Identification of 2-Pentyl Furan in Fats and Oils and Its Relationship to the Reversion Flavor of Soybean Oil

SUMMARY— 2-Pentyl furan is identified as a component of the volatile decomposition products of slightly autoxidized soybean and cottonseed oils and those of thermal oxidation of corn oil and hydrogenated cottonseed oil. The flavor threshold of this compound in oil at room temperature is 1 ppm. At concentrations of 1-10 ppm, it imparts to the oil a characteristic beany odor and flavor reminiscent of those of a reverted soybean oil. Expert organoleptic panels consistently identified a deodorized cottonseed oil containing 5 ppm of 2.pentyl furan as a reverted soybean oil. It is proposed that this compound is formed by autoxidation of linoleic acid.     

Ba3(P1 − x Mn x O4)2 : Blue/green inorganic materials based on tetrahedral Mn(V)

We describe a blue/green inorganic material, Ba₃(P_1???x Mn _x O₄)₂ (I) based on tetrahedral MnO $_{4}^{3-}$ :3d ²chromophore. The solid solutions (I) which are sky-blue and turquoise-blue for x ≤ 0·25 and dark green for x ≥ 0·50, are readily synthesized in air from commonly available starting materials, stabilizing the MnO $_{4}^{3-}$ chromophore in an isostructural phosphate host. We suggest that the covalency/ionicity of P–O/Mn–O bonds in the solid solutions tunes the crystal field strength around Mn(V) such that a blue colour results for materials with small values of x. The material could serve as a nontoxic blue/green inorganic pigment.     

Evaluation of surfactants/cosolvents for desorption/solubilization of Phenanthrene in clayey soils

Throughout the USA, numerous sites exist where the soils have been contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds may be toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic, so these sites threaten human health and the environment and prompt remediation is warranted. In situ flushing with surfactants/cosolvents has shown promise for treating PAH‐contaminated soils that are uniform and possess a high permeability, but the efficiency of this process is severely limited when heterogeneous and/or low permeability soils are present. For these difficult situations, electrokinetically enhanced in situ flushing offers great potential, but this method is highly dependent on the type of purging agent that is used. Thus, in this laboratory investigation, batch desorption experiments were conducted to evaluate different surfactants/cosolvent solutions for use in electrokinetically enhanced in situ flushing. The surfactants/cosolvents were evaluated on their ability to desorb and solubilize phenanthrene, a representative PAH, from two widely varying clayey soil types. The soils were artificially contaminated at four PAH concentrations, and batch tests were conducted using six different surfactant/cosolvent solutions. The results indicated that phenanthrene was more strongly bound to the soil with the higher organic content, and the surfactants with a higher hydrophile – lipophile balance number (HLB) caused greater PAH desorption and solubilization. Furthermore, the surfactant solutions performed better when they were used at a higher concentration. Compared to the cosolvent solution or a combined mixture of the cosolvent and surfactant solutions, greater desorption and solubilization of the contaminant occurred when the surfactant solution was used by itself.     

Microbiological Quality of Vacuum Packaged Poultry With or Without Chlorine Treatment

Dry packed broilers were cut up or kept as whole carcasses and vacuum packaged in a high barrier or low barrier film or stretch wrapped in a tray package. In an additional study, chicken was treated with 20 ppm chlorine in a chilled water dip; control chicken had no chlorine added to the water. The poultry was then packaged as previously indicated. The chicken was stored in a display case at about 5°C and examined for various bacteria and odor development at intervals up to 10 days. Vacuum packaging dry packed broilers resulted in significantly lower bacterial counts and longer keeping time compared with stretch wrapped chicken. Longest shelf life was obtained with a high barrier film, and chlorine as a dip did not provide increased storage life compared with vacuum packaged broilers maintained in the dry state.     

Changes in Fatty Acids and Sensory Quality of Fresh Water Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Stored Under Frozen Conditions

The effects of frozen storage and packaging methods on the oxidation of fatty acids and rancidity development in fresh-water prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii were studied. The lipids of these fresh prawns contained 23% saturated, 46% monounsaturated, and 31% polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acids, especially the unsaturated ones decreased during frozen storage for 6 months at -18°C, regardless of the packaging procedure employed. No objectionable rancid flavor was detected in these prawns during the 6-month frozen storage study.     

Preparation and characterization of PEG–Mg(CH3COO)2–CeO2 composite polymer electrolytes for battery application

Composite polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), magnesium acetate [Mg(CH₃COO)₂], and x wt% of cerium oxide (CeO₂) ceramic fillers (where x = 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20, respectively) have been prepared using solution casting technique. X-ray diffraction patterns of PEG–Mg(CH₃COO)₂ with CeO ₂ ceramic filler indicated the decrease in the degree of crystallinity with increasing concentration of the filler. DSC measurements of PEG–Mg(CH₃COO)₂–CeO₂ composite polymer electrolyte system showed that the melting temperature is shifted towards the lower temperature with increase of the filler concentration. The conductivity results indicate that the incorporation of ceramic filler up to a certain concentration (i.e. 15 wt%) increases the ionic conductivity and upon further addition the conductivity decreases. The transference number data indicated the dominance of ion-type charge transport in these specimens. Using this (PEG–Mg(CH₃COO)₂–CeO₂) (85-15-15) electrolyte, solid-state electrochemical cell was fabricated and their discharge profiles were studied under a constant load of 100 kΩ.     

Preprocessing Ice Storage Effects on Functional Properties of Fish Mince Protein

Holding in ice before mincing and freezing pink perch, Nemipterus japonicus, resulted in significant differences in protein solubility (PS), emulsifying capacity (EC), water binding capacity (WBC), cook loss, thaw drip and texture scores. Functional properties correlated with protein solubility. Significant variations in PS, EC, WBC, texture scores, and thaw drip values during frozen storage suggested these properties may be valuable indicators for determining alterations in functional characteristics of fish proteins.     

Quality attributes of four rice varieties

The physico-chemical characteristics, and cooking, eating, milling and nutritive qualities of four varities of rice were measured and wide varietal differences were observed.
There was little variation in gel consistency and gelatinization temperature, but there were marked differences in water absorption, volume expansion and percentage of leach loss.
Eating characteristics of one variety (Ambemohar) were less acceptable than in the other three, and one (MAU-Sel-9) had a much higher protein content than the others.
On the whole, the quality of MAU-Sel-9 was found to be superior to the other three varieties of rice.