Determination of oligofructose, a soluble dietary fiber, by high-temperature capillary gas chromatography

A high-temperature capillary gas chromatographic method was developed for the quantitative determination of oligofructose in foods and food products. Sample preparation involves oxymation and silylation of the extracted sugars. The oximetrimethylsilyl derivatives are analyzed on an apolar capillary column, with detection by flame ionization. The method is accurate, with recovery of spiked samples at >96%. Repeatability was excellent; RSD values of 1.1% were obtained. Other common oligosaccharides, such as malto-, isomalto-, and galactooligosaccharides, and levan do not interfere, making the method specific and reliable.     

Importance of enzyme purity and activity in the measurement of total dietary fiber and dietary fiber components

A study was made of the effect of the activity and purity of enzymes in the assay of total dietary fiber (AOAC Method 985.29) and specific dietary fiber components: resistant starch, fructan, and beta-glucan. In the measurement of total dietary fiber content of resistant starch samples, the concentration of alpha-amylase is critical; however, variations in the level of amyloglucosidase have little effect. Contamination of amyloglucosidase preparations with cellulase can result in significant underestimation of dietary fiber values for samples containing beta-glucan. Pure beta-glucan and cellulase purified from Aspergillus niger amyloglucosidase preparations were used to determine acceptable critical levels of contamination. Sucrose, which interferes with the measurement of inulin and fructooligosaccharides in plant materials and food products, must be removed by hydrolysis of the sucrose to glucose and fructose with a specific enzyme (sucrase) followed by borohydride reduction of the free sugars. Unlike invertase, sucrase has no action on low degree of polymerization (DP) fructooligosaccharides, such as kestose or kestotetraose. Fructan is hydrolyzed to fructose and glucose by the combined action of highly purified exo- and endo-inulinases, and these sugars are measured by the p-hydroxybenzoic acid hydrazide reducing sugar method. Specific measurement of beta-glucan in cereal flour and food extracts requires the use of highly purified endo-1,3:1,4 beta-glucanase and A. niger beta-glucosidase. Beta-glucosidase from almonds does not completely hydrolyze mixed linkage beta-glucooligosaccharides from barley or oat beta-glucan. Contamination of these enzymes with starch, maltosaccharide, or sucrose-hydrolyzing enzymes results in production of free glucose from a source other than beta-glucan, and thus an overestimation of beta-glucan content. The glucose oxidase and peroxidase used in the glucose determination reagent must be essentially devoid of catalase and alpha- and beta-glucosidase.     

The noncarbohydrate part of the polysaccharide complex ofSolidago virgaurea

The ash elements in the inflorescences and polysaccharides ofSolidago virgaurea L. have been determined qualitatively and quantitatively. Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Na⁺ have been detected.I. P. Pavlov Rayazan' Medical Institute. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 284–286, May–June, 1984.     

Determination of polydextrose as dietary fiber in foods

Polydextrose (Litesse) provides physiological effects consistent with dietary fiber. However, AOAC methods for measuring total dietary fiber (TDF) in foods include an ethanol precipitation step in which polydextrose and similar carbohydrates are discarded and therefore not quantitated. This study describes a method developed to quantitate polydextrose in foods. The new method includes water extraction, centrifugal ultrafiltration, multienzyme hydrolysis, and anion exchange chromatography with electrochemical detection. Six foods were prepared with 4 levels of polydextrose to test the ruggedness of the method. Internal validation demonstrated the ruggedness of the method with recoveries ranging from 83 to 104% with an average of 95% (n = 24) and relative standard deviation of recoveries ranging from 0.7 to 13% with an average of 3.3% (n = 24). The value is added to that obtained for dietary fiber content of foods using the AOAC methods, to determine the TDF content of the food.     

Measurement and quantitative analysis of fiber orientation distribution in long fiber reinforced part by injection molding

The fiber orientation distribution is one of the important microstructure variables for thermoplastic composites reinforced with discontinuous fibers. In this paper, the long fibers in the injection molded part are measured in detail by micro X-ray CT. A three dimensional (3D) structure of the sample is built and two dimensional images are generated for image analysis. The orientation tensor of fibers is calculated in the flow plane. It shows a symmetric distribution of fibers through the thickness direction, which consists of outer skin, transition zone and the core. The skin layer is so thin that it has only one layer of highly oriented fibers. The core layer also has highly oriented fibers but the direction of fibers is different from that in the skin layer. Nevertheless, the clustering of the fibers is characterized quantitatively in the core. The transition zone can be divided into two subzones by the principal directions of the tensor.     

Correlating detergent fiber analysis and dietary fiber analysis data for corn stover collected by NIRS

There exist large amounts of detergent fiber analysis data [neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL)] for many different potential cellulosic ethanol feedstocks, since these techniques are widely used for the analysis of forages. Researchers working in the area of cellulosic ethanol are interested in the structural carbohydrates in a feedstock (principally glucan and xylan), which are typically determined by acid hydrolysis of the structural fraction after multiple extractions of the biomass. These so-called dietary fiber analysis methods are significantly more involved than detergent fiber analysis methods. The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is feasible to correlate detergent fiber analysis values to glucan and xylan content determined by dietary fiber analysis methods for corn stover. In the detergent fiber analysis literature cellulose is often estimated as the difference between ADF and ADL, while hemicellulose is often estimated as the difference between NDF and ADF. Examination of a corn stover dataset containing both detergent fiber analysis data and dietary fiber analysis data predicted using near infrared spectroscopy shows that correlations between structural glucan measured using dietary fiber techniques and cellulose estimated using detergent techniques, and between structural xylan measured using dietary fiber techniques and hemicellulose estimated using detergent techniques are high, but are driven largely by the underlying correlation between total extractives measured by fiber analysis and NDF/ADF. That is, detergent analysis data is correlated to dietary fiber analysis data for structural carbohydrates, but only indirectly; the main correlation is between detergent analysis data and solvent extraction data produced during the dietary fiber analysis procedure.     

Enzymatic degradation of Lignin-Carbohydrate complex (part I)

Initial steps in an early metabolic pathway of biodegradation of lignin by white-rot fungus are very important for application of biotechnology to the utilization of biomass; for example, enzymatic pretreatment for ethanol production from plant resources and biological pulping. Lignins in woody plants exist as giant high molecular weight compounds bounded with carbohydrates, mainly hemicelluloses at middle lamella and in secondary cell wall, and show resistance against the invasion of general microorganisms other than wood-rotting fungi and also against enzymatic digestion of cellulose. We assumed that white-rot fungi first attack the lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) and then decompose to some degree into oligomers of lignin and hemicellulose by an unknown enzymatic reaction. The study began with a screening of the fungus, which grew well on the LCC medium. LCCs were prepared from wood meal ofPicea jezoensis that had been extracted MWL, by the method of Koshijima (1). Six fungi (2) that grew well on the media containing decayed lignin were inoculated on agar media of LCC. After 3 d cultivation, the fungiGanoderma sp. andPoria subacida showed most growth on the medium. Crude enzyme preparations were made from decayed wood meal media with each fungus. Chromatographic detection of decomposed compounds from LCC, which is soluble in hot water, by each enzyme and Meicelase fromTricoderma viride, suggest that the wood-rotting fungus may contain another enzyme able to liberate a phenolic compound from LCC besides the enzymes ofTricoderma viride.     

铜藻膳食纤维可食用膜的制备及风味分析

以铜藻膳食纤维为原料制备可食用膜,促进对利用程度不高的铜藻膳食纤维的精深加工.研究了料液比、甘油含量、增稠剂含量对铜藻膳食纤维可食用膜透明度的影响,通过单因素试验确定最佳制备条件为:料液比1:30、甘油含量为2％,增稠剂羟甲基纤维素钠添加量为1％,在此条件下可食用膜的透明度最高为15.87％.对铜藻膳食可食用膜的风味成...     

Guarnt® bland,a reduced odor stabilizer and soluble dietary fiber

The odor and flavor of guar gum may emanate from the breakdown of lipid, protein and/or isoflavones. Guar gum is a galactomannan isolated from the annual plant, Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, Guar is widely used as a thickening agent but due to its characteristic off-flavor and odor, its usage level has been limited. GuarNT bland, subjected to a proprietary process to reduce its off-flavor and odor, offers the food formulator more options. GuarNT bland can be subjected to a prehydration process to improve its dispersion and increase hydration rate and avoid lumping problems during large-scale production. It is used as a thickening agent, suspending agent and a “natural” source of soluble dietary fiber (80% minimum, dry basis). Rheological data using a programmable Brookfield rheometer, hexanal levels (index of grassy flavor), PCA analyses (Aroma Scan, Foss NA) and sensory tests by trained panelists were obtained. Prototype formulations using GuarNT Bland are available and usage levels permitted by CFR are included.     

Thermodynamic Functions of Inulin and Absolute Entropies of Polysaccharides

Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A - In the present work temperature dependence of heat capacity of inulin has been measured for the first time in the range from 5 to 340 K by precision...     

Measurement of sugars and starches in foods by a modification of the AOAC total dietary fiber method.

A separation scheme for the determination of sugars and starch in processed food was developed. It is based on AOAC Method 985.29 for total dietary fiber with these modifications: carbohydrate starches are separated into soluble and insoluble fractions before they are hydrolyzed; acetonitrile is used instead of ethanol to separate sugars from enzyme-resistant carbohydrates, proteins, and other macromolecules; and a solid-phase extraction filter is included to remove substances that interfere with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Recovery studies indicate a > 97% sugar recovery. Twenty foods were analyzed. After enzymatic hydrolysis, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose were extracted and determined by HPLC using a refractive index detector. Starch content was calculated from the increase in the amount of glucose. The results were compared with values listed on the "Nutrition Facts" panel for that food. The analyzed amounts of sugars and starches were 73-96% of declared values.     

Sieving study of chromatin and histone-DNA complex by porous hollow fiber membranes

Permeation of chromatin isolated from human HeLa S3 cells and histone-DNA complex through regenerated cellulose hollow fibers was investigated as a model study of DNA removal for drug manufacturing using membrane technology. It was found that the permeation of histone-DNA and chromatin through the membranes having a mean pore diameter of 15 nm was substantially lower than the permeation of free DNA which did not complex with proteins based on the concentration determination of the feed and permeate solutions using UV spectroscopy. Direct observation to determine the existence of chromatin and histone-DNA complex in the permeate solution was also performed using atomic force microscopic imaging. No chromatin and chromatin-like structures were found in the examination of 10 areas of 1.0×1.0 μm on the mica which had been adsorbed from the solution permeated through the membranes. Thus, the membranes having a mean pore diameter of 15 nm most likely reject the chromatin and histone-DNA complex that are observed to have an apparent width of 25–30 nm based on atomic force microscopic imaging.     

Synthesis of monomers which are triplets of the “crystalline” part of collagen molecule

Conclusions Triplet monomers were synthesized with the sequences Gly-I-I, Gly-Ala-I, Ala-I-I, and Gly-Pro-R (I=the imino acid proline or hydroxyproline, and R=an amino acid residue).Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 392–397, February, 1969.     

Historical perspective as a guide for identifying and developing applicable methods for dietary fiber

A review is presented describing the nature and evolving definition of dietary fiber. The historical development of the current definition is discussed as are the efforts to develop analytical methods to support food labeling regulations. Also considered are the characterization and quantitation of resistance starch, a dietary starch that does not digest in the small intestine, behaves like dietary fiber and therefore may have potential as a health-related ingredient in foods. The current status of AOAC methodology is discussed along with the possibility of updating the definition of dietary fiber. The potential impacts of changing the dietary fiber definition on analytical issues and on food composition databases are also considered.     

Modification of beta-lactoglobulin by oligofructose: impact on protein adsorption at the air-water interface

Maillard products of beta-lactoglobulin (betaLg) and fructose oligosaccharide (FOS) were obtained in different degrees of modification depending on incubation time and pH. By use of a variety of biochemical and spectroscopic tools, it was demonstrated that the modification at limited degrees does not significantly affect the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of betaLg. The consequence of the modification on the thermodynamics of the protein was studied using differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism, and by monitoring the fluorescence intensity of protein samples with different concentrations of guanidine-HCl. The modification leads to lowering of the denaturation temperature by 5 degrees C and a reduction of the free energy of stabilization of about 30%. Ellipsometry and drop tensiometry demonstrated that upon adsorption to air-water interfaces in equilibrium modified betaLg exerts a lower surface pressure than native betaLg (16 versus 22 mN/m). Moreover, the surface elastic modulus increased with increasing surface pressure but reached significantly smaller values in the case of FOS-betaLg. Compared to native betaLg, modification of the protein with oligofructose moieties results in higher surface loads and thicker surface layers. The consequences of these altered surface rheological properties are discussed in view of the functional behavior in technological applications.     

Atomic scale modelling of the cores of dislocations in complex materials part 2: applications

In an accompanying article, we have described a methodology for the simulation of dislocations in structurally complex materials. We illustrate the applicability of this method through studies of screw dislocations in a structurally simple ionic ceramic (MgO), a molecular ionic mineral (forsterite, Mg2SiO4), a semi-ionic zeolite (siliceous zeolite A) and a covalent molecular crystalline material (the pharmaceutical, orthorhombic paracetamol-II). We focus on the extent of relaxation and the structure of the dislocation cores and comment on similarities and points of disparity between these materials. It is found that the magnitude of the relaxation varies from material to material and does not simply correlate with the magnitude of the principal elastic constants in an easily predictable fashion, or with the size of the cohesive lattice energy or length of the Burgers vector, which emphasises the need to model the non-linear forces and atomic structure of the core.