The present study was conducted to examine the effects of sonication treatments (time intervals of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min.) on phenolics and other antioxidant compounds in starfruits extracted in methanol and water. Overall, methanolic extracts exhibited significantly higher extractability, percentage inhibition of DPPH radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) value, antioxidant capacity, flavonoids, total phenolics and tannins (p
The effects of different cooking methods (boiling, baking, frying and grilling) on proximate and mineral composition of snakehead fish were investigated. The mean content of moisture, protein, fat and ash of raw fish was found to be 77.2 ± 2.39, 13.9 ± 2.89, 5.9 ± 0.45 and 0.77 ± 0.12% respectively. The changes in the amount of protein and fat were found to be significantly higher in frying and grilling fish. The ash content increased significantly whereas that of the minerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Mn) was not affected in all cooking methods. Increased in Cu contents and decreased in P contents were observed in all cooking methods except grilling. In the present study, the grilling method of cooking is found to be the best for healthy eating.
The bioactive compounds and "in vitro" antioxidant activity measured by three antioxidant assays of some traditional and non-traditional cold-pressed edible oils from Macedonia were object of this study. The fatty acid composition showed dominance of monounsaturated oleic acid in "sweet" and "bitter" apricot kernel oils with percentages of 66.7 ± 0.5 and 57.8 ± 0.3%, respectively. The most dominant fatty acid in paprika seed oil was polyunsaturated linoleic acid with abundance of 69.6 ± 2.3%. The most abundant tocopherol was γ-tocopherol with the highest quantity in sesame seed oil (57.6 ± 0.1 mg/100 g oil). Paprika seed oil, sesame seed oil and sweet apricot oil were the richest source of phytosterols. DPPH assay was the most appropriate for the determination of the antioxidant activity of cold-pressed sunflower oil due to high abundance of α-tocopherol with a level of 22.8 ± 1.1 mg/100 g of oil. TEAC assay is the best for the determination of the antioxidant activity of sesame seed oil and paprika seed oils as the richest sources of phenolic compounds. β-carotene assay was the most suitable assay for oils obtained from high pigmented plant material. Triacylglycerols and phytosterol profiles can be used as useful markers for the origin, variety and purity of the oils.
In this work, voltammetric study based on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as an ion-pairing agent for the determination of iodine level in iodized table salt has been explored. CTAB was used as an intermediate compound between iodide (I-) and the electrode due to its ability to dissociate to produce cetyltrimethylammonium ions ([CTA]+). The [CTA]+ with a long hydrophobic alkyl chain can be directly adsorbed onto the surface of the working electrode, and this in turns coated the electrode with cationic charge and enhance the electrode ability to bind to iodide (I-) and other molecular iodine ions. A mixture of iodide and CTAB ([CTA]+I-) was prepared and potential of 1.0 V for 60.0 s was applied to pre-concentrate the solution on the working electrode causing the [CTA]+I- to oxidize to iodine (I2). The produced I2 immediately react with chloride ion (Cl-) from the electrolyte of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produce I2Cl- and form ion-pair with CTA+ as [CTA]+I2Cl-. The linear calibration curve of the developed method towards iodide was in the concentration range of 0.5-4.0 mg/L with sensitivity of - 1.383 µA mg/L-1 cm-2 (R2 = 0.9950), limit of detection (LOD) of 0.3 mg/L and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1.0 mg/L, respectively. The proposed method indicates good agreement with the standard method for iodine determination with recovery range from 95.0 to 104.3%. The developed method provided potential application as a portable on-site iodine detector.
This work aims to produce a virgin coconut oil (VCO) creamer through two drying stages; spray drying followed by fluidised bed drying, and to examine its antioxidant properties and oxidative stability during different storage conditions. Evaluation of the physicochemical properties of spray dry VCO and oxidative stability of the VCO creamer were performed using peroxide value (PV), antioxidant activity (DPPH), and total phenolic content (TPC) at 25, 4, and 25 °C, respectively, for 8 weeks. Agglomeration process has improved the agglomerated VCO creamer's properties in terms of moisture content (4.34%), solubility (85.2%), water activity (0.32%), and bulk density (0.36 g/cm3). The morphology of agglomerated VCO creamer showed cluster and irregular shapes with enlargement in the particle size, (d32) 395 µm and (d43) 426 µm. The overall oxidative results showed stability for the agglomerated VCO creamer stored at 4 °C in terms of TPC, DPPH and PV over 8 weeks followed by creamer stored at 25 °C which had similar stability with slight differences. The creamer stored at 38 °C showed rapid degradation for all oxidation tests from week 2 onwards. Agglomeration technology has indicated to be effective in the stabilization of virgin coconut oil against lipid oxidation and prolonging its shelf-life.
A portable infrared spectroscopy system has been designed and developed for assessment of quality of mango fruit. This paper describes the design and development of a fruit quality grading device using reflectance mode optical sensor. The experiment was conducted to obtain the best results from the system and the device was correlated according to the measured output. In the experiment, several samples of mango fruits have been monitored for six days to study the relation how fruit quality increases with time as fruit ripens. Between the unripe mango fruit and the ripest one, a range of 3.5 V to 4.2 V was measured by the developed system. The rate of quality increase was calculated as an average of 6.7 mV per day. These results were used to correlate the final hardware and software development of the device. The results demonstrate that, portable near infrared spectroscopy is feasible for evaluating mango quality non-destructively.
This study was conducted to screen the most suitable coating material for the production of microencapsulated fish oil powder using ternary blends of maltodextrin (15, 25 % w/w), Arabic gum (2.5, 7.5 % w/w), and methylcellulose (0.5, 1.5 % w/w). The physical properties of fish oil emulsion and encapsulated powders were evaluated. Arabic gum (5 % w/w) showed the most significant (p
Lipid nanocarrier displays the advantages over conventional drug carriers as they are formulated with biodegradable and non-irritant lipids. However, the main drawbacks are the agglomeration of lipid particles, instability over storage, low drug loading, and the burst release of active ingredients. In this study, we investigated the effects of various polysorbate nonionic surfactants namely Tween 20, 40, 60, or 80 on the nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC). NLC incorporated with polysorbate nonionic surfactant was prepared by using high-pressure homogenization technique. The average size was reduced to 139.9 ± 15.8 nm in the presence of Tween 80 and remained stable in nano-size even incubated for 28 days. Encapsulation of l-ascorbic acid or Gold Tri.E 30 showed a high encapsulation efficiency of more than 75%, where the highest was Gold Tri.E in the presence of Tween 60 at 99.7%. In vitro release study showed that the release of both l-ascorbic acid and Gold Tri.E was significantly reduced in NLC with Tween as compared to bare active ingredients and NLC without Tween. In conclusion, the incorporation of Tween successfully produced a lipid nanocarrier that has the potential to be developed as a carrier of various active ingredients such as nutrients, extracts, and drugs.
Stingless bees are native to tropical region and produce honey which are high in moisture content. Compared to honey from honeybees, there are limited studies on honey derived from stingless bees. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of stingless bee honey. Fifteen types of honey were collected from six states in West Coast of Malaysia and pollen analyses were carried out. Four types of unifloral honey samples produced by stingless bees were selected to determine their physicochemical and antioxidant activities including total phenolic, total flavonoid and ascorbic acid contents. Melissopalynological study of 15 honey samples collected from different states showed presence of both unifloral and multifloral origins. Honey samples collected from Apis mellifera (honeybee) combs had lower number of total pollen compared to samples collected from Heterotrigona itama and Geniotrigona thoracica (stingless bees). Jambul Merak honey contains the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents with greatest color intensity and has the highest antioxidant potential. This study highlights the chemical composition and biological activity of honey from stingless bees which may increase its commercial value or to be utilised as potential functional food ingredient.
Encapsulation has been used to overcome the problem of instability of functional pigments such as carotenoids from natural sources. In this study, β-carotene in carrot juice was spray dried with four different wall materials namely maltodextrin, resistant maltodextrin, octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA) starches Capsul (CAP) and HICAP-100 (HCAP). The objective of this research was to study the effects of various wall materials on physicochemical properties and stability of β-carotene powders along with its stability after incorporation into sugar confection. All four wall materials produced powders of acceptable quality in terms of moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, solubility as well as onset glass transition temperature. OSA starches exhibited better pigment retention post spray drying where juices encapsulated with HCAP showed the highest retention (94.34%). This was also represented in more orange Hue values (H°) in powders produced with CAP (53.93) and HCAP (53.33). Powders produced with HCAP also showed the longest half-life after storage at 4 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C, as well as under exposure to light. Similarly, carrot powders produced with OSA starches also exhibited better β-carotene retention after production of hard candy confection. Though candies with HCAP encapsulated juices showed the highest β-carotene retention post candy processing, candies with CAP encapsulated carrot juices exhibited better long term stability after storage at 25 °C and 40 °C as well as under exposure to light.
In the current study, effects of fermentation on physicochemical and functional properties of brown rice flour (BRF) were investigated. Fermentation conditions were optimized using response surface methodology to achieve moderate acidity (pH 5-6), specifically pH 5.5 of brown rice batter with time, temperature and yeast concentration as the independent variables. The results indicated that brown rice batter was well fermented to maintain pH 5.5 at optimum conditions of 32 °C for 6.26 h using 1 % yeast concentration. Fermentation at moderate acidity significantly increased the levels of protein, total ash, insoluble fiber, soluble fibre, minerals, phenolics, antioxidants, resistant starch, riboflavin, pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, γ-tocotrienol, and δ-tocotrienol. However, it reduced the contents of γ-oryzanol, γ-tocopherol, α-tocopherol, phytic acid, amylose and total starch. Foaming capacity, foaming stability, oil holding capacity, gelatinization temperatures, enthalpy and whiteness of BRF were increased after fermentation. In contrast, its swelling power, water solubility index, hot paste viscosity, breakdown, and setback significantly decreased. Microstructure of BRF was also influenced, where its starch granules released from its enclosed structure after fermentation. This investigation shows evidence that yeast fermentation modified the functionality of BRF and can be used as a functional food ingredient.
A Common Primer Multiplex PCR (CP-M-PCR) was developed to detect meat origin of four groups of animal (pig, ruminant, avian and rabbit). This method demonstrated higher sensitivity and efficiency than the conventional multiplex PCR. In this approach, a common forward primer was designed in the 5' end of a homologous region of mitochondrial NADH dehyrogenase subunit 4 (Nad 4) gene sequences of all the animal groups. Specific adapter reverse primers were designed by adding an adapter sequence at the 5' end. The same adapter sequence was used as the common adapter reverse primer. The primers generated specific fragments of 267, 370, 504, and 548 bp lengths for pig, ruminant, avian and rabbit meats, respectively. The use of adapter sequence at the 5' end of the common adapter reverse primers increased the efficiency of the amplification and the application of a common forward primer solved the complexity in multiplex PCR system. Bands of specific amplification can be detected in the PCR assays containing as low as 10(-6) μM of adapter reverse primer. This result indicated that the sensitivity was tremendously increased as compared to the conventional multiplex PCR (10(-3) μM). CP-M-PCR detection limit of the DNA samples was 0.1 ng for the four groups of meats. CP-M-PCR has greatly improved the sensitivity and efficiency of the PCR system for a more reliable and accurate outcome than conventional multiplex PCR system.
This paper reports on the extraction, partial characterization and the potential application of crude polysaccharides from defatted coconut residue as a prebiotic. The coconut residue was defatted and extracted to obtain the crude polysaccharides and its physicochemical properties were determined. The crude polysaccharides were assessed for monosaccharide composition, total carbohydrate content, reducing sugar concentration and protein content determination. The functional group and structural elucidation of crude polysaccharides was also done using Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis. The product was then subjected to artificial human gastric juice treatment to determine digestibility. Finally, an in vitro proliferation and acid production by two probiotic bacteria namely Lactobacillus casei Shirota and Lactobacillus bulgaricus were included in this study. It was found that the defatted coconut residue contained ash (0.54%), moisture (55.42%), protein (1.69%), crude fat (17.26%) and carbohydrate (25.73%). The percentage of crude polysaccharides extracted was 0.73 ± 0.04. The two fractions of monosaccharides obtained were glucose and fructose. Total carbohydrate content of DCR was 13.35% (w/v). The quantitative value of the reducing sugars obtained was 20.71%. Protein content in the crude polysaccharides was 0.009% and the peaks which indicated the presence of protein were observed at around 1640 cm(-1) (amide I) and 1530 cm(-1) (amide II). DCR crude polysaccharides were highly resistant (88%) to hydrolysis when subjected to artificial human gastric juice. The product was found to markedly stimulate two tested probiotics to proliferate and produce organic acids. All the above findings are supportive of the fact that polysaccharides extracted from DCR, an industrial waste, have a vast potential to be exploited as novel prebiotics.
Oscillatory and steady shear rheology of gellan (G) and dextran (D) solution individually, and in blends (G/D ratio 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 w/v) with a total hydrocolloid concentration of 3 % (w/v) were studied at 25 °C. Individually, 1.5 % dextran and 1.5 % gellan in solution exhibited Newtonian and non-Newtonian behavior, respectively. A blend of equal proportion of dextran and gellan (G/D = 1:1) exhibits a distinct gel point (G' = G″), and further addition of dextran in the blend (G/D = 1:2 and 1:3) resulted predominating liquid-like (G″ > G') behavior. A plot of G' vs G″ distinctly showed the gradual transition of the blend. Shear stress (τ)-shear rate ([Formula: see text]) data fitted well the Herschel-Bulkley model. The G/D blend exhibited shear thinning behavior with flow behavior index less than unity. The Cox-Merz rule did not fit well for the complex shear viscosity (η*) and apparent viscosity (η) of the blend.
Effects of nano-kaolin incorporation into semolina films on the physical, mechanical, thermal, barrier and antimicrobial properties of the resulting bio-nanocomposite films were investigated. The properties included crystal structure (by X-ray diffraction), mechanical resistance, color, Fourier transform infrared spectra, decomposition temperature, water-vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP), and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Kaolin was incorporated into biofilms at various amounts (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 %, w/w total solid). All films were plasticized with 50 % (w/w total solid) combination of sorbitol/glycerol at 3:1 ratio. The incorporation of nanokaolin into semolina films decreased OP and WVP. The moisture content and water solubility of the films were found to decrease by nanokaolin reinforcement, and mechanical properties of films were improved by increasing nanokaolin concentration. Tensile strength and Young's modulus increased from 3.41 to 5.44 MPa and from 63.12 to 136.18, respectively, and elongation-at-break decreased. The films did not exhibit UV absorption. In conclusion, nanokaolin incorporation enhanced the barrier and mechanical properties of semolina films, indicating the potential application of these bio-nanocomposites in food-product packaging.
The proximate, fatty acid and mineral composition were determined for green (Ulva lactuca and Enteromorpha intestinalis), brown (Sargassum ilicifolium and Colpomenia sinuosa) and red (Hypnea valentiae and Gracilaria corticata) seaweeds collected from the Persian Gulf of Iran. Results showed that the seaweeds were high in carbohydrate (31.8-59.1%, dry weight) and ash (12.4-29.9%) but low in lipid content (1.5-3.6%). The protein content of red or green seaweeds was significantly higher (p
The oxidative stability and fatty acid composition of groundnut seed oil (GSO) exposed to microwaves were evaluated during heating at 170 °C. During heating, the oxidative indices such as free fatty acid, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, TOTOX, thiobarbituric acid value, specific extinctions, and color value were increased. The increments were found to be higher in unroasted seed oils compared to roasted ones indicating lower release of lipid oxidation products in roasted GSO. After 9 h heating, the relative content of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) decreased to 89.53% and that of saturated fatty acid (SFA) increased to 117.46% in unroasted sample. The relative content of PUFA decreased to 92.05% and that of SFA increased to 105.76% in 7.5 min roasted sample after 9 h of heating. However, the roasting process slowed down the oxidative deterioration of PUFA. With increased heating times, an appreciable loss was more apparent in the triacylglycerol species OLL and OOL in unroasted samples compared to roasted ones. In FTIR, the peak intensities in unroasted samples were markedly changed in comparison with roasted samples during heating. The roasting of groundnut seed prior to the oil extraction reduced the oxidative degradation of oil samples; thereby increasing heat stability.
Fresh-cut fruits are popular due to the convenience provided. However, fresh-cut processes damage fruit tissues and reduce the shelf life of products. Pulsed light (PL) treatment is a decontamination method of foods. PL treatment given repetitively at a certain interval during storage could further extend the shelf life of fresh-cut fruits. Edible coating preserves fresh-cut fruits by providing mechanical strength and reducing respiration and water loss. This study was to evaluate the effects of alginate coating combined with repetitive pulsed light (RPL) on sensory quality and flavour of fresh-cut cantaloupes during storage. Cantaloupes were treated with alginate (1.86%, w/v) and RPL (0.9 J/cm2 at every 48 h up to 26 days) alone or in combination. Flavour analysis of fresh-cut cantaloupes was carried out every 12 days during storage at 4 ± 1 °C while sensory analysis was performed on day 32. Alginate coating and/or RPL retained sugar contents (17.92-20.01 g/kg FW for fructose, 18.77-19.98 g/kg FW for glucose and 23.02-29.41 g/kg FW for sucrose) in fresh-cut cantaloupes during storage. Combination of alginate with RPL reduced accumulation of lactic acid although alginate coating was more effective to minimise changes of other organic acids in fresh-cut cantaloupes. The combined treatment was also more effective than individual treatment in retaining total aroma compound concentration of fresh-cut cantaloupes during storage with the highest relative concentration, i.e. 3.174 on day 36. Overall, the combined alginate coating and RPL was effective to maintain the fresh-like sensory quality of fresh-cut cantaloupes with insignificant overall acceptability compared to the control.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cut type and pulsed light (PL) fluence on microbiological stability and quality of fresh-cut cantaloupes. Fresh-cut cantaloupes with various cut types (cuboid, triangular prism and sphere) were treated with PL technology at 6 J/cm(2). Samples were exposed to PL treatment at fluences of 2.7, 7.8, 11.7 and 15.6 J/cm(2) followed by storage at 4 ± 1 °C for 28 days. Microbiological quality, headspace composition, firmness, colour, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, total phenolic content and ascorbic acid content of fresh-cut cantaloupes were determined. Spherical shape was found to be the most suitable shape for PL treatment of fresh-cut cantaloupes due to its significantly lowest (p ≤ 0.05) microbial counts before and after the PL treatment. No significant (p > 0.05) effect was observed for firmness, colour, total soluble solids and total phenolic content of fresh-cut cantaloupes throughout the storage study. Pulsed light treatment using 7.8 J/cm(2) was the best for extending shelf life of fresh-cut cantaloupes with extension of 8 days longer at 4 ± 1 °C compared to the control while maintaining the ascorbic acid content. In conclusion, PL treatment is a potential technique for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut cantaloupes by inactivating microorganisms without compromising the nutritional value.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of a coffee beverage matrix on the oil release percentage and bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds from microencapsulated refined kenaf seed oil (MRKSO) using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. Refined kenaf seed oil was spray-dried with gum arabic, β-cyclodextrin, and sodium caseinate. Oil release percentage, total phenolic content, radical scavenging activity of DPPH and ABTS, tocopherol and tocotrienol contents, as well as phytosterol content, were measured in the oil released from digested MRKSO along with the coffee matrix and compared to the digested MRKSO without coffee matrix and undigested MRKSO. Refined kenaf seed oil showed a significantly higher oxidative stability index than crude, degummed, and neutralized oil samples. About 91.2 and 94.7% of the oils were released from the digested MRKSO without and with coffee matrix, respectively. Oil released from the digested MRKSO with coffee matrix showed an increase in the total phenolic content (200.5%), DPPH (172.7%), and ABTS (68.1%) values, tocopherol and tocotrienol contents (24.6%), as well as the phytosterol content (62.0%), compared to oil released from the digested MRKSO without coffee matrix. MRKSO was successfully incorporated in the coffee drink and can use as a partial replacement for coffee creamers or supplementation in coffee drinks.