I-optimal Design Research Articles

Optimizing the Rheological and Textural Properties of Chapatti Enriched with House Crickets (Acheta domesticus) Flour Using Hydrocolloids by an I-Optimal Design

The fortification of food with edible insect flour can improve its nutrition profile, but also affect its techno-functional characteristics. In this study, an I-optimal design was applied to improve the rheological and textural properties of wheat flour chapatti containing 10% cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour. More specifically, the impact and optimal addition of hydrocolloids (carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, guar gum and xanthan gum) and water content were studied. For all the responses, the model and model terms were highly significant and showed the different impact of the hydrocolloids on the rheological properties. To evaluate the predictive power of the models, two sets of optimal process settings were chosen: one based on dough properties, and another on baked chapatti. For both sets, the actual responses were in the range of predicted responses for almost all properties. In addition, it was shown that using the settings based on dough properties, the actual responses were not significantly different from the control chapatti, whereas for the settings based on baked chapatti, there were differences in terms of the extensibility of both dough and chapatti. Thus, the I-optimal design is suitable to optimize the dough properties and the baked chapatti when enriching chapatti with cricket flour.

Novel linezolid loaded bio-composite films as dressings for effective wound healing: experimental design, development, optimization, and antimicrobial activity

Biphasic release bio-composite films of the low water-soluble drug, linezolid (LNZ), were formulated using the solvent casting technique. Different polymers and plasticizers (gelatin, Tween 80, polyethylene glycol 400, and glycerol) were assessed for the preparation of bio-composite films. An I-optimal design was applied for the optimization and to study the impact of polymer concentration (X1), plasticizer concentration (X2), polymer type (X3), and plasticizer type (X4) on different LNZ-loaded bio-composite films. The film thickness, moisture content, mechanical properties, swelling index, and percentage of drug release at fixed times opted as dependent variables. Results demonstrated a significant effect of all independent variables on the drug release from the prepared bio-composite films. The plasticizer concentration significantly increased the thickness, moisture content, elongation at break, swelling index, and in vitro drug release and significantly reduced the tensile strength. The optimized LNZ-loaded bio-composite film comprised of 15% Tween 80 and 30% PEG 400 was highly swellable, elastic, acceptable tensile properties, safe, maintained a moist environment, and indicated great antimicrobial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 25922) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which are common wound infectious bacteria. The present study concludes that the optimized LNZ-loaded bio-composite film was successfully designed with fast drug release kinetics and it could be regarded as a promising novel antimicrobial wound dressing formulation.

Sequestration of Ni(II) and Cu(II) using FeSO4 modified Zea mays husk magnetic biochar: Isotherm, kinetics, thermodynamic studies and RSM

The present study was established to develop a magnetically modified iron oxide immobilised potentially low cost biochar adsorbent derived from Zea mays husk (FEZB) for the effective removal of copper and nickel from the aqueous solution. The contact and bonding between the adsorbent and adsorbate was characterized using FTIR, FESEM, EDX, XRD, and BET. The process of adsorption was studied under the impact of varying plights viz. pH (2–12), concentration of the adsorbate (10–100 mg L−1), contact time (5–240 min), and temperature (288–308 K) in batch mode. The optimization conditions achieved were: pH 6, initial concentration of 50 ppm and equilibrium time of 120 min and 90 min for 98.00% of copper and 97.44% of nickel removal, respectively. The result deduced that the kinetic data is governed by the pseudo second order model and the equilibrium adsorption data was well fitted in the Langmuir isotherm, with the monolayer adsorption capacity of 23.60 mg g−1 for copper and 22.53 mg g−1 for nickel. The thermodynamic results demonstrated that the process is endothermic and spontaneous. I-optimal design of RSM was used to statistically study the optimization. The desorption, regeneration, efficient disposal and cost effectiveness of the adsorbent was studied.

Glycerolysis of high free fatty acid oil by heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production

The most widely used commercial biodiesel production technique, alkali-catalysed transesterification, requires only moderate temperatures and pressures to achieve a more than 98% conversion yield. Unfortunately, oil feedstock's high free fatty acid (FFA) content limits the technology's usefulness. A heterogeneous base catalysed glycerolysis process was investigated in this study to lower the FFA and meet these requirements. The response surface methodology (RSM) based on I-optimal design was used to model and optimize a CaO catalysed glycerolysis reaction under the influence of five reaction variables: temperature (60–180 °C), residence time (30–120 min), FFA concentration (6–50%), catalyst amount (0.4–0.6 wt (g/g)), and Glycerol to Oil ratio (G/O) (1–1.5). The data were fitted in a quadratic model, and R2 of 0.986 was observed, signifying that the model well defined the experimental data. The model was validated by running four replicates of the experiment, and a residual standard error of 2.7% was obtained, indicating the model would accurately predict future observations. The 48.584% FFA in oil was reduced to 0.98% under optimal conditions of 170 °C, 39.9 min of residence time, 0.591 wt g catalyst concentration, and 1.026 g/g glycerol/oil (G/O) ratio. CaO catalysed glycerolysis has significantly reduced FFA to less than 3% in less than an hour in biodiesel feedstock for biodiesel production.

Definitive screening design and I-optimal design for optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic content and antioxidant capacity from Salviaofficinalis L. leaves

A definitive screening design and an I-optimal design were carried out for the screening and optimization of ultrasound's extraction conditions of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant capacities (TEAC and TAC) from S. officinalis L. leaves. The optimal conditions for maximum TPC, TEAC, and TAC were 52% ethanol-water, 60 °C temperature, 30 mL g−1 solvent to solid ratio, and 10 min of extraction time. The optimal extract showed higher TPC, TEAC, and TAC with 31.84 ± 0.248 mgGAE/gdw, 237.95 ± 0.771 μmolTE/gdw, and 38.928 ± 0.548 mgAAE/gdw respectively. Furthermore, the optimal extract obtained exhibited a higher scavenging activity against DPPH•, NO• free radicals, and β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching activity with IC50 of 0.276 ± 0.001 mg/mL, and 0.069 ± 0.0005 mg/mL, and 0.159 ± 0.008 mg/mL respectively. The reducing power of the optimal extract at 0.3 mg/mL of lyophilized powder was approximately 2 mmol Fe+2 equivalent/g. Thus, S. officinalis L. leaves are expected to be an excellent source for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for developing potential drugs.

The Strength and Thermal Properties of Concrete containing Water Absorptive Aggregate from Well-Graded Bottom Ash (BA) as Partial Sand Replacement

Bottom ash (BA) is a hazardous waste material from power plant. The well-graded BA can be a good sand replacement material in concrete. This study presents strength and thermal properties of concrete containing high calcium and water absorptive fine aggregate from well-graded BA as partial sand replacement (control mix (CM) 0%, BM5: 5%, BM10: 10%, BM15: 15%, and BM20: 20%). The workability of fresh concrete mixes was tested via slump test. The strength of the hardened concrete was assessed based on compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength. The thermal property was evaluated based on thermal conductivity test. The optimization of these model parameters was conducted via I-Optimal design. The workability of concrete mixes was reduced with an increase of well-graded BA due to high water absorption effect. The compressive strengths of all mixes reached more than 50% on 28th curing days with maximum strength by BM15 (49.0 MPa). The split tensile strengths showed one quadratic curve combining all mixes with maximum strength reached by BM10 (2.7 MPa). The flexural strength has slow growth exponential pattern with maximum strength by BM20 (6.0 MPA). The thermal conductivity values were steadily increased up to BM15 (2.44 W/mK) and reduced at BM20 (2.15 W/mK). The well-graded BA proportions (5 to 20%) were not showing any significant effect on the thermal properties. The optimised model of compressive strength has the highest accuracy with percentage errors below 5% compared to other parameters. The optimal well-graded BA as sand replacement material was BM10 giving 47 MPa compressive strength, 2.7 MPa split tensile strength, 5.3 MPa flexural strength, and 2.1152 W/mK thermal conductivity. The highest positive correlation coefficients were obtained between compressive strength and thermal conductivity (R2: 0.921). Thus, the well-graded BA improved the strength properties providing a sustainable supply in concrete technology.

Optimal design of fresh sand fog seal mortar using response surface methodology (RSM): Towards to its workability and rheological properties

As a popular preventive maintenance material, sand fog seal (SFS) could fill the micro-cracks and improve the skid-resistance and wear-resistance of road surface, but little research has been conducted to explain how the components of fresh SFS mortar affect its workability and rheological behavior. In this paper, an improved workability evaluation system is established for fresh SFS mortar based on self-developed devices, including the basic indexes such as dynamic uniformity DUt,s, slump flow X, and seepage velocity Vs. There is a negative correlation between the fluidity index (slump flow and seepage velocity) and the uniformity index (dynamic uniformity), and both of them are important bases for the performance balance design of fresh SFS mortar. Then, the effects of water, filler and sand on the workability are evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM) with I-optimal design method. The results show that water mainly regulates the consistency of the SFS mortar, which in turn affects its flowability. The sodium bentonite filler could alter the suspension capacity of the fog seal paste and determine the state of dispersion of sand in the paste. Besides, the addition of sand plays a negative role in the fluidity of fresh SFS mortar. Meanwhile, three design intervals for fresh SFS mortar are proposed based on its workability, ① Easy-to-separate interval: DUt,s < 0.8; ② Hard-to-flow interval: X ≤ 54.9 mm and Vs = 0. ③ Recommended interval: DUt,s > 0.8, Vs > 0, and X > 54.9 mm, where the fresh SFS mortar can balance stability and fluidity well. Hence, to maximize the balance between uniformity and fluidity of fresh SFS mortar, a formulation design optimization guideline is proposed based on desirability optimization methodology (DOM). The formulation has the widest distribution of high desirability when the sand content is 25%. Finally, the results of rheological test show that fresh SFS mortar is a typical shear-thinning pseudoplastic fluid, which can fit the “Herschel-Bulkley” model well. Yield stress and plastic viscosity can be used as the important rheological indexes to predict the workability of fresh SFS mortar. In general, based on the approach proposed herein, an optimized fresh SFS mortar with both good uniformity and fluidity could be produced.

I-optimal design of split-plot mixture-process variable experiments: A case study on potato crisps

Designed experiments are powerful tools when developing new products or processes. They allow changing the settings in a systematic way such that a minimal experimental effort results in maximal information. In the food industry, performing designed experiments can be challenging because products and processes are often complex and involve many factors of different kinds. Moreover, some of the factors (for instance, the ingredients of a new formulation) may have intrinsic properties that can be measured but cannot be changed. These are referred to as pre-specified factors or covariates. In this paper, we discuss a representative case study and show how these complications often encountered in the food industry are handled. The goal of the case study is to lower the lipid content of potato crisps by means of a split-plot type of designed experiment involving a complex mixture of ingredients, various constraints on the proportions of the mixture ingredients, and a limited number of batches that each come with a set of covariates. We show how our approach provides insight into the most important factors and allows the product quality to be optimized in an efficient way.

Approximate [formula omitted]-optimal designs for polynomial models over the unit ball

This paper is concerned with approximate I-optimal designs for full polynomial models over the unit ball. The designs have support on an appropriate set of spheres concentric or coincident with the boundary of the unit ball and place weights on the uniform distributions over those spheres. The result is stated in a single sentence in the paper by Galil and Kiefer (1977) but has not been revisited since. The proof indicated by these authors is formalized and the requisite designs are constructed using an approach which emanates from Euclidean design theory. Comparisons of the approximate I-optimal designs with their D-optimal counterparts are made and a Pareto approach to obtaining a design which is a compromise between D- and I-efficiency is introduced. Examples which reinforce the findings are presented throughout.

Model-based injector control map development to improve CRDi engine performance and emissions for eucalyptus biofuel

The twin crisis of fossil fuel dependency and environmental pollution laid a path toward finding a suitable alternative fuel to diesel that is environmentally friendly, viable and equivalent to diesel engine output characteristics is required. Biodiesel emerges as promising fuel however due to some demerits the minimum engine emissions and better combustion can be achieved in CRDI engines through employing a split injection strategy. Within this context, the primary goal of this research is to development of optimum injector control maps using a novel global model-based scheme for an entire operating range of engines fuelled with Eucalyptus blended diesel (80:20 vol). The empirical relation between engine explanatory and response variables are models through the response surface methodology (RSM) based on the I-optimal design technique. For the developed map through the model and multivariate optimization, the efficiency achieved the best value of 33.74% whereas fuel consumption is 0.375 kg/kWh. The maximum emission rate of hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and smoke is 6.74 ppm, 0.55%, 974 ppm and 669 mg/m3. In comparison to the un-optimized map, an increase in efficiency of 15.63% and a decrease in fuel consumption of 5.12% is achieved for the Eucalyptus blend. NOX and smoke trade-off effect has been optimally reduced simultaneously for the developed fuel map.

Split-Plot I-Optimal Design Optimisation of Combined Oil-Based and Friction Stir Rotation-Assisted Heating in SPIF of Ti-6Al-4V Titanium Alloy Sheet under Variable Oil Pressure

The aim of this paper is to determine the optimal input parameters for the process in order to ensure the maximum formable wall angle is obtained in a conical frustum with a varying wall angle fabricated using Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF). The test material was 0.8-mm-thick Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy sheets, and the test used a tungsten carbide tool with a rounded tip with a radius of 4 mm. Complete workpieces were heated using hot oil with a temperature of about 200 °C, and in addition, the high rotation speed of the forming tool generated an amount of friction heat. The input parameters were tool rotational speed, feed rate, step size, and tool rotation direction. Various oil pressures were used to improve both the accuracy of the components formed and the friction heating process. On the basis of calculations performed by means of the response surface methodology, split-plot I-optimal design responses were obtained by means of polynomial regression models. Models were fitted using REstricted Maximum Likelihood (REML), and p-values are derived using the Kenward–Roger approximation. Observation of the fracture surface of Ti-6Al-4V drawpieces showed that the destruction is as a result of ductile fracture mode. Tool rotational speed and step size are the most significant factors that affect the axial force, followed by feed rate. It was also found that step size is the most significant factor that affects the in-plane SPIF force.

Optimal designs for health risk assessments using fractional polynomial models.

Fractional polynomials (FP) have been shown to be more flexible than polynomial models for fitting data from an univariate regression model with a continuous outcome but design issues for FP models have lagged. We focus on FPs with a single variable and construct D-optimal designs for estimating model parameters and I-optimal designs for prediction over a user-specified region of the design space. Some analytic results are given, along with a discussion on model uncertainty. In addition, we provide an applet to facilitate users find tailor made optimal designs for their problems. As applications, we construct optimal designs for three studies that used FPs to model risk assessments of (a) testosterone levels from magnesium accumulation in certain areas of the brains in songbirds, (b) rats subject to exposure of different chemicals, and (c) hormetic effects due to small toxic exposure. In each case, we elaborate the benefits of having an optimal design in terms of cost and quality of the statistical inference.

Constrained vertex optimization and simulation of the unconfined compressive strength of geotextile reinforced soil for flexible pavement foundation construction

Extreme vertex design (EVD) provides an efficient approach to mixture experiment design whereby the factor level possesses multiple dependencies expressed through component constraints formulation. Consequently, the derived experimental points are within the center edges and vertices of the feasible constrained region. EVD was deployed for the modeling of the mechanical properties of the problematic clayey soil-geogrid blends. Geogrids are geosynthetic materials which possess an open mesh-like structure and are mostly used for soil stabilization. The geotextile materials present a geosynthetic and permeable layer to support the soil and foundation by improvement of its stiffness characteristics and at a cheaper cost to procure compared to other construction materials and possess unique light weight properties with greater strength improvement on the soil layer when used. Minitab 18 and Design Expert statistical software were utilized for the mixture design experiment computation; to fully explore the constrained region of the simplex, I-optimal designs with a special cubic design model were utilized to formulate the mixture component ratios at ten experimental runs. I-optimality and D-optimality of 0.39093 and 1747.474, respectively, were obtained with G-efficiency of 64.8%. The generated laboratory responses were taken together with the mixture ingredients' ratio and taken as the system database for the model development. Statistical influence and diagnostics tests carried out on the generated EVD model indicate a good correlation with the experimental results. Graphical and numerical optimizations were incorporated using a desirability functions that ranged from 0 to 1, which helped to arrive at the optimal combination of the mixture components. 0.2% of geogrid, 9.8% of water, and 90% of soil yielded the optimal solution with a response of 41.270 kN/m2 and a desirability score of 1.0. Model simulation was further carried out to test the model's applicability with the results compared with the actual results using student's t-test and analysis of variance. The statistical results showed p-value>.05 which indicates good correlation.

D- and I-optimal design of multi-factor industrial experiments with ordinal outcomes

In various kinds of industries, researchers conduct experiments in which the experimental factors affect an ordinal outcome with three or more categories. A popular model for ordinal outcome variables is the cumulative logit model which is also known as the proportional odds model. In this article, we explore locally and Bayesian D- and I-optimal experimental designs for the cumulative logit model. We perform an instructive sensitivity study to learn about the dependency of D- and I-optimal designs on the values of the model parameters and on the number of outcome categories, and use a polypropylene experiment as a proof-of-concept example.

Long term delivery of glibenclamide from in situ forming microparticles for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Glibenclamide, sulfonylurea receptor inhibitor, is reported to be neuroprotective in ischemic stroke by reducing cytotoxic edema, which is the primary cause of morbidity. As neurological worsening in stroke occurs from 3 to 10 days post-injury, there is a need to develop a system that would provide the release of glibenclamide for 10–15 days in a sustained manner in order to y improve the neurological functions effectively. In situ forming microparticles (ISFM) of glibenclamide was developed using PLGA 50:50 as a biodegradable polymer and by applying RSM I-Optimal design. In vitro evaluation studies were carried out for optimized formulation. In vivo pharmacological assessments and pharmacokinetics studies were performed in the Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion model (BCCAO) in Wistar rats. In vitro drug release studies showed a minimum burst release at 12 h and maximum release on 15th day. In vivo results showed a significant improvement in neurological functions, reduction in the infarct area, and hemispheric swelling in glibenclamide ISFM treated animals as compared to diseased animals. From in vitro and in vivo animal studies, it was concluded that long-acting ISFM of glibenclamide was successfully developed, which showed drug release pattern in a sustained manner for up to 15 days for preventing the neurological worsening in stroke.

Investigation on the Compressive Strength and Time of Setting of Low-Calcium Fly Ash Geopolymer Paste Using Response Surface Methodology.

Approximately 2.78 Mt of coal fly ash is produced in the Philippines, with a low utilization rate. Using fly ash-based geopolymer for construction will lessen the load sent to landfills and will result in lower GHG emissions compared to OPC. It is necessary to characterize the fly ash and optimize the geopolymer components to determine if it can replace OPC for in situ applications. The activator-to-precursor ratio, the water-to-solids ratio, and the sodium hydroxide-to-sodium silicate ratio were optimized using a randomized I-optimal design from the experimental results of 21 runs with five replicates, for a total of 105 specimens of 50 mm × 50 mm × 50 mm paste cubes. The engineering properties chosen as the optimization responses were the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), the initial setting time, and the final setting time. The samples were also ambient-cured with the outdoor temperature ranging from 30 °C to 35 °C and relative humidity of 50% ± 10% to simulate the on-site environment. Runs with high unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and short setting times were observed to have a low water-to-solids (W/S) ratio. All runs with a UCS greater than 20 MPa had a W/S ratio of 0.2, and the runs with the lowest UCS had a W/S of 0.4. The initial setting time for design mixes with a W/S ratio of 0.2 ranged from 8 to 105 min. Meanwhile, five out of seven design mixes with a W/S ratio of 0.4 took longer than 1440 min to set. Specimens with an alkali activator ratio (NaOH/WG) of 0.5 (1:2) and 0.4 (1:2.5) also had significantly lower setting times than those with an alkali activator ratio of 1. The RSM model was verified through confirmatory tests. The results of the confirmatory tests are agreeable, with deviations from the expected UCS ranging from 0 to 38.12%. The generated model is a reliable reference to estimate the UCS and setting time of low-calcium FA geopolymer paste for in situ applications.

The occurrence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Malaysian urban domestic wastewater

The water stream has been reported to contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), released from households and premises through discharge from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). This research identifies commonly consumed NSAIDs namely ibuprofen (IBU), diclofenac (DIC), ketoprofen (KET) and naproxen (NAP) in the influent wastewater from two urban catchments (i.e. 2 STPs). We expand our focus to assess the efficiency of monomer (C18) and dimer (HLB) types of sorbents in the solid phase extraction method followed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis and optimize model prediction of NSAIDs in the influent wastewater using I-Optimal design. The ecological risk assessment of the NSAIDs was evaluated. The HLB produced reliable analysis for all NSAIDs under study (STP1: 6.7 × 10−3 mg L−1 to 2.21 × 10−1 mg L−1, STP2: 1.40 × 10−4 mg L−1 to 9.72 × 10−2 mg L−1). The C18 however, selective to NAP. Based on the Pearson proximity matrices, the DICHLB can be a good indicator for IBUHLB (0.565), NAPC18 (0.721), NAPHLB (0.566), and KETHLB (0.747). The optimized model prediction for KET and NAP based on DIC are successfully validated. The risk quotients (RQ) values of NSAIDs were classified as high (RQ > 1), medium (RQ, 0.1–1) and low (RQ, 0.01–0.1) risks. The optimized models are beneficial for major NSAIDs (KET and NAP) monitoring in the influent wastewater of urban domestic area. An upgrade on the existing wastewater treatment infrastructure is recommended to counteract current water security situation.

Chemometric Assisted Development and Validation of a Stability-indicating LC Method for Determination of Related Substances in Haloperidol Decanoate Injection

Abstract: Aim: Haloperidol decanoate injection is a phenyl butyl piperadine derivative with antipsychotic, neuroleptic, antiemetic effects and has multiple related substances as process and degradant impurities. Objectives: This study focuses on chemometric assisted liquid chromatographic approach to develop a stability indicating impurity profile of Haloperidol decanoate injection. Methodology: Dual experimental designs (combined mixture I-optimal design and response surface historical data design) were employed to resolve all thirteen known impurities of Haloperidol decanoate. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Hypersil BDS C18 (100 x 4.0 mm) 3-μm column to attain separation of related compounds. Results: The optimum conditions for the chromatographic system resulted in a mobile phase consisting of tetra butyl ammonium hydrogen sulphate/ 1-decane Sulphonate sodium buffer solution and acetonitrile with linear gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.4 mL/min. Selectivity, forced degradation, linearity, accuracy and precision were demonstrated in a range of 0.75-30.0 μg/mL. Conclusion: The optimized method was able to resolve the ghost peak observed because of gradient change of mobile phase and is able to separate both polar and non-polar impurities within 60 min, in single method, with resolution of more than 2.0 between adjacent impurities. The inter-day precision for all impurities and haloperidol decanoate were evaluated and found to have a % RSD of less than 10. Key words: Design of Experiments, Haloperidol decanoate Injection, Stability indicating method, DoE aided chromatographic method development, Artifact optimization.

Development and optimization of a new tioconazole vaginal mucoadhesive film using an experimental design strategy. Physicochemical and biological characterization

A new tioconazole (TCZ) mucoadhesive film, based on a biodegradable chitosan/ hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (CH/HPMC) blend, was developed for treatment of vaginal candidiasis. The formulation was optimized through an I-optimal design (minimizing the integral of the prediction variance across the factor space), where the impact of the proportion of the ingredients and processing variables on the quality of the final product was evaluated. Both, the thickness of the film and the swelling index, which affect patients’ comfort and compliance, were considered. Mechanical testing, such as load at break, elongation at break, and mucoadhesive strength were also included as dependent variables.The optimal mucoadhesive film formulation, which should be obtained at a drying temperature of 30 °C, was found to include the combination of CH and HPMC (forming polymers) at 0.25:0.75 ratio, a mixture of polyethylene glycol 400 and propylene glycol as plasticizers (0.07:0.93, 5% w/w), and TCZ loaded at 15 % w/w.The optimal preparation was subjected to exhaustive characterization studies, which revealed that the drug was entrapped in the polymeric matrix in an amorphous state and that the film exhibited a smooth and uniform surface, demonstrating excellent component compatibility. In vitro tests showed that the formulation has an excellent time to kill value (3 min) and lacks cytotoxicity, suggesting that it should be highly effective and safe.

The Effect of Pre-Drying Treatment and Drying Conditions on Quality and Energy Consumption of Hot Air-Dried Celeriac Slices: Optimisation.

Celeriac is a good source of fibre, trace minerals, and phenolic compounds; it has a pleasant aroma but is a perishable material, prone to discolouration. This research investigated the optimisation of the quality and energy demand in hot-air dried celeriac slices. The experiment utilised the I-optimal design of response surface methodology with 30 experiment runs. Pre-drying treatments (blanching at 85 °C, three minutes; dipping in 1% citric acid solution, three minutes; no pre-drying treatment), drying temperatures (50, 60, and 70 °C), air velocities (1.5, 2.2, and 2.9 m/s), and thickness (three-, five, and seven-mm) were applied. The drying conditions affected drying time significantly (p < 0.0001). The model by Midilli and others and the logarithmic model fitted best with celeriac slices drying kinetics. Blanched samples had a higher ΔE*ab (total colour difference) and BI (browning index) but lower WI (whiteness index) than samples with other pre-drying treatments. The rehydration ratio decreased with the increase of sample thickness and blanching (p < 0.0001). A quadratic model described the specific energy consumption (Es) best. The dried samples compared with fresh samples had increased antioxidant activity but decreased total phenolic compound value. The optimisation solution chosen was 58 °C drying temperature, 2.9 m/s air velocity, and 4.6 mm sample thickness with acid pre-drying treatment.