Physicochemical and sensory properties of traditional baked cake (kuih bakar) with coconut milk and soy milk

Coconut milk is widely used in Malaysia as one of the essential ingredients in preparing traditional baked cake or ‘kuih bakar’. Increased demand for coconut milk affects its availability and cost. Thus, it is important to study a possible alternative ingredient to ensure the continuity of this traditional dessert. This project aimed to determine the physicochemical and sensory properties of ‘kuih bakar’ produced with coconut milk and soy milk. In the present study, ‘kuih bakar’ was prepared with fresh coconut milk (FCM) (positive control), fresh soy milk (FSM), commercial coconut milk (CCM), commercial soy milk (CSM), and without milk (negative control). Proximate analysis showed that substitution of coconut milk with soy milk reduced the fat and increased the protein content of ‘kuih bakar’ significantly (p 0.05) on the colour properties and water activity of the sample. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in scores during sensory evaluation between the samples but the ‘kuih bakar’ produced with FSM showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) as compared to FCM and CCM. This study demonstrated that physicochemical and sensory attributes of traditional ‘kuih bakar’ can be maintained by using FSM as a substitution of the traditional coconut milk used in producing ‘kuih bakar’

Anthropogenic particles in the muscle, gill, and gastrointestinal tract of marine fish sold for human consumption

Contamination of marine fish with the widespread distribution of anthropogenic particles (APs) becomes increasingly severe, however, related research on the assessment of the occurrence of APs in the edible tissue of commercial fish is scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the features of APs pollution based on seven species of commercial marine fish (n = 12 per species) and investigate the accumulation of APs in different tissues of fish namely gill and gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and muscle. The results show that a total of 62 APs were detected in 33 out of 84 (39.3%) fresh fish samples using a micro-Raman spectrometer which in particular is characterized by a blue color, shape-like fiber, and size smaller than 0.5 mm. Among them, 47 (75.8%) particles were identified as pigments such as indigo, chrome yellow-orange, disperse yellow, and pigment black. The other 11 (17.7%) particles were plastic including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). And the rest 4 (6.5%) particles were anthropogenic cellulose fibers. Muscle tissue from six species of fish was detected to contain a total of 15 APs. Based on the total mean of APs found in fish muscle (0.018 AP items/g tissue) and on the consumption of fish in Malaysia (59 kg/capita/year), the estimated human intake of APs through fish consumption was 1062 AP items/year/capita. Considering that food consumption is an important route of human exposure to APs, it is suggested to add APs testing into the guidelines of food safety management systems and adopt mitigation measures to reduce the APs pollution in food

Characterisation of buffalo (bubalus bubalis) bone gelatin extracted using acid and papain pre-treatment

Gelatin is widely regarded as one of the unique multifunctional biopolymers, with applications in a wide spectrum of industries. Porcine is the most prevalent source of gelatin since it is abundant and cheap. There have been substantial efforts to develop gelatin alternative sources to replace porcine because eating pigs and its derivatives is strictly prohibited in Halal and Kosher diets. This study focused on the effects of various acids and papain pretreatment on gelatin extractability and properties from buffalo bone. The buffalo bone was pre-conditioned with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and citric acid (0.05M and 0.025M, respectively) with and without papain prior to hot water extraction at 70C for 7h. The highest yield was found by 0.025M HCl treatment without papain (6.36%, dry basis). Meanwhile, the lowest yield was 3.8% using citric acid at 0.05M without papain. Papain at 100U/g was found to have no significant effect in HCl and citric acid pre-treatment. The physicochemical and functional properties of gelatin were determined. Gelatin treated by 0.025M citric acid without papain have the highest protein (84.4%), hydroxyproline (26.98mg/mL), gel strength (50.64g), and viscosity (11.32cP). It also had the highest emulsion activity index (9.52m2/g), emulsion stability (30.29min), foaming expansion (13.66%), foaming stability (10.64 to 12.47min), water holding capacity (11.68mL/g), and fat binding capacity (8.88mL/g). The pH values and isoelectric points of all gelatin range from (5.1 to 5.4) and (6.0 to 7.4), respectively. The low ash level of the gelatin revealed both acids to effectively removed minerals. All the extracted gelatin had a similar secondary structure. Buffalo bone gelatin has a potential to be used as an alternative source of halal gelatin productio

Morus alba L. Plant: Bioactive Compounds and Potential as a Functional Food Ingredient

Morus alba L. (M. alba) is a highly adaptable plant that is extensively incorporated in many traditional and Ayurveda medications. Various parts of the plant, such as leaves, fruits, and seeds, possess nutritional and medicinal value. M. alba has abundant phytochemicals, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavonols, anthocyanins, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and volatile aromatic compounds, indicating its excellent pharmacological abilities. M. alba also contains high nutraceutical values for protein, carbohydrates, fiber, organic acids, vitamins, and minerals, as well as a low lipid value. However, despite its excellent biological properties and nutritional value, M. alba has not been fully considered as a potential functional food ingredient. Therefore, this review reports on the nutrients and bioactive compounds available in M. alba leaves, fruit, and seeds; its nutraceutical properties, functional properties as an ingredient in foodstuffs, and a microencapsulation technique to enhance polyphenol stability. Finally, as scaling up to a bigger production plant is needed to accommodate industrial demand, the study and limitation on an M. alba upscaling process is reviewed

Physicochemical properties of tarap (Artocarpus adoratisimus) starch

The objective of the research was to investigate the physicochemical characteristics of Tarap fruit starch. In this study, young Tarap fruit starch was extracted and the percentage of total starch, resistant starch, amylose and amylopectin were determined. Scanning electron microscope was used to evaluate the morphological features of the starch granule. Swelling, pasting, gelatinization, retrogradation and in vitro digestibility were also investigated. A total of 17.85% starch was successfully extracted from unripe Tarap fruit, whereas the amount of total starch and resistant starch were 89.14% and 47.82%, respectively. The amounts of rapid digestible starch and slowly digestible starch were 6.58% and 23.25%, respectively. Results found that the amylopectin content was higher than amylose (77.15% and 11.97%). The starch granules were round and polygon in shapes with smooth surfaces. The average of starch granules size was range from 6.50 to 8.30 μm with 7.4 μm of mean granule diameter. Pasting properties showed that peak viscosity was observed at about 6.5 min at 73.5oC. Tarap starch gelatinization temperatures (onset, 71.63°C; peak, 74.56°C; conclusion, 78.24°C) and enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔHgel) (3.74 J/g) were higher while the retrograded starches show lower retrogradation temperature and enthalpy than native starches. Unripe Tarap starch showed good potential to be utilized as adhesives and thickener for industrial applications

Bovidae-based gelatin: Extractions method, physicochemical and functional properties, applications, and future trends

Gelatin is one of the most important multifunctional biopolymers and is widely used as an essential ingredient in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. Porcine gelatin is regarded as the leading source of gelatin globally then followed by bovine gelatin. Porcine sources are favored over other sources since they are less expensive. However, porcine gelatin is religiously prohibited to be consumed by Muslims and the Jewish community. It is predicted that the global demand for gelatin will increase significantly in the future. Therefore, a sustainable source of gelatin with efficient production and free of disease transmission must be developed. The highest quality of Bovidae-based gelatin (BG) was acquired through alkaline pretreatment, which displayed excellent physicochemical and rheological properties. The utilization of mammalian- and plant-based enzyme significantly increased the gelatin yield. The emulsifying and foaming properties of BG also showed good stability when incorporated into food and pharmaceutical products. Manipulation of extraction conditions has enabled the development of custom-made gelatin with desired properties. This review highlighted the various modifications of extraction and processing methods to improve the physicochemical and functional properties of Bovidae-based gelatin. Anin-depth analysis of the crucial stage of collagen breakdown is also discussed, which involved acid, alkaline, and enzyme pretreatment, respectively. In addition, the unique characteristics and primary qualities of BG including protein content, amphoteric property, gel strength, emulsifying and viscosity properties, and foaming ability were presented. Finally, the applications and prospects of BG as the preferred gelatin source globally were outlined

Flavanols and Flavonols Content of Camellia sinensis with Different Maturity Stage Planted at Cameron Highland and Sabah Tea Plantation in Malaysia

This study was done to determine and compare the nutritional composition of ash, crude protein, crude fat and fiber, as well as the content of flavanols (EGCG, EGC, ECG and EC) and flavonols (quercetin and kaempferol) in tea planted in Cameron Highland (CH) and Sabah tea Plantation (ST) with different maturity stages (young, matured and old leaves). Young tea leaves in both CH and ST had the highest content of crude fat, protein and fiber and the values decreased as the leaves aged. Interestingly, crude protein content in all maturity stages of CH and ST were higher than in commercial tea (13.81%) with the range of 15.41 - 16.35% and 14.20 - 15.32% respectively. Meanwhile, ash content in ST (8.59 - 13.49%) was higher compared to CH (5.06 - 5.14%) and values decreased from young to old leaves. CH leaves had the highest moisture content (8.18 - 8.55%) followed by ST (5.23 - 9.20%), and commercial tea (5.7%). The order of flavanol in young leaves of CH and ST, and commercial tea leaves was ECG > EGCG > EGC > EC but for mature and old leaves the order was ECG > EGC > EGCG > EC with the only difference was in EGC and EGCG. The content of flavonol quercetin and kaempferol in CH were 3.51 mg/g and 4.05 mg/g respectively. Meanwhile, in ST leaves the values were 1.79 mg/g and 3.35 mg/g respectively, and both CH and ST showed that the highest content of flavonol was observed in young leaves and decreased as leaves aged

Effect of Ultrasonic Amplitude on the Yield and Properties of Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) Skin Collagen

Barramundi skin, a by-product of the fish processing industry, has shown potential as an alternative collagen source. However, the commonly used acid extraction method to produce collagen rendered a low yield requires a lengthy time and is not environmentally friendly. As a result, the adoption of greener technology, such as ultrasound, to improve the conventional extraction process is emerging. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different ultrasonication amplitudes on collagen recovery from barramundi skin. The resulting collagens were evaluated for their protein, hydroxyproline and moisture content, colour, molecular weight distribution, and FTIR spectra. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was performed at 40 (UAE40), 60 (UAE60) and 80 (UAE80) % amplitude for 20 min. For comparison, acetic acid extraction was also carried out to produce acid-soluble collagen (ASC). UAE increased the yield (p<0.05) of collagen from barramundi skin, with UAE80 exhibiting a 7-fold increment compared to ASC. Increasing the ultrasonic amplitude increased the yield considerably but decreased the hydroxyproline content, indicating a reduction in collagen quality. Furthermore, the protein content and SDS-PAGE profile of the extracted collagens revealed that UAE promoted protein degradation. FTIR spectra indicated that despite slightly varying wavenumbers, no detrimental effect on the triple helical structure was seen following UAE with the presence of amides A, B, I, II, and III. Also, the α1, α2 and ß-chains were found in all samples, although the band intensity reduced as the amplitude increased. In conclusion, given the right conditions, UAE could improve the extraction yield without influencing the collagen structure

Application of green technology in gelatin extraction: A review

Growing demands for green and sustainable processing that eliminates the utilization of toxic chemicals and increases efficiency has encouraged the application of novel extraction technologies for the food industry. This review discusses the principles and potential application of several green technology for gelatin extraction. Several novel technologies and their processing efficiency are discussed in this review. Furthermore, factors that affect the quality of the gelatin produced from different sources are also highlighted. The potential application of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), subcritical water extraction, high-pressure processing, and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) to improve gelatin extraction are addressed. These technologies have the potential to become an efficient extraction method compared to the conventional extraction technologies. Several combinations of green and conventional technologies have been reported to yield promising results. These combinations, especially using conventional pre-treatment and green technologies for extraction, have been found to be more effective in producing gelatin. Since gelatin could be produced from various sources, it exhibits different characteristics; thus, different approaches and extraction method should be identified for specific types of gelatin. Although these technologies have limitations, such as overhydration and sophisticated systems explicitly designed for large-scale production, they are nonetheless more efficient in the long run to safeguard the environment as they reduce solvent usage and carbon footprint along the way

Physicochemical and sensory analysis of surimi sausage incorporated with rolled oat powder subjected to frying

In the present work, the effects of rolled oat powder (ROP) incorporated into surimi sausage on the physicochemical and sensory attributes of sausage were investigated. The incorporation of ROP into surimi sausage significantly increased moisture content, protein content, and water holding capacity, but decreased shrinkage and cooking loss. The incorporation of ROP was also able to significantly decrease fat absorption during frying. However, increased amount of ROP caused a significant decrease in texture especially after frying. Although a decrease in texture was recorded, the sensory analysis score did not display any significant difference on the colour, hardness, and overall acceptability of the surimi sausage. The development of surimi sausage incorporated with ROP could be an approach to utilise fish as a commodity, and produce a healthier and more nutritious sausage even after frying