Percent Moisture Research Articles

Analysis of the heat transfer time in rubber aggregate concrete as a function of humidity percentage at very high temperature

This study deals with the analysis of the thermal behavior of concrete based on rubber aggregates. The objective is to study the effect of humidity and the role of rubber aggregates on the thermal behavior of concrete, especially the time of heat transmission within the material at very high temperatures such as during a fire. The study is carried out according to two approaches, an experimental approach that allows us to determine the characteristics of concrete in the initial state (density, heat capacity and thermal conductivity), and a numerical approach to characterize the behavior of recycled concrete at very high temperature and determine the time of heat transmission. The results obtained showed that recycled concrete based on rubber aggregates has several advantages when the concrete is exposed to high temperatures such as during a fire. Indeed, with a humidity of 1.5% and a percentage of 10%, 20% and 30% of rubber aggregates, we can gain 23.8%, 41% and 63.7% on the time of heat transmission compared to the reference concrete, and with a humidity of 3% and a percentage of 10%, 20% and 30% of rubber aggregates we can gain 22. 5%, 40% and 63.3% compared to the reference concrete, and with a humidity of 10% and a percentage of 10%, 20% and 30% of rubber aggregates we can gain 23.6%, 40.7% and 63.8% still compared to the reference concrete. However, a high percentage of moisture in the concrete generates an increase in pressure and favors the increase of the thermal gradient due to the energy necessary for the vaporization of the liquid water, and according to the literature it is recommended not to exceed a percentage of moisture 3% in order to avoid the thermal stability as well as the spalling of concrete.

Enhancing Functional and Nutritional Characteristics of Multigrain Mix by Incorporating Jamun Seed Powder

The jamun seeds are considered as waste products from industry and are usually thrown out. The jamun seeds have enormous nutraceutical properties as they contain bioactive compounds. The present study was designed to develop a multigrain mix incorporating jamun seed powder. Efforts were made to prepare jamun seed powder ing multigrain mix combinations of whole wheat flour, defatted soya flour, foxtail millet flour, and jamun seed powder. The multigrain mix was prepared by incorporating jamun seed powder at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 % levels and were subjected to organoleptic evaluation. The sensory results showed that 4 % incorporation of jamun seed powder multigrain mix secured a high score for taste, flavor and overall acceptability. The 4 % incorporation of jamun seed powder multigrain mix was analyzed for nutritional properties and found to contain 11.21 percent moisture, 3.23 percent ash, 59.79 percent carbohydrate,1.65 percent fat, 19.45 percent protein, 3.25 percent fiber, 105.62 mg/100g calcium, 6.32 mg/100g iron. The glycemic index of jamun seed powder incorporated in multigrain mix was found to be 51 (low glycemic index) and it is suitable for consumption by diabetic people.

Genetic Diversity among Maize (Zea mays L) Genotypes Based on Fodder Yield and Quality Parameters

Maize (Zea mays) is cultivated all over the world including Pakistan for fodder and grain. Genetic diversity and environmental effects greatly affect the fodder yield and quality in maize. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the genetic diversity among 31 maize genotypes for fodder and quality related traits. Genotypes were collected from the Australian Grain Gene Bank and grown under field conditions with three replications following randomized complete block design. The morphological traits such as plant height (cm), leaf area (cm2 ), leaf-stem ratio (wt. basis), stem girth (cm), leaves plant-1 , days to 50% silking, days to 50% silking, leaf moisture (%), dry fodder yield plant-1 (g), green fodder yield plant-1 (g) and quality traits such as crude protein (%), ether extract (%), ash content (%), crude fiber (%) and nitrogen-free extract (%) were recorded. Analysis of variance, biplot analysis and genotypic and phenotypic correlation were performed. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences with days to 50% silking, days to 50% tasseling, plant height, stem girth, leaf area, leaves plant-1, moisture percentage, green and dry fodder yield, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract, ash content and nitrogen free extract and non-significant differences with leaf stem ratio. At phenotypic and genotypic level, dry fodder yield plant-1 , plant height, stem diameter, leaf moisture %, No. of leaves, days to 50% silking, crude fiber and ether extract revealed significant correlation with fodder yield plant-1 . Biplot analysis based on PCA for different quantitative parameters showed that first two principal components i.e F1, F2 are contributing 23.29% and 14.53 % to the total variations respectively. Based on all the results the best genotypes were DTMA-271, DTMA-15, DTMA-281 and DTMA-295 could be used in breeding programs.

Morphometry of fruits and pyrenes in two morphotypes and populations of Butia purpurascens Glassman (Arecaceae)

ABSTRACT: Morphometry of fruits and seeds is a useful and important information for phenotyping and genetic characterization of crop plant species and, for conservation of endangered species, as is the case of Butia purpurascens Glassman. In this study, we determined comparatively the morphometric features of fruits and pyrenes between yellow and magenta B. purpurascens morphotypes, located in four different sites (populations). We processed 1380 fruits collected from 69 individuals. We evaluated the length, width and weight of the fruits and pyrenes, the fresh and dry pulp mass, and percentage of pulp moisture. Yellow morph showed larger and heavier fruits than magenta morph. Morphometric differences were also evident among the four populations, suggesting that ecosystems fragmentation can cause deleterious genetic effects in B. purpurascens in long-term.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ВЛАГОУДЕРЖИВАЮЩИХ АГЕНТОВ НА ДЕКОРАТИВНЫЕ КАЧЕСТВА ГАЗОННОГО ПОКРЫТИЯ

The effect of wetting agents on the decorative qualities of the lawn covering formed by the plants of the bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) of the ‘PLS’ variety mixture has been studied. The studies were carried out in a small-plot field experiment on sandy soil, in the conditions of the Moscow region. All research is aimed at studying the demand in the golf industry, which will help to understand the effectiveness and appropriateness of the use of investigational agents. Watering is an important operation necessary for the normal growth and development of perennial grasses growing on a well-drained sandy profile of golf courses. It is also quite costly. Currently, there are a huge number of different agents, technologies and tools for monitoring the condition and care of the grass standg. According to the results of these studies, Revolution was the best wetting agent, with the lowest percentage of dry patches and optimum soil moisture throughout the entire study. According to the main indicators of decorativeness of the bentgrass, the highest scores on the NTEP scale were in the bentgrass stands with the use of Revolution in the volume of 20 l/ha: germination (6 / 6.6 / 5.6), color (6.6 / 7.6 / 6), uniformity (4.3 / 7 / 7.3) germination (6/6.6/5.6), colour (6.6/7.6/6), uniformity (4.3/7/7.3); with the use of Revolution in the volume of 10 l/ha – germination (5.6 / 6.6 / 5.6), color (6.6 / 7.6 / 6.6), uniformity (4.6 / 7.6 / 6).

Comparison of the physical, chemical, rheological and baking properties of wheat bread and wheat fortified with oats and almond bread

The study was conducted in the laboratories of the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Food Sciences, for the period from 1/5/2021 to 1/6/2021 It included the production of wheat bread and wheat bread fortified with oats and almond bread in order to compare the physical, chemical, rheological and baking properties of bread produced from wheat and from wheat fortified with different percentages of oats and almond bread Different samples were taken from bread fortified by 100 percent, wheat bread fortified with oats by 10 percent, wheat bread fortified with oats by 15 percent, and wheat bread fortified with oats by 20 percent, oat flour in addition to almond bread. The results of the physical characteristics showed a high percentage of moisture in almond bread and a decrease in wheat bread. The results also showed a high percentage of protein in wheat bread and a decrease in wheat bread, and the percentage of fat in almond bread increased compared to the rest of the samples, and the highest value of carbohydrates was in wheat bread and less in almond bread. As for the results of the rheological characteristics of the flour, the farinograph results showed that the highest absorption rate was in the almond sample 68.6 and the lowest in the wheat sample 60.6, while the longest period was for the time required for ripening in almond bread 17.2 and the lowest in wheat flour 4.8 and recorded the highest stability period in the almond sample was 11.3 and the lowest was in wheat 5.0, as for the sensory evaluation. The results showed the superiority of wheat bread in most of the traits. As for the smell and taste, the preference was for almond bread.

Criopreservação de sementes de Vriesea reitzii Leme & A.F. Costa bromélia endêmica da Mata Atlântica

ABSTRACT Vriesea reitzii is an endemic bromeliad from the Atlantic Rainforest. The objective of this research was to evaluate the cryopreservation using the method of direct immersion of its seeds, collected from capsules at 120, 135, and 150 days after anthesis (DAA). The water content was determined before cryopreservation, while the germination percentage, germination speed index (GSI), and total soluble carbohydrates were quantified after cryopreservation. The highest percentage of moisture (17.6%) was observed in 120 DAA, while the highest percentage of germination (89.6%) and GSI (17.0) were observed in 150 DAA. Optical and transmission electron microscopy analyses were performed, and no cell damage or changes at the morpho-histological and ultrastructural levels were observed after the cryopreservation process. From these results, V. reitzii seeds can be classified as orthodox seeds and the cryopreservation (+LN) is an efficient tool for an ex situ conservation of this species.

Synthesis of Plant‐Derived Khat Waste for Environmental Application

This research is based on the characterization of khat waste (Catha edulis) through the use of some experimental approaches required to produce a clean, renewable energy source that could enhance our environmental economy as well as our energy security. The objective of this article is to characterize the pyrolysis khat waste in both proximate and ultimate analysis, thermal decomposition (weight loss of khat), and functional categories of khat waste, by using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to determine the functional group of a sample. We also used an elemental analyzer device (model: Thermo Scientific–EA1112 FLASH CHNS/O analyzer) to measure elemental composition, characterize the proximate analysis of khat, and measure weight loss or thermal behavior of raw khat sample by using a device called thermogravimetric analyzer (TA instrument model: SDT Q600). The determined characterization of the khat sample was 48.25 percent carbon, 6.16 percent hydrogen, 45.13 percent oxygen, and 0.46 percent nitrogen. When compared to coal, khat contains extremely little nitrogen, resulting in less environmental contamination to the air than fossil fuel combustion. The proximate analysis results of the khat sample also showed 5 percent and 5.26 percent moisture content for both wet and dry bases, respectively, as well as 76.3 percent volatile matter, 4.8 percent ash content, and 13.83 percent fixed carbon. The findings are discussed in this research by comparing the final value results with other biomass and coil. The functional group of khat waste was studied using a spectrum of (65 Perkin Elmer) at wavelength ranges of 4000 to 400 cm-1. The weight loss of the khat sample at 700°C and a heating rate of 20°C/min, as well as the proximate analysis of this raw khat, were 4.5 percent, 75.84 percent, 5.38 percent, and 14.28 percent for moisture, unstable substance, ash content, and static carbon, respectively. The differences between TGA values and the projected proximal value were 10%, 0.6 percent, 9.47 percent, and 3.15 percent for moisture, volatile matter, as content, and fixed carbon, respectively. Overall, the benefit we get from pyrolysis of khat waste is that khat waste has very low nitrogen content and empty sulfur, which is very important for reducing air pollution and environmental sanitation when used as fuel. So from pyrolysis, khat waste types of fuel such as biochar, liquid fuel, and gas fuel can be obtained.

Hydrogen as Potential Primary Energy Fuel for Municipal Solid Waste Incineration for a Sustainable Waste Management

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management has always been a challenge for the community impacting environmental sustainability. The anticipated reasons include an increase in population and prosperity. Among all the viable methods for MSW management, incineration technology is the most matured and feasible method. Incineration technology is based on combustion process of waste assisted by fossil fuels. These fuels are not only depleting with every day, but also a source environmental hazards upon burning. Current study investigates the feasibility of hydrogen as a primary combustion fuel for municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration. A vertical shaft type incinerator has been designed with the ability to operate on pure hydrogen. A pre-mixed hydrogen and oxygen fuel in the stoichiometric ratio has been fed through specially designed burners. The burners have been so designed to achieve homogenous heat distribution. To determine the working of incinerator at maximum allowable moisture content, a variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous MSWs with high moisture percentages between 60 and 90% have been tested. The maximum temperature of the incineration has been recorded to be 850°C. A high reduction in weight percent i.e., 86-94%, and loss on ignition (1.74%-6.41%) have been observed. The hydrogen-based incinerator exhibited the highest performance for homogenous paper and food waste (1kg) with 60% and 87% moisture content respectively. The energy consumption was 118Wh and 353Wh respectively and achieved 97.14% and 88.88% reduction in weight respectively. Increase in moisture content of the waste leads to decrease the performance of hydrogen based incineration system.

Meat production traits of Angora goats. 2. Meat quality characteristics and fatty acid composition of meat from intact and castrated kids

Context In Turkey, meat production contributes much more income than mohair production in Angora goat farming. Castration is expected to alter the meat quality depending on the slaughter weight. Aims This study was designed to determine the quality characteristics and fatty acid composition of meat from intact and castrated male Angora goat kids slaughtered at different liveweights. Methods Forty-eight single male Angora goat kids (24 intact, 24 castrated) were slaughtered at three slaughter weights (20, 25 and 30 kg) after being fattened intensively. Response variables were meat physical quality characteristics, chemical composition, total cholesterol and fatty acid profile. Data were subjected to analysis of variance using the general linear model procedure. Key results Colour parameters (L*, a*, b*, C* and H*), pH, water-holding capacity and cooking loss were significantly (P < 0.001) influenced by time post-slaughter. Castration did not affect (P > 0.05) these properties. L* values decreased (P < 0.001) as slaughter weight increased. With increasing slaughter weight, meat expressed less water and cooking losses were higher (P < 0.001). Warner–Bratzler shear force increased (P < 0.05) with slaughter weight. Castration affected meat chemical composition: moisture percentage decreased (P < 0.001), and protein and fat increased (P < 0.01). Similarly, protein and fat contents of the meat increased and moisture decreased with increasing slaughter weight (P < 0.001). With increasing slaughter weight, intramuscular fat of the longissimus thoracis muscle showed increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.01) and ratios of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids (P < 0.001) and n-6/n-3 (P < 0.05), and decreased thrombogenic and atherogenic indexes (P < 0.001). Total unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio was higher and atherogenic index lower following castration (P < 0.05). Conclusions Castration of Angora male kids did not affect meat quality, but increased protein and intramuscular fat content of the longissimus thoracis muscle. Increasing slaughter weight positively influenced fatty acid composition pertinent to human health, but some measures indicated poorer meat quality. Implications Castration and slaughter weight did not greatly affect meat quality except for improvements in fatty acid percentages.

Banana pell pellets for animal feed

The objective was to determine the exact moisture percentage for the formation of pellets from the banana peel, residues of banana candies, and the bromatological analysis of the final product. For the of the peel of banana, 10 different dehydration times were performed: zero; two; four; six; eight; ten; twelve; fourteen; sixteen and eighteen hours of dehydration, with four replicates each treatment. The exact moisture percentage for pellet formation was 18.84% moisture. The final product presented in its bromatological composition 81,16% of DM, 8,59% of CP, 26,8% of TND , 71,48% of NDF, 54,64% ADF, 0,8% of EE, 13,43% MM, 86,54% of OM, 0,22% of P e 0,068% of K. Evaluations in animal models should be performed in place of corn to determine the replacement levels in the diets and the performance of the animals.

Physical, Total Phenolic and Total Flavonoid Properties of Chia (<i>Salvia hispanica</i> L.) Seeds Grown in Kenya

In the recent past, there has been an increased uptake of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) by consumers resulting in the increased adoption of chia farming, particularly in Kenya whereby most farmers are practising subsistence farming and a few farming it commercially. The widespread farming of chia seeds in Kenya translates to increased uptake at household level while offering a niche for industrial processing of chia seeds necessitating the need for studies on physical, total phenolic and flavonoid properties of chia seeds grown in Kenya. The physical, total phenolic and flavonoid properties of chia seeds from two chia planning seasons April to August 2019 and September to December 2019 were evaluated. The physical attributes (length, width and thickness) were determined using a digital vernier calliper while proximate components were determined using AOAC standard methods. The Quencher procedure was used to determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Chia seeds revealed a length of 1.82 to 2.32 (mm), a width of 1.15 to 1.31 (mm) and a thickness of 0.77 to 0.88 (mm). The percentage moisture content of chia seeds was 7.23 to 10.67, percentage of crude fat was 31.48 to 42.45, percentage of crude ash was 3.63 to 6.82, and percentage of crude fibre was 30.95 to 38.65 and percentage of crude protein was17.82 to 28.97. The total phenolic content observed for chia seeds was 0.73 to 0.87 mg GAE g-1 while total flavonoid content was 0.39 to 0.57 mg GAE g-1. The proximate components of chia seeds varied significantly (p .

Wind Drift Evaporation Loss and Soil Moisture Distribution under Sprinkler Irrigated Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.)

An experiment was conducted during March–June 2018 with the sprinkler irrigation system covered in an area of 39×42 m2. Proper design and management of sprinkler irrigation systems improves the uniformity of moisture distribution and reduces wind drift and evaporation losses (WDEL) for effective crop growth. Uniformity coefficient, wind drift and evaporation loss of the sprinkler system at a different pressure head of 2 kg cm-2, 2.5 kg cm-2 and 3 kg cm-2 were studied. Wind speed was observed by using handheld anemometer. The wind speed ranged between 0.9 to 4.5 m s-1. The highest uniformity coefficient of 88.19% and wind drift and evaporation loss of 3.5% were obtained at the pressure head of 3 kg cm-2 and the wind speed of 0.9 m s-1. Soil samples were collected at different depths of 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–30 cm and at a radial distance from 0 m, 3 m, 6 m, 9 m, 12 m respectively to determine the soil moisture distribution pattern. The soil moisture content values were plotted by using the computer software, surfer 10 of the windows version and contour maps were drawn. The moisture content was found to be more at 0–10 cm depth, as compared to 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm depth. The percentage of moisture was found to be highest at a 6 m distance, which was due to overlapping of the sprinkler system.

Assessment of fish oil to check the stability and meat quality of some commercially available tin packed fish in Islamabad, Pakistan

Fish contains all the essential nutrients which is important for human health so it is important to analyse all the nutrients present in tin packed fish meat. Keeping in view its importance present study is conducted on the assessment of fish oil to check the stability and quality of fish meat by proximate analysis of commercially available tin packed fish. Four tin packed fish species i.e., Sardine (Sardinella longiceps), Red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) were collected from different supermarkets of Islamabad, Pakistan. Proximate analysis viz., crude protein, crude fat, moisture and ash contents of the fish meat has been done to evaluate the meat quality. The antioxidant activity in oil was also analysed by FRAP assay. The result indicated that maximum percentage of moisture i.e., 78.61% present in Skipjack Tuna meat, Pink Salmon contain highest percentage of crude protein i.e., 70.00%, Red Salmon contain highest percentage of crude fat i.e., 30.00% while Sardine and Skipjack Tuna contains highest percentage of ash contents i.e., 8.00% and the total antioxidant capacity (uM) is higher in oil of Red Salmon (24.35%) followed by Sardines (14.78%), Skipjack Tuna (9.86%) and Pink Salmon (9.48%). It was concluded that the fish meat after thermal processing contains suitable percentage of crude protein, crude fats, and moisture and ash contents. Keywords: Proximate analysis, Antioxidant, Crude protein, Crude fat, Tin packed fish meat.

Formulation and Evaluation of Transdermal Patch of Thiochochicoside

The aim of the study is to formulate and evaluate transdermal patches of Thiocholchicoside In the present study, matrix type were prepared by moulding techniques. This mode of drug delivery is more beneficial for chronic disorders such as Rheumatoid arthritis which require long term drug administration to maintain therapeutic drug concentration in plasma. Transport of drugs or compounds via skin is a complex phenomenon, which allows the passage of drugs or compounds into and across the skin. In the present work an attempt has been made to formulate and evaluate the transdermal patches of Thiocholchicoside using various blends of polymer. The polymeric combinations EC/PVP and EC/HPMC used for the formulation of transdermal patches showed good film forming property. The patches formed were thin, flexible, smooth and transparent. The weight variation tests showed less variation in weight and suggesting uniform distribution of drug and polymer over the mercury surface. The thicknesses of the transdermal patches were found to increase on increasing concentration of hydrophilic polymers like PVP and HPMC.All the patches showed good flexibility and folding endurance properties. The result suggests that the formulations with increased hydrophilic polymer concentration showed long folding endurance. The moisture content in the patches was found to be low and formulations with more hydrophilic polymer concentrations showed more percentage moisture content. The in-vitro drug release studies showed that formulations TDP2, TDP3, TDP4, and TDP5 with increased concentration of hydrophilic polymer showed rapid release. The drug content analysis showed minimum variations suggesting uniform distribution of drug.

Combining computer vision score and conventional meat quality traits to estimate the intramuscular fat content using machine learning in pigs

Intramuscular fat content (IMF%) is an important factor that affects the quality of pork. The traditional testing method (Soxhlet extraction) is accurate; however, it has a long preprocessing time. In this study, a total of 1481 photographs of 200 pigs' loin muscles were used to obtain a computer vision score (IIMF %). Then, actual IMF%, meat color, marbling score, pH value, and drip loss of 200 pigs were measured. Stepwise regression (SR) and gradient boosting machine (GBM) were used to construct the estimation model of IMF%. The results showed that the correlation coefficients between IMF% and IIMF%, marbling score, backfat thickness, percentage of moisture (POM), and pH value were 0.68, 0.64, 0.48, 0.45, and 0.25, respectively. The model accuracies of SR and GBM base on residuals distribution were 0.875 and 0.89, respectively. This study presents a method for estimating IMF% using computer vision technology and meat quality traits.

Sustainable Production of Bioethanol by Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using Rice Husk and Groundnut Shell as Substrates

Background of Study: Plant waste such as rice husk and groundnut shell are generated in large amounts, these waste presents a tremendous pollution to the environment. Worldwide, these wastes are often simply dumped into landfills and oceans or used as animal feeds. The recovery of food processing wastes as renewable energy sources represents a sustainable option for the substitution of fossil energy in order to minimize environmental damages and to meet energy demands of the growing population.
 Aim: To produce bioethanol from rice husk and groundnut shell using local strains of Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
 Place and Duration of Study: Conducted at the Microbiology Laboratory of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Bauchi state, Nigeria, between April to June, 2021.
 Methods: Groundnut shell and Rice husk were collected from local milling center. The wastes were powdered, sieved and used as carbon source. Proximate composition of the subsrate was done and the total carbohydrate was determined by difference. The sum of the percentage moisture, ash, crude lipid, crude protein and crude fibre was subtracted from 100. Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated from rotten sweet oranges and locally fermented beverage (‘kunun-zaki’) respectively by growing them on Malt Yeast Peptone Glucose Agar (MYPGA) after which they were further screened for their ability to tolerate ethanol and they serve as organisms for fermentation. The enzyme α- amylase was used for hydrolysis. The fermented substrates were distilled at 78oC and the distillate was collected as bioethanol in a conical flask. UV-VIS spectrophotometer was used to determine the absorbance of each concentration (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8cm3) of reducing sugar content of the hydrolysates and the bioethanol produced by developing a standard curve at a wavelength of 491nm and 588nm respectively. The concentration of reducing sugar and bioethanol was determined using a reference line from the Standard curve.
 Results: Proximate analysis done shows that rice husk have 70.09% carbohydrates while groundnut shell has 65.09% carbohydrates. Groundnut shell yielded the highest reducing sugar of 5.096%. Rice husk yielded the lowest quantity of reducing sugar with a total yield of 2.962%. Maximum concentration of bioethanol of 0.971% was produced from the combination of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis from groundnut shell. The lowest concentration of 0.121% of bioethanol was produced when Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used on rice husk hydrolysates. The synergistic relationship of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis yielded the maximum bioethanol when compared with the yield obtained when the organisms were used singly. Zymomonas mobilis produced highest bioethanol content when the organisms are used single.
 Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potentiality of local strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis isolated from rotten sweet orange and locally fermented beverage (‘kunun-zaki’) to produce bioethanol by fermenting the rice husk and groundnut shell hydrolysates.

Banana pell pellets for animal feed

The objective was to determine the exact moisture percentage for the formation of pellets from the banana peel, residues of banana candies, and the bromatological analysis of the final product. For the of the peel of banana, 10 different dehydration times were performed: zero; two; four; six; eight; ten; twelve; fourteen; sixteen and eighteen hours of dehydration, with four replicates each treatment. The exact moisture percentage for pellet formation was 18.84% moisture. The final product presented in its bromatological composition 81,16% of DM, 8,59% of CP, 26,8% of TND , 71,48% of NDF, 54,64% ADF, 0,8% of EE, 13,43% MM, 86,54% of OM, 0,22% of P e 0,068% of K. Evaluations in animal models should be performed in place of corn to determine the replacement levels in the diets and the performance of the animals.

Quality of Plant-Based Ground Beef Alternatives in Comparison with Ground Beef of Various Fat Levels

The objective of this study was to compare the quality characteristics of current plant-based protein ground beef alternatives (GBA) to ground beef (GB) patties of varying fat percentages. Fifteen different production lots (n = 15/fat level) of 1.36 kg GB chubs of 3 different fat levels (10%, 20%, and 27%) were collected from retail markets in the Manhattan, KS area. Additionally, GBA products including a foodservice GBA (FGBA), a retail GBA (RGBA), and a traditional soy protein–based GBA (TGBA) currently available through commercial channels were collected. Consumers (n = 120) evaluated sample appearance, juiciness, tenderness, overall flavor liking, beef flavor liking, texture liking, and overall liking. Additionally, samples were evaluated for color, texture profile, shear force, pressed juiciness percentage (PJP), pH, and fat and moisture percentage. All 3 GB samples rated higher (P < 0.05) than the 3 GBA samples for appearance liking, overall flavor liking, beef flavor liking, and overall liking by consumers. Similar results were found with trained sensory panelists, which rated the GBA as less (P < 0.05) juicy, softer (P < 0.05), and lower (P < 0.05) for beef flavor and odor intensity and higher (P < 0.05) for off-flavor intensity than the GB. Moreover, the GBA had less (P < 0.05) change in shape through cooking and a lower (P < 0.05) percentage of cooking loss and cooking time than the GB. Also, the GBA all had lower (P < 0.05) shear force and PJP values than the GB. The color of the GBA differed (P < 0.05) from the GB, with the GB samples being more (P < 0.05) red in the raw state. These results indicate that the GBA provide different eating and quality experiences than GB and should thus be considered as different products by consumers and retailers.

Towards accurate non-contact moisture inspection using THz imaging and thickness information

This study proposes an approach for a non-contact moisture inspection in dried food products, which is crucial to maintain optimal quality and shelf-life, using terahertz (THz) signal. To achieve this, a sample-specific calibration curve needs to be determined first. HAITAI crackers were chosen in this work for demonstration purposes. Fifteen stacks of crackers with different heights were prepared and moisturized by covering with a wet tissue paper for different time periods, resulting in moisture levels between 3 and 40% R.H.. Then, each sample was placed on a conveyor belt system between a THz source and THz a detector, and transmitted signal was measured 5 times. After that, moisture percentage of the sample was determined based on a gravimetric method, whose results served as a ground-truth measurement. A thickness of the sample was also measured using a vernier. All signal measurements, together with their corresponding known thicknesses and moisture percentages, were used to calculate necessary coefficients that define a sample-specific calibration curve. Once a calibration curve for the cracker was obtained, it was used to estimate the moisture percentages in samples with different thicknesses. Mean absolute error (MAE) of the moisture percentage is found to be less than 12% when the sample thickness is modelled as part of the calibration curve, which is over 50 times less compared to the case when the sample thickness is not modelled. Therefore, the utilization of an automatic thickness determination would be promising for real-time and accurate non-contact moisture inspection. This approach can be also integrated into a production line to improve quality control in the food industry without interrupting existing processes.