Product Development Research Articles

Dietary Ecology of Predatory Insects Examining the Role of Prey and Non Prey Foods of Ladybird Beetle

Ladybird beetles consume a wide variety of non-prey items in their natural habitats, including aphids, fruits, plants, fungi, honeydew, and nectar. These non-prey foods play several critical roles, such as boosting fertility, decreasing mortality during dormancy, supporting migration, and enhancing survival during times when prey is scarce. Larval ladybird beetles have more specialized nutritional needs compared to adults, with simple carbohydrates being crucial nutrients that can improve adult beetle function and reproductive success. Non-prey foods often provide similar or greater nutritional and caloric content compared to prey. Each non-prey item has distinct defense mechanisms and nutritional benefits, influencing its suitability for ladybird beetles. Research comparing diets consisting solely of prey with mixed diets that include non-prey foods revealed that while pollen improved larval and adult performance, a diet high in sugar alone was less effective for reproduction compared to an aphid-based diet. Wheat, which lacks essential nutrients such as proteins, could not adequately support egg production and larval development. Although pollen did enhance overall performance, it could not completely offset the nutritional shortcomings of a diet high in sugar. Adding sugar to a diet did not markedly enhance the performance of ladybird beetles compared to a diet composed entirely of prey. This review underscores the need to understand the varied diet of ladybird beetles within their ecological context, as it has significant implications for the success of conservation-oriented biological control effort.

Socio-Economic Profile and Vulnerabilities Assessment in Small-Scale Fisheries of Lower Gangetic Flood Plain Wetland: An Initiative Towards Achieving Wetland Ecosystem Sustainability and Community Well-Being

ICAR-CIFRI has been continuously working to develop wetland fisheries in a transdisciplinary knowledge-to-action mode to upscale the livelihood of vulnerable small-scale fishermen communities. The integrated development approach was initiated in different lower Gangetic floodplain wetlands of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India, to increase the fish production and socio-economic development of small-scale fishermen communities of the wetlands. Duma is one of the most extensive horseshoe-shaped wetlands in Asia. To augment the fish production from this wetland, the pen culture system was adopted by the fishers under the supervision of ICAR-CIFRI in 2021. Within a year, they received 15 tons of commercial fish, valued at around 30 lakhs apart from the small indigenous fish. It has recently been advised that auto-stocked, high-value minor carp in the wetland be adopted to improve income and conserve small indigenous species. In this article, SDG 14 (Life below water) addresses sustainable ecosystem management and livelihood enhancement for the wellbeing of the local people (SDG 3). Nutritional security of the local people is maintained through the small indigenous fish species which is crucial for addressing ‘No hunger’ as per SDG-2. The research also proves that women can play a crucial role in small-scale fisheries and they can economically stand alone, which is the main aim of SDG-5 (gender equality). However, significant issues such as lack of jurisdictional coordination, ecological changes, inequitable distribution of benefits, and income reduction persist in wetland management. The need for urgent reformation of policy and resource management systems is crucial to boost the economic efficiency of the SSF in the wetland. Training for more knowledge on fishing and fish farming, acquiring alternative livelihood and education on financial management should be brought to the fishermen’s communities. These could develop a resilient community that is more equipped to respond to future crises.

Sustainable Development of Production–Living–Ecological Spaces: Insights from a 30-Year Remote Sensing Analysis

The rapid pace of urbanization and industrialization has reshaped land use patterns globally, particularly within the interconnected domains of ‘production, living, and ecological spaces’ (PLES). Understanding the spatiotemporal evolution of these spaces is crucial for guiding sustainable development. Although a number of previous studies have explored aspects of their dynamics and driving factors, further investigation is needed to fully understand their long-term spatiotemporal evolution and the broader influences of socio-economic and environmental forces. This study aims to fill that important gap by leveraging advanced remote sensing techniques to analyze PLES transformations over a 30-year period. Using Henan Province, China, as a testbed, this study applies high-resolution Landsat data, land use transition matrices, dynamic degree analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and multiple linear regressions to uncover trends and underlying drivers. The results reveal a substantial reduction in production spaces by 3394.62 km² steady growth in living spaces by 4459.41 km² and complex, non-linear changes in ecological spaces, which decreased by 1067.43 km². Key driving forces, such as economic growth, urbanization, and fiscal policies are identified and discussed. These insights provide a robust framework for sustainable land use planning, with broader implications for rapidly urbanizing regions worldwide.

Rapid estimation of carbon footprints in agrochemical development: correlation of process mass intensity with CO2 emissions.

The agricultural sector faces a challenge in balancing increasing food demand while minimizing environmental impacts. Crop protection products are crucial for achieving high crop yields and ensuring food security. However, life cycle assessment (LCA), the standard framework for evaluating environmental impact, is time-consuming and costly, especially during early product development. To address this, a novel tool correlating process mass intensity (PMI) with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been developed as a streamlined alternative. A strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.95) was identified between PMI and product GHG emissions, enabling rapid carbon footprint estimation using simplified PMI data. The model was validated using 13 small molecule active ingredients (AIs), showing a mean absolute error (MAE) of 55 g CO₂/kg AI and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 64 kg CO₂/kg AI. Residual analysis demonstrated random distribution, suggesting reliable predictions. The PMI-based tool provides rapid, accurate estimates of product carbon footprint (PCF), supporting early-stage decision-making in research and development for agrochemical processes. Its simplicity makes it applicable across various chemical sectors and valuable for sustainability efforts. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Investigating formation water variability in the Búzios oilfield (Santos Basin) using cluster analysis and hydrogeochemical modeling

The characteristics of formation waters play a crucial role in production development projects within Pre-Salt oil fields in the Santos Basin, offshore southeastern Brazil. This study investigated the compositional variations of brines of the Búzios Field (northeast of the Santos Basin), proposing for the first time an extensive hydrochemical mapping of the Pre-Salt aquifers and identifying nuances of connectivity. A comprehensive methodology was employed, including analysis of pressure gradients, cluster analysis, and hydrogeochemical modeling to classify different types of brine and understand their behavior under reservoir conditions. A hydrochemical classification routine was applied to 129 formation water samples, identifying seven distinct clusters using the unsupervised k-means algorithm. This clustering process efficiently differentiated representative, non-representative, and contaminated samples. The hydrochemical composition of the formation waters varied among the four hydraulic compartments identified in the field, with their boundaries defined by permeability barriers. Compared with the central portion of the field (regional aquifer), where salinities predominantly range from 155,000 to 185,000 mg/L of NaCl, enrichment of specific ions was observed at the field's extremities, such as boron (northeast), barium and lithium (north), and bicarbonate (west). These hydrochemical differences lead the brine salinities at the field's extremities to exceed 225,000 mg/L of NaCl. Hydrogeochemical modeling provided insights into the pH levels of each brine under reservoir conditions, showing a decrease of between 23 and 32% compared to surface pH values. The speciation analysis showed positive strontianite and barite saturation indices in certain types of formation water, indicating potential precipitation. These areas are considered critical for inorganic scaling in production equipment.

Future of Jordanian traditional media in light of AI: A qualitative study

The research aims to investigate the prospective implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on traditional media, and to elucidate the conceptualization of AI within the discourse of media professionals, governmental and private media stakeholders in Jordan, alongside media scholars and IT experts. Employing the focus group method, a specialized interview tool distinguished by its purpose, design, and procedures, two distinct cohorts were engaged: media practitioners and officials on one hand, and academics and experts on the other. The investigation revealed the absence of a universally agreed upon terminology concerning AI, attributable to its nascent nature and rapid evolution. Notably, AI, leveraging its diverse and highly proficient tools, demonstrates significant potential for transformative impacts across various facets of the media landscape. These encompass the facilitation of exceptional content production, the empowerment of journalists to express their creative capacities, and substantial reductions in time, labor, and procedural overheads in media product development. Concurrently, the integration of AI within media environments is anticipated to pose formidable challenges to existing institutional frameworks. Additionally, the imperative of curriculum development in academic institutions, both public and private, is underscored to acquaint students with AI methodologies.

Exploitative and exploratory search: Dynamic capabilities enhancing SME adaptation, new product development, and environmental performance

ABSTRACT This study delves into how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adapt to market changes and enhance environmental performance through exploitative and exploratory search strategies within emerging economies. Operationalizing these strategies as dynamic capabilities, we investigate their impact on new product development amid environmental dynamism. Utilizing a two-wave survey of 437 manufacturing SMEs, with lagged primary environmental performance data, we applied partial least squares—structural equational modeling (PLS-SEM) to test our hypotheses. Our findings contribute invaluable insights to entrepreneurship literature, emphasizing the crucial role of intentional search in SMEs’ continuous adaptation and innovation. We shed light on the distinctive contributions of exploitative and exploratory search in shaping SMEs’ resource base and specific outputs, such as environmental performance. By discerning between possessing a capability and achieving successful outcomes, our study offers a resilient framework for SMEs, boosting both new product development and environmental performance in emerging economies.

Application of Public-Private Partnership Mechanisms to Ensure Innovative Development of the Healthcare Sector

INTRODUCTION. The pursuit of technological sovereignty in the current geopolitical situation has led to a growing emphasis on studying relations in the field of government support for healthcare innovation, in particular, the institute of public–private partnership (PPP). In the face of the challenges presented by sanctions, the economic crisis, and a potential deficit in sustainably competitive national innovative medical products, the Russian government is confronted with the necessity of financing the development and production of innovative medical products, including through involving private partners (investors). The use of PPP mechanisms is essential for the achievement of technological sovereignty. In addition to attracting private capital and competences, PPP mechanisms can significantly accelerate the development, realisation, and introduction of innovative medical products, improve the quality of medical care, and increase the production of medicines and medical devices.AIM. This study aimed to analyse existing PPP mechanisms for the development of the Russian healthcare, science, and technology sectors within the framework of state–business relations and to identify optimal models for the development, realisation, introduction, and production of innovative medical products.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study analysed Russian federal legislation using an information-based analytical approach to identify the most promising mechanisms for innovative development in healthcare, with a focus on PPP models.RESULTS. The article considers frequently encountered forms of possible government involvement in and support of innovative healthcare development with the aim of increasing efficiency and scaling up the realisation and introduction of innovative medical products. Additional aspects covered include the funding of technological sovereignty projects, the expansion of preferential regimes, and the concept of using PPP models. The article presents various PPP realisation mechanisms, including special investment contracts, concession agreements, and PPP agreements, which allow placing infrastructure facilities under the management of private partners. The transferred facilities may include production facilities, research centres, and other facilities necessary for innovative development. The article pays particular attention to the terms and features of concession agreements in the healthcare sector, considers the distribution of duties and responsibilities between the parties involved, and investigates the use of the risk-based approach. Additionally, the article analyses established business practices to identify conditions that are necessary for the parties to a concession agreement.CONCLUSIONS. The realisation of PPP projects in the innovative development of the healthcare sector requires taking into account and overcoming constraining factors, including technological and administrative barriers that may hinder effective development. The authors believe that the most preferable PPP form is the concession agreement model.

ФОРМУВАННЯ ПРОДУКТОВОЇ СТРАТЕГІЇ ЯК ГОЛОВНОГО ЕЛЕМЕНТА МАРКЕТИНГОВОЇ ТОВАРНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ

Introduction. Today, when the target market changes, competition increases or the marketing environment changes, the nature and pace of product development must also change. Different markets and competitive situations require different product development cycle lengths, degrees of standardization and support services. All of the above requires a rethinking of the role of marketing product policy, in particular marketing product strategy. The purpose of the article.To investigate the essence of the product strategy, the peculiarities of product marketing, to analyze the foreign experience of forming a product strategy and to build a model of the company's product marketing strategy. Metods. The use of the method of analysis and synthesis of foreign experience in the formation of product marketing made it possible to adapt the model of the company's product marketing strategy to domestic realities. Results A product strategy sets the direction for the business, unites everyone around common goals and reduces waste. Product marketers spend a lot of time solving problems – many of which could be avoided if product goals, priorities and strategies were clear and aligned. In order to better understand who should do what, a model of the company's marketing product strategy is proposed, which includes three components: a strategy for determining product activity (initial activity); product manufacturing strategy (input activity) and sales strategy (output activity). Conclusiоns The structure of product marketing and its functioning depends on the size of the enterprise, the markets in which it operates, as well as the skills and preferences of the people involved. However, in order to achieve success, it is necessary to realize three aspects: decide who and what should be done; understand who is ultimately responsible for the success of each product; a detailed understanding of existing and potential customers and markets. Knowing this helps ensure products are well positioned, customers want to buy them, and sales teams have what they need to sell.

Strategi Pengembangan Ekonomi Kreatif pada Subsektor Wisata Kuliner Berbasis Kearifan Lokal di Kota Sampang

The creative economy has become one of the fastest growing sectors in Indonesia, making a significant contribution to the local economy. Culinary tourism, one of the sub-sectors of the creative economy, plays a major role with the potential for developing culinary tourism based on local wisdom in various regions, including Sampang, Madura. This study aims to determine the problems being faced, and how the creative economy development strategy is in the culinary tourism sub-sector based on local wisdom in the city of Sampang. The method used in this study is a qualitative descriptive research method. The findings of this study are expected to help formulate an effective strategy to strengthen the creative economy in Sampang in the culinary tourism sub-sector. The results of the study show that the problems faced by culinary entrepreneurs based on local wisdom in the city of Sampang include the lack of innovation in product development and interior design, the lack of optimal use of technology as a promotional medium, and the limited number of skilled human resources. The development strategy carried out by innovating in product packaging and taste, maintaining product uniqueness, maintaining product authenticity, while creating new innovations in presentation and packaging.

Pengembangan Produk Menggunakan Pendekatan New Product Development di PT. LMN Purwakarta

In this study, it will focus on product development where the products that are currently produced, one of which is mustard greens, so because this mustard greens product is in the maturity phase or the peak of the increase, which will automatically if this product continues to be produced, it will decrease.research and development is the method used to conduct this research. In the processing of RND data, various processes in the RND method have been calculated according to the data generated from the questionnaire. For the results that have been determined using the RND method, the value generated from the method is that consumers prefer vegetables that are a new variant of PT LMN. After the sampling, market research conditions related to vegetables that are used as the basis for the questionnaire People want vegetables that have affordable prices with the development of vegetables that have a variety at PT LMN. The steps of HOQ to determine new products at PT LMN are to find the values generated from the questionnaire data that has been distributed and processed using the formulas in the HOQ process. After calculating the HOQ, a new product was produced that would be a variation of PT LMN's product, namely kailan vegetables.

Roles of Individual Institutions in Achieving Pharmaceutical Sovereignty as Exemplified by the Medical Technology Transfer Centre of the Scientific Centre for Expert Evaluation of Medicinal Products

INTRODUCTION. The strengthening of the health system and the improvement of access to medicines directly depend on the development and marketing authorisation of national innovative medicinal products. Technology transfer is a key tool in bringing medicinal products to market.AIM. This study aimed to evaluate the role of the Medical Technology Transfer Centre of the Federal State Budgetary Institution ‘Scientific Centre for Expert Evaluation of Medicinal Products’ of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (FSBI ‘SCEEMP’) in facilitating the implementation of federal projects in medical science and in achieving of pharmaceutical sovereignty.DISCUSSION. This article is an overview of the main trends in and features of the development of the pharmaceutical industry in the Russian Federation and around the world. The article highlights significant federal decisions made to attain pharmaceutical sovereignty and improve access to medicines for the population. The authors consider documents regulating the work of the Medical Technology Transfer Centre and outline its roles and responsibilities. Additionally, the authors analyse the ability of the Medical Technology Transfer Centre to provide project support throughout the medicinal product development process and to address issues pertaining to efficient pharmaceutical development, patent law, and product commercialisation. The article assesses the role of the Medical Technology Transfer Centre in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in the Russian Federation.CONCLUSIONS. The Medical Technology Transfer Centre supports projects as part of efforts to implement federal projects in human medical science. The Medical Technology Transfer Centre can be considered a driver of effective innovative development in the national pharmaceutical industry.

METHOD OF DETERMINING THE PARAMETER OF QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A WEB FORUM

Context. The development of new types of virtual environments is an urgent task of informatisation of modern education, since such services allow enhancing the quality of educational services and contribute to a deeper assimilation of new knowledge by students. A web application proposed in this paper has been built using modern approaches to creating web pages using the .NET programming language, Bootstrap and ASP.NET MVC frameworks, Azure cloud solutions and Azure SQL databases, which has enabled the simplification of software development by distributing functions between the application modules and provided the flexibility, performance, and security necessary to work with relational data. The effectiveness of the application in the educational process has been experimentally tested using the method of determining the qualitative evaluation of the web forum usefulness parameter, which was developed by introducing an informative parameter of the discussion quality based on the h-index (sometimes called the Hirsch index or Hirsch number). Objective. To build a mathematical model of a web forum and develop a method of determining the qualitative evaluation of the parameter of usefulness of discussions in the created web application, which would allow improving the quality of educational and scientific activities in a higher education institution. Method. A method of determining the parameter of qualitative evaluation of a web forum using the h-index has been developed, which enabled analysing the interest in covering the trends of discussion on the forum pages and planning on its basis further work of the forum as a tool of a virtual learning environment. Results. Based on the analysis of the results of the implementation of the web application in the educational process of the Department of Information Technologies Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, the user activity of posts has been analysed and the effectiveness of discussions of the proposed topics on the forum pages has been determined using the introduced activity parameter. Conclusions. A mathematical model of a web forum has been built, and the application has been implemented using modern approaches to software development using an optimised MVC architecture, which enabled simplification of creating a service by distributing responsibilities between the application modules and facilitating testing and technical support of the service. The scientific novelty of the study is the development of a method of evaluating the usefulness of discussions in a web forum by introducing a new informative quality parameter, the use of which allowed broadening the scope of existing limitations in quantitative analytics of discussions and feedbacks in popular services. Experimental studies carried out on the basis of a higher education institution have confirmed the effectiveness of the method application to improve the quality of educational services. The practical significance of the obtained results is the development of a software product as a tool of the virtual learning environment of a higher education institution.

Inovasi Schotel Tape di Desa Banjarsari sebagai Strategi Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Penciptaan Alternatif Produk Turunan Industri Layak Hilirisasi

This article discusses the innovation of Schotel Tape in Banjarsari Village as a strategy for community empowerment and the creation of viable downstream industrial derivative products. This community service program aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of the community in processing tape into high-value-added products. The methodology includes training, mentoring, and program effectiveness evaluation. The results indicate that the Schotel Tape innovation successfully increases community income and creates new business opportunities. Additionally, the program facilitates collaboration among residents and raises awareness of the importance of product diversification. In conclusion, the Schotel Tape innovation provides a positive contribution to community economic empowerment and can serve as a model for the development of other derivative products.

The Role of Industrial Design for the Sustainable Disaster Management in Türkiye

This article aims to discuss the contributions of the industrial design discipline to the development of new product and service systems for sustainable and effective disaster management in Turkey. For this reason, the article focuses on innovative process activities such as design and R&D carried out by the Turkish NGO-affiliated Shelter Systems Company, a major player in disaster response and one of the largest shelter system manufacturers in Europe. This research explores the roles of the industrial design discipline in innovation processes, as well as the organizational characteristics of the innovation activities carried out in the Shelter Systems Company. Within the scope of the case study, a business process analysis was conducted to understand the role of design in the creative process activities of the Shelter Systems Company and the natural workflow of the design processes. The research demonstrated that the Shelter Systems Company has recently shifted to income-generating activities that support social entrepreneurship, aiming to transform these efforts into social benefits. However, the main process activities of the Shelter Systems Company are primarily manufacturing orientated. Its industrial design capacity is limited, its inovation process is closed to external influences, and its horizontal collaborations for open information sharing with external organisations and stakeholders are restricted. Based on the findings, this research proposes strategies to make industrial design more effective in the innovative process activities of the Shelter Systems Company in disaster management.

Product development of sweets chocolate cube using value engineering method

Cocoa is one of the plantation commodities that has an important role in economic activities as a foreign exchange earner. Indonesia is ranked first in Asia with the highest consumption of chocolate, which is 7.3 kg per capita. Chocolates are seen by consumers as a comfort food or stress relief. For consumers who buy chocolate for their own consumption, consuming chocolate in a small size causes consumers to act more impulsively to consume larger quantities. Consumption of chocolate in small sizes (one bite size) gives the impression that the product has a premium image and higher quality. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of chocolate that influence the decisions of product purchasing and to develop one-bite-sized chocolate cubes using the value engineering method. The study used 433 respondents with the criteria of chocolate consumers aged 15-40 years. Based on the research, chocolate bars and molded chocolate are the types of chocolate most often consumed with a frequency of 2-3 times a month. Consumers have the highest complaints when consuming chocolate, namely melted chocolate which makes hands dirty due to its big size and is too hard to bite. Based on the consumer needs analysis, consumers want the development of milk chocolate cube candy with nuts filling. Four alternative cube milk chocolate concepts with a cocoa mass percentage of 50% were prepared using 2 variations in the number of cocoa beans and cocoa fat (40%:10% and 35%:15%) and 2 variations of nuts (almonds and cashews). Based on the hedonic test results, milk chocolate cubes with a formula of 10% cocoa butter and cashew nut filling had the highest product value of 0.013 compared to other formulas. Chocolate color and ease of eating are the attribute weights with the highest weights. It can be concluded that the milk chocolate cube formula is 40% cocoa beans; 10% cocoa butter, cashew nut filling is the selected formula with a production cost of IDR 985.00/g.

Food-Grade Bigel Systems: Formulation, Characterization, and Applications for Novel Food Product Development

Bigels are characterized as biphasic systems consisting of two structured phases of different polarity, namely the oleogel and hydrogel phases. These systems have been widely used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, owing to their enhanced physicochemical stability compared to other structured systems and their ability to simultaneously deliver both hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds. Considering the above advantages, bigels could have considerable potential for the food industry. This review aims to provide a detailed description of the edible components used for structuring the oleogel and hydrogel phases and the preparation methods applied for the formation of food-grade bigels with application-specific tailored properties. The impact of the processing parameters, such as the oleogel-to-hydrogel ratio, methodology used for component mixing, and cooling rates, is presented. Moreover, the most applicable bigel characterization techniques, such as rheology, DSC, texture analysis, etc., are critically discussed. Finally, different bigel applications in foods as animal fat substitutes or as complex delivery systems for both polar and non-polar bioactive compounds are examined.

Two-step nested optical-electrical Monte-Carlo approach to analyze the influence of tolerances on Micro-CPV module performance

In manufacturing and product optimization, understanding the influence of tolerances, which are inevitable variations in production processes, is crucial for enhancing performance while managing costs. However, previous analytical approaches lacked the capability to quantitatively assess the cumulative effect of multiple tolerances due to their random combination and statistical independence. In this work, we introduce a novel method that overcomes these limitations by effectively modeling complex dependencies among tolerances through a two-step nested Monte-Carlo approach. We apply this model to a micro-CPV module developed at Fraunhofer ISE. First, we randomly select and combine tolerances in a cell-lens unit using ray tracing. Then, we randomly select and combine these units in a full 690-cell module using an electrical network model considering different angles of incidence. The considered tolerances include deviations in component geometries and displacements and are based on measurements. The model predicts the acceptance angle and allows to identify the optimal interconnection schemes. Further, it is capable to determine the maximum tolerances permissible for maintaining a certain module power. While tolerances lead to a distribution in current generation among the cell-lens units, we find that parallel interconnections can compensate for such variations. Further, we identify that the positions of secondary lens and micro solar cell are the most sensitive parameters for achieving high module power. These findings are crucial for refining module design cost-effectively. Moreover, the model facilitates a quantitative assessment of optimization potentials, guiding decision-making in product development and manufacturing, and a techno-economic optimization.

Efficient construction of a quinoline framework from alcohols, nitroarenes, and alkenes promoted by a trimetallic catalyst system

A Pd/Fe/In-trimetallic catalyst system promotes the three-component coupling reaction of primary alcohols, nitroarenes, and terminal alkenes to construct quinoline frameworks in a single operation. These consecutive coupling reactions proceed via an oxidative Povarov reaction of alkenes and aldimines derived from primary alcohols and nitroarenes by a redox hydrogen transfer system. This reaction may contribute to the efficient development of pharmaceuticals and medicinal products.

A Study on Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.) Fortified Processed Products: Formulation and Quality Evaluation

Background: The aims of study to investigate physico-chemical properties do a proximate analysis of black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa L.) of AN-1 variety and development of value-added products by incorporating black cumin paste and powder in various proportions. Methods: The sensory evaluation of incorporating black cumin to have value-added products was performed using hedonic scale method. Physico-chemical properties of black cumin seeds were determined in the initial stage of study. Then, the proximate analysis was performed. In the second phase, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), pH, acidity, and antioxidant activity of the developed products were determined. The antioxidant activity of prepared products was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The antioxidant activity of coriander chutney was increased from 55.75 to 57.07 by increasing the fortification of black cumin paste, and in bottle gourd, Ready To Serve (RTS) was increased from 40.73 to 42.08 as by increasing the fortification of black cumin powder. Results: It was observed that level 1% incorporation of black cumin paste and RTS was found best by judges after sensory evaluation of chutney when compared to level 2 and 3% black cumin fortified paste. However, in biscuits, black cumin powder supplemented level up to 2% was found acceptable on the basis of spread factor and hardness as compared to 3 and 4% fortification powder. It was concluded that 1% black cumin paste supplemented in coriander chutney, 1% black cumin powder supplemented in bottle gourd RTS and 2% black cumin powder supplemented in biscuits, were the best selected value- added products. Conclusion: This study revealed that black cumin seeds are a potentially rich source of phytochemicals, and regular consumption of black cumin incorporated products with added value may reduce the risk of numerous diseases.