Physicochemical Quality Parameters Research Articles

Comparative analysis of the chemical quality of fishmeal produced on the Northwest coast of Mexico

Objective: To evaluate the physico-chemical quality of fishmeal produced by four companies in different states of the Republic (Baja California Sur, Jalisco and Sinaloa). Design/methodology/approach: The analyzed fishmeals were from six batches, sardine meal from California pilchard and Pacific thread herring (S. sagax and O. libertate), and skipjack tuna and (K. pelamis) processed by different Mexican companies. Proximal chemical analysis was carried out at the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR). Results: The fishmeal’s quality parameters analyzed in this study showed similar values to those reported in the literature. The variations observed in their proximate chemical composition allow them to be classified according to the results of the analyses. Limitations on study/implications: Considering that four of the six flours were produced from the same raw material, S. sagax, the high variability in their physico-chemical quality parameters indicates a lack of standardization in both production methods and quality controls among the producing companies. Findings/conclusions:  K. pelamis by-products can produce meals of equal or better physico-chemical quality than those produced from S. sagax. The development of official regulations establishing quality standards to fishmeal production at national level is desirable for competitiveness.

Spatial and seasonal groundwater quality assessment for drinking suitability using index and machine learning approach

Spatial and seasonal evaluation and monitoring of groundwater (GW) quality is essential for the sustainable management of this priceless resource and the provision of safe drinking water. Nevertheless, GW quality appraisal was not given due attention in the current study area (flat terrain part of the Tana sub-basin). This study sought to assess the seasonal and regional physicochemical GW quality parameters for drinking appropriateness using the drinking water quality index (DWQI) and support vector machine (SVM). The main cations in both the dry and wet study seasons were, in decreasing order, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Fe2+, according to the results. Conversely, the main anions were HCO3-, CO32-, Cl- or NO3-, SO42- and PO43-, ordered from higher to lower. During the two research seasons, Ca-HCO3 and Na-HCO3 were the predominant water types based on Piper diagram results. Reverse ion exchange and evaporation were the principal hydrogeochemical processes that control the hydrogeochemistry identified by Durov and Gibbs diagrams, respectively. Excellent GW quality class for drinking was demonstrated by the majority of geographical and seasonal DWQI readings over the two seasons. Nevertheless, during the rainy season, there was a noticeable decline in the GW quality condition around the northern shores of Lake Tana. Therefore, it is advised to implement comprehensive GW quality protection measures and improve system management to mitigate pollution to reduce health hazards in the examined region.

Optimization of watermelon waste as a bulking agent for sustainable co-composting of livestock manures using response surface methodology

Global human population growth has resulted in significant intensive agricultural activity, posing substantial challenges to waste management and environmental conservation. Watermelon waste (WW), chicken manure (CM) and horse manure (HM) are among the main contributors to agricultural waste due to their abundant waste production. This study aims to manage the daily production of these wastes by utilizing WW as a bulking agent in the co-composting of CM and HM. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to analyze the effects of four independent factors: HM:CM composition, particle size, composting period, and bulking agent amount. Thirty treatments were developed using central composite design and in-vessel composting reactors were employed to study the relationship between the factors involved and compost physicochemical quality parameters. The results demonstrated significant effects on organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), dry matter, moisture content, bulk density, and pH, while the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) and phosphorus level were not affected. The optimized co-composting conditions obtained from RSM were 75:25 for HM:CM composition (%), 0.5 cm for particle size, 40 days for composting period, and 10% of WW, resulting in a compost with 61% OM, 2.5% N, and 2.5% K. These optimal conditions agreed closely with the predicted values; root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) was less than 0.50, revealing the success of RSM in determining optimal process parameters and developing models for predicting responses. Our study demonstrated that WW as a bulking agent in the co-composting of CM and HM has significantly enhanced the organic matter and nutrient levels of the final compost product.

Assessment of the Effect of Transit Time between Harvesting and Processing on the Physicochemical Quality Parameters of Preharvest Burnt Sugarcane

Aim: This study was aimed at assessing the effect of time interval between harvesting and processing on the physical and chemical quality parameters of pre-harvest burnt sugarcane
 Study Design: An experimental research design was carried out that involve random selection of samples and sent to laboratory for analysis
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out on July from 26th to 30th 2023 in Kilombero Valley located in the eastern part of Tanzania, between latitude 7 0 42'42'S and longitude 37 0 00'00'E. 
 Methodology: The NCO 376 variety of sugarcane was used, that were cut below ground level, the tops removed, stalks tightened in bundles. The sample size was 15. each sample constituted of 30 burnt sugarcane stalks samples that were randomly collected and sent to laboratory for analysis after 24 ,72 and 120 hours of storage. On every respective storage time, the samples were scratched with knife to remove external contaminants, the stalks were then milled using two roller machines to extract juice. The juice was filled and sealed in sterilized and labelled bottles ready for laboratory analysis. The laboratory analysis data collected were coded and entered in excel sheet and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.
 Results: The result shows the means values for pH, brix , pol, purity and weight decreased with increase in storage time whereas the means values  for dextran, yeast and Leuconostoc increased with increase storage time The results revealed that purity values were satisfactory in all storage time levels as compared to SASTA standard purity values (97.0 – 98.0% ), whereas mean values for brix and pol stored for  120 hours of storage time was not satisfactory.as compared to SASTA standard values for brix ( 18 – 23%)  and pol (14 – 21%)  .Dextran concentration was high  as compared to South African Sugar Terminals (SAST) that maximum requirement for dextran is 150 mg/kg, dextran level as the measure of microbial deterioration was high in 72 and 120 storage hours indicating  microbial contamination.
 Conclusion: Farmers and processors should be well informed about the consequence of delayed processing burned sugarcane to avoid economic loss for farmers and processors.

A Review of Recent Progresses on Olive Oil Chemical Profiling, Extraction Technology, Shelf-life, and Quality Control.

Olive oil (OO) is widely recognized as a main component in the Mediterranean diet owing to its unique chemical composition and associated health-promoting properties. This review aimed at providing readers with recent results on OO physicochemical profiling, extraction technology, and quality parameters specified by regulations to ensure authentic products for consumers. Recent research progress on OO adulteration were outlined through a bibliometric analysis mapping using Vosviewer software. As revealed by bibliometric analysis, richness in terms of fatty acids, pigments, polar phenolic compounds, tocopherols, squalene, sterols, and triterpenic compounds justify OO health-promoting properties and increasing demand on its global consumption. OO storage is a critical post-processing operation that must be optimized to avoid oxidation. Owing to its great commercial value on markets, OO is a target to adulteration with other vegetable oils. In this context, different chemometric tools were developed to deal with this problem. To conclude, increasing demand and consumption of OO on the global market is justified by its unique composition. Challenges such as oxidation and adulteration stand out as the main issues affecting the OO market.

The impact of overnight lairage on meat quality and storage stability of pork loin.

Lairage, a part of the animal welfare practices, has been known to mitigate pre-slaughter stress in animals. However, research investigating the relationship between lairage and pork meat quality remains scarce. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the physicochemical quality and storage stability of pork from pigs subjected to immediate slaughter (CON) and those provided with a 24 h lairage before slaughter (LRG) over a 7-day storage period. The loins from 20 castrated pigs in each group, respectively, were collected at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days and used for analysis of meat quality and storage stability, including pH, meat color, moisture, water holding capacity, drip loss, cooking loss, shear force, fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation, antioxidant activity, and electrical resistance. Overall, there were no significant differences in physicochemical meat quality parameters between CON and LRG groups. Similarly, no differences were observed in the storage stability of pork including 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and electrical resistance. However, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids was significantly higher in LRG compared to CON. In conclusion, 24 h lairage for castrated pigs had limited impact on meat quality and storage stability but led to an increase in the unsaturated fatty acid proportion.

Environmental impacts of tilapia fish cage aquaculture on water physico-chemical parameters of Lake Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

In Africa, cage aquaculture has been growing due to its potential to address food insecurity concerns, provide livelihoods, and contribute to local economies. However, there is a need for continued research on the sustainability and potential ecological effects of cage aquaculture in African lakes and reservoirs. Even with an adequate amount of water, lakes and reservoirs cannot provide ecosystem services if their water quality is not properly managed. The current study on Lake Kivu, DRC focuses on understanding the effects of tilapia cage aquaculture on selected water quality physico-chemical parameters in the Bukavu sub-basin, DRC. The research was conducted in both caged and uncaged sampling stations, on the spatial and temporal scale from April to September 2023 at three bays serving as sampling stations: two caged (Ndendere, Honga) and one non-caged (Nyofu). Some physico-chemical parameters were measured in situ, whereas chlorophyll a and nutrients analysis were performed at the Institut Supérieur Pédagogique (I.S.P) laboratory in Bukavu. The parameters were used to calculate three indices water quality indices: the water quality index (WQI) to classify the water quality at the stations, the organic pollution index (OPI) to determine the level of organic pollution, the Carlson's Trophic Status Index (CTSI) to classify the trophic state of the stations. Chlorophyll a concentration was a measure of algal biomass. All physico-chemical parameters, apart from DO, ammonium and temperature showed no significant differences among stations and depths. Interaction between stations and between seasons was only observed on turbidity. The WQI for all the sampling stations ranged from medium to good quality (51–90). The OPI for all stations showed minimal level of pollution (4.6–5.0) hence lake's water still organically unpolluted. CTSI results indicated the sampling stations are in a eutrophic state (50 to 70). Fish cage aquaculture does not yet pose harm to the water quality of the two Lake Kivu stations under consideration, according to the study's findings. However with the anticipated growth of cage fish farming activities to meet the rising fish demand, continuous monitoring of water quality in the Lake should be done to inform management decisions and for sustainable aquaculture.

Performance evaluation of an automated hybrid solar system dryer for drying some aromatic herbs

The hybrid solar smart dryer (HSSD) was established to dry medicinal and aromatic herbs that are sensitive to direct sunlight. This study explores the effectiveness of the HSSD as an indirect solar drying technique in drying lemongrass, thyme, marjoram, and lavender at different temperatures (30, 40, and 50 ± 2 °C), focusing on its ability to retain quality features. The total energy consumption was estimated by values of 27.72 kWh for lemongrass and 43.02 kWh for lavender using HSSD at 50 ± 2 °C. Generally, HSSD showed an improvement in the studied physicochemical quality parameters. The green color retention was with the parameters of 15.60 ± 0.89, −5.28 ± 1.92, −3.89 ± 1.86, and −5.89 ± 2.40 for lemongrass, thyme, marjoram, and lavender samples, respectively. The highest values of the lemon grass, thyme, marjoram, and lavender oil content (1.96, 1.73, 3.40, and 2.76%, respectively) were obtained when the aromatic herbs were dried using the HSSD at 40 °C. This study showcased the effectiveness of solar dryers in preserving the physicochemical properties of lemongrass, thyme, marjoram, and lavender during drying, which could be applied to other food products. HSSD is a promising energy-efficient method that can save 19–36% of energy consumption, reducing the carbon footprint of drying processes and delivering high-quality products.

Bio-based nanomaterial suspensions as sprayable coatings for maintaining blueberry postharvest quality

The growing concerns about postharvest fruit spoilage demand sustainable active coating materials with high performance. In this work, bioactive spray coating suspensions were developed for the postharvest preservation of blueberries using chitosan, cellulose, and lignocellulose nanofibers (ChNFs, CNFs, and LCNFs), sodium alginate (SA), and tea tree essential oil (TTO). Characteristics, including the rheological properties of coatings and the effect on physicochemical postharvest quality parameters of blueberry fruit were investigated. The nanomaterials and SA were shown to make stable and sprayable coating suspensions with high surface charge (zeta potential value of −61.3 mV), shear thinning behavior, steady viscosity, and outstanding viscoelastic behavior from their ability to restore fibrous network structure and ion strength of SA to inhibit nanofibers aggregation. The coatings with LCNFs and SA were more effective in retarding moisture loss of postharvest blueberries during storage compared with coatings without LCNFs and SA. Blueberries coated with ChNF/LCNF/SA/TTO had a soluble solids content (SSC) increase of 16.2% after 15 storage days, while uncoated and other coated blueberries had more than a 21.7% SSC increase. In addition, the ChNF/LCNF/SA/TTO coating had an entangled matrix structure and enhanced hydrophobicity, improving gas barrier performance on the blueberry surface. As a result, the coating was able to preserve the moisture, stiffness, firmness, and individual sugar contents of blueberries during storage. Utilizing nanomaterials and other natural polysaccharides in coatings can offer an economically feasible and sustainable approach for functionalizing biomass materials to preserve fruits.

Pilot Scale Continuous Pulsed Electric Fields Treatments for Vinification and Stabilization of Arinto and Moscatel Graúdo (Vitis vinifera L.) White Grape Varieties: Effects on Sensory and Physico-Chemical Quality of Wines

Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing of white grapes (Arinto, Moscatel Graúdo also known as Moscatel de Setúbal) before pressing for must extraction (1.2 and 1.6 kV/cm) and before bottling for finished wine physical stabilization (10 kV/cm) was implemented in a pilot-scale winery to produce about 540 L of wine for each variety. PEF was applied at these two different stages of wine production, and its effects on the sensory and physico-chemical quality of the wines were investigated. The sensory triangle tests revealed no significant change in both wine varieties’ colour, odour, and taste with PEF extraction and PEF stabilization treatments. However, for colour coordinates assessed with a spectrophotometer, a significant increase in CIE b* colour coordinate was registered for PEF-extracted Arinto and Moscatel wine samples, showing a development of a more intense yellow colour. Concerning physico-chemical quality parameters, the PEF extraction increased both wine varieties’ turbidity and pH, although total acidity was not affected. The total phenols also increased in Arinto with extraction. The second PEF treatment applied for wine stabilization did not affect any of the quality parameters, except total phenols, which decreased in Moscatel wine. The results encourage the application of PEF in the wineries at different stages of vinification of white wine grape varieties.

Relationship between Physicochemical and Cooking Quality Parameters with Estimated Glycaemic Index of Rice Varieties.

Rice is a significant staple food in the basic diet of the global population that is considered to have a high glycaemic index. The study of the physical and chemical parameters in rice that are related to the starch digestion process, which allows us to quickly predict the glycaemic index of varieties, is a major challenge, particularly in the classification and selection process. In this context, and with the goal of establishing a relationship between physicochemical properties and starch digestibility rates, thus shedding light on the connections between quality indicators and their glycaemic impact, we evaluated various commercial rice types based on their basic chemical composition, physicochemical properties, cooking parameters, and the correlations with digestibility rates. The resistant starch, the gelatinization temperature and the retrogradation (setback) emerge as potent predictors of rice starch digestibility and estimated glycaemic index, exhibiting robust correlations of r = -0.90, r = -0.90, and r = -0.70 (p ≤ 0.05), respectively. Among the rice types, Long B and Basmati stand out with the lowest estimated glycaemic index values (68.44 and 68.10), elevated levels of resistant starch, gelatinization temperature, and setback values. Furthermore, the Long B showcases the highest amylose, while the Basmati with intermediate, revealing intriguingly strong grain integrity during cooking, setting it apart from other rice varieties.

Can Dawul Kurundu (Neolitsea involucrate) leaf extract be used as a plant-based stabilizer in set yoghurt production?

The incorporation of plant-derived stabilizers in food processing and preservation has gained considerable industrial interest. The leaf extract of Neolitsea involucrate, Dawul Kurundu (DK), has proven to be a potent plant-derived stabilizing agent in the food industry. However, the potential of utilizing DK leaf extract in the dairy industry has not yet been proven. Thus, the feasibility of incorporating DK leaf extract in set yoghurt production by assessing its physicochemical, sensory, proximate composition, minerals (calcium and phosphorous), and microbial (Escherichia coli, yeast, and mold) quality parameters during storage at 4°C up to 21 days was assessed. DK leaf aqueous extracts of 0.4% w/v (T2), 0.6% w/v (T3), and 0.8% w/v (T4) were used for testing with the control sample, 0.6% gelatin (T1). Compared to T1, there were no differences in color, taste, texture, and mouthfeel in all DK leaf extract-incorporated yoghurts, demonstrating the suitability of using DK leaf extract to replace the gelatin. A decreasing pattern of pH value was observed during 21 days of the storage period in all treatments, whereas total titratable acidity increased significantly with time. Furthermore, the lowest syneresis value was obtained by T4, demonstrating ideal stabilizing properties at higher incorporation levels. The proximate, mineral, and microbial compositions of all treatments showed no significant difference compared to the control. Therefore, overall results revealed that the 0.8% w/v level of DK leaf extract incorporation (T4) could be used as a potent stabilizer in set yoghurt production by allowing the possibility of replacing the gelatin without compromising its organoleptic properties. Improved and efficient methods for extracting the DK leaf extracts by focusing on their potential functional and health effects should be further examined.

In-situ pretreatment of aquaculture tail water by molasses addition and the responses of bacterioplankton communities

To reduce the pollutant concentrations in aquaculture tail water before discharging is important. Microcosmic experiment on pond culture of tilapia was conducted, in-situ molasses addition before 58 days of harvest was performed, and its effects on quality of aquaculture tail water and the responses of bacterioplankton communities were detected. Our findings showed that the molasses addition effectively reduced the concentration of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and three kinds of inorganic nitrogen in aquaculture tail water. And its linear effect on nitrate and nitrite nitrogen was through the impact on the bacterioplankton communities.The dominant bacteria observed were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, indicating that water quality physicochemical parameters have a significant correlation with different bacterial communities. FAPROTAX software provided bacterial function predictions and identified chemoheterotrophic bacteria as dominant in the tail water. In addition, abundance of functional microorganisms associated with nitrogen and phosphorus cycling was high. Interestingly, the growth-promoting effect of molasses on cultured organisms may not be due to the ingestion of biofloc by animals but could be a direct effect of molasses.Our study demonstrates that the addition of molasses can improve the quality of cultured tail water, reduce the environmental purification pressure, significantly alter microbial community structure in the water, enhance the nitrogen cycling capacity of the aquatic environment, and promote the growth of cultured animals. These results can provide a theoretical basis for the application of molasses in in-situ pretreatment of aquaculture tail water.

Assessment of Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Honey in Southwest Ethiopia: Detection of Adulteration through Analytical Simulation

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of honey in the supply chain from the Gera district to Jimma town in southwest Ethiopia and develop a predictive model to detect adulteration. A preliminary survey revealed that poor handling practices and adulteration negatively impacted honey's physicochemical and microbial quality. For laboratory analysis, 268 honey samples were collected from households, cooperatives, chira markets, Agaro markets, and Jimma markets. They were mixed separately to create composite samples representing different value chain actors. Laboratory results indicated that honey samples from supply chain actors confirmed significant differences (p < 0.05) in physicochemical and microbial quality. The study found that the extent of adulteration and physicochemical quality loss increased from producers to Jimma retailers, indicating multiple-stage adulteration along the supply chain that could pose a risk to the safety and quality of the product. The physicochemical quality parameters of the honey samples in the study varied within the following ranges: moisture (18.35–19.42%), water activity (0.48–0.61), viscosity (7.45–10.28 Pas), pH (3.41–4.0), titratable acidity (34.01–36.03 meq/kg), ash (0.1–0.23%), electrical conductivity (0.25–0.39 mS/cm), Total Soluble Solid (75.9–77.5 °Brix), Water insoluble Solid (0.16–2.48 g/100 g), Diastase Activity (6–14 DN), and Hydroxymethylfurfural (0.2–27.7 mg/kg). Microbiological analyses showed that total aerobic bacterial and fungal load ranged from 2.7 × 101–2.29 × 102 and 3.2 × 101–4.57 × 102, respectively. A predictive model was developed using adulteration indicator parameters, showing good linearity (R2>90%) and predictive capacity for detecting adulteration with sugar syrup.

Diversity and functional annotation of microorganisms in anaerobic chamber treating nitrate-rich wastewater.

The vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) for the treatment of domestic wastewater has become a conventional and cost effective treatment system with one of the major disadvantage of elevated nitrate concentrations. The present study makes an effort in providing a new design of anaerobic denitrification unit termed as anaerobic chamber (AC) whichwas introduced after two-stage VFCW to remove nitrates from the treated wastewater (WW). The AC provided all the essential conditions of effective denitrification such as anaerobic environment with enough carbon and nitrogen source. To understand the pollutant removal mechanism in AC, microbial diversity and functional annotation was studied by metagenomic analysis of sequences obtained from biofilm formed in AC. The efficiency of AC was measured with respect to physicochemical wastewater quality parameters. The removal efficiencies were 88, 65, 43 and 27% for total nitrogen, nitrate (NO3), ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH4) andortho-phosphate respectively. The microbial flora was much more diverse and unique pertaining to anaerobic microbes in AC compared to WW with total of 954 and 1191 genuses respectively with minimum abundance of 10 hits. The metagenomes exhibited 188% more Archaea in the AC than WW where Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, Korarchaeota, Nanoarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota were major phyla with 60 genuses. The nitrogen metabolism was reported in terms of assimilatory nitrate reductase. As the class, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria were prominent in WW, whereas Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi in AC were abundant. From functional annotation of sequences, the microbial flora in AC has the potential of removal of pollutants present in the form of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

An attempt to improve the traditional olive (Olea europaea) oil eco-extraction as applied in the Bouzeguène municipality (Northern Algeria)

This work is an attempt to improve the traditional olive (Olea europaea L.) oil (OO) eco-extraction (TOOEE) as applied in the Bouzeguène municipality (extreme south-east of Tizi-Ouzou, chief town of the region of the same name located 100 km east of Algiers). The improvement concerns the possible replacement of the direct solar drying (DSD), habitually applied before OO extraction, by indirect solar drying (ISD). For comparison purpose, oven drying (OD) was also considered. The drying kinetics of fresh olives (FOs), OO yield (OOY, % w/w in relation to the FO weight), rate of released olive vegetation water (OVW, % w/w in relation to the FO weight), and OO physicochemical quality parameters (free acidity (FA, % w/w oleic acid), specific extinction coefficient at 230 (K230) and 270 nm (K270), etc.) were investigated. For the three drying procedures tested, the quadratic equation was found to correctly describe the whole drying curves, with R2 and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) varying from 0.995 (case of ISD) to 0.999 (case of DSD) and from 5 (case of DSD) to 21.33 % (case of ISD), respectively. The DSD-dried olives and ISD-dried olives gave the OOY of 11 % on average with a release of only 0.20 % OVW. For physicochemical parameters, the results were contradictory. For example, the mean FA value for OO from DSD-dried olives (DSD-OO) was ∼ 2.86 % (against ∼ 4.57 % for OO from ISD-dried olives (ISD-OO)) while the mean radical scavenging activity (RSA) for ISD-OO was ∼ 34 % (against ∼ 18 % for DSD-OO). This study confirms the ecological character of the TOOEE and the possibilities of its improvement, which could make it inspiring for all the actors of the field.

Formation of the quality and shelf life of bread through the addition of rowanberry powder

The object of the study is bread made from medium rye flour enriched with rowan powder. The study is devoted to the formation of quality and increase of the shelf life of bread. The technology of obtaining powder from Sorbus aucuparia involves freezing fruits, preliminary dehydration by osmotic dehydration, drying and grinding. It was found that rowan powder contains the highest amount of potassium (860 mg/100 g) and 6.7 % crude fiber. Rowan powder contains 1.72 mg/100 g of vitamin C, which gives it antioxidant properties. The experimental samples of bread from medium rye flour were made by the liquid sponge method. Rowan powder was added to samples D1, D2, and D3 in an amount of 5, 10, and 15 %, respectively. The control sample (C) was made according to a standard recipe. The analysis of the physicochemical parameters of bread quality showed that with an increase in the amount of rowan powder added, the acidity of the samples increased, but did not exceed the standard values. Rowan powder did not significantly affect the moisture content of the bread crumb. With the addition of 5 and 15 % powders, the moisture content was 46.7 and 46.6 %, respectively. In sample D2, which contained 10 % rowan powder, the moisture content was the lowest – 45.9 %. The effect of rowan powders on the storage ability of rye flour bread was investigated. It was found that mold appeared on the surface of sample C on the 5th day of storage. In the sample with a rowan powder content of 5 % – on the 12th day of storage, with a powder content of 10 % – on the 21st day of storage. On sample D3, mold was observed on the 16th day of storage. These results indicate that rowan powder can be used as a natural preservative that can significantly increase the shelf life of rye flour bread

Formulation of Tengger herbal coffee: Effect of coffee type and fennel seed powder

The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (or Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru/TNBTS) is a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, and the local authorities encourage the development of new local specialty products. One locally available commodity is coffee. This study investigated the best formula for Tengger herbal coffee. The randomized block design (RBD) consisted of two factors, including the coffee types (i.e., Arabica, Robusta, and Arabica:Robusta (50:50)) and the proportion of coffee:fennel seed powders (i.e., 92:8, 90:10, and 88:12). Physicochemical and organoleptic quality parameters were analyzed. In all coffee types, the addition of fennel seed powder at different concentrations significantly affects the sensory attribute (i.e., color, taste, and aroma) and the physicochemical characteristics of Tengger herbal coffee. The blending of coffee with fennel seed powder improved the taste and aroma of the herbal coffee. The best formulation was obtained from A3B3, a mixture of 44% Arabica coffee: 44% Robusta coffee: 12% fennel seed powder. This formula resulted in Tengger herbal coffee with pH 4.9, 16.6 color lightness, 0.64% total insoluble solids (TIS), 0.07% caffeine content, 47.2 mg GAE/g total phenol, 0.49 ppm antioxidant activity (IC50), and 0.58% reducing sugar. The findings confirmed that Tengger herbal coffee offers health benefits from its antioxidant activity, alongside the potential as a traditional beverage product.

Assessment of the water quality of Bar-Bula Village well waters, Tafawa Balewa local government area, Bauchi State, Nigeria

There was a report of health challenges in our study area due to the consumption of water from wells sited in the community. The research was aimed at assessing the water quality parameters of the wells consumed by the villagers towards providing information on the possible health implication(s) of its consumption. Two sampling sites were selected, well 1 and well 2, which were hitherto the sole sources of water in the village. Physicochemical and microbiological quality parameters of samples were done in order to assess their conformance with the specification of Nigerian Standard for drinking water quality (NIS 554-2015). The results indicated that all physical water quality parameters have their mean concentration values below the maximum permissible limits, except colour which had total mean concentrations of 16.5 ± 0.65 TCU and 15.3 ± 0.65 TCU for well 1 and well 2 respectively, are relatively above the allowable unit range of 15 TCU (NIS-554-2015). The water quality assessment of wells also revealed high concentration of Cadmium (0.11 mg L-1 and 0.16 mg L-1, for well 1 and 2 respectively as against 0.003 mg L-1 specified by standard) and Magnesium (185 mg L-1 and 105 mg L-1 for well 1 and 2 respectively as against the maximum permissible limit of 20 mg L-1 specified by the standard). The microbial values of samples fall below the maximum permissible limit prescribed by the NIS standard. From the study, it was concluded that the presence of Cadmium in the well waters indicated that the water is unfit for consumption.

Development and Characterization of Thermoformed Bilayer Trays of Paper and Renewable Succinic Acid Derived Biopolyester Blends and Their Application to Preserve Fresh Pasta.

The present study reports on the development by thermoforming of highly sustainable trays based on a bilayer structure composed of paper substrate and a film made of a blend of partially bio-based poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA). The incorporation of the renewable succinic acid derived biopolyester blend film slightly improved the thermal resistance and tensile strength of paper, whereas its flexural ductility and puncture resistance were notably enhanced. Furthermore, in terms of barrier properties, the incorporation of this biopolymer blend film reduced the water and aroma vapor permeances of paper by two orders of magnitude, while it endowed the paper structure with intermediate oxygen barrier properties. The resultant thermoformed bilayer trays were, thereafter, originally applied to preserve non-thermally treated Italian artisanal fresh pasta, "fusilli calabresi" type, which was stored under refrigeration conditions for 3 weeks. Shelf-life evaluation showed that the application of the PBS-PBSA film on the paper substrate delayed color changes and mold growth for 1 week, as well as reduced drying of fresh pasta, resulting in acceptable physicochemical quality parameters within 9 days of storage. Lastly, overall migration studies performed with two food simulants demonstrated that the newly developed paper/PBS-PBSA trays are safe since these successfully comply with current legislation on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.