Yong Sui

Pueraria thomsonii Benth. is an important medicinal plant with a unique chemical composition, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. This study investigated the physicochemical, rheological, cooking, and digestibility properties of flat rice noodles fortified with PTBP at levels ranging from 5% to 30% of Pueraria thomsonii Benth. powder (PTBP). The addition of PTBP significantly increased the swelling power, water solubility, and water absorption of rice flour ( p < 0.05) but decreased its peak viscosity. However, an excessive PTBP level (above 20%) deteriorated pasting characteristics, cooking loss, and texture properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated a decrease in the short‐range ordered structure of starch. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that PTBP addition resulted in a rough and loose internal structure. In vitro digestibility tests showed that the starch hydrolysis rates were significantly lowered at 25% and 30% PTBP substitution levels ( p < 0.05), with estimated glycemic index (eGI) values reduced by 0.78% and 2.87%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that PTBP supplementation holds promise for improving rice noodle formulations, provided that the inclusion level is carefully optimized to balance nutritional benefits with textural quality.

The consumption of selenium‐enriched rice represents an effective approach for human selenium intake. However, the potential effects of selenium on rice texture after cooking and the physicochemical properties of rice starch remain insufficiently understood. In this study, four selenium‐enriched rice varieties and one conventional rice variety were selected to compare their nutritional components and eating quality and to investigate the microstructure and physicochemical properties of their starches. The results showed that selenium content in selenium‐enriched rice was significantly higher than that in conventional rice ( p < 0.01). Selenium enrichment had a positive effect on selenium accumulation, thereby promoting protein synthesis, with protein content increased by 3.01%–9.4%. However, it should be noted that the eating quality of selenium‐enriched rice was inferior to that of conventional rice, as indicated by lower taste values. Compared to conventional rice, the resistant starch content of selenium‐enriched rice increased by 13.41%–19.95%, the crystallinity increased by 4.89%–9.14%, the ordered double‐helical structure of starch granules was enhanced, and the gelatinization temperature increased. This study provides a theoretical reference for the processing, product development, and quality improvement of selenium‐enriched rice.

This study investigated the effects of rice preparation using different degrees of milling (DOM) from 0% to 13% on the nutritional composition, functional properties, major volatile compounds and safety of brown rice tea (BRT). We found that 2% DOM reduced 52.33% of acrylamide and 31.88% of fluorescent AGEs. When DOM was increased from 0% to 13%, the total phenolic content (TPC) of brown rice tea decreased by 48.12%, and the total flavonoid content (TFC) and condensed tannin content (CTC) also decreased significantly, with the smallest decrease at 2% DOM. In addition, the inhibitory activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase as well as the antioxidant activity also decreased gradually. Analysis by electronic nose and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed that alkanes, furans, aldehydes, pyrazines and alcohols were the major volatiles in BRT, with 2% DOM having the greatest retention of aroma compounds. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and VIP score (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05) analysis were used to screen 25 flavor substances that contributed to the differences in BRT aroma of different DOMs. These results suggest that 2% milled BRT can improve safety and palatability while maximizing the retention of flavor compounds and nutrients. The findings of this study contribute to an enhanced understanding of the dynamics of changes and preservation of aroma compounds and nutrients present during the processing of BRT.