Techno-Economic Assessment of Polysaccharide Extraction from Baobab: A Scale Up Analysis

This research studied the commercial exploitation of an indigenous African crop in order to formulate high value products, with a potential significant impact on the local economy. More specifically, the present work investigated the extraction of polysaccharides from baobab in a bench-scale unit, focusing on the overall yield and the techno-economic assessment of the extraction process. Preliminary technoeconomic analysis for two scenarios (with and without ethanol recycling) was performed to determine the economic viability of the process and the development of the baobab market both in Nigeria and the UK. A full economic analysis was undertaken for each of the two scenarios, considering all operating and capital costs, and the production cost of baobab polysaccharides was estimated based on a constant return on investment. Combining the operating cost with the average polysaccharide yield, the minimum profitable selling price in the UK was estimated to be between £23 and £35 per 100 g of polysaccharide, which is comparable to the commercial selling price of high purity polysaccharides. An assessment of a scaled-up plant was also performed under Nigerian conditions and the results showed that such an investment is potentially viable and profitable, with a minimum profitable selling price of £27 per 100 g, a value comparable to the UK-based scenarios

Our Clear-Cut Improvement to the Impact of Mouse and Rat Models in the Research Involving Female Reproduction

In most research involving female reproductive function, female animals particularly mice and rats are usually employed. This may perhaps be due to their well-defined reproductive cycle (estrous cycle) as well as the ability to breed and handle them easily. The short and precise length of estrus cycle usually 4–5 days make mice models the choicest mammal when it comes to human related research. Also, they possess very short reproductive age typically 7–8 months reaching sexual maturity at weeks 4–7 following their birth. Although many similarities exist between this model and humans, however, there also exist obvious distinctions between the human female reproductive system and that of mice. Humans have average length of their reproductive or menstrual cycle of about 28–29 days with their reproductive ages between 10–40 years. These relevant differences between mice and human reproductive system constitute the limitations to the use of this models. Therefore, the scope of this chapter will be to explore the basic knowledge of laboratory mice by examining their reproductive system anatomy and physiology, the fertilization process, estrous cycle and genetic make-up. We hope that this will provide many insights to the use of animal models in female reproductive research

Extrusion Processing of Raw Food Materials and by-products:A Review

Extrusion technology has rapidly transformed the food industry with its numerous advantages over other processing methods. It offers a platform for processing different products from various food groups by modifying minor or major ingredients and processing conditions. Although cereals occupy a large portion of the extruded foods market, several other types of raw materials have been used. Extrusion processing of various food groups, including cereals and pseudo cereals, roots and tubers, pulses and oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, and animal products, as well as structural and nutritional changes in these food matrices are reviewed. Value addition by extrusion to food processing wastes and by-products from fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and seafood, cereals and residues from starch, syrup and alcohol production, and oilseed processing are also discussed. Extrusion presents an economical technology for incorporating food processing residues and by-products back into the food stream. In contemporary scenarios, rising demand for extruded products with functional ingredients, attributed to evolving lifestyles and preferences, have led to innovations in the form, texture, color and content of extruded products. Information presented in this review would be of importance to processors and researchers as they seek to enhance nutritional quality and delivery of extruded products

Baobab polysaccharides from fruits and leaves

Polysaccharides have been isolated at pH 6.0 or 2.0 from fruits and leaves of two varieties of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.). The isolation protocol was designed to study the influence of pH on the structural and functional characteristics of polysaccharides. The polysaccharides were examined by means of sugar composition analysis, NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and dilute solution viscometry. Polysaccharide yield was substantially higher in fruits (~20% w/w) than in leaves (~4% w/w) with all samples having low protein content (300 × 10 g mol) than fruits (20% w/v, representing a clear divide in their functional properties and potential applications. Overall, baobab fruits and leaves offer a novel source of polysaccharides for the food or pharmaceutical industries