Enzyme activity and biochemical changes of three date palm cultivars with different softening pattern during ripening
The physicochemical composition changes during palm ripening were studied. The activities of invertase and cell wall-modifying enzymes, namely pectin methylesterase (PME), β-galactosidase (β-Gal), endo-1,4-β-d-glucanase (EGase), and cellulase were monitored during growth and ripening of Shahani, Piaro and Deiry cultivars with different texture. Also we estimated the concentrations of six organic acids by HPLC .Reducing sugars, most of organic acid, pH and TSS increased up to the full-ripe stage of all date types. On the contrary, moisture, macro and microelements and proteins decreased during the same period. Despite a considerable rise in invertase activity (200 units) during ripening of Shahani, no significant trend could be discerned in Deiry cultivar (8 units) at different stages. Our results also showed that cell wall enzymes were increased in activity during ripening and these increases were coincident with fruit softening. Furthermore, our results showed that the composition and the variation of the chemical compositions mainly depended on the cultivar and maturity stage.
Phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of various botanical parts of the fruits of Prunus x domestica L. from the Lorraine region of Europe
Mirabelle plums represent a famous fruit from the Lorraine region, however little is known about their phytochemical composition. The oil of the fruit contained predominantly oleic acid (59%) and linoleic acid (29%). The total content of phenolic antioxidants in the whole fruits was 5.338 g/kg with 456 mg/kg (9%), 701 mg/kg (13%) and 4159 mg/kg (78%) detected in the peels, flesh and pits respectively.The peels contained solely 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (270 mg/kg) and rutin (186 mg/kg), the flesh exclusively echinoids (723 mg/kg), whereas the pits contained a rich variety of phenolic compounds (4.2 g/kg) dominated by amygdalin (3.8 g/kg), but with significant contributions from vanillin (102 mg/kg), guajacyl-glycerin-coniferyl aldehyde isomers (87 mg/kg), dehydro-diconiferyl aldehyde (52 mg/kg), and vanillin diglucoside (48 mg/kg). Of the major phenolic compounds tested across a range of in vitro assays, rutin was the superior antioxidant.
Biodiesel from Siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica L.) seed kernel oil
In this paper, Siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica L.) seed kernel oil was investigated for the first time as a promising non-conventional feedstock for preparation of biodiesel. Siberian apricot seed kernel has high oil content (50.18±3.92%), and the oil has low acid value (0.46mg g-1) and low water content (0.17%). The fatty acid composition of the Siberian apricot seed kernel oil includes a high percentage of oleic acid (65.23±4.97%) and linoleic acid (28.92±4.62%). The measured fuel properties of the Siberian apricot biodiesel, except cetane number and oxidative stability, were conformed to EN 14214-08, ASTM D6751-10 and GB/T 20828-07 standards, especially the cold flow properties were excellent (Cold filter plugging point -14°C). The addition of 500 ppm tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) resulted in a higher induction period (7.7 h) compliant with all the three biodiesel standards.
Brief postharvest exposure to pulsed light stimulates coloration and anthocyanin accumulation in fig fruit (Ficus carica L.).
The poor coloration of nethouse-grown fig fruit (Ficus carica L.) due to insufficient sunlight stimulation reduces marketability and health value. This study examined the possibility of improving the color of harvested 'Brown Turkey' figs through the use of pulsed light (PL) emitted by a high-energy xenon flash lamp. The exposure of poorly colored figs to PL for just 10–90 s enhanced their red coloration in a dose-dependent manner, but extending the treatment to 300 s did not provide additional benefit. After 5 days of storage in the dark at 20 °C, the anthocyanin content of the skin of fruit exposed to 90–300 s PL was 20 times higher than that observed for the untreated control and approached the level typical of the cultivar. In parallel, these PL treatments caused an increase in the fruit total phenolic content that could not be attributed solely to anthocyanins, suggesting that production of other phenolic compounds might be also stimulated by PL. Cool white fluorescent light was far less efficient than PL in its ability to stimulate fig color, with 5 h of fluorescent illumination equivalent to 10–30 s of PL exposure. Postharvest PL treatment seems to be a feasible means of compensating for insufficient sunlight stimulation of color development in figs and possibly other fruit as well.
Development of a Buccal tablets for Curcumin using Anacardium occidentale Gum
The objective of the present investigation was to develop uni-directional, bilayered, buccoadhesive tablets of curcumin using a natural buccoadhesive polymer cashew nut tree gum along with ethyl cellulose as an impermeable backing layer. A batch prepared with 20% polymer concentration, 0.1% penetration enhancer, 40 mg backing layer, compressed at 2 tons/cm2 for 10 sec was identified as an ideal batch based on its buccal residence time and optimum mucoadhesive strength of 13.99 g. The formulated tablets were stable with respect to their physicochemical and invitro drug release behaviour over a period of 60 days at different temperature and relative humidity. The kinetics of drug release was found to be non-fickian or anomalous diffusion. The results suggests that cashewnut tree gum can be used as a polymer to produce buccoadhesive tablets of curcumin with potential to bypass the first pass metabolism and improve the bioavailability of curcumin.
Chemical and Structural Characterisation of Almond Oil Bodies and Bovine Milk Fat Globules
Lipids in almonds are present as oil bodies in the nut. These oil bodies are surrounded by a membrane of proteins and phospholipids and are a delivery vehicle of energy in the form of triglycerides; similarly to the more studied bovine milk fat globule membrane. Chemical; physical and microscopic analyses revealed major differences in the composition and structure of almond oil bodies and bovine milk fat globules. The lipids of both natural emulsions differed in degree of unsaturation; chain length; and class. The almond oil body membrane does not contain any cholesterol or sphingomyelin unlike the bovine milk fat globule membrane. Therefore; the phospholipid distribution at the surface of the oil bodies did not present any liquid-ordered domains. The membranes; a monolayer around almond oil bodies and a trilayer around bovine fat globules;may affect the stability of the lipid droplets in a food matrix and the way the lipids are digested.
Profiling of bioactive compounds in cultivars of Runner and Valencia peanut market-types using liquid chromatography/APCI mass spectrometry
Peanuts are classified into four market-types (Runners; Spanish; Virginia and Valencia) Studies on their phytochemical composition have focused mainly on market-types other than Valencia. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the phytochemical composition of cultivars of Valencia and Runner market-types. Extracts of twenty-five peanut cultivars of Runner and Valencia market-types were analyzed using HPLC-DAD-MS analysis. Results showed major differences in UV profile of the market-types. A major peak with m/z 317 identified as isorhamnetin was present only in Valencia cultivars while its glycoside (isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside) having m/z 625 was identified in both market-types. Genistein; daidzein; rutin; quercetin and trans-resveratrol were also identified and quantified. Genistein and daidzein concentrations (0.03 mg/100g) were similar in both market-types. trans-Resveratrol and rutin were significantly (p<0.05) higher in Runner cultivars while quercetin was ten-fold higher (0.60 ± 0.04 mg/100g) in Valencia cultivars making them a better source of this phytochemical.
Defatted cashew nut shell starch as renewable polymeric material: Isolation and characterization
Starch attracts public attention as a replacement of fossil fuel in polymer industries because it is renewable; biodegradable and nontoxic. In this study; the isolation of starch from defatted cashew nut shell (CNS) using wet milling was reported. A product that contains 85.01 wt.% starch was recovered from the defatted CNS. Various analyses were performed on the starch to characterize its physicochemical properties. It was found that the starch obtained possesses high amylopectin content (75.35 wt.%); which supports the results of thermal analysis that proved the high crystallinity of starch. Morphological study of the starch showed that bonded resins were found attached to the starch granules. Due to high crystallinity; the presence of bonded resins and low cost; starch from defatted CNS can be considered as a prospective renewable material in polymer industries; with potential to compete with current feedstock such as potato and corn.
Analysis of roasted and unroasted Pistacia terebinthus volatiles using direct thermal desorption-GCxGC-TOF/MS
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of roasting time on volatile components of Pistacia terebinthus L.; a fruit growing wild in Turkey. The whole fruit samples were pan roasted for 0; 5; 10; 15; 20 and 25 min at 200 °C. Volatile compounds were isolated and identified using the direct thermal desorption (DTD) method coupled with comprehensive gas chromatography  time of flight mass spectrometry (GCxGCÂTOF/MS). The major components of the fresh hull of P. terebinthus were a-pinene (10.37%); limonene (8.93%); Ã-pinene (5.53%); 2-carene (4.47%) and -muurolene (4.29%). Eighty-three constituents were characterised from the volatiles of fresh whole P. terebinthus fruits obtained by direct thermal desorption with a-pinene (9.62%); limonene (5.54%); -cadinane (5.48%); Ã-pinene (5.46%); Ã-caryophyllene (5.24%) being the major constituents. The type and the number of constituents characterised were observed to change with differing roasting times. Limonene (5.56%); a-pinene (4.84%); 5-methylfurfural (4.78%); 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF; 3.89%); dimethylmetoxyfuranone (3.67%) and 3-methyl-2(5H)furanone (3.12%) were identified as the major components among the 104 compounds characterised in the volatiles of P. terebinthus; roasted for 25 min. In addition; volatiles of fully roasted P. terebinthus fruits contained furans and furanones (15.42%); pyridines (4.45%) and benzene derivatives (3.81%) as the major groups. P. terebinthus could be rapidly analyzed using direct thermal desorption-GCxGC-TOF/MS. The samples were pan-roasted for 0-25 minutes at 200 °C. Pan-roasted P. terebinthus volatiles contained similar flavor compounds to coffee beans. P. terebinthus fruits could therefore be used in the coffee industry.
Use of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) blanching water for reconstituting milk powder: yogurt manufacture
The processing of dates yields high volumes of blanching water. The use of such blanching water for reconstituting skim milk powder to produce low fat yogurt was studied. Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of two date cultivars (Medjoul and Confitera) blanching water were determined. Quality characteristics of yogurts (control; Medjoul and Confitera) were evaluated during 28 days of refrigerated storage. Results showed that Confitera blanching water is considered a good source of natural antioxidants and organic acids; and has a promising future as a functional ingredient; whereas Medjoul blanching water had a high content of sugars. Regarding yogurt characteristics: Confitera yogurts presented highest populations of lactic acid bacteria; and gave soft gels of weak structure; Medjoul yogurts presented higher firmness and sensory scores than Confitera.