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The effects of the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) technology on the recovery of natural compounds from the brown seaweed Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt 1955 (Ochrophytina, Fucales) were investigated. Fresh biomass of S. muticum was collected on the Brittany Coast, France. Both fresh and Air Impingement-Dried (AID) thalli of 3 and 10 cm length were submitted to DIC during 20 s or 90 s of processing time under 100 or 800 kPa of saturated steam pressure. DIC treatment significantly improved the extraction of sulphate groups at 90 s, and carotene at 20 s under 100 kPa in thalli of 10 cm. While, coupling AID to DIC, the content of neutral sugars, proteins and antioxidants were higher in AID + DIC treatments. Further, a significant increase of 20 % in fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides and 30 % in sodium alginate under 100 kPa during 90 s, compared to oven-dried, was observed. The biomass of the invasive S. muticum treated by DIC and AID + DIC represented a valuable contribution for extraction of natural compounds. Advantages for industrial integration of DIC were discussed. [Display omitted] • DIC or Instant Controlled Pressure Drop was a suitable treatment for S. muticum. • DIC allowed to extract significantly higher content of sulphate groups and pigments. • Air Impingement Drying + DIC improved the fucoidan and sodium alginate extractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Withering is the first processing step in the tea processing factory. For efficient tea processing, withering should be as uniform as possible. Uniformity in the trough withering greatly depends on the uniformity of the drying air temperature and velocity distribution along the trough. In literature no study is reported on thermal and velocity profiles of drying air during withering in a trough which would bring about uniformity in the degree of wither. In this backdrop, in the present work a 3D model has been developed using Fluent 6.2 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package to predict the temperature and velocity distributions of drying air in a withering trough. The results of the model show wide variation in temperature and velocity distributions along the trough length, which contributes non-uniformity in tea leaves withering. The model has been validated within the acceptable limit (within ±1.43%) using the data that were collected from an open tea withering trough installed at Rosekandi tea estate factory, Assam, India. Thus, there is a good agreement between experimental and computational values. Therefore, the present numerical model can be extended incorporating the necessary changes in the trough design so as to obtain a uniform withering of tea leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of sediments air-drying on the overlying water quality of eutrophic DongHu Lake were evaluated. The results show that drying could decrease the nutrient content in the sediment except organic phosphorus, and organic matter exhibited the highest reduction (35.85%). Compared with the control, significant reductions of total nitrogen (3 1.14%), ammonia (42.59%), total phosphorus (53.85%), and chemical oxygen demand (46.5 1%) in overlying water above the sediment after drying were observed. Based on the findings, sediment drying has the potential to be a useful tool for controlling internal loading release and improving water quality for small eutrophic lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aloe is an important source of functional components, including polysaccharides, organic acids, vitamins and minerals, which can be used in dietary foods and pharmaceutical products. Freeze drying, along with spray drying, constitute the basic drying technologies used for the increase of shelf-life of Aloe components. Aloe gel, the inner part of the plant''s leaf, is the main source of these components, containing about 98% water. The purpose of this study is the investigation of the effect of drying in the preservation of Aloe''s functional substances. The differentiations of drying upon the polysaccharides, the essential components of the gel, were studied by means of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometry and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The concentrations of inorganic constituents like K, Na, Ca, Mg were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mb, Cr, Cd were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP/AES) and P content was determined by visible spectrometry, before and after drying. Gel was collected from the inner part of Aloe leaf and freeze dried. Concentration of polysaccharides was affected significantly from the drying process. On the other hand minerals concentration remained practically constant. Aloe gel contains a significant number of organic components, as well as minerals. The preservation and further use of these substances can be achieved by drying of Aloe gel. Nevertheless, drying process causes partial distraction of organic molecules and degradation of the produce Aloe powder. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]