Kudzu (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi) is a fast growing leguminous vine plant that has strong reproductive ability and low requirements on its growing conditions. It has been considered an invasive ...plant in some places because of its aggressive growth, which can destroy the habitat for native plants and animals. However, its strong environmental adaptability makes it easily cultivated as a sustainable resource. Kudzu can also keep soil from washing away and play an important role in ecological protection. Kudzu has had numerous practical uses in our daily lives since ancient times. For example, its root, stem, flower and pod are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its root is a healthy food. And its leaf is used as fodder and forage for livestock. Moreover, some recent studies on kudzu have found that it is in rich of bioactive ingredients, especially isoflavones, which further broadens its uses in medicine, healthy food, and cosmetics industries. Its high starch and cellulose content makes it a promising feedstock for biofuel production and paper preparation. This editorial will give a brief discussion on kudzu and its comprehensive utilization.
•A rapid and accurate method to distinguish and quantify the adulteration ratio of Kudzu root with stem was developed.•NIR spectra technology combined with machine learning algorithms were ...investigated.•LS-SVM model achieved more impressive performances.•It provided an effective detection technique for food fraud detection.
Kudzu root (KR) is regarded as a natural health food with high medicinal value, and is commercially available in dietary supplements that are primarily marketed for women’s health. The nutrient and functional substances are mainly distributed in the root; and moreover, the appearance and taste of Kudzu stem (KS) are both similar to KR. Thus, the ability to differentiate KR and KS and to detect adulteration of KR with the addition of cheaper KS is important in preventing the possible commercial fraud that adversely affects both the food industry as well as the consumers. With this assumption, the present work had two different goals of developing a rapid, simple and accurate method to distinguish KR from KS, and to test the feasibility of quantifying the adulteration ratio of KR to KS. To achieve these goals, NIR spectroscopy was coupled with 4 different algorithms including the principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), partial least squares (PLS) test, and least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM). The results showed that PLS-DA achieved 100 percent classification accuracy for both KR and KS. The LS-SVM model had superior capability than did the PLS model in predicting the adulteration ratio between KR and KS. It has provided excellent predictive performance with a high Rp value of 0.9972 and a low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) value of 2.1724. These observations revealed the potential of NIR spectroscopy combined with machine learning methods as effective approach in distinguishing possible adulteration of KR.
Kudzu root (Pueraria lobata) is well known for its traditional use as a medicinal food homologous plant in China. Three varieties of kudzu roots, such as Gange‐1, Gange‐2, and Gange‐6, are commonly ...used. Nowadays, kudzu starch (KS) is commercially available as satiating foods or product ingredients. Differentiation and selection of the variety are important components of quality control for KS‐based products. Thus, the present work was aimed at comparing the physicochemical properties, such as thermodynamic properties, pasting properties, solubility, swelling, as well as the structural characteristics of the starches extracted from the three varieties of kudzu roots. The results show that KS‐6 has a higher content of functional ingredients thus can be used as an ideal functional starch. However, KS‐6 has a higher amylopectin:amylose ratio of 4.65, resulting in a better solubility, higher transition temperature, and higher gelatinization enthalpy. KS‐2 showed lower transition temperature and gelatinization enthalpy, as well as higher peak viscosity, through viscosity, and final viscosity. KS‐1 could result in a soft texture after pasting. The appropriate variety of KS should be differentiated and selected according to application scenarios. This study provided valuable insights into the potential use of different KS in the food and nonfood industries.
Practical Application
1. KS‐1 was found to be suitable for use as a food supplement. 2. KS‐6 has the highest nutritional value. 3. They can be used as a substitute for other similar starches.
Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata), a plant native to Southeastern Asia, has become a major noxious weed covering millions of hectares in the Southern United States. A kudzu patch displaying ...virus-like symptoms located in Ackerman, northeastern Mississippi (MS), was used as a source for virus isolation and characterization involving mechanical and vector transmission, ultrastructural observation, surveys, Sanger and high-throughput genome sequencing, and sequence analyses. The results revealed the presence of a new potyvirus in infected kudzu, closely related to wisteria vein mosaic virus (WVMV) and provisionally named kudzu chlorotic ring blotch virus (KudCRBV). Genome features and pairwise comparison with six WVMV genomes currently available in GenBank and three additional isolates from MS sequenced in this work suggest that KudCRBV is likely a member of a new species in the genus Potyvirus. Furthermore, under experimental conditions, KudCRBV was successfully transmitted by cotton and potato aphids and mechanically to soybean and beans. A state-wide survey revealed several kudzu patches infected by the virus in northern MS.
The extraction efficiency, recovery, quantification, and stability of isoflavones (daidzein, genistein and puerarin) from the wastes /by-products of kudzu roots and soy molasses were evaluated by ...using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) coupled with ultrasound-assisted extraction. The NADES extraction was compared with the conventional Soxhlet extraction technique, and the extracted isoflavones were quantified using HPLC-UV/Vis. Results showed extractability of puerarin to be significantly increased (p < 0.0001) in proportion to the increased water concentration of NADES (9.7 ± 0.2, 12.6 ± 0.2, and 14.8 ± 0.3 mg/g in NADESs containing 10%, 20%, and 30% water, respectively). Despite having less isoflavone content, kudzu roots and soy molasses extracts obtained using NADES exhibited higher antioxidant activity when compared with methanolic extracts. Further, NADES extracts also markedly reduced the degradation degree of isoflavones. The results of this investigation support the use of green extraction techniques to obtain value-added components like isoflavones from wastes/by-products like that of kudzu roots and soy molasses, which are envisaged to find future potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
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•Green extraction technique (UAE) with NADES was employed for extraction.•Water concentration of NADES directly influenced the extractability.•Sample-to-NADES volume directly influenced the extractability.•NADES extracts showed higher antioxidant activity and storage stability.•Extraction of isoflavones using NADES was more effective than conventional methods.
It is an urgent need to exploit a potentially green, cost efficient and eco-friendly strategy for the utilization of waste kudzu vine. We developed a one-step green preparation of kudzu vine biochar ...(BC) decorated graphene-like molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) with the oxidase-like activity as intelligent nanozyme sensing platform for voltametric detection of hesperetin (HP) in orange peel using the in-situ hydrothermal synthesis method. The structure and properties of MoSe2-BC was characterized, and found that BC significantly improved electrochemical cycle stability, electronic conductivity, electrochemical active area, and electrocatalytic activity of MoSe2. The oxidase-like activity of MoSe2-BC was confirmed by the oxidization of the colorless substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to form blue products and the change of absorbance intensity of UV–vis absorption spectra. The MoSe2-BC exhibited excellent electrochemical sensing performance for the detection of HP in wide linear ranges from 10 nM to 9.5 μM with a low limit of detection of 2 nM using differential pulse voltammetric method. An emerging machine learning technique is used to realize the intelligent sensing of HP, and the performance evaluation of regression analysis was selected to evaluate this technique. This work will provide a guidance for the preparation and application of biochar decorated graphene-like nanomaterials with the oxidase-like activity and the development of intelligent nanozyme sensing platform.
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•The waste kudzu vine is utilized through the hydrothermal carbonization.•A facile and scalable approach is employed for green synthesis of MoSe2-BC.•A nanozyme sensor is developed for electrochemical detection of hesperetin.•A machine learning technique is used for the intelligent analysis of hesperetin.
As the average longevity of humans increases, the number of patients with osteoporosis has also increased. Chemoprevention for osteoporosis, especially through food intake, may extend the healthy ...life expectancy. We previously reported that kudzu (Pueraria lobata) vine ethanol extract (PVEE) in the diet (20 mg/kg body weight/day) suppresses bone resorption and prevents bone loss in ovariectomized mice. However, experiments with lower PVEE concentrations are necessary to determine whether PVEE is a suitable functional food resource to improve osteoporosis. This study thus examined the effects of PVEE intake (2 or 5 mg/kg body weight/day, approximately 0.07 or 0.17 mg PVEE isoflavone/day/mouse) for 6 months. The dose was calculated on the basis of the recommended daily isoflavone allowance in Japan. Both 5 and 2 mg PVEE successfully prevented ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice. These results indicated that PVEE was effective at these doses. Thus, PVEE has the potential to be a promising resource for osteoporosis-preventing functional foods.
In the current study, starch-based active nanocomposite films reinforced with cellulosic nanocrystals (CNCs) of Kudzu were developed as an alternative option to existing biodegradable plastic ...packaging. Firstly, Kudzu CNCs were prepared by subjecting Kudzu fibers to the processes such as depolymerization followed by bleaching, acid hydrolysis, and mechanical dispersion. Further, nanocomposite films were formulated by blending pearl millet starch (PMS) and glycerol (30%) with different Kudzu CNCs compositions (0–7 wt%) using the solution casting process. The prepared PMS/Kudzu CNCs nanocomposite films were analyzed for their morphological (SEM and TEM), thermal (TGA and DSC), structural (FTIR), mechanical (tensile strength (TS), elongation at break and young modulus), and water barrier properties. The PMS/Kudzu CNCs films possessed improved crystallinity, heat and moisture-barrier properties, TS, and young-modulus after reinforcement. The optimum reinforcer concentration of CNCs was 5%. The Kudzu CNCs reinforced starch film offers a promising candidate for developing biodegradable films.
•It was the first attempt to isolate cellulose nanocrystals from the Kudzu stem.•Starch-based nanocomposites films were developed by reinforcing cellulose nanocrystals.•Physical, mechanical, and barrier properties of the film were improved as CNCs added.•Thermal stabilities of the film enhanced with the addition of CNCs.•CNCs reinforced starch film offers a promising candidate for biodegradable films.
Extrusion treatment at low moisture contents (10%, 15% and 20%) was used to prevent agglomeration during rehydration of kudzu powder, which seriously affects its instant properties. By extrusion, the ...agglomeration rate of kudzu powder decreased from 42.41% to 0.84%–1.46% when rehydration time reached 60 s. The sharp pressure drops during the extrusion process caused puffing of the powder, thereby reducing its bulk density, which facilitated rapid penetration of water into the powder. In addition, extrusion treatment destroyed the granular and crystalline structures (long-range and short-range) of kudzu powder, and reconstructed it into large particles with amorphous structure. Because of these changes, the wettability, including the water absorption and water solubility of kudzu powder, was remarkably enhanced, and thus the agglomeration problem was solved. Furthermore, extrusion treatment decreased the strength and consistency of kudzu paste and altered its color. The degree of these changes was related to the moisture level used in the extrusion process. Increasing the moisture content of extrusion was beneficial to maintaining the natural color of kudzu paste but was not conducive to maintaining its natural viscoelasticity.
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•Extrusion significantly improves the instant properties of kudzu powder.•Extrusion caused puffing of kudzu powder, thereby reducing its bulk density.•Extrusion reconstructed the granular and crystalline structures of kudzu powder.•Extrusion enhanced the water absorption and water solubility of kudzu powder.•Viscoelasticity and color of kudzu paste were related to moisture level of extrusion.
•Kudzu starch was successfully modified using OSA.•Interfacial activity of kudzu starch was improved after OSA modification.•Stable O/W emulsions formulation with OSA-modified kudzu starch.•Effects ...of different environmental stresses on emulsion formulation were studied.•O/W emulsion stabilities were dependent on the concentration of kudzu starch.
Kudzu starch esterified with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) was used as a food-grade emulsifier to formulate O/W emulsions. In addition, the difference between the physicochemical properties and emulsifying ability of native kudzu starch and those of OSA-modified kudzu starch was investigated. Granules of the OSA-modified kudzu starches increased in size after gelatinization. The interfacial tension between soybean oil and gelatinized OSA-modified kudzu starch was lower than that of kudzu starch. The droplet size of O/W emulsions decreased to 186nm at 100MPa after three passes. The emulsions stabilized using gelatinized OSA-modified kudzu starch were less stable when exposed to different ionic strengths (100mM to 500mM NaCl), than when exposed to different pH levels (2–8). The results of oil droplet size and confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis indicated that emulsions containing 2–5% OSA-modified kudzu starch remained stable at room temperature for 30 days.
