Blended Product Research Articles

Use of an extruded microalgae and flaxseed blend product and its effects on ruminal fermentation and nutrient disappearance

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been researched in both the dairy and beef cattle sectors since these fatty acids are considered essential to animal health. Naturally Better Omega-3 Technologies (Manhattan, Kansas) has developed a supplement consisting of an extruded blend of flaxseed and microalgae (FAB; greatOplus) that is fed to livestock to supplement α-linolenic acid (ALA). Our objective was to evaluate how ruminal microbes alter composition of the fatty acids in the FAB, and their post ruminal disappearance. Eleven steers fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were housed in a facility equipped with the Insentec feed and water monitoring system (Hokofarm, Emmeloord the Netherlands). A cross over design was utilized and treatments included a control diet without ALA supplementation and a treatment diet with supplementation of the FAB at 10 % of the diet dry matter. Duodenal flow of total fatty acids (g) was greater (P=0.002) for cattle supplemented with FAB than for non-supplemented cattle. In particular, duodenal flow of ALA (g) was observed to be four times greater (6.3 g/d vs 1.6 g/d; P=0.001) for steers fed the FAB supplement compared to steers fed the control diet. The inconsistent amount of unsaturated fatty acids consumed compared to the apparent duodenal flow of unsaturated fatty acids, indicates that substantial biohydrogenation of the FAB occurred in the rumen. Supplementing steers with FAB increased the apparent duodenal flow of ALA however, substantial biohydrogenation of the ALA likely occurs and must be taken into consideration when feeding this FAB to increase ALA consumption in cattle.

Effect of deep eutectic solvents on vulcanization kinetics and strain-softening behavior of natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber

Natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber (NR/SBR) blends are widely used as tyre sidewall compounds; however, discrepancies in vulcanization rates and the selective distribution of vulcanization additives in SBR and NR contribute to suboptimal dynamic properties. In this study, we propose a straightforward strategy to modulate the multi-scale structure in NR/SBR blends by incorporating an ionic liquid-like deep eutectic solvent (DES) as a novel reactive vulcanization agent. The addition of DES substantially enhances the dispersion of ZnO within NR/SBR blends, accelerates the vulcanization process of SBR and the NR/SBR blend and increases their crosslinking densities. Furthermore, DES interacts with the non-rubber components of NR, facilitating the vulcanization of NR. The impact of DES on the linear and non-linear rheological behavior of NR, SBR and NR/SBR vulcanizates is minimal, except for an enhancement in weak strain overshooting. The distribution of DES within NR/SBR blends can be manipulated by varying the mixing sequence of DES with NR and SBR, while selectively positioning DES within the SBR phase may synchronise the vulcanization rates of the NR/SBR blend, thereby improving tensile strength and reducing mechanical hysteresis. This approach may provide a viable method for producing NR/SBR blend products characterised by high strength and low hysteresis energy.

Production and Quality Evaluation of Yogurt and Watermelon Juice Blends

The study investigated the effect of incorporation of watermelon juice in yogurt on the quality of the blends. Yogurt and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice were produced. The watermelon juice was used to substitute 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% of yogurt. The chemical composition, antioxidant activity, physicochemical, and sensory properties of the blends were determined using standard procedures. The pH of the yogurt and watermelon juice were 4.57 and 5.78, respectively and varied from 5.18 -6.04 for the blends. The moisture, protein, ash, fat and carbohydrate contents decreased with increase in the amount of watermelon juice in the blends. The vitamin C, calcium, zinc and magnesium contents increased while the phosphorus and potassium contents decreased with increased level of watermelon juice in the blends. The phenols and carotenoids contents increased while the flavonoids content decreased with increase in the level of watermelon juice in the blends. The antioxidant activity using DPPH assay varied with the samples where yogurt had higher radical scavenging activity than the watermelon juice. The radical scavenging activities and the ferric reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) values also increased with the level of watermelon juice in the blends. The FRAP values for yogurt and watermelon juice were 1.22 and 1.58mg/ml, respectively and increased to a range of 1.29 -3.70 mg/ml for the blends. The yogurt had higher scores than the watermelon juice for all the sensory attributes evaluated. The scores for the sensory attributes decreased with increase in the level of watermelon juice in the blends. However, the scores for the blend containing 10 % watermelon juice for all the attributes were not significantly different (p>0.05) from those of the yogurt. Therefore, it is concluded that watermelon juice could be used to substitute 10% yogurt without adversely affecting the qualities of the blends.

Four-Ingredient Blends of Poly(lactic acid) with Cottonseed Oil and Meal for Biocomposite Utilization

The development and characterization of agricultural byproduct-based biocomposites are an important part of green chemistry. In this work, four-ingredient blends were formulated with the melt blending method. The set of composites (named as CSO series) was made with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as the major matrix, washed cottonseed meal (WCSM) as a filler, cottonseed oil (CSO) as a compatibilizer, and glycerol (GLY) as a plasticizer. The morphological analysis showed the homogenous dispersion of the cottonseed byproducts into the PLA matrix to some extent. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed that thermal stability was impacted by the ingredient’s addition. The functional group analysis of the sample and simulation by Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the chemical interactions of PLA with WCSM in the blend products. CSO was most likely subjected to physical blending into the products. The mechanical strengths of those composites were affected by the ratios of PLA-CSO. Generally, the tensile strengths were in the range of 0.74–2.1 MPa, which indicate its suitability for low-strength biodegradable plant container development. The blend products had a lower water absorption during the water soaking test. This work shows the feasibility of incorporating cottonseed WCSM and CSO into a PLA composite for sustainable agricultural applications.

Life Cycle Assessment of Blended Cement Product: A Case Study

Abstract Large-scale cement production has led to serious environmental issues since the process is energy and resource intensive. Moreover, the cement industry is one of the sources of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. As a matter of fact, in the Philippines, the CO2 emission increased by 88.23% in over a decade. Hence, this research conducted a life cycle assessment of blended cement products in a cement manufacturing facility in Bulacan, Philippines from cradle to gate. The research utilized functional units of one metric ton of clinker, and one metric ton of blended cement. For the life cycle assessment (LCA), SimaPro 9.3.0.3 software was employed, and the impact assessment was conducted using the IPCC 2021 Global Warming Potential (GWP) at a 100-year timeframe and the Cumulative Energy Demand Method. Results of the research showed that the baseline carbon footprint and cumulative energy demand for the clinker are 995 kg CO2-eqv and 4.74 x 103 MJ, respectively. Also, the baseline carbon footprint and cumulative energy demand for the blended cement are 760 kg CO2-eqv and 4.13 x 103 MJ, respectively. Further, the evaluation of the carbon footprint of clinker, and blended cement in this research is comparable with the results from similar studies, with slight variation on certain instances. The energy utilization in the production of clinker, and blended cement in this research is significantly lower than the result of other studies

Assessing production, processing and utilization of sorghum in West Pokot County, Kenya

Sorghum is one of the most important and under-utilized cereal crops in the Arid and Semi-Arid land (ASAL) regions of Kenya. The crop is grown in drought-prone marginal agricultural areas of Western Central and Eastern and coastal regions of Kenya. The diverse biotic and abiotic constraints including climate changes reduce sorghum productivity. Sorghum technology generators continue promoting suitable management practices and innovations to cushion and improve the resilience of smallholder farmers against the adverse effects of climate change. These interventions contribute to the attainment of not only household and national food security but also enhance incomes. Despite the increasing sorghum production and utilization in West Pokot County, there is limited knowledge of the status of production, processing, and utilization technologies. The aim of this study was to assess the current sorghum production, processing, utilization technology, innovations, and management practices among smallholder farmers. A household survey was undertaken using a jointly developed structured questionnaire by a multi- and inter-disciplinary team of researchers. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, 599 households were randomly selected and interviewed. Data collected were on household and farm characteristics including technologies. The study revealed that compared to maize and pasture, land allocated to sorghum enterprise was relatively low ranging from 0.32 acres to 0.80 acres with an average of 0.73 acres. The adoption of various sorghum technological components was also low. Adoption of improved sorghum varieties was less than 7% while fertilizer use was less than 20%. These contribute to low crop yields of about 140kg per acre. In addition, value addition was also low. Sorghum use was limited to ugali (56%) and porridge (39%) against the diverse value-added products including bread baking. and industrial processing of pure and blended products. More farmer and stakeholders training need to be done. In order to fully upgrade the sorghum value chain; there is the need to have targeted sorghum policies focusing on a range of activities along the value chain. These interventions could be integrated into the West Pokot County Integrated Development Plan. Key words: Sorghum, Production, Marketing, Utilization, Challenges, Opportunities, West Pokot

Effects of a Proprietary Kelp Blend Product on Enteric Methane Production and Tissue Residues in Cattle.

Three experiments were performed investigating bovine enteric methane (CH4) production inhibition using a proprietary kelp blend product (PKBP) containing a halogenated methane analog (i.e., bromoform). Calves were fed a corn-silage basal diet top-dressed with the assigned treatment, with rations provided at 1.5 × NEm in Experiments 1 and 2 (n = 12 and 6 steers, respectively) and ad libitum in Experiment 3 (n = 9 steers). In Experiment 1, we evaluated bromoform's potency in decreasing CH4. Dry matter intake (DMI) was not affected by treatment (p ≥ 0.11; 0 vs. 52.5 ± 10.5 ppm bromoform), whereas bromoform supplementation decreased CH4 (p < 0.01). In Experiments 2 and 3, treatments were 0, 9.5 ± 1.5, or 20 ± 3 ppm bromoform. In Experiment 2, we examined CH4 recovery following bromoform removal from the ration. Bromoform treatments were fed on d1, but not the subsequent 8 d, to investigate residual effects. On d1, CH4 was below limits of detection for 20 ppm bromoform inclusion. Across days, a cubic response (p < 0.01) was observed with 20 ppm bromoform inclusion, but not with 0 and 9.5 ppm inclusion levels. Experiment 3 (30 d finishing trial) tested bromoform effects on feeder calves. DMI (p = 0.53), average daily gain (p = 0.55), and gain:feed (p = 0.82) were not influenced by bromoform inclusion. Bromoform residues were undetectable in liver, kidney, adipose, and muscle samples collected at harvest. These experiments demonstrated that cattle fed PKBP experience short-term reductions in CH4 without tissue accumulation of bromoform and without evidence of effects on animal growth or feed consumption.

Blended Tea Ameliorates T2DM via Modulation of Gut Microflora.

Increasing evidences suggest that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is closely related to gut microflora dysbiosis, which can be improved by dietary intervention. Four natural plant products, including Cyclocarya paliurus, Fu brick tea, Ampelopsis grossedentata, and Lithocarpus litseifolius, were blended to form a blended tea product for obtaining the better flavor. The blended tea was also expected to have excellent pharmacological activity. Therefore, the ameliorative effect of blended tea on T2DM and underlying mechanisms were studied in this study. The results showed that the blended tea extract effectively attenuated the symptoms of glucose and lipid metabolism-related disorders in T2DM mice fed by high-fat and high-sucrose diet. Furthermore, blended tea extract intervention significantly attenuated gut microbiota dysbiosis, the abundance of bacteria such as Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, which aid in the hydrolysis and utilization of carbohydrates, significantly increased, while the abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Proteobacteria significantly decreased. Certain core microorganisms involved in energy metabolism, including Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Butyricimonas, Roseburia, Oscillibacter, [Eubacterium]_nodatum_group, Muribaculaceae, Prevotellaceae UCG 001, were also found to be improved by blended tea extract. Collectively, our results demonstrated that the blended tea may ameliorate T2DM through modulation of gut microflora. The blended tea may serve as novel functional drink for the treatment of T2DM and dysbiosis of gut microbiota.

Investigation into the Reduction of Palm Oil in Foods by Blended Vegetable Oils through Response Surface Methodology and Oxidative Stability Tests.

Recently, there has been a significant transition in the dietary preferences of consumers toward foods containing health-promoting compounds. In addition, as people's environmental awareness increases, they are increasingly looking for sustainable solutions. Palm oil, an oil used extensively by the food industry, does not fit these criteria. This study investigated the development of a complex oil blend consisting of commonly used vegetable oils such as corn, rapeseed, sunflower, and palm oil. The aim was to find the optimal blended oil and compare this combination with palm oil in terms of its oxidative stability, antioxidant capacity, and the composition of bioactive compounds (i.e., fatty acids, tocopherols, and carotenoids). Palm oil was found to have greater oxidative stability as a result of its increased concentration of saturated fatty acids. The optimal blended oil, which consisted of corn and rapeseed oil at a ratio of 4:3 w/w, inhibited the superior antioxidant activity, showing a ~33% increase in DPPH• inhibition activity. ATR-FTIR spectra further verified the existence of a significant quantity of saturated fatty acids in palm oil and unsaturated fatty acids in the blended oil. Finally, several correlation analyses revealed interesting connections between oil samples and investigated parameters. This work has the potential to establish a basis for the mass production of oil blends that possess high concentrations of antioxidant compounds and reduce the use of palm oil.

Quantitative Analysis of Blended Oils Based on Intensity Ratios of Marker Ions in MALDI-MS Spectra.

Determination of quantitative compositions of blended oils is an essential but challenging step for the quality control and safety assurance of blended oils. We herein report a method for the quantitative analysis of blended oils based on the intensity ratio of triacylglycerol marker ions, which could be obtained from the highly reproducible spectra acquired by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to directly analyze blended oils in their oily states. We demonstrated that this method could provide good quantitative results to binary, ternary, and quaternary blended oils, with simultaneous quantitation of multiple compositions, and was applicable for quantitative analysis of commercial blended oil products. Moreover, the intensity ratio-based method could be used to rapidly measure the proportions of oil compositions in blended oils, only based on the spectra of the blended oils and related pure oils, making the method as a high-throughput approach to meet the sharply growing analytical demands of blended oils.

IMPACT OF QUANTITY DISCOUNT ON PURCHASING COSTS IN BLENDING TECHNOLOGIES

Blending technologies are important in many sectors of industry, but are most prevalent in the chemical and food industries. They are playing an increasingly important role in the world economy despite the spread of electromobility. Nowadays, in addition to the technological aspects, there is a growing need to look at the logistical aspects, as logistics related costs account for a significant part of the cost of blending technologies. In this research work, the results of the analysis of the impact of quantity discounts, an important aspect of procurement activities related to blending technologies, are presented. A mathematical model is presented that can be used to investigate the impact of quantity discounts of components on profit and product quality. Based on scenario analyses carried out based on the mathematical model, it is demonstrated that the quantity discount can have a significant impact not only on total cost and profit, but also on the quality of the finished blended product.

Influence of fermentation conditions, and the blends of sorghum and carrot pulp supplementation on the nutritional and sensory quality of tef injera

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], an ancient cereal primarily grown in Ethiopia, is becoming increasingly popular worldwide due to its high iron content and gluten-free nature. However, it has been reported that injera produced only with tef flour lack certain vital nutrients. Therefore, this specific study was conducted to supplement tef injera with other food materials of better nutritional value and compensate its expensive market price with sorghum cereal flour. The effect of fermentation conditions, and the sorghum and carrot pulp blending ratio on the nutritional value and sensory quality of tef injera was investigated. The factorial approach of the experimental design was conducted considering the nutritional value and sensory quality of the injera made of three main blending ratios of tef, sorghum, and carrot (60% tef: 30% sorghum: 10% carrot pulp, 45% tef: 45% sorghum: 10% carrot pulp and 30% tef: 60% sorghum: 10% carrot pulp) as experiential variables. The raw materials and injera were characterised for their proximate composition, physicochemical property, mineral composition, microbial analysis, and sensory attributes, using standard methods. The results of the study show that fermentation conditions and blending ratios have a significant effect on the nutritional, anti-nutritional, mineral content, microbial quality, and sensory properties of blended injera products, where higher values of ash, crude protein, crude fat, Total titratable acidity (TTA), Fe, Zn, and Ca (2.30%, 11.34%, 2.62%, 3.53, 32.97 mg/100 g, 2.98 mg/100 g and 176.85 mg/100 g, respectively) were analyzed for the co-fermented injera sample. In addition, a lower microbial count was observed in co-fermented injera samples, whereas microbial counts in injera samples prepared from carrot pulp-supplemented dough after the co-fermentation of tef and sorghum flours were observed to be higher. The injera product made using blending ratio of 60% tef: 30%sorghum: 10% carrot co-fermented was found to be the optimum result due to its very good nutritional improvement (i.e., reduction of some anti-nutritional factors, microbial contents, pH and increased contents of some minerals, crude protein, crude fat, TTA and improved most of the sensory quality of the supplemented injera product). According to this study, sorghum and carrot supplementation on tef could improve the nutritional value of injera while also providing an instant remedy for the growing price of tef.

Sustainability of Blended Textile. Life Cycle Analysis

Textile fibers are derived from natural and artificial fibers and, in some cases, are blended together to ensure optimum properties. Textiles made from cotton and polyester blends currently hold a significant market share as they are relatively inexpensive, offer excellent performance, and have complementary properties. This textile blend is commonly used in everyday apparel. However, the production and consumption of textiles contribute significantly to environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, but the scale of the impact is uncertain and under debate. This is also the case in studies of cotton and polyester blends, as a detailed life cycle inventory of the production of this material is absent in the scientific literature, thus affecting its environmental impact assessment. Therefore, the aim of this study is to fill the knowledge gap by assessing the environmental impacts of cotton and polyester blend production and to establish a comprehensive life cycle inventory for the material. The findings of the study can contribute to a more comprehensive evaluation of the life cycle of cotton and polyester blend textile products and work as a baseline scenario for the environmental impact assessment of various innovative textile recycling technologies. This is especially important as recycling of cotton and polyester blends is currently a major challenge. Additionally, these results can be of practical significance to assist businesses and policy makers in making environmentally informed choices.

Dual generative adversarial networks for merging ocean transparency from satellite observations

ABSTRACT Satellite ocean transparency data have low spatial coverage due to cloud shading, sun glint, swath width, and temporal revisit. Merging multiple satellite ocean transparency data can improve spatial coverage and create a high-accuracy data set. This study proposed a new satellite ocean transparency merging model based on dual generative adversarial networks (ZSD-merging GAN), and the products of full-coverage and high-accuracy ocean transparency were produced. The ZSD-merging GAN comprises the guess GAN and the merging GAN. The guess GAN is used to generate the guess of the ocean transparency merged product, while the merging GAN combines the guess and satellite ocean transparency data to produce the merged product. The experiments show that the spatial coverage of the ZSD-merging GAN product is 100%. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) and average relative error (ARE) between the ZSD-merging GAN product and unmerged ocean transparency data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on JPSS1 are 4.31 m and 11%, respectively, which are better than 5.59 m and 17% for historical average, 5.55 m and 19% for guess product, 5.08 m and 17% for Poisson blending product, and 5.12 m and 21% for Kriging interpolation product.

PSI-12 Dietary isoacids modulate nutrient digestibility and fermentation products in ileal digesta and feces of growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets

Abstract Branched-chain fatty acids, or isoacids, are the product of branched-chain amino acid fermentation and have been associated with benefits on the productivity of ruminants, primarily by positively modulating gut microbes and promoting gastrointestinal health. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal inclusion level of isoacid blend product based on apparent ileal digestibility (AID), apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, and fermentation products in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets. Twelve cannulated pigs [body weight (BW) = 20.9 + 0.6 kg] were used in a 5-period switch-back design with 6 diets and 2 replicate pigs in each period (n = 10 observations per dietary treatment). Experimental diets consisted of increasing levels (0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25%, and 1.5%) of an isoacid blend (isobutyrate, isovalerate, and 2-methyl butyrate, 1:1:1) added to a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. Each experimental period lasted 14 d: 10 d for acclimatization to the diets, 2 d for fecal collection, and 2 d for digesta collection. Diets, fecal, and ileal digesta samples were analyzed for gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP), fiber composition, amino acids (AA), and titanium. The concentration of short-chain fatty acids and ammonia were analyzed in digesta and fecal samples. Orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to determine the linear and quadratic effects of increasing levels of isoacids. Dietary supplementation of isoacids improved (P &amp;lt; 0.1, linear and/or quadratic) AID of crude fiber and hemicellulose and most of the indispensable AA (except Met+Cys, Trp, and Val) as well as ATTD of CP, GE, neutral detergent fiber, and hemicellulose. In addition, ATTD of Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Met+Cys, Phe, Thr, Trp, and Val increased quadratically (P &amp;lt; 0.1). Collectively, 1% isoacid inclusion promoted the greatest responses in most measured variables (% increase: unsupplemented vs. 1%): AID of Lys (9.3%), Met (5.7%), Thr (17.8%), Leu (7.4%), Ile (9.2%), Phe (7.8%), His (5.9%), Arg (4.9%); ATTD of CP (2.1%), GE (1.3%), NDF (3.9%), hemicellulose (&amp;gt;50%), overall indispensable AA (9.5%), overall dispensable AA (8.6%). On the other hand, the inclusion of isoacids quadratically increased (P = 0.071) the concentration of ammonia and decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.1) the concentration of acetic acid, iso-valeric acid, and total VFA in ileal digesta samples. In fecal samples, the proportion of acetic acid decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) quadratically while the proportion of propionic, valeric, and caproic acids increased (P &amp;lt; 0.1). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of isoacids at 1% can improve dietary nutrient digestibility, particularly ileal AA digestibility. Based on the changes in fermentation products, the modulation of intestinal microbiota through the gastrointestinal tract could be potentially related to the effects of isoacids on nutrient digestibility. However, the effects of isoacids supplementation on intestinal microbiota must be determined.

Techno-economic analysis of zero-carbon ammonia-hydrogen fuel blend production through a catalytic membrane reformer and packed bed reactor

Ammonia-hydrogen fuel blends are an attractive alternative for zero carbon combustion and power generation. Herein we present a comprehensive techno-economic analysis for distributed production of these fuel mixtures from liquid NH3 comparing catalytic membrane reformer (CMR) and packed bed reactor (PBR) processes. The technical and economic feasibility was evaluated as a function of product composition (10–50 % H2), and delivery pressure (1–50 bar), and process scale (0.1–10 MW). To facilitate comparisons with conventional power and common hydrocarbon fuels the results are presented as NH3 processing cost (¢/kWh), H2 production cost (USD/kg), and overall fuel cost (USD/thm). The results show that the CMR is superiorly positioned for the generation of ammonia/hydrogen fuel mixtures with 2.7–7.2 times lower NH3 processing cost and requiring <0.5 USD/kg H2 production costs with exhaust heat recuperation. CMR advantages stem from more efficient NH3 reforming and H2 separation processes, eliminating the need for capital and operating intensive compression. These benefits are amplified with increasing H2 composition and fuel delivery pressure. The processing cost for both reformer options drops by 30 % with a scale increase from 0.1 to 10 MW. CMR-generated ammonia/hydrogen fuel blends are cost-competitive with refined liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and jet A. Nevertheless, the NH3 cost would have to be reduced by more than half to become competitive with natural gas. These findings suggest that ammonia/hydrogen fuel blends are an attractive option for the decarbonization of heavy industry and commercial transport.

Plastein reaction enhances the emulsifying and rheological properties of silver carp hydrolysates in oil-in-water emulsions

The plastein reaction was ubiquitously acknowledged for its capacity to enhance the functional properties of protein hydrolysates. Despite this, the specific impact of the plastein reaction on emulsification, a critical functional aspect of protein hydrolysates, remains incompletely understood. In this study, the plastein reaction in silver carp protein hydrolysate (SCPH) was explored. A detailed comparison between the primary product (PP) and the blended product (SCPH–P) in terms of their oil-water interfacial adsorption kinetics and the shear strain of oil-in-water emulsions was reported. The interfacial adsorption kinetics suggested that the higher molecular weight imparted a slow rate of diffusion, penetration, and reorganization to the PP compared to SCPH-P. Furthermore, the elevated surface hydrophobicity also resulted in higher surface activity (i.e., high interfacial pressure) for PP. Simultaneously, nonlinear rheological analysis revealed that PP possessed enhanced resistance to shear strain due to its strong affinity for the oil-water interface of emulsion. These improvements manifested in PP-stabilized emulsions with reduced mean particle size (71.6 μm–9.5 μm), diminished instability index (nearly 3-fold prolongation of stabilization time), and increased electrostatic repulsion (zeta potential values increased from 6-15 mV to 21–27 mV), which underscored a substantial enhancement in the emulsification of SCPH through the plastein reaction. Notably, the emulsifying and rheological properties of PP at a 1% (w/w) concentration were nearly equivalent to those of soybean protein isolate at 0.5% (w/w), highlighting the plastein reaction's innovative potential in utilizing SCPH as a promising emulsifier.

Complexity of Chemical Emissions Increases Concurrently with Sexual Maturity in Heliconius Butterflies

Pheromone communication is widespread among animals. Since it is often involved in mate choice, pheromone production is often tightly controlled. Although male sex pheromones (MSPs) and anti-aphrodisiacs have been studied in some Heliconius butterfly species, little is known about the factors affecting their production and release in these long-lived butterflies. Here, we investigate the effect of post-eclosion age on chemical blends from pheromone-emitting tissues in Heliconius atthis and Heliconius charithonia, exhibiting respectively free-mating and pupal-mating strategies that are hypothesised to differently affect the timing of their pheromone emissions. We focus on two different tissues: the wing androconia, responsible for MSPs used in courtship, and the genital tip, the production site for anti-aphrodisiac pheromones that affect post-mating behaviour. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of tissue extracts from virgin males and females of both species from day 0 to 8 post-eclosion demonstrates the following. Some ubiquitous fatty acid precursors are already detectable at day 0. The complexity of the chemical blends increases with age regardless of tissue or sex. No obvious difference in the time course of blend production was evident between the two species, but female tissues in H. charithonia were more affected by age than in H. atthis. We suggest that compounds unique to male androconia and genitals and whose amount increases with age are potential candidates for future investigation into their roles as pheromones. While this analysis revealed some of the complexity in Heliconius chemical ecology, the effects of other factors, such as the time of day, remain unknown.

The imitation game – exploring the double-grip analysis for creating analog wines

ABSTRACT In this pilot study, we investigated the use of the Double-Grip Analysis method as a tool to create analogue wines. The study involved four groups of sommeliers using the method to identify critical analytical and analogical attributes in four commercial wines. The basis of communication with this method is via the use of analogies, metaphors, and practical examples that emerge during the analysis and the dialogue. An overmatured rosé wine with mature flavours and low acidity served as the base for all groups when replicating the commercial counterparts making analogue wines. At first, the study aimed to assess the sommeliers’ ability to use this method in blending and wine production. In addition, the study explored the acceptability of these analogue wines, as they aim to replicate sensory characteristics of commercial counterparts, providing environmentally friendly alternatives. A panel of 20 consumers evaluated the quality of the wines as guests at a blind tasting dinner. The results help to shed light on the effectiveness of the Double-Grip Analysis Method, while at the same time providing insights into the acceptability of these analogue products amongst consumers. This research contributes to the field of culinary exploration and sustainable alternatives in the wine industry.

The effect of linseed oil/canola oil blend on the coating and thermal properties of waste PET-based alkyd resins.

This study aims to prepare oil-modified alkyd resins using a linseed oil/canola oil (LO/CO) blend and waste PET depolymerization product, suitable for environmentally friendly coating applications. Waste PET flakes obtained from grinding post-consumer water bottles were depolymerized by the aminoglycolysis reaction at high pressure. Raw depolymerization product (DP) was used in the synthesis of four components, 50% oil alkyd resins by monoglyceride method. DP has partly replaced the dibasic acid component in the PET-based alkyd formulations. Besides PET-based alkyds, reference alkyds without DP were also synthesized for comparison. Then, the surface coating properties and thermal behaviors of alkyd films were determined. The effect of DP usage and the changing ratios of LO/CO blend on coating properties and thermal behaviors of alkyd films were investigated. In addition, the optimum LO/CO blend ratio which is compatible with alkyd formulation was attempted to be determined. At the end of this study, glossy, soft/medium-hard films were obtained with excellent adhesion, impact strength, and chemical resistance. Thermal resistance and final thermal oxidative degradation temperature increased with adding DP to the alkyd formulation. Using LO/CO blend in the formulations affected oxidation rate and ratio, hence, drying time/degree and oxidative stability of alkyd films.