Good Storage Research Articles

Formulation and Nutritional Evaluation of Extruded Vermicelli from Browntop Millet

The rising awareness of health benefits associated with millets has led to the increased interest in utilizing them for value-added food products. Browntop millet (Brachiaria ramosa), a highly nutritious, drought-tolerant grain, is one such millet that is rich in fiber, protein and essential micronutrients like iron and zinc. This study focuses on the development of extruded vermicelli from browntop millet to create a convenient, nutrient-dense alternative to traditional refined wheat products. Blends of browntop millet flour with whole wheat flour were developed that indicated the vermicelli with 50 per cent browntop millet (T2) demonstrated enhanced nutritional properties, including a significant increase in fiber (4.45 g), protein (14.48 g), fat (1.48 g) and essential minerals such as iron (4.51 mg), zinc (4.44 mg) and copper (0.58 mg) when compared to the conventional counterpart. Despite the improved nutritional profile, the browntop millet vermicelli also exhibited higher levels of antinutritional factors, such as phytic acid (1039.78 mg/100 g) and polyphenols (186.05 mg/100 g). The product displayed favourable cooking qualities, with a cooking time of 7.15 minutes and a cooking loss of 12.24 per cent. Consumer acceptability revealed acceptance in key attributes, including flavour, consistency and appearance. Over a 90-day storage period, the millet-based vermicelli exhibited lower bacterial counts (2.58 × 104 CFU/g) compared to the control sample (3.08 × 104 CFU/g), while yeast and mold levels remained within acceptable limits. Although there was gradual increase in moisture, free fatty acids and peroxide values during storage, these remained within permissible limits, indicating good storage stability. The development of browntop millet-based extruded vermicelli offers a promising, health-oriented option for consumers, catering to the increasing demand for convenience foods that support both nutrition and convenience.

Assessment of Bacterial Contamination in Locally Manufactured Cheese from Selected Factories in Tripoli City

It is now a new tomorrow in the food industry, where food materials are available, but can be exposed to threats from microbial contamination that may affect its quality and safety. This study aimed to evaluate bacterial contamination in local honey from four different factories in Tripoli, Libya. Twelve samples of cheese were collected, three samples from each factory, and were analyzed for microbial contamination. The results showed microbial contamination of the cheese, as the production of the first factory and the third factory had a large bacterial record, especially with Proteus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus Two types of bacteria cause food poisoning.,. In contrast, the second factory showed new production, while the fourth factory showed the presence of bacteria in low levels. These results indicate the importance of adhering to good hygiene practices, pasteurization protocols, and optimal storage conditions in cheese making and food safety. The study also highlights the ongoing need for quality control in monitoring and preventing microbial spoilage. In addition, the standard study emphasizes the importance of Libya Specification 354 of 1992 regarding microbial limits in cheese making and consumer safety.

Effectively enhanced hydrogen storage properties of Mg90Al10 catalyzed by CeF3

Magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloy serves as an ideal substance for hydrogen storage and transportation because of its high hydrogen storage capacity, low expense, and eco-friendly properties. However, the stable thermodynamic properties and poor kinetic properties during de/hydrogenation limit its application. In this work, a novel high-efficiency catalyst CeF3 was successfully synthesized and induced into Mg90Al10, which exhibited excellent performance during de/hydrogenation. In particular, the Mg90Al10 + 8 wt% CeF3 can absorb 4.0 wt% hydrogen within 600 s at 200 °C, and release 4.3 wt% hydrogen within 900 s at 275 °C, better than the Mg90Al10 that can only absorb 1.36 wt% and release 0.3 wt% hydrogen in similar conditions. Meanwhile, the introduction of CeF3 can also decrease the dehydrogenation apparent activation energy (Ea) of Mg90Al10 obviously from 155.95 kJ/mol to 79.31 kJ/mol. The Al4Ce and MgF2 formed in situ, combined with the high thermal conductivity of Al in charge of the good hydrogen storage behavior of Mg90Al10 + 8 wt% CeF3. The study results are of great importance for applying Mg-Al hydrides in solid-state hydrogen storage.

Optimization of a green tea seed oil-loaded double-layer emulsion and its preventive effects on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Green tea seed oil (GTSO; Camellia sinensis) is rich in bioactive compounds and has great potential for preventing intestinal inflammation. Conversely, high-fat diets have been shown to promote or aggravate gastrointestinal inflammation, and the bioactive ingredients of GTSO face difficulty passing through the gastrointestinal tract while remaining intact. This study employed whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) to prepare a GTSO-loaded double-layer emulsion. The optimal parameters were as follows: WPI (2% w/w) and 35% oil phase for the primary emulsion preparation, CMC-Na (0.8% w/w) for the final emulsion, and 450W of ultrasonic power for homogenization. No significant changes in particle size or coalescence in the emulsions were observed after 30days of storage at 4°C. In addition, in a simulated gastrointestinal digestion system, more than 60% of the encapsulated GTSO was able to remain intact while passing through the gastric and small intestinal environment. In mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis, pretreatment with the GTSO emulsion significantly prevented the further development of colitis, whereas an empty-carrier-plus-free-GTSO treatment had no such protective effects and even tended to aggravate the disease. The results of the present study suggest that encapsulated GTSO is a reliable alternative approach for colitis prevention. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The green tea seed oil-loaded double-layer emulsion demonstrates good storage stability when kept at 4°C, exhibits excellent slow-release performance, and achieves superior outcomes in the prevention of colitis. Our current study provides a reliable alternative approach for the prevention of colitis.

Encapsulation of Antarctic krill peptide by polysaccharide-based nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, evaluation of stability and hypoglycemic activity

The aim of this study was to construct a chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HTCC)/sodium alginate (SA) nanoparticle delivery system for the encapsulation of Antarctic krill peptide (AKP), with the goal of enhancing its stability and post-digestive hypoglycemic activity. Additionally, the effect of the content and encapsulation sequence of HTCC/SA on the structure and properties of AKP-loaded nanoparticles (AKP-loaded NPs) was investigated. As the content of the outermost wall material (HTCC) increased, the particle size of nanoparticles initially increased and then decreased. Concurrently, the zeta potential showed a trend of increase, ranging from -38.77 to 46.07 mV. When SA was used as the outermost wall material, the nanoparticles exhibited a smaller particle size (240.1 nm) and better dispersibility. Electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding were the major forces involved in the formation of AKP-loaded NPs. X-ray diffraction revealed that AKP was successfully encapsulated in an amorphous state. Scanning electron microscopy showed that AKP-loaded NPs had an elliptical or blocky appearance. Moreover, AKP-loaded NPs demonstrated good storage and temperature stability, while nanoparticles with HTCC in the outermost layer (HTCC:SA=2:1) showed good pH and ionic stability. During simulated digestion, AKP-loaded NPs inhibited the release of AKP in gastric fluid. Consequently, the hypoglycemic activity of digested AKP-loaded NPs was remarkably higher than unencapsulated AKP. Notably, the nanoparticles with HTCC in the outermost layer provided superior hypoglycemic activity. In summary, the polysaccharide-based delivery system exhibited great potential to improve the stability and post-digestive hypoglycemic activity of AKP, broadening its applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The construction of a double-layer colon-targeted delivery system based on zein-shellac complex and gelatin-isomaltooligosaccharide Maillard product: In vitro and in vivo evaluation

In this study, we developed a double-layer colon-targeted microcapsule. It used the Maillard product of gelatin-isomaltooligosaccharide (GI180) and zein-shellac complex (ZS) as bio-based materials, plant extracts (MPL) and Lactobacillus plantarum JJBYG12 (JJBYG12) were co-encapsulated, endowing them with strong resistance to harsh environments and precise intestinal adhesion and targeting ability. The research results indicated that ZS11 exhibits hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. The encapsulation efficiencies of ZS11 for JJBYG12 and for polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids in MPL were 88.03 %, 73.40 %, 77.90 %, and 70.87 %, respectively. SEM and CLSM images showed that ZS11 has a dense double-layer structure. Simulation of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion showed that ZS11 can achieve sustained release, with a live bacterial count of 8.05 ± 0.004 Log CFU/mL reaching the colon. The SEM and fluorescence images at different stages of in vitro digestion also demonstrated the strong protective ability of ZS11. Studies conducted in mice had shown that ZS11 can successfully pass through the gastric stage and release probiotics in the distal ileum, cecum, and proximal colon (target intestinal segment). Finally, ZS11 had good storage stability and thermal stability. In summary, this study demonstrated the potential of dual-layer colon-targeted microcapsules for the co-delivery plant extracts and probiotics, providing ideas for developing new delivery systems with targeted therapeutic effects.

Fabrication and characterization of potato short amylose, zein, and pectin ternary composite particles stabilized pickering emulsions and their application on nuciferine delivery

Nuciferine exhibits properties such as reducing blood sugar and fat, however, it is hindered by its poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Pickering emulsions can efficiently encapsulate, protect and deliver active ingredients. In recent years, the use of biologically derived natural materials as emulsifiers to construct Pickering emulsions has become a research hotspot. This research utilized an enzymatic hydrolysis technique to produce short amylose. Subsequently, a ternary composite of short amylose (DBS), zein, and pectin (PEC) was formulated to stabilize Pickering emulsion, with the incorporation of nuciferine aiming to enhance the performance of lotus leaves in terms of both stability and bioavailability. The study revealed that varying amounts of DBS addition had a significant impact on the micromorphological structure and functional properties of DBS-Zein-PEC ternary composite particles. Specifically, the addition of 0.4 g of DBS led to a notable reduction in particle size to 735.2 nm and Zeta potential to −29.6 mV, creating a three-dimensional network with a closely packed lamellar structure. Optimal process conditions for preparing Pickering emulsion included a 3-minute homogenization time, rotation speed of 15000 rpm, and 5 % ternary composite particle addition. Under these conditions, O/W Pickering emulsion was successfully prepared, achieving a 90.5 % encapsulation rate for nuciferine. The resulting emulsion exhibited a minimum particle size of 4.09 μm, displayed good storage stability, resistance to salt ions and pH variations, viscous fluid characteristics, tolerance to oral and gastric environments, and slow release of nuciferine in the small intestine, thereby enhancing its bioavailability. These findings offer insights into the loading and delivery of nuciferine and serve as a technical guide for developing highly stable emulsion gel systems.

Electrochemically enzyme-free detection of lactic acid in human sweat using magnesium organic framework@carbon nanofiber composite

Lactic acid is a by-product of glycolysis prevalent in the body fluid and significant in a living cell, it is also an important biomolecule that exists in human sweat. Lactic acid is firmly interlinked with various diseases for the direct detection by the technique of current is challenging. Hence, it is important to develop an enzyme-free electrochemical sensor for it. A monometallic salt magnesium-(3-hydroxypyridine-2-carboxilic acid) metal-organic framework anchored at carbon nanofiber mat in the solvothermal process. As prepared Mg(HPCA)MOF@CNF has a good surface area within high porosity and also possesses hydrophilicity, facilitating interaction between the analyte molecule and the active metal site of the MOF network for the redox process, which facilitates fast electron transfer with low resistance, which results in excellent sensitivity. The catalytic activity of MOF was improved in a basic medium, i.e., in pH 8 buffer solution, with excellent electrochemical sensitivity towards lactic acid. The redox reaction was diffusion-controlled and irreversible between lactic acid and hybrid mat. Mg(HPCA)MOF@CNF/GCE depicted the linear range of 0.1–5 mM, and the result of the lower limit of detection is 2.5 μM. The hybrid mat has good interference properties of some species such as sodium hydroxide, potassium chloride, hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, dopamine, and citric acid, bending ability, and good storage capability for up to 35 days. Mg(HPCA)MOF@CNF/GCE demonstrates a significant sensor for the detection of lactic acid in human sweat under natural environments with accuracy and reliability. This work can lead to manufacting innovation in the future.

Compliance with good storage practices in drug import warehouses in Syria

Compliance with good storage practices in drug import warehouses in Syria

High internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilized by walnut protein–galactooligosaccharide nanoparticles: effect of cinnamon oil entrapment

Abstract Walnut protein–galactooligosaccharide (WalPI–GOS) nanoparticles were used to prepare high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs). The entrapment properties of HIPPEs for cinnamon oil were investigated by varying the ratios of camellia and cinnamon oils (cinnamon oil contents: 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), and the droplet size, rheological properties, Raman spectroscopy results, microstructure, thermal stability, storage stability, and antioxidant activity of HIPPEs were determined. Results showed that the droplet size of HIPPEs increased with increasing cinnamon oil content. Among samples, HIPPEs with the cinnamon oil content of 10% had the highest storage and loss moduli and apparent viscosity (13.64 Pa·s). However, the thixotropic recovery ability of HIPPEs decreased with the increase in cinnamon oil content. Raman spectroscopy and microstructural analysis revealed that proteins covalently cross-linked with cinnamaldehyde to form a three-dimensional network structure, which showed the highest stability when the cinnamon oil content was 10%. HIPPEs exhibited high thermal stability without delamination after heating, as well as good storage stability without delamination or discoloration after 15 days of storage at 25 °C and 50 °C. Among samples, HIPPEs with 10% cinnamon oil content had the lowest POV and MDA values during storage. The addition of cinnamon oil significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of HIPPEs. In summary, the best overall performance of HIPPEs was achieved at a cinnamon oil content of 10%. This result provides a theoretical foundation for the development of WalPI and the application of cinnamon oil in food, as well as a theoretical basis for the development of novel food delivery systems.

Unveils the metabolic changes in groundnut CO 7 kernels stored under modified atmospheric conditions

Storing groundnut kernels is more challenging than storing pods due to increased oxidative damage. Pod storage requires more space and is not cost-effective for long-term storage. Therefore, an attempt was made to store kernels under modified conditions for six months to address these storage issues. An experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of different modified atmospheric storage conditions on the groundnut cultivar CO 7, in both shelled and unshelled forms. Changes in seed quality parameters and metabolic profiles were analyzed during storage at intervals of 30 days and up to 180 days. The kernels stored under nitrogen and vacuum conditions maintained their seed quality traits, including physical, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. GC-MS analysis was performed at the beginning of storage (fresh seeds) and after 180 days (aged seeds). Sixteen metabolic compounds were identified as responsible for seed viability and deterioration, with sucrose being the predominant compound. The sucrose area percentage in fresh seeds was 52.52%, which decreased during aging. At the end of the storage period, the highest sucrose area percentages were found in kernels stored under nitrogen (28.9%) and vacuum (26.95%) conditions. This study concludes that groundnut kernels stored under nitrogen conditions have good storage potential and excel at maintaining seed longevity.

Optimization of Acetylcholinesterase and Sucrose Concentration using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Approach in the Development of Paper-Based Biosensor for Pesticides Detection

Excessive use of pesticides, particularly organophosphate pesticides (OPs), to increase agricultural productivity may give a risk to consumers if consumed as these pesticides are neurotoxic substances. To increase agricultural productivity, fruits and vegetables are frequently treated with excessive pesticides, particularly organophosphate pesticides (OPs). Several methods have been studied and developed to identify pesticide residue in crops, however the standard laboratory procedures for OPs analysis involves the use of HPLC or GC-MS. These methods are complex in sample preparation and require expert labor to operate. Paper-based biosensors are low-cost platforms for fast detection in the field, offering an easy and reusable option. In this study, a colorimetric paper-based biosensor based on immobilizing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) using sol-gel silica matrices and indoxyl acetate is developed. The Response Surface Methodological (RSM) approach was used to optimize AChE concentration and sucrose as a stabilizer, allowing simultaneous optimization of multiple variables using smaller-size datasets. This study used the central composite design (CCD) fractional factorial design using Design Expert 7.0 software. A quadratic model was selected to represent both immobilization yield and relative AChE activity responses. The model was evaluated using ANOVA values and Lack of Fit test which confirmed that the quadratic models for both responses are suitable for experimental data. Validation of the model demonstrates that the predictive model accurately represents of the validation research. The Limit of Detection (LoD) of the biosensor for pure profenofos pesticide after a 20-minute incubation time is 1 ppm, as indicated by a 32.55 % decrease in color intensity. After a week of storage at 4 °C, the biosensor showed a loss of 5.92 % on immobilization yield and 2.55 % on relative activity indicating a good storage stability. The mean value of lettuce samples was 200.60 ± 1.2 a.u, with pesticide concentration of 2.57 ± 1.2 ppm (n=3). HIGHLIGHTS Incorporating AChE into the sol gel matrices is a great way to enhance the stability of the enzymatic colorimetric pesticide detection. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is considered as useful for optimizing response level of AChE and sucrose. Combination of optimum AChE and sucrose concentration show beneficial effect on the stability of the biosensor. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Mannose/stearyl chloride doubly functionalized polyethylenimine as a nucleic acid vaccine carrier to promote macrophage uptake

Transmembrane transport remains a significant challenge for nucleic acid vaccine vectors. Promoting the ability of immune cells, such as macrophages, to capture foreign stimuli is also an effective approach to improving cross-presentation. In addition, polyethyleneimine (PEI) has gained attention in the field of nucleic acid vaccine carriers due to its excellent gene transfection efficiency and unique proton buffering effect. However, although high molecular weight PEI exhibits high efficiency, its high-density positive charges make it highly toxic, which limits its application. In this study, mannose/stearyl chloride functionalized polyethylenimine (SA-Man-PEI) was prepared by functionalizing PEI (molecular weight of 25 kDa) with mannose with immunomodulatory and phagocyte targeting effects, and an alkyl hydrophobic chain segment, which could easily promote cell uptake. Moreover, the functionalized-PEI retains a strong proton buffering effect, which helps the carrier escape from the lysosome. The particle sizes of the composite particles formed by SA-Man-PEI and ovalbumin (OVA) were below 200 nm, with good storage stability at both 4 °C and 37 °C. At a drug concentration of 2 μg/mL, the cell survival rate of functionalized-PEI was 19.2% higher than that of unfunctionalized PEI. In vitro macrophage endocytosis experiments showed that SA-Man-PEI could significantly enhance the macrophage uptake of composite particles, compared to unfunctionalized PEI or single-functionalized PEI. This study offers a new approach for developing PEI as a nucleic acid vaccine carrier, which could simultaneously enhance cell targeting and promote cell uptake.

Trichosanthes Cucumerina Derived Activated Carbon: The Potential Electrode material for High Energy Symmetric Supercapacitor

AbstractHigh surface area porous activated carbons obtained from sustainable biomass are excellent functional materials for energy storage applications. This is the first report on snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) pericarp as a raw material of activated carbon and supercapacitor electrode material. Herein, a simple KOH activation and carbonisation method is used. The obtained SGC900 sample has a surface area of 1841 m2/g and an average pore volume of 0.52 cm3/g. SGC900 based supercapacitor exhibits good electrochemical storage capacity in 1 M H2SO4 with a specific capacitance of 206 F/g at 1 A/g. The symmetric device delivered an energy density of 11 Wh/kg at a power density of 1.6 kW/kg. It provides a series resistance (Rs) of 1.2 Ω and a charge transfer resistance Rct of 1.9 Ω. Furthermore, the device retains 95 % of capacitance over 5000 cycles. This work presents an easy and feasible approach for producing value‐added activated carbon from sustainable biomass, potentially used in high‐performance energy storage.

Excellent energy storage performance of multi-alternating-layer structured PMMA/PVDF dielectric composite at high-temperature

Polymer dielectric capacitors have high power density and are an integral component of electronic and power device. Currently, the limited energy density restricts their further application. In this research, a novel method was designed to optimize performance of PMMA/PVDF composite via an alternating stacked multi-layer structure. And, the five-alternating-layer of PVDF-PMMA-PVDF-PMMA-PVDF (F-A-F-A-F) composite has excellent dielectric properties, for instance, a better dielectric constant (4.52@1 kHz) and a low dielectric loss (0.034@1 kHz). The discharge energy density (Ue) of it is significantly larger than that of PMMA and PVDF. Particularly, the Ue of F-A-F-A-F composite is increased by 83.0 % (from 4.71 J/cm3 to 8.62 J/cm3) with charging-discharging efficiency of 60 % at 80 °C. Moreover, the F-A-F-A-F composite achieves an excellent stability after 40,000 cycles. This composite has a wide range of potential applications in the field of traditional dielectric capacitor due to its good energy storage performance and cycle stability.

Effect of Total Chlorophyll Content and Relative Water Content of Mini Tuber Potato under Aeroponic Condition in Jammu Region, India

The present study determine the effect of Total Chlorophyll Content and Relative Water Content of Mini Tuber Potato under Aeroponic Condition in Jammu Region, India. The adoption of new production technologies, usage of better varieties, quality seed material, good storage facilities, and transportation in recent years have helped to expand area, production, and productivity in India. The present study was conducted in the Division of Plant Physiology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu. The experiment was conducted during winter and spring seasons in 2022-23. Two varieties Kufri Badshah and Kufri Jyoti were taken as experimental material. Potato tubers were sown in net pots containing growing media and seedlings were transplanted at five leaves stage in the aeroponics system. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with two treatments viz, T1 (cocopeat 100%) and T2 (cocopeat +vermiculite+ perlite+ vermicompost) in ratio (2:1:1:2) and after two weeks of transplanting data was recorded at three different stages of crop growth (20 DAT, 45 DAT and 80 DAT). The results clearly indicated that treatment T2 coco peat + perlite + vermiculite + vermicompost in the ratio of 2:1:1:2 was the most promising treatment for improving the, biochemical parameters, physical parameters and quality of both potato varieties when compared to other treatments.

Carbon dots nanoparticles derived from showy Asian grapes (Medinilla speciosa) for free radical scavenger

Carbon dot nanoparticles (CNPs) were synthesized from the peels of showy Asian grapes (Medinilla speciosa) using microwave irradiation for free radical scavenging. The optimal emission and absorption intensities were achieved with a 50-min irradiation duration, at wavelengths of 430 nm and 267 nm, respectively. XRD analysis revealed characteristic peaks at angles of 26.37° and 29.63°. FTIR analysis indicated that antioxidant potential is attributed to hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the CNPs’ surface. TEM images showed diameters ranging from 2 nm to 8 nm. The CNPs exhibited 73.82% antioxidant activity at 5 mg/mL, with an IC50 value of 6.89 ppm, indicating strong antioxidant activity. Additionally, the CNPs demonstrated good storage stability, suggesting potential applications in food supplements and biomedical materials.

Development of gel-like, high encapsulation efficiency and antibacterial cinnamaldehyde-loaded Pickering emulsion stabilized by EGCG enhanced whey protein isolate-gum arabic ternary nanocomplex

Pickering emulsions (PEs) loaded with essential oils have proven to be a promising delivery system in food preservation, thus attracting increasing research attention. In this study, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) enhanced whey protein isolate(WPI)-gum Arabic(GA) ternary spherical nanocomplex (WGE) was fabricated by thermal and pH double-induced method and used to stabilize antibacterial, antioxidant and sustained release Pickering emulsions loaded with cinnamaldehyde. The WGE nanocomplex exhibited biphasic surface wettability (78.2±2.8°), 1.73 times that of WPI, as well as outstanding interfacial tension (5.60 mN/m), 44.6 % lower than that of WPI-GA, mainly due to the electrostatic interactions between WPI and GA and enhanced surface hydrophobicity causing by EGCG, indicating its superb ability to stabilize Pickering emulsions. Using WGE nanocomplex as the Pickering emulsion stabilizer, PEs template was constructed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed the formation of a dense oil-water interface layer and gel-like network structure, which demonstrated good storage stability against creaming and coalescence, benefiting to cinnamaldehyde encapsulation. Finally, cinnamaldehyde was encapsulated effectively using this PEs pattern with high encapsulation efficiency under different conditions. The cinnamaldehyde Pickering emulsions (CPEs) demonstrated superior antioxidant ability against DPPH (>85 %) and ABTS (>78 %), as well as effective antibacterial capability against E. coli (>99.9999 %) and S. aureus (>99.99 %) than pure cinnamaldehyde. Moreover, CPEs showed slow sustained-release ability, which could satisfyingly prolong the biological activity of cinnamaldehyde. Therefore, the WGE stabilized cinnamaldehyde Pickering emulsions fabricated in this work might provide a promising alternative for the delivery of antibacterial and controlled release essential oils in the food industry.

Copper based high temperature heat storage macrocapsules with optimized inner cavity

The development of practical high temperature metallic phase change macrocapsules still faces difficulties, because metallic phase change materials undergo volume expansion during phase transformations, which can lead to outer shell rupture. When a core made of stacked metal powders is used, a cavity is eventually formed inside the capsule that acts as a cushion for volume expansion, thus reducing the risk of capsule rupture. However, the cavity will weaken the thermal storage capacity of the capsule, and in order to obtain a capsule with good thermal storage capacity and long-time cycling stability, it is necessary to find a suitable cavity volume of the capsule. In this paper, Cu powders are used as the core raw material, which are spherelized into millimeter level spheres, and the Cu powder spheres are isostatically pressed using an isostatic presser under different pressures to achieve the optimization of the cavity volume by reducing the gap between the powders. The high strength α-Al2O3 is selected as the shell, and sintering additives MgO and SiO2 are doped into the raw material, and the Cu@MgO-SiO2/Al2O3 capsules are prepared after two-step sintering treatment. The material properties and thermal storage properties of the capsules are investigated in detail, which have strong thermal storage properties, for example, in the temperature interval of 1000–1100 ℃, capsules with a core-shell structure (named as 9@1.5–100 MPa, prepared with initial diameter of Cu core of 9 mm, shell thickness of 1.5 mm, and isostatic pressing under 100 MPa to the core precursor) exhibit a high heat storage density of 222 J/g and 841 MJ/m³. In addition, we conduct melting-solidification cycle tests, which confirms the excellent durability of the capsules. The comprehensive results show that the Cu@MgO-SiO2/Al2O3 macrocapsules possess strong thermal storage capacity and can be used as effective thermal storage materials, especially in advanced high temperature thermal storage systems.

Optimized Dehydrogenation of Magnesium Hydride with Fe and Cu Additives

Solid state hydrogen storage with the use of MgH2 has gained widespread attention because of its good reversible storage capacity. This metal hydride however slowly releases hydrogen at high temperatures ranging between 325 – 375 oC. An important feature required of MgH2 is its ability to commence hydrogen release at a fast rate and reduced temperature. Transition metal-containing alloys/compounds having either Fe or Cu as the principal element have been used to improve the dissociation of hydrogen from MgH2. Studies involving the use of each metal in its elemental form as an additive are minimal. This study investigated the catalytic effects of elemental Fe and Cu on the hydrogen release performance of MgH2 for potential applications in transportation and power generation. It was observed that MgH2/Fe had a better dehydrogenation performance; the temperature of onset of MgH2/Fe and MgH2/Cu dehydrogenation were 205, and 215 oC which were 98 and 88 oC lower than that for as-received MgH2. The highest amount, 1.9 wt. % H2 was released by MgH2/Fe while 1.44 wt. % H2 was released by MgH2/Cu. The activation energy for dehydrogenation was reduced from 150.5 kJ/mol for as-received MgH2 to 89.8 and 79.8 kJ/mol in MgH2/Cu and MgH2/Fe respectively. It took 18.8 min for as-received MgH2 to commence dehydrogenation while that for MgH2/Fe and MgH2/Cu composites started from 12.2 and 13.4 min respectively. The in-situ formed Fe and Cu in MgH2 after milling acted as active catalytic sites for its improved dehydrogenation with MgH2/Fe behaving better.