Natural Blends Research Articles

Development and characterization of probiotic mucilage based edible films for the preservation of fruits and vegetables

There is growing interest among the public and scientific community toward the use of probiotics to potentially restore the composition of the gut microbiome. With the aim of preparing eco-friendly probiotic edible films, we explored the addition of probiotics to the seed mucilage films of quince, flax, and basil. These mucilages are natural and compatible blends of different polysaccharides that have demonstrated medical benefits. All three seed mucilage films exhibited high moisture retention regardless of the presence of probiotics, which is needed to help preserve the moisture/freshness of food. Films from flax and quince mucilage were found to be more thermally stable and mechanically robust with higher elastic moduli and elongation at break than basil mucilage films. These films effectively protected fruits against UV light, maintaining the probiotics viability and inactivation rate during storage. Coated fruits and vegetables retained their freshness longer than uncoated produce, while quince-based probiotic films showed the best mechanical, physical, morphological and bacterial viability. This is the first report of the development, characterization and production of 100% natural mucilage-based probiotic edible coatings with enhanced barrier properties for food preservation applications containing probiotics.

A Recent Uses of Plasma in the Textile Printing

Plasma treatment for almost all synthetic and cellulosic textiles is considered to be one of these physical technologies. Plasma treatment does not involve the treatment of hazardous chemicals and thus, compared to chemical treatment, there are no problems with effluents. The study demonstrated that most types of materials (natural synthetics and blends) with natural dye using pigment printing techniques can be printed using high-quality plasma radiation. It is an environmentally friendly process, fast-growing, and finds certain potential applications. The study claims that polyester plasma therapy and surface modifications can alleviate difficulties with printing. The study investigates the treatment of a PET fabric with an efficient plasma approach to activate the surface before cationization treatment.

Do Conspecific Herbivores Track Resource Depletion through Host Phenology-Specific HIPVs?

Conspecific herbivores use herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) as cues while selecting an optimal site for oviposition. This is to ascertain the availability of nourishment for their progeny so that they get the best chance at survival. In the present study, phytophagous eulophid seed-borer Anselmella kerrichi was significantly (time spent: F 3,40 = 13.12, P < 0.0001; number of entries: F 2,30 = 4.21; P = 0.02) attracted to HIPVs from immature fruits of Java plum, Syzygium cuminii (time spent: 4.77 ± 0.40 min; number of entries: 2.27 ± 0.24) when also given the choice of mature fruits (time spent: 1.76 ± 0.32 min; number of entries: 1.46 ± 0.16), indicating that herbivores can assess re-source depletion from host phenology-specific HIPVs. The chemical cues like α -pinene, β -pinene, (z)-ocimene, undecane, 3,7-dimethyl decane, neo-allo-ocimene, allo-ocimene, ethyl benzoate, 2,6,11-trime¬thyldodecane, α -copaene and β -caryophyllene, which are present in immature fruit volatiles elicited antennal response in a GC-EAD analysis. Olfactometer analyses with the synthetic compounds also revealed that A. kerrichi was significantly attracted to these cues and the synthetic blend composed of the above compounds proved to be much more efficient in attracting female wasps when compared to a natural blend. Field evaluations using the synthetic blend showed that it could attract a significant number of A. kerrichi , indicating the scope of using this blend of synthetic HIPVs as a sustainable IPM tool

Storage-related changes of terpene constituents in caraway (Carum carvi L.) under real-time storage conditions

Caraway is a widespread agricultural crop that has been utilized by humans since ancient times. It is known as a kitchen spice, medicinal plant in phytotherapy and, due to its high essential oil content, as a fragrant plant and raw material for terpene production. Limonene and carvone, which in turn are used as precursors for the synthesis of further flavorings and fine chemicals, account for more than 90 % of the essential oil. However, the quality of essential oils can quickly deteriorate due to inadequate storage and by external impacts such as heat, oxygen, and light. In the present study, caraway seeds, caraway essential oil as well as pure standards of limonene and carvone were stored in parallel under real-time conditions at 25 °C and 40 °C to assess the effect of the plant matrix and the natural blend of compounds on essential oil stability. GC and HPLC analyses were used to show that the volatile compounds were well protected in the caraway seeds as no significant changes were determined. In comparison, a remarkable loss of limonene (22.4 %) due to oxidation-induced alterations was observed for the pure substance, while carvone contents remained almost constant over the entire storage period. The decline of limonene (9.2 %) as part of the essential oil was much lower while carvone again remained unchanged. The formation of novel minor compounds such as limonene-1,2-epoxide, carveol, and limonene-1,2-diol was mainly due to limonene downstream oxidation and increased with elevated storage temperatures. Volatile compounds were best protected in the intact plant seeds, and storage of the entire essential oil is preferable compared with isolated terpenes due to higher stability as representatively demonstrated for the major compound limonene.

Novel formulation with essential oils as a potential agent to minimize African swine fever virus transmission in an in vivo trial in swine.

Background and Aim:African swine fever (ASF) is currently the most prevalent disease in swine. The disease is spreading throughout primary swine-producing countries with heavy losses in population and revenue. To date, no successful vaccines or medications have been reported. This study aimed to design and develop a blend of natural essential oils and test its efficacy against the ASF virus (ASFV) in swine.Materials and Methods:We attempted to develop a natural oil blend formulation (NOBF) and determine its efficacy against the ASFV. This study follows on from a previously published in vitro study that reported that the NOBF has anti-ASFV properties. A study was designed using 21 healthy piglets of triple-cross (Landrace + Yorkshire + Durok) crossbred pathogen-free pigs with an average weight of 15 kg. The study consisted of NOBF-incubated, NOBF, positive control, and negative control groups. The NOBF groups were administered NOBF (80 mL/ton mixed in drinking water) beginning 10 days before the challenge and continuing throughout the experiment. The positive and negative control pigs consumed regular drinking water. The pigs were challenged by a sublethal dose of pure isolate ASFV strain Vietnam National University of Agriculture-ASFV-L01/HN/04/19 inoculation with 103.5 HAD50/dose through the intramuscular route. There were sic pigs in each group, three pigs directly IM challenged, and three pigs were considered cohoused pigs.Results:Both challenged (three) and cohoused (three) pigs in the positive control showed clinical signs of ASFV infection, as detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in blood samples, oral swabs, and feces. There was 100% cumulative mortality, that is, both challenged and contact pigs died in the positive control group on day 20 of infection. No signs of infection or mortality were observed in the NOBF-incubated group. The challenged pigs in the NOBF-direct challenge group showed clinical signs and mortality, whereas no clinical signs or symptoms occurred in the cohoused pigs. The immunoglobulin G (IgG) level of the contact pigs was the highest in the treatment group and the lowest in the positive control group. The IgM level of the contact pigs in the treatment groups was the lowest, whereas that of the positive control was the highest. The RT-PCR test showed that the ASFV was deactivated in the NOBF-incubated group. The challenged and contact pigs of the positive control group had high Ct values. The challenged pigs of the NOBF group had high Ct values, whereas the contact pigs from the same group and those of the negative control were negative for the ASFV, determined by PCR, in all samples. The comparison of the challenged groups showed that the appearance of the virus was delayed by at least 2 days in the NOBF group compared to the positive control group.Conclusion:The results showed that NOBF can prevent the spread of the ASFV in a population. Moreover, NOBF can enhance the pig humoral immune system by enhancing IgG levels and reducing IgM levels. This study successfully demonstrated that NOBF is an anti-ASFV agent, which prevents horizontal transmission and enhances pig humoral immunity.

Dielectric behavior of natural ester based mineral oil blend dispersed with TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles as insulating fluid for transformers

Mineral oil being the most extensively used oil in transformers still has some associated drawbacks like non-biodegradability and low fire point. Bio-degradable, non-toxic and fire-resistant vegetable-based ester oils are considered as second-generation insulating fluids. These oils are continuously being tested in order to replace the conventional mineral oil for insulation purposes. The dielectric properties of these vegetable oils are further improved by adding various types of nanomaterials. This paper focuses on preparing a mixture of natural ester oil and mineral oil blend as a base fluid and studying the dielectric behavior of this fluid after being dispersed with TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles. Results indicated that dispersion of both nanomaterials resulted in an overall enhancement in the dielectric properties of nanofluids. The breakdown voltage of TiO2 dispersed nanofluid is reported to be about 30% greater than pure mineral oil, 24% greater than pure ester oil, and 17% greater than the oil-blend. Likewise, the breakdown voltage of ZnO dispersed nanofluid is observed to be around 28% greater than pure mineral oil, 19% greater than pure ester oil, and 16% greater than the oil-blend. Moreover, in terms of cooling, TiO2 dispersed oil-blend shows better performance as a coolant. Thus, both types of nanofluids can be used as insulating oils in the transformer depending upon the requirements expected to be met by the transformers.

Comparative study on resilient modulus of natural and post-quake recycled aggregates in bound and unbound pavement subbase applications

The present paper deals with the potential employment of recycled debris in the field of road pavement engineering. In particular, the resilient behaviour of a recycled aggregate mixture produced from mixed post-quake debris is compared with that of a natural blend in both bound and unbound applications as road subbase layers. An experimental campaign based on cyclic load triaxial tests has been carried out to determine the resilient modulus of materials, which has been investigated after different periods and conditions of curing. Comparative analysis demonstrates that cement addition provides added value to recycled aggregates from mixed debris, whose resilient properties result comparable to those of virgin aggregates when employed in bound applications.

Development of a Natural Oil Blend Formulation to Replace Antibiotics and Growth Promoters in Broiler Chicken Feed

Development of a Natural Oil Blend Formulation to Replace Antibiotics and Growth Promoters in Broiler Chicken Feed

Assessment of natural gas/hydrogen blends as an alternative fuel for industrial heat treatment furnaces

The present study investigates the application of natural gas/hydrogen blends as an alternative fuel for industrial heat treatment furnaces and their economic potential for decreasing carbon dioxide emissions in this field of application. Doing so, a detailed technological analysis of several influencing parameters on the heating system was performed as well as a consideration of furnace heating technology challenges. Starting with an evaluation of the main thermophysical properties of the blends and their corresponding flue gases, requirements for the heating systems were identified. Potential ways of decreasing flue gas losses and increasing the heat transfer are shown. In the radiant tube application, an increased overall combustion efficiency of about 1.2% was measured at 40 vol% hydrogen in the fuel gas. Influences on the air to gas ratio control system of the furnace is a further important point, which was considered in this study. Two commonly used control systems were evaluated concerning their capabilities to regulate the gas flow rates of blends with varying hydrogen contents and combustion properties, such as Wobbe Index. This is important, since it shows the capability to retrofit existing furnaces. Two types of burners were tested with different natural gas/hydrogen blends. This includes an open jet burner with air-staged and flameless combustion operation modes. A recuperative burner for radiant tube application was considered as well in these tests. Doing so, the nitrogen oxide formation of both systems under different operating conditions and different fuel blends were evaluated. An increase by about 10% at air-staged combustion and about 100% at flameless combustion was measured by a hydrogen content of 40 vol% in comparison to pure natural gas firing. Finally, the additional fuel costs of natural gas hydrogen blends and different cases are presented in an economic analysis. The driving force for the use of hydrogen as a fuel is the price of the CO2 certificates, which are considered in the analysis at a current price of 25.2 €/t CO2.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Educational Institutions and their Instructional Approaches

This paper examines various impacts of COVID-19 on Educational Institutions and demonstrates the results of their counter measures. In particular, it focuses on their online educational counter measure strategies and critically analyzes the system in terms of their numerous advantages, disadvantages and information security loopholes. It considers the advent of COVID-19 as a trigger for the improvement of educational approaches and foresees the continuous role of online education even after COVID-19. It demonstrates how a natural blend of online and traditional educational approach can improve both educational quality, its user oriented flexibility as well as reduce the adverse impacts of limited resources. While showing its conveniences, various economic and educational benefits, it also examines associated numerous security risks. It identifies security loopholes of online education as the main obstacle for its successful continuous adoption and provides necessary guidelines for its counter measures at various levels.

Natural oil blend formulation as an anti-African swine fever virus agent in in vitro primary porcine alveolar macrophage culture.

Background and Aim:African swine fever is one of the severe pathogens of swine. It has a significant impact on production and economics. So far, there are no known remedies, such as vaccines or drugs, reported working successfully. In the present study, the natural oil blend formulation’s (NOBF) efficacy was evaluated against ASFV in vitro using porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) cells of swine.Materials and Methods:The capacity of NOBF against the ASFV was tested in vitro. The NOBF combines Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus sylvestris, and Lavandula latifolia. We used a 2-fold serial dilution to test the NOBF formulation dose, that is, 105 HAD50/mL, against purified lethal dose of African swine in primary PAMs cells of swine. The PAM cells survival, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and hemadsorption (HAD) observation were performed to check the NOBF efficacy against ASFV.Results:The in vitro trial results demonstrated that NOBF up to dilution 13 or 0.000625 mL deactivates the lethal dose 105 HAD50 of ASFV. There was no HAD (Rosetta formation) up to dilution 12 or 0.00125 mL of NOBF. The Ct value obtained by running real-time PCR of the NOBF group at 96 h post-infection was the same as the initial value or lower (25), whereas the Ct value of positive controls increased several folds (17.84).Conclusion:The in vitro trial demonstrated that NOBF could deactivate the ASFV. The NOBF has the potential to act as anti-ASFV agent in the field. The next step is to conduct in vivo level trial to determine its efficacy.

Studies on needle punched nonwoven fabrics made from natural fiber blends for oil sorbent applications

Oil retention of needle punched nonwoven fabrics made from coarse cotton, fine cotton, jute, kapok and its blends were reported. Based on the previous research work, oil retention of nonwoven fabrics is highly influenced by fiber diameter, fabric porosity and oil properties. In this study blended needle punched nonwoven samples were produced using fibers with wide variation in fiber diameter. Coarse jute fiber was blended with fine fibers of cotton and kapok to improve structural stability after sorption of oil. Needle punched nonwoven fabrics were produced using jute fiber ratio of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% with 25% kapok, 25% coarse cotton and remaining fine cotton fibers. Oil retention capacities of needle punched nonwoven fabrics were found to be in the range of 7.75 g/g to 16.60 g/g under various process conditions. It has been noted that an increase in the jute fiber content in the nonwoven fabrics increases the oil retention capacity of the samples. Jute fibers act as columns in fiber structural assembly and it is the stiffer fiber than other three fibers used in the needle punched nonwovens. Thickness of nonwoven needle punched fabrics change after sorption of oil from 1.5% to 5%, which reduced on increasing jute fiber content in the blends.

Application of temporal penalty analysis for the optimization of sugar reduction in protein beverages

AbstractThis study evaluated the application of penalty analysis to temporal evaluation of vanilla‐flavored protein beverages sweetened with different sweeteners. Iso‐sweet concentrations of sucrose, sucralose, stevia, and monk fruit, as well as natural sweetener blends, were assessed in the study. Ready‐to‐mix protein beverages were formulated with flavoring, sweetener, and whey protein isolate (25 g protein per 360 ml serving). Consumers (n = 143 total) participated in both temporal liking and temporal check‐all‐that‐apply (TCATA) exercises. Consumer results from temporal liking were matched at each second with results from their TCATA profiling. Significant penalties to liking associated with the presence or absence of attributes were subsequently identified. The sucrose formulation received no penalties and had the most consistent temporal liking of all formulations. Monk fruit beverages were penalized (p &lt; .05) for metallic sensation over the course of aftertaste evaluation, and stevia beverages were penalized for bitter and metallic tastes, astringency, and lingering bitterness. Natural sweetener blends proved effective at mitigation of these unpleasant temporal sensory qualities. Understanding the temporal aspects of protein beverages related to the different sweetener types may provide guidance for formulating reduced‐sugar products that maintain an acceptable consumer temporal experience.Practical applicationNonnutritive sweetener systems are often less palatable than sucrose‐sweetened products, presenting a barrier to more widespread consumption. This study utilized a novel penalty analysis approach from a temporal perspective to identify formulations that are viable alternatives to nutritive sweetener formulations. Findings from this study may be of specific interest to manufacturers of high‐protein products. Additionally, the approaches used within this study may hold practical value for food manufacturers as a whole, as they outline a novel consumer‐centric approach for refining product formulations.

Feasibility study for the utilization of natural gas and hydrogen blends on industrial furnaces

In the deep steel industry decarbonization, green hydrogen plays a pivotal role as alternative energy to replace natural gas and carbon bearing materials. In this frame, technical aspects and in general criticalities relevant to the use of mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas in industrial processes were investigated: in particular its effect was analyzed on employ of existing industrial burners for treatment furnace and on oxidability and descaling susceptibility of forged material as Grade F22V and Inconel® 625. The experimental campaign on burner using blends with 30% and 50%vol. of hydrogen in natural gas highlighted that it is possible to ignite the burner for both mixtures, but that the burner is more stable with the 30%vol. of hydrogen in natural gas. The detected emissions of nitrogen oxides compared to the natural gas increase up to 15%. The results indicated that selected high speed burner should be used in industrial plant with a 30% of hydrogen in volume with no need of hardware modifications. The oxidation investigation on atmospheres deriving from the combustion of 100% of hydrogen, at 1230 °C, showed a moderate scale increase up to 14% for F22V grade and 8% for Inconel® 625. This increase of scale growth has not detrimental effect on the scale removability. For the selected reference industrial scenario, the burner was positively tested in industrial furnace with a 30% of hydrogen in volume with no need of hardware modifications. Moderate scale growth was observed, but with no detrimental effect on the scale removability. Moreover, the H2 addition allows to get CO2 reductions, without any noticeable drawback on other process parameters or product quality for this industrial scenario.

Experimental investigation on mechanical properties of economical local natural fibre reinforced cement mortar

The present experimental investigation focuses on identifying the potentially superior properties among locally economic, natural fibres as fortifying material in the cement mortar. The four different local natural fibres of common rural usage in South India, namely Sisal, Palmyra, Coir, and Banana, are used in the current work. The integration of fibres in the cement mortar mix is made based on cement viz’s weight, a combination of three different fibre contents of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% in each case fibre length, 10 mm, 15 mm & 20 mm. The remarkable properties like workability and mechanical determine all the mixes, with the latter defined after 7th and 28th days. The experiment outcomes show appreciably good flexural and split tensile strength for all the fibre composites compared to the control mix. The monitoring on the control mix's workability and compressive strength shows that all the four natural fibre-reinforced blends gave insignificant results than the control. The experimental results indicate the sisal fibres with better results compared to all other fibres. The proposed reinforcement scheme would assure economic feasibility and cost-effectiveness as the fibres are cheaper and available aplenty in this region.

Performance, nutrient digestibility and feed cost benefit of finisher broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with Crina poultry plus

A study was carried out to determine the effect of Crina Poultry Plus®, a natural blend of essential oils and benzoic acid. on the growth performance, carcass yield and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens. Six treatment diets were formulated by the addition of Crina Poultry Plus (CPP®) at 0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6g/kg of feed. Two hundred and forty day-old chicks were allocated to the six dietary treatments with each treatment having four replicates. Each replicate had 10 broilers. The parameters measured were live weight, live weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, protein efficiency ratio, carcass and organ characteristics, nutrient utilization and feed cost benefit. Results of growth performance showed that there were no significant differences (P&gt;0.05) across the treatment groups, but birds fed diets supplemented with CPP® had significantly heavier body weight (BW), higher average daily weigh gain live weight gain and similar feed conversion ratio when compared with the control group. The dressing percentage, thigh, drum stick, breast cut and back cut were not significantly (P&gt;0.05) different across the treatment groups but those fed diet supplemented with CPP® had higher values when compared with the control diet. The supplementation of CPP® improved nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens. Birds fed diet containing 0.6g of CPP® had numerically lower cost per kg of weight gained compared to other treatment groups. It can be concluded that the addition of 0.6 g CPP® in broiler diets improved performance, carcass, organ characteristics and nutrient utilization of broilers.

Deactivation of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus H120 Using Natural Oil Blend on in vitro Medium

Deactivation of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus H120 Using Natural Oil Blend on in vitro Medium

Impact of Natural Oil Blend Formulation (NOBF) on Calves during Transportation

Impact of Natural Oil Blend Formulation (NOBF) on Calves during Transportation

Influence of natural colour blends of freeze-dried Gac aril and pulp on the quality of whey protein-mixed gelatin-based chewables

Gelatin gummy jelly is a chewable snack with attractive synthetic colour and flavour. The use of natural carotenoid colourant, found in Gac aril or pulp, potentially benefits consumer health. The objectives of this study were to formulate gummy prototypes designed with varying levels of gelatin, sucrose, and glucose syrup, to vary the addition of whey protein concentrate (WPC) and freeze-dried (FD) Gac aril and pulp to the selected prototype, and to investigate changes in coloured WPC-mixed gelatin gummy during storage. The prototype containing gelatin, sucrose, and glucose syrup at 10, 50, and 40%, respectively, was selected based on its hardness, gumminess, and chewiness values. The addition of WPC (0.75%) to the selected prototype increased the values of hardness, springiness, and gumminess but reduced the values of cohesiveness and chewiness. Coloured WPC-mixed gelatin gummy with blends (0.5 g/100 g) of FD Gac aril and pulp at a ratio of 75:25 appeared yellow-orange and received the highest acceptance score. The quality of coloured WPC-mixed gelatin changed to a dull colour and a softer texture gel during storage. Therefore, Gac-coloured WPC-mixed gelatin gummy improvement for colour and texture qualities should be of concern for shelf-life stability.

A perspective on the use of ammonia as a clean fuel: Challenges and solutions

A perspective on the use of ammonia as a clean fuel: Challenges and solutions