Chiang Mai Journal of Science

     Ganoderma has attracted significant scientific interest due to its extensive range of therapeutic properties. The bioactive compounds in Ganoderma, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, steroids, phenols, and proteins, play crucial roles in its pharmacological effects. These compounds interact synergistically to exert various biological activities. In the management of diabetes, Ganoderma has been shown to enhance insulin sensitivity, modulate glucose metabolism, and reduce oxidative stress. These actions collectively contribute to the improvement of hyperglycemia and its associated complications. The polysaccharides in Ganoderma, particularly β-glucans, have been shown to improve pancreatic function and enhance insulin secretion. Triterpenoids and phenolic compounds also possess potent antioxidant properties that mitigate oxidative damage in diabetic conditions. This review synthesizes current research findings from both in vitro and in vivo studies, providing a detailed analysis of the therapeutic potential of Ganoderma in diabetes management. The anti-diabetic activities of Ganoderma are discussed in the context of molecular pathways and biochemical interactions. Furthermore, the review highlights the importance of dosage, administration routes, and the synergistic effects of bioactive compounds in Ganoderma. However, despite the promising therapeutic potential of Ganoderma, further research is necessary to fully understand its mechanisms of action and establish standardized protocols for its clinical use. The need for future studies, focusing on large-scale clinical trials, identifying specific bioactive compounds, and exploring the effects of Ganoderma on various disease models, is crucial to bridging the gap between traditional use and modern scientific validation, highlighting its potential as a natural therapeutic agent for diabetes.

     The negative binomial regression model (NBRM) is a widely used approach for analyzing non-negative count data, particularly when overdispersion is present. Parameter estimation in this model typically relies on the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE), which can produce unstable and unreliable results under multicollinearity. To address this issue, we present a hybrid version of the Kibria-Lukman estimator adapted for NBRM. We evaluate the efficacy of our proposed estimator compared to established methods via simulation studies and a practical application for estimating CO₂ emissions from vehicles in Canada. Our results show that the hybrid Kibria-Lukman estimator is more accurate and stable than traditional methods. This makes it a promising way to deal with multicollinearity in count data analysis.

     The increasing demand for biopolymers in the food industry has increased interest in using alternative resources. Kefiran, which is produced by microorganisms found in kefir grains, is a versatile exopolysaccharide (EPS) that can form gel, an important biopolymer for the food manufacturing. In this study, kefiran extracted by using an EPS isolation method was characterized by rheological analysis according to power law model and determination of functional properties and texture profile analysis. The effects on apparent viscosity (η_a) and flow properties of kefiran concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 3.1% (w/v) were investigated. The results indicated that kefiran solutions at low concentrations exhibited behavior close to Newtonian, whereas at higher concentrations, they showed pseudoplastic (shear-thinning) behavior. This shear-thinning behavior is attributed to hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl groups and water molecules, which contributes to the formation of an entangled polymer network. The results showed that isolated kefiran at a high degree of purity (93.0%) was able to possess good texture profile properties and with a high degree of water holding capacity (WHC) (90.3%), and bloom strength value (53.0 g). Kefiran had a gelling temperature of 14 °C. This study confirms that extracted polysaccharide can be especially used as a gelling agent in fermented dairy products and can also be successfully used as a texture improver biopolymer in food systems.

     Calcium copper titanate (CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂: CCTO) is known for its colossal dielectric constant, which remarkably depends on the structural form: ~10⁵ for single crystals, ~10⁴-10⁵ for bulk ceramic and ~10³ for thin films. Besides the structural forms, other important factors including growth conditions e.g. annealing temperatures, growth rates, types of substrates used and doping could affect the dielectric properties of CCTO. These growth parameters influence properties like density, phase, texture, stress, and the presence of impurities and defects. More recently, humidity sensing applications have been addressed. These studies are still much fewer than those that investigated bulk CCTO ceramics. In this work, Mg-doped CCTO thin films on alumina substrates were synthesized via the sol-gel spinning technique to investigate their humidity sensing performance. Capacitive humidity sensors with interdigitated electrodes with gaps of 50 µm and 100 µm were fabricated. Structural analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed their crystal structures, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the successful substitution of Mg²⁺ into Cu²⁺ sites in the CCTO lattices. Humidity sensing tests performed in the range of 20 – 90% relative humidity (RH) at 20, 50, and 100 kHz demonstrated that humidity sensors performed the best at 20 kHz. Furthermore, humidity sensors with a 100 µm electrode gap showed more sensitivity than a 50 µm electrode-gap sensor. Additionally, these Mg-doped CCTO films exhibited less hysteresis errors compared to those reported for Mg-doped CCTO ceramics. The optimal doping levels of Mg-doping are in the range of 5 – 15 mol% for humidity sensing applications.

Dairy-based yogurt is valued for its nutritional content but raises concerns related to lactose intolerance, cholesterol intake, and environmental sustainability. As a plant-based alternative, soybeans offer high protein content, low cost, and a significantly lower carbon footprint, particularly in Asia where they are abundantly available. In this study, 87 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated and systematically evaluated for their functional properties in soy-based yogurt fermentation—representing one of the most extensive LAB screenings in this context to date. Among them, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus LAB164, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans LAB165 and LAB170, and Limosilactobacillus fermentum LAB087 exhibited significantly high β-glucosidase activity, enabling the biotransformation of isoflavone glycosides into bioavailable aglycones, compounds associated with antioxidant and hormone-modulating effects. Lpb. plantarum LAB001 demonstrated the highest γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production, highlighting its potential in developing stress-relieving and neuroprotective functional foods. Lsb. fermentum LAB080 and LAB087 also exhibited α-galactosidase activity, which can reduce flatulence-related oligosaccharides and improve digestive comfort. To assess functional performance during fermentation, selected strains were grouped into four experimental combinations and used to ferment soymilk. Three combinations achieved high water-holding capacity (~95%), indicating suitable physical properties for yogurt development. This study presents a diverse and multifunctional LAB resource tailored for soy-based yogurt production. By replacing dairy-based products with optimized plant-based alternatives, this approach contributes to reducing animal product dependency, addressing lactose intolerance, and lowering the carbon footprint of fermented food systems. Our findings offer both nutritional and environmental innovations in the field of sustainable food biotechnology.

     The objective of this study was to investigate functional properties of the proteins from shorts bran and evaluate their potential as egg-replacers in muffin cakes. Two different shorts bran (SB-1 and SB-2), provided from semolina manufacturing industry as a by-product, were used in the extraction of protein concentrates (PC). A pH-shift extraction was performed by using distilled water (PC-1W and PC-2W) or 0.15 M NaCl (PC-1S and PC-2S). Extraction yields of the PC were between 4.6-6.7%. The protein contents ranged from 79.1 to 86.7% on dry weight basis. Molecular weight distributions of the proteins were investigated by SDS-PAGE. Water holding and oil absorption capacity of PC were determined. Solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties were investigated at 1.0% protein concentration as a function pH (2-10). Solubility properties of salt extracted PC were generally higher than that of the water extracted PC. The best results for protein solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties were obtained at strong acidic and basic media. Protein concentrates were used as egg-replacers in the formulation of commercial muffin cakes (MC) at different concentrations (1.7-3.3%). The height, volume, specific volume and cooking loss of MC decreased after addition of PC. The MC prepared with 3.1% PC-2W without whole egg had the highest moisture content (24.6%). Water activities of the control and PC-incorporated MC changed in the range of 0.80-0.85. The hardness of MC including PC was generally lower than control one, besides the difference among springiness values were not significant (p>0.05). Because of promising foaming properties, PC originated from shorts bran could be applied in foam type products as surface active agents and has potential roles as egg-replacer in muffin cake formulations.