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.
•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.
The Pueraria has been distributed in most countries of the world, but starch isolated from its root is only popular in China, Japan and other East Asian countries. Herein, we summarize the isolation, ...components, structure, properties, modifications and applications of kudzu starch. The coexistence of isoflavones with starch leads to the unique feature of kudzu starch. Similar to other common starches, kudzu starch molecules are composed of amylose and amylopectin. However, the fine structure of kudzu starch is different from other starches, influencing its transparency, solubility, swelling power, freeze-thaw stability, gelatinization, retrogradation, pasting and rheological properties, and even in vitro digestion. Kudzu starch has been modified by physical, chemical and enzymatical methods to improve its properties and then potentially broaden its applications. Although kudzu starch has been applied in food and non-food fields, its large-scale utility is limited as compared with other commercial starches. This review would provide useful information for the development and applications of kudzu starch.
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•We comprehensively review on various aspects of kudzu starch.•Kudzu starch is compared with other common and commercial starches.•The composition, structure and properties of kudzu starch are described.•The modifications and applications of kudzu starch are discussed.
Osteoporosis is characterized by bone loss and deterioration in bone microstructure, leading to bone fragility. It is strongly correlated with menopause in women. Previously, we reported that diets ...supplemented with a kudzu (Pueraria lobata) vine extract suppressed bone resorption in ovariectomized (OVX) mice, a postmenopausal model. The main isoflavone in kudzu is puerarin (daidzein-8-C-glycoside). Puerarin (daidzein-8-C-glycoside), which is main isoflavone of kudzu, probably contributes to the beneficial effect. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Therefore, the nutrikinetics of puerarin and the comparison with the suppressive effects of kudzu isoflavones on osteoclast differentiation was examined in this study. We demonstrated that orally administered puerarin was absorbed from the gut and entered the circulation in an intact form. In addition, puerarin accumulated in RAW264.7 pre-osteoclast cells in a time-dependent manner. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity was decreased by puerarin treatment in a concentration-dependent manner in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand. Ovariectomy-induced elevated bone resorption was suppressed, and the fragile bone strength was improved by puerarin ingestion in the diet. These findings suggested that orally administered puerarin was localized in bone tissue and suppressed bone resorption and osteoclastogenesis in ovariectomized mice.
Kudzu starch–chitosan composite films were prepared by combining 2% (w/v) gelatinized kudzu starch and 2% (w/v) chitosan solution together. Effects of acids (acetic acid, lactic acid and malic acid) ...to dissolve chitosan on properties of the composite films were investigated. Fourier-transform infrared spectra showed that kudzu starch and chitosan could form miscible films. X-ray diffraction data indicated that the crystalline of each single component was suppressed after film forming process. The composite film using malic acid as solvent showed the best antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which may be due to the highest amount of dissolved amino group, the lowest water sorption ability and the best water barrier property. The film chose acetic acid as solvent presented the strongest mechanical property, the smallest solubility, the lightest yellowness and color. The film made from lactic acid solution displayed the greatest flexible property demonstrated by the maximum elongation.
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•Pueraria is being used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.•Bioactivities of Pueraria are mainly due to isoflavones.•Puerarin is a marker compound of the Pueraria ...genus.•Puerarin received an investigational drug status for the treatment of alcohol abuse.•Pueraria has beneficial effects in postmenopausal women & CHD patients.
Pueraria species are listed in the Chinese Pharmacopeia and are being used for the treatment of various health ailments and in protecting health. Puerarin, a chemotaxonomic marker of Pueraria, received investigational drug status for the treatment of alcohol abuse and listed in DRUGBANK database. The purpose of this review is to provide insights on health benefits of Pueraria, its bioactive constituents and molecular mechanisms. The information is retrieved from various databases. The most investigated plant part is tuber and the major bioactive constituents are isoflavones. The Pueraria is reported to possess a lots of health benefits on brain, liver, heart, kidney, bone, stomach, muscle, skin, and reproductive system. Pueraria also shown beneficial effects in postmenopausal women. In this review, the scientific information on Pueraria reported until May 2020 were analysed and summarized logically to appreciate its health benefits and to identify research gaps.
The edible quality of starch paste formed by direct dispersion in boiling water is crucial to the design and production of instant starch-based products. In the present study, the kudzu powder was ...complexed with different chain-length fatty acids to improve its instant properties. The formation of V6-type kudzu powder-fatty acid complexes was initially characterized. Then, the impact of different chain-length fatty acids on instant properties of kudzu powder was characterized by measuring agglomeration rate and viscoelasticity. The agglomeration rate was decreased from 42.31% (native kudzu powder) to 0.08% (kudzu powder-myristic acid complex). Moreover, the viscoelasticity of the kudzu powder complexed with fatty acids (except for stearic acid) was stronger than that of native kudzu powder. These improvements were related to the formation of kudzu powder-fatty acid complexes with high thermal stability existed on the surface of complexed kudzu powder and extending the time for water to enter into complexed kudzu powder. Thus, all of kudzu powder could absorb sufficient water to avoid aggregating together that was involved into the formation of kudzu paste. This research had important implication for the preparation of instant starchy products that could be directly dispersed in hot water with high edible quality.
•The instant properties of kudzu powder was improved by complexing with fatty acid.•Crystallinity and complexing index decreased with increasing fatty acid chain length.•The complexes with V-type crystalline enhanced thermal properties of kudzu powder.•The formed complexes decreased the agglomeration rate and maintained the viscosity.•The formed complexes extended time for water to penetrate into kudzu powder.
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•New starches were isolated from non-conventional sources.•Isolated starches had different functional, morphology, thermal and pasting properties.•Vigna angularis L. and Pueraria ...thomsonii Benth had A-type starch.•Adzuki bean starch had higher swelling power and solubility than edible kudzu starch.
Starches were isolated from adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) and edible kudzu (Pueraria thomsonii Benth) and investigated for their physico-chemical, morphological, pasting, crystallinity, thermal and FT-IR spectroscopic characteristics. Statistical analysis of physico-chemical and functional characteristics showed significant (p<0.05) difference between isolated starches from adzuki bean and edible kudzu. The XRD pattern of starches from adzuki bean and edible kudzu showed A-type with reflections (2θ) at 15.0°, 17.03°, 17.89°, 23.18°and 15.12°, 17.03°, 17.77°, 23.3°, respectively. The starch granules from adzuki bean were smooth, round, oval to kidney or irregular while those of edible kudzu starch were spherical, hemispherical and polygonal. Edible kudzu starch exhibited high pasting temperature, gelatinization temperatures, enthalpy and less pasting parameters as compared to starch from adzuki bean. Peaks in FT-IR spectra of both starches shown its carbohydrate nature. Starch from adzuki bean showed high swelling power and solubility as compared to edible kudzu, and enhanced the swelling power and solubility of isolated starches with the temperature raised from 50°C and 90°C. Finally, this work offers data for the application of starches isolated from adzuki bean and edible kudzu that would be applicable for both food and non-food industries.
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