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Food Physical Chemistry Applications to Processing and Nutrition
Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences

Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

ISSN: 2155-9600

Editorial - (2012) Volume 2, Issue 4

Food Physical Chemistry Applications to Processing and Nutrition

I.C. Baianu*
AFC-NMR & NIR Microspectroscopy Facility, College of ACES, FSHN & NPRE Departments, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
*Corresponding Author: I.C. Baianu, AFC-NMR & NIR Microspectroscopy, Facility, College of ACES, FSHN & NPRE Departments, University Of Illinois At Urbana, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Editorial

Food Physical Chemistry is considered as a branch of Food Chemistry [1-5] concerned with the study of structure- functionality relationships, as well as the underlying physical and chemical interactions [6] in foods in terms of physical and chemical principles applied to food systems. This includes, of course, the applications of physical/chemical techniques [7-24], instrumentation and methodology for the study of foods [2-4,6-9], thus partially overlapping also with Food Analytical Chemistry. One may also consider Food Physical Chemistry from the viewpoint of “physiochemical principles of the reactions and conversions that occur during the manufacture, handling, and storage of foods” [25], but this is a somewhat restrictive view because food physicochemical applications are also encountered in the fields of Human Nutrition, biomedical, biotechnology and crop sciences.

Understanding food processes and the properties of foods requires both a basic knowledge of physical chemistry and of how it applies to specific foods and food processes. Therefore, Food Physical Chemistry is essential for improving the quality of foods, their stability and food product development. Because Food Science and Human Nutrition are multi-disciplinary fields, specific areas of Food Physical Chemistry are being developed through interactions with other areas of Food Chemistry, and more generally, Food Science, such as: food analytical chemistry, food process engineering/food processing, food and bioprocess technology, food extrusion, food quality control, food packaging, food biotechnology and food microbiology. Thus, two rapidly growing, related areas to Food Physical Chemistry are Food Biotechnology and Food Biophysical Chemistry [6], where the emphasis is, respectively, on agricultural, biological and biomedical applications. Food physical chemistry concepts are often drawn from rheology, theories of transport phenomena, physical and chemical thermodynamics, chemical bonds and interaction forces, quantum mechanics and reaction kinetics, biopolymer science, colloidal interactions, nucleation, glass transitions and freezing [25] in disordered/non-crystalline solids. The techniques utilized range widely from dynamic rheometry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, AFM, light scattering, X-ray diffraction/neutron diffraction [2] to MRI/ spectroscopy (NMR, [13], FT-NIR/IR, NIRS, Raman, ESR and EPR, [1-4,7-24] CD/Vibrational Circular Dichroism (VCD) [2], Fluorescence/FCS [4,12,15], HPLC, GC-MS [2,4] and other related analytical techniques.

Food systems as they are often derived from biological ones that have a high-level of both structural and dynamic complexity. The structural complexity of food systems stems from their multi-component, and often multi-phase, nature, as well as the presence of structural disorder [26] in foods. In a series of previously published articles and books, several attempts were made to consider certain types of food systems (such as hydrated dough’s and frozen foods) as glasses ([25] and relevant references cited therein), although few food systems can be indeed considered as ‘typical’ glasses, that is, with only short-range, atomic level order being present. A much more general, structural approach to systems with partial disorder, or only partial ordering [26,27], was introduced only recently in [28] in terms of paracrystalline models of systems with partial disorder that are applicable also to highly ordered systems and glasses (meta-stable systems that possess only short-range order). Because high levels of hydration and/or salts are often present in processed foods, techniques that are capable of monitoring the interactions of water and ions with major components of foods such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, starch granules, gels, and so on, have been employed with success to determine the nonideal interactions of the latter with water and ions [2-4,29-32]. Among such techniques are Nuclear Magnetic Resonance/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMR/NMRI), Near Infrared (NIR) and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) [19-22,27,32-38]. The results obtained by such techniques for hydrated maltodextrins, corn syrups [38], corn, wheat [27] and potato starches [27,32,33,35], muscle, milk and soybean proteins [17,35-37,39-41] have revealed the presence of a fraction of trapped water in intermediate moisture foods of lowered water vapor pressure that is inaccessible for microorganism growth, and thus has important applications for increasing food stability and shelf-life. The trapped water fraction is particularly noticeable and also readily observed in raw potato starch by Deuterium NMR [27,35]. Related, structural studies of such food systems, as well as their model two- or three- component model systems, are usually carried out by Carbon-13 [6,13-14,33,42,43], and two-dimensional (2D) NMR [2].

On the other hand, NIR techniques [11-22], when combined with suitable primary techniques [8-11] for calibration purposes provide the means for rapid, inexpensive analysis and improvements of the quality of crop seeds, such as soybeans and corn, for foods with improved nutritional quality. As an example, a recently debated issue is that of the health benefits of soybean isoflavones in foods at levels exceeding 20 to 30 mg; relevant NIR calibrations and studies of the levels of isoflavones in soybean seeds were recently reported [23-24] that could be employed in further nutritional studies. Such nutritional applications of Food Physical Chemistry are too numerous to be discussed in any detail in this concise report.

A novel area of Food Physical Chemistry related to food processing and extrusion- which is also relevant to biomedical/ pharmaceutical applications- is that of microencapsulation. A number of microencapsulation results and applications were reviewed in [44].

References

  1. Baianu IC (1992) Physical Chemistry of Food Processes. Van Nostrand-Reinhold: New York.
  2. Baianu IC (1992) Physical Chemistry of Food Processes: Principles, Techniques and Applications. Van Nostrand-Reinhold, New York, USA.
  3. Baianu IC (2011) Food Physical Chemistry and Biophysical Chemistry: An Introduction.
  4. Baianu IC (2012) Handbook of Food Physical Chemistry. Part I: Principles and Techniques. J Wiley-Blackwell: Oxford, UK.
  5. John M de Man (1999) Principles of Food Chemistry. (3rdedn), Springer Science, Berlin.
  6. Baianu IC, Lozano PR, Prisecaru VI, Lin HC (2004) Applications of Novel Techniques to Health Foods, Medical and Agricultural Biotechnology. Quant Biol.
  7. AACC (1995) Approved Methods of Analysis. (9thedn), The American Association of Cereal Chemists. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
  8. AOAC International (1995) Official Methods of Analysis. (16thedn), Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.
  9. AOCS (1998) Official Methods and Recommended Practices of the AOCS (5thedn), The American Oil Chemists' Society. Champaign, Illinois, USA.
  10. Guo J, Baianu IC (2011) NIR Calibrations for Soybean Seeds and Soy Food Composition Analysis: Total Carbohydrates, Oil, Proteins and Water Contents. Nature Precedings.
  11. Baianu IC (2011) Applications of Microspectroscopy, Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging and Fluorescence Microscopy in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Cell Biology. Nature Precedings.
  12. Baianu IC, You T (2009) High-Resolution NIR and NMR Analysis of Food and Grain Composition. Handbook of Food Analysis Instruments. CRC Press Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
  13. Baianu IC, You T, Costescu DM, Lozano PR, Prisecaru V, et al. (2004) High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Near Infrared Determination of Soybean Oil, Protein and Amino Acid Residues in Soybean Seeds, AOCS Publications.
  14. Baianu IC, Costescu D, Hofmann NE, Korban SS, Lozano P, et al. (2004) Near Infrared / Fluorescence Microspectroscopy, Infrared Chemical Imaging and High-Resolution NMR Analysis of Soybean Seeds, Somatic Embryos and Single Cancer Cells. Oil Extraction and Analysis. AOCS Press, Champaign, Illinois, USA.
  15. Baianu IC, You T, Guo J, Nelson RL (2002) Calibration of Dual Diode Array and Fourier Transform NIR Spectrometers for Composition Analysis of Single Soybean Seeds in Genetic Selection, Cross Breeding Experiments. Proceedings for the 9th Biennial Conference of the Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Soybean.
  16. Baianu IC, You T (2009) High-Resolution NIR and NMR Analysis of Food and Grain Composition. Handbook of Food Analysis Instruments. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
  17. Baianu IC, You T, Costescu DM, Lozano PR, Prisecaru V, et al. (2004) High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Near Infrared Determination of Soybean Oil, Protein and Amino Acid Residues in Soybean Seeds. AOCS Publications.
  18. Baianu IC, Costescu D, Hofmann NE, Korban SS, Lozano P, et al. (2004) Near Infrared / Fluorescence Microspectroscopy, Infrared Chemical Imaging and High-Resolution NMR Analysis of Soybean Seeds, Somatic Embryos and Single Cancer Cells. Oil Extraction and Analysis. AOCS Press, Illinois, USA.
  19. Baianu IC, You T, Guo J, Nelson R (2002) Calibration of Dual Diode Array and Fourier Transform NIR Spectrometers for Composition Analysis of Single Soybean Seeds in Genetic Selection, Cross Breeding Experiments. Proceedings for the 9th Biennial Conference of the Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Soybean.
  20. Baianu IC, Guo J (2011) NIR Calibrations for Soybean Seeds and Soy Food Composition Analysis: Total Carbohydrates, Oil, Proteins and Water Contents. Nature Precedings.
  21. Baianu IC (2011) Applications of Microspectroscopy, Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging and Fluorescence Microscopy in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Cell Biology. Nature Precedings.
  22. You T, Guo J, Baianu IC, Nelson RL (2002a) Determination of Isoflavones Contents for Selected Soybean Lines by Fourier Transform Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy. Proceedings for the 9th Biennial Conference of the Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Soybean.
  23. You T, Guo J, Baianu IC, Nelson RL (2002c) Rapid Determination of Protein, Oil, Moisture, and Contents of Isoflavones in Single Soybean Seeds by Fourier Transform Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy. Proceedings of the China and International Soy Conference and Exhibition.
  24. Pieter Walstra (2003) Physical Chemistry of Foods. Marcel Dekker, New York, USA.
  25. Baianu IC (1980) Structural Order and Partial Disorder in Biological Systems. Bull Math Biology 42: 137-141.
  26. Yakubu PI, Baianu IC, Orr PH (1990) Unique Hydration Behavior of Potato Starch as Determined by Deuterium NMR. J Food Sci 55: 458-461.
  27. Baianu IC (2012) Paracrystalline Nanostructures and Dynamics. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. CRC-Press - Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, Florida.
  28. Kakalis LT, Kumosinski TF, Baianu IC (1992) Nonideal effects of protein aggregation/ protein activity on the sorption of water vapor by proteins: A Thermodynamic Linkage Study. J Agric Food Chem 40: 2063-2071.
  29. Baianu IC (1994) Thermodynamic Linkage of Specific Ion Binding and Hydration Properties of Soy Glycinins and Conglycinins Determined by NMR Techniques. Biophys J 66: 246.
  30. Baianu IC, Wei TC, Kumosinski TF (1994) Molecular Dynamics and Multinuclear Spin Relaxation Studies of Amino Acids, Proline, Myosin and Glycinins in Concentrated Solutions with Electrolytes. ACS Publishers, New York, USA.
  31. Baianu IC, Ozu EM, Wei TC, Kumosinski TF (1994) Molecular Dynamics and Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Zwitterions and Proteins in Concentrated Solutions. J Mol Model 576: 325-341.
  32. Baianu IC, Yakubu PI, Ozu EM (1999) Structural and hydration studies of waxy and mealy potato starch cultivars by deuterium, carbon-13 CP-MAS/MASS NMR, and Electron Microscopy. Application of Polymers in Foods. Wiley-VCH Verlag, Germany.
  33. Mora-Gutierrez A, Farrell HM, Kumosinski TF (1999) NMR of casein hydration and activity in solutions with ions. Macromol Symp 140: 211-216.
  34. Yakubu PI, Ozu EM, Baianu IC, Orr PH (1993) Hydration of potato starch in aqueous suspensions determined from nuclear magnetic relaxation studies by 17O, 2H and 1H NMR: Relaxation Mechanisms and Quantitative analysis. J Agric Food Chem 41: 162-167.
  35. Baianu IC, Lee JR, Ozu EM (1993) Multi-exponential relaxation of Water Protons in the Myocardium investigated by Deuterium NMR. Biophys J 64: A255.
  36. Lee JR, Baianu IC, Bechtel PJ (1992) Hydration behavior of heart muscle studied by nuclear magnetic relaxation. Changes with heat treatment in muscle hydration and water distribution in heart muscle. J Agric Food Chem 40: 2350-2355.
  37. Mora-Gutierrez A, Baianu IC (1990) Hydration Studies of Maltodextrins by Proton, Deuterium and Oxygen-17 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. J Food Science 55: 462-467.
  38. Kakalis LT, Baianu IC, Kumosinski TF (1990) Oxygen-17 and Deuterium NMR studies of Soybean Protein Hydration. J Agric Food Chem 38: 454-461.
  39. Kakalis LT, Baianu IC (1988) Oxygen-17 and deuterium nuclear magnetic relaxation studies of lysozyme hydration in solution: field dispersion, concentration, pH/pD, and protein activity dependences. Arch Biochem Biophys 267: 829-841.
  40. Lioutas TS, Baianu IC, Bechtel PJ, Steinberg MP (1988) Oxygen-17 and sodium-23 nuclear magnetic resonance studies of myofibrillar protein interactions with water and electrolytes in relation to sorption isotherms. J Agric Food Chem 36: 437-444.
  41. Mora-Gutierrez A, Baianu IC (1991) Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Chemically Modified Waxy Maize Starch, Corn Syrups and Maltodextrins. Comparisons with Potato Starch and Potato Maltodextrins. J Agric Food Chem 39: 1057-1062.
  42. Kakalis LT, Baianu IC (1990) High-resolution Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance study of the Soybean 7S Storage Protein Fraction in Solution. J Agric Food Chem 37: 1479-1486.
  43. Kim H-HY, Baianu IC (1991) Novel Liposome Microencapsulation Techniques for Food Applications. Trends Food Sci Technol 2: 55-61.
Citation: Baianu IC (2012) Food Physical Chemistry Applications to Processing and Nutrition. J Nutr Food Sci 2:e104.

Copyright: © 2012 Baianu IC. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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