Grass turtle muscle was hydrolyzed with papain enzyme to produce protein hydrolysate (PH) and the degree of hydrolysis (DH) was determined. Under optimal conditions, the highest DH was 19.52% and the yield was recorded as 17.26%. Protein content of the hydrolysates was ranged from 73.35% to 76.63%. Total amino acids were more than 96.77% for each PH. The PH obtained at DH 19.52% achieved excellent solubility and emulsifying activity which were 95.56% and 108.76 m²/g, respectively at pH 6. Foam capacity amounted 100% in PH of DH 19.52% at pH 2, and water‐holding capacity was 4.38 g/g. The antioxidant activity showed the strongest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (95.25%), ABTS (84.88%), DPPH (75.89%), iron chelating (63.25%), and cupper chelating (66.90%) at DH 11.96%, whereas reducing power (0.88) at DH 19.52%. Thus, the findings indicated that utilization of grass turtle muscle protein hydrolysate is a potential alternative protein resource to improve the nutritional and functional properties in food ingredients and product formulations.

The Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute (EARI) adopted four mung bean varieties for cultivation, following extensive research on their adaptability, productivity, and drought tolerance. However, the physicochemical, techno-functional, and antioxidant properties of these cultivars, which can vary significantly due to genetic and agro-ecological differences, have not been sufficiently explored in previous research. Hence, this study aimed to elucidate these properties to facilitate their seamless integration into food formulation and product development. The study results revealed that the protein content of these varieties ranged from 22.63 to 25.84 g/100 g, while carbohydrate content ranged from 54.9 to 58.82 g/100 g. Moreover, all examined varieties exhibited elevated levels of essential amino acids, particularly lysine, phenylalanine, and leucine. The foaming capacity and emulsion activity varied between 40.27–49.2% and 52.75–54.13%, respectively. The loss modulus of all varieties surpassed the storage modulus. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents ranged from 2.36 to 3.05 mg GAE/g and 1.42 to 2.22 mg QE/g, respectively. The antioxidant activities were assessed using different assays and revealed that all samples were concentration-dependent, with all cultivars exhibiting high antioxidant activity at higher concentrations. The comparative analysis of the examined varieties revealed that none excelled in all of the tested parameters. However, these diverse qualities make Ethiopian mung bean varieties suitable for various food formulations tailored to specific desired characteristics.

Cinnamon leaf essential oil extraction using steam distillation method is a time-consuming and energy-intensive process. Furthermore, a lower yield and a higher rate of product degradation are this method’s main drawbacks. Thus, the goal of this research is to optimize the extraction process parameters of cinnamon leaf essential oil in response to maximizing the yield while retaining quality by using response surface methodology (RSM). The application of extracted essential oil on minced beef to assess its preservative effect was also the other objective of this research. Extraction time (120–210 min), extraction temperature (105–115 ℃), and feed mass (300–600 g) were the chosen independent variables of the optimization experiment using central composite design (CCD). Furthermore, the extracted essential oil’s antibacterial and microbiological preservative activity on minced beef was evaluated. At extraction time of 175.43 min, extraction temperature of 105 °C, and a feed mass of 600 g, the optimum predicted value of cinnamon leaf essential oil yield and cinnamaldehyde concentration (% area) was 2.9% and 34.6%, respectively. Moreover, the second-order polynomial equation fits the experimental data for 20-run experimental data. The chemical composition of cinnamon leaf essential oil extracted at optimal conditions was dominated by eugenol (60.68%) and cinnamaldehyde (33.94%). Additionally, the optimally extracted cinnamon essential oil inhibited the growth of bacteria, particularly gram-positive bacteria. After twenty-one days of storage at 4 °C, total viable count of minced beef seasoned with cinnamon essential oil at concentration of 1.2% (v/v) was lower than 10⁶ CFU/g. To conclude, optimized cinnamon leaf essential oil extraction process provides better yield while retaining its functional properties.