Studies on Cross-linked A. paniculatas (Rajgeera) Starch

Earlier studies from our laboratories on waxy A. paniculatas starch have shown it to be sensitive to mechanical shear and acidity. Cross-linking of this starch with phosphorus oxychloride at room temperature for ten min using 5 ml POCI₃ per 100 g starch improved the stability under canning conditions, low pH and also mechanical shear. Its paste clarity also improved distinctly. However, it had very poor freeze-thaw stability indicating it to be unsuitable for frozen foods. Evaluation of this starch in canned tomato soup showed it to be a useful thickener for foods processed under retort conditions.     

Characterization of co-crystallized sucrose entrapped with cardamom oleoresin

Cardamom oleoresin emulsified with gum acacia was encapsulated by co-crystallization in a supersaturated sucrose solution to prepare flavoured sucrose cubes. The co-crystals with and without cardamom oleoresin were characterized at 25°C and 33%, 63% and 93% relative humidity for hygroscopicity and crystallinity vis-à-vis pure crystal sucrose. Co-crystallized sucrose cubes showed lower hygroscopicity at 93% relative humidity, a longer dissolution time, and a decreased crystallinity as compared to crystal sucrose. The active components of cardamom oleoresin such as 1,8-cineole (30.23%) and α-terpinyl acetate (46.42%) in cardamom oleoresin was quantified by gas chromatography. The encapsulation efficiency of 1,8-cineole and α-terpinyl acetate in lab-made co-crystallized sucrose cubes was approximately 35.23% and 67.18%, respectively. This approach could contribute to value addition of cardamom oleoresin for flavoured tea and also have potential applications in traditional Indian sweets.     

Kiln-fired clay bricks synergizing nickel–chromium plating sludge and fly ash: mechanical characteristics and cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Life cycle assessment (LCA) of novel fired clay bricks with synergistic co-valorization of nickel-chrome plating sludge (NCPS) and fly ash (FA) is...     

Utilisation of Amaranthus paniculatas (Rajgeera) Starch in Salad Dressing

Studies on utilisation of Amarantus paniculatas starch in salad dressings showed it to be more stable than corn starch. This is attributed to waxy nature of A. paniculatas starch.     

Supercritical fluid extraction of forskolin from Coleus forskohlii roots

Forskolin (FSK), a labdane diterpene compound having high nutraceutical and therapeutic activity has been extracted from dried Coleus forskohlii roots using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂). The solubility parameter of FSK, CO₂, and entrainer solvents was calculated and validated with experimental results. Theoretically, pressure and temperature had significant effect on extraction of FSK. A maximum of 50.32% recovery of FSK was obtained after SC-CO₂ extraction at 40 °C, 250 bar and extraction time of 60 min. Use of methanol as an entrainer at 20% v/w of dried C. forskohlii roots under optimized conditions improved the recovery of FSK to 74.29%. The recovery of FSK further increased marginally to 77.08% when pre-treated with ultrasonication and commercial enzyme preparation of Stargen® 002 and Accellerase® 1500.     

A load index and a transfer policy for global scheduling tasks with deadlines

Two important components of a global scheduling algorithm are its transfer policy and its location policy. While the transfer policy determines whether a task should be transferred, the location policy determines where it should be transferred. Many global scheduling algorithms have been proposed to schedule tasks with deadline constraints. These algorithms try to transfer tasks only when task's deadlines cannot be met locally or local load is high (i.e. they take only corrective measures). However, a scheduling algorithm that takes preventive measures in addition to corrective measures can reduce potential deadline misses substantially. In this paper we present: (a) a load index which characterizes the system state and is more conducive to preventive and corrective measures; (b) a new transfer policy which takes preventive measures by doing anticipatory task transfers in addition to corrective measures. The proposed transfer policy adapts better to the workload by availing of the accurate system state made available by the proposed load index. An algorithm making use of the new transfer policy and the new load index is shown to reduce the number of deadline misses significantly when compared to algorithms taking only corrective measures.     

Some experimental studies of lubricants in a two-stroke methanol engine

A two-stroke cycle scooter engine modified to operate on methanol fuel has been tested. Castor and synthetic oil formulations were identified as potential lubricants. A formulation based on polypropylene glycol (PPG) has demonstrated excellent miscibility in methanol fuel. It also performed well in engine tests, especially with reference to piston tightening and deposit forming tendencies.     

Some Properties of Amaranthus paniculatas (Rajgeera) Starch Pastes

The lysine rich high protein seeds of A. paniculatas (Rajgeera) are reported to contain 50–60% of waxy starch, concentrated in the endosperm. However its food related properties are comparatively unknown. In the present work, paste viscosity, paste clarity, freeze-thaw stability and effect of shear on the viscosity of A. paniculatas starch paste have been studied and compared to corn starch. Also included are the stability of Rajgeera starch paste under pressure cooking (30 min, 15 lb pressure) and acidic conditions (pH 6.98—1.76). Rajgeera starch was found to have a higher paste viscosity, lower paste clarity and high freeze-thaw stability than corn starch. Both Rajgeera and corn starch underwent thinning on being subjected to mechanical shear. Rajgeera starch withstood pressure cooking conditions admirably, but was found to be sensitive to acidic conditions.     

Synthesis of Benzenesulfonamide Derivatives via Ring Opening of Aziridines in the Presence of Magnetically Retrievable Graphene Based (CoFe@rGO) Nanohybrid

Graphene based magnetic nanohybrids have engrossed considerable research curiosity because of their exceptional properties and diverse applications associated with green chemistry. In this regard, a practical, facile and regioselective preparation of 1,2-diamines from N-tosylaziridine/(S)-(+)-2-Benzyl-1-(p-tolylsulfonyl)aziridine and aryl amines in the presence of magnetically separable graphene based nanohybrid (CoFe@rGO) has been proposed under mild and solvent free conditions. The FT-IR, FE-SEM, XPS, XRD and TEM spectroscopic analysis confirmed the formation of the CoFe@rGO nanohybrids. For unsymmetrical aziridine, nucleophilic attack of aryl amines was observed to take place selectively at the more substituted carbon atom of aziridine ring. Environmentally benign, efficient, shorter reaction time, solvent-free conditions, low catalyst loading, excellent reaction yields and reusability of the catalyst for six consecutive runs without significant loss in its activity are the key advantages of this protocol.

Graphical Abstract