Reducing Sugar Research Articles

Characterization of aroma characteristics of silver carp mince glycated with different reducing sugars

The purpose of this study was to investigate the volatile flavor changes in silver carp mince (SCM) gel glycated with different reducing sugars (glucose, L-arabinose, and xylose) based on E-nose, GC-IMS, and sensory evaluation. These results showed that glycation reduced the fishy smell of SCM gel and increased the meaty, toasty, and burnt smell. A total of 10 volatile compounds were considered as characteristic flavor compounds and potential markers. Among them, the main contributors of fishy included hexanal, heptanal, n-nonanal, octanal, etc. Toasty and burnt were mainly related to the production of 3-methylbutanal and furfurol. These results heralded that glycation could be used to improve the volatile flavor of SCM. This research provided a theoretical basis and technical support for glycation in aquatic food flavor quality control, aquatic pre-made food development, and aquatic leisure food processing.

Caries Etiology and Preventive Measures.

Caries is a widespread disease in both children and adults. Caries is caused by the conversion of fermentable carbohydrates by plaque bacteria into acids on the tooth surface. Thus, it is important to focus on sugar reduction and plaque control. For efficient plaque removal/control, state-of-the-art toothpastes contain various active ingredients such as antimicrobial agents (e.g., chlorhexidine, stannous salts, and zinc salts), abrasives (e.g., calcium carbonate, calcium phosphates, and hydrated silica), surfactants (e.g., sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium methyl cocoyl taurate), and natural compounds (e.g., polyphenols and xylitol). Agents with pH-buffering and calcium-releasing properties (e.g., calcium carbonate and calcium phosphates) and biomimetic actives (e.g., hydroxyapatite) reverse the effects of the acids. Additionally, modern toothbrushes (i.e., electric toothbrushes) as well as dental floss and interdental brushes significantly help remove plaque from dental surfaces including interproximal surfaces. In conclusion, modern concepts in caries prevention should focus not only on tooth remineralization alone but also on the control of all the key factors involved in caries development.

Hydrolysis profile of gadung (dioscorea hispida dennst) starch to glucose using alpha amylase enzyme

Indonesia is an agrarian Country that has abundant natural resources. It has potential to be used as industrial raw materials such as sugar reduction from starch. Gadung, which is abundant in Gandus and it can be monitored for its presence in the dry season, is one source of starch. The aims of this research is to obtain glucose with a high yield percentage, to know the optimum concentration of α-amylase enzyme to hydrolysis gadung starch into glucose, and to know the relationship between hydrolysis time and concentration the glucose formed by the addition of the enzyme variation. The implementation of the research is carried out in three stages, first is preparation of raw materials, hydrolysis of gadung starch into glucose enzymatically, and analysis of glucose level using the UV-Vis spectrophotometry with Nelson reaction. The free variables used are the time variation of hydrolysis 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 minutes and alpha amylase enzyme 1 %, 2 %, 3 % b/v. The optimum hydrolysis results on this study were at 1 % b/v enzyme variation, 10 minutes hydrolysis time, and a temperature of 90 oC. The yield of glucose concentration is 255.35 ppm. From this reseach, it is known that the longer the starch hydrolysis takes place, the observed glucose tends to experience in fluctuative consentration caused by the increase of α- amylase enzyme variations.

The Global Shortage of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists

The global shortage of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which are highly sought after as treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, is increasing. This deficit is attributed to the unexpected increase in demand for GLP-1 receptor agonists. This has caused significant harm to patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are already using GLP-1 receptor agonists for blood sugar management, weight loss, or reduction of cardiovascular risk or those who are looking to start. To address this situation, doctors need to adjust medications considering the patient condition and clinical guidelines and must provide better education on lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise. Close cooperation between regulatory agencies and manufacturers is needed to mass-produce GLP-1 receptor agonists, as are societal efforts to prevent the trend of GLP-1 receptor agonist use as diet pills.

Effect of different storage conditions on grain quality of paddy

The present investigation was carried out to study the physiological and biochemical changes of paddy grain (Oryza sativa L. var. Ranjit) throughout the course of a 12-month storage period, in an effort to determine the ideal storage conditions with the highest potential for storage under climacteric condition of Assam. Freshly harvested seeds of paddy grain (Ranjit) were stored under different storage conditions for a period of twelve months beginning in January. Based on the results of the study, it was found that the easily moisture permeable structures (T2, T3, T6) showed the maximum change in the physiological and biochemical parameters followed by permeable (T1 and T4) and impermeable (T5 and T7). The rate of change in the values of parameters in paddy stored in the prototype of a Grain safe™ in-store dryer (T7) was found slowest and sluggish, and maintained highest mean values amongst all the storage receptacles in respect of germination percentage, seed vigour index, head rice recovery, moisture content, total soluble protein content, starch content, total soluble sugar content, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar and amylose content. Significant superiority of hermetic storages (T5 and T7) over traditional storage structures (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T6) in Assam irrespective of all the parameters studied was noticed. Hermetic storage was effective at blocking the effects of external humidity fluctuations as well as the spread of fungi and insects. The solar in-store drier was found to be best amongst all storage structures, in all quality aspects of the long-term storage of paddy.

Fruit Morphological and Biochemical Characterization of Three Saudi Arabian Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Cultivars Grown in District Khairpur, Pakistan

In the present study fruit morphological and biochemical characterization of three Saudi Arabian date palm cvs. (Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana) were carried out, which were cultivated in the district Khairpur, Pakistan. Fruits were collected at four different fruit growth stages (kimri, khalal, rutab and tamar) from fifteen years old trees for morphological (fruit colour, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight, pulp ratio, seed length, seed diameter, seed weight) and biochemical analyses (moisture content, pH, total soluble solids, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars). Results of fruits physical characters showed that significantly highest fruit length (5.5 cm at rutab stage), fruit weight (20.2 g at khalal stage) was observed in cv. Safawi, whereas at khalal stage significantly lowest fruit length (3.4 cm) was observed in cv. Ajwa and fruit weight (13.2 g) was observed in cv. Ruthana. Fruits showed significant variations in colour and weight from kimri to tamar stage. Biochemical analyses of fruits revealed that highest moisture content (86.2%) was observed in fruits of cv. Ruthana at kimri stage. Total soluble solids (TSS) increased from 8.7% (at kimri stage) to 20.5% (at tamar stage) in cv. Ruthana. pH of the fruits at kimri stage was 3.2 in cv. Ajwa, whereas pH increased to 5.2 in cv. Ruthana at tamar stage. Total sugars (reducing and non-reducing) increased from 7.56% in cv. Ajwa at kimri stage to 69.7% in cv. Safawi at tamar stage as significantly highest values. Findings obtained in the present study described morphological attributes and biochemical constituents of the fruits of three exotic cultivars introduced in climatic conditions of the district Khairpur, Pakistan will open the route and interest of the farmers to introduce other elite date cultivars grown in the world.

Sucrose Treatment Enhances the Electrotransfer of DNA by Activating Phospholipase A2.

Our previous study discovered that sucrose and other non-reducing sugars (e.g., trehalose and raffinose) could be used to improve the electrotransfer (ET) of molecular cargo, including DNA, mRNA, and ribonucleoprotein in various cell lines and primary human cells in vitro and in vivo. To understand the molecular mechanisms of this improvement, we used RNA sequencing technology to analyze changes in the cell transcriptome after sucrose treatment. The results from our analysis demonstrated that the sucrose treatment upregulated phospholipase A2 and V-ATPase gene families, which could potentially influence the acidity of intracellular vesicles through augmenting vesicle fusion and the influx of proton, respectively. To determine how this upregulation affects ET efficiency, we treated cells with pharmaceutical inhibitors of phospholipase A2 and V-ATPase. The data demonstrated that the treatment with the phospholipase A2 inhibitor could reverse the ET improvement elicited by the sucrose treatment. The V-ATPase inhibitor treatment either had little influence or further enhanced the effect of the sucrose treatment on the ET efficiency. These observations provide a molecular explanation for our previous findings, demonstrating that the sucrose treatment primarily enhanced the ET efficiency by promoting vesicle trafficking and fusion through the activation of phospholipase A2.

Microwave treatment affects the storage stability of rice: the influence on the structure and properties of starch

SummaryMicrowave (MW) is a non‐heating, environmental‐friendly method used to change starches. Rice was treated at various powers (2, 4, 6 and 8 W g−1). In vitro glycaemic index, lipase activity (LA), fatty acid value (FAV) and reducing sugars (RS) were determined in rice and linked to changes in rice starch structure and thermal properties caused by microwave, which were altered by an increase in power, which reduce values. The findings of pasting viscosity among microwave rice starch (MS) at four powers revealed decreased values when powers were increased. MS treated at power 2 W g−1 produced the lowest pasting temperature, which was required to gelatinise starch. A loss of granular crystallinity in treated samples was confirmed by XRD and FTIR, particularly 33.07%, 32.51%, 20.94% and 20.13% respectively. And the XRD patterns of MS were not changed. Microwave rice starch allowed the formation of the structural and thermal properties of rice starch. In vitro glycaemic index revealed that samples treated in 6 and 8 W g−1 showed significantly higher rapid hydrolyses than MS treated in 2 and 4 W g−1. The utilisation of microwaves had an additional advantage in improving the storage stability of rice and the structure and properties of rice starch.

Evaluation of Advance Generation Breeding Lines of Bitter Gourd for Yield and Quality Traits

The present study was conducted at the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during the summer season of 2021 and 2022. Plant material consisted of 49 advance breeding lines of bitter gourd including 2 checks namely Punjab-15 (local check) and Prachi (commercial check) in simple lattice design of 7x7 with two replications. Evaluation was done for different yield and quality traits. Among the test entries, range for marketable yield per plant varied from 476.61 to 2102.86 and it was highest in PAUBG-1521 (2102 g/plant) followed by PAUBG-200, PAUBG-211, PAUBG-208 and PAUBG-1514 performed better over the checks and lowest in PAUBG-222 (476.02 g/plant). Number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit weight, total soluble sugar, non-reducing sugar and momordicine content was highest in PAUBG-1521 (33.56), (14.23 cm), (61.18 g) (9.29 g/100g), (7.25 g/100g) and (50.21 mg/100g) respectively.

Biochemical Changes: Their Potential Role against Fungal Disease Resistance Development in Mustard

Rape-seed mustard is an imperative edible oilseed crop which is adversely affected by different biotic stresses causing import of edible oils from abroad. The experiment was carried out for screening mustard genotypes based on disease indexing and putative role of diverse biochemical parameters in development of resistant against three major fungal diseases. A modified 0-9 scale was used for rating of disease indicators to calculate disease incident (DI). In disease indexing, mustard genotypes L-4, GSC-7 and PC-6 were considered as immune against Alternaria brassicae, Maya, L-4, China, GSL-1, GSC-7, PC-5, PC-6 and RP-9 were classified as immune against Albugo candida while L-4 and PC-5 were found immune against Erysiphe cruciferarum. The study of biochemical constituents demonstrated that these immune genotypes accumulated higher osmolytes content including free proline content and total phenol under diseased condition showing their tolerance ability against these pathogens. The tolerant genotypes also had lesser lipid peroxidation rate as indicated by malondialdehyde content analysis to induce lesser effect on total chlorophyll, amino acids, proteins and soluble sugars including reducing and non-reducing sugars. These identified genotypes have wider scope for further phyto-pathological studies and utilization in development of fungal resistance breeding.

Effects of Reducing Sugars on Colour, Amino Acids, and Volatile Flavour Compounds in Thermally Treated Minced Chicken Carcass Hydrolysate.

This study investigated the changes in colour, amino acids, and volatile flavour compounds in the enzymatic hydrolysates of chicken carcasses containing different types and amounts of reducing sugars (xylose, arabinose, glucose, and fructose), so as to develop a chicken-based flavouring agent. Before heat treatment at 100 °C for 60 min, the chosen reducing sugars were separately added to the chicken carcass hydrolysate at its natural pH. Pentoses decreased pH more significantly than hexoses in the chicken carcass hydrolysate. The browning degree followed the pattern of pH decline, as pentoses caused more intense browning than hexoses, with xylose dosage having the greatest effect on the colour changes (ΔE). Fructose addition notably reduced free amino acids (FAAs) and cystine contents. Furthermore, phenylalanine decreased with increasing dosages of arabinose, xylose, and fructose. Glutamic acid content decreased significantly with fructose addition but showed insignificant changes with xylose. At the same dosage, the addition of pentoses resulted in the production of more sulphur-containing volatile compounds like methional, 2-[(methylthio) methyl] furan, and dimethyl disulphide than hexoses. Methional and furfural, which provide a roasted, savoury flavour, were produced by adding more xylose. Heat treatment with xylose also removed hexanal, the main off-odourant.

Genetic Variability Studies in Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor l.) Genotypes for Sugar and Biomass Related Traits

Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench) is an important crop in the semi-arid tropics of Africa and Southern Asia. Sweet sorghum is characterized by more rapid growth, higher biomass production, wider adaptation and greater potential for ethanol production. The present study was conducted to evaluate 33 sweet sorghum genotypes including two check varieties for different yield and sugar related traits. Analysis of variance revealed the presence of significant difference for all characters under the study. The genetic variability study revealed the presence of greater phenotypic co-efficient of variation (PCV) than genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV) for most of the characters indicating the presence of the environmental effect. Stem girth, nodes per plant, biomass weight, cane weight, juice content and total soluble solids, total sugars were recorded high PCV and GCV. Plant height and cane height recorded moderate PCV and GCV. Except for plant height at 30 days after sowing (DAS) all other characters plant height at 60 DAS, plant height at 90 DAS, cane height, nodes per plant, stem girth, biomass weight, cane weight, total biomass yield, juice yield, total soluble solids, total sugars, total reducing sugars and total non-reducing sugars showed high heritability estimates coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean suggesting that, these characters are under the control of additive genes and phenotypic selection will be effective for these traits.

Grain nutritional and antioxidant profiling of diverse lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) genetic resources revealed genotypes with high nutritional value.

The lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus ssp. Culinaris) is a self-pollinating, diploid (2n = 2X = 14) crop with a genome size of 4 Gbp. The present study was conducted to provide a database for the evaluation of lentil antioxidant capacity, nutritional quality, and biochemical attributes. For these purposes, lentil germplasm, including 100 exotic and local genotypes from different agro-climatic zones of Pakistan, was collected. Significant variation (p < 0.05) was found among the genotypes under investigation using the Tukey HSD test. Ascorbate peroxidase was highest in ALTINOPARK (2,465 Units/g s. wt.), catalase in LPP 12110 (5,595 Units/g s. wt.), superoxide dismutase in LPP 12105 (296.75 Units/g s. wt.), and peroxidase in NIAB Masoor 2002 (3,170 Units/g s. wt.). Furthermore, NLM 15016 had a maximum total antioxidant capacity of 15.763 mg/g s. wt. The maximum values of total soluble sugars (83.93 mg/g. s. wt.) and non-reducing sugars (74.79 mg/g. s. wt.) were noticed in NLM 15015. The highest reducing sugars were detected in ILL 8006 (45.68 mg/g. s. wt.) ascorbic acid in LPP 12182 (706 μg/g s. wt.), total phenolic content in NLI 17003 (54,600 μM/g s. wt.), and tannins in NLI 17057 (24,563 μM/g s. wt.). The highest chlorophyll a (236.12 μg/g s. wt.), chlorophyll b (317 μg/g s. wt.), total chlorophyll (552.58 μg/g s. wt.), and lycopene (10.881 μg/g s. wt.) were found in NLH 12097. Maximum total carotenoids were revealed in the local approved variety Markaz 2009 (17.89 μg/g s. wt.). Principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis (Pearson's test), and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) were performed to detect the extent of variation in genotypes. In cluster analysis, all genotypes were categorized into three clusters. Cluster II genotypes showed remarkable divergence with cluster III. According to PCA, the contribution of PC-I regarding tested nutritional parameters toward variability was the highest (39.75%) and indicated positive factor loading for the tested nutritional and biochemical parameters. In conclusion, genotype X 2011S 33-34-32 can be used by the food industry in making pasta, multigrain bread, and snacking foods due to its high protein content for meat alternative seekers. Identified genotypes with high nutritional attributes can be utilized to improve quality parameters in the respective lentil breeding lines.

Impact of foliar spray of nano-Zn and nano-Cu on biochemical characteristics of guava cv. Allahabad Safeda

Foliar spraying of nanoparticles (NPs) improves the absorption of plant nutrient application compared to traditional soil–root application, and it also enhances the yield and quality of fruits. The present study aimed to evaluate the qualitative effects of foliar sprays of two concentrations of nano-zinc and nano-copper (40 ppm, 60 ppm; 20 ppm, 30 ppm respectively), in comparison to ZnSo4 (recommended by, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana) and control (foliar spray of water) on the guava crop (var. Allahabad Safeda). The experiment was conducted at Lovely Professional University Research farm, Phagwara, Jalandhar (Punjab) by applying a simple randomized block design, with ten treatments applied as T1: control, T2: nano-Zn1, T3: nano-Zn2, T4: nano-Cu1, T5: nano-Cu2, T6: nano-Zn1+ nano-Cu1, T7: nano-Zn1+ nano-Cu2, T8: nano-Zn2 + nano-Cu1, T9: nano-Zn2 + nano-Cu2, T10: ZnSO4 (PAU recommendation) in three replications. The treatments were sprayed two times, first at the flowering stage and second when the fruit reached pea size. The nutrient spray increases the concentration of nutrients in the leaves while also affecting the biochemical parameters. The performance for total soluble solids (9.89°B), total sugars (8.74%), titratable acidity (0.98%), antioxidants (7.49%), firmness (5.71kg/cm2), non-reducing sugars (3.32%), Vitamin-C (268.90mg/100g pulp), pectin content (2.13%), reducing sugars (5.46%), and TSS/acid ratio (10.06) was superior with the application of nano-Zn2 + nano-Cu2 (T9). The application of nano-micronutrients (zinc and copper) in combination is favorable for the quality of guava fruit (Allahabad Safeda).

Identification of potato varieties suitable for cold storage and reconditioning: A safer alternative to anti-sprouting chemicals for potato sprouting control

Low temperature storage as an alternative to anti-sprouting chemicals in potato storage may induce reducing sugars (RS) accumulation (i.e. glucose and fructose) in potato tubers. This phenomenon is called “cold induced sweetening” (CIS) and occurs in certain varieties. CIS leads to a decrease in the organoleptic qualities and darkening of processed potato and the accumulation of toxic molecules such as acrylamide. To identify potato varieties suitable for storage at low temperatures, we screened six commercial processing varieties: Lady Claire (LC), Verdi, Kiebitz (KB), Pirol, Agria and Markies for their CIS characteristics and sprout-forming potential after storage at 4 °C and 8 °C. Our findings reveal that 4 °C storage allows for efficient sprout reduction in all six tested varieties for up to 4.5 months of storage. Three CIS-resistant varieties, namely Verdi, Lady Claire and Kiebitz, were identified as able to be stored for up to four months at 4 °C with limited increase in glucose content. Conversely, Pirol, Agria and Markies showed an increase in glucose content with a decrease in storage temperature and can be considered as CIS-susceptible varieties. After processing into crisps, the CIS-susceptible varieties displayed poor crisp color quality (brown to black color crisps) after storage for two months at 4 °C compared to the storage at 8 °C, whereas the CIS-resistant varieties had good crisp color quality (pale yellow color crisps) after storage at both 4 and 8 °C. Interestingly, the trends of total RS and/or glucose content in the CIS-resistant and in the CIS-susceptible varieties were correlated with the trends in Vacuolar Invertase (VInv) gene expression for most varieties, as well as with the trends in acrylamide content after processing. In addition, reconditioning of Markies variety after storage at 4 °C by gradually increasing the temperature to 15 °C resulted in a significant decrease of VInv transcript levels (reduction of 80 %), acrylamide content (reduction of 75 %) and glucose content when compared to a storage at 4 °C without reconditioning. Those results demonstrate that the reconditioning technique is a key factor for a sustainable potato storage and for improving the quality of processed potatoes.

STUDY ON MODIFICATION OF RED PUMPKIN STARCH (Cucurbita moschata) TO CREATE RESISTANT STARCH USING ENZYME

This study aims to determine the parameters of the enzymatic hydrolysis process of red pumpkin starch to increase the resistant starch content in the material. The liquefaction stage was designed with two factors: α-amylase concentration and different times. The results of the α-amylase liquefaction process showed that the highest reducing sugar content was 14.92% at an α-amylase concentration of 11 U/g and time of 50 minutes, with a fixed starch:water ratio is 1:4. The saccharification experiment was carried out based on a multivariate model using the Central Composite Design method yields expected results, with variance analysis in the regression model showing significance (p &lt; 0.05). The reliability of the model R2 = 0.997 showed that the regression model was suitable for the dataset with 99.7% accuracy. CV = 2.08% indicated that the accuracy and reliability of the experiments were good. At a glucoamylase concentration of 112.424 U/ml, a temperature of 48.590°C, and a time of 179.732 minutes, the highest resistant starch content reaches 35.968%. Solubility and swelling increase with temperature: at 90°C, the solubility of native starch and modified starch are 12.12% and 68.85%, respectively, while swelling of native starch is 6.77% and modified starch achieves 3.39%. The transparency of native starch is 5.37% T, while modified starch achieves 2.17% T.

Pengaruh Kesegaran Tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.) pada Kualitas Gula Cetak Merah

To maintain sugarcane freshness, it is crucial to process it promptly after harvest. This study aims to analyze the quality of molded brown sugar derived from raw materials with varying levels of freshness. The research adopts a non-factorial design involving three main treatments: the duration of stay on the first, second, and third days, with three replications. Parameters observed during the molded brown sugar production process include brix, pol, purity, and reducing sugar from raw juice; brix, pol, purity, and reducing sugar from clear juice; color, brix, moisture content, and reducing sugar of sugar. Data analysis is performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the application of Duncan's multiple range test. The purity value in raw juice data H1 with a value of 89.54 significantly differs from data H3 with a value of 73.83. Similarly, reducing sugar in raw juice H1 at 0.74 significantly differs from H3 at 0.93. The purity value in clear juice H1 at 88.34 significantly differs from H3 at 75.40. As for reducing sugar in clear juice, H1 at 0.81 is significantly smaller than H3 at 1.18. Regarding the difference between open-pan and close-pan cooking treatments, it is concluded that the cooking system producing the best molded brown sugar is the close-pan system, evident in both color results and the reduced sugar content of molded brown sugar. The best color for molded brown sugar is found in treatment H1 (day 1) with the close-pan system at 551.40. The lowest reducing sugar content is observed in treatment H1 (day 1) with the close-pan system at 0.94.

Inhibition of proliferation of human osteosarcoma cell line (MG63) by ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.) plant extract

Trachyspermum ammi L. (TA), popularly called ajwain, is a well-known spice plant, with fruit pods that are used in Indian traditional medicine. Fruits of this plant were scientifically investigated for medicinal properties, but no studies are reported on the vegetative parts of the plant. Hence, the present investigation is aimed to evaluate the aerial parts of the plant for anti-proliferative and antioxidant effects. Methanolic extract (Me) of TA was subjected to sequential fractionation using the solvents in the increasing order of polarity viz. hexane (He), dichloromethane (Dcm), ethyl acetate (Ea), n-butanol (n-Bu), and water (Aq). Phytochemical analyses, DPPH radical scavenging assay, and in vitro antiproliferative activity on the MG63 osteosarcoma cell line (MTT assay) were performed. Preliminary phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of reducing and non-reducing sugars, amino acids, tannins, phenols, terpenoids, and saponins. Ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest amount of total phenolics (367.90±0.02), followed by n-Bu (287.50±0.04), Dcm (193.56±0.07), Me extract (190.14±0.07), Aq (142.20±0.02) and He (80.74±0.01) fractions. Ethyl acetate fraction exhibited higher DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 =116.74 μg/mL) followed by n-Bu (IC50=133.81 μg/mL) fraction with a correlation to the higher amount of phenolics and flavonoids. However, maximum antiproliferative activity was exhibited by hexane fraction on MG 63 human osteosarcoma cell line which can be attributed to the presence of thymol, a monoterpenoid phenol present in ajwain. The current study indicates that the aerial parts of T. ammi Linn. can be considered as potential antioxidants and therapeutic against osteosarcoma.

Enzyme‐assisted extraction of rapeseed oil with minimum water addition: a proof‐of‐concept study

SummaryThe increased demand for vegetable oils calls for new strategies for enhancing the yield of mechanical oil extraction, preferably without the use of potentially hazardous solvents such as n‐hexane. Enzyme‐assisted oil extraction has been studied under aqueous conditions, where the oil recovery was enhanced due to the partial enzymatic breakdown of cell wall compounds. However, this process is often not feasible for industrial applications, where mechanical pressing of dry seeds is implemented. This study provides a proof‐of‐concept for enzyme‐assisted rapeseed oil extraction with minimum water addition (1 mL per 100 g rapeseeds). The application of cellulytic and pectolytic enzymes increased the reducing sugar content as a result of the carbohydrate breakdown. The oil recovery in the mechanical pressing was increased significantly from ~60% to ~65%, and the quality of the oils was not significantly affected by the enzyme treatment.

Cell disruption of Chlorella sp. and Ecklonia maxima biomass for bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The demand for bioethanol has increased over the years due to the high costs of fossil fuels, which have been associated with environmental deterioration, leading to the need for cheaper and cleaner biofuel sources. To address this issue, this study investigated micro (Chlorella sp.) and macroalgal (Ecklonia maxima) biomass cell disruption for subsequent bioethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Different biomass concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, 3.75 and 5%w/v were prepared, and cell disrupted using ultrasonication and steam extraction for 10, 20, 30 and 40 mins. The samples were analysed for reducing sugar concentrations where the steam-extracted samples produced the highest reducing sugars of 8980 mg/L and 1800 mg/L for Chlorella sp. and E. maxima biomasses respectively. The extracts from ultrasonication and steam extraction were fermented for a period of 96 h where the steam-extracted extracts produced the highest ethanol concentrations from Chlorella sp. and E. maxima biomasses, at the maximum ethanol concentrations of 7 300 mg/L and 689.2 mg/L respectively. The findings of this paper showed that steam extraction is a preferred biomass pretreatment method since its extracts yielded higher ethanol concentrations while the ultrasonicated extracts produced lower ethanol concentrations.