Levan is a microbial fructan widely explored in various
fields
owing to its excellent physical and biochemical properties. However,
little is known about its digestion and fermentation characteristics
in vitro. This study evaluated the potential prebiotic properties
of levan obtained by enzymatic synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy,
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy showed that the primary structures of levan remained
stable after saliva–gastrointestinal digestion. The microtopography,
molecular weight, and functional group of levan were seriously damaged
during fecal fermentation. Moreover, the total short-chain fatty acid
levels increased significantly, especially for propionic acid, butyric
acid, and valeric acid. The 16S rDNA sequencing showed that levan
mainly increased the abundance of Firmicutes; in genus levels, certain
beneficial bacteria such as Megasphaera and Megamonas genera were remarkably
promoted, and the proliferation of harmful genera was inhibited (such
as Cedecea and Klebsiella). Overall, this study provided new insights into the potential probiotic
mechanism of levan.
Sugarcane molasses is an agricultural by-product containing sucrose. In this study, the exopolysaccharide (M-EPS) produced by Leuconostoc citreum B-2 in molasses-based medium was characterized, optimized, and its application in set yogurt was investigated. The structure analysis, including gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance, revealed that the M-EPS was a linear dextran composed of D-glucose units, which were linked by α-(1→6) glycosidic bonds with 19.3% α-(1→3) branches. The M-EPS showed a lower molecular weight than that produced from sucrose. The M-EPS was added into the set yogurt, and then the water holding capacity, pH, and microstructure of set yogurt were evaluated. Compared with the controls, the addition of M-EPS improved the water holding capacity and reduced the pH of set yogurt. Meanwhile, the structure of the three-dimensional network was also observed in the set yogurt containing M-EPS, indicating that M-EPS had a positive effect on the stability of set yogurt. The results provide a theoretical basis for the cost-effective utilization of sugarcane molasses.
Polysaccharides extracted from sweet corncob (SCP) were modified by sulfuric acid to sulfated sweet corncob (SSCP) with a molecular weight of 13.412 kDa, and their antiglycation activity was studied. SSCP had high inhibitory effects on glycation and showed antiglycation activity stronger
than that of SCP in vitro. The maximum inhibition rates of the Amadori products, dicarbonyl compounds, caboxymethyl-lysine (CML), and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were 76.35, 73.78, 52.79, and 76.36%, respectively. SSCP effectively increased body weight, reduced blood glucose,
and increased oral glucose tolerance in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats in vivo. Furthermore, SSCP inhibited AGE formation in liver tissue and repaired pancreatic injury. The results in vivo and in vitro reflect that SSCP has antiglycation effects, which may
be closely related to its antidiabetic effects.
In order to improve the utilization value of sweet corn cobs, we extracted a new nonstarch polysaccharide from sweet corn cobs and named it SCP-80-I. It showed that SCP-80-I was a neutral homogeneous polysaccharide composed of glucose with a molecular weight of 175.453 kDa. We also explore the structural features of SCP-80-I and we found that it possessed a backbone of →4-Glc-1 → 4-Glc-1 → 4,6-Glc-1 → 4-Glc-1→, and the branched chain was →6-Glc-1 → linked to the main chain through O-6 of →4,6-Glc-1→. We predicted that SCP-80-I may have a function of antioxidation and hypoglycemic due to its structure. This study provides some reference value for sweet corn cob polysaccharides in the creation of functional food.
Novelty impact statement:1. A new non-starch polysaccharide from sweet corn cobs (SCP-80-I) was obtained.2. SCP-80-I was composed of glucose with a molecular weight of 175.453 kDa.
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