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Effect of variation in basic emulsion structure and polysaccharide content on the physicochemical properties and structure of composite-based emulsion gels as cube fat mimetics

Ren Y, Wei L, Hao Yoong J, Miao Z, Li H, Cao J, et al.

Food Chem, 2024 Feb 15;434:137450.
PMID: 37722331 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137450

This study aimed to reveal the effect of different basic emulsion structures (W/O/W and O/W) and polysaccharide additions on protein-polysaccharide composite-based emulsion gels utilizing soybean protein isolate, palm oil and konjac glucomannan. The results of texture profile, rheological tests, microstructure observations, and oral tribology showed that basic emulsion structures and konjac glucomannan addition had significant effect on the emulsion gels' properties, while the impact of konjac glucomannan addition was stronger. W/O/W double emulsion gels (DEG) exhibited lower oral friction coefficients and obtained higher scores for oiliness and juiciness during the sensory evaluation. However, O/W single emulsion gels (SEG) displayed a firmer texture and higher chewiness, a 29.62% and 49.57% increase compared to the DEG at 7% konjac glucomannan addition on the hardness and chewiness respectively. It has demonstrated the emulsion gels' potential as cube fat mimetics and feasibility of adjusting their properties by changing the basic emulsion structure.
Effects of long-term intake of carotenoid-enriched eggs on healthy people: a randomized controlled study

Lu Y, Hao YJ, Zhou X, Huang F, Li C, Wang J, et al.

Food Funct, 2024 Jul 01;15(13):7032-7045.
PMID: 38864191 DOI: 10.1039/d4fo00910j

Red palm oil, a natural repository abundant in tocotrienols, tocopherols and carotenoids, is frequently employed as a pigment and nutritional enhancer in food products. The principal aim of this study is to explore the disparities in vitamin A levels, fatty acid profiles and gut microbiota among healthy adults who consume carotenoid-enriched eggs compared to those who consume normal eggs. A total of 200 hens were randomly assigned to either the red palm oil group or the soybean oil group, with the objective of producing carotenoid-enriched eggs and normal eggs. Throughout a six-month, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial, participants were instructed to consume one carotenoid-enriched or normal egg daily at a fixed time. Fecal and blood samples were collected from the participants at the start and conclusion of the six-month intervention period for further analysis. Our findings indicated that there was no significant change in the vitamin A level for daily supplementation with one carotenoid-enriched egg, but there were significant changes in some indicators of fatty acid profiles and gut microbiota compared to the control group of the population. Nonetheless, the consumption of eggs, regardless of carotenoid-enriched eggs or normal eggs, positively influenced dietary habits by reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids and enhancing the intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids of the population.
Fulltext Assessing thermal and economic performance of solar dryers in sustainable strategies for bottle gourd and tomato preservation

Suraparaju SK, Elangovan E, Muthuvairavan G, Samykano M, Elumalai PV, Natarajan SK, et al.

Sci Rep, 2024 Nov 12;14(1):27755.
PMID: 39532916 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-78147-2

The traditional approach of open-sun drying is facing contemporary challenges arising from the widespread adoption of energy-intensive methods and the quality of drying. In response, solar dryers have emerged as a sustainable alternative, utilizing solar thermal energy to effectively dehydrate vegetables. This study investigates the performance of a single-basin, double-slope solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes, presenting a sustainable alternative to traditional open-sun drying. The solar dryer exhibited superior moisture removal efficiency, achieving a 94.42% reduction in tomatoes and 83.87% in bottle gourds, compared to open-sun drying. Drying rates were significantly enhanced, with maximum air and plate temperatures reaching 54.42 °C and 63.38 °C, respectively, accelerating the dehydration process. Moisture diffusivity analysis revealed a marked improvement in drying behavior under solar drying, with values ranging from 3.12 × 10-11 to 4.31 × 10-11 m2/s for bottle gourds, and 4.65 × 10-11 to 2.31 × 10-11 m2/s for tomatoes. Energy efficiency assessments highlighted the solar dryer's advantage, with exergy efficiency peaking at 61.78% for bottle gourds and 68.5% for tomatoes. Furthermore, the activation energy required for drying was significantly lower in the solar dryer (29.14-46.41 kJ/mol for bottle gourds and 27.16-55.42 kJ/mol for tomatoes) compared to open-sun drying, enhancing energy conservation. Visual inspections confirmed the superior quality of the solar-dried vegetables, free from dust and impurities. An economic analysis underscored the system's viability, with payback periods of 2 years for bottle gourds and 1.6 years for tomatoes. Overall, this study demonstrates the efficacy of solar dryers in optimizing vegetable preservation while promoting energy efficiency, aligning with global sustainability goals by reducing post-harvest losses and supporting eco-friendly practices.
Fulltext Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Volumes and Cerebrovascular Events: A 1-Year Follow-up

Nguyen TN, Qureshi MM, Klein P, Yamagami H, Mikulik R, Czlonkowska A, et al.

Neurology, 2023 Jan 24;100(4):e408-e421.
PMID: 36257718 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201426

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Declines in stroke admission, IV thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), IVT, and mechanical thrombectomy over a 1-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020).
METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study across 6 continents, 56 countries, and 275 stroke centers. We collected volume data for COVID-19 admissions and 4 stroke metrics: ischemic stroke admissions, ICH admissions, IVT treatments, and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases.
RESULTS: There were 148,895 stroke admissions in the 1 year immediately before compared with 138,453 admissions during the 1-year pandemic, representing a 7% decline (95% CI [95% CI 7.1-6.9]; p < 0.0001). ICH volumes declined from 29,585 to 28,156 (4.8% [5.1-4.6]; p < 0.0001) and IVT volume from 24,584 to 23,077 (6.1% [6.4-5.8]; p < 0.0001). Larger declines were observed at high-volume compared with low-volume centers (all p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in mechanical thrombectomy volumes (0.7% [0.6-0.9]; p = 0.49). Stroke was diagnosed in 1.3% [1.31-1.38] of 406,792 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in 2.9% ([2.82-2.97], 5,656/195,539) of all stroke hospitalizations.
DISCUSSION: There was a global decline and shift to lower-volume centers of stroke admission volumes, ICH volumes, and IVT volumes during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prior year. Mechanical thrombectomy volumes were preserved. These results suggest preservation in the stroke care of higher severity of disease through the first pandemic year.
TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: This study is registered under NCT04934020.