The Impact of Hydrothermal Treatments on Technological Properties of Whole Grains and Soriz (<i>Sorghum oryzoidum</i>) Groats

Cereals and cereal products are the basic element in ensuring the food security of the population. Most cereal-based foods contain gluten. Nutritional therapy is the only treatment for people with gluten-related disorders. No gluten-free products are manufactured in the Republic of Moldova, and the imported ones are sold at very high prices. In this context, Moldova is an unexplored field and research is required. The paper investigated the impact of hydrothermal treatments on whole grains and sorghum groats. It was found that whole grains and sorghum groats have a cooking time of about 130 and 40 minutes, respectively, which can be reduced by about 2 times by prior hydration in water. Hydration media and their concentrations (NaCl solutions;sol. NaHCO3 and C6H8O7 concentrations 0.5%;1.0% and 2.0%) differently influence the cooking time, mass, volume and firmness of the grains.

The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint

Excessive consumption of refined grains harms human health and ecosystem viability.Whole grains,as a healthy and sustainable alternative to refined grains,can benefit individual health by providing dietary fiber,B vitamins,and bioactive substances.Additionally,they aid in improving the environment due to their higher extraction rate and lower carbon emission during the processing stage.However,few studies have attempted to evaluate the economic and social benefits of increasing the amount of whole grain in grain intake.This paper estimates the potential savings in healthcare costs and reduced food carbon footprints(CFs)that could result from a shift toward whole grain consumption following the Chinese Dietary Guidelines(CDG).We investigate hypothetical scenarios where a certain proportion(5–100%)of Chinese adults could increase their whole grain intakes as proposed by CDG to meet the average shortfall of 30.2 g.In that case,the healthcare costs for associated diseases(e.g.,type2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),cardiovascular disease(CVD),and colorectal cancer(CRC))are expected to reduce by a substantial amount,from USD 2.82 to 56.37 billion;the carbon emission levels are also projected to decrease by0.24–5.72 million tons.This study provides compelling evidence that advocating for the transition towards greater consumption of whole grain products could benefit individual health,the environment,and society,by reducing both healthcare costs and carbon emissions.

Milling degree affects the fermentation properties of rice:perspectives from the composition of nutrients and gut microbiota via in vitro fermentation

Fermentation substrates of rice with different milling degrees(MDs) were prepared and fermented with human feces to compare their fermentation properties and effects on gut microbiota.MD 0s,MD 5s and MD 60s represented brown rice,moderately-milled rice and white rice,respectively.After in vitro fermentation,the MD 5s group showed higher starch utilization,compared with the MD 0s and 60s groups evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer,and confocal laser scanning microscope.Effects of fermentation substrates of rice with different MDs on gut microbiota were evaluated by 16S rDNA sequencing.All the sample groups reduced the pH and produced short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs) and branched-chain fatty acids.The MD 5s group exhibited higher α-diversity than the MD 0s and 60s groups.Abundances of Phascolarctobacterium,Blautia and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae were higher in the MD 0s and 5s groups,compared with the MD 60s group.These bacteria were also positively correlated with the SCFAs production via Spearman correlation analysis.In vitro culture assay revealed that fermentation substrates of MD 0s and 5s promoted the growth of two probiotics(Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium adolescentis).Our results showed that moderate milling might be an appropriate way to produce rice products with richer nutrients and better fermentation properties.

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 Culinary Treatment on Soriz Mineral Elements (Sorghum Oryzoidum)

Soriz (Sorghum oryzoidum) is a relatively new cereal of hybrid origin obtained at the Research Institute for Maize and Sorghum of Moldova. This paper presents and analyzes the results of the study of essential minerals content (K, Na, Ca, P, Mg, Fe) in native and hulled sorghum grains and their changes under the effect of hydrothermal treatment. The results show that the sorghum grains are a good source of essential minerals, especially of K, P and Mg and are less rich in Ca, Na and Fe. The experimental data have demonstrated that the technological process applied to obtain hulled sorghum leads to a considerable decrease in minerals content. Culinary treatment had a greater impact on the K content and lower on P and Mg content. The results will be used to optimize the parameters of raw material processing and culinary treatment with the aim of minimizing the mineral loss as well as for the nutritional value balance of soriz sorghum dishes.

In vitro nutrition properties of whole Tartary buckwheat straight noodles and its amelioration on type 2 diabetic rats

Dietary interventions play an important role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes(T2D).This study aims to evaluate the in vitro nutrition properties of whole Tartary buckwheat straight noodles(TSNw)and investigate its amelioration effect on T2D rats.Tartary buckwheat straight noodles(TSNs),including TSNw and TSNc(made by TB core flour),were prepared using extrusion technology,with characteristic of two times retrogradation.Results showed that TSNw presented higher in vitro antioxidant abilities and lower in vitro digestibility than TSNc(P<0.05),with significantly higher free radicals scavenging ability and lower estimated glycemic index(P<0.05).After six weeks dietary intervention,the serum metabolic level of T2D rats was determined.Results revealed that the administration of TSNs could notably reduce the level of total cholesterol,triacylglycerols,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,glutamic-pyruvic transaminase,glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase,creatinine,urea,uric acid,and malonaldehyde,but increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,total protein,and the activity of superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase in T2D rats.In general,the administration of TSNw presented better improvement on the complications of T2D rats than that of TSNc.This study suggests that TSNw could be a promising functional food for treating T2D.