Calcium Propionate Research Articles

Effects of Dietary Calcium Propionate Supplementation on Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Messenger RNA Expression and Growth Performance in Finishing Rambouillet Lambs

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of feeding different levels concentrations of dietary calcium propionate (CaPr) on lambs’ growth performance; ruminal fermentation parameters; glucose–insulin concentration; and hypothalamic mRNA expression for neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related peptide (AgRP), and proopiomelanocortin (POMC). Thirty-two individually fed lambs were randomly assigned to four treatments: (1) control diet (0 g/kg of CaPr), (2) low CaPr, (30 g/kg dry matter (DM)), (3) medium CaPr, (35 g/kg DM), and (4) high CaPr (40 g/kg DM). After 42 days of feeding, lambs were slaughtered for collecting samples of the hypothalamus. Data were analyzed as a complete randomized design, and means were separated using linear and quadratic polynomial contrast. Growth performance was not affected (p ≥ 0.11) by dietary CaPr inclusion. The ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) increased linearly (p = 0.04) as dietary CaPr increased. Likewise, a linear increase in plasma insulin concentration (p = 0.03) as dietary CaPr concentration increased. The relative mRNA expression of NPY exhibited a quadratic effect (p < 0.01), but there were significant differences in the mRNA expression of AgRP and POMC (p ≥ 0.10). Dietary calcium propionate did not improve lamb growth performance in lambs feed with only forage diets. Intake was not correlated with feed intake with mRNA expression of neuropeptides.

Comparative Growth Inhibition of Bread Spoilage Fungi by Different Preservative Concentrations Using a Rapid Turbidimetric Assay System.

Bread and intermediate moisture bakery products are mainly spoiled by yeasts and filamentous fungi. The inoculum load and preservation system used determines their shelf life. To extend the shelf life of such commodities, the use of chemical preservatives is the most common way to try and control the initiation of mold spoilage of bread. This study has utilized a rapid turbidimetric assay system (Bioscreen C) to examine the temporal efficacy of calcium propionate (CP) and potassium sorbate (PS) for controlling the growth of important bread spoilage fungi. The objectives were to compare the temporal growth of strains of three important spoilage fungi Hyphopichia burtonii (HB17), Paecilomyces variotii (PV11), and Penicillium roqueforti (PR06) isolated from visibly molded bread to (a) different concentrations of CP and PS (0–128 mM), (b) temperatures (25°C, 30°C), (c) water activity (aw; 0.95, 0.97), and (d) pH (5.0, 5.5). All three abiotic factors, pH, aw, and temperature, and preservative concentrations influenced the relative growth of the species examined. In general, PS was more effective than CP in inhibiting the growth of the strains of these three species. In addition, the Time to Detection (TTD) for the efficacy of the preservatives under the interacting abiotic factors was compared. The strain of Paecilomyces variotii (PV10) was the most tolerant to the preservatives, with the shortest TTD values for both preservatives. P. roqueforti was the most sensitive with the longest TTD values under all conditions examined. These results are discussed in the context of the evolution of resistance to food-grade preservatives by such spoilage fungi in bakery products.

Application of whey of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana fermented by lactic acid bacteria as a bread biopreservative agent

SummaryA total of nine isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from tomato and sourdough with antifungal activity were employed to revaluate the whey of Mozzarella di Bufala through the fermentation process for 72 h at 37 °C. Then, the fermented whey (BWF) was characterised and used as biopreservative in bread formulation. L. plantarum TR7 and L. plantarum TR2 strains showed average lactic acid concentration in BWF of 13.8 g L−1. Also, the bread volatile organic compounds (VOC) analysis showed an increase in hexanal, benzeneacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde and pyrazine tetramethyl when using BWF as ingredient. Moreover, the DPPH‐inhibitory activity of bread with BWF extract also reflected a 33% rise in comparison with control bread. The application of BWF as a biopreservation agent in bread showed an increase in shelf life compared with bread with 0.3% calcium propionate and bread control for 2 and 15 days, respectively. BWF can be used as an interesting biopreservation strategy of bread.

Dietary Supplementation of Calcium Propionate and Calcium Butyrate Improves Eggshell Quality of Laying Hens in the Late Phase of Production.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of calcium propionate and calcium butyrate on the laying performance, eggshell quality, and expression of genes related to calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the tibia. One hundred and twenty 70-week-old Isa Brown hens were randomly assigned to three treatments, and each treatment had four replicates of 10 birds fed a basal diet (control) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.5% calcium propionate (CP) or 0.5% calcium butyrate (CB) for 8 weeks. The CB and CP treatments had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the laying rate, egg production, egg weight, and feed efficiency. The eggshell percentage was increased from week 2 (P<0.05) and eggshell thickness was elevated at week 8 (P<0.01) by both CP and CB treatments. Compared to the control treatment, the CB treatment increased serum calcium and phosphorus levels at week 4 (P<0.05), whereas the CP and CB treatments decreased serum phosphorus at weeks 6 and 8, respectively (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation had no effect on the bone index and bending strength of the tibia (P>0.05). The calcium and phosphorus content of the tibia was decreased by the CB treatment (P<0.05). In the spleen, NF-κB and IL-6 transcript levels were not influenced (P>0.05) but TNF-α transcript levels were decreased by the CP treatment (P<0.05). In the tibia, the expression levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-17 were not affected by the CP or CB treatment (P>0.05). The CP and CB treatments had no significant effect on the transcript levels of RANKL, OPG, RNUX2, OPN, α-Clotho, and VDR (P>0.05). In contrast, PHEX transcript levels were increased by the CP treatment (P<0.05). The expression levels of osteocalcin (P=0.094) and FGF23 (P=0.087) tended to decrease under the CB treatment. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 0.5% calcium butyrate or 0.5% calcium propionate improved the eggshell quality of aged laying hens, possibly as a result of decreased deposition or enhanced mobilization of bone calcium and phosphorus.

Effect of Increased Ruminal Propionate on the Expression of Gluconeogenic Genes in the Liver of Cattle on a Finishing Diet

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine whether increasing ruminal propionate in various amounts will lead to an increased expression of genes in the liver related to glucose metabolism. Holstein (n = 15) steers were individually fed a finishing diet ad libitum, twice a day, with free access to water. Treatments consisted of no added calcium propionate (CON), 100 g/d (LOW), or 300 g/d (HIGH). Treatments were split in half and mixed in the diet twice daily. Liver biopsies were taken on day 33 of propionate treatment and immediately frozen on dry ice. Samples were extracted for RNA, reverse transcribed to produce cDNA, and then analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. Five genes involved in gluconeogenesis were selected as target genes, including solute carrier family 16 member 1 (SLC16A1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC), and solute carrier family 2 member 2 (SLC2A2). There was a treatment effect (P = 0.04) for SLC16A1 expression, which encodes the protein MCT1, with steers on the HIGH treatment displaying the greatest expression, CON the least, and LOW was intermediate. There was also a tendency for a treatment effect on SLC2A2 (P = 0.07), which encodes the protein GLUT1, with the HIGH treatment displaying the greatest expression and CON the lowest. There was no significant treatment effect on expression of PCK1 (P = 0.27), PCK2 (P = 0.93), or G6PC (P = 0.29). These data indicate that increasing ruminal propionate may increase the expression of MCT1, which is likely due to increased propionate supply to the liver and could lead to greater glucose output from the liver.

Effect of feeding calcium propionate supplemented cotton seed cake on milk yield, milk composition and aflatoxin concentration in lactating buffaloes.

The objective of the current study was to reduce aflatoxin in a cotton seed cake (csc)-based diet and to decrease M1 level in milk by treating it with increasing levels of calcium propionate. Sixteen multiparous Nili-Ravi buffaloes were allocated to one of four treatments in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. The treatments were calcium propionate treatment on csc at 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75%. The duration of each period was 20 days. The level of aflatoxin was 100 ug/kg aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the control diet. Calcium propionate application decreased the concentration of aflatoxin M1, and the treatments were 1.63, 0.83, 0.29 and 0.44 ug/kg in 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75%, respectively. Milk yield and milk composition were not affected across the whole range of treatment. In conclusion, oral intake of calcium propionate reduced the AF transfer from feed to milk without changing milk yield and composition.

Combination use of the microwave irradiation and preservatives effect on the shelf life and quality of Qingke barley fresh noodles stored at low temperature

The combination effect of microwave (MW) irradiation, ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-pL), and calcium propionate (CP) on the shelf life and quality of Qingke barley fresh noodles (QBFN) stored at 4 ± 1°C were investigated in terms of total plate count (TPC), bacterial diversity, water characteristics, and noodle qualities. The results showed that the initial TPC of the control and MW + ε-pL + CP groups were 4.40 log cfu/g and 3.75 log cfu/g, respectively. The combination of MW, ε-pL and CP effectively inhibited the growth of microorganisms, and the shelf life of the MW + ε-pL + CP group extended from 6 days (control) to 12 days. Compared with the control, the MW + ε-pL + CP group maintained the better noodle quality, color, cooking quality, and relatively higher abundance of strong bound and weakly bound water during the storage. Practical applications This study may provide a basis data for further study about the changes of bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities, digestible properties, and volatile compounds in Qingke barley fresh noodles QBFN stored at law temperature, as well as offer data for manufacturers to promote its industrialization.

Inhibition of Botrytis cinerea and control of gray mold on table grapes by calcium propionate

Abstract Objectives The gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) infects a wide range of crops before and after harvest, causing huge losses worldwide. Inhibition mechanisms of B. cinerea in vitro and in plants by calcium propionate (CP), generally recognized as a safe substance, are described in this study. Materials and methods Wild-type and transgenic mutant strains of B. cinerea were used in the study to evaluate the effects of CP on fungal growth and development in vitro. Plant materials including tomato leaves and table grapes were tested for controlling efficiency of CP against gray mold deterioration in vivo. Results Mycelial growth of B. cinerea was inhibited by CP in a dose-dependent manner with occasional disruption of hyphal tips, causing cellular collapse and efflux of cell contents. Staining with fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide indicated that CP decreased fungal cell viability. Inhibition efficiency of CP against B. cinerea was enhanced by reducing pH. In contrast, the vel1 mutant, which exhibited deficiency in acid production, was more resistant to CP, suggesting that inhibition of B. cinerea by CP is enhanced by the acidification ability of the fungus itself. Additionally, CP inhibited infection cushion development by germlings of B. cinerea. Infection assays with tomato leaves and table grapes showed that CP inhibited decay development in both host tissues. Moreover, application of CP on grapes 3 days prior to harvest could contribute to management of deterioration caused by spontaneous fungal diseases during storage. Conclusion CP can suppress hyphal growth, inhibit infection cushion development, and reduce the virulence of B. cinerea. CP is thus promising for practical management of gray mold in fruit crops and merits further evaluation.

Determination of four additives in cakes by large volume gradient ion chromatography

This paper aims to establish a detection method for simultaneous determining four additives in flour products: one simultaneously determines the acesulfame, sodium cyclamate, bromate, and calcium propionate through the selection of ion chromatography pump flow rate, injection volume, eluent concentration, optimization of sample pretreatment and the influence of interfering ions. When using the pump flow rate of 0.8 ml/min, 200 µL large volume injection, 0-14 min, 14-25 min eluent concentration 30 mmol/L gradient elution, 25-26 min eluent concentration 6 mmol/L, flour product is pulverized after addition of water vortex ultrasonic extraction, the supernatant by C18 solid phase extraction (SPE) columns and silver filter, 0.22μm water phase porous membrane testing on the machine, the detection limits of the four kinds of targets are 0.16 μg/ml, 0.19 μg/ml, 0.24 μg/ml, and 0.38 μg/ml, respectively; The standard deviations of retention time and peak area are calcium propionate, respectively 0.13~0.42%, 2.14~4.25% ; bromate 0.20~0.67%, 1.33~4.52% ; sodium cyclamate 0.14~0.53%, 3.57~5.62% ; acesulfame potassium 0.64~0.93%, 0.42~5.81%. This method uses water as the sole extraction solvent and can detect four additives in flour products in a single test. And the pretreatment process is also very simple. When it is applied to other food tests, some compounds may cause interference, which can be assisted by other testing methods.

Influence of metallic precursors in the mineralogy and reactivity of belite cement clinkers obtained by flame spray pyrolysis

The production of highly reactive belite is of great interest since the possibility to produce cementitious materials with less demand of calcium oxide and energy. Belite cement clinkers were produced by the alternative process flame spray pyrolysis under oxidant environment using the metallic precursors calcium nitrate, calcium 2-ethylhexanoate and calcium propionate as Ca2+ resources evaluating their effects on the mineralogy and reactivity of the products. The starting solutions evaluated exhibit differences in the final properties, showing interesting hydration rates in comparison with traditional cementitious materials. By using calcium propionate as metallic precursor in a solution of ethanol/water/triethanolamine, the product shows an excellent hydraulic behavior with a complete hydration after 24 h of reaction, while traditional belite requires weeks or even years to complete the hydration processes. With the use of these precursors, flame aerosol pyrolysis seems to be a promising methodology for mass production of alternative belite cements.

Effects of dietary organic acids on performance, cecal microbiota, and gut morphology in broilers.

Organic acids have exhibited great potential as an antibiotic replacement and as an additive work tremendously for health maintenance of broiler chicken. To explore more about organic acids, a total of 900day-old broiler chicks (Cobb-500) were procured from a local hatchery and distributed into 9 treatment groups having 5 replicates of 20 birds each; duration of the biological trial was of 35days. Group T1 served as control group without any dietary supplementation. Other groups T2 and T3 were boosted with different levels (125g/ton and 250g/ton) of enramycin (antibiotic), T4, T5, and T6 were supplemented with different levels (2kg/ton, 3kg/ton, and 4kg/ton) of ammonium formate and ammonium propionate, and T7, T8, and T9 were fed with different levels (2kg/ton, 3kg/ton, and 4kg/ton) of calcium formate and calcium propionate. The findings declared significant improvement (P < 0.05) in body weight gain and FCR in groups T3, T5, and T9 while feed intake was not affected. Carcass evaluation depicted significantly better (P < 0.05) dressed and eviscerated weight along with carcass yield (T5, T7, T8, T9). Broilers fed organic acid supplemented diet had significantly lower (P < 0.05) total bacterial count (T3, T5, T8, T9) and positively improved (P < 0.05) villi length (T5, T6, T9) as compared with control group. However, total protein, globulin, HDL, and LDL levels were determined to be non-significant (P > 0.05) among different organic acids treatments. Hence, organic acids can be utilized as a better replacement for antibiotics. Supplementation of organic acids at a dose rate of 3kg/ton and 4kg/ton is recommended for efficient performance of broilers.

Effects of Sodium Formate and Calcium Propionate Additives on the Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of Wet Brewers Grains after Short-Term Storage.

Simple SummaryThe objective of this study was to examine the effect of sodium formate and calcium propionate on the fermentation quality and microbial community of wet brewers grains (WBG) after short-term storage. Both additives improved the silage quality of WBG ensiled for 20 days to different extents. However, ensiled WBG treated with sodium formate had higher contents of dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrates, and neutral detergent fibers and better fermentation quality, rumen degradation, and microbial composition. The addition of sodium formate enhances the abundance of desirable Lactobacillus and reduces the abundance of undesirable microorganisms, including Clostridium. In summary, during short-term storage of high-moisture feed, sodium formate has a more beneficial preservation effect than an equivalent dose of calcium propionate.The objective of this research was to examine the effect of sodium formate (SF) and calcium propionate (CAP) on the fermentation characteristics and microbial community of wet brewers grains (WBG) after short-term storage. In the laboratory environment, fresh WBG was ensiled with (1) no additive (CON), (2) sodium formate (SF, 3 g/kg fresh weight), and (3) calcium propionate (CAP, 3 g/kg fresh weight) for 20 days. After opening, fermentation characteristics, chemical composition, rumen effective degradability, and the microbial community of ensiled WBG were analyzed. The addition of CAP had no effect on pH and lactic acid concentration and increased the concentrations of propionic acid; the SF group had the lowest pH and acetic acid, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen contents and the highest lactic acid concentration. After fermentation, the SF group had the highest contents of dry matter (DM), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The contents of the three nutrients in the CAP group were significantly higher than those in the CON group. The addition of the two additives had little influence on the crude protein (CP) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of the ensiled WBG. Two additives elevated in situ effective degradability of DM and NDF compared with the parameters detected in the CON group; WBG ensiled with SF had higher effective in situ CP degradability than that in the CON and CAP groups. The results of the principal component analysis indicate that the SF group and two other groups had notable differences in bacterial composition. The analysis of the genus level of the bacterial flora showed that the content of Lactobacillus in the SF group was significantly higher than that in the two other treatment groups, while the content of Clostridium was significantly lower than that in the two other treatment groups. Therefore, the addition of sodium formate can suppress the undesirable microorganisms, improve the fermentation qualities, and ensure that WBG is well preserved after 20 days of ensiling.

Extension of the Shelf-Life of Fresh Pasta Using Chickpea Flour Fermented with Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Fresh pasta is subjected to rapid spoilage, mainly due to the metabolic activity of bacteria, yeasts, and especially molds, which negatively affect the sensorial characteristics and the safety of the product. In this work, chickpea flour was fermented with selected lactic acid bacteria, characterized in terms of the antifungal activity, and used to fortify fresh semolina pasta. Pasta was characterized and subjected to a long period of storage after being artificially inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti. Conventional fresh semolina pasta, produced with or without calcium propionate addition, was used as a reference. The water/salt-soluble extract from chickpea sourdough exhibited antifungal activity towards a large spectrum of molds. Its purification led to the identification of ten potentially active peptides. Besides the high content of dietary fibers (4.37%) and proteins (11.20%), nutritional improvements, such as the decrease of the antinutritional factors concentration and the starch hydrolysis index (25% lower than the control) and the increase of the protein digestibility (36% higher than the control), were achieved in fresh pasta fortified with the chickpea sourdough. Inhibition of the indicator mold growth during a 40-day storage period was more effective than in pasta added to calcium propionate.

Occurrence and enumeration of rope-producing spore forming bacteria in flour and their spoilage potential in different bread formulations

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of spore forming rope-producing microorganisms in different types of flour and to evaluate the potential for spoilage of the isolates through the simulation of the bread manufacturing process. Mesophilic and thermophilic aerobic spore forming bacteria were enumerated in 100 flour samples. Strains isolates were evaluated for their ability to produce amylase and cause rope spoilage in different bread formulations. Amylase-producing strains were identified through 16S rRNA sequencing. The wholemeal flour from industry presented the highest aerobic mesophilic spore forming bacteria counts (3.1 log spores/g). A total of 327 strains were isolated from flours, among which 45 produced amylase. These isolates were identified as Bacillus licheniformis (62%), B. sonorensis (20%) B. cereus (11%), B. pumilus (2%), and Paenibacillus polymyxa (2%). All 45 strains were able to cause spoilage in bread with and without preservatives. The addition of calcium propionate and reduction of water activity and pH were able to prevent the development of rope for 7 days. The development of new formulations can help to assure the microbiological quality and safety of baked products.

Modeling the impact of water activity, pH, and calcium propionate on the germination of single spores of Penicillium paneum

This study aimed to assess the effect of water activity (aw) (0.93–0.95), pH (5.1–5.8), and concentration of calcium propionate (0.25 and 0.41%) on the germination time of individual spores of Penicillium paneum. The germination of single spores was examined by capturing images at every hour using the Axio Observer.Z1 inverted microscope ( × 100) connected to the camera at 25 °C for 96 h. The results indicated that P. paneum germination time was significantly affected by aw and pH (ρ < 0.05). As most of the growth curves exhibited asymmetric shapes, the asymmetric model was fitted to germination data and the maximum percentage of viable spores (Pmax; %), shape parameter (d), and germination time (τ; hour) were obtained. τ -values ranged from 26.5 to 40.7 h. After the Monte Carlo simulation, a probability distribution of time for 10% of the P. paneum population (t10%) to germinate was obtained. The mean value of t10% was 25 h, ranging from 15 to 47 h (95% confidence interval). The variability in germination and growth of P. paneum single spores highlights the challenge of predicting and preventing this critical phenomenon.

Research on the Applications of Calcium Propionate in Dairy Cows: A Review.

Simple SummaryIn modern dairy cattle production systems, the mycotoxins in feed and metabolic disease, such as ketosis and milk fever, seriously affect the health and milk production of dairy cows. Calcium propionate is a safe and reliable food and additive that is widely used. It can be employed in silage and total mixed rations (TMR) against mycotoxin production. In the perinatal period, many cows cannot adjust to the tremendous metabolic, endocrine, and physiological changes, resulting in ketosis and fatty liver due to a negative energy balance or milk fever induced by hypocalcemia, which damages their health and reduces the production performance. Studies have revealed that calcium propionate can play an active role in solving these problems. It can also regulate rumen development in calves. This paper reviews the recent research progress regarding the application of calcium propionate in dairy cows and dairy calves. The key findings and mechanisms are summarized and potential further studies are suggested.Calcium propionate is a safe and reliable food and feed additive. It can be metabolized and absorbed by humans and animals as a precursor for glucose synthesis. In addition, calcium propionate provides essential calcium to mammals. In the perinatal period of dairy cows, many cows cannot adjust to the tremendous metabolic, endocrine, and physiological changes, resulting in ketosis and fatty liver due to a negative energy balance (NEB) or milk fever induced by hypocalcemia. On hot weather days, cow feed (TMR or silage) is susceptible to mildew, which produces mycotoxins. These two issues are closely related to dairy health and performance. Perinatal period metabolic disease significantly reduces cow production and increases the elimination rate because it causes major glucose and calcium deficiencies. Feeding a diet contaminated with mycotoxin leads to rumen metabolic disorders, a reduced reproductive rate (increased abortion rate), an increased number of milk somatic cells, and decreased milk production, as well as an increased occurrence of mastitis and hoof disease. Propionic acid is the primary gluconeogenic precursor in dairy cows and one of the safest mold inhibitors. Therefore, calcium propionate, which can be hydrolyzed into propionic acid and Ca2+ in the rumen, may be a good feed additive for alleviating NEB and milk fever in the perinatal period of dairy cows. It can also be used to inhibit TMR or silage deterioration in hot weather and regulate rumen development in calves. This paper reviews the application of calcium propionate in dairy cows.

Use of a glycogenic precursor during the prepartum period and its effects upon metabolic indicators and reproductive parameters in dairy cows

The aim was to evaluate if 1-2 propanodiol plus calcium propionate (glycogenic precursor) supplementation during the transition period in high yielding dairy cows reduces metabolic and reproductive dysfunctions during early lactation. Cows (n=202) where divided into two homogeneous groups regarding number of lactations and body condition score. 1) Treated Group (GG; n=112) received 60g/cow/day 15d of a glycogenic precursor during the transition period. 2) Control Group (GC; n = 90) received no treatment. Postpartum levels of BHB (GG= 0.9±0.2 mmol/L vs GC =1.3±0.2 mmol/L; P &lt; 0.05), and NEFA (GG= 0.6 ± 0.1 mEq/L vs GC = 0.8 ± 0.1 mEq/L; P &lt; 0.05) were higher for GC. Likewise, GC-cows had a higher percentage of retained placenta (23% vs. 13%; P ≤ 0.06) subclinical ketosis (GG = 10%, GC = 56%; P &lt; 0.05), and mastitis (GG = 8%, GC = 16%; P &lt; 0.05). Metritis, dystocia, abortions, clinical ketosis, hypocalcemia and ruminal acidosis showed no differences. Administration of a glycogenic precursor during the transition period demonstrated a positive effect upon BHB and NEFA blood levels during early lactation. Also, levels of subclinical ketosis and retained placenta were reduced.

An Ultra-Portable Vis-NIR Spectrometer with an Integrated Light Source for Quality Analysis of Food and Agricultural Produce

There is a growing demand for on-site quality analysis of food and agricultural produce along with detection of adulterants for selecting quality produce. Traditional laboratory measurement techniques such as HPLC, GCMS and FTIR have been used as the gold standard for quality control through target chemical detection and quantification. However, such analyses are expensive and time consuming, requiring bulky instruments and usage of a plethora of chemicals, some even very toxic and hard to dispose. Recent developments in miniaturized optical-sensors have enabled the realization of ultra-portable devices that can incorporate chemometric based models for chemical identification and quantification. Chemometrics captures the signature chemical moieties of a compound through their spectrum, and together with the miniature optical sensors provides a potent platform for a rapid, non-destructive, and fairly accurate method for analyzing a wide variety of substances with portable point-of-use spectrometers. We design, fabricate and show one such handheld Vis-NIR spectrometer with an integrated light source, and present results of its performance with two widely used classes of chemometric techniques: classification and prediction.The proposed device (6.5cm x 2.5cm x 6.5cm) consists of a spectral sensor and an LED light source (wavelength 400-1000 nm) encased in a 3D printed thermoplastic holder. Figure 1 shows the complete spectrometer along with custom made sample holders containing powdered samples. Spectral data can be acquired from the device through either wired or wireless communication. Each spectrum can be viewed as a graphical image and also be exported in text format that is used for further data processing. Data analysis and model building were carried out using Mathematica (version 12) and Unscrambler X (version 10.4).Identification and classification of similar compounds is a key element in quality control. To demonstrate this, we analysed the reflectance spectra of four chemically different but optically similar culinary organic powders, namely, corn starch, calcium propionate (C6H10CaO4), icing sugar (C12H22O11) and white flour. All of them were white in colour with similar texture. The aim of this experiment was to classify these white powders from their reflectance spectra alone. Fifteen scans per sample were collected using the device and were subjected to multiplicative scatter correction as a pre-processing step. Figure 2(a) illustrates the results of the scores-plot using the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm, wherein the four different colours represent the spectra (every point represents one spectrum) of the four powders. As it can be seen, all the spectra of a particular colour lie closely to each other forming a distinct cluster, implying they are similar to each other. Four different clusters represent the four powders, leading to the conclusion that the spectral measurement from this device along with PCA can successfully distinguish one type of substance from the other.Quantifying the active ingredient in medicinal plants is a direct way of analyzing their quality. Prediction with regression modelling has been widely used for such quantification. To demonstrate a prediction task, we have built a regression model to estimate the amount of pharmacologically active curcumin present in turmeric powders. The curcumin content was first accurately quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which served as the reference data. Reflectance spectra of five different varieties of turmeric powders (1-7% curcumin) were collected using the device. The correlation between the processed spectra and the curcumin content was examined by the partial least squared regression (PLSR) algorithm. The model gave a high coefficient of determination (r2 ) of 0.99 and a standard error of 0.17. This model was cross validated with test samples and the plot for the predicted versus actual values of curcumin content are shown in Figure 2(b).An ultra-portable spectrometer with an integrated light source for the acquisition of reflectance spectra and its subsequent analysis is thus demonstrated. The proposed device can help the user in taking faster and better decisions with on-site measurements, taking into account multiple parameters. Figure 1

Effects of Ionic Liquid and Biomass Concentration to Partial Vapour Pressure Change in Hydrothermal Carbonization

This study aims to investigate the effects of ionic salt liquid and biomass concentration to partial vapour pressure change in hydrothermal carbonization system. The durability of reactor and safety aspect are crucial point for constant volume system which pressure is independence and important in scaling up hydrothermal process. The ionic salt including calcium propionate with the molality of 0.33, 0.43 and 0.65 and sodium chloride with the molality of 0.86, 1.14 and 1.71 were used. The suspension of corncob biomass and deionized water with the ratio 1:20 and 1:10 also were evaluated. The partial vapour pressure of the solution of sodium chloride with the molality of 1.71 decrease for 12.5 %. The partial vapour pressure of corncob biomass concentration with 1:20 decrease for 2.8%. The hydrochar produced from the 240 °C of reaction temperature and 100 minutes reaction time demonstrated the gradually decrease of hemicellulose constituent corresponding with higher biomass concentration.

The Chelating Mineral on Organic Acid Salts Modulates the Dynamics and Richness of the Intestinal Microbiota of a Silver Catfish Rhamdia quelen.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the chelating mineral on propionic acid, calcium or sodium on the composition, dynamics and richness of the intestinal microbiota of a native silver catfish Rhamdia quelen through high-throughput sequencing (HTS). A total of 225 fish (8.43 ± 0.18g) were distributed in tanks, 15 fish per tank in five groups with three replicates each: Control, Ca-propionate 0.25% (Ca0.25%) Ca-propionate 1% (Ca1%), Na-propionate 0.25% (Na0.25%) and Na-propionate 1% (Na1%). The feed was provided four times a day for 60days. After experimental period, the fish were fasted for 24h and the intestine was aseptically collected, pooled by treatment, and fixed in pure absolute ethanol for subsequent DNA extraction and HTS. The HTS showed that the supplementation of the propionic acid chelated to the mineral calcium or sodium in the different concentrations increased the operational taxonomic units and richness in comparison to control group. The main phyla found were Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroides. Both the fusobacteria and the genus Cetobacterium, especially C. somerae, were positively modulated with Ca0.25% and Na1% supplementation. It can be emphasized that supplementation with calcium or sodium propionate at different concentrations changed the natural microbiota of R. quelen.