Evaluation of the physical,chemical and sensory properties of raisins produced from grapes of the cultivar Crimson

The main objective of the present work was to dry grapes of Crimson variety through different methodologies in order to find an alternative for the production of raisins. Different methodologies were used for drying: solar direct exposition in a greenhouse and in convective drying chambers with constant air flow at two temperatures: 50 and 60 °C. Some chemical analyses were made, namely for total sugars, acidity, total phenols, total anthocyanins and total tannins. Also some physical properties were evaluated, specifically color and texture. A sensorial analysis of the dried products was undertaken to evaluate the acceptability by consumers. The raisins produced by the different methodologies didn’t show significant differences at the chemical and physical levels. However, it was observed that the dried samples contained higher amounts of total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and tannins in comparison to the fresh grapes. Sensory evaluation result showed that dried grapes produced using different methodologies was similar to commercial raisins.     

Occurrence of ochratoxin A,fumonisin B2 and black aspergilli in raisins from Western Greece regions in relation to environmental and geographical factors

The presence of ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin B₂ (FB₂) and black aspergilli in raisins from Western Greece regions (Messinia, Corinthia, Achaia, Ilia and Zante Island) was investigated in relation to the different geographic and climatic conditions in the 2011 growing season. The biseriate species Aspergillus niger “aggregate” and A. carbonarius were mainly identified. The population of A. niger “aggregate” species occurred in all raisin samples at colony-forming units (CFU) concentrations significantly higher (mean 2.2 × 10⁵ CFU g^?1 homogenate) than those of A. carbonarius population (mean 4.9 × 10³ CFU g^?1 homogenate), which occurred in 80% of the raisin samples. OTA was found in 73% of the samples at levels ranging from 0.1 µg kg^?1 to 98.2 µg kg^?1, with the highest level occurring in a raisin sample from Ilia that also contained the highest level of A. carbonarius. The European Union legal limit for OTA was exceeded in 15% of the raisin samples. FB₂ was found in 29% of the raisin samples at levels ranging from 7.1 µg kg^?1 to 25.5 µg kg^?1, with 20% of the samples co-occurring with OTA. Principal-component analysis was applied to levels of mycotoxins, fungal contamination, geographical data and environmental conditions recorded in the harvesting (August) or drying (September) period. Principal-component analysis clearly indicated a good direct correlation of rainfall and relative humidity with OTA and A. carbonarius contamination. A lack of clustering was observed when A. niger and FB₂ contamination were considered. This is the first report on the co-occurrence of the mycotoxins OTA and FB₂ in dried vine fruits from Greece.     

OCHRATOXIN A, HYDROXYMETHYLFURFURAL AND VITAMIN C LEVELS OF SUN-DRIED GRAPES AND SULTANAS

Ochratoxin A (OTA), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and l ‐ascorbic acid (vitamin C) levels were detected in sun‐dried sultanas and raisins (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sultanina). Ochratoxins produced by Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus spp., Penicillium viridicatum, Penicillium cyclopium and Rhizophus spp. The main toxin of this group is OTA. It is nephrotoxic and immunotoxic. HMF can occur during nonenzymatic browning reactions that take the form of condensation reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars. It is known as a mutagenic and carcinogenic compound. The sultanas and raisin research samples were sun dried in the field and stored over a long period in the plant. Toxicological quality patterns evaluated for OTA and HMF levels were also evaluated. These are very important compounds for food safety. They are important critical control quality criteria of sun‐dried grapes. Vitamin C was examined because of sensitivity against physical and chemical factors such as oxygen, light, thermal treatments, alkali treatment and heavy metals, as well as being important for food labeling. The mean values of OTA in sultanas and raisins were 4.64 and 2.98 µg/kg, respectively. It is determined that the studied samples could be evaluated for safety limit of OTA, which is suggested by the European Community as 10 µg/kg. The HMF values of the samples were 5.50 and 33.57 mg/kg, respectively. The raisins were sun dried. The two types of samples without any pretreatment had a long sun drying period, and they showed higher mean of HMF level with content is had showed higher mean HMF level sultanas. The HMF content is with a critical control point for human health. The mean vitamin C levels of sultanas and raisins were 3.67 and 5.15 mg/100 g, respectively. The mean vitamin C values of sultanas were lower than those of raisins. It was estimated that alkali treatment could cause the destruction of l ‐ascorbic acid. The vitamin C content of sun‐dried grapes does not contribute much to nutrition.     

Microwave Pre-treatment for Sun-Dried Raisins

Commercial sun-drying of raisins requires a long time, and chemical pretreatments are used to increase the drying rate. The feasibility of improving the sun-drying process of grapes by microwaves was investigated. Sultana seedless grapes, dipped in alkali solution, were pre-treated in a domestic microwave oven and dried by direct solar radiation. Microwave pre treatment reduced the moisture content by 10–20%. The microwave-treated grapes dried nearly two times faster than the controls. Blanching in boiling water had the same effect on the drying rate as microwaves. Color and appearance of treated grapes were comparable to commercial products.     

Kinetics of Browning of Sultana Grapes

Heat inactivation of polyphenoloxidase (PPO) in sultana grapes between 83° and 98°C followed zero order kinetics with an activation energy of 13.7–16.7 kcal/mol. A high correlation (r = 0.973) was found between the residual PPO activity and darkness of the raisins (Hun-terlab L value) after drying at 50°C. Reaction rate for enzymatic browning increased with higher water activities while non-enzymatic browning showed the typical bell-shaped curve with a maximum around 0.8. Light-colored raisins were obtained without the use of SO₂ by pretreating the grapes with a 2 min dip in 93°C water that inactivated PPO and improved mass transfer through the skin. This latter effect was compared to that of other treatments such as ethyl oleate and caustic soda by drying studies and scanning electron microscopy.     

Effects of different drying treatments on fungal population and ochratoxin A occurrence in sultana type grapes

This study aimed to determine the changes in mould and ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in sultanas under three different conventional drying conditions. Five different vineyards were chosen, and the three different treatments were applied to these grapes while drying. At the end of the drying process, total mould and black aspergilli (BA) populations in the samples varied from 2.45 to 5.61 log colony-forming units (CFU) g^–1 and from 0 to 4.92 log CFU g^–1, respectively. Significant increases (p < 0.05) occurred in mould loads depending on the extending drying period. However, independent of vineyard location, all the samples treated with cold dipping solution showed the lowest fungal loads. These results indicate that dipping solution treatment was the most effective drying method to minimise fungal infection of grapes. The expected results could not be achieved by drying grapes artificially contaminated with ochratoxigenic Aspergillus carbonarius spores. Seventy-one of 96 isolates (73.95%) obtained during drying were Aspergillus spp., and the remaining (n = 25, 26.05%) belonged to other genera, such as Penicillium, Trichoderma and Cladosporium. Grape juice-based agar medium was used to determine the realistic OTA production capacities of the isolated mould strains. The highest OTA production capacities were 809.70 ± 9.19, 87.58 ± 16.89 and 45.44 ± 18.78 ng g^–1 in 50% grape juice agar (GJ50), all five of which were from A. niger isolates. OTA was not present in any sample during the drying period; however, OTA was detected in two samples at 0.32 ± 0.15 and 0.52 ± 0.36 µg kg^–1 after the end of the drying process. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the method used for detecting OTA in samples were 0.1 and 0.3 µg kg^–1, respectively.     

Optimization Study of Sulfur Dioxide Application in Processing of Sultana Raisins

Abstract

The current use of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) fumigation to bleach Sultana raisins has a number of limitations including poor absorption into the product and air pollution problems. A study was conducted to improve the sulfitation process by use of SO₂ solutions as an alternative. A factorial design was used to evaluate the effect of concentration, temperature and raisin/solution ratio on the absorption of SO₂ by raisins. It was found that the most important variables were concentration and temperature of the used solutions. The amount of SO₂ absorbed by the raisins was time dependent, but the absorption rate declined after the first 15 min of contact. The use of SO₂ solutions was found to be more efficient than fumigation with raisins retaining from 9–21% of applied SO₂ in solution compared to 3–5% of SO₂ applied as a gas. Higher final SO₂ tissue concentrations could be achieved in the liquid application method compared to the gas method. There were no negative consequences of the proposed solution‐based system with respect to post‐treatment drying time and the storability of the raisins.     

Evaluation of Drying Methods with Respect to Drying Kinetics,Mineral Content,and Color Characteristics of Savory Leaves

Sun, oven (50 °C), and microwave oven (700 W) drying of savory leaves (Satureja thymbra L.) were carried out to monitor the drying kinetics, changes in mineral content, and color degradation of the product. Oven and microwave oven drying shortened the drying time over than approximately 70% and 99% when compared to the sun and oven drying methods, respectively. Fresh and dried savory leaves had high amounts of K (8875.2–28468.0 mg/kg), Ca (3681.6–9852.03 mg/kg), Mg (1388.0–3102.0 mg/kg), and P (2313.2–5045.8 mg/kg) minerals. K, Ca, P, and Mg were the most abundant elements in savory samples. Mineral content of oven-dried savory were higher than the sun and microwave dried samples. Midilli and Küçük model was shown to give a good fit to the sun and oven drying. The Midilli and Küçük, modified page and page models exhibited high coefficient of determination (R ² ) values ranging between 0.9995 and 0.9997, to the experimental microwave oven drying data of savory. Microwave oven drying revealed optimum color values. Oven drying resulted in a considerable decrease in color quality of savory.     

吐鲁番无核白葡萄晾房干燥的预处理方法

为提高吐鲁番地区无核白葡萄晾房干燥速率及品质,获取较优的晾房干燥预处理工艺,在吐鲁番高昌区克 孜里土尔村开展了晾房干燥实验。晾房中挂串实验样本组设1 个对照组和3 个预处理组,采集干燥过程中晾房温湿 度、风速、葡萄含水率及葡萄RGB图像等数据,采用Matlab软件分析葡萄RGB图像,获得外部品质特征,采用统计 方法绘制无核白葡萄干燥过程中含水率和色度变化趋势图,以及对比不同预处理方式下葡萄干成品品质指标,确定 了较优的晾房干燥预处理方式。结果表明：与未经预处理的对照组相比,经质量分数3.0%的促干剂预处理的无核 白葡萄干燥时间缩短了6 d;干燥过程中葡萄表面色度变化较为平稳,且成品的褐变率降低了67%,绿级率提高了 20.5%;综合分析各项指标,该处理优于其他预处理,最终确定其为晾房干燥较优的预处理方式;此外,实验确定 橄榄油具有提高葡萄干燥绿级率的作用。     

Effect of Carbonic Maceration Pre-treatment on Drying Kinetics of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) Flesh and Quality of Dried Product

A new pre-treatment — carbonic maceration (CM) pre-treatment — was presented in this paper. To study the effect of CM on microwave drying (MD) kinetics of Chilli flesh and quality of dried product, the fresh (control group, CK) and CM pre-treated samples were dried through MD at 100, 150 and 200 W, respectively. CM conditions were optimized by orthogonal test. The drying results indicated that, the average drying rate for CM samples were as much as 150–185 % of these for CK samples. For both CK and CM samples, the drying rate increased at the initial time (a warming-up period) and then decreased at the end time (a falling rate period) after reaching a plateau (a constant rate period). And the effective diffusivity, D _eff, increased gradually at the initial period and then rapidly at the final period with the diminishing moisture content. Elevated microwave power levels could lead to a linear increase in values of D _eff at the same moisture content. The activation energy, E _a, increased rapidly when moisture content was below about 1 g water/g dry mass, which was lower for CM samples than for CK samples, and can be well described with a logistic model. Scavenging free radical capability (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total phenol contents and vitamin C retention contents of the dried products for CM samples were as much as 170.1–190.9 %, 140.2–147.8 %, 140.1–160.0 % and 212.7–682.4 % of these for CK samples, respectively. The CM dried products were also better in terms of colour differences than CK.     

Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in export quality raisins collected from different areas of Pakistan

During 2012–2014, 170 samples of export quality raisins were collected from different vendors in Pakistan. The collected samples were analysed for the presence of aflatoxins (AFs) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination using high-performance liquid chromatography technique. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of AFs/OTA were 0.12/0.10 and 0.36/0.30 µg kg^?1, respectively. Only 5% of the samples were contaminated with AFs, ranging 0.15–2.58 µg kg^?1 with a mean of 0.05 ± 0.26 µg kg^?1. None of the raisin samples exhibited AFs contamination above the maximum limit (ML = 4 µg kg^?1) as set by the European Union (EU). About 72% of the samples were contaminated with OTA, ranging 0.14–12.75 µg kg^?1 with a mean of 2.10 ± 1.9 µg kg^?1. However, in 95.3% of the tested samples, OTA level was lower than the ML of 10 µg kg^?1 as regulated by the EU. Apparently, a strict and continuous monitoring plan, including regulatory limits, improves food safety and quality for all types of commodities.     

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Capacity, and Sensory Quality of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Arils and Rind as Affected by Drying Method

The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of: (1) freeze drying, (2) convective drying (50, 60, or 70 °C), (3) vacuum–microwave drying (240, 360, or 480 W), and (4) a combined method of convective pre-drying and vacuum–microwave finish drying in the processing of pomegranate arils and rind. The quality parameters under study included sugars and organic acids, punicalagins and ellagic acid, total polyphenols, total antioxidant activity, and sensory quality. In general, drying led to a reduction in all studied parameters; however, the behavior of arils and rind was different. Vacuum–microwave drying at 240 or 360 W was the best drying treatment for arils, while rind required freeze drying or soft conditions of convective drying (50 °C). Further research is needed to obtain proper results with convective pre-drying and vacuum–microwave finish drying of arils and rind. With proper selection of the drying protocol, high-quality dried arils will be available for consumers; these arils will be characterized by high contents of fructose (25 g 100 g^?1), phytic acid (2.2 g 100 g^?1), punicalagins (0.57 mg g^?1), total polyphenols (1.6 mg eq gallic acid g^?1), high antioxidant capacity (0.6 mg eq Trolox g^?1), and high intensities of garnet color, sweetness, sourness, and fresh pomegranate aroma. Besides, dried rind with very high contents of active compounds (123 mg g^?1 of punicalagins and 108 mg eq gallic acid g^?1) and high antioxidant capacity (26 mg eq Trolox g^?1) will be also available as functional material.     

Raisin processing: physicochemical,nutritional and microbiological quality characteristics as affected by drying process

Processing and conservation of grapes by suitable techniques has been a major challenging issue for a long time. Optimization of drying and pretreatment operations of this fruit have been extensively studied. However, in order to achieve the production of high-quality raisins and reach consumers’ acceptance, special attention for quality attributes should be taken into account. Quality characteristics of grapes such as color, texture, vitamins, phytochemicals, aroma profile and microbial stability are of paramount importance since they could vary throughout the dehydration procedure and would directly determine quality perception and consumer choice. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the physicochemical, nutritional and microbiological characteristics of dried grapes as affected by the drying process. In addition, it investigates the changes of different grapes quality attributes (mainly nutritional and aromatic proprieties) during processing, which enables professionals and scientists to better choose and optimize grape processing to deliver the highest raisin quality to consumers.     

Antioxidant activities and bioactive components in some berries

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and binding effects of gooseberry, a less-studied berry, and to compare with blueberry and cranberry in the model of interaction with human serum albumin (HSA). The relationship between the scavenging properties of dietary polyphenols of the selected berries and their affinities for HSA were investigated by fluorescence analysis. In order to perform the extraction and identification of the antioxidants present in the samples, different types of extraction solvents were used, such as water, ethyl acetate, and diethyl ether. The polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid contents, and the total antioxidant capacities (TACs) of the berry extracts were assessed by using ESI–MS, FTIR, and radical scavenging assays. The contents of bioactive compounds and the levels of TACs in water extracts differed significantly and were the highest in water extracts in comparison with other extracts in all the investigated berries (P < 0.05). Gooseberry water extracts contained: polyphenols (mg GAE/g DW)—5.37 ± 0.6, tannins (mg CE/g DW)—0.71 ± 0.2, anthocyanins (mg CGE/g DW)—12.0 ± 1.2, ascorbic acid (mg AA/g DW)—5.15 ± 0.5, and TACs (μMTE/g DW) by ABTS and FRAP assays were 15.53 ± 1.6 and 6.51 ± 0.7, respectively. In conclusion, the bioactivity of gooseberry was lower than blueberries and cranberries. The antioxidant and binding properties of gooseberries in comparison with widely consumed blueberries and cranberries can be used as a new source for food supplementation.     

Evaluation of Antioxidant Effects of Raisin Paste in Cooked Ground Beef, Pork, and Chicken

ABSTRACT:  The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible antioxidant activity of raisin paste added to raw ground beef, pork, or chicken before cooking to 163 °C. Samples were held at 2 °C for up to 14 d. TBA values were measured using a distillation method, to avoid yellow color interference found in "wet" TBA methods. Sample meat flavor intensity, rancid flavor intensity, and raisin flavor intensity were evaluated by a trained panel (n = 6). Addition of raisin paste lowered ( p < 0.05) TBA values and decreased panel scores for rancid flavor scores of all meat samples in a concentration-dependent manner. Highest antioxidant effects were obtained with a minimum of 1.5%, 2.0%, or 2.0% raisin paste in cooked ground beef, pork, or chicken, respectively. There was a high correlation (0.93, 0.94, 0.94) between TBA values and sensory rancid flavor scores in beef, pork, and chicken samples respectively. Addition of a reducing sugar (glucose) was nearly as effective as raisins for maintenance of low TBA values and rancid flavor scores, probably due to antioxidant effects of Maillard browning products. There was no detectable raisin flavor in cooked ground beef samples with added raisins. However, all meats with added glucose had a higher raisin flavor intensity score than controls, indicating that panelists associated sweetness with raisin flavor. Maillard browning (sample darkening) was evident after cooking of ground chicken with either raisins or glucose.     

The effect of microwave and conventional drying on antioxidant activity,phenolic compounds and mineral profile of date fruit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoenix dactylifera</Emphasis> L.) flesh

In this study, the effect of microwave and conventional drying on antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, mineral and total phenolic contents of date fruit meat (Silifke and Anamur) were determined. Both microwave (360, 540 and 720 W) and conventional (70, 90 and 110 °C) drying caused the reduction of phenolic compounds although there can not considerably variation in antioxidant activity of date flesh. Total phenolic contents of date flesh changed between 114.640 mgGAE/100 g (Silifke 540 W) and 133.484 mg GAE/100 g (Silifke 720 W) compared with control sample (156.128 mg GAE/100 g). While P contents of date fruit change between 86.00 mg/Kg (control) and 704.420 mg/Kg (360 W), P contents of Anamur samples ranged from 79.430 mg/Kg (Control) to 1288.780 mg/Kg (360 W). Mineral contents of date fruits dried in microwave oven were found higher than those of observed in conventional dried fruits (especially Ca and Mg contents of date fruits).     

Quantity and chemical composition of essential oil of peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) leaves under different drying methods

This work was aimed at quantitative and qualitative analyses of the essential oil of peppermint leaves under different drying methods. Thin layer drying experiments of the leaves were performed in shade, hot air dryer (at temperatures of 50°C, 60°C, and 70°C), and microwave oven (at power levels of 200, 400, and 800 W). Essential oils of the fresh and dried samples were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The highest (22.24 g/kg _{dry matter}) and the lowest (1.33 g/kg _{dry matter}) oil yields were obtained from the hot air-dried leaves at temperature of 50°C and microwave-dried leaves at power of 800 W, respectively. In general, increasing drying temperature decreased the essential oil content. The GC/MS analysis of essential oils showed that the chemical compounds belonged mostly to oxygenated monoterpenes class (72.34–86.41%). The chemical compounds group was significantly (p < 0.01) decreased by microwave drying at power levels of 200 and 400 W. The assessed drying methods caused significant (p < 0.05 and/or p < 0.01) variations in the main constituents of the peppermint leaves essential oil including menthol, menthone, menthofuran, 1,8-cineole, and menthyl acetate. The minimum (35.01%) and maximum (47.50%) concentrations of menthol, as the major compound of the oil, were found in hot air-dried leaves at temperature of 50°C and microwave-dried leaves at power of 400 W, respectively. The percentage of menthone, as the second constituent in the essential oil, was significantly lost (p < 0.01) under microwave drying.     

Antioxidant activity and phenolic content of 16 raisin grape (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars and selections

Six raisin grape cultivars and 10 new raisin grape selections were analyzed for antioxidant activity (ABTS assay) and for total and individual phenolic compounds. Samples were freeze–dried and values are reported on a dry weight basis. Antioxidant activity across the 16 samples ranged from 7.7 to 60.9 μmol Trolox/g DW, with A95-27 exhibiting the greatest activity. Total phenolic content, determined in gallic acid equivalents using the Folin–Ciocalteau assay, ranged from 316.3 to 1141.3 mg gallic acid/100 g DW and was strongly correlated (r = 0.990) with antioxidant results. Concentrations of individual phenolics were determined by HPLC. trans-Caftaric acid was the predominant compound in all samples. A95-15 contained the lowest concentration (153.5 μg/g DW) of caftaric acid, while Fiesta contained the highest concentration (598.7 μg/g DW). Selections A56-66, A95-15, and A95-27 had much higher levels of catechin (86.5–209.1 μg/g DW) and epicatechin (126.5–365.7 μg/g DW) than the other samples.     

Nutritional and functional components of mulberry leaves from different varieties: Evaluation of their potential as food materials

Mulberry leaves had been used as material of medicine, drink, and functional foods in many countries, but the variety suitability for different applications is still not clear. In this study, the nutritional and phytochemical components of mulberry tender shoots from 19 varieties in China were investigated. Obvious genotypic diversity was observed in all the assessed components. The contents of crude protein (CP), total soluble sugars (TSS), crude fiber (CF), 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), total phenolic (TP), and total flavonoid content (TF) were 27.63–37.36 g/100 g dry weight (DW), 58.71–150.31 mg/g DW, 9.90–13.85 g/100 g DW, 0.08–1.12 mg/g DW, 8.76–20.26 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g DW, and 21.36–56.41 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/g DW, respectively. Chlorogenic acid, rutin, isoquercitrin, and astragalin were considered to be mainly potential antioxidant compounds in mulberry leaves. According to the result of correlational analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), the NS14 variety had high comprehensive healthy properties. GS8, D10, XS, TP2, and DHS could be appropriate materials for functional food or drink because of high content of phenolics or DNJ. Some varieties may have a potential application as protein-rich vegetables. The study suggests that some variety of mulberry could be selected and utilized rationally for their dietary properties.