Commercial Syrup Research Articles

Revolutionizing Silage Production Process: Enhancing Quality with Expired Commercial Syrup Addition in Fresh Silage made of Napier Grass and Fine Rice Bran

Revolutionizing Silage Production Process: Enhancing Quality with Expired Commercial Syrup Addition in Fresh Silage made of Napier Grass and Fine Rice Bran

Utilization of Yacon Damaged Roots as a Source of FOS-Enriched Sweet-Tasting Syrup

Damaged yacon roots, often discarded, are a rich source of sweet carbohydrates. In this context, yacon roots from the Hualqui and Crespo varieties were characterized and processed into low-calorie and low-glycemic syrups for sugar reduction in foods. Syrups were obtained using, as technological adjuvants, lemon juice and its most relevant components: citric acid and ascorbic acid. The Hualqui variety was found to be mostly composed of fructose (210 g/kg), while the Crespo variety was rich in inulin (352 g/kg). The use of lemon juice during syrup production promoted the hydrolysis of inulin to fructooligosaccharides and fructose, yielding syrups with competitive relative sweetness (0.52–0.91), glycemic index (0.21–0.40), and caloric values (186–263 kcal/100 g) to commercial syrups. The increase in citric acid concentrations promoted inulin hydrolysis, yielding, at the highest concentration, syrups with higher fructose (333–445 g/kg) and kesto-type fructooligosaccharides (11–85 g/kg) content and lower surface stickiness and stringiness. The addition of ascorbic acid, as an antioxidant agent, decreased by 10% the free sugar content, negatively impacting the sweetness level. These results evidence that fructooligosaccharides-rich syrup can be obtained from yacon-damaged roots with tailored sweetness and low glycemic and caloric properties.

DETERMINATION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY QUANTIFICATION OF FIVE ORGANIC VOLATILE IMPURITIES USING HEAD SPACE GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY IN LEVOCLOPERASTINE FENDIZOATE ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS AND DOSAGE FORMS

Objectives: Organic chemical solvents are generally used during drug material synthesis, excipients, as well as in the drug product formulation. They are not acceptable in the finished product. Hence, the main objective of our work is development and validation of rapid, sensitive, and selective head space gas chromatography (GC-HS) method for the determination of five organic volatile impurities (OVI) (methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, toluene, and benzene) in Levocloperastine Fendizoate active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and commercial syrups. Methods: The method was developed using a thermal gradient elution program associated with a column having dimensions are ZB-624, 30 m × 0.53 mm × 3.0 μm with a flow rate of 3.0 mL/min and Nitrogen (N2) as a carrier gas. A flame ionization detector was used as a detector, and its temperature is at 250°C whereas the injector temperature is at 225°C. The total run time is 25.0 min. Results: The newly developed GC-HS method was validated by its specificity and selectivity system precision, and method precision, limit of detection and limit of quantification, linearity, accuracy, robustness, ruggedness, and solution stability as per International Council for Harmonization (ICH). Quantization limits for five impurities were 210 ppm for methanol, 350 ppm for ethanol, 42 ppm for dichloromethane, 62 ppm for toluene, and 0.4 ppm for benzene. Correlation coefficient values of linearity were higher than 0.995 for five OVI. The mean recoveries of five impurities were between 90% and 110%. Conclusion: We found good and accepted results as per ICH guidelines for all validated parameters for five OVI. Thus, the developed GC-HS method was suitable for the separation and quantification of five OVI in Levocloperastine Fendizoate API and commercial syrups at present.

Development of an electrochemical sensor modified with dealuminated zeolite with citric acid for hydroxyzine determination by BIA-Amperometry

An electrochemical sensor modified with zeolite dealuminated with citric acid was developed for the determination of hydroxyzine in pharmaceutical products during BIA-amperometry experiments. The modified electrochemical sensor was prepared by mixing powdered graphite with zeolite treated with citric acid homogenized with hexane and mineral oil (60:20:20% w/w/w respectively). The developed sensor showed reproducible amperometric responses in a linear range of 1.0x10-6 – 2.0x10-5 mol L-1 in +1,28V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The detection limit and detection limit found were 3.10x10-7 mol L-1 e 1.04x10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The method developed by BIA-amperometry was applied for the determination of the analyte in tablets and commercial syrups and the results found agreement with the nominal values of the commercial samples.

Bactericidal Capacity of Serum and Enhancement of Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity Subsequent to Hipopphae Rhamnoides Treatment in Pigs

Low-input farming subject’s swine to increased immune stress and subsequent infectious risk, which could be prevented by phytotherapy. Hypopphae rhamnoides is a widespread shrub in both Europe and Asia. The research aimed at investigating the influence of a whole fruit extract on antibacterial effect of the serum in extensively raised, two batches, sea buckthorn in vivo treated/untreated pigs. Scavenging effect over DPPH was used to estimate the antioxidant potential of the sea buckthorn commercial syrup (Steaua Divina©). Minimal inhibiting (MIC) and minimal bactericidal (MBC) capacity of the serum were tested and spectrophotometrically measured against Shigella spp., Kitococcus sedentarius, Staphylococcus werneri and Staphylococcus sciuri. The antioxidant activity of the syrup was intermediate (54.65 %). Sera from treated pigs had bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect on Shigella spp. and S. sciuri, respectively. Shigella spp. growth was inhibited at serum dilutions of ½-1/32 while much lower ½-1/4 dilutions were active against S. sciuri. In untreated pigs, the sera were inefficient in either stopping or totally inhibiting bacterial growth. The MBC and MIC values obtained for the sera of pigs treated with Hippophae rhamnoides syrup supported the positive effect of the in vivo treatment inducive of potential protection against bacterial diseases.

Simultaneous determination of five triarylmethane colorants in syrup by applying multivariate curve resolution to second-derivative visible absorption spectra.

A method for the simultaneous determination of five triarylmethane colorants (brilliant blue FCF, patent blue V, patent blue VF, fast green FCF, and green S) in syrup samples was proposed by applying multivariate curve resolution to second-derivative visible absorption spectra in citrate and carbonate buffer solutions. Even for heavily overlapping spectra, adopting second-derivative spectra and multiway analysis in citrate and carbonate buffer solutions enhanced specificity for the analytes and achieved prediction performance with a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.90, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) < 0.20mg/L, and limit of detection (LOD) < 0.50mg/L for all five analytes. The basis set expansion method succeeded in a reasonable estimation of the second-derivative spectra with the interferant. For commercial syrup samples, the present method predicted results without significant differences compared to the results measured using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The proposed method provides a rapid alternative to liquid chromatography techniques for the quantification of multiple colorants in food samples.

Kualitas Fisik Silase Rumput Gajah dan Ampas Tahu Segar dengan Penambahan Sirup Komersial Afkir

This study aimed to evaluate the addition of rejected commercial syrup on the physical quality of silage made from elephant grass and fresh tofu dregs. The making process and harvesting of silage were conducted out at the Laboratory of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, UIN Suska Riau. The ingredients used were elephant grass, fresh tofu dregs, and commercial syrup. Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 3 treatments and 7 replications was used in this study. The treatments in this study were P1: elephant grass + fresh tofu dregs, P2: P1 + 5% commercial syrup, and P3: P1 + 10% commercial syrup. Variable observed were dry matter loss, temperature, pH, color, texture, aroma, and fungal growth. The data obtained were analyzed based on analysis of variance, and if there was a significant effect between treatments, then it was followed by Duncan's test at 5% level. The results of this study that the addition of rejected commercial syrup had a significant effect (p&lt;0.05) on dry matter loss, pH, color, texture, and aroma, while temperature and fungal growth were not significant. Silage dry matter loss was in the range of 5.83%-7.61%, silage temperature under normal conditions was 28.7°C -29.6°C, silage pH was within normal limits of 3.61-3.95, silage color followed the color of the commercial syrup used, the aroma was typical of silage to fresh, the texture of the silage was medium to fine, and was not overgrown with fungus. Increasing the level of addition of rejected commercial syrup showed a decrease in the pH value and dry matter loss was better than the control. Based on the results of this study, it could be concluded that the addition of commercial syrup at the level of 10% BK could improve the physical characteristics of silage made from elephant grass and fresh tofu dregs which were stored for 30 days.&#x0D; Key words: elephant grass, silage, syrup, tofu dregs

Determination of the Carbohydrate Profile and Invertase Activity of Adulterated Honeys after Bee Feeding

The higher demand for honey from consumers, combined with its limited availability, has led to different types of honey adulteration, causing substantial economic as well as negative impacts on consumers’ nutrition and health. Therefore, a need has emerged for reliable and cost-effective quality control methods to detect honey adulteration to ensure both the safety and quality of honey. To simulate the process with those applied by beekeepers in real-time, bee colonies were fed with different types of bee feeding (sugar syrup, candy paste and commercial syrup). The produced samples were analyzed for their carbohydrate profile and their invertase activity with the aim to find the effects of bee feeding on the quality of the final product. Honey samples produced after feeding with commercial syrup presented low fructose (22.9 %) and glucose (31.7 %) concentrations and high content of maltose (20.1%), while the samples that came from bee feeding with sugar syrup and candy paste had high concentrations of sucrose (6.2 % and 3.2 %, respectively), exceeding in some cases the legislative limits. Moreover, the samples coming from sugar feeding had lower values of invertase activity, while the group with inverted syrup was clearly discriminated through multi-discriminant analysis. The invertase activity of control samples was found at 153.7 U/kg, which was significantly higher compared to the other groups. The results showed that bee feeding during honey production might lead to adulteration, which can be detected through routine analyses, including the carbohydrate profile and the invertase activity.

Macronutrient and mineral contents in sweet sorghum syrups compared to other commercial syrup sweeteners

Sweet sorghum syrup is non-GMO, gluten-free, and can be produced free of additives and preservatives. Knowledge of the nutritional and dietary content of sweet sorghum syrups compared to other common food-grade syrups will expand their utilization as a natural and nutritional food ingredient. Proximate food attributes and critical minerals were measured in commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn, honey, maple, sugarcane, agave, rice, and white grain (non-tannin) sorghum syrups and compared to ten commercial sweet sorghum syrups. Agave syrup was the highest (P < 0.05) source of fat (mean 2.1%) although fat varied (P < 0.05) with the agave brand. Protein content of sweet sorghum syrups ranged from 0.9 to 4.0%, with the mean (1.80%) nearly two-folds higher than the other syrups (0.96%). Sweet sorghum syrups contained markedly higher (P < 0.05) mean amounts of magnesium (120 mg) than the other syrups (5 mg). Potassium contents of all the sweet sorghum syrups were also very high (up to 1710 mg) and markedly higher (P < 0.05) than all the other syrups. Iron was negligible in servings of the syrups except for sweet sorghum which contained over half (52.7%) of the daily recommended value (13 mg). In this limited study, sweet sorghum syrups were rich dietary sources of magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and contained negligible sodium. • Sweet sorghum syrups contained higher amounts of magnesium than other syrups. • Potassium contents of all sorghum syrups tested were very high (up to 1710 mg). • Sweet sorghum syrups contained 52.7% of the daily value of iron needed. • Sweet sorghum syrups contained negligible sodium.

An eco-friendly analytical methodology based on digital images for quality control of commercial Mikania glomerata syrups

This paper aimed at the use of a chemometrics-assisted color histogram-based analytical system (CACHAS) to provide a fast and reliable analytical tool for the qualitative and quantitative quality control of commercial syrups containing Mikania glomerata, popularly known as guaco and widely used in Brazil in the treatment of respiratory problems. For this, Data-Driven Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (DD-SIMCA) was initially employed to authenticate sugar-free syrups, and then Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to quantify coumarin as a chemical marker. The best results were obtained by using the Grayscale + RGB(Red-Green-Blue) + HSV(Hue-Saturation-Value) histogram as analytical information for both the qualitative and quantitative analysis. In the first case, DD-SIMCA (α = 0.01) authenticated all samples of commercial sugar-free syrups for diabetics, achieving sensitivities of 1.00 in both the training and test sets, and specificity of 0.91 in the test set, i.e., with only 3 misclassifications from a total of 60 samples, achieving, therefore, overall efficiency of 0.97. Additionally, for the quantification of coumarin, the predictive ability of PLS achieved coefficient of correlation (R2pred) of 0.9919, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.8969 µg mL−1, ratio of performance to deviation (RPDpred) of 11.38, and relative error of prediction (REP) of only 2.57%. The proposed digital image-based study can be used as a rapid, non-destructive, and promising, green analytical methodology to offer a safe and reliable product to consumers and help regulatory agencies.

Paracetamol Sensing with a Pencil Lead Electrode Modified with Carbon Nanotubes and Polyvinylpyrrolidone

The determination of paracetamol is a common need in pharmaceutical and environmental samples for which a low-cost, rapid, and accurate sensor would be highly desirable. We develop a novel pencil graphite lead electrode (PGE) modified with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer (PVP/SWCNT/PGE) for the voltammetric quantification of paracetamol. The sensor shows remarkable analytical performance in the determination of paracetamol at neutral pH, with a limit of detection of 0.38 μM and a linear response from 1 to 500 μM using square-wave voltammetry (SWV), which are well suited to the analysis of pharmaceutical preparations. The introduction of the polymer PVP can cause dramatic changes in the sensing performance of the electrode, depending on its specific architecture. These effects were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the co-localization and dispersion of PVP throughout the carbon nanotubes on the electrode are key to its superior electrochemical performance, facilitating the electrical contact between the nanotubes and with the electrode surface. The application of this sensor to commercial syrup and tablet preparations is demonstrated with excellent results.

Validation of an UPLC-DAD Method for the Quantification of Phenolic Acids, Verbascoside and 6-epi-aucubin in Crescentia cujete Fruit.

The fruit pulp decoction of Crescentia cujete, commonly known as calabash, is traditionally used for the treatment of several respiratory diseases and is available as syrup formulations. Unfortunately, there is no detailed investigation on the analytical methods for warranting the quality of these products. To develop and validate an appropriate analytical method for the simultaneous quantification of trans-cinnamic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, verbascoside and 6- epi-aucubin in the decoction and commercial cough syrups of Crescentia cujete fruit. A reversed-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled to a diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) was validated following the ICH guidelines. The chromatographic analysis was performed using a C18 column, the mobile phase system consisted of water and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid, and UV chromatograms were recorded from 200 to 400 nm. A new UPLC-DAD method was validated for the simultaneous quantification of transcinnamic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, verbascoside and 6-epi-aucubin in calabash-derived products. After successful validation, this method was applied for the quantification of the selected chemical markers in an in-house decoction and three commercial cough syrups. Among the selected chemical markers, 6-epi-aucubin was the main compound in the calabash decoction, while trans-cinnamic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were the major compounds in the commercial products. Verbascoside and 6-epi-aucubin were below the limit of quantification in all syrup samples. The proposed method was successfully applied for the analysis of three commercial syrup formulations and can be useful for standardization and quality control of raw and pharmaceutical calabash preparations.

Renewable Syrup Derived from Sap of Oil Palm Trunk as an Alternative Novel Feedstock for Confectionery Product (Toffee)

This study focussed on utilising oil palm trunk syrup, OPTS60 (produced from the sap of 60 days stored oil palm trunk) into toffee. The syrup was analysed for physical and chemical properties and compared to nipa syrup and commercial syrups, namely maple syrup and two types of glucose syrups (GS1 and GS2). These syrups were later used in toffee formulations. For OPTS60 syrup, the production yield was 11.9% with total soluble solid of 71 °Brix and moisture content of 24.88%. The colour was significantly darker than other syrups (L* = 0.12), and major sugar present was glucose, analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The resultant toffee from OPTS60 syrup, OPT60To, had low lightness value of 29.35 ± 1.00 (L*) that was similar to toffee produced from GS2 (29.06 ± 0.28) due to OPTS60 colour and sugar composition, and sensory analysis showed OPTS60To scored high for colour (5.93) and aroma (5.67). OPTS60To also received highest overall acceptance value with a score of 5 out of 7 as compared to other toffees. The similarities of OPTS60 to glucose syrup and its toffee’s sensorial properties show OPTS60 potential in confectionery product.

Three-way analysis of pH-UV absorbance dataset for the determination of paracetamol and its pKa value in presence of excipients.

A three-way analysis method, parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model was applied to the pH-absorbance dataset for the simultaneous determination of paracetamol and its acid-base dissociation constant in presence of excipient interference in a syrup formulation without using chemical pretreatment or chromatographic separation step. The UV spectroscopic data matrices of calibration set, validation and unknown samples were obtained from the absorbance measurements at the five different pH media, considering conjugate acid/base properties of the related drug. Their pH-absorbance data matrices were arranged as a cubic data array (wavelength x sample x pH) (425x52x5). Three-way array of pH-absorbance dataset was decomposed into a trilinear set of spectral, pH and relative concentration profiles of paracetamol and excipients in the commercial syrup using PARAFAC model. In the PARAFAC implementation, paracetamol in the commercial syrup formulation and its pKa value were simultaneously predicted from the relative concentration and pH profiles, respectively. In the method validation step of this study, the performance of PARAFAC model was checked by analyzing the validation samples in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision of the method. The determination results of paracetamol and its pKa value provided from PARAFAC application were compared to those obtained by a newly developed ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method, in terms of simplicity, applicability, interpretability with low cost and short analysis time.

Chemometric optimization of an HPLC method for the simultaneous analysis of a multi component drug product by the help of central composite design

ABSTRACT In this study, a simple, accurate, precise and rapid HPLC method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of paracetamol (PAR), pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (PSE), dextromethorphan hydrobromide (DEX) and doxylamine succinate (DOX) along with colorants; allura red (AR) and brilliant blue (BB) and sweetener; saccharine (SAC) in a syrup sample. Three indepented variables considered and their levels in Central Composite Design in order to optimize chromatographic separation conditions were as follows: Phosphate buffer ratio in mobile phase in the first gradient elution (GR1; 67, 70, 75, 80 and 83%), phosphate buffer ratio in mobile phase in the second gradient elution (GR2; 27, 30, 35, 40 and 43%) and flow rate of the mobile phase (FR; 0.9, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.5 mL/min). Critical resolution values between SAC, PAR and PSE along with between AR and BB were used as a response. Chromatographic separation was achieved using reversed phase C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm × 5 μm particle size) and the six analytes were detected with a diode array detector at 210 nm. As per the results of the optimization procedure, these optimum variables were found to be flow rate, 1.4 mL/min, phosphate buffer ratios in mobile phase in the first and second gradient elution, 75 and 40%, respectively. After optimization step, the developed method was validated in compliance with ICH guideline. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the simultaneous quantification of PAR, PSE, DEX, DOX, AR, BB and SAC in a commercial syrup sample.

Simultaneous HPLC-DAD determination of pseudoephedrine HCl, sodium benzoate, sunset yellow, and methyl paraben in syrup preparation by use of partial least squares and principal component regression

The chromatographic methods (high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD)) combined with a partial least squares (type PLS-2) and principal component regression (PCR) were applied to the simultaneous determination of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, sodium benzoate, sunset yellow, and methyl paraben in a syrup sample. By the aid of chromatographic data, the developed methods successfully solved the overlapped chromatographic peaks in HPLC analysis with the short elution time. A series of synthetic solutions containing different concentrations of analytes were used to check the prediction ability of the proposed methods. Satisfactory results were obtained by the PLS-2 and PCR methods for synthetic samples, with the average recoveries ranging from 98.33–100.20% to 98.44–100.07%, respectively. The developed methods were applied to a commercial syrup sample and the results were statistically compared with the conventional HPLC method. Considering the advantages of the chemometrics-assisted HPLC-DAD strategy, such as a short analysis time, simple and low-cost mobile phase, rapid sample preparation, the proposed methods could be an attractive alternative and green chromatography strategy for the determination of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, sodium benzoate, sunset yellow, and methyl paraben in pharmaceutical samples.

Effect of Locally Formulated Watermelon and Moringa Syrup Booster on the Growth Performance of Heterobranchus bidorsalis Fingerlings

Aim: Evaluation of the effectiveness of formulated Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and Moringa oleifera booster on the growth performance of Heterobranchus bidorsalis.&#x0D; Study Design: Data were subjected to statistical analysis using Duncan Multiple Range Statistics and interpretation was done using SPSS Version 22.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted in the laboratory at the Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Rivers State University, Nigeria for a period of 12 weeks (3 months), between November, 2016 – March, 2017.&#x0D; Methodology: Total of 240 Heterobranchus bidorsalis fingerlings with an initial mean weight (1.61±0.23 g) and length (5.13±0.26 cm) were acclimated for one week. After acclimation, the fishes were fed twice daily (9am and 6pm) with 10% of their body weight after coating 2 ml/1 kg of the commercial feed with their individual growth booster syrup and allowed to air-dry for about 20 minutes. Heterobranchus bidorsalis fingerlings were scooped for the measurements exercise at one week interval after which they were returned to their various tanks.&#x0D; Results: The result of this study recorded the experimental diets with optimum growth and survivability. From the result, it was deduced that, Commercial feed coated with watermelon syrup booster recorded the best performance in the growth variables of mean weight (26.36 ±3.19 g), mean length (13.61±1.35 cm), mean weight gain (24.64±3.00 g), mean length gain (8.38±1.35 cm), relative weight gain (25.36±3.19) while Commercial feed coated with commercial syrup booster (CbCf) recorded the best performance in growth variables of Daily Growth Rate (15.15±0.55) and Specific Growth Rate (2.69±0.03%) against Moring growth booster and commercial feed (control). However, there was less mortality as the fishes in different treatment tanks survived above 90%.&#x0D; Conclusion: It could be summarized that Commercial feed coated with watermelon syrup booster (WbCf) had the best growth performance against the control groups although their values were not significantly impacted (p&gt;0.05) when compared with other experimental diets.

Development and evaluation of taste masked dry syrup formulation of potassium chloride

Potassium chloride (KCl) syrup is widely used for the oral treatment of the hypokalemia. However, it is associated with unacceptable taste. In the present study, we sought to develop a palatable and easy to reconstitute KCl dry syrup as a commercially viable alternative to currently available KCl syrup. We explored the potential of Eudragit E100 as a taste-masking polymer to coat and improve the palatability of the KCl. With the help of fluid bed processor, KCl was coated with the solution containing varying amounts of Eudragit E100 (4, 6, 10 and 15%). Coating with 10% polymer solution enabled optimal fluid bed processing, higher entrapment of the KCl (81%) and better in vitro release profile in 0.1 N HCl and pH 6.8 phosphate buffer. A dry syrup formulation containing Eudragit E100 coated KCl with good physical and chemical stability in dry and reconstituted state was developed. The palatability of the optimized formulation and commercially available KCl syrup was evaluated using the Electronic Taste Sensing Machine. The developed formulation showed~ 2-fold better taste-masking compared to the commercial KCl syrup. Thus, present investigation describes the development of an effective alternative to the current KCl syrup that can offer better palatability, stability and patient compliance.

Physicochemical characterisation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) trunk syrup from the sap of different storage period as potential sweetener

Sap from the trunk of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) was processed into syrup in this study. Physicochemical properties of syrups produced from the sap of freshly cut oil palm trunks (OPT0syrup) and sap of trunks stored for 60 days (OPT60syrup) at ambient temperature were compared to nipa palm syrup (Nsyrup), maple syrup (Msyrup), and two commercial glucose syrups (G1syrup and G2syrup). The total soluble solids for the syrups (OPT0sy, OPT60sy, Nsy, Msy, G1sy and G2sy) were in the range of 66 to 82 ˚Brix. The sugar analysis indicated that glucose was the main sugar for OPT0sy and OPT60sy as 367 and 300 mg/g, respectively, whereby sucrose was the foremost sugar for Nsy and Msy. The colour of the syrups was ranked from the darkest to the lightest; OPT60syrup > OPT0syrup > Msyrup > Nsyrup > G1syrup > G2syrup. OPT0syrup and OPT60syrup achieved reducing capacity of 825 and 886 mg GAE/100 g, respectively, significantly higher than other syrups. The free radical scavenging activities of OPT0syrup and OPT60syrup were 74% and 70%, respectively. In conclusion, the oil palm trunk syrup has similar physicochemical properties with the commercial syrups, and it has the potential to be an alternative to the commercial sweeteners with added nutritional benefits.

Levels of Minor and Trace Elements of Some Commercial Fruit Juices and Syrup Produced in Artisanal and Semi-Industrial Units in Benin Republic

Fruit juices have been gaining interest in recent years for their contributions of minerals and other essential vitamins. But, with the development of intensive agriculture massively using pesticides and mineral fertilizers, the risk of contamination of these juices is high along the production chain. In this study, we evaluated the concentrations of arsenic&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; (As), cadmium (Cd), berrylium (Be), aluminium (Al), strontium (Sr), tin&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; (Sn), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), thallium&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; (Tl), lead&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; (Pb), thorium (Th), uranium (U) for 92 commercial samples of pineapple juice, cocktail of pineapple and watermelon and pineapple syrup of Benin and France using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Source Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations vary in the following ranges: As &amp;lt;QL at 39.3 ppb, Cd &amp;lt;QL at 0.7 ppb, Be &amp;lt;QL at 0.59 ppb, Al 26.4 ppb at 30620 ppb, Sr 130 ppb at 4049 ppb, Sn&amp;lt;QL at 43 ppb, Ba 42 ppb at 1582 ppb, Hg &amp;lt;QL at 31.7 ppb, Tl&amp;lt;QL at 21.3 ppb, Pb&amp;lt;QL at 608 ppb, Th&amp;lt;QL at 24.7 ppb ppb and U &amp;lt;QL at 1.04 ppb. Se, Ag and Pt have concentrations below the quantification limit (&amp;lt;QL). The levels of Ba, Hg and Pb exceeded the norms for some samples. The presence of aluminum, arsenic and cadmium in the tested samples of fruit juices can be toxic since they have no nutritional value, and hence may be treated as potential contaminants in these beverages. The classification of concentration levels of metallic contaminants reveals two main groups, the minor and the trace elements. These results make it possible to classify the contaminants in the decreasing order of the concentrations in the following way: Al&amp;gt; Sr&amp;gt; Ba&amp;gt; Pb&amp;gt; Sn&amp;gt; Tl&amp;gt; As&amp;gt; Th&amp;gt; Hg&amp;gt; Cd&amp;gt; Be&amp;gt; U. The average concentrations&amp;rsquo; levels of trace elements are generally in accordance with the levels obtained for French pineapple juices chosen as reference, national and international standards for the quality of beverages.