The fructans, inulin and oligofructose, were known to possess many physiologic properties. In the present study, the Box-Behnken design was used to determine the optimum extraction conditions of fructan from Eremurus spectabilis root powder (Serish) with water extraction, direct and indirect ultrasound assisted extraction methods that gave the maximum yield. Sonication amplitude (20-100 %), sonication temperature (30-70°C) and sonication time (5-40 min) were considered variables of direct and indirect ultrasound extractions while for conventional extraction the following variables were water to solid ratio (30-50 v/w), temperature (40-90°C) and time (5-40 min). A second-order polynomial model was fitted to each response and the regression coefficients were determined using least square method. There was a good agreement between the experimental data and their predicted counterparts. In addition to establishing the difference of these extraction methods, the scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential and particle size analysis have been shown to be useful tools to investigate, approximate and predict characteristics of extracted fructan. Moreover, comparison of conventional extraction, direct sonication extraction, indirect sonication extraction showed the indirect sonication extraction is a suitable method for fructan extraction.

Background: Use of antioxidants is a means of reducing rancidity of fats and oils in food stuffs. The commercial synthetic antioxidants in food industry have been suspected to cause negative health effects. Therefore as alternatives, there is a strong need in finding new effective and safe antioxidants from natural sources to prevent deterioration of foods, drugs and cosmetics. Objectives: In order to investigate the antioxidant activity from natural sources as alternatives of commercial antioxidants, the antioxidant activity of the extracts of leaves and fruits of six different species of Iranian common conifers: Cupressus arizonica, Pinus halepensis, Pinus nigra, Pinus brutia var. elderica, Pinus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara were investigated in the current study. Materials and Methods:The leaves and fruits of these plants were collected from different areas of the country. Methanol extracts of leaves and fruits of Iranian common conifers (six species) were prepared. Antioxidant activity of the samples was measured using ferric thiocyante (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) tests. Results:The results of the study, using the two methods, showed that all methanol extracts of leaves and fruits of the six species possessed antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of the samples was compared with the antioxidant activities of butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT), as a synthetic antioxidant and α-tocopherol as a natural antioxidant. Methanol extractions of Pinus spp. leaves and fruits showed the highest antioxidant activity (quite higher than α-tocopherol). Among the extracts examined, the leaves of P. halpensis methanol extract showed the lowest activity. Conclusions: At this stage it can be concluded that methanol extracts of these plants can be considered as strong antioxidant agents. However more investigation is necessary in order to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the components separate from each extracted sample using several different antioxidant methods.

In this study the interactions between Serish root inulin and the main biopolymer types of wheat flour namely gluten, starch and phospholipid, were investigated in different model systems using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to unravel the underlying physical mechanism by which inulin impacts dough and bread properties. Interactions of inulin with starch and phospholipid were not considerable compared to gluten, but it was also clear that the modes of these interactions varied with the type and the amount of additives used in model formulation. This study revealed that when inulin is added to gluten, water redistribution promotes partial dehydration of gluten and collapse of β-spirals into intermolecular β-sheet structures; this trans-conformations might be due to physical reasons are believed to further impact the poor quality of bread containing added inulin. Upon performing Gaussian-Lorenzian curve fitting, it was observed that by adding of inulin to model systems, the relative contribution of characteristic peaks of β-turn and intramolecular β-sheet was progressively decreased whereas intermolecular β-sheet and α-helix contents were increased.

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