Preparation of Curcumin Hydrogel Beads for the Development of Functional Kulfi, a Tailoring Delivery System

Curcumin has been demonstrated to have biological activities and its fortification in food products is an important strategy to deliver bioactive ingredients at target sites. However, studies have documented a curcumin low bioavailability and low intake. Hence, combining functional ingredients with food should be needed to prevent widespread nutrient intake shortfalls and associated deficiencies. Thus, curcumin was encapsulated in calcium-alginate and their characteristics as well as in vitro release behavior of curcumin hydrogel beads (CHBs) was studied. Moreover, CHBs were fortified in development of functional Kulfi and their quality characteristics were studied. The encapsulation efficiency was up to 95.04%, indicating that most of the curcumin was entrapped. FTIR shifts in the bands were due to the replacement of sodium ions to the calcium ions. In vitro release (%) for CHBs was found to be 67.15% after 2 h, which increased slightly up to 67.88% after 4 h. The average swelling index of CHBs was found to be 10.21 to 37.92 from 2 to 12 h in PBS (pH 7.40). Control and Kulfi fortified with CHBs showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in colour (L = 73.03 and 75.88) and the melting rate (0.88 mL/min and 0.63 mL/min), respectively. Standard plate count was reduced in the Kulfi fortified with CHBs (13.77 × 104 CFU/mL) with high sensory score for overall acceptability (8.56) compared to the control (154.70 × 104 CFU/mL). These findings suggested the feasibility of developing CHBs to mask the bitterness, enhance the solubility, and increase the bioavailability in gastrointestinal conditions. Additionally, Kulfi could be a suitable dairy delivery system for curcumin bioactive compounds.

Ice Cover, Subglacial Landscape, and Estimation of Bottom Melting of Mac. Robertson, Princess Elizabeth, Wilhelm II, and Western Queen Mary Lands, East Antarctica

This study demonstrates the results of Russian airborne radio-echo sounding (RES) investigations and also seismic reflection soundings carried out in 1971–2020 over a vast area of coastal part of East Antarctica. It is the first comprehensive summary mapping of these data. Field research, equipment, errors of initial RES data, and methods of gridding are discussed. Ice thickness, ice base elevation, and bedrock topography are presented. The ice thickness across the research area varies from a few meters to 3620 m, and is greatest in the local subglacial depressions. The average thickness is about 1220 m. The total volume of the ice is about 710,500 km3. The bedrock heights vary from 2860 m below sea level in the ocean bathyal zone to 2040 m above sea level in the Grove Mountains area (4900 m relief). The main directions of the bedrock orographic forms are concentrated mostly in three intervals: 345∘–30∘, 45∘–70∘, and 70∘–100∘. The bottom melting rate was estimated on the basis of the simple Zotikov model. Total annual melting under the study area is about 0.633 cubic meters. The total annual melting in the study area is approximately 1.5 mm/yr.

Fluid dynamics of frozen precipitation at the air–water interface

Precipitation in the forms of snow, hail, and rain plays a critical role in the exchange of mass, momentum and heat at the surfaces of lakes and seas. However, the microphysics of these interactions are not well understood. Motivated by recent observations, we study the physics of the impact of a single frozen canonical particle, such as snow and hail, onto the surface of a liquid bath using a numerical model. The descent, melting, bubble formation and thermal transport characteristics of this system are examined. Three distinct response regimes, namely particle impact, ice melting and vortex ring descent, have been identified and characterized. The melting rate and air content of the snow particle are found to be leading factors affecting the formation of a coherent vortex ring, the vertical descent of melted liquid and the vortex-induced transportation of the released gas bubble to lower depths. It is found that the water temperature can substantially alter the rate of phase change and subsequent flow and thermal transport, while the particle temperature has minimal effect on the process. Finally, the effects of the Reynolds, Weber and Stefan numbers are examined and it is shown that the Reynolds number modifies the strength of the vortex ring and induces the most significant effect on the flow dynamics of the snow particle. Also, the change of Weber number primarily alters the initial phases of snow–bath interaction while modifying the Stefan number of the snow particle essentially determines the system response in its later stages.

Assessment of sea ice melting rates in the Antarctic from SSM/I observations

Sea ice governs the fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum across the ocean-atmosphere interface. Because it is thin, sea ice is vulnerable to small perturbations within the ocean and the atmosphere, which considerably change the extent and thickness of the polar ice cover. Thus, sea ice is a climate change indicator. The DMSP SSM/I monthly ice concentration data over the Antarctic region have used to calculate the monthly sea ice extents (August to February) for each year during 1988-2006. Melting rates based on seasonal cycle of solar irradiance as well as the SSM/I data have been calculated. Compared to the melting rates based on seasonal cycle of solar irradiance, the SSM/I estimated melting rate, is less in the beginning of September and increases to its peak value by the end of December. The observed melting rate behaviour indicates that apart from the seasonal cycle of solar irradiance, it is controlled by other mechanisms also. The present study estimates the feedback impact factor, response time, accelerating and decelerating melting rate duration for the period 1988-2006.

Effect of inulin and oat flour on viability of probiotics and physicochemical properties of reduced fat synbiotic ice cream

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the viability of probiotics, physicochemical and sensory properties of reduced fat synbiotic ice cream.Design/methodology/approachThe treatments were as follows: control was made by the addition of Lactobacillus salivarius NBIMCC 1589 and Lactobacillus crispatus NBIMCC 2451 (1:1). The treatments (T1, T2 and T3) were made with the addition of L. salivarius NBIMCC 1589 and L. crispatus NBIMCC 2451 (1:1) + 2% oat flour, 2% inulin and 4% oat flour + inulin (1:1). Physiochemical parameters (pH, moisture, fat, protein, fibre, ash, overrun, first dripping time and melting rate) were determined.FindingsThe ice cream with inulin and oat flour had lower moisture content, which was recorded 70.41, 69.88 and 68.82% for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. While the protein, fat and ash content of treated samples increased. The highest acidity (0.43%) was recorded in T3. The overrun increased by around 43% in T3 compared with control. The viable counts of probiotics were significantly (p = 0.05) decreased by two or three log cycles. Finally, T3 received the highest sensory score, which could be due to the combination between oat flour and inulin.Originality/valueA novel ice cream was produced using a combination of inulin and oat flour, which enhanced the viability of added probiotics. Reduced fat synbiotic ice cream was a good carrier for probiotics, which facilitates the production of healthy dairy products.

Remelting and Addition of Alloy Components

This chapter discusses our scientific understanding of alloying. Class I alloy additions have a melting point lower than the bulk melt temperature, whereas class II additions have a melting point higher than the bulk melt temperature. This means that magnesium is a class I element when added to aluminium, and silicon and manganese are class II alloy additions. An energy conservation model for melting is presented and compared to measurements. A numerical model is presented for continuous feeding and melting of aluminium plates into aluminium melt. For class II alloy additions it is shown from the literature that the melting rate can be strongly affected by the formation of intermetallic phases during the melting process. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to put up a general model for the melting of these types of alloying elements. Safety regarding alloying operations is also addressed.