Compression and shearing force on kernel rupture in shelling fresh lotus seeds

The mechanical properties of fresh lotus seeds are still poorly understood,which complicates the design of mechanical shelling machinery.Therefore,this work carried out four-factor orthogonal tests to determine the maximum permitted compressive force and minimum necessary shearing force to shell fresh lotus seeds without rupturing the kernel.It was found that the mean compression force that cracked the fresh lotus seed and led to kernel rupture was 213.03 N.Both the compressive force and the seed deformation upon kernel rupture were affected,in descending order of significance,by loading mode,seed grade,loading rate,and seed standing time.On the other hand,the shearing force needed to shell the seeds had a mean value of 7.84 N,far less than the compressive force that cracked the seed shell.The shearing force was affected,in descending order of significance,by seed standing time,tip angle of cutter blade,and loading rate,but not significantly affected by seed grade.The results suggested that mechanical shelling of fresh lotus seeds should ideally be carried out for fresh lotus seeds with a standing time of no more than 6 h using a cutter blade with an angle of about 40°at a loading rate of 30-90 mm/min.

Effects of dairy bioactive peptides and lotus seeds/lily bulb powder on flavor and quality characteristics of goat milk yogurt

The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes on flavor and quality characteristics of goat yogurt during storage with the addition of dairy bioactive peptides and a mixture of lotus seed and lily bulb powder.Both the addition of dairy bioactive peptides and lotus seeds/lily bulb powder resulted in a fermentation time reduction,water holding capacity(WHC)improvement,and inhibition of post-acidification of goat yogurt during storage.A total of 50 volatile flavor components were detected in the goat milk yogurt samples,and the addition of the above two supplements were shown to be effective in improving the flavor and the textural properties of the goat milk yogurt during storage.The group added with lotus seeds/lily bulb powder showed the best WHC and textural properties,followed by the group added with dairy bioactive peptides alone and the group with both added.The addition of both supplements was found to be useful in making up for the two defects of goat yogurt,prolonged fermentation and soft curds.Therefore,dairy bioactive peptides and lotus seeds/lily bulb powder are recommended to be added to goat yogurt as nutritional supplements.

Prophylactic effects of alkaloids from Ba lotus seeds on L-NNA-induced hypertension in mice

Alkaloids from Ba lotus seeds(ABLS) are a kind of important functional compounds in lotus seeds. The present study was designed to determine its hypertension prophylactic effects in the L-NNA-induced mouse hypertension model. The mice were treated with ABLS, the serum and tissues levels of NO, MDA, ET-1, VEGF, and CGRP were determined using the experimental kits, the mRNA levels of various genes in the heart muscle and blood vessel tissues were further determined by RT-PCR assay. ABLS could reduce the systolic blood pressure(SBP), mean blood pressure(MBP), and diastolic blood pressure(DBP), compared to that of the model control group. After ABLS treatment, the NO(nitric oxide) contents in serum, heart, liver, kidney and stomach of the mice were higher than that of the control mice, but the MDA(malonaldehyde) contents were lower than that of the control mice. The serum levels of ET-1(endothelin-1), VEGF(vascular endothelial growth factor) were decreased after ABLS treatment, but CGRP(calcium gene related peptide) level was increased. The ABLS treated mice had higher mRNA expressions of HO-1, nNOS, and eNOS and lower expressions of ADM, RAMP2, IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS than the control mice. Higher concentration of ABLS had greater prophylactic effects, which were close to that of the hypertension drug captopril. These results indicated the hypertension prophylactic effects of ABLS could be further explored as novel medicine or functional food in the future.

Structural, Pasting, and Thermal Properties of Ultra-high Pressure-treated Lotus Seed Starch

Lotus seed starch （15%, w/w） was subjected to ultra-high pressure （UHP） at 500 MPa for 10～60 min. The effects of UHP on the structural, pasting, and thermal properties of starch were investigated using solid-state 13C CP/MAS NMR, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, HPSEC-MALLS-RI, and a rapid visco analyzer. The 13C CP/MAS NMR results revealed a reduction in the relative crystallinity and peak intensity of the crystalline state with increasing the UHP time. The molecular weight of native starch was 1.433 × 107 Da, which was higher than that of the UHP-treated starch. Viscograms of UHP-treated starch revealed an increase in paste viscosity, peak time, and pasting temperature and a reduction in breakdown and setback viscosity compared to the native starch. Furthermore, the DSC results showed a reduction in gelatinization temperature and gelatinization enthalpy with increasing the UHP time.

Effect of Specific Structure of Lotus Seed Oligosaccharides on the Production of Short-chain Fatty Acids by Bifidobacterium adolescentis

In order to study the structure of lotus （Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn） seed oligosaccharides and their effect on the proliferation ofBifidobacterium adolescentis, we extracted the oligosaccharides from seeds collected from Jianning County, China. We preliminarily characterized the groups, molecular weights, molecular formulae, component monosaccharides and glycosidic bonds using mass spectrometry （MS） and nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） after isolation and purification. The lotus seed oligosaccharides contained glycosidic bonds Manp-（1→）, Galp-（1→）, α（1→6）-Glup and α（1→6）-Manp; and mannose was the chief component monosaccharide. NMR analyses showed that ~t-glycosidic bonds and pyranoid rings were predominant in the oligosaccharides. The MS analyses showed that lotus seed oligosaccharides consisted of three oligosaccharides of different polymerization degree, with relative molecular weights of 342, 504 and 666 Da, and corresponding molecular formulae C12H22O11, C18H32O16 and C24H42O21. Research on the effect of lotus seed oligosaccharides on the proliferation orB. adolescentis showed that they effectively promoted the production of acetic, propionic and butyric acids by B. adolescentis through fermentation, and their effect was stronger than that of fructo-, xylo- and isomalto-oligosaccharides. Lotus seed oligosaccharides have potential as a new functional probiotic and lotus seeds should be further explored and utilized as a source of oligosaccharides.

Effects of Supplemental Amount of Tuanfeng Lotus Seed Powder on Quality of Silver Carp Surimi Products

[Objectives]This study was conducted to improve the gel properties of freshwater surimi and its products. [Methods] Tuanfeng lotus seed powder was added to frozen silver carp, and the relationship between the addiamount of Tuanfeng lotus seed powder(1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5%) and the quality of surimi products was studied, so as to improve the quality of surimi products. [Results] The water holding capacity(86.71%±0.36%), hardness(3 566.64±51.15) g, chewiness(2 697.16±15.81) g and gel strength(692.54±23.19) of surimi products increased to the maximums when the addition amount of lotus seed powder was 3%. Meanwhile, the cooking loss rate was reduced to the minimum(13.00%±0.17%), and the sensory quality was the best, although the whiteness of surimi products decreased slightly with the increase of Tuanfeng lotus seed powder. Therefore, the quality of silver carp surimi products could be improved obviously when the dosage of Tuanfeng lotus seed powder was 3%. [Conclusions] This study provides more new ideas for improving the quality of silver carp surimi products, and simultaneously makes the development of lotus seed food more diversified.

Lotus Seed Health Food

Hunan lotus seed, produced in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province. is a famous product of the province. It has a white colour, a sweet taste and thick pulp. The seed can be eaten as a food or a medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, the lotus seed is good for the spleen and the heart and can be used in the treatment of a weak spleen, diarrhea, emission and leukorrhea. It contains 16-17% protein. 2% fat and 66% carbohydrate. One hundred grams of seeds contain 100mg of calcium. 220mg of phosphate, and 5-6mg of iron. as

The mixture of procyanidins extracted from the lotus seed pod and bilobalide ameliorates scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice

Objective To study the co-effect of procyanidins extracted from the lotus seed pod （LSPC） and bilobalide （BIL） on ameliorating scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment in young mice. Methods Fifty male Kunming mice with similar learning and memory capabilities were selected by Morris water maze test and were randomized into 5 groups （n=10 in each group）： control group, scopolamine group, L-（LSPC＋BIL） group （50 mg/kg LSPC＋10 mg/kg BIL）, M-（LSPC＋BIL） group （100 mg/kg LSPC＋20 mg/kg BIL）, H-（LSPC＋BIL） group （150 mg/kg LSPC＋30 mg/kg BIL）. Scopolamine model with impaired learning and memory was established by scopolamine treatment （1 mg/kg）, and after 10 min mice were tested. In L-, M-, and H- （LSPC＋BIL） groups, mice were treated with LSPC and BIL ig. for 30 days, while mice in the other 2 groups were treated with normal saline ig. instead. After the 30-day＇s treatment, the co-effect of LSPC and BIL on learning and memory was tested by Morris water maze and the step-down avoidance tests. Results The memory impairment caused by scopolamine in young mice could be ameliorated by co-treatment of LSPC and BIL, as indicated by significantly shorter escape latency and swimming distance in the Morris water maze test, when compared with those in the scopolamine group. In the step-down avoidance test, mice in all the 3 dose groups showed significantly smaller number of errors and longer latency than mice in the scopolamine group did. Conclusion Co-treatment of LSPE and BIL can ameliorate scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment in young mice.