Orange pomace is a byproduct of the orange juicing industry that contains several polyphenols that can exert health benefits. However, incorporating orange pomace polyphenols into functional foods is challenging because of their poor water solubility and low bioaccessibility. This problem can be overcome by incorporating the polyphenols into protein nanoparticle-based delivery systems. The objective of this research was therefore to encapsulate hesperetin in core-shell biopolymer nanoparticles assembled from zein and high-methoxy pectin using an antisolvent precipitation/electrostatic deposition method. Hesperetin is a bioactive polyphenol derived from hesperidin, which can be isolated from orange pomace. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated a strong interaction between hesperetin and zein. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that this interaction was primarily due to hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, while the interaction between pectin and zein was mainly due to electrostatic attraction. Hesperetin-loaded zein nanoparticles had a mean diameter, zetapotential, and encapsulation efficiency of 179 nm, 23.2 mV, and 93% before coating with pectin, and 357 nm, -22.6 mV, and 94% after coating with pectin, respectively. The pectin coating improved the stability of the nanoparticles to aggregation and sedimentation under different environmental conditions: pH 2.0-8.0; temperatures up to 90 degrees C; salt levels up to 50 mM NaCl; and storage for up to one month. The antioxidant activity and in vitro bioaccessibility of the encapsulated hesperetin were significantly higher than hesperetin dispersed in water. These results show that core-shell biopolymer nanoparticles may be a promising approach to incorporate hesperetin (and possibly other polyphenols) into foods and beverages.

Melons are a diverse group of fresh, dessert fruits that includes orange flesh cantaloupe, green flesh honeydew, and mixed hybrid melons. As part of an effort to discover potential health benefits of fruit and vegetable peels that are considered to be byproducts of food processing, we determined the total phenolic content and antioxidative activities of methanolic extracts of the powdered peels of the following commercial melon (Cucumis melo) varieties sold at retail markets in California that were imported from Mexico and Honduras: nonorganic Canary, Charentias, Hani Gold, Vine ripened, and Santa Claus; and organic Ambrosia, Cantaloupe, Galia, Goddess, Ham, Honeydew, and Tuscan. The total phenolic content (in mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract) ranged from 0.69 (Tuscan) to 2.96 (Galia) or 4.3-fold variation from lowest to highest value. The antioxidative activity (in mg ascorbic acid equivalents/mL extract) ranged from 0.13 (organic Tuscan) to 0.26 (organic Galia). Similar results were observed using the ABTS antioxidative assay. The content of the phenolic and flavonoid compounds 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, isovanillic acid, apigenin-7-α-glucoside, luteolin-7-o-glucoside, and quercetin-3-galactoside in three melon flesh samples (nonorganic and organic Galia from Honduras and organic Galia from Mexico and two peel samples (Mexican organic peel and flesh) were analyzed using HPLC. The results suggest that the peel from the Honduran Galia melon with the highest antioxidative activity merits further study to investigate potential health properties. Potential nutritional and health benefits of melon peels, Seeds, and their bioactive compounds are discussed. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The peel from the Honduran Galia melon variety merits further study for potential health benefits, including antioxidative, anticholesterol, and antidiabetic activities, and stimulation of thyroid function, as reported for peels from other melon varieties, as well as antibiotic activities against pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.

Crude peanut extract (CPE) was analyzed for three major allergens (Ara h 1, h 2, and h 3) using a C12 and a C-18 column at two wavelengths (280 and 220 nm) and under different solvent conditions. HPLC profiles were compared for retention time, resolution, and peak heights. CPE samples were spiked with pure allergens to identify the peaks corresponding to allergens. The HPLC fractions of corresponding allergens were collected and freeze-dried in order to perform SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting tests. The best method was identified the one with a shorter retention time, better resolution, and greater peak height as compared with the other methods. In general, the peak heights were greater at 220 nm than at 280 nm. The major disadvantage of the C-12 column was the need for two sets of conditions to identify the allergens as compared to the C-18 column where all three allergens could be identified in one run. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

After spinal cord transection, the generation of stepping depends on neurotransmitter systems entirely contained within the local lumbar spinal cord. Glutamate and glycine likely play important roles, but surprisingly little is known about how the content of these two key neurotransmitters changes to achieve weight-bearing stepping after spinal cord injury. We studied the levels of glutamate and glycine in the lumbar spinal cord of spinally transected rats. Rats (n = 48) received spinal cord transection at 5 days of age, and 4 weeks later half were trained to step using a robotic treadmill system and the remaining half were untrained controls. Analyses of glutamate and glycine content via high-performance liquid chromatography showed training significantly raised the levels of both neurotransmitters in the lumbar spinal cord beyond normal. The levels of both neurotransmitters were significantly correlated with the ability to perform independent stepping during training. Glutamate and glycine levels were not significantly different between Untrained and Normal rats or between Trained and Untrained rats. There was a trend for higher expression of VGLUT1 and GLYT2 around motor neurons in Trained versus Untrained rats based on immunohistochemical analyses. Training improved the ability to generate stepping at a range of weight support levels, but normal stepping characteristics were not restored. These findings suggested that the remodeling of the lumbar spinal circuitry in Trained spinally transected rats involved adaptations in the glutamatergic and glycinergic neurotransmitter systems. These adaptations may contribute to the generation of novel gait patterns following complete spinal cord transection.

BACKGROUND: Isoflavones, found in soymilk and tofu, are one of the phytochemicals in soy-based products that may promote good health. Homemade tofu and various homemade soymilk samples were made using different soaking, grinding, and cooking methods. The homemade samples were compared to commercial tofu and soymilk for total isoflavone content and composition as well as their antioxidant capacity. All samples were freeze-dried and extracted with a 58% acetonitrile solution which was subsequently used to determine the isoflavone content by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant activity of extracts was determined using a modified 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) method and total antioxidant capacity was reported as ascorbic acid equivalents.RESULTS: The total isoflavone, aglycone, and antioxidant levels were significantly higher in homemade soymilk and tofu (1571 mu g) than in commercial samples. Homemade soymilk made by the extended boiling method yielded the highest total isoflavone (2567 mu g) and glucoside (1525 mu g) content. A strong positive correlation was observed between the total isoflavone, aglycone conjugates, and genistein series concentration and antioxidant capacity of soymilk.CONCLUSION: Increased moist heating time yielded the highest concentration of total isoflavones as well as aglycone conjugates and the genistein series. Increasing the duration of boiling can increase the isoflavone content of both homemade and commercial soymilk and tofu. (c) 2007 Society of Chemical Industry.

Functional properties of gluten modified using hydrothermal treatment were compared with those of vital wheat gluten (VWG). Gluten slurry was jet cooked under pressure in the presence of corn syrup (CS) at different temperatures (121 and 149 degrees C) for different times and then spray dried. Foaming properties for all samples (treated and untreated) at different pHs showed that, although the optimum pH was S, at this pH the treated gluten samples displayed reduced foaming properties as compared with the control, whereas at all other pHs there was an increase in foaming properties. The sample treated with CS at 121 degrees C (JC121w/cs) showed the highest viscosity and elasticity increase among all treated samples. Emulsifying properties were adversely affected by an increase in temperature of treatment, whilst addition of CS helped to restore emulsion stability (ES). The sample VWG with CS (Cont.w/cs) at pH 3 showed maximum ES. In general, samples after treatment showed increased solubility. The hydrophilic but nonionisable sugar hydroxyl groups affected the functionality at lower pH. Molecular changes were followed by size exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Samples subjected to the lower temperature (121 degrees C) showed a shift of the molecular weight distribution to higher values in the HPLC profile, consistent with higher viscosities for this treatment. For the same samples, SDS-PAGE of the reduced protein exhibited a decrease in the intensity of bands corresponding to high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits, complementing the fact that large-molecular-size polymers are involved during protein modification. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.

ABSTRACT Uniaxial compression test for dough and several commercial products like jello, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, tofu and sausage (cooked and uncooked) was performed using a texture analyzer (TA). Percent stress relaxation (%SR ), k1 (initial rate of relaxation), k2 (extent of relaxation) and relaxation time (RT) were calculated and compared for different products. The TA software was used to convert the raw SR data into a linear form. Constants k1 and k2 were determined from the intercept and slope of the linear data. Higher values of %SR and k2 (90 and 9, respectively) indicated higher elasticity for jello, whereas wheat flour dough samples showed the lowest values (20–30) for %SR and 1 to 2 for k2. The RT and k1 values were not good indicators for differentiating different products based on their viscoelastic behavior. Measurement of RT was limited by the maximum time for which the data were collected, whereas k1, because of its mathematical form, needed careful interpretation. In this study, %SR was found to be a good measure to interpret viscoelasticity of different food samples.

Physico-chemical properties and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities of seven hybrid sunflower varieties commonly grown in Punjab state of India were studied. Seeds were studied for variations in physico-chemical properties, 100 kernel weight, density, bulk density, moisture, hull, oil, protein and ash content; expelled cake was studied for moisture, oil, crude fibre, ash and protein content and expelled-defatted cake for acid detergent fibre, lignin, moisture, ash and protein contents. PPO activity in all varieties, determined using pyrogallol as substrate at pH 6.5, varied between 0.212 and 0.294 Ab/min/mg protein. The PPO enzyme activity for MSFH-8 and Mega-363 was observed to be maximum at 55 and 60°C, respectively. The enzyme showed a Km value between 1.01 and 1.968 mM for pyrogallol and Vmax value between 0.21 and 2.0 Ab/min. ©

The transportation of neutral arenes such as benzene, toluene, o,m,p-xylene, durene,biphenyl, anthracene and phenanthrene through an aqueous medium using the crownconformation of tetrameric cyclophane hosts 1 and 2 has been studied. In general,transportation of all arenes increases with time, exceptfor toluene, which showssaturation behaviour with both hosts 1 and 2.Among the larger arenes, transportationof biphenyl is a maximum with 1; with host 2,transportation of anthracene is a maximumdue to its larger association constant. In the case ofsmaller arenes, 1 transportsbenzene most effectively, and transportation decreases asthe number of methyl groups onbenzene increases, showing that stereoelectronic factors affecttransportation. With 2toluene is transported most effectively due tothe change in the shape of the binding cavitycaused by a change in bridging groups. A comparison oftransportation for 1 h with 1 and 2shows that for all arenes transportation is greater withhost 2 than with 1 due to thehydrophobic nature of 2.

Octahydroxy tetrameric cyclophane1 containing four cetyl chains was synthesized from resorcinol and cetanal under acidic conditions and was characterized by1HNMR,13CNMR, and elemental analysis. Cyclophane1 forms aggregates with CMC 7.1 × 10−5 M in a nonpolar solvent such as CCl4. The smaller molecule glycine is more solubilized than the bigger lysine, demonstrating size discrimination. The highly polar compounds aspartic acid and glutamic acid, however, required 1.5 mm of1 for solubilization at the detectable limit. Kinetic study of the oxidation of glycine by ninhydrin in the presence of1 revealed that the rate enhancement compares to that in an aqueous environment, whereas the reduction of crystal violet by Hanzchester shows a decrease in the rate over that in aqueous solution.