Information Center on North Korea of the Ministry of Unification. The database includes North Korean periodicals, books, and newspaper articles. The representative North Korean periodicals for food science research are Sikryogongeob, Gyeonggongeob-gwahak, and Gyeonggongeob-gwahak-yeongutongbo. Most research articles in North Korean periodicals were very brief, ranging from 2 to 3 pages; thus, their structure was closer to that of a research note than a research paper. Their structural characteristics differed among periodicals. For example, Sikryogongeob list both the authors’ names and their affiliations; however, Gyeonggongeob-gwahak included only the authors’ names without their affiliations. The Materials and Methods sections of all food science-related North Korean periodicals contained very limited and brief information, without detailed experimental procedure, analytical replications, or statistical analyses. The Results and Discussion sections were also very concise, with approximately 400–500. The largest proportion of food science research focused on food process engineering (41.5%), followed by food technology (17.4%) and food fermentation (10.4%). Further research is required to advance knowledge of North Korean food science through cooperation with experts from intelligence agencies and scholars from countries friendly to North Korea.
The quality of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) powder is significantly affected by drying conditions. In this study, we compared the effects of three drying methods, sun drying, heated-air drying, and near-infrared drying, on the capsaicinoids, sugars, fatty acids, tocols, phytosterols, and ASTA value of red pepper powder. Heated-air drying yielded the highest fructose (138.8 mg/g) and glucose (135.1 mg/g) levels, whereas sucrose (5.8 mg/g) was detected in only sun-dried pepper. Capsaicinoid contents were not significantly affected by the drying conditions. Near-infrared drying resulted in a higher ASTA value (87.58±0.28) than heated-air drying (80.03±0.50) and sun drying (59.59±0.39). The drying methods altered the lipid profiles, with saturated fatty acid levels being the highest after heated-air drying (29.83%) and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels the highest after near-infrared drying (10.34%) and sun drying (64.96%), respectively. Tocopherol and squalene contents were the highest in heated-air- and sun-dried peppers, whereas campesterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol contents were unaffected by the drying method. These results suggest that drying methods differentially affect the status of bioactive compounds and induce distinct changes in the nutritional and market qualities of red pepper powder. Near-infrared drying appears to be suitable for industrial red pepper powder production because of its superior color retention and ability to maintain comparable bioactive compound levels.
