Blanching is a pretreatment method that is often applied in fruit and vegetable processing to inhibit enzyme activity and reduce loss of food quality. It was recently discovered that well‐controlled microwave volumetric heating could improve the blanching efficiency and retain nutritional and sensorial values of product. This study was conducted to investigate effects of microwave blanching conditions on the quality of green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) butt segments, a rich source of fiber and antioxidants but are often discarded during processing. The experiments were designed by one‐factor‐at‐a‐time method with two varying factors including blanching time (2, 4, 6, and 8 min) and microwave power output (150, 300, 450, and 600 W). Quality of product was evaluated by sensory, retention of phenolics, and free‐radical scavenging activity retention. The results showed that longer blanching time or higher microwave power was associated with reduced quality of green asparagus butt segment. Besides, the appropriate parameters for microwave blanching of the green asparagus butt segment was found at 300 W for 4 min.
The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of time and temperature of the heat pump drying process of soursop slices at different levels on moisture content and total polyphenol content (TPC). Twelve types of classical kinetic models have been used in this work to describe the suitability of experimental data with models. The conformity is assessed based on statistical values (e.g., coefficient of determination (R2), Chi–square value (X2), etc.). The loss of moisture in the material is described in accordance with Fick’s diffusion law. Value of moisture rate (MR), and effective moisture diffusivities (Deff) have been identified. Experimental results show that MR value depends on the time and drying temperature, Deff increases when increasing the drying temperature from 20–50 °C with values of 1.24 × 10−9, 1.85 × 10−8, 7.69 × 10−8, and 5.54 × 10−7 m/s2. The Singh et al. model is the best option to describe the moisture of the sliced soursop drying process at 30 °C (R2 = 0.97815). The largest TPC decomposition occurs at a temperature of 50 °C. The ability to decompose TPC is proportional to the drying temperature. The TPC decomposition dynamic model follows a first–order reaction when drying at 20 °C with a determinant coefficient R2 = 0.9693.
Nanosized multi-drug delivery systems provide synergistic effects between drugs and bioactive compounds, resulting in increased overall efficiency and restricted side effects compared to conventional single-drug chemotherapy. In this study, we develop an amphiphilic heparin-poloxamer P403 (HP403) nanogel that could effectively co-load curcuminoid (Cur) and cisplatin hydrate (CisOH) (HP403@CisOH@Cur) via two loading mechanisms. The HP403 nanogels and HP403@CisOH@Cur nanogels were closely analyzed with 1H-NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM, and DLS, exhibiting high stability in spherical forms. In drug release profiles, accelerated behavior of Cur and CisOH at pH 5.5 compared with neutral pH was observed, suggesting effective delivery of the compounds in tumor sites. In vitro studies showed high antitumor activity of HP403@CisOH@Cur nanogels, while in vivo assays showed that the dual-drug platform prolonged the survival time of mice and prevented tail necrosis. In summary, HP403@CisOH@Cur offers an intriguing strategy to achieve the cisplatin and curcumin synergistic effect in a well-designed delivery platform that increases antitumor effectiveness and overcomes undesired consequences caused by cisplatin in breast cancer treatment.
Cashew apples, a by‐product accrued during the manufacture of cashew nuts, have abundant nutritional values but are not widely utilized due to the presence of substances that cause acrid taste. In this study, we attempted the production of a dried jelly cashew apple product and optimized three main processing stages including blanching, osmotic, and drying. The results showed suitable conditions at 6 mm thickness in the blanching process. The osmotic process recorded a temperature of 35°C, within 1.5 h, the ratio of sugar syrup/ingredient 2:1 with sugar syrup 60 Bx, and the addition of 0.6% citric acid on the total weight of ingredients and 0.02% CaCl2. The drying process at 55°C within 267 min had the highest ascorbic acid content (TAA), total phenolic content (TPC), and content of tannin compounds (TTC) retention. These parameters refer to a product that has good organoleptic acceptability in terms of taste, acrid content, and a high ability to retain major nutrients. Furthermore, the product recovery efficiency is 21.45%. Jelly drying cashew apples (JDC) are formed to help take advantage of by‐products, contributing to adding value for the cashew industry.
Soursop (Annona muricata L.) fruit tea is a health‐beneficial product that promotes economic development and addresses the issue of excessive agricultural waste. Prolonging the shelf‐life of soursop fruit tea has been of scientific interest currently. This study evaluated the effects of three types of packaging materials of soursop fruit tea (e.g., paper, paper‐combined Polyetylen (PE), and aluminum‐combined PE) and different storage temperatures (5, 15, 30, and 45°C) on various product characteristics, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total ascorbic acid (TAA), and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl hydrazyl (DPPH)/2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging capacity during 4 weeks of storage. The results revealed that the sample stored in aluminum‐combined PE packaging at 30°C retained most of the product's characteristics and nutritional values. This was evidenced by the moisture content of 2.49%, TAA of 3.9 ± 1.4 mg/100 g dry weight, TPC of 12.89 ± 0.47 mgGAE/g, TFC of 0.54 ± 0.004 mgQE/g, DPPH scavenging activity of 4.06 ± 0.02 mgAA/g, and ABTS scavenging activity of 13.34 ± 0.32 mgAA/g. Additionally, the microbiological quality of the sample met the standard of TCVN 9740:2013. Overall, the study highlights the importance of packaging materials and storage temperatures to maintain the nutritional quality of soursop fruit tea. It provides valuable insights into the suitable storage conditions for preserving the quality and health‐promoting effects of this product.
About Me
Mrs. Tran Thi Yen Nhi is working at Graduate University of Science and Technology
Mrs. Tran Thi Yen Nhi is working at Graduate University of Science and Technology