Polyethylene is a widely used packaging material, but its non-biodegradable nature can lead to waste
disposal problems. This increases the concern in research and development of biodegradable plastics from natural resource as alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. In this study, biodegradable plastic composites were prepared by blending thermoplastic starch with natural rubber in the present of glycerol as plasticizer. Local sago starch was cast with 0.5 to 10% of natural rubber to prepare the bioplastic. The products were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water absorption test, biodegradable test, hydrolysis test, and mechanical analysis. Meanwhile, composite with natural rubber latex was increased from 0.5 to 10% showing that the melting temperature is in the range of 120 to 150˚C, but with no significant difference. The water absorption characteristics, biodegradability, and tensile strength decreased by 11.21%, 30.18%, and 20.733 MPa, respectively. However, the elongation at break was increased from 26.67 to 503.3%. The findings of this study showed that sago starch has a great potential in bioplastic production with good miscibility and compatibility.
Parboiling process has been widely implemented in brown rice processing, but its effect on in vitro physiological antioxidant capacity of brown rice was not known. In this study, an in vitro method simulating the human physiological conditions was used to investigate the effect of parboiling on antioxidant capacity of brown rice in three Bario rice varieties. In this method, bacterial inocula were prepared from rat cecal contents. Results showed that parboiling process gave significant impacts on in vitro physiological antioxidant capacity of brown rice. The process improved total phenolic content at small intestine (Adan Halus), DPPH scavenging activity at both small and large intestines (Adan Halus and Bario Merah) and ferrous ion-chelating activity at large intestine (Bario Hitam). However, changes in antioxidant capacity were variety dependent, possibly due to different bran pigmentation. These suggested that parboiling process could improve physiological antioxidant capacity with in vitro simulation at small and large intestines by selecting a suitable rice variety and parboiled brown rice could offer good antioxidant properties to maintain physiological health.
In the past year, there has been significant progress in the utilization of electrochemical strategies for the determination of harmful substances. Among those, the electrochemical determination of nicotine (NIC) has continued to be of significant interest ascribed to the global health concern of e-cigarette products, nowadays. Electrochemical sensors have become promising tools for the detection of NIC ascribed to their high sensitivity, selectivity, and ease of use. This review article provides a concise overview of the advanced developments in electrochemical sensors for NIC detection using modified functional materials such as carbon-based materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOF), MXene, polymer, and metallic based modifiers. The sensitivity of electrochemical sensors can be improved by modifying them with these conductive materials ascribed to their physical and chemical properties. The review also addresses the challenges and future perspectives in the field, including sensitivity and selectivity improvements, stability and reproducibility issues, integration with data analysis techniques, and emerging trends. In conclusion, this review article may be of interest to researchers intending to delve into the development of functional electrochemical sensors in future studies.