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Summary Background Globally, cancer ranks among the most common causes of death. Multiple experimental and clinical studies have investigated anticancer effects of honey with promising results. This study focused on potential background mechanisms of this effect. Methods The current literature was reviewed for potential anticancer pathways which are suggested for honey and its ingredients. Results Flavonoids (kaempferol, catechin, and quercetin) and phenolic acids (caffeic acid and gallic acid) are the most important ingredients of honey with known anti-cancer activity. The main suggested mechanisms for anti-cancer activity of honey and its ingredients are antioxidant, apoptotic, tumor necrosis factor inhibiting, antiproliferative, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and estrogenic effects. Conclusion This review collates the current scientific understanding on the mechanism of anti-cancer activity of honey.

A high amount of sugar is used in bakery products, which may cause diabetes, high blood glucose levels and obesity. Due to these reasons, sugar is being replaced with substitutes. There is different carbohydrate-based sugar substitutes (polyols) that can efficiently replace sugar. Among polyols, sorbitol is an efficient replacer that can mimic sugar with minimal effects on cookie quality. Effects of different sorbitol levels (0 to 12.5%) were seen on the dough rheology. Mixographic studies showed that peak height and mixing time reduced with the addition of sorbitol. Farinographic studies showed that water absorption and the mixing tolerance index of dough reduced with the supplementation of sorbitol, whereas dough development time, arrival time, dough stability time and softening of dough increased. Extensographic studies revealed that sorbitol substitution produced hard, cohesive, adhesive and elastic dough. Sugar in cookies formulations was reduced from 100 to 50% by replacing with sorbitol 0 to 50%. Physical analysis of sorbitol containing cookies showed that the diameter and spread factor of cookies decreased with higher levels of sorbitol, whereas thickness, color, hardness and water activity of cookies increased. The calorific value of cookies decreased with the increasing levels of sorbitol. At upto 20% replacement of sugar, other parameters of cookies were not affected. Sensory evaluation of the cookies showed that hedonic points for sensory evaluation parameters reduced with the increasing levels of sorbitol, T2 (20% replacement) showed maximum overall acceptability.

Food scientist are actively involved to improve the quality of wheat through composite flour technology by supplementing wheat flour with other grain flours. Barley grains are outstanding source of total dietary fibers (TDF) and offers remarkable quantity of active ingredients for health elevation and disease prevention. Purposely, the current research work was designed to improve the nutritional potential of wheat chapattis by including barley flour 10%, 20%, 30% along with the addition of functional blend (Methi powder and garlic paste) 2%, 4%, 6% levels respectively. Wheat and barley composite flour were analyzed for its chemical, mineral, antioxidant and total dietary composition. The supplementation of barley flour and functional blend into wheat flour enhanced the mineral. Addition of barley flour and functional blend increased total phenolic in composite flour 0.41 (control) to 0.69 mg GAE.100g-1 and DPPH from 20.95 - 23.82%. Total dietary fiber in composite flour varied form 3.11% (control) to 7.69% (30% barley flour with 6% functional blend). Total dietary fiber in chapattis ranged from 6.04 (control) to 8.21% (30% barley flour with 6% functional blend). 30% supplementation of barley flour and 4% addition of functional blend presented better sensory response of the prepared chapattis. All the outcomes revealed that nutritionally rich chapattis should be incorporated in daily diet to explore the dietary worth of barley.

Synthesis of biodiesel from a non-edible source as Pistacia khinjuk seed oil via ultrasonic cavitation (UC) system is reported in this study. A heterogeneous catalyst sulphated tin oxide impregnated with silicon dioxide (SO42-/SnO2–SiO2) was employed during the transesterification reaction in an UC reactor. Parametric optimisation results revealed the maximum Pistacia khinjuk methyl ester (PiKME) yield was 88 wt.% at reaction time of 50 min, amplitude of 50%, catalyst amount of 3.5 wt.% and molar ratio of 13:1 (alcohol:oil). Performance of UC at optimised values was compared with mechanical stirring (MS). UC proved advantageous over MS with 3 times more time efficient. Hence, the superiority of UC over MS was established. About 3.2 fold higher reaction rate constant using UC (0.029 min−1) compared to MS (0.009 min−1). PiKME production via UC can potentially subsidise the overall cost of production by having 3.2 fold higher reaction rate constant than MS. PiKME met most of the fuel properties enlisted in EN14214 and ASTM D6751 standards.

Cheese whey is greenish yellow liquid separated during cheese processing. It accounts 80-90% of milk after cheese processing. It is usually wasted by cheese industries, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan that increases BOD and COD of dairy effluent. Various useful components like lactose, proteins, minerals etc. are present in whey. Among proteins, whey proteins are very effective in body muscle anabolism along with other health benefits. Present research utilized whey proteins in the form of protein supplement. Whey protein was precipitated by combination of pH, temperature and salt treatment followed by filtration. Two types of whey protein concentrates (WPCs) were formed. One was creamy textured while the other was in powder form. WPCs were added in broiler feed at the rate of 0.2% in powder form and 2% in the creamy texture form. Growth parameters like feed consumption, body weight and weight gain increased with whey protein supplement while had no effect on feed conversion ratio (FCR). Carcass traits like carcass, breast, thigh, wings, drumstick weight had significantly increased with the incorporation of whey protein while having non-significant effect on liver weight, GIT weight and GIT/carcass ratio. Whey protein supplementation exhibit no significant influence on packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin, lymphocytes and polymorphnuclear leukocyte (PMN) while exhibit significant impact on leukocytes and platelets. It is concluded that only 0.2% WPC (powder) exhibit significant impact on carcass growth while 2% WPC (creamy texture) supplementation improved the growth parameters but statistical analysis revealed it non-significant.

Physiochemical properties of biodiesel, a sustainable and green alternative fuel produced from renewable resources, are greatly influenced by the structural features of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Two feedstock oils, potentially contribution to cleaner technologies, refined cooking oil and waste cooking oil derived from palm olein have been studied. Fatty acid compositions of the refined cooking oil and waste cooking oil were analysed and confronted with other literature sources. Critical parameters such as cetane number (CN), iodine value, cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and oxidation stability (OS) were correlated with long-chain saturated factor and degree of unsaturation (DU) of fatty acid to match the international standards of cleaner biodiesel. OS in biodiesel has been met with the absence of linolenic acid. High saturated fatty acid provides high CN. The iodine value of feedstock oil met the European standard where the DU of the oils was less than 138. However, CFPP of refined cooking oil and waste cooking oil did not meet the demanding Spanish regional (RD 61/2006) standard due to the presence of stearic and palmitic acid, which tended to clog the fuel filter by precipitating while the biodiesel becomes cool. With the proposed triangular chart for biodiesel properties prediction, potential biodiesel fuels from various feedstock oils can be analysed.

Pretreatment of the kapok seed oil via esterification reaction has been investigated by using an ultrasonic cavitation reactor. Reaction parameters have been optimised by using response surface methodology and found as methanol to oil ratio of 16.23:1, catalyst amount of 9.94 wt% and reaction time of 20.08 min at amplitude of 32.04 %. The significance of the reaction parameters toward free fatty acid reduction was in the order of amplitude > reaction time > molar ration of methanol to oil > catalyst amount. The reaction time and esterified efficiency of ultrasonic cavitation was 4.5-fold shorter and 10.5-fold higher than mechanical stirring. The reactant used per produced biodiesel in ultrasonic cavitation process was about 2.6 lower compared to mechanical stirring process.

In the present work, new data on the densities and refractive indices for 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate [hmim][FAP] with N-methyldiethanolamine are reported for various concentrations and at temperatures (303.15–328.15) K. Excess molar volumes $${V^{\text{E}}}$$ and excess refractive indices $$ n_{\text{D}}^{\text{E}}$$ were calculated from the experimental data. Refractive index values for the binary mixtures were predicted by using Lorentz–Lorenz, Gladstone–Dale and Eykman equations. Excess molar volumes showed positive trend, whereas excess refractive indices showed negative trend over the entire range of temperatures and concentrations studied in the present research.

Chemical interesterification of rubber seed oil has been investigated for four different designed orifice devices in a pilot scale hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) system. Upstream pressure within 1-3.5bar induced cavities to intensify the process. An optimal orifice plate geometry was considered as plate with 1mm dia hole having 21 holes at 3bar inlet pressure. The optimisation results of interesterification were revealed by response surface methodology; methyl acetate to oil molar ratio of 14:1, catalyst amount of 0.75wt.% and reaction time of 20min at 50°C. HC is compared to mechanical stirring (MS) at optimised values. The reaction rate constant and the frequency factor of HC were 3.4-fold shorter and 3.2-fold higher than MS. The interesterified product was characterised by following EN 14214 and ASTM D 6751 international standards.

Physical properties, namely, density and refractive index of the ternary mixture consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate + monoethanolamine + water have been measured at temperature range from (303.15 to 353.15) K. The measured density and refractive index data were correlated as a function of concentration and temperature. The excess properties (excess molar volume and excess refractive indices) have been deduced from the experimental physical properties.

The densities and refractive indices of ternary system of bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium acetate ([bheaa]) + monoethanolamine + water have been measured at T = (303.15 to 353.15) K. The measured density and refractive index data were correlated as a function of concentration and temperature. Excess molar volumes and refractive index deviations were calculated from the measured densities and refractive indices at each temperature. The excess molar volumes are negative and the refractive index deviations are positive at all conditions.

Binary mixtures of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [hmim][BF4] with N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) were prepared. Physical properties namely, density ρ, dynamic viscosity η and refractive index nD, of the binary mixtures were measured over a temperature range of 303.15 K to 323.15 K. The measured density and refractive index data were correlated as a function of concentration and temperature. Excess molar volumes VE were deduced from the experimental data. Excess molar volumes showed positive deviations over the entire range of concentrations and temperatures indicating a weak interaction between [hmim][BF4] and MDEA. Viscosity data for the binary mixtures were correlated by using the Kendall–Monroe model.