Fava bean flour is regarded as a potential plant-based protein source, but the addition of it at high concentration is restricted by its poor texture-improving ability and by anti-nutritional factors (ANF). Exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are regarded as good texture modifiers. In this study, fava bean flour was fermented with Leuconostoc spp. and Weissella spp. with or without sucrose addition, in order to evaluate their potential in EPS production. The contents of free sugars, organic acids, mannitol and EPS in all fermented fava bean doughs were measured. Rheological properties of sucrose-enriched doughs, including viscosity flow curves, hysteresis loop and dynamic oscillatory sweep curves, were measured after fermentation. As one of the ANF, the degradation of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) was also studied by analyzing RFO profiles of different doughs. Quantification of EPS revealed the potential of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 in EPS production, and the rheological analysis showed that the polymers produced by this strain has the highest thickening and gelling capability. Furthermore, the viscous fava bean doughs containing plant proteins and synthesized in situ EPS may have a potential application in the food industry and fulfill consumers' increasing demands for "clean labels" and plant-originated food materials.

Drug delivery which can offer efficient and localized drug transportation together with imaging capabilities is highly demanded in the development of cancer theranostic approaches. Herein, we report the construction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) gold nanoclusters (BSA@AuNCs) for cell fluoresce imaging and target drug delivery. BSA@AuNCs were modified with cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartate with the product RGD-BSA@AuNCs to enhance cell internalization of the nanoclusters. Furthermore, doxorubicin hydrochloride or doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used chemotherapy drug, was also used to modify RGD-BSA@AuNCs. The final design of the DOX/RGD-BSA@AuNC system was constructed through the disulfide bond. The physical microstructure and biological characterization of the BSA@AuNCs were realized through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser fluorescence microscopy. As the disulfide bonds were cleaved by glutathione in cancer cells, DOX-SH molecules were released from the nanosystem to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The as-prepared DOX/RGD-BSA@AuNC system can be used not only to deliver drug but also to achieve the antitumor effect by in vivo imaging, demonstrating its promising applications in cancer treatment.

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Textural properties, water-holding capacity, and color characteristics of alkali-extracted chicken dark meat have been studied. Alkali extraction was carried out at 4 different pH values (10.5, 11.0, 11.5, and 12.0). At higher pH of extraction, cooking loss and water loss were found to be significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The lightness (L* value) of the recovered samples treated at higher pH was found to be significantly lower (P < 0.05). Whiteness of uncooked samples also decreased significantly at higher extraction pH values. Protein samples extracted at higher pH values were found to be harder, and the maximum (4,956 g of force) value was shown by samples prepared at pH 11.5. Chewiness values were significantly increased (P < 0.05) for protein samples extracted at pH values of 11.5 and 12.0. Dynamic viscoelastic behavior of samples was assessed in the temperature range of 7 to 100 degrees C. The dynamic viscoelastic behavior of raw chicken dark meat as revealed by storage modulus indicated considerable gel-forming ability. The maximum storage modulus (G') value of 439 kPa was measured at 66.7 degrees C. Storage modulus was found to decrease for the recovered protein samples and be lowest at higher pH values. However, the recovered protein samples did show substantial gel-forming ability when stored with cryoprotectants. Tan delta values denoted 2 clear transitions for raw dark meat; however, only 1 major transition at 50.1 degrees C was evident for pH-treated samples, probably reflecting the loss of collagen in processing. In conclusion, this process of protein recovery may offer the possibility to use the underused poultry resources for preparation of functional foods.

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