Rosemary (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosmarinus officinalis</Emphasis>) oil: composition and functionality of the cold-pressed extract

The aim of this work was to investigate cold-pressed rosemary oil (RO) for its lipid classes, subclasses, fatty acid composition, tocochromanols and total phenolics amount. Antiradical activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^?) and galvinoxyl radicals, antioxidant activity, as measured by the Rancimat test, as well as antimicrobial activity against food-borne bacteria, and dermatophytic fungi of RO were evaluated. In RO, the amount of neutral lipids was highest (ca. 86%), followed by phospholipids (0.92%) and glycolipids (0.88%). The percentages of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids were 41.7, 42.3, and 15.8%, respectively. Linoleic acid (41.7%) and oleic acid (41.2%) were the major fatty acids while linolenic acid accounted for 1.3% of total fatty acids. The following tocochromanols were detected: α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols, which accounted for 291, 22, 1145, and 41 mg/100 g oil, respectively, as well as α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols, which accounted for 18, 12, 29, and 158 mg/100 g oil, respectively. RO also contained high levels of phenolic compounds (7.2 mg GAE/g). After 60 min of reaction with free radicals, 67% of DPPH^? and 55% of galvinoxyl radicals were quenched by RO. Rancimat test showed that blending RO with sunflower oil increased the induction period (IP) for blends. The IP of the RO: sunflower oil blend (1:9, v/v) was 390 min, and RO: sunflower oil blend (2:8, v/v) was longer (540 min). RO exhibited high antimicrobial potential against food-borne pathogenic bacteria (E. coli, S. enteritidis, and L. monocytogenes) and high antifungal potential against dermatophyte fungi (T. mentagrophytes, and T. rubrum). RO had unique high level of γ-tocopherol, which is a scavenger of reactive nitrogen species making it a promising material in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.     

Studying the Effect of Household-Type Treatment and Processing on the Residues of Ethion and Profenofos Pesticides and on the Contents of Capsaicinoids in Green Chili Pepper Using GC-MS/MS and HPLC

The first aim of this study was to create, test, and apply a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method, based on acetonitrile extraction, for simultaneous determination of pesticide residues in green chili pepper (fresh and dried forms). There is a group of 86 repeatedly detected pesticides in the agricultural food commodity in Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. The suggested method is utilizing GC-MS/MS for simultaneous determination of those 86 pesticides. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for each pesticide was set as the lowest fortification level that achieved acceptable recoveries in the range 70–120% with precision (RSD ≤ 20%). The results indicated that two organophosphorus pesticides, ethion and profenofos, in the analyzed chili pepper samples have significantly exceeded the European maximum residual limit (MRL) for pesticides. The second purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of some different household-type treatment and processing procedures on the detected pesticide residues and on capsaicinoids (particularly, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin) which are responsible for the pungency of chili pepper, using GC-MS/MS and HPLC. Some recommendations were concluded for the best practices.     

Physico-Chemical,antioxidant activities,textural, and sensory properties of yoghurt fortified with different states and rates of pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.)

This study examines the effects of incorporating fresh, frozen, osmodehydrated, and dried pomegranate seeds, at different concentrations (5, 10, and 20%) on the physicochemical, antioxidant, textural, and sensory properties of yoghurt. Antioxidant activity, pH, acidity, syneresis, and color of yoghurt were also evaluated during the storage (28 days) at 4°C. The principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to assess the correlations between different yoghurt formulation and their sensory attributes. Data showed that the addition of pomegranate seeds reduced pH and modified the chromatics coordinate (L*, a*, b*, C*, h°) and firmness of the yoghurt samples. In addition, acidity, °Brix, and syneresis increased compared to the control. Thanks to their high anthocyanin content, pomegranate seeds considerably improved the antioxidant activity essentially for yoghurt enriched with frozen seeds. In addition, the supplementation of 20% of frozen seeds into yoghurt was the most appreciated by panelists and improved the sensory properties in comparison to other formulation. According to PCA, taste and appearance were the main criteria for the overall acceptability of yoghurt. After 28 days of storage, the reddish color was reinforced; however, the antioxidant activity of yoghurts was reduced. Overall, it can be concluded that pomegranate seeds can be used as a natural ingredient to develop a novel yoghurt with high nutritional properties.     

Inorganic thermoelectric materials: A review

Thermoelectric generator, which converts heat into electrical energy, has great potential to power portable devices. Nevertheless, the efficiency of a thermoelectric generator suffers due to inefficient thermoelectric material performance. In the last two decades, the performance of inorganic thermoelectric materials has been significantly advanced through rigorous efforts and novel techniques. In this review, major issues and recent advancements that are associated with the efficiency of inorganic thermoelectric materials are encapsulated. In addition, miscellaneous optimization strategies, such as band engineering, energy filtering, modulation doping, and low dimensional materials to improve the performance of inorganic thermoelectric materials are reported. The methodological reviews and analyses showed that all these techniques have significantly enhanced the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and reduced the thermal conductivity, consequently, improved ZT value to 2.42, 2.6, and 1.85 for near-room, medium, and high temperature inorganic thermoelectric material, respectively. Moreover, this review also focuses on the performance of silicon nanowires and their common fabrication techniques, which have the potential for thermoelectric power generation. Finally, the key outcomes along with future directions from this review are discussed at the end of this article.     

Effect of Kombucha on gut-microbiota in mouse having non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Food Science and Biotechnology - Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver disorders. Possible links have been recently found between the gut-microbiota and the host...     

Preparation of a hydrophobic recycled jute-based nonwoven using a titanium dioxide/stearic acid coating

This work aims at developing a hydrophobic treatment for jute fiber-based nonwovens. Three solutions of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were prepared through a sol–gel method by varying the molar ratio of the various constituents. The nonwoven was pretreated with these solutions before being impregnated with different concentrations of stearic acid. The TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized are amorphous; their size varies with the concentration of ethanol used as a solvent in the sol–gel method. The nanoparticle coating produced on the jute fibers is uniform. The nonwoven wettability was evaluated by measuring its water contact angle and retention time; the nonwoven became hydrophobic at the lowest fatty acid concentration tested. An increase in the stability of the hydrophobicity was observed when the TiO₂ nanoparticle pretreatment was used compared to the application of the stearic acid treatment only. No detrimental effect of the hydrophobic treatment on the nonwoven mechanical performance and thermal stability was observed. These results demonstrate the potential of the TiO₂ nanoparticle/stearic acid treatment as a fast method to provide a stable hydrophobicity to recycled jute-based nonwovens.