Moisture Content Of Samples Research Articles

Association between CBR and Soil Index Properties: Empirical Analysis from Chitwan and Makwanpur District Soil Samples

The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value is a crucial soil parameter in road construction and design. Obtaining representative CBR values is challenging, requiring time-consuming and expensive testing procedures. To address this issue, regression equations were developed to establish correlations between CBR and soil index properties. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the soaked CBR, Liquid Limit (LL), Plastic Limit (PL), Plasticity Index (PI), Maximum Dry Density (MDD), and Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) of soil samples. Regression models were then created between CBR and different sets of soil index properties using Microsoft Excel 2007. Strong correlations were observed between soaked CBR, PL, PI, OMC, and MDD (R2 = 0.744); CBR, LL, PL, OMC, and MDD (R2 = 0.702); CBR, PI, OMC, and MDD (R2 = 0.643); CBR, LL, OMC, and MDD (R2 = 0.621); and CBR, OMC, and MDD (R2 = 0.602). Among all equations, the relation CBR = 0.72 PL – 1.22 PI + 2.34 OMC + 106.97 MDD – 222.46 exhibited the strongest correlation with a P-value of 0.005 and R2 of 0.744.

Effects of sprouted soybeans and ginger on soymilk quality attributes via a developed dual-powered milk pasteurizer

Soymilk market has achieved tremendous progress in consumption and sales due to its inexpensiveness and soymilk protein content. However, due to the present global health crisis, there is a need to further devise means of enriching the quality of soymilk. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sprouted soybeans and ginger on soymilk quality and sensory attributes. A developed dual -powered milk pasteurizer was used to produce the soymilk. Soybeans, a mixture of soybeans and sprouted soybeans, and sprouted soybeans were interacted with peeled ginger and whole ginger rhizome using Taguchi experimental design to produce nine soymilk samples. The proximate composition, calorific value, total phenolic content and phytic acid content of the soymilk samples were determined using standard procedures. The moisture content of the soymilk samples ranged from 80.85 to 83.78%, crude protein content (7.47 – 9.54%), ash content (0.72 – 1.27%), fibre content (0.24 – 0.73%), crude fat (0.24 - 5.44%), carbohydrate content (1.29 -6.82%) and calorific value (67.6 kcal/g - 91.58 kcal/g). The total phenolic content and phytic acid content ranged from 4.81 mg/l to 11.88 GAE mg/l and 26.77 to 41.86 mg/l, respectively. The soymilk produced from the mixture of sprouted soybeans and un-sprouted soybeans with the addition of either whole or peeled ginger significantly increased the crude protein content, ash content, calorific value and total phenolic content to 9.54%, 1.27%, 91.58 kcal/g and 11.88 GAE mg/l, respectively. In addition, it increased the overall sensory acceptability of soymilk. Conclusively, the use of sprouted soybeans and the addition of ginger should be encouraged to promote a more enriched soymilk beverage. Also, the developed dual-powered milk pasteuriser could be adopted for soymilk production.

Encapsulated powders of Alcea flower polyphenol‐rich extract by different hydrocolloid carriers: characterisation, antioxidant activity and chemical structures

SummaryAlcea flower (as a natural source of antioxidants and colour) polyphenols might be easily deteriorated during processing and preservation. So, encapsulation is a suitable approach to overcome this problem. In this study, Alcea flower extract (AFE) was encapsulated using different carriers (maltodextrin (MD) and MD with gum arabic (GA), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and GA‐WPC). The production yield (~70%) was higher when MD‐WPC mixture or MD alone were used. The moisture content, water activity (aw), and wettability time of samples containing MD were less than other samples while their solubility was higher. Bulk and tapped density and also hygroscopicity were lowest in the samples produced using MD‐WPC, with improved flowability. The morphological characteristics of particles (matrix‐type particles with smooth and spherical surfaces in MD samples and wrinkled and indented in protein carriers) were affected by the carrier composition. Chemical structure evaluation (FTIR) indicated the successful coating of polyphenols in the carrier matrix. Generally, TPC (0.93 mg GAE mL−1) and retention of DPPH (82.4%), ABTS (94.1%), hydroxyl radical scavenging (77.2%) and reducing power (87.5%) of the samples produced with MD‐WPC were higher than other carriers.

The effect of thermal treatment on antioxidant activity and changes in bioactive and phenolic compounds of three pear (Pyrus spp.) varieties slices

In this research, the effect of dehydration on total phenolic amounts, total flavonoid, total carotenoid, antioxidant activity values of pear cultivars (Santamaria, Margerit, and Deveci) dried by hot-air (oven) at 50 and 90 °C temperatures was investigated. The moisture contents of control groups of pear fruits were found between 79.12% (Deveci) and 83.39% (Santamaria). The moisture contents of pear samples dehydrated at 50 and 90°C changed between 8.39 (Santamaria) and 12.11% (Deveci) to 8.27 (Santamaria) and 14.17% (Deveci), respectively. The phenolic results of pear varieties for control groups were determined between 3.33 (Deveci and 38.43 GAE/100 g (Margarit). Total phenolic contents of pear fruits dried at 50 and 90 °C varied between 73.98 mgGAE/ 100 g Deveci) and 114.81 mgGAE/100 g (Santamaria) to 148.89 mg/100 g (Deveci) and 176.48 mgGAE/ 100 g (Margarit), respectively. In addition, total flavonoid contents of pear samples dried at 50 and 90 °C changed between 99.56 mg/100 g (Deveci) and 229.56 mg/100 g (Santamaria) to 254.00 (Deveci) and 392.89 mg/100 g (Santamaria), respectively. While antioxidant activities of pears dried at 50 °C change between 30.44% (Deveci) and 44.90% (Santamaria), the antioxidant activities of pears dried at 90 °C were determined between 60.52% (Deveci) and 67.47% (Santamaria). Results obtained exhibited some fluctuations depending on drying temperatures compared to the control.

Analysis of physicochemical properties of dry-cured beef made from Hanwoo and Holstein meat distributed in South Korea

The purpose of the study is to check the possibility of developing dry-cured meat from Hanwoo (South Korean native cattle) and Holstein cattle considering the differences between breeds and use this data for the preparation and development of dry cured ham unique to South Korea. Same-grade Semitendinosus muscle from Hanwoo and Holstein was cured using a curing agent with 4.6% salt content at 4 °C for 7 days, and then aged for 70 days. Data was analyzed through physicochemical characterization, and the manufacturing period was established through weight loss, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Moisture content and weight loss of both samples significantly decreased during the manufacturing process (P < 0.05). TBARS was significantly higher in Hanwoo and VBN in Holstein (P < 0.05). According to the values of VBN (less than 20 mg/100 g) and TBARS (less than 2 mg MDA/kg), dry aging for 5 weeks is appropriate for both samples. The principal component analysis of 5 weeks-aged Holstein showed a dramatically changing trend due to myofibril fragmentation as indicated by Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. In addition, 5 weeks-aged Holstein contains methanethiol (cheese), butan-2-one (butter), and 3-3-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-hexadiene (fatty acid-derive) compounds that represent fermentation and aging flavors. Therefore, the possibility of product development was confirmed by the 5-week aging of Holstein dry-cured ham.

Drying kinetics and image-based identification of drying end point during parboiling of komal chawal

During the process of parboiling, steamed rice goes through a process of drying till a suitable moisture content for storage. This work is based on classifying suitable moisture content of less than 13% for storage. Further, this classification is used for estimating the end point of drying based on images of rice taken out at different time intervals. The drying process is a basic process for food technologists and involves mathematical modeling to determine the process parameters. Optimal drying time calculation to achieve desired moisture content involves the use of mathematical modeling. There are two ways of calculating the end point. One is using already existing drying models, e.g., Page, Newton, etc., with time as a factor; the other is using FF- ANN with one hidden layer with drying time and temperature as a factor; and for theoretical understating of the diffusion process, the analytical solution of Fick's law was studied. The other method involves using extrinsic data like the RGB values and pixel values of images mapped with moisture content classes predicted using machine learning models. This study aims to show how RGB data-based machine learning models for classification gives real time solutions to problems like calculating the final moisture content after drying of parboiled brown rice. Digital images were used as input, pixel values were used as features, and the images were labeled into two categories: A (moisture greater than 13%) and B (less than or equal to 13%). For this purpose, the dataset used consists of the moisture content of samples at different times (0–180 min) and temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) of drying in a tray dryer. Semi empirical models were evaluated, and Modified-Page showed the best fitting, The Feed forward Artificial Neural Network was observed to show an accuracy of 0.882 based on the least square error. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to map the image pixel data to classify the rice sample based on moisture content with a validation accuracy of 0.79 and a test accuracy of 0.74. Similarly, RGB values-based ML models like CART showed better accuracy of 0.92 approximately. Lastly, a simple calculator for an android application was built in MIT App Inventor by selecting the best fitted model of classification (LR, KNN, NB, or SVM) based on RGB values as the features.

A Survey Study to Assess the Prevalence of Storage Insect Pest on the Seed Health Status of Farmers in Telangana, India

Introduction: Telangana is considered as seed bowl of India. About 65% of rice produced will be used either for consumption or seed purpose. Hence, farmers save their produce till next season. But in storage it is infested with many insect pests. Due to lack of awareness about scientific storage techniques they are unable to produce quality seed.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Eighty-five rice seed samples were collected from seven major rice producing areas of the Telangana. Seed samples were drawn from top, middle and bottom positions of the container with a sampler, from the storage structures. A total of fourteen seed stores were sampled and composite samples were collected from these stores for further assessment in a laboratory. From each container, three samples, each consisting of 500 g of rice seed was taken. Samples were bulked and 500 g sample prepared as sample. Each sample was put in a paper bag and labeled with the necessary information (name of the site, sample number, date of sampling, storage time.&#x0D; Results: Sixty three percent samples were infested with lesser grain borer; Rhyzopertha dominica; Angoumois grain moth; Sitotroga cereallela, rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae; rust red flour beetle, Tribolium cataneum; Saw toothed beetle Oryzaephillus surinamensis. Among these insect pests, Angoumois grain moth and lesser grain borer were predominant. The maximum seed moisture content (12.57%) was recorded in the samples of Miryalaguda district and minimum seed moisture content (9.39%) in samples of Warangal district. The maximum insect infestation 5.73% was recorded in samples of district Rangareddy and the minimum (0.23%) sample were infested in Mahaboobnagar district. The maximum germination (95%) was noticed in seed sample of Nizamabad district and the minimum (79.57%) in samples of Warangal district. However, the maximum 1745 and minimum 1400 seed vigour index were observed in Nizamabad and Mahaboobnagar districts, respectively. The overall average performance of seed samples collected different villages of seven districts of Telangana were seed moisture content (10.88%) seed damaged (2.16 %), seed germination (90.43%) and Seed Vigour Index (1539).

Thermal drilling for application in gas and oil wells: Efficiency enhancement by acoustic inspection

Thermal drilling has recently attracted the attention of researchers due to its high efficiency in breaking hard rocks. However, the advent of low-efficiency processes, such as melting and evaporation, is challenging thermal drilling performance. The implementation of realistic guidelines to monitor spallation may help enhance the performance of this technology. In this article, the results of the continuous and intermittent application of butane oxygen flame on dry and wet limestone were compared with the results of diamond drilling based on the resulting rate of penetration and specific energies. A high-quality camera was operated as a device for visual inspection of the processes to determine any obvious macroscopic physical and chemical changes. In addition, acoustic monitoring of the processes involved during the thermal heating experiments was carried out using a microphone with a frequency response region below 20 kHz. The background noise in the recorded acoustic signals was eliminated by using noise reduction methods in MATLAB. The software performed Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the obtained clean signals to reveal the related frequency spectrograms. According to our experimental observations, the frequency response for spallation occurrence in wet and dry samples appears to be around 7 kHz and 15 kHz, respectively. However, the frequency response for fracture formation did not reveal a sensible dependence on moisture content in the limestone samples. Under continuous heating, the rate of penetration and the specific energy for wet samples were respectively 131% higher and 68% lower than those for the dry samples. In the dry samples, wetting between the two heating processes led to a considerable increase in the penetration rate and a dramatic decrease in the specific energy due to keeping the local temperature gradient high in the rock texture.

The influence of ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration as a pre-treatment method on the quality of vacuum dried pineapple

This study investigated the effect of ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration (UAOD) as a pre-treatment before vacuum drying on the drying time, quality, and microstructure of pineapple. At first, the best conditions for water desorption during osmotic dehydration (OD) were optimized. Pineapple cubes were subjected to OD at different osmotic solution concentrations (30, 40, and 60°Brix), pre-treatment time (0.5 and 1 hr), and temperature (35ºC) using two types of osmotic agents (sucrose and fructose). According to the results, sucrose was the best osmotic agent because it reduced the sample's moisture content and water activity. Secondly, the influence of UAOD on sugar gain, water loss, and drying time was evaluated using sucrose as an osmotic agent. Pineapple cubes were subjected to UAOD at different osmotic solution concentrations (30 and 60°Brix), pre-treatment time (10, 20, and 30 mint), and temperature (40 ºC) in an ultrasonic bath (ultrasound frequency of 40 kHz and ultrasound power of 300 W). Results exhibited that the application of UAOD increased the sugar gain and water loss, consequently decreasing the drying time. Overall, a 15.31 % reduction in vacuum drying time on a self-designed vacuum dryer and a 9 % reduction in total processing time were observed when UAOD (30 ºBrix) was applied for 20 min. Moreover, the influence of UAOD on the quality of dried pineapple in terms of rehydration ratio, firmness, and color change was also determined. Results showed that the pre-treatment with UAOD (30 ºBrix) of 20 min provided a better rehydration ability, with minimum change in color and textural properties. However, an increase in the pre-treatment time beyond 20 min diminished the rehydration ability of the dried product. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of pretreated and dried pineapples were also analyzed to determine the effect of pre-treatments applied for different lengths of time on the microstructure of the pineapple. The study's results suggested that applying UAOD as a pre-treatment considerably reduced the processing time and better retention of the pineapple properties.

Physicochemical and sensory properties of cookies produced from malted sorghum and cassava grate composite flour blends

Malted sorghum - cassava flour was formulated into blends to produce cookies. Sorghum grains were sorted, washed, steeped (12 hours), malted (48 hours) and oven dried. Freshly harvested cassava roots were manually peeled, washed, grated and dried (using hybrid solar dryer at 50 oC). The dried malted sorghum grains and cassava were processed into flour and sieved. The blends were prepared by homogenously mixing malted sorghum flour and high quality cassava grate flour in varied proportion labelled as sample A (100 % Malted Sorghum Flour) Sample B (60 % Malted Sorghum Flour and 30 % Cassava Flour), sample C (70 % Malted Sorghum Flour and 30 % Cassava Flour) and Sample D (80 % Malted Sorghum Flour and 20 % Cassava Flour) separately prepared into cookies and subjected to proximate, mineral, anti-nutrients, physical and sensory analysis using standard analytical methods with chemicals of analytical grade. The result for moisture, Ash, Fat, Fibre, Protein, Carbohydrate and energy content for samples A, B, C and D respectively ranged from 3.11 % - 6.81 %; 1.41 % - 1.52 %; 21.66 % - 23.41 %; 2.20 % - 2.67 %; 4.41 % - 7.26 %; 60.86 % - 63.85 % 473.09 Kcal - 478.82 Kcal. The mineral result for sodium, potassium and calcium 15.06 mg/100 g, 12.70 mg/100 g, 14.40 mg/100 g and 17.00 mg/100 g; 24.70 mg/100 g, 28.17 mg/100 g, 21.60 mg/100 g and 25.17 mg/100 g; 11.30 mg/100 g, 13.10 mg/100 g, 10.09 mg/100 g and 10.09 mg/100 g respectively. The result recorded for colour ranged from 6.20 - 7.40; aroma was 6.30 - 7.30; taste ranged from 6.10 - 7.20; texture ranged from 5.60 - 5.90 and overall acceptability ranged from 5.70 - 6.50. It can be concluded that combination of Malted Sorghum and Cassava Flour in cookies production will help to enhance the utilization of both crops, nutritional intake, increase variety and reduce wheat importation.

African elemi oil incorporated coating for quality improvement and shelf life extension of tomato fruit

The potentials of African elemi oil coating was evaluated on post-harvest loss reduction and shelf-life extension of tomato fruits during 16 days of storage. Tomato at turning stage were grouped into oil-incorporated (treated), non-oil incorporated (treated control) starch coated fruits, and non-coated fruits (untreated control). Fatty acid profile, phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracted oil were also assessed. Oleic and pentadecanoic acids were the most predominant fatty acids at 51.51 and 40.00% respectively, while the phenol (6.03 ± 0.001 mg/g) and flavonoid (4.59 ± 0.003 mg/g) were appreciably high. The moisture content (91.49%) of the untreated samples was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher than those of the treated groups. There were no significant differences in the average weight losses and ash contents of the tomato groups. The oil-coated and untreated control samples recorded gradual reduction in TTA which culminated at 0.20 and 0.32% respectively on day 16, while the treated control recorded significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher values at days 13 and 16 (0.72 and 0.78% respectively). TSS content of the tomatoes increased significantly (p&lt;0.05) with increase in storage duration with the untreated control having the highest value (5.30 oBrix), and the oil-coated samples the least (4.6 oBrix). The treated groups had significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher pH values compared to the untreated control. The oil-treated tomatoes had significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher sensory attributes than the other groups. Results of the study revealed that African elemi oil-incorporated starch impacted positively on the quality, aesthetic appeal and sensory properties of the stored fruits.

Application of Capacitive Sensor for Measuring Grain Moisture Content Based on Internet of Things

Moisture content is one of the factors that determine the selling value of grains. A good water content by standard is around 14%. Determination of water content is generally done using an oven, for farmers this method is quite complicated because farmers have to bring samples to the laboratory, besides that it also requires a lot of money and a long time. This study aims to develop a real-time measurement of grain moisture content using an IoT-based capacitive sensor, which is able to measure the water content of crop yields in the form of grains and is monitored directly using Android in realtime. This research begins by designing a schematic of the circuit system, designing the structure of the tool, making the tool, carrying out the tool calibration process, testing the tool to measure the moisture content in different grain samples including grain, corn, green beans, and beans. soybeans with five variations of water content at 9%-27% intervals, validated the water content measuring instrument test with several observations including grain moisture content, tool response time, and tool error as well as comparing the results of measuring grain moisture content using this instrument. standard measure with the designed measuring instrument. Based on the results of the research, the research instrument designed can measure the water content of the four test samples properly, from the calibration results of the research water content measuring instrument, the overall R2 value is 0,9902; which means that the measurement results of the research instrument are close to the actual value. The results of the analysis of observations of water content obtained an average difference in reading values ranging from 0,19%-0,41% with an average percentage error obtained ranging from 1,18%-2,12% and an average response time reading of 26,33 sec.

Near-field measurements for wood anisotropy using cavity-backed slot antennas

Wood is becoming a very important structural material for buildings because it is a renewable resource and has a very small carbon footprint. This paper reports an experimental study on the effect of annual rings on wood anisotropy measurements using near-field microwave scanning for Pine, Hemlock, Red Cedar, and Hardwood laminated wood beams. Transmission measurements show significant anisotropy (>10 dB) for Pine wood compared to Hemlock wood and Red Cedar wood for linear polarization. The effect of annual rings in guiding the transmitted signal through wood fibers is observed through transmission measurements. Microwave guidance in transmission disappears with increasing the moisture content (17%–138%) of the Pine wood sample. The study provides a novel, accurate, fast, low-cost structural-wood testing method based on cavity-backed slot antennas for transmission and reflection measurements.

Analysis of the Influence of Silty Sands Moisture Content and Impact Velocity in SHPB Testing on Their Compactability and Change in Granulometric Composition

This paper presents the results of a test cycle of two types of silty sand (siSa) with different contents of fine fractions. Fine fractions are understood as soil grains with a grain diameter of less than 63 µm (as the sum of silt and clay fractions). The soils tested had a content of fine fractions of fSi+Cl,1 = 15.14% and fSi+Cl,2 = 20.48%, respectively, before the study. Changes in the content of these fractions after the experiments were analyzed. These experiments consisted of dynamic bar projectile impact loading, and a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test stand was used in the study. Changes in the granulometric composition of the silty sands studied were carried out in a laser particle size analyzer, allowing measurement of fractional content in the grain size range from 0.01 µm to 3500 µm. As a result, a summary of changes in soil grain size curves in the range of fine fractions was compiled. Repeated trends were observed in the changes in the granulometric composition of the soil samples as a function of the moisture content of the soil sample (w1 = 0%, w2 = 5%, w3 = 10%, and w4 = 15%) and the impact velocity of the loading bar projectile for SHPB pneumatic launcher pressures (p1 = 1.2 bar → v1 = 12.76 m/s, p2 = 1.8 bar → v2 = 17.69 m/s and p3 = 2.4 bar → v3 = 21.32 m/s). The influence of the initial moisture content of the investigated soil on the value of the optimum moisture content obtained during its dynamic compaction was discussed. The trend in the behavior of the change in the granulometric composition of the tested samples was determined, taking the value of the initial moisture content of the soil in relation to the optimum moisture content of the reference sample as a reference. The largest percentage change in granulometric composition through an increase in the value of the silt and clay fraction relative to the reference sample fSi+Cl for both types of silty sand tested occurs for the same moisture content variant w2 = 5%–for soil fSi+Cl,1 = 15.14% there is an increase in the fine fraction of 11.08% and for soil fSi+Cl,2 = 20.48% there is an increase in the fine fraction of 15.17%. In general, it can be seen that more silty soil is more strongly susceptible to the phenomenon of grain crushing for moisture content w1 = 0% and w2 = 5% less than its optimum moisture content wopt,1 = 8.70%. In contrast, less silty soil is more susceptible to the phenomenon of grain crushing for moisture contents w3 = 10% and w4 = 15% greater than its optimum moisture content wopt,2 = 9.20%. The presented dynamic physical phenomenon of soil behavior is crucial during explosive and impact impacts on structures made of soil, e.g., as ground protection layers.

The utilization of rice straw (Oryza Sativa L.) as a green catalyst in the enhanced production of hydrogen via the thermochemical conversion process of shrimp farm sludge

The catalytic mechanism of rice straw, Oryza Sativa L., on the carbonation of shrimp farm sludges via the gasification process was investigated in this work. Rice straw possessed 75% of its weight is silicon dioxide (SiO2) which can be utilized as an effective catalyst whereas the tar decomposition and gas production during the thermochemical process can be enhanced. In that manner, the influence of working temperature (oC), the ratio (%wt) on the amount of rice straw used in the shrimp farm sludges, and the moisture content (%) in the prepared samples are taken into account to determine the role of rice straw catalytic. Gasification processes were carried out in 60 min in a stainless steel reactor, with a feeding rate of 0.5 kg/h and an air-pumped flow rate of 2 L/min. All experiments were performed under different conditions of working temperatures (600, 700, 800, and 900 °C), sample composition (0, 20, 40, and 60 %wt of rice straw added), and moisture content of the feedstock (20, 40, 60, 80, and 90%). It is essential to confirm that the change in sample moisture content and the working temperature are also significant to the production of hydrogen throughout the process. As the moisture content increase from 20 to 40%, the hydrogen yield is proportionally increased by 5–10%. On the aspect of working temperature influence, the hydrogen composition increased from 11% at 600 °C to 27% at 900 °C for the RS sample, from 13% at 600 °C to 29% at 900 °C for the RS20, from 17% at 600 °C to 35% at 900 °C for the RS40 sample, and from 19% at 600 °C to 43% at 900 °C for the RS60 sample. The findings in this work confirm the rice straw catalyst's role in enhancing hydrogen production via the gasification process. Furthermore, this work provides guidance information for simple but effective processes that can not only deal with the sludge waste management issue but also create a waste-to-energy route suitable for medium and small-scale aquaculture businesses.

Investigation on the Drying of Dioscorea Schimperiana in the West Region of Cameroon

The drying method and types of agricultural dryers used by farmers in rural West Cameroon were surveyed. These are direct solar drying (predominant). Different types of dryers are associated with each of these drying methods. These are the open-air bamboo mat dryer and the collar dryer. An analysis of the actual drying needs in rural areas and an evaluation of the means available to meet them are conducted based on a survey of farmers in rural areas. The conservation of Dioscorea Schimperiana is very difficult because of the unfavorable climatic conditions during production. The local unit of measure is the basket, which weighs between 5 and 25 kilograms. The purchase price of Dioscorea Schimperiana from the producer is higher in the rainy season. The drying time varies between 1 to 2 weeks for the bamboo dryer and 3 to 4 weeks for the necklace dryer. Laboratory determination of the dry-base moisture content of the post-drying Dioscorea Schimperiana samples collected during the surveys shows that it varies from 12.1 to 19.04 % instead of 11 % which is the recommended moisture content. The range of moisture content found shows insufficient drying.

Optimization of black garlic production parameters using response surface methodology: Assessment and characterization of bioactive properties

This study was performed to determine the optimum process parameters for black garlic production. Central composite design (CCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to examine the effects of fermentation conditions (temperature, humidity and time) on the alliin, S-allyl cysteine (SAC), total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity, moisture, and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) contents of the black garlic samples. Liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) was used for the identification and quantification of alliin, SAC and HMF. SEM and FT-IR techniques were also utilized to characterize the samples. The optimized fermentation parameters were determined as 65 °C temperature, 85% humidity, and a duration of 24 days. TPC was found to be 1152.46 mg GAE/100 g dry matter with the highest antioxidant capacity while SAC and alliin contents were 80.21 and 5.16 mg/100 g, respectively. The HMF was quantified as 0.60 g/kg using the optimized parameters. It was also found that decreased temperature and fermentation time yielded a decrement in HMF and an increment in the bioactivity of black garlic.

Ethyl cellulose/hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose‐based oleogel shortening: Effect on batter rheology and physical properties of sponge cake

AbstractThis study attempts to fill the gap in ongoing research on the design, optimization, and characterization of ethyl cellulose/hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose‐based (EC/HPMC‐based) low‐saturated oleogel‐shortenings by examining their functional effects on physicochemical, and rheological properties in the cupcake and its batter. Thus, the commercial shortening was completely replaced with the oleogel‐shortenings in the cake formulation and, then, characteristics of the batter (including specific gravity, emulsion stability, and rheological properties), and cake samples (specific volume, moisture content, and texture properties) were evaluated and compared with each other and the control samples (containing commercial‐shortening). In short, the EC‐based‐ and EC/HPMC‐based‐oleogel‐shortenings‐batters had more specific gravity and emulsion stability than the control‐batter. Liner viscoelastic rang in EC/HPMC‐based‐oleogel‐shortenings‐batter, EC‐based‐oleogel‐shortenings‐batter, and control‐batter was 0.212%, 0.159%, and 0.195%, respectively. EC/HPMC‐based‐oleogel‐shortenings‐batter had a more viscoelastic behavior than EC‐based‐oleogel‐shortening‐batter after the control‐batter (p &lt; 0.05). The results of frequency sweep and dynamic shear tests indicated a higher similarity of the rheological behavior of the EC/HPMC‐based‐oleogel‐shortening‐batter with the control‐batter. The results of moisture content and texture profile analysis of the cake samples indicated a slower staling in the oleogel‐shortenings containing samples, especially EC/HPMC‐based‐oleogel‐shortening type.

Changes in the quality of deep-fried dough as influenced by hydrocolloids

ABSTRACT The effects of xanthan gum and pectin at two concentrations each (0.2% and 0.5%) on storage quality (texture, moisture, water activity (a w ), fat content, peroxide value, and colour attributes) of deep-fried dough (magwinya) were analysed across 3 days. The moisture content of the magwinya samples ranged from 38.67% to 44.67% and decreased significantly during storage. The crumb, crust hardness, and chewiness increased (P < 0.05) with storage time. The a w ranged from 0.64 to 0.85 on the first day and decreased during storage. The fat content of samples ranged from 6.60% to 7.31% and was significantly lower than the control (10.20%). The peroxide values showed no difference for all samples. Significant differences were observed for crumb and crust colour profiles from the first to the third day among all samples. The preservation effect of hydrocolloids is attributed to controlling and maintaining the moisture content and stabilising the product.

Size Effect on Hygroscopicity of Waterlogged Archaeological Wood by Simultaneous Dynamic Vapour Sorption

Hygroscopicity is one of the most important properties of wood and plays a decisive role in its dimensional stability. In this context, conservation plans for waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW) and relevant waterlogged artefacts must be created. The size of the sample required for a moisture sorption assessment may affect the results for (and thus the perception of) the hygroscopicity of a testing artefact. Herein, to investigate the effects of the sample size on the hygroscopicity of WAW as measured via dynamic vapour sorption (DVS), typical WAW and recent (i.e., sound) wood are processed into four differently sized samples, ranging in thickness from 200 mesh to millimetre. The equilibrium moisture contents (EMCs) of the wood samples are simultaneously measured using simultaneous DVS. The sorption isotherms show that the EMC values of the recent wood at each relative humidity increase as the sample size decreases, with the superfine powder sample achieving the highest EMC of all of the recent samples. Although the WAW has a higher EMC than that of recent wood, the effect of the size of the WAW sample on its hygroscopic properties is surprisingly not as pronounced as that for the recent wood. In addition, the hysteresis between the samples of different sizes of the archaeological wood is significantly smaller than that for the reference samples. Furthermore, regarding the standard deviations of the parameters obtained from the Guggenheim Anderson de Boer and Hailwood–Horrobin models, the values for WAW are all much smaller than those for the reference wood. This further verifies the disappearance of the size effect of the hygroscopicity for WAW.