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Doctor of Philosophy / Food Science Institute / J. Scott Smith / Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are formed in many cooked meat products via Maillard browning reactions. Current research suggests consumption of these compounds may be a contributor to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases. Thus, information on the prevalence and inhibition of these compounds in food is desirable. The first objective was to determine the AGE content, as determined as N[superscript]ε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) level, in cooked meat and fish prepared by general cooking methods recommended by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS). We found AGE was detected in all the cooked samples, but the levels depended on the different cooking conditions. Broiling and frying at higher cooking temperatures produced higher levels of CML and broiled beef contained the highest CML content (21.84 μg/g). However, the baked salmon (8.59 μg/g) and baked tilapia (9.72 μg/g) contained less CML as compared to the other samples. In order to investigate the inhibitory effect of selected natural antioxidant on AGEs formation in cooked meat, four cereal brans, wheat (Jagger, JA), triticale (Spring Triticale, ST; Thundercale, TH), and Rye (RY) bran were added to beef patties before cooking. RY (42.0% inhibition), ST (27.5% inhibition), and TH (21.4% inhibition) brans significantly decreased CML formation compared with the control. The inhibition of CML was correlated to the water-holding activity (WHC) of the samples, and the radical scavenging activity of the brans. The effect of cereal bran extracts (JA, ST, TH, and RY), was studied in a bovine serum albumin and glucose (BSA-GLU) model system. The ST extract significantly (P <0.05) inhibited CML formation compared to the control group. ST particularly contained vanillic acid (VA), chlorogenic acid (CHA), gentisic acid (GEA), and ferulic acid (FA), where GEA and CHA mitigated CML with an average percentage decrease of 29.6% for CHA and 51.1% for GEA. It therefore may be useful in preventing AGEs formation by using ST bran as a food addictive, which contains abundant phenolic acids. In summary, current dietary AGEs database will provide important information for use in estimating AGEs exposure, and also these data demonstrate that a significantly reduced intake of dietary AGEs can be achieved by low heat AGE cooking methods such as baking, which can be used at home or in the meat industry. Cereal bran addition to meat products may reduce formation of AGEs that is a desired attribute for the processed meat products industry.

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree PhD Science Johannesburg, September 2014 / Drought has the potential to reset trophic interactions within natural and managed ecosystems. I tested how drought stress in maize and companion plants that are used in cereal agroecosystems of Kenya affect oviposition preference, larval feeding, and development of the spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Five host species were tested (all Poaceae): maize (Zea mays L.), Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), signal grass [Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich) Stapf], Brachiaria cv ‘Mulato’, and molasses grass [Melinis minutiflora (Beauv.)]. Under periods of water deficit, maize was oviposited on as much as under control unstressed maize in both choice and no-choice experiments. Similarly, larval leaf damage was not significantly different in drought-stressed and unstressed maize. However in Napier and signal grasses, oviposition occurred less on drought-stressed than on unstressed corresponding individuals of the same species. Oviposition acceptance and foliar damage remained low in both drought-stressed and unstressed molasses grass and Mulato. Larval survival and development remained high in drought-stressed maize, but not in Napier, signal, and molasses grass and Mulato, where survival and development were low in both drought-stressed and unstressed plants. Drought stress resulted in increased total plant volatile emission in Napier and signal grasses. This significant change in total volatile emission of the plants upon stress was not present in molasses grass, Mulato II, Silverleaf and Greenleaf Desmodium despite variable changes in the quantities and qualities of particular constituent compounds among all the plant species during water deficit. In wind tunnel bioassays, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from irrigated Napier and signal grasses were more attractive to C. partellus than the treatment plants. However, volatiles from molasses grass, Mulato II, Silverleaf and Greenleaf Desmodium were never preferred by the gravid moths in both irrigated and drought stressed v conditions. These changes in chemical constituents of the plant VOCs also elicited behavioural responses in parasitoids. Drought-stressed Napier grass attracted gravid Cotesia sesamiae parasitoids. Other companion plant species such as molasses grass and Mulato which constitutively emit these terpenes remained attractive to the parasitoids even under periods of drought. I attribute this differential preference of the moths to the constitutive and/or induced emission of key terpenoid compounds in plants that were tested. The induction of terpenoid compounds was coupled with a reduction in the amount of green leaf volatiles such as (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate in Napier and signal grasses. Taken together, the results suggest that control of stemborer pests using stimulo-deterrent diversion tactics remains possible under periods of environmental change.

The purpose of the study is to understand factors influencing consumers¡¦ decisions to buy breakfast and RTE cereals. In accordance with the research motivation and objectives, questionnaire was designed and sent to parents rearing children under the age of 18 and young adults in college and graduate school. Conclusions drawn from the study includes the implications for management practice and recommendations made for the policy makers and managers of Kellogg Taiwan. The study investigates the determinants of breakfast-buying decision and turns out that health, mood, and sensory appeal are rated more important than price, weight control, and familiarity. Then the questionnaires are used to find out key factors that motivate consumers to adopt RTE cereal or to reject it as a breakfast alternative. The research results show that health and convenience aspects are emphasized by users, while taste and lack of variety are major causes of rejection. Furthermore, through the ANOVA test by SPSS software, respondents from Taipei area show more favor to RTE cereal than those from Middle and South of Taiwan. The research results also indicate that Kellogg has been successful in gaining publicity, whereas the publicity does not generate the same magnitude of favorability and desirability. Based on the research findings, the possible managerial implications were proposed to Kellogg including inventing new products that can be consumed in hot milk, placing more emphasis on public relations, converting low-involvement breakfast purchase into a high-involvement one, etc.

Cereal grains share many common traits, but they also have different internal structures, nutrient values, degradation kinetics and digestion features. Heat treatments are commonly used in the feed industry. It is known that heat is able to change the nutrient values of the feed but the effect could be equivocal. In order to understand the effects of heat processing on internal structure and nutrient availability of cereal grains, two batches of wheat, triticale and corn were divided into three groups (control/raw (unheated), dry heating and moist heating) and processed at 121 °C for 80 min. Basic chemical analysis and in situ, in vitro assays were conducted and CNCPS, DVE/OEB and NRC-2001 models were used to determine the nutrient availability of the grains. In addition, two mid-IR molecular spectroscopy techniques (Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Synchrotron Radiation Infrared Microspectroscopy (SR-IMS)) were used to gain an insight into the heat-induced changes in the functional groups. Significant (P<0.05) differences were found between the cereal grains in their nutritional availabilities, including their chemical characteristics, protein and carbohydrate fractions, energy values, the ruminal degradation kinetics, hourly effective rumen degradation ratios, potential N-to-energy synchronization, and intestinal digestion of cereal grains. Compared to dry heating, moist heating had more impact on altering the nutrient profiles and showed the potential to increase the nutrient availability of wheat and triticale for dairy cattle. Significant differences (P<0.01) were detected between different feeds and heat treatment groups by using the ATR-FTIR technique. Results were found in consistency with the conventional chemical and animal studies mentioned above despite when using the SR-IMS technique. Significant (P<0.05) correlations were detected between some structure spectral characteristics and nutrient digestion traits. In conclusion, the moist heating had more profound impact than the dry heating in increasing nutrient supplies to ruminants in wheat and triticale. The heat-induced effects found in corn were less positive. The ATR-FTIR technique could detect the internal structural changes in cereal grains, while the sensitivity and accuracy of the SR-IMS technique were not proved in this study.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Computing and Engineering and Dept. of Mathematics. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2005. / "A dissertation in engineering and mathematics." Advisor: Bryan R. Becker. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed June 26, 2006. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-134). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (July 14, 2006) Includes bibliographical references.