Wiley

Fructo‐oligosaccharides are widely distributed in plants such as onions, asparagus, wheat etc., and obtained from sucrose by the action of fructosyltransferase. They are not hydrolyzed by human digestive enzymes, but are utilized by intestinal bacteria such as bifidobacteria. Bacteroides fragilis group, peptostreptococci and klebsiellae. In the experiment with 23 patients (73 ± 9 years old), improvement of fecal microflora was observed by oral administration of fructo‐oligosaccharides 8 g per day for two weeks: the population of bifidobacteria in feces increased about 10 times compared before the administration; average pH of stool showed 0.3 lower than that before administration.

Vegetables are among the numerous plant adjuncts tried for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. A few vegetables that are commonly consumed in India have been claimed to possess antidiabetic potency. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest to screen such plant food materials, for a possible beneficial use. Considerable amount of work has been carried out in this regard with bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) and ivy gourd (Coccinia indica) both in experimental animals and human diabetic subjects. Majority of these studies have documented the beneficial effect of the fruit of bitter gourd and leaf of ivy gourd when administered orally as a single dose. The hypoglycaemic influence is claimed to be mediated through an insulin secretagogue effect or through an influence on enzymes involved in glucose metabolism. The limited number of studies on other vegetables such as cabbage (Brassica oleracia), green leafy vegetables, beans and tubers have shown the beneficial hypoglycaemic influence in both experimental animals and humans. There is scope for more extensive research in this area, especially to examine the long term beneficial effect of dietary vegetables, to identify the active principle, and to understand the mechanism of action, which is at present unclear. Since diet forms the mainstay in the management of diabetes mellitus, there is scope for exploiting the anti‐diabetic potency of vegetables to the maximum extent. Such plant food adjuncts possessing hypoglycaemic activity appear to hold promise as potential antidiabetic agents.

Four different Aspergilli (Aspergillus oryzae, A. parasiticus, A. terreus and A. versicolor) were grown on wheat grains under different degrees of relative humidity 14, 50, 74, 80 and 90%. Samples of wheat grains were taken monthly for a period of six months and examined for mycotoxin production. A. oryzae was found to produce aflatoxins B₁, B₂, zearalenone, DON and T‐2 toxins under elevated degrees of humidity and prolonged periods of storage. A. parasiticus produced aflatoxins B₁, G₁, NIV, DON and T‐2 toxins in high concentrations during a period of not more than three months storage at 14% relative humidity; at an increased level of relative humidity of 74% ochratoxin A, zearalenone and sterigmatocystin were also produced at high levels. The isolate was drastic in toxin production. A. terreus produced toxins at 14% relative humidity (aflatoxin G₂ and DON) at levels much higher than any other prevalent degrees of humidity. A. versicolor is highly sensitive to relative humidity and grain moisture content. It produced aflatoxins B₁, G₁, NIV and DON at a relative humidity of 50% and another toxins (aflatoxin G₂, ochratoxins A, B and zearalenone) at 74%. The microorganism can be considered a trichothecene producer under suitable relative humidity.

Durch Einwirkung von Pektinesterase (PE) aus Aspergillus niger und Orangen sowie von Alkalilauge werden aus zu 95% verestertem Citrus‐ und Apfelpektin Präparatserien mit Veresterungsgraden zwischen 35 und 77% hergestellt. An diesen partiell entesterten Pektinen wird die Art der Verteilung der freien und veresterten Carboxylgruppen aus den Aktivitätskoeffizienten γ_Ca²⁺ der Calciumgegenionen in den Lösungen der entsprechenden Calciumpektinate, aus der elektrostatischen freien Enthalpie δ(G_el/N)_K^Ca des Ionenaustausches Ca²⁺ → 2 K⁺ in diesen Systemen sowie aus der relativen Aktivität der Polygalakturonase bei ihrer Einwirkung auf Natriumpektinatlösungen ermittelt.

The paper deals with recent achievements concerning the physiological role of copper in the human organism. The problem of copper supplementation of the human diet is discussed. An outlook is given on the contemporary theories referring to the role of copper in nutrition. Special attention has been paid to the copper containing enzymes and copper‐dependent enzymes as well as to the problem of nutritional copper deficiencies.

This paper shows the necessity of copper for:

— „cleaning”︁ of the organism from the excesses of free radicals, biogenic amines and cholesterol

— the proper synthesis of hemoglobin, elastin, collagen and probably thyroid hormones

— providing the energy formed in the respiratory chain and needed for biochemical syntheses and proper physical activity.

Kernels of several varieties of wheat, rye and barley were found to have different resistance to fungi attack and ochratoxin A production, particularly in first step of fungus development on kernels. Zinc was stated to be a limiting factor of ochratoxin production. Viable sound kernels were very resistant against fungi. Dead (e.g. autoclaved) kernels were attacked by fungus very quickly. Varieties with stronger resistance to fungi invasion during storage were selected.

In the present review the functional properties of proteins (PFP) are discussed from the standpoint of ihe classification of protein processing techniques suggested by the authors. The PFP conception is clarified on the bases of model systems. The results of the studies developed at the USSR Academy of Sciences Institute of Organoelement Compounds are used for discussion.

In the review the advantages of the physico‐chemical methods of control of functional properties of proteins are shown. Examples of protein functional properties control through the production of protein complexes with acid polysaccharides, as well as of functional properties control in the gel‐forming systems on the account of combinations of the gel‐forming agents and the production of complex and mixed gels filled with proteins are presented.