ABSTRACT
Ximenia americana is a wild edible fruit essential for human consumption due to its high nutritional and phytochemical constituents with significant antioxidant activity. The fruit seed has high potential in its mucilage content. The present study aimed at optimization of mucilage extraction from the Ethiopian cultivar of Ximeina americana fruit seed. The response surface methodology based on a central composite rotatable design was used for the optimization of aqueous extraction of mucilage. The extraction temperature (50-80 °C), time (1.5-4 h), and water-to-seed ratio (20:1-40:1 v/w) were identified as the major factors influencing mucilage yield, water holding capacity, and protein content. Water to seed ratio and time showed significant (p < 0.01) interaction effect on yield. Interactions of water to seed ratio with time and temperature had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the protein content. Water holding capacity of the mucilage was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the interaction between temperature and time. Optimum extraction processing conditions were obtained to be extraction temperature of 65.06 °C, time of 1.5 h and water to seed ratio of 37.62:1 v/w. The response variables at this operating conditions were found to be extraction yield of 17.31 %, water holding capacity of 11.48 g/g and protein content of 1.75 %. The result demonstrated that the X. americana seed mucilage could be used as a new source of additives in the dairy industry as a fat replacer due to its potent water holding capacity.
ABSTRACT
The study aimed to investigate inactivation of naturally occurring microorganisms and quality of red pepper paste treated by high pressure processing (HPP). Central composite rotatable design was employed to determine the impacts of pressure (100-600 MPa) and holding time (30-600 s). HPP at 527 MPa for 517 s reduced aerobic mesophilic bacteria count by 4.5 log CFU/g. Yeasts and molds counts were reduced to 1 log CFU/g at 600 MPa for 315 s. Total phenols, carotenoids and antioxidants activity ranged from 0.28 to 0.33 g GAE/100 g, 96.0-98.4 mg ßc/100 g and 8.70-8.95 µmol TE/g, respectively. Increase (2.5-6.7%) in these variables was observed with increasing pressure and holding time. Total color difference (ΔE∗) values (0.2-2.8) were within the ranges of 'imperceptible' to 'noticeable'. Experimental results were fitted satisfactorily into quadratic model with higher R2 values (0.8619-0.9863). Optimization process suggested treatment of red pepper paste at 536 MPa for 125 s for maximum desirability (0.622). Validation experiments confirmed comparable percentage of relative errors. Overall, this technique could be considered as an efficient treatment for the inactivation of microorganisms that naturally occur in red pepper paste with minimal changes in its characteristics.
ABSTRACT
Palm oil is the world's most commonly used vegetable oil and extracted both from fruit and seed of palm tree. However, its high saturated fatty acid content raised controversies over consumption of the oil. Few scientific findings suggest it as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and increased consumer's awareness over healthy diet raised claim over it. So that, this article aimed to review literatures on palm oil extraction process and its positive and negative health consequences and besides suggest strategies for healthy diet. Literature search of relevant articles was conducted by using Google scholar, PubMed, Web of science, MEDLINE, World Health Organization library online catalogue, UNICEF library, Open access thesis and dissertations published between 2009 and 2021 explored. Study reports recommend that palmitic acid from vegetable source has less effect on blood total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol level as compared to palmitic acid from animal source. In contrary tocotrienols of palm oil lowers blood bad cholesterol level by 7-38%. Moreover, palm oil triacylglycerol arrangement does not have a cardiovascular risk and evidences from available in vitro and in vivo studies are not sufficient enough to conclude palm oil as a causative agent for cardiovascular disease. For healthy diet consumers should avoid trans fatty acids, solid and semi solid oils. Finally, further studies recommended on mitigation strategies to minimize process induced toxicants of palm oil to acceptable level.
