Effects of polyols (mannitol and xylitol) on physical properties, pasting properties and dynamic rheological properties of wheat flour and the microstructure, water activity (A w ), radial expansion ratio (ER), oil absorption rate (OAR) and texture of extruded flour products were evaluated in this work. The results show that both mannitol and xylitol can promote gluten network formation, enhance tensile resistance and increase the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G'') of the dough. More dense and uniform particles were also found on the surface of extruded flour products in the presence of polyols by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the A w , hardness and chewiness were reduced while the ER and ORA were increased for extruded flour products by incorporation of polyols. Thus, the extruded flour products with improved quality by polyols exhibit great application prospect in food industry.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of saponins from the anomalous fruits of Gleditsia sinensis on mast cell degranulation triggered by compound 48/80 and to determine possible structure-activity relationships. Among the eleven saponins tested, four effectively inhibited β-hexosaminidase release from rat peritoneal mast cells. Studies of structureactivity relationships indicated that saponins with an aglycone of echinocystic acid instead of oleanolic acid were more effective. A sugar chain at C-3 was essential for the inhibitory effects, and a single sugar chain was the most effective. The length and structures of the oligosaccharide chain at C-28 were also critical for the activity of the compounds, and introduction of monoterpene units to the oligosaccharide chain substantially decreased the activity. To gain insight into the mechanisms responsible for preventing mast cell degranulation, the effects of saponins on intracellular cAMP were examined. After preincubation with mast cells for different times, the four active saponins significantly increased the intracellular cAMP content. These findings suggested that the four saponins might be the active constituents of the anomalous fruits of G. sinensis for antiallergic activities, and they prevented mast cell degranulation probably by elevating intracellular cAMP levels.

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The demand for food is increasing day by day because of the increasing global population. Therefore, meat, the easiest and largely available source of protein, needs to be produced in large amounts with good quality. The pork industry is a significant shareholder in fulfilling the global meat demands. Notably, myogenesis- development of muscles during embryogenesis- is a complex mechanism which culminates in meat production. But the molecular mechanisms which govern the myogenesis are less known. The involvement of miRNAs in myogenesis and meat quality, which depends on factors such as myofiber composition and intramuscular fat contents which determine the meat color, flavor, juiciness, and water holding capacity, are being extrapolated to increase both the quantity and quality of pork. Various kinds of microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-1, miR-21, miR22, miR-27, miR-34, miR-127, miR-133, miR-143, miR-155, miR-199, miR-206, miR-208, miR-378, and miR-432 play important roles in pig skeletal muscle development. Further, the quality of meat also depends upon myofiber which is developed through the expression of different kinds of miRNAs at different stages. This review will focus on the mechanism of myogenesis, the role of miRNAs in myogenesis, and meat quality with a focus on the pig.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mRNA suppressors that regulate a variety of cellular and physiological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, triglyceride synthesis, fat formation, and lipolysis, by post-transcriptional processing. In previous studies, we isolated and sequenced miRNAs from mammary epithelial cells from Chinese Holstein cows with high and low milk fat percentages. MiR-485 was one of the significantly differentially expressed miRNAs that were identified. In the present study, the relationship between the candidate target gene DTX4 and miR-485 was validated by bioinformatics and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB) analyses in bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). The results indicated that miR-485 negatively regulated the mRNA expression of the target gene DTX4. Furthermore, an shRNA interference vector for the target gene DTX4 was constructed successfully, and it increased the triglyceride content and reduced the cholesterol content of transfected cells. These results suggest that miR-485 may affect the contents of triglycerides (TGs) and cholesterol (CHOL) by targeting the DTX4 gene. This study indicates that miR-485 has a role in regulating milk fat synthesis and that miR-485 targets the DTX4 gene to regulate lipid metabolism in bMECs. These findings contribute to the understanding of the functional significance of miR-485 in milk fat synthesis.