Browsing by Author "Singh H"
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- ItemBioactive Yoghurt Containing Curcumin and Chlorogenic Acid Reduces Inflammation in Postmenopausal Women(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-11-02) Ahmed Nasef N; Thota RN; Mutukumira AN; Rutherfurd-Markwick K; Dickens M; Gopal P; Singh H; Garg ML; Bordoni AMenopause is marked by a gradual and permanent decrease of estrogen from the ovaries, leading to metabolic and physiological changes in the body. Combined with increased body mass index, postmenopausal women have elevated systemic inflammation and metabolic disturbances leading to increased risk of developing chronic diseases. A bioactive coconut yoghurt containing curcumin and chlorogenic acid was developed with the potential to target inflammatory processes. In this randomized crossover study, healthy postmenopausal women with a BMI of 25-40 were recruited to consume 125 g of either the bioactive or placebo yoghurt. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 30 min, and 1, 2, 3 and 4 h postprandially. Plasma inflammatory markers (TNFα and IL6) and metabolic markers (triglycerides, insulin and glucose) were measured. Participants had significantly lower plasma TNFα Cmax after consumption of the bioactive yoghurt compared to placebo (mean difference = 0.3 pg/mL; p = 0.04). Additionally, plasma TNFα was significantly lower postprandially compared to baseline after consumption of the bioactive yogurt but not the placebo. No differences were observed in the metabolic markers measured. Conclusions: The bioactive yoghurt fortified with curcumin and chlorogenic acid has the potential to reduce inflammatory mediators; however, a larger and longer-term study is required to confirm these findings.
- ItemCharacterization of heat-induced aggregates of beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin and bovine serum albumin in a whey protein concentrate environment(Cambridge University Press, 2001) Havea P; Singh H; Creamer LKBovine b-lactoglobulin (b-lg), a-lactalbumin (a-la) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), dispersed in ultra®ltration permeate, that had been prepared from whey protein concentrate solution (100 g}kg, pH 6±8), were heated at 75 °C. The consequent protein aggregation was studied by one-dimensional (1D) and twodimensional (2D) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). When 100 g b-lg}kg permeate solution was heated at 75 °C, cooled and examined, large aggregates were observed. These aggregates were partially dissociated in SDS solution to give monomers, disulphide-bonded dimers, trimers and larger aggregates. When mixtures of b-lg and a-la or BSA were heated, homopolymers of each protein as well as heteropolymers of these proteins were observed. These polymer species were also observed in a heated mixture of the three proteins. Two-dimensional PAGE of mixtures demonstrated that these polymers species contained disulphide-bonded dimers of b-lg, a-la and BSA, and 1:1 disulphide-bonded adducts of a-la and b-lg, or BSA. These results are consistent with a mechanism in which the free thiols of heattreated b-lg or BSA catalyse the formation of a range of monomers, dimers and higher polymers of a-la. It is likely that when whey protein concentrate is heated under the present conditions, BSA forms disulphide-bonded strands ahead of b-lg and that a-la aggregation with b-lg and with itself is catalysed by the heat-induced unfolded BSA and b-lg.
- ItemDigestive diversity and kinetic intrigue among heated and unheated β-lactoglobulin species.(ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY, 2014-11) Loveday SM; Peram MR; Singh H; Ye A; Jameson GBFood processing often alters the structure of proteins, and proteins are deliberately denatured and aggregated to improve technological functionality in many cases. However, the digestive consequences of processing-induced alterations to protein structure have only recently been studied. Here we explored the process-structure-digestibility relationship in the context of heat-processing effects on the structure and gastric digestibility of the bovine whey protein β-lactoglobulin (β-lg). Heating β-lg produces an array of non-native monomers, dimers and aggregates, and we have characterised these with reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) as a complement to our earlier work using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) techniques. Using a combination of SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC we have identified pepsin-resistant dimers and peptides that appear early in digestion. In an unexpected finding, native β-lg underwent complete hydrolysis during prolonged incubation (48 h) with pepsin. Two phases of hydrolysis were identified, and the transition between phases appears to result from alterations to the secondary structure of β-lg at 3-4 h, as measured with circular dichroism spectroscopy, and/or the binding and release of a pepsin inhibitor peptide. This work has unpacked some of the complexities of the processing-structure-digestibility relationship in a highly simplified system; further work is needed to explore the implications of these findings for food processors, regulatory authorities and consumers.
- ItemEffect of Fluidized Bed Drying, Matrix Constituents and Structure on the Viability of Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei ATCC 55544 during Storage at 4 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-01) Poddar D; Palmer J; Das S; Gaare M; Nag A; Singh H; Succi M; Sorrentino EThe stabilization of probiotics for application in non-refrigerated food products is a challenging task. In the present study, probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei) ATCC 55544 cells were immobilized in a dairy matrix comprising of whole milk powder, skim milk powder, or milk protein isolate using fluidized bed drying technology. The samples were taken out at different drying stages, with an apparent water activity (aw) of aw 0.5, aw 0.4, and aw 0.3, respectively, and vacuum-packed to maintain the aw and stored at three different temperatures of 4 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C. The study evaluated the impact of matrix constituents, milk fat, protein, and carbohydrate on the viability of encapsulated probiotic L . paracasei ATCC 55544 during storage for 1 month. The whole milk powder matrix provided superior protection to the bacteria. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) was used to investigate the structure of the immobilizing matrix and the location of the probiotic L. paracasei cells embedded within the matrix. The CLSM study revealed that the probiotic bacterial cells are mostly embedded as clusters beneath the top layer. We hypothesize that the biofilm-like structure, together with the protective whole milk powder matrix, helps to retain the superior viability of probiotic cells during storage at non-refrigerated storage conditions of 25 °C and 37 °C.
- ItemEffect of Gel Structure on the In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion Behaviour of Whey Protein Emulsion Gels and the Bioaccessibility of Capsaicinoids(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-03-04) Luo N; Ye A; Wolber FM; Singh H; Kontominas MGThis study investigated the effect of gel structure on the digestion of heat-set whey protein emulsion gels containing capsaicinoids (CAP), including the bioaccessibility of CAP. Upon heat treatment at 90 °C, whey protein emulsion gels containing CAP (10 wt% whey protein isolate, 20 wt% soybean oil, 0.02 wt% CAP) with different structures and gel mechanical strengths were formed by varying ionic strength. The hard gel (i.e., oil droplet size d4,3 ~ 0.5 μm, 200 mM NaCl), with compact particulate gel structure, led to slower disintegration of the gel particles and slower hydrolysis of the whey proteins during gastric digestion compared with the soft gel (i.e., d4,3 ~ 0.5 μm, 10 mM NaCl). The oil droplets started to coalesce after 60 min of gastric digestion in the soft gel, whereas minor oil droplet coalescence was observed for the hard gel at the end of the gastric digestion. In general, during intestinal digestion, the gastric digesta from the hard gel was disintegrated more slowly than that from the soft gel. A power-law fit between the bioaccessibility of CAP (Y) and the extent of lipid digestion (X) was established: Y = 49.2 × (X - 305.3)0.104, with R2 = 0.84. A greater extent of lipid digestion would lead to greater release of CAP from the food matrix; also, more lipolytic products would be produced and would participate in micelle formation, which would help to solubilize the released CAP and therefore result in their higher bioaccessibility.
- ItemEffect of ingestion temperature on the pepsin-induced coagulation and the in vitro gastric digestion behavior of milk(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-05) Yang M; Ye A; Yang Z; Everett DW; Gilbert EP; Singh HPepsin-induced protein coagulation occurs in the gastric environment when the milk pH is above the isoelectric point of casein proteins. In this study, the effect of milk temperature (4–48 °C) on the hydrolysis of κ-casein by pepsin and the consequent protein coagulation was studied at pH 6.0 for 120 min. Quantitative determination of the released para-κ-casein showed that both the κ-casein hydrolysis reaction rate constant and the pepsin denaturation rate constant increased with an increase in temperature. The temperature coefficient (Q10) of the specific hydrolysis of κ-casein was calculated to be ∼1.95. The coagulation process was investigated by the evolution of the storage modulus (Gʹ). At higher temperature, the milk coagulated faster but had a lower firming rate and Gʹmax with larger aggregates and voids were observed. The digestion behavior of the milk ingested at 4 °C, 37 °C, or 50 °C was investigated for 240 min in a human gastric simulator, in which the milk temperature increased or decreased to 37 °C (body temperature) over ∼ 60 min. The coagulation of the 4 °C milk was slower than for the 37 °C and 50 °C milk. The curd obtained from the 4 °C milk had a looser and softer structure with a significantly higher moisture content at the initial stage of digestion (20 min) which, in turn, facilitated the breakdown and hydrolysis of the caseins by pepsin. During the digestion, the curd structure became more cohesive, along with a decrease in moisture content. The knowledge gained from this study provides insight into the effect of temperature on the kinetics of pepsin-induced milk coagulation and the consequent digestion behavior.
- ItemHeat-induced colloidal interactions of whey proteins, sodium caseinate and gum arabic in binary and ternary mixtures(Elsevier Ltd, 2013-11) Loveday SM; Ye A; Anema SG; Singh HMany food-grade proteins and polysaccharides will aggregate together when acidified or heated, due to electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. At low concentrations, aggregates are soluble and colloidally stable, and they have potential applications as Pickering emulsifiers and nutrient carriers. Sodium caseinate (SC) and gum arabic (GA) at pH. 7 will form colloidal aggregates when heated, but aggregation is largely reversed on cooling. Whey proteins (in the form of whey protein isolate, WPI) will aggregate irreversibly with GA when they are heated together, but aggregation is often so rapid and extensive that aggregates precipitate. Here we sought to overcome those limitations, and to develop an in situ method for quantifying heat-induced aggregation. Aggregation was measured using temperature-controlled dynamic light scattering equipment and transmission electron microscopy. Combinations of SC, WPI and GA were heated at either pH. 7 or 3.5, and the weight ratio of protein to polysaccharide was held at 1:5 for simplicity. Heat-induced colloidally stable aggregates of SC. +. WPI. +. GA did not dissociate on cooling. Aggregation was measured in situ, both in temperature ramps and with isothermal experiments. In situ measurement allowed us to avoid potential artefacts stemming from the temperature changes and measurement delays associated with ex situ measurements. This work demonstrated how the size and heat-stability of colloidal protein-polysaccharide aggregates can be tailored by judicious selection of proteins, pH and heat treatment.
- ItemKinetics of pepsin-induced hydrolysis and the coagulation of milk proteins(Elsevier Inc and the Federation of Animal Science Societies on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association, 2022-02) Yang M; Ye A; Yang Z; Everett DW; Gilbert EP; Singh HHydrolysis-induced coagulation of casein micelles by pepsin occurs during the digestion of milk. In this study, the effect of pH (6.7–5.3) and pepsin concentration (0.110–2.75 U/mL) on the hydrolysis of κ-casein and the coagulation of the casein micelles in bovine skim milk was investigated at 37°C using reverse-phase HPLC, oscillatory rheology, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The hydrolysis of κ-casein followed a combined kinetic model of first-order hydrolysis and putative pepsin denaturation. The hydrolysis rate increased with increasing pepsin concentration at a given pH, was pH dependent, and reached a maximum at pH ~6.0. Both the increase in pepsin concentration and decrease in pH resulted in a shorter coagulation time. The extent of κ-casein hydrolysis required for coagulation was independent of the pepsin concentration at a given pH and, because of the lower electrostatic repulsion between para-casein micelles at lower pH, decreased markedly from ~73% to ~33% when pH decreased from 6.3 to 5.3. In addition, the rheological properties and the microstructures of the coagulum were markedly affected by the pH and the pepsin concentration. The knowledge obtained from this study provides further understanding on the mechanism of milk coagulation, occurring at the initial stage of transiting into gastric conditions with high pH and low pepsin concentration.
- ItemLow-Cost Sensor for Continuous Measurement of Brix in Liquids(MDPI AG, 2022-11-25) Jaywant SA; Singh H; Arif KThis paper presents a Brix sensor based on the differential pressure measurement principle. Two piezoresistive silicon pressure sensors were applied to measure the specific gravity of the liquid, which was used to calculate the Brix level. The pressure sensors were mounted inside custom-built water-tight housings connected together by fixed length metallic tubes containing the power and signal cables. Two designs of the sensor were prepared; one for the basic laboratory testing and validation of the proposed system and the other for a fermentation experiment. For lab tests, a sugar solution with different Brix levels was used and readings from the proposed sensor were compared with a commercially available hydrometer called Tilt. During the fermentation experiments, fermentation was carried out in a 1000 L tank over 7 days and data was recorded and analysed. In the lab experiments, a good linear relationship between the sugar content and the corresponding Brix levels was observed. In the fermentation experiment, the sensor performed as expected but some problems such as residue build up were encountered. Overall, the proposed sensing solution carries a great potential for continuous monitoring of the Brix level in liquids. Due to the usage of low-cost pressure sensors and the interface electronics, the cost of the system is considered suitable for large scale deployment at wineries or juice processing industries.
- ItemNature-Assembled Structures for Delivery of Bioactive Compounds and Their Potential in Functional Foods(Frontiers Media SA, 2020-09-24) Acevedo-Fani A; Dave A; Singh HConsumers are demanding more natural, healthy, and high-quality products. The addition of health-promoting substances, such as bioactive compounds, to foods can boost their therapeutic effect. However, the incorporation of bioactive substances into food products involves several technological challenges. They may have low solubility in water or poor stability in the food environment and/or during digestion, resulting in a loss of their therapeutic properties. Over recent years, the encapsulation of bioactive compounds into laboratory-engineered colloidal structures has been successful in overcoming some of these hurdles. However, several nature-assembled colloidal structures could be employed for this purpose and may offer many advantages over laboratory-engineered colloidal structures. For example, the casein micelles and milk fat globules from milk and the oil bodies from seeds were designed by nature to deliver biological material or for storage purposes. These biological functional properties make them good candidates for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds to aid in their addition into foods. This review discusses the structure and biological function of different nature-assembled carriers, preparation/isolation methods, some of the advantages and challenges in their use as bioactive compound delivery systems, and their behavior during digestion.
- ItemProbing the Double-Layered Cotyledon Cell Structure of Navy Beans: Barrier Effect of the Protein Matrix on In Vitro Starch Digestion(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-01) Do DT; Singh J; Johnson S; Singh H; Bordoni AThe microstructure of legumes plays a crucial role in regulating starch digestion and postprandial glycemic responses. Starch granules are double encapsulated within the outer cell wall and the inner protein matrix of legume cotyledon cells. Despite progress in understanding the role of cell walls in delaying starch digestion, the role of the protein matrix has received little research attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the protein matrix and cell wall may present combined physical barriers retarding enzyme hydrolysis of intracellular starch. Intact cotyledon cells were isolated from navy beans and used to assess the barrier effect of the protein matrix on the digestion of starch under conditions simulating the upper gastrointestinal tract. The cells were pretreated with pepsin at 37 °C and pH 2.0 for 1, 4, or 24 h and without pepsin for 24 h (control) to facilitate removal of the intracellular protein matrix prior to cooking and simulated in vitro digestion. A longer pretreatment time resulted in a lower protein content of the cells and a higher initial rate and extent of starch hydrolysis. We suggest that in addition to the primary cell wall barrier, the protein matrix provides a secondary barrier restricting the accessibility of α-amylase to starch. This study provides a new fundamental understanding of the relationship between the structural organization of legume cotyledon cells and starch digestion that could inform the design of novel low glycemic index foods.
- ItemSensors and Instruments for Brix Measurement: A Review(MDPI AG, 2022-03-16) Jaywant SA; Singh H; Arif KMQuality assessment of fruits, vegetables, or beverages involves classifying the products according to the quality traits such as, appearance, texture, flavor, sugar content. The measurement of sugar content, or Brix, as it is commonly known, is an essential part of the quality analysis of the agricultural products and alcoholic beverages. The Brix monitoring of fruit and vegetables by destructive methods includes sensory assessment involving sensory panels, instruments such as refractometer, hydrometer, and liquid chromatography. However, these techniques are manual, time-consuming, and most importantly, the fruits or vegetables are damaged during testing. On the other hand, the traditional sample-based methods involve manual sample collection of the liquid from the tank in fruit/vegetable juice making and in wineries or breweries. Labour ineffectiveness can be a significant drawback of such methods. This review presents recent developments in different destructive and nondestructive Brix measurement techniques focused on fruits, vegetables, and beverages. It is concluded that while there exist a variety of methods and instruments for Brix measurement, traits such as promptness and low cost of analysis, minimal sample preparation, and environmental friendliness are still among the prime requirements of the industry.
- ItemThe Effect of pH and Sodium Caseinate on the Aqueous Solubility, Stability, and Crystallinity of Rutin towards Concentrated Colloidally Stable Particles for the Incorporation into Functional Foods(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-01-14) Rashidinejad A; Jameson GB; Singh H; Papetti APoor water solubility and low bioavailability of hydrophobic flavonoids such as rutin remain as substantial challenges to their oral delivery via functional foods. In this study, the effect of pH and the addition of a protein (sodium caseinate; NaCas) on the aqueous solubility and stability of rutin was studied, from which an efficient delivery system for the incorporation of rutin into functional food products was developed. The aqueous solubility, chemical stability, crystallinity, and morphology of rutin (0.1-5% w/v) under various pH (1-11) and protein concentrations (0.2-8% w/v) were studied. To manufacture the concentrated colloidally stable rutin-NaCas particles, rutin was dissolved and deprotonated in a NaCas solution at alkaline pH before its subsequent neutralisation at pH 7. The excess water was removed using ultrafiltration to improve the loading capacity. Rutin showed the highest solubility at pH 11, while the addition of NaCas resulted in the improvement of both solubility and chemical stability. Critically, to achieve particles with colloidal stability, the NaCas:rutin ratio (w/w) had to be greater than 2.5 and 40 respectively for the lowest (0.2% w/v) and highest (4 to 8% w/v) concentrations of NaCas. The rutin-NaCas particles in the concentrated formulations were physically stable, with a size in the range of 185 to 230 nm and zeta potential of -36.8 to -38.1 mV, depending on the NaCas:rutin ratio. Encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of rutin in different systems were 76% to 83% and 2% to 22%, respectively. The concentrated formulation containing 5% w/v NaCas and 2% w/v rutin was chosen as the most efficient delivery system due to the ideal protein:flavonoid ratio (2.5:1), which resulted in the highest loading capacity (22%). Taken together, the findings show that the delivery system developed in this study can be a promising method for the incorporation of a high concentration of hydrophobic flavonoids such as rutin into functional foods.
- Itemβ-Lactoglobulin nanofibrils: Effect of temperature on fibril formation kinetics, fibril morphology and the rheological properties of fibril dispersions(Elsevier Ltd, 2012-05) Loveday SM; Wang XL; Rao MA; Anema SG; Singh HAlmost all published studies of heat-induced b-lactoglobulin self-assembly into amyloid-like fibrils at low pH and low ionic strength have involved heating at 80 C, and the effect of heating temperature on self-assembly has received little attention. Here we heated b-lactoglobulin at pH 2 and 75 C, 80 C, 90 C, 100 C, 110 C or 120 C and investigated the kinetics of self-assembly (using Thioflavin T fluorescence), the morphology of fibrils, and the rheological properties of fibril dispersions. Self-assembly occurred at all temperatures tested. Thioflavin T fluorescence increased sigmoidally at all temperatures, however it decreased sharply with >3.3 h heating at 110 C and with >5 h heating at 120 C. The sharp decreases were attributed partly to local gelation, but destruction of fibrils may have occurred at 120 C. Thioflavin T fluorescence results indicated that maximal rates of fibril formation increased with increasing temperature, especially above 100 C, but fibril yield (maximum Thioflavin T fluorescence) was not affected by temperature. At 100 C and 110 C, fibrils were slightly shorter than at 80 C, but otherwise they looked very similar. Fibrils made by heating at 120 C for 1 h were also similar, but heating at 120 C for 8 h gave predominantly short fibrils, apparently the products of larger fibrils fragmenting. Heating at 100 C gave consistently higher viscosity than at 80 C, and heating for >2 h at 120 C decreased viscosity, which may have been linked with fibril fragmentation seen in micrographs.