Search

The essential oil was extracted from garlic powder by soxhlet extraction method using ethanol as a solvent. The yield of essential oil was influenced by extraction time and temperature. The maximum extraction yield was 16.55% under treatment- T7 (50 °C for 4 hours). The density and refractive index of the oil was 0.875 (g/ml) and 1.52 respectively. The oil is light yellowish in colour with a pungent odour. The maximum TOAC (12.01 mM α tocopherol per ml of essential oil) was found under T3 treatment. Essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The major chemical compound were: diallyl disulfide (48.42%), allyl methyl trisulfide (7.27%), trisulfide, di-2 propenyl (3.46%), and daillyl sulfide (7.64%). The results revealed that T7 was the best treatment among all treatments. This indicates the feasibility of garlic oil production at a commercial scale for culinary and medical utilization.

The emergence of green clean technology has escalated the use of eco-friendly biopolymer by substituting petroleum-derived polymers. Over the years, natural biopolymers’ properties have been evaluated to check their applicability in food packaging industries. However, most of the biopolymers show poor barrier and mechanical properties compared to petroleum-derived polymers. Recently, cellulose nanocrystal has acquired attention of the researchers as potential prospective filler, which can overcome the drawbacks of biopolymer films. The basic advantages of cellulose nanocrystal are its high strength and stiffness, high surface area, biodegradability, etc. Therefore, lignocellulosic biomass, animal, and bacterial cellulose have been used as feedstock of cellulose nanocrystal, and then incorporated into the biopolymer films. This review provides detailed procedure of cellulose nanocrystal extraction in a stepwise manner and discusses the changes in film properties after reinforcement into different biopolymers.

Global plastic pollution has increased alarmingly necessitating urgent solutions, like the development of biodegradable films. Therefore, the present study was taken up to develop and examine the effect of different organic acids on physical, barrier, mechanical, and structural properties of potato starch-guar gum based biodegradable composite film. Potato starch-guar gum films were modified by incorporating succinic, malic and tartaric acids at four different concentrations (4, 8, 12 &16%). The results of FTIR spectra showed a band at around 1724 cm−1 for all the acids incorporated films which is attributed to the formation of ester groups in the developed films. Crystallinity of all the films diminished after incorporating the organic acids into potato starch-guar gum film. It was observed that except succinic acid, other two acids contained films enhanced water vapor permeability by around 30% compared to the native potato starch-guar gum film (1.9 × 10−7 g mm/m2/Pa/s) due to higher dissociation constant the acids. Tensile strength of all the films decreased to around 2 MPa compared to native potato starch-guar gum films (8.3 MPa), whereas percentage elongation at break increased from 8.6% to 33%. Solubility in buffer solutions, opacity and morphology of the films were also investigated.

The present study describes the effect of betel leaf (Piper betle L.) essential oil (BLEO) on spore inactivation and cell viability of Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium expansum using predictive model and its antifungal activity in raw apple juice. Survival curve of the spores under minimum fungicidal concentration of BLEO was modelled by a modified Weibull model: log N = log N 0 − ( t / δ ) β . The forward and side-scatter parameters of flow cytometer suggested differences in size and complexity of spores. Propidium iodide was used as fluorescent stain to distinguish between viable and non-viable spores. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed morphological alterations of treated spores. The cell viability effect of BLEO on mycelial matrix of A. flavus and P. expansum was measured using tetrazolium salt MTT and the inhibition was fitted to dose-response curves. Mycelial biomass of a selected mould in raw apple juice treated with BLEO based microemulsion (BLEO-ME) having different concentration of BLEO was determined based on ergosterol content. BLEO-ME exhibited fungal growth inhibition in raw apple juice, which suggests potential of BLEO as antifungal agent in food system.

The Piper betle is a woody, perennial and climbing vine belonging to the family Piperaceae. The fresh leaves of betel vine, generally known as Paan in India, is cultivated at altitudes of 02–1400 m in high land, moist, tropical as well as subtropical region with an annual production worth about Rs. 9000 million. Betel leaves have a great importance on cultural, medicinal and economic aspects. Having a high nutritive and medicinal value, betel leaves prevent indigestion, constipation, bronchitis, congestion, coughs, asthma, etc. Due to perishable nature and quick spoilage, various preservation techniques are adopted to minimize the post-harvest losses of betel leaves. This chapter provides valuable information on biochemistry, processing, preservation and health benefits, and also focuses on various mechanisms that occur through several scientific research activities.

Piper betle L., belonging to Piperaceae family, known as a traditional herbal medicinal plant and used for several health benefits in Asian countries. Currently, demand for its products such as herbal drugs, medicines, and natural herbal formulations has increased. The beneficial effects of betel leaves and its products have traditionally exploited for the treatment of several diseases like bad breath, cuts, injuries, inflammations, cold cough, indigestion, etc. Till now, a broad range of bioactive compounds including polyphenols, terpenes, etc., has been identified from the extracts and essential oil (EO) of betel leaves. The structural and functional characterization of the extract and EO bio-actives has been derived by various advanced standard methods. Most of the health-related benefits of betel leaves have been associated with their bioactive phenolic compounds. The extract of this highly perishable product can be used in organic synthesis, food, and beverage industry, pharmaceuticals, etc., to the environmental issues. The present review provides information on extraction techniques, identification of bioactive compounds, and their biological activities. That apart, information on processing, preservation, and health benefits along with their mechanisms has also been added.

The leaves of Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) is of one of the most untapped sources of nutritional and medicinal properties. In this study D - optimal mixture design was used for the optimization of the formulation of the S. nigrum leaf soup. Characterization of the soup mix in terms of functional properties, hydration quality, and physical parameters like colour, viscosity and organoleptic acceptability were studied. Optimization of the soup mix treatments were based on viscosity, and the organoleptic acceptability of the formulated soup. It was found that 4% of leaf powder, 30% of starch and 66% of spice mix had the most optimal viscosity similar to the market available samples and most sensory preference in terms of colour, flavour, taste and mouthfeel. The final optimized soup mix was also nutritious with high levels of polyphenols around 32mg gallic acid equivalence, antioxidant content at 10 mM tocopherol equivalence and major proximate composition of 31.74% of crude protein, 27.3% total carbohydrates and 9% crude fiber content.

Betel leaf grows on a perennial vine (Piper betle L.). It is consumed in fresh and raw state for digestive, refreshing, stimulating, aphrodisiac, etc. effects by about two billion people. These beneficial effects, taste, and aroma are mainly contributed by the essential oil present in the leaves. This oil can be extracted from the leaves by various methods, but the betel leaf oil extractor is an efficient and economic option. The oil yield may range from 0.09% to 1.0% (wb) depending upon variety, extraction method, pretreatment, curing, agro-climatic conditions, etc. Betel oil is constituted by about 30–60 compounds which include eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, safrole, chavicol, hydroxychavicol, chavibetol, anethole, estragole, germecrene-D, etc. The oil possesses good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties at a very low concentration (>0.20 μl/ml), and the susceptible microorganisms include gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and fungi, such as Aspergillus, Candida, Escherichia, Penicillium, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Vibrio, etc. species. The oil can be utilized as an excellent food preservative and organoleptic enhancer. It may also provide multiple health benefits. Some food products have been developed by incorporating this oil ranging from 0.005% to 0.50%, such as cupcake, chocolate, biscuit, suji halwa, lozenge, etc. This oil has a potential future in the world food sector.

An escalated demand of minimally processed food and increased negative perception for synthetic preservative has led to a lookout for a natural preservative. Essential oils (EOs) are volatile and aromatic secondary metabolites of plants that have been tapped mainly for its flavour and fragrances and various biological properties such as antimicrobial and antioxidant. The constituents and antifungal potential of EOs have been reported widely in the present scientific literature. Moreover, the current scientific research dealing with the mode of action of EOs on fungal spores and mycelial cells are very scarce, unlike bacteria. The antimicrobial efficacy of EO in real food system may alter due to interaction with food matrix components. Besides, minimum alteration in sensory qualities while retaining its maximum activity is the most sought-after criteria for food preservation with EOs. If the oil is applied in excess to have better antimicrobial activity, it may end up having an unacceptable organoleptic impact on the food. Appropriate edible delivery systems of EOs as an emulsion is a probable approach to retain the maximum efficacy of EOs in the food system. Nano-emulsification of EO could increase its bioactivity due to increased bioavailability in the food matrix. The basis of this review is to provide an overview of current knowledge about the antifungal properties and antifungal mode of action of EOs, and to recognize the application of EO as nano-sized oil droplets in the food system.

The composition of potato starch (PS) and guar gum (GG) based biodegradable composite film was optimised based on physical, optical, mechanical and barrier properties. The rotatable central composite design applying desirability function was used to assess the effect of PS (2.5-4.5%), GG (0.2-0.8%) and glycerol (15-35%). The optimisation was performed considering minimization of film solubility, opacity, yellowness index and water vapour permeability; and maximization tensile strength and percentage elongation at break. Viscosity of film forming solution; thickness, moisture content and whiteness index of the films were also evaluated. The optimum value of PS, GG and glycerol was 3.7%, 0.4% and 15% (of total solids), respectively. All the independent variables depicted significant effect on the responses (p 0.05) except starch which did not exhibit any statistically significant effect on WVP. The structural characterisation of the optimised film was also analysed by FESEM and XRD which point to the semi-crystalline nature of the developed film.

The current study aimed at characterizing the chemical components of betel leaf (Piper betle L. var. Tamluk Mitha) essential oil (BLEO) and modelling its effect on growth of Penicillium expansum on semi-synthetic medium. Gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) analysis of BLEO revealed the presence of different bioactive phenolic compounds in significant amounts. Among 46 different components identified, chavibetol (22.0%), estragole (15.8%), β-cubebene (13.6%), chavicol (11.8%), and caryophyllene (11.3%) were found to be the major compounds of BLEO. A disc diffusion and disc volatilization method were used to evaluate antifungal activity of the oil against a selected food spoilage mould. The logistic model was used to study the kinetics of spore germination. Prediction and validation of antifungal effect of BLEO was performed on semi-synthetic medium (apple juice agar) using predictive microbiological tools. The Baranyi and Roberts model was used to estimate maximum growth rate (μmax in mm/day) and apparent lag time (λ in days) of the mould. Secondary modelling was performed using a re-parameterized Monod-type equation based on cardinal values to study the effect of different BLEO concentration on estimated growth parameters. Emax (minimum concentration of oil at which mould growth was inhibited) and MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration of BLEO at which lag time is infinite) value of BLEO against P. expansum was estimated to be 0.56 and 0.74 μl/ml, respectively, which was found to be similar on potato dextrose agar (PDA) as well as apple juice agar (AJA) medium. The correlation between estimated growth parameters of the mould on both the media was obtained with satisfactory statistical indices (R(2) and RMSE). This study revealed inhibitory efficacy of BLEO on spore germination, mycelial growth and apparent lag time of P. expansum in a dose-dependent manner. Hence, BLEO has potential to be used as a natural food preservative.

Betel leaf (Piper betle L.) var. Bangla is an essential oil (EO) rich plant belongs to Piperaceace family used as traditional herbal medicine. The extraction of EO from fresh and cured betel leaves is of high interest for industrial application. Thus, the present study was aimed to optimize the EO extraction and its bio-chemical characterisation. Box-Behnken Design coupled with response surface methodology was employed to optimize the independent variables such as liquid to solid ratio (30:1-50:1 mL/g), extraction time (5–7 h), and particle size (0–20 mesh). Quadratic polynomial models were found to be highly significant (p

Community Based Mangrove Management (CBMM) has been advocated by both academia and governing agencies as a viable alternative for sustainably managing the ecologically important mangrove forests which are disappearing rapidly worldwide. Drawing insights from diverse sustainability issues, capabilities and performances of worldwide CBMM initiatives were examined in this paper. Higher numbers of CBMM initiatives were reported from South Asia and lesser from South America and Africa. Identification of the causes of degradation at a site and use-specific zonal replantations with respect to species associations were identified as major criteria of ecological sustainability. Regarding economic sustainability, transformation of potential uses of mangroves known by local communities into actual ones was found to be necessary. Proper disbursement of accrued benefits among community members irrespective of their socio-cultural status is also a major concern. Restructuring of CBMM institutions by ensuring participation of subsistence based users in decision-making and resource sharing have been identified as a prime determinant of institutional sustainability. However, limited number of studies on socio-political and institutional aspects as well as impacts of globalization induced socio-cultural transformations of communities on CBMM had been actually found. More focused researches on these aspects had been recommended for better community management of these highly stressed forests.

Management of mangroves in a sustainable ecological as well as economic way is a difficult proposition and needs multi-disciplinary intervention. This paper highlights the importance of criteria and indicators to evaluate the status of performance of communities in managing their mangroves sustainably. The framework developed on the basis of 6 principles, 12 criteria, 36 indicators and 47 verifiers had been applied for assessment of Eco-Development Committees of the Sunderbans, India. Results show the presence of a highly positive correlation between performance of the committees and condition of the mangrove environment. Level of implementation of legal and institutional management strategies to protect mangroves proves to be the essential pre-condition in achieving sustainability. The study further demonstrates the effectiveness of the developed framework in the context of community forestry since the methodology was designed to be simple and flexible so as to apply it in forest management unit level without any major difficulty.

The current study is focused on the formulation and characterization of oil‐in‐water nanoemulsion of betel leaf (Piper betle L.) essential oil and its antibacterial efficacy. The nanoemulsion consists of essential oil of betel leaf as the dispersed phase, distilled water as a continuous phase and a nonionic surfactant Tween 20 (Polysorbate 20) as an emulsifier. Six emulsions were formulated varying the oil to surfactant ratio (vol/vol) from 1:1 to 1:6, using high‐energy emulsification process. Three samples, that is, S₂ = 1:2 (3% EO, 6% Tween 20), S₃ = 1:3 (3% EO, 9% Tween 20), and S₄ = 1:4 (3% EO, 12% Tween 20) shown droplet diameter of 50 ± 8, 70 ± 12, and 175 ± 7 nm, respectively. The formulated nanoemulsions showed antimicrobial activity as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.5–1.25 µl/ml and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 1–2.5 µl/ml against five strains of gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria. The formulated nanoemulsions thus can serve as natural antimicrobial agent for food system. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study can be useful in understanding the potential of essential oil from plant sources in food processing. It can also be helpful to formulate nanoemulsion from essential oil and its characterization. From characterization, researchers can get the knowledge about changes in the morphological characteristics of the nanoemulsion and also other physical properties. The thermodynamic and kinetic stability study of the nanoemulsions can give us an idea about the application in different food processing and preservation conditions. Furthermore, the use of essential oil in the food industry is mainly as a flavouring agent. Based on the antibacterial efficacy of the formulated nanoemulsions, it can also be utilized as a potential natural class one preservative.

Betel vine (Piper betle L.) is a root climber with deep green heart shaped leaves. It belongs to the Piperaceae family. There is a huge wastage of the leaves during glut season and it can be reduced by various means including extraction of medicinal essential oil which can be considered as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) materials. Therefore, attempts were made to develop a novel cup cake by incorporating essential oil of betel leaf. The textural properties of the cakes were measured by texture analyzer instrument; whereas the organoleptic properties were adjudged by human preferences using sensory tables containing 9-point hedonic scale. Price estimation was done considering all costs and charges. Finally, all parameters of the developed cake were compared with different cup cakes available in the market for ascertaining consumer acceptability of the newly developed product in terms of quality and market price. Results revealed that the Novel cup cake developed with 0.005 % (v/w) essential oil of betel leaf occupied the 1st place among the four developed novel cup cakes. However, it occupied 4th place among the nine cup cakes in the overall preference list prepared based on the textural and organoleptic qualities, though its market price was calculated to be comparable to all the leading cupcakes available in the market. This indicates that manufacturing of novel cup cake with essential oil of betel leaf would be a profitable and self-sustaining entrepreneurship.

Experiments were carried out during 1982–1984 in Chara -infested areas under farmer's-field conditions. Under the worst crop-weed competition, the alga accumulated ∼ 1060 kg dry matter ha −1 and removed 21.14 kg N ha −1 causing a reduction in rice yield of ∼41%. For safe, effective and economic control of Chara , a pre-emergence spray application of oxadiazon at 2 kg ha −1 was found to be highly effective and comparable to the efficacy of copper sulphate at 16 kg ha −1 . The dose of copper sulphate could be reduced to 0.75 kg ha −1 when applied in combination with an equal amount of oxadiazon. Combined application of these two herbicides was found to be much more effective than their single application. Postemergence application of the herbicides by means of mud balls, sand mix or the usual spray was ineffective.

Different ecological parameters were studied in rice fields and adjacent water bodies during 1983–1985 and 1987, to find the limiting environmental factor(s), if any, which can be manipulated for controlling the aquatic algal weed Chara . The survey results indicate that low light conditions created by dense crop canopy or turbidity, low pH, low concentrations of phosphorus in water, shallow water depth and frequent wetting-drying of soil after oospore germination is detrimental to the weed. Exploration of these factors for pollution free ecological control of the weed is discussed.