Product Formulation Research Articles

Calcium fertilization strategy to improve production and quality of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango in semi-arid conditions

ABSTRACT Calcium (Ca) is an essential element for the development of mango plants. New technologies are emerging in the market to assist the production process, such as organic acids and amino acids. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different strategies of Ca fertilization on the production and physical-chemical quality of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango grown under Brazilian semi-arid conditions. The experiment was carried out in two commercial mango orchards, following a randomized block design, with four replications and four plants per block. The factorial design was composed by three formulations of Ca-based products and three forms of application. Fruit were harvested at the physiological maturity to determine yield and quality. There was no statistical difference among treatments for the incidence of internal physiological disorders in mangoes, with mean values ranging from 0.08% to 0.38%. Fruit production and physical-chemical quality were affected by the different Ca formulations and forms of application. Fruit production ranged from 21.5 to 44.4 kg per plant. The Ca foliar application plus fertigation in the form of CaCl2.2 H2O resulted in higher production, as well as higher fruit weight and lower weight loss at 40 days after harvest.

Physico-chemical studies of inclusion complex between hydrocortisone and cyclodextrins

Hydrocortisone (HC) is widely utilized in the pharmaceutical field for various administration routes, including oral, parenteral, and topical routes. However, its application in ocular disease treatment as a solution is limited due to its poor aqueous solubility. To address this limitation, in this study we aimed to investigate different types of cyclodextrins (CDs) to identify the most effective CD for improving the inherent solubility of HC. Results from scanning electron microscopy, rheology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated the formation of inclusion complexes, while isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) investigations accurately determined the thermodynamic parameters associated with the formation of complexes between HC and HPβCD or βCD, at 25 and 37 °C. Additionally, phase solubility studies in PBS buffer at 37 °C confirmed the formation of stable inclusion complexes. Collectively, results indicated that HPβCD was the most effective CD in enhancing the intrinsic solubility of HCs in PBS highlighting its potential for improving the solubility and formulation of HC-based pharmaceutical products.

Unraveling the potential of native Azotobacter and Azospirillum spp. formulations for sustainable crop production of rice (Oryza sativa L. var. Khandagiri)

Biological nitrogen fixation is significantly effective and sustainable field procedure for the promotion of plant growth & development and reducing the burden of chemical fertilizers. In the present investigation, plant growth promoting activities of indigenous bio-fertilizer formulations of Azotobacter and Azospirillum spp. isolated from rice pots filled with local soil of Odisha was examined. The efficacy of Azotobacter and Azospirillum spp. were assessed by selecting five isolates from each genus that were analyzed by biochemical assay like utilization and fermentation of carbohydrate, citrate, nitrate reduction activity, oxidase activity, catalase activity and phosphatase activity. The isolates (Az2 and As5) showed maximum PGP activities among all the isolates of Azotobacter and Azospirillum spp. The analyzed isolates showed variation in production of ethylene between 63.11 ± 4.23 to 121.09 ± 4.56 nmole C2H4/mg bact./h. The isolates Az2 and As5 among Azotobacter and Azospirillum spp. respectively fixed more nitrogen in culture which is 101.66 ± 9.79 (Az2) nmole and 121.09 ± 4.56 (As5) nmole C2H4/mg bact./h. The treatments T1 (Az2) and T2 (As5) were used as individual application of Azotobacter and Azospirillum spp. and T3 as combined application of both the strains which had the best response in all of the developmental metrics studied. Among all treatments, T3 performed around 23-27% better than the T1 and T2 individually.

Abstract 14 Omidubicel-Onlv: Robustness of the Manufacturing Process

Abstract Introduction Omidubicel-onlv is a nicotinamide (NAM) -modified allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell therapy derived from cord blood. NAM expansion increases the number of stem and progenitor cells, inhibits differentiation, and potentiates migration, bone marrow homing, and engraftment efficiency. A global phase 3 trial demonstrated faster hematopoietic recovery, reduced rates of infection, and shorter hospitalizations for patients randomized to omidubicel-onlv compared to standard umbilical cord blood (UCB). Omidubicel-onlv is manufactured for each patient from a single, appropriately matched cord blood unit (CBU). The inherent donor variability as well as the different processing and testing methods used by different Cord Blood Banks (CBBs) present challenges in maintaining a consistent product. Objectives This extensive study was conducted to confirm the robustness of the manufacturing process and the proven acceptable range for the critical and key process parameters. Methods Seven process parameters were evaluated in total. Of these, three parameters were related to the CD34+ expansion phase: CD34+ seeding concentration, incubation temperature, and CO2 levels. Four additional parameters were related to final product formulation and cryopreservation: hold times during harvest and formulation, cell concentration in the drug product, DMSO concentration, and storage temperature. The impact of each process parameter on product performance was assessed by a side-by-side comparison of its target value (control) versus the tested range. Each parameter was evaluated using at least three batches derived from three CBUs. Statistical analysis of the coefficient of variation or recovery against the control was applied to the data sets. Results Statistical analyses demonstrated an overall variability of ≤30% in critical attributes including fold expansion, viability, phenotyping, and recovery of cells post-cryopreservation and stability. Discussion The omidubicel-onlv manufacturing process is robust, overcoming the variability of batches derived from different donors, different processing and testing methods at CBBs, and manufacturing process parameters.

Policy Insights from High-Income Countries to Guide Safe, Nutritious, and Sustainable Alternative Proteins for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The United Nations has encouraged governments to promote sustainable healthy diets to address undernutrition, obesity, and climate change. This perspective paper examines policy insights from selected high-income countries in Asia, Europe, and North America to understand how traditional and novel alternative proteins (AP) may support sustainable healthy diets in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where populations experience malnutrition in all forms. AP products must be affordable, locally sustainable, and culturally acceptable to improve diet quality and health. Food-based dietary guidelines are a policy tool to guide AP product formulation, manufacturing, processing, labeling, and marketing to ensure that these products complement traditional plant- and animal-source proteins in sustainable healthy diets. This paper suggests that a new food categorization taxonomy is needed to guide AP product recommendations. Decision-makers must harmonize multisectoral policies to ensure LMIC populations have access to sustainable healthy diets to achieve a protein transition and food systems transformation by 2050.

Characteristics of physicochemical properties, structure and in vitro digestibility of seed starches from five loquat cultivars

Starch plays a pivotal role in food and other industries, necessitating the exploration of new starch sources to cater the substantial requirement. This study delved into the variations in the physicochemical properties, structure attributes and in vitro digestibility of seed starches extracted from five distinct loquat cultivars (Eriobotrya japonica L.). The starch extraction yield of loquat seeds was found to be 45.2 % as an average. Loquat seed starches were designated as having high-amylose starch (>50 %). The starch granules exhibited similar shapes, but granular size significantly varied across the cultivars. Loquat starches presented a C-type crystalline pattern with relative crystallinity from 17.14 % to 21.06 %. The short-range ordered structure of the starches differed with loquat cultivars. The swelling power, solubility and amylose leaching of loquat starches increased with increasing temperature, significantly varying among different cultivars. Gelatinization parameters exhibited significant variations among the loquat starches. Different loquat starches exhibited pronounced variations in paste clarity, water and oil absorption capacity. Marked differences were detected in proportions of rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS) across the five cultivars, with RS being particularly prominent fraction with an average of 84.30 %. These compressive findings offer valuable insights into the potential application of loquat seed starches in the formulation of foods and various industrial products.

Effect of microwave treatment on technological, physicochemical, rheological and microstructural properties of mango (Mangifera indica) kernel starch variety Tommy and Sugar

Mango is a tropical fruit used in various agricultural food products. The purpose of the research was to analyze the application of microwave treatment on the, technological, physicochemical, thermal, morphological, pasting, and rheological properties of mango kernel starch from the varieties Tommy and Sugar. The microwave treatment at 900 W and 1 min was evaluated. After microwave treatment, the water absorption capacity (WAC) and amylose content increased significantly, being the highest values for the microwave-modified starch of mango var Tommy (To-MW). The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy results show that microwave treatment does not modify the chemical structure of starch. The rheological behavior showed that microwave-modified starches have higher values of consistency index and yield stress than native starches. The pasting test showed that the microwave treatment did not modify the pasting temperature of the mango kernel starch, while the peak, setback, breakdown and final viscosity showed a significant increase. The results obtained show that the application of microwave treatment increases the rheological and pasting properties of mango kernel starches without modifying their chemical composition, which is of great interest for its application in the formulation of new products in the food industry.

Improved Organoleptic Properties in Cooked Sausages through a Mutton-Poultry Blend: An Analytical Study

This study investigates the implications of utilizing a combination of mutton and poultry meat for cooked sausage production, with an emphasis on understanding changes in chemical composition and textural properties. Utilizing a systematic approach, four experimental variants were developed, progressively incorporating up to 30% poultry meat as a replacement for mutton. A comprehensive chemical analysis revealed an increase in the water-binding capacity, a notable decrease in fat content, and a slight increase in ash content (P<0.05 for both changes). In contrast, textural assessment showed no significant variations across the samples. The blending of mutton and poultry meat demonstrated an enhancement of organoleptic properties, inclusive of flavor, aroma, juiciness, and tenderness of the final product, without compromising the textural characteristics. The results of this study underline the potential benefits of integrating mutton and poultry in cooked sausage production, suggesting a novel pathway to create a nutritious, tasty, and high-quality product. The findings possess implications for the meat industry, providing scientific backing for the inclusion of diverse meats for an optimized product formulation.

A Review of Slaughterhouse Blood and its Compounds, Processing and Application in the Formulation of Novel Non-Meat Products

Animal blood has become of growing interest, and its functional and nutritional properties are being exploited. In recent years, several research papers related to the application of blood in food products have been published. The purpose of this review is to describe animal blood, its chemical composition, sampling, processing, preservation, and its application in various non-meat products. Bovine, pig and guinea pig blood has been used in the formulation of different foods such as chocolate, cookies, sausages, drinks, gummies, extruded products and consumed directly as a nutritional supplement, the compounds of interest being heme iron from hemoglobin, blood plasma and serum, bioactive proteins and peptides. However, animal blood residues have a high microbial load that is controlled in slaughterhouses. Likewise, the use of this by-product has shown an increase in hemoglobin levels in pregnant mothers and children with anemia who consume it. These fortified foods were high in protein and iron. The use of blood in different food matrices is a potential alternative to improve its nutritional quality, in addition to helping to reduce the levels of malnutrition and anemia in people.

Comparative studies of structural and thermal gelation behaviours of soy, lentil and whey protein: A pH-dependency evaluation

A growing global concern about human health, environment, and sustainable food supplies has motivated researchers to find new alternatives to dairy proteins. To investigate the effects of pH and protein varieties on the thermal gelation behaviors, plant protein (soy and lentil) and dairy protein (whey) were subjected to a variety of pH treatments. SDS-PAGE showed that only partial subunits of soy and lentil protein were involved in disulphide bonded aggregate formation regardless of pH, and that of whey protein was inhibited at acidic conditions and facilitated at higher pH. Both soy and lentil protein did not form self-standing gels at pH 5.0, while whey protein did, and all proteins displayed different morphologies as pH moved away from 5.0, from white, opaque, and heterogeneous to relatively transparent and homogeneous. Soy protein exhibited its optimal gel performance at pH 9.0 (storage modulus of 946.05 Pa) with the highest content of α-helix, intramolecular β-sheet, and intermolecular/aggregated β-sheet, while whey protein demonstrated its peak gel performance at pH 7.0 (storage modulus of 26271.90 Pa). Lentil protein displayed the best gel performance at pH 3.0 and was comparable to that of whey protein (storage modulus of 5366.00 and 4965.00 Pa, respectively). These findings confirmed that lentil protein has the potential to substitute whey and soy protein in formulations of diversified food products in some specific pH systems. This work highlighted the importance of pH control to achieve desired gelation performance and offered valuable insights for selecting suitable protein alternatives in formulating plant-based food products.

Nutritional evaluation and bioactive compounds of flours of unconventional edible roots

The bakery sector has increasingly sought flour alternatives, such as unconventional edible root flours, with technologically viable characteristics for industrial production, with greater nutritional value and pleasing consumers in their sensory aspects. So, this work aims to evaluate the nutritional value and bioactive compounds of unconventional edible root meals: purple yam (Dioscorea alata), Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and ariá (Calathea allouia). Moisture, protein and ash were determined by standardized bromatological methods, lipids by the Bligh-Dyer method, total crude fiber (TGF) by means of the Fiber Analyzer-Ankom 220 device and carbohydrates by difference. The determination of the total phenolic compounds and tannins in the samples were performed using colorimetric analysis methods. A significant variation (p&lt;0.05) was observed between all samples for the humidity (8.31 to 9.37%); proteins (7.47 to 8.93%); ash (3.15 to 4.42%); lipids (0.13 at 1.76%); fiber (0.92 to 4.85%) and carbohydrates (71.52 to 78.18%). For the bioactive compounds, the variation of total phenolics was from 7.35 to 100.77 mg EAG/100g, and for the tannins 0.28 to 1.41 mg EAT /100g. The study showed that the analyzed samples have significant nutritional value, as well as bioactive compounds that can be used in food product formulations.

Pronounced State-Level Disparities in Medicaid Prescribing of Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder (2019-2020).

The purpose of this study was to analyze buprenorphine prescribing across states in Medicaid patients during 2019-2020. Buprenorphine prescriptions per Medicaid enrollee per state were calculated for 2019 and 2020. Data analysis was conducted with buprenorphine formulations that are approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for opioid use disorder (OUD; including generic and brand name formulations of buprenorphine mono product and buprenorphine/naloxone combination products) using Microsoft Excel. The totals of mono product buprenorphine were divided over the total of combination buprenorphine/naloxone in 2019 and 2020 to obtain the ratio of mono/combo. Formulations of buprenorphine indicated for pain were excluded. States outside 95% confidence intervals (1.96 standard deviations above and below the mean) were considered statistically significant. The overall change in buprenorphine prescribing between 2019 and 2020 was modest (+3.6%) but highly variable, with more than a 10% increase in 17 states (Iowa = +100.5%, p < .05) but more than a 10% decrease in 9 states (Alabama = -68.5%, p < .05). Total amount reimbursed in 2019 increased (+9.9%) to $1.42 billion in 2020. Branded formulations accounted for two fifths (39.5%) of prescribing but more than two thirds (66.8%) of spending in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated state-level disparities in buprenorphine prescribing for OUD among Medicaid patients. Legislation expanding buprenorphine-waivered providers and Medicaid expansion may have contributed to the statistically significant changes in state buprenorphine prescriptions.

Potential Agricultural Uses of Micro/Nano Encapsulated Chitosan: A Review

Chitosan is a non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible natural biopolymer widely used as a nanocarrier, emulsifier, flocculant, and antimicrobial agent with potential applications in industry. Recently, chitosan has been used as an encapsulating agent for bioactive plant compounds and agrochemicals by different technologies, such as spray-drying and nanoemulsions, to enhance antimicrobial activity. Chitosan nanocomposites have been shown to increase potential biocidal, antibacterial, and antifungal activity against pathogens, presenting higher stability, decreasing degradation, and prolonging the effective concentration of these bioactive compounds. Therefore, the objective of this work is to review the most outstanding aspects of the most recent developments in the different methods of encapsulation of bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds, essential oils, among others) from plants, as well as the applications on phytopathogenic diseases (fungi and bacteria) in vitro and in vivo in cereal, fruit and vegetable crops. These perspectives could provide information for the future formulation of products with high efficacy against phytopathogenic diseases as an alternative to chemical products for sustainable agriculture.

Mediation of Criminal Cases as an Effort to Settle Criminal Actions Based on Local Wisdom in Indonesia

Penal mediation is carried out to bring together criminal offenders and victims, so this penal mediation is often also known as "Victim Offender Mediation" (VOM). In Indonesia itself, the use of mediation can be seen in Law No. 30 of 1999 concerning Arbitration and Dispute Resolution. Settlement of cases through mediation is in line with the concept of local wisdom that lives in Indonesian society. The noble values contained in the Pancasila state foundation fade with the times and technology; the values contained therein, such as divinity, justice, decency, harmony, unity, humanity, and mutual cooperation, are no longer reflected in the lives of the nation, state, and society. Society is also included in the formulation of legal products. Penal mediation is less well known among Indonesians. In mediation, the urgency is the value of Pancasila in the settlement of criminal cases in Indonesia, which is the community's need for a progressive, humane criminal dispute settlement that provides a sense of justice for victims, society, and perpetrators, which cannot be carried out by national criminal law. The local wisdom of people in various regions of Indonesia in the settlement of criminal disputes based on deliberation and consensus (mediation) as local institutions has not been utilized optimally in answering this problem. The formation of law in Indonesia is based on historical aspects and is in accordance with the conditions and circumstances of the people. In mediation, it requires the involvement of all stakeholders in solving criminal acts through mediation based on local wisdom using impartial or neutral media and mediators.

Production and functional evaluation of nonfat dry milk with whey proteins as fibrils

Commercial manufacturing of dairy products involves the addition of dairy ingredients (such as nonfat dry milk and milk protein concentrates), as well as nondairy additives (such as gums, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and texture modifiers) to get the best product appearance, maintain the product quality, and extend shelf life. Though these nondairy additives are not harmful, consumers do not prefer them in dairy food formulations. Therefore, the dairy industry is working on improving the inherent functionality of dairy ingredients using different processes. Recently, fibrillation emerged as a new technique to convert globular proteins such as whey proteins into fibrils, which provide enhanced viscosity, foaming, and emulsification capacity. Therefore, skim milk was subjected to microfiltration followed by ultrafiltration of microfiltration permeate to fractionate whey proteins. Then, whey proteins were selectively fibrillated and mixed back with other streams of microfiltration and ultrafiltration to get fibrillated skim milk. Fibrillated skim milk was spray-dried to get fibrillated nonfat dry milk (NDM). Visible whey protein fibrils were observed in reconstituted fibrillated NDM, which showed survival of fibrils in fibrillated NDM. Fibrillated NDM showed significantly higher viscosity than control NDM. Fibrillated NDM also showed higher emulsification capacity, foaming capacity, and stability than the control NDM but lower gel strength. Considering the improved functionality of fibrillated NDM, they can be used in product formulations such as ice cream mix, where the thickening of a solution, good emulsification, and foaming properties are required.

Determination of Oil Quality and Antifungal Effect of Selected Citronella Accessions (Cymbopogon nardus, Cymbopogon winterianus) to Formulate an Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Citronella is an aromatic grass of the family Poaceae which can be classified into two categories Ceylon Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) and Java Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus). The Citronella oil was extracted from five selected Ceylon Citronella (HP T1, HP T2 and HP T3) and Java Citronella (MP T1 and MP T2) accessions using steam distillation and hydrodistillation methods. Citronella oil quantity extracted by hydrodistillation with Xylene from Ceylon Citronella was higher (2.45-2.67 mL/100 g) than the Java Citronella (1.57-1.64 mL/100 g). The oil quantity of Ceylon Citronella (HP T1-5.52 %, HP T2- 1.40 %, HP T3- 1.05 %) and the quantity of Java Citronella (MP T1- 1.25%, MP T2- 1.79%) extracted by hydrodistillation showed a significant difference (P&lt;0.0001) and there was no significant difference (P=0.7055) between the oil quantity of Ceylon (HP T1- 1.07%, HP T2- 1.18 %, HP T3- 1.19%) and Java (MP T1- 1.16%, MP T2- 1.23%) oils extracted by the steam distillation. Both Java and Ceylon Citronella oils showed organoleptic properties with pale yellow to pale brownish yellow colour and a strong citrusy aroma which meets the ISO 3848 and ISO 3849 standards. The oil of Ceylon Citronella accessions showed refractive index (1.465-1.487), relative density (0.893-0.910), and ethanol solubility (1:2 mL) within the ranges specified in SLS 170 standards. Java Citronella oil exhibited the refractive index (1.4660-1.4730), relative density (0.880-0.892), ethanol solubility (1:2 mL), and optical rotation (-5? to 0?) which meets the specifications of ISO 3848 standards. Geraniol, Citronellol, and Citronellal were identified as the major constituents using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) where Java Citronella oil showed high Geraniol content (48.60-49.17%) than Ceylon Citronella oil (16.93-26.49%). All types of tested Citronella oil showed inhibition against Candida albicans where HP T3 (1.9 cm) and MP T1(2.0 cm) oils showed the highest promising antifungal activity among Ceylon oils and Java oils respectively. Therefore, these two oils were selected for the antidandruff shampoo formulation. The two antidandruff shampoo samples were formulated with 2% v/v concentrations of HP T3 and MP T1 Citronella oil which were determined as MIC for the inhibition of C. albicans. Antidandruff shampoo tested against C. albicans showed greater antifungal activity (HP T3 - 2.50.05 cm; MP T1 - 2.50.05 cm) than the crude Citronella oil (HP T3- 1.90.11 cm; MP T1-2.00.1 cm), also attained the organoleptic and physical properties such as pH (4.0-8.0), foam height (&gt;100 mL), dirt dispersion (no ink in foam), viscosity, low wetting time and solid content (HP T3-14.750.12%; MP T2-12.330.19%) in acceptable specification range. This study exhibits that Ceylon Citronella oil HP T1 has the highest oil quantity from all selected accessions. Hydrodistillation can be used to extract high oil quantity than the steam distillation method from both Java and Ceylon Citronella types. Compared to Ceylon Citronella oil, Java oil has significant potential industrial applications with high Geraniol content and with the highest antifungal activity against C. albicans. Also, the tested Citronella oil of all selected accessions of both Java and Ceylon types meet the organoleptic and physiochemical requirements specified by the ISO and SLS quality standards with excellent antifungal activity against C. albicans, which provides prospective to use Citronella oil as a natural, safe, and eco-friendly fungicide in future product formulations.

Effects of selected emerging contaminants found in wastewater on antimicrobial resistance and horizontal gene transfer

The widespread use of emerging contaminants (ECs) may be compounding the problem of antibiotic resistance. Various non-antibiotic pollutants have been shown to alter bacterial responses to antibiotics and increase horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. ECs include components of medicines, foods, disinfectants, personal care products and agrichemicals. ECs concentrate in some environments such as in wastewater, where the pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms mix. We investigated the effects on antibiotic resistance and gene transfer of nine ECs and one commercial product formulation (Roundup). We used the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and the antibiotics ampicillin and gentamicin as indicators of the effects of antibiotic-EC co-exposures. We measured intra- (Escherichia coli) and interspecies (E. coli x S. enterica) conjugation frequencies during exposure to ECs. Interestingly, the observed effect could change at different antibiotic concentrations. Exposures to increasing concentrations of ECs was associated with increased conjugative transmission within species, but rarely increased interspecies transmission. We report the first test ever of clotrimazole on AMR and horizontal gene transfer and a newly described effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), often used as a solvent for organic compounds.

Physico-chemical properties, antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds in edible and non-edible portions of dragon fruit cultivars native to Bangladesh

The research was conducted to assess the variability and relationship regarding physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds in edible and nonedible portions (peel, flesh and seed) of dragon fruit cultivars native to Bangladesh. The most popular and largely cultivated Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) released BARI Dragon Fruit-1 and Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) released BAU Dragon Fruit-1 cultivars were chosen in the study. The experiment was conducted in two factors completely randomized design where two cultivars and, three edible and nonedible portions were considered as treatments. The findings of the investigation revealed that there was a large discrepancy in the average weight in the selected cultivars where BAU Dragon Fruit-1 was found to be superior (347 g) to BARI Dragon Fruit-1 (284 g). These cultivars contained 31.86% to 35.44% peel, 59.74% to 65.08% flesh and 3.06% to 4.82% seed in their edible and non-edible portions. The BAU Dragon Fruit-1 provided a good recovery rate with the highest flesh to peel ratio (2.04:1). The highest amount of total soluble solids (10.20°Brix) was obtained in the flesh portion of BARI Dragon Fruit1. The utmost quantities of ascorbic acid were found in the seeds of each cultivar, ranging from 24.40 to 31.41 mg/100 g. The BARI Dragon Fruit-1 cultivar’s seed contained the highest tannin (444.64 mg TAE/100 g), whereas the flesh of the same cultivar had the lowest (335.04 mg TAE/100 g). In comparison, the phenolic content of BAU Dragon Fruit -1 cultivar's seed and flesh ranged from 162.86 to 163.13 mg GAE/100 g. The highest antioxidant activity (91.35%) was found in the seed portion of BARI Dragon Fruit-1. According to the findings, the edible and non-edible portions of Bangladesh's native dragon fruit cultivars have particular features, which will help in diverse food and pharmaceuticals product formulation and development.

REVIEW: PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIBACTERIAL AND WOUND HEALING EFFECTS OF BASIL LEAVES IN SEVERAL TYPES OF PHARMACEUTICAL BASES

Topical preparations are dosage forms applied to the skin for local therapy. These topical preparations contain several types of bases that are used for drug formulations. This review aimed to determine the type of base that is effective and widely used in basil leaf preparations that function as antioxidants, antibacterial agents, and in wound healing. The research method is comparative, namely, reviewing research articles on formulations of basil leaf products with various concentrations of base types, hydrogels, emulgels, lotions, hydrocarbons, water solubility, absorption, water washing, M/A-type creams, and pastes. The recommended formulation is a gel base type that has physical characteristics, non-irritating properties, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, and wound healing. This review contained articles published in the last 10 years. Keywords: basil leaves, base type, physical characteristics, basil leaves, pharmacological activity

Temperature-Dependent Density and Viscosity Prediction for Hydrocarbons: Machine Learning and Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Machine learning-based predictive models allow rapid and reliable prediction of material properties and facilitate innovative materials design. Base oils used in the formulation of lubricant products are complex hydrocarbons of varying sizes and structure. This study developed Gaussian process regression-based models to accurately predict the temperature-dependent density and dynamic viscosity of 305 complex hydrocarbons. In our approach, strongly correlated/collinear predictors were trimmed, important predictors were selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularization and prior domain knowledge, hyperparameters were systematically optimized by Bayesian optimization, and the models were interpreted. The approach provided versatile and quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models with relatively simple predictors for determining the dynamic viscosity and density of complex hydrocarbons at any temperature. In addition, we developed molecular dynamics simulation-based descriptors and evaluated the feasibility and versatility of dynamic descriptors from simulations for predicting the material properties. It was found that the models developed using a comparably smaller pool of dynamic descriptors performed similarly in predicting density and viscosity to models based on many more static descriptors. The best models were shown to predict density and dynamic viscosity with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 99.6% and 97.7%, respectively, for all data sets, including a test data set of 45 molecules. Finally, partial dependency plots (PDPs), individual conditional expectation (ICE) plots, local interpretable model-agnostic explanation (LIME) values, and trimmed model R2 values were used to identify the most important static and dynamic predictors of the density and viscosity.