Acidity Content Research Articles

Gluten-free pasta enriched with whey for celiac patients

Introduction. Manufacturers and celiac patients have long complained about gluten-free (GF) pasta for its poor cooking properties, and reduced nutritional value. Therefore, it was imperative to develop GF foods that are acceptable to the consumer. Objective. The effect of different levels of sweet whey (SW), and acid whey (AW) was evaluated on cooking and sensory quality of rice-corn GF pasta. Material and methods. The physicochemical characteristics (pH, acidity, dry extract, proteins, fats, ash, and lactose contents) of whey samples were determined. For pasta-making, whey was added at different levels (25, 50, 75 and 100%) in replacement of water. GF pasta prepared without whey addition, and commercial durum wheat pasta (CWP) were considered as controls. Cooking quality (optimum cooking time (OCT), water absorption capacity (WAC), and cooking loss (CL)), as well as, sensorial quality were assessed. Results. GF pasta prepared with high levels of whey had significantly higher OCT, and lower WAC than control GF pasta. Control wheat pasta exhibited highest values (p<0.05) of these parameters. The incorporation of 25 and 50% of AW resulted in a significant decrease in CL. Moreover, sensory quality was improved by the addition of 50% of AW. Conclusion. An improvement of cooking and sensory quality of GF pasta is achieved by the addition of 25 and 50% acid whey.

Results of the study of pH and organic matter in the surface soil of Ulaanbaatar

This work summarizes the results of a study into such important urban soil parameters as soil actual (pH) and potential acidity (pH) and soil organic matter content (SOM) in the surface soil of Ulaanbaatar. The soil pH in Ulaanbaatar is slightly alkaline, with a median pH value of 7.36 (actual acidity) and 6.93 (potential acidity), and they were found to be the highest in the industrial zone as compared to other zones in the city. The median value of organic matter content in Ulaanbaatar surface soil was 5.61%, with a high variability in the industrial (C.V.-119%) and transport (C.V.-55.34%) zones. The SOM mean value in urban soil is less than the background value in surface soil from natural area, indicating to increasing compaction and reduction of porosity of soil in urban areas. Also, organic matter content have decreased relatively to previous data, reflecting the urbanization process and such long-term processes as aerial urban fallout.

Development of a mathematical regression model of the beet pulp pressing process carried out on a deep press extruder

The article is devoted to the development of a mathematical regression model of the beet pulp pressing process carried out on on a deep press extruder. The following parameters of beet pulp pressing were taken as initial ones: initial moisture content (before the extruder) and final moisture content (after the extruder); sugar content in the pulp before and after pressing; sugar content in the pulp; beet chips length before and after pressing; total biological contamination of sugar beet pulp; pulp acidity before and after pressing; acidity of the granulated pulp. The Fuzzy Logic Toolbox module included in the MatLab package is used to implement the proposed technique. The Surfase Viewer module is used to present the simulation results in a graphical form. Such studies were previously carried out with the CurveExpert 1.3 application package. The resulting equations adequately describe the change in the sugar content in the pulp and its nutritional value depending on the pulp acidity and moisture content, as well as the length of the sugar beet chips. The significance of the influence of each of the main technological parameters (acidity and moisture content of the beet pulp, the length of the beet chips) on the amount of sugar in the pulp and its nutritional value was determined in the work. The resulting quadratic dependences having sufficiently high coefficients R2, adequately describe the process of beet pulp pressing in a deep press extruder with an assessment of the influence of variable parameters on the content of residual sugar and feed units in beet pulp. The data obtained make it possible to objectively evaluate the work of a deep-pressing exstruder and justify the kinematic mode of the screws rotation, which allows minimizing the cost of finished products.

DYNAMICS OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BERRIES OF INTRODUCED CULTIVARS AND FORMS OF CRANBERRIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF CENTRAL SIBERIAN BOTANICAL GARDEN SB RAS

The aim of the work was study of the variability of fruit chemical composition of O. palustris (2 samples) and O. macrocarpus (6 samples) cultivars and forms introduced in CSBG depending on the conditions of the year. Biochemical research of the content of dry substance, ascorbic acid, sugars, titratable acidity, anthocyanins, pectins, protopectins and catechins in berries of these samples were conducted. The chemical composition was analyzed by conventional methods.
 O. palustris surpasses O. macrocarpus in the content of ascorbic acid and titratable acidity, but is inferior to it in the accumulation of anthocyanins, pectins and protopectins. In comparison with the studied samples of both species, the native O. palustris accumulates the greatest amount of ascorbic acid and the least amount of sugars. The early cultivars of O. macrocarpus exceeds the mid-season cultivars and are close to late-maturing ones in terms of ascorbic acid content. The difference in the accumulation of other ingredients in the fruits of both O. palustris and O. macrocarpus is not statistically significant. According to the chemical composition of berries, O. palustris and O. macrocarpus are promising for introduction in the South of Western Siberia.

Bacterial community of winter salad during fermentation, and its antimicrobial properties

The mixture of pickled vegetables with tomato juice, known as winter salad, is one of Iranian traditional fermented foods. The present work aimed to identify the predominant bacterial community in winter salad during fermentation, and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of its cell-free supernatant (CFS) against Aspergillus niger IBRC-M 30095, Botrytis cinerea IBRC-M 30162, Aspergillus flavus IBRC-M 30092, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Salmonella typhi PTCC 1609, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 using disc diffusion agar and microdilution assays. The fermentation dynamics of winter salad, changes in pH, acidity, salt, ash, protein, and fat contents, and bacterial composition were analysed during spontaneous fermentation. A total of 120 bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rDNA sequencing. Results showed that the following genera were dominant in the early stage of fermentation: Lactobacillus (Lb. brevis, Lb. japonicus, Lb. pentosus, Lb. senmaizukei, Lb. plantarum, Lb. acidifarinae, Lb. parabrevis, and Lb. alimentarius) (44%); Leuconostoc (Ln. mesenteroides and Ln. palmae) (13%); Pediococcus (Pc. pentosaceus, Pc. parvulus, Pc. cellicola, Pc. argentinicus, and Pc. stilesii) (7%); Acinetobacter (Ab. johnsonii) (4%); Enterobacter (E. soli) (10%); and unclassified isolates (22%). All isolates were identified successively during fermentation for 40 days; however, the species count changed throughout the fermentation. The CFS of winter salad showed inhibitory activity against all tested fungal species. Ps. aeruginosa and Sa. typhi were the most sensitive bacteria, while the minimum inhibitory percentage (MIP) and minimum bactericidal percentage (MBP) showed that St. aureus (MIPCFS-c 75; MBPCFS-c 75) and Ba. cereus (MIPCFS-c 50; MBPCFS-c 75) were the most resistant bacteria.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Communities in the Roots of Sago Palm in Mineral and Shallow Peat Soils

Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in plant roots improve host plant growth. In this study, AMF communities in the roots of the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) were investigated in mineral soil (MS) and shallow peat soil (SPS) in Sarawak, Malaysia. MS exhibited lower moisture content (MS, 38.1; SPS, 79.8%), higher pH (H2O) (MS, 4.6; SPS, 4.1), higher soil bulk density (MS, 1.03; SPS, 0.20 g cm−3), and higher nitrogen content (MS, 16.9; SPS, 2.7 kg m−3) than SPS at the same soil depth, while the phosphorus (P) content (Bray II) (MS, 1.6; SPS, 1.9 g P2O5 m−3) was similar. The AMF colonization rate was significantly lower in SPS (39.2 ± 12.5%) than in MS (73.2 ± 4.6%). The higher number of AMF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was detected by amplicon sequencing of the partial small-subunit rRNA gene (MS, 78; SPS, 50). A neighbor-joining tree of obtained OTUs revealed that they belonged to Acaulosporaceae, Ambisporaceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Gigasporaceae, and Glomeraceae. The lower abundance and diversity of AMF in SPS are possibly caused by abiotic factors, including soil physicochemical properties. Glomus and Acaulospora species detected in SPS might have strong tolerance against acidity and high soil moisture content.

Computational modeling predicts ephemeral acidic microdomains in the glutamatergic synaptic cleft

At chemical synapses, synaptic vesicles release their acidic contents into the cleft, leading to the expectation that the cleft should acidify. However, fluorescent pH probes targeted to the cleft of conventional glutamatergic synapses in both fruit flies and mice reveal cleft alkalinization rather than acidification. Here, using a reaction-diffusion scheme, we modeled pH dynamics at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction as glutamate, ATP, and protons (H+) were released into the cleft. The model incorporates bicarbonate and phosphate buffering systems as well as plasma membrane calcium-ATPase activity and predicts substantial cleft acidification but only for fractions of a millisecond after neurotransmitter release. Thereafter, the cleft rapidly alkalinizes and remains alkaline for over 100 ms because the plasma membrane calcium-ATPase removes H+ from the cleft in exchange for calcium ions from adjacent pre- and postsynaptic compartments, thus recapitulating the empirical data. The extent of synaptic vesicle loading and time course of exocytosis have little influence on the magnitude of acidification. Phosphate but not bicarbonate buffering is effective at suppressing the magnitude and time course of the acid spike, whereas both buffering systems are effective at suppressing cleft alkalinization. The small volume of the cleft levies a powerful influence on the magnitude of alkalinization and its time course. Structural features that open the cleft to adjacent spaces appear to be essential for alleviating the extent of pH transients accompanying neurotransmission.

Physical-chemical characterization and sensory evaluation of coffees submitted to different post-harvest processing

Coffee is one of the agricultural products whose processing requires special attention, in order to maintain its qualities preserved, in the post-harvest, different grain patterns can be obtained due to the adoption of techniques and the use of equipment that enable the separation of fruits by maturation stage, thus enabling the formation of more homogeneous coffee batches when compared to the coffee batch without this separation (fruit mixture). The chemical composition of the coffee bean depends on genetic and environmental factors and pre and post-harvest management conditions. The presentwork aimed to characterize the physical-chemical attributes of the different coffee patterns obtained during the post-harvest of the fruits. Thirteen patterns were obtained, being: mix of dried fruits in high wind, mix of dried fruits in low wind, more mature green, natural float, natural raisin, float, natural cane green, natural ripe, natural ripe fermenting in water, natural ripe dried fermented, peeled, ripe peeled and pulped, in three random repetitions. The evaluated attributes were: Brix, total titratable acidity, pH, and ash content. The Natural Mature (MN) treatment was the best processing evaluated, as it provided the highest Brix value and the lowest titratable acidity value. The mature peeled, pulped mature, and natural mature treatments showed better sensory values, so they are recommended for post-harvest management to obtain a good drink quality.

Effect of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Concentration on the Quality of Minikiwi Fruits after Storage

The rapid increase in the production of hardy kiwi fruit (A. arguta) since the beginning of the 21st century has required the development of new cultivation technologies and postharvest handling procedures in order to extend the supply and transport of the fruit to distant markets. Fruit storage focuses on the inhibition of ripening processes regulated by ethylene activity or respiration. Both of these are effectively regulated by appropriate concentrations of O2 and CO2 in the atmosphere surrounding the fruit. In this study, the effect of the concentration of both gases in the cold room on the physico-chemical indices of fruit quality, i.e., mass loss, firmness, soluble solids and monosaccharides content, titratable acidity and acid content, and color of the peel was evaluated. Studies have shown that high CO2 concentrations inhibit ripening processes more effectively than low O2 concentrations. Softening of berries as well as an increase in soluble solid contents was recorded during the first 4 weeks of storage in the fruit. However, the increase in monosaccharides was fairly stable throughout the study period. The increase in soluble solids content as well as the loss of acidity were more strongly determined by CO2 than O2, although the acid content in a 10% CO2 atmosphere did not change. Additionally, the fruits were greener after storage in 10% CO2, but the weakness was skin dulling and darkening. The results indicate that the use of high CO2 concentrations (5–10%) effectively inhibits ripening processes in fruit. After 12 weeks of storage, the fruit was still not suitable for direct consumption, which suggests that the storage period can be extended further.

INCIDENCE OF TOXIGENIC MOULDS IN FOOD SPICES SOLD IN OPEN MARKETS IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

Spices are parts of plants or plant substances primarily used for flavouring and preservation of food. Spices can be exposed to microbial contamination and toxic substances such as mycotoxins during processing storage and distribution. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of toxigenic moulds in food spices sold in open markets in Benin City. A total of 35 samples were obtained from three markets. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) and Aspergillus flavus and parasiticus agar (AFPA) were employed for the isolation, characterization and identification of fungal isolates using standard microbiological procedures. The pH was determined using an electronic pH meter, titratable acidity and moisture content were also determined using appropriate methods. Fungi isolated in this study included; Fusarium sp., Alternaria sp., Rhizopus sp., Geotrichum sp., Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. The most occurring fungus was Fusarium sp. (26%) while Alternaria sp. (2%) was the least occurring fungus. The fungal load ranged from 0.33 - 28.67 x 103 sfu/g and the pH values of samples ranged from 4.83 – 5.67. The titratable acidity ranged from 0.037 – 0.521 mg/l, while the moisture content ranged from 2.0 – 28.0%. The study revealed the presence of toxigenic moulds such as Fusarium and Penicillium species in food spices sold in open markets. This may have resulted from improper storage, handling and poor sanitary conditions in the open markets.

Pemanfaatan Asap Cair Hasil Pirolisis Batubara sebagai Pestisida Organik pada Rayap (Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren)

Pyrolysis is a process of chemical decomposition of materials through a heating method in the absence of oxygen or a little oxygen. The utilizing coal as a raw material for making liquid smoke, it is hoped that it will be able to produce pesticides that have economic value and can be used as a termite exterminator. The use of coal as a raw material for making liquid smoke is expected to produce pesticides that have economic value and can be used as a termite repellent. This research aimed to determine the optimum concentration and time of liquid coal smoke as a pesticide against termite insect mortality (Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren). The method used is the coal pyrolysis process at a temperature of 300 0C. The process of testing the mortality of termites with time and concentration variables. The determination of the liquid smoke content of coal is carried out by qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results showed that the optimum time for termite mortality was 25 minutes with an optimum concentration of 80%, where the termite mortality was obtained by 100%. Based on the results of UV/VIS Spectrophotometer Analysis, the sulfur content of liquid coal smoke was 46.92 mg/kg, and the degree of acidity (pH) was 3.00. The acidity content is high enough to allow pesticides from liquid coal smoke to be widely used in agriculture.

Garlic jelly: preparation, physicochemical and sensory evaluation

This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of garlic and the production of jellies. For this, fresh garlic was submitted to the cooking process and evaluated about moisture, pH, acidity, soluble solids, total sugars, and ash contents. Only garlic and garlic and pepper were prepared using crystal and brown sugar as sweeteners. The jelly that presented the highest number of parameters according to the legislation was submitted to sensory tests. The physicochemical characterization of the raw material showed that cooking did not interfere in pH, but increased acidity and reduced the content of total soluble solids in garlic submitted to cooking for 20 minutes. The jellies prepared with the addition of crystal sugar presented moisture higher than the values stipulated by the legislation. The addition of pepper contributed to increased acidity, regardless of the type of sugar. However, the jellies made with crystal sugar were slightly more acidic than those added to brown sugar. To the content of total soluble solids, all jellies are within the values required by the legislation. The sensory tests did not indicate any of the jellies as preferred and showed no difference in the sensory attributes evaluated between the jams with brown sugar and crystal. In general, the added jelly of brown sugar was pointed with burning and ideal viscosity by many judges. Thus, both jellies can be an alternative in the development of new products, as a potential to add value to garlic.

Elaboration of carbonated beverages with sucralose from eggplant

The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) it is edible fruit plant, rich in vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds, so its consumption brings health benefits. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality nutritional, sensory and hygiene assessment of the beverage based on eggplant juice with CO2 injection. This study had four treatments; Treatment T0 Eggplant juice (330 mL), T1 Eggplant juice (330 mL) + CO2 (1,94 g) T2 Eggplant juice (330 mL) + CO2 (1,94 g) + Benzoate (1 g), T3 Eggplant juice (330 mL) + CO2 (1,94 g) + Sucralose (1 g). Evaluations were carried out at 24 hours, 30 and 60 days of storage (0°C and 95% RH) and, at each of these moments, the acidity content, pH, reducing sugars, soluble solids and Vitamin C were determined. Sensorial evaluation measure were; color, flavor, texture, aroma and also acceptability and appearance. In regards to microbiological analysis, total coliforms were measured at 24 hours after the beverage was made. There was significant difference in the results of appearances between beverages elaborated with treatments T3 in relation with T0, T1 and T2 at 24 hours and 30 days of storage. Because of beverage with treatment T3 had got better acceptability by the panelists, mainly at 30 days of storage. Therefore, beverages elaborated with treatments T0 at 24 hours and 30 days of storage had lower appearance and acceptability. The vitamin C content showed a 25 mg (23 mg standard) in the beverages elaborated with treatments T3. The pasteurization process allowed the absence of total coliform in the beverages elaborated and also the good manufacture practices obtained an innocuous product to be consume.

Effect of Chitosan Composite Coatings with Salicylic Acid and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on the Storage Quality of Blackcurrant Berries

The use of chitosan and chitosan composite coatings for the preservation of fruits and vegetables during storage is attracting increasing attention. In this study, a chitosan-based edible coating, as well as a second chitosan-based edible coating containing salicylic acid (CTS + SA), a third containing nanosized titanium dioxide particles (CTS + TiO2), and a fourth containing a combination of these two (CTS + SA + TiO2) were evaluated in terms of their effects on the postharvest quality of blackcurrant fruit during storage at 4 °C. The results showed that compared with the other three treatment groups, the blackcurrants treated with CTS + SA + TiO2 underwent the smallest changes in weight loss, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, vitamin C, and total anthocyanin content, and retained the highest total flavonoid content. This combined treatment significantly inhibited polyphenol oxidase activity during storage, and the CTS + SA + TiO2 samples also displayed the lowest malondialdehyde content. These results, thus, indicate that the CTS + SA + TiO2 composite coating could maintain the nutrient composition of blackcurrants, thereby playing a significant role in preserving the quality of this fruit at 4 °C.

Refrigeration Conditions and Fruit Quality for ‘Royal Time’ and ‘Royal Summer’ Peach Cultivars

Peach is a very perishable climacteric fruit whose firmness may decay rapidly depending on the temperature. Refrigeration is usually used to delay ripening and maintain fruit quality. However, refrigeration management is often not optimized. This work aims to characterize the refrigeration conditions (temperature and humidity) of 3 peach producers of Beira Interior region, Portugal. Additionally, correlate those conditions with peach quality evolution comparing 2 peach cultivars – Royal Summer and Royal Time – with similar harvest dates but different acidity content. The 3 refrigeration chambers monitored have very distinct conditions of average air temperature, namely 8.29±3.53 °C (local C), 5.50±0.88 °C (local G) and 0.80±0.83 °C (local L). At harvest time ‘Royal Summer’ firmness was 6.61 kgf and ‘Royal Time’ was 5.20 kgf. Fruit firmness decreases faster for ‘Royal Time’ cultivar than for ‘Royal Summer’. The results suggest that in general farmers use inadequate range temperature for a long conservation period. However, for short periods, 7 to 10 days, conditions near those of local G allow good quality fruits maintenance without lacking of ripening or problems of chilling injury, and, simultaneously, save energy that is also not only a desirable international goal but also contributes to decreasing of production costs.

Assessing wine grape quality parameters using plant traits derived from physical model inversion of hyperspectral imagery

Together with ensuring a stable yield, improving grape composition and aroma is the main goal of wine grape production management as it determines consumer acceptance and ultimately revenue. Understanding the triggers of the synthesis of aromatic components and finding methods to map their variability in the field can aid management practices during the season and planning selective harvest in views of maximizing benefit. Vegetation indices have been shown to track grape colour, sugar and acidity content but it has been demonstrated that aromatic components are the main drivers of the final palate of wine and are not correlated to sugar concentration. Leaf pigments such as chlorophyll, carotenoids and anthocyanins are involved in the metabolic pathways of aroma compounds in grapes. The physiological connections between grape aromatic components and primary and secondary photosynthetic pigments suggest that they could be used to detect processes related to aroma composition.This study investigates the links between grape quality parameters such as aromatic components and image-quantified spectral indices and photosynthetic plant traits derived by physical model inversion methods. Two sets of high-spatial resolution hyperspectral and thermal imagery were collected with an unmanned platform at veraison and harvest. The variability found in the field was partly but not fully explained by the thermal-based crop water stress index as an indicator of water stress (r2= 0.51–0.58, p-value<0.01). Fluspect-CX leaf model was coupled to 4SAIL canopy model and inverted to map the main photosynthetic pigment groups and the fraction of pigments acting in photoprotection. Results obtained through radiative transfer model inversion outperformed traditional vegetation indices related to pigment content and degradation. We found statistically significant relationships between image-retrieved pigments and terpenoids responsible for wine aroma (p-value<0.005).

Microbiological and Physicochemical Characteristics of Three Types of "Soumbara" from Seeds of African Locust Bean in Korhogo Markets, Côte d'Ivoire.

“Soumbara” is a fermented product sold in the markets of several West African countries. In the markets, it is sold in several formats (granulated, powder, and paste). The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of these three types of “Soumbara” sold in the Korhogo markets. For this purpose, a preliminary survey followed by a sampling of 54 samples of “Soumbara” was carried out. The microorganism load count was carried out according to microbiological standards. The pH, titratable acidity, and moisture content were measured, respectively, with a pH meter, by dosing with sodium hydroxide solution and by differential weighing after passing the sample through the oven. The pH of the different samples is around 6. The moisture content is higher in “Soumbara” paste (20-24.7%) than in powdered (7.3-9.3%) and granulated (8.6-10.7%) “Soumbara.” The acidity rates are between 0.07 and 0.13%, 0.2 and 0.3%, and 0.08 and 0.1%, respectively, for the granulated, powder, and paste types. Mesophilic aerobic germ loads (6.17-8.38 log10 cfu/g) for all three types of “Soumbara” are above the standard. Total coliform (1.13-2.96 log10 cfu/g), mould (0.86-2.52 log10 cfu/g), and yeast (0.33-1.53 log10 cfu/g) loads are below standard. The microbiological quality of the three types of “Soumbara” is unsatisfactory. Overall, “Soumbara” powder is the most contaminated, followed by granulated and paste “Soumbara.” “Soumbara” must be added during culinary preparations in order to avoid possible public health problems.

Effect of different drying methods and storage conditions on physical, nutritional, bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties of doum (Hyphaene thebaica) fruits

The present study reports effect of various drying and storage conditions on physical, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant properties of doum (H. thebaica) fruit for the first time. Three types of fruit are used such as fresh, dried from tree, and dried fruits purchased from local market. Pulp of fresh fruit was dried using sun, shade and oven at different temperatures and stored under different conditions for three months. Samples were analysed before and after drying and storage. The results showed significantly (p < 0.01) higher dry matter (98.73 g/100g), pH (7.09), tannins (27.64 mg/g), flavonoids (19.90 mg/g) and total polyphenols (7.13 mg/g) contents in pericarp than other parts of fruit. The pulp without pericarp exhibited higher ash, amino acids, proteins and vitamin C contents, however pulp of whole fresh fruit had higher Ca (1.67 mg/g), Na (640.26 mg/g) and Zn (11.63 μg/g). Pulp of fruit purchased from local market showed significantly stronger antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS). All parameters evaluated were significantly (p < 0.01) affected in comparison with pulp of fresh fruit but varied with respect to drying methods and storage conditions. The shade-dried samples showed higher proteins, amino acids, vitamin C, ash, fibres and acidity contents than other drying methods. Polyphenols and antioxidant activities are higher in oven-dried samples at low temperature (40 °C) as compared to others. The highest DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities are observed after drying and storage conditions for three months. Significant and positive (p < 0.01) correlations are found between antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activities. Thus, drying methods and storage conditions can preserve pulp of doum fruit with high physicochemical, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacities for human well-being up to three months, however shade-drying followed by oven-drying are highly promising process that must be considered as suitable drying methods for doum fruits.

Manufacturing process and physicochemical analysis of Kariki: a traditional cheese from the Island of Tinos, Greece

The present work aimed to identify, for the first time, the traditional manufacturing process and the physicochemical properties of the Kariki cheese originated from the Island of Tinos, Greece. Various physicochemical parameters (moisture, protein, fat and NaCl content, pH, acidity, fatty acid profile, and pigments) were determined on cheese samples (matured for three months in a dried calabash). The samples were obtained from the only dairy company in Tinos Island that produces this type of cheese using traditional methods. The results showed that Kariki is a yellow cheese, hard on the outside but soft on the inside, with low moisture and acidity content, and high proportion of fat comparable to similar types of cheese products. These characteristics are probably derived from the maturation process in the calabash. Kariki also showed much higher content in saturated fatty acids and lower content in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids than the other cheeses with similar maturing time.

Linking prokaryotic community composition to carbon biogeochemical cycling across a tropical peat dome in Sarawak, Malaysia

Tropical peat swamp forest is a global store of carbon in a water-saturated, anoxic and acidic environment. This ecosystem holds diverse prokaryotic communities that play a major role in nutrient cycling. A study was conducted in which a total of 24 peat soil samples were collected in three forest types in a tropical peat dome in Sarawak, Malaysia namely, Mixed Peat Swamp (MPS), Alan Batu (ABt), and Alan Bunga (ABg) forests to profile the soil prokaryotic communities through meta 16S amplicon analysis using Illumina Miseq. Results showed these ecosystems were dominated by anaerobes and fermenters such as Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes that cover 80–90% of the total prokaryotic abundance. Overall, the microbial community composition was different amongst forest types and depths. Additionally, this study highlighted the prokaryotic communities’ composition in MPS was driven by higher humification level and lower pH whereas in ABt and ABg, the less acidic condition and higher organic matter content were the main factors. It was also observed that prokaryotic diversity and abundance were higher in the more oligotrophic ABt and ABg forest despite the constantly waterlogged condition. In MPS, the methanotroph Methylovirgula ligni was found to be the major species in this forest type that utilize methane (CH4), which could potentially be the contributing factor to the low CH4 gas emissions. Aquitalea magnusonii and Paraburkholderia oxyphila, which can degrade aromatic compounds, were the major species in ABt and ABg forests respectively. This information can be advantageous for future study in understanding the underlying mechanisms of environmental-driven alterations in soil microbial communities and its potential implications on biogeochemical processes in relation to peatland management.