Effect Of Different Pretreatments Research Articles

Effect of ultrasound and enzymatic pre-treatments on the profile of bioactive peptides of beef liver hydrolysates

The use of meat by-products as a potential source of protein hydrolysates rich in bioactive peptides is of growing interest to valorise these products and improve their sustainable use. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different pre-treatments (hydrolysis with pepsin, ultrasounds, and ultrasounds-assisted pepsin hydrolysis) on the peptide profile and bioactivity of beef liver hydrolysed with flavourzyme. The pre-treatments with pepsin increased the degree of hydrolysis and generation of free amino acids in the liver hydrolysates, whereas the subsequent hydrolysis with flavourzyme influenced the molecular weight distribution of the peptides. Samples pre-treated with pepsin and ultrasounds-assisted pepsin hydrolysates showed the highest values of antioxidant and inhibitory activity of ACE-I, ECE-I, DPP-IV, and neprilysin enzymes, and therefore these hydrolysates were characterised to obtain the bioactive peptide profiles. A total of 995 peptides were identified by tandem mass spectrometry in the most active fractions separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and 20 of them were predicted as potentially responsible for the observed bioactivities and subsequently characterised by in silico tools. These results evidenced the potential of hydrolysis pre-treatments with pepsin and ultrasounds-assisted pepsin to obtain beef liver hydrolysates rich in bioactive peptides that could exert multifunctional bioactivities such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic, while giving added value to this meat by-product.

Effect of Different Pre-treatments on Seed Germination in Adenanthera pavonina L.

Effect of Different Pre-treatments on Seed Germination in Adenanthera pavonina L.

Effects of Different Pretreatments on Hot Air Drying Characteristics, Nutrition, and Antioxidant Capacity of Tartary Buckwheat Sprouts.

In order to enhance the quality of hot air drying for Tartary buckwheat sprouts and minimize the loss of active substances, this research explored the impact of Color Protection(CP), Osmosis(OM), Blanching (BC), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), and Ultrasound (US) in conjunction with hot air drying on the color, nutritional value, antioxidant properties, and other attributes of Tartary buckwheat sprouts. The findings revealed that as the drying temperature increased from 50 °C to 70 °C, the drying duration for Tartary buckwheat sprouts decreased across all treatment groups, leading to a higher dehydration rate. Treatments involving CP, US, and BC effectively reduced the drying time of Tartary buckwheat sprouts. Sprouts subjected to CP, β-CD, and US treatments exhibited elevated L* values and decreased a* values and displayed a more vibrant green color. When exposed to a hot air setting of 60 °C, the total flavonoid content in the CP, OM, β-CD, and US groups increased by 8.76%, 6.76%, 12.34%, and 4.25%, respectively, compared to the Control Group (CK). The application of the CP, OM, β-CD, and US treatments enhanced the sprouts' ability to combat ABTS and DPPH free radicals. Notably, under hot air conditions of 60 °C, the β-CD treatment demonstrated the most effective quality preservation during the hot air drying process for sprouts. This study provides valuable insights into the drying behavior of Tartary buckwheat sprouts and offers guidance for optimizing the drying procedures in industrial settings. Tartary buckwheat sprouts contain a variety of polyphenols and have a high water content. The study of changes in active components such as polyphenols and their alteration mechanisms in Tartary buckwheat sprouts under different processing methods is particularly important for the development of sprout processing.

Effect of different pre-treatment on acrylamide content, nutrition value, starch digestibility and anthocyanin bioaccessibility of purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batata) deep-fried chips

Veggie chips have gained popularity in the European market. These are considered healthier than potato chips by consumers. However, few works evaluate their nutritional and digestibility. The current work aimed to evaluate the effect of four pre-frying treatments (soaking, blanching, pulsed electric field (PEF) and PEF + blanching combination (PEFB)) on the chemical composition, anthocyanins, acrylamide, and digestive behavior (starch hydrolysis and anthocyanins bioaccessibility) of purple sweet potato deep-fried chips. In total 15 independent batches were made, three for each studied treatment (also a control without pretreatment was developed). The studied pretreatments impacted on fat and starch content, especially blanching and PEFB, which caused an increase in fat absorption and break starch, generating maltodextrins. Nineteen anthocyanins were detected, mainly cyanidin and peonidin derivatives, but a drastic loss was observed in blanched, PEF-treated and PEF-B-Treated chips. Acrylamide values ranged from 504.11 to 6350.0- μg/kg, with the highest values reported by untreated chips and the lowest by PEF-B-treated chips (p < 0.05). The anthocyanin's bioaccessibility ranged between 66.57 and 92.88%, with soaked chips that showed the highest values.

Effect of different pre-treatments on the physical properties, frying kinetics and organoleptic physiognomies of fried sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) chips

The study explored the effects of different pre-treatments: freezing pre-treatment (FP), osmotic dehydration (OSD) and air-drying pre-treatments (ADP) on the physical and quality properties of fried sweet potato. The physical and quality properties of pre-treated fried sweet potato slices were assessed for percentage weight loss after frying, shrinkage ratio, the kinetics of moisture loss (frying kinetics), organoleptic properties and mathematical modeling of fried sweet potato slices. The results showed that OSD of pre-treated fried sweet potato slices recorded the highest percentage weight loss (46 %) and lowest shrinkage ratio (19 %) after frying compared to the ADP (41.5 %, 36 %) and FP (36.5 %, 46 %) fried sweet potato samples, respectively. OSD pre-treated fried sweet potato preserved the sensory properties of the ADP and FP fried sweet potato compared to the untreated sample. Among the three pre-treatments, OSD was found to enhance the frying kinetics compared to the ADP and FP samples. First order model best fitted well to the experimental results of frying kinetics (R2 > 0.99) compared to Page model.

Effect of Pre-Treatments on Quality Parameters of Nelumbo nucifera Root Powder

Nelumbo nucifera roots, commonly known as lotus roots root have an abundance of potential for utilization in many food applications because they have so many medicinal, physiological and health advantages. This research was conducted to study the effect of different pretreatments namely on quality parameters of lotus root powder. All treatments were blanched for 3 minutes and dried at 55°C except control. The physical characteristics such as yield, moisture, bulk density and water holding capacity for lotus root powder were found to be 16.500% to 26.515%, 7.780% to 9.470%, 0.571 (ml/g) to 0.775 (ml/g) and 22.762 (%) to 28.995 (%) however the chemical characteristics of lotus root power such as pH (6.623 to 7.472), crude protein (8.718% to 12.000%), crude fat (3.288% to 4.315%) and crude fiber (16.790% to 21.110%) respectably was recorded. Lotus root powder has high bulk density resulting in easy to dispensability. Similarly due to the presence of a good amount of crude fibre and water-holding capacity lotus root powder possesses great potential for processing industries and can be added, substituted, or replaced in different varieties of foods.

Effect of ultrasound combined with chemical pretreatment as an innovative non-thermal technology on the drying process, quality properties and texture of cherry subjected to radio frequency vacuum drying

To obtain high-quality cherry products, ultrasound (US) combined with five chemical pretreatment techniques were used on cherry prior to radio frequency vacuum drying (RFV), including carboxymethyl cellulose coating (CMC), cellulase (CE), ethanol (EA), isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO), and potassium carbonate + ethyl oleate (PC + AEEO). The effect of different pretreatments (US-CMC, US-CE, US-EA, US-IMO, US-(PC + AEEO)) on the drying characteristics, quality properties, texture, and sensory evaluation of cherries was evaluated. Results showed that the dehydration time and energy consumption were decreased by 4.17 − 20.83 % and 3.22 − 19.34 %, respectively, and the contents of individual sugars, soluble solid, total phenolics (TPC), natural active substances, total flavonoids (TFC), and antioxidant properties (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP) were significantly increased after US combined with five chemical treatments (P < 0.05). Moreover, the pretreatment played important role in improving texture properties and surface color retention in the dried cherries. According to the sensory evaluation analysis, the dehydrated cherries pretreated with US-CMC exhibited the highest overall acceptance, texture, crispness, color, and sweet taste showed lower off-odor, bitter taste and sour taste compared to control and other pretreatments. The findings indicate that US-CMC pretreatment is a promising technique for increasing physicochemical qualities and dehydration rate of samples, which provides a novel strategy to processing of dried cherry.

Effects of Different Pretreatments on the GABA Content of Germinated Brown Rice

Brown rice germination increases γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and enhances its antioxidant activity. In this study, Kaohsiung 145 brown rice was used as the raw material, and soaked in various solutions for 6 h before being processed with either high-pressure processing (HPP) or ultrasonic treatment to increase the GABA content. The GABA and antioxidant components of brown rice were analyzed after 42 h of germination and subsequent air-drying to obtain a moisture content of 14%. The results showed that non-germinated brown rice had GABA at 7.10 mg/100 g and treatment with various soaking solutions (0.1% CaCl2, 0.1% Glu, 0.2% CaCl2, and 0.2% Glu) increased GABA contents. Specifically, 0.1% CaCl2 and 0.1% Glu exhibited higher GABA content, at 42.51 and 44.64 mg/100 g. Furthermore, the GABA content increased synergistically when combined with HPP (100 MPa, 10 min) and ultrasonic (20 min) treatments after soaking. The results showed that the GABA contents in germinated rice were the greatest after ultrasonic treatment, followed by HPP treatment, and the least with only soaking treatment. The treatments with 0.1% CaCl2 and 0.2% Glu combined with ultrasonic processing for 20 min resulted in the highest GABA content at 102.38 and 110.88 mg/100 g, respectively. Finally, 0.1% CaCl2 with ultrasonic treatment for 20 min was chosen, as it demonstrated a considerable improvement in total polyphenols content and DPPH scavenging abilities, as seen by improved scores in subsequent taste evaluations.

Effects of different pretreatments on Ti/RuO2-TiO2 anode

In this study, H2C2O4, H2SO4, HNO3, and HCl were used to etch the TA2 titanium matrix at the same concentration and temperature, and the effects of different acid etching methods on the properties of the titanium matrix and Ru-Ti electrode were investigated. The surface morphology of the titanium substrate and anode after acid etching was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the electrochemical performance of the anode was determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and tafel plots. SEM observations showed that H2C2O4 had the best etching effect on the titanium substrate, as the scratches were uniform, and the surface cracks of the prepared anode reached 4–6 μm; Analysis of the CV curves revealed that the Ti/RuO2-TiO2 anode prepared by H2C2O4 etching had the highest surface charge capacity (172 mC) compared to the anodes prepared by other acid etchings, while the LSV curves showed that the Ti/RuO2-TiO2 anode after H2C2O4 etching had the lowest polarization potential (1.232 V). Tafel curve analysis revealed that the corrosion potential of the Ti anode prepared by H2C2O4 etching was 0.203 V, and the self-corrosion current density was −5.11 A cm−2, indicating that the corrosion resistance of the Ti anode prepared by H2C2O4 treatment is the weakest. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the electrode surface changed from Ru4+ to Ru3+ after corrosion, with the Ti2p spectra showing similar transition from Ti4+ to Ti3+.

Effects of different pretreatment on the drying characteristics and pectin properties of jujube by microwave coupled with pulsed vacuum drying

AbstractThe effects of ultrasound (US), ultrahigh pressure (UP), cold plasma (CP), and high pressure and pulsed electric fields (PEF) pretreatments were evaluated for drying characteristics, bioactive components, and pectin properties of jujube slices during microwave coupled with pulsed vacuum drying (MPVD). US, CP, and PEF reduced drying time by 18.75%, while UP reduced it by 6.25%. Samples treated with US and PEF showed improved color and rehydration (345.11%, 319.24%), with SEM revealing larger pores post‐pretreatment. PEF‐treated jujube had highest phenol (16.95 mg GAE/g DW) and water‐soluble pectin(WSP) (43.71 mg/g AIR), correlating positively with rehydration (r = 0.67). CP had highest flavonoid content (17.01 mg RE/g DW) and US showed highest antioxidant activity (DPPH 80.57%, ABTS 89.65%). Chelate‐soluble pectin (CSP) Sodium carbonate‐soluble pectin (NSP) was positively correlated with hardness (r = 0.71, 0.69). These findings suggest pretreatments improve drying efficiency, nutrient retention, and pectin functionality in jujube products. Practical ApplicationsDrying for jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is the most common method of processing and ensure the sale. Three kinds of non‐thermal processing pretreatment method (ultrasound, ultrahigh pressure, and cold plasma) combined with novel drying method, microwave coupled pulsed vacuum drying (MPVD) was studied in the application on the dehydration of jujube slice in this paper. The drying characteristics and pectin properties of winter jujube were analyzed and treated by MPVD compared with freeze drying and hot air drying, for both technological research and processing practice. The drying kinetics, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, sensory attributes, and pectin properties were also used as descriptors in order to promising dehydration method for obtaining high value‐added jujube products. Moreover, the relationship between the cell wall pectin and the phenols, hardness and crispness were analyzed, which give a new insight to study the changing scheme in the nutrients and the texture during the dehydration for fruits and vegetables.

Sustainable mortar reinforced with recycled glass fiber derived from pyrolysis of wind turbine blade waste

Pyrolysis technology has recently made significant progress in recycling millions of tons of wind turbine waste (WTB). Short fibers represent its main product (∼70 wt%), which needs further studies to explore its future applications. In this context, this work aims to the valorization of the recycled glass fiber (rGF) derived from pyrolysis of WTB (at 550 °C) in the production of rGF-reinforced mortar composite (rGF/M) for sustainable building applications. The research began by subjecting the derived rGF to sieving (rGFs), washing (rGFw), and oxidation (rGFo) pretreatments for purification and removing any impurities, organic residues, and char particles. Afterward, the chemical degradation of the treated rGF in a strong alkaline cement solution with pH = 14 was studied for up to 90 days. In parallel, the mortar composite samples were fabricated at 1 wt% of the treated rGF batches (rGFr, rGFw, and rGFo) to study the effect of different pretreatments on their microstructure, dispersion, compressive strength, flexural strength, and water absorption capabilities behavior after different curing periods (28 and 90 days). The results showed that rGFo (7.84%) showed a lower degradation rate versus rGFw (16.41%) and rGFr (30.76%). Meanwhile, the highest curing period (90 days) contributed to improving the properties of the mortar composites in general, especially in the case of using rGFo which led to improved compressive strength (15%) and reduced absorption coefficient (38%) and cumulative water content (32%) with a uniform distribution of short fibers in the matrices and a slight increase in flexural strength compared to control mortar sample (8.6 MPa). While rGFs provides better flexural strength (9.3 MPa) with a 12% improvement. Based on these results it can be concluded that rGFo has high potential in sustainable building materials with high competition with virgin glass fiber.

Insight into Low-Temperature One-Step Biopreparation and Natural Dyeing of Cotton as an Environmentally Benign Route

The goal of this study is to present an environmentally benign route for cotton fabric and investigate the effect of different pretreatments in natural dyeing. In this context, conventional alkaline scouring, conventional hydrogen peroxide bleaching, low-temperature one-step biopreparation processes, namely enzymatic scouring (alkaline pectinase and alkaline pectinase-neutral cellulase combination) at 55 °C and enzyme-bleaching agent (hydrogen peroxide/sodium percarbonate/sodium perborate)-activator agent (TAED) combinations at 65 °C were applied to 100% cotton knitted fabric. The use of agricultural waste and eco-friendly mordants was preferred in natural dyeing. For this purpose, pretreated fabrics were dyed with the outer green shell of almond fruit extracts and a low amount of 0.4 g/L metal mordants (alum and iron(II) sulfate) in accordance with the simultaneous mordanting method. The dyeing properties of bio- and conventionally prepared cotton fabrics were examined in terms of colorimetric data (K/S, CIELa*b*C*h°) and wash fastness compared with water absorbency, whiteness, weight loss, pectin removal, and type of mordant. Excellent wash fastness values were achieved regardless of the type of pretreatment. Low-temperature one-step biopreparation can be a good substitute for conventional scouring and bleaching processes. Since different results can be achieved, it is essential to determine and evaluate all bioprocess conditions depending on the end-use characteristics of the textile (e.g. whether it will be white or dyed/printed, its color and lightness/darkness) at the laboratory and industrial scale applications.

Effect of different pretreatments on the hydrolysis efficiency and flavor of squid viscera (Dosidicus gigas)

In order to better utilize the proteins in squid viscera (Dosidicus gigas), the effects of different pretreatments on the degree of hydrolysis (DH) and volatile compounds of hydrolysates were studied. The DH was used as an indicator to select alkaline protease as the optimal protease from 8 types of proteases. The hydrolysis conditions of alkaline protease and the flavor of the hydrolysates were investigated through single-factor, response surface methodology, and pretreatment-assisted hydrolysis experiments. The results showed that alkaline protease had the highest DH (42.08 ± 0.58%), with enzyme dosage of 1.5%, hydrolysis temperature of 45 °C, hydrolysis time of 5 h, and liquid-solid ratio of 4:1. The DH of the ultrasound group was significantly higher than other groups, with the highest DH (45.67 ± 0.34%) after ultrasound for 40 min (U40). The proportion of molecular weight < 1 kDa and the content of free amino acids (1613.64 mg/100 g) were the highest at U40. The electronic nose results indicated that the composition of organic sulfur and aliphatic compounds in U40 showed significant differences compared to other products. The U40 sample had the highest type and content of volatile compounds (especially benzaldehyde), which was more conducive to the volatilization of flavor substances. In conclusion, U40 pretreatment can effectively improve the DH and flavor of hydrolysates.

Improvement of the drying quality of blueberries by catalytic infrared blanching combined with ultrasound pretreatment

This paper investigated the effect of catalytic infrared blanching combined with ultrasound pretreatment on quality and waxy structure of blueberries. Different blueberry samples were prepared, including control (untreated) and samples treated by hot water blanching (HB), catalytic infrared blanching (CIB), ultrasound-catalytic infrared blanching (US-CIB), and catalytic infrared blanching-ultrasound (CIB-US). The effect of different pretreatments on the microstructure of blueberry epidermis was studied. The drying time of blueberries after HB, US-CIB, and CIB-US was decreased by 11.61%, 17.54%, and 17.27%, respectively, compared with control (33.75 h), and drying efficiency was significantly improved. Blueberries after pretreatments had higher content of polyphenol and anthocyanin, with an increase of 29.51–44.21% in phenol and 8.81–20.80% in anthocyanin, the antioxidant capacity of blueberries was also better than control and CIB enhanced the antioxidant capacity of blueberries. CIB-US can be used as an efficient pretreatment method for blueberry drying.

Seed dormancy and after-ripening requirements of Indian lac tree (Schleichera oleosa Lour. Oken)

ABSTRACT After-ripening (AR) is a time and environmental regulated process which determines the germination potential of the dry seeds. The after-ripened seeds swell after absorbing water and initiates metabolic activity linked to the germination process. Such after-ripening process is not studied in detail in Schleichera oleosa species. Therefore, an experiment was designed to assess the effect of different pretreatments on seed dormancy and AR patterns in the seeds of S. oleosa. The seeds were subjected to various pre-treatments, viz., mechanical scarification, scarification + Gibberellic acid (GA3, 0.02% and 0.05%), scarification + KNO3 (0.02% and 0.05%) for 24 hours. Further, the seeds were desiccated at four levels (10, 12, 14 and 16%) of intact seed water content (SWC) and were kept at either uncontrolled ambient room temperature or controlled constant temperatures (22°C, 25°C and 28°C), and their germination was tested fortnightly for 60 days. The results revealed that S. oleosa possess combined physical+ physiological dormancy and soaking of scarified seeds in GA3 solution (0.05%) for 24 hours showed the maximum germination percentage (80.0%), vigour index (721.4), and mean germination time (6.6 days). Results also indicated that AR process under optimum conditions (25°C, 16% SWC and 60 days) can increase germination percentage up to six times (81.25%) as compared to freshly collected seeds (12.5%) in the species. These findings can be utilized for developing the seed germination protocol with the aim to devise the propagation techniques and conservation programme for the species.

Effects of different pretreatments on thin-layer drying kinetics, vitamin A retention and rehydration of orange-fleshed sweet potato slices

Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a bio-fortified sweet potato with a high beta-carotene content. OFSP deteriorates rapidly due to its high moisture content. Conventional air drying is one of the most common methods employed but has the disadvantage of low rates of moisture removal, hence the longer drying time, which affects the quality of the final product. Pretreatments prevent quality deterioration and hasten the drying rate. This study investigated the effects of different pretreatments on thin-layer drying kinetics and the quality of OFSP slices. Three-mm-thick OFSP slices were pretreated using three different pretreatments: lemon juice, salt solution, and hot water blanching (HWB). Pretreated slices were dried in a solar dryer. Data collection (weight, temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation) was done at 1-hour intervals. Four mathematical models (Page, Logarithmic, Modified Page, and Henderson and Pabis) were fitted to the experimental data. Also, the quality parameters of vitamin A and rehydration were investigated. The dryer inside temperatures and relative humidity ranged from 26.93–44.53 oC and 36.87%–65.30%, respectively. The moisture content of fresh OFSP slices for both treated and untreated samples was found to be in the range of 291.55–302.24% (dry basis, db), which reduced to 25.25–35.25% (db) after drying. The drying time ranged between 11 and 13 hours. The page model was found to be the best model for untreated samples, with R2 of 0.9948, RMSE of 0.0151, and χ2 of 0.0097, while the logarithmic model best described the drying behaviour of all the pretreated samples because it had the highest values of R2 and the lowest values of RMSE and χ2. Lemon juice-pretreated samples had the best quality parameters (vitamin A retention and rehydration ratio). A maximum rehydration ratio of 1.6765 was obtained for samples pretreated with lemon juice, and a minimum rehydration ratio of 1.1390 was obtained from HWB-pretreted samples. The results, therefore, indicate that lemon juice can be used as a pretreatment for thin-layer drying of OFSP slices. Pretreatments help minimise postharvest losses associated with OFSP, thus contributing to solving food and nutrition insecurity challenges.

Microstructure and physicochemical properties: effects of different pretreatment combined with dual‐frequency ultrasound on quality of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) during cold storage

SummaryThe quality changes of cold‐stored (4 °C) large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) were studied by using stable chlorine dioxide combined with dual‐frequency ultrasound assisted‐slightly acidic electrolysed water (CUSS). The results of microbial indicators demonstrated that CUSS treatment inhibited microbial growth. Moreover, CUSS treatment had lower values of pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and higher immobilised water content. CUSS treatment also inhibited the degradation of inosine monophosphate, suppressed the accumulation of hypoxanthine riboside and hypoxanthine. Through the results of texture profile analysis (TPA), protein degradation, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), CUSS treatment could effectively protect the protein structure and maintain good texture characteristics of large yellow croaker. According to microbial indexes, K‐value, and sensory analysis, compared with dual‐frequency ultrasound treatment, CUSS treatment could prolong the shelf‐life of large yellow croaker for another six days. Therefore, CUSS treatment is a potential solution to preserve large yellow croaker, improving its protein characteristics.

Structural characterization of lignin from the green pretreatments for co-producing xylo-oligosaccharides and glucose: Toward full biomass utilization

Three green non-enzymatic catalysis pretreatments (NECPs) including autohydrolysis, subcritical CO2-assisted seawater autohydrolysis, and inorganic salt catalysis were utilized to simultaneously produce xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), glucose, and cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The yield of XOS in all three NECPs was over 50 % with a competitive glucose yield of enzymatic hydrolysis. And the effects of different pretreatments on the chemical structure and composition of CEL samples were also investigated. The pretreatments significantly increased the thermal stability, yield, and purity of the CEL samples. Moreover, the net yield of lignin was 58.3 % with lignin purity was 98.9 % in the autohydrolysis system. Furthermore, there was a decrease in the molecular weight of CEL samples as the pretreatment intensity increased. And the original lignin structural units sustained less damage during the NECPs, due to the cleavage of the β-O-4 bonds dominating lignin degradation. Meanwhile, these pretreatments increased the phenolic-OH in CEL samples, making the lignin more reactive, and enhancing its subsequent modification and utilization. Collectively, the described techniques have demonstrated practical significance for the coproduction of XOS and glucose, and lignin, providing a promising strategy for full utilization of biomass.

Effect of Different Pretreatments and Air Temperatures on Drying Characteristics of Kachri (Cucumis callosus) Dried in Heat Pump Dryer

Kachri (Cucumis callosus) is an underutilized fruit of India widely found in the western part of Rajasthan during the rainy season. In this study kachri fruit slices were pretreated with different pretreatments such as hot water blanching, 0.1% w/v potassium metabisulfite (KMS) and 0.1% w/v magnesium oxide (MgO) at 800C for 3 min. Pretreated samples were dried in a heat pump dryer at 40, 50 and 600C and their drying characteristics such as moisture content, drying rate, moisture diffusivity and rehydration ratio were studied. The initial moisture content of control kachri was 893.04% (db) and for the pretreated sample, it was 906.75% (db) and the final moisture content was found 4 to 6% (db) for all the treatments. The KMS treated sample took less drying time and a higher drying rate followed by MgO, hot water blanching and control. Moisture diffusivity ranged from 1.90 × 10-07 to 8.28 × 10-07 m2/s as the temperature increased from 40 to 600C. The value of the rehydration ratio ranged from 2.1 to 5.03. It was found that both rehydration ratio and moisture diffusivity values increased with an increase in drying air temperature.

Effect of different pretreatments of Aquilaria malaccensis seeds for enhancement of germination rate

A few plant species of the Thymelaeceae family are highly valuable and demanding because they contain resinous oil in their stems, branches, and roots. From this plant, resinous oil is extracted through the distillation process. Traditionally and from the religious point of view, the oil has a higher potential in the manufacturing of perfume, incense sticks, smoke, and many other medicinal and religious purposes. It is a highly economic plant, so its conservation is very important. Aquilaria plants are propagated through seeds and the seeds are recalcitrant, i.e., they are chilling sensitive and also cannot be stored at room temperature because of their high moisture content. They are also called desiccation sensitive. Below a certain level of moisture content, their embryos become death or inviable. Conservation of germplasm in the case of recalcitrant seeds is a major issue to be solved in the current situation. Our main focus was to enhance the germination of the Aquilaria malaccensis seeds for the early development of the seedlings within a short time. Here we are applying different pretreatments of Aquilaria seeds, such as Acetone for 1 min, 2 min, and 3 min, likewise Methanol, Ethanol, hot water, acetic acid, etc for enhancing seeds germination and it was found that highest germination percentage in the treatment where seeds are soaked in 1 min acetone (70%) in comparison to the control, which shows only a 56.7% germination rate. Their germination rate was determined by regular observation for up to 2 months, and the growth curve was also prepared by calculating the weight of the seeds. The findings of the current study will help to develop a protocol for early germination as well as mass propagation within a short period of time. The results of the Aquilaria species are significantly different from each other.