Optimisation of Process Parameters for Vacuum Concentration and Foaming Behaviour of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) Gel

This study on Aloe vera gel was conducted to investigate the optimum condition for vacuum concentration in relation to its physicochemical properties and optimum foaming condition of the concentrated products which was used as raw material of foam mat drying. Twenty experiments were conducted for vacuum concentration at different temperature and time combinations. Solutions of numerical optimisation were obtained by using Design-Expert program 7.0 of stat-Ease software for the optimum concentration condition covering the criteria as temperature 55⁰C and time 60 min for concentration are- ascorbic acid 4.095%, total soluble solids  3.6 ºBx, total solids 3.7% , acidity 0.0698 % (as malic acid) and pH 4.97, while the experimental values at temperature 55⁰C and time 60 min for concentration were - ascorbic acid 4.167 % , total soluble solids 3.8 ºBx, total solids 4.0%, acidity 0.0737 % (as malic acid) and pH 4.96. For optimising the foaming behaviour of vacuum concentrated, optimised Aloe vera gel sixteen experiments were conducted using different selected additives [viz. pectin, glycerol monosterate and methyl cellulose (1:1), egg albumin and methyl cellulose (1:1), pectin and methyl cellulose (1:1)] in the concentration range of 0.25 to 1% (w/w). Similarly solutions for the optimum foaming condition were obtained by using same software covering the criteria as pectin and methyl cellulose concentration (1:1) 1% (w/w) are- foaming density 0.39 g/cm³, drainage volume 0.15 ml and expansion volume 122.53%, while the experimental values for pectin and concentration (1:1) 1% (w/w) were-foaming density 0.42 g/cm³, drainage volume 0.0 ml and expansion volume 123.21%. Biological activity of fresh Aloe vera gel can be preserved by concentrating upto 3.8 ºBx and converting the same into stable foam which exhibits foaming density 0.42 g/cm³, drainage volume 0.0 ml and expansion volume 123.21%

Process optimization of ultrasonication-assisted extraction to obtain antioxidant-rich extract from Spirulina platensis

In this study highlights on the optimization of extraction process parameters of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity from Spirulina platensis, through ultrasonication (probe) technology. Especially, optimization of ultrasonication parameters was carried out employing Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and response surface methodology. Alongside the three levels of extraction parameters i.e. solvent volume, extraction time and frequency have been fixed. As responses, the total yield of extract, total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50) of the extracts were determined. The variability of each response variable was determined by developing multiple linear regressions. The statistical analysis (ANOVA) of developed mathematical models allowed the prediction of the behaviour of the responses, as a function of the variables involved in the process. The optimized extraction conditions were obtained at 58.76 kHz frequency, 10 mL of solvent volume for 6 min. Simultaneously this extract exhibited the highest content of total phenolic content (30.89 mg GAE/g powder), IC50 for DPPH activity (151.27 µg/mL). The extract exhibited an important antioxidant i.e. caffeic acid, which was quantified as 660.72±41.05 µg/g of dry algal powder using HPLC. In spite of fact that, this study offers an alternative method for obtaining natural antioxidants from algae for food and pharmaceutical applications. Keywords: Microalgae; Probe sonication extraction; Total phenolic content; Antioxidant activit

Encapsulation of Centella asiatica leaf extract in liposome: Study on structural stability, degradation kinetics and fate of bioactive compounds during storage

Liposomes containing Centella asiatica leaf extract (CALE) were encapsulated in soy lecithin and stigmasterol. The impact of wall materials on encapsulation efficacy, particle size, and zeta potential was investigated. In addition, FTIR and SEM analyses were conducted to study the chemical structure and shape of the final particles. In addition to the kinetic and thermodynamic properties, this study investigated the storage study, lipid oxidation analysis, and thermal analysis of encapsulated particles. The generated particles were spherical, and the average size of vesicles was between 512.67 and 787.78 nm, indicating a diverse population. The encapsulation efficiency varied greatly based on the concentrations of soy lecithin and stigmasterol. Following encapsulation with soy lecithin and stigmasterol, the FTIR spectrum showed very minor changes. The storage investigation revealed that phenolic chemicals deteriorated as the temperature increased. Additionally, secondary oxidation of lipids is reduced in CALE-loaded liposomes (CALE-LP) compared to liposomes without CALE. A thermal study demonstrated that it was difficult to maintain the bioactive component at a high temperature for an extended period of time. In general, however, the results revealed that liposomes successfully retained the bioactivity of the leaf extract and could be utilised to generate new fortified food products with health benefits

Proximate Composition, Mineral Content and Fatty Acids Analyses of Aromatic and Non-Aromatic Indian Rice

Awareness on nutritive value and health benefits of rice is of vital importance in order to increase the consumption of rice in daily diet of the human beings. In this study, a total of six aromatic and two non-aromatic rice accessions grown in India were analysed for their nutritional quality attributes including proximate composition, mineral contents and fatty acids. Data with three replications were used to measure Pearson's simple correlation co-efficient in order to establish the relationship among various nutritional quality attributes. The result on proximate composition showed that Govind Bhog had the highest moisture (13.57%) and fat (0.92%) content, which signifies its tasty attribute. Badshah Bhog exhibited the highest fibre content (0.85%), carbohydrate content (82.70%) and food energy (365.23 kCal per 100 g). Among the minerals, the higher Ca (98.75 mg/kg), Zn (17.00 mg/kg) and Fe (31.50 mg/kg) were in Gopal Bhog, whereas the highest Na (68.85 mg/kg) was in Badshah Bhog, the highest K (500.00 mg/kg) was in Swetganga, Khushboo and Sarbati. The highest contents of unsaturated fatty acids viz. oleic acid (49.14%), linoleic acid (46.99%) and linolenic acid (1.27%) were found in Sarbati, whereas the highest content of saturated fatty acids viz. myristic acid (4.60%) and palmitic acid (31.91%) were found in Govind Bhog and stearic acid (6.47%) in Todal. The identified aromatic rice accessions Gopal Bhog, Govind Bhog and Badshah Bhog and non-aromatic rice accession Sarbati were found nutritionally superior among all eight tested accessions. The nutritional quality oriented attributes in this study were competent with recognized prominent aromatic and non-aromatic rice accessions as an index of their nutritional worth and recommend to farmers and consumers which may be graded as export quality rice with good unique nutritional values in international market

Morphological and biochemical modification of guava processing industrial bio-mass by dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric plasma and effect on yield of bio-materials

Guava pomace, an underutilized industrial byproduct from the guava processing fruit juice industry prone to have a wide range of bioactive and functional metabolites which has not been explored. Dielectric Barrier Discharge Atmospheric (DBDA) plasma is a novel non-thermal technology that has been widely used in the food processing field of research. In this study, the effect of DBDA plasma treatment under different treatment combinations i.e, 25 kV, 30 kV, and 35 kV for 5 min, 10 min and 15 min respectively for each voltage, on modification of morphological and biochemical properties of the guava pomace powder on improving the efficiency of extraction yield of biomaterials have been investigated. The response surface model (RSM) was then constructed using the experimental results of Box–Behnken Design (BBD) to obtain the optimal extraction conditions. The predicted optimal extraction conditions for DBDA plasma treatment as 35 kV for 15 min and solvent extraction conditions were determined as 80 °C for 360 min causing an increment of the oil yield up to 16.54% when extracted using solvent extractor with ethanol as a solvent. These results indicate that the DBDA plasma treatment previous to the extraction step extraction process can contribute to reduce the duration of extraction by 120 min, increasing the oil yield by 42.75% and improving the nutritional quality of the oil. This research helps to develop a novel and economical method for improving the extraction yield of oil and to fully valorizing the guava fruit processing industrial waste into biomaterial

Recent trends in non-thermal plasma and plasma activated water: Effect on quality attributes, mechanism of interaction and potential application in food & agriculture

The awareness of this era in consuming safe, nutritional, and minimally processed food is growing continuously. In order to address all of these consumer expectations, the food industry has adopted innovative non-thermal processes. Non-thermal plasma is an innovative non-thermal approach with the potential to offer safe and stable food while maintaining its nutritional and sensory attributes. This article discusses the general applications of non-thermal plasma in the food industry. It explores the fundamentals of non-thermal plasma generating systems. It also emphasizes the mechanism of plasma's interaction with microbial decontamination, enzyme inactivation, polyphenol compounds, and physicochemical attributes of food materials. This study also highlights published findings regarding the application of plasma towards the decontamination of various food items and packaging materials, along with its impact on various food quality attributes. In addition, non-thermal plasma applied to water produces plasma-activated water. The mechanism of plasma-activated water formation and its implications in food disinfection, seed germination, and plant growth are explored. Additionally, the authors have reviewed the influence of plasma-activated water on several food aspects. Future studies are required to utilize this technique and scale up for commercial production effectively

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Not AvailableIn the current study, soybean aqueous extract (SAE)-based nanocomposite film was developed by incorporating cellulose nanofiber (CNF) at various concentrations (0–10%). Effect of nanoreinforcement on essential properties of the nanocomposite film such as barrier, mechanical, water affinity, and optical properties were evaluated. Homogeneous films with improved barrier and mechanical properties were observed until 6% CNF, beyond which considerable reduction in desirable properties was noticed due to nanoparticle's agglomeration effect. Furthermore, the prediction of the mechanical and barrier properties of nanocomposite film was performed with mathematical models such as modified Halpin–Tsai and modified Nielsen equations, respectively. The model-fitting results reveal that the theoretically predicted values were in close agreement with the experimental values. Hence, these models were well suited for predicting respective properties. Model prediction also implies that the increase in the aspect ratio of fillers can considerably cause a reduction in water vapor permeability and improvement in mechanical properties. Suitability of developed film as cheese slice separator was evaluated: they had equivalent outcomes in terms of easiness in slice separation and wholeness of slices after separation compared to the commercial material.Not Availabl

Influence of Selected Product and Process Parameters on Microstructure, Rheological, and Textural Properties of 3D Printed Cookies

One of the major advantages of 3D food printing is the customizability in terms of structure, design, and nutritional content. However, printability of the ingredients and the quality of the 3D printed food products are dependent on several product and printing parameters. In this study, nutrient dense cookies were developed with underutilized ingredients including jackfruit seed powder and finger millet powder as base materials using 3D food printing. The hardness, rheological behavior, and microstructure of 3D printed cookies with different products (e.g., water butter ratio) and printing (e.g., fill density and temperature) parameters were analyzed. The 3D printed cookies were developed by extruding at 27 and 30 °C with fill density values of 50%, 70%, 90%, and 100% and water butter ratios of 3:10 and 6:5. The 3D-printed cookie dough exhibited a more elastic behavior with higher storage modulus values than the loss modulus. The hardness of the baked cookies was influenced by printing temperature, fill density, and water butter ratio of 3D printed cookie dough and their interactions. The closed porosity of 3D printed cookies increased while the open porosity decreased with an increase in fill density. The baking times required were longer for 3D-printed cookies with higher fill density values. Overall, this study shows the importance of considering the specific ingredient and printing parameters to develop high quality 3D-printed cookies

An Updated Review on the Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential of <i>Calendula officinalis</i> L.

Calendula officinalis Linn. (CO) is a popular medicinal plant from the plant kingdom’s Asteraceae family that has been used for millennia. This plant contains flavonoids, triterpenoids, glycosides, saponins, carotenoids, volatile oil, amino acids, steroids, sterols, and quinines. These chemical constituents confer multifaceted biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antihelminthic, antidiabetes, wound healing, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant activities. Additionally, it is employed in cases of certain burns and gastrointestinal, gynecological, ocular, and skin conditions. In this review, we have discussed recent research from the last five years on the therapeutic applications of CO and emphasized its myriad capabilities as a traditional medicine. We have also elucidated CO’s molecular mechanisms and recent clinical studies. Overall, this review intends to summarize, fill in the gaps in the existing research, and provide a wealth of possibilities for researchers working to validate traditional claims and advance the safe and effective use of CO in treating various ailments