Effect of pectin methyl esterase (PME) and CaCl2 infusion on the cell integrity of fresh-cut and frozen-thawed mangoes: An NMR relaxometry study

This study describes the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry to understand the effect of pectin methyl esterase (PME) + CaCl2 infusion under different conditions on cell integrity of fresh-cut and frozen–thawed mangoes. Infusion experiments were performed at: atmospheric pressure, vacuum conditions of 50 kPa and 10 kPa. For NMR relaxometry experiments T₂ (spin–spin relaxation time), T₁ (spin–lattice-relaxation times) and 2D T₁–T₂ experiments were performed. Results showed that, as the severity of the vacuum treatment increased, the relaxation times changed significantly (p < 0.05). The number of compartments observed in 1-D relaxation spectra of fresh and frozen–thawed mangoes changed with different treatments. The changes in relaxation times were explained due to formation of a gel formed by the interaction of pectin and calcium. 2D T₁–T₂ relaxation maps showed that compartmentalization was retained after vacuum treatment even for frozen–thawed samples. The study showed that NMR relaxometry is a useful tool to analyze the cell integrity of mangoes exposed to different treatments.     

Monoglyceride organogels developed in vegetable oil with and without ethylcellulose

We used two commercial monoglycerides (MGs) with different composition (SKB, ≈ 79% glycerol monostearate and ≈ 12% glycerol monopalmitate; PKB, ≈ 47% glycerol monostearate and 47% glycerol monopalmitate) to develop organogels [2% and 8% (wt/wt) MG content]. The objective was to investigate the effect of shearing (SH) and the presence of 6% ethylcellulose (EC) as factors to limit the sub-α to β polymorphic transition of MG, and the subsequent crystals agglomeration that results in deleterious effect on the organogel's mechanical and oil-binding properties. The results showed that under static conditions (ST) both type of MG developed organogels (OG), but their structure, measured as the complex modulus (G*), was weak particularly in the organogels formulated with PKB at 2%. Nevertheless, the OG-ST had higher strength and lower oil loss than the OG-SH. The X-ray analysis showed that the use of shear during organogelation reduced the time at which the sub-α to β polymorphic transition occurred in both the SKB and the PKB oleogels. Additionally, shearing seemed to hinder the formation of well-organized microplatelet structure, and from there the lack of gelation in the 2% OG-SH and the higher oil loss of the 8% OG-SH compared with their static counterparts. Independent of the concentration of SKB and PKB, the presence of EC resulted in organogels with higher G* than that for OG-ST without EC. This, in spite the EC concentration used was below the critical concentration for vegetable oil gelation. The results showed that EC slowed the rate for the sub-α to β polymorphic transition in the MG organogels. Thus, irrespective of the type of MG and the concentration used, during 14 days of storage at 15 °C the OG-EC systems showed a lower oil loss as a function of time than the corresponding organogels developed without EC. This was particularly evident in the organogels formulated with SKB and those formulated with 8% of MG. We suggest that EC limits the molecular mobility in the MG organogels, and therefore, slows the sub-α to β polymorphic transition and the subsequent β crystals' agglomeration. The results showed that there is a synergistic interaction between MG and EC that result in organogels with higher viscoelastic properties and lower oil loss than those observed in MG-organogels without EC.     

Influence of daily consumption of synbiotic soy-based product supplemented with okara soybean by-product on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a synbiotic fermented soy product supplemented with okara (a by-product from soybean) on cardiovascular disease risk markers in healthy men. In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial, thirty-six normocholesterolemic men were assigned to two groups. Subjects consumed daily 100 g of soy-based product fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, and Streptococcus thermophilus (starter culture) (synbiotic group — S) (n = 18) or 100 g of unfermented soy-based product (placebo group — P) (n = 18) for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements were collected at the baseline (T₀), the end of week 4 (T₄), and the end of week 8 (T₈). Serum lipids, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and electronegative LDL were also analysed on T₀, T₄, and T₈. During the period of daily soy-based product consumption (from T₀ to T₈) the LDL-C mean decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in group S, resulting in a significant (p < 0.05) improvement of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Comparing mean differences (T₈–T₀) between the two groups, the trend of LDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio reductions was higher in group S (14.1 mg/dL and 0.38 mg/dL, respectively) than group P (4.9 mg/dL and 0.17 mg/dL, respectively) (p > 0.05). Our results suggest limited lipid-lowering effects of synbiotic soy-based product supplemented with okara on cardiovascular risk markers in normocholesterolemic men.     

Properties of Cookies Made with Natural Wax–Vegetable Oil Organogels

The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of cookies in which the conventional margarine is replaced with an organogel of vegetable oil (VO) and natural wax. New cookies from VO organogels contain no trans fats and much less saturated fats than cookies made with a conventional margarine. To understand the effects of different kinds of waxes, organogels were prepared from 4 different waxes including sunflower wax (SW), rice bran wax (RBW), beeswax, and candelilla wax and properties of cookie dough and cookie were evaluated. To investigate the effects of different VOs on the properties of cookies, 3 VOs including olive oil, soybean oil and flaxseed oil representing oils rich in oleic acid (18:1), linoleic acid (18:2), and linolenic acid (18:3), respectively, were used. Both the wax and VO significantly affected properties of organogel such as firmness and melting behavior shown in differential scanning calorimetry. The highest firmness of organogel was observed with SW and flaxseed oil. Properties of dough such as hardness and melting behavior were also significantly affected by wax and VO while trends were somewhat different from those for organogels. SW and RBW provided greatest hardnesses to cookie dough. However, hardness, spread factor, and fracturability of cookie containing the wax–VO organogel were not significantly affected by different waxes and VOs. Several cookies made with wax–VO organogels showed similar properties to cookies made with a commercial margarine. Therefore, this study shows the high feasibility of utilization of the organogel technology in real foods such as cookies rich in unsaturated fats.     

Effects of transglutaminase treatment on the thermal properties of soy protein isolates

The effects of covalent cross-linking of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the thermal properties of soy protein isolates (SPI), including the thermal denaturation and glass transition were investigated by conventional and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The MTGase treatment significantly increased the thermal denaturation temperatures (including the on-set temperature of denaturation, T_m and the peak temperature of denaturation, T_d) of glycinin and β-conglycinin components of SPI (P ⩽ 0.05), and the thermal pretreatment of SPI further increased the extent of this improvement. The MTGase treatment also improved the ability of SPI to resist the urea-induced denaturation. Modulated DSC analysis showed that there were two glass transition temperatures (T_g) in the reversible heat flow signals of native SPI (about 5% moisture content), approximately corresponding to 45 and 180 °C, respectively. These T_g values of SPI were significantly decreased by the MTGase treatment (at 37 °C for more than 2 h) (P ⩽ 0.05). The improvement in the hydration ability of protein and the formation of high molecular biopolymers may account for the changes of thermal properties of soy proteins caused by the MTGase cross-linking.     

Direct measurement of phase transitions in milk fat during cooling of cream—a low-field NMR approach

Low-field ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) transverse relaxation (T₂) was measured during cooling (31–4 °C) of cream with low or high content of long-chain fatty acids (FA). Distributed analysis of the T₂ relaxation data revealed marked differences in the T₂ relaxation characteristics of the liquid fat population (10–100 ms), which was ascribed to differences in the size of the fat globules in the two types of cream. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the obtained T₂ relaxation decay data showed clear shifts in NMR relaxation behavior at 17 and 22 °C for cream with low or high content of long-chain FA, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetric measurements on the creams revealed that these shifts took place at the onset of crystallization of fat. Consequently, the present study demonstrated that low-field NMR can be used to measure phase transitions in cream.     

Effect of native crystalline structure of isolated potato starch on gelatinization behavior and consequently on glycemic response

Effect of crystalline structure of two isolated potato starches on gelatinization and glycemic response was studied. Both starches showed to possess different fine structures. Starch 1 exhibited a typical B-type X-ray diffraction pattern, while Starch 2 exhibited an X-ray diffraction pattern suggesting the presence of imperfections of the general B-type crystalline structure (peak at 5.5° 2θ was absent), hence disarraying the structure order. This difference was reflected in the gelatinization behavior and consequently in the glycemic response. Starch 2 started to melt at lower temperature than Starch 1 (e.g. T_o was 60.9 and 61.84 °C, respectively, to native starches), and residual gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) of Starch 2 was always smaller than that of Starch 1 when heated at 54–65 °C for 10 min. Glycemic response was increased as gelatinization degree (DG) increased in starches independent from the native crystalline structure (area under curve = 2.59 × DG-75.83, R² = 0.986; maximum concentration of postprandial blood glucose = 0.042 × DG-0.23, R² = 0.935). Results suggested that native crystalline structure of isolated potato starch affects the glycemic response of heated starches by affecting the gelatinization behavior.     

High-pressure homogenisation of raw bovine milk. Effects on fat globule size distribution and microbial inactivation

Whole raw milk was processed using a 15 L h⁻¹ homogeniser with a high-pressure (HP) valve immediately followed by a cooling heat exchanger. The influence of homogenisation pressure (100–300 MPa) and milk inlet temperature T_in (4°C, 14°C or 24°C) on milk temperature T₂ at the HP valve outlet, on fat globule size distribution and on the reduction of the endogenous flora were investigated. The T_in values of 4–24°C led to milk temperatures of 14–33°C before the HP valve, mainly because of compression heating. High T_in and/or homogenisation pressure decreased the fat globule size. At 200 MPa, the d_4.3 diameter of fat globules decreased from 3.8±0.2 (control milk) to 0.80±0.08 μm, 0.65±0.10 or 0.37±0.07 μm at T_in=4, 14°C or 24°C, respectively. A second homogenisation pass at 200 MPa (T_in=4°C, 14°C or 24°C) further decreased d_4.3 diameters to about 0.2 μm and narrowed the size distribution. At all T_in tested, an homogenisation pressure of 300 MPa induced clusters of fat globules, easily dissociated with SDS, and probably formed by sharing protein constituents adsorbed at the fat globule surface. The total endogenous flora of raw milk was reduced by more than 1 log cycle, provided homogenisation pressure was ⩾200 MPa at T_in=24°C (T₂∼60°C), 250 MPa at T_in=14°C (T₂∼62°C), or 300 MPa at T_in=4°C (T₂∼65°C). At all T_in tested, a second pass through the HP valve (200 MPa) doubled the inactivation ratio of the total flora. Microbial patterns of raw milk were also affected; Gram-negative bacteria were less resistant than Gram-positive bacteria.     

Mechanical separation process for the value enhancement of Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), a discard fish

Mechanically separated meat (MSM) is the product obtained by removing meat from bones by pressure application. Whole fillets and fish burgers from minced muscle and from mechanical separation of Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) were evaluated immediately after processing (T₀) and after 90 days of storage at − 20 °C for parameters related to quality loss. Firstly, mechanical separation inhibited water losses (2.67% against 4.57 and 5.57% in whole fillets and burgers from minced muscle, respectively), but the colour of MSM was duller and redder than the samples from other groups. Horse mackerel contained low fat (< 1 g/100 g muscle), and high PUFAω3 content (around 57 g/100 g total fatty acids), especially EPA and DHA (around 52 g/100 g) regardless the treatment. However, the species was susceptible to oxidation, as revealed by the high TBARS content at T₀ (> 8 mg MDA-eq/100 g muscle). Nevertheless, Atlantic horse mackerel showed a high antioxidant capacity (ABTS, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid, DPPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and FRAP, ferric-reducing ability) at T₀ which may protect muscle against oxidative damages both during processing treatment and storage.Industrial relevanceThe mechanical separation process described in the article has been largely utilized for terrestrial animal products. However, it is seldom adopted by fish industry, especially for recovering discard fish species. Horse mackerel is an underutilized species, normally transformed into animal feed despite its high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Therefore this study was conducted in order to determine the effect of a mechanical separation technique on the physicochemical properties of horse mackerel. Our study showed that, although this species is susceptible to oxidative changes, mechanically separate meat can be a high-quality ingredient in burgers, nuggets, sticks, or even sauces which may represent a way for the valorisation of discard species.     

Structural and viscoelastic characterization of ternary mixtures of sunflower oil,saturated monoglycerides and aqueous phases containing different bases

The structure at different length scales and the viscoelastic properties of ternary mixtures composed of saturated monoglycerides, sunflower oil and aqueous solutions of weak bases (KHCO₃, NaHCO₃, and NH₄HCO₃) or strong bases (NaOH and KOH) were investigated. The characteristics of ternary mixtures were studied systematically by using polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and rheological analysis. Results showed that the base type and concentration greatly affected the structure of the mixtures. The use of strong bases allowed gelled systems to be obtained only at low concentrations (< 10 mM). On the contrary, the presence of weak bases induced gelling at all concentrations considered (from 1 to 1000 mM). The increase of base concentration led to a reduction of the mean droplet diameter and melting temperature. At the same time, the viscoelastic characteristics as a function of base concentration followed a more complex behavior: G′ and G″ progressively decreased as the salt concentration increased in a concentration range from 1 to 100 mM, while the rheological parameters increased when salt concentration increased from 100 to 1000 mM. The structural and viscoelastic behavior of systems prepared with different salts were commonly independent of the cation present in the medium. Results highlight that it is possible to tailor the structure of these gels by using specific bases.     

Stickiness of skim milk powder using the particle gun technique

The particle gun method for investigating the initiation of stickiness of dairy powders was examined using skim milk powder (SMP). The point at which significant stickiness occurred was at a constant temperature above the glass transition temperature (T_g) of amorphous lactose regardless of the temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions of the air in the particle gun. This point has been called (T–T_g)_critical. The initial water activity of SMP did not significantly affect (T–T_g)_critical, confirming that stickiness is a surface phenomenon. Changing the particle feed rate did not effect (T–T_g)_critical or the rate at which the powder accumulated on the target plate. The errors in measuring the value of (T–T_g)_critical and the rate of stickiness development [slope of the deposition line versus (T–T_g)] for SMP were found to be 33.6 ± 0.8 °C and 3.1 ± 0.7% deposition °C^?1, respectively, after standardisation of the ambient air conditions around the powder feeder and the initial water activity of the SMP.     

Coliphage as pressure surrogates for enteric viruses in foods

In this study the potential of using selected bacteriophages as pressure surrogates for hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Aichi virus (AiV) was investigated. The coliphages included, T₄, MS2, Qβ, λ imm 434, λ cI 857 and λ cI 857A. T₄ displayed similar pressure responses as HAV and was chosen for further study. The most pressure-resistant phage, MS2, was selected as a possible surrogate to estimate AiV inactivation by high pressure processing (HPP). HAV, AiV and their selected bacteriophage surrogates were treated at a range of pressures and times in three different media. All four were treated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), artificial seawater (ASW) or oyster slurry (OS) at 250, 400 or 500 MPa for 1, 5 or 10 min at 20 °C. While T₄ had similar pressure resistance to HAV under conditions of high (500 MPa) and lower pressure (250 MPa), inactivation trends were very different following treatment at 400 MPa and when the viruses were suspended in OS. MS2 showed similar resistance as AiV but at ambient treatment temperatures only. The highest levels of inactivation of MS2 were achieved at 60 °C and 500 MPa. AiV was eliminated at 60 °C for 5 min at ambient pressure, but > 3 log survived exposure to 60 °C at 500 MPa. This degree of protection by pressure may be important in determining the mechanisms of pressure and heat resistances in other viruses.Industrial relevanceGreater knowledge of the responses of viruses and their surrogates to high pressure will aid in the validation of new high pressure-processed food that may be at risk to contamination from HAV or other enteric viruses.     

Cryogelation phenomena in mixed skim milk powder – barley β-glucan–polyol aqueous dispersions

The effects of polyols (fructose, glucose, sorbitol, sucrose and xylose) on cryostructurization of barley mixed-linkage (1 → 3), (1 → 4) β-d-glucans (β-glucans) in the presence of skim milk proteins were investigated; three β-glucan isolates differing in molecular size (apparent molecular weight of 210, 140 and 70 × 10³ Da) were used. Polyols were incorporated at 15% (w/w) concentration into aqueous β-glucan (3% w/w)–skim milk (12% w/w) dispersions and the mixed dispersions were subjected to 14 repeated freezing (−15 °C for 24 h) and thawing (5 °C for 24 h) cycles; all preparations gave compact, opaque gels. For the high molecular weight (210 × 10³) preparation, with exception of sorbitol, the addition of polyols to β-glucan-skim milk dispersions retarded the cryostructurization, as shown by phenomenological observations after each freezing–thawing cycle and resulted in weaker cryostructurates compared to those of control (polyol-free gels), as determined by small deformation mechanical measurements. Xylose and fructose showed a stronger inhibitory effect on structure formation compared to sucrose and glucose, whereas sorbitol appeared as a network promoting co-solute. However, the above effects of polyols were largely diminished with decreasing of the β-glucan molecular weight and seemed to be independent on the type of polyol for the 140 and 70 × 10³ β-glucan samples. Despite the fact that molecular weight of β-glucans can have an impact on the effect of individual polyol on thermostability of cryogels, generally it seems that the melting temperature (T_m) of β-glucan-skim milk cryostructurates, as determined by dynamic rheometry, followed the order sorbitol > sucrose > control, glucose > fructose > xylose. On the other hand, large deformation mechanical tests (compression mode) revealed an increase in firmness and a decrease in brittleness of β-glucan–skim milk cryogels with inclusion of polyols in the order of: sorbitol < sucrose, xylose < fructose, glucose.     

Factors affecting the rheological properties of a structured cellular solid used as a fat mimetic

The effects of water content, monoglyceride chain length and concentration, oil type, and the addition of oil-phase and water-phase additives on the elastic modulus and yield stress of a structured oil in water were evaluated. The goal was to increase the elastic modulus of the original emulsion from 8.42 × 10³ ± 11.3 Pa to 1.55 × 10⁶ ± 2.1 × 10⁵ Pa, and the yield stress from 112 ± 2.31 Pa to 835 ± 227 Pa. The addition of wax at greater than 10% (w/w), the use of palm oil or the gelation of the liquid oil phase with 5–7.5% rice bran wax, the use of C-18 saturated monoglyceride at 6%(w/w), and 4% (w/w) for C-22 saturated monoglyceride molecules were effective modifications capable of improving the mechanical behavior of the emulsion so that it can be used as a zero trans and reduced saturated fat laminating shortening substitute for puff pastry products.     

Comparison of the thermal characteristics of connective tissue in loose structured and normal structured porcine M. semimembranosus

The aim of the present study was to characterise the thermal properties of connective tissue in loose structured porcine SM muscles in comparison to normal looking SM muscles and to see whether the meat quality traits were related to the properties of connective tissue. Samples from the muscles with loose structure and light colour were selected by visual assessment and normal looking SM muscles were used as a control (n = 25 loose structured + 25 control). The loose structured muscles had lower ultimate pH (pH_u) than the control muscles. The onset and peak temperatures of thermal shrinkage of intramuscular connective tissue (T_o and T_p, respectively) in loose structured muscles were similar to those of control muscles when the full set of data (25 loose structured + 25 control) were analysed. When the T_o and T_p data from muscles the exhibiting ten lowest and ten highest pH_u values were analysed, the low pH_u muscles (all classified as loose structured) had lower T_o and T_p than the high pH_u muscles (all classified as control) (p < 0.05). Drip loss of loose structured SM muscles (11.1%) was dramatically higher than that of control muscles (3.9%). Collagen content and collagen solubility were similar in loose structured and control muscles. It seemed that changes in the properties of intramuscular connective tissue were more easier found in porcine SM muscles with low pH_u than in SM muscles with high pH_u.     

Relationships between texture,mechanical properties and structure of cornflakes

Hominies and flours derived from four corn varieties were prepared according to industrial recipes and processed as petals by extrusion cooking (SME = 150 J g⁻¹, T_die = 130 °C) and a batch thermal process (100 °C, 50 min). Flake texture was evaluated by crushing bulk petals in a Kramer cell and comparing measurements to those obtained for commercial cornflakes, previously graded by a trained sensory analysis panel. Depending on the corn variety, various results were found in regard to crispness. Bending moduli of dense extruded materials (E_s from 0.5 to 2.1 GPa) were found to be correlated to the texture of petals derived from the same blends. Results obtained at different scales showed that the expanded microstructure of flakes, determined by X-ray tomography, and the morphology of their constitutive materials, deduced from confocal scanning light microscopy and RVA, primarily depended on the process used rather than on the corn variety. Adhesion between protein aggregates and amorphous starch matrix was inferred from the mechanical properties involved in texture.     

Compositional and thermal characteristics of palm olein-based diacylglycerol in blends with palm super olein

Palm olein-based diacylglycerol (POL-DAG) was blended with palm super olein (POoo) in various concentrations (10–90%), with increments of 10% (wt/wt) POL-DAG. The physical and chemical characteristics, i.e., iodine value, acylglycerol content, fatty acid composition, melting and crystallization profiles and solid fat content, for POL-DAG, POoo and their binary blends were evaluated. The mid-infrared FTIR was used to determine the absorption bands of the different concentrations of the oil blends. Only slight differences of FAC and IV were observed. POL-DAG:POoo blends showed significant changes (p < 0.05) in DAG content and decreases in TAG content with increasing POL-DAG content. The DSC thermograms showed that the addition of different concentrations of POL-DAG changed the melting and crystallization behavior of the oil blends (POL-DAG:POoo). The crystallization onset point increased (p < 0.05) with an increasing POL-DAG concentration (10–90%). POL-DAG has the same absorption bands as POoo, with the exception of several minor peaks that appeared at (I) 2954 cm^− 1, (II) 1267 cm^− 1, (III) 1199 cm^− 1, (IV) 1222 cm^− 1 and (V) 966 cm^− 1. This study will provide essential information for the palm oil industry to identify the most suitable POL-DAG blends with desirable physicochemical properties for food application purposes.     

The effect of different folate forms on denaturation of bovine folate binding protein

Denaturation temperatures (T_max) of folate binding protein (FBP) complexed with various folate derivatives were studied using differential scanning calorimetry. Surface plasmon resonance technique was used to elucidate the effect of heat treatment, i.e., pasteurization and UHT treatment, of FBP on FBP content and its binding capacity to folate. The folate derivatives studied were (6S)5-HCO-H₄folate, (6S)5-CH₃-H₄folate and pteroyl-l-glutamic acid (PteGlu). The results showed that different folate forms affected the heat denaturation temperature of FBP differently. Apo-FBP underwent an endothermic transition with a maximum at 60.5 ± 0 °C. After ligand binding, the maximum of the denaturation shifted with a transition maximum at 72.4 ± 0.3 °C for (6S)5-HCO-H₄folate and 78.7 ± 0.5 °C for (6S)5-CH₃-H₄folate. The highest temperature shift was observed for PteGlu with maximum transition temperature at 83.7 ± 0.2 °C. Pasteurization temperatures did not eliminate the binding capacity of FBP regardless of folate form bound, whereas the UHT-treatment did.     

Dual-enzymatic synthesis of lactulose in organic-aqueous two-phase media

Lactulose has been successfully synthesized by dual-enzymatic method in organic-aqueous two-phase media using lactose and fructose as the raw materials. Cyclohexane–buffer system C₆H₁₂:buffer = 95:5 (v/v) was employed as the organic-aqueous media for the reaction. The dual-enzymatic system was consisted of immobilized lactase (IL) and immobilized glucose isomerase (IGI). Immobilized lactase was prepared by cross-linking the free lactase into Fe₃O₄-chitosan magnetic microspheres. The main enzymatic reaction parameters were investigated, including reaction temperature (T), pH value and reaction time (t). Under the optimum reaction conditions, i.e., lactose 0.8 g mL^?1, fructose 0.1 g mL^?1, IL 0.1 g mL^?1, IGI 0.05 g mL^?1, T = 30 °C, pH = 8.0 and t = 2 h, the obtained highest lactulose yield was approximately 151 g L^?1 and the corresponding productivity was 75.5 g L^?1 h^?1. Experimental results indicated that the organic-aqueous media can significantly promoted the transglycosidation activity of lactase and therefore improve the lactulose yield. The possible reaction mechanism of the synthesis of lactulose using IL and IGI in two-phase system was also proposed.     

Effects of high intensity ultrasound and emulsifiers on crystallization behavior of coconut oil and palm olein

The objective of this research is to evaluate the crystallization behavior of coconut oil (CO) and palm olein (PO) as affected by the addition of two monoacylglycerols (MAG) emulsifiers and by the use of high intensity ultrasound (HIU). MAG with high content of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acid (EM1) and MAG with high content of stearic acid and no unsaturated fatty acids (EM2) were used. Results show that the addition of emulsifiers did not affect crystallization kinetics of CO and similar solid fat contents (1.32 ± 0.94) (SFC) and melting enthalpies (5.90 ± 4.56) were obtained. The addition of EM1, however, significantly delayed the crystallization of PO as evidenced by a significantly lower SFC and melting enthalpy. SFC for PO was 8.56 ± 0.913 while SFC for PO + EM1 was 3.63 ± 1.38. Sonication induced the crystallization of CO samples crystallized with and without EM1 and EM2 while only induced the crystallization of PO + EM1 as measured with SFC. The induction in crystallization by HIU was also evidenced by higher enthalpy with values up to a range of 8 J/g to 11 J/g. A decrease in elasticity from 3.17 × 10⁶ to 2.52 × 10⁵ was observed in CO crystallized with emulsifiers which could be reverted by the application of HIU. Contrarily, the addition of emulsifiers increased elasticity of PO from 3.35 × 10² to 4.83 × 10⁴ and sonication did not affect these values significantly. Differences observed in elasticity values are attributed not only to the amount of solid material obtained but also to the type of microstructure of the crystalline network formed during crystallization.