Volume 17, No. 4 (2016)
Articles
TEMPERATURE INFLUENCE ON THE AGARICUS BISPORUS MUSHROOMS DEHYDRATION PROCESS
LILIANA I. MIHALCEA(1), FLORETINA C. BUCUR(1), ALINA MIHAELA M. CANTARAGIU(2), LEONTINA C. GURGU(1*), DANIELA D. BORDA(1), GABRIELA S. IORDACHESCU(1)
Edible mushrooms are foods with high nutritional value, delicious and therapeutic products. The main objective of this research was to investigate the influence of different temperatures of the dehydration process on the microstructure and color of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms. Tray drying conditions were: constant air velocity, 50, 60 and 70 °C suited to relative humidity (RH) values of 12.17, 4.8 and 2.26 % respectively. Mathematical modeling of drying process, effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy calculations were presented. The effective moisture diffusivity was between (1.09665 – 2.11723)·10-10 m2∙s-1 for white and (0.99522 – 1.69885)·10-10 m2∙s-1 for brown mushrooms. The activation energy values indicate a higher energy input for the white mushrooms drying. SEM micrographs revealed the overall integrity of the tissue and some hyphae from the stipes of brown and white mushroom appeared intact and similar. At 70 °C, the presence of these crystals is more emphasis due to calcium.
OPTIMIZATION OF SESAME SEEDS OIL EXTRACTION OPERATING CONDITIONS USING THE RESPONSE SURFACE DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Haitham Osman(1*), Ihab Shigidi(1,2) , Abubakr Elkhaleefa(1)
This paper applies Response Surface Design (RSD) to model the experimental data obtained from the extraction of sesame seeds oil using n-hexane, chloroform and acetone as solvents under different operating conditions. The results obtained revealed that n-hexane outperformed the extraction obtained using chloroform and acetone. The developed model predicted that n-hexane with a rotational speed of 547 rpm and a contact time between the solvent and seeds of 19.46 hours with solvent: seeds ratio of 4.93, yields the optimum oil extracted of 37.03 %, outperforming chloroform and acetone models that gave prediction for 4.75 and 4.21 respectively. While the maximum predictions yield for chloroform is 6.73 %, under the operating conditions of 602 rpm, and 24 hours contact time, with a ratio of solvent: seeds of 1.74. On the other hand the acetone maximum prediction is only 4.37 %, with operational conditions of 467 rpm, and 6.00 hours contact time, with a ratio of solvent: seeds of 1. It is has been found that the maximum oil extraction yield obtained from the chloroform (6.73 %) and Acetone (4.37 %) is much lower than that predicted by n-hexane 37.03 %.
SILYMARIN FOOD SUPPLEMENTS – ORAL SOLID DOSAGE FORMS
Felicia G. Gligor(1), Carmen M. Dobrea(1,2*), Cecilia Georgescu(1), Loredana A. Vonica Gligor(1), Adina Frum(1,2), Maria Totan(1)
Several tablet formulations containing silymarin were developed, in order to meet the requirements of different markets. Milk thistle - Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn – standardized extracts have proven their positive effect on liver functionality plus other health benefits. Lactose is a widely used excipient for the production of oral solid dosage forms. One important inconvenient of lactose is related to the lactose intolerant potential customers. Cellulose, isomalt and dicalcium phosphate have been selected as alternative possible tablet binders and diluents. Laboratory and pilot batches were studied for each excipient. The pharmacotechnical properties and silybin content of the tablets were measured and recorded in accordance to the European Pharmacopoeia. All pilot batches had results in the desired range of values in order to permit large scale compacting and blistering of the tablets. Currently the formulations containing isomalt and dicalcium phosphate that made the subject of this study are being produced on industrial scale.
STUDY REGARDING THE DESTABILIZATION OF STABLE EMULSIONS FROM SUPLAC AREA
IULIANA VERONICA GHEŢIU, IOANA GABRIELA STAN(*), MARIA GEORGETA POPESCU
Emulsions from the wells in the Suplac area create great difficulties in removing water due to their specifications. A complex study was conducted in order to eliminate water from emulsions using alkaline-surfactants. The choice of surfactant was made after the chromatographic SARA analysis of emulsions and the determination of their physical properties: density, viscosity, organic acidity. The samples were taken from two wells in the Suplac area. In the case of samples from A well the variation of density is 907 - 955 kg·m-3 for crude oil and 928 - 970 kg·m-3 for emulsion, while the rheological behavior of the emulsion varies between 0.680 to 0.995 Pa·s at a temperature of 25 °C and between 0.049 to 0.328 Pa·s at a temperature of 80 °C. For samples from B well the variation of density is 855 - 905 kg·m-3 for crude oil and 939 - 970 kg·m-3 for emulsion, while the rheological behavior of the emulsion varies between 0.149 to 0.797 Pa·s at a temperature of 25 °C and between 0.014 to 0.397 Pa·s at a temperature of 80 °C. The justification for choosing R - DP surfactant like reagent was based on laboratory tests which showed a maximum efficiency at 80 °C (95.69 for B and 98.75 % for A).
REMOVAL OF Cd2+, Cu2+AND Pb2+ WITH A BURKINA FASO CLAY </br> ELIMINATION DU Cd2+, DU Cu2+ ET DU Pb2+ PAR UNE ARGILE LOCALE DU BURKINA FASO
BRAHIMA SORGHO(1*), ABDOULKADRI AYOUBA MAHAMANE(2), BOUBIE GUEL(2), LAMINE ZERBO(1), MOUSSA GOMINA(3), PHILIPPE BLANCHART(4)
Contamination of water by heavy metals is often linked to human, industrial and agricultural activities, and cause health and ecological problems. The objective of this study is to remove water pollutants like Cd2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+ in synthetic solutions by adsorption on clay from Burkina Faso. Electrochemical characterizations revealed that 90 % of heavy metals can be removed. Structural studies evidenced that almost all clay mineral species participate to the removal of heavy metals through different physico-chemical mechanisms namely ion exchange, complexation and precipitation.
STUDIES AND RESEARCHES ON TYPHA LATIFOLIA’S (BULRUSH) ABSORPTION CAPACITY OF HEAVY METALS FROM THE SOIL
ALEXANDRA-DANA CHIŢIMUŞ(1*), CRISTIAN RADU(1, 2), VALENTIN NEDEFF(1), EMILIAN MOŞNEGUŢU(1), NARCIS BÂRSAN(1)
The research aimed to determine Typha latifolia’s (bulrush) absorption capacity of heavy metals from the soil in the industrial area of Piatra Neamt city, Romania. Heavy metals present in ecological systems are available to the absorption process only partially, depending on the type of pH of the environment, their chemical composition, and the quantity of heavy metals in the soil, plants, sediments, water, or air. The choice of sampling points (the industrial area of Piatra Neamt city) took into consideration the areas where the pollution sources are located and where the sediment layer is thick and the granularity level is lower than 63 μm. The investigation of Typha latifolia’s absorption capacity showed that, in case of nickel, chromium, copper and arsenic, a very low capacity of heavy metals absorption was detected. Typha latifolia’s highest absorption capacity of heavy metals from the soil was recorded in case of cadmium.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PIGMENTS ON REGENERANTS FROM IN VITRO AND SPONTANEOUS FLORA OF THYMUS sp.
ANA M. ROŞU(1), ROXANA E. VOICU(2), DANIELA NICUŢĂ(2*)
This paper presents the quantitative determination of pigments extract of Thymus sp. from in vitro culture and spontaneous flora. For in vitro culture were used phytohormones (indoleacetic acid-IAA, indole-3-butyric acid-IBA and benzylaminopurine-BAP) in order to obtain a high yield in development of Thymus sp. plants. The source of spontaneous flora of Thymus sp. was Bacau (Magura), Romania. The biochemical investigations realised on Thymus sp. using Thin Layer Chromatography and the UV-Vis spectrophotometry showed that the production of assimilating pigments is influenced by growth and lighting conditions of plants.
OPTIMIZATION OF MEDIUM COMPOSITIONS FOR SACCHAROMYCES BOULARDII BY BOX-BEHNKEN DESIGN
ZHANGTENG LEI(1), HE CHEN(1), DAN HUANG(2), YALING ZHAI(2), GUOWEI SHU(1*)
Based on the previous experimental results, the Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to study the individual and interactive effects of sucrose, malt extract, calf serum and sodium citrate on the growth of Saccharomyces boulardii, and the optimum medium compositions were obtained. Meanwhile, the optical density (OD) in the fermentation suspension was measured at 560 nm after 36 h of incubation. It is shown that the optimized medium compositions were 36.28 g·L-1 sucrose, 6.38 g·L-1 malt extract, 5.69 g·L-1 calf serum and 5.3 g·L-1 sodium citrate. The result indicated that the growth of S. boulardii could increase significantly in the optimized medium, and the OD560nm value reached 1.397 ± 0.013 after 36 h, which increased 18.59 % compared with that of pre-optimized medium. In addition, the OD560nm value 1.397 ± 0.013 in the optimized medium was very closely to the expected value 1.394. This result suggested that optimization of medium compositions for S. boulardii by BBD in this study was reliable and effective.
MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF CaCl2 AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CRISTINA G. GRIGORAŞ, GABRIELA MUNTIANU, LUCIAN GAVRILĂ(*)
Calcium chloride is an inorganic salt used in its solid state or as aqueous solutions in a multitude of research and industrial areas going from chemical industry to food, cosmetics or drugs production. This paper was directed to establish mathematical models relating its density and dynamic viscosity with factors such as temperature and concentration since it is known that these properties present a high influence on appropriate transport pipes dimensions and industrial equipment choosing and / or designing processes. The assessment and selection of the adequate models were realized by testing various software’s and equations. The obtained results revealed that calcium chloride aqueous solutions studied thermodynamic properties can accurately be expressed by quadratic (density) and respectively by linear equations (dynamic viscosity) or by more complex equations. Correlation coefficient, relative error and ANOVA values revealed no significant differences between experimental and calculated data.