1,720,966 research outputs found
Infrared and Microwave as a dry blanching tool for Irish potato: Product quality, cell integrity, and artifcial neural networks (ANNs) modeling of enzyme inactivation kinetic
No full textThis study evaluated the use of Infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) dry blanching technology as an alternative to
the conventional hot water (HW) blanching of Irish potato slices. Product quality, cell integrity, and Peroxidase
(POD) inactivation kinetics were investigated. Also, the POD inactivation kinetics curve was ftted with both
mathematical models and artifcial neural networks (ANNs). The result showed that MW blanching technique
had the shortest POD inactivation time (5 and 7 mins), when compared with HW blanching (7 and 9 mins) and IR
blanching (18 and 21 mins). IR blanched samples had the lowest colour change, slowest moisture loss, and lower
microbial activity when compared with HW and MW blanching, although the level of vitamin C retention was
similar with MW blanched samples. Furthermore, MW blanching had lower electrolyte leakage and microstructure damage, and better texture, when compared with HW and IR blanching. ANNs (R2 = 1.000, RMSE =
1.1597e-14, and SSE = 2.8994e-15) outperformed Weibull distribution (R2 = 0.9914, RMSE = 0.0348, and SSE
= 0.0073) in ftting the POD inactivation curve. In conclusion, IR and MW technology were effcient in dry
blanching of Irish potato, and ANNs allows for smart industrial control and monitoring of dry blanching
equipments, since it can combine multiple process variables
Lignin polyphenol: From biomass to innovative food applications, and influence on gut microflora
No full textThere is an increasing need for green materials to replace or reduce the already commercialized synthetic materials use in the food and beverage industry. One such green and under-utilized raw material available in nature
is lignin. Lignin is a high molecular weight phenolic macromolecule contained in biomass (about 10–50%) aside
from other major components like cellulose and hemicellulose. This review presented a state-of-the-art on the
lignin polyphenols in biomass and a pathway on how it can be practically integrated in food-related applications
such as: natural antioxidants, antibacterial flm, hydrogels, improving intestinal flora, etc. Furthermore, details
on the mechanism of action, production process, characterization methods, limiting factors, advantages, and
prospects are provided. Depolymerization of large unit’s lignin polyphenols such as p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl,
and syringyl, produces ferulic acid, vanillin, syringaldehyde, etc., which has high antioxidant and antibacterial
potential and can improve the gut microbiota. Lignin polyphenols can be preferable to other natural antioxidants
because they act as a physical barrier that prevents oxidation of nearby molecules. The antimicrobial activity of
lignin is due to its binding to the adhesin, thereby reducing the bacteria’s adherence to the host cell and the
interaction of the lignin functional groups with the peptidoglycan layers of the bacterial cell wall
Improvement in Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Microbial Stability of Tomatoes Using Gum Arabic-Based Composite Coating Functionalized with Keratin and Cinnamon Oil
No full textIn this study, we investigated the development of gum Arabic (GA)-based composite coatings functionalized with keratin
(K) and cinnamon oil (CO) to enhance the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbial stability of tomatoes. Coating
formulations containing GA-K-CO0.1 (27:3:0.1, v/v/v) and GA-K-CO0.5 (27:3:0.5, v/v/v) were developed and applied as
coatings. Mature green tomatoes were treated with GA-K-CO0.1 and GA-K-CO0.5 and stored at 27.5 °C and 80.7% relative
humidity (RH) for 20 days, with quality assessments at 5-day intervals. Formulations with a GA-K-CO0.1 concentration
extended the shelf life of tomatoes by up to 5 days under ambient conditions. This was achieved by signifcantly reducing weight loss by 31.9%, decay incidence by 33.3%, and exhibiting signifcant antifungal activity (p<0.05) compared
with the uncoated control, which was coated with distilled water. The tomatoes coated with GA-K-CO0.5 showed about
a 6.21% retention in moisture content, total soluble solids, and a rise of roughly 60% in antioxidant capacity compared
with control group. The formulation with a lower level of cinnamon oil in GA-K-CO0.1 showed a signifcant (p <0.05)
retention in β-carotene and lycopene levels, and further enhanced nutritional and visual quality, as well as its potential to
inhibit bacterial and fungal growth. The gum Arabic-based coating functionalized with keratin and cinnamon oil presents
a novel and sustainable method for postharvest tomato preservation, holding considerable promise to lower losses and
improve food quality in supply chains
EFFECTS OF ANNICKIA CHLORANTHA BARK ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON TESTICULAR FUNCTION INDICES AND THE HPLC FINGERPRINT ON SPERMATOGENIC TYPE 1& 2 HEXOKINASE MODULATION
No full textDecline in spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis in the testis
will ultimately lead to male infertility. This present study evaluated the
effect of the Annickia chlorantha ethanolic bark extract on testicular
function indices. Twenty (20) Wistar rats were randomly distributed
into 4 treatment groups: A-D. The control group (A) was administered
distilled water and groups B-D were orally administered 100, 200, and
300 mg/kg body weight of extract respectively. The rats were
euthanized 24 hrs after the last day of the 14-day experiment and testis
was harvested for biochemical and histopathological study. There was
a significant increase (p<0.05) in the ALP, ACP, and SOD activity in
the treated groups compared to the control. Similarly, there was a
significant increase (p<0.05) in MDA, sialic acid, and glycogen
concentration in all the treated groups compared to the control. The
tissue histopathology showed normal histomorphology of
spermatogonia in the treated groups compared to the control.
Quercetin, resorcinol and vanillin flavonoids are present in the extract.
The binding energy of the ligands to the hk1 structure range is -8.2 to
-4.8 kcal/mol, while with hk2, the range is -8.5 to –5.2 kcal/mol.
Quercetin has higher binding affinity on both protein structures
compared to metaformin and glucose-6 phosphate. The extract
improved some testicular function indices due to high flavonoid
content, particularly quercetin; nonetheless, there is a risk of
toxicological consequences due to high MDA levels and inhibition of
hexokinase activity. As a result, when used for testicular function
augmentation, caution should be exercised, and additional study is
required to understand the mechanism of testicular function increase
and the associated toxicological implications
Larvicidal and adulticidal efects of combined hydroethanolic extracts of clove fower buds and garlic bulbs on Anopheles gambiae
No full textAbstract
Background Insecticides are toxic substances, though not necessarily toxins, intentionally released into the environment to kill or manage insect populations. These chemical toxins pose signifcant risks to human and animal health
due to their direct efects and their impact as environmental pollutants. To mitigate these chemical hazards, the use
of phytocompounds with superior larvicidal or mosquitocidal efects, low toxicity levels in mammals, and short-term
environmental persistence may be a preferable alternative.
Methods This study aimed to evaluate the larvicidal and adulticidal efects of the combined hydroethanolic extracts
of garlic and clove on Anopheles gambiae. The experiment included four treatment groups: garlic, clove, combined
extract (garlic + clove), and deltamethrin (standard insecticide). At the end of the 24 h experiment, the knocked-down
adult mosquitoes were homogenized and used for biochemical assays.
Results The combined garlic-clove extract signifcantly increased (p < 0.05) the larval mortality rate compared
to the single garlic and clove extracts. Similarly, the combined extracts of garlic-clove signifcantly increased (p < 0.05)
mortality of adult mosquitoes compared to deltamethrin and the individual garlic and clove extract. The garlic-clove
combined extracts showed a signifcant decrease (p < 0.05) in the activity of acetylcholine esterase and Na–k ATPase
compared with the deltamethrin group. Furthermore, the docking interaction between AChE and voltage gated ion
channel with the GC–MS identifed compounds of the extracts showed a higher binding afnity with caryophyllene,
estrone, morellinol compared to deltamethrin.
Conclusions The efcacy of the garlic-clove extract as a larvicide and adulticide has been confrmed through biochemical analyses and in silico studies. This lethal efect is likely due to the inhibition of crucial enzymes that facilitate
essential processes such as signal transduction and energy production. Moreover, the biocidal properties of these
extracts stem from the alteration of vital metabolic pathways, infuenced by a range of bioactive compounds found
in both garlic and clove
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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