Rheology of Muffin Batters by Line Spread Test and Viscosity Measurements
This work was aimed to quantify the flow properties of muffin batters by Line Spread Test (LST) and to establish a valid correlation between their line spread distance and viscosity. LST is a quick and inexpensive method for comparing relative viscosities of food slurries or a solid-liquid suspension type of food materials, like muffin batters. The rheological proper ties of muffin batters formulated using gluten free flours were studied. Five different combinations of rice flour and quinoa flour were studied as gluten free flour combinations. Control muffin batters were formulated using 100% wheat flour, which is a gluten positive flour. Density, pH, line spread distance and viscosity were measured for all six batter formulations including control. All tests were performed in triplicate and all data were analyzed statistically. In general, gluten free flour reduced the density and increased the acidity of muffin batters. Whereas, line spread distance was increased and viscosity was decreased with replacement of quinoa flour to rice flour in the muffin batters. A valid correlation between line spread distance and viscosity was observed. The inverse of LST in cm/sec was observed to be close to the viscosity in poise for muffin batters in this study.
Manufacturing approaches to making muffins of high nutritional value
The object of this study is the technology of baking muffins using beetroot fibers and wheat germ meal. Muffins are popular flour-based confectionery products with pleasant physical appearance and a variety of flavors, which are characterized by high energy and low food values. In addition, they are most often prepared using polycomposite mixtures, which does not make it possible to obtain products with a physiologically significant content of biologically active substances. It has been proposed while improving the technology of making muffins of high nutritional value to use such products of wheat germ and beet pulp processing as the additives «Beet fibers» and «Wheat germ meal» to serve the sources of physiologically functional ingredients. Beetroot fibers contain in their composition pectin-cellulose-hemicellulose complex of non-starch polysaccharides, polyphenolic compounds, and minerals (magnesium, calcium, sodium, etc.). The chemical composition of wheat germ meal is represented by a cellulose-hemicellulose complex, quite high content of vitamin E, polyphenolic compounds, and a significant amount of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium. The influence of wheat germ and beet pulp processing products has been investigated when partially replacing wheat flour, 25.0‒75.0 % and 10.0‒20.0 %, respectively. The formulation composition of muffins was optimized resulting in the substantiation of the amount of experimental additives (15.0 %, beet fibers; 50.0 %, wheat germ meal) and a decrease in the formulation content of sugar by 30.0 %. The organoleptic and physicochemical indicators of muffins have been determined, as well as the amount of physiologically functional ingredients in the products containing wheat germ and beet pulp processing products. The functional- technological scheme of muffin production has been built involving the addition of beet fibers and wheat germ meal. The improved muffin technology differs from conventional technologies by the application of natural raw materials, lack of food additives of synthetic origin, and the introduction of beet fibers and wheat germ meal, which makes it possible to make products with high nutritional value while maintaining the appropriate quality.
Spatial distribution of root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) in a long-term no-till cropping system and their relationship with soil and landscape properties
The Cook Agronomy Farm of Washington State University is a long-term precision agriculture study site. Since 2000, the farm has been in various three-year no-till rotations with winter wheat, spring wheat, and various rotation crops such as barley, canola, peas, lentils, and chickpea. The spatial distribution of root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) and their relationships with soil and terrain variables were studied by collecting soil samples at 127 and 124 geo-referenced points in two 12-ha fields during the spring of 2010 and 2011, respectively. Pratylenchus spp. were detected in more than 85% of the sampled locations in both fields. Nematode densities spatially mapped using ArcGIS software occurred in an aggregated pattern. Previous rotation crops had no effect on the spatial distribution. Classification and regression tree analysis (CART) using soil and terrain variables, and nematode density, explained 61 and 34% of the variability associated with nematode density in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Soil edaphic factors, such as organic matter, were stronger predictors of nematode populations than rotation effects.