Electronic nose to differentiate between several drying techniques for Origanum syriacum leaves

Dried oregano (Origanum syriacum L.) is a common product in the Mediterranean diet and it has wide culinary applications. The quality and functional ingredients profile of oregano is highly affected by drying technology. This study was aimed to discriminate different quality traits of air, solar, and freeze-dried oregano by employing electronic nose (e-nose), chromameter, and sensory analysis. E-nose signals were analysed by using multivariate data analysis (MVDA). Our findings showed that the e-nose signal exhibited different clusters for all groups by using principal component analysis (PCA). Moreover, there were clear differences in the colour index (L*a*b*) between groups. Freeze-dried oregano exhibited significantly lower L*-values than air and solar-dried oregano. Sensory analysis showed that there were clear differences between solar and freeze-dried oregano. In this context, f-dried thyme had significantly lower values of colour acceptance (4.80 vs. 7.57, p<0.05), degree of freshness (5.57 vs. 7.14, p<0.05), taste acceptance (5.46 vs. 6.75, p<0.05), and overall acceptance (5.75 vs. 7.19, p<0.05) than solar-dried thyme, respectively. In conclusion, e-nose and chromameter were effective tools to discriminate between different types of dried oregano

Physicochemical Changes, Peel Colour, and Juice Attributes of Blood Orange Cultivars Stored at Different Temperatures

Changes in physicochemical traits, peel colour, and juice attributes of four blood orange cultivars (‘Moro’, ‘Tarocco’, ‘Sanguinello’, and ‘Sanguine’) were evaluated during 180 days at 2 and 5 °C plus 2 days at 20 °C for shelf life. ‘Tarocco’ had the lowest weight and firmness losses at both temperatures during storage. Titratable acidity (TA) at 5 °C was higher than 2 °C, with ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Tarocco’ showing the highest and lowest TA, respectively. Juice content decreased during storage at both temperatures, although ‘Sanguinello’ had the highest juice content among the tested cultivars. Peel colour parameters including L* (lightness), b*, hue angle (h°), and chroma (C*) decreased during cold storage, while a* and citrus colour index (CCI) increased in all cultivars at both temperatures. The order for CCI was ‘Tarocco’ > ‘Moro’ > ‘Sanguinello’ > ‘Sanguine’. Overall, prolonged storage at 5 °C was considered as optimum temperature for all cultivars, although ‘Sanguinello’ cultivar had a better aptitude for the citrus juice industry.

Simplified intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted MRI of liver lesions: feasibility of combined two-colour index maps

Background To evaluate the feasibility of two-colour index maps containing combined diffusion and perfusion information from simplified intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) for liver lesion malignancy assessment. Methods Diffusion-weighted data from a respiratory-gated 1.5-T magnetic resonance sequence were analysed in 109 patients with liver lesions. With three b values (0, 50, 800 s/mm2) estimated diffusion coefficient D′, perfusion fraction f′, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were calculated and analysed for regions of interest (ROIs). D′ and f′ cutoff values were determined by differentiating haemangiomas from other lesions and focal nodular hyperplasias from other lesions, respectively. Combined IDf index maps were generated with a voxel value set to 100, if both D′ and f′ voxel values were lower than their cutoff values (1,529.4 × 10-6 mm2/s and 114.4 × 10-3, respectively), otherwise to 0. Moreover, IADC index maps were generated from ADC cutoff value (1,338.5 × 10-6 mm2/s) obtained by differentiating benign from malignant lesions. Discriminatory power was assessed for both IDf and IADC. Index maps were displayed as two-colour overlays to b-800 images and visually assessed within the translucent hyperintense areas. Results For IDf, the same diagnostic accuracy was achieved as for the combined use of parameters D′ and f′ (93.6%). Compared to IADC, IDf showed a higher diagnostic accuracy. Visual judgment of IDf yielded an accuracy (95.4%) similar to that of quantitative analysis (93.6%). Conclusion Voxel-wise combined two-colour index maps IDf provide similar diagnostic accuracy as ROI-based combination of estimated IVIM parameters D′ and f′ and are suitable for visual assessment of liver lesion malignancy.

Development of optimized substitution ratio for wheatcassava-african yam bean flour composite for Nigerian bread industries

An optimization study of the mix ratio for substitution of Wheat flour with Cassava and African Yam Bean flours (AYB) was carried out and reported in this paper. The aim was to obtain a mix ratio that would optimise selected physical properties of the bread. Wheat flour was substituted with Cassava and African Yam Bean flours at different levels: 80% to 100% of wheat, 0% to 10% of cassava flour and 0% to 10% for AYB flour. The experiment was conducted in mixture design which was generated and analysed by Design-Expert Software 11 version. The Composite dough was prepared in different mix ratios according to the design matrix and subsequentlybaked under the same conditions and analysed for the following loaf quality attributes: Loaf Specific Volume, Bread Crumb Hardness and Crumb Colour Index as response variables. The objective functions were to maximize Loaf Specific Volume, minimize Wheat flour, Bread Crumb Hardness and Crumb Colour Index to obtain the most suitable substitution ratio acceptable to consumers. Predictive models for the response variables were developed with the coefficient of determination (R2 ) of 0.991 for Loaf Specific Volume (LSV) while that of Bread Crumb Hardness (BCH) and Crumb Colour Index (CCI) were 0.834 and 0.895 respectively at 95% confidence interval (CI).The predicted optimal substitution ratio was obtained as follows: 88% Wheat flour, 10% Cassava flour, and 2% AYB flour. At this formulation, the predicted Loaf Specific Volume was 2.11cm3 /g, Bread Crumb Hardness was 25.12N, and Crumb Colour Index was 18.88.The study shows that addition of 2% of AYB flour in the formulation would help to optimise the LSV, BCH and the CCI of the Wheat-Cassava flour bread at the mix ratio of 88:10. Application of the results of this study in bread industries will reduce the cost of bread in Nigeria, which is influenced by the rising cost of imported wheat. This is a significant development because wheat flour was the sole baking flour in Nigeria before wheat substitution initiative. Keywords: Bread, wheat, Cassava, African Yam Bean, Flour, Dough, Loaf Specific Volume, Crumb Hardness, Crumb Colour Index

Statistics of the early synthetic dye industry

From the invention of Perkin’s Mauve in 1856, to publication of the first edition of the Colour Index in 1924, more than 1200 synthetic organic colourants were introduced. Some achieved commercial success, while others were rarely used for reasons such as high cost, low fastness, and toxicity. This turbulent period of innovation was largely driven by demand of the textile industry; however, synthetic colourants were subsequently adopted in many other applications. An understanding of the most common materials and their properties is therefore important to the study of heritage collections and their preservation. The risk of light damage during exhibition of objects is often a concern due to the fugitive nature of many synthetic colourants.To provide a foundation for focused research on synthetic dye identification and lightfastness, work was carried out to identify the most prominent of these colourants used in North America up to the year 1924 when the first edition of the Colour Index was published. Information was compiled and analysed from several sources including multiple editions of the Colour Index, and government documents related to the manufacture and trade of synthetic dyes that provide data from 1914 onwards. Cross-referencing between the information sources provided a summary of parameters for each colourant including the date of introduction, number of manufacturers, lightfastness, and quantity produced or imported in the United States.A document published in 1916 by the US Department of Commerce listed 259 colours with Schultz number imported during the 1913–1914 fiscal year, in quantities above 10,000 lb (4536 kg). Adding domestic products to the list, and removing duplicates, gave 289 individual colours with Schultz number imported and/or produced in the US. In addition, there were some imports of unknown composition: 96 azo, 23 sulphur, and 68 unclassified. Further review of census data from 1917 through the 1920’s suggested that less than one quarter of the dyes listed in the Colour Index were imported or manufactured in significant amounts. The results of this analysis are presented as summary statistics, which are complemented by an open dataset publication to facilitate future research.

Occurrence of Polar Stratospheric Clouds using ground-based DOAS observations

&lt;p&gt;Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) favour heterogeneous reactions and thus are an important component of ozone depletion processes in polar regions. Although satellite observations already yield high spatial coverage, the sampling frequency of a specific air volume depends on the measurement method. Here, continuous ground-based measurements with high temporal resolution can be a valuable complement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Since 1999, a MAX-DOAS (Multi AXis-Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) instrument has been operating at the German research station Neumayer (70&amp;#176; S, 8&amp;#176; W), Antarctica. Primarily, slant column densities of trace gases such as NO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, BrO and OClO are retrieved. However, in this study the so-called colour index (CI), i.e. the colour of the zenith sky, is investigated. Defined as the ratio between the observed intensities of scattered sun light at two wavelengths, it enables to monitor the occurrence of polar stratospheric clouds during twilight even in the presence of tropospheric clouds.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Using the radiative transfer model McArtim, the CI changes in the presence of polar stratospheric clouds can be analysed. Especially the height of the PSC layer affects the retrieved signal, but also the choice of the wavelengths has a strong impact. Here, it is advantageous that measurements are available in the UV and visible spectral range which allows a more extensive comparison of different CI choices. In order to assess the application of the colour index method, meteorological data are used to identify PSC cases in the data set.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The aim is to improve and evaluate the potential of this method. It is then used to infer the occurrence of PSCs throughout the measurement time series of more than 20 years.&lt;/p&gt;

PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY OF HENS FED COCOA HUSK BASED DIETS

Lowman Brown hens, 37 – week – old were used to study the effect of dietary inclusion of 10 and 20% cocoa husk meal (CHM) at the expense of maize on hen performance and egg quality. The trial was conducted for 10 weeks. Egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM), feed consumption (FC), and feed efficiency (FC) were cost/kg egg, shell weight, percentage shell and yolk colour index. Inclusion of 10 and 20% CHM in laying hen diets had no significant effect (P <0.05) on EP, EM and FE. However, FC was high appeared to be compensated for by increased egg weight. Shell weight and percent shell were not affected by dietary treatment while the 20% CHM diet increased yolk colour index. Feed cost/kg egg was lowered by feeding the test diets. The present study has shown that laying hens can tolerate and produce eggs economically on diets incorporating up to 20% CHM.

Two monosodium salt hydrates of Colour Index Pigment Red 48

We report herein the crystal structures of a monohydrate of Colour Index Pigment Red 48 (P.R.48) (systematic name: monosodium 2-{2-[3-carboxy-2-oxo-1,2-dihydronaphthalen-1-ylidene]hydrazin-1-yl}-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonate monohydrate), Na+·C18H12ClO6S−·H2O, and a dihydrate, Na+·C18H12ClO6S−·2H2O. The two monosodium salt hydrates of P.R.48 were obtained from in-house synthesized P.R.48. Both have monoclinic (P21/c) symmetry at 173 K. The crystal packing of both crystal structures shows a layer arrangement whereby N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds are formed.