In this study, the effects of acetylation on the swelling and enzymatic degradation of maize starch as well as the release rate of drug from tablets coated with starch-based polymer were examined. Maize starch acetates (SA) were prepared by acetyl esterification with a degree of substitution from 1.31 to 2.40, and bovine serum albumin was used as a model drug. For in-vitro drug release assays, the starch based polymer was incubated in simulated gastric fluid, simulated intestinal fluid and simulated colonic fluid, respectively. The resistant starch content and swelling property of maize starch were increased by acetylation, which retarded its enzymatic degradation. Drug release studies have shown that SA-coated tablets could deliver the drug to the colon. These results suggest that the SA can be used for a potential drug delivery carrier for colon-targeting biomacromolecule drugs.

Certain physical properties of distilled water, tap water and sugar solution are affected when they are treated with a magnetic fileld. In particular, the evaporation rated of sugar solntion can be improved with a suitable magnetie field. The mechanism of this magnelic trcatment is discussed and the optimum magnetic conditions are proposed ofr improing the evaporation rated. It is concluded that magnetic teehnology could provide good prospects of energy saving in the sugar industry.

A novel method to enhance sucrose crystal growth was proposed and investigated. It was found that when sucrose solutions are irradiated by microwaves, the crystal growth rate is greater that in the traditional vacuum-evaporative crystallization. A kinetic model was established for the microwave-assisted crystal growth and X-ray diffraction analysis was also undertaken.

The influence of covalent cross-linking by microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the sequential in vitro pepsin and trypsin digestion process and the digestibility of soy protein isolate (SPI), was investigated by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and nitrogen release analyses. Various subunits of b-conglycinin and acidic subunits of glycinin were cross-linked by MTGase to form high molecular weight (MW) biopolymers, while basic subunits of glycinin were unaffected. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the cross-linking mainly affected in vitro pepsin digestion pattern of various subunits of b-conglycinin, while the trypsin digestion pattern of native SPI was nearly unaffected. Nitrogen release analysis showed that the in vitro pepsin or/and trypsin digestibility of native SPI (at the end of pepsin or trypsin ingestion) was significantly decreased (P＞0.01) by the MTGase treatment (for more than 2 h). The cross-linking by MTGase also significantly decreased the in vitro digestibility of preheated SPI. These results suggest that the cross-linking by means of transglutaminase may negatively affect the nutritional properties of food proteins.

The fluorescence behavior of the drag hespendin in several cyclodextlins(CDS):