Optimization of Hydrogen Production from Pickle Bamboo Shoot Wastewater by Rhodopseudomonas palustris TN1

A pickle bamboo shoot is a top marketing product in the East of Thailand, especially Prachinburi province. Vinegar (acetic acid) and sea salt (NaCl) are added during pickle bamboo shoot productions to preserve the color and texture. These high acidity (pH 3-4), high salt concentration (6.0%) and dark-brown color of the pickle bamboo shoot wastewater (PBSW) lead to the difficulty for bioremediation of PBSW treatment. Rhodopseudomonas palustris TN1 was capable of surviving in 3.0% (w v-1) NaCl medium and produce hydrogen under anaerobic-light condition. The Aim of this study is to investigate the ability of biohydrogen production in the PBSW by TN1, the effect of initial pH (6.5, 7.0 and 7.5) and light intensities (1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 lux) were performed under anaerobic-light condition. The hydrogen content in biogas using wastewater as the medium was found to be 98.51%. The optimal condition for the highest hydrogen production was pH 7.36 and light intensity of 3,200 lux at room temperature (30±2ºC) giving hydrogen 73.57±5.29 mL L-1 and dry cell weight (DCW) of 5.36±0.51 g L-1 within 96 hrs. In conclusion, TN1 can consume the PBSW as a carbon source to produce hydrogen

Assessment of Probiotic Properties in Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Fermented Vegetables

The present study was conducted in order to screen lactic acid bacteria which have the probiotic properties. A total of 82 isolates of lactic acid bacteria was preliminarily screened from fermented vegetables. Most strains exhibited autoaggregation ability, cell surface hydrophobicity and antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 DMST 12743 and Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 13311. The results revealed that 23 isolates possess some desirable probiotic properties and selected to determine other probiotic properties including antibiotic resistance, coaggregation ability with E. coli O157:H7 DMST 12743 and S. Typhimurium ATCC 13311, heat tolerance at 65°C for 60 min and the ability to survive under gastrointestinal tract condition pH 2.0 and 8.0. From probiotic properties determination mentioned above, it was observed that the strain KMUTNB 5-9, KMUTNB 5-36 and KMUTNB 6-21 were found to meet all the criteria and could be considered as potential probiotic. The identification of the strains based on 16S rDNA sequencing analysis indicated that the strain KMUTNB 5-9, KMUTNB 5-36 and KMUTNB 6-21 were identified to be Pediococcus pentosaceus

กรณีศึกษาการเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพของกระบวนการบรรจุเนื้อปลาทูน่าแช่แข็งA Case Study to Increase Packing Efficiency of Frozen Tuna Loin

ประสิทธิภาพการบรรจุเนื้อปลาทูน่าแช่แข็งขนาดบรรจุ 6 กิโลกรัม/ถุง ของบริษัทกรณีศึกษามีค่าต่ำกว่าค่าคาดหวังที่บริษัทกำหนด คือ มีค่า 51 ถุง/คน/ชั่วโมง เทียบกับ 60 ถุง/คน/ชั่วโมง ตามลำดับ เมื่อพิจารณาโดยอาศัยเครื่องมือทางการจัดการต่างๆ พบว่า สาเหตุที่ทำให้ประสิทธิภาพการบรรจุต่ำมีอยู่ 3 สาเหตุหลัก คือ จำนวนพนักงานไม่สอดคล้องกับแผนการผลิต ความชำนาญในการบรรจุของพนักงานแต่ละคนแตกต่างกัน และการเกิดคอขวดในขั้นตอนการชั่งปรับน้ำหนักที่ท้ายสายพานการผลิต ผลการศึกษา พบว่า บริษัทกรณีศึกษาสามารถลดจำนวนพนักงานบรรจุลงได้ 1 คน โดยไม่ส่งผลกระทบต่อน้ำหนักบรรจุ เมื่อกำหนดเวลามาตรฐาน (Standard Time) ที่ใช้ในการบรรจุเป็น 46.5 วินาที/ถุง ตามเวลาของพนักงานที่มีความชำนาญ และมีการฝึกอบรมพนักงานสามารถลดความสูญเสียได้จากเดิม 19.75% เป็น 12.75% (ลดลง 35.44%) ผลการทดลองยังพบว่า คอขวดที่ท้ายสายพานเกิดจากช่วงน้ำหนักของเครื่องชั่งไม่มีความเหมาะสม ภายหลังจากการปรับปรุงโดยการกำหนดจำนวนพนักงานที่เหมาะสม กำหนดเวลามาตรฐานในการบรรจุและฝึกอบรมพนักงาน และปรับช่วงน้ำหนักของเครื่องชั่งบนสายพาน พบว่า ประสิทธิภาพการบรรจุมีค่าเป็น 55, 59 และ 60 ถุง/คน/ชั่วโมง ตามลำดับ ซึ่งตรงตามประสิทธิภาพเป้าหมายและสามารถลดต้นทุนการผลิตได้ 648,000 บาท/วันThe packing efficiency of frozen tuna loin packing size 6 kg/pack of the case study company was lower than the target efficiency, which was 51 packs/person/hour based on expectations and perceived performance of 60 packs/person/hour. Considering several management tools, lower packing efficiency was due to 3 main causes: An uncorresponding number of workers to the production plan, different worker packing skills, and a bottleneck in packing weight verification at the end of packing line. In respect of this case study, the company could reduce the number of packing workers by one person without affecting the packing weight. When the standard packing time was set as 46.5 seconds/pack based on the performance of skilled workers and staff who have undergone training, the loss decreased by 35.44%, from 19.75% to 12.75% reduction. It was also found that a bottleneck at the end of packing line was a result of an inappropriate weighing range. After the improvements by recalculating a suitable number of workers, setting a standard packing time, providing training to staff and rearranging packing weights, the packing efficiency augmented to 55, 59 and 60 packs/person/hour respectively which reached the target efficiency and thus could reduce the production cost by 648,000 baht/day

Characteristics of Collagen from Rohu (Labeo rohita) Skin

Acid soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin soluble collagen (PSC) were isolated from rohu skin with the yield of 64.2 and 6.8% (dry weight basis), respectively. Both collagens had glycine as the major amino acid with imino acid content of 196-202 residues/1,000 residues and were characterized as type I collagen with molecular composition of (1)(2)2-heterotrimer. Fourier transform infrared spectra of both collagens were similar, with no shift in wavenumber of all amide bands. The T-max value of ASC and PSC was 36.40 and 35.48 degrees C, respectively. The zero surface net charge of ASC and PSC was found at pH 5.9 and 5.3, respectively

Effect of protein and prebiotic on the survival of encapsulated probiotic during storage

The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of encapsulation system on its protective capability during freeze drying of Lactobacillus casei TISTR 1463 and its storage at 4˚C and 30˚C for 90 and 60 days, respectively. Sericin extract is a kind of protein with gel-like property that could aid in binding and also contains important amino acids. The combinations of sericin and prebiotics, including isomaltooligosaccharide and modified starch were evaluated during microencapsulation of probiotic L. casei TISTR 1463 in alginate beads. The highest encapsulation efficiency was 97.61% with the addition of sericinisomalto-oligosaccharide. Encapsulated probiotic with sericin-modified starch had the lowest specific rate of degradation (k) of 3.74x10-2 day-1 and 1.09x10-1 day-1 at both storage temperatures of 4˚C and 30˚C, respectively. Probiotic property of cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) was also carried out

Response Surface Optimization for Antioxidant Extraction and Attributes Liking from Roasted Rice Germ Flavored Herbal Tea

The optimal process conditions when examining the antioxidant potential, total polyphenol content, and attribute liking in roasted rice germ flavored herbal tea were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). The influence upon the extraction process of time and temperature was assessed using a full factorial design on three levels with two variables (32), involving five central point replicates. Extraction temperature (70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C) and extraction time (3 min, 4.5 min, and 6 min) served as independent variables, while the dependent variables were allocated to the regression equation to determine antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.941) along with total polyphenol content (R2 = 0.849), flavor liking score (R2 = 0.758), and overall liking score (R2 = 0.816). Following experimentation, it was determined that the optimal time and temperature conditions to maximize total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, flavor, and overall liking score were in a range of 86 °C to 90 °C for 3.4 min to 5.9 min. When these conditions were imposed, the antioxidant potential, total polyphenol content, flavor, and overall liking score were >70% for DPPH scavenging activity, >75 mgGAE/g, >6.7 (like moderately), and >6.5 (like moderately), respectively