Deep frying is the process of immersing food in hot oil at a temperature of approximately 180°C. During deep frying, different chemical reactions are taking place, resulting in changes in the physicochemical properties of the frying oil, eventually leading to harmful health effects on the consumers. Nevertheless, based on economic feasibility, both the domestic and industrial levels tend to repeatedly use edible oils for deep frying. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate physicochemical and nutritional parameters of commercially available coconut oil, palm oil and sunflower oil and to investigate the effect of repeated deep frying for the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of the studied oil samples. Thereby, the optimum number of frying cycles for each type of oil was also investigated. In order to achieve that, using coconut, palm and sunflower oils, potato and fish were fried separately for five repeated frying cycles. As per the results, regardless of the frying material, the relative density, colour, peroxide value, free fatty acid value of coconut oil, palm oil, and sunflower oil were increased significantly with increase the number of frying cycles whereas the smoke point and moisture content was found to be significantly decreased. In contrast, the number of cycles suitable for repeated frying is varying upon the frying material. Accordingly, coconut oil has proven to be used for three frying cycles of potato and five frying cycles of fish: palm oil for one frying of potato and two fryings of fish without adversely altering their physicochemical and nutritional properties. Conferring to the obtained results, the use of unsaturated oil like sunflower oil on repeated frying is not recommended.

Caryota urens which is commonly known as Kithul, is a multipurpose and underutilized palm mainly distributed in Asia. Due to its numerous applications, it has been considered an important plant that ensures the livelihood of the village people in Sri Lanka. Thus, this article reviews the nutritional and medicinal values of kithul palm and its value-added products. Kithul sap is widely used in the production of kithul treacle and jaggery due to its high amount of sugar content. Kithul seed oil is high in palmitic and oleic acid and is a good source of biofuels. Kithul fruit has skin-irritating nature due to the presence of oxalic acid, and also it contains anti-nutritional substances such as phytate, tannin and saponin. Different parts of Kithul palm such as leaves, flowers, fruit, sap is rich in antioxidants, anti -inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic properties due to the existence of flavonoids, glycosides like phytochemicals. Low gelatinization temperature has identified Kithul flour as a good gelling agent, stabilizer and thickener. Owning to its low Glycemic Index, kithul flour has become beneficial for people suffering from diabetics. Thus, valueadded products like biscuits, noodles, bread, muffin, rotti, porridge, dessert, yoghurt are identified as potential products that must be commercialized with more investigations.

Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GE), a popular food in China, is stored and consumed after steaming, which can lead to the degradation of active substances and a decrease in its quality. Therefore, this study explored the potential application of ultra-high-pressure (UHP)-assisted hot air drying in improving the quality of GE. The results indicated that UHP pre-treatment could preserve the original cross-sectional color of GE and increase the degrees of freedom of water in GE samples. Compared with traditional steaming pre-treatment (18 h), UHP pre-treatment at 500 MPa significantly shorted the time (10 h) required for the GE samples to reach drying equilibrium. Meanwhile, the UHP-assisted hot air drying method (60 °C) could reduce the activity of β-D-glucosidase and avoid the degradation of active substances. Finally, UHP pre-treatment improved the neuroprotective activity in vivo. Overall, UHP-assisted hot air drying could improve the quality of GE samples. This study provides a simple method for improving the quality of GE samples and offers a reference for subsequent research on the influence of UHP on GE.

Coconut oil (CO), a primary fat source in Sri Lankan cuisine, was analyzed in this study to compare its properties when extracted by three methods: expeller extraction (EX), traditional method (TE), and cold extraction (CE). The extracted CO was compared with commercially available CO (CCO). The results showed that the extraction method significantly influences the physicochemical properties (yield, oil recovery, specific gravity, color, smoke point), nutritional profile (fatty acid composition), and functional properties (total flavonoid, phenolic, antioxidant capacity) of coconut oil, but notably does not alter the sensory quality of fried products. The lowest acid and peroxide values were recorded in EX and CE methods, respectively. The highest saturated and medium chain fatty acid %, total phenolic, and antioxidant activity were observed in the TE method. The highest total phenolic content was observed in CCO. Traditional methods can be recommended as a low-cost method of CO extraction while preserving nutritional, physicochemical, and functional qualities.

Rice bran oil (RBO) is one of the healthiest edible oils in the world is locally underutilized. The current study was conducted to examine the physicochemical, nutritional, functional and sensory properties of RBO extracted from two locally grown rice varieties Bg 300 (white rice bran oil: WRBO) and At 362 (brown rice bran oil: BRBO) and to compare those with commercially available coconut oil (CACO). Saponification value in RBOs varied in the range of 175–176 mg KOH/g. BRBO showed a higher peroxide (3.71 ± 0.80 meq O ₂ /kg) and Iodine value (98.38 ± 0.05 g I ₂ /100 g) compared to WRBO. Highest oleic acid percentage (45.34 ± 2.65 %) and smoke point (204.6 ± 8.3 °C) was observed in BRBO. Significantly highest potassium (133.10 ± 1.07 mg/kg) and sodium (76.80 ± 0.10 mg/kg) contents were observed in BRBO and CACO respectively. Further, BRBO showed the highest contents of ɤ-oryzanol (1.49 ± 0.04 %), total flavonoid (1.13 ± 7.66 mg QE/g), total phenolic (1.47 ± 1.46 mg GAE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging capacity (1.04 ± 0.07 mmol Trolox/g). As a whole, BRBO from At362 showed acceptable physicochemical, nutritional and functional properties compared to WRBO and CACO proving it as a promising application in local food industry while utilizing rice bran, a by-product in rice milling.

Coconut water is a naturally occurring isotonic drink that has gained popularity owing to its refreshing and health-promoting effects. This study was conducted as an in-depth study of the water quality of six coconut varieties: Green Dwarf, Red Dwarf, Ran Thambili, Gon Thambili, CRIC 60, and CRIC 65. The physicochemical, nutritional and functional properties of coconut water from the nuts were determined at 11 months of maturity. One-way ANOVA was used to statistically analyse the obtained data. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among varieties for most physicochemical parameters, except for colour and titratable acidity. The pH ranged from 5.15 ± 0.04 to 6.95 ± 0.03, while the Brix value ranged from 3.20 ± 0.44 to 4.53 ± 0.11 °Bx. All varieties were identified as rich sources of potassium (344.26 ± 43.5 to 854.51 ± 21.7 mg/L). Nutritional analysis revealed significant variations in ash (0.65–1.30%), protein (0.20–0.78%), and total sugar contents (2.01–3.54 g/100 mL), whereas fat content remained minimal across all varieties (0.03–0.18%). Gon Thambili exhibited higher total phenolic (7.85 ± 2.58 mg GAE/100 mL) and flavonoid contents (0.26 ± 0.06 mg QE/mL), while CRIC 65 demonstrated the highest antioxidant capacity (10.51 ± 1.10 mg Trolox/g). Altogether, tested coconut varieties exhibited significant differences in physicochemical, nutritional and functional attributes, which support their nutraceutical value as an excellent natural source of potassium and sodium.