Decrease In Moisture Content Research Articles

Effect of Stem Diameter, Cutting Speed and Moisture Content on Cutting Torque for Green Gram Harvesting

The study was conducted during November, 2021 at Department of FMPE, CAET, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India to investigate the torque requirement and ascertain optimum peripheral cutting velocity of rotary cutting disc based on varying stem diameter and moisture content of green gram . The cutting operation was simulated to find the cutting torque in the instrumented soil bin, which comprises of test trolley, processing trolley and vertical rotor assembly with vertical shaft having serrated cutting disc. Sample plant stems of green gram were firmly fixed in the plant stem holder, and buried beneath the soil to simulate the natural standing of the crop as in the actual field condition. The cutting torque required to cut the stem of green gram at different crop moisture content (39.2, 41.4 and 42.9% (wb)), peripheral cutting velocity (20, 25, 30, and 35 ms-1) and plant stem diameter (2.95, 3.97 and 4.96 mm) was measured. It has been observed that peripheral cutting velocity of disc, stem diameter and moisture content of plant affected cutting torque at 1% level of significance. The cutting torque increased with decrease in moisture content and increase in diameter of plant stem of green gram. The cutting torque increased with an increase in peripheral cutting velocity up to the critical velocity of 30 ms-1, but the value decreased after critical peripheral velocity.

The Study on Utilization of Agricultural Waste as an Alternative Fuel for Bio-briquettes

The increase in fossil fuel consumption has led to the depletion of oil and natural gas reserves, necessitating the development of alternative energy sources from renewable biomass. Agricultural waste such as corn cob and banana stem, which are abundant in quantity, can be utilized as alternative bio-briquette fuel. This study aimed to synthesize bio-briquette using a mixture of corn cob and banana stem and investigate the influence of banana stem and corn cob composition on bio-briquettes’ characteristics. The bio-briquette production process involved pyrolysis at a temperature of 350°C for corn cob and banana stem carbonization. The variations in banana stem composition with corn cob were 10%:90%, 30%:70%, and 50%:50%, respectively. The quality of the bio-briquettes was tested according to the SNI 01-6235-2000 standard. The research results showed that an increase in banana stem composition generally resulted in a decrease in moisture content, volatile matter, and calorific value but an increase in the ash content of the bio-briquettes. All variations of bio-briquette composition met the SNI 01-6235-2000 standard for moisture content, fixed carbon, and calorific value. The highest calorific value was obtained at a composition of 10% banana stem and 90% corn cob, which measured 8929 cal/g. The emission test results for bio-briquettes with a composition of 10% banana stem and 90% corn cob indicated concentrations of SO2, NOx, and CO parameters at 65,67 mg/Nm3, 0 mg/Nm3, and 307,3 mg/Nm3, respectively.

Simulated and Verification of Mass and Heat Transfer Coupled Model of Jujube Slices Dried by Hot Air Combined with Radio Frequency Heat Treatment at Different Drying Stages.

This study investigates the impact of radio frequency (RF) heat treatment on heat and mass transfer during the hot air drying of jujube slices. Experiments were conducted at different drying stages, comparing single-hot air drying with hot air combined with RF treatment. Numerical models using COMSOL Multiphysics® were developed to simulate the process, and the results were compared to validate the models. The maximum difference between the simulated value of the center temperature and the experimental value was 6.9 °C, while the minimum difference was 0.1 °C. The maximum difference in average surface temperature was 1.7 °C, with a minimum of 0.3 °C. The determination coefficient (R2) between the simulated experimental values of HA and the early (E-HA + RF), middle (M-HA + RF), and later (L-HA + RF) groups was 0.964, 0.987, 0.961, and 0.977, respectively. The study demonstrates that RF treatment reduces drying time, enhances internal temperature, promotes consistent heat and mass transfer, and accelerates moisture diffusion in jujube slices. Furthermore, the later the RF treatment is applied, the greater the increase in internal temperature and the faster the decrease in moisture content. This research elucidates the mechanism by which RF heat treatment influences heat transfer in hot air-dried jujube slices.

Preparation of alkali-soluble polysaccharide from Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels and its effects on properties of chitosan-based edible film

In this study, alkali-soluble polysaccharide from wampee (ASP-W) was prepared and its effect on chitosan-based composite film was investigated. Preliminary characterization of ASP-W showed it was a kind of typical homogeneous polysaccharide, with a molecular weight of 1.5 × 103 KDa. Infrared spectroscopy proved the successful combination of ASP-W with chitosan. Meanwhile, composite film exhibited increased thickness, water solubility percentage, and swelling ratio and decreased moisture content. In terms of optical transmittance, composite films showed excellent UV barrier capability below 400 nm. Mechanical tests demonstrated tensile strength up to 24.84 MPa at ASP-W 1.5% and elongation at break up to 27.93% at ASP-W 4.5%. Composite films also possessed better barrier properties. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results also indicated better thermostability of composite films. DPPH radical scavenging reached 46.84% at ASP-W 1.5% and hydroxyl radical scavenging peaked at 97.16% at ASP-W 3%. In summary, ASP-W can improve optical, mechanical, barrier, and thermal stability and antioxidant properties of chitosan film, which provided a certain reference for the development and utilization of polysaccharide in edible packaging film.

Experimental study on dynamic resilient modulus of subgrade with circulating fluidized bed combustion ash as filler

Using circulating fluidized bed combustion ash (CFBCA) as roadbed filler can solve the problem of secondary utilization, and dynamic resilient modulus (DRM) can match the dynamic performance of roadbed filler under driving load. In order to explore the dynamic performance of the subgrade with CFBCA as filler under driving load, based on the dynamic triaxial test and mercury intrusion porosimetry test, the DRM of the sample under different curing ages, compaction, moisture content, stress, dry-wet and freeze–thaw cycle conditions were studied, and the pore distribution characteristics of the sample were analyzed. The results show that the DRM of CFBCA samples increases significantly in the 0 ∼ 7d age curing period, and increases slowly in 7 ∼ 28d; with the increase of f-CaO and SO3 content, the DRM of CFBCA samples increased; after the dry-wet cycle and freeze–thaw cycle, the DRM of the CFBCA sample decreased, and the decrease was more obvious under the dry-wet cycle. With the increase of f-CaO and SO3 content, the total porosity and macropore of CFBCA samples decreased; with the decrease of moisture content, the total porosity and macropore of CFBCA samples increased, the DRM becomes smaller. Under different moisture content and compaction, the DRM fitting of the CFBCA sample shows that the prediction results of the three-parameter theoretical model with volume stress and octahedral shear stress as variables are compared with the test results with a high correlation (R2 > 0.96), it can effectively predict the DRM of the subgrade with CFBCA used as filler.

Nutritional Quality Of Fermented Oil Palm Press Fiber By Local Microorganism

Oil palm press fiber is a by product of the agro industry that has a low nutrient content. Nutrients of oil palm press fiber can be improved by fermentation using local microorganisms. The research was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial pattern with 2 factors (3 x 3), namely first factor such as dose of local microorganisms (D1 = 1%, D2 = 3% and D3 = 5%) and second factor such as long of fermentation (L1 = 7 days, L2 = 14 days and L3 = 21 days), with 3 replications. The parameters measured were the nutritional content of fermented oil palm press fiber such as moisture, dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, and nitrogen free extract (NFE). Based on the research results obtained a combination of 5% dose of local microorganisms and 14 days of fermentation time had a significant effect (P<0.05) to increased crude protein content but did not have a significant effect (P>0.05) on increased dry matter and nitrogen free extract (NFE) and decreased moisture content, crude fiber, and ash.

Laterite soil stabilization using cellulose biopolymer

Laterite soil stabilization is a promising technique that aims to enhance the engineering properties of this naturally occurring soil, Cellulose are one of the potential bio-polymer stabilizers that have been widely employed. The effectiveness of Cellulose (CL) biopolymer in stabilizing laterite soil is shown in this study. In various proportions of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% by dry soil mass, cellulose biopolymer is treated with laterite soil. The engineering parameters of soils treated with cellulose biopolymer were determined using modified proctor tests, direct shear tests, and CBR tests. The treated soil's dry density increases slightly up to 3% cellulose content, but the optimum moisture content decreases. The addition of cellulose biopolymer greatly increased the strength and cohesiveness of laterite soil mixtures. The CBR value increases with increasing the cellulose dose up to 3%; however, with addition of dose, the CBR value decreases slightly in both soaked and unsoaked conditions. The examination of the microstructure through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) examinations revealed the emergence of novel cementitious substances as a consequence of chemical interactions between cellulose and laterite soil components at the microscopic scale. These reactions led to the enhancement of soil composition by fusing soil particles and occupying the voids within the soil framework. The use of cellulose as a material for the stabilization of laterite soil is therefore a solution for an environmentally benign soil stabilizing material.

An Empirical Study on Convective Drying of Ginger Rhizomes Leveraging Environmental Stress Chambers and Linear Heat Conduction Methodology

This comprehensive study provides an in-depth examination of the convective drying process and drying kinetics of ginger rhizomes (Zingiber officinale), precisely honing in on the influence of moisture content variation on the thermal property of thermal conductivity. Our research reveals a direct correlation between decreasing moisture content and thermal conductivity during drying, conducted under meticulously controlled conditions with a drying temperature range of 10 °C to 60 °C and an optimum drying temperature identified at 60 °C with a relative humidity of 35%. We scrutinise the thermal properties, namely, the thermal conductivity, in relation to moisture content, shedding light on the intricate dynamics involved. The study uncovers the distinct advantage of convective drying over traditional methods, shortening the drying time to just 24 h, compared to the nine and eight days required for open sun and solar tunnel drying, respectively. We identified optimal moisture levels for various ginger types: unblanched (6.63%, thermal conductivity 0.0553 W/m·K), blanched (9.04%, thermal conductivity 0.0516 W/m·K), peeled (8.56%, thermal conductivity 0.0483 W/m·K), and unpeeled ginger (5.98%, thermal conductivity 0.0460 W/m·K). As drying progressed, the moisture content fell from 81% to approximately 6–9%, concomitantly lowering the thermal conductivity from roughly 0.0553 W/m·K to around 0.0460–0.0516 W/m·K. These findings offer significant implications for the food industry, proposing improvements in drying processes and strategies for energy conservation when drying ginger rhizomes and similar agricultural produce. Moreover, this study sets a solid foundation for future investigations into potential applications of these insights to other agricultural products and various drying techniques.

Pengeringan Padi (Oryza sativa L) pada Musim Hujan

Indonesia is one of the countries where the majority of the population are farmers, and rice is the main commodity. While rice drying is an important factor, the current climate and weather changes are an obstacle for farmers in the drying process. Rice with high moisture content is not safe for storage as it is susceptible to mold attack and deterioration. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of the level of inclination of the plastic position on the decrease in rice moisture content and the level of loss. The results of observations of the weather index for 4 days show that the intensity of the sun reaching the earth varies every hour. The parameters measured rice weights of 250 grams, 500 grams, and 750 grams showed that at a slope of 30 ° had the lowest moisture content and the highest rate of rice loss was in rice weights of 250 grams with a slope of 0 ° at 62% while the lowest rate of rice loss was in rice weights of 750 grams with a slope of 0 ° at 19%. Keywords: Rice, Drying, Moisture Content Rice Weight, Slope.

Application of edible coatings composed of chitosan and tea seed oil for quality improvement of strawberries and visualization of internal structure changes using X-ray computed tomography

Edible film composed of chitosan (CH) and tea seed oil (TSO) was prepared by casting method and its physicochemical and structural properties were evaluated. Strawberries were coated with the edible coatings by dipping method and physicochemical properties (weight loss, moisture content, color change, firmness, pH and total soluble solids (TSS)) and internal structures were determined during storage at 2 °C for 24 days. Non-destructive X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used to visualize strawberry internal structure, with CT measured in terms of grayscale (GS) values. As expected, the CH + TSO film decreased water vapor permeability (WVP), with TSO conferring a reduction of 20.83 %. The CH + TSO film decreased moisture content (26.43 %) and water solubility (22.93 %). Incorporation of TSO in CH films significantly increased opacity by 204.76 %, greatly improving the ability to block light. Changes in the surface and structure of the films were obtained by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The properties of CH + TSO film were improved compared to pure CH film. Moreover, the results of storage for 24 days from the coating application to strawberries showed that CH and CH + TSO coatings effectively reduced fruit weight loss; retained firmness, color, moisture content by 86.69 % and 84.93 %, respectively, compared to the control (82.45 %), TSS by 10.22 % and 9.70 %, respectively, compared to the control (9.48 %); delayed pH changes by 3.49 % and 3.54 %, respectively, compared to the control (3.58 %) and ∆E by 8.06 % and 10.31 %, respectively, compared to the control (13.37 %). In particular, the CH and CH + TSO treated strawberries still remained the firmness by 68.36 % and 63.35 %, respectively, compared to the control (59.38 %) and the weight loss of CH and CH + TSO treated samples was 5.83 % and 6.93 %, respectively, compared to 8.11 % for the control. X-ray CT observations revealed that the coating treatments could inhibit the development of voids in the strawberries. These results demonstrate CH and CH + TSO film maintain the physicochemical properties and internal structure of strawberries during storage.

Use of cellulose microfibers from olive pomace to reinforce green composites for sustainable packaging applications.

To valorize abundant, unexploited, and low-cost agro-industrial by-products, olive pomace is proposed as a sustainable and renewable raw material for cellulose microfibers (CMFs) production. In this study, CMFs were extracted from olive pomace using alkaline and bleaching treatments and characterized in terms of morphological, structural, and thermal properties. Afterward, the reinforcing capability of microfibers was examined using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a polymer matrix by the solvent casting process. The effects of CMF loading (1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%) on the composites' mechanical, physical, morphological, and thermal properties were assessed. CMF incorporation led to a decrease in moisture content (MC), water solubility (WS), and water vapor permeability (WVP) and an increase in tensile strength (TS), stiffness and transparency values, and thermal stability of CMC films. Increasing CMF content to 5%, increased the TS and elasticity modulus by 54% and 79%, respectively, and reduced the WVP and light transmissivity at 280 nm, by 22% and 47%, respectively. The highest water, moisture, light barrier, and mechanical properties of composites were reached at 5% CMFs.

Drying Behavior of Moringa Oleifera Leaves using Tray Dryer

Moringa oleifera leaves have been dried in a tray drier to investigate the drying behaviors of Moringa oleifera leaves at three different temperatures for their moisture content, color, iron and protein content, as well as total phenolic content. Three levels of temperatures were chosen varying from 50, 60 and 70 °C in this study. Drying time reduced significantly with the rise in temperature. The final moisture content of dried leaves at 50, 60 and 70 °C was 4.89, 4.79, and 4.59 % and reached equilibrium moisture content at 4, 2, and 1.5 hours. For the water activity, all the dried leaves give a low amount of water activity from 0.0912 to 0.1838 at 70 - 50 °C where the higher the temperature the lower the water activity. This indicates that the lower the temperature, the slower the drying time required to decrease moisture content to below 5 % and a smaller amount of water activity. This ability to preserve its taste and nourishment. For the color changes, the value for greenness (-a) has no significant difference but notable differences were detected between the color parameters of fresh and dried leaves for whiteness L value and yellowness b. This shows that drying under a tray dryer has the same color as the fresh M. oleifera leaves. There was no notable difference in the value for protein but a significant difference (P<0.05) in the value for iron contents of the fresh and dried leaves. The total phenolic content (TPC) obtained from this study was 46.97 - 55.78 mg GAE/g FW for drying at 50 to 70 °C. Results from this study discover a great option for large-scale drying using method.

Deciphering the Impact of Induced Drought in Agriculture Soils: Changes in Microbial Community Structure, Enzymatic and Metabolic Diversity

Prolonged drought stress may have a significant impact on the structure and activity of the soil microbial community. Our study aims to investigate the impact of short-term drought (2 months) on the microbial community structure, enzymes, and metabolic diversity in four agricultural soils (Gniewkowo (G), Lulkowo (L), Wielka Nieszawka (N) and Suchatówka (S) sites) in Poland. These four types of soil were selected based on differences in their texture (gleyic luvisol Phaeozem in G (rich in clay and humus), stagnic luvisol in L, fluvisol in N and haplic luvisol in S (sandy)). We investigated the (1) number of bacteria, actinomycetes (formally phylum Actinomycetota) and fungi; (2) microbial community (16S rRNA and ITS amplicon regions); (3) biological activity by community-level physiological profiling (CLPP); (4) soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenases (DH), phosphatases (acid ACP and alkaline ALP) and urease (UR)); and (5) soil chemical properties. At the end of our experiment, we observed a significant decrease in soil moisture content with the highest in the soil from the S site. Overall, there was no change in total bacteria, but actinomycetes and fungal numbers increased after the 1st week with a decrease in moisture content. ACP activity decreased in three out of four analyzed soil samples. The exception was in sample G, where activity increased for 1–2 weeks and then decreased. ALP activity significantly increased with a decrease in moisture in the 1st week and was lowest at the end of the experiment. DH activity increased up to the 4th week in the G and N samples and up to the 2nd week in the L and S samples. UR activity showed variations in the analyzed samples. A reduction in the utilization of carbon sources (except D-mannitol and L-asparagine) was noted with the highest reduction in the G sample followed by the L, N and S samples. Thus, the pattern of changes was different depending on the analyzed soil type. The 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing revealed a decrease in the relative abundance of Pseudomonadota, Basidiomycota, Apicomplexa, and increased abundance of Actinomycetota, Bacillota and Ascomycota under prolonged drought conditions. With this, we concluded that drought conditions resulted in a significant alteration of soil microbial communities, enzyme activities, and metabolic diversity in the investigated soils.

Impact of Cooking Conditions on Proximate Composition and Textural Properties of Chicken Breast Meat

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of cooking conditions on the proximate composition and textural properties (cohesiveness and chewiness) of chicken breast meat. Eight packs of industrial skinless chicken breast meat were cooked by air frying (AF), baking (BK), deep fat frying (DF) and grilling (GR) at 170, 180 and 190oC for 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 min. The chicken breast packs were frozen and sliced into dimensions, thawed, cooked and analysed by a two way analysis of variance. The results revealed that cooking methods significantly (p < 0.05) decreased moisture and protein contents from 75.14 to 58.25% and 89.17 to 82.98%, but increased fat content from 4.26 to 7.78%, ash content from 1.95 to 2.39%, carbohydrate content from 4.63 to 6.95%, cohesiveness content from 0.40 to 0.52 and chewiness value from 3.63 to 6.05 kg. An increases in cooking temperatures and times decreased moisture content from 60.58 to % 56.34% and 75.14 to 47.40% and protein content from 83.77 to 82.11% and 89.17 to 79.45%. Similarly, increases in cooking temperatures and times significantly (p < 0.05) increased fat content from 7.00 to 8.44% and 4.26 to 10.12%, ash content from 2.15% to 2.59% and 1.95 to 2.67%. This study showed that increases in cooking temperatures decreased non-significantly (p > 0.05) carbohydrate content from 7.02 to 6.92%, but increases in cooking times increased carbohydrate content from 4.63 to 7.76%. An increases in cooking temperatures and times increased cohesiveness content from 0.50 to 0.54 and 0.40 to 0.63, chewiness value from 5.50 to 6.77 kg and 3.63 to 8.54 kg, respectively. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in chewiness values of samples cooked by AF and GR methods. The best cooking method/ temperature / time for low nutrient losses was BK, 170oC and 4 min.

CLERODENDRUM GLANDULOSUM L. INCORPORATED FUNCTIONAL PASTA: PHYTOCHEMICAL, TEXTUAL, STRUCTURAL AND SENSORY STUDIES

With an increasing concern by health conscious people search for more nutritious pasta products rich in minerals, phenolic compounds and dietary low glycemic index and have become the subject of primary significance. In this work effect of the addition of leaf powder as well as leaf extracted powder of Clerodendrum glandulosum L. on properties of pasta was studied. Functional pasta was developed by using a blend of durum wheat semolina, leaf powder and extracted leaf powder. The plant powder and extracts powder were added in the formulation with four proportions (2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10%) respectively. The obtained products were analyzed for their cooking attributes, textural properties, colour, phytochemical properties and sensory characteristics. Incorporation of leaf powder and extracts remarkably elevated the antioxidant activity (42.01 ± 1.40 to 74.19 ± 2.58%) and total phenolic content (13.96 ± 1.84 to 43.55 ± 2.55 mg GAE/ g). The moisture content decreases (55.79 ± 1.53 to 48.58 ± 1.51%) with increase in leaf or leaf extract powder. The swelling index and water absorption index of functional pasta were recorded lower values than the control pasta. With the addition of more leaf and extract powder, the product's lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) reduced while its redness (a*) grew. The hardness, springiness and chewiness were found to be relatively lower than that of the Control. The findings of the current study showed that among the pastas that have been fortified, the pasta with Clerodendrum glandulosum L. additions up to E-2.5% had the highest sensory acceptance. Good marketing expectations are given because it supplied sensory acceptance similar to the standard product.

Revealing the influence of temperature and moisture content on electrophysical parameters of raw apple materials

Additional heating of fruit raw materials in the drying process by direct passage of alternating electric current makes it possible to intensify the dehydration process by 3–5 times.
 The amount of added thermal energy during direct electric heating depends, first of all, on the value of the specific electrical resistance of the raw material. Therefore, the list of necessary properties of the material must necessarily include the specific electrical resistance of the raw material as an integral indicator.
 During drying with additional direct electric heating, the concentration of dry soluble substances, which directly depends on the moisture content of the studied raw material, and its temperature change throughout the drying time. This indicates a change in specific electrical resistance during the dehydration process. It was determined that the initial resistivity of apples before drying at a temperature of 20 °C and a moisture content of 8 kg/kg is within 195–220 Ohm•m, which indicates the high conductivity of the material.
 With a decrease in moisture content from 8 to 6 kg/kg, the specific electrical resistance of the raw material decreases by 25–30 % compared to the initial values. With a further decrease in moisture content below 6 kg/kg, the electrical resistivity of the raw material begins to gradually increase.
 At the same time as the temperature rises, there is a significant decrease in specific electrical resistance. When heating raw materials from 25 to 55 °C, the value of specific resistance decreases by 10–13 times.
 The equation of the dependence of the specific electrical resistance of apple raw material on its moisture content and temperature for the studied apple varieties was obtained.
 The obtained results of the change in the value of the specific resistance provide the necessary data for the development of an energy-saving technological device for drying fruits and the selection of optimal processing conditions in compliance with quality indicators

EVALUATION OF GLUTEN-FREE BARS MADE WITH HOUSE CRICKET (ACHETA DOMESTICUS) POWDER

The use of insects is a modern trend in the food industry with a positive impact on ecology and sustainability. Not only the popularity of eating whole insects is growing among consumers, but also products with an insect component are preferred more. It is also used in foods for special nutrition. Gluten-free bar made with cricket powder can represent a functional food stuff. The study shows that the addition of insects can increase the Total Polyphenol Content (24.78 mg GAE/ 100 g to 44.68 mg GAE/ 100 g) (p < 0.05). There is also an increase in antioxidant activity expressed as scavenging activity (%) for ABTS from 7.33 to 50.17, for DPPH 4.10 to 33.88 (p < 0.05). The influence of cricket powder was also recorded in the moisture content of the product, when the increased addition of insects led to a decrease in moisture content (R=0.89). Sensory evaluation showed overall acceptability for these bars. Texture, taste, appearance, aroma and overall pleasantness were compared. Although the protein bars without cricket content (Ctrl) had the highest overall pleasantness rating, it differed statistically significantly (p < 0.05) only from the sample with the highest cricket powder content (B25I).

153 Meat Quality of Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix Hair Sheep Lambs Rendered Short Scrotum or Castrated at Weaning

Abstract This study evaluated meat quality parameters of short scrotum and castrated Barbados Blackbelly (BB; n = 16) and St. Croix (STX; n = 15) hair sheep ram lambs. Ram lambs born in April (n = 21) and December (n = 10) were rendered short scrotum (SS; n = 17) or castrated (CA; n = 14) using elastrator bands at weaning (63 days of age). Following a transition period of 2 months in a dry lot, ram lambs co-grazed with ewe lambs in a rotational pasture system and were provided soy hull at 3% BW daily. At target weights of app. 40 kg lambs were slaughtered and loin cuts from individual carcasses were collected for meat quality analysis. Data from the two lambing groups were pooled and analyzed as a completely randomized design with a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement for breed (BB or STX) and sex class (SS or CA). The CIE L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) values of loin cuts were not significantly influenced by breed or sex class. The longissimus muscle (LM) in loin cuts from CA lambs had a greater (P < 0.0001) fat content (3.73 vs 2.55 ± 0.155%) and tended (P = 0.06) to have a decreased moisture content (69.63 vs 70.75 ± 0.413%) than that from SS lambs. Neither breed nor sex class significantly affected the myoglobin content, percent metmyoglobin and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of LM from lamb cuts. Cuts from SS lambs had greater (P < 0.0001) shear force values (3.22 vs 2.64 ± 0.093 kg) than those from CA lambs. However, the cooking loss of loin cuts was not significantly influenced by breed or sex class. The fatty acid profiles of LM from experimental lambs were significantly influenced by breed and sex class. Compared with BB, STX had greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of myristic (C14:0;.38 vs.23%), palmitic (C16:0; 20.15 vs8.98%) and oleic (C18:1n9; 45.01 vs 42.81%), but less than (P < 0.05) concentrations of stearic (C18:0;7.29 vs9.33%) and linoleic (C18:2n6; 6.14 vs 7.47%) acids in LM. Furthermore, the LM from SS lambs had greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of C18:2n6 (8.09 vs 5.51%) and arachidonic (C20:4n6, 2.04 vs.40%), but lless than (P < 0.05) concentrations of C16:0 (19.07 vs 20.06%) and C18:1n9 (41.57 vs 46.24%) acids than that from CA lambs. Data suggest that meat quality parameters were more greatly influenced by sex class than breed when landrace hair sheep lambs were slaughtered at a target weight. Loin cuts from SS lambs were leaner, but less tender than those of CA lambs, and also differed in their fatty acid profiles. Hence meat quality will be impacted by the choice of rendering male lambs sterile.

121 Impact of environmental conditions and dragging schedules on changes in moisture content in equine arena footing

Each equestrian disciplines have unique footing needs, but all disciplines require a stable and consistent footing to train, ride, and compete on. Managing footing properly is key to maintaining this surface and water application is a common treatment to control dust as well as increase the shear strength of the footing. The bulk density of the footing mixture is an important material characteristic for determining how a surface will compact, how much water it can hold, and serves as a target moisture content. While bulk density is the target, there is little information regarding how moisture content in arena footing changes over time. The objective of this study was to examine how the change in moisture content over a 5-d period was impacted by different environmental conditions and varying drag schedules. Representative footing models (RFM) were built for 3 different footing types: sand, sand with fiber, and sand with organic material. The environmental conditions were winter (7°C/75%RH), summer, humid (30°C/80%RH) and summer, dry (30°C/40%RH) and the drag schedules were daily, every other day (MWF), and weekly (W). The starting gravimetric moisture content for the each footing was determined by the bulk density: sand with fiber 21%, sand 12%, sand with organic material 14%. All footing types were statistically significant for the environmental conditions (all p-values < 0.01). The average (expressed as least squares means) moisture content decrease over the 5 d for the 3 RFM under each environmental condition are provided. While the drag schedule was notstatistically significant for the change in overall moisture content, there was statistical significance or a trend toward statistical significance in the difference between the moisture contents of the top and bottom layers of the RFMs for the sand (P = 0.066) and sand with organic material (P < 0.001). In addition, the environmental conditions were statistically significant for all 3 footing types (sand with fiber (P = 0.033), sand (P = 0.088), sand with organic material (P = 0.004). Understanding how the moisture content changes in different arena footing allows for better management of the arena surfaces at equine facilities as well as providing information on how resources, particularly water, can be best applied for maximum benefit.

DEHUMIDIFIER DRYING OF SEAGRASS SIMPLICIA AT LOW TEMPERATURE FOR ANTIOXIDANT AND PHENOLIC PRESERVATION

Syringodium isoetifollium is seagrass a marine plant which is mostly found in Indonesian sea waters. Phenol is a kind of sensitive heat compound which will damage at high temperatures. This research aimed to study the effect of temperature using a dehumidified drying machine on the quantity of phenol content and testing of this antioxidant activity and the evaluation of drying characteristics of seagrasses such as decrease of moisture content, the distribution of temperature drying relative humidity, and energy consumption. In this research, the independent variaable were tempeartures (30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C) and the independent variable were the content of phenol and antioxidant activity of the seagrasses. The phenol content of each extract was measured with a microplate reader using a Follin-Ciocalteu reagent. The antioxidant activity was measured with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The result showed that the highest content of phenolic compounds (80.42766 ± 0.409a) and antioxidant activity (88.4185 ± 32.0709a) was found in the dehumidified dryer at a temperature of 40 °C. There were significant differences between temperatures of 30 °C and 50 °C. Dehumidifier drying at 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C required 13 hours, 12 hours, and 7.5 hours to reach the final moisture content of seagrass 18-20% from the initial moisture content of 89.4% ± 0.04% (wb). The total phenol content and antioxidant activity with a temperature treatment of 40 °C dehumidifier drying machine showed the best results compared to temperatures of 30 °C, 50 °C, and oven at 40 °C. Based on the same temperature treatment, dehumidifier drying requires a faster time (12 hours) than oven drying (17 hours). The appropriate temperature and time of drying can produce the optimal total phenol and antioxidant activity.