Minor components of pulses and their potential impact on human health

Pulses contain a number of bioactive substances including enzyme inhibitors, lectins, phytates, oligosaccharides, and phenolic compounds. Enzyme inhibitors can diminish protein digestibility, and lectins can reduce nutrient absorption, but both have little effect after cooking. Phytic acid can diminish mineral bioavailability. Some phenolic compounds can reduce protein digestibility and mineral bioavailability, and galactooligosaccharides may cause flatulence. On the other hand, these same compounds may have protective effects. Phytic acid exhibits antioxidant activity and protects DNA damage, phenolic compounds have antioxidant and other important physiological and biological properties, and galactooligosaccharides may elicit prebiotic activity. These compounds can have complementary and overlapping mechanisms of action, including modulation of detoxifying enzymes, stimulation of the immune system, regulation of lipid and hormone metabolism, antioxidant, antimutagen, and antiangiogenic effects, reduction of tumor initiation, and promotion and induction of apoptosis. Secondary metabolites are considerated antinutrients, simultaneously conferring health benefits, so these secondary metabolites are currently marketed as functional foods and nutraceuticals ingredients.     

Kinetic study on ethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITV‐01 yeast isolated from sugar cane molasses

BACKGROUND: Bio‐ethanol production from renewable sources, such as sugar cane, makes it a biofuel that is both renewable and environmentally friendly. One of the strategies to reduce production costs and to make ethanol fuel economically competitive with fossil fuels could be the use of wild yeast with osmotolerance, ethanol resistance and low nutritional requirements. The aim of this work was to investigate the kinetics of ethanol fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae ITV‐01 yeast strain in a batch system at different glucose and ethanol concentrations, pH values and temperature in order to determine the optimum fermentation conditions. RESULTS: This strain showed osmotolerance (its specific growth rate (µ_max) remained unchanged at glucose concentrations between 100 and 200 g L^?1) as well as ethanol resistance (it was able to grow at 10% v/v ethanol). Activation energy (Ea) and Q₁₀ values calculated at temperatures between 27 and 39 °C, pH 3.5, was 15.6 kcal mol^?1 (with a pre‐exponential factor of 3.8 × 10¹² h^?1 (R² = 0.94)) and 3.93 respectively, indicating that this system is biologically limited. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal conditions for ethanol production were pH 3.5, 30 °C and initial glucose concentration 150 g L^?1. In this case, a maximum ethanol concentration of 58.4 g L^?1, ethanol productivity of 1.8 g L^?1 h^?1 and ethanol yield of 0.41 g g^?1 were obtained. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Photocatalytic degradation of organics in water in the presence of iron oxides: Influence of carboxylic acids

The effects of four carboxylic acids: malic, citric, tartaric and oxalic acids on the leaching of iron from two commercial iron oxides (hematite, α-Fe₂O₃, and magnetite, Fe₃O₄) have been investigated. The variables studied were the doses of iron oxides and carboxylic acids used as well as aqueous pH, temperature and the presence of hydrogen peroxide and/or UV-A radiation. On the whole, Fe₃O₄ led to higher amounts of leached iron than α-Fe₂O₃, and oxalic acid was the most effective carboxylic acid used. The importance of iron leaching has been considered to explain the photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by UV-A/iron oxides systems. The influence of the presence of hydrogen peroxide and/or titania on the efficiency of these oxidation systems was also investigated. At the conditions tested, advanced oxidation with the UV-A/iron oxide/oxalic acid/H₂O₂/TiO₂ system led to the lowest BPA half life (<15 min) among those processes studied.     

Thermoplastic elastomers based on high‐density polyethylene,ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer,and ground tire rubber dynamically vulcanized with dicumyl peroxide

Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) based on high‐density polyethylene (HDPE), ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM), and ground tire rubber (GTR) were dynamically vulcanized with dicumyl peroxide (DCP). The polymer blend was composed of 40% HDPE, 30% EPDM, and 30% GTR, and the concentration of DCP was varied from 0.3 to 3.6 parts per hundred rubber (phr). The properties of the TPVs were determined by evaluation of the gel fraction content and the mechanical properties. In addition, IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry analysis were performed as a function of the DCP content. Decreases in the Young's modulus of the blends and the crystallinity of HDPE were observed when the content of DCP was greater than 1.8 phr. The results regarding the gel content indicate that the presence of DCP promoted the crosslinking of the thermoplastic matrix, and optimal properties were obtained with 1.5% DCP. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39901.     

Surface modification of a calcium fluoride filler and the effect on the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Two different types of calcium fluoride particles (～325 nm), one of them surface modified using a long‐chain organophosphorous reagent, were incorporated into a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) matrix. The CaF₂ particles were synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method. To modify the particles surface, a heat treatment using Cyanex^® 921 [tri‐n‐octylphosphine oxide (TOPO)] dissolved in isopropanol, was carried out. Therefore, unlike the as‐synthesized particles, the modified particles contained an amount of TOPO. The composite materials were prepared by melt‐blending PET and particles at different filler loadings. The influence of the particles surface modification on the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PET was investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The Jeziorny‐modified Avrami equation was applied to describe the crystallization kinetics and several parameters were analyzed (half‐crystallization time, Avrami exponent, and rate constant). According to the results, the fluorite particles act as nucleating agents, accelerating the PET crystallization rate. However, the effect on the polymer crystallization rate was more noticeable with the addition of the nonmodified particles where the surface might play an important role for epitaxial crystallization, while the addition of the particles, with an organic coating layer on the surface, resulted in a crystallization behavior more similar to the observed for neat PET. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2938–2946, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis of fully and partially sulfonated polyanilines derived from ortanilic acid: An electrochemical and electromicrogravimetric study

The electrochemical polymerization of 2-aminobenzene sulfonic acid, also called ortanilic acid (o-ASA), on a gold electrode precoated with polyaniline (PANI), has been carried out. We proved that the electropolymerization of o-ASA is enhanced on PANI electrodes, resulting in thicker films obtained in aqueous media at room temperature. The electrosynthesized film (P(o-ASA)) was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, FTIR and nuclear magnetic resonance. The compensation of P(o-ASA) charge was evaluated using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance combined with cyclic voltammetry, which showed that the electroneutralization process mainly involves cations. Additionally, copolymers of aniline and o-ASA were electrosynthesized, using a metallic electrode modified with PANI also as a working electrode. The degree of sulfanation of copolymers has been modulated with the proportions of monomers in the electrosynthesis solution. The studies reveal a more important participation of cations in fully sulfonated polyaniline than in partially sulfonated polyaniline.     

Whole-grain corn tortilla prepared using an ecological nixtamalisation process and its impact on the nutritional value

Corn tortillas are produced using the traditional nixtamalisation process (TP). Nevertheless, one of the greatest problems that the tortilla industry faces is the high level of losses of solids. The aim of this research was to evaluate the nutritional value of a whole-grain tortilla, produced using an ecological process (EP). In the EP corn was cooked at 90 °C with 1.8% (w/w) calcium sulphate. The grains were steeped, washed and grounded to obtain the masa, which was baked to produce tortillas. Also, tortillas were prepared using the TP and following the same steps as those used in the EP, except that 1.0% (w/w) of calcium hydroxide was used. The tortillas from EP retained 14.05, 6.03, and 54.02% more fat, protein and fibre than tortillas produced by the TP. The PER value of rats fed whole-grain tortillas (1.81) was not different from that of rats fed the traditional tortillas (1.85).     

Fluidized bed and tray drying of thinly sliced mango (Mangifera indica) pretreated with ascorbic and citric acid

The purpose of this work was to determine the influence of air temperature, sample diameter and antioxidants on water activity, moisture content and colour difference of thinly sliced mango in a fluidized bed and tray dryer. Mango samples were treated with antioxidants solutions (ascorbic and citric acid) before the drying process. Fluidized bed and tray drying of control and treated samples were carried out at two temperatures: 50 and 60 °C. A fractional factorial design 2^4?1 was used in both drying methods. The Newton semi‐theoretical model was found to represent thin‐layer drying kinetics of mango. For both drying types, moisture content of thinly sliced mango was well characterised (R² ≥ 0.975) by the model. The temperature increment increases the drying constant and decreases the equilibrium moisture content and water activity of the dehydrated samples. Colour closest to the original colour of fresh mango was obtained when 2 cm diameter mango pretreated with citric acid (1%) was dehydrated by fluidized bed at 60 °C. In addition, it was observed that the drying time at equilibrium by using fluidized bed was lower (60 min) than the tray dryer (120 min).     

High Hydrostatic Pressure Processing of Cheese

Abstract: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a cutting‐edge processing technology attracting research and industrial interest in the food sector due to its potential to produce microbiologically safe products, modify the functional properties of proteins and polysaccharides, and alter biochemical reactions without significantly affecting the nutritional and sensory properties of food. Currently, there are only a limited number of pressure‐treated cheese products available in the market. Nevertheless, results from numerous research studies on various cheese varieties seem promising, especially since HHP technology is today more cost‐effective than in the past. Considering the progress made in the application of HHP on cheese during the past 15 years, this paper reviews the direct application of HHP treatments to cheese and the effects it has on its microbiology and ripening process, as well as on quality parameters such as physicochemical, rheological, and sensory properties. Detailed information of published studies is presented with the aim of providing a clear picture of the use of this technology on cheese processing. Areas of research in need of more attention are also identified.