Physico-Chemical and Nutritional Properties of a Food Broth Based on Nere (Parkia biglobosa)

Purpose: Diet and eating habits are major risk factors for the health and the development of disease, such as, for example, metabolic disorder leading to cardiovascular pathology and cancer, decreased immunity exposing to infections. This study of the physico-chemical and nutritional properties of a soumara-based food broth was carried out with the aim of promoting the consumption of organic broth made from nere seeds (soumara). That is to alleviate certain metabolic diseases, which is a matter of food safety, and also to limit the risk for the health about the consumption of some cooking stocks on the market. Methods: Several natural ingredients such as nere seeds (soumara), ginger, black pepper, parsley and garlic were used to create a nere-based stock. All these ingredients were freeze-dried and the powder obtained was used to make the broth, regarding their physical and chemical properties. Results: The broth had a good protein content of 17.41 ± 0.367 g/100g, a lipid content of 16.80 ± 0.08 g/100g and a fiber content of 8.66 ± 0.04 g/100g. In terms of nutritional values, the broth showed good levels of calcium 184.21 ± 0.09 mg/100g, potassium 50.04 ± 1.45 mg/100g and iron and zinc. In terms of antioxidant activity, the broth also showed good antioxidant activity. Conclusion: Regarding the properties of our food broth, whose composition is based on natural ingredients, could be recommended for consumption and, its properties, could play an important role in preventing and combating certain metabolic diseases.

Physico-Chemical Properties of Flour, Starch, and Modified Starch of Two Rice Varieties

The physical and chemical properties of the flours, starches, and modified starches of indica rice and japonica rice were investigated in this paper. Results showed that the swelling powers of flour, starch, and phosphate starch [substitution degree （DS）=0.065] of japonica rice were significantly higher than those （DS=0.065） of indica rice. The transmittance of modified starches was highest; and that of flours was lowest. The pasting property investigated with rapid visco analyzer （RVA） indicated that the peak viscosity and breakdown value of paste with high swelling power were high. Furthermore, the effect of protein and amylose content on pasting property were investigated. The results of rheological properties determined using rheological rheometer showed that at the same temperature, the storage modulus （G′ of flour, starch, and modified starch of indica rice was higher than that of japonica rice. For each variety, the G′of flour was the highest, while the G′of modified starch was the lowest.

Physico-Chemical Properties and Enzyme Activities of the Arable Soils in Lhasa,Tibet,China

An understanding of the physical,chemical,and biological properties of a soil provides a basis for soil use and management.This paper reports the major physico-chemical properties and enzyme activities of the soils of Lhasa's main arable lands and the factors that influence these soil properties.Composite and core samples were taken from the three main arable soil types(alluvial soil,subalpine arable steppe soil,and subalpine arable meadow soil) and were analysed using standard methods.The bulk density and the ventilation porosity ratio of the soils were close to the recommended values for arable lands,and the dominant soil texture was sandy.The soil moisture release rates were arable steppe soil > alluvial soil > arable meadow soil.Soil organic matter content,Cation-Exchange Capacity(CEC),total and available nitrogen content,and catalase activity of the arable meadow soil were higher than those of the alluvial and the arable steppe soils,while soil pH in the arable meadow was lower.Most of the measured properties did not show a significant variance among these three soils.However,the measured indices(apart from the total potassium) indicate that there are notable differences among the three types of soil.The results implied that the utilisation patterns of the arable soil or human activities,such as tillage practices and fertiliser applications,have a substantialeffect on the soil properties in this region.Our results suggest that the cultivation practices in the region have apparently positive impact on the soil organic matter,nutrient contents and bulk density probably due to the sound fertiliser management such as the applications of farmyard manure and chemical fertilisers.However,intense cultivation practices lowered the activity of most soil enzymes.The results demonstrate that the choice of soil management strategy had a significant impact on the soil physicochemical and biological properties in the region studied.

Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Microflora as Influenced by Bispyribac Sodium 10% SC in Transplanted Kharif Rice

The effects of bispyribac sodium 10% SC and butachlor 50% SC on soil physico-chemical properties and microflora in transplanted kharifrice were investigated over two seasons （2010 and 2011 ） Effects of the herbicide on bulk density, water holding capacity, moisture content, soil pH, organic matter content, electrical conductivity, as well as total nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium contents were analyzed along with microflora population （total bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi）. No significant changes in soil physico-chemical properties were observed. Herbicide treatments resulted in decreases in microbial counts initially. With the degradation of applied herbicides within a considerable time, the microflora populations even exceeded the initial count at 60 d after application of the herbicide.

Effects of Plant Types on Physico-chemical Properties of Reclaimed Mining Soil in Inner Mongolia,China

A field experiment was conducted in Jungar Banner,Inner Mongolia,China to study the effects of plant types on the physical structure and chemical properties of open-cast mining soils reclaimed for 15 years,and to analyze the triggering factors of the soil formation.Results indicate that plant types affect soil-forming process especially in the upper layer (0-20 cm),and the spatial structure of reclaimed plant is the main reason for variability of the soil-forming process.In the upper soil layer at the site reclaimed with mixed plants,the concentrations of soil organic matter (SOM) and soil organic carbon (SOC) are the highest,and they were significantly higher at the sites reclaimed with Leymus chinensis,Caragana sinica,which is mainly due to a large amount of litter fall and root exudation in herbages and shrubs.However,the concentrations of SOM and SOC in the soils at the reclaimed sites are quite low comparing with those in local primary soil,which indicates the importance of using organic amendments during the ecological restoration in the study area.

Characteristics of physico-chemical properties, volatile compounds and free fatty acid profiles of commercial set-type Turkish yoghurts

Ten most popular brands of commercial Turkish set-type yoghurts were collected from local retail outlets in Hatay, Turkey for two separate periods, and analyzed for basic nutrients, physico-chemical properties, volatile aroma compounds and free fatty acid profiles to compare their differences among the yoghurt products. The results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05, 0.01, or 0.001) and variations in physico-chemical indices, volatile aroma compounds and volatile free fatty acid profiles among the yoghurt brands, which ultimately influence the flavor quality of the product. Acetaldehyde was predominant volatile compound in yoghurts, which followed by acetone, acetoin, diacetyl and ethanol. The level of diacetly was inversely related to titratable acidity, acetaldehyde and ethanoic acid. From ketones with high carbones 2-undecanone and 2-pentadecanone were higher than 2-butanone, 2-nanonane and 2-tridecanone. These ketones are related to fat content of yoghurt. Among short chain free fatty acids, ethanoic (acetic) acid was the most abundant in yoghurts, followed by hexanoic, octanoic and butanoic acids. These differences in detected chemical compositions of volatile compounds and free fatty acids would be applicable to predict flavor, nutritional value, quality control or shelf-life of the commmercial set-type Turkish yoghurts.

Evaluation of sensory properties and their correlation coefficients with physico-chemical indices in Turkish set-type yoghurts

Sensory properties and physico-chemical parameters of 10 most popular brands of commercial set-type Turkish yoghurts were evaluated and correlation coefficients between the two indices were investigated. The results indicated that increases in volatile compounds (acetaldehyde, 2-butanone, 2-nanonane, ethyl acetate), titratable acidity, ash and fat contents inversely correlated with the overall acceptability score of the yoghurt. However, diacetyl, C4 to C12 free fatty acids, pH, whiteness index and texture positively correlated with overall acceptability of the yoghurt products. It was concluded that the acceptability of the Turkish set-type yoghurts is mainly governed by the fifteen volatile compounds as well as the physico-chemical properties determined. Thus, the overall acceptability of the yoghurts was not influenced by a single characteristic, but rather by complex in nature.

Effect of Cassava Leaf (<i>Manihot esculenta </i>) Level in Guinea-Pigs (<i>Cavia porcellus </i>) Meal on the Physico-Chemical and Techno-logical Properties of Its Meat

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different rates of dried cassava leafs in diet as replacement of protein sources on the weight gain and carcass yield of guinea-pigs, as well as on the physico-chemical and technological properties of guinea-pigs’ meat. A total of forty-eight (48) eight-week-old guinea-pigs were divided in a completely randomized experimental design, in four groups and fed with the experimental foods. These experimental foods were formulated as follows: cassava-leaf (Manihot esculenta) powder was incorporated at concentrations of 0%, 8%, 10% and 12% respectively in replacement of protein sources for R0, R1, R2 and R3. Each treatment consisted of a group of 12 guinea pigs per paddock (6 males and 6 females). The initial weight (IW), final weight (FW), daily weight gain (DWG) and total gain (TG) were evaluated. At the 22nd week, animals of each group were sacrificed by bleeding, then skinned and eviscerated. Carcasses were cut, and some parts (loin, thigh and shoulder) were collected, deboned and analysed. The highest FW and carcass yield (CY) were obtained with the use of 10% cassava leafs (R2): 556 g (FW), 42.65% (CY) for males and 529.17 g (FW), 37.39% (CY) for females. The incorporation of 8% (R1) and 12% (R3) cassava leafs led to a significant increase (P < 0.05) in protein levels in the loins (22.89%) and shoulders (22.43%) of females and the thighs (21.68%) and shoulders (21.09%) of males. However, protein levels of male fed with R3 in the various parts studied were higher than females fed with the same diet. The study of the technological parameters of guinea-pig’s meat showed that the incorporation of 8% and 12% cassava leafs in the diet resulted in a significant decrease in the water holding capacity and technological yield in the different parts studied. These results show that, the incorporation of cassava leafs in guinea-pigs’ diet made it possible to obtain good growth (R2) and meat of good technological quality.

Comparative Study of Physico-Chemical Properties of Sediments from Two Sectors Close to Bandama in Northern Côte D’Ivoire (Sinematiali and Niakaramadougou)

This study aims to show the impact of successive floods on the spatial variation of the physico-chemical properties of sediments along the Bandama River in the localities of Sinématiali and Niakaramadougou because of their importance in the functioning of this ecosystem. Several samples were taken from both stations based on flood recurrence areas. The particle size analysis was done using the Robinson’s Pipette method. Traditional methods of sediment analysis have been used to measure organic carbon (O.C.), nitrogen (N), and other chemical properties including pH, organic matter (MO), and C/N ratio. Statistical analyzes were carried out to assess the differences between the physico-chemical parameters of the different sampling zones. In the area of niakamadougou, the lower values in MO were recorded in areas subject to more frequent flooding, thus close to the watercourse. In the Sinématiali area, lower M.O. values were recorded in sediments far from the stream. Total organic matter levels are higher in surface sediments with the lowest proportions of clay. The results show that the physico-chemical properties of the sediments vary at the level of the vertical distribution and according to their spatial distribution. Successive floods have a direct effect on the dynamics of the physico-chemical properties of sediments along the shore.

Nanoencapsulation of Antioxidant-Rich Fraction of Roasted <i>Moringa oleifera</i>L. Leaf Extract: Physico-Chemical Properties and <i>in Vitro</i>Release Mechanisms

Nanocapsules (NC) of antioxidant rich fraction of roasted Moringa leaves were prepared using emulsion coacervation technique with alginate (ALG) and/or chitosan (CTS) as biopolymers. NC were characterized based on particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC). Substituting CTS with ALG in NC caused a reduction in particle size and PDI, and enhanced EE. Mean particle size dropped from 1209 nm in 1:3 to 413 nm in 3:1 ALG/CTS-NC;PDI decreased from 0.9% to 0.2% and zeta potential from -5.4 to -28.1 mV. The highest EE (87.6%) and LC (13%) were obtained with ALG-CTS-NC (3:1). ALG-NC were spherical while both CTS and ALG-CTS-NC were ovoid. ALG and ALG-CTS-NC were oil/water emulsions while CTS-NC formed water/oil emulsions. 60% and 70% of bioactives in ALG-CTS-NC (3:1) were released in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids respectively after 400 min. Release of antioxidants from NC is concentration-dependent (First order model) and involves simultaneously diffusion (Higuchi model), swelling (korsmeyer-Peppas model) and erosion (Hixson-Crowell model) mechanisms.

Biodiesel Production from Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Larvae Oil: Physichochemical Properties and Acid Composition of Oil as Affected by Oil Extraction Protocol

Biodiesel, a renewable energy source made from natural oils and fats, can be produced using white raffia larvae as a raw material. These larvae have a high lipid content and a short life cycle, making them suitable for this purpose. One crucial step in biodiesel production is oil extraction, and this study aimed to investigate how the extraction protocol affects the fuel properties of the oil. To study the impact of solvent type, solvent volume, and residence time on oil yield, 200 grams of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus were used in a Soxhlet extractor. The researchers examined the physicochemical properties and fatty acid composition of the crude grease using the European biodiesel standard (EN14214) and gas chromatography methods, respectively. The study found that hexane as a solvent produced the highest oil yield (64.44%) during a four-hour extraction period with a solvent ratio of 300 ml. Furthermore, the hexane-extracted oil had the highest iodine number (3.02 g/100 g) and cetane number (55.69). These values indicate favorable properties for biodiesel production. The Rhynchophorus ferrugineus larvae oil proved to be a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids (76%), which were found to be significantly affected by the solvent type. Based on quality assessment, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus can be suitable for biodiesel production. In summary, under the given operational conditions, hexane is the most suitable solvent for Rhynchophorus ferrugineus oil extraction for biodiesel production. Further research in optimizing the extraction process can contribute to the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources like white raffia larvae for biodiesel production.

Physico-Chemical and Microbial Quality of Locally Composted and Imported Green Waste Composts in Oman

In this work the physical, chemical and microbial properties of four locally composted green waste composts (GWCs) namely Almukhasib, Growers, Plantex, and Super along with four imported GWC (Florabella, Mikskaar, Potgrond, and Shamrock) were studied to evaluate the quality of these composts with the acceptable standards. All composts showed normal physical properties, except the bad smell from sulfur reducing bacteria in Almukhasib, light brown color Plantex and one viable weed seed in Shamrock compost. The germination indexes of the composts comparable to the standard (90%) were 100% for Mikskaar, followed by Shamrock (92%), Florabella (97), Potgrond (95%), Plantex (98%), Growers (77%), and 5% for both Super and Almukhasib. The physical and chemical properties vary considerably as follows: pH 3 - 10.5, 5.1 - 6.5 (standard 5 - 8), electrical conductivity (EC) 0.4 - 10.2 mS·cm-1, 0.8 - 1.8 mS·cm-1(standard 0.0 - 4.0 mS·cm-1), moisture content (MC%) 29% - 43.7%, 64% - 74% (standard 35% - 60%) and water holding capacity (WHC%) 92% - 200% and 400% - 800% for the locally produced and imported composts, respectively. Wide ranges in the chemical properties were expressed as ammonia concentration 512.4 - 1640.1 mg·kg-1, 459.4 - 656.5 mg·kg-1(standard -1), organic matter 17% - 67.6%, and 53.3% - 66.2% (standard 35%) for the locally composted and imported composts, respectively. The concentrations of the heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Pb, Hg, As, Cd, and Cr) were lower than the recommended levels. The average of the bacterial colony forming unit per gram of locally produced and imported composts ranged between 260 - 1740 CFU/g and 330 - 2870 CFU/g, whereas the fungal CFU were 10 - 2800 CFU/g and 27 - 1800 CFU/g, respectively. The most probable number (MPN) for coliform bacteria was 43 - 1100 CFU/g for locally produced composts, and 23 - 480 CFU/g for the imported composts. Therefore, these composts can not be used directly without effective treatment as substrate for plant growth, soil amendment and as biofertilizer.

Insight on the Ultrastructure, Physicochemical, Thermal Characteristics and Applications of Palm Kernel Shells

The ultrastructure and physicochemical and thermal properties of Palm Kernel Shells (PKS) in comparison with Coconut Kernel Shells (CKS) were investigated herein. Powder samples were prepared and characterized using Surface Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Chemical and elemental constituents, as well as thermal performance were assessed by Van Soest Method, TEM/EDXA and SEM/EDS techniques. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) were also performed for thermal characterization. SEM/EDS and TEM/EDXA revealed that most of the PKS and CKS materials are composed of particles with irregular morphology;these are mainly amorphous phases of carbon/oxygen with small amounts of K, Ca and Mg. The DSC data permitted to derive the materials’ thermal transition phases and the relevant characteristic temperatures and physical properties. Thermal Transition phases of PKS observed herein are consistent with the chemical composition obtained and are similar to those of CKS. Nonetheless, TGA/DTG showed that the combustion characteristics of PKS are higher than those of CKS. Taken together, our results reveal that PKS have nanopores and can be efficiently used for 3D printing and membrane filtration applications. Moreover, the chemical constituents found in PKS samples are in agreement with those reported in the literature for material structural applications and thus, present potential use of PKS in these applications.

A Novel Topological Index for the Studies on Structure-Properties of Alkanes

A novel topological index derived from eccentric connectivity index has been proposed. The new topological index and eccentric connectivity index were correlated with eight physical properties such as the boiling point, critical temperature, critical pressure, critical volume, evaporation heat, density, heat capacity, surface tension, and three thermodynamic properties such as standard enthalpy, standard entropy and standard formation free energy of alkanes. A series of empiric equations for calculating the properties were obtained. Correlation coefficients of nine properties were more than 0.99. Regression analysis and calculation results indicated that the topological indices were well correlated with the physico-chemical properties of alkanes, and the novel topological index was far superior to eccentric connectivity index in the correlation.

Physico－chemical characterization of the S－ and R－ lipid A derived from the natural endotoxin（lipopolysaccharide） preparation

The natural Salmonella abortus equi endotoxin(lipopolysaccharide) preparation was fractionated with organic solvents into smooth (S-) and rough(R-) fractions to prepare their corresponding lipid A moieties. The lipid A obtained from S-fraction(S-lip A) wa

Discrimination of Chinese traditional soy sauces based on their physico-chemical properties

This work aimed to classify the categories (produced by different processes) and brands (obtained from different geographical origins) of Chinese soy sauces.Nine variables of physico-chemical properties (density,pH,dry matter,ashes,electric conductivity,amino nitrogen,salt,viscosity and total acidity) of 53 soy sauce samples were measured.The measured data was submitted to such pattern recognition as cluster analysis (CA),principal component analysis (PCA),discrimination partial least squares (DPLS),linear discrimination analysis (LDA) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) to evaluate the data patterns and the possibility of differentiating Chinese soy sauces between different categories and brands.Two clusters corresponding to the two categories were obtained,and each cluster was divided into three subsets corresponding to three brands by the CA method.The variables for LDA and KNN were selected by the Fisher F-ratio approach.The prediction ability of all classifiers was evaluated by cross-validation.For the three supervised discrimination analyses,LDA and KNN gave 100% predications according to the sample category and brand.

On Using Physico-Chemical Properties of Amino Acids in String Kernels for Protein Classification via Support Vector Machines

String kernels are popular tools for analyzing protein sequence data and they have been successfully applied to many computational biology problems.The traditional string kernels assume that different substrings are independent.However,substrings can be highly correlated due to their substructure relationship or common physico-chemical properties.This paper proposes two kinds of weighted spectrum kernels:The correlation spectrum kernel and the AA spectrum kernel.We evaluate their performances by predicting glycan-binding proteins of 12 glycans.The results show that the correlation spectrum kernel and the AA spectrum kernel perform significantly better than the spectrum kernel for nearly all the 12 glycans.By comparing the predictive power of AA spectrum kernels constructed by different physico-chemical properties,the authors can also identify the physicochemical properties which contributes the most to the glycan-protein binding.The results indicate that physico-chemical properties of amino acids in proteins play an important role in the mechanism of glycan-protein binding.