Journal of Cereal Science最新文献

Rice cultivation in Karst regions shows significant variations in both yield and quality due to temperature and light. Herein, 241 varieties including 198 indica rice and 43 japonica rice were planted in three ecological regions to investigate responses of rice qualities to meteorological factors. Results showed that in regions with higher average temperature (25.43 °C) and less daily sunshine hour (2.53 h/day), the appearance qualities (chalkiness degree, chalkiness rate and size) and processing qualities (brown rice percentage, head rice and milled rice percentages) were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). A total of 723 samples in three ecological environments were grouped into 4 clusters, arranged in descending order of cluster scores. In high-scoring cluster, the processing quality, appearance quality, protein content, hot paste viscosity, consistence viscosity, and setback viscosity were negatively correlated with temperatures (average temperature, temperature difference, effective accumulated temperature, maximum and minimum temperatures) from heading to mature stages, but positively correlated with sunshine hours. Apparent amylose contents were negatively correlated with temperatures but not significantly correlated with sunshine hours. In low-scoring cluster, only the processing quality had significant correlations with meteorological factors. These findings revealed the interaction between temperature and light for the formation of rice quality.

In this research, changes in microbial shelf-life and quality characteristics of fresh wet noodles (FWNs) were analyzed under acid and different mild heat treatment conditions. Acid combined with heat treatment at 50 °C for 30 min extended the shelf-life of FWNs by 30–40 d and effectively delayed the color deterioration of FWNs. The water absorption of FWNs was reduced by the mild heat treatment. Meanwhile, the cooking loss of the noodles and hardness significantly (p < 0.05) increased. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the gelatinization enthalpy of the starch in FWNs decreased and the gelatinization temperature increased. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the crystallinity of the starch decreased from 27.51% to 24.2% after mild heat treatment. In addition, it was observed by confocal laser scanning microscope that the mild heat treatment made the gluten networks more continuous. The free sulfhydryl content of noodles showed a decreasing trend, while the sodium dodecyl sulfate-extractable protein (SDS-EP) value was also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced. Overall, the combination of mild heat treatment with acid extended the shelf-life of FWNs and had less impact on their quality.

In this study, the use of an electrostatic field on a Teflon surface to separate free bran from bulgur during processing was investigated. The results suggest that this method could be an effective solution to the problem of free bran, which can negatively impact the appearance and quality of bulgur in bulgur processing and packaged products. Unlike traditional methods, a novel technology was used with the device having flat and folded Teflon surfaces (flat and folded inclined channels). The device was designed with the widths of 4, 5 and 6 cm, the lengths of 20, 40 and 60 cm and the angles of 30, 35 and 40°. The flat Teflon system produced the best results overall. In addition, the design parameters of 4 and 5 cm width, 20 and 40 cm length, and 35 and 40° inclination were suitable for separating bran from bulgur using an electrostatic system. As a result, a fine bulgur mixture containing 5 g of bran per 1000 g of bulgur was passed through the system at a flow rate of 0.89 g/s, resulting in a reduction of bran in bulgur from 5 to around 2 g (around 60% reduction).

In this study, a total of 33 key differential metabolites related to phenolic synthesis were obtained in the fresh-eating and maturity stages by LC-MS analysis using UNIFY with a self-constructed database. Based on KEGG pathway analysis, three pathways related to phenolic metabolite synthesis were identified. The differential genes selected from the transcriptome and the differential metabolites selected from the target metabolism were correlated in the analysis, revealing the existence of 7 enzymes involved in the synthesis of phenolic compounds in secondary metabolism. Among which the fresh-eating stage promotes phenolics synthesis by up-regulation of the activities of the two enzymes, CCoAOMT and 4CL, and the enzymes, DFR, C3H, DFR, CHI, REF1 and F3H were expressed at higher levels during the maturity stage than fresh-eating stage, thus improving the tolerance and stress resistance of the plant itself and its ability to respond to the external environment, which has an important impact on the regulation of phenolic accumulation.

This study investigated the role of water in the high-pressure treatment (300–600 MPa/15 min) of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) flour and property changes in post-process samples. DSC and XRD measurements demonstrated complete gelatinization of buckwheat starch occurred at 600 MPa. The particle size of flour decreased above 450 MPa. HP-treatment successfully transformed the crystalline A-type structure of hydrated samples into a B-type structure. Dry samples did not gelatinize or exhibit any structural change, even at 600 MPa. The progress of gelatinization and gel rigidity of post-process samples were measured on a rheometer. The thermal transition captured in rheometer and DSC differs significantly. The impact of further heating on the pressurized samples resulted in a significant improvement in their mechanical rigidity. Overall, this study confirmed that an optimum flour-to-water ratio should be maintained during HP treatment to achieve the desired changes in buckwheat flour so that it could be used in food formulation.

The objective of this work was to produce a gluten-containing food matrix (pasta) rich in dietary fiber (DF), polyphenols, and antioxidant activity, through partial substitution with a dry flour from decocted Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces. The food matrix was made by mixing semolina (75%) and decocted calyces flour (25%) (S75–HF25), and its proximate composition, polyphenols content, antioxidant capacity, and starch hydrolysis rate were evaluated. The dietary fiber (DF) content (18.7 g/100g, dry basis, db) in the S75–HF25 pasta was markedly higher than in semolina control pasta (5.0 g/100g, db). Cooking the S75–HF25 pasta decreased the extractable polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity measured with DPPH, while enhancing the ABTS + antioxidant value. The cooked pasta showed an “as eaten” DF content of 34.7 g/100g, which was higher than in semolina pasta (6.7 g/100g). The starch hydrolysis rate of the composite pasta was reduced compared to the semolina pasta. The resistant starch content in the composite pasta was around 60% higher than the semolina pasta. The high DF content in the decocted calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. helps to retain the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity in the cooked pasta food matrix.

Expression level of the gene Wheat Breadmaking (TaWBM) has been shown to be correlated with bread quality, and influences the rising of the bread loaf. We found that a family of the wbm homologous genes are present not only in wheat, but also in oat, rye and barley. However, a WBM protein has never been demonstrated experimentally. We have identified the existence of a family of WBM-like Seed Proteins (WSPN) from the prolamin fraction of barley flour, encoded by three closely linked genes on the long arm of chromosome 7H, analysing the gene expression by qPCR and relative protein levels by mass spectroscopy. All three genes are expressed specifically in seeds with no detectable expression in the leaves. The barley WSPNs share a common gene structure with a single exon containing an open reading frame in the size 253–313 bp, with the first 80 bp predicted by TargetP 2.0 to encode a sorting peptide. Furthermore, they all contain the conserved motif C–P-X-G-X4-C-X(4–8)-C-X-C. Structure prediction with Alphafold 2.0 suggest that this motif is a structurally conserved microdomain consisting of two antiparallel strands where the cysteines align.

The incorporation of polysaccharides can effectively lower the glycemic index (GI) of rice noodles but may also negatively impact their cooking and eating quality. This study explores the use of solid-state fermentation with Limosilactobacillus fermentum and the addition of lysine to enhance the cooking and eating quality of high-fiber rice noodles (HFRN). Optimal fermentation conditions—10% Limosilactobacillus fermentum inoculum, 30 °C fermentation temperature, and 72-h fermentation time—along with a 3% lysine addition, were identified. The results revealed a significant increase in cooking quality and sensory characteristics of the rice noodles under these conditions. Compared to the control, the treated rice noodles exhibited higher sensory scores (increased by 17%), lower broken strip rates (reduced by 77.99%), and superior textural properties. Further analysis using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), rapid viscometer analyzer (RVA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that fermentation and lysine addition inhibited starch granule swelling, leading to decreased pasting properties (viscosity drop of 22.77–29.94% in all stages). Additionally, the retrogradation rates were reduced, and thermal stability was markedly increased (ΔH increased by 190.90%). These findings suggest that solid-state fermentation combined with lysine supplementation offers a promising strategy for enhancing the cooking and eating quality of HFRN.

Wheat (Triticum spp.) has been one of the most important cereal crops, serving as a source of protein and energy in the human diet. It remains a vital component of global food security, with extensive scientific literature dedicated to its study, although the large volume of literature often hinders global analysis. In this study, different unsupervised machine learning techniques, such as K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), text mining analyses, including word embeddings and statistical word analysis, and graph analysis methodologies, were applied to gain a deeper understanding of the wheat literature. The proposed bibliometric analysis was conducted and integrated with the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) to identify major wheat research trends in the PubMed literature. This analysis examined the evolution of these trends over time, evaluated the geographical distribution, impact, and research domains, and assessed author collaboration networks and the evolving relevance of different countries. Research on disease resistance, genetic modification, and dietary impact demonstrates a consistent increase in output, while interest in topics related to overcoming salt stress and enhancing animal feed appears to be diminishing. Interestingly, research on wheat germ agglutinin saw a surge in interest during the late 2000s, stabilizing thereafter. These trends underscore the dynamic nature of wheat research, driven by evolving priorities and technological advancements, particularly in genetics and omics tools. Moreover, the increasing significance of China in wheat research, including its size, impact, and networking, alongside longstanding leaders such as the United States, signals a shifting landscape in global wheat research.

High yield and quality are crucial goals of wheat production. In this study, Ning7840 (high protein content) and Clark (low protein content) as parents to develop recombinant inbred lines (RILs), and used to investigate the differential responses to different nitrogen (N) levels (0, 150, and 300 kg N ha⁻¹). The results showed that the RILs exhibited transgressive segregation in yield and grain quality traits. A comprehensive index of grain quality response to N (quality response index, QRI) was computed by entropy weight-fuzzy membership function method, two types of high yield and quality genotypes were screened based on yield and QRI: quality-sensitive wheat lines in response to N (SWLs) characterized by high yield and high QRI, and quality-tolerant wheat lines in response to N (TWLs) with high yield and low QRI. SWLs were particularly adept at combining high yield with quality enhancement under N application. Partial least square - structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis identified leaf dry matter accumulation at anthesis, and N recovery efficiency were main factors affecting wheat grain quality improvement. Overall, screening high-yield and high-quality genotypes with the entropy weight - fuzzy membership function method is a useful strategy. These results provide a theoretical basis for breeders to select high yield and quality wheat.