Dynamics of Taste Compound Release from Gel Systems

Looking into recent trend on healthy lifestyle, consumers have opted for healthier food product with low sodium and sugar content. However, the reduction of salt and sugar in food products affects the consumer’s acceptance. This research aims in gaining a more in depth understanding on the dynamics of taste compounds release mechanism in the oral cavity. There were many studies conducted previously on volatile compounds without any oral processing actions. Furthermore, little study was done on volatile compounds and on samples under submerge condition. The findings of this research may offer small portion of information on the dynamics of food system under submerged condition. An instrumental model measuring flavour release from gel systems was developed. The instrumental setup enabled modelling of unidirectional solute mass transfer from a cylinder of gel into the surrounding buffer (at pH 7). Gels formed from -carrageenan, alginate and gelatin were compared, due to their wide application in the food industry. Sodium chloride and glucose were chosen as the initial taste compound carrier due to the simplicity and accuracy of recording its release via conductivity measurements and glucometer respectively. In the attempt to mimic certain oral processing conditions, release from gels was studied under a number of controlled conditions: room temperature (ca. 25 ºC) and body temperature (37 ºC), compressed and non-compressed gels. Results showed that release of sodium chloride and glucose were significantly influenced by increasing concentrations of polymer and therefore rigidity of the gels, but the effect of biopolymer types was even more significant. Alginate exhibited the slowest release rate as compared to the other gels, irrespective of gel rigidity. Release rates of sodium chloride or glucose were higher at the higher temperature, but particularly for the gelatin gels, which melted at 37 ºC. Interestingly, compression of the gels did not significantly increase or change on the rate of release of sodium chloride or glucose, so that the differences between the types of gel may be more connected with specific interactions between the gel matrix and the flavour than the ease of diffusion of the flavour through different gel network structures. Comparing the instrumental data collected, curves agrees with the diffusion theoretical curve which suggest the mechanism governs the release is purely diffusion. Gelatin at higher temperature shows poor fit due to its melting properties. Relatively, faster release in instrumental measurement as compared to theory; this suggests the presence of unbound taste compounds in the gel systems which were readily to diffuse away from the gel matrices. Time-intensity sensory evaluation data revealed the correlation between panellists response with the instrumental analysis. Overall findings showed that the instrumental set up gives reproducible results. Investigation reveals polymer types and temperature plays a significant role in the taste compounds release profile. Understanding the fundamental mechanism lies behind the mechanism or taste compounds release and factors affecting it give the food industry more control over its formulations. Food industry may find ways formulating food product with low sodium and sugar content without jeopardizing the consumer’s acceptance

A preliminary studies to assess public knowledge of beach safety in east coast Malaysia

Rip currents are one of the coastal hazards that put Malaysian beachgoers in a risky position.Most of the drowning accidents that occur at beaches worldwide are closely associated with this phenomenon. Research on rip currents is needed to build an effective measuring tool to overcome these issues. However, to date, research on rip currents is mainly focused on its physical aspects, commonly concentrating on the processes that influence and relate to the rips’ generation. As an effort to minimize the negative consequences exerted by the rips, there is an urgent need to enhance the rip-related research in the social sciences field. Comprehensive research that includes all fields might produce more beneficial and reliable information. Therefore, this study intends to examine the level of public understanding of rip currents and beach safety knowledge of the Teluk Cempedak Beach. A questionnaire comprising 5 sections and 31 questions was developed as the primary tool in this study. A total of 60 beachgoers have been surveyed for this preliminary study through a questionnaire to investigate their demographic profile, frequency of visiting the beach, swimming ability, and their knowledge of rip currents and beach safety. The results show that the beachgoers have poor knowledge of rip currents. Conversely, they are observed to have higher beach safety knowledge. Also, the findings help in filling the research gaps of this study in terms of the instrument used for the data collection procedure. Above all, an extension of this study may contribute to the development of beneficial tools in assessing public knowledge on beach safety and rip currents throughout Malaysian beaches

Fatty acid composition of Malaysian giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) fish oil

Background: The mudskipper (P. schlosseri) belongs to the Periophthalmin spp. within the family Gobiidae. They live in the mangrove swamps and intertidal habitats which are found only in tropical and subtropical regions. In some countries, the mudskipper provides a valuable source of protein throughout the Asian and African regions. Objective: The main aim of the present study is to look into the composition of the Malaysian giant mudskipper lipid which might be useful to human health by looking into the ratio of ω- fatty acids present in P. schlosseri oil. Procedures: The fish oil from Malaysian mudskipper fish was extracted using a modified Folch method. After methylation, the fish oil was analysed by GC and GC-MS. An HP-5 non-polar capillary column was used and the temperature was initially kept at 50oC for 2 min and then programmed at 5oC min-1 to 250oC. The injector and detector temperatures were 220o and 250oC respectively and He gas was used as carrier gas with a flow rate of 1.2 ml min-1. Result: The GC and GC-MS results showed that the major chemical constituents of P. schlosseri oil were palmitic (16:0) (23.0%) and stearic acid (C18:0) acid (29.2%), oleic acid (C18:1), (12.6%). The total saturated fatty acid (SFA) was also found to be high (48.3%). The ratio of the total saturated (SFA) and unsaturated acids (USFA) was 1:0.9 and it is considered that the giant snakehead fish oil is good for human consumption. Conclusion: The result shows that the total ω-6 content of P. chhlosseri was 15.4% and it has ω-3 and ω-6 ratio of 1:1

Rheological Assessments on Alginate and Carrageenan as Nanoparticle Carriers for Topical Oral Cancer Drug

Commercially available topical oral drugs in current markets have low efficacy in delivery active load to the infected site due to poor formulation. Delivery of the active ingredients proven to be challenging as compared to skin due the presence of saliva and low shear. The aim of this project to improve formulation and characterised suitable hydrogels which later will be incorporated with nanoparticle drug for oral cancer. The gels are formulated at different pH values (4, 7, 10) and concentrations as such (0.1%, 0.15%, 0.2%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0% for alginate whereas kappa-carrageenan and iota-carrageenan were formulated with 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0%). The viscosity and zeta potential of the formulated gels are studied using HAAKE™ MARS™ rheometer and Zetasiser Nano-Z respectively. Findings revealed both 1% of kappa-carrageenan and 1% iota-carrageenan of pH 4 and pH 7 are the best candidates for nanoparticle drug delivery as the viscosity and zeta potential for 1% kappa-carrageenan (pH 4), 1% kappa-carrageenan (pH 7), 1% iota-carrageenan (pH 4), and 1% iota-carrageenan (pH 7) amongst the highest as such 70.507±6.190, 61.040±3.199, 59.490±7.799, 67.953±2.034 Pa·s, correspondingly with zeta potential value of -19.4 mV, -20.6 mV, -33.1 mV and -30.4 mV. All hydrogels formulated with different concentration were affected by pH values, by having pH value 4 and 7 appeared to have high viscosity with pseudoplastic behaviour based on the rheological profile, except for alginate due to high density sodium alginate was used in this study

Antioxidant study of garlic and red onion: a comparative study

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and red onion (Allium cepa L.) are among the most common ingredients in Malaysian cuisines. These two Allium species are believed to possess medicinal properties including antioxidants. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare antioxidant level and activities (i.e. at primary and secondary levels) in both the Allium species collected from markets around Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia. Current results of total phenolic content (TPC) assay indicate that TPC is higher in red onion (i.e. 53.43 ± 1.72 mg GAE/100g) as compared to garlic (i.e. 37.60 ± 2.31 mg GAE/100g). In addition, EC50 value of garlic is lower than that of the red onion, showing a higher free radical scavenging activity in garlic than in red onion. However, the primary antioxidant activities of both the samples are lower than the standard antioxidant, BHA. Therefore, there is a poor relationship between the TPCs and the primary antioxidant activities, indicating that the primary antioxidant activities of both the Allium species are not solely due to the phenolic compounds. For secondary antioxidant activity, FIC assay shows that at the highest sample concentration of 1.0 mg/mL, red onion has higher ferrous ion chelating effect (i.e. 45.00 ± 1.73%) as compared to garlic (i.e. 43.29 ± 3.89%). Furthermore, both the Allium samples show slightly higher ion chelating effect than BHA (i.e. 43.14 ± 1.07%) but lower than EDTA (i.e. 97.9 ± 0.07%). Overall, the findings of the present study show a negative relationship between the results of TPC assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity assay, and FIC assay. To strengthen the validity of the present results and to further assess the potential of both the Allium species as natural antioxidant sources, more different assays need to be considered for future work

Public understanding of rip current and beach safety at Teluk Cempedak Recreational Beach in Pahang, Malaysia

Rip currents are known to be a global public health issue and have been extensively contributed to the coastguard rescues and drowning cases at recreational beaches. Most studies in Malaysia have focused on the physical control of rip currents, with little emphasis on social factors. This study aims to assess the public knowledge of rip currents and beach safety at Teluk Cempedak Recreational Beach (TCRB) in Pahang, Malaysia. A convenience sampling technique was used to conduct a cross-sectional study among 300 beachgoers in TCRB. All data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Bivariable and multivariable logistic analyses were computed to identify factors associated with satisfactory knowledge of rip current and beach safety. More than half of the respondents were females (51%) and residents of Kuantan (62%). Out of 300 respondents, 160 (53.3%) had a satisfactory knowledge of rip currents, while a higher number of respondents (n = 221, 73.7%) had an unsatisfactory knowledge of beach safety. Those aged 35 and up, females, and those who had never had difficulty with water activities at the beach were more likely to have satisfactory knowledge of rip currents. The only factor found to be significantly related to satisfactory beach safety knowledge was age (35 years old). In conclusion, the respondents were concerned about rip currents, but they had inadequate knowledge of beach safety. Therefore, the development of effective beach safety education programmes is needed in Malaysia

Marine debris monitoring and assessment using standing-stock survey method at selected recreational beaches along Pahang coastline

Marine debris is becoming one of the major problems for the communities residing along coastal and marine environment, affecting the beaches aesthetic value and economic. Marine debris can be found in most beaches not restricted to Malaysia, but other international coastal areas. This research is conducted 1) to determine major types and possible source of marine debris, 2) to study the relationship of seasonal pattern to debris density within Pahang coastline and 3) to study the debris density changes between northern and southern of Pahang beaches. The study was conducted on 2 selected beaches located both of northern and southern of Pahang. NOAA marine debris monitoring protocol which is the standing-stock method used to collect relevant data. Beach profiling using Total Station Theodolite was conducted to monitor the beach profile and relationship with debris concentration. Data collected were then subjected to statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA focusing on spatial differences where two groups were determined based on their location within northern and southern Pahang coastline. Debris density recorded on monthly basis for over a period of 10 months with seasonal variation separated into Northeast (Oct-Mar) and Southwest Monsoon (May-Sept). Results within 8 months monitoring revealed a decreased in trendline of debris concentration due to seasonal change (monsoon). Findings further reveal an increment in trendline between different beaches where sites closer to the river, Cherok Paloh beach (0.269 ± 0.18) and Air Leleh (0.300 ± 0.18) beach have higher debris concentration than Gebeng beach (0.035 ± 0.02) and Batu Hitam beach (0.07 ± 0.018). Plastic is the most abundance debris observed and recorded in all monitoring sites throughout the sampling campaigns. In conclusion, results show significant relationship between debris concentration with seasonal pattern and spatial difference. Several trends identified such as accumulating rate along the shoreline decreased during Southwest Monsoon and concentration is higher in heavily developed areas

Marine debris monitoring and assessment using standing-stock survey method at selected recreational beaches along Pahang coastline

Marine debris is becoming one of the major problems for the communities residing along coastal and marine environment, affecting the beaches aesthetic value and economic. Marine debris can be found in most beaches not restricted to Malaysia, but other international coastal areas. This research is conducted 1) to determine major types and possible source of marine debris, 2) to study the relationship of seasonal pattern to debris density within Pahang coastline and 3) to study the debris density changes between northern and southern of Pahang beaches. The study was conducted on 2 selected beaches located both of northern and southern of Pahang. NOAA marine debris monitoring protocol which is the standing-stock method used to collect relevant data. Beach profiling using Total Station Theodolite was conducted to monitor the beach profile and relationship with debris concentration. Data collected were then subjected to statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA focusing on spatial differences where two groups were determined based on their location within northern and southern Pahang coastline. Debris density recorded on monthly basis for over a period of 10 months with seasonal variation separated into Northeast (Oct-Mar) and Southwest Monsoon (May-Sept). Results within 8 months monitoring revealed a decreased in trendline of debris concentration due to seasonal change (monsoon). Findings further reveal an increment in trendline between different beaches where sites closer to the river, Cherok Paloh beach (0.269 ± 0.18) and Air Leleh (0.300 ± 0.18) beach have higher debris concentration than Gebeng beach (0.035 ± 0.02) and Batu Hitam beach (0.07 ± 0.018). Plastic is the most abundance debris observed and recorded in all monitoring sites throughout the sampling campaigns. In conclusion, results show significant relationship between debris concentration with seasonal pattern and spatial difference. Several trends identified such as accumulating rate along the shoreline decreased during Southwest Monsoon and concentration is higher in heavily developed areas

Assessing the stability of peppermint oil encapsulated in hydrogel beads

Essential oil mainly contains volatile constituents making it vulnerable upon exposure to the external environment. The encapsulation method is known to protect the bioactive components of the essential oil from damage, in which alginate was used as the hydrogel in this study. This work investigates the physicochemical stability of the peppermint oil encapsulated within alginate beads (1.5% and 2.0%) during its five weeks of storage. Peppermint oil (PO) was added at four different weight ratios to alginate, which were 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1. The encapsulation technique involves mixing alginate and oil using a homogeniser. Constituents profiling was done weekly using UVVis spectrophotometer and Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Investigation revealed that 1.5% (w/w) alginate in a weight ratio of 1:1 has the highest encapsulation efficiency, which was 42.00%, while for 2.0% (w/w) alginate, the weight ratio of 1:2 gave a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 33.38%. Assessment of the beads' diameter with time showed little physical changes throughout storage time. The constituents profile of the oil indicates a decline in the chemical constituents between a pure sample and the encapsulated peppermint oil. This might be associated with the heat generated during mixing or exposure to the light during the preparation stage. Even so, the analysis of the encapsulated oil each week suggested no striking changes, indicating the stability of the peppermint oil encapsulated in the alginate beads