A study about factors influencing rice palatability based on changes in sensory and physicochemical properties under different postharvest conditions.

Postharvest management plays a key role in determining the end-use quality of rice; therefore, a practical approach to inhibit quality deterioration is necessary. In this study, the effects of postharvest management-drying delay time (DDT) and moisture content after drying (DM) immediately after harvesting, and storage temperatures (ST) and periods (SP) of dried paddy rice-on the physicochemical, quality, and sensory properties of rice were comprehensively analyzed. Germination rate, seed viability, fat acidity, and sensory quality tended to significantly deteriorate with increasing DDT, DM, ST, and SP. The highest correlation (r = 0.8289) was observed between germination rate and sensory quality, indicating that germination rate can reliably predict sensory quality. Degradation of germination rate and overall sensory quality were analyzed: sensory quality exhibited a more gradual change than germination rate. Lastly, the effects of the postharvest conditions on overall sensory quality were predicted using a regression equation model. DDT, DM, and ST exhibited different patterns of change, which can be used to predict the sensory quality during storage. Germination rate was successfully applied as an influencing factor for the development of a rice-palatability prediction model. The results of this study are useful for maintaining fresh-rice palatability by preventing aging during postharvest storage.

Effect of different vacuum levels for beef brisket during cold storage: A microbiological and physicochemical analysis.

Effect of packaging at different vacuum levels such as 7.2 Pa (99.99% vacuum), 30 kPa (70.39%), 70 kPa (30.91%), and 101.33 kPa (0%, atmospheric condition) using a specially designed airtight container on physicochemical and microbial properties of beef brisket cuts during cold storage was investigated. Dramatic pH increase was found only in air atmospheric packaging. Higher vacuum level yielded higher water holding capacity and lower volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and growth rate of aerobic bacteria and coliforms, whereas the fatty acid composition showed no difference among various vacuum levels. The highest vacuum level (7.2 Pa) yielded no increases in VBN, TBA, and coliform and the least increase in aerobe counts. For bacterial communities, higher vacuum levels yielded higher proportions of Leuconostoc, Carnobacterium, and lactobacilli belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and lower proportions of Pseudomonas belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria. Predictive curves for bacterial communities showed that just a little oxygen significantly affects the bacterial dominance based on different oxygen dependence of individual bacteria and their logarithmic changes by vacuum level.

Effect of Heating under Different Vacuum Levels on Physicochemical and Oxidative Properties of Beef Sirloin.

The physicochemical and oxidative properties of beef sirloin slices heated under atmospheric (101.33 kPa, a vacuum percent of 0%, control) and vacuum (50.8 kPa, 50% and 7.2 Pa, 99.99%) conditions by using an airtight vacuum container were compared. Heating at a higher vacuum level resulted in the lowest pH and cooking loss compared with the other conditions (p < 0.05). The beef in vacuum groups was less hard, chewy, and gummy than the control group, without any significant differences between the vacuum groups. More structural shrinkage and lower browning were observed in the meat heated at higher vacuum levels. Similarly, higher vacuum levels suppressed increases in the lightness (L*), redness (a*), and total color difference (E*) of the surface after heating. The thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, a sensitive indicator of meat oxidation due to heating, were only influenced by the vacuum conditions. Consequently, applying a vacuum effectively prevents the degradation in the meat's physicochemical and oxidative properties during heating. The findings are useful for the sous-vide industry because they scientifically demonstrate how vacuum pressure affects the physicochemical and oxidative properties of the meat by using a specially designed airtight vacuum container.

Phospholipids molecular species, proteins secondary structure, and emulsion microstructure of egg yolk with reduced polar and/or nonpolar lipids.

This study investigated the phospholipids (PLs) molecular species (PLs-MS), protein secondary structure (PSS), and emulsion microstructure of the egg yolk (EY) treated with supercritical-CO2 (T1), hexane (T2), and ethanol {at room temperature (T3) and 65 °C (T4)}. PLs-MS, PSS, and microstructure of EY emulsion were investigated with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, Fourier-transforms infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscope, respectively. Predominant PLs molecular fractions were C18:0-C20:4, C18:0-C20:4, C16:0-C18:2, C16:0, C18:0-C18:2, and d18:1/16:0, for phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, lysophosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylserine, respectively. All the PLs-MS were highest for T1 and many of them (C14:0-C16:0, C18:0-C18:1, C18:0-C20:3) were absent in T2, T3, and T4. PSS components (α-helices, ß-sheets, ß-turn, and random coil) were highest for T4, followed by T3, T2, T1, and control (non-treated EY). However, T1-added o/w emulsion showed excellent stability (95.64 %) with smaller and denser oil droplets due to better ionic interactions by synergistic effect of PLs-MS and PSS components.

Thermal processing under oxygen-free condition of blueberry puree: Effect on anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, and enzyme activities.

The effect of thermal treatment of blueberry was investigated using a designed grinding and continuous packaging system under oxygen-free conditions. The grinding, packaging, and heating at 90 °C for 30 min under anaerobic condition were compared to heating under aerobic conditions, showing complete inactivation of oxidative enzymes. Heating without oxygen retained anthocyanins and ascorbic acid whereas heating in atmospheric air does not. Delphinidin glycoside was mostly influenced by oxygen deficiency during heating, followed by petunidin and malvidin glycosides. The differences in oxygen sensitivity may be closely associated with the number of hydroxylation in the B ring. The result of anthocyanin led to higher antioxidant activity and redness values of purees heated without oxygen than purees heated with oxygen. Consequently, thermal processing under oxygen-free condition can prevent oxidation of anthocyanin, resulting in higher retention of color and nutritional values of blueberry products.

Effect of storage temperature on the antioxidant activity and catechins stability of Matcha (Camellia sinensis).

This study was conducted to evaluate the storage conditions of matcha (Camellia sinensis) according to temperature during 2 months. The moisture content of matcha tend to decrease with increasing temperature. To evaluate the brightness and green value of matcha, changes in L* and G* values were examined. These values decreased with increasing temperature and time. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content also decreased with increasing temperature and time. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities decreased with the increase in storage temperature and time. The content of catechins such as epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate showed a tendency to decrease gradually according to the storage temperature and time. Also, caffeine and rutin content in matcha significantly decreased according to storage temperature and time. This study could be used as basic data to determine optimal storage conditions by measuring physiological changes according to the temperature conditions of matcha.

The Effects of Added Water and Grinding Temperature on Stability and Degradation Kinetics of Antioxidant Activity, Phenolic Compounds, and Ascorbic Acid in Ground Apples.

The effects of added water (1:0 up to 1:4 apple:water w/v) and grinding temperature on browning and antioxidant capacity of apples were investigated. Grinding apple with addition of water decreased browning and loss of antioxidant activity when ground with water up to 1:3 ratio. Browning, antioxidant capacity, major phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2), and ascorbic acid in ground apple with water (1:1) were evaluated at grinding temperatures from 5 °C to 45 °C. The degradation of antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid followed first-order kinetics. The temperature-dependent degradation was adequately modeled using the Arrhenius equation, and kinetic parameters such as k, t1/2 , Q10 , and Ea indicated that the grinding temperature was a key factor affecting retention of antioxidant activity, phenolics, and ascorbic acid contents in apple. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of fruits and vegetables can be altered by processing such as thermal treatments and grinding. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and predict the quality characteristics of the fruits as affected by processing conditions. In this study, we found grinding conditions retard the changes in color and loss in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of ground apples. This new finding can be helpful for engineers and scientists to control and optimize the grinding system by retaining the high nutritional values of apple products.

Yield and physicochemical properties of low fat tofu prepared using supercritical carbon dioxide treated soy flours with different fat levels.

The consumer demands for low fat foods are increasing to reduce obesity and chronic diseases. Low-fat tofu (LFT) was prepared using soy flours treated with supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) at pressures of 10, 20, and 30 MPa. After SC-CO2 treatment, the residual oil contents of the soy flours were 12.07, 8.12, and 1.64%, respectively, whereas that of the control soy flour was 18.20%. The objective of this study was to investigate the yield and quality characteristics of LFTs, compared to the control tofu. All SC-CO2-treated LFTs had significantly higher protein and moisture contents than the control tofu. The yields (g/100 g soy flour) of SC-CO2-treated tofu were 442.69, 507.44, and 535.47 g, respectively, at three fat levels, whereas the yield was 385.23 g in case of the control tofu. The SC-CO2-treated LFTs had softer textural attributes due to increasing moisture contents. In addition, the LFTs obtained higher sensory scores owing to softer texture and lower beany flavor than control sample. SC-CO2-treated soy flours showed higher solubility in soy milk, leading to higher yield, produced softer texture of tofu, and increased nutritional value with low fat and high protein content.

Effect of Grinding at Modified Atmosphere or Vacuum on Browning, Antioxidant Capacities, and Oxidative Enzyme Activities of Apple.

This study evaluated the effects of grinding at atmospheric pressure (control), under vacuum (∼2.67 kPa), or with modified atmosphere (N2 and CO2 ) on the browning, antioxidant activity, phenolics, and oxidative enzyme activity of apples as a function of time. The control group was affected most, showing distinct browning and losing most of the antioxidant activity and concentrations of the main phenolic compounds. The modified atmosphere groups retained color, antioxidant activity, and phenolic compounds better than the control group. Least changes were obtained with vacuum grinding, particularly in terms of preventing enzymatic browning and oxidation of antioxidants apples. At 12 h after grinding, vacuum-ground apples retained total phenolic contents 5.32, 1.54, and 1.49 times higher than control, nitrogen gas, and carbon dioxide gas-ground samples, respectively. The oxidative enzyme activity, including that of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, decreased in the control and modified atmosphere group, but they were maintained in the samples ground under the vacuum. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, we found that grinding with modified atmosphere or vacuum conditions could effectively prevent browning as well as loss of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of ground apples. These results can help scientists and engineers build better grinding systems for retaining nutrient and quality factors of ground apples. In addition, these results may be useful to other fruit and vegetable industries that wish to retain fresh-like quality and nutritional value during grinding and storage.

Comparative study of the quality characteristics of defatted soy flour treated by supercritical carbon dioxide and organic solvent.

Defatted soy flour is a potential source of food protein, amino acids, ash and isoflavones. The supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and a traditional organic solvent extraction methods were used to remove fat from soy flour, and the quality characteristics of a control soy flour (CSF), defatted soy flour by SC-CO2 (DSFSC-CO2) and defatted soy flour by an organic solvent (DSF-OS) were compared. The SC-CO2 process was carried out at a constant temperature of 45 °C, and a pressure of 40 MPa for 3 h with a CO2 flow rate of 30 g/min. The DSFSC-CO2 had significantly higher protein, ash, and amino acids content than CSF and DSF-OS. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis demonstrated that CSF and DSFSC-CO2 had protein bands of similar intensity and area that indicated no denaturation of protein, whereas DSF-OS showed diffuse bands or no bands due to protein denaturation. In addition to higher nutritional value and protein contents, DSFSC-CO2 showed superior functional properties in terms of total soluble solids content, water and oil absorption, emulsifying and foaming capacity. The SC-CO2 method offers a nutritionally and environmentally friendly alternative extraction processing approach for the removal of oil from high-protein food sources. It has a great potential for producing high-protein fat-free, and low-calorie content diet than the traditional organic solvent extraction method.

Nutritional Quality and Physicochemical Characteristics of Defatted Bovine Liver Treated by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Organic Solvent.

Defatted bovine liver (DBL) is a potential source of protein and minerals. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and a traditional organic solvent method were used to remove lipid from bovine liver, and the quality characteristics of a control bovine liver (CBL), bovine liver defatted by SC-CO2 (DBLSC-CO2) at different pressures, and bovine liver defatted by organic solvent (DBL-OS) were compared. The DBLSC-CO2 samples had significantly higher (p<0.05) protein, amino acid, carbohydrate, and fiber contents than CBL and DBL-OS. There was a higher yield of lipid from CBL when using SC-CO2 than the organic solvent method. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the CBL and DBLSC-CO2 had protein bands of a similar intensity and area, whereas DBL-OS appeared extremely poor bands or no bands due to the degradation of proteins, particularly in the 50 to 75 kDa and 20 to 25 kDa molecular weight ranges. In addition, DBLSC-CO2 was shown to have superior functional properties in terms of total soluble content, water and oil absorption, and foaming and emulsification properties. Therefore, SC-CO2 treatment offers a nutritionally and environmentally friendly approach for the removal of lipid from high protein food sources. In addition, SC-CO2 may be a better substitute of traditional organic solvent extraction for producing more stable and high quality foods with high-protein, fat-free, and low calorie contents.

The effect of grinding at various vacuum levels on the color, phenolics, and antioxidant properties of apple.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of grinding at different vacuum levels (2.67, 6.67, 13.33, 19.99, and 101.33kPa) on key quality factors of apple. In the control apple, ground at atmospheric pressure of 101.33kPa, the antioxidant activities rapidly decreased within the first 30min, then plateaued thereafter, while enzymatic browning increased. When apples were ground and held under vacuum, changes in color and antioxidant activity were much less, and the least change was measured in samples prepared at the lowest pressure. Model fitting of the data showed that antioxidant activity decreased as a function of the logarithm of the absolute pressure. The results from analysis for key phenolic compounds including chlorogenic acid, procyanidin B2, and epicatechin indicated that these compounds were least changed at vacuum grinding at 2.67kPa, compared to atmospheric grinding.

Needle Tip Position and Bevel Direction Have No Effect in the Fluoroscopic Epidural Spreading Pattern in Caudal Epidural Injections: A Randomized Trial.

Background. Caudal epidural steroid injections (CESIs) are an effective treatment for pain. If the injection spreads in a specific pattern depending on the needle position or bevel direction, it would be possible to inject the agent into a specific and desired area. Objectives. We conducted a prospective randomized trial to determine if the needle position and bevel direction have any effect on the epidural spreading pattern in CESI. Methods. Demographic data of the patient were collected. During CESI, the needle position (middle or lateral) and direction (ventral or dorsal) were randomly allocated. Following fluoroscope-guided injection of 4 mL contrast media and 10 mL of injectates, the epidural spreading patterns (ventral or dorsal, bilateral or lateral) were imaged. Results. In the 210 CESIs performed, the needle tip position and bevel direction did not influence the epidural spreading patterns at L4-5 and L5-S1 disc levels. A history of Lumbar spine surgery was associated with a significantly limited spread to each disc level. A midline needle tip position was more effective than the lateral position in spreading to the distant disc levels. Conclusions. Neither the needle tip position nor the bevel direction affected the epidural drug spreading pattern during CESI.

How Effective Are Radiation Reducing Gloves in C-arm Fluoroscopy-guided Pain Interventions?

BACKGROUND: The physician's hands are close to the X-ray field in C-arm fluoroscopy-guided pain interventions. We prospectively investigated the radiation attenuation of Proguard RR-2 gloves. METHODS: In 100 cases, the effective doses (EDs) of two dosimeters without a radiation-reducing glove were collected. EDs from the two dosimeters-one dosimeter wrapped with a glove and the other dosimeter without a glove- were also measured at the side of the table (Group 1, 140 cases) and at a location 20 cm away from the side of the table (Group 2, 120 cases). Mean differences such as age, height, weight, radiation absorbed dose (RAD), exposure time, ED, and ratio of EDs were analyzed. RESULTS: In the EDs of two dosimeters without gloves, there were no significant differences (39.0 ± 36.3 µSv vs. 38.8 ± 36.4 µSv) (P = 0.578). The RAD (192.0 ± 182.0 radcm(2)) in Group 2 was higher than that (132.3 ± 103.5 radcm(2)) in Group 1 (P = 0.002). The ED (33.3 ± 30.9 µSv) of the dosimeter without a glove in Group 1 was higher than that (12.3 ± 8.8 µSv) in Group 2 (P < 0.001). The ED (24.4 ± 22.4 µSv) of the dosimeter wrapped with a glove in Group 1 was higher than that (9.2 ± 6.8 µSv) in Group 2 (P < 0.001). No significant differences were noted in the ratio of EDs (73.5 ± 6.7% vs. 74.2 ± 9.3%, P = 0.469) between Group 1 and Group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Proguard RR-2 gloves have a radiation attenuation effect of 25.8-26.5%. The radiation attenuation is not significantly different by intensity of scatter radiation or the different RADs of C-arm fluoroscopy.

The Radiation Exposure of Radiographer Related to the Location in C-arm Fluoroscopy-guided Pain Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Although a physician may be the nearest to the radiation source during C-arm fluoroscope-guided interventions, the radiographer is also near the fluoroscope. We prospectively investigated the radiation exposure of radiographers relative to their location. METHODS: The effective dose (ED) was measured with a digital dosimeter on the radiographers' left chest and the side of the table. We observed the location of the radiographers in each procedure related to the mobile support structure of the fluoroscope (Groups A, M and P). Data about age, height, weight, sex, exposure time, radiation absorbed dose (RAD), and the ED at the radiographer's chest and the side of the table was collected. RESULTS: There were 51 cases for Group A, 116 cases for Group M and 144 cases for Group P. No significant differences were noted in the demographic data such as age, height, weight, and male to female ratio, and exposure time, RAD and ED at the side of the table. Group P had the lowest ED (0.5 ± 0.8 µSv) of all the groups (Group A, 1.6 ± 2.3 µSv; Group M, 1.3 ± 1.9 µSv; P < 0.001). The ED ratio (ED on the radiographer's chest/ED at the side of the table) of Group A was the highest, and the ED radio of Group P was the lowest of all the groups (Group A, 12.2 ± 21.5%; Group M, 5.7 ± 6.5%; Group P, 2.5 ± 6.7%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Radiographers can easily reduce their radiation exposure by changing their position. Two steps behind the mobile support structure can effectively decrease the exposure of radiographers by about 80%.

Interruption of bispectral index monitoring by nerve integrity monitoring during tympanoplasty -A case report-.

We report that intraoperative NIM-2 monitoring devices can interfere with bispectral index monitoring. A 45-year-old male with chronic otits media underwent tympanolasty under general anesthesia with NIM-2 monitoring and bispectral index monitoring at our institution. And then, bispectral index monitoring was severely interrupted by facial nerve monitoring.