Ergogenic Attributes of Young and Mature Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Water Based on Physical Properties,Sugars and Electrolytes Contents

The present work aimed to compare the main ergogenic attributes of two commercialized stages (young and mature) of coconut water (CW) obtained from four coconut varieties. The changes of electrolytes and sugars in CW upon maturation were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Based on the electrolyte profiling, potassium yielded the highest amount (ranging from 237.41 to 361.20 mg/100 mL) followed by sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, selenium, and zinc across all the maturity stages tested. For sugars, there were lower amounts of fructose and glucose, but a higher amount of sucrose with the maturation of the fruits. In conclusion, the amount of beneficial nutrients in the form of sugars and minerals was higher than that of young CW, and the ergogenic attributes of mature CW especially from MATAG variety (M-MATAG) were the best to be exploited further in the development of natural energy drinks.     

Dietary fibre of coconuts from a pacific atoll: Soluble and insoluble components in relation to maturity

Polysaccharide fractions were measured in coconuts at three stages of maturity, which corresponded to dietary usage in the Tokelau Islands of the South Pacific. Kernel was sequentially extracted with cold water (CW), hot water (HW) hot 0.5% ammonium oxalate (HOX), 1M H² SO⁴ and 72% H² SO⁴, and the monosaccharide compositions of the fractions determined. Total readily soluble fractions (CW+HW+HOX) were predominantly galactomannan, and decreased from 77% of the polysaccharide in the immature kernel to 8.8% of that in the mature kernel. Insoluble mannan increased during maturation to be the major polysaccharide component in mature kernel. This indicates that marked differences exist between the three stages of maturity examined, in the properties of their dietary fibre. The results suggest that in studies of diets in which coconut is a staple part, there is a need for careful definition of the coconut component with respect to maturity. Furthermore, they show the importance of using dietary fibre methods which are appropriate to the solubility characteristics of the indigestible polysaccharide.     

Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis Recovery of Limonene from Citrus Processing Waste Streams

Commercial ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were used to concentrate the terpene, limonene, present in cold pressed oil centrifuge effluent and molasses evaporator condensate. UF membrane rejections were 78–97% for mixtures with initial limonene concentrations from 0.04–0.6%v/v. RO membrane rejection of limonene ranged from 87–99% for feed streams containing 0.06–0.23% limonene. Initial membrane flux rates for centrifuge effluents were in the range 10–100 kg/m²/hr. Evaporator condensate fluxes were higher, 25–400, while pure water rates ranged from 25 (RO) to 1000 kg/m²/hr (UF). Contact with limonene adversely affected membrane flux rates in decreasing order of severity: polysulfone > cellulose acetate > teflon-type.     

Quality changes of burnt aromatic coconut during 28-day storage in different packages

The shelf-life of unwrapped, film-wrapped and vacuum-packed burnt aromatic coconut was studied at 5±1 °C and 80-90% relative humidity. Regardless of the packaging treatments, weight loss of whole burnt coconut increased with storage time. Transmittance and lightness (L*) values of coconut water decreased (P<0.05) with longer storage time. The pH of coconut water and coconut meat from the vacuum-packed treatment decreased as storage time increased. Sensory analysis showed that, for all treatments, the yellowness intensity of coconut water increased whereas its transparency decreased with time. The sourness intensity of vacuum-packed coconut water increased on later days of storage. Only the film-wrapped coconut, having the shortest shelf-life, had mold on its shell and husk at the end of storage. This study showed that the unwrapped, film-wrapped and vacuum-packed burnt coconuts could be stored for up to 14, 18 and 28 days, respectively, under the conditions used in this study.     

Hollow Fiber Ultrafiltration of Maple Sap: A Performance Study

In an attempt to develop new products from maple sap, membrane technology was used to fractionate and concentrate macromolecular components (10,000 daltons or larger). Permeate fluxes increased with transmembrane pressure, reaching a maximum at 190–200 kPa, at 8–10°C. The flux profiles were similar to those of protein solutions and fruit juices. This method of clarification was successfully applied to obtain a clear “cold sterilized” sap. Application of ultrafiltration to maple farms or industries are discussed.     

碳化硅膜在再造烟叶萃取液净化中的应用

  目的  提高造纸法再造烟叶萃取液的质量。  方法  采用40 nm碳化硅超滤膜精制萃取液,考察该技术对萃取液及其浓缩液中含渣量、粘度、蛋白质、淀粉和中性致香成分的处理效果以及对产品感官质量的影响,研究了碳化硅膜工业化应用的可行性。  结果  ① 采用40 nm碳化硅超滤膜处理后,萃取液基本无渣,其浓缩液含渣量和粘度分别降低了56.3%和48.3%;②浓缩液的蛋白质和淀粉含量均有一定程度下降,且大部分中性致香成分含量有所增加,产品的感官质量有所提升;③萃取液的得率为96.2%,平均膜通量达到116.36 L/(m2.h),且经过40 min热水洗+40 min热碱洗的方式膜通量可完全恢复。  结论  40 nm碳化硅超滤膜对造纸法再造烟叶萃取液具有良好的处理效果,可以改善最终所得产品的感官吸味,该方法具有一定的工业化应用意义。      

Microfiltration of whey proteins adsorbed on yeast cells

Soluble whey proteins (WPs), adsorbed on yeast cells, were recovered by a crossflow microfiltration (MF) technique using a cellulose nitrate membrane with a pore size of 0.45 μm. The crossflow velocity was 1.5 m s^?1 with a transmembrane pressure of 200 kPa at 25 °C. A series of protein rejections occured at various pH values ranging from 2 to 8. WPs adsorbed more on to yeast cells at low pH (pH < 4) than at high pH values, probably because they were positively charged at low pH. It was also shown that permeate flux increased and Modified Membrane Fouling Index values decreased at low pH levels. When the yeast concentration was 50 g L^?1, the flux decreased five times compared with that in the absence of yeast. Protein recovery increased with increasing yeast concentrations. The highest protein recovery was found to be 85% at a yeast concentration of 50 g L^?1 at a steady state flux rate of 10^?6 m s^?1 at 25 °C. When diluted solutions of whey were used, the same rejection of protein, adsorbed on yeast cells, was achieved at ten times lower amounts of yeast cells. This technique not only provides for the recovery of protein but also may give rise to the direct use of yeast cells, which are rich in protein, in the baking industry. WPs absorbed by yeast cells can be used to produce nutritionally rich products in areas where yeasts have been already used.     

Comparison of the behavior of two nanofiltration membranes for sweet whey demineralization

Nanofiltration is a process used to separate mineral salts from lactose, having previously removed the proteins by ultrafiltration. Both proteins and lactose can be used as raw materials to prepare a variety of products. In this paper, we studied the feasibility of demineralizing sweet whey obtained from the cheese industry of the Comunidad Valenciana (Spain) using membrane technologies. The NF200 membrane showed the highest volumetric flux and solute rejection values, whereas the DS-5 DL membrane showed the lowest values. The volumetric fluxes obtained with the NF200 and DS-5 DL membranes in these experiments with the ultra-filtered whey demonstrated significant differences between membranes. Concerning solute rejection, the highest values were obtained using the NF200 membrane. The chosen parameter to evaluate the demineralization capability was solute flux. In this way, the values obtained for chloride ion were 9.90 and 32.42 g/ (m²·h) for the NF200 and DS-5 DL membranes, respectively, with the highest demineralization rates being achieved with the DS-5 DL membrane.     

Concentration of phenolic compounds from apple pomace extracts by nanofiltration at lab and pilot scale with a techno‐economic assessment

Apple pomace can be used as resource for the extraction of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. Pressing of apple in juice and pomace at lab scale in open air (aerobic) and under N₂ atmosphere (anaerobic) showed a recovery of phenolic compounds of 85% in juice and pomace after anaerobic pressing, compared to 43% after aerobic pressing, indicating loss of phenolic compounds by oxidation and the advantage of anaerobic over aerobic pressing. After a membrane screening and concentration test at lab scale, the commercial nanofiltration membrane NFX was selected to concentrate phenolic compounds in an ethanol : water extract of apple pomace. At pilot scale, the concencentration of 10 selected phenolic compounds and quinic acid increased from 59.5 mg/L in the ethanol : water extract to 1256.1 mg/L in the final retentate, that is, by a factor 21.1. The volume of the crude extract was reduced by a factor of 28.5 during the filtration, indicating some loss of phenolic compounds during pilot testing due to membrane fouling or oxidation of polyphenols. The pilot concentration test using a spiral‐wound membrane module showed good flux and concentration of phenolic compounds, indicating the technical feasibility of membrane technology for efficient concentration of polyphenols in an ethanol : water extraction solvent. Unfortunately, the extraction and concentration process was not economically feasible under the assumptions made.

Practical applications

The valorization of food waste for the production of high‐added value products is an increasingly hot topic. Phytochemicals are present in relatively low concentration in the fruit matrix, and concentration in the extraction solvent is necessary to develop an industrially relevant process. In this study, membrane filtration was selected for concentration due to its low energy consumption and mild processing conditions compared to other technologies. Membrane screening and testing at lab and pilot scale with techno‐economic assessment can be used by food and nutraceutical industries to evaluate membrane technology for concentration of phytochemicals extracted from agroindustrial by‐products.     

Comparison between isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) for analysing the carbon isotope ratio and detection of adulteration in coconut water

This study investigated the carbon isotope ratio (¹³C/¹²C, δ¹³C in unit of parts per thousand or per mill, ‰) of different coconut water samples using elemental analysis isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) and combustion module cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CM-CRDS). Natural coconut water from young coconuts from 12 provinces in Thailand (n = 94), adulterated coconut water containing three sweeteners (sucrose, glucose and fructose) at different concentrations and eight brands of commercial coconut water were analysed. The δ¹³C of all samples were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the EA-IRMS and CM-CRDS analyses. The natural coconut water (C3 plant) had δ¹³C ranging from −21.58‰ to −27.79‰ (mean −24.64 ± 0.91‰). Three sweeteners (C4 plant) contained δ¹³C between −11.46‰ to −13.16‰. The use of δ¹³C determination can detect adulteration of a singular extraneous sweetener (either glucose or sucrose) down to a level of 2% of adulteration. For the detected δ¹³C values of commercial products labelled as ‘no added sugar’, about 50% of products were adulterated. This study demonstrates that CM-CRDS can be used as an alternative analytical platform to EA-IRMS for detecting adulterated products, especially coconut water.     

Effect of flux (transmembrane pressure) and membrane properties on fouling and rejection of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes treating perfluorooctane sulfonate containing wastewater

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is an emergent contaminant of substantial environmental concerns. In this study, reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes were used to remove this toxic and persistent compound from PFOS-containing wastewater. Five RO membranes and three NF membranes were tested at a feed concentration of 10 ppm PFOS over 4 days, and the PFOS rejection and permeate flux performances were systematically investigated. PFOS rejection was well correlated to sodium chloride rejection. The rejection efficiencies for the RO membranes were > 99%, and those for the NF membranes ranged from 90-99%. Improvement in PFOS rejection, together with mild flux reduction (< 16%), was observed at longer filtration time. Such shifts in rejection and flux performance were probably due to the increased PFOS accumulation at longer duration, as shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and liquid chromatograph and tandem mass spectrometry results. A fraction of PFOS molecules might be entrapped in the polyamide layer of the composite membranes, which hindered the further passage of both water and other PFOS molecules. In a similar fashion, PFOS rejection and fouling were enhanced for greater initial flux and/or applied pressure, where PFOS accumulation was promoted probably due to increased hydrodynamic permeate drag. Flux reduction was also shown to correlate to membrane roughness, with the rougher membranes tend to experience more flux reduction than the smoother ones.     

Development of a continuous membrane nanobubble generation method applicable in liquid food processing

A novel continuous nanobubble generation method was developed using a commercial ceramic membrane as a nanobubble generator. CO₂ and air were infused externally across the ceramic membrane (pore size 50 nm) into the water flowing inside the ceramic membrane tube. Infusion of each gas was done in a single (20 s) and multiple passes (180 s) at 20–21°C. Results showed that gaseous nanobubbles could be generated even in a single pass. Low power ultrasound (200 kHz, 30W) was applied for the rapid assessment of nanobubble stability. Single-pass ultrasound treatment of the samples was carried out at two levels: 2.6 and 5.1 J mL⁻¹. Among the samples in which gases were infused for multiple passes, air nanobubbles were found more stable than CO₂. In contrast, an opposite trend was observed in those samples in which gases were infused in the single-pass only (20 s). This process has the potential to be applied to food processing industries, such as to enhance the products’ sensory attributes, the efficiency of membrane separation, food drying and liquid food transportation systems.     

Comparison of crystallized coconut sugar produced by traditional method and amorphous coconut sugar formed by two drying methods: vacuum drying and spray drying

Coconut sugar is traditionally produced by evaporating sap until reaching its saturated liquid and formed a crystalline structure. This study investigated the comparison of coconut sugar made by traditional method (crystalline structure) and dried coconut sugar (predominantly amorphous structure) to its characteristics. Two different formulation of coconut sap : maltodextrin (7 : 3) and (6 : 4) (weight/weight) were dried using vacuum oven (70℃, 6 hours) and spray dried (Tinlet 120℃.) Coconut sugar was characterized for moisture content, crystallinity, water sorption isotherm, hygroscopic rate, color, dissolving time, and powder recovery. Initial moisture content was examined and in range of 1.33% - 3.44% (wb). The highest monolayer water content was obtained by using spray drying (6 : 4) and lowest was obtained by traditional method. X-ray diffraction showed that dried coconut sugar powder had dominant amorphous structure (70.9 – 71.4%) while traditional one was dominated with crystalline structure (90.5%). Traditional coconut sugar was the least hygroscopic (1.21 × 10-4 g water/g solid/minutes), followed by vacuum dried coconut sugar (1.48 × 10-4 g water/g solid/minutes) and spray dried ones (1.56 – 1.67 × 10-4 g water/g solid/minutes). Spray dried coconut sugar had the brightest and the whitest color, followed by vacuum dried and traditional coconut sugar. Vacuum dried powder was quicker to dissolve (13.33 – 16.67 s), while increasing maltodextrin in spray drying could not decrease the dissolving time. The highest powder recovery of dried sugar was obtained by using vacuum drying and higher maltodextrin concentration (88.70%) while traditional method produced 100% powder recovery.     

Concentrates from citrus juice obtained by crossflow microfiltration: Guidance of the process considering carotenoid bioaccessibility

This work focused on an eco-friendly process to concentrate carotenoids from a citrus juice formulated with clementine and pink grapefruit. It is based on crossflow microfiltration associated with enzymatic liquefaction, diafiltration and pasteurization. The aim was to evaluate the impact of the main operating conditions on the process performance and on the nutritional quality of the final concentrate taking into account the bioaccessibility of β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene. First, the best enzyme/pressure/membrane combination was chosen in order to maximize permeate flux during microfiltration (>100 kg.h⁻¹.m⁻² at 2.6 bar with tubular inorganic membranes). Second thanks to a Plackett-Burman experimental design applied to the whole process, we showed the enzymatic dose was the most impacting parameter on carotenoid bioaccessibility and it decreased it. An optimal dose of enzyme had to be defined in order to obtain a good compromise between the process performance and the nutritional quality of the citrus concentrate.     

Selecting ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes to concentrate anthocyanins from roselle extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

Ten nanofiltration flat-sheet membranes and eight tight ultrafiltration membranes with nominal MWCOs ranging from 0.2 to 150 kDa were tested to concentrate anthocyanin extract from roselle. A pilot system was used, which featured a membrane cell with an effective area of 0.0155 m². Permeate fluxes were recorded for transmembrane pressures between 0.5 and 3.0 MPa, while keeping all other operating conditions constant (volumetric reduction ratio 1, 35 °C). Retention values of total soluble solids, acidity and anthocyanins increased with transmembrane pressure. With similar permeate fluxes at average transmembrane pressure, retention of anthocyanins is significantly higher for nanofiltration membranes than for ultrafiltration membranes. A membrane was then selected for an industrial trial on the basis of its flux, retention of compounds of interest and energy consumption per liter of permeate. The trial using a 2.5-m² filtration surface, could concentrate roselle extract from 4 to 25 g total soluble solids per 100 g, with 100% retention of anthocyanins. No significant damages were observed when comparing concentrate quality with the initial roselle extract.     

Total Stabilisation of Beer in a Single Operation*

The total costs of lager beer stabilisation and clarification are high because of high capital investment, the production of solid and liquid wastes and additional handling. A single operation for the removal of sensitive proteins, sensitive polyphenols and radical initiators as metal ions reduces the costs substantially¹⁶. A gallotannin (GT)and a polyphenol absorber (PA) are added subsequently to the beer stream; the haze sensitive compounds are adsorbed and removed together via single centrifugation followed by a regeneration. The normal Kieselguhr filtration can be replaced by a Kieselguhr reduced filtration or membrane filtration^10,12. An extended shelf-life is obtained by an optimum ratio-gallotannin/polyphenol absorber, e.g. 6 g/10 g or by complete removal of sensitive proteins, metal ions and a little part of the flavanoids. The shelf-life or sensorial stability can be evaluated by chemiluminescence intensity and positively influenced with gallotannin. The high molecular weight gallotannin is completely natural (present in many herbs) and produces 100% residue-free beer.     

膜技术分离七叶参皂甙研究

以七叶参为材料,研究了微滤澄清、超滤除大分子、纳滤分离、纳滤浓缩等膜技术在分离七叶参皂甙的应用效果。结果表明,采用0.2μm微滤膜在40℃条件下微滤经粗滤后的七叶参浸提液,且在微滤滤液达到浸提液重的80%时加入与原料等重的透析水透析残渣可作为微滤澄清的技术参数;选用截留分子量为10000Da的超滤膜能有效去除色素等大分子物质;利用截留分子量为2500Da或3500Da的纳滤膜分离七叶参皂甙,可制得纯度为42%以上的七叶参皂甙产品,且3500Da纳滤膜比2500Da纳滤膜的得率要高,但干粉中皂甙纯度略低;选用500D的纳滤膜在32℃左右、操作压力为1.8MPa的条件下浓缩七叶参皂甙不仅浓缩效率高,而且可进一步提高产品纯度。     

正渗透膜污染的影响因素及清洗效果研究

为研究正渗透(FO)浓缩过程中的膜通量衰减规律,本文以牛血清白蛋白(BSA)为特征污染物,研究了正渗透过程中原料液的离子强度及BSA浓度、膜方位等参数不同时FO膜的污染规律,以提高膜通量和截留率为目标,对驱动液的种类、浓度,料液流速进行了优化,并优化了适宜的膜清洗方案.结果表明:原料液中离子强度越大,FO膜的初始通量越...     

陶瓷膜超滤技术浓缩乳清的工艺参数研究

采用孔径为20nm的无机陶瓷膜超滤干酪副产物乳清,浓缩乳清蛋白。通过对膜过滤压力、温度以及乳清pH三个因素进行单因素分析以及正交实验优化,得到最佳工艺条件:操作压力0.25MPa,温度51℃,pH6.1,此条件下超滤膜渗透通量达到169.37L/m2.h,乳清蛋白可浓缩至5.4%,经喷雾干燥制得WPC蛋白质含量为38.2%。     

CONSEQUENCES of FOULING and MACROMOLECULE ADSORPTION ONTO ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANE FOR PINEAPPLE JUICE PROCESSING

Pineapple juice samples were ultrafiltrated using a polysulfone 10,000 molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane. However, to facilitate operations, the ultrafiltration experiments were preceeded by fractionation of juice samples using sequentially Microfiltration/Diafiltration and Ultrafiltration/Diafiltration with 8 μm; 0.4 μm; 0.2 μm and 0.1 μm membranes, using three specific experimental procedures. the 10,000 MWCO membrane was cleansed using a 40°C IN NaOH solution for a minimum of 30 min, to restore optimal membrane water permeation flux. the effects of selective fractionation processes, pretreatments (using antifoaming agent, hemicellulase, and ammonium sulfate saturation), on permeation rates, concentration levels, protein rejection and protein yields were determined. Water permeation fluxes, measured before and after each UF operation showed a dramatic flux drop from 313 L/hm² to 91 L/hm² within seven successive 10,000 MWCO membrane experiments. This occurred inspite of suitable membrane washing conditions, pretreatments and selective fractionation processing of samples. the modification, mainly due to fouling, of the integrity of the 10,000 MWCO membrane relative to concentration level was investigated.