Clarification of fruit juices by fungal pectinases

This study analyses the efficiency of fungal pectinolytic preparations produced in laboratory and commercial products used in the clarification process of apple, butia palm fruit, blueberry, and grape juices. Two crude enzymatic extracts, produced by Aspergillus niger T0005007-2 (TE1) and Aspergillus oryzae IPT 301 (TE2), were tested in solid-state and submerse cultures, respectively, in comparison to the commercial preparations Pectinex^®Clear and Pectinex^®BE Colour, used for the clarification of clear (apple, butia palm fruit) and dark (blueberry and grape) juices, respectively. With pectinases total activity at 1 U/mL of fruit juice, reactions were conducted at 30 and 50 °C, for 30 and 60 min. Time increase resulted in an improved clarification, whereas temperature increase could not be clearly linked to a greater clarification. When compared to the commercial products, the use of the crude preparation TE1 resulted in similar clarification of apple and blueberry juices. For butia palm and grape juice, however, TE1 presented the highest clarification results, revealing the potential of A. niger T0005007-2 enzymes for commercial application.     

Deasphalting process using supercritical water

The authors aimed to study the deasphalting process on laboratory scale through the design and development of a supercritical extraction experimental unit. The experimental unity used in tests is composed by a pump, an extractor with useful volume of 3 L and one separator vessel. Extractions in supercritical condition were carried out using petroleum residue (vacuum residuum) as feedstock and water as solvent. Temperature and pressure were manipulated to maintain the solvent in the required conditions, thus facilitating the extraction process and avoiding sharp changes in the system. In both phases, the products in the deasphalted oil stream present adequate characteristics for the production of lubricant oils and those in the asphalt residue stream present an elevated concentration of asphalt molecules.     

Prediction of properties of diesel/biodiesel blends by infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration

Partial least squares models (PLS) using near and middle infrared spectrometry were developed to predict quality parameters of diesel/biodiesel blends (density, sulphur content and distillation temperatures). Practical aspects are discussed, such as calibration set composition; model efficiency using different infrared regions and spectrometers; and the calibration transfer problem. The root mean square errors of prediction, employing both regions and equipment, were comparable with the reproducibility of the corresponding standard method for the properties investigated. Calibration transfer between the two instruments, using direct standardization (DS), yielded prediction errors comparable to those obtained with complete recalibration of the secondary instrument.     

Managing grazing animals to achieve nutrient cycling and soil improvement in no-till integrated systems

Crop-livestock systems are regaining their importance as an alternative to unsustainable intensive farming systems. Loss of biodiversity, nutrient pollution and habitat fragmentation are a few of many concerns recently reported with modern agriculture. Integrating crops and pastures in no-till systems can result in better environmental services, since conservation agriculture is improved by system diversity, paths of nutrient flux, and other processes common in nature. The presence of large herbivores can positively modify nutrient pathways and soil aggregation, increasing soil quality. Despite the low diversity involved, the integration of crops and pastures enhances nature’s biomimicry and allows attainment of a higher system organization level. This paper illustrates these benefits focusing on the use of grazing animals integrated with crops under no-tillage systems characteristic of southern Brazil.     

Colour evaluation of a phycobiliprotein‐rich extract obtained from Nostoc PCC9205 in acidic solutions and yogurt

BACKGROUND: Phycobiliproteins are coloured proteins produced by cyanobacteria, which have several applications because of their colour properties. However, there is no available information about the colour stability of phycobiliproteins from Nostoc sp. in food systems. The aim of this work was to study the colour stability of a purple‐coloured phycobiliprotein‐rich extract from the cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC9205 in acidic solutions and yogurt. RESULTS: Variations of pH for Nostoc PCC9205 extract have shown stability for the L* (lightness) and a* (redness) indexes in the range 1.0–7.0. The b* index (blueness), however, increased at pH values below 4.0, indicating loss of the blue colour. The Nostoc PCC9205 extract was used as colorant in yogurt (pH 4.17) stored for 60 days. Instrumental colour analysis showed no changes for the L* and a* indexes during storage, whereas the b* index changed after 20 days of storage. A multiple comparison test showed colour instability after 20 days of storage. A hedonic scale test performed on the 60th day of storage showed acceptability of the product. CONCLUSIONS: The red component of the phycobiliprotein‐rich extract from Nostoc PCC9205 presented an improved stability in acidic media and yogurt compared with the blue component of this extract. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Near-infrared spectropolarimetry based on acousto-optical tunable filters

A new approach to near-infrared (NIR) spectropolarimetry is described, in which the properties of a noncollinear acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) made of an anisotropic crystal of TeO2 is employed to produce a novel instrument that precludes or reduces significantly the use of mechanical parts and simplifies the acquisition of optical rotation spectra of absorbing species in the NIR region. In essence, the instrument is based on the measurement of the relative beam intensities produced when a 45 degrees plane polarized beam of radiation passes through a sample cell and is directed to the entrance window of the AOTF. Because of the crystal anisotropy, two planar and orthogonally polarized beams will leave the AOTF, angularly split from the nondiffracted beam, after the acousto-optical interaction has occurred. If an optically nonactive sample is present in the cell, equal intensities for both diffracted beams should be observed. On the other hand, the presence of an optically active sample will cause the polarization plane to rotate and a consequent difference in the intensities of the AOTF diffracted beams will be registered as a function of the optical activity of the sample. The instrument has been evaluated with aqueous solutions of sucrose, glucose, and fructose and for three forms of camphor (d, l, dl).     

Consumer perception,health information,and instrumental parameters of cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) goat milk yogurts

Although the demand for goat milk products has been growing, they have lower consumer acceptability than products derived from cow milk. However, the addition of cupuassu pulp can be used to improve the formulation of these products. For this reason, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of new goat milk yogurt manufactured with cupuassu pulp on physicochemical properties, consumers’ perceptions, and overall consumer acceptance. In addition, the effect of antioxidant health information on consumer acceptance and purchase intention of cupuassu goat milk yogurts was evaluated. The results demonstrated a positive expectation regarding linking and familiarity to goat milk products and products with cupuassu pulp. The pH, total phenolic content, lightness, redness, yellowness, and apparent viscosity were potentially affected by the addition of cupuassu, with the highest concentration of cupuassu (10%) exhibiting the greatest changes in parameters. Based on principal component analysis, partial least squares regression, and just-about-right and penalty analysis, the addition of cupuassu pulp improved some sensory attributes of goat milk yogurt, such as cupuassu aroma, cupuassu flavor, yellow color, consistency, and viscosity, which positively influenced product acceptance. In addition, antioxidant health information increased the acceptance and purchase intention of cupuassu goat milk yogurts. Taking into account the parameters investigated in this study, the best scoring formulation was goat milk yogurt with 10% cupuassu pulp. Our results suggest that cupuassu pulp can be considered a potential ingredient to improve the sensory and texture properties of goat milk yogurt. Furthermore, the antioxidant health information could be a sensory strategy to increase the acceptance of cupuassu goat milk yogurts.