Effect of curing conditions and harvesting stage of maturity on Ethiopian onion bulb drying properties

The study was conducted to investigate the impact of curing conditions and harvesting stageson the drying quality of onion bulbs. The onion bulbs (Bombay Red cultivar) were harvested at three harvesting stages (early, optimum, and late maturity) and cured at three different temperatures (30, 40 and 50 oC) and relative humidity (30, 50 and 70%). The results revealed that curing temperature, RH, and maturity stage had significant effects on all measuredattributesexcept total soluble solids

ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS DRUG RESISTANCE IN ETHIOPIA: A MATA- ANALYSIS

Tuberculosis is one of the most dangers of health in the world. Ethiopia ranked seventh from the 22 high burden counties in the world. The main problem is development of resistance to the major anti-tuberculosis drugs actually increasing in Ethiopia. The aim was to review studies done on anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in Ethiopia. Literatures were searched for published articles on anti-tuberculosis drug resistance using the combination of terms; resistance, anti-tuberculosis and Ethiopia. Fifteen studies done in different parts of Ethiopia from 1978-2005 G.C were retrieved without restriction of place & design of study. The primary resistance of the fifteen studies done in various parts of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Harar, Bahir Dar, Sidamo, Arsi, and Hosanna) from1978-2005 G.C showed: Isoniazid (H) 1.9%-21.4%, Streptomycin (S) 1.9%-26%, Rifampicin (R) 0%-1.9%, Ethambutol (E) 0%-6.3%, Thiacetazone (T) 2.2%-6.3%, H+S 1.9%-26%, H+T 0%-4.4%, S+T 0%-1.8%, H+R 0%-1.1%, S+R 0%-0.7%, R+T 0%-0.4%, H+E 0%-0.9%, S+E 0%-0.6% ,H+S+T 0%-2.4%, H+S+R 0%-1.1%, H+T+R 0%-0.4%, H+S+E 0%-1.7%, R+H+T+S 0%-0.6% and Multi Drug Resistance 0%-1.3%.Acquired drug resistance: H 5.3%-66.7%, S 1.2%-46%, R 0%-12%, E 0%-5.6%, T0%-29%, H+T 0%-20%, H+S 4.8%- 28%, R+H 0%-8%, R+S 0%-3.5%, S+T 0%-2.3%, H+E 0%-3.6%, R+E 0%-5.6%, S+E 0%- 11.2%, H+S+T 0%-16%, R+S+T 0%-2.3% , R+S+H 0%-4%, H+S+E 0%-3.6%, H+R+E 0%- 3.6%, H+R+S+E 0%-14.3% and Multi Drug Resistance 0%-26.3%. It can be concluded that resistance to the anti-tuberculosis drugs is increasing. National level drug resistance survey is recommended to design policies and strategies to prevent increase of drug resistance. Key words: Resistance, tuberculosis, anti-tuberculosis drugs and Ethiopia

Review on structural, nutritional and anti-nutritional composition of Teff (Eragrostis tef) in comparison with Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Consumer’s concern on health through diet has been increased in recent time and majority of the population are trying to be healthy by consuming proper diet. Cereals, pseudo cereals, and pulses are getting appreciation from the consumers and the nutritionists because of their treasure of nutrition and taste. In recent times, the term “super grain” is became popular and fewer cereals and pseudo cereals are joined under this group. Different dieticians are recommending the grains such as Oats, Freekeh, Quinoa, Kamut, Teff, Faro, Spelt, Amaranth, Sorghum and Millets for their nutritional and health benefits. Among these, quinoa is world famous, got much appreciation from the consumers. Some of the cereals like teff are endemic to limited countries or part of the globe even though they are nutritionally rich but received very poor appreciation from the consumers. Teff is cultivating in Ethiopia and believed to be a rich source of nutrients, but the consumption and awareness of the teff is limited as compared to the quinoa. The major objective of this review is to compare the structural, nutritional and anti-nutritional properties of the teff and quinoa along with their applications

Kinetic based simulation of fixed bed gasifier and performance study on syngas production from different biomass feed-stocks

Biomass is one of the most clean and renewable energy resources. In recent times, researchers have given more attention to biomass due to its zero emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide. In biomass utilization technologies, biomass gasification is an attractive mechanism for utilization of waste biomass generated from different agro-industries. Despite the application of fixed bed flow gasification on a large scale, the reaction rate in the hot conversion zone is almost unknown. However, knowledge regarding the rates of the gasification reaction at high temperature and high pressure is crucial for detailed design and optimization of these gasifiers. The study focused on the simulation of biomass (coffee bean and rice) husk gasification process based on the kinetics of the gasifier in order to investigate the produced syngas composition. The AspenPlus simulation was used to investigate the effect of operating parameters on the composition of the produced gas. Effect of different proportions of the simulation parameter includes gasification temperature, pressure, reactor volume, equivalence ratio and moisture on gas production and composition. Results of sensitivity analysis showed that an increase in temperature led to a rise in the production of H2 and CO gases. Whereas, an increase in moisture content of the biomass showed lower heating value of the produced gas. Based on the obtained result, the maximum lower heating value of syngas was obtained at the gasification temperature of 800oC, steam to biomass ratio of 0.1, pressure of 1 bar, 0.05% of moisture content and 0.02 m3 of reactor volume

Effect of Broken Coffee Beans Particle Size, Roasting Temperature, and Roasting Time on Quality of Coffee Beverage

Optimum flavor and aroma of the coffee are developed during the roasting process. However, certain problems exist in the coffee roasting process such as partial charring, over roasting, and poor temperature distribution across the coffee bean (due to the low thermal conductivity of bean), if conditions are not optimized. Hence, uniform temperature distribution across the coffee bean in the roasting process is highly desirable. To achieve these requirements, the broken coffee beans were positioned in a single layer packed bed arrangement using the closed system by circulating hot air. In this experiment, three factors were arranged in a completely randomized design with three levels and three replications. The first factor considered was roasting temperature (200°C, 230°C, and 260°C), second factor was roasting time (5 min, 10 min, and 15 min), and third was particle size (4–6 mm, 2.36–3.35 mm, and 1.7–2.36 mm). The initial moisture content of raw beans (cv. Limu) was determined. The data were collected on selective physical properties of roasted coffee beans and sensory acceptability of prepared beverage. The results showed that the physical properties and sensory acceptability are significantly high (P<0.001). It depends on the interaction effect of all the studied factors. Among the studies parameters, roasting temperature of 230°C with a particle size range of 4–6 mm showed the steady transition in dry mass loss and change in bulk density with increase in roasting duration. Coffee roasted at 230°C for 10 min with a particle size of 4–6 mm showed the highest sensory acceptability score (89.21). In conclusion, it can be said that a temperature of 230°C, a time of 10 min, and a particle size between 2.36–3.35 mm and 4–6 mm are recommended conditions for the roasting process of coffee beans

Nutritional, Physicochemical, Functional, and Textural Properties of Red Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), Red Onion (Allium cepa), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), and Garlic (Allium sativum): Main Ingredients for the Preparation of Spicy Foods in Ethiopia

Spices are known to have important benefits in our daily diet, and it is common to see industrial and traditional spicy foods in our households and markets. In the present work, a systematic profiling of the nutritional, physicochemical, and textural properties of red pepper, garlic, red onion, and ginger was conducted. The detailed data of forty eight (48) parameters that consisted of macronutrients, micronutrients, physicochemical properties, functional property, and rheological properties of each of the components were organized. The result showed that red pepper had the highest content of crude protein (14.7%), crude fat (11.3%), crude fiber (38.57%), ash (6.7%), redness (a∗ value) (32.5), CI (37.4%), and porosity (37.43%) compared to garlic, ginger, and red onion. Garlic had the highest content of carbohydrate content (76.42%), energy (346.58 kcal), pH (6.03), total soluble solid (26.76), particle size (D90, 561 µm), and volume weighted mean (238 µm) which is related to the high antimicrobial and antioxidant quality of garlic. Red onion had the highest content of Zn (71.16 mg/100 g), Na (94.5 mg/100 g), and Ca (71.16 mg/100 g) indicating that it is a rich source of minerals. The availability of data about the nutritional, physicochemical, functional, and textural properties of the ingredients is crucial for the production and formulation of industrial and traditional spicy foods with the highest quality and stability

Postharvest handling practices and mycotoxin occurrence along the dried berbere chilli pepper value chain: a case study from Northern Ethiopia

Berbere, the hot pepper spice, is a central ingredient in Ethiopian cuisine. This study aimed to deepen understanding of the agricultural and postharvest handling practices and incidence of aflatoxins and ochratoxins at different stages of the domestic berbere (Capsicum frutescens) value chain in the Amhara region of Northern Ethiopia. The main actors in the berbere value chain in Ethiopia are farmers, assemblers, wholesalers, retailers, industrial processors, and domestic consumers. A series of semi-structured questionnaires were developed and used to interview 90 stakeholders from across these different value chain stages to learn about their berbere-related activities and challenges. Additionally, a random sampling method was used to collect 100 berbere samples (80 samples of whole dry berbere pods and 20 samples of berbere powder) from across the different focal value chain stages (harvesting, storage, processing, and retail) for analysis to determine whether aflatoxin and ochratoxin were present above the maximum recommended thresholds. In the Amhara region, most farmers typically cultivate berbere on areas of 0.5 to 1 ha of farmland. The berbere harvest is done manually, and the chilli pods are then spread directly on the ground to sun dry. Such drying practices increase the risk of contamination of the produce by dust, debris, and soil-borne fungi. Assemblers purchase berbere from the farmers, the pods are then sorted by variety and packed in woven polypropylene bags which are then heaped in store rooms. All the berbere samples, from each stage of the value chain analysed were found to test positive for mycotoxins, exhibiting levels of >20 ppb and >2 ppb of total aflatoxin and ochratoxin, respectively. The promotion of a range of integrated pest and postharvest management actions with the different value chain actors are recommended to improve the quality and safety of berbere within these important domestic value chains

Prediction of water loss and viscoelastic deformation of apple tissue using a multiscale model

A two-dimensional multiscale water transport and mechanical model was developed to predict the water loss and deformation of apple tissue (Malus × domestica Borkh. cv. 'Jonagold') during dehydration. At the macroscopic level, a continuum approach was used to construct a coupled water transport and mechanical model. Water transport in the tissue was simulated using a phenomenological approach using Fick's second law of diffusion. Mechanical deformation due to shrinkage was based on a structural mechanics model consisting of two parts: Yeoh strain energy functions to account for non-linearity and Maxwell's rheological model of visco-elasticity. Apparent parameters of the macroscale model were computed from a microscale model. The latter accounted for water exchange between different microscopic structures of the tissue (intercellular space, the cell wall network and cytoplasm) using transport laws with the water potential as the driving force for water exchange between different compartments of tissue. The microscale deformation mechanics were computed using a model where the cells were represented as a closed thin walled structure. The predicted apparent water transport properties of apple cortex tissue from the microscale model showed good agreement with the experimentally measured values. Deviations between calculated and measured mechanical properties of apple tissue were observed at strains larger than 3%, and were attributed to differences in water transport behavior between the experimental compression tests and the simulated dehydration-deformation behavior. Tissue dehydration and deformation in the high relative humidity range ( > 97% RH) could, however, be accurately predicted by the multiscale model. The multiscale model helped to understand the dynamics of the dehydration process and the importance of the different microstructural compartments (intercellular space, cell wall, membrane and cytoplasm) for water transport and mechanical deformation.status: publishe