Determining key factors affecting coconut sap quality after harvesting.

The production of coconut sap beverages faces a challenge with the quality of the incoming coconut sap sourced from farmers. The clarification of pivotal factors influencing the quality of coconut sap after harvesting is of paramount importance for fostering mutual benefit between the involved parties. This research focuses on assessing the quality and degradation of coconut sap during the post-harvest stage. It addresses the shortcomings in evaluating coconut sap quality and improper pick-up conditions. To improve these processes, various experiments were designed, including 1) preliminary experiments that explored microbial count, pH, and soluble solids in harvested coconut sap at varying intervals, and 2) the L9 Taguchi Orthogonal Array method. These approaches identify the optimal levels of factors such as cleaning method, storage temperature, and preservative type. By reducing the number of experiments, costs and time were minimized, 3) the 23 factorial design was implemented, reducing the levels of each factor while measuring coconut sap quality based on pH and total soluble solids (representing sweetness) at different post-harvest intervals. The results from the Taguchi method were then used to design the factorial method experiment. The analysis revealed crucial factors influencing coconut sap quality at the 10-h mark. Storage and transportation temperatures, along with the type of preservative, significantly impacted the pH value. However, the washing method and preservative type showed no statistically significant effect on Total Soluble Solids (TSS) value (p > 0.05). Recommendations include using tap water for container cleaning, opting for Payom wood as a preservative, and adhering to cold chain practices for transportation exceeding 4 h, with temperatures maintained below or equal to 10 °C. Swift sap collection within 4 h post-harvest, coupled with stringent temperature control during transportation (not exceeding 10 °C), is advised to ensure optimal quality. Integrating pH with TSS values enhances comprehensive quality assessment, aligning with established best practices in coconut sap handling.

Growth Performance, Feed Utilisation, Endogenous Digestive Enzymes, Intestinal Morphology, and Antimicrobial Effect of Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Fed with Feed Supplemented with Pineapple Waste Crude Extract as a Functional Feed Additive.

This study used pineapple waste crude extract (PWCE) to increase the potential of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) production for food sustainability and stability. The objective was to investigate the appropriate technique to increase the yield production and quality of shrimp and decrease waste from shrimp culture. Pacific white shrimp (average body size: 0.51 g) were fed with commercial feed supplemented with PWCE at various concentrations of 0 (control), 90, 170, and 250 ppt. Shrimp were fed five times per day for 80 days. At the end of the trial, the results showed that shrimp fed with the PWCE 250 ppt supplementation provided the highest growth rate and the best feed utilisation and yield (P < 0.05). The protein content of whole shrimp in all shrimp fed with the PWCE supplementation diet was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). On the contrary, the variation of endogenous digestive enzymes, including protease, trypsin, and the T/C ratio, was significantly lower in shrimp fed a diet supplemented with PWCE 250 ppt (P < 0.05). While in this group, the number of microorganisms on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salt-sucrose (TCBS), blood agar, and trypticase soy agar (TSA) was lowest (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the dietary PWCE at 250 ppt increased the volume of microvilli in the hindgut of shrimp, but the supplementation at 170 ppt improved the number of F-cells in the epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas. Nevertheless, the supplementation of PWCE in the diet did not affect the water quality (P > 0.05). Therefore, pineapple waste crude extract supplementation improves both quantitative and qualitative yields and tends to reduce waste.

Antioxidative Properties of Stearoyl Ascorbate in a Food Matrix System.

Stearoyl ascorbate or 6-O-stearoyl l-ascorbate is a lipophilic derivative of l-ascorbic acid and is commercially used in foods as a fat-soluble antioxidant and surfactant to overcome the disadvantages of using l-ascorbic acid. The objective of this research is to evaluate the antioxidative ability of stearoyl ascorbate, in the presence of wheat starch or gluten as a matrix, by measuring the unoxidized methyl linoleate available in the mixture of them after oxidation under accelerated conditions compared to that when using ascorbic acid. We observed that stearoyl ascorbate and ascorbic acid exhibited mutually adjacent antioxidative ability against oxidation of the methyl linoleate at a molar ratio of 0.0001 in presence of either wheat starch or gluten. In addition, the oxidation process in the mixture containing either stearoyl ascorbate or ascorbic acid was significantly slower than that in the mixture without stearoyl ascorbate or ascorbic acid. Moreover, by altering the initiation and propagation periods of the oxidation process, the mixture containing the stearoyl ascorbate and gluten as the matrix exhibited conspicuously slower oxidation than the mixture containing either the wheat starch or stearoyl ascorbate alone. However, increase in the ratio of stearoyl ascorbate to methyl linoleate to 0.001 or higher resulted in adverse effects due to acceleration of the oxidation process.

Antioxidant characteristics of extracts from cereal residues by their subcritical water treatment.

Subcritical water treatment of cereal residues including okara, defatted rice bran, desalted soy sauce lees, sake lees, corn kernel hull, and defatted rapeseed was conducted at 260°C for 5 min to obtain the antioxidative extracts. The antioxidative activities of the extracts were evaluated using DPPH radical, peroxyl radical, hydroxyl radical, hypochlorite ion, and peroxynitrite ion. The results show that the extracts from the sake lees, corn kernel hull, and defatted rapeseed had differently the antioxidative activities against all radicals and ions. However, the okara, defatted rice bran and desalted soy sauce lees had no activity against the hypochlorite ion.

Production and characterization of functional substances from a by-product of rice bran oil and protein production by a compressed hot water treatment.

A by-product of rice bran oil and protein production was treated with water and compressed hot water at 20 degrees C to 260 degrees C for 5 min, and at 200 degrees C and 260 degrees C for 5 to 120 min. Each extract was evaluated for its yield, radical scavenging activity, carbohydrate, protein, total phenolic and furfural contents, molecular-mass distribution and antioxidative activity. The maximum yield was obtained at 200 degrees C. The radical scavenging activity and the protein, total phenolic and furfural contents of the extract increased with increasing temperature. However, the carbohydrate content abruptly decreased when treated at above 200 degrees C. The extract treated at 260 degrees C for 5 min exhibited suppressive activity toward the autoxidation of linoleic acid. Each extract obtained at temperatures lower than or equal to 200 degrees C exhibited emulsifying ability.

Properties of extracts from defatted rice bran by its subcritical water treatment.

Defatted rice bran was extracted with water and subcritical water at 50-250 degrees C for 5 min. The highest extract yield was achieved at 200 degrees C, at which the maximum amounts of protein and carbohydrate were also obtained. The total phenolic and furfural contents, radical scavenging activity, and antioxidative activity for the autoxidation of linoleic acid increased with increasing treatment temperature. The bran extracts exhibited emulsifying activity except for the extract prepared at 250 degrees C, which was concomitant with the disappearance of its high-molecular-mass substances. The extract prepared at 200 degrees C also had the highest emulsion-stabilizing activity.