Response surface methodology and central composite rotatable design （CCRD） for K = 3 were used to investigate the combined effect of blanching time （0-1 min）, processing time （10-30 min） and sodium metabisulphi...Response surface methodology and central composite rotatable design （CCRD） for K = 3 were used to investigate the combined effect of blanching time （0-1 min）, processing time （10-30 min） and sodium metabisulphite （Na2S205） salt concentration （0%-2%） on vitamin C content, hardness （texture）, microbial count and color intensity of green pepper （Capsicum sinensis） during canning. Blanching, processing time and sodium metabisulphite （Na2S205） salt concentration all had variable effects on the vitamin C, microbial quality and sensory characteristics of the canned green peppers. Significant （P 〈 0.05） interactions were noted between all the factors with high regression coefficients （78.7%-97.0%）. Increasing processing time caused significant decreases in vitamin C and microbial load of the product. However, salt concentration had only marginal and insignificant effect on the vitamin C content of the canned product. Sensory evaluation on the product showed that both the pre-processing conditions and of blanching and salt concentrations, and the processing time had varied effects on the color and hardness of the products. Hardness of the canned products generally decreased with increasing processing time and blanching time, while only minimal and insignificant effects were noted with blanching time. Increasing blanching time caused significant increasing retention of the dark green color of the peppers with only slight but insignificant increases noted with processing time, while increases in salt concentration consistently reduced the dark green color of the products. The optimum pre-processing and processing conditions that yielded products with high preference and consumer-acceptability were： blanching time of 0 min, processing time of 10 min and sodium metabisulphite concentration of 0.2%.展开更多
Changes in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanin concentrations during fermentation and drying of pulp pre-conditioned cocoa （Theobroma cacao） beans were investigated using standard analytical methods. Incr...Changes in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanin concentrations during fermentation and drying of pulp pre-conditioned cocoa （Theobroma cacao） beans were investigated using standard analytical methods. Increasing pod storage, fermentation and drying led to variable reductions in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanins content of the beans. The rates of reduction were however more pronounced during fermentation than pod storage and drying. Storage of cocoa pods between 3-7 days with 6 and 7 days of fermentation and drying respectively retained 85%-90% of the total polyphenol and O-diphenols of the cocoa beans. Similarly, anthocyanin content of beans from the 10 days of pod storage decreased by 70% in the sixth day of fermentation. Pod storage decreased the anthocyanin content at all periods of fermentation. These suggest that the post-harvest treatments of pod storage, fermentation and drying all results in variable reductions in polyphenolic content （total polyphenols and O-diphenols） and anthocyanins content of cocoa beans.展开更多
The growing interest in the anaerobic ammonium oxidizing(AMX)process in treating high nitrogen containing wastewaters and a comprehensive study into the granulation mechanism of these bacteria under diverse environmen...The growing interest in the anaerobic ammonium oxidizing(AMX)process in treating high nitrogen containing wastewaters and a comprehensive study into the granulation mechanism of these bacteria under diverse environmental conditions over the years have been unequal.To this effect,the distinctive differences in saline adapted AMX(S_AMX)and nonsaline adapted AMX(NS_AMX)granules are presented in this study.It was observed that substrate utilisation profiles,granule formation mechanism,and pace towards granulation differed marginally for the two adaptation conditions.The different microbial dominant aggregation types aided in splitting the 471 days operated lab-scale SBRs into three distinct phases.In both reactors,phase III(granules dominant phase)showed the highest average nitrogen removal efficiency of 87.9%±4.8%and 85.6%±3.6%for the S_AMX and NS_AMX processes,respectively.The extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)quantity and major composition determined its role either as a binding agent in granulation or a survival mechanism in saline adaptation.It was also observed that granules of the S_AMX reactor were mostly loosely and less condensed aggregates of smaller sub-units and flocs while those of the NS_AMX reactor were compact agglomerates.The ionic gradient in saline enrichment led to an increased activity of the Na^(+)/K^(+)–ATPase,hence enriched granules produced higher cellular adenosine triphosphate molecules which finally improved the granules active biomass ratio by 32.96%.Microbial community showed that about three to four major known AMX species made up the granules consortia in both reactors.Proteins and expression of functional genes differed for these different species.展开更多
Investigations were conducted to establish effects of fermentation and drying on the fermentation index （FI） and cut test of pulp pre-conditioned Ghanaian cocoa beans using a 4 x 3 full factorial experimental design...Investigations were conducted to establish effects of fermentation and drying on the fermentation index （FI） and cut test of pulp pre-conditioned Ghanaian cocoa beans using a 4 x 3 full factorial experimental design with the principal factors being pod storage （0, 3, 7 and 10 d） and fermentation time （0, 3 and 6 d） to study the changes occurring during the fermentation process. The study also used a 4 x 3 full factorial design with pod storage （0, 3, 7 and 10 d） and drying time （0, 3 and 7 d） being the principal factors investigated to study the changes occurring during the drying process. FI and cut test of the beans were studied during fermentation as well as the drying process. FI of the beans increased significantly with pod storage and fermentation but decreased slightly during drying. FI of the unfermented beans increased slightly from 0.674 for the unstored pods to 0.763 after 10 days of pod storage. The FI of the fermented beans （six days fermentation） also increased from 1.390 for the unstored pods to 1.424 for pods stored for 10 days. It decreased from 1.389 at the start of drying for the unstored pods to 1.105 for pods stored for 10 days at the end of drying （seven days）. FI of all the beans were however, above 1.0 at the end of fermentation and drying for all pod storage treatments. Cut test revealed that storage of pods for 3, 7 and 10 days increased the percentage of brown beans by 66%, 94% and 72%, respectively, by the sixth day of fermentation. Percentage of brown beans decreased to 61%, 76% and 63%, respectively, for pods stored for 3, 7 and 10 d at the end of drying （seven days）. Cocoa pods can be stored for up to 10 days, fermented for six days and dried for seven days with the necessary formation of brown pigments characteristics of well fermented and dried cocoa beans.展开更多
Changes in nib acidity, protein and sugar concentration during roasting of pulp pre-conditioned and fermented cocoa （Theobroma cacao） beans were investigated. A 4 - 4 full factorial design with the principal experim...Changes in nib acidity, protein and sugar concentration during roasting of pulp pre-conditioned and fermented cocoa （Theobroma cacao） beans were investigated. A 4 - 4 full factorial design with the principal experimental factors as pod storage （0, 3, 7 and l0 d） and roasting time （0, 15, 30 and 45 min） were used. The roasted samples were evaluated for pH, titratable acidity, protein content and sugars concentrations using standard methods. Increasing pod storage caused consistent increases in pH with concomitant decreases in titratable acidity, whereas increasing roasting time caused only marginal and insignificant changes in pH but significantly decreased the titratable acidity. The protein content decreased significantly （P 〈 0.05） with increasing pod storage and roasting time. Reducing sugars increased marginally with increasing pod storage treatments whiles increasing roasting time significantly （P 〈 0.05） decreased the reducing sugars of the beans for all pod storage. The non-reducing sugar and total sugar content of the beans decreased significantly from 3.493 mg/g to 2.641 mg/g and from 9.284 mg/g to 8.891 mg/g, respectively, for pods stored from 0 to 10 days while roasting time caused slight decreases in non-reducing sugars with a considerable decrease in total sugars. Pod storage up to seven days decreased considerable the nib acidity （non-volatile acids）, non-reducing sugars and total sugars while roasting up to 45 min at 120 ℃ caused dramatic decreases in the nib acidity and reducing sugars with only marginal decreases in non-reducing sugars and total sugars.展开更多
Zeolites are aluminosilicate compounds with excellent selective,precise adsorption capabilities that find their potential applications in various sectors of the biomaterials and food industry.The zeolites from ages ha...Zeolites are aluminosilicate compounds with excellent selective,precise adsorption capabilities that find their potential applications in various sectors of the biomaterials and food industry.The zeolites from ages have been utilized in biomedicine,catalysis,detergent and air purification industries but their commercial applications in the biomaterials and food industry are not studied enough.Zeolites are known to reduce mycotoxins,toxic compounds,heavy metals,and microbes.The present review tries to summarize different arenas of zeolite applications in the biomaterials and food industry.The article also includes a discussion of individual applications of zeolitic properties like antimicrobial effect,food nanoreactors and intelligent food contact behaviour in brief.Moreover,sound coverage is given over zeolite classification,their synthesis and the modelling of their adsorption behaviour.The outcomes of the review emphasize the commercial viability of zeolites and their potential to serve as a possible alternative to many processing steps which ultimately will economise the production process in the food industry.This review also emphasizes extensive research that needs to be carried out to further improvise the capabilities of zeolites to overcome the challenges lying around them.展开更多
The quality and safety of food can be evaluated using a variety of conventional and scientific methods.But all of those ways are time-consuming,laborious,and harmful.There are two primary types of processes used to ga...The quality and safety of food can be evaluated using a variety of conventional and scientific methods.But all of those ways are time-consuming,laborious,and harmful.There are two primary types of processes used to gauge the quality and safety of foods:1)Destructive methods(like gas chromatography,high performance liquid chromatography,enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay,etc.);and 2)Non-destructive methods(such imaging methods,computer vision systems,fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,and near infrared spectroscopy).Techniques for imaging are frequently employed in the food industry to assess external quality.Imaging is the process of visualizing an object,while spectroscopy is the study of how energy is transferred from light to matter.Spectroscopy and imaging are used in the hyper spectral imaging approach.A method that may offer both spectral and spatial information about a component is called hyperspectral imaging(HSI).The HSI creates a hypercube out of spectral pictures at more than ten different wavelengths.A hypercube has three dimensions:two spatial(the x and y axes)and one spectral(λ).Fruits and vegetables,dairy goods,meat products,seafood,grains,and legumes are all evaluated for quality and safety using HSI.The HSI approach is excellent for identifying both internal and exterior food problems.Anthocyanin in grapes,Penicillium digitatum in mandarins,melamine in milk powder,and the amount of fat in cheese can all be detected using HSI.In addition to recognizing the muscles in lamb meat,HSI may also be used to assess the colour,pH,and tenderness of beef,the colour,pH,and drip loss of pork,and the presence of E.coli in pork.Additionally,HSI is utilized to identify Aspergillus niger in wheat and Aflatoxin B1 in maize.Chemometric instruments are essential to HSI.Large data storage and fast processors are needed.Improved models are required for quick and simple evaluation.The HSI has limits when it comes to microbiological contaminants’metabolites detection and quantification,model optimization,and the development of more reliable models.Validation of developed models on several storage conditions.Combining HSI with Raman microscopic imaging(RMI)and fluorescence microscopic imaging(FMI)improves the ability to analyze microbes.展开更多
The onion powder with an initial moisture content of 10%(dry basis)in a thin infinite layer of thickness 5 mm was dried using a laboratory microwave oven at 50 W/g microwave power density to a final moisture content o...The onion powder with an initial moisture content of 10%(dry basis)in a thin infinite layer of thickness 5 mm was dried using a laboratory microwave oven at 50 W/g microwave power density to a final moisture content of 2%(dry basis).The temperature and moisture change pattern of the experimental process was monitored.Computer simulation of the predicted temperature pattern with drying time was obtained by using the mathematical model governed by the energy balance equation and using data of the thermo-physical properties of the onion powder.The code for the simulation was written using the C++programming language.The high microwave power-to-mass ratio resulted in raised temperature with reduced drying time.The initial low moisture content of the product led to a gradual decrease in the drying rate.However,effective moisture diffusivity showed an increasing trend with decreasing moisture content because of the application of high-power density.F for Bacillus cereus spores,which were more prominent in onion powder,were evaluated from the simulated temperature curves.It was observed that sterilization of B.cereus started after 75 s at 117℃ with 0.431(lg(CFU/g))reduction.The maximum temperature of 117℃ was limited due to the unacceptable sensory quality of the product.展开更多
In the present study, chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) were blended with different concentrations of sodium montmorillonite(Na^+MMT) clay solution by a solvent casting method. X-ray diffraction and transition elect...In the present study, chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) were blended with different concentrations of sodium montmorillonite(Na^+MMT) clay solution by a solvent casting method. X-ray diffraction and transition electron microscope results show that the film properties are related to the co-existence of Na^+MMT intercalation/exfoliation in the blend and the interaction between chitosan–PVA and Na^+MMT. 5-Fluorouracil(5-FU) was loaded with chitosan–PVA/Na^+MMT nanocomposite films for in vitro drug delivery study. The antimicrobial activity of the chitosan–PVA/Na^+MMT films showed significant effect against Salmonella(Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus(Gram-positive), whereas5-FU encapsulated chitosan–PVA/Na^+MMT bio-nanocomposite films did not show any inhibition against bacteria. Our results indicate that combination of a flexible and soft polymeric material with high drug loading ability of a hard inorganic porous material can produce improved control over degradation and drug release. It will be an economically viable method for preparation of advanced drug delivery vehicles and biodegradable implants or scaffolds.展开更多
Roasting is the most common processing method that enhances color,and texture.In this study,infrared roasting of peanuts was done using an infrared rotary dryer.Roasting was operated at 90%infrared power(630 W)with di...Roasting is the most common processing method that enhances color,and texture.In this study,infrared roasting of peanuts was done using an infrared rotary dryer.Roasting was operated at 90%infrared power(630 W)with different rotating speed(1 and 2 r/min).The effect of roasting was studied at different moisture levels(7.66%,11.49%,and 13.72%db).From the study,the color parameter,L*value,was found to be significantly different(P<0.05),and it decreased with the decrease in rotating speed,and the∆E value varies from 2.32 to 10.56.Results also showed that the antioxidant activity decreased with the reduction in rotating speed as lesser revolutions took longer roasting time,and the values decreased from 84.34%to 71.74%.Minimal changes in total phenolic content were found and varied from 3.62 to 2.10 mg/g GAE,an appropriate limit for good-quality roasted peanuts.The hardness of roasted peanuts ranged from 12.25 to 39.43 N.Moisture content 13.72%,and 1 r/min is the best possible treatment for infrared peanut roasting,significantly enhancing the quality of peanuts.This study concluded that high-power short-time infrared roasting could give good-quality roasted peanuts with optimum bioactive compounds.展开更多
The present investigation was carried out to characterize starches,particle size,morphology index and structural properties from velvet bean seed powder.Structural characteristics of starch extracted from these nano s...The present investigation was carried out to characterize starches,particle size,morphology index and structural properties from velvet bean seed powder.Structural characteristics of starch extracted from these nano sized seed powder was evaluated using X-ray diffraction(XRD)and analyzed particles size,morphology,and degree of Crystallinity.From our XRD analysis,starch presented a C-type XRD pattern and crystallite size of 38.26Å.The particle size was found to be 15 to 41 nm.Morphology index(MI)ranged from 0.5 to 0.73.It is observed that MI has direct relationship with particle size and indirect relationship with specific surface area.The morphology and particle size was confirmed by XRD,Transmission Electron microscopy(TEM)which showed formation of well-dispersed gold nanoparticles in the range of 14 to 43 nm with monodisperse in nature.These starch nanocrystals could be potential precursors to nanocomposites and nanoparticle-based copolymers.展开更多
Like every other societal domain,science faces yet another reckoning caused by a bot called ChatGPT(Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer).ChatGPT was introduced in November 2022 to produce messages that seem like t...Like every other societal domain,science faces yet another reckoning caused by a bot called ChatGPT(Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer).ChatGPT was introduced in November 2022 to produce messages that seem like they were written by humans and are conversational.With the release of the latest version of ChatGPT called GPT-4,and other similar models such as Google Bard,Chatsonic,Collosal Chat,these chatbots combine several(about 175 billion)neural networks pre-trained on large Language Models(LLMs),allowing them to respond to user promptings just like humans.GPT-4 for example can admit its mistakes and confront false assumptions thanks to the dialogue style,which also enables it to write essays and to keep track of the context of a discussion while it is happening.However,users may be deceived by the human-like text structure of the AI models to believe that it came from a human origin[1].These chatbot models could be better,even though they generate text with a high level of accuracy.Occasionally,they produce inappropriate or wrong responses,resulting in faulty inferences or ethical issues.This article will discuss some fundamental strengths and weaknesses of this Artificial intelligence(AI)system concerning scientific research.展开更多
Recently,consumers have demanded safe,nutritious,and healthy food.Due to rapid heat transfer,microwave treatment(MT)preserves nutritional quality and provides safe food.In this investigation,the effect of Microwave he...Recently,consumers have demanded safe,nutritious,and healthy food.Due to rapid heat transfer,microwave treatment(MT)preserves nutritional quality and provides safe food.In this investigation,the effect of Microwave heating(MH)treatment was analysed on the bioactive components and quality characteristics of buransh(Rhododendron arboretum)flower squash.The fresh squash(TSS 19.6°Brix)was prepared by adjusting TSS to 3,4,and 5°Brix by using RO water,and microwave treatment(MT)was given to the prepared squash as per the Box Behnken design(BBD).Process optimization was done using Design Expert 13 software.Microwave Power(MP),time,and total soluble solids(TSS)as process parameters showed significant(p<0.05)effects on responses,namely pH,TSS,total phenolic content(TPC)and total flavonoid content(TFC).The optimized values at optimum process parameters(300 W,30 s and 3°Brix)were found to be 3.79 for pH,2.395°Brix for TSS,44.28 mg GAE/100 mL for TPC and 132.159 mg QE/100 mL for TFC.The experimental values were found to be in accordance with the predicted values,having error(%)0.5249,3.96,2.75,and 1.55 for pH,TSS,TPC,and TFC respectively.It was concluded that microwave heating can be used for the treatment of buransh(Rhododendron arboretum)flower squash with superior retention of nutritional quality.展开更多
Pomegranate peels are disposed of as waste even though it is an eminent source of total hydrolysable tannins(THT)and possesses a great worth for recycling.The present study was carried out with the hypothesis that pul...Pomegranate peels are disposed of as waste even though it is an eminent source of total hydrolysable tannins(THT)and possesses a great worth for recycling.The present study was carried out with the hypothesis that pulsed system ultrasound-assisted extraction(PSUAE)technique optimization would aid in retaining high extract yield and THT recovery yield from pomegranate peel extract(PPE)with enhanced antioxidant potential.The extraction was performed at various conditions regarding solvent concentration(30-90% of acetone),solvent-feed ratio(10-30 mL/g),extraction time(10-20 min),and ultrasound amplitude(40-80%)for maximum extract yield,THT and antioxidant activity(AA).To model and optimize the process conditions tools namely response surface methodology(RSM)and artificial neural network(ANN)were applied.For solvent concentration,solvent-feed ratio,extraction time,and amplitude the optimal conditions attained with aid of RSM and ANN were:56%,26.5 mL/g,15 min,55%,and 45%,23 mL/g,15 min,50% respectively.The extract yield and THT content determined with RSM and ANN optimized values were 51.2%,86.4 mg TAE/g,and 62%,98.1 mg TAE/g,respectively.The mean square error value displayed the minimum and R^(2) exhibited maximum value in case of ANN compared to RSM model.PSUAE significantly augmented the AA of PPE to 77.2±0.50% compared to 49.7±0.35% of conventional extraction.FTIR and HPLC analysis established that PPE produced from PSUAE contains a significant amount of THT compounds(gallic acid and tannic acid derivative).SEM elucidated that the sonication effect resulted in peel cell wall disruptions ensuing in elevated extraction of THT.Therefore,this pulsed mode of ultrasound extraction could be regarded as an easy,cost-effective,and competent technique for the extraction of preferred natural THT from pomegranate peels that possess high prospective to be applied in food and nutraceutical formulations.展开更多
Button mushrooms are perishable due to microbial spoilage and browning.The effect of in-package cold plasma CP treatment on the quality and shelf life of button mushrooms is presented.Samples were sealed inside a pack...Button mushrooms are perishable due to microbial spoilage and browning.The effect of in-package cold plasma CP treatment on the quality and shelf life of button mushrooms is presented.Samples were sealed inside a package with different gas combinations[80%O_(2)+10%CO_(2)+10%N_(2),10%O_(2)+10%CO_(2)+80%N_(2),and 10%O_(2)+80%CO_(2)+10%N_(2)],treated with CP for 15 min at 28 kV and stored at 4℃ for 7 days.Microbiological and physicochemical properties of button mushrooms(control,samples treated with direct cold plasma(DCP),and those packed in three different modified atmospheric packing(MAP)compositions)were analyzed on days 1,4,and 7 after treatment.Following DCP and in-package CP treatment,the total bacterial count was reduced by 0.93 and 1.14 log CFU/g,while the yeast and mold count was reduced by 1.07 and 1.24 log CFU/g,respectively.In-package CP reduced PPO activity by 29%.Changes in physicochemical properties of button mushrooms were insignificant on day 1.MAP with high oxygen showed larger microbial reductions than the other two gas combinations.At the end of storage,all in-package CP treated button mushrooms maintained significantly(p<0.05)better quality characteristics than control and DCP-treated mushrooms.The samples treated with CP and kept in a high O_(2) gas concentration exhibited better quality characteristics.Therefore,in-package CP technology with high O_(2) concentration can be used as a potential tool for the decontamination and shelf-life extension of button mushrooms.展开更多
Pesticide residues on food are threatening human health and wellbeing,ecological security.Food processing is one of the necessary ways to eliminate residues to guarantee the safety and sustainable development of the e...Pesticide residues on food are threatening human health and wellbeing,ecological security.Food processing is one of the necessary ways to eliminate residues to guarantee the safety and sustainable development of the environment.This review outlines the mechanisms,applications,and factors influencing the efficiency as well as their limitations of pesticide residue elimination technologies.Conventional thermal processing technologies like drying,blanching,baking,and roasting have been proved to reduce pesticides extensively whereas sometimes concentration effects occur,and more toxic metabolites or by-products are generated.Additionally,the negative effects on quality attributes of fruits and vegetables(F&V)should be considered.Several innovative non-thermal processing technologies like ultrasound,cold plasma,high-pressure processing,and pulsed electric fields have flourished currently,which show great ability to eliminate pesticide residues significantly with minimal impact on the quality of F&V.In particular,heat-sensitive nutrients like ascorbic acid,phenolics,and carotenoids would retain to a great extent.Similarly,these technologies have their limitations.Furthermore,there is much information about combined processing technology affecting the pesticide behaviors of F&V.Finally,the future developments for pesticide elimination of these technologies are identified and discussed.展开更多
Fruit stored in poor conditions undergo biochemical degradations that impact fruit physical qualities,such color and firmness,and reduce beneficial nutritional content including vitamins,flavonoids,phenols,and antioxi...Fruit stored in poor conditions undergo biochemical degradations that impact fruit physical qualities,such color and firmness,and reduce beneficial nutritional content including vitamins,flavonoids,phenols,and antioxidants.This study investigated the impact of a postharvest treatment of mandarins with edible coatings to prevent biochemical degradations and minimize color changes.The edible coating evaluated in this study is a composite of pregelatinized corn starch(PS),with a cellulose nano fiber(CF)Pickering emulsifier,and is enriched with basil essential oil(EO).The results of varying each parameter were then analyzed by the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)method to identify the best-performing edible coating.Using this method,the leading edible coating was identified as PS5EO3 formulized from 5%pregelatinized corn starch,3%basil essential oil and 0.5%cellulose nanofiber,with a ranking of 0.721 based on quality content,and 0.676 based on percentage change in nutrients after the 12 days of storage at 25℃.Mandarins coated with PS5EO3 significantly suppressed quality losses,and achieving the lowest losses of citric acid(10.45%),while maintaining color stability in terms of color density(14.97%)and percent polymer color(78.14%).展开更多
The decision by Japan to begin discharging the Fukushima wastewater into the ocean on August 24,2023 was followed by protests from several countries,including China,Russia,Korea,Vietnam,and deep concerns from the inte...The decision by Japan to begin discharging the Fukushima wastewater into the ocean on August 24,2023 was followed by protests from several countries,including China,Russia,Korea,Vietnam,and deep concerns from the international community.This decision is related to the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011,which destroyed the cooling system of the nuclear power plant and caused the reactor cores to overheat.Much water was used to cool down the reactors fuel rods;about 1.3 million cubic meters contaminated water with highly radioactive material was generated,which can fill more than 500 Olympic swimming pools[1].In order to reduce the levels of radioactivity,an Advanced Liquid Processing System(ALPS)was used to remove most radioactive contaminants from water.ALPS works by circulating water through a system of tanks and filters,which removes specific contaminants such as cesium and strontium,using a multi-step process that includes coagulation,flocculation,ion exchange,and absorption[1].Japan's government and some scientists have argued that the ALPS-treated water is safe for release into the ocean.According to their claims,the discharged water poses minimal risk to human health and the environment.However,concerns about the long-term effects of this discharge remain in scientists′minds.展开更多
文摘Response surface methodology and central composite rotatable design （CCRD） for K = 3 were used to investigate the combined effect of blanching time （0-1 min）, processing time （10-30 min） and sodium metabisulphite （Na2S205） salt concentration （0%-2%） on vitamin C content, hardness （texture）, microbial count and color intensity of green pepper （Capsicum sinensis） during canning. Blanching, processing time and sodium metabisulphite （Na2S205） salt concentration all had variable effects on the vitamin C, microbial quality and sensory characteristics of the canned green peppers. Significant （P 〈 0.05） interactions were noted between all the factors with high regression coefficients （78.7%-97.0%）. Increasing processing time caused significant decreases in vitamin C and microbial load of the product. However, salt concentration had only marginal and insignificant effect on the vitamin C content of the canned product. Sensory evaluation on the product showed that both the pre-processing conditions and of blanching and salt concentrations, and the processing time had varied effects on the color and hardness of the products. Hardness of the canned products generally decreased with increasing processing time and blanching time, while only minimal and insignificant effects were noted with blanching time. Increasing blanching time caused significant increasing retention of the dark green color of the peppers with only slight but insignificant increases noted with processing time, while increases in salt concentration consistently reduced the dark green color of the products. The optimum pre-processing and processing conditions that yielded products with high preference and consumer-acceptability were： blanching time of 0 min, processing time of 10 min and sodium metabisulphite concentration of 0.2%.
文摘Changes in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanin concentrations during fermentation and drying of pulp pre-conditioned cocoa （Theobroma cacao） beans were investigated using standard analytical methods. Increasing pod storage, fermentation and drying led to variable reductions in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanins content of the beans. The rates of reduction were however more pronounced during fermentation than pod storage and drying. Storage of cocoa pods between 3-7 days with 6 and 7 days of fermentation and drying respectively retained 85%-90% of the total polyphenol and O-diphenols of the cocoa beans. Similarly, anthocyanin content of beans from the 10 days of pod storage decreased by 70% in the sixth day of fermentation. Pod storage decreased the anthocyanin content at all periods of fermentation. These suggest that the post-harvest treatments of pod storage, fermentation and drying all results in variable reductions in polyphenolic content （total polyphenols and O-diphenols） and anthocyanins content of cocoa beans.
基金supported by the National Research Foundation(NRF)of Korea(project#:NRF-2020R1A2C2006769)。
文摘The growing interest in the anaerobic ammonium oxidizing(AMX)process in treating high nitrogen containing wastewaters and a comprehensive study into the granulation mechanism of these bacteria under diverse environmental conditions over the years have been unequal.To this effect,the distinctive differences in saline adapted AMX(S_AMX)and nonsaline adapted AMX(NS_AMX)granules are presented in this study.It was observed that substrate utilisation profiles,granule formation mechanism,and pace towards granulation differed marginally for the two adaptation conditions.The different microbial dominant aggregation types aided in splitting the 471 days operated lab-scale SBRs into three distinct phases.In both reactors,phase III(granules dominant phase)showed the highest average nitrogen removal efficiency of 87.9%±4.8%and 85.6%±3.6%for the S_AMX and NS_AMX processes,respectively.The extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)quantity and major composition determined its role either as a binding agent in granulation or a survival mechanism in saline adaptation.It was also observed that granules of the S_AMX reactor were mostly loosely and less condensed aggregates of smaller sub-units and flocs while those of the NS_AMX reactor were compact agglomerates.The ionic gradient in saline enrichment led to an increased activity of the Na^(+)/K^(+)–ATPase,hence enriched granules produced higher cellular adenosine triphosphate molecules which finally improved the granules active biomass ratio by 32.96%.Microbial community showed that about three to four major known AMX species made up the granules consortia in both reactors.Proteins and expression of functional genes differed for these different species.
文摘Investigations were conducted to establish effects of fermentation and drying on the fermentation index （FI） and cut test of pulp pre-conditioned Ghanaian cocoa beans using a 4 x 3 full factorial experimental design with the principal factors being pod storage （0, 3, 7 and 10 d） and fermentation time （0, 3 and 6 d） to study the changes occurring during the fermentation process. The study also used a 4 x 3 full factorial design with pod storage （0, 3, 7 and 10 d） and drying time （0, 3 and 7 d） being the principal factors investigated to study the changes occurring during the drying process. FI and cut test of the beans were studied during fermentation as well as the drying process. FI of the beans increased significantly with pod storage and fermentation but decreased slightly during drying. FI of the unfermented beans increased slightly from 0.674 for the unstored pods to 0.763 after 10 days of pod storage. The FI of the fermented beans （six days fermentation） also increased from 1.390 for the unstored pods to 1.424 for pods stored for 10 days. It decreased from 1.389 at the start of drying for the unstored pods to 1.105 for pods stored for 10 days at the end of drying （seven days）. FI of all the beans were however, above 1.0 at the end of fermentation and drying for all pod storage treatments. Cut test revealed that storage of pods for 3, 7 and 10 days increased the percentage of brown beans by 66%, 94% and 72%, respectively, by the sixth day of fermentation. Percentage of brown beans decreased to 61%, 76% and 63%, respectively, for pods stored for 3, 7 and 10 d at the end of drying （seven days）. Cocoa pods can be stored for up to 10 days, fermented for six days and dried for seven days with the necessary formation of brown pigments characteristics of well fermented and dried cocoa beans.
文摘Changes in nib acidity, protein and sugar concentration during roasting of pulp pre-conditioned and fermented cocoa （Theobroma cacao） beans were investigated. A 4 - 4 full factorial design with the principal experimental factors as pod storage （0, 3, 7 and l0 d） and roasting time （0, 15, 30 and 45 min） were used. The roasted samples were evaluated for pH, titratable acidity, protein content and sugars concentrations using standard methods. Increasing pod storage caused consistent increases in pH with concomitant decreases in titratable acidity, whereas increasing roasting time caused only marginal and insignificant changes in pH but significantly decreased the titratable acidity. The protein content decreased significantly （P 〈 0.05） with increasing pod storage and roasting time. Reducing sugars increased marginally with increasing pod storage treatments whiles increasing roasting time significantly （P 〈 0.05） decreased the reducing sugars of the beans for all pod storage. The non-reducing sugar and total sugar content of the beans decreased significantly from 3.493 mg/g to 2.641 mg/g and from 9.284 mg/g to 8.891 mg/g, respectively, for pods stored from 0 to 10 days while roasting time caused slight decreases in non-reducing sugars with a considerable decrease in total sugars. Pod storage up to seven days decreased considerable the nib acidity （non-volatile acids）, non-reducing sugars and total sugars while roasting up to 45 min at 120 ℃ caused dramatic decreases in the nib acidity and reducing sugars with only marginal decreases in non-reducing sugars and total sugars.
文摘Zeolites are aluminosilicate compounds with excellent selective,precise adsorption capabilities that find their potential applications in various sectors of the biomaterials and food industry.The zeolites from ages have been utilized in biomedicine,catalysis,detergent and air purification industries but their commercial applications in the biomaterials and food industry are not studied enough.Zeolites are known to reduce mycotoxins,toxic compounds,heavy metals,and microbes.The present review tries to summarize different arenas of zeolite applications in the biomaterials and food industry.The article also includes a discussion of individual applications of zeolitic properties like antimicrobial effect,food nanoreactors and intelligent food contact behaviour in brief.Moreover,sound coverage is given over zeolite classification,their synthesis and the modelling of their adsorption behaviour.The outcomes of the review emphasize the commercial viability of zeolites and their potential to serve as a possible alternative to many processing steps which ultimately will economise the production process in the food industry.This review also emphasizes extensive research that needs to be carried out to further improvise the capabilities of zeolites to overcome the challenges lying around them.
文摘The quality and safety of food can be evaluated using a variety of conventional and scientific methods.But all of those ways are time-consuming,laborious,and harmful.There are two primary types of processes used to gauge the quality and safety of foods:1)Destructive methods(like gas chromatography,high performance liquid chromatography,enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay,etc.);and 2)Non-destructive methods(such imaging methods,computer vision systems,fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,and near infrared spectroscopy).Techniques for imaging are frequently employed in the food industry to assess external quality.Imaging is the process of visualizing an object,while spectroscopy is the study of how energy is transferred from light to matter.Spectroscopy and imaging are used in the hyper spectral imaging approach.A method that may offer both spectral and spatial information about a component is called hyperspectral imaging(HSI).The HSI creates a hypercube out of spectral pictures at more than ten different wavelengths.A hypercube has three dimensions:two spatial(the x and y axes)and one spectral(λ).Fruits and vegetables,dairy goods,meat products,seafood,grains,and legumes are all evaluated for quality and safety using HSI.The HSI approach is excellent for identifying both internal and exterior food problems.Anthocyanin in grapes,Penicillium digitatum in mandarins,melamine in milk powder,and the amount of fat in cheese can all be detected using HSI.In addition to recognizing the muscles in lamb meat,HSI may also be used to assess the colour,pH,and tenderness of beef,the colour,pH,and drip loss of pork,and the presence of E.coli in pork.Additionally,HSI is utilized to identify Aspergillus niger in wheat and Aflatoxin B1 in maize.Chemometric instruments are essential to HSI.Large data storage and fast processors are needed.Improved models are required for quick and simple evaluation.The HSI has limits when it comes to microbiological contaminants’metabolites detection and quantification,model optimization,and the development of more reliable models.Validation of developed models on several storage conditions.Combining HSI with Raman microscopic imaging(RMI)and fluorescence microscopic imaging(FMI)improves the ability to analyze microbes.
文摘The onion powder with an initial moisture content of 10%(dry basis)in a thin infinite layer of thickness 5 mm was dried using a laboratory microwave oven at 50 W/g microwave power density to a final moisture content of 2%(dry basis).The temperature and moisture change pattern of the experimental process was monitored.Computer simulation of the predicted temperature pattern with drying time was obtained by using the mathematical model governed by the energy balance equation and using data of the thermo-physical properties of the onion powder.The code for the simulation was written using the C++programming language.The high microwave power-to-mass ratio resulted in raised temperature with reduced drying time.The initial low moisture content of the product led to a gradual decrease in the drying rate.However,effective moisture diffusivity showed an increasing trend with decreasing moisture content because of the application of high-power density.F for Bacillus cereus spores,which were more prominent in onion powder,were evaluated from the simulated temperature curves.It was observed that sterilization of B.cereus started after 75 s at 117℃ with 0.431(lg(CFU/g))reduction.The maximum temperature of 117℃ was limited due to the unacceptable sensory quality of the product.
基金the Tshwane University of Technology for their financial support
文摘In the present study, chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) were blended with different concentrations of sodium montmorillonite(Na^+MMT) clay solution by a solvent casting method. X-ray diffraction and transition electron microscope results show that the film properties are related to the co-existence of Na^+MMT intercalation/exfoliation in the blend and the interaction between chitosan–PVA and Na^+MMT. 5-Fluorouracil(5-FU) was loaded with chitosan–PVA/Na^+MMT nanocomposite films for in vitro drug delivery study. The antimicrobial activity of the chitosan–PVA/Na^+MMT films showed significant effect against Salmonella(Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus(Gram-positive), whereas5-FU encapsulated chitosan–PVA/Na^+MMT bio-nanocomposite films did not show any inhibition against bacteria. Our results indicate that combination of a flexible and soft polymeric material with high drug loading ability of a hard inorganic porous material can produce improved control over degradation and drug release. It will be an economically viable method for preparation of advanced drug delivery vehicles and biodegradable implants or scaffolds.
文摘Roasting is the most common processing method that enhances color,and texture.In this study,infrared roasting of peanuts was done using an infrared rotary dryer.Roasting was operated at 90%infrared power(630 W)with different rotating speed(1 and 2 r/min).The effect of roasting was studied at different moisture levels(7.66%,11.49%,and 13.72%db).From the study,the color parameter,L*value,was found to be significantly different(P<0.05),and it decreased with the decrease in rotating speed,and the∆E value varies from 2.32 to 10.56.Results also showed that the antioxidant activity decreased with the reduction in rotating speed as lesser revolutions took longer roasting time,and the values decreased from 84.34%to 71.74%.Minimal changes in total phenolic content were found and varied from 3.62 to 2.10 mg/g GAE,an appropriate limit for good-quality roasted peanuts.The hardness of roasted peanuts ranged from 12.25 to 39.43 N.Moisture content 13.72%,and 1 r/min is the best possible treatment for infrared peanut roasting,significantly enhancing the quality of peanuts.This study concluded that high-power short-time infrared roasting could give good-quality roasted peanuts with optimum bioactive compounds.
文摘The present investigation was carried out to characterize starches,particle size,morphology index and structural properties from velvet bean seed powder.Structural characteristics of starch extracted from these nano sized seed powder was evaluated using X-ray diffraction(XRD)and analyzed particles size,morphology,and degree of Crystallinity.From our XRD analysis,starch presented a C-type XRD pattern and crystallite size of 38.26Å.The particle size was found to be 15 to 41 nm.Morphology index(MI)ranged from 0.5 to 0.73.It is observed that MI has direct relationship with particle size and indirect relationship with specific surface area.The morphology and particle size was confirmed by XRD,Transmission Electron microscopy(TEM)which showed formation of well-dispersed gold nanoparticles in the range of 14 to 43 nm with monodisperse in nature.These starch nanocrystals could be potential precursors to nanocomposites and nanoparticle-based copolymers.
基金financially supported by the 2115 Talent Development Program of China Agricultural University.
文摘Like every other societal domain,science faces yet another reckoning caused by a bot called ChatGPT(Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer).ChatGPT was introduced in November 2022 to produce messages that seem like they were written by humans and are conversational.With the release of the latest version of ChatGPT called GPT-4,and other similar models such as Google Bard,Chatsonic,Collosal Chat,these chatbots combine several(about 175 billion)neural networks pre-trained on large Language Models(LLMs),allowing them to respond to user promptings just like humans.GPT-4 for example can admit its mistakes and confront false assumptions thanks to the dialogue style,which also enables it to write essays and to keep track of the context of a discussion while it is happening.However,users may be deceived by the human-like text structure of the AI models to believe that it came from a human origin[1].These chatbot models could be better,even though they generate text with a high level of accuracy.Occasionally,they produce inappropriate or wrong responses,resulting in faulty inferences or ethical issues.This article will discuss some fundamental strengths and weaknesses of this Artificial intelligence(AI)system concerning scientific research.
文摘Recently,consumers have demanded safe,nutritious,and healthy food.Due to rapid heat transfer,microwave treatment(MT)preserves nutritional quality and provides safe food.In this investigation,the effect of Microwave heating(MH)treatment was analysed on the bioactive components and quality characteristics of buransh(Rhododendron arboretum)flower squash.The fresh squash(TSS 19.6°Brix)was prepared by adjusting TSS to 3,4,and 5°Brix by using RO water,and microwave treatment(MT)was given to the prepared squash as per the Box Behnken design(BBD).Process optimization was done using Design Expert 13 software.Microwave Power(MP),time,and total soluble solids(TSS)as process parameters showed significant(p<0.05)effects on responses,namely pH,TSS,total phenolic content(TPC)and total flavonoid content(TFC).The optimized values at optimum process parameters(300 W,30 s and 3°Brix)were found to be 3.79 for pH,2.395°Brix for TSS,44.28 mg GAE/100 mL for TPC and 132.159 mg QE/100 mL for TFC.The experimental values were found to be in accordance with the predicted values,having error(%)0.5249,3.96,2.75,and 1.55 for pH,TSS,TPC,and TFC respectively.It was concluded that microwave heating can be used for the treatment of buransh(Rhododendron arboretum)flower squash with superior retention of nutritional quality.
文摘Pomegranate peels are disposed of as waste even though it is an eminent source of total hydrolysable tannins(THT)and possesses a great worth for recycling.The present study was carried out with the hypothesis that pulsed system ultrasound-assisted extraction(PSUAE)technique optimization would aid in retaining high extract yield and THT recovery yield from pomegranate peel extract(PPE)with enhanced antioxidant potential.The extraction was performed at various conditions regarding solvent concentration(30-90% of acetone),solvent-feed ratio(10-30 mL/g),extraction time(10-20 min),and ultrasound amplitude(40-80%)for maximum extract yield,THT and antioxidant activity(AA).To model and optimize the process conditions tools namely response surface methodology(RSM)and artificial neural network(ANN)were applied.For solvent concentration,solvent-feed ratio,extraction time,and amplitude the optimal conditions attained with aid of RSM and ANN were:56%,26.5 mL/g,15 min,55%,and 45%,23 mL/g,15 min,50% respectively.The extract yield and THT content determined with RSM and ANN optimized values were 51.2%,86.4 mg TAE/g,and 62%,98.1 mg TAE/g,respectively.The mean square error value displayed the minimum and R^(2) exhibited maximum value in case of ANN compared to RSM model.PSUAE significantly augmented the AA of PPE to 77.2±0.50% compared to 49.7±0.35% of conventional extraction.FTIR and HPLC analysis established that PPE produced from PSUAE contains a significant amount of THT compounds(gallic acid and tannic acid derivative).SEM elucidated that the sonication effect resulted in peel cell wall disruptions ensuing in elevated extraction of THT.Therefore,this pulsed mode of ultrasound extraction could be regarded as an easy,cost-effective,and competent technique for the extraction of preferred natural THT from pomegranate peels that possess high prospective to be applied in food and nutraceutical formulations.
文摘Button mushrooms are perishable due to microbial spoilage and browning.The effect of in-package cold plasma CP treatment on the quality and shelf life of button mushrooms is presented.Samples were sealed inside a package with different gas combinations[80%O_(2)+10%CO_(2)+10%N_(2),10%O_(2)+10%CO_(2)+80%N_(2),and 10%O_(2)+80%CO_(2)+10%N_(2)],treated with CP for 15 min at 28 kV and stored at 4℃ for 7 days.Microbiological and physicochemical properties of button mushrooms(control,samples treated with direct cold plasma(DCP),and those packed in three different modified atmospheric packing(MAP)compositions)were analyzed on days 1,4,and 7 after treatment.Following DCP and in-package CP treatment,the total bacterial count was reduced by 0.93 and 1.14 log CFU/g,while the yeast and mold count was reduced by 1.07 and 1.24 log CFU/g,respectively.In-package CP reduced PPO activity by 29%.Changes in physicochemical properties of button mushrooms were insignificant on day 1.MAP with high oxygen showed larger microbial reductions than the other two gas combinations.At the end of storage,all in-package CP treated button mushrooms maintained significantly(p<0.05)better quality characteristics than control and DCP-treated mushrooms.The samples treated with CP and kept in a high O_(2) gas concentration exhibited better quality characteristics.Therefore,in-package CP technology with high O_(2) concentration can be used as a potential tool for the decontamination and shelf-life extension of button mushrooms.
基金This research was supported by the 2115 Talent Development Program of China Agricultural University。
文摘Pesticide residues on food are threatening human health and wellbeing,ecological security.Food processing is one of the necessary ways to eliminate residues to guarantee the safety and sustainable development of the environment.This review outlines the mechanisms,applications,and factors influencing the efficiency as well as their limitations of pesticide residue elimination technologies.Conventional thermal processing technologies like drying,blanching,baking,and roasting have been proved to reduce pesticides extensively whereas sometimes concentration effects occur,and more toxic metabolites or by-products are generated.Additionally,the negative effects on quality attributes of fruits and vegetables(F&V)should be considered.Several innovative non-thermal processing technologies like ultrasound,cold plasma,high-pressure processing,and pulsed electric fields have flourished currently,which show great ability to eliminate pesticide residues significantly with minimal impact on the quality of F&V.In particular,heat-sensitive nutrients like ascorbic acid,phenolics,and carotenoids would retain to a great extent.Similarly,these technologies have their limitations.Furthermore,there is much information about combined processing technology affecting the pesticide behaviors of F&V.Finally,the future developments for pesticide elimination of these technologies are identified and discussed.
基金JSPS KAKENHI[Project no.JP19KK0169 and JP21H04748]for providing financial support for this researchThe Japanese Government(MEXT)Scholarship[Program no.17033]。
文摘Fruit stored in poor conditions undergo biochemical degradations that impact fruit physical qualities,such color and firmness,and reduce beneficial nutritional content including vitamins,flavonoids,phenols,and antioxidants.This study investigated the impact of a postharvest treatment of mandarins with edible coatings to prevent biochemical degradations and minimize color changes.The edible coating evaluated in this study is a composite of pregelatinized corn starch(PS),with a cellulose nano fiber(CF)Pickering emulsifier,and is enriched with basil essential oil(EO).The results of varying each parameter were then analyzed by the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)method to identify the best-performing edible coating.Using this method,the leading edible coating was identified as PS5EO3 formulized from 5%pregelatinized corn starch,3%basil essential oil and 0.5%cellulose nanofiber,with a ranking of 0.721 based on quality content,and 0.676 based on percentage change in nutrients after the 12 days of storage at 25℃.Mandarins coated with PS5EO3 significantly suppressed quality losses,and achieving the lowest losses of citric acid(10.45%),while maintaining color stability in terms of color density(14.97%)and percent polymer color(78.14%).
文摘The decision by Japan to begin discharging the Fukushima wastewater into the ocean on August 24,2023 was followed by protests from several countries,including China,Russia,Korea,Vietnam,and deep concerns from the international community.This decision is related to the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011,which destroyed the cooling system of the nuclear power plant and caused the reactor cores to overheat.Much water was used to cool down the reactors fuel rods;about 1.3 million cubic meters contaminated water with highly radioactive material was generated,which can fill more than 500 Olympic swimming pools[1].In order to reduce the levels of radioactivity,an Advanced Liquid Processing System(ALPS)was used to remove most radioactive contaminants from water.ALPS works by circulating water through a system of tanks and filters,which removes specific contaminants such as cesium and strontium,using a multi-step process that includes coagulation,flocculation,ion exchange,and absorption[1].Japan's government and some scientists have argued that the ALPS-treated water is safe for release into the ocean.According to their claims,the discharged water poses minimal risk to human health and the environment.However,concerns about the long-term effects of this discharge remain in scientists′minds.
