Food Chemistry

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a minor and direct metabolite of ethanol. EtG is incorporated into the growing hair allowing retrospective investigation of chronic alcohol abuse. In this study, we report the development and the validation of a method using gas chromatography–negative chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (GC–NCI-MS/MS) for the quantification of EtG in hair. EtG was extracted from about 30mg

The contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs by thermally treated highprotein foods, such as charcoal-grilled meat products, is due to the generation by direct pyrolysis of food nutrients and the direct deposition of PAHs from smoke produced through incomplete combustion of the thermal agents. This study investigated the effects on the PAH (BaP, BbFln and Fln) contents by using two different types of treatments, preheating (steam and microwave) and wrapping (aluminium and banana leaf) of the meat samples prior to charcoal grilling. PAHs were extracted through tandem solid-phase extraction. The results showed that the applied preheating and wrapping treatments on the samples strongly affect the PAHs levels in the charcoal-grilled meat. No carcinogenic PAHs (BaP and BbFln) were detected in the samples after steam and microwave preheating or aluminium wrapping treatments. Significant reductions of Fln content, of up to 46% and 81% in beef and chicken samples, respectively, were observed in the study.

Consumers around the globe are now more aware of the relation between nutrition and good health. This has led to a number of scientific studies identifying food and food components that have specific health benefits. Functional foods are defined as foods that, in addition to nutrients, supply the organism with components that contribute to the cure of diseases, or to reduce the risk of developing them. One of the first countries in the world to recognize the concept of functional foods was Japan. The Japanese government defines FOSHU (Foods for Specific Health Use) as Foods which are expected to have certain health benefits, and have been
licensed to bear a label in the product claiming the health effect (Sanders, 1998).
The establishment of a microflora rich in bifidobacteria poses an advantage with respect to maintaining and improving health. In the past two to three decades, one of the main targets of the functional food industry has been the development of products aimed at improving gut health. The idea of manipulating the intestinal microflora in order to prolong life can be tracked down to the early part of the twentieth century. In 1907, the Nobel Prize winner Eli Metchnikoff published his book The Prolongation of Life, where he postulated that the long life span of Bulgarian people was due to the consumption of fermented milks that contained the microorganism Bacillus bulgaricus, currently known as Lactobacillus delbrueckii. According to Metchnikoff, the consumption of these bacteria would have the effect of eliminating putrefactive bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In the same period, the French pediatrician Henry Tissier discovered the predominance of bifidobacteria in the feces of The establishment of a microflora rich in bifidobacteria poses an advantage with respect to maintaining and improving health. In the past two to three decades, one of
the main targets of the functional food industry has been the development of products aimed at improving gut health. The idea of manipulating the intestinal microflora in order to prolong life can be tracked down to the early part of the twentieth century. In 1907, the Nobel Prize winner Eli Metchnikoff published his book The Prolongation of Life, where he postulated that the long life span of Bulgarian people was due to the
consumption of fermented milks that contained the microorganism Bacillus bulgaricus, currently known as Lactobacillus delbrueckii. According to Metchnikoff, the consumption of these bacteria would have the effect of eliminating putrefactive bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In the same period, the French pediatrician Henry Tissier discovered the predominance of bifidobacteria in the feces of The term probiotic, from Greek “for life,” was used for the first time by Lilly
and Stillwell (1965) to define substances produced by microorganisms which would
enlarge the growth phase of other microorganisms. Later, Parker (1974, pp. 366)
changed this definition to “organisms and substances that contribute to intestinal balance.”
Fuller (1989, pp. 366) eliminated the concept of substances from the definition
of probiotics, and substituted it for “live microbial feed supplements which beneficially
affect the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance.” This definition
was later extended to include a viable mono or mixed culture of bacteria that
will beneficially affect the host when applied to human or animals by improving the
properties of the indigenous microflora. Contrarily, Salminen et al. (1999, pp. 109)
stated that there are documented health effects of nonviable probiotics and even the
cell wall components on some probiotic microbes. This led to the establishment of
the following definition: “Probiotics are microbial cell preparations or components of
microbial cells that have a beneficial effect on the health and well-being of the host.”
This definition introduces a second novelty with respect to the one proposed by Fuller,
and it is the beneficial effect of probiotics on human health in general rather than
specifically on intestinal health. The most accepted definition nowadays is that given
by the World Health Organization as “live microorganisms that, when administered
in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host” (Araya et al., 2002, pp. 8).
Prebiotics have been defined as nondigestible food ingredients beneficially affecting
the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of a limited number
of bacteria in the colon and thus improving the host health (Gibson et al., 2004b).
Probiotics and prebiotics can be combined in symbiotic preparations (symbiotics).
These mixtures beneficially affect the host in different ways. For instance, by improving
the survival and implantation of live microbial dietary supplements in the GIT;
by selectively stimulating the growth and/or by activating the metabolism of one or a
limited number of health-promoting bacteria, and thus improving the host well-being
(Hamilton-Miller, 2003).

Sesbania grandiflora L. an indigenous species native to Asian, South-Asian nations widely used for innumerable purpose. The plant is accepted for its vast use for an economic benefit from environmental valuation to human livelihood. Nation such as Indonesia, Philippines cultivate this plant for economical purpose. The plant is also known to be useful for manufacture of paper and pulp. Thus, cellulose and fibres generated from various sources from this plant is highly valued in developing the economy. Moreover, the seeds of Sesbania are indeed utilized for consumption purpose. The current research is carried out to testify the amount of Dietary fibre in the seeds of Sesbania grandiflora L. Researches have shown the plant leaves enriched with high amount of nutrient content, hence the seed of the plant too forms an attractive theme to search out and study experimentally for the various nutritional sources. The research carried out for evaluation of dietary fibre successfully concludes the quantity and its consumption on a daily basis in a diet.

Improving nutrition contributes to productivity, economic development, and poverty reduction by getting better cognitive development, school performance, physical work capacity, and maintaining health status by reducing morbidity and mortality. Poor nutrition perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Community-Based Nutrition (CBN) is an important component of the National Nutrition Program, designed to build upon the Health Extension Program packages to improve nutritional status of under-five children and pregnant and lactating women. As part of this program shift, CBN training modules have been shortened and incorporated into the Integrated Refresher Training (IRT). The nutrition components of Integrated Refresher Training have not been assessed so far. This study aims to assess the quality of CBN component of integrated refresher training, stakeholder perceptions on the quality of training and change in the knowledge of HEWs. Institutional based cross-sectional study with both qualitativ...

High pressure homogenization (HPH) was tested for inducing autolysis in a commercial strain of Saccharomyces bayanus for winemaking. The effects on cell viability, the release of soluble proteins, glucidic colloids and amino acids in wine-like medium and the volatile composition of the autolysates were investigated after processing, in comparison with thermolysis. HPH seemed a promising technique for inducing autolysis of wine yeasts. One pass at 150MPa was the best operating conditions. Soluble colloids, proteins and free amino acids were similar after HPH and thermolysis, but the former gave a more interesting volatile composition after processing, with higher concentrations of ethyl esters (fruity odors) and lower fatty acids (potential off-flavors). This might allow different winemaking applications for HPH, such as the production of yeast derivatives for wine ageing. In the conditions tested, HPH did not allow the complete inactivation of yeast cells; the treatment shall be optimized before winemaking use.

Potassium metabisulphite (PMB) is a common antimicrobial additive in the food industry. In aqueous solutions, PMB leads to complex equilibria according to its concentration, pH and temperature, and different chemical species can be present. In winemaking, PMB is used at low pH, suggesting that the biocidic activity is exerted by sulphur dioxide while, in other applications, it is employed at higher pH values with little if any dissociation. This observation leads to the question of which chemical form is biologically active. For this reason, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were subjected to PMB solutions at different pH values and analysed with a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)-based bioassay, to assess the entity and the type of stress. Cell viability was determined and compared to the metabolomics (FTIR) stress indices, which revealed that the metabolomics fingerprint was an effective description of the cell health state. GC-MS metabolite profiles were obtained to describe (in detail) the changes caused by PMB in the fatty acids region. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) were also subjected to PMB stress at pH 7.0 and analysed with the FTIR protocol, in order to compare the response spectra of yeast and human cell cultures.

Quorum sensing (QS) inhibitory activity of 29 unifloral honeys was evaluated using the bacterial model Cromobacterium violaceum. The tested honeys were able to inhibit the production of acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by C. violaceum at 0.1 g/ml. However, chestnut and linden honey samples showed the highest inhibitory activity, while orange and rosemary were less effective in inhibiting QS. When honey samples from the same floral origin obtained from different geographical regions were compared, they showed similar QS inhibitory activity. Thus, one of the factors which influence the inhibitory activity could be derived from the floral origin, independently of the geographic location. It was observed that unifloral honey samples showed ''non-peroxide" anti-QS activity, which was not linearly correlated with total and individual phenolic compounds. The obtained results showed that the preservative properties of honey could be due to both the antimicrobial properties and the QS inhibitory capacity.

The present study optimised the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) conditions (Dionex ASEÒ 200, USA) to maximise the antioxidant capacity of the extracts from three spices of Lamiaceae family; rosemary, oregano and marjoram. Optimised conditions with regard to extraction temperature (66-129 °C) and solvent concentration (32-88% methanol) were identified using response surface methodology (RSM). For all three spices results showed that 129 °C was the optimum temperature in order to obtain extracts with high antioxidant activity. Optimal methanol concentrations with respect to the antioxidant activity of rosemary and marjoram extracts were 56% and 57% respectively. Oregano showed a different response to the effect of methanol concentration and was optimally extracted at 33%. The antioxidant activity yields of the optimal ASE extracts were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than solid/liquid extracts. The predicted models were highly significant (p < 0.05) for both total phenol (TP) and ferric reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) values in all the spices with high regression coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.952 to 0.999.

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental carcinogenic compounds that may contaminate vegetable oils and their levels can be reduced by refining. In order to understand the influence of the refining steps, the content of 15 PAHs was assessed throughout alkaline refining in soybean, sunflower and olive oil samples. Eight commercial brands of these oils were also analysed. The analytical method involved a liquid–liquid extraction, a solid-phase clean up (C18 and Florisil) followed by RP-HPLC with fluorimetric detection. The total PAHs content in the studied samples can be considered generally low. The light PAHs (2–4 rings) were predominant. Virgin olive oils showed the highest values (max. 26 μg/kg). An evident decrease of PAHs contents during alkaline refining was observed (71%, 88% and 85% in sunflower, soybean and olive oils, respectively) being more pronounced in light PAHs. Neutralization and, particularly, deodorization were the more effective steps contributing...

Yam (Dioscorea alata) starch was pregelatinized in a single screw extruder. Response Surface Methodology was used to study the eect of extrusion variables: feed moisture (18, 21, 24%), extruder temperature (120, 150, 180 C) and die diameter (3, 4, 5 mm) on cold viscosity, gel-forming capacity and retrogradation of extruded starches. Cold viscosity was higher from starch samples processed at higher moisture and die diameter, at lower temperatures. Slurries of the extruded starch (8%, w/v, d.b.) formed opaque and ®rm gels. Higher values for gel strength were found in samples extruded at highest and lowest moistures at intermediate temperature and increasing die diameter. Gels of extruded starch had lower retrogradation values than non-extruded gelatinized starch after one and two weeks storage at refrigeration temperature. Prediction equations for the studied functional properties can be used in selecting processing conditions for speci®c food applications.

A more attention to agri-food products was increase from the consumers not only because of their nutritional value but also for their origin (location) and authenticity, in order to practice more conscious consumption and to safeguard their health. Analytical chemistry played an important role in traceability for all products in the food market. Olive oil is an important agricultural product for the economy of the Mediterranean area, but it has undergone major alterations in quality in recent years. In Italy, some farmers worked in the olive oil sector have been subjected to legal investigations due to manipulations through mixture with olive oils from other countries. The aim of this study was to verify and develop a fast screening method to characterize specific parameters of olive oil, such as acidity and nitrogen content, and to highlight correlations with the pathogen Xylella fastidiosa.

The ''antioxidant power" of a food is an expression of its capability both to defend the human organism from the action of the free radicals and to prevent degenerative disorders deriving from persistent oxidative stress. Purpose of this study is to analyse the antioxidant capacity (measured by means of the crocin bleaching method) of several samples of Sicilian red wines and to evaluate their dependency on the vintage and on the grape variety. Finally, the correlation between the single flavonoids compounds and the antioxidant capacity has been investigated. The analyses show that the antioxidant properties of red wine appear to be unequally influenced by the vintages for the different cultivars and that the correlation between antioxidant capacity and the total phenolic contents is weak. The latter can be explained by the fact that the wine's antioxidant properties are influenced differently by each polyphenolic molecule.

A troublesome factor during folate analysis is the instability of folates, especially tetrahydrofolate. This investigation was therefore performed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of four antioxidants (2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol, and 2-thiobarbituric acid) as stabilizing agents. The antioxidants were tested in the combination with 2% sodium ascorbate in acetate, phosphate, and HEPES/CHES buffers commonly used to extract folates from food samples. Baker's yeast was chosen as a model food matrix. A validated method based on reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and diode array detection was used for folate analysis. We showed that sample handling was of critical importance in folate analysis. Heat treatment, long-term storage, and repeated freeze/thaw cycles could impair the stability of tetrahydrofolate in varying degrees depending on buffers and antioxidants used. 2,3-Dimercapto-1-propanol was better than 2-mercaptoethanol in protecting tetrahydrofolate under heat extraction, long-term storage of food extracts and freezing/thawing. The use of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol as stabilizing agent in folate analysis may, therefore, be preferable owing to its lower toxicity and higher protective effectiveness. Preparation of food samples should include as few freeze/thaw steps as possible before analysis to prevent degradation of tetrahydrofolate.

The concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb were determined in 54 multi-floral honey samples collected from five regions of Croatia during 2009 and 2010. Element contents decreased in the following order: Cu > Pb > As > Hg > Cd. Significant differences in lead and copper levels were observed between regions. Mean levels of elements (lg kg À1) in all honey samples measured were: 19.7 for As, 1.51 for Cd, 1074 for Cu, 2.72 for Hg and 65.2 for Pb. Copper and lead were the most abundant elements in the Centre region, with range and mean contents of 108-41,271 and 3232 lg kg À1 and 22.0-440 and 131 lg kg À1 , respectively. The highest element contents were: As 23.8 lg kg À1 in the South region, Cd 2.11 lg kg À1 in the Southwest region and Hg 2.63 lg kg À1 in the Northeast region. The finding that lead contents in Croatian honey were higher than most reported lead levels in honey from other European countries is of particular concern. These indicate that attention must be focused on setting positions for honey production hives in areas distant from highways and railways.

Hydrogenation of vegetable oils is a heterogeneous process where the process factors influence the conversion and selectivity. A Statistical study was performed on a sunflower oil (SFO) hydrogenation process using Pd-B/g-Al 2 O 3 catalyst to study the effect of the process factors, including temperature, hydrogen pressure, agitation, catalyst dose and reaction time on the iodine value and trans fatty acid content of hydrogenated SFO. It was found that each factor has a noticeable effect on the iodine value and trans fatty acid content of hydrogenated SFO. The study was also aimed to find out the optimum values for the hydrogenation factors which are capable to decline the IV to 70 (g iodine per 100 g oil) as well as produce a minimum trans fatty acid content of the hydrogenated SFO. The optimum values were found to be 431 K, 1000 kPa, 1000 kPa, 0.29 % and 42.2 min for the temperature, hydrogen pressure, agitation, catalyst dose and reaction time respectively.

A highly practical two-tier approach involving a screening and a confirmatory method was set up to efficiently test histamine in fish products in the frame of official controls. After their validation, the routine management of the two procedures was simplified as far as possible ensuring a strict quality data control and maximizing the cost-effectiveness. Accordingly five hundred and ninety batches of fish products (3129 determinations) sampled from the Italian authorities were successfully analyzed over a four year period (2008-2012). Only a small percentage of analysed batches (4.9%) was judged non-compliant. The examination of irregular cases (fish species, processing technology and storage practices) suggests important considerations in order to minimise the histamine risk for consumers.

Three different red wines with reductive character have been treated with two different doses of copper sulfate (0.06 and 0.5mg/L) and with a commercial copper-containing product at the recommended dose (0.6mg/L). Wines were in contact with copper one week, centrifuged and stored at 50°C in strict anoxia for 2weeks (up to 7 in one case). Brine-releasable (BR-) and free fractions of Volatile Sulfur Compounds were determined throughout the process. Relevant increases of BR-H2S suggest that those wines contained other H2S precursors non-detectable by the brine dilution method. Copper treatments had two major effects: 1) immediate decrease the levels of free H2S and methanethiol (MeSH); 2) slow the rate at which free H2S (not MeSH) increases during anoxic storage. After 7weeks of anoxia levels of free H2S and MeSH were high and similar regardless of the copper treatment. Higher copper doses could induce the accumulation of BR-H2S.

Six pecan cultivars were analyzed for their antioxidant capacity (AC), total phenolics (TP), condensed tannin (CT), HPLC phenolic profile, tocopherol and fatty acid composition. Kernels which included the outer brown testa or pellicle, and shells which is the hard cover that surrounds the kernel, were evaluated for each cultivar. Strong correlations were found in kernels between AC and TP for both DPPH (r 2 = 0.98) and AC ORAC (r 2 = 0.75) antioxidant assays. AC ORAC values ranged from 372 to 817 lmol trolox equivalents/g defatted kernel, corresponding to Desirable and Kanza cultivars, respectively. CT ranged from 23 to 47 mg catechin equivalents/g defatted kernel and TP from 62 to 106 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalents/g defatted kernel. After a consecutive basic-acid hydrolysis, gallic acid, ellagic acid, catechin and epicatechin were identified by HPLC. The TP, AC and CT were 6, 4.5 and 18 times higher, respectively, for shells compared to kernels. The presence of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant capacity in kernels and shells indicates pecans can be considered an important dietary source of antioxidants.

The behavioral framework for modelling and control is a framework that does not distinguish a priori between input and output of a system. Control in the behavioral framework does not make use of the intelligent control scheme consisting of observation of system output and feedback. Instead it relies on the interconnection of the to-be-controlled system to an appropriate controller, yielding the desired overall behaviour. In this paper, such a scheme is presented and compared to a feedback control scheme based on a numerical study. A focussed introduction into the behavioral framework with the concepts important for this paper is presented.

The story of the development of bacon curing technology merged with the present-day account of friends setting up a bacon plant in Cape Town. I decided to use selected events from the story of our bacon company, re-cast them in the late 1800s and early 1900s and tell the story of the creation of bacon.

The historical setting is the time when modern meat curing was born in Denmark, England, Germany, and the USA. It is also the time when the South African meat industry came of age under the leadership of David de Villiers-Graaff. Besides these, the culture at the Cape, as it is today, was fascinating. Life was vibrant and political currents, foundational to understand present-day South Africa.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all references to people and events from the 1800s, 1900s, and 2000s are actual and historically accurate. Any misrepresentation is my own fault and will be rectified if such errors are pointed out. Please mail me with factual errors at ebenvt@gmail.com

It will be presented to an editor to work through it and guide me to craft it into a more readable format. I am currently re-writing this one last time in its entirety. For the sake of collaboration, I keep other chapters “published.” The input I received thus far has been astounding from people around the world!

Chapter 12.3: Finally, is the last chapter to be written but this can only be done from a very special location in the far western regions of China for reasons which will become obvious as you read the work.  The other chapter still being completed is chapter 16 where I am featuring family photos.

My sincere thanks to each and every one of you!

Eben van Tonder
Cape Town
2016

Isolation of carrot fruit (Daucus carrota L., cultivar ''Chanteney") essential oil by supercritical carbon dioxide was investigated from the pretreatment of herbaceous matrix and extraction conditions to the chemical composition of obtained extract and its antimicrobial activity. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the supercritical extract, as well as of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation, were done by GC/FID and GC/MS methods. Antimicrobial properties of both samples were investigated against ten species of microorganisms. Experimental results showed that the particle size had no influence on the extraction process. The highest yield was obtained at 40°C and 10 MPa. The main component of the supercritical extract, as well as of the essential oil was carotol. The supercritical extract was characterized by the presence of heavier molecular weight compounds, while some lighter compounds, e.g. pinenes, were not detected. The supercritical extract and the essential oil were the most effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

Acid soluble collagen (ASC) was extracted from the skins of young and adult Nile perch (Lates niloticus) using 0.5 M acetic acid and precipitation with 0.9 M NaCl. The ASC yields, on a dry weight basis, were 63.1 and 58.7%, respectively for young and adult fish skins. SDS-PAGE showed that the collagens contained two alpha components (α1 and α2). ASC from Nile perch was found to contain more imino acids (19.3 and 20.0%, respectively, for young and adult fish) than most fish species. The denaturation temperature for the collagens from the skins of young and adult Nile perch was determined to be 36 °C, which is also higher than that for most other fish species. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed a higher degree of molecular order in ASC from adult than from young Nile perch. The results indicate that age-related changes in Nile perch skin collagen are not very pronounced, probably because there is minimal development of mature cross-links.

The effect of b-cyclodextrin (b-CD) on short-term retrogradation of rice starch was studied. Retrogradation of normal rice starch was reduced more by b-CD than by glycerol monostearate (GMS). b-CD reduced the rate of retrogradation of amylose and normal rice starch but not waxy rice starch. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) detected a potential amylose-b-CD complex formation. DSC data were analysed using the Avrami equation. Results showed that b-CD significantly lowered the crystallizing rate (k) and increased the Avrami exponent (n) of amylose recrystallisation (P < 0.05). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation indicated that the stability of the complex was primarily due to non-bonded interactions, such as Van der Waals (Vdw forces), electrostatic force, and hydrogen bonds formed in the presence of b-CD.

Raw milk was heated in a microwave oven at 2450MHz in order to study the effect on the main chemical changes taking place during heating processes: lactose isomerization, Maillard reaction and protein denaturation. Lactulose, epilactose, furosine and undenaturated whey proteins were measured as indicators of the heat damage in milk. Comparison with control samples treated by conventional heating showed a rate enhancement of the studied reactions during microwave treatment. These differences are supposed to be due, at least to some extent, to uneven heating of the milk in the microwave oven.

Synthesis and characterization of different pyrimidine derivatives. The targeted compounds were screened first using computer-aided drug design approach later they will synthesize and isolate and characterized by 1H-NMR and Mass spectroscopy. All synthesised compounds will be screen for their biological efficacy. We aim to achieve the desired potency of the compounds and also to ensure that the target compounds are active not only against H37Rv strain, but also against resistant Mycobacterium strains. Thus obtained lead compounds are expected to be promising lead candidates for further investigation for their pharmacokinetic and safety profiles.

The frequency sweep test was used to evaluate storage modulus (G 0 ), loss modulus (G 00 ) and loss tangent [tan (d)] of Iranian UF-Feta cheese during ripening period (3, 20, 40 and 60 days). With development of ripening, storage and loss moduli increased at varying rates. The rate of increase in G 0 was greater than that in G 00 resulting in a reduction in tan (d). That is, storage modulus was dominant to loss modulus and as a result the elasticity nature was greater than the viscous nature of cheese samples. Due to the disruption of fat globules and proteolysis, protein matrix rearranged and formed a more compact texture containing aggregates of casein. Ripening did not influence the pH level and also the concentrations of dry matter, fat, salt, and total nitrogen in dry matter. However, water soluble nitrogen increased significantly (P < 0.05).

Natural polysaccharides are drawing a great deal of attention in the recent years as excipient in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the advances in drug delivery technology, natural polysaccharides are included in controlled drug delivery to fulfill multitask functions and in some cases directly or indirectly influence the extent and /or rate of drug release. In the present study, the polysaccharides extracted from Terminalia belarica gum (TBG) were evaluated for its safety and potency towards pre formulation studies as a pharmaceutical excipient. The study was undertaken with an objective to expound the physicochemical, thermal and functional properties of polysaccharide obtained from Terminalia belarica gum (TBG). A purified component of polysaccharide was isolated from Terminalia belarica gum (TBG) by gel filtration method. Elemental analysis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Differential scanning microscopy (DSC) and Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) techniques were used to characterize the polysaccharide. Elemental analysis (CHN analysis) of the polysaccharide has shown the contents of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen contents to be 39.31, 5.56 and 0.18 (w/w %) respectively. SEM analysis suggests that the polysaccharide has irregular particle size, mostly seen in aggregates and fibrous in nature. The XRD pattern of the polysaccharide indicates both crystalline and amorphous structure. The experimental work provides enough evidence to exploit this natural biopolymer in food and pharmaceutical industry.

Twelve aroma compounds were monitored and quantified by dynamic headspace analysis after their addition in refined olive oil model systems with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) biophenols to simulate EVOO aroma. The influence of polyphenols on aroma release was studied under simulated mouth conditions by using human saliva, and SPME-GC/MS analysis. While few differences were observed in orthonasal assay (without saliva), interesting results were obtained for retronasal aroma. Biophenols caused generally the lowest headspace release of almost all volatile compounds. However, only ethyl esters and linalool concentrations were significantly lower in retronasal than orthonasal assay. Saliva also caused higher concentration of hexanal, probably due to hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) action on linoleyl hydroperoxides. Epicatechin was compared to EVOO phenolics and the behaviour was dramatically different, likely to be due to salivary protein-tannin binding interactions, which influenced aroma headspace release. These results were also confirmed using two extra virgin olive oils.

The content of reducing sugars and asparagine, responsible for the formation of acrylamide, was determined in eight Indian potato varieties. Among these, Kufri chipsona-2 and Kufri lavkar showed the lowest level of reducing sugar (680.68 ± 56.50 mg/kg) and asparagine (2074.36 ± 122.27 mg/kg), respectively. The acrylamide content in potato chips prepared from Kufri chipsona-2, the variety that is used commercially in India for making potato chips was also the lowest. Irradiation of this variety of potatoes at the sprout inhibition dose of 60 Gy and subsequent storage for six months showed a 10.7% lower content of reducing sugars at both 14 and 4 °C. The acrylamide content was 8.41% and 6.95% lower in chips from irradiated potatoes stored at 14 and 4 °C than the corresponding non-irradiated controls. The colour of the chips was also better in irradiated potatoes as judged from the L∗ and a∗ values.► Indian varieties of potatoes were screened for their ability to form acrylamide. ► Irradiation reduces sprouting, and hence the reducing sugars. ► Irradiated potatoes showed lower content of acrylamide in potato chips.

The stabilization of all-trans-lycopene from tomato by encapsulation using a-, b-and c-cyclodextrins (CDs) was evaluated. To that end, two different encapsulation methods were comparatively studied: a conventional method and a supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) process. An optimization procedure considering distinct molar ratios of CD/lycopene (1/0.0026, 1/0.005 and 1/0.05) as well as the type of cyclodextrin to be used was accomplished. The encapsulation was determined by using micro-Raman spectroscopy. All-trans-lycopene employed was obtained by SFE with a purity around 90-95%. As a result, a molar ratio CD/lycopene of 1/0.0026 was selected as it provided the best complexation yields (93.8%) whilst b-CD seemed to be the most favorable to be used to stabilize lycopene. A comparison of the two methods studied reflected higher encapsulation yields from the conventional method. However, the supercritical fluid approach offers numerous advantages such as the possibility of performing the extraction, fractionation and encapsulation of lycopene from tomato in one step, shortening notably the overall procedure time and minimizing the sample handling.