Component Profiling of Soy-Sauce-Like Seasoning Produced from Different Raw Materials

Soy sauce is a traditional Japanese umami seasoning commonly made from soybeans, wheat, and salt water. Soy-sauce-like seasoning, made from other raw materials, such as rice and peas, has recently been developed. However, differences in the taste of soy-sauce-like seasoning, depending on the raw materials, have not been evaluated. Component profiling based on GC/MS combined with a paired comparison test were used to investigate the effect of raw materials on seasoning components and umami taste in five grain-based and four bean-based soy-sauce-like seasonings. In a principal component (PC) analysis, grain-based samples and bean-based samples were separated along the PC1 axis (explaining 48.1% of the total variance). Grain-based samples had a higher saccharide content, and bean-based samples had a higher amino acid content. Furthermore, differences in the umami intensity were also observed among sample types. This is the first detailed metabolomics study of the characteristic compounds and umami of a variety of soy-sauce-like seasonings made from different raw materials.

Germination and sugar content alteration in maize grain caused by Fusarium contamination

Healthy and Fusarium affected ears were collected in Fészerlak, Somogy County at the end of vegetation cycle of maize (25-30 August). Each pattern contains 25-25 ears. We compared the samples on the basis of visual image of Fusarium affection. The ears were shelled and two 0,5 kg samples were formed: healthy and Fusarium contaminated. After surface sterilisation the uniform sized seeds were soaked in sterile distilled water for 24 hours and there were germinated for 7 days. The α-amylase activity was measured with Phadebas- α-amylase test. Seeds were extracted one by one three times under reflux using 10 cm3 boiling water for 15 minutes. During our investigation germinating activity was detected to measure glucose, fructose, sucrose content and α-amylase activity. In the first seven days of germination the highest values were detected in control seeds followed by the affected seeds. Our results clearly show that stress conditions applied altered not only the saccharide content but decreased their germinating activity as well in the case of maize grain.

Investigations of asialoglycoprotein receptor glycosylation by lectin affinity methods

The asialoglycoprotein receptor belongs to the family of calcium-dependent (C-type) animal lectins. The purified receptor is a glycoprotein in which 10 % of the dry weight consists of sialic acid, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine and mannose. The carbohydrate content of the asialoglycoprotein receptor was investigated by lectin affinity methods. The usefulness of plant lectin affinity methods in the characterization of the saccharide content of the asialoglycoprotein receptor, as an animal lectin, is demonstrated. RCA I ConA, PHA, SNA I and WGA showed greater affinity toward the asialoglycoprotein receptor, while PSL, AAA and PNA showed negligible interactions with the asialoglycoprotein receptor. The obtained results correlated well with the carbohydrate content of the asialoglycoprotein receptor as determined by chemical methods.