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Not AvailableThe hot air convective drying characteristics of blanched tomato (Lycopersicon esculantum L.) slices have been investigated. Drying experiments were carried out at four different temperatures (50, 60, 65 and 70 °C). The effect of drying temperatures on the drying behavior of the tomato slices was evaluated. All drying experiments had only falling rate period. The average effective diffusivity values varied from 0.5453×10−9 to 2.3871×10−9 m2/s over the temperature range studied and the activation energy was estimated to be 61.004 kJ/mol. In order to select a suitable form of the drying curve, six different thin layer drying models (Henderson–Pabis, Page, Diamante et al., Wang and Singh, Logarithmic and Newton models) were fitted to the experimental data. The goodness of fit tests indicated that the Logarithmic model gave the best fit to experimental results, which was closely followed by the Henderson– Pabis model. The influence of varied drying temperatures on quality attributes of the tomato slices viz. Hunter color parameters, ascorbic acid, lycopene, titratable acidity, total sugars, reducing sugars and sugar/acid ratio of dried slices was also studied. Slices dried at 50 and 60 °C had high amount of total sugars, lycopene, sugar/acid ratio, Hunter L- and a-values. Drying of slices at 50 °C revealed optimum retention of ascorbic acid, sugar/acid ratio and red hue, whereas, drying at higher temperature (65 and 70 ° C) resulted in a considerable decrease in nutrients and colour quality of the slicesNot Availabl

Production of Vegetable Protein from Rapeseed Press-Cake Using Response Surface Methodology, Weighted Multivariate Index, and Desirability Function: A Way to Handle Correlated Multiple Responses

<div><p>The majority of present day industrial processes/products are defined by several quality characteristics, for which the process variables need to be precisely modulated to meet the required specifications. Hence, the multi-response process optimization has become an increasingly important and demanding task. In practice, many of these quality characteristics under consideration show conflicts among themselves, which need to be simultaneously satisfied. This situation is aggravated when the quality characteristics show correlation. To remedy this shortfall, we present a novel multi-objective process optimization approach, based on weighted principal components (principal component scores weighted by their respective eigen values), response surface methodology and desirability function. The implementation of the suggested approach is presented on a study that discusses the optimization of light-colored and reduced phytate containing protein extraction process from rapeseed press-cake. The effectiveness of the said approach was confirmed by performing additional confirmatory experiments at the predicted optimal condition. Furthermore, this study suggests the feasibility of the exploitation of the waste oilseed cake for extraction of high quality vegetable protein, using viable process and simple computational procedure. This study also briefly highlights performance analyses in cross-flow batch extraction scheme using optimized condition.</p></div

Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Rapeseed Protein Isolate: Influence of Antinutrient Removal with Acidified Organic Solvents from Rapeseed Meal

The presence of antinutritional constituents in rapeseed protein products (RPI), such as polyphenols, phytates, allyl isothiocyanates, and glucosinolates, is a formidable constraint. The effect of antinutrient removal from rapeseed meal with an organic solvent mixture (methanol/acetone, 1:1 v/v, combined with an acid (hydrochloric, acetic, perchloric, trichloroacetic, phosphoric)) on the physicochemical and functional properties of RPI was investigated. The extraction resulted in a substantial reduction of antinutrients from RPI, especially polyphenols and phytates, with concomitant decreases in protein yield and solubility. Treatment harbored significant improvement in the degree of whiteness, which was highest in the perchloric acid case. Surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl group of RPI changed considerably, with perchloric acid-treated samples showing higher values, whereas the disulfide content remarkably increased in trichloroacetic acid- and phosphoric acid-treated samples, signifying aggregation. Intrinsic emission fluorescence and FTIR spectra showed significant changes in proteins’ tertiary and secondary conformations, and the changes were more pronounced in samples treated with higher concentrations of acids. No appreciable alteration appeared among the electrophoretic profiles of proteins from pristine meal and those treated with lower levels of acids. Interfacial surface properties of proteins were variably improved by the solvent extraction, whereas the converse was true for their extent of denaturation. The results suggest that the physicochemical and conformational properties of RPI are closely related to its functional properties

Antioxidative, Hemocompatible, Fluorescent Carbon Nanodots from an “End-of-Pipe” Agricultural Waste: Exploring Its New Horizon in the Food-Packaging Domain

The attention of researchers is burgeoning toward oilseed press-cake valorization for its high protein content. Protein removal from oil-cakes generates large quantities of fibrous residue (oil-and-protein spent meal) as a byproduct, which currently has very limited practical utility. In the wake of increasing awareness in waste recycling, a simple environmentally benign hydrothermal carbonization process to convert this “end-of-pipe” waste (spent meal) into antioxidative, hemocompatible, fluorescent carbonaceous nanoparticles (FCDs) has been described. In the present investigation, an interesting application of FCDs in fabricating low-cost rapeseed protein-based fluorescent film, with improved antioxidant potential (17.5–19.3-fold) and thermal stability has been demonstrated. The nanocomposite film could also be used as forgery-proof packaging due to its photoluminescence property. For assessing the feasibility of antioxidative FCDs in real food systems, a comparative investigation was further undertaken to examine the effect of such nanocarbon-loaded composite film on the oxidative shelf life of rapeseed oil. Oil samples packed in nanocomposite film sachets showed significant delay in oxidative rancidity compared to those packed in pristine protein-film sachet (free fatty acids, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances reduced up to 1.4-, 2-, and 1.2-fold, respectively). The work presents a new concept of biobased fluorescent packaging and avenues for harnessing this potent waste