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The objective of this study was to evaluate, during the drying of spent coffee grounds, the application of pretreatments with ethanol and the application of ultrasound assisting the refractive window (RW) drying, and to compare with convective drying by hot air (AC). The effect on the kinetics parameters of the Fick and Page models were evaluated, as well as on the content of total phenolics and antioxidant capacity. For AC drying, samples of spent ground coffee were prepared in the form of fixed rectangular beds 0.7 cm high, which were placed on polyester sheets and pretreated up to 10 times sprayed with ethanol, then dried by AC at 80 °C and 0.8 m/s. For RW drying, the samples prepared in the same way as for AC were used. For this case, the application of ethanol as pretreatment and the use of ultrasound during process were tested. As results, regardless of the conditions applied, drying by RW was up to 50 % faster, evidenced in the highest values of effective diffusivity (from the Fick model) and the kinetic parameter (from the Page model). Regarding the treatments applied and their effect on the drying kinetics, any treatment had a significant effect on AC drying. On the contrary, the strategies applied in RW drying had significant effects, both the application of pretreatment with ethanol as well as the application of ultrasound assisting the process accelerated the drying kinetics. However, the treatment with ethanol and RW drying was the one that best preserved the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity in the samples. Therefore, these strategies could be a good option to improve RW drying by accelerating the process and preserving the bioactive compounds in the spent coffee grounds for subsequent utilization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydration is a crucial step during grain processing. It is performed prior to many other processes, such as germination, cooking, extraction, malting and fermentation. The number of publications on this topic studying the description of the mechanisms involved and recent technologies for processing enhancement has increased recently. However, due to the complexity of the hydration process, there are still many aspects that are little understood. For that reason, this review provides not only an overview of recent developments in this field, but also a critical discussion of publications from the last 2 decades, as well as suggestions for future innovative studies. This review discusses the importance of hydration in the grain industries, the pathway for water entry into the various grains, the mass transfer and fluid flow mechanisms in the process, the behavior of the hydration kinetics, the mathematical modelling, the technologies used to accelerate the process and other necessary requirements that must be performed to complement and complete our knowledge of this process., (© 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

This work studied three emerging approaches to improve the convective drying (50 °C, 0.8 m/s) of celery. Celery slices of 2 mm thick were pretreated for 5 min using ultrasound (32 W/L, 40 kHz), vacuum (75 kPa vacuum pressure) and ethanol (99.8% v/v, as drying accelerator) applied individually or in combination. To evaluate individual effects of ultrasound and vacuum, the treatments were also performed with distilled water or air medium, respectively. Moreover, the cavitational level was characterized in each condition. Drying kinetics was evaluated tending into account the drying time required by each treatment and the Page's model parameters. In addition, microstructural effects and shrinkage were evaluated. As results, ethanol combined with ultrasound significantly improved drying kinetics reducing drying time by around 38%. However, vacuum pretreatment did not affect drying kinetics even in combination with ethanol and/or ultrasound. Microstructural evaluation did not evidence cell disruption, suggesting changes in intercellular spaces, pores and/or cell wall permeability. The use of ethanol and vacuum showed a greater effect on shrinkage after pretreatment and after drying, respectively. In conclusion, at the studied conditions, the drying acceleration by vacuum and ultrasound is lower compared to the effect produced using ethanol., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The industrial processing of crude propolis generates residues. Essential oils (EOs) from propolis residues could be a potential source of natural bioactive compounds to replace antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants in pig production. In this study, we determined the antibacterial/antioxidant activity of EOs from crude organic propolis (EOP) and from propolis residues, moist residue (EOMR), and dried residue (EODR), and further elucidated their chemical composition. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation, and their volatile profile was tentatively identified by GC-MS. All EOs had an antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus plantarum as they caused disturbances on the growth kinetics of both bacteria. However, EODR had more selective antibacterial activity, as it caused a higher reduction in the maximal culture density ( D ) of E. coli (86.7%) than L. plantarum (46.9%). EODR exhibited mild antioxidant activity, whereas EOMR showed the highest antioxidant activity (ABTS = 0.90 μmol TE/mg, FRAP = 463.97 μmol Fe 2+ /mg) and phenolic content (58.41 mg GAE/g). Each EO had a different chemical composition, but α-pinene and β-pinene were the major compounds detected in the samples. Interestingly, specific minor compounds were detected in a higher relative amount in EOMR and EODR as compared to EOP. Therefore, these minor compounds are most likely responsible for the biological properties of EODR and EOMR. Collectively, our findings suggest that the EOs from propolis residues could be resourcefully used as natural antibacterial/antioxidant additives in pig production.

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is an often disease affecting piglets. It is caused mainly by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) colonization in pig gut. Antibiotics has been used to prevent, combat and control PWD and its negative impact on the productivity of pig breeding sector. Nonetheless, antibiotics due to their wide antibacterial spectrum also can reach beneficial gut bacteria, such as Lactobacillus. Lately, essential oils (EOs) have emerged as a potential alternative to using antibiotics in animal breeding because of their effect on bacterial growth. Commonly, citrus EOs are by-products of food industry and the availability of these EOs in the worldwide market is huge. Thus, six commercials citrus EOs were evaluated on ETEC strains, as model of pathogenic bacteria, and on Lactobacillus species, as models of beneficial bacteria. In overall, citrus EOs exhibited a selective antibacterial activity with higher effect on pathogenic bacteria (ETECs) than beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus). Brazilian orange terpenes (BOT) oil presented the highest selective performance and caused higher disturbances on the normal growth kinetic of ETEC than on Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The action was dose-dependent on the maximal culture density (A) and the lag phase duration (λ) of the ETEC. The highest sub-inhibitory concentration (0.925 mg/mL) extended the λ duration to ETEC eight times (14.6 h) and reduced A in 55.9%. For L. rhamnosus, the λ duration was only extended 1.6 times. Despite the fact that limonene was detected as the major compound, the selective antibacterial activity of the citrus EOs could not be exclusively attributed to limonene since the presence of minor compounds could be implicated in conferring this feature.

The present work studied, for the first time, the effect of two technologies on the hydration and germination process of beans: ionizing irradiation and ultrasound. In addition, this work proposed a possible biological effect of ultrasound to describe its effect on grain hydration. Carioca beans were irradiated at doses of 2.3 and 3.8 kGy using γ-rays, establishing different metabolic activities for the beans. Then, they were hydrated with and without the ultrasound technology (91 W/L and 25 kHz) at 25 °C. Both the hydration and germination kinetics were evaluated considering the application of both technologies alone and in combination. As results, irradiation did not significantly affect (P > 0.05) the hydration rate, the equilibrium moisture, or the lag phase time, but ultrasound affected them, reducing 50% of the processing time. On the other hand, only the equilibrium moisture was slightly reduced by the interactive effect of irradiation and ultrasound technology, which was discussed based on different metabolism levels. Furthermore, the germination process of carioca bean was hindered by both the studied variables, reducing its germination capacity to 0% in some cases. Therefore, by studying the effect of ultrasound on beans with different active metabolism (due to different irradiation doses), it was suggested that both physical and biological mechanisms are involved during hydration process and that both can be affected by ultrasound. Further, irradiation could be used on carioca beans with objectives such as avoid germination, insects, and microorganism's growth, without an important effect on the hydration kinetics. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Ultrasound technology has demonstrated to accelerate the soaking process of several legume grains. However, sometimes, grains are irradiated for disinfestation purpose to improve their shelf life. Indeed, irradiation can change the grain properties as the cooking time, hydration time, and germination capacity. Therefore, this work verified if irradiation changes the desirable effect of ultrasound on grain processing: soaking and germination. Moreover, this work novelty is also based on describing the phenomena: by proposing a possible biological effect, further approaches to improve the grain processing can be achieved., (© 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

In this work, the effect of Gamma-irradiation was evaluated on the characteristics of mung bean (Vigna radiata) grains and starches, considering doses up to 5 kGy. For this purpose, the starch structure and properties were evaluated, as well as the grains' hydration, germination and cooking. The irradiation process was able to change the characteristics of both mung bean starches and grains. The starch structure was partially changed, presenting smaller molecules and small changes in the granule morphology. No alterations were observed in the starch X-ray diffraction pattern, while lower pH was achieved. Considering the starch properties, it was observed lower water retention ability at 75 °C, lower apparent viscosity, higher paste clarity and, in general, harder and less viscous gels. The ionizing radiation accelerated the hydration, reduced the germination capacity and improved cooking time of the mung bean grains. The results proved the efficacy of using ionizing radiation, at the doses applied in this work, to desirably modify the mung bean starch and grains., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This work aimed to demonstrate the internal and external structural changes in potato cylinders caused by different times of ultrasound pretreatment. In addition, the structural changes were associated with the viscoelasticity and mass transfer. For which, potato cylinders were immersed in distilled water and pretreated with and without ultrasound (ultrasonic bath of 91 W/L and 25 kHz) up to 120 min. Then, the microstructure was evaluated by stereoscopic observation as a direct method, and by viscoelasticity and mass transfer evaluation (pigment diffusion and drying) as indirect methods. Both external and internal structure of the material were evaluated. As results, it was demonstrated the formation of microchannels inside the potato tissue as well as the surface erosion caused by ultrasound, especially after 60 min of pretreatment. Further, it was observed that the product viscoelasticity is affected by the ultrasound pretreatment reducing the elasticity. In addition, the mass transfer on the cylinders was improved by ultrasound pretreatment. The pigment transfer was enhanced, demonstrating the acoustic erosion at the sample border. Furthermore, the drying process was accelerated by ultrasound, demonstrating the reduction of the internal resistance to water transfer. Finally, it was observed that high structural changes on the potato cylinders can bring some disadvantages such as changes on the color and severe shrinkage. This work concluded that the structural changes caused by ultrasound can be evidenced directly and indirectly. Furthermore, different structural changes took place, on both inside and outside of the vegetable sample. However, despite ultrasound improves further process, especially those that involve mass transfer, the parameters time and ultrasonic power must be optimized to obtain desirable results without reducing the product quality., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This work explained how the intrinsic properties of beans affects the hydration process. For that, different properties of six cultivars of carioca bean (a variety of common bean) were analyzed to verify the correlation with their hydration kinetics characteristics (hydration rate, lag phase time and equilibrium moisture content), using a Multiple Factorial Analysis (MFA): the chemical composition (starch, protein, lipids, minerals (Mg, P, S, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn), functional groups from the seed coat analyzed by FT-IR), physical properties (size, 1000 grain weight, seed coat thickness, energy to penetrate the bean) and microstructure. Only few properties correlated with the hydration kinetics characteristics of the studied bean, comprising both composition and structure. The fat content, potassium content, specific surface, and the protein to lipids ratio correlated with the lag phase time, which is related with the seed coat impermeability to water. The necessary energy to perforate the seed coat correlated negatively with the hydration rate. It was concluded that the hydration of beans process is a complex phenomenon and that despite being from the same variety of legume, any change due to agronomic enhancement may affect their hydration process kinetics., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydration is an important but long step in processing beans. Consequently, any ways of taking advantage of this processing time are desirable. One possibility is to fortify the beans during the hydration process, especially with water-soluble nutrients. This work studied the incorporation of iron into beans during hydration with and without ultrasound, describing the kinetics of water and iron uptake, the entrance pathway and its effect on germination and the cooking process. For that, carioca beans were soaked in ferrous sulfate solution (0.271% w/v) with and without ultrasound (91 W/L; 25 kHz) at 25 °C. It was demonstrated that iron could be incorporated during the hydration process, describing a similar kinetics behavior to the water uptake. In addition, ultrasound accelerated this process, achieving 60.1 mg Fe/100 g w.b. after 510 min of process, in contrast to 34.4 mg Fe/100 g w.b. when the beans were hydrated without ultrasound. Finally, by hydrating the beans with ferrous sulfate, the cooking process was accelerated, which is desirable. However, the capacity for germination of the beans was reduced. In conclusion, the hydration process time can be used to fortify the beans with iron (and, possibly, other water-soluble nutrients). Nevertheless, future studies must be performed to determine if the incorporated iron is bioavailable and bioaccessible, as well as how relevant this approach is as a nutritional policy., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biological materials are characterized by complex structures and compositions, leading to viscoelastic behavior. Their viscoelastic characterization is important for the evaluation, design, and optimization of processes to ensure high quality products. Proposals of methodologies of analysis and modeling are critical steps in studying the rheological properties of these materials. In this context, a new model, the Guo-Campanella Model, was recently proposed to describe the stress-relaxation behavior of biological material. This work is an independent and impartial evaluation of this new model. It considers 10 different samples, comprising in natura and processed foods, from both plant and animal bases. For comparison, a Generalized Maxwell Model and the Peleg Model were also evaluated. The Guo-Campanella Model fitted the stress-relaxation data of evaluated products well, demonstrating its validity for describing the viscoelastic behavior of biological materials with different structures, sources, and processing. Finally, the Guo-Campanella Model parameters were evaluated and their interpretations and possible uses described. It was shown that the Guo-Campanella Model can be successfully used for future studies., Practical Applications: The stress-relaxation assay is a common technique for characterizing the viscoelastic properties of biological materials. The results obtained are generally evaluated using such compound models as the Generalized Maxwell model. Although this approach is interesting from a fundamental point of view, it results in many parameters to evaluate, thus increasing the complexity and limiting the interpretation. In this sense, the Guo-Campanella Model has only two parameters, which facilitates interpretation, especially for practical applications. This work validated this model, also contributing to its interpretation by discussing the meaning of its parameters. Consequently, this is potentially useful for future studies on food properties and process design., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This work aimed to describe the acidification process of two specific model foods using the ultrasound technology, as well as to evaluate the changes on its viscoelasticity properties. For that, two types of model food were used, with similar composition but different structures: natural melon cylinders and restructured melon-agar cylinders. The acidification process was performed using a citric acid solution (0.2% w/w) assisted with and without ultrasound (40W/L of volumetric power and 20kHz of frequency) at constant temperature (25°C). In addition, the stress relaxation analysis was performed on the cylinders in order to evaluate the changes on the viscoelastic properties. As a result, both ultrasound processing and the different structural conformation of the model foods affected the acidification kinetics, being improved by ultrasound. Further, the acidification process with and without ultrasound affected the mechanical properties of both products, reducing their elasticity. The relaxation data could be described by a Maxwell model with two bodies and a residual spring, providing a possible explanation of the association between the mechanical model parameters and the microstructural conformation of both studied cases., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ultrasound technology was successfully used to improve the mass transfer processes on food. However, the study of this technology on the grain hydration and on its main components properties was still not appropriately described. This work studied the application of the ultrasound technology on the hydration process of mung beans (Vigna radiata). This grain showed sigmoidal hydration behavior with a specific water entrance pathway. The ultrasound reduced ~25% of the hydration process time. In addition, this technology caused acceleration of the seed germination - and some hypothesis for this enhancement were proposed. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the ultrasound did not change both structure and pasting properties of the bean starch. Finally, the flour rheological properties proved that the ultrasound increased its apparent viscosity, and as the starch was not modified, this alteration was attributed to the proteins. All these results are very desirable for industry since the ultrasound technology improves the hydration process without altering the starch properties, accelerates the germination process (that is important for the malting and sprouting process) and increases the flour apparent viscosity, which is desirable to produce bean-based products that need higher consistency.

The present work aimed to describe the mechanisms involved in the enhancement of the drying and rehydration process of carrot slices caused by the pre-treatment using the ultrasound technology. For that, carrot slices of 4mm of thickness were pre-treated for 30 and 60min using an ultrasonic bath (41W/L; 25kHz). The convective drying process was performed at 40 and 60°C with 2.0m/s of air velocity, while the rehydration process was performed at 25°C. The Henderson & Pabis model was used to describe the drying kinetics and the Peleg model to describe the rehydration process of the carrots slices. As a result, the drying and rehydration kinetics were described, at the different conditions of process, correlating the results with the main effects that the ultrasound cause as a pre-treatment (cell bloating and micro-channels) and the air-drying temperature. Depending on the length of the pre-treatment, the effects caused by the ultrasound in the following processes were different. In addition, it was corroborated that when the drying temperature is increased, less evidenced is the ultrasound effect. The ultrasound, when is applied for long times, enhanced the drying and further rehydration rate at low temperatures, due to the tissue damage. Moreover, vacuum-packed samples were pre-treated with ultrasound in order to exclude the water gain and to evaluate only the micro-channels formation effect. It was concluded that the ultrasound pre-treatment enhances the drying and rehydration processes; however, future optimization studies are recommended., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this work was to demonstrate how ultrasound mechanisms (direct and indirect effects) improve the mass transfer phenomena in food processing, and which part of the process they are more effective in. Two model cases were evaluated: the hydration of sorghum grain (with two water activities) and the influx of a pigment into melon cylinders. Different treatments enabled us to evaluate and discriminate both direct (inertial flow and "sponge effect") and indirect effects (micro channel formation), alternating pre-treatments and treatments using an ultrasonic bath (20 kHz of frequency and 28 W/L of volumetric power) and a traditional water-bath. It was demonstrated that both the effects of ultrasound technology are more effective in food with higher water activity, the micro channels only forming in moist food. Moreover, micro channel formation could also be observed using agar gel cylinders, verifying the random formation of these due to cavitation. The direct effects were shown to be important in mass transfer enhancement not only in moist food, but also in dry food, this being improved by the micro channels formed and the porosity of the food. In conclusion, the improvement in mass transfer due to direct and indirect effects was firstly discriminated and described. It was proven that both phenomena are important for mass transfer in moist foods, while only the direct effects are important for dry foods. Based on these results, better processing using ultrasound technology can be obtained., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Since the early 1930s, when the first corn hybrids were grown commercially, innovations in the agriculture industry have had an unprecedent impact worldwide, helping to meet the demands for food of an exponentially growing population. In particular, seed technology research has contributed substantially to the improvement of crop performance over the years. Ultrasonic treatment of seeds is a green technology that promises to have an impact on the food industry, enhancing germination and seedling development in different species through the stimulation of water and oxygen uptake and seed metabolism. The increase in starch degradation has been associated with the stimulation of the α-amylases of the endosperm, but relatively few reports focus on how ultrasound affects seed germination at the biochemical and molecular levels. For instance, the picture is still unclear regarding the impact of ultrasound on transcriptional reprogramming in seeds. The purpose of this review is to assess the literature on ultrasound seed treatment accurately and critically, ultimately aiming to encourage new scientific and technological breakthroughs with a real impact on worldwide agricultural production while promoting sustainable practices on biological systems. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Citrus pseudolimon (galgal), is an underutilized citrus fruit from the Rutaceae family with promising nutritional potential. The study compared morphological, chemical, and nutritional properties of galgal cultivars from Punjab (PBG), Haryana (HRG), and Himachal Pradesh (HPG). HPG was found to have a longer length (110.18 mm), weight (333.4 g), color (L*, a*, b*: 64.83, -13.12, 61.33), peel thickness (3.92 mm), fruit yield (72.14%), and number of seeds (18) compared to HRG and PBG. The moisture content of PBG (84.37%) was greater than HPG (82.73%) and HRG (81.23%). The total sugar level of HPG (9.25%) was found significantly low from PBG and HRG (~ 10%). All cultivars have enough fibres (~ 4%) and pectin (3–4%), with phenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid ranging from 67.6 to 77.09 mg GAE/g, 34.39–35.31 mg QE/g, and 68.28–70.45 mg/100 mL, respectively. Fruit seed oil contained palmitic (22.36 to 22.87%), oleic (27.77 to 29.25%), linoleic (31.43 to 32.14%), and linolenic (6.32 to 6.70%) acids and other minor fatty acids. All fruit varieties were antioxidant-rich. The predominant volatile elements in all cultivars were α-pinene, camphene, D-limonene, 3-carene, linalool, c-elemene, and caryophyllene. The GC-MS analysis of all cultivars revealed significant amounts of D-limonene and α-ocimene. Overall, excellent nutritional and functional components make galgal a very important food commodity to be utilized to formulate functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the impact of ethanol pretreatment and drying time on various aspects, including drying characteristics, modeling using thin-layer and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches, color changes during the drying process, shrinkage ratio, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA) analysis, as well as ATR-FTIR analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) of the potato slices. Ethanol concentration and pretreatment time had an incredible effect on drying rate and drying time. Higher ethanol concentration and longer pretreatments time provided shorter drying time and a more rapid drying rate. On the other hand, ANN modeling of the potato slices showed better prediction than thin-layer modeling. According to the total color difference (ΔE) values of the samples, ethanol pretreatments had a negative contribution to color properties. Furthermore, the shrinkage ratio of potato samples was affected by drying and ethanol pretreatment time. Diameter shrinkage increased with the increment in ethanol concentration and pretreatment time. TPC and AA of the potato slices showed to decreasing tendency during the drying process. The highest loss of TPC and AA was observed from the samples coded 60 °C + 100 ET 15 and 60 °C + 100 ET 30. Additionally, ATR-FTIR and PCA analysis well exhibited the effect of the ethanol pretreatment and drying process on the composition of the potato slices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main waste generated by juice industry comprises orange peels, which have a great upcycling potential once stabilized. Drying is the most used method for this purpose, but the high energy consumption prompts interest in its intensification. This study assessed the influence of freeze-thaw and pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatments in conventional and airborne ultrasound-assisted drying (50 °C) of orange peels. None of these pretreatments alone got to reduce processing times significantly, but combined with ultrasound-assisted drying produced a significant shortening of the process. This was particularly important in the lower intensity PEF pretreatment tested (0.33 kJ/kg), indicating the existence of optimum conditions to carry out the pretreatments. Microstructure analysis revealed that the application of ultrasound during drying led to better preservation of the sample structure. Thus, the integration of pretreatment techniques to ultrasound-assisted drying may not only shorten the process but also help to preserve the original structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most significant dried foods is raisin, used directly as ingredients in confectionary and in the form of raisin paste used in sauces, fillings, baked goods, microwaveable coatings, and other culinary products to color them naturally. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of ultrasound pretreatment (53 kHz, 300 W, 30 °C, 300 s, in a mixture of 5% K2CO3+ 1% OO solution) and drying air temperatures (40–60 °C) on the drying behavior, color values, physicochemical properties (moisture content, VCC, TPC, RSC, and antioxidant capacity (DDPH)) and rehydration capacity of Sultani Çekirdeksiz grapes. Both the drying kinetic (drying time, drying rate, and effective moisture diffusivity) and the quality characteristics of grapes were significantly improved by ultrasound pretreatment (p < 0.05). In addition, the vitamin C (0.75–3.86 mg/g) and total phenolic content (1.31–1.80 mg GA/kg) of raisins were highly protected with the high drying temperature and ultrasound pretreatment. The antioxidant capacity (1.15–5.50 mM Trolox) of samples increased with drying temperature whereas the antioxidant capacity decreased with ultrasound application. The rehydration time of all samples was found around 800 min. As a result of this study, it can be said that the ultrasound application may be used successfully for drying grapes and that a greater degree of the nutritional value of the grapes can be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the microstructure, deformation and hysteresis curves of corn kernels with different water content, to quantify the quasi-brittle mechanical properties of corn kernels. A significant finding was that with the increasing water content from 10 to 30%, the maximum load that corn kernels can bear increases and then decreases gradually. The bearing capacity of corn grain with 14% moisture content was the highest. The limit load is 160 N. The relationship between load and fatigue life of corn kernel was obtained by a compressive fatigue test. The fatigue load–fatigue life curve of corn grains was established. It was concluded that the higher the load, the shorter the fatigue life, and with the increase in water content, the fatigue life of corn kernels would gradually decrease. This is because with the increase in water content, first, the linear elastic stage of corn grain gradually decreases, and the nonlinear stage gradually increases. The second is the transition from brittle fracture to quasi-brittle fracture, and the load required to produce damage inside the grain is gradually reduced. Through damage theory and Micro-CT test, the nonlinearity of damage accumulation in corn kernels was proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High moisture in Chinese medicine residues (CMR) can decrease the energy efficiency of thermochemical conversion, which necessitates the pre-drying. Owing to the complex constituents and decoction, CMR may possess distinct drying characteristics. It is necessary to understand its drying behaviors, effective moisture diffusivity, and pollutant emissions for future design and optimization of an industrial-level dryer. In this study, the drying of four types of typical CMR in hot nitrogen was performed. Their condensate and exhaust gas were collected and characterized. The results indicated that their drying process was dominated by internal moisture transport mechanism with a long falling rate stage. Drying temperature influenced their drying process more greatly than N2 velocity did. Residual sum of squares, root mean square error, and coefficient of determination indicated that Weibull model demonstrated their drying process best. Their effective moisture diffusivity was in the range of 1.224 × 10–8 to 4.868 × 10–8 m2/s, while their drying activation energy ranged from 16.93 to 30.39 kJ/mol. The acidic condensate had high chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen concentration and yet low total phosphorus concentration. The concentration of total volatile organic compounds, non-methane hydrocarbons, H2S, and NH3 in the exhaust gas met the national emission limitation, while the deodorization of exhaust gas was required to remove odor smell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in rheological behavior and physical properties of avocado dressing and green juice samples processed by ultrasound (US) technology (120 µm, 24 kHz, up to 2 min, 20 °C) were investigated. The avocado dressing followed pseudoplastic flow behavior, which had good fit to the power law model, with R2 values >0.9664. The lowest K values 3.5110, 2.4426, and 2.3228 were determined for avocado dressing samples with no treatment at 5 °C, 15 °C, and 25 °C, respectively. At the shear rate of 0.1/s, viscosity of 2 min US-treated avocado dressing increased significantly from 19.1 to 55.5 Pa.s at 5 °C, 13.08 to 36.78 Pa.s at 15 °C, and 14.55 to 26.75 Pa.s at 25 °C. Flow instability occurred in green juice after reaching shear rate of 300/s due to narrow gap in concentric cylinder; however, constant viscosity between 10 and 300/s indicated that the sample was Newtonian. Increasing temperature from 5 °C to 25 °C decreased viscosity of US-treated green juice from 2.55 to 1.50 mPa.s at the shear rate of 100/s. Color of both samples did not change after US processing, but lightness increased in green juice which denoted lighter color compared to the sample without treatment. There was no difference in pH and total soluble solids of samples. Results represent that US technology may be a good alternative in producing green liquid foods with acceptable rheological properties and color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The extraction of essential oil from citrus fruit peel is an innovative way to make use of a valuable component that is often considered waste. This research focused on extracting essential oil from three different galgal cultivars (Punjab galgal; PBG, Haryana galgal; HRG, and Himachal galgal; HPG) using various methods. The extracted oils were tested for bioactive components, which were subsequently investigated for antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Method: The peel obtained from various fruit cultivars were examined for physicochemical and phytochemical properties. The essential oils were then extracted from peel by employing different techniques and the yield was calculated to adopt best possible method. The characterization of bioactive components in essential oils was done using gas chromatography mass spectrometry method (GCMS). Finally, the essential oils were studied for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Results: The pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, moisture, color, proteins, fat, fibers, total carotenoids, chlorophyll, and ash content of fruit peel varied across different fruit varieties. Among the methods tested for essential oil extraction, the Clevenger method demonstrated superior performance compared to supercritical fluid, steam distillation, microwave-assisted, and ultrasound-assisted extraction. The essential oils extracted from the fruit peels contained varying amounts of D-limonene, α-ocimene, α-myrcene, and α-pinene, with variations observed among different cultivars. Furthermore, all essential oils exhibited good antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Conclusion: The utilization of essential oils as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents in foods is an effective strategy for fruit industry waste valorization, and it could also best serve as a substitute for various chemical preservatives. The strategy of the study on the utilization of galgal fruit waste essential oil as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Microbiota plays a pivotal role in promoting the health and wellbeing of poultry. Essential oils (EOs) serve as an alternative solution for modulating poultry microbiota. This study aimed to investigate, using amplicon sequencing, the effect of a complex and well-defined combination of EOs feed supplement on both ileal and caecal broiler microbiota, within the context of Salmonella and Campylobacter intestinal colonization. Material and methods: For this experiment, 150-day-old Ross chicks were randomly allocated to two groups: T+ (feed supplementation with EO mix 500 g/t) and T- (non-supplemented). At day 7, 30 birds from each group were orally inoculated with 106 CFU/bird of a Salmonella enteritidis and transferred to the second room, forming the following groups: TS+ (30 challenged birds receiving infeed EOmix at 500g/t) and TS- (30 challenged birds receiving a non-supplemented control feed). At day 14, the remaining birds in the first room were orally inoculated with 103 CFU/bird of two strains of Campylobacter jejuni, resulting in the formation of groups T+C+and T-C+. Birds were sacrificed at day 7, D10, D14, D17, and D21. Ileal and caecal microbiota samples were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. At D7 and D14, ileal alpha diversity was higher for treated birds (p<0.05). Results and discussion: No significant differences between groups were observed in caecal alpha diversity (p>0.05). The ileal beta diversity exhibited differences between groups at D7 (p < 0.008), D10 (p = 0.029), D14 (p = 0.001) and D17 (p = 0.018), but not at D21 (p = 0.54). For all time points, the analysis indicated that 6 biomarkers were negatively impacted, while 10 biomarkers were positively impacted. Sellimonas and Weissella returned the lowest (negative) and highest (positive) coefficient, respectively. At each time point, treatments influenced caecal microbiota beta diversity (p < 0.001); 31 genera were associated with T+: 10 Ruminoccocaceae genera were alternatively more abundant and less abundant from D7, 7 Lachnospiraceae genera were alternatively more and less abundant from D10, 6 Oscillospiraceae genera were variable depending on the date and 4 Enterobacteriaceae differed from D7. During all the experiment, Campylobacter decreased in treated birds (p < 0.05). This study showed that EO mix modulates ileal and caecal microbiota composition both before and during challenge conditions, increasing alpha diversity, especially in ileum during the early stages of chick life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the microbes present on tree fruit carpospheres as the fruit enters postharvest processing could have useful applications, as these microbes could have a major influence on spoilage, food safety, verification of packing process controls, or other aspects of processing. The goal of this study was to establish a baseline profile of bacterial communities associated with apple (pome fruit), peach (stone fruit), and Navel orange (citrus fruit) at harvest. We found that commercial peaches had the greatest bacterial richness followed by oranges then apples. Time of harvest significantly changed bacterial diversity in oranges and peaches, but not apples. Shifts in diversity varied by fruit type, where 70% of the variability in beta diversity on the apple carposphere was driven by the gain and loss of species (i.e., nestedness). The peach and orange carposphere bacterial community shifts were driven by nearly an even split between turnover (species replacement) and nestedness. We identified a small core microbiome for apples across and between growing seasons that included only Methylobacteriaceae and Sphingomonadaceae among the samples, while peaches had a larger core microbiome composed of five bacterial families: Bacillaceae, Geodermtophilaceae, Nocardioidaceae, Micrococcaeceae, and Trueperaceae. There was a relatively diverse core microbiome for oranges that shared all the families present on apples and peaches, except for Trueperaceae, but also included an additional nine bacterial families not shared including Oxalobacteraceae, Cytophagaceae, and Comamonadaceae. Overall, our findings illustrate the important temporal dynamics of bacterial communities found on major commercial tree fruit, but also the core bacterial families that constantly remain with both implications being important entering postharvest packing and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-temperature sweetening is a crucial aspect in the potato chips industry because of the initiation of browning. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasonication on the concentrations of reducing sugars, sucrose, asparagine and chip color on tubers with different characteristics. Therefore, samples of the cultivars (cvs.) Nicola, Laura and Golden Wonder were used in this study. The tubers were initially stored at 4 °C and a relative humidity of 90% for 18 weeks. Ultrasonication was applied at 25 and 50 °C for 10, 20 and 30 min., Results: The results showed that ultrasonication contributed to improve the color of the chips produced from the chip cultivar (cv. Golden Wonder), as well as the non-chip cultivars (cvs. Nicola and Laura). The concentration of reducing sugars and sucrose is the main factor for the color development of the chips. Increased temperature and extended ultrasonication duration correlate with more pronounced cell wall disruption., Conclusion: The present study revealed that ultrasonication could be considered as a pretreatment for production of chips from cold-stored tubers. However, it is necessary to validate the feasibility of this application in an upscaled process. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

For the first time, the impact of ultrasound-ethanol immersion as a non-thermal pretreatment (NTPT) and coating-blanching in starch solutions as a thermal pretreatment (TP) on the convective drying of beetroot was evaluated. The beetroot was exposed to ethanol immersion (E), ultrasound (U), and ultrasound-ethanol immersion (UE). Besides, TP pretreatment was performed by blanching the beetroot at steam (SB), water (WB), starch-coating solutions, and microwave (M). The hot air drying was conducted at 90 °C and air velocity of 1.2 m/s. The maximum decreases in the drying time were observed at UE30 (64.29 %) and the sample blanched at native corn starch solution (60.17 %). Moisture diffusion coefficients ranged from 0.851 to 2.312 × 10−9 m2/s. The friction drag force, convective heat, and mass transfer coefficients were 2.840 × 10−6 N, 59.368 W/m2 K, and 0.0492 m/s, respectively. The thermal conductivity, specific heat, and density ranged from 0.464 to 0.615 W/m. K, 3164–4071 J/kg. K, and 798.9 to 1055.9 kg/m3, respectively. The maximum values of rehydration ratio at non-thermal (NTPT) and thermal pretreatments (TP) were observed at U30 and the sample blanched at the modified starch solution (MCS), respectively. The total phenolic contents of the NTP sample decreased while those for the TP samples increased due to boosted polyphenol synthesis at high temperatures. Both U and E samples caused a decrease in the total antioxidant activity, while they increased the anthocyanin content of beetroot samples. Pretreatments reduced the hardness owing to changes in the microstructure of the sample. U, E, and M pretreatments increased the brightness of samples, and the minimum color change compared with control samples was observed by UE30 pretreatment. The UE and blanching at a starch solution could be selected for improving the drying characteristics of beetroots at an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents the effect of blanching, ultrasound, and ethanol pretreatments on the drying characteristics and rehydration properties of carrot slices, comparison of modelling, and total energy consumption. After the pretreatments, water and solid loss and weight reduction were determined at the samples. The highest water loss (%), solid loss (%), and weight reduction (%) were detected at the samples immersed in 100% ethanol solution for 30 min with the values of 16.45, 4.67, and 21.12, respectively. All pretreatments accelerated drying rate and improved the rehydration rate of the samples. Pretreatment time had also positive contribution to drying rate and rehydration rate. The highest rehydration rate was observed at the samples immersed in 100% ethanol solution for 30 min as 5.81 ± 0.06. Additionally, moisture diffusion and mass transfer rate increased with the increment in drying rate. The highest moisture diffusivity (D) from Dincer and Dost model, effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) from Crank equation, and mass transfer coefficient (hm) values were calculated in the samples immersed in 100% ethanol solution for 30 min as 7.52 × 10−9 m2 s−1, 8.64 × 10−10 m2 s−1, and 8.15 × 10−7 m s−1, respectively. Pretreatments reduced the total energy consumption. The highest reduction rate was found in samples immersed in 100% ethanol solution for 30 min as 37.50%. Artificial neural network (ANN) modelling gave the best fitting with the highest determination coefficient (R2) values (0.9997–0.9999), lower the root mean square error (RMSE), and lower sum of square error (SSE) values (0.006740690–0.000900453 and 0.000818–0.00000162). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andean crops such as quinoa, amaranth, cañihua, beans, maize, and tarwi have gained interest in recent years for being gluten-free and their high nutritional values; they have high protein content with a well-balanced essential amino acids profile, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, and antioxidant compounds. During the germination bioprocess, the seed metabolism is reactivated resulting in the catabolism and degradation of macronutrients and some anti-nutritional compounds. Therefore, germination is frequently used to improve nutritional quality, protein digestibility, and availability of certain minerals and vitamins; furthermore, in specific cases, biosynthesis of new bioactive compounds could occur through the activation of secondary metabolic pathways. These changes could alter the technological and sensory properties, such as the hardness, consistency and viscosity of the formulations prepared with them. In addition, the flavor profile may undergo improvement or alteration, a critical factor to consider when integrating sprouted grains into food formulations. This review summarizes recent research on the nutritional, technological, functional, and sensory changes occur during the germination of Andean grains and analyze their potential applications in various food products., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, the effect of various drying methods on the rehydration behaviour and mass transfer diffusion coefficients of squid (Loligo vulgaris) is investigated. Drying methods were selected as infrared (IR), ultrasonic pre-treated infrared (US-IR) and microwave (MW). In IR and US-IR method drying temperatures were within 60 - 80 °C and in MW drying the power levels were in between 140 - 350 W. The rehydration process was carried out for all samples in 180 minutes at room temperature with 30-minute weighing intervals. Obtained rehydration data were applied to the mathematical models of Peleg and Two-Term Exponential. The rehydration ratios were changed between 1.78 - 2.50, 1.91 - 2.66 and 2.78 - 3.83 g/g dry matter for IR, US-IR, and MW respectively. Mass transfer diffusion coefficients of effective moisture diffusion (Deff) values were changed between 1.01 × 10-7 - 1.07 × 10-7, 1.02 × 10-7 - 1.08 × 10-7, and 1.12 × 10-7 - 1.22 × 10-7 m²/s, for IR, US-IR, and MW respectively. Peleg and Two-Term Exponential mathematical models showed matched well with the experimental data. In addition, colour values found to be changed particularly in the brightness values due to rehydration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this work is to study an innovative method to valorize peach peel which is the major by-product of the peach industry. Peach peel has the potential to be a food ingredient of considerate nutritional value after its drying. Although drying is one of the oldest used fruit preservation processes, there are no studies on peach peel drying. More specifically, this work focuses on the combination of ultrasounds and immersion in ethanol as a pretreatment to drying to improve the process by reducing energy consumption and ensuring a safe and high-quality product. Peach peels samples were pretreated (a) in aqueous ethanol 75% v/v for 10, 20, and 30 min and (b) in aqueous ethanol 75% v/v for 10, 20, and 30 min with simultaneous ultrasounds treatment at amplitudes of 50, 60, and 70%, and subsequently dried in a convection hot air dryer at 70°C. Mass transfer of water was described by the analytical and the simplified solution of the diffusion approach. The effect of the examined factors on drying rate and moisture diffusion coefficient was examined and the optimum conditions were determined. In addition, various properties of the dried peels (total phenolics content, total carotenoid content, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant activity, rehydration ratio, and color) were examined. The remarkable reduction obtained in the drying time (37.5%) as well as the improved dried peel characteristics achieved with the use of a suitable pretreatment for convective drying will serve a great purpose in the peach industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal processing remains the key processing technology for food products. However, there are some limitations for thermal processing such as loss of sensory and nutritional quality. Furthermore, nowadays consumers are looking forward for fresh like products which are free from chemical preservatives, yet having longer shelf life. Thus, alternative processing techniques are gaining popularity among food processors to replace conventional thermal processing keeping nutritional quality, sensory attributes and food safety in mind. The alternative processing techniques such as ultrasound, gamma irradiation, high pressure processing and microwave treatment causes several modifications (structural changes, effects on swelling and solubility index, gelatinization behaviour, pasting or rheological properties, retrogradation and cooking time) in physicochemical and functional properties of pulse starches which offers several advantages from commercial point of view. This review aims to summarize the effect of different alternative processing techniques on the structure, solubility, gelatinization, retrogradation and pasting properties of various pulse starches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Zira (Bunium persicum L.) is an important and endangered endemic medicinal plant in Iran. This research was carried out to investigate an effective breaking seed dormancy treatment and to develop some efficient protocols for callus induction, somatic embryogenesis, and artificial seed production. To this end, the seeds were first treated utilizing ultrasonic waves at different time intervals (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 min). Then, to obtain indirect somatic embryos two experiments were designed with IBA (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mg/l) and a combination of different levels of 2,4-D (0, 1, 2, and 4 mg/l) and BAP (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/l). Finally, artificial seed was prepared utilizing sodium alginate. The results showed that the 7-min ultrasonic waves carried the maximum effect on germination (81.87%), while 9-min exposure time had the minimum effect on it (2.5%). Also, in the IBA experiment the highest percentages of callogenesis, callus weight, and adventitious root were obtained from MS medium containing 4 mg/l IBA and the maximum embryogenesis percentage was obtained by 1 mg/l IBA. In the 2,4-D and BAP experiment, the highest percentages of callus formation and callus weight were achieved in 1 mg/l BAP + 4 mg/l 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/l BAP + 4 mg/l 2,4-D, and 2 mg/l 2,4-D media and the maximum embryogenesis percentage was achieved by 0.5 mg/l BAP + 1 mg/l 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/l BAP + 2 mg/l 2,4-D, and 1 mg/l 2,4-D media. The highest germination rate (77.77%) was obtained from encapsulated embryos with the utilization of 3% sodium alginate and 100 mM CaCl2. Key message: A protocol with the improved results has been developed for indirect somatic embryogenesis and artificial seed production in B. persicum using hypocotyl explants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five pretreatments methods, cold plasma, pressure drop, heating, and bath-type and probe-type sonications were compared to shorten the rehydration process of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) soaked before the cooking in terms of the hydration and softening efficacies. Moisture content and water activity of the probe-type sonicated beans were most dramatically increased as 11–45% and 0.59–0.97 after soaking for only 2 h, respectively (non-treated: 11–12% and 0.59–0.66). Accordingly, the probe-type sonicated beans were most rapidly softened as 27–5 N in the 2 h-soaking and exhibited the lowest hardness after soaking/cooking as ~ 0.97 N (non-treated: 27–21 N and ~ 5.5 N, respectively). According to scanning electron micrographs, these results can be attributed to formation of prominent fissures or scars in the hilum of the probe-type sonicated beans. Consequently, this study will be provide valuable information for developing a rational process in food industry to shorten the rehydration of the adzuki beans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drying is an energy-intensive process that can be reduced by the application of pretreatment prior to drying to enhance mass transfer and minimize energy consumption. This review summarizes the mechanistic aspects and applications of emerging pretreatment approaches, namely ohmic heating (OH), ultrasound (US), high pressure processing (HPP), and pulsed electric field (PEF), with emphasis on the enhancement of mass transfer and quality attributes of foods. Novel pretreatments significantly improved the drying efficiency by increasing mass transfer, cavitation, and microchannel formation within the cell structure. Various processing parameters have great influence on the drying performance and quality attributes of foods. Several studies have shown that novel pretreatments (individual and combined) can significantly save energy while improving the overall drying performance and retaining the quality attributes. This work would be useful for understanding the mechanisms of novel pretreatment technologies and their applications for future commercial research and development activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Watery kimchi cabbage waste (KCW) worsens soil and groundwater pollution and increases soil salinity. Quick decay limits its storage, transportation, and recyclability. Therefore, developing technologies for controlling moisture and reducing microorganisms are necessary to improve its recyclability. Methods: The effects of pre-treatment using freeze–thaw (FT) or aqueous ethanol (AE) immersion with or without ultrasonication (US), combined with hot air (HA) drying at 50 °C, on the drying properties and microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of watery KCW were investigated. Results: After 10 min of AE/US and FT + AE/US pre-treatments, the water and solid loss were 13.39% and 15.20% and 5.15 and 6.17%, respectively. FT + AE/US pre-treatment shortened the HA drying time required for the moisture ratio of KCK to reach 0.1 by approximately 66%, compared to that in the control. In KCW samples pre-treated with FT + AE/US, the total aerobic bacteria and yeast and molds reduced to 3.05 and 1.73 log CFU g−1, respectively, after HA drying. Staphylococcus aureus, total coliforms, and total lactic acid bacteria were undetectable (l log CFU g−1). Lewis, Henderson and Pabis, and Page models described changes in the moisture ratio during HA drying, with coefficient of determination, chi-square, and root mean square error values of ≥ 0.865, ≤ 0.006, and ≤ 0.077, respectively. Conclusion: Combining FT + AE/US and HA drying removes moisture and salt and improves the microbiological safety and recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 250 whiteleg shrimp juveniles, Litopenaeus vannamei, clinically infected with black gill melanization were subjected to mycological examination to isolate the main causative agents. The results showed the dominance of Fusarium solani at a 66% incidence rate compared to 34% of F. oxysporum in the examined shrimp. The in vitro antifungal activity of Origanum vulgare and orange peel essential oils (EOs) against F. solani was determined in comparison with Biotronic® Top3 (commercial antimicrobial). In addition, four groups in triplicates of L. vannamei (20.01 ± 3.02 g) were used to investigate the in vivo immunostimulant, antioxidant, gill histopathological changes, and antifungal effects of dietary O. vulgare and orange peel EOs for 28 day against the F. solani infection. The first group was a negative control that fed a basal diet, and the second group was a positive control that fed a basal diet and was artificially infected with 0.1 mL of 5.0 × 106 conidia/mL of F. solani. The third and fourth groups were fed diets supplemented with O. vulgare and orange peel EOs (1 mL/kg diet), respectively, and infected with F. solani (0.1 mL of 5.0 × 106 conidia/mL). The in vitro antifungal activity revealed a very strong inhibition effect of O. vulgare and orange peel EOs on F. solani (˃50%) compared to 31–50% inhibition induced by Biotronic® Top3. In addition, the in vivo feeding experiment showed that the positive control had lower cellular (hemocyte count, phagocytosis activity, and index) and humoral)phenoloxidase and lysozyme activities) immune responses than other treatments. Also, superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased in F. solani-infected shrimp. The histopathological investigation of infected shrimp showed dense aggregation of black melanin pigment in gill filaments and variable lesions of necrosis, edema, and congestion. Dietary both EOs significantly alleviated the immune suppression and histopathological effects of F. solani, especially O. vulgare EOs. The mortality rate was decreased to 16.66 and 30.00% with O. vulgare and orange peel EOs, respectively, compared to 70% in the positive control. In conclusion, O. vulgare and orange peel EOs can be used as antifungal and immunostimulant supplementation in L. vannamei diets against F. solani infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to produce lentil flour with reduced antinutritional factors, acceptable color, and improved techno-functional properties. To obtain lentil flour, red and green lentil seeds were subjected to soaking in distilled water (with/without ultrasound at 80, 100% amplitude for 2 or 4 h) and drying treatments [oven-drying (50, 100 °C) or microwave-drying (600, 900 W)]. The influence of process parameters on phytic acid content (PAC), trypsin inhibitor content (TIC), water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), and color of lentil flours were investigated. During soaking, the water absorption and hardness of the seeds and pH, soluble solid content, and turbidity of the soaking water varied depending on the soaking parameters and the type of lentil. Lentil flours had WAC and OAC values ranging from 108.5 to 358.9 g water/100 g and from 80.2 to 98.7 g oil/100 g, respectively. Microwave-dried lentil flours had 2.0–2.8 times higher WAC compared to oven-dried ones. Higher microwave power level and oven drying temperature provided higher WAC values. Effect of soaking treatment on color and techno-functional properties of flours varied depending on the type of lentil flour and the applied drying method. Soaking and subsequent drying of lentil seeds yielded 14.5–43.8% reduction in PAC and 58.2–80.1% reduction in TIC. Soaking followed by microwave drying at 900W may be recommended as a rapid and effective method to obtain lentil flour with good color, high WAC, reduced PAC, and TIC. Application of ultrasound during soaking for 4 h prior to drying further enhances the potential of reducing antinutritional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an important oilseed crop which can be applied for medicinal and industrial uses. Since there is no study concerning the aged castor bean seed germination response induced by ultrasound treatment under water and salt stresses. This study aimed to model the germination response of this plant under all applied treatments (i.e., aging, water deficit, salt stress, and ultrasound treatments) using mathematical models. Castor bean seeds were initially aged at 41 °C at different periods (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days) to provide a range of sub-lots with various seed vigor. At each sub-lot, the seeds were randomly divided into two subsamples, one for ultrasound and the other for non-ultrasound treatment at each of the following water potentials (ψ; 0, − 0.4, − 0.8 and − 1.2 MPa; made by both polyethylene glycol 8000 and sodium chloride). At all treatments, the germination parameters were recorded. Electrolyte leakage of the seeds was measured and osmotic adjustment into the castor bean seeds was also estimated. The germination percentage and germination rate of castor bean seeds were significantly influenced by all the above-mentioned treatments (P < 0.01). At each aging period, the hydrotime model could accurately quantify the castor bean germination response under various ψs (made by PEG and NaCl) with R2 value of > 0.80. The aged and non-aged castor bean seeds could uptake the salt ions, adjust their potential and then improve their germination under saline conditions. Under non-ultrasound treatment, the osmotic adjustment was higher compared to ultrasound treatment because ultrasound can cause cell membrane damage, increase permeability by fissures on the pericarp and so reduce the ability of cells for adjusting turgor pressure into seeds. The conductivity significantly increased with aging, reflecting seed vigor loss. Ultrasound treatment increased germination parameters in both aged and non-aged seeds across all ψs, suggesting this treatment could be used as pretreatment in castor bean seeds for improving germination characteristics, particularly under stressful conditions. Consequently, the parameters reported in the present work can be successfully used in castor bean germination simulation models. However, some field experiments will be required to examine the ability of this technique in natural conditions, which can be a suitable avenue for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies based on the effect of cold plasma excitation frequency on the physicochemical properties of unconventional starches, such as Goeppertia allouia (popularly known as aria in Brazil), have not been extensively found in the scientific literature. Treatments using 5 different excitation frequencies from 50 to 550 Hz were performed on a dielectric barrier cold plasma equipment operated at 20 kV for 15 min. The morphological and physicochemical changes in starches were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The content of amylose, reducing sugars, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups, as well as the starch digestibility, gel hydration, pasting, and thermal properties of native and treated starches were investigated. The native starch presented C-type polymorphism; however, the starch treated at 200 Hz presented higher proportion of A-type/B-type crystals and crystallinity. These changes in the phase composition and crystallinity directly affected the physicochemical properties of the aria starch, increasing its hydration properties and content of resistant starch. In general, the excitation frequency of cold plasma can be used to modulate the physicochemical behavior of starches, being considered a green and non-destructive technique. Thus, the application of cold plasma showed to be an important tool to obtain tunable polysaccharides from aria for a wide range of industrial purposes, such as in food, chemical, or pharmaceutical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatments of wheat (Triticum durum L.) seeds with sonication or hydropriming may enhance seed germination and vigour in association with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of sonication and hydropriming treatments on seed germination of wheat through the characterisation of seed germination performance, GABA shunt metabolite level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA transcription. Wheat seeds were exposed to three treatments for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min: (1) sonication with water; (2) sonication without water; and (3) hydropriming without sonication. Treated seeds were evaluated for germination percentage, mean time to germinate, germination rate index in the warm germination test, and seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. GABA shunt metabolites level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of GAD mRNA transcription were measured for the seeds after treatments and for seedlings during germination and cold tests. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments had a higher germination rate index (faster germination) in the standard germination test, and higher seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments showed an enhancement in GABA shunt and their metabolites (alanine and glutamate), and GAD mRNA transcription level compared to untreated-control seeds. In conclusion, the sonication or hydropriming treatments significantly improved the germination performance of wheat and enhanced GABA metabolism to maintain the C:N metabolic balance, especially under cold stress. Durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming germinated faster, had a higher germination rate index, lower mean time to germination, higher seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test, enhanced GABA shunt pathway, and GAD mRNA transcription level compared to untreated seeds. This in turn significantly improved the germination performance to maintain the C:N metabolic balance in wheat seeds during seed germination, especially under cold stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of various ozonation durations (i.e., 15, 30, and 60 min) on selected properties of gum arabic with 0.5% concentration (db), corn starch (S) and corn starch-gum arabic dispersion (GAS) were investigated. Ozonation generally caused significant decrease in viscosity of samples (P < 0.05), providing potential ease of use in industry. Peak temperature of GAS was increased after 60 min ozonation (P < 0.05), as measured by differential scanning calorimeter. The pH values decreased after for each ozonation period (15, 30 and 60 min) (pH 5.0 to pH 2.50), due to possible hydroxyl oxidation by ozonation, which was linked to increased formation of carbonyl and carboxyl groups. It was observed that ozonation resulted in increased water solubility index whereas a decrease was observed in water adsorption index. Ozonation increased the quantity of reducing sugars (19.3%), phenolic compound concentrations (24.0%) and radical scavenging activity (48.0%) compared to control samples after 60 min ozonation. This study suggests that ozonation could be used to oxidize GAS dispersions by an environment friendly approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powder-form meal is now a common type of meal replacement product for busy consumers. The flavor of such meals in dry powder form as replacement for conventional meals is an important quality indicator, which directly affects consumer preference. As expected, powder quality is closely related to the processing it undergoes. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider the process and processing technology used to produce high-quality powder-form meal replacement products. This article introduces the processing characteristics of powders for meal replacement, which vary due to differences in the properties of the raw materials used. This article also reviews the development of key processing technologies of powders for meal replacement, including drying, ultra-micro pulverization, and blending technologies. The application of these technologies has greatly improved the flavor quality of powder-form meal replacement. In addition, future trends in relevant powder technologies for meal replacement are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated classification of corn is important for corn sorting in intelligent agriculture. Corn classification process is a necessary and accurate process in many places in the world today. Correct corn classification is important to identify product quality and to distinguish good from bad. In this study, a hybrid model was proposed to classify the 3 corn species belonging to the Zea mays family. In the hybrid model, 12 different morphological features of corn were obtained. These morphological features were used for the classification process in the hybrid model created using machine learning (ML) algorithms. When morphological features were given as input to ML algorithms for normal classification, the test score was 96.66% for Decision Tree (DT), 97.32% for Random Forest (RF) and 96.66% for Naive Bayes (NB). With the proposed hybrid model, this rate has reached 100% test score in all three algorithms. Test processes were measured by statistical models. While Accuracy was 97.67% as a result of normal classification, this rate was 100% in hybrid model. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed corn classification system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are several published empirical mathematical models to describe the water content vs. time relationships in dry or dried-food spontaneous hydration, or in deliberate rehydration, similar to or the same as those originally proposed for water vapor sorption kinetics. Most of these models come in one of two forms: for non-sigmoid and for sigmoid relationships. Some, notably the stretched exponential ("Weibullian") with an adjusted shape parameter, can describe both. All the empirical hydration models are rarely, if ever, unique, and most of them can be used interchangeably for a given set of experimental data. It is proposed to add an expanded version of a particular popular hydration model of non-sigmoid curves so that it, too, can describe both kinds of hydration patterns. Either model would facilitate the mathematical description of systems or processes where a non-sigmoid hydration pattern turns into a sigmoid one, or vice versa. In principle, variants of these two model types can be used to describe water loss or drying curves, at least qualitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits and vegetables are essential for overall human health and nutrition, and there is a high quest for fruits and vegetables of superior quality. Nonetheless, the preservation of fruit is still challenging due to the high moisture content. Pretreatments have assisted fruit and vegetable drying in improving shelf-life and maintaining quality. However, conventional pretreatments affect the physicochemical properties and product qualities. Therefore, thermal and nonthermal pretreatments followed by drying have been researched to improve and enhance fruits and vegetables' physicochemical properties. This article evaluates sequential thermal (ohmic, electrohydrodynamic, infrared, etc.) or nonthermal (high-pressure processing, ultrasonic, pulsed-electric field, etc.) pretreatment technologies and drying in the last 5 years, underscoring their efficiency in augmenting the product qualities of fruits and vegetables. In addition, details of nonthermal and thermal pretreatment technologies are explained, and their success stories, drawbacks, and future studies on improving these technologies are provided. Besides, the safety evaluations of various pretreatments are also delved in. Finally, it is recommended that the next 5 years of research should also explore pulsed light, manothermosonication, ultraviolet light, oscillating magnetic field, thermosonication, and ionization radiation pretreatment to augment dried fruits and vegetables' product qualities and physicochemical properties. This will help better comprehend the impact of emerging technologies on fruits and vegetables' physicochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cooking time and cooking evenness are two critical quantities when determining the cooking quality (termed cookability) of pulses. Deciphering which factors contribute to pulse cookability is important for breeding new cultivars, and the identification of potential cookability predictors can facilitate breeding efforts. Seeds from 24 morphologically diverse pea accessions were tested to identify contributing factors and potential predictors of the observed cookability using a Mattson cooker. Size- and weight-based measures were recorded, and seed-coat hardness was obtained with a penetrometer. Content of protein, starch (amylose and amylopectin), and phytate was also determined., Results: Distinct differences were found between wrinkled and non-wrinkled seeds in terms of water-absorption capacity, seed-coat hardness, and plunger-perforation speed. Potential predictive indicators of cooking time and cooking evenness were seed-coat hardness (r = 0.49 and r = 0.38), relative area gained (r = -0.59 and r = -0.8), and percentage of swelled seeds after soaking (r = -0.49 and r = -0.58), but only for non-wrinkled seeds. Surprisingly, the coefficients of variation for the profile area of both dry and swelled seeds appeared to be potential cookability predictors of all pea types (correlation coefficients around r = 0.5 and supported by principal component analysis). However, no strong correlation was observed between cookability and protein, starch, or phytate levels., Conclusion: Using three types of instruments together with chemical components enabled the identification of novel cookability predictors for both cooking time and cooking evenness in pea. This study unveils the diverse quantitative aspects influencing cookability in pea. Considering both cooking time and cooking evenness, as well as seed-coat hardness, underscores the multifaceted nature of pulse cookability and offers important insights for future breeding strategies to enhance pea cultivars. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Convective hot air drying of cocoyam is risk-free and inexpensive to a significant level. However, hot air drying causes negative changes to the color, texture, flavor and nutritional content of cocoyam as a result of the prolonged drying. Recently, the innovative technology of ultrasound pretreatment has been applied in food processing to reduce the processing time, conserve energy and preserve the quality of the food product. Thus, there is need to investigate the effect of ultrasound pretreatment with distilled water (UDW) and ultrasound with osmotic dehydration (UOD) for different ultrasonic times (10-30 min) on the drying kinetics of cocoyam slices during convective hot air drying. Ultrasound pretreatment was applied at a frequency of 20 kHz and an output power of 600 W for UDW and UOD. The ultrasound-pretreated samples were further dried in a convective hot-air drying oven at 70 °C., Results: UDW and UOD samples, respectively, had a 25% and 46% reduction in drying time compared to untreated samples. The UOD samples had the lowest activation energy (10.697 × 10 3 kJ), as well as the highest moisture diffusivity (3.782  × 10 -10  m 2  s -1 ) and mass transfer coefficient (2.006  × 10 -8  m s -1 ), among the untreated and UDW samples. Wang and Singh, Page and Peleg models were found to be the most fitted models with respect to the drying characteristics of cocoyam for untreated, UDW and UOD samples, respectively., Conclusion: Ultrasound pretreatment technology is a potential non-thermal process that can be incorporated as a pretreatment method in the convective drying of cocoyam to reduce processing time, conserve energy and enhance cocoyam product shelf life. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Pretreatments of drying can represent an alternative to minimize the negative aspect process on the dry samples. Thus, the influence of ethanol (ET) and freezing (FG) as drying pretreatments was analyzed for slices of papaya. The slices (5 mm) were submitted for drying kinetics (60 °C and 1.5 m s−1). Drying kinetics experimental data were fitted using Page's model and a diffusive model with boundary condition of types I and III. Also the thermophysical properties (thermal conductivity and specific heat) were determined and finally, the kinetics of ultrasound‐assisted (40 kHz and 132 W) extraction of total phenolic compounds (TPCs) were realized. Results: The combined method (ET + FG) was more efficient in reducing the drying time of papaya slices (48%) and the model 2 simulating the boundary condition of the third type (type III) showed the best fit to the experimental data. Effective diffusivity and convective coefficient were higher for ET + FG, where the maximum reduction in water content was 91% compared to fresh slices. The pretreatments did not influence the thermal conductivity, however, they were significant in the specific heat and in the extraction of TPCs, being higher in the time of 180 min. Conclusion: It was confirmed in the results presented that the combined pretreatment ET + FG is the most viable for drying papaya slices. Furthermore, it was found to be the most efficient in minimizing the loss of TPCs. Therefore, this pretreatment has great potential for application in the development of high value‐added foods. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]