Xuyan Dong

Coix has gained significant research interest for its medicinal and nutritional value, yet its characteristic bitterness limits food applications. To enhance its utilization in the food industry, this study examined the impact of conventional water immersion, ultrasound-assisted immersion (10, 15, and 20 min) and heat-treated immersion (40, 50, and 60 °C) on the nutritional profile and taste properties of Coix. Germinated Coix showed reduced starch, fat, and phytic acid content, but increased protein, γ-aminobutyric acid (from 38.05 to 58.00–116.90 mg/100 g, p < 0.05), dietary fiber, soluble sugars, total phenolics, and DPPH radical scavenging activity (n = 5). Germination introduced palmitoleic, linolenic, arachidonic, myristic, and arachidic acids to Coix, increasing total amino acids and umami taste activity value from 88.09 to 104.50–141.39 (p < 0.05). The reduced bitterness and astringency of germinated Coix may be associated with lower linoleic acid content and higher levels of palmitoleic acid, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. Ultrasound-assisted immersion for 20 min was identified as the optimal condition for enhancing GABA and amino acid contents while reducing bitterness, thereby broadening the food applications of Coix.

Potato starch noodles (PSN), a characteristic gluten-free Asian food, are essentially high-concentration starch gels (about 35% starch) formed through gelatinization and retrogradation. This study systematically investigates freezing temperature effects, particularly across the glass transition temperature, on PSN texture and microstructure. We found that fresh PSN have a freezing point of −1 °C, supercooling temperature of −4.5 °C, and a T_g’ value of −3.1 °C. Freezing significantly reduced the adhesiveness of PSN and increased the hardness. During the 48 h freezing process, noodles frozen at −3 °C, the closest to T_g’, exhibited the highest hardness (14,065.77 g), springiness (0.98), cohesiveness (0.93), chewiness (11,971.06), and resilience (0.84), and the least adhesiveness. PSN frozen within the range near T_g’ (−3 °C) showed superior texture, continuous solid cross-section, and dense surface, attributed to the reverse transformation of starch, high mobility of starch chains, and smaller ice crystals. PSN frozen at −3 °C for 24 h displayed the most compact and desirable texture compared to the other samples. These findings deepen the understanding of the role of glass transition temperature in the texture formation of starch gel during freezing and provide valuable insights for optimizing the frozen processing of starch gel-based food.

To enhance the selenium (Se) intake of the general public, the present study implemented biofortification techniques in alfalfa sprouts. Alfalfa sprouts possess unique nutritional value and provide an optimal Se-enriched supplemental Se source. The impact of sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) on alfalfa shoot germination, shoot length, and biomass was assessed experimentally, and changes in the antioxidant capacity of sprouts treated with optimal Se concentrations were investigated. In addition, the transcriptome of alfalfa sprouts treated with the optimal Na₂SeO₃ concentration was sequenced. Gene co-expression networks, constructed through differential gene analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis, were used to identify the core genes responsible for Se enrichment in alfalfa sprouts. The findings of the present study offer novel insights into the effects of Se treatment on the nutrient composition of alfalfa sprouts, in addition to introducing novel methods and references that could facilitate production of Se-enriched alfalfa sprouts and associated products.

The susceptibility of polyunsaturated fatty acids to oxidation severely limits their application in functional emulsified foods. In this study, the effect of sesamol concentration on the physicochemical properties of WPI-stabilized fish oil emulsions was investigated, focusing on the relationship between sesamol–WPI interactions and interfacial behavior. The results relating to particle size, zeta-potential, microstructure, and appearance showed that 0.09% (w/v) sesamol promoted the formation of small oil droplets and inhibited oil droplet aggregation. Furthermore, the addition of sesamol significantly reduced the formation of hydrogen peroxide, generation of secondary reaction products during storage, and degree of protein oxidation in the emulsions. Molecular docking and isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the interaction between sesamol and β-LG was mainly mediated by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Our results show that sesamol binds to interfacial proteins mainly through hydrogen bonding, and increasing the interfacial sesamol content reduces the interfacial tension and improves the physical and oxidative stability of the emulsion.