Effect of hot air and freeze drying on the volatile compounds of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) herb

Volatile compounds of fresh, hot air dried and freeze dried dill (Anethum graveolens L.) herb were studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Of the 25 volatile components identified, 16 the most abundant compounds were analysed quantitatively. The major primary aroma compounds were α-phellandrene, 3,6-dimethyl-2,3,3a,4,5,7a-hexahydrobenzofuran,β-phellandrene, limonene, α-pinene, p-cymene and myristicin. Severe loss of these components occured during the drying of dill. E.g. the retention of the benzofuranoid, the most important aroma component of the dill herb, was from trace to 1.3 % in hot air dried samples and 3.5—20 % in freeze dried samples. During the drying secondary aroma compounds are formed consisting over 50 % of the total volatiles. Among these phytadienes, especially neophytadiene, were the major components. The best result was obtained by freeze drying, but the product contained only one quarter of the total aroma compounds of the fresh dill herb

Herb yield and essential oil of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) at different locations

A study on the effect of growing site on the growth of the dill herb at three locations (Helsinki, Sahalahti, Inari) in Finland and at Freising, West Germany, was carried out in 1985. The growing medium was fertilized peat of the same quality at each location. Dill (’Dura’) was sown twice, in early spring and 2—3 weeks later at all growing sites. The herb crop was harvested just when the first flower buds had developed. The later sowings gave significantly larger yields than the earlier ones. The herb yields were largest at the most southern location. The fresh yield was the larger the more rain there was, and the warmer the growing season was. The significantly highest oil contents were recorded in the herb of the later sowings at Freising and Sahalahti. Otherwise, no differences in the oil content were recorded. The correlation between the oil content and degree days was positive. The total amount of components responsible for the aroma varied between 4.5 and 7.9 mg/g dry weight. The amount of essential oil and that of a typical aroma compound in dill, 3.6-dimethyl-2,3,3a,4,5,7a-hexahydrobenzofuran, were not significantly affected by the location

Encapsulation of betalain into w​/o​/w double emulsion and release during in vitro intestinal lipid digestion

A water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsion was prepared with water extract of red beet as the inner water phase, rapeseed oil as the oil phase and polysaccharides solution as the outer water phase. Polyglycerol polyricinoleate and polar lipid fraction from oat were used as emulsifiers for primary water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion and secondary w/o/w emulsion, respectively. Their mean droplet sizes were approximately 0.34 μm and 5.5 μm, respectively. The double emulsion showed a high encapsulation efficiency of 89.1% and had a pink coloration due to encapsulated betalain. The double emulsion was subjected to in vitro intestinal lipid digestion and the evolution of structures and release of betalain were monitored. During the first 2 h of digestion, coalescence of the inner water phase droplets was observed, and the sizes of the double emulsion droplets increased quickly because of aggregation. This period also corresponded to release of betalain, reaching about 35%. After 3 h of digestion, no more release was measured, corresponding to no further increase in droplet sizes. In contrast, the encapsulation efficiency and droplet sizes were not affected after 3 h in the same digestion conditions but without the bile salts and lipase, showing they were responsible for the release.</p

Alfalfa and flax sprouts supplementation enriches the content of bioactive compounds and lowers the cholesterol in hen egg

Abstract The effect of dietary supplementation with flax and alfalfa sprouts (40 g/d) on bioactive compounds and cholesterol contents of hen's egg was examined. Thirty White Leghorn hens, 26 weeks of age, were fed, for 66 days, three diets that included control (standard diet – C), standard diet + alfalfa sprouts (A), and standard diet + flax sprouts (F). Productive performance of hens was recorded daily. The cholesterol content of plasma and yolk, and the presence of bioactive compounds in the egg, were also analysed. Supplementation of flax and alfalfa sprouts reduced plasma and egg cholesterol probably due to the synergy between different compounds of the sprouts (polyunsaturated fatty acids - PUFAs, lignans, isoflavones and sterols). Eggs from A and F groups also had higher contents of n-3 PUFA, vitamins (α-tocopherol, α-, γ-tocotrienol, retinol), carotenes (β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin) and phytoestrogens (daidzein, equol, isolariciresinol) than eggs from the C group

The role of middle managers in strategy execution : a case study

Tämä opinnäytetyö tutkii keskijohdon keskeistä roolia strategioiden tehokkaassa toteuttamisessa. Strategian toteutuksen merkitys korostuu strategisten tavoitteiden saavuttamisessa ja tutkimuksessa syvennytäänkin strategiaprosessin eri puoliin ja vaiheisiin. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan erityisesti keskijohdon roolia strategian toteuttamisessa. Teoriaosuudessa tarkastellaan keskijohdon roolia ja merkitystä strategian johtamisessa ja tunnnistetaan heidän ainutlaatuinen asemansa ylimmän johdon strategisen vision ja operatiivisen toteutuksen välisen kuilun kuromisessa. Tutkimus toteutettiin erään johtoryhmän ja keskijohdon avainhenkilöiden stukturoituina haastatteluina. Haastatteluissa pyrittiin luomaan näkemystä tämän organisaation strategian tilasta ja konsultoinmaan organisaatiota heidän strategiaprosessissa nykyistä tehokkaammaksi. Tulokset paljastivat useita kriittisiä tekijöitä onnistuneelle strategian toteuttamiselle. Kaiken kaikkiaan tämä opinnäytetyö tarjoaa arvokasta näkemystä keskijohdon roolista strategian toteuttamisessa ja tarjoaa käytännön suosituksia organisaatioille strategian toteutusprosessien parantamiseksi. Ymmärtämällä keskijohtajien keskeisen roolin ja tarjoamalla heille tarvittavat työkalut ja tuen organisaatiot voivat parantaa strategisia tuloksiaan ja saavuttaa kestävää menestystä