Assessment of carotenoid degradation of grits from orange corn packaged in high barrier thermosealed pouches

Genetically improved maize varieties with high carotenoid levels and dark orange color have been developed to increase dietary consumption of macular carotenoids. However, postharvest and food processing conditions can cause isomerization and oxidation of carotenoids, reducing their potential impact on consumers' health. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of high barrier pouches in reducing carotenoid losses during the storage of dry-milled corn products. Orange corn grits were packaged in paper pouch bags, and three types of low-oxygen and low-moisture permeable (LOMP) pouches. Grits were packaged in each type of LOMP pouch with (LOMP-oxy) and without (LOMP-noxy) an oxygen scavenger. For six months, all pouches were stored at semi-controlled environmental conditions (22.5 ± 1.3°C, 32 ± 18% RH). After the storage period, orange corn grits stored in paper pouch bags lost 55% of total xanthophylls, whereas grits packaged in LOMP pouches only lost 8% of total xanthophylls. Orange Corn grits packaged in LOMP-oxy pouches had slightly higher carotenoid content than in LOMP-noxy pouches. Relative humidity fluctuation in the storeroom could have caused fluctuation in moisture content in the orange corn grits packaged in paper pouches, which may affect the rate of carotenoid degradation in the orange corn grits. Therefore, an effective control of the moisture content of the packaged dry-milled product and effective control of the temperature of pouches during storage conditions is essential to maximize carotenoid retention during the storage of dry-milled high carotenoid orange corn grits.

Edible Coating

Postharvest losses are rampant due to lack of proper storage conditions and handling of the fresh food products. The perishable nature of fruits and vegetables makes their shelf life limited due to some extrinsic factors such as some environmental conditions and preservation conditions as well as some intrinsic factors such as respiration rate, ethylene production and transpiration. Among the other postharvest technologies available, edible coatings seems to be one novel method which has been verified to have a positive and safe approach to extending the shelf life of products. This type of packaging is made from various natural resources like polysaccharide, protein and lipid materials. Edible packaging materials can be divided into two main groups including edible coatings and edible films. It has so many benefits such as serving as a moisture barrier, oxygen scavenger, ethylene scavenger, antimicrobial properties among others. Different methods of application of the edible coating on the food materials include; dipping, spraying, brushing, layer by layer among others. There have been several verifications of the positive impact of edible coatings/films on pome fruits, Citrus fruits, Stone fruits, tropical and exotic fruits, berries, melon, tomatoes and others.

GRE Lined OCTG as a Cost-Effective Solution for Water Disposal Wells

Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE), lining systems for API 5CT tubing have gained prominence in O&G industry, essentially due to the fact that GRE constitutes a physical barrier protecting the OCTG pipe from corrosive environment, and minimizing issues with scale deposition. ADNOC group companies have been building experience on the implementation of GRE Lined L-80 tubing by successfully using it in produced water disposal wells. Produced water is a highly corrosive medium due to dissolved CO2, H2S high to very high chloride content, high TDS, eventually containing bacteria. The corrosiveness of the fluid increases as the temperature increase from temperatures in the range of 30 – 50 degC at surface to reservoir temperature. The aggressiveness of this medium towards API 5CT L-80 or 13Cr / modified 13Cr increases with its contamination with oxygen. Dissolved oxygen is a strong depolarizer leading to high pitting rates if dissolved O2 content in the water is above 10 or 20ppb. Conventional completion of WDW in ADNOC Onshore is based on API 5CT L-80, and short life of the completion strings has been attributed to deficient water treatment (lack of oxygen scavenger, corrosion inhibitor unsuitable for downhole conditions. A life cycle cost analysis suggests that GRE lined OCTG could be a cost-effective solution for water injection. For this life cycle cost assessment, CAPEX (cost of L-80 completion string, combo corrosion inhibitor & oxygen scavenger skid and OPEX: cost of Combo chemical and monitoring activities for design life were considered, while achieving the required level of well integrity and lower operational safety risks (e.g. handling hazardous chemicals, monitoring activities)

Sodium sulfite as a switching agent for single molecule based super-resolution optical microscopy

Photoinduced off-switching of organic fluorophores is routinely used in super-resolution microscopy to separate and localize single fluorescent molecules, but the method typically relies on the use of complex imaging buffers. The most common buffers use primary thiols to reversibly reduce excited fluorophores to a non-fluorescent dark state, but these thiols have a limited shelf life and additionally require high illumination intensities in order to efficiently switch the emission of fluorophores. Recently a high-index, thiol-containing imaging buffer emerged which used sodium sulfite as an oxygen scavenger, but the switching properties of sulfite was not reported on. Here, we show that sodium sulfite in common buffer solutions reacts with fluorescent dyes, such as Alexa Fluor 647 and Alexa Fluor 488 under low to medium intensity illumination to form a semi-stable dark state. The duration of this dark state can be tuned by adding glycerol to the buffer. This simplifies the realization of different super-resolution microscopy modalities such as direct Stochastic Reconstruction Microscopy (dSTORM) and Super-resolution Optical Fluctuation Microscopy (SOFI). We characterize sulfite as a switching agent and compare it to the two most common switching agents by imaging cytoskeleton structures such as microtubules and the actin cytoskeleton in human osteosarcoma cells.

Evaluation of the Potential of Modified Calcium Carbonate as a Carrier for Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Oxygen Scavenging Applications

Modified calcium carbonates (MCC) are inorganic mineral-based particles with a large surface area, which is enlarged by their porous internal structure consisting of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate crystal structures. Such materials have high potential for use as carriers for active substances such as oxygen scavenging agents. Oxygen scavengers are applied to packaging to preserve the quality of oxygen-sensitive products. This study investigated the potential of MCC as a novel carrier system for unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), with the intention of developing an oxygen scavenger. Linoleic acid (LA) and oleic acid (OA) were loaded on MCC powder, and the loaded MCC particles were characterized and studied for their oxygen scavenging activity. For both LA and OA, amounts of 20 wt% loading on MCC were found to provide optimal surface area/volume ratios. Spreading UFAs over large surface areas of 31.6 and 49 m2 g−1 MCC enabled oxygen exposure and action on a multitude of molecular sites, resulting in oxygen scavenging rates of 12.2 ± 0.6 and 1.7 ± 0.2 mL O2 d−1 g−1, and maximum oxygen absorption capacities of >195.6 ± 13.5 and >165.0 ± 2.0 mL g−1, respectively. Oxygen scavenging activity decreased with increasing humidity (37–100% RH) and increased with rising temperatures (5–30 °C). Overall, highly porous MCC was concluded to be a suitable UFA carrier for oxygen scavenging applications in food packaging.

Chemical profiles and antioxidant properties of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza fruit extracts from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza is one of the mangrove species that a source of antioxidants. Antioxidant substances are able to protect cells from oxidative stress and other related diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical profiles, predicted biological activity, and antioxidant activity of the B. gymnoriza fruit extracts. The research methods included sampling, extraction (maceration with MeOH:DCM), identification of chemical profiles (GCMS spectra analysis), assaying for computational analysis (PASS server and ADMET), antioxidants (DPPH radical scavenging), and total phenolic content (FolinCiocalteu). Bruguiera gymnorrhiza fruits was collected from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The chemical profiles detected in the B. gymnorrhiza fruit extracts, namely isopimaradiene (64.20%); 4-(2-Aminopropyl) phenol (19.06%); dimethylaminodimethylphosphene oxide (9.40%); 3-amino-2-benzylbutanoic acid (5.46%); and 1,4- dideuteriooctane (1.89%). PASS server analysis showed that the five compounds detected from B. gymnorrhiza fruit have the potential as an NF-E2-related factor (Nrf2) stimulant and oxygen scavenger. The ADMET analysis results indicated that B. gymnorrhiza fruits could be developed as folk medicine and nutraceutical products.