Quality evaluation of nutri-premix prepared by using millets and seeds of fruits and vegetables.

The objective of the present research was intended to formulate multigrain premix powder which could be utilized for the development of nutritional rich products. The multigrain premix was prepared by blending the seeds of pumpkin, jackfruit, and mango with barley, pearl millet, finger millet, sorghum, and other ingredients such as cardamom, and sugar. Before optimizing the composition of premix flour, around 8 combinations of each flour and seed powders were made to obtain the preeminent quality premix with high nutritional value. The formulation of flour was optimized on the basis of sensory analysis done by using 9-hedonic scale. The formulated multigrain premix was analysed for its nutritional and sensorial characteristics. Multigrain premix resulted in protein content of 5.35 g, carbohydrate 80.25 g, fat 6.88 g, ash 3.87 g, dietary fibres 8.67 g, calcium 73.25 mg, and iron 2.94 mg per 100 g of the mixture and many more minerals were also estimated in the given premix. Total energy was noted as 404.32 kcal. The GC-MS analysis was also performed to identify the composition of fat in terms of their saturation. Moreover, the shelf life study of multigrain premix was carried out for a period of 45 days at a temperature and relative humidity of 25 °C and 91% respectively. The overall quality of the multigrain premix was accepted in term of overall acceptability. The optimized premix was also taken for its microbiological analysis, and sensorial quality attributes to understand the shelf life study of the product when stored for longer period of time.

A review on antifungal activity and mode of action of essential oils and their delivery as nano-sized oil droplets in food system.

An escalated demand of minimally processed food and increased negative perception for synthetic preservative has led to a lookout for a natural preservative. Essential oils (EOs) are volatile and aromatic secondary metabolites of plants that have been tapped mainly for its flavour and fragrances and various biological properties such as antimicrobial and antioxidant. The constituents and antifungal potential of EOs have been reported widely in the present scientific literature. Moreover, the current scientific research dealing with the mode of action of EOs on fungal spores and mycelial cells are very scarce, unlike bacteria. The antimicrobial efficacy of EO in real food system may alter due to interaction with food matrix components. Besides, minimum alteration in sensory qualities while retaining its maximum activity is the most sought-after criteria for food preservation with EOs. If the oil is applied in excess to have better antimicrobial activity, it may end up having an unacceptable organoleptic impact on the food. Appropriate edible delivery systems of EOs as an emulsion is a probable approach to retain the maximum efficacy of EOs in the food system. Nano-emulsification of EO could increase its bioactivity due to increased bioavailability in the food matrix. The basis of this review is to provide an overview of current knowledge about the antifungal properties and antifungal mode of action of EOs, and to recognize the application of EO as nano-sized oil droplets in the food system.

Shelf Life Extension of Tomato Paste Through Organoleptically Acceptable Concentration of Betel Leaf Essential Oil Under Accelerated Storage Environment.

This study was attempted with two objectives: (1) to find an acceptable concentration of betel leaf essential oil (BLEO) based on sensory evaluation that can be employed in tomato paste; (2) to evaluate the effect of the acceptable concentration of BLEO in the paste during accelerated storage under 89 ± 1.2% RH at 39 ± 1 °C. Linguistic data obtained from sensory evaluation of tomato paste treated with 4 different concentrations of BLEO were analyzed using fuzzy logic approach. The organoleptically acceptable concentration was determined to be 0.25 mg/g of BLEO in tomato paste. The effect of the selected concentration of BLEO on different physicochemical and microbial attributes of tomato paste during accelerated storage was studied. Untreated tomato paste was found to have 12% less total antioxidant capacity than treated paste at the end of storage. Based on a* /b* value in CIELAB color space, the BLEO treated paste efficiently extended the shelf life by 14 days with respect to untreated paste samples under accelerated storage conditions. BLEO comes with a tag contributing to green consumerism, and its application as food preservative is no less than a value addition to the product. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Essential oil is considered to have promising potential as an alternative food preservative, and its use is practically possible if they could overcome the sensory barrier, while retaining the preservative potency. The importance of identifying the sensory attributes for commercial success of essential oil treated food product was considered in this study. It contributes to the potency of organoleptically acceptable concentration of BLEO in shelf life extension of tomato paste under accelerated storage conditions. At industrial level, the estimated shelf life of treated tomato paste can be increased by incorporating more hurdles alongside BLEO.

The use of fuzzy logic to determine the concentration of betel leaf essential oil and its potency as a juice preservative.

The present study was attempted to determine organoleptically acceptable concentration of betel leaf essential oil (BLEO) in raw apple juice using fuzzy logic approach, and to evaluate the efficacy of the acceptable concentration in the juice under refrigerated storage. The presence of BLEO components in treated juice was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Based on similarity values, the acceptable concentration in the juice was found to be 0.19µl/ml of BLEO. Total antioxidant capacity of untreated juice was found to be 16% less than treated juice at the end of storage. The treated juice exceeded total aerobic plate count of 2 log10 (cfu/ml) on 15th day of storage. Based on safe limits of microbial load, the shelf life of treated juice was extended by 6days as compared to untreated juice under refrigerated storage. BLEO contributes to green consumerism and its application as food preservative will add value to the product.

Modelling the effect of essential oil of betel leaf (Piper betle L.) on germination, growth, and apparent lag time of Penicillium expansum on semi-synthetic media.

The current study aimed at characterizing the chemical components of betel leaf (Piper betle L. var. Tamluk Mitha) essential oil (BLEO) and modelling its effect on growth of Penicillium expansum on semi-synthetic medium. Gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) analysis of BLEO revealed the presence of different bioactive phenolic compounds in significant amounts. Among 46 different components identified, chavibetol (22.0%), estragole (15.8%), ß-cubebene (13.6%), chavicol (11.8%), and caryophyllene (11.3%) were found to be the major compounds of BLEO. A disc diffusion and disc volatilization method were used to evaluate antifungal activity of the oil against a selected food spoilage mould. The logistic model was used to study the kinetics of spore germination. Prediction and validation of antifungal effect of BLEO was performed on semi-synthetic medium (apple juice agar) using predictive microbiological tools. The Baranyi and Roberts model was used to estimate maximum growth rate (µmax in mm/day) and apparent lag time (λ in days) of the mould. Secondary modelling was performed using a re-parameterized Monod-type equation based on cardinal values to study the effect of different BLEO concentration on estimated growth parameters. Emax (minimum concentration of oil at which mould growth was inhibited) and MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration of BLEO at which lag time is infinite) value of BLEO against P. expansum was estimated to be 0.56 and 0.74 µl/ml, respectively, which was found to be similar on potato dextrose agar (PDA) as well as apple juice agar (AJA) medium. The correlation between estimated growth parameters of the mould on both the media was obtained with satisfactory statistical indices (R(2) and RMSE). This study revealed inhibitory efficacy of BLEO on spore germination, mycelial growth and apparent lag time of P. expansum in a dose-dependent manner. Hence, BLEO has potential to be used as a natural food preservative.