A Review of the Design and Architecture of Starch-Based Dietary Foods

Carbohydrates,which are mostly present in sugar,starch,and fiber,are one of the main ingredients of food and the primary source of energy in the human diet.Among these three main sources,starch stands out as one of the most abundant reserves of carbohydrates.Investigating starch would not only enhance our understanding of the functionality of starch in the human body but also aid in the design of novel starch-based dietary foods.The present review first provides a state-of-the-art understanding of the various classifications of dietary starches,including rapidly digesting starch(RDS),slowly digesting starch(SDS),and resistant starch(RS).Moreover,both the in vivo and in vitro determination methods of the digestibility of starch-based dietary foods are discussed.Based on the current understanding,present research strategies to design novel starch-based dietary foods through either the direct addition of modified starch or the alteration of processing conditions are highlighted.Furthermore,certain perspectives related to the future research directions of starch-based foods are also included.

The metabolic role of LncZBTB39-1:2 in the trophoblast mobility of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is characterized by new onset of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks’gestation and is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.The pathogenesis of preeclampsia is often associated with aberrant trophoblast function that leads to shallow placental implantation.However,the exact underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Placental LncZBTB39-1:2 expression level was investigated in 20 healthy placentae and 20 placentae with preeclampsia using qRT-PCR,and the metabolic profile of trophoblasts overexpressing LncZBTB39-1:2 in vitro was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GCeMS).In this study,we found that the expression of LncZBTB39-1:2 was significantly higher in preeclamptic placentae than in healthy placentae.Our metabolomics results have shown that tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and metabolites related to carbohydrate metabolism were decreased with the overexpression of LncZBTB39-1:2 in HTR8/SVneo cells.These findings were validated by detecting a lower level of intracellular ATP in HTR8/Vneo cells.Furthermore,the migration of HTR8/SVneo cells was compromised when cells were transfected with a plasmid encompassing LncZBTB39-1:2 overexpression.From these results,we conclude that abnormal levels of LncZBTB39-1:2 expression might lead to aberrant conditions in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells.Aberrant conditions might be associated with dysregulated trophoblast migration and subsequent failure of uterine spiral artery remodelling,a pathogenesis recognised as a contributing factor in the aetiology of preeclampsia.

novel amylolytic enzyme from Palaeococcus ferrophilus with malto-oligosaccharide forming ability belonging to subfamily GH13_20

By heterologous expression of a gene from Palaeococcus ferrophilus,a novel recombinant enzyme designated AMPf was obtained and proved to be an amylolytic enzyme with unique catalytic characteristics.The optimal temperature and pH of AMPf were 50℃ and 7.0 respectively.Although sequence analysis and acarbose hydrolysis ability indicated that AMPf belongs to the subfamily GH13_20,interestingly,this enzyme hardly acts on cyclodextrins and pullulan distinguishing it from most enzymes in this subfamily.AMPf hydrolyzes starches to glucose,maltose,maltotriose,and maltotetrose as main products.AMPf mainly liberates glucose from starch with the concentration of 1%(w/v),while it shows malto-oligosaccharide forming ability with higher starch concentration of 4%(w/v).Also,the 4,6-ethylidene-4-nitrophenyl-maltoheptaose hydrolysis ability further indicates the unique combination endo-acting and glucose releasing exo-acting activtity of AMPf.AMPf could utilize maltose and maltotriose to produce malto-oligosaccharides by transglycosylation activity.It was proven AMPf has application protential in malto-oligosaccharides production.