Alternative Pressing/Ultrafiltration Process for Sugar Beet Valorization: Impact of Pulsed Electric Field and Cossettes Preheating on the Qualitative Characteristics of Juices

Alternative process of sugar beet transformation is investigated by tuning experimental conditions. A three-step process has been set-up: (1) sugar beet cossettes pretreatment by pulsed electric field (PEF) and (or) short preheating to different temperatures; (2) extraction of juice from pre-treated cossettes by pressing; and (3) purification of the expressed juice by ultrafiltration. The PEF treatment was applied to cold (10 °C) and preheated (to 20, 50, 60, 70, and 80 °C) sugar beet cossettes with intensity of E?=?600 V cm^?1 using rectangular monopolar pulses of 100 μs during t _PEF?=?5–20 ms. Experiments were performed with cossettes of three sizes. Control experiments were done without PEF treatment using cold (10 °C) and preheated (to 20–80 °C) cossettes. PEF-treated and (or) preheated cossettes were pressed at 5 bars during 15 min. Afterward, expressed juices obtained from the PEF-treated cossettes at 20 °C and from the untreated ones at 80 °C were purified by dead-end ultrafiltration with stirring (500 rpm) at the temperature of 20 °C by using polyethersulfone membrane with MWCO of 30 kDa. Application of PEF (E?=?600 V cm^?1, t _PEF?=?10 ms, T?=?20 °C) with following pressing of cossettes at 5 bars during 15 min permits to obtain the juice yield Y?=?66,5 %, which is equivalent to that obtained from cossettes preheated to 80 °C and untreated electrically (Y?=?64 %). The energy consumption of cold PEF treatment (≈2–3 Wh/kg) is very attractive as compared to preheating at high temperatures (≈138–194 Wh/kg). Combination of thermal and electrical pretreatments leads to additional softening of sugar beet tissue and to a slightly higher (on 5–10 %) juice yield, but the electroporation of preheated cossettes is more energetically costly. The raw juice expressed from PEF-treated cossettes at 20 °C has higher purity (93.5 %) than juices expressed at 50 °C (92.9 %) and at 80 °C (92.3 %). The temperature increasing from 20 to 80 °C results in a higher juice coloration (5680 IU at 20 °C and 7820 IU at 80 °C) and leads to a higher (on about 35 %) colloids concentration in the expressed juice. The filtrate obtained from the juice expressed at 20 °C with PEF treatment has a higher purity (96 %) than the filtrate obtained from the juice expressed at 80 °C (95.3 %) and its coloration is considerably lower (330 IU versus 1930 IU). In addition, the quantity of proteins and colloids in the filtrate of juice expressed at 20 °C is lower than that in the filtrate of juice expressed at 80 °C     

Solid–liquid expression from denaturated plant tissue: Filtration–consolidation behaviour

The objective of this study is to investigate the filtration–consolidation behaviour of biological tissue (sugar beet specimens), denaturated by pulsed electric field (PEF) and freezing–thawing pretreatments. The degree of cell membrane damage was evaluated by the tissue electrical conductivity measurement (determination of the cell disintegration index Z). The PEF-treated and freeze–thawed tissues show different structure response on the applied compressive pressure and different filtration–consolidation behaviour. The value of fracture pressure (P_f ≈ 58.5 bar) is the lowest and the value of tissue deformation under fracture (ε_f ≈ 0.46) is the highest for sugar beet tissue treated by freezing/thawing. PEF treatment leads to more rigid and more fragile tissue structure (P_f ≈ 63.8 bar, ε_f ≈ 0.28) than freeze–thawed tissue. Untreated tissue seems to be stronger and less fragile than the PEF-treated tissue (P_f ≈ 84.1 bar, ε_f ≈ 0.37). Different tissue reactions on the loading pressure evidently reflect the difference between microstructures of treated and untreated tissues. The filtration/consolidation behaviour during liquid expression from a sugar beet tissue also depends on the type and degree of structure denaturation. Tissues treated by PEF and freezing/thawing demonstrate two consolidation stages of expression (primary and secondary). However, the freeze–thawed tissue tends to modify the expression mechanism under the higher loading pressure (60 bar) with approach to the primary consolidation behaviour. The simplified semi-empirical consolidation model permits a reasonably good prediction of expression behaviour from the denaturated sugar beet tissue and estimation of consolidation coefficient b under different pressures. The extrapolation of curves b(P) shows the value of hypothetical pressure, P_max ≈ 90 bar at which the consolidation behaviour would be similar to both PEF-treated and freeze–thawed tissues.     

Quality and filtration characteristics of sugar beet juice obtained by “cold” extraction assisted by pulsed electric field

Detailed comparison of various properties (concentration of soluble solids, purity, nature of impurities, coloration and filterability) of sugar beet juices obtained by pulsed electric field (PEF) assisted “cold” extraction (T = 30 and 50 °C) and classical “hot” extraction (T = 70 °C) was done. It was shown that application of PEF-assisted “cold” extraction results in lower concentration of colloidal impurities (especially, pectins), lower coloration and better filterability of juice. Concentration of various colorants and their intermediates decreased significantly with decreasing of the extraction temperature from 70 °C to 30 °C. Filtrate obtained by dynamic filtration of juice extracted with PEF treatment had a high purity (95.3 ± 0.4%) and low coloration (1.2×10³ IU). Obtained data suggest that PEF-assisted “cold” extraction is a promising method for preparation of sugar beet juices with high purity.     

Impact of apple processing modes on extracted juice quality: Pressing assisted by pulsed electric fields

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) on apple juice characteristics (turbidity, polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacities). The pressing was used as a standard method for juice extraction. Experiments were carried out at a constant pressure (P = 3 bar) using a laboratory press cell. Two different methods for PEF application at 400 V/cm were investigated (PEF treatment of whole samples before cutting and PEF treatment of apple slices after cutting). PEF treatment resulted in increase of the juice yield from 44 g/100 g apple (untreated samples) to 58 g/100 g apple (treatment of whole apples) and 64 g/100 g apple (treatment of slices) after 30 min of pressing. The analysis of pH and conductivity showed no significant difference between untreated and PEF-treated samples. However, the total soluble matter content of juice increased after PEF treatment. The obtained turbidity and transmittance data evidence a noticeable improvement of juice clarity for PEF-treated samples. The PEF pre-treatment was accompanied by an increase of the content of polyphenols and intensification of the antioxidant capacities of juice. Most of these effects (juice clarity and content of antioxidants) were more pronounced for the whole treated apples as compared to untreated apples and PEF-treated apple slices. The evolution of apple browning before and after PEF treatment was more pronounced for whole samples. PEF treatment accelerates browning. The obtained data can contribute to the determination of an optimum time for PEF application. The results evidence that PEF-enhanced expression is promising for production of higher quality juices. PEF treatment of whole apples reduces the energy consumption and is advantageous for industrial applications as compared to the treatment of apple slices. PEF combined with pressing can become a good alternative to traditional process.     

Antioxidant efficacy of potato peels and sugar beet pulp extracts in vegetable oils protection

The antioxidant properties of potato peels and sugar beet pulp, in comparison with synthetic antioxidant, were investigated. The bioactive materials were extracted with methanol and examined for their antioxidant activity under accelerated oxidation conditions, using sunflower and soybean oils as oxidation substrates at different concentrations for 72 h at 70 °C. Inverse relationships were noted between peroxide values and oxidative stabilities and also between secondary oxidation products, measured by p-anisidine value and stabilities at termination of the storage. Absorptivity at 232 nm and 270 nm increased gradually with the increase in time, due to the formation of conjugated dienes and polyenes. The order of oxidative stability was as follow: TBHQ > potato peels > BHT = sugar beet pulp > BHA. The predominant phenolic compounds identified by thin-layer chromatography in potato peels and sugar beet pulp were chlorogenic and gallic acids. The results of different antioxidant parameters demonstrated that potato peels and sugar beet pulp are potent sources of natural antioxidants that might be explored to prevent oxidation of vegetable oils.     

Effect of PEF and heat pasteurization on the physical-chemical characteristics of blended orange and carrot juice

The effect of different Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) intensities (25 kV/cm and 280 μs, P1; and 25 kV/cm and 330 μs, P2) and conventional HTST treatment (98 °C, 21 s, T) on quality characteristics (pH, °Brix, total acidity, turbidity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), color, microbial flora, pectinmethylesterase (PME) activity, and sensory analysis) of blended orange and carrot juice were investigated. HMF, L* (luminosity) and C* (saturation or chrome) color parameters did not vary with any of the treatments. Total acidity and turbidity were slightly higher after HTST treatment. Sensory characteristics of the PEF-treated juice were more similar to the untreated juice than the HTST-pasteurized juice. Nevertheless, heat pasteurization (98 °C, 21 s) was more efficient in inactivating microbial flora and PME and preventing the growth of microbial flora and reactivation of PME at 2 and 12 °C for 10 weeks. However, the shelf-life of the PEF-treated juice was established as 4 weeks at 2 °C. This appears to be a reasonable shelf-life for this type of foodstuff.     

Kinetic model of sugar diffusion from sugar beet tissue treated by pulsed electric field

Extraction of sugar from sugar beet slices was studied following various pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments (intensities from 300 to 800 V cm^?1 and number of pulses varying between 50 and 1000). Slices treated by PEF were immersed in water at ambient temperature at a liquid/solid ratio of 3. A significant increase in extraction yield was observed. This enhancement was due to permeabilisation of the cellular membrane and to the additional quantity of juice appearing on the surface of slices after PEF treatment being extracted rapidly by convection. The optimal conditions of PEF treatment were an intensity of 670 V cm^?1 and 250 pulses. The extraction kinetics was studied on the basis of two approaches: Fick's diffusion equation and a two‐exponential kinetic model. The coefficient of diffusion was only slightly influenced by the conditions of PEF treatment. The two‐exponential model successfully described both the rapid and prolonged stages of extraction. By heating the solution at mild temperatures of 30–50 °C, the coefficient of diffusion was increased and the kinetics of extraction was enhanced. The quality of cellular juice obtained after PEF treatment was higher than that of juice obtained after thermal pretreatment at 75 °C. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pulsed electric field assisted aqueous extraction of colorants from red beet

This work discusses the temperature effects (T = 30-80 °C) on degradation of colorants and kinetics of their extraction from the red beet both untreated and treated by pulsed electric field (PEF). PEF treatment was done using the trains of monopolar rectangular 100 μs pulses with electric field strength E = 375-1500 V cm⁻¹, and total treatment time t_PEF = 0-0.2 s. The degradation of colorants and their extraction were characterized by means of absorbance and electrical conductivity measurements. PEF treatment was found effective for acceleration of the extraction of betalains and reducing the time of extraction. Electroporation was shown to be responsible for intensification of the release of colorants through aqueous extraction.     

Pilot scale inulin extraction from chicory roots assisted by pulsed electric fields

A pilot study for the pulsed electric fields (PEF) assisted countercurrent diffusion of inulin from chicory roots is presented. The influence of PEF parameters (electric field intensity E = 600 V cm^?1, treatment duration t_PEF = 10–50 ms) and diffusion temperature (varied between 30 and 80 °C) on soluble matter extraction kinetics, inulin content of juice, and pulp exhaustion are investigated. The draft (liquid to solid mass ratio) was fixed at 140%, similar to the industrial conditions. PEF treatment facilitates extraction of inulin at conventional diffusion temperature (70–80 °C), and diffusion temperature can even be reduced by 10–15 °C with comparable juice inulin concentration. Less energy consumption can be achieved by reducing PEF treatment duration to 10 ms, which is observed sufficient for effective extraction.     

Dead end ultra-filtration of sugar beet juice expressed from cold electrically pre-treated slices: Effect of membrane polymer on fouling mechanism and permeate quality

Purification of raw sugar beet juice expressed at ambient temperature (20 °C) from pretreated sugar beet slices by pulsed electric field (E = 600 V·cm^− 1, t_PEF = 10 ms, T = 20 °C) was studied on the laboratory scale by dead-end ultrafiltration tests. Polyethersulfone (PES) and Regenerated Cellulose (RC) membranes with the same nominal molecular weight cut-off of 30 kDa were used. Experiments were carried out in unstirred and stirred (at rotation speed of 500 rpm) mode at constant trans-membrane pressure of 2 bar. The effects of the membrane polymer (Polyethersulfone and Regenerate Cellulose) on the filtration flux and the permeate quality were studied. In order to identify the fouling mechanism, the filtration kinetics was modeled using combined fouling models. Results showed that the filtration productivity (filtration flux) and selectivity (rejection ratio of impurities) depended on the membrane polymer. The juice filterability was better with Regenerated Cellulose (RC) membrane while the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane ensured a better retention of impurities (colorants, proteins and colloids), leading to a higher juice purity. Experimental and models data adjustment showed that combined models were preferable to investigate the fouling mechanism for both unstirred and stirred filtration. The desirable sugar purity (95–96%) of filtrate implies the potential application of a novel process (PEF treatment-cold pressing-ultrafiltration) for sugar industrial production.Industrial relevancePre-treatment by pulsed electric field PEF allowed cold or mild extraction of sucrose from sugar beet roots. The combination of PEF and ultra-filtration allowed high yield sucrose extraction and purification with less energy consumption. Membrane fouling analysis led to better filtration producibility. The obtained data can be useful for optimization of the sucrose production with high yield in industrial extraction processes.     

Physico-chemical characterization of alkaline soluble polysaccharides from sugar beet pulp

We studied the global (i.e. overall) structure of microwave-assisted alkaline soluble polysaccharides (ASP) isolated from fresh sugar beet pulp. The objective was to minimize the disassembly and possibly the degradation of these polysaccharides during extraction. Prior to ASP microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), pectin was removed and isolated by MAE. Two sub fractions, ASP I and ASP II were isolated. ASP I had about the same ratio of anhydrogalacturonate (AGA) to neutral sugar (NS) by percentage weight (%wt) whereas ASP II had about twice as much AGA to NS by %wt. Unlike the sugar beet pectin isolated, the degree of methyl esterification of AGA in both ASP fractions was very low. Arabinose was the most abundant neutral sugar followed by either rhamnose or galactose. For optimum sample 10/100/30, High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography with molar mass and viscometric detection revealed that both ASP fractions are about 100,000 Da in M_w and about 10 and 16 nm in Rg_z, respectively. ASP I and ASP II had weight average intrinsic viscosities of 0.31 and 0.33 dL/g respectively and their Mark–Houwink exponents indicated that they are relatively compact in shape. Molar Mass distributions of ASP appeared to be bimodal in shape. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images of ASP I revealed a bimodal distribution of small and large compact asymmetric subunits when a 0.1 μg/mL air dried, aqueous solution was deposited on freshly cleaved mica and imaged. When the solution concentration was 25 μg/mL in ASP I, the subunits appeared to aggregate into skeletal structures whereas ASP II only formed compact asymmetric structures. Unlike AFM images of sugar beet pectin previously imaged, neither ASP I nor ASP II formed network structures at higher concentrations. Both ASP I and II were found to emulsify orange oil.     

Evaluation of ethanol fermentation parameters for bioethanol production from sugar beet pulp and juice

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficient utilization of sugar beet pulp, as well as raw, concentrated raw and thick sugar beet juice, for bioethanol production. Different fermentation conditions were examined. The influence of raw material pre‐treatment (pasteurization or sterilization), type of batch culture process (stationary or shaken) as well as the type of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast preparation on the yields of the process were studied. Moreover, the fermentation process effectiveness was examined in connection with the quality of the obtained distillates. Sterilization, stationary batch culture and Safdistil C‐70 yeast preparation were identified as the most profitable factors for sugar beet pulp fermentation, providing a high fermentation efficiency and ethanol yield (87.7% of theoretical ethanol yield). Concentrated raw beet juice resulted in a value of 94.2% of theoretical yield, and thick juice a 92.6% yield. The results suggest that bioethanol production from sugar beet pulp and sugar beet juice has promise as an alternative fuel. The raw spirits obtained from the sugar beet juice were characterized as having the lowest quantity of volatile by‐products. Copyright © 2014 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Effect of PEF on microbial inactivation and physical-chemical properties of green tea extracts

The effects of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on (1) the inactivation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococus aureus in green tea beverage, and (2) the color, green tea polyphenols (GTP) content, and total free amino acids in green tea extracts were investigated. Green tea extract samples inoculated with E. coli and S. aureus were treated using a bench-scale PEF system at electric field strengths of 18.1, 27.4, and 38.4 kV/cm and total treatment times of 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 μs. The inactivation of E. coli and S. aureus by PEF treatment at 38.4 kV/cm for 160 and 200 μs reached 5.6 and 4.9 log reductions, respectively. PEF processing caused no considerable changes in color, GTP and total free amino acids. The storage tests at 4 °C showed that synergistic effect of low temperature storage and the antimicrobial functionality of GTP resulted in a considerable reduction in the microoganisms of the PEF-treated tea beverage, extending its shelf-life to over 6 months at 4 °C.     

Better lime purification of sugar beet juice obtained by low temperature aqueous extraction assisted by pulsed electric field

Purification of the sugar beet juices obtained by novel low temperature extraction (at 30 °C) assisted by pulsed electric field (PEF) and conventional high temperature extraction (at 70 °C) was done by the method of lime-carbon dioxide treatment. The total concentration of lime used for the purification was varied from 6 to 15 kg of CaO/m³ of the juice. Filtration properties of the juices of first carbonation, as well as purity and coloration of the final thin juices, were compared. It was observed that purification of the juice extracted at 30 °C results in faster filtration of the juice of first carbonation and lower coloration of the final thin juice as compared to the juice obtained by means of purification of the juice extracted at 70 °C. It suggests that the quantity of CaO required for the efficient juice purification may be decreased from 15 kg/m³ (for the juice extracted at 70 °C without PEF treatment) to approx. 8 kg/m³ (for the juice obtained by PEF-assisted extraction at 30 °C).     

Physicochemical characterisation and oxidative stability of fish oil and fish oil–extra virgin olive oil microencapsulated by sugar beet pectin

Spray-dried microcapsules were prepared at 25% and 50% w/w oil load from sugar beet pectin-stabilised emulsions (pH 3) containing fish oil, and a blend of fish oil and with extra virgin olive oil (1:1 w/w). Microencapsulation efficiencies were high (≥90%). However, deterioration in microcapsule wall integrity and an increase in oil droplet size were observed during storage (25 °C, 0–3 months). Lipid oxidation increased with both increased oil load (P < 0.05) and storage duration (P < 0.05), but was independent of oil composition (P > 0.05). These results suggest that sugar beet pectin functions poorly as a wall material and its residual metal ions exacerbate omega-3 oxidation, despite the presence of endogenous antioxidants found in extra virgin olive oil. Interestingly, under accelerated storage conditions (OxiPres® at 80 °C, 0.5 bar oxygen pressure), microcapsules containing the oil blend showed the best oxidative stability (P < 0.05), irrespective of oil load. A possible explanation for the superior oxidative stability of the microencapsulated oil blend at high storage temperature is discussed.     

Combined effect of selected non-thermal technologies on Escherichia coli and Pichia fermentans inactivation in an apple and cranberry juice blend and on product shelf life

The combination of novel, non-thermal technologies for preservation purposes is a recent trend in food processing research. In the present study, non-thermal hurdles such as ultraviolet light (UV) (5.3 J/cm²), high intensity light pulses (HILP) (3.3 J/cm²), pulsed electric fields (PEF) (34 kV/cm, 18 Hz, 93 μs) or manothermosonication (MTS) (4 bar, 43 °C, 750 W, 20 kHz) were examined. The objective was to establish the potential of these technologies, applied individually or in paired sequences, to inactivate Escherichia coli and Pichia fermentans inoculated in a fresh blend of apple and cranberry juice. The shelf-life evaluation of selected non-thermally treated samples was conducted over 35 days and compared to pasteurised samples and untreated juices. All treatments applied individually significantly reduced (1.8-6.0 log cfu/ml) microbial counts compared to the untreated sample (p < 0.01). Furthermore, UV treatment produced significantly greater inactivation (p < 0.05) for E. coli compared to P. fermentans. Combinations of non-thermal hurdles consisting of UV or HILP followed by either PEF or MTS resulted in comparable reductions for both microorganisms (p ≥ 0.05) to those observed in thermally pasteurised samples (approx. 6 log cfu/ml). Thermally pasteurised samples had a shelf life exceeding 35 days, while that of UV + PEF and HILP + PEF-treated samples was 14 and 21 days, respectively. These results indicate that combinations of these non-thermal technologies could successfully reduce levels of E. coli and P. fermentans in apple and cranberry juice, although optimisation is required in order to further extend shelf life.     

Combined effect of temperature and pulsed electric fields on apple juice peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase inactivation

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) were applied to freshly prepared apple juice using a laboratory scale continuous PEF system to study the feasibility of inactivating peroxidase (POD) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO). Square wave PEF using different combinations of electric field strength, pre-treatment temperature and treatment time were evaluated in this study and compared to conventional pasteurisation (72 °C; 26 s). Inactivation curves for the enzyme were plotted for each parameter and inactivation kinetics were calculated. Results showed the highest level of decrease in the enzymatic activity of 71% and 68%, for PPO and POD, respectively, were obtained by using a combination of preheating to 50 °C, and a PEF treatment time of 100 μs at 40 kV/cm. This level of inactivation was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that recorded in juice processed by conventional mild pasteurisation where the activity of PPO and POD decreased by 46% and 48%, respectively. The kinetic data for the inactivation of both enzymes could be described using a 1st-order model (P < 0.001).     

Preparation of environment‐friendly pectin from sugar beet pulp and assessment of its emulsifying capacity

This study was designed to prepare environment‐friendly pectin from sugar beet pulp (SBP) using subcritical water combined with ultrasonic treatment. Plackett–Burman design based on nineteen different parameters was applied to study the influence of various factors on the characteristics of sugar beet pulp pectin (SBPP). About 29.1% pectin, 62% degree of methylation (DM) and 36% acetylation (DA), and 42.5‐kDa average molecular weight (AMW) were obtained from SBP when using distilled water with solid/liquid ratio of 1:81 for extraction at 110 °C. The yield of SBPP and galacturonic acid (GalA) was mainly affected by solid/liquid (S/L) ratio, water purity and extraction temperature. The ultrasonic temperature, ultrasonic power and extraction temperature were the main factors effecting on neutral sugar content, DM, DA and AMW. Compared with gum arabic (GA), the highest yield SBPP fraction had better emulsifying activity, but poorer emulsion‐stabilizing ability.     

The effect of pulsed electric fields on the inactivation and structure of lysozyme

The effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on the activity and structure of lysozyme selected as a model enzyme was investigated. The inactivation of lysozyme in phosphate buffer was a function of electric field strength, treatment time, electrical conductivity, and enzyme concentration. No significant (p > 0.05) change in the activity of PEF-treated lysozyme was found after storage for 12, 24 and 48 h at 4 °C. The effect of PEF on tertiary structure of lysozyme was demonstrated by second-derivative UV spectra and intrinsic fluorescence. The results indicated that the unfolding of tertiary structure was induced by PEF treatment at 35 kV/cm for 1200 μs, and more tyrosine residues were buried inside the protein after PEF treatment, accompanied by the exposure of more tryptophan residues. CD spectra suggested that the inactivation of lysozyme by PEF was closely related to the loss of α-helix of secondary structure.     

脉冲电场和热处理对鲜榨苹果汁贮藏期品质的影响

研究高压脉冲电场处理 (PEF)和热处理对鲜榨苹果汁贮藏期的品质影响。研究发现 ,4℃贮藏 3 0d ,PEF( 2 5kV/cm ,1 0 3 5个脉冲 )和热处理 ( 72℃、1 5s和 90℃、60s)可以降低果汁中微生物数量 ,而且对苹果汁的电导率、Brix和 pH值的影响不显著 (P >0 0 5 )。但是热处理对果汁的浊度有显著影响 (P <0 0 5 ) ,而PEF处理差异不显著 (P >0 0 5 )。PEF处理苹果汁的L值和色值均优于热处理 ,感官评价中风味和色泽比热处理的苹果汁更接近对照的风味和色泽。