Quality optimization of hot filled pasteurized fruit purees: Container characteristics and filling temperatures

A mathematical model was developed to describe the pasteurization, by hot filling, of fruit purees. The model assumed that the puree reaches instantaneously a hot-fill temperature and, after introduced into the container, cooling by conduction takes place. The heat transfer was modelled by a finite differences method. Vitamin C and pectinesterase were used as quality and pasteurization criteria, respectively. Specific filling temperatures combined with container dimensions are required to achieve a target pasteurization value. However, only some of the adequate conditions offer final products with maximum quality. Several simulations were carried out to investigate the effect of filling temperature, container shape, type of cooling medium and pasteurization value on final quality retention expressed as vitamin C retention. Using statistical factorial analysis the most important parameters affecting quality were filling temperature and pasteurization value, followed by cooling medium. Shape was not considered significant (p > 0.05). Best quality was achieved with higher hot filling temperatures and small pasteurization values

Design and optimization of hot-filling pasteurization conditions

Cupuacüu (Theobroma grandiflorum) is an Amazonian tropical fruit with a great economic potential. Pasteurization, by a hot-filling technique, was suggested for the preservation of this fruit pulp at room temperature. The process was implemented with local communities in Brazil. The process was modeled, and a computer program was written in Turbo Pascal. The relative importance among the pasteurization process variables (initial product temperature, heating rate, holding temperature and time, container volume and shape, cooling medium type and temperature) on the microbial target and quality was investigated, by performing simulations according to a screening factorial design. Afterward, simulations of the different processing conditions were carried out. The holding temperature (TF) and time (thold) affected pasteurization value (P), and the container volume (V) influenced largely the quality parameters. The process was optimized for retail (1 L) and industrial (100 L) size containers, by maximizing volume average quality in terms of color lightness and sensory “fresh notes” and minimizing volume average total color difference and sensory “cooked notes”. Equivalent processes were designed and simulated (P91°C ) 4.6 min on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores) and final quality (color, flavor, and aroma attributes) was evaluated. Color was slightly affected by the pasteurization processes, and few differences were observed between the six equivalent treatments designed (TF between 80 and 97 °C). TF g 91 °C minimized “cooked notes” and maximized “fresh notes” of cupuacüu pulp aroma and flavor for 1 L container. Concerning the 100 L size, the “cooked notes” development can be minimized with TF g 91 °C, but overall the quality was greatly degraded as a result of the long cooling times. A more efficient method to speed up the cooling phase was recommended, especially for the industrial size of containers

Kinetics of flavour and aroma changes in thermally processed cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) pulp

Changes in `fresh' and `cooked-notes' during thermal treatment of cupuacËu (Theobroma grandi¯orum) pulp were evaluated and modelled. Isothermal experiments in the temperature range of 70±98°C were carried out and a non-linear regression was performed to all data to estimate kinetic parameters. `Fresh' and `cooked-notes' change followed simple ®rst-order (Ea=78±82kJ mol ÿ1, z =30±31°C) and reversible ®rst order (Ea=80±85kJ mol ÿ1) kinetics, respectively. Although `cookednotes' were linearly correlated with `fresh-notes' (R2=0.99), the former was a better indicator for quality degradation. These results are useful to design pasteurisation processes while minimising sensory changes

Inhibition of enzymes important for Alzheimer’s disease by antioxidant extracts prepared from 15 New Zealand medicinal trees and bushes

Alzheimer’s disease is characterised by progressive mental deterioration, related to ageing and senility. Thirty methanol and ethyl acetate extracts from 15 native New Zealand trees and bushes were produced and tested for the inhibition of three enzymes related to neurotransmission: acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and beta-secretase (BACE). In addition the IC50 for the antioxidant potential of the extracts was determined. Weinmannia racemosa and Kunzea ericoides were effective inhibitors of AChE-BChE and beta-secretase, respectively. The IC50 for W. racemosa extracts against AChE and BChE ranged between 8.09 μg/mL and 37.07 μg/mL. The ethyl acetate extract of Schefflera digitata was also an effective inhibitor of BChE (IC50 = 25.38 μg/mL). K. ericoides IC50 for beta-secretase were 29.05 μg/mL and 36.40 μg/ml. The highest radical scavenging activity (RSA) was detected in the methanol extract of Aristotelia serrata (IC50 = 2.34 μg/mL), followed by both extracts of Hebe stricta and W. racemosa, and last the methanol extracts of K. ericoides and Pomaderris kumeraho, which presented higher RSA than the reference antioxidant (IC50 <12.0 μg/mL). W. racemosa showed inhibitory activity against AChE and BChE enzymes and antioxidant activity, which suggests these extracts may have potential for application in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias

P-1186 - The recovery process of persons living with psychiatric disabilities: values and principles of nova aurora community association psychosocial rehabilitation program

The Nova Aurora Community Association psychosocial rehabilitation program was developed based in the most current values of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. Some nuclear assumptions were considered, such as a) suppressing the disease stigma, b) defocusing from the mental ill role, promoting empowerment and self-determination, c) developing personal competencies directly related to the individuals’ social integration specific context (readiness, cognitive, social, emotional stress management, employability).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of Pt/MCM-22 based catalysts in the transformation of n-hexane: effect of rare earth elements and mode of platinum introduction

The bifunctional transformation of n-hexane was carried out over Pt/MCM-22 based catalysts. MCM-22 was synthesized and submitted to ion exchange with rare earth nitrate solutions of La, Nd and Yb, followed by Pt introduction. Three different methods were used to introduce about 1 wt% of Pt in the zeolite: ion exchange, incipient wetness impregnation and mechanical mixture with Pt/Al(2)O(3). The bifunctional catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and by the model reaction of toluene hydrogenation. These experiments showed that, in the ion exchanged sample, Pt is located both within the inner micropores and on the outer surface, whereas in the impregnated one, the metal is essentially located on the outer surface under the form of large particles. The presence of RE elements increases the hydrogenating activity of Pt/MCM-22 since the location of these species at the vicinity of metal particles causes modification on its electronic properties. Whatever the mode of Pt introduction, a fast initial decrease in conversion is observed for n-hexane transformation, followed by a plateau related to the occurrence of the catalytic transformations at the hemicages located at the outer surface of the crystals. The effect of rare earth elements on the hydrogenating function leads to a lower selectivity in dibranched isomers and increased amounts of light products

Mechanisms implemented for the sustainable development of agriculture: an overview of Cabo Verde performance

In 2005, the Economic Community ofWest African States (ECOWAS) adopted the Common Agricultural Policy of ECOWAS (ECOWAP), as an instrument for implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). The main goals of ECOWAP/CAADP were set to promote agriculture development and end hunger by 2025. In this study we focused on the Cabo Verde archipelago as one of the best performing countries within ECOWAS in terms of overall sustainable development. In this paper, the evolution of the ECOWAP implementation and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) associated with agriculture in Cabo Verde, were assessed by semi-quantitative (e.g., agricultural policies, agrarian periodical literature) and quantitative (modeling regression of ECOWAP implementation and Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs—performance) analyses. Our integrated results suggest that the agriculture development strategies, the signature of ECOWAP/CAADP by the national government, and political stability might explain the progress made towards poverty reduction and the improvement of food security. The results also show that agriculture-related SDGs in Cabo Verde are higher than the mean values obtained from the remaining West African countries, well above the top 25% WA countries. Nevertheless, Cabo Verde public expenditure into agriculture under the ECOWAP was generally below the targeted 10% of the national budget, with food import required to meet internal food demandsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High Pressure Processing Applications in Plant Foods

High pressure processing (HPP) is a cold pasteurization technology by which products, prepacked in their final package, are introduced to a vessel and subjected to a high level of isostatic pressure (300–600 MPa). High-pressure treatment of fruit, vegetable and fresh herb homogenate products offers us nearly fresh products in regard to sensorial and nutritional quality of original raw materials, representing relatively stable and safe source of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and health effective components. Such components can play an important role as a preventive tool against the start of illnesses, namely in the elderly. An overview of several food HPP products, namely of fruit and vegetable origin, marketed successfully around the world is presented. Effects of HPP and HPP plus heat on key spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, including the resistant spore form and fruit/vegetable endogenous enzymes are reviewed, including the effect on the product quality. Part of the paper is devoted to the industrial equipment available for factories manufacturing HPP treated productsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality assessment of chilled and frozen fish: mini review

Fish is a very perishable food and therefore several storage strategies need to be employed to increase its shelf-life, guaranteeing its safety and quality from catch to consumption. Despite the advances in modern fish storage technologies, chilling and freezing are still the most common preservation methods used onboard. The present review aims to summarize strategies to increase the shelf-life of fresh (chilled) and frozen fish, as whole, gutted, or fillet, involving the assessment of different traditional cooling and freezing conditions of di erent fish species caught in different locations. Although there are other factors that influence the fish shelf-life, such as the fish species and the stress suffered during catch, storage time and temperature and the amount of ice are some of the most important. In addition, the way that fish is stored (whole, fillet, or gutted) also contributes to the final quality of the product. In most studies, whole chilled and frozen fish present longer shelf-life than those preserved as gutted and filleted. However, it should be noted that other factors related to the organism, capture method, and transport to the preparation/processing industry should be considered for shelf-life extension.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Decreased Survival in African Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Abstract Introduction: Triple Negative Breast Carcinomas (TNBC) are more prevalent in younger women especially those with African Ancestry, in whom the disease appears to be more aggressive. Since there are no data on Africans living in continental Europe, we sought to analyse a sample of African women from a European country and determine if, like African Americans, they have more aggressive tumor biology and poorer outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of TNBC to compare clinical and pathological features and survival between African and non-African patients. All women presented with breast cancer (BC), between 2005 and 2014, to a single general hospital, in Portugal. Results: A total of 144 (9.3% of the whole sample) TNBC patients were identified and amongst these, 17 were African (12%). African patients were not significantly younger than non-African patients (median age of 60 years vs 57.2 years, respectively, p=0.59). Regarding tumor size, nodal status and histologic grade at presentation, these variables were very similar between the two cohorts. Nevertheless, the prevalence of initially metastatic BC was significantly higher among the African population (41.2% vs 11%, p<0,005) and the outcome was worse for these patients (median survival: 62 vs 15 months, p<0.005). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that African patients more frequently presented with late stage disease and worse survival outcome than the non-African population. These findings may be explained by more aggressive tumor biology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio