Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) starch extraction, characterization and bioethanol generation from its pulp/waste.

A polysaccharide molecule called starch exists in nature and is cheap, renewable, biodegradable, and readily accessible. The main objective of this project is to extract and characterize anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) starch, as well as to generate bio-ethanol from its pulp/waste. The anchote sample used in this investigation came from Ethiopia's western Oromia region. Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) starch was extracted, and the pulp from the tuber was peeled and the supernatant isolated for bio-ethanol production. The extracted starch from anchote and bio-ethanol from pulps were characterized by physicochemical, functional properties and FT-IR analysis. The result of physicochemical and functional properties of anchote starch was found to be pH (4.44), WHC (112%), Solubility (5.03%), swelling power (5.781%), Gelatinization temperature (53.33 °C), WAC (2 g/g), bulk density (0.605 g/cm3) and OAC (3 g/g). According to this FTIR research, anchote starch has a chemical structure that is similar to corn, cassava, and potato starch. As the results showing a promising alcoholic content (25% v/v) and the existence of bioethanol being validated by a combustion test, the pulps/wastes recovered from anchote are also good sources of bioethanol. Finally, the FTIR spectroscopic analysis revealed that ethyl alcohol was produced from anchote pulps/waste after acid hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation.

Phytochemical Screening and Multivariate Analysis on Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Value of Kocho from False Banana (Enset).

Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is one of Ethiopia's most important food crops. The objective of the present study is to evaluate (using multivariate analysis) the effect of fermentation time, varietal differences, and treatment with gammicho on the physicochemical and nutraceuticals of kocho obtained from false banana in highly cultivated areas such as Disa Kera and Koysha Gorta of Dawro zone, Loma Woreda, South Nations' Nationalities People Regions, Ethiopia. The analyses were carried out for fresh and fermented (with and without local starter, gammicho) enset kocho varieties (Meazia and Katania) harvested in two locations. Statistical analysis of the acquired data was performed using Minitab software version 19. It was discovered that each factor influenced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the qualities of kocho independently and with interaction. After four months of fermentation with gammicho, various parameters such as fat (1.69 to 0.62%), fiber (11.46 to 2.79%), pH (6.50 to 3.00), and moisture were dramatically decreased (9.34 to 2.8%). On the other hand, some dietary elements in both kinds were reduced with increasing fermentation time, including ash (2.07 to 3.57%), protein (3.08 to 5.52%), and carbs (71.87 to 84.55%). The results of this study suggest that Meazia has superior physicochemical and nutritional qualities over Katania.

Formulation and Optimization of Complementary Food Based on Its Nutritional and Antinutritional Analysis.

This study focuses on formulating and optimizing complementary foods using oat, yellow maize, chickpea, avocado pulp powder, and sugarcane Jaggery to obtain nutritious infant food. Different proportions of the composite food were optimized using Minitab v.19 software upon mixture design by keeping the constant amount of Jaggery (10%). The formulated composite foods had a better proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, and lower amounts of antinutrients. Most attributes have shown significant differences (p < 0.05) among those formulations. The better-optimized formulation is selected from nutritional and antinutritional values through overlaid contour design. The study concludes the optimal complementary food composition ratio: oat (40 g), chickpea (25.81 g), yellow maize (13.78 g), avocado powder (10.4 g), and Jaggery (10 g). Thus, the proposed formulated product becomes nutritious complementary food that may help children's and medium-age hold communities.

Optimization and characterization of pectin extracted from banana and papaya mixed peels using response surface methodology.

A massive amount of fruit peels generated from fruit processing industries and household kitchens has resulted in nutritional loss and environmental problems. Pectin is a polysaccharide that is isolated from fruit peels and has been attributed to various applications. By proper waste management practices and the use of efficient methods for retrieval of pectin from fruit, peels would benefit from resource management. This study has aimed at the extraction of pectin from locally available fruit peels. Pectin extraction from banana-papaya peel was done by microwave-assisted extraction. The influence of temperature, time, and pH on extraction yield and anhydrouronic acid content was analyzed using software Design Expert 11. The optimum operating conditions such as temperature, time, and pH to achieve maximum yield (23.74%) and anhydrouronic acid (69.97%) were determined as 73°C, pH 2, and 35 min, respectively. Physicochemical assets of the extracted pectin, such as moisture, ash, protein, methoxyl content, degree of esterification, equivalent weight, and acetyl value, were determined as 7.2 ± 0.27%, 6.20 ± 1.26%, 3.92 ± 0.05% 8.37 ± 0.42%, 67.91 ± 0.33%, 783.69 ± 0.46 g/mol, and 0.48 ± 0.11%, respectively, and some functional properties like water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity, and emulsifying activity and emulsion stability are found as 8.23%, 18.44%, 22.73%, 45.16%, and 29.33%, respectively.

Sugar and ethanol production potential of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) as an alternative energy feedstock: processing and physicochemical characterizations.

This study focuses on the processing, characterization, and sugar and ethanol production potential of red-fleshed sweet potatoes (RFSP) and white-fleshed sweet potatoes (WFSP). These feedstocks were used for the production of sugar; and bioethanol from its pulp by the action of five different microbes. The characterization of raw sweet potatoes and desired products of raw sugar, and bioethanol were carried out through proximate analyses, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) method, measurement of pol% by using a Refractometer, Polarimeter, Saccharimeter. The proximate analyses of feedstocks show the presence of a respectable amount of dry solids 25 ± 0.03g/100g with a lower amount of fat (0.025 ± 0.002) and ash (0.533 ± 0.076) contents make them promising crops for the production of sugar and ethanol. Comparatively, RFSP raw sugar (oZ: 95.25 ± 0.05) is considered purer than WFSP raw sugar (oZ: 94.6 ± 0.015). FTIR spectrums of the presently studied raw sugar and bioethanol have characteristic bands. It shows that the raw sugars products are rich in sucrose content, and confirms that the bioethanol was produced from the selected raw materials is at a satisfactory level. The efficiency of microbes was evaluated by taking a sample from the fermented wash to measure the residual sugar in (oBrix). Comparatively, fermented wash with sweet potato extracted yeast was found 14% Brixo (consume 86% of pulp) in RFSP, and 17% of Brixo (consume 83% pulp) in WFSP within 24 hours of fermentation. The alcohol level of bioethanol's produced from RFSP and WFSP pulps was tested using Ebuliometer and the result was found to be ranged 78 °C - 80 °C which is closer to the boiling point of absolute anhydrous alcohol (78.3 °C). Thus, the results of the present study proved that the sweet potato and its pulp are considered as a potential alternative sugar/energy feedstock.

Association of glycaemic status and outcomes in diabetic foot problems: a retrospective evidence from South India.

OBJECTIVES: Emerging shreds of evidence indicates that the risk of diabetic foot ulcer and associated morbidity can be reduced through the intensive glycemic control. There are very few studies which assessed the effects of glycemic control on diabetic foot problems among Indian patients. We aimed to assess the effect of glycemic control on the outcomes of diabetic foot problems among adult type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients with foot ulcers. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among the T2DM patients from a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. The demographic characters, risk factors, treatment characters, glycemic status were collected among the patients and analyzed against the outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers by reviewing their medical records. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data. The Chi-square test and ANOVA were used for was used for the categorical variables and continuous parameters to identify the factors affecting the outcomes, respectively. All analysis was performed in SPSS v21. RESULTS: Out of the 100 participants included in the study, 70% were male. The majority (78%) were from an age group of 40 to 70 years, and the mean age was found to be 59.91 ± 10.6 years. The mean duration of diabetes was 9.66 years. Only ankle-brachial Index score (p=0.001) was significantly associated with the type of ulcers, whereas other factors not (p>0.05). A high level of average HbA1c, BMI, ABI index and poor glycemic status was associated with a significant debridement strategy and longer duration of hospitalization; however, it was not substantial. CONCLUSION: Our study inferred that poor glycemic status is associated with a significant debridement strategy and longer duration of hospitalization. However, these findings need to be strengthened with adequately powered prospective studies.

Rubidium and Cesium Enediamide Complexes Derived from Bulky 1,4-Diazadienes.

The first rubidium and cesium enediamide complexes based on bulky 1,4-diaza-1,3-diene ligands (DADs) have been prepared by metalation of either 1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene (1, = H2DADDipp) or 1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene (2, = Me2DADDipp) with an excess of Rb or Cs metals in coordinating solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) or 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME). All new complexes were fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Electronic and Geometric Structures of Paramagnetic Diazadiene Complexes of Lithium and Sodium.

The electronic and molecular structures of the lithium and sodium complexes of 1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diazabutadiene (Me2DADDipp) were fully characterized by using a multi-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy approach and crystallography, together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. EPR measurements, using T1 relaxation-time-filtered pulse EPR spectroscopy, revealed the diagonal elements of the A and g tensors for the metal and ligand sites. It was found that the central metals in the lithium complexes had sizable contributions to the SOMO, whereas this contribution was less strongly observed for the sodium complex. Such strong contributions were attributed to structural specifications (e.g. geometrical data and atomic size) rather than electronic effects.