Composition of oregano essential oil (Origanum vulgare) as affected by drying method

The influence of the drying method on volatile compounds of Origanum vulgare was evaluated. The drying methods tested were convective (CD) at 60 °C and vacuum-microwave (VMD), as well as a combination of convective pre-drying and VM finish-drying (CPD–VMFD). The volatile compounds of fresh and dried oregano were extracted by steam-hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC–MS. Oregano drying kinetics was described by a simple exponential model for CD and CPD–VMFD, while VMD kinetics consisted of two periods: linear until a critical point and exponential beyond that point. Thirty-four compounds were tentatively identified, with carvacrol, thymol, and γ-terpinene, being the major components. The total volatiles concentration of fresh oregano (33.0 g kg⁻¹) decreased significantly during drying, independently of the method used (CD: 10.2 g kg⁻¹, CPD–VMFD: 13.1 g kg⁻¹, and VMD: 27.9 g kg⁻¹). The final conclusion was that VM dehydrated Polish oregano was of better aromatic quality than that dried using hot air.     

Effects of vacuum level and microwave power on rosemary volatile composition during vacuum-microwave drying

The influence of the vacuum level and the microwave power on aroma compounds and sensory quality of Rosmarinus officinalis dehydrated by vacuum-microwave (VM) method was evaluated. VM drying kinetics consisted of two periods: linear until a critical point and exponential beyond that point. The time needed to dry rosemary was shorter for high values of microwave power and vacuum intensity. Volatile compounds of rosemary samples were extracted by steam-hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Thirty-one compounds were identified, with α-pinene, verbenone and 1,8-cineole being the major components; monoterpenoids were the predominant chemical family. The total quantity of volatiles of fresh rosemary (27.2 g kg⁻¹) decreased during drying, independently of treatments, to a mean of 14.8 g kg⁻¹. Soft conditions of VM drying (low vacuum level and microwave power) are recommended to get the highest concentrations of volatiles and the best sensory quality (e.g. 72-74 kPa and 360 W).     

Drying kinetics and quality of beetroots dehydrated by combination of convective and vacuum-microwave methods

Beetroot cubes were dehydrated by convective drying in hot air at 60 °C and by the combination of convective pre-drying (CPD) until moisture content 1.6, 0.6 or 0.27 kg/kg db and vacuum-microwave finish drying (VMFD) at 240, 360 or 480 W. The control samples were obtained by freeze-drying (FD). The drying kinetics of beetroot cubes was described with an exponential function. VMFD significantly reduced the total time of drying and decreased drying shrinkage in comparison with convective method. A critical moisture content divided the temperature profile of samples during VMFD into increasing and falling periods. At the falling temperature period a significant increase in the colour parameters L^∗, a^∗ and b^∗ was found. VM treated samples as well as FD ones exhibited lower compressive strength, better rehydration potential and higher antioxidant activity than those dehydrated in convection. Increasing the microwave wattage and decreasing the time of CPD improved the quality of beetroot cubes dried by the combined method.     

Chemical composition of cultivated seaweed Ulva clathrata (Roth) C. Agardh

Samples of cultivated Ulva clathrata were collected from a medium scale system (MSS, 1.5 × 1.5 m tank), or from a large scale system (LSS, 0.8 ha earthen pond). MSS samples were dried directly while the LSS sample was washed in freshwater and pressed before drying. Crude protein content ranged 20–26%, essential amino acids accounting for 32–36% of crude protein. The main analysed monosaccharides were rhamnose (36–40%), uronic acids (27–29%), xylose (10–13%) and glucose (10–16%). Some notable variations between MSS and LSS samples were observed for total dietary fibre (26% vs 41%), saturated fatty acids (31% vs 51%), PUFAS (33% vs 13%), carotenoids (358 vs 169 mg kg⁻¹ dw) and for Ca (9 vs 19 g kg⁻¹), Fe (0.6 vs 4.2 g kg⁻¹), Cu (44 vs 14 mg kg⁻¹), Zn (93 vs 17 mg kg⁻¹) and As (2 vs 9 mg kg⁻¹). The chemical composition of U. clathrata indicates that it has a good potential for its use in human and animal food.     

Spray-dried rosemary extracts: Physicochemical and antioxidant properties

In this work, spray-dried rosemary extracts were obtained. A 3³ Box-Behnken design was followed to evaluate the influence of drying conditions on the contents of chemical markers and “in vitro” antioxidant activity of the powder. Although the dry products lost some of their polyphenols, they still had antioxidant activities (IC₅₀) ranging from 17.6 to 24.8 μg · mL⁻¹. Analysis of variance proved that studied factors and some of their interactions significantly affected most of the quality indicators. The best combination of conditions to use for obtaining dry rosemary extracts with adequate physicochemical and functional properties involves an extract feed rate of 6 mL · min⁻¹, a drying air inlet temperature of 140 °C and a spray nozzle air flow rate of 50 L · min⁻¹.     

Comparison of the cell wall composition for flesh and skin from five different plums

Cell walls were isolated from flesh and skin of five plum varieties corresponding to three species (Prunus domestica L., Prunus salicina Lindl. and Prunus insititia Lindl.) using the alcohol-insoluble solids (AIS) procedure. Yields varied from 83 to 114 g kg⁻¹ dry weight in the flesh and from 192 to 361 g kg⁻¹ dry weight in the skins. Their main sugars were uronic acid (224–322 mg g⁻¹ AIS), cellulosic glucose (139–170 mg g⁻¹ AIS), galactose and arabinose. Galactose and arabinose ratio were variable between the varieties. The degrees of methylation were high (62–84).     

Trace element levels in honeys from different regions of Turkey

A survey of 25 honey samples from different botanical origin, collected all over the Turkey was conducted to assess their trace element contents. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), aluminium (Al) and selenium (Se) in honey samples from different regions of Turkey. Trace element contents were determined by a flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique after dry-ashing, microwave digestion and wet-digestion. The accuracy of the method was corrected by the standard reference material, NIST-SRM 1515 Apple leaves. The contents of trace elements in honey samples were in the range of 0.23–2.41 μg g⁻¹, 0.32–4.56 μg g⁻¹, 1.1–12.7 μg g⁻¹, 1.8–10.2 μg g⁻¹, 8.4–105.8 μg kg⁻¹, 2.6–29.9 μg kg⁻¹, 2.4–37.9 μg kg⁻¹, 0.9–17.9 μg kg⁻¹, 83–325 μg kg⁻¹ and 38–113 μg kg⁻¹ for Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, Al and Se, respectively. Iron was the most abundant element while cadmium was the lowest element in the Turkish honeys surveyed. The results showed that trace element concentrations in the honeys from different regions were generally correlated with the degree of trace element contamination of the environment.     

Concentration of camu–camu juice by the coupling of reverse osmosis and osmotic evaporation processes

The objective of this work was to evaluate the technical feasibility of coupling two membrane separation processes, reverse osmosis (RO) and osmotic evaporation (OE), in order to concentrate clarified camu–camu juice, focusing on the vitamin C, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the final product. The juice was firstly pre-concentrated by RO, reaching 285 g kg⁻¹ of soluble solids. During this step, the juice’s osmotic pressure showed to be the main factor controlling mass transfer. The juice was then concentrated by OE, reaching 530 g kg⁻¹ of soluble solids. Vitamin C, total phenolics and antioxidant activity levels of 94.6 g ascorbic acid kg⁻¹, 105.2 g galic acid kg⁻¹ and 762 mmol Trolox kg⁻¹, respectively, were achieved in the final product. The use of integrated membrane processes proved to be an interesting alternative to the concentration of thermosensitive juices, reaching concentration levels up to 7 times for camu–camu juice’s bioactive compounds.     

Determination of glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in rocket salad by HPLC-DAD–MS: Evaluation of Eruca sativa Mill. and Diplotaxis tenuifolia L. genetic resources

The glucosinolate and phenolic profiles of 37 rocket salad accessions (32 Eruca sativa and 5 Diplotaxis tenuifolia) were obtained by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Eleven desulpho-glucosinolates (DS-GLSs) were isolated and the glucosinolate profiles did not differ between the two species. Total DS-GLS content, expressed as sinigrin equivalents (SE) revealed a certain variability, ranging from 0.76 to 2.46 g kg⁻¹ d.w. but, again, the quantitative analysis did not discriminates Eruca from Diplotaxis. The polyphenol evaluation by HPLC-DAD–MS allowed the identification of two different classes of compounds in the two rocket salad species. Qualitative differences were observed between the polyphenol profiles at specific level: quercetin derivatives were the main phenolics of Diplotaxis, whereas kaempferol derivatives characterised Eruca samples. The contents of total flavonoids determined as rutin equivalents (RE) ranged from 4.68 to 31.39 g kg⁻¹ d.w. Kaempferol-3,4′-diglucoside (71.4–82.2%) and isorhamnetin-3,4′-di-glucoside (7.8–18.4%) were always isolated as first and second more abundant phenolic compounds in Eruca samples. No marker phenolic compounds were isolated in Diplotaxis samples.     

Trace element content of Boletus tomentipes mushroom collected from Yunnan,China

The contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in eleven fruiting bodies of Boletus tomentipes were determined. The results showed the values of the studied elements decreased in the order: Mg (208–279 mg kg⁻¹) > Fe (106–137 mg kg⁻¹) > Mn (29.5–46.8. mg kg⁻¹) > Zn (18.7–23.1 mg kg⁻¹), > Cu (11.4–15.8 mg kg⁻¹) > Cr (3.36–4.78 mg kg⁻¹) > Pb (1.38–3.88 mg kg⁻¹) > Ni (1.68–3.01 mg kg⁻¹) > Cd (0.16–0.32 mg kg⁻¹) > As (0.10–0.24 mg kg⁻¹) > Hg (<0.06 mg kg⁻¹).     

Drying Kinetics and Energy Consumption in the Dehydration of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Arils and Rind

The objective of this study was to evaluate the drying kinetics and energy requirements during convective drying (CD) (50, 60 or 70 °C), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD) (240, 360 or 480 W) and a combined method of convective pre-drying and vacuum-microwave finishing drying (CPD-VMFD) while processing pomegranate arils and rind. Drying kinetics of CD and VMD was described using seven basic drying models; however, VMFD was modeled only by the Henderson and Pabis equation. Pomegranate rind required less drying time (26–460 min) than arils (51–1,395 min) due to its higher porosity and lower sugar content. The drying time and the energy consumption were reduced when the air temperature and microwave wattage were increased. VMD required less energy than CD within the entire range of moisture content assayed. CD energy consumption can be reduced by its combination with VMD (CPD-VMFD), and this reduction was more important when the VMFD was applied earlier. VMD and CPD-VMFD are a good option for food drying industry in order to reduce both the drying time and the energy consumption while processing pomegranate arils and rind. Therefore, industries can optimise the drying process and consequently save their financial needs.     

Improving the rheological and thermal properties of wheat dough by the addition of γ-polyglutamic acid

The rheological and thermal properties of wheat dough with the addition of γ-polyglutamic acid (PGA) (0.5, 1.0, 5.0 g kg⁻¹, w/w) was evaluated by the measurements of farinography, rapid visco analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Adding 5.0 g kg⁻¹ PGA in wheat dough increased the mixing stability and raised the pasting temperature from 75.8 to 84.4 °C, but decreased the peak viscosity and breakdown. The water holding capacity of wheat dough increased with the addition of 5.0 g kg⁻¹ of PGA. At 5.0 g kg⁻¹ level, PGA caused significant declines in the enthalpy, onset and peak temperatures of ice-melting transition of wheat dough. Scanning electron microscopy showed that wheat bread with the addition of 1.0 and 5.0 g kg⁻¹ PGA exhibited microstructures with smoother surfaces. During storage, PGA retarded the staling process of wheat bread.     

Nitrogen extractability and functional properties of defatted Erythrina variegata flour

Defatted Erythrina variegata flour was prepared from dehusked seed meal by hexane extraction of residual oil. The resulting flour had 403 g kg⁻¹ of protein as compared to 282 g kg⁻¹ in the whole seed-defatted meal. Nitrogen extractability of the defatted flour in water was not much influenced by the length of extraction period above 40 min, but an increased extraction was observed at a higher liquid to solid ratio up to a studied limit of 1:60; the optimal ratio was found to be 1:30. The minimum of 26.9% nitrogen was extracted in the pH range 3.0–4.0 and maximum of 94.8% at pH 12. Addition of sodium chloride (0.1 or 0.5 M) broadened the pH range of minimum nitrogen extractability and shifted it toward a lower pH region. At both concentrations of sodium chloride, a marked increase in nitrogen extractability, in the pH range 3.0–7.0, was observed. Precipitation of protein from an extract of pH 10.0 was maximum (85.3%) at pH 4.75. A higher buffer capacity of the flour was observed in the acidic medium (0.195 mmol HCl g⁻¹ flour) than in alkaline medium (0.093 mmol NaOH g⁻¹). Water absorption and oil absorption values for the whole E. variegata seed flour and the dehusked, defatted flour were 1.81, 1.43 and 1.02, 1.52 kg kg⁻¹, respectively.     

Multiresidue method for analysis of pesticides in pepper and tomato by gas chromatography with nitrogen–phosphorus detection

An analytical multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of various classes of pesticides in vegetables (pepper and tomato) was developed. Vegetable samples are extracted with acetone and the pesticides are partitioned into ethyl acetate/cyclohexane. Final determination was made by gas chromatography with nitrogen–phosphorus detection. Confirmation analysis of pesticides was carried out by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The identification of compounds was based on retention time and on comparison of the primary and secondary ions. Recovery studies were performed at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.02 mg kg⁻¹ fortification levels of each compound and the recoveries obtained ranged from 70.1% to 128.5% with relative standard deviations lower than 7%. The method showed good linearity over the range assayed 50–1500 μg l⁻¹ and the detection and quantification limits for the pesticides studied varied from 0.1 to 4.4 μg kg⁻¹ and 0.4 to 14.5 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method was used to determine pesticides levels in peppers and tomatoes grown in experimental greenhouses.     

Determination of trace elements in Croatian floral honey originating from different regions

The concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb were determined in 54 multi-floral honey samples collected from five regions of Croatia during 2009 and 2010. Element contents decreased in the following order: Cu > Pb > As > Hg > Cd. Significant differences in lead and copper levels were observed between regions. Mean levels of elements (μg kg⁻¹) in all honey samples measured were: 19.7 for As, 1.51 for Cd, 1074 for Cu, 2.72 for Hg and 65.2 for Pb. Copper and lead were the most abundant elements in the Centre region, with range and mean contents of 108–41,271 and 3232 μg kg⁻¹ and 22.0–440 and 131 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The highest element contents were: As 23.8 μg kg⁻¹ in the South region, Cd 2.11 μg kg⁻¹ in the Southwest region and Hg 2.63 μg kg⁻¹ in the Northeast region. The finding that lead contents in Croatian honey were higher than most reported lead levels in honey from other European countries is of particular concern. These indicate that attention must be focused on setting positions for honey production hives in areas distant from highways and railways.     

Drying kinetics and survival studies of dairy fermentation bacteria in convective air drying environment using single droplet drying

The drying and survival kinetics of Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris in a convective air drying environment were measured using single droplet drying experiments. Tests were carried out at five different drying temperatures (45–95 °C) at a constant air velocity (0.5 m/s) and within 2.4–11% relative humidity. The effect of protective agents (10% w/w) of lactose, sodium caseinate and lactose:sodium caseinate (3:1) was also evaluated. The thermal inactivation kinetics parameters in convective air drying and isothermal water bath heating were determined and compared. The results showed that the final temperature attained by the droplet affected the survival of the bacteria significantly, however, most of the bacterial death occurred in early stage of drying while evaporative cooling kept the drop temperature relatively low. At higher droplet temperatures (?65 °C) the bacterial cultures were inactivated by both dehydration and thermal stresses. At lower droplet temperatures (?55 °C) the rate of change in droplet moisture content had much stronger effect on the bacterial survival. Lactose and sodium caseinate, as protective agents, enhanced the survival of bacterial cells significantly at all the test conditions. The lactose:sodium caseinate (3:1) mixture synergistically enhanced the survival of the bacterial cultures. The death of these bacteria followed first-order kinetics during convective single droplet drying as well as during isothermal water-bath heating. However, the inactivation energy in convective single droplet drying (181.3 kJ/mol) was much higher than the inactivation energy in isothermal water bath heating (16.8 kJ/mol) within the medium temperature of 45–95 °C.     

Determination of ultratrace levels of selenium in fruit and vegetable samples grown and consumed in Portugal

The selenium content in fruit and vegetable samples from two regions in Portugal were analysed using hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) and radiochemical nuclear activation analysis (RNAA) – two analytical methods with very low limits of detection. The lower detection limits of HG-AFS, 3 μg kg⁻¹ and 8 μg kg⁻¹ (according to conditions used for digestion), and for RNAA, 10 μg kg⁻¹, meant that it was possible to determine selenium in samples previously analysed using the replicate sample instrumental nuclear activation analysis (RSINAA) with a higher detection limit associated.     

Simplified pesticide multiresidues analysis in fish by low-temperature cleanup and solid-phase extraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A simple and fast method for the simultaneous analysis of thiobencarb, deltamethrin and 19 organochlorine pesticide residues in fish by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was investigated in this study. Samples are extracted with acetonitrile. Most of lipids in the extract are eliminated by low-temperature cleanup, prior to solid-phase extraction cleanup. The lipids extracted from the fish samples were easily removed without any significant losses of the pesticides. Aminopropyl (NH₂) cartridge was effective to eliminate the remaining interference. Spiked experiments were carried out to determine the recovery, precision and limits of detection (LODs) of the method. The method detection limits ranged from 0.5 μg kg⁻¹ to 20 μg kg⁻¹, whilst recoveries of the pesticides were in the range of 81.3–113.7% with relative standard deviations ?13.5% at a spiked concentration of 0.05 mg kg⁻¹, 0.02 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.1 mg kg⁻¹. The newly developed method is demonstrated to give efficient recoveries and LODs for detecting pesticide multiresidues in fish.     

The effect of diets supplemented with thyme essential oils and rosemary extract on the deterioration of farmed gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) during storage on ice

The effect on quality were assessed for gilthead seabream fed five different diets: control (basal diet); BHT (basal diet with 200 mg kg⁻¹ of butylated hydroxytoluene); rosemary (basal diet with 600 mg kg⁻¹ of rosemary extract - Rosmarinus officinalis); carvacrol (basal diet with 500 mg kg⁻¹ of essential oil of Thymbra capitata, carvacrol chemotype); and thymol (basal diet with 500 mg g⁻¹ of essential oil of Thymus zygis, subspecies gracilis, thymol chemotype). After 18 weeks of experimentation, the animals were stored on ice at 4 °C for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. Physical-chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were carried out at each sampling point to determine the degree of deterioration in the gilthead seabream. Lower indices of oxidation were observed in animals who were administered feeds supplemented with BHT, carvacrol and (to a lesser degree) rosemary. Lower bacteria counts were observed for the BHT and thymol groups, in addition to a slower deterioration in terms of sensory perception. Accordingly, the addition of natural antioxidants to the diet may have an added effect on fish quality, delaying post mortem deterioration.     

Validation of antibiotics in catfish by on-line solid phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

For the first time automated on-line solid phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous determination of 13 antibiotics (sulfonamides and tetracyclines) in catfish. The method proposed was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, showing good linearity between 2 and 350 μg kg⁻¹, high recovery (80–99%) and reproducibility (13–20%) values, lower detection limits than 0.1 μg kg⁻¹, and quantification limits under 2.4 μg kg⁻¹ (between 39 and 84 times lower than the MRL fixed by the EU). Moreover, the proposed method was also used to determine sulfonamides and tetracyclines in 16 out of 107 samples, all previously analysed by microbiological screening that gave positive results. Five out of 13 antibiotics were found, having tetracycline the higher occurrence (10 samples); in all cases the concentrations were lower than the MRL established.