Investigation of the Respiration Rate During Storage of Fruit Vegetables Under the Influence of Abiotic Factors

The aim of the work was to establish the influence of most important abiotic planting factors (temperature, precipitation quantity) on the respiratory rate of fruit vegetables at storage and also a possibility of correction of respiratory metabolism by post-harvest thermal processing by antioxidant compositions. Fruits of cucumbers of the hybrids Masha and Afina, bush pumpkins Kavili and Tamino, sweet pepper of the hybrids Nikita and Hercules, tomato of the varieties Novachok and Rio Grande Original were used for the studies. It was established, that the respiratory rate of pumpkin fruit vegetables is importantly influenced by the variety specificity. The respiratory level of pumpkin vegetables directly correlates with the sum of active temperatures of the period of fruits formation and reversibly – with precipitation and hydrothermal coefficient.The influence of the variety specificity for nightshade vegetables is leveled, and among meteorological planting conditions the important intense influence on the respiratory rate is realized by the sum of active temperatures of the period of fruits formation and ripening. Precipitation and hydrothermal coefficient have the important influence only on pepper fruits.It was established, that the use of post-harvest thermal processing by antioxidant compositions results in inhibition of respiratory processes in fruit vegetables at storage

Nanoparticles of Cerium Dioxide and Pristine (Unmodified) Fullerene C60 Protect Living Cells against Adverse Environmental Exposure: Does it Work?

We believe that unmodified hydrated C60 fullerene (C60FWS) and nanocrystalline cerium dioxide (NCD) are promising for biological research. It is knowns that these nanoparticles protect living cells from damaging environmental factors such as radioactive and ultraviolet radiation, temperature, hypoxia, toxic substances, etc. However, little attention has been paid in scientific reports to the use and study of these nanoparticles as possible adaptogens. In our studies, we tried to protect the culture of cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis with C60 and NCD from adverse conditions. The choice of Spirulina platensis is due to its sensitivity to adverse environmental factors. The results obtained show that the absence of toxic effects of C60 and NCD of selected concentrations on the Spirulina platensis culture has been found. Nanoparticles C60 and NCD maintained the culture of Spirulina platensis for at least 4 weeks in the absence of nutrients, light, low pH storage conditions and low temperature. Cyanobacteria stored for 1–4 weeks in distilled water with nanoparticles showed increased proliferative activity compared to samples stored at the same time in the standard Zarrouk’s nutrient medium. Keywords: fullerene C60, nanocrystalline cerium dioxide, Spirulina platensis, adaptogens

Changes in Quality Characteristics of Crassostrea gigas Oysters during Hypothermic Storage

Now oysters are one of the most common representatives of aquaculture grown worldwide. Finding reliable ways to assess the quality of oysters is an important task for breeding professionals and users of these products. The Food and Agriculture Organization considers microbiological testing and organoleptic parameters as mandatory tests for evaluation of the mollusks’ safety. We believe these parameters in oysters are insufficient for unbiased evaluation of the condition of mollusks. In this research, we attempted to determine the most sensitive indices of oysters’ viability during hypothermic storage under anoxia conditions. We investigated the oysters during 6 days of their storage in a household refrigerator at a temperature of 5°C. According to microbiological studies, during the experiment, we expected a rise in the total number of microorganisms. However, there was a paradoxical situation when at the end of the observations the total number of microorganisms decreased significantly, which contradicted the negative assessment of the state of oysters by organoleptic parameters. Flow cytometry studies also showed no correlation between the percentages of necrotized and apoptotic cells to organoleptic parameters. Studies have shown that on day 3 of storage, the oysters demonstrated a partial deterioration in organoleptic characteristics, which is clearly reflected in the content of volatile basic nitrogen in the tissues of mollusks, which characterizes the protein breakdown and accumulation of toxic nitrogen compounds. Thus, the content of volatile basic nitrogen in the tissues of oysters is the most sensitive and significant parameter in terms of biosafety of mollusks. Keywords: hypothermic storage, oysters, microbial flora, food quality, nitroge

SWOT Analysis of Innovative Products Containing Food Additive «Magnetofood»

The object of research is the methods of evaluating food products containing food additive «Magnetofood» considering the prospects for its introduction into production. One of the most problematic areas for the commercialization of food production technologies in the early stages of the innovation process is the complex evaluation of scientific and technological developments. In the evaluation of new food products, research is mainly carried out using qualimetric methods based on individual quality indicators, considering existing standards or specifications. However, the methods of qualimetrics evaluation of food quality do not allow to conclude on the potential of its commercialization. Thus, the evaluation of technological innovations using complex evaluation methods, including SWOT analysis, is promising.Used methods of content analysis, expert evaluation, comparative and dynamic analysis, average and relative values, integral evaluation during the research of the introducing prospects into the food industry enterprises activity the innovative products containing additive «Magnetofood». The researches results are the reasoning of a set of unit and integral indicators for SWOT analysis of innovative products containing food additive «Magnetofood». Indicators are calculated taking into account the significance and factors influence that reflect the products quality characteristics and consumers' interest in it, global trends and national peculiarities of the innovative technologies introduction into the nutrition field. Comparison of complex evaluation of the innovative products strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats to its production and implementation made it possible to conclude that there are great prospects for introduction of innovative products containing food additive «Magnetofood» into the activity of food industry enterprises.The developed system of SWOT analysis indicators provides an opportunity to carry out a complex evaluation of the prospects for the innovative technologies introduction in the food products production which will help to optimize the innovation policy of food industry enterprises

Forming the Structure of Whipped Desserts When Introducing the Food Additive "Magnetofood" to Their Formulation

The food additive "Magnetofood", in the form of a nanopowder with particles the size of (70‒80) nm, has been designed and proposed as an improver for the structure of whipped desserts. "Magnetofood" can both independently form the structural and mechanical properties of whipped masses and influence a gel-forming agent, participating in chemical and electrostatic interactions with it. Therefore, the food additive "Magnetofood" can simultaneously influence several technological properties in the food disperse system: it can become a stabilizer, thickener, foam- and jelly-forming agents. Owing to Fe (II), nano dimensions, and the developed active surface, "Magnetofood" acquires sorption, complexing, emulsifying, moisture retaining, fat retaining, water-binding, stabilizing, structure-forming properties. That allows us to recommend "Magnetofood" as an additive with a comprehensive effect in order to form the structure of whipped desserts and to improve the quality of whipped dessert products. It has been established that introducing the additive "Magnetofood" to the samples of berry-fruit mousses and fruit-and-egg white jellies in the amount of 0.10 %, 0.15 %, 0.20 % by weight of the formulation mixture improves the structural-mechanical properties of whipped desserts. Using the additive "Magnetofood" decreases density by (29±1) kg/m3 ‒ for mousses, by (26±1) kg/m3 ‒ for fruit-and-egg white jellies, as well as the duration of whipping by ~15 % compared to control. It has been proven that introducing the additive "Magnetofood" contributes to an increase in: plastic strength ‒ by 1.23 times; porosity ‒ by (14.3±0,7) % for mousses and by (12.7±0.6) % ‒ for fruit-and-egg white jellies; foam stability by (22.5±1.1) % compared to control. In addition, a foam-forming capacity increases by (40±2) % for mousses and by (55 3) % for fruit-and-egg white jellies; effective viscosity ‒ by (4.4 0.2) % for mousses and by (4.1±0.2) % ‒ for fruit-and-egg white jellies compared to control. We have established that the rational content of the food additive "Magnetofood" equals 0.15 % of formulation composition.The obtained experimental data could be applied when developing technologies for whipped dessert products