Rapid gastrointestinal absorption of refined carbohydrates (CHO) is linked to perturbed glucose-insulin metabolism that is, in turn, associated with many chronic health disorders. We assessed the ability of various natural substances, commonly referred to as "CHO blockers," to influence starch and sucrose absorption in vivo in ninety-six rats and two pigs. These natural enzyme inhibitors of amy...

Changes in human lifestyle and food consumption have resulted in a large increase in the incidence of type-2 diabetes, obesity, and colon disease, especially in Asia. These conditions are a growing threat to human health, but consumption of foods high in resistant starch (RS) can potentially reduce their incidence. Strategies to increase RS in rice are limited by a lack of knowledge of its mole...

Aspergillus strains obtained from IMTECH Chandigarh and from Department of Biotechnology, CDLU, Sirsa were screened for their ability to produce amylase by starch agar plate method. Among the five strains, A. niger MTCC-104 showed highest clearing zone on starch agar plates as well as amylase activity in solid state fermentation. Different substrates like wheat bran, rice bran, soybean meal and...

The metabolism of carbohydrates was investigated in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings grown under anoxia. Two phases can be recognized in the utilization of carbohydrates: during the first days of germination under anoxia, the metabolism of sugars is mainly degradative, whereas after the induction of [alpha]-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) has taken place, the increased presence of glucose and sucrose indi...

In a close parallel to the developmental pattern of alpha-amylase activity, a rapid increase of maltase activity occurred in the endosperm tissue of germinating rice seeds after about 4 days of the seed imbibition. The overall pattern of the 2 hydrolytic enzyme activities strongly suggest that amylolytic breakdown is the major metabolic route of starch utilization in the germinating rice seeds....

More than half of the world's population uses rice as a source of carbon intake every day. Improving grain quality is thus essential to rice consumers. The three main properties that determine rice eating and cooking quality--amylose content, gel consistency, and gelatinization temperature--correlate with one another, but the underlying mechanism of these properties remains unclear. Through an ...

Plastidial disproportionating enzyme1 (DPE1), an α-1,4-d-glucanotransferase, has been thought to be involved in storage starch synthesis in cereal crops. However, the precise function of DPE1 remains to be established. We present here the functional identification of DPE1 in storage starch synthesis in rice (Oryza sativa) by endosperm-specific gene overexpression and suppression. DPE1 overexpre...

Rice, the staple food of south and east Asian counties, is considered to be hypoallergenic. However, several clinical studies have documented rice-induced allergy in sensitive patients. Rice proteins with molecular weights of 14-16, 26, 33, and 56 kDa have been identified as allergens. Recently, it was documented that the 56 kDa rice allergen was responsible for rice-induced anaphylaxis. The 14...

Starch is a carbohydrate composed of chain of glucose molecule. Potato, corn, rice are the major sources for starch but they are also used as a food. Our aim was to extract starch from some nonconventional source like taro plant (Colocasia esculenta) and did some physical and chemical modification to enhance the properties of starch. Physical modification method of starch like Osmotic Pressure ...