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INVESTIGATOR: CHEN, G.; SANG, S.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIV
1601 EAST MARKET STREET
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA 27411

MODIFICATION OF WHEAT AND CORN BRANS BY MICROFLUIDIZATION PROCESS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: In modern society, obesity constitutes a major public health issue with serious social and economic consequences worldwide. Numerous studies support that an increased intake of dietary fiber plays a protective role against obesity and some other chronic diseases. The reduced risk of obesity is of high importance since obesity is a risk factor for certain cancers. Although the healthy reputation of dietary fiber continues to grow, national data consistently shows that both children and adults consume less than one-half of the recommended daily intakes of dietary fiber. In reality, it is difficult for an individual consuming a typical Western diet to obtain an adequate quantity of fiber. Substantial dietary changes are thereby needed to meet the required needs, and one approach is to consume foods that are supplemented with high levels of fiber rich ingredients. However, formulating dietary fiber enriched foods still presents challenges since native fiber ingredients adversely affect color, texture, flavor and taste of the supplemented foods. This problem could be addressed by modifying physicochemical properties of fiber ingredients because their behavior in food processing and interaction with food matrices is relevant to these properties. In this project, wheat and corn brans, very important sources of dietary fiber and antioxidants in industrialized countries, will be modified using the microfluidization process in which aqueous streams containing bran particles will be driven through a microchannel at an extremely high speed. Upon completion of the project, a protocol for processing wheat and corn brans using microfluidization will be established for optimal process efficiency. Mathematical models that correlate the brans' physicochemical and nutritional properties with microfluidization processing parameters will be developed to optimize these properties. Corn cereals enriched with the modified brans will also be produced. These findings will allow us to further develop bran-enriched foods such as cereals and bakery products with good sensory properties. This should promote the intakes of dietary fiber in the United States and thus help prevent chronic diseases, especially obesity.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary fiber is an important component of healthy diets and has well documented health benefits. Wheat and corn brans are very important sources of dietary fiber and antioxidants in industrialized countries. The goal of the proposed project is to improve the brans' physicochemical and nutritional properties using the microfluidization process. This goal will be achieved through three specific objectives: 1) establishment of a microfluidization protocol for processing wheat and corn brans; 2) development of response surface models that correlate physicochemical and nutritional properties with microfluidization processing parameters; and 3) preliminary investigation of the effects of modified brans on product quality of extruded corn cereal. Expected outputs include a protocol for processing wheat and corn brans using microfluidization technology, response surface models that correlate physicochemical and nutritional properties of the brans with microfluidization processing parameters, palatable cereal products enriched with the modified brans, developing internal collaboration, training postdoctoral researchers and graduate students, and publishing journal papers and presenting at professional conferences.