Editorial

3 pages, 173 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops

by Xiushi Yang, Cong Teng, Liang Zou and Guixing Ren

Foods 2023, 12(6), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12061261 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1110

Minor grain crops are generally recognized as less-produced cereal or pseudo-cereal grain crops, excluding the four major grain crops of wheat, rice, corn, and soybean [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

14 pages, 652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutrient Composition and In Vitro Fermentation Characteristics of Sorghum Depending on Variety and Year of Cultivation in Northern Italy

by Ahmed Osman, Amr Abd El-Wahab, Marwa Fawzy Elmetwaly Ahmed, Magdalena Buschmann, Christian Visscher, Clara Berenike Hartung and Jan Berend Lingens

Foods 2022, 11(20), 3255; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11203255 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1894

Abstract

Sorghum is the fifth most produced cereal in the world and is a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for the human diet. This study examined the nutrient composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics of sorghum varieties grown in 2020 and 2021 ( [...] Read more.

Sorghum is the fifth most produced cereal in the world and is a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for the human diet. This study examined the nutrient composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics of sorghum varieties grown in 2020 and 2021 (n = 15 × 3 × 2) across three locations in the north of Italy (Bologna, Padova, and Rovigo). In 2020, the crude protein content of sorghum was significantly higher in the region of Padova than in the region of Bologna (124 vs. 95.5 g/kg dry matter). However, crude fat, sugar, and gross energy levels showed no significant differences among the different regions in 2020. In 2021, the levels of crude protein, crude fat, sugar, and gross energy had no significant differences among different sorghum varieties harvested from the three regions. Significant differences in some mineral contents were found among the samples particularly in manganese and zinc in both years. After 24 h of fermentation of two different sorghum hybrids (hybrids 1 and 2 of both years harvested in Bologna, n = 4 × 2 × 2), the pH value was significantly higher in hybrid 1 of year 2021 (3.98) than in the other fermented samples (range: 3.71–3.88). The sorghum harvested from the region of Bologna had a significantly higher viscosity value (1.22 mPa·s) compared to other regions (1.8–1.10 mPa·s) in 2021 only. The results show that the nutritional value and viscosity of different sorghum varieties could differ depending on the location and year of cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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16 pages, 1912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional Components of Millet Porridge Cooked by Different Electric Cookers Based on Principal Component and Cluster Analyses

by Jiali Zhang, Pengliang Li, Junli Liu, Yunting Wang, Aixia Zhang, Wei Zhao, Shaohui Li, Yingying Liu and Jingke Liu

Foods 2022, 11(18), 2823; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11182823 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1341

Abstract

(1) Background: In order to study the effects of different electric cookers on the nutritional components of millet porridge, five different electric cookers (No. 1–5) were selected to cook millet porridge, then sensory and nutritional components in millet porridge, millet soup, and millet [...] Read more.

(1) Background: In order to study the effects of different electric cookers on the nutritional components of millet porridge, five different electric cookers (No. 1–5) were selected to cook millet porridge, then sensory and nutritional components in millet porridge, millet soup, and millet grains were analyzed; (2) Methods: Using principal component and cluster analysis, a variety of nutritional components were comprehensively compared; (3) Results: The results showed that among the different cooked samples, the content of amylose and reducing sugars was the highest in the samples cooked by electric cooker No. 3. The electric cooker No. 4 samples had the highest sensory evaluation score, crude fat, and protein content. The contents of ash, fatty acids, bound amino acids, and minerals were the highest in the electric cooker No. 5 samples. The sensory evaluation score and content of crude fat, ash, reducing sugars, direct starch, and Cu were higher in millet grains than in millet soup or porridge. The content of fatty acids, protein, amino acid, Zn, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Ca was highest in millet soup. Different electric cookers produced millet porridge with varying nutritional levels; (4) Conclusions: This study provides a reference for the further development of new electric cookers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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15 pages, 3572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antidiarrheal Effect of Fermented Millet Bran on Diarrhea Induced by Senna Leaf in Mice

by Shujun Chen, Minquan Hao and Lizhen Zhang

Foods 2022, 11(14), 2082; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11142082 - 13 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1747

Abstract

Bacillus natto is a kind of probiotic with various functional characteristics, which can produce a lot of nutrients during growth and reproduction. Bacillus natto was used as strain, the number of viable bacteria and the content of soluble dietary fiber in millet bran [...] Read more.

Bacillus natto is a kind of probiotic with various functional characteristics, which can produce a lot of nutrients during growth and reproduction. Bacillus natto was used as strain, the number of viable bacteria and the content of soluble dietary fiber in millet bran were used as indexes to study the effects of inoculum size, fermentation time, and fermentation temperature on the fermentation effect, and the optimal fermentation conditions were determined by a response surface experiment. The antidiarrhea effect of fermented millet bran prepared under the best technological conditions was evaluated. The results showed that the optimum fermentation conditions were as follows: inoculum size was 7.48%, fermentation time was 47.04 h, and fermentation temperature was 36.06 °C. Under the optimal fermentation conditions, the viable bacteria count of millet bran was 8.03 log CFU/mL and the soluble dietary fiber content was 12.14%. The fermented millet bran can significantly reduce the intestinal thrust rate and serum levels of IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α, and significantly increase the secretion of SIgA in the intestinal mucosa, which can relieve diarrhea induced by senna leaf in mice. The results of this study can provide the scientific basis for deep processing of millet bran and efficient utilization of fermented millet bran, and also provide the theoretical basis for clinical treatment of diarrhea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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21 pages, 32125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Coix Seed Extracts on Growth and Metabolism of Limosilactobacillus reuteri

by Zhoujie Yang, Anyan Wen, Likang Qin and Yi Zhu

Foods 2022, 11(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020187 - 11 Jan 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2330

Abstract

Coix seed (Coix lachryma-jobi L.) is an important nourishing food and traditional Chinese medicine. The role of their bioactive constituents in physiology and pharmacology has received considerable scientific attention. However, very little is known about the role of coix seed bioactive components [...] Read more.

Coix seed (Coix lachryma-jobi L.) is an important nourishing food and traditional Chinese medicine. The role of their bioactive constituents in physiology and pharmacology has received considerable scientific attention. However, very little is known about the role of coix seed bioactive components in the growth of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of coix seed extract (CSE) on the growth, acidifying activity, and metabolism of L. reuteri. The results showed that CSE can increase the growth and acidifying activity of L. reuteri compared with the control group. During the stationary phase, the viable bacteria in the medium supplemented with coix seed oil (CSO, 13.72 Log₁₀ CFU/mL), coix polysaccharide (CPO, 12.24 Log₁₀ CFU/mL), and coix protein (CPR, 11.91 Log₁₀ CFU/mL) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the control group (MRS, 9.16 Log₁₀ CFU/mL). CSE also enhanced the biosynthesis of lactic acid and acetic acid of L. reuteri. Untargeted metabolomics results indicated that the carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism activities of L. reuteri were increased after adding CSE. Furthermore, CSE increased the accumulation of bioactive metabolites, such as phenyl lactic acid, vitamins, and biotin. Overall, CSE may have prebiotic potential and can be used to culture L. reuteri with high viable bacteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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11 pages, 1637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Heat-Moisture Treatments on Digestibility and Physicochemical Property of Whole Quinoa Flour

by Jilin Dong, Lu Huang, Wenwen Chen, Yingying Zhu, Baoqing Dun and Ruiling Shen

Foods 2021, 10(12), 3042; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10123042 - 08 Dec 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3056

Abstract

The starch digestion processing of whole grain foods is associated with its health benefits in improving insulin resistance. This study modified the digestibility of whole quinoa flour (WQ) via heat-moisture treatment (HMT), HMT combined with pullulanase (HMT+P), HMT combined with microwave (HMT+M), and [...] Read more.

The starch digestion processing of whole grain foods is associated with its health benefits in improving insulin resistance. This study modified the digestibility of whole quinoa flour (WQ) via heat-moisture treatment (HMT), HMT combined with pullulanase (HMT+P), HMT combined with microwave (HMT+M), and HMT combined with citric acids (HMT+A), respectively. Results showed that all the treatments significantly increased (p < 0.05) the total dietary fiber (TDF) content, amylose content, and resistant starch (RS) content, however, significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the amylopectin content and rapidly digestible starch (RDS) content of WQ. HMT+P brought the highest TDF content (15.3%), amylose content (31.24%), and RS content (15.71%), and the lowest amylopecyin content (30.02%) and RDS content (23.65%). HMT+M brought the highest slowly digestible starch (SDS) content (25.09%). The estimated glycemic index (eGI) was respectively reduced from 74.36 to 70.59, 65.87, 69.79, and 69.12 by HMT, HMT+P, HMT+M, and HMT+A. Moreover, a significant and consistent reduction in the heat enthalpy (ΔH) of WQ was observed (p < 0.05), after four treatments. All these effects were caused by changes in the starch structure, as evidenced by the observed conjunction of protein and starch by a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), the decrease in relative crystallinity, and transformation of starch crystal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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14 pages, 3186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancement of Anti-Proliferative Activity of the Extracts from Dehulled Adlay by Fermentation with Bacillus subtilis

by Anyan Wen, Yong Zhu, Muhammad Mazhar, Likang Qin, Haiying Zeng and Yi Zhu

Foods 2021, 10(12), 2959; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10122959 - 01 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1846

Abstract

Dehulled adlay was fermented with Bacillus subtilis BJ3-2, the anti-proliferative activities of the extracts from fermented dehulled adlay were investigated with six types of tumor cells, and then the bioactive components and the anti-proliferative mechanism were primarily explored. Results showed that all the [...] Read more.

Dehulled adlay was fermented with Bacillus subtilis BJ3-2, the anti-proliferative activities of the extracts from fermented dehulled adlay were investigated with six types of tumor cells, and then the bioactive components and the anti-proliferative mechanism were primarily explored. Results showed that all the extracts of B. subtilis-fermented dehulled adlay (BDA) and dehulled adlay (DA) had no inhibition effect on human embryonic kidney 239T cells. The anti-proliferative activities of the extracts from BDA against six types of tumor cells were almost always significantly higher than DA. Compared with others, the n-butanol extract of BDA (BDA-Nb) exhibited stronger anti-proliferative activities against human leukemia K562 cells and human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Importantly, the anti-proliferative activity of fermented dehulled adlay against K562 cells was firstly discovered. Meanwhile, BDA-Nb was rich in tetramethylpyrazine, γ-aminobutyric acid, protocatechuic, 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, trans-cinnamic, ferulic acids, and rutin. BDA-Nb induced the proliferative inhibition of K562 and A549 cells due to abnormal cell morphology, the increased cell population in G1 phase and apoptosis rate, the downregulation of Bcl-2, and the upregulation of Bax and caspase-3/8/9. These results indicate that dehulled adlay fermented with B. subtilis could be a potential therapeutic agent for leukemia and lung cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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18 pages, 3861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Tartary Buckwheat Protein on Gut Microbiome and Plasma Metabolite in Rats with High-Fat Diet

by Jing Liu, Yu Song, Qi Zhao, Yuguo Wang, Congshou Li, Liang Zou and Yichen Hu

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2457; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10102457 - 15 Oct 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2446

Abstract

The prevalence of lipid metabolism diseases, mainly obesity, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia, is increasing in the world. Tartary buckwheat is a kind of medicinal and edible crop, and clinical experiments have also confirmed that dietary Tartary buckwheat can effectively regulate lipid metabolism disorders. [...] Read more.

The prevalence of lipid metabolism diseases, mainly obesity, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia, is increasing in the world. Tartary buckwheat is a kind of medicinal and edible crop, and clinical experiments have also confirmed that dietary Tartary buckwheat can effectively regulate lipid metabolism disorders. Tartary buckwheat protein (TBP), as the main active ingredient of Tartary buckwheat, has an effect of blood lipid reduction that has been widely reported. In this paper, we investigated the constituents of TBP and then evaluated the hypolipidemic effect of TBP in hyperlipidemia rats. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet for six weeks to induce hyperlipidemia and then given TBP orally for five weeks. The effects of TBP on body weight, serum lipids, liver lipids, liver oxidative stress, pathological organization, gut microbiota, and plasma metabolites were analyzed. At the serum level, TBP supplement significantly decrease the level of LDL-C and increase the level of HDL-C. At the liver level, it can reduce the levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C. The potential mechanism of action is, on the one hand, to increase the abundance of the Lachnospiraceae and the Ruminococcaceae by modulating the gut microbiota, facilitating the productivity of short-chain fatty acids, and increasing fecal bile acid excretion and, on the other hand, may be related to the improvement of bile acid metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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16 pages, 3098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biotransformation of Flavonoids Improves Antimicrobial and Anti-Breast Cancer Activities In Vitro

by Yanpeng Hao, Zuchen Wei, Zhi Wang, Guiying Li, Yang Yao and Baoqing Dun

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2367; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10102367 - 05 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2334

Abstract

Coarse cereals are rich in flavonoids, which are bioactive substances with a wide range of functions. Biotransformation is considered an emerging approach to methylate flavonoids, displaying prominent regio- and stereoselectivity. In the current study, liquiritigenin, naringenin, and hesperidin flavonoids were biotransformed using O [...] Read more.

Coarse cereals are rich in flavonoids, which are bioactive substances with a wide range of functions. Biotransformation is considered an emerging approach to methylate flavonoids, displaying prominent regio- and stereoselectivity. In the current study, liquiritigenin, naringenin, and hesperidin flavonoids were biotransformed using O-methyltransferases that were heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae BJ5464-NpgA. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used together with high-resolution mass spectroscopy analysis to determine the structures of the resulting methylated transformants, and their antimicrobial and antiproliferation activities were also characterized. Among the five methylated flavonoids obtained, 7-methoxy-liquiritigenin had the strongest inhibitory effect on Candida albicans SC5314 (C. albicans SC5314), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538 (S. aureus ATCC6538), and Escherichia coli ATCC25922 (E. coli ATCC25922), which increased 7.65-, 1.49-, and 0.54-fold in comparison to the values of their unmethylated counterparts at 200, 250, and 400 μM, respectively. The results suggest that 3′-methoxyhesperetin showed the best antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 10.45 ± 0.45 µM, which was an increase of more than 14.35-fold compared to that of hesperetin. These results indicate that methylation enhances the antimicrobial activities and antiproliferative effects of flavonoids. The current study provides an experimental basis for further research on flavonoids as well as flavonoid-containing crops in the development of antimicrobial and anti-breast cancer drugs in addition to supplementary and health foods. The biotransformation method is ideal, as it represents a means for the sustainable production of bioactive flavonoids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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12 pages, 1734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Purification of Ethyl Linoleate from Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) Bran Oil via Urea Complexation and Molecular Distillation

by Xiaoli Huang, Yuehan Zhao and Zhaohua Hou

Foods 2021, 10(8), 1925; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10081925 - 19 Aug 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) bran oil is rich in linoleic acid, which accounts for more than 60% of its lipids. Ethyl linoleate (ELA) is a commercially valuable compound with many positive health effects. Here, we optimized two ELA processing steps, urea [...] Read more.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) bran oil is rich in linoleic acid, which accounts for more than 60% of its lipids. Ethyl linoleate (ELA) is a commercially valuable compound with many positive health effects. Here, we optimized two ELA processing steps, urea complexation (UC) and molecular distillation (MD), using single-factor and response surface analyses. We aimed to obtain a highly concentrated ELA at levels that are permitted by current regulations. We identified the optimal conditions as follows: 95% ethanol-to-urea ratio = 15:1 (w/w), urea-to-fatty acid ratio = 2.5:1 (w/w), crystallization time = 15 h, and crystallization temperature = −6 °C. Under these optimal UC conditions, ELA concentration reached 45.06%. The optimal MD purification conditions were established as follows: distillation temperature = 145 °C and vacuum pressure = 1.0–5.0 × 10⁻² mbar. Under these conditions, ELA purity increased to 60.45%. Together, UC and MD were effective in improving the total concentration of ELA in the final product. This work shows the best conditions for separating and purifying ELA from foxtail millet bran oil by UC and MD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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Review

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26 pages, 414 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fermented Minor Grain Foods: Classification, Functional Components, and Probiotic Potential

by Huibin Qin, Houbin Wu, Ke Shen, Yilin Liu, Meng Li, Haigang Wang, Zhijun Qiao and Zhixin Mu

Foods 2022, 11(20), 3155; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11203155 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2249

Abstract

Fermented minor grain (MG) foods often have unique nutritional value and functional characteristics, which are important for developing dietary culture worldwide. As a kind of special raw material in fermented food, minor grains have special functional components, such as trace elements, dietary fiber, [...] Read more.

Fermented minor grain (MG) foods often have unique nutritional value and functional characteristics, which are important for developing dietary culture worldwide. As a kind of special raw material in fermented food, minor grains have special functional components, such as trace elements, dietary fiber, and polyphenols. Fermented MG foods have excellent nutrients, phytochemicals, and bioactive compounds and are consumed as a rich source of probiotic microbes. Thus, the purpose of this review is to introduce the latest progress in research related to the fermentation products of MGs. Specific discussion is focused on the classification of fermented MG foods and their nutritional and health implications, including studies of microbial diversity, functional components, and probiotic potential. Furthermore, this review discusses how mixed fermentation of grain mixtures is a better method for developing new functional foods to increase the nutritional value of meals based on cereals and legumes in terms of dietary protein and micronutrients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

24 pages, 788 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Beneficial Effect of Coarse Cereals on Chronic Diseases through Regulating Gut Microbiota

by Guixing Ren, Xin Fan, Cong Teng, Yajie Li, Nadia Everaert and Christophe Blecker

Foods 2021, 10(11), 2891; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112891 - 22 Nov 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3797

Abstract

In recent years, chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders have been the leading causes of incapacity and death globally. Increasing evidence suggests that improvements of lifestyle habits and diet is the most commonly adopted strategy for the prevention of [...] Read more.

In recent years, chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders have been the leading causes of incapacity and death globally. Increasing evidence suggests that improvements of lifestyle habits and diet is the most commonly adopted strategy for the prevention of chronic disorders. Moreover, many dietary compounds have revealed health-promoting benefits beyond their nutritional effects. It is worth noting that diet plays an important role in shaping the intestinal microbiota. Coarse cereals constitute important sources of nutrients for the gut microbiota and contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. Furthermore, the gut microbiota converts coarse cereals into functional substances and mediates the interaction between the host and these components. In this study, we summarize the recent findings concerning functional components of cereal grains and their potential chemopreventive activity via modulating the gut microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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20 pages, 370 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Sorghum Grains

by Zhenhua Li, Xiaoyan Zhao, Xiaowei Zhang and Hongkai Liu

Foods 2021, 10(11), 2868; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112868 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3270

Abstract

Sorghum is the fifth most commonly used cereal worldwide and is a rich source of many bioactive compounds. We summarized phenolic compounds and carotenoids, vitamin E, amines, and phytosterols in sorghum grains. Recently, with the development of detection technology, new bioactive compounds such [...] Read more.

Sorghum is the fifth most commonly used cereal worldwide and is a rich source of many bioactive compounds. We summarized phenolic compounds and carotenoids, vitamin E, amines, and phytosterols in sorghum grains. Recently, with the development of detection technology, new bioactive compounds such as formononetin, glycitein, and ononin have been detected. In addition, multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that sorghum grains have extensive bio-logical activities, such as antioxidative, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, and antiobesity properties. Finally, with the establishment of sorghum phenolic compounds database, the bound phenolics and their biological activities and the mechanisms of biological activities of sorghum bioactive compounds using clinical trials may be researched. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ingredients in Minor Grain Crops)

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