Efficacy of Raw Corn Starch in Insulinoma-Related Hypoglycemia:A Promising Supportive Therapy

Objective To investigate the efficacy of raw corn starch(RCS)in clinical management of insulinoma-induced hypoglycemia.Methods We retrospectively collected clinical data of insulinoma patients who received RCS-supplemented diet preoperatively,and analyzed the therapeutic effects of the RCS intervention on blood glucose control,weight change,and its adverse events.Results The study population consisted of 24 cases of insulinoma patients,7 males and 17 females,aged 46.08±14.15 years.Before RCS-supplemented diet,all patients had frequent hypoglycemic episodes(2.51±3.88 times/week),concurrent with neuroglycopenia(in 83.3% of patients)and autonomic manifestations(in 75.0% of patients),with the median fasting blood glucose(FBG)of 2.70(interquartile range[IQR]:2.50-2.90)mmol/L.The patients'weight increased by 0.38(IQR:0.05-0.65)kg per month,with 8(33.3%)cases developing overweight and 7(29.2%)cases developing obesity.All patients maintained the RCS-supplemented diet until they underwent tumor resection(23 cases)and transarterial chemoembolization for liver metastases(1 case).For 19 patients receiving RCS throughout the day,the median FBG within one week of nutritional management was 4.30(IQR:3.30-5.70)mmol/L,which was a significant increase compared to pre-nutritional level[2.25(IQR:1.60-2.90)mmol/L;P<0.001].Of them,10 patients receiving RCS throughout the day for over four weeks had sustained improvement in FBG compared to pre-treatment[3.20(IQR:2.60-3.95)mmol/L vs.2.15(IQR:1.83-2.33)mmol/L;P<0.001].Five patients who received RCS only at night also had a significant increase in FBG within one week of nutritional management[3.50(IQR:2.50-3.65)mmol/L vs.2.20(IQR:1.80-2.60)mmol/L;P<0.001],but only one patient who continued to receive RCS for over four weeks did not have a significant improvement in FBG.No improvement in weight gain was observed upon RCS supplementation.Mild diarrhea(2 cases)and flatulence(1 case)occurred,and were relieved by reduction of RCS dose.Conclusion The RCS-supplemented diet is effective in controlling insulinoma-induced hypoglycemia.

Physicochemical Properties Comparative Analysis of Corn Starch and Cassava Starch, and Comparative Analysis as Adhesive

The morphology and properties of corn starch and cassava starch were compared by SEM, DSC and TGA. Theeffects of amylose and amylopectin content on starch properties were studied by FT-IR, XRD and XPS. The plywood was pressed with the prepared adhesive and the bonding strength of the plywood was tested to analyze thedifference among the adhesives from different plant sources and the difference after blending PAPI prepolymer.FT-IR results showed that the hydroxyl peak of cassava starch was stronger and wider. TGA showed that the residue of cassava starch was lower, but the thermal stability of cassava starch was almost the same. XPS data showedthat the oxygen content of cassava starch was slightly higher, but the carbon content was slightly lower. SEM analysis showed that corn starch granules were more irregular and sharper than cassava starch, and cassava starchgranules were more uniform, regular and round.

Comprehensive utilization of corn starch processing by-products:A review

Corn is a high starchy cereal crop with the highest production and provides over 85%of the starch produced worldwide.Various by-products,differentiated by technological process features such as steep liquor,corn germ,corn bran,gluten,are created largely during corn starch processing.They are inexpensive,nutrient-rich,and vary widely in chemical composition such as proteins,oils,carbohydrates,and minerals.In an increasingly resource-constrained modern world,the utilization approach of these by-products for non-starch industrial processing is attractive widely considering both nutritive value and economic aspects.In fact,at present,applications of these by-products can often be found in feed,fermentation,nutrient extraction and other industries.For example,protein-rich corn gluten can be used as a good animal feed,and corn germ can be used as a raw material for the high-quality edible oil industry.Undoubtedly,increasing utilization means that these by-products will no longer be treated as waste but will be transformed into high value-added products.In this work,the separation process and chemical composition of several main by-products of the corn starch industry is briefly described,and the application in many industrial fields of these by-products over the last ten years are discussed in particular.This review attempts to summarize all aspects of the application and research of these by-products.For the by-products of the corn starch industry,the most promising way is to be utilized in high value and used to produce high value-added products.According to the characteristics of their chemical composition,they have a better application prospect and research significance in the industries directly related to human beings,such as medicine,green food and health care products.In fact,in recent years,some researchers have recognized this and carried out the research.It is clear fromthese studies that the main issues to be faced nowand in the future are how to produce efficiently while maintaining the quality of the product and using it effectively.The retrospective discussions also provide some ideas for other grain and oilseed crops to be fully utilized.

Drying kinetics of soy protein isolate-corn starch film during preparation and its moisture adsorption characteristics during storage

To better understand the mass transfer process of moisture in the soy protein isolate-corn starch(SPI-CS)films during preparation and storage process,the drying kinetics model of SPI-CS films with different formation conditions during the drying process and the moisture adsorption characteristics of the SPI-CS films under different humidity conditions were investigated.Within the range of experimental conditions,the moisture migration rule in the SPI-CS films during the drying preparation was combined with the Page model which was expressed as MR=exp(-kt^(n)).It was found that the adsorption equilibrium needed shorter time(about 3 h)when the SPI-CS films existed in the environment with lower humidity(RH<54%).Additionally,the secondorder adsorption kinetic equation was successful to describe the moisture adsorption characteristic of the SPICS films during storage under different humidity conditions.

Study on the Properties of Esterified Corn Starch/Polylactide Biodegradable Blends

Fully bio-based and biodegradable starch/polylactic acid blends have received increasing attentions for their biodegradability and potential to offset the use of unsustainable fossil resources,specifically,their application in packaging.Herein,corn starch was first esterified with maleic anhydride and then compounded with polylactide(PLA)to prepare esterified corn starch/polylactic acid blends with starch content up to 35 wt%.The structures,morphologies,thermal and mechanical properties of starch or blends were investigated.The results showed that corn starch was successfully grafted with maleic anhydride,which showed increased crystallinity and particle size than native starch.Esterified corn starch/polylactic acid blends showed good surficial compatibility and good thermal stability with main decomposition temperature in the range of 300℃to 400℃.Additionally,incorporation of corn starch increased the hydrophilicity and water uptake of composites.However,the tensile and flexural strengths of blends decreased with increasing esterified starch amount.

Production of Corn (Zea mays) Starch and Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Starch and Their Application as Yogurt Stabilizer

The present study evaluated the stabilizing effect of starch produced from corns and cassava on the stability of cow milk yogurt. A sample of both corn and cassava starch was selected and used in the yogurt making as stabilizers. The yogurt samples have been analyzed for their WHC, syneresis and protein content. The yogurt with no added starch has found to have very low WHC and high syneresis compared to other samples. The yogurt made with the addition of corn starch as a stabilizer was highly accepted than the yogurt with cassava starch and the yogurt without starch. The findings from this study provide an alternative to add the value of local corns and cassava.

Impact of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Oil, Protein, Starch, and Ethanol Yield of Corn （Zea mays L,） Grown for Biofuel Production

Nitrogen fertilization is one of the greatest challenges associated with the production of biofuel from corn grain. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of N fertilization on the content and yield of oil, protein, and starch in corn grain. The project was done in Southeast Missouri （USA）, from 2007 to 2009 in a silt loam soil. Corn grain contains 3.8-4.2% oil, 6.7%-8.9% protein, 68.0%-70.4% extractable starch, and 76.0%-77.7% total starch. The total starch yield ranged from 2.8 to 7.8 mg.ha1 whereas the extractable starch varied between 2.5 to 7.1 mg-ha1. As the N rate went up, the oil and starch content of the grain decreased, whereas the protein content and the protein, starch, and oil yields increased, reaching their maximum at the N rate corresponding to 179.0 kg N.ha~. The potential ethanol yield varied between 616.2 and 7,035.1 L-ha1 depending on the method of conversion of the starch into ethanol, the year and the N rate （P 〈 0.0001）. The negative correlation between N fertilization rate and starch content suggested that when farmers add too much N to their soil to increase grain yield, they reduce the starch content in those grains, and consequently the conversion into bioethanol. Therefore, for biofuel production to be beneficial for both farmers and the power plant owners, an agreement needs to be made with regard to the use of fertilizers.

Corn Starch Derived Capacitive Carbon Prepared by One-Step K2CO3 Carbonization for Supercapacitors

High-performance carbonaceous electrode materials for supercapacitors were synthesized by subjecting corn starch to a simple molten salt activation process with K2CO3 at a temperature of 850˚C. The resulting carbon material, obtained after activating for 1 hour, displayed excellent capacitive properties due to the synergistic effects of its porous structure. Utilizing these electrodes, the supercapacitor exhibited a high discharge capacitance (248 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), which is 2.4 times higher than that of activated carbon without K2CO3 activation. The enhancement in electrical performance was analyzed through SEM and XRD analysis, revealing that the porous and disordered structure provides a greater number of charge storage sites, resulting in improved capacitive performance.

Effect of Starch/Polylactic Acid Ratio on the Interdependence of Two-Phase and the Properties of Composites

Starch/polylactic acid(PLA) composites were prepared by melt extrusion, with corn starch and PLA as raw materials, glycerol as the plasticizer. Effects of starch/PLA ratio on the interdependence of two-phase and other properties of the composites were studied. The combination of results of TGA with SEM indicated that the interdependence between starch and PLA was increased gradually as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. DSC results showed that the glass transition temperature(Tg), melting temperature(Tm) and degree of crystallinity of PLA in composites were increased gradually, whereas the cold crystallization temperature(Tc) was gradually decreased as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. The rheological properties of composites were closely related with the interdependence of two-phase, with reducing starch/PLA proportion, the interdependence was increased, and then the strain for storage modulus was firstl reduced and then gradually increased. Frequency scanning showed that the storage modulus and complex viscosity were decreased with reducing starch content. As the starch/PLA ratio reduced, the matrix phase PLA was increased, so that the strength of composites was increased gradually, whereas water absorption rate was decreased gradually.

Thermoplastic Starch Prepared with Different Plasticizers: Relation between Degree of Plasticization and Properties

Ethylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol, formamide, and urea were used as plasticizers for the preparation of thermoplastic starch（TPS） from corn starch. The properties of TPS were tested by analysis method. The results showed that TPSs were more highly plasticized with amines than alcohols. For the same type of plasticizer, the degree of plasticization decreased as the molecular weight of plasticizer increased. The relationship between plasticization degree and TPS properties was characterized and described by mechanical properties and water absorption. The experimental results showed that when the degree of plasticization increased, the tensile strength decreased and the elongation at breakage and water absorption increased.

Corn phytochemicals and their health benefits

Whole grain has a wide range of phytochemicals exhibiting health benefits of lowering risk of chronic diseases.As commonly consumed grain product,corn has unique profiles of nutrients and phytochemicals when compared with other whole grains.Corn nutrients and phytochemicals include vitamins(A,B,E,and K),minerals(Mg,P,and K),phenolic acids(ferulic acid,coumaric acid,and syringic acid),carotenoids and flavonoids(anthocyanins),and dietary fiber.More and more scientific evidences have shown that regular consumption of whole grain corn lowers the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease,type 2 diabetes,and obesity and improves digestive health.Further studies on bioactive compounds of corn related to health are needed.

Influence of ginger and banana starches on the mechanical and disintegration properties of chloroquine phosphate tablets

Objective:The influence of two experimental starches - ginger starch obtained from Zingiber officinale and banana starch from Musa sapientum - on the mechanical and disintegration properties of chloroquine tablets have been studied in comparison with the influence of official corn starch.Methods:Chloroquine tablets were formulated using various concentarions of the starches as binding agent.The mechanical properties of the tablets were assessed in terms of crushing strength and friability and the crushing strength-friability ratio(CSFR) while drug release properties were evaluated based on disintegration and the time of tablets.Results:The ranking for crushing strength and CSFR was corn】banana】ginger starch while the ranking was reverse for friability.The disintegration time increased with packing fraction and starch concentration in the rank order of formulations containing corn】banana】ginger starch.The CSFR/DT values increased with concentration of starch binder indicating an improved balance between binding and disintegrant properties of the starches.Statistical analysis showed that there were significant(P【0.001) difference in the CSFR/DT for tablets containing the various starch binders.Conclusion:The mechanical and disintegration properties of the experimental starches compared favorably with those of corn starch and ginger starch could be more useful when faster tablet disintegration is desired.

Analysis on Plant and Quality Traits in an Improved Population of Corn

An improved population NEAU 2 was tested in Triple Test Cross design to analyze the genetic structure of 31 plants and quality traits. The results suggested that additive effect played an important role in all of these traits except for filling property trait V1. Nine traits such as grain yield and volume weight were determined mainly by the additive effect. Globulin and starch content were controlled by significant dominant effect. The leaf number above ear and most quality traits studied were controlled by both additive and dominance effect, and 4 traits such as 100 kernel weight were determined by both additive and epistasis effect. However, the heredity of plant height, ear position, and so on was determined by all these kinds of genetic effects. In quality improvement, direct selection could increase the content but not improve the quality of corn protein. Direct selection for albumin content and the ratio of glutelin to zein was effective and might be a better way to improve the protein quality of corn. Starch content might be raised by direct selection, but it might increase the content of amylopectin meanwhile. It was better to increase gross fat content by direct and indirect selection through the weight ratio of embryo to endosperm, which might also be effective to increase gross fat.

Rheological Properties of Casting Solutions for Starch Edible Films Production

Rheological properties of corn starch and sodium alginate blend solutions have been measured at different polymer ratios in the temperature range from 303 to 343 K bya R/S Brook field rheometer with аcoaxial cylinder measuring unit. Dynamic viscosity of blends has been shown to decrease with shear rate increase and to increase with sodium alginate content increase. The influence of shear rate on activation energy of viscous flow depends on sodium alginate content and is different for below and over 5% (mass) content. Applicability of Ostwald-de-Waele, Herschel-Bulkley, Bingham and Casson models for the description of CS:SA blend solutions flow has been analyzed. Rheological properties of CS:SA blend solutions allow one to look at them as an alternative to starch solutions for edible films casting and production by dry method.

4种植物源性成分多重real-time PCR检测方法的建立及其在食用淀粉中的应用

建立一种可同时快速检测红薯、木薯、马铃薯、玉米源性成分的多重实时聚合酶链式反应(real-time polymerase chain reaction,real-time PCR)方法。分别以红薯g3pdh基因、木薯g3pdh基因、马铃薯UGPase基因、玉米zSSIIb基因为靶基因设计特异性引物和TaqMan探针,以18S rRNA基因为内参基因,建立多重real-time PCR方法,开展方法学验证,并对不同掺入比例模拟样品和实际淀粉样品进行检测。结果显示,该方法具有高通量、特异性强、灵敏度高等优点。与15种非目标源性均无交叉反应;对目标DNA的检测灵敏度可达到3×10^(-3) ng/μL,且具有良好的线性关系和扩增效率;对淀粉样品的检出限可达0.1%,对50份实际样品进行检测,结果与参比方法一致,说明建立的多重real-time PCR法可用于食用淀粉种类掺假鉴别检测。

The Optimized Synthesis of Starch-g-Lactic Acid Copolymer with High Grafting Degree Catalyzed by Sulfuric Acid

The starch-g-lactic acid copolymer was synthesized with catalysis of sulfuric acid by onestep process, and the structure of starch-g-lactic acid copolymer was characterized by means of IR, 13C-NMR, HMBC, XRD, and SEM. The experimental results show that the maximum grafting degree of starch can reach 75% when the starch-g-lactic acid copolymer is activated at 80 ℃ for 2 h and reacted with lactic acid at 90 ℃ for 4 h in vacuum.

感应电场对普鲁兰酶解玉米淀粉结构性能和体外消化的影响

以玉米淀粉为研究对象,探讨磁感应电场对普鲁兰酶水解淀粉结构性能和体外消化的影响。结果显示,经过酶解和感应电场的处理,改性后玉米淀粉颗粒出现大量孔洞,偏光十字模糊,结晶区1 047 cm-1/1 022 cm-1升高,1 022 cm-1/995 cm-1降低,相对结晶度随着感应电压的增加而增加。直链淀粉相对含量呈现先上升后下降的趋势,当感应电压为125 V时,直链淀粉相对含量高达98.61%。溶解度和膨胀度随着施加感应电压的增强先降低再增加,硬度和内聚力呈先增加后减少的趋势。原玉米淀粉和处理淀粉的黏性随剪切速率增加而迅速减少。储存模量和损耗模量与直链淀粉的含量有一定关系。当感应电压为125 V时抗性淀粉相对含量高达62.46%。体外消化水解率和血糖指数呈现先减少后增加的趋势。本研究可为感应电场在改性淀粉的生产和开发方面提供理论参考。

超高压致淀粉结构变化对醋酸酯淀粉合成及产品品质的影响

以玉米淀粉为原料,经不同压力(100、200、300、400、500、600 MPa)超高压预处理后,再合成醋酸酯淀粉。利用扫描电子显微镜、X射线衍射、快速黏度分析、差示扫描量热等技术对比超高压处理淀粉及醋酸酯淀粉的结构性质。结果表明:超高压处理和乙酰化反应对淀粉结构均有一定的影响,表现出淀粉颗粒的膨胀和破裂。超高压预处理后,淀粉相对结晶度及糊化焓呈现先增大后减小的趋势,其中400 MPa处理时达到最大,分别为35.4%和11.90 J/g,此时糊化黏度相关参数也最大。当预处理压力为600 MPa时,淀粉完全糊化,颗粒失去原有形态,结晶类型由A型向V型转换。由于超高压预处理导致淀粉结构的改变,醋酸酯淀粉取代度和反应效率明显提高,当压力为500 MPa时达到最大值0.103和81.14%,该最大值的出现可能与淀粉颗粒结构明显破坏但维持颗粒态,增加乙酸酐与颗粒接触机会有关。本研究结果表明,对淀粉原料进行超高压预处理进而调控淀粉结构,有利于提升醋酸酯淀粉的合成效率。

微波间歇干燥对玉米籽粒中淀粉理化特性的影响

为提高玉米干燥的速率,明确微波间歇干燥对玉米中淀粉的影响,以"吉农玉719"为研究对象,对比自然干燥和不同微波功率密度条件下微波间歇干燥对玉米中淀粉加工和结构特性的影响。结果表明:与自然干燥的玉米相比,玉米经微波干燥,其淀粉的性质发生明显变化,微波功率密度在0.9~3.6 W/g范围内,玉米淀粉的峰值黏度和溶解度均呈先升高后降低的趋势,当微波功率密度为1.8 W/g时,淀粉的峰值黏度最高,溶解度最高。静态流变学结果表明:玉米经自然干燥和微波干燥,其淀粉凝胶均为假塑性流体。动态流变学结果表明:微波功率密度在0.9~1.8 W/g范围,微波作用可明显改善玉米淀粉凝胶的黏弹性,当微波功率密度为1.8 W/g时,淀粉凝胶的黏弹性最好;当微波功率密度高于1.8 W/g时,玉米淀粉凝胶的硬度显著增加;玉米经微波干燥,其淀粉的膨胀度、热焓值和有序度均降低,粒径增加。结论:在微波功率密度1.8 W/g、微波时间2 min、缓苏时间4 min条件下干燥得到的玉米淀粉特性最佳。

氧化玉米淀粉/明胶复合胶囊壳的制备与表征

目的:采用改性淀粉与明胶共混制备胶囊壳,降低胶囊壳制备成本。方法:以玉米原淀粉为原料,采用15%用量的过氧化氢氧化制备氧化玉米淀粉,与明胶共混,分别通过流延法和浸渍法制备了氧化玉米淀粉/明胶复合胶囊膜和胶囊壳,并采用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对其进行表征。结果:当氧化玉米淀粉与明胶质量比为5∶5,制备的氧化玉米淀粉/明胶复合胶囊壳的干燥失重在13.0%~15.0%,在蒸馏水和模拟人工胃液中的崩解时限在10 min以内,脆碎度不超过5粒。结论:采用氧化玉米淀粉与明胶共混制备的复合胶囊壳性能符合《中国药典》(2020)要求。