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Not AvailableA commonly used food preservation technique, the method of canning has been used extensively since centuries. The process modifies the chemical properties like pH, salinity or moisture level of food items to facilitate easy preservation by protecting against microbes and altering the partial pressure of oxygen trapped within the can which has its own advantages Chemical modifications of such nature when combined with physical barriers of the package such as cans, lids and seals act effectively against the decay process. The main focus of this compilation includes emphasis on different methods of food preservation, the kinetics of thermal inactivation of microorganisms, the internal rate of heat transfer within the can and the in detail study of canning covering different aspects of can-making to its sterilization methods.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableIn this study potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L. var Kufri Jyoti) were exposed to radiation dosages of 150 gray (Gy) and 500 gray (Gy) to study the post-harvest quality parameters of this horticultural crop. The treated tubers were stored at two different temperatures (60 C and 150 C) along with storage under ambient condition. The changes in the various physical quality parameters as well as biochemical changes were determined two months after storage. From this study, it was found that radiation may act as an effective tool for sprouting inhibition. 500 gray (Gy) radiation was found to be detrimental for the tubers as discolouration of the tubers kept under ambient condition was observed within two weeks of the treatment. Considerable weight loss, significant loss in firmness, change in specific gravity and loss of ascorbic acid along with rapid discoloration was observed. The tubers exposed to radiation and subsequently stored under a lower temperature range (6 oC) showed improved physical quality aspects compared to the tubers stored at an elevated temperature (15 oC) or ambient conditions but resulted in higher sugar accumulation due to ‘cold induced sweetening’ phenomena. Thus storage at 15 oC may be recommended for retaining the physical qualityNot Availabl

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TiO₂ Nanoparticles Incorporated Peptide Appended Perylene Bisimide-Based Nanohybrid System: Enhancement of Photo-Switching Behavior

A peptide appended perylene bisimide (PBI)-based new hydrogel has been discovered in phosphate buffer medium having the pH ranging from 7.00 to 9.00. This peptide appended PBI-derivative shows interesting photoswitching property in the aggregated state. This gel is thoroughly characterized by UV–visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and rheological studies. TiO₂ nanoparticles are also prepared by using a protein amino acid, glutamic acid, in water medium. The as-synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit usual photoswitching behavior. An organic–inorganic hybrid nanomaterial is prepared by incorporating the as-synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles into the fibrillar gel network of the native gel. This TiO₂–PBI-based hybrid soft material shows a characteristic of nanofiber and nanoparticle combination in their nanoscale coassembled state as it is evident from the respective TEM images of the hybrid material. Interestingly, this nanohybrid shows improved photoswitching properties (photocurrent gain) compared to that of its individual constituents (TiO₂ nanoparticles and PBI-based xerogel). The increase in photoswitching property holds a future promise for making a new organic–inorganic hybrid material for the optoelectronic device application with a high photocurrent conversion efficiency

Time-dependent gel to gel transformation of a peptide based supramolecular gelator

A dipeptide with a long fatty acid chain at its N-terminus gives hydrogels in phosphate buffer in the pH range 7.0–8.5. The hydrogel with a gelator concentration of 0.45% (w/v) at pH 7.46 (physiological pH) provides a very good platform to study dynamic changes within a supramolecular framework as it exhibits remarkable change in its appearance with time. Interestingly, the first formed transparent hydrogel gradually transforms into a turbid gel within 2 days. These two forms of the hydrogel have been thoroughly investigated by using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HR-TEM) imaging, FT-IR and rheometric analyses. The SAXS and low angle PXRD studies substantiate different packing arrangements for the gelator molecules for these two different gel states (the freshly prepared and the aged hydrogel). Moreover, rheological studies of these two gels reveal that the aged gel is stiffer than the freshly prepared gel