The Impact of Torrefaction Temperature on the Physical-Chemical Properties of Residual Exotic Fruit (Avocado, Mango, Lychee) Seeds

A large portion of food loss and waste (FSL) is comprised of seeds and stones. Exotic fruits such as mangoes, lychees and avocados, in which the seeds account for a significant part of the weight and volume of the entire product, are most affected by this problem. The seeds contain a large quantity of polyphenols and essential nutrients, which makes them a good material for extraction. However, conventional extraction techniques are considered time-consuming, and therefore significantly limit their use on an industrial scale. An alternative method of managing the seeds may be their energy utilization. In this study, torrefaction was proposed as a method for the valorization of exotic fruit seeds (mango, lychee, avocado). Thus, the influence of torrefaction temperature (200–300 °C) on the physical-chemical properties of substrates was investigated. The obtained results revealed that, in relation to the unprocessed raw materials, the torreficates are characterized by improved hydrophobic properties (all materials are classified as extremely hydrophobic), higher heating value (at 300 °C the values increased from 17,789 to 24,842 kJ∙kg−1 for mango, from 18,582 to 26,513 kJ∙kg−1 for avocado, and from 18,584 to 25,241 kJ∙kg−1 for lychee), higher fixed carbon content (which changed from 7.87–15.38% to 20.74–32.47%), and significant mass loss, by 50–60%. However, as a side effect of thermal treatment, an increase in ash content (approx. 2–3 times but still less than in coal) was observed. Therefore, the torreficates may be competitive with coal. The possibility of using residues from the food processing sector as a substrate for energy purposes is important from the point of view of environment protection and is a part of the functioning of the circular economy.

Representing The National Identity Through Foreignization in The English Translation of Selected Indonesian Children’s Literature

National identity can be reflected by distinctive traditions, culture, and language and is found in literary works. However, the issue is that whether translated literature can maintain the national identity of the original works. Therefore, to answer this problem, this research aims to investigate categories of foreignization in the English translation of selected Indonesian children’s literature. Besides, it further unravels the applied methods in explaining the foreignization found to determine the purpose and whether it can maintain the national identity of the original. This research was conducted through a descriptive qualitative approach. The data were collected through document analysis utilizing content and thematic analysis. The research results illustrate the categories of foreignization identified in the novel, such as terms of address, exotic fruits, traditional foods, fabric and clothes, and Javanese expressions. The applied methods in explaining the foreignization, i.e., footnotes and in-text descriptions, are then studied under the readers’ response approach to determine the appropriateness and success in maintaining the national identity. This study concludes that the foreignization done by the translators to keep the identity in the works aims to introduce and promote local Indonesian culture in how people address others, the richness of local fruits, foods, and clothes. It also presents Javanese expression to specifically expresses specific terms or feeling to the wider audience and readers. Footnotes and in-text descriptions as translator notes add more illustrations of the foreignization for the readers while showing the national identity.

Review of Nephelium Lappaceum and Nephelium Ramboutan-Ake: A High Potential Supplement

Nephelium lappaceum (N. lappaceum) and Nephelium ramboutan-ake (N. ramboutan-ake) are tropical fruits that gain popularity worldwide due to their tastiness. Currently, their potential to be used as pharmaceutical agents is underestimated. Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and aging have high incidence rates in the modern world. Furthermore, pharmaceutical agents targeting pathogenic microorganisms have been hampered by the growing of antimicrobial resistance threats. The idea of food therapy leads to extensive nutraceuticals research on the potential of exotic fruits such as N. lappaceum and N. ramboutan-ake to act as supplements. Phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds that present in the fruit act as potent antioxidants that contribute to the protective effects against diseases induced by oxidative stress. Fruit residuals such as the peel and seeds hold greater nutraceutical potential than the edible part. This review highlights the antioxidant and biological activities (anti-neoplastic, anti-microbial, hypoglycemic actions and anti-aging), and chemical contents of different parts of N. lappaceum and N. ramboutan-ake. These fruits contain a diverse and important chemical profile that can alleviate or cure diseases.

Exotic dried fruits caused Salmonella Agbeni outbreak with severe clinical presentation, Norway, December 2018 to March 2019

We describe an outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni sequence type (ST)2009 infections in Norway. Between 31 December 2018 and 16 March 2019, 56 cases (33 female and 23 male; median age: 50 years, range: 2–91) were reported, of which 21 were hospitalised. Cases were defined as people living in Norway, with laboratory-confirmed infection with S. Agbeni ST2009 and cluster type (CT)2489, reported between 31 December 2018 and 30 March 2019. We conducted a case–control study, with three controls per case (matched by age, sex and municipality), using the Norwegian National Registry. Cases were more likely to have consumed a commercial mix of dried exotic fruits than controls (cases = 8, controls = 31; odds ratio: 50; 95% confidence interval: 3–2,437). The outbreak strain was confirmed by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and was isolated from the fruit mix consumed by cases, resulting in withdrawal from the market on 6 March 2019.The fruit mix consisted of fruits from different countries and continents. It was packed in Italy and distributed to several European countries, including Norway. However, no other countries reported cases. This outbreak highlights that dried fruits could represent a risk in terms of food-borne infections, which is of particular concern in ready-to-eat products.

COMPARISON OF PHENOLIC AND FLAVONOIDS CONCENTRATIONS AND THE PRICE OF NATIVE AND EXOTIC FRUITS FROM THE NORTHEAST OF BRAZIL

A flora brasileira apresenta uma grande diversidade, e o mercado de frutas representa uma atividade de grande importância econômica para o país. A ingestão de compostos fenólicos, oriundos de frutas, está associada a vários efeitos benéficos e prevenção de condições patológicas. O presente estudo consiste em uma revisão crítica sobre o teor de compostos fenólicos totais e flavonoides em relação ao preço de mercado de seis frutas nativas (caju, seriguela, umbu, juá, cajá e pitomba) e em oito frutas exóticas (acerola, carambola, coco, frutapão, graviola, pinha, sapoti, tamarindo) ao Nordeste brasileiro. O levantamento foi realizado a partir de avaliação dos preços divulgados nas plataformas digitais dos Centros de Abastecimento de Alimentos dos estados nordestinos e as concentrações de fenóis totais e flavonoides foram obtidas através de levantamento bibliográfico em bases de dados. Diferenças significativas não foram observadas entre as concentrações médias de compostos fenólicos em frutas nativas e exóticas. Da mesma forma, o teor de flavonoides não apresentou diferença significativa entre os dois grupos. Contudo, foi observado a diferença de aproximadamente R$2,00 entre o preço médio das frutas nativas e exóticas, sendo atribuído menor preço às frutas nativas. Desse modo, as frutas nativas se mostram como fonte de menor custo e com o mesmo valor nutricional em flavonoides e fenóis totais das frutas exóticas avaliadas. No entanto, embora mais dispendiosas, há uma preferência do mercado pela aquisição de frutas exóticas por questões de produção e sabor.

BEZOAR IN THE PRACTICE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONER AND PEDIATRICIAN: CLINICAL CASE – RAPUNZEL SYNDROME

Introduction. Bezoar is a cluster of foreign, inedible or difficult to digest objects in the digestive tract (especially in the stomach). Depending on the composition, there are: phytobezoars, trichobezoars, pharmacobezoars, lactobezoars. Patients may not have any symptoms for years, and their appearance is associated with an bezoar size enlargment, then there is abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and vomiting, a feeling of rapid satiety, anorexia and weight loss. The small bowel obstruction is the often cause of acute surgical pathology in the case of bezoar. It is important to pay attention to the peculiarities of the patient’s behavior, halitosis, spotted alopecia. The purpose of this publication was to raise the awareness of pediatricians and general practitioners in the diagnosis and management of patients with bezoars. The article presents a review of the literature and the clinical case of trichobezoar (Rapunzel syndrome) in a 14-year-old girl. Conclusions. Bezoar, regardless of its nature, disrupts the function of the gastrointestinal tract and can cause acute surgical complications patients of all ages. General practitionersn and pediatricians, taking into account the risk factors and clinical symptoms, may suspect bezoar formation in the early stages. In pediatric practice at the stage of primary diagnostic search, ultrasound can be recommended as a less invasive, but quite informative method. The “golden standard” for verification and treatment of uncomplicated forms of bezoar is the endoscopic method, regardless of age. Phytobezoars are less common in our region, but the processes of globalization, migration and increase in the diet of exotic fruits and vegetables may actualize this pathology. Adolescents, mostly girls who have long-term dyspeptic symptoms, alopecia, weight loss, especially if it occurs against the background of difficult social circumstances or pre-existing psychiatric disorders, are at risk of developing trichobezoar, so they need careful examination and consultation with a psychiatrist.

Transportation of perishable goods by air: handling problems at Russian airports

The article deals with the problems of perishable goods handling process at Russian airports on delivery in international supply chains (ISC). The investigation was carried out on the basis of operational analysis. The initial stage of the study, which was performed applying statistical analysis, revealed that the major category of perishable goods which establish air transportation demand into Russia is the fresh exotic fruits. The investigation was performed taking the mango supply chain as an example, due to its non-standard thermal and storage requirements. The second stage resulted in the perishable goods airport handling quality criteria set formation: the number of mandatory cargo while handling operations, the required time for these operations, the amount of paper work, the number of multi-temperature chambers at the airport and their area, ULD temperature storage system availability. The study revealed that about 90% of perishable goods, which are imported to Russia, are handled at the airports of Moscow aviation hub because other airports in Russia lack the temperature storage facilities infrastructure. This restriction raises the price of perishable goods logistics on the territory of the country considerably as well as reduces their quality. Four international airports of strategic importance outside the boarders of the central federal district which have the potential of forming central hubs for perishable goods handling as well as processing of transit and transfer flows were chosen in the context of this study. Among them are the airports of Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk. The airports of Moscow aviation hub were offered specialization on the subject of perishable goods export-import flow handling. The materials received from airlines, major cargo terminals at Russian airports, transport companies, specialized international air transport enterprises and logistics associations were exploited as the data for this study. The research registered that the deterrence to the speed of supply chain operation is the time of cargo ground service at Russian airports which considerably exceeds the cargo ground service time in the exporting country. The delays are connected with the poor development of perishable goods handling cargo terminals and also with loads of paper work because the system of electronic workflow and automated checking of markings doesn’t exist. The model of electronic workflow in the International Supply Chain which utilizes pre-flight and pre-loading preliminary information about the cargo was offered. Block Chain system for checking the correct presentation of documents at all stages of the supply chain was introduced which reduces the total time of cargo ground handling process.

Pharmacognosy and medicinal value of some exotic fruits and vegetables consumed in India

Plants have always been a vital source of medicines and other essential products that have been a part of human life ever since time immemorial. Pharmacognosy and its associated aspects have been going through constant evolution and investigation with every generation revealing different and new pharmaceutical properties of plants and their products. The horticulture sector of India has witnessed a great demand of exotic fruits and vegetables in the last decade. These are either imported or artificially introduced in an exotic and non-indigenous habitat. A large number of these exotic plants which are consumed as fruits and vegetables possess a variety of bioactive phytochemical compounds. These bioactive compounds impart them some really important medicinal and pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anticarcinogenic, antiulcerogenic, analgesics etc. This review article is an attempt to briefly address such exotic fruits and vegetables, the bioactive compounds associated with them and their medicinal properties useful to mankind.

The Diverse Collection of Exotic Tropical Fruits in The Indonesian Tropical Fruit Research Institute (ITFRI)

Indonesian Tropical Fruit Research Institute (ITFRI) known as an institute collecting exotic tropical fruits in Indonesia. The present study was carried to evaluate the characters of five exotic fruits in the Indonesian Tropical Fruit Research Institute (ITFRI), Solok, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The experiment used field observation. The characters considered were leaf character (leaf shape, leaf margin, leaf tip, leaf base, the color of upper leaf, color of under leaf, leaf surface, leaf length, leaf width), and fruit character (fruit shape, fruit peel texture, fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight, the color of mature peel, the color of mature flesh, taste, fruit weight, seed weight, seed number). Data were analyzed descriptively using tables. The five exotic fruits' morphological characteristics have demonstrated that every species of fruit has specific characteristics. These fruits have the potential to be raw materials for the pharmacy industry.