Combined effects of tangerine oil vapour mixed with banana flavour to enhance the quality and flavour of 'Hom Thong' bananas and evaluating consumer acceptance and responses using electroencephalography (EEG).

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of tangerine oil (TO) at 25, 50 and 75 µL mixed with banana flavour (BF) at 25, 50 and 75 µL to protect the quality and enhance the flavour of bananas. Then, 25 µL TO + BF 50 µL were selected for studying the quality of bananas stored at 13 °C ± 2 °C for 7 days, and was used to test consumer brain responses using an electroencephalography (EEG). Results showed that mould grew and decomposition occurred in 10 and 50% of the 25 µL TO + 50 µL BF mixture and control, respectively, after 7 days. Furthermore, this ratio increased ripening by having higher L*, b*, firmness and total soluble solid than the control (p < 0.05), whereas titratable acidity and pH were maintained (p > 0.05). The EEG demonstrated that consumption of TO-treated banana could increase brain alertness using stimulating the beta wave activity on banana stimulations for human brain. Limonene, one of the main components of TO, was found in the flesh of treated banana after storage for 4 weeks and possibly interacted with other components to improve antifungal activity and brain response.

Effect of air velocity, temperature, and relative humidity on drying kinetics of rubberwood.

Kiln drying of rubberwood lumbers is a complex transport phenomenon for realistic modeling and simulation. To decouple this complexity, researchers usually divide their research into two parts. The first one is single-lumber drying kinetics to describe how wood lumber responds to its surface conditions. Then they combine this drying kinetics with a lumped transport model or dispersion model or computational fluid dynamics. The mathematical models are then solved numerically to predict the industrial kiln drying behaviors. This work focuses on the drying kinetics of stacked rubberwood lumbers using hot air at different air velocity (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.0 m/s), relative humidity (6-67% relative humidity (RH)) and temperature (60-100 °C). The drying kinetics followed the conventional drying theory. However, the two drying periods, namely constant and falling rate (CRP and FRP), were not distinct. As the air velocity increased, the transition from CRP to FRP is faster. The middle of the transition period (at critical moisture content, CMC) moves closer to the fiber saturation point (FSP). The overall mass transfer coefficients in the falling rate period for stacked rubberwood drying were lower than those predicted by the Ananias correlation. Hence, a modified formula was proposed, representing the overall moisture transfer coefficients as a function of air velocity, temperature, relative humidity, and lumbers thickness for the range of variables under investigation satisfactorily. In general, the drying rate and the overall moisture transfer coefficient increased with increasing air velocity, drying temperature, and decreasing RH. Relative humidity directly affects the driving force of moisture transfer rate because higher RH is associated with higher equilibrium moisture content. A lumped parameter model for kiln drying was also developed. After being integrated with the estimated mass transfer coefficient, the model can predict the moisture profiles in lab-scale kiln drying satisfactory, although the model needs more validation data. These kinetic parameters and correlation for stacked rubberwood drying can be used in more complex models and process optimization in future research.

Controlled Release of Peppermint Oil from Paraffin-Coated Activated Carbon Contained in Sachets to Inhibit Mold Growth During Long Term Storage of Brown Rice.

The aim of the study was to control the release of peppermint oil (700 µL/L) by coating activated carbon (AC) contained in sachets with different solutions (tapioca starch, corn starch, gelatine, carnauba, paraffin, and mixed carnauba-paraffin) for inhibiting the growth of Aspergillus flavus on brown rice (BR). Paraffin-coated AC with adsorbed peppermint oil was then applied to extend the shelf life of BR during long-term storage (60 days) at 30 ± 2 °C. The mechanism of peppermint oil vapor release in this system was also studied using GC-MS. The result revealed that paraffin-coated AC with adsorbed peppermint oil present in sachets showed the highest antifungal activity against A. flavus growing on the surface of BR. In addition, paraffin-coated AC with adsorbed peppermint oil could prolong the shelf life of BR from 10 days (control) to at least 60 days under tropical climatic conditions. Moreover, storage of BR in the presence of sachets containing paraffin-coated AC with adsorbed peppermint oil at a concentration of 700 µL/L revealed no significant effects on major rice quality-related factors, such as moisture content, color, water uptake percentage, and gelatinization temperature. Peppermint oil component analysis by GC-MS indicated that paraffin could trap some minor components of peppermint oil and allow the major components such as menthone, menthol, and alpha-pinene, which are compounds that play an important role in mold growth inhibition, to be exposed to air. Thus, this research demonstrated the potential of paraffin-coated AC containing adsorbed peppermint oil for controlling the growth of molds during prolonged rice storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Paraffin-coated activated carbon with adsorbed peppermint oil has the potential to be commercially applied to brown rice grains for facilitating long-term storage. This technique is beneficial for avoiding the occurrence of negative sensorial factors when peppermint oil vapors are used. This process is interesting and easy to apply during large-scale implementation of a rice storage system.

Effect of UV-C radiation and vapor released from a water hyacinth root absorbent containing bergamot oil to control mold on storage of brown rice.

The aims of this study were to develop absorbent material from a water hyacinth root containing bergamot oil and to improve its antifungal activity by using ultraviolet C (UV-C) against the growth of A. flavus on the brown rice. Process optimization was studied by the immersion of a water hyacinth root into a water and bergamot oil (300, 500 and 700 µl ml(-1)). The root (absorbent material) was dried at 50, 70, and 90 °C for 10 min. Then, ultraviolet C (UV-C) was used for enhancing the antifungal activity of bergamot oil for 10, 15, and 20 min. The shelf-life of the brown rice with the absorbent after incubation at 25 ° C with 100 % RH for 12 weeks was also investigated. A microscope and a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to find out possible mode of action. Results indicated that the absorbent material produced from the water hyacinth root containing bergamot oil at 500 µl ml(-1) in the water solution, dried at 70 ° C and UV for 15 min showed the highest antifungal activity in a vapor phase against A. flavus on the brown rice. A microscopy investigation confirmed that the water hyacinth root could absorb bergamot oil from an outside water solution into root cells. Limonene in vapor phase was shown to be a stronger inhibitor than essential oil after UV-C radiation and should be the key factor in boosting bergamot oil antifungal activity. A vapor phase of bergamot oil could be released and inhibit natural mold on the surface of the brown rice for up to 12 weeks; without the absorbent, mold covered the brown rice in only 4 weeks.

Improvement of the antifungal activity of Litsea cubeba vapor by using a helium-neon (He-Ne) laser against Aspergillus flavus on brown rice snack bars.

The aim of this study was to improve the antifungal activity of the volatile Litsea cubeba essential oil and its main components (citral and limonene) on brown rice snack bars by applying He-Ne laser treatment. Different volumes (50-200 µL) of L. cubeba, citral or limonene were absorbed into a filter paper and placed inside an oven (18 L). Ten brown rice snack bars (2 cm wide × 4 cm long × 0.5 cm deep) were put in an oven and heated at 180 °C for 20 min. The shelf-life of the treated snack bars at 30 °C was assessed and sensory testing was carried out to investigate their consumer acceptability. A count of total phenolic content (TPC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) on the properties of essential oil, citral, and limonene before and after the laser treatment was studied for possible modes of action. It was found that the laser treatment improved the antifungal activity of the examined volatile L. cubeba and citral with Aspergillus flavus inhibition by 80% in comparison with those of the control not treated with the laser. L. cubeba vapor at 100 µL with the laser treatment was found to completely inhibit the growth of natural molds on the snack bars for at least 25 days; however, without essential oil vapor and laser treatment, naturally contaminating mold was observed in 3 days. Results from the sensory tests showed that the panelists were unable to detect flavor and aroma differences between essential oil treatment and the control. Laser treatment caused an increase in TPC of citral oil whereas the TPC in limonene showed a decrease after the laser treatment. These situations could result from the changing peak of the aliphatic hydrocarbons that was revealed by the FTIR spectra.

Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus on agar media and brown rice cereal bars using cold atmospheric plasma treatment.

This study aimed to optimize the operating parameters of cold atmospheric plasma treatment to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus on agar media and brown rice cereal bars. The effects of argon plasma jet treatment on the growth of A. flavus on malt extract agar (MEA) at powers of 20 W and 40 W with exposure times at 5, 15 and 25 min were studied using response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite face-centered (CCF) design. Multiple regression analysis indicated that plasma treatment at 40 W for 25 min is most effective for inhibiting growth of A. flavus on the agar medium. On brown rice cereal bars, plasma powered at 40 W for 20 min was capable of giving protection against A. flavus growth for up to 20 days under storage conditions of 25°C and 100% RH. These results demonstrated the potential of cold atmospheric plasma jet treatment to control mold growth on various food products.