Sensory,functional characteristics and in vitro digestibility of snacks supplemented with non-traditional ingredient raw and processed fenugreek

Fenugreek seeds were germinated, soaked and roasted and were evaluated for nutritional properties. Raw and processed fenugreek seeds were used to develop snack product. Snacks were examined for the sensorial, functional, antinutritional properties and in vitro digestibility. Using sensory analysis, 5% level of substitution of raw and processed fenugreek was accepted for the development of extruded snacks. Lateral expansion was highest for snacks prepared from processed fenugreek (163.0% to 206.1%) than raw fenugreek (162.5 to 168.7%), and vice versa for bulk density. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were highest for snacks prepared from germinated fenugreek (7.30% to 9.87% and 1.352 to 3.561 mg GAE g⁻¹ of sample) and lowest for snacks prepared from raw fenugreek (6.68% to 7.03% and 1.29 to 2.76 mg GAE g⁻¹ of sample). Not only extrusion but also processing such as soaking, roasting and germination reduced the antinutritional content of the snack product. Both in vitro digestibilities increased with extrusion cooking. In vitro digestibility was also found to be higher in snacks prepared from processed fenugreek than raw fenugreek. Therefore, development of such functional foods using processed fenugreek would raise the consumer demand and benefit the population by increasing the health status.     

Influence of γ-irradiation on antioxidant,thermal and rheological properties of native and irradiated whole grain millet flours

Millets of different types like Barnyard (Echinochloa utilis), Finger (Eleusine coracana), Foxtail (Setaria italic), Kodo (Paspalum setaceum) Little (Panicum sumatrense), Pearl (Pennisetum glaucum) and Proso millets (Penicum miliaceum) are staple foods for Indian and African diets. The germination, fungal and microbial contamination leads to postharvest losses mainly due to poor warehouse storage in Asia and Africa. Six millet varieties conditioned at 12% and 14% moisture content and irradiated at a dosage of 2.5 and 5 kGy and then milled into flours. The flour was analysed for composition, antioxidant and the rheological and thermal properties. Pearl, Proso, Finger Kodo at 12% moisture contents showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) increase in Phenolic contents at 2.5 kGy level of irradiation treatments compared with native and 5% irradiation treatment level. The DPPH activity showed an interesting results (42.77–72.65%) with wide variation and a mixed trend of high and low results with irradiation. Thermal transition temperatures showed that the irradiation decreased the transition temperatures primarily due to loss of the crystalline and amorphous starch structure due to radiation that lead to rapid water uptake and shorter time to reach peak viscosity. We are further studying the application of the irradiated flours in different food products to understand the influence of irradiation on nutritional, sensory and functional properties in cereal-based products.     

“SmFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Polyanaline Composite: Synthesis and Its Various Characterizations”

Polyaniline-SmFeO₃ composite are prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization method. Structural, vibrational, morphological, thermal, optical, magnetic and dielectric properties of the samples are explored by X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis, UV–Vis, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, and dielectric measurements. Crystalline nature of the composite has been obtained due to the presence of SmFeO₃ particles in polyaniline and retains orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group. A noticeable impact on various parameters (grain size, stress and dislocation density) can be observed. FTIR analysis confirms the formation of polyaniline. The obtained vibrational bands of polyaniline structure changes due to the presence of SmFeO₃ particles. Surface/particle morphology of the composite has been observed from SEM micrographs. The thermal stability of polyaniline is considerably enhanced in composite format. From the evaluation of optical absorption data, a reduction in optical band gap (E_g) is observed. The real and imaginary part of dielectric constant was found to follow the universal dielectric response. From the ac conductivity investigations, charge carriers follow the correlated barrier hopping transport mechanism.     

Rational Design on Wrinkle-Less Transfer of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayer by Adjustable Wettability-Assisted Transfer Method

Transfer-induced wrinkles are universal issues when transferring transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayer from an as-grown substrate to a target substrate. The undesired transfer-induced wrinkles can mainly be attributed to wettability, which refers to the ability of a liquid to come in contact with a solid surface. Herein, an adjustable wettability-assisted transfer (AWAT) method with different mixtures of transfer media to reduce the density of wrinkles is developed. By manipulating the wettability of the transfer medium with different ratios of alcohol and de-ionized (DI) water, the TMDC monolayer is smoothly attached to the target substrate, thus achieving a wrinkle-less transferred TMDC monolayer. With this method, the density of wrinkles can be decreased by ≈ 15–20% compared with the conventional transfer method by pure DI water. The transferred MoS₂ monolayer with the AWAT method can achieve enhanced carrier mobility from ≈ 20 to ≈ 35 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ in average, which is 30 times larger than that transferred by pure DI water. The AWAT method applied to a WS₂ monolayer onto a SiO₂/p⁺-Si substrate and a MoS₂ monolayer onto a HfO₂/p⁺-Si substrate are demonstrated, which is beneficial in research and applications involving the transfer of TMDC monolayer.     

Shelf Life Enhancement of Butter,Ice-Cream,and Mayonnaise by Addition of Lycopene

Lycopene crystals were incorporated in butter (20 ppm), ice-cream (70 ppm), and mayonnaise (50 ppm) and were analyzed for their sensory characteristics during storage for 4 months. The peroxide value generally increased with the storage time. Higher peroxides and free fatty acids were observed in control samples as compared to that of lycopene-treated products. Lycopene as an antioxidant slowed the development of off-flavor, off-odors, and color changes in lycopene-added butter, ice cream, and mayonnaise during storage as it interrupts the chain of free radicals involved in autoxidation. Results showed that there were insignificant changes in hunter L*, a*, and b* values of butter, ice cream, and mayonnaise during the 4 months of storage. Thus, it could be concluded that lycopene-treated products are in comparison with control market samples. The sensory scores of ice cream, butter, and mayonnaise revealed that the sensory attributes were similar to those of control samples. With increased storage, the sensory scores decreased but a significant decrease was observed in the 4th month of storage for all samples.     

Physico‐chemical properties of starches from Indian kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars

Starches isolated from four Kidney bean cultivars (French Yellow, Contender, Master Bean, Local Red) grown in temperate climate were studied for their physico‐chemical, morphological, thermal, pasting, textural and retrogradation properties. Physico‐chemical properties such as composition, amylose content, water absorption capacity, swelling power, syneresis, freeze–thaw stability and light transmittance showed significant differences among starches. Amylose content (36.4–41.7%) showed strong correlations with peak, trough, breakdown, final and setback viscosity, gel hardness, gumminess and chewiness. The starch granule morphology of these starches showed considerable variation when studied by scanning electron microscopy. Starch granules were observed to be round, irregular or elliptical with smooth surfaces. Master Bean starch granules were larger than those of other kidney bean starches. Pasting and textural properties of French Yellow starches were found to be higher than other kidney bean starches. Local Red starches showed the highest gelatinisation transition temperatures, whereas Master Bean starches showed the lowest transition temperatures.     

Shelf-Life Extension of Fresh Ready-to-Bake Pizza by the Application of Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Combined effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and refrigeration (7±1 °C) were studied on shelf-life extension of ready-to-bake pizza. The gas atmospheres in the present study included four variables, namely viz. MAP1, air (control); MAP 2, 100% CO₂; MAP 3, 100% N₂; and MAP 4, 50%CO₂/50%N₂. The effect of MAP variables was observed for moisture content, water activity, pH, titratable acidity, free fatty acids, peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid, tyrosine content, lycopene content and L* a* b* values. The results indicated that MAP with 100% CO₂ significantly inhibited the lipid oxidation, reduced proteolysis and prevented total acidity (less decrease in pH). Also, the MAP (MAP 2) showed preservative effect on colour indices and shelf life higher than other treatments. Sensory analysis showed that the control samples had a limited shelf life of 5 days while a significant increase in shelf life of 15 days (300% increase) was achieved under modified atmospheres for unbaked pizza samples.