Search

Introduction It is believed that edible oils and fats with high levels of unsaturated fatty acids are susceptible to oxidation. Soybean oil as one of the four important edible oils has high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and so prone to oxidation. Generally, lipid oxidation leads to deterioration of nutritional quality and organoleptic properties of edible oils and fats as well as accelerate the development or progression of cancer, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, aging and cardiovascular diseases through the formation of free radicals. Therefore, edible oils and fats fortification with antioxidant compounds in order to protect them against oxidation is essential. In recent years, numerous studies were carried out on exploration of natural and safe antioxidant compounds due to the consumers concerns about potential health risk of synthetic antioxidants, such as butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA), butylatedhydroxytolene (BHT), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and propylgallate (PG). In this regard, TBHQ as the most powerful synthetic antioxidant is prohibited as food additive in Japan, Canada and Europe. Ferulago angulata Boiss which called chavir or chavil belongs to the family of Apiacea consisting of 35–40 species that 8 species grow in Iran. It was reported that Ferulago species are used in folk medicine for their tonic, digestive, sedative, aphrodisiac properties from ancient times. Therefore, in the current study, the oxidation development of soybean oil enriched with F. angulata essential oil (EO) during accelerated storage was investigated. Materials and Methods EO from freeze dried aerial parts of F. angulata was extracted through hydrodistillation using Clevenger type apparatus. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify main components of the EO. Total phenolic and flavonoid content of the EO were assessed using Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetry methods, respectively. Antioxidant activity of EO was measured through 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power (RP) tests. Then, the EO of F. angulata at three concentrations, i.e. 200 ppm (SO-200), 400 ppm (SO-400), and SO-Mixture (100 ppm TBHQ + 100 ppm EO) were added to soybean oil. The synthetic antioxidant of TBHQ at the concentration of 200 ppm was added as control. The effect of EO from freeze dried aerial parts of F. angulata on oxidative stability of soybean oil stored under accelerated conditions at 65 ºC for 24 days was evaluated through acidity, peroxide (PV), p-anisidine (p-An) and TOTOX values. Results and Discussion Extraction yield, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of EO of F. angulata were 2.5% v/w, 188 mg GAE/g and 70.90 mg QE/g respectively. Furthermore, DPPH free radical scavenging activity and RP were 55.45-13.21% and 3.61-2.72 in the concentration range of 1.6-4.6 mg/ml of EO, respectively. Based on GC-MS analysis, the EO contains 41 natural compounds, representing 96.97% of the total EO. F. angulata EO could effectively reduce the acidity, PV and p-An values. For control sample, the maximum values of acidity, PV peroxide, p-An and TOTOX were 1.52 mg KOH/g, 10.60 meq O2/kg, 12.48 and 33.68 respectively after 24 days under accelerated conditions. While these values were 0.085 mg KOH/g, 4.5 meq O2/kg, 9.16 and 18.16 respectively for the soybean oil containing the lowest concentration of EO of F. angulata. Conclusion The results confirmed the instability of soybean oil during storage as well as the ability of EO from F. angulata for soybean oil protection against oxidation. As a result, EO from aerial parts of F. angulata could be suggested as a natural and effective antioxidant to be used instead of TBHQ as a synthetic antioxidant for soybean oil stabilization.

Introduction The demand for non-dairy and reduced-calorie products has increased substantially for several reasons. Almond (Prunus dulcis) milk is highly appreciated by lactose-intolerant, hypertensive people and celiac patients whom are not able to consume animal's milk. Thus, the development of various non-dairy products is essential. Desserts are the most common and popular product containing high amount of fat and sucrose. The consumption of sucrose is restricted for diabetic people due to its high glycemic index. Stevia as a low-calorie sweetener is one of the sucrose substitutes in food products. Sucrose substitutes must mimic the techno-functional properties of sucrose. Generally, commercially available sucrose substitutes do not possess all of the required characteristics. Therefore, using them in blend form with sucrose is suggested. Moreover, sucrose replacement especially in desserts generates a negative effect due to low firmness or higher syneresis. In this regard, hydrocolloids can be used to overcome those drawbacks. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate and optimize the non-dairy dessert formulation based on almond milk containing Tragacanth gum and stevia. For this purpose, the effect of Tragacanth gum and stevia as a sucrose replacer on the physicochemical properties such as hardness, viscosity, color coordinates including lightness, redness-greenness (a*), yellowness-blueness (b*), total soluble solids and syneresis was evaluated and optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Materials and Methods All of the materials used for the manufacturing of non-dairy dessert including raw almond, stevia and Tragacanth gum were purchased from a local market of Zanjan, Iran. For the production of non-dairy dessert, the almond milk warmed up to 40 ºC and then stevia as a sucrose substitutes and tragacanth gum powder as a stabilizer were added in the ranges of 25-75% and 0.4-1% w/w, respectively. Later, the temperature of the mixture increased to 72 ºC and kept for 10 min and then, the temperature decreased to 42 ºC to inoculate the starter culture (a mixture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, 2% w/w). The fermentation process was completed at 37 °C for 24 h. Finally, the temperature of non-dairy dessert based on almond milk was decreased to 4ºC and kept at the same temperature until further analysis. The pH of the desserts was measured using a pH meter model AZ 86502 (AZ, Taiwan). Total soluble of the desserts was determined using a refractometer (ATAGO, Japan). Firmness was determined using a STM-5 texture analyzer (SANTAM Co., Iran) equipped with a 20 Kg load cell and 10 mm probe. Viscosity was measured using a programmable Viscometer (R/S-CPS+, Brookfield, USA) equipped with a cone-plate geometry at shear rate of 100 s−1. Instrumental color measurement was carried out by a handheld colorimeter (TES135-A, Taiwan) considering L*, a* and b* as color coordinates. Syneresis was measured by a centrifugation test. Fifteen semi-trained panelists (7 male and 8 female) were selected to evaluate sensory properties of the control (only contains sucrose) and optimized formulation samples for texture, color, appearance, taste, flavor, total acceptance using a 5-point Hedonic scale (1= dislike extremely and 5=like extremely). The RSM-central composite design was used to build up the experimental design and identify the conditions that yield highest firmness, viscosity, L*, and total soluble solids as well as lowest a*, b* and syneresis. Results and Discussion The results obtained revealed that the hardness, viscosity, a* and total soluble solids increased significantly (p0.05) on the changes of a* and b*. Optimization of non-dairy dessert formulation based on almond milk was carried out using numerical technique. The optimal formula was 1% Tragacanth gum and 45% replacement of sucrose with stevia. Under these conditions, hardness 0.08 N, viscosity 1.20 Pa.s, lightness 82.77, redness-greenness 0.95, yellowness-blueness 5.60, total soluble solids 8.29 ºBrix and syneresis 11.88% were obtained. The results of sensory evaluation showed that addition of Tragacanth gum and replacing stevia at the optimal levels improved the total acceptance score compared to the control sample. It can be concluded that in addition to the reliability of the RSM to select the optimal formulation conditions, Tragacanth gum and stevia can be used to produce a new, reduced-calorie and customer-friendly non-dairy dessert based on almond milk.

In this study, the recovery of bioactive compounds from Catharanthus roseus L. using microwave-assisted extraction technology was evaluated and optimized through response surface methodology based on the Box-Behnken design. Microwave power (100-300 W), sample to solvent ratio (1:20-1:40 w/v) and microwave irradiation time (9-14 min) were independent variables. Optimization was performed using numerical technique with the aim of maximizing the extraction yield and total phenolic content. Based on the obtained results, the effect of all studied independent variables on the extraction yield and total phenolic content was significant (p

The aim of the present research is to investigate the effect of ohmic‐assisted extraction (OAE) parameters on the Falcaria vulgaris extract (FVE) properties. Various parameters, including ethanol‐to‐water ratio (0%–100%), voltage gradient (10–30 V/cm), temperature (30°C–60°C), and extraction time (10–30 min), were applied as independent factors. Physicochemical process, antimicrobial properties, and energy analysis were accomplished to achieve OAE optimization. Results indicated that extraction yield (EY) and energy consumption (EC) significantly increased with increasing the voltage gradient and extraction time (p < 0.05). Also, EY significantly increased with increasing of process temperature and the ethanol concentration in the solvent (p < 0.05). The findings demonstrated that as the voltage gradient, process duration, temperature, and ethanol concentration in the solvent were increased, there was a significant initial increase followed by a decrease in both the total phenolic content (TPC) and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of FVE (p < 0.05). The optimization results indicated that the extraction process with an ethanol‐to‐water ratio of 65.5%, voltage gradient of 20.3 V/cm, temperature of 56.6°C, and extraction time of 22.1 min results in maximum extract TPC, DPPH, and EY, and minimum extraction EC. The OAE method showed greater EY and less EC and CO2 production compared to the hydrodistillation (HD) method. In general, OAE caused improved antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the FVE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have been carried out on the antioxidant effects of medicinal plants in edible oils. One of those plants is turmeric, which, due to its biological and antioxidant compounds such as curcuminoids, has a strong antioxidant effect and prevents oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs). In this study, turmeric at different levels (5% and 10% w/w) was used to increase the oxidative stability of the milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) seed oil (MTSO). Additionally, to improve the performance of turmeric, cold plasma (CP) treatment was used at different durations (5 and 10 min). The effect of turmeric on the quality parameters of MTSO was investigated during different storage times (1, 30, and 60 days). The results indicated that the addition of turmeric treated with CP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the acidity value (AV) (1.00–0.62 mg NaOH/g oil) and the peroxide value (PV) (4.47–3.65 mEq O2/kg oil) and also increased the total phenolic content (1003.23–1116.90 mg/GAE/100 g oil), antioxidant activity, α‐tocopherol, and finally the oxidative stability compared to the control sample and oil containing untreated turmeric. Furthermore, gas chromatography (GC) analysis of the oil sample of the FA profile containing CP‐treated turmeric revealed the higher ratio of unsaturated FAs (i.e., linoleic and arachidonic acid) and lower saturated FA content (palmitic and stearic acid) compared to oil samples containing untreated turmeric. To conclude, CP treatment increased turmeric performance and improved the quality characteristics of MTSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Grape is a non-climacteric fruit with a low rate of physiological activity but is subject to serious physiological and parasitic disorders after harvest and during long term storage (Ciccarese et al., 2013). Currently, Edible coatings have been studied as potential substitutes for conventional plastics in food packaging. Edible coating is a thin layer of edible material formed as a coating on a food product. Edible coating can offer several advantages to the fresh fruit and vegetable industry such as improvement in the retention of color, acids, sugar and flavor components, the maintenance of quality during shipping and storage, the reduction of storage disorders and improved consumer appeal (Antoniou et al., 2015; Cazon et al., 2017; Fakhouri et al., 2015; Galus & Kadzińska, 2015). Farsi gum as a novel source of polysaccharides has drawn much attention in a wide range of various fields such as pharmaceutics, food and cosmetics industries. Functional properties of Farsi gum are influenced by its structure and molecular weight (Hadian et al., 2016; Joukar et al., 2017). By inclusion of bioactive compounds in the Farsi gum network the aforementioned impairments could be overcome and moreover, new protective and functional valences could be added. The inclusion of lipid-based component in Farsi gum gives it excellent light and moisture barrier properties. The benefic impact on human health of hemp seed oil is worldwide recognized. A recent study demonstrated the antimicrobial properties of hemp seed oil. Due to their abundance in biologically active compounds, hemp seed oil is promising natural alternatives that may extend the shelf-life, microbiological safety and nutritional values of food (Cozmuta et al., 2015; Leizer et al., 2000; Salarnia et al., 2018). Growing awareness of the quality of fruit has necessitated increasing effort to develop rapid and non-destructive methods for evaluating fruit quality (Bhargava & Bansal, 2020; Rachmawati et al., 2017; Tao & Zhou, 2017; Wu & Sun, 2013). The aim of this study was the consideration of image processing application for grape sorting based on visual surface characterize. Materials and Methods: Coating emulsion was prepared using (Farsi gum (0%, 1.5% and 3%), hemp seed oil (0%, 0.075% and 0.15%) and glyceride (0.3%)). grape fruit were coated by immersion in coating dispersion for 5 min. Samples were then allowed to loss the excess coating dispersion. Coatings were developed at room temperature during an hour. Samples were refrigerated at 4± 1°C for 28 days and analyses were performed at days 0 and 28. Defect identification and maturity detection of grape fruits are challenging task for the computer vision to achieve near human levels of recognition. The image acquisition was performed in a homogenously controlled lighting condition. Considering the camera lens’s focal length, the samples were placed 25 cm under the camera’s lens to be under camera’s field of view. The images of grape were segmented from the background using thresholding of the high contrast images via MATLAB software (R2019a, image processing toolbox). The optimum threshold value was obtained to be 0.35, 0.45 and 0.30 for R, G and B channel, respectively. Results and Discussion: The proposed techniques can separate between the defected and the healthy grape fruits, and then detect and classify the actual defected area. Classification is performed in two manners which in the first one, an input grape is classified with two different algorithms (RGB and binary). The Result showed that the accuracies for detecting the surface defects on grape were 97.73% and 96.30% using RGB and binary algorithms, respectively. Proposed method can be used to detect the visible defects of coated grape, and to grade the grape in high speed and precision. Conclusions: The results of this research and similar ones can provide helpful recommendations in grading fruits for fresh consumption. The simplicity and the efficiency of the proposed techniques make them appropriate for designing a low-cost hardware kit that can be used for real applications.

Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current study, the 75% v/v A. vera gel coating could be a promising natural coating agent for preservation of bioactive compounds of cherry tomatoes during the postharvest life especially at storage temperature of 5 ºC.

IntroductionIn recent decades, artificial intelligence systems were employed for developing predictive models to estimate and predict many agriculture processes. Neural networks have the capability of identifying complex nonlinear systems with their own high learning ability. Artificial Neural Networks as a modern approach has successfully been used to solve an extensive variety of problems in the science and engineering, exclusively for some space where the conventional modeling procedure fail. A well-trained Artificial Neural Networks can be used as a predictive model for a special use, which is a data processing system inspired by biological neural system. The short storage life of hawthorn fruit and its high susceptibility to water loss and browning are the main factors limiting its marketability. So, it is important to evaluate parameters that affected the hawthorn quality. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system or adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is a kind of artificial neural network that is based on Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy inference system. To estimate changes in fruit quality as a function of storage conditions, the evolution of certain quality-indicative properties such as color, firmness or weight can be used to provide related information on the quality grade of the product stored. Measurement of these parameters is an expensive and time-consuming process. Therefore, parameter prediction due to affecting factors will be more useful. In this study, the physicochemical properties of hawthorn fruit during various storage was predicted using artificial neural networks method. Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida), belonging to the Rosaceae family, consists of small trees and shrubs. The color of the ripe fruit ranges from yellow, through green to red, and on to dark purple. Hawthorn is one of the most widely consumed horticultural products, either in fresh or processed form. It is also an important component of many processed food products because of its excellent flavor, attractive color and high content of many macro- and micro-nutrients. Materials and MethodsThe purpose of this study was a prediction of color, physical and mechanical properties of hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pinnatifida) during storage condition using artificial neural networks (ANNs) and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Experimental data obtained from fruit storage, were used for training and testing the network. In the present research, artificial neural networks were used for modeling the relationship between physicochemical properties and color attributes with different storage time. Several criteria such as training algorithm, learning function, number of hidden layers, number of neurons in each hidden layer and activation function were given to improve the performance of the artificial neural networks. The total number of hidden layers and the number of neurons in each hidden layer were chosen by trial and error. The network’s inputs include storage time, hawthorn moisture content and storage temperature and the network’s output were the values of the physicochemical and color properties. The training rules were Momentum and Levenberg-Marquardt. The transfer functions were TanhAxon and SigmoidAxon.Results and DiscussionTo predict the weight loss and firmness multilayer perceptron network with the momentum learning algorithm, topologies of 3-15-5-1 and 3-8-5-1 with R2=0.9938 and 0.9953 were optimal arrangement, respectively. The optimal topologies for color change, hue, Chroma were 3-9-7-1 (R2=0.9421), 3-9-3-1 (R2=0.9947) and 3-7-1 (R2=0.9535) respectively, with momentum learning algorithm and TanhAxon activation function. The best network for ripening index prediction was Multilayer perceptron network with the TanhAxon activation function, Levenberg-Marquardt Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithm, topology of 3-5-1-1 and R2=0.9956.Conclusions Three factors including firmness, total soluble solids and titratable acidity were considered for ripening index calculation during fruits storage condition. Momentum and Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithms with SigmoidAxon and TanhAxon activation functions were used for training the patterns. Results indicated artificial neural networks to be accurate and versatile and they predicted the quality changes in hawthorn fruits. The outcomes of this study provide additional and useful information for hawthorn fruits storage conditions.

In this study, Kodo millet grains were roasted in the microwave at 360, 720, and 900 W for 3 and 5 min and pan‐roasted at 195°C for 5 min. The Kodo millet flours (KMFs) were characterized on the basis of physical, functional, pasting, rheological, antioxidant, morphological, and structural properties. After roasting, the bulk density (BD) of all treated samples decreased, while the tap density, Hausner's ratio, and compressibility index (CI) increased with roasting. Higher microwave power (720 and 900 W) and duration time (5 min) resulted in lower L∗ values and higher a∗ and b∗ values. The roasting in pan and microwave significantly improved the water absorption capacity (WAC) of flour. However, the destruction of hydrophobic functional groups resulted in a significant reduction in the oil absorption capacity (OAC). The pasting and rheological curves confirmed that low power can improve the pasting properties, producing thick pastes. However, the pan and microwave roasting (MWR) at 900 W for 5 min degraded starch and resulted in a flat pasting curve. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs also confirmed this, showing pore space formation, initiated at a power of 720 W and becoming more noticeable until 900 W, when the structure is destroyed. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of all samples suggested a type A crystalline structure, and the degree of crystallinity increased with microwave power, except for the 900 W for 5 min and the pan‐roasted KMF. The antioxidant activity (AOA) of all roasted samples was higher than that of the control sample, except for 900 W for 5 min. Total flavonoid content (TFC) decreased in all KMF compared to the control, except 360 W for 3 min. Furthermore, all microwave‐roasted KMF showed significantly higher total phenolic content (TPC) than control and pan‐roasted KMF. These findings provide valuable information on optimizing the roasting process to improve the nutritional and functional properties of KMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current study aimed to optimize microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) for the recovery of bioactive compounds from Veronica Persica and to enhance extraction yield through ultrasonic pretreatment as an emerging technique. Methods: The MAE was optimized in terms of microwave power, solid-to-solvent ratio, and irradiation time through response surface methodology (RSM) for maximum extraction yield. The extraction yield was further enhanced by using ultrasonic pretreatment with different levels of ultrasound power, temperature, and sonication time. The total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity were determined through the Folin-Ciocalteu method and DPPH and OH free radicals scavenging activity assays, respectively. Results: The optimal conditions for maximizing extraction yield were 211 W microwave power, 14 min irradiation time, and 1:33.5 g/mL solid-to-solvent ratio. Under the optimal conditions, the predicted extraction yield was 12.12%. The results confirmed that ultrasonic pretreatment effectively enhanced the release of bioactive compounds from aerial parts of V. persica. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy images indicated a positive effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on enhancing bioactive compound recovery through damage to the cell structure of the treated samples. Conclusion: The results indicated that using ultrasonic and microwave energy can speed up the extraction process and increase the quality of the extracted biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: After the Covid-19 pandemic and the great threats it posed to the health of the world, many researchers have studied this field and many finding have been discovered. Extensive research and accurate information are important. In this study, the research team presented the latest findings by reviewing studies and evidence published in databases. Methods: In this narrative review study, articles published up to December 2020 in the databases including SID, PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, Google scholar, Science direct, Up To Date, as well as WHO and CDC sites were surveyed. 653 articles were found and 63 articles were selected by removing duplicate and irrelevant items and initial evaluation of articles. After reviewing the full text of the articles, 35 articles were finally reviewed. Results: Covid-19 pandemic has affected many countries in the world, including Iran. According to global statistics, the mortality rate is 3.4% for this disease. Early symptoms of Covid-19 include pneumonia, fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. To date, no successful vaccine or antiviral drug for this disease has been clinically approved and available. Therefore, prevention and control of infection and observance of hygienic principles by the general public is a priority. Conclusion: Epidemic and new virus control of Corona virus family has become a health crisis in the world, but due to prevention methods and management of effective factors in its transmission, it can be prevented. Given the origin of Covid-19 disease, it seems that the nutritional and health recommendations of Islam, especially halal food and hygiene should be considered more than ever. It is very important not to create stress and anxiety among the people, to advise and educate the people to observe the principles of health and to keep the people calm to deal with this disease. It is hoped that the prevention, control and treatment of Covid-19 disease will be achieved through the production of vaccines and drugs as well as health care measures in the near future.

Abstract This set of cases provides important evidence of re‐infection and recurrence of SARS‐CoV‐2 even for the third time. Consequently, this possibility should be considered more in recurrent patients with Covid‐19 symptoms.

In the current study, the effect of different new extraction methods including supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SC -CO2), microwave - assisted extraction (MAE), and also conventional Soxhlet extraction (CSE) were investigated on bioactive compounds recovery from Silybum marianum seed. The crude extraction yield (22.40± 0.15%) was obtained using CSE, while the efficiency of SC -CO2 and MAE were about 89 and 50% of those obtained using CSE. The highest free radical scavenging activity in terms of DPPH and HO radicals was obtained in an extract obtained using SC -CO2. From the TPC analysis, the highest and lowest value was determined in extracts obtained using SC -CO2 (102.93± 0.14 mg GAE/g) and CSE (14.50± 0.18 mg GAE/g), respectively. Fatty acid composition was analyzed using Gas Chromatography –Mass Spectrometry. Linoleic and oleic acids were determined as the main fatty acids. Finally, it can be concluded that S. marianum seed is a potential source of bioactive compounds and new extraction techniques of SC - CO2 and MAE could be suggested as promising methods to substitute conventional method for successful recovery of bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The study evaluated the effect of the ohmic thawing method with IR pre‐treatment (unilateral and bilateral) on ground turkey breast that was frozen using various freezing methods, including snap freezing, freezing at −70 °C and −20 °C. The results revealed that the thawing time in ohmic thawing with unilateral and bilateral IR pre‐treatment (in the snap freezing method) was 69.23% and 50.14% shorter compared to the ohmic thawing method without pre‐treatment, respectively. Additionally, the snap freezing method exhibited a significantly higher thawing rate compared to the other freezing methods. Implementing IR pre‐treatment, particularly bilaterally, along with snap freezing, resulted in a reduction of all losses ranging from 20% to 70%. The results of Raman spectroscopy showed that the ohmic thawing method with bilateral IR pre‐treatment resulted in better preservation of protein secondary structure, protein solubility and reduced oxidation of frozen turkey meat. Although the pH changes were not affected by the thawing method, the pH value decreased as the freezing speed reduced. The preservation of meat colour quality was enhanced by increasing the freezing speed and implementing IR pre‐treatment. The results indicate that using IR pre‐treatment can enhance the positive effects of ohmic thawing. Also, the IR type applied showed better results obtained in bilateral mode (P > 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Cucurbita seeds was performed using ultrasound amplitude of 50%, temperature of 57 °C and 54 min sonication time. The major phenolic compounds were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The effect of bioactive compounds on the oxidative stability of ground mutton at refrigerated temperature was evaluated. The values of pH, peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and sensorial evaluation were performed during storage of samples considering 5-day intervals. According to the results, coumaric acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and protocatechuic acid were detected in the bioactive compounds extracted while coumaric acid (14.36 ± 0.17 mg/g) showed the highest content among the others. The highest value of PV was determined in the negative control, while the lower values were observed in the samples treated with natural and then synthetic bioactive compounds during 15 days of storage at 4 °C. According to the results from sensorial analysis, the improved characteristics of color, odor, and total acceptance were observed in the treated samples with the bioactive compounds obtained from Cucurbita seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Background: Informal settlement is one of the most important urban problems that reduces the level of quality and quantity of life.So far, different ways of organizing informal settlements have been presented, but the empowerment strategy has a high status in order to reduce physical, economic and social inequalities in the world.Among the solutions to the complex problems of these settlements, the presence of representatives of Non-governmental Organizations and Community Based Organization are as a communication link between the government and residents in empowering informal settlements.The study intends to answer the question of how non-governmental organizations and community based organization play a role in the social empowerment of informal settlements.The case study is the old road of Quchan which is one of the identified area of informal settlements in Mashhad and is located in the northwest. Methodology: The qualitative method, which is selected according to the theoretical framework table, criteria, sub-criteria, and the nature of the study, is grounded theory.This process has been accomplished in four steps. Findings: The central phenomenon is limited workability of the Non-governmental Organizations that have a high tendency towards social trust and acceptance,but they are not legally recognized due to economic and financial problems, the inability to provide the costs of the local problems and solve the needs of the residents, so their demands are not recognized.Eventually they have been marginalized in the neighborhood management system and abandoned by the upstream organizations. Conclusion: In this case study,Non-governmental Organizations and Community Based Organization are active with goals to help the settlement and promote the culture.The high sense of belonging and social trust have led to their willingness to contribute to social empowerment, but due to limited financial and budgetary problems, and generally limited ability to work, these organizations face some problems in their activities.

Objective Cancer disease and its treatment methods affect the quality of life of those suffering from breast cancer. Nausea and vomiting are frequent side-effects of chemotherapy. Nowadays, complementary therapies are used along with routine treatments to control this disease. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sucking ice bits with plain water on nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. Methods In this clinical trial, participants were 60 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. They were randomly divided into two groups of control and ice. The ice group received 30 bits of ice in 1 cc during chemotherapy, while control group received 30-cc tap water. Nausea was evaluated based on visual analog scale and vomiting was estimated based on the number of cases. The data were analyzed in SPSS software. Results The Mean±SD of nausea in ice group was 1.268±1.9 and in the control group it was 1.787±2.9 and this difference was statistically significant after intervention (P=0.015). The mean of vomiting in ice group was 0.406±0.2 and in the control group it was 0.449±0.266, but this difference was not significant; i.e. the intervention had no significant effect on vomiting (P=0.549). Conclusion Sucking ice bits containing plain water had high effect on reducing nausea caused by chemotherapy but it had no effect on occurrence of vomiting.

Background: Postoperative coughing and hoarseness are two of the most common complications occur following endotracheal intubation and pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis. Eucalyptus lozenges are used in the treatment of many sign of common colds, such as cough, sore throat, etc. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the effect of sucking Eucalyptus lozenges on coughing and hoarseness following endotracheal intubation in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 134 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia were selected using convenience sampling method, and were allocated into two equal groups of control and intervention via random assignment method. Following obtaining informed consent, half an hour before surgery and in intervals of six hours after the surgery, eucalyptus lozenges were administered to intervention group. Postoperative coughing and hoarseness were measured 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours following endotracheal intubation using coughing and hoarseness checklists. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact, chi-square, and t test, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) measures in SPSS software. P values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. Findings: The severity of coughing (P = 0.004) and hoarseness (P < 0.001) during the time were significantly less in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusion: Eucalyptus lozenges are effective in reducing coughing and hoarseness caused by endotracheal intubation in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia.

Background and Objective: Attention to on-farm food safety is the first step in achieving food safety and production of healthy crops. However, practices related to on-farm food safety are not sufficiently considered by farmers due to the lack of proper understanding. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitude of farmers about sources of contamination and explaining factors of on-farm food safety practices. Materials and Methods: This study is a non-experimental and descriptive research in terms of extent of variables control; a filed research according to data collection method; and a survey research in terms of generalizability of findings. The statistical population of the study was 732 lettuce producers in Alborz province of which a sample size of 230 was selected using a stratified sampling method with proportional allocation (counties as strata). Data was collected through research-made questionnaire. Appearance and content validity of the questionnaire was assessed by the experts in the field and its reliability was confirmed based on calculated Cronbach Alpha coefficient for three constructs including on-farm food safety practices (0.728), sources of contamination in the pre-harvest stage (0.821) and sources of contamination in the post-harvest stage (0.801). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20. Results: The results revealed that the most important sources of contamination were the usage of pesticides and toxins on the farm and in the irrigation water (in the pre-harvest stage), locations of crop storage and warehouse and high humidity during crop transfer (in the post-harvest stage). Furthermore, the results of the factor analysis using Varimax rotation indicated that underlying the variables of on-farm food safety practices may be summarized and categorized in five factors: practices related to workers’ education and health; public health; irrigation; monitoring and control; and control of livestock and wildlife. These covered about 64.314% of total variances. Among the five factors mentioned, practices related to workers’ education and health explaining 18.1% of the total variances was the most important factor in comparison with other one. Conclusion: According to the contamination sources in the pre and post-harvest stages and the probability of different contamination in lettuce crop, it is essential to provide necessary conditions for encouraging and directing producers to perform on-farm food safety practices, particularly by educating them on the identification of contamination sources and informing them about essential health and safety practices.