Improving the safety and shelf-life of orange and mango juices using Panax ginseng, malic acid and potassium sorbate

In this research, several plant compounds were in vitro evaluated against Salmonella enterica ser. Saintpaul and Escherichia coli O157:H7 through disc’s method. Among them Panax ginseng (PG) showed the highest antimicrobial activity in comparison to other natural antimicrobials. Combinations of PG (2?% v/v) with malic acid (MA) (0.5?% v/v) and/or potassium sorbate (PS) (0.05?% v/v) were made for evaluating their effects on S. Saintpaul and E. coli O157:H7 populations in sterile and fresh mango and orange juices stored at 5?°C. The best combination of antimicrobial compounds on native flora (during 21?days) as well as sensory attributes (0?day) of fresh juices were evaluated. The antimicrobial compounds added into mango and orange juices were more effective against S. Saintpaul than against E. coli O157:H7. The combination of PG (2?% v/v), MA (0.5?% v/v) and PS (0.05?% v/v) showed the highest antimicrobial effectiveness against both pathogenic microorganisms in both juices, in addition to a higher microbiological inhibition during storage (21?days). Sensory attributes such as aroma, color and taste were enhanced, but acidity was notably affected in both juices. In conclusion, the combination of PG, MA and PS could be an effective method in the food industry for ensuring the microbial safety and quality in mango and orange juices.     

SEM‐EDX and microftir studies on evaluation of protection capacity of some thin phosphate layers

This article presents the SEM‐EDX and microFTIR study and the corrosion behavior of new five types of phosphated coatings obtained by coprecipitation in acid aqueous medium of some metal cations, pursuing the influence of the addition of other cations and a moderator of precipitation, on the uniformity and compactness of the layers and on the morphology of dendritic structure of Zn(II) and Fe(II) phosphates. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Enzymatic de-glycosylation of rutin improves its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities

Bioavailability and biological properties of flavonoid glycosides can be improved after the enzymatic hydrolysis of specific glycosyl groups. In this study, we evaluate the antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of rutin after enzymatic hydrolysis performed by α-l-rhamnosidases (hesperidinase from Penicillium sp. and naringinase from Penicillium decumbens) previously heated at 70 °C for 30 min to inactivate the undesirable β-d-glucosidase activity. The highest in vitro antioxidant activity determined by DPPH radical scavenging was achieved with rutin hydrolyzed by hesperidinase. Rutin was predominantly bioconverted into quercetin-3-glucoside. There was no statistical difference between xanthine oxidase inhibition by rutin before and after hydrolysis. However, in vitro inhibitory activity against ten human tumor cell lines showed that hydrolyzed rutin exerted a more potent antiproliferative effect than quercetin and rutin on various cancer cell lines, specially glioma, and ovarian and breast adenocarcinomas. These results indicate that quercetin-3-glucoside could be a promising functional derivative obtained by rutin hydrolysis.     

Changes in the sensitivity to appetitive and aversive arousal across adulthood.

In 2 cross-sectional studies, the authors examined age-related differences in the evaluation of emotional stimuli in 2 community samples, with participants ranging in age from young to older adulthood (18–81 years old). Pictures of the International Affective Picture System were used in Study 1, and written verbs were used in Study 2. Participants rated these stimuli along the 2 major affective dimensions of hedonic valence and emotional arousal, thus yielding a 2-dimensional affective space for each participant. Young adults showed the expected pattern of 2 distinct clusters of stimuli in this space, representing increasing pleasantness (appetitive activation) and unpleasantness (aversive activation) with increasing emotional arousal. In contrast, for older adults, emotional valence and arousal ratings were linearly related: Low-arousing stimuli were rated as most pleasant, and high-arousing stimuli were rated as most unpleasant. When regressed on age, these changes revealed a gradual decrease of appetitive activation (i.e., the relationship between pleasure and arousal) across adulthood and a linear increase in aversive activation (i.e., the relationship between displeasure and arousal). These results extend previous work on emotional development, adding information as to the role of emotional intensity for affective experience in different age groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Creating a Protective Shell for Reactive MoSi2 Particles in High‐Temperature Ceramics

Alumina encapsulated molybdenum silicide (MoSi₂) intermetallic particles were synthesized using a simple precipitation method followed by calcining at temperatures of 800°C–1000°C, to prevent the premature oxidation of MoSi₂ at high temperatures. The shell composition and the influence of the calcining temperature on microcapsule integrity were investigated by means of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results demonstrate that the composition and the mechanical stability of the alumina shell can be tuned by the annealing temperature. After calcining at 800°C and 850°C the alumina shell remains intact. Calcining at higher temperature promotes the formation of mullite, which leads to cracking of the shell. However, when annealed at 1000°C for 24 h these cracks were filled with mullite and preserved the molybdenum silicide particles. Furthermore, the mechanical stability of the shell was improved by applying an intermediate calcining treatment at 450°C prior to the annealing process at 1000°C.     

Structure and Thermal Expansion of YSZ and La2Zr2O7 Above 1500°C from Neutron Diffraction on Levitated Samples

High‐temperature time‐of‐flight neutron diffraction experiments were performed on cubic yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ, 10 mol% YO_1.5) and lanthanum zirconate (LZ) prepared by laser melting. Three spheroids of each composition were aerodynamically levitated and rotated in argon flow and heated with a CO₂ laser. Unit cell, positional and atomic displacement parameters were obtained by Rietveld analysis. Below ~1650°C the mean thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) for YSZ is higher than for LZ (13 ± 1 vs. 10.3 ± 0.6) × 10^?6/K. From ~1650°C to the onset of melting of LZ at ~2250°C, TEC for YSZ and LZ are similar and within (7 ± 2) × 10^?6/K. LZ retains the pyrochlore structure up to the melting temperature with Zr coordination becoming closer to perfectly octahedral. Congruently melting LZ is La deficient. The occurrence of thermal disordering of oxygen sublattice (Bredig transition) in defect fluorite structure was deduced from the rise in YSZ TEC to ~25 × 10^?6/K at 2350°C–2550°C with oxygen displacement parameters (U_iso) reaching 0.1 Å², similar to behavior observed in UO₂. Acquisition of powder‐like high‐temperature neutron diffraction data from solid‐levitated samples is feasible and possible improvements are outlined. This methodology should be applicable to a wide range of materials for high‐temperature applications.