This study investigated the rheological behaviour, digestible starch fractions, and molar mass distribution of solubilised starch fragments in composite porridges made from soaked, germinated, and fermented pearl millet and cowpea. All formulations exhibited shear-thinning behaviour at the consumption temperature of 40 degrees C and demonstrated viscoelastic characteristics, balancing between solid-like (elastic) and liquid-like (viscous) properties. Composite porridges containing germinated pearl millet exhibited the lowest apparent and final viscosities, as measured by both rheometer and Rapid Visco Analyser. All composite porridges were classified as rapidly digestible starch (RDS), with 60-62 % of DM hydrolysed within the first 20 min, and minimal change observed throughout the 240 min digestion period. RDS is a desirable attribute in composite porridges, as it provides a readily available source of dietary energy to support growth and promote weight gain. Formulations containing fermented pearl millet and fermented cowpea, either together or in combination with germinated pearl millet or cowpea (FMFP, FGMFP, and FMFGP), showed higher intrinsic viscosity and greater concentrations of degraded solubilised starch fragments than those made with soaked cowpea (FMSP, FGMSP and FMSGP). These molecular characteristics are consistent with the lower viscosities and the RDS observed across samples. The findings demonstrate that simple, low-cost pre-treatments influence the molecular characteristics of solubilised starch fraction and, consequently, the functional properties of composite porridges. These modifications may contribute to the development of nutrient-dense, culturally acceptable porridge for feeding undernourished children in Mozambique and other low-income counstries facing similar challenges.

This study investigated the potential of yellow peas, with and without dehulling, as a biorefinery feedstock for sequentially producing multiple products such as fiber, starch, and proteins. It also investigated the effect of two different pea varieties, Ingrid and Clara, on the biorefinery efficiency and the quality of the recovered fractions by analyzing the composition and mass balance of four main fractions (hull, starch-rich, soluble dietary fiber/protein-rich, and main protein-rich fractions) generated during wet fractionation via the pH-shift method. Among dehulled samples (pea flour and crude protein isolate) Ingrid resulted in higher purity in specific fractions such as protein, starch, and dietary fiber than Clara while no difference was observed between the whole (with hull) and dehulled pea seed samples. Protein extraction efficiency, amino acid, and fatty acid profile did not show significant differences between whole and dehulled samples. Overall, these findings underscore the versatility of peas as a multiple-product biorefinery feedstock using the pH-shift method with the impact of variety being more pronounced on protein fraction quality, while preprocessing steps like dehulling play a decisive role in optimizing the composition and purity of fiber- and starch-rich fractions for targeted applications.

Mechanical or textural attributes of pulses like Swedish pea are important for milling process development like dehulling, splitting of cotyledons or making flour. This research is an attempt to gain better understanding of the compression and fracture behavior, cotyledon splitting and dehulling phenomena of Swedish pea cultivars (Ingrid, Clara and Balder) harvested from different years (2018, 2019 and 2020) in relation to chemical compositional profile and physical attributes. Physical attributes of Swedish pea were highly associated with specific cultivar types and environmental growth conditions. Majority of the chemical components (starch, dietary fibers) in pea samples were not significantly different between the cultivars or harvest years. Only protein content (16.9–19.6 % range) differed significantly between the cultivars and harvest years. Environmental conditions of the harvest year or cultivar types could not cast any significant difference in fracture or dehulling related parameters. Cotyledon splitting phenomena were significantly linked to different size and shape related parameters and starch content (47.6–50.0 % range). This study applies fracture mechanics principles to classify Swedish pea cultivars in terms of different mechanical attributes. Our work will help plant breeders to find scientific insight for gene targeting for future crop development with better milling efficiency and pulse milling industry to adopt pea cultivar specific dehulling and milling process development.

Undernutrition remains a major public health problem in Mozambique. Traditional porridges made from cereals like maize, rice, and millet are typically low in protein, nutrient density, and energy content. This study aimed to evaluate caregivers' liking of newly developed composite porridge made with pearl millet and cowpea, formulated to meet the nutritional needs of children by enhancing protein content and nutrient density. Sensory evaluations were conducted in three distinct locations: Copuito, Pulupu, and Nanguasse in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique. Four porridges were tested for appearance, colour, aroma, and taste: (1) SM-100 % soaked pearl millet (control); (2) FMFP-60 % fermented pearl millet + 40 % fermented cowpea; (3) FGMFP-55 % fermented pearl millet + 5 % germinated pearl millet + 40 % fermented cowpea; and (4) FMFGP-60 % fermented pearl millet + 35 % fermented cowpea +5 % germinated cowpea. Results showed that caregivers in all locations liked FMFGP very much, with both SM and FMFGP described as "good porridge". Although all composite porridges were generally liked, FMFP and FGMFP were less liked in Copuito and Pulupu because of their thinner viscosity and the taste of beans. The thin viscosity was due to the addition of germinated pearl millet, which allows for an increase in energy density. Overall, FGMFP and FMFGP have the potential to be successfully introduced and used as a nutritional solution to address children's malnutrition in Mozambique.

White bread is a worldwide consumed food product with significant nutritional value. The loaf volume of bread is a crucial parameter that influences its texture, appearance and consumer acceptability. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has shown significant potential in predicting the loaf volume of white bread, providing a faster and potentially more accurate alternative to time consuming traditional methods. This study investigates the effectiveness of NIRS and Near Infrared Transmission (NIT) spectroscopy in predicting loaf volume based on wheat flour measurements using both benchtop instruments and a portable FT-NIR instrument. A set of 154 wheat flour samples, including both winter and spring varieties, was analyzed. The performance of NIRS and NIT models was compared with conventional flour analysis methods such as farinograph, alveograph, and rapid visco analyzer. The regression models based on NIR and NIT data demonstrated higher prediction accuracies comparable to traditional methods while significantly reducing both time and complexity of the analysis. This study underscores the potential of NIRS technology to offer rapid and precise predictions of loaf volume, proving to be a valuable tool for baking producers of all scales. Furthermore, the availability of affordable and portable NIR devices makes this technology accessible for small-scale producers, enabling broader adoption across the baking industry.

Potato starch with mutations in starch branching enzyme genes (SBEI, SBEII) and granule-bound starch synthase gene (GBSS) was characterized for molecular and thermal properties. Mutations in GBSS were here stacked to a previously developed SBEI and SBEII mutation line. Additionally, mutations in the GBSS gene alone were induced in the wild-type variety for comparison. The parental line with mutations in the SBE genes showed a - 40 % increase in amylose content compared with the wild-type. Mutations in GBSS-SBEI-SBEII produced non-waxy, low-amylose lines compared with the wild-type. An exception was a line with one remaining GBSS wild-type allele, which displayed -80 % higher amylose content than wild-type. Stacked mutations in GBSS in the SBEI-SBEII parental line caused alterations in amylopectin chain length distribution and building block size categories of whole starch. Correlations between size categories of building blocks and unit chains of amylopectin were observed. Starch in GBSS-SBEI-SBEII mutational lines had elevated peak temperature of gelatinization, which was positively correlated with large building blocks.

Background and ObjectivesLoaf volume is the main indicator of wheat flour quality, but test baking has major limitations. Here, prediction models were used to evaluate which methodology best captured the baking quality in Swedish commercial wheat flour and if the chemical composition of flour increased prediction accuracy.FindingsFlour type (e.g., winter vs. spring wheat) affected prediction model results significantly. Thus, separate prediction models should be developed for each flour type. Combining data from alveograph, farinograph, and glutomatic tests with protein and damaged starch gave the best prediction results. The main loaf volume predictors were dough strength for winter wheat, stability for spring wheat, and extensibility for flour blends. The composition of protein and arabinoxylan influenced several quality parameters but did not improve loaf volume predictions.ConclusionsBest predictions were obtained for winter wheat. Spring wheat and flour blend models contained only one latent variable, indicating that protein content was the main determinant for loaf volume in these samples.Significance and NoveltyThis study is one of few using prediction models to evaluate instrument suitability to determine loaf volume. Instruments suitable for predicting quality were determined for commercial winter wheat flour, which is the main product of Swedish mills.

Morphology, composition and molecular structure of starch directly affect the functional properties. This study investigated the morphological, compositional, and molecular structure properties of starch from starch branching enzyme gene (SBE) and granule-bound starch synthase gene (GBSS) mutated potato, and their associations with thermal, pasting, and film-making properties. SBE mutations were induced in native variety Desiree while GBSS mutations were herestacked to a selected SBE mutated parental line. Mutations in SBE resulted in smaller starch granules and higher amylose content, while GBSS mutations in the SBE background reduced amylose content. Mutations in SBE, particularly with GBSS mutations, significantly increased total phosphorus content. 31P NMR spectroscopy revealed higher proportions of C6-bound phosphate than of C3-bound phosphate in all studied lines. Amylopectin unit chain and internal chain distributions showed higher proportions of long chains in mutated lines compared with Desiree. These amylopectin long-chains were positively correlated with gelatinizationand, pasting temperatures, and temperature at peak viscosity. Short amylopectin chains showed positive correlations with breakdown viscosity, but negative correlations with the crystal melting temperature of retrograded starch. Total phosphorus content was positively correlated with the crystal melting temperature of retrograded starch. Starch from different lines was used to produce a series of potato starch films that differed in morphology and functional properties. A negative correlation was observed between Young’s modulus of films and the long amylopectin-chain fraction. Thermal gravimetric analysis revealed highest thermal stability of Desiree starch films, followed by films from SBE-mutated high-amylose lines. Oxygen transmission rate and oxygen permeability analyses showed that films made with starch from selected GBSS and SBEs mutated line maintained comparable oxygen barrier properties to Desiree film. These insights on the impact of genetic mutations on starch properties indicate potential applications of in-planta starch modification for specific end-uses including packaging.

The effects of soaking, germination and fermentation on physicochemical, microstructural and pasting properties of improved and drought-tolerant Mozambican varieties of pearl millet and cowpea were investigated. Total starch content in both germinated pearl millet (GPM, 67.2 % of DM) and germinated cowpea (GCP, 47.4 % of DM) was found to be affected by germination, which consequently affected the amylose content of GPM and GCP. Morphological and pasting properties of pearl millet starch granules were altered by germination, with numerous holes and broken starch granules developing, leading to a drastic reduction in final viscosity (4 mPa.s). Cowpea starch granule structure was not markedly affected by pre-treatment, but peak (310 mPa.s) and final viscosity (196 mPa.s) were decreased by germination. Cowpea flour had smaller particle size distribution than pearl millet, but no significant differences in the flour were observed after pre-treatment (soaking, germination, fermentation). Therefore, these simple, low-cost and culturally acceptable treatments can be used to alter technical functionality and improve the nutritional benefits of flour, e.g. different pre-treatments of pearl millet and cowpea could be used to develop food products with high energy density and acceptable sensory profile such as porridge for undernourished children in low and middle-income countries.

Six cross-bred barley lines developed by a breeding strategy with the target to enhance the fructan synthesis activity and reduce the fructan hydrolysis activity were analyzed together with their parental lines, and a reference line (Gustav) to determine whether the breeding strategy also affected the content and molecular structure of amylopectin and β-glucan. The highest fructan and β-glucan content achieved in the novel barley lines was 8.6 % and 12 %, respectively (12.3-fold and 3.2-fold higher than in Gustav). The lines with low fructan synthesis activity had higher starch content, smaller building blocks in amylopectin, and smaller structural units of β-glucans than the lines with high-fructan synthesis activity. Correlation analysis confirmed that low starch content was associated with high amylose, fructan, and β-glucan content, and larger building blocks in amylopectin.

A high-throughput method for quantification of water extractable arabinoxylan (WE-AX) and water unextractable arabinoxylan (WU-AX) was adapted for and evaluated on 197 commercial Swedish wheat flours, collected continuously during harvest years 2018 and 2019. In the method, starch was hydrolysed by alpha-amylase and WE-AX was precipitated with 80% ethanol. AX residues were quantified by gas chromatography after acid hydrolysis. The method had a good repeatability (2.1% RSDr for total AX). Spring wheat flour had a higher WE-AX content (0.68%) and lower WU-AX content (1.19%) than winter wheat flour (0.56% and 1.31%). The variation of total AX content was high for winter wheat flour (1.5–2.2%), with no correlation to ash or protein content. Total AX content differed significantly both between harvest years and locations, indicating an impact from environment on AX composition. Overall, the method enabled high-throughput analysis of wheat flour and can be further used to study how endogenous AX impacts baking quality.

This study investigated seasonal variations in the composition of the kelp species Saccharina latissima cultivated on the Swedish west coast and, using an in vitro fermentation system, evaluated the effect of fermented whole S. latissima biomass or biomass components on the gut microbiota of broiler chickens. Caecal contents of six Ross 308 broilers fed a standard wheat and soy -based diet were retrieved on two different occasions, with three birds sampled per occasion. Two in vitro fermentation batches (A, B) were established using caecal contents as inoculum, and whole S. latissima, ethanol -washed S. latissima, laminarin extract or inulin (control) as substrate. Total short -chain fatty acid (SCFA) content, gas production, pH and changes in microbiota composition were studied after 6, 12 and 24 h of fermentation. Analysis of seasonal variations revealed that S. latissima harvested in June had the highest laminarin content and lowest ash and crude protein content. Broiler microbiota, SCFA profile, gas production and pH mainly varied depending on fermentation inoculum, but there were also some variations depending on substrate. For instance, uncultured bacterium from Clostridiales_vadinBB60_group showed higher relative abundance (RA) in batch A, while Faecalibacterium showed higher RA in batch B. Whole and ethanol -washed S. latissima resulted in highest RA of unclassified Ruminococcaceae and Tyzzerella for both batches, while ethanol -washed S. latissima and laminarin gave highest RA of Erysipelatoclostridium. Inulin resulted in highest RA for the genus Subdoligranulum. Acetic, nbutyric and propionic acid were the main fermentation products and total SCFA level was higher in batch B. Within batch B, inulin and laminarin generated higher levels of acetic and butyric acid. When using inulin and laminarin, gas production was lower in batch B compared with batch A. In summary, this study showed that S. latissima is a good source of laminarin, especially when harvested in summer. Within the in vitro system, the microbiota was affected by different substrates, but inoculum source was identified as an important contributor to microbial community development during fermentation.

The correlation between starch internal structure and thermal properties (gelatinisation and retrogradation) was studied in starches of wild-type potatoes and potatoes from the lines with altered starch synthase or branching enzyme activities (GBSS, SS, SBE), representing a range of amylose:amylopectin ratio from 2 to >99.5% amylopectin. The different potato lines were divided into Group 1-8 depending on the mutation targets. The internal chain distribution and building block composition of beta-limit dextrins (beta-LDs) in the whole starches were analysed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and high-performance size -exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) based on a recently developed simplified method. The building blocks were categorised into five size groups (G2-G6). Thermal properties of the starches were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The proportion of fingerprint B-chains with the degree of polymerisation 4-7, and the composition of intermediate (G4) and large (G5 and G6) building blocks of starches generally decreased in the order of potato lines from Group 2 (full Sbe1 and partial Sbe2 mutated)>Group 1 (full Sbe1 mutated)>wild-type > Group 7 (full Gbss and Ss2, and partial Ss3 mutated)>Group 8 (full Gbss, Ss2, and Ss3 mutated). The starch of amylopectin-rich potato lines from Group 8 with multiple genes targeted and the highest degree of mutations showed the lowest enthalpy of gelatinisation (15.0 J/g of amylopectin) and retrogradation (3.1 J/g of amylo-pectin), compared to starches of potato lines from other groups. More intermediate and large building blocks led to higher gelatinisation temperatures. Retrogradation was favoured by dense structure of the amylopectins with many short internal chains.

Fermentation of dietary fiber by gut microbes produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), but fermentation outcomes are affected by dietary fiber source and microbiota composition. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different fecal microbial compositions on in vitro fermentation of a standardized amount of oat, rye, and wheat breads. Two human fecal donors with different microbial community composition were recruited. Bread samples were digested enzymatically. An in vitro fermentation model was used to study SCFA production, dietary fiber degradation, pH, and changes in microbiota. Feces from donor I had high relative abundance of Bacteroides and Escherichia/Shigella , whereas feces from donor II were high in Prevotella and Subdoligranulum. Shifts in microbiota composition were observed during fermentation. SCFA levels were low in the samples with fecal microbiota from donor I after 8 h of fermentation, but after 24 h acetate and propionate levels were similar in the samples from the different donors. Butyrate levels were higher in the fermentation samples from donor II, especially with rye substrate, where high abundance of Subdoligranulum was observed. Dietary fiber degradation was also higher in the fermentation samples from donor II. In conclusion, fermentation capacity and substrate utilization differed between the two different microbiota compositions.

Environmental pollution by synthetic polymers is a global problem and investigating substitutes for synthetic polymers is a major research area. Starch can be used in formulating bioplastic materials, mainly as blends or composites with other polymers. The major drawbacks of using starch in such applications are water sensitivity and poor mechanical properties. Attempts have been made to improve the mechanical properties of starch-based blends and composites, by e.g., starch modification or plasticization, matrix reinforcement, and polymer blending. Polymer blending can bring synergetic benefits to blends and composites, but necessary precautions must be taken to ensure the compatibility of hydrophobic polymers and hydrophilic starch. Genetic engineering offers new possibilities to modify starch inplanta in a manner favorable for bioplastics applications, while the incorporation of antibacterial and/or antioxidant agents into starch-based food packaging materials brings additional advantages. In conclusion, starch is a promising material for bioplastic production, with great potential for further improvements. This review summarizes the recent advances in starch-based blends and composites and highlights the potential strategies for overcoming the major drawbacks of using starch in bioplastics applications.

High fructan content in the grain of cereals is an important trait in agriculture such as environmental resilience and dietary fiber food production. To understand the mechanism in determining final grain fructan content and achieve high fructan cereal, a cross breeding strategy based on fructan synthesis and hydrolysis activities was set up and have achieved barley lines with 11.8% storage fructan in the harvested grain. Our study discovered that high activity of fructan hydrolysis at later grain developmental stage leads to the low fructan content in mature seeds, simultaneously increasing fructan synthesis at early stage and decreasing fructan hydrolysis at later stage through crossing breeding is an efficient way to elevate grain diet-fiber content. A good correlation between fructan and beta glucans was also discovered with obvious interest. Field trials showed that the achieved high fructan barley produced over seven folds higher fructan content than control barley and pull carbon-flux to fructan through decreasing fructan hydrolysis without disruption starch synthesis will probably not bring yield deficiency.

To determine the internal structure of barley starch without amylopectin isolation, whole starch was hydrolyzed using β-amylase to remove the linear amylose and obtain β-limit dextrins (β-LDs). The β-LDs were treated with extensive α-amylase to prepare α-limit dextrins (α-LDs), and the α-LDs were further hydrolyzed with β-amylase into building blocks. The chain-length distribution of β-LD and building block composition were analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography and anion-exchange chromatography. The internal structure of the barley whole starches had similar pattern to barley amylopectins analyzed by conventional methods. The starch of barley amo1-mutated varieties contained more short internal B-chains and less long internal B-chains than that of other varieties. The starch from amo1-mutated varieties had more large building blocks than that from waxy varieties. The simplified method presented in this study can effectively characterize starch internal structure that relates to physicochemical properties of starch, although some details of amylopectin structure are not assessable.

DNA-free genome editing was used to induce mutations in one or two branching enzyme genes (Sbe) in tetraploid potato to develop starch with an increased amylose ratio and elongated amylopectin chains. By using ribonucleoprotein (RNP) transfection of potato protoplasts, a mutation frequency up to 72% was achieved. The large variation of mutations was grouped as follows: Group 1 lines with all alleles of Sbe1 mutated, Group 2 lines with all alleles of Sbe1 as well as two to three alleles of Sbe2 mutated and Group 3 lines having all alleles of both genes mutated. Starch from lines in Group 3 was found to be essentially free of amylopectin with no detectable branching and a chain length (CL) distribution where not only the major amylopectin fraction but also the shortest amylose chains were lost. Surprisingly, the starch still formed granules in a low-ordered crystalline structure. Starch from lines of Group 2 had an increased CL with a higher proportion of intermediate-sized chains, an altered granule phenotype but a crystalline structure in the granules similar to wild-type starch. Minor changes in CL could also be detected for the Group 1 starches when studied at a higher resolution.

Date fruits vary widely in the hardness of their edible parts and they are classified accordingly into soft, semi-dry, and dry varieties. Fruit texture, a significant parameter in determining consumer acceptance, is related to the tissue structure and chemical composition of the fruit, mainly the ratio of sucrose to reducing sugars. This study aimed to understand the relationship between the chemical composition, microstructure, and texture profile of 10 major Emirati date fruits. The soluble sugars, glucose and fructose, represent ca 80 g/100 g of the fruits on the basis of dry weight (DW) while the dietary fiber contents varied 5.2–7.4 g/100 dg D.W. with lignin being the main determinant of the variability. The textures of the samples were studied using instrumental texture profile analysis. While no correlation was found between the soluble sugar and texture parameters in this study, the different fiber constituents correlated variably with the different parameters of date fruit texture. Lignin, arabinoxylan, galactomannan, and pectin were found to correlate significantly with fruit hardness and the related parameters, gumminess and chewiness. Both lignin and arabinoxylan correlated with resilience, and arabinoxylan exhibited a strong correlation with cohesiveness.

Date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) of ten varieties, collected in the United Arab Emirates, were studied to determine their dietary fiber content and composition. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated that the dietary fiber components in all the date fruit varieties was similar. The major dietary fiber components, including cellulose, hemicellulosic components, lignin, and pectin, were analyzed by the Uppsala method. The total dietary fiber content in the date fruits analyzed (5.2%–8.3%) is comparable to commonly consumed dried fruits and is correlated with the content of lignin. The lignin was the main determinant of the total dietary fiber content in dates and its content was higher in semi-hard and hard fruit varieties.