Vegetable Pulp Research Articles

Screening of coagulant proteins from plant material in southern India

Access to fresh water is limited due to the growing population and to provide safe drinking water is a global challenge. In this initial study, about a hundred different samples were screened for coagulation activity. Amongst the plants tested were fruits and vegetable pulps, leaves and seeds (like jackfruit, tamarind, papaya, orange, watermelon, pineapple, cucumber, green gram, peas, black gram, cluster bean rice, maize, chili, cabbage, mustard, cauliflower, beetroot and carrot). The crude extracts were prepared in water and salt solution in order to extract the coagulant protein and compare the coagulation activity. Among the tested samples, only a few seed extracts showed coagulation activity. The seed extracts of mustard and cabbage showed coagulation activity in both water and salt extracts and were comparable to that of Moringa seed extract. The salt extracts showed higher activity compared to that of water extract in most of the samples tested. The coagulation activity was stable after incubation at 95 °C for 5 hours implying heat resistance. A protein profile analysis showed major protein bands with a molecular weight around 6.5 and 9 kDa. In this preliminary study, mustard and cabbage seed extracts were promising in terms of coagulation and heat resistance, so could be an alternative to Moringa seed for water treatment and should be investigated further.

Improved durability of vegetable fiber reinforced cement composite subject to accelerated carbonation at early age

This work presents the improved mechanical properties of eucalyptus pulp reinforced cementitious composites produced by the slurry-dewatering and pressing technique. They were subjected to accelerated carbonation after 2days of controlled curing, which was investigated aiming to find a durable composite with vegetable pulp as an exclusive reinforcement. The effect of carbonation curing on the mechanical, physical, and microstructural properties of composites at 28days of age, after 200 and 400 accelerated aging cycles and one year of natural weathering was evaluated. The interaction of the reduction in Ca(OH)2 content, the increase in CaCO3 content, the lower porosity, the higher density and the good fiber–matrix adhesion can explain the better mechanical performance after the aging conditions, indicating the improved durability of carbonated composites.

Automatic line ULS-1 for measuring sugar-beet saccharimeters

The sugar beet whose saccharinity is tested is conveyed over loading conveyor 6 on to skip hoist 2. Rotating-disk saws 3 cut the beet into cossettes (pulp), which is fed to the sloping section of pulp conveyor 5. The sugar-beet waste is lifted by the hoist to its top position and as it tips over the waste is unloaded on to conveyor I. The small turbines located over conveyor 5 sloping section push the pulp on to crushing conveyor 4 provided with small turbines which mix the pulp and feed it onto horizontal section of conveyor 5. The vegetable pulp is fed from conveyor 5 on to batching conveyor 8 and then into digestion beaker 9, which is located on pulp-batching balance I0.

SOME SOURCES OF VITAMIN C IN ALBERTA

Some fruits and vegetables grown in Alberta were investigated as sources of Vitamin C, and the loss occasioned by cooking was determined. Losses due to oxidation during cooking were compared with those due to extraction by the cooking water. Both cause considerable loss of vitamin C from the vegetable pulp; it would therefore be more economical always to use the juice from the vegetables. The vitamin C content of potatoes varies with the season, the peak being reached in September and just before the first frost occurs, and being followed by a steady decrease during storage.