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Excess of free radicals accelerates the degradation of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion due to oxidative damage resulting in low emulsion quality such as in lotion formulation. The blend of antioxidants in O/W emulsion could reduce the damage caused by the radical compounds. The crude extract of Strobilanthes crispus (S. crispus) leaves was screened for assessing bioactive phytochemical constituents. By using various chemical assays, the extract of S. crispus leaves revealed the presence of tannins, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids and glycosides. Besides that, the antioxidant activity of the leaf extract, spray-dried extract, a lotion containing extract and other local and abroad commercial lotions were determined as references using standard methods such as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and reducing power assay. In terms of TFC, the highest, 10.591±0.01 mg QE/g was recorded in crude extract along with the highest reducing power and percentage inhibition, 25.40±0.02 mg GAE/g and 88.89 % respectively. The result from TPC value can be a good indicator for a longer shelf life of the O/W emulsion if compared to other results from TPF, reducing power and DPPH value. From this study, it can be concluded that S. crispus has potential as a good natural antioxidant ingredient for the emulsion of O/W formulation.

Mature pods of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit were utilized as raw material for nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) production. NCC’s isolation begins with L. leucocephala fiber’s alkaline treatment with sodium hydroxide, followed by bleaching treatment at three different percentages (3%, 5%, and 7%) of sodium hypochlorite. Acid hydrolysis was then conducted to obtain NCC, which was comprehensively characterized in terms of morphology, chemical functional groups, whiteness index, and crystallinity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemical composition results showed that alkali treatment (NaOH) and bleaching (3%, 5%, and 7% of sodium hypochlorite, NaClO) were effective in the removal of lignin and hemicellulose. The variation of sodium hypochlorite concentration affected physical and structural characteristics of the NCC produced, which exhibited a rod-shaped structure with diameters ranging from 17 to 49 nm. These observations provide insight into the potential utilization of L. leucocephala as raw material for preparing nanocellulose, which may address problems of the underutilized mature pods.

β-bonded polysaccharides are biopolymer substances used as functional ingredients that provide nutritional benefits and health implications. They are extracted from several sources which include higher plants, yeasts, fungi, etc. Applications of β-bonded polysaccharides cover a wide range of benefits, which include new sensorial properties, texture, less use of fat, and improvement to gut health. Incorporation of β-bonded polysaccharides in food formulations is set to grow worldwide and some of them are already used as food ingredients. In this article, we attempted to review recent studies on chemical characteristics, functional properties, and therapeutic values of different β-bonded polysaccharides. Some gaps in knowledge that require further research are also highlighted.

This study was carried out to compare the antioxidant and nutritional properties of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) sap with other natural sources of sugar such as sugar palm (Borassus flabellifer) and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). Coconut sap and juice from sugar palm and sugarcane were analyzed for proximate composition, pH and total soluble solid (TSS), color, sugar profile, vitamin profile, antioxidant properties (total phenolic contents, DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS), and mineral content. The results indicated that coconut sap possesses high DPPH (23.42%), FRAP (2.09 mM/ml), and ABTS (21.85%) compared with the juices. Coconut sap also had high vitamin C (116.19 µg/ml) and ash (0.27%) contents, especially in potassium (960.87 mg/L) and sodium (183.21 mg/L) which also indicating high content of minerals. These properties showed that coconut sap could be served as a potential healthier sugar source compared with sugar palm and sugarcane juices., Coconut sap could be served as a potential healthier sugar source compared with sugar palm and sugarcane juices as it carries more minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins.

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) sugar is a more nutritious alternative sugar source as compared to sugar palm (Borassus flabellifer) and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). This work was aimed to investigate the browning index (BI), vitamin profile and antioxidant properties of coconut sap sugar syrups, which were produced by different processing methods: rotary evaporation (RE), microwave evaporation (ME) and open-heat evaporation (OHE). The results obtained showed that coconut sugar syrup produced by RE-60 contained high antioxidant activities [DPPH (36.71%) and ABTS (34.84%), TPC (299.87 mg per 100 g sample) and FRAP (3.74 mm)]. These values were slightly lower than those of ME and OHE. Coconut sugar syrup (RE-60) also contained higher amounts of vitamin C (1587.27 mg L−1), vitamin B1 (97.44 mg L−1) and vitamin B3 (19.84 mg L−1) compared with those of ME and OHE coconut sugar syrups. RE-60 was the best method to produce coconut sugar syrup in a shorter time with lower browning index and higher vitamin contents.

Lauric fat blends aimed for bakery shortening were prepared as a ternary mixture characterised by three distinct melting peaks on their differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) melting thermograms. Those melting peaks closely correlated to the high, medium, and low melting fractions (HMF, MMF and LMF) in the blends. In the simpler binary mixture, hard fats, (i.e. palm stearin and fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil) formed an ideal solubility in different liquid oils [i.e. medium chain triacylglycerol oil (MCI-oil) and high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO)]. However, slight deviations from ideality were observed when liquid oils were replaced by lauric oils (i.e. palm kernel oil and coconut oil). In the more complex ternary mixture, the I HMF formed an ideal solubility in both the MMF and LMF within the range of given formulas. In addition, the interaction of solid crystals in lauric fat blends was of monotectic behaviour as shown in the isosolid diagram. Nevertheless, the influence of solubility seemed to override that of solid interaction. Both the solubility curves and isosolid lines can provide valuable information about the interaction of HMF, MMF and LMF in lauric fat blends. Therefore, they are useful for improving the formulation of plastic fats.

Analysis of halal food requires that the laboratories conductive the tests adhere to international guidelines and standards. Common worldwide guidelines and standards for laboratory include the ‘International Organization for Standardization 17025’ (ISO 17025), the ‘Good Manufacturing Practice’ (GMP), and ‘Good Laboratory Practice’ (GLP). In halal analysis, the laboratory shall comply with ISO 17025, GMP, and ‘Good Hygiene Practice’ (GHP) as stated in the ‘Manual Procedure for Malaysia Halal Certification’ (MPPHM). This article discusses the basic requirements for laboratory practises, specifically for halal analysis. The study compares these international guidelines with ‘Malaysia Halal Standards’ to demonstrate that these international standards are combined with Islamic practices to produce valid test results using globally recognized best-practices. This promotes confidence in the halal laboratory’s work both nationally and internationally, and will thus improve international trade. Keywords: Halal analysis, ISO 17025, GMP, GLP, laboratory operation.

Sweet potato starch (SPS) films from local Malaysia varieties particularly, VitAto (orange-fleshed) and Anggun (purple-fleshed) were developed to characterize the physical, mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties. The SPS films were fabricated by solvent casting technique, incorporating different types and concentrations of plasticizer including sorbitol (S) and glycerol (G) at 0, 15, and 30 % of starch. The VitAto SPS films exhibited higher brightness and lower solubility in water than the Anggun SPS films. The plasticized SPS films with 15 % plasticizer demonstrated better tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EaB) than the films containing 30 % plasticizer. For the plasticized VitAto SPS films at 15 % loading, the glycerol and sorbitol-plasticized films demonstrated better mechanical and thermal properties than the plasticized Anggun SPS films. The addition of 5 % thymol into SPS films increased the film solubility in water and improved the EaB, while the TS was reduced remarkably. Functional chemical analysis confirmed the presence of intermolecular interaction between the film’s components. The SPS films with thymol showed positive inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in liquid media. Qualitative observations revealed that the active SPS films was able to reduce the growth of fungal on cherry tomato samples and retained the firmness of the food sample. The active SPS films have the potential to be used in food packaging in order to prolong the shelf life of perishable food products.

Gelatin and collagen are considered halal-critical ingredients as they are typically derived from either bovine or porcine animals. Current analytical methods for determining the sources of gelatin and collagen suffer from limitations in terms of robustness and false positives in peptide matching. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the utility of monitoring hydroxyproline, a signature amino acid for gelatin and collagen, for identifying potentially haram foodstuffs. To determine the hydroxyproline profiles among animal- and plant-based samples, one-way univariate analysis of variance followed by pair-wise comparison was used to establish statistical significance. Multivariate chemometric analysis through principal component analysis revealed a discrete distribution pattern among 59 samples due to hydroxyproline variability. Finally, inter- and intra-laboratory comparisons demonstrated the validity and robustness of hydroxyproline determination according to ISO 17025. Thus, this preliminary identification technique will aid the identification of potentially haram foodstuffs.

Background Coconut sugar has a caramel color with a taste like brown sugar. It is commonly used as natural sweetener. However, coconut sugar has been produced from coconut sap using a traditional method that involves heating the sap at high temperature (>100 °C) in an open pan for a long period (3-5 h). This conventional method results in an over-cooked sugar, which leads to quality deterioration in terms of both its physical and chemical properties. The current study aimed to investigate the processing of coconut sap into sugar syrup using alternative processing techniques such as rotary vacuum evaporation (RE) and microwave evaporation (ME), comparing them with open-heat evaporation (OHE) technique. Results Coconut sugar syrup produced by rotary evaporation at 60 °C and 250 mbar vacuum (RE-60) required the shortest production time (12.2 min) and the lowest processing temperature (54.8 °C) when compared with ME (13 min and 103.2 °C) and OHE (46.8 min and 101.6 °C). It also had a light brownish color with a higher L* value (35.17) than the ME (29.84) and OHE (23.84) methods. It was found to contain higher amounts of monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and lower amounts of disaccharides (sucrose). Furthermore, the amount of energy required for RE-60 (0.35 kWh) was much less than for OHE (0.83 kWh). Conclusion This study provided an alternative processing method for the sugar processing industry to produce coconut sugar using the rotary evaporation method at 60 °C under 250 mbar vacuum with better physicochemical qualities, shorter processing time, and minimum input energy. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fish oil is a common source of fat in fish feed production. However, there is a tendency to substitute fish oil with other fats such as lard to reduce production costs. Thus, an efficient method for lard detection is highly needed for fish feed’s authenticity. In this study, sn-2 fatty acids (sn-2 FAs) and fatty acid (FA) compositions were incorporated with chemometric techniques namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and Orthogonal Partial Least Square-Regression (OPLS-R) to identify lard adulteration in the fish feeds. The inclusion of sn-2 FAs into PCA model 2 exhibited a preferable variation pattern relative to PCA model 1. The PCA identified C14:0, C18:0, C18:2, C18:3, C20:0 sn-2 C16:0, sn-2 C18:0, sn-2 C18:1, and sn-2 C18:2 were the most significant FAs to discriminate the fish feeds. The inclusion of sn-2 FA composition improved the OPLS-DA model 2 performance by providing more significant class discrimination between lard-adulterated, and non-adulterated fish feeds as compared to OPLS-DA model 1. The OPLS-DA model 2 identified C18:0, C18:2, C18:3, and sn-2 C16:0 FAs as markers of lard adulteration with an increment in the value of the coefficient of determination (R2) and decrement in the Root Mean Square Error of Estimation (RMSEE) and Root Mean Standard of Cross-Validation (RMSECV) values. The Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Multilayer Perceptron-Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN), and internal and external validations corroborated the OPLS-DA model 2 and OPLS-R model 2 performances. Therefore, the incorporation of sn-2 FA and FA compositions coupled with the chemometric techniques had improved the detection and quantification of lard adulteration in fish feeds.

Identification of honey origin based on specific chemical markers is important for honey authentication. This study is aimed to differentiate Malaysian stingless bee honey from different entomological origins (Heterotrigona bakeri, Geniotrigona thoracica and Tetrigona binghami) based on physicochemical properties (pH, moisture content, ash, total soluble solid and electrical conductivity) and volatile compound profiles. The discrimination pattern of 75 honey samples was observed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA), Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The profiles of H. bakeri and G. thoracica honey were close to each other, but clearly separated from T. binghami honey, consistent with their phylogenetic relationship. T. binghami honey is marked by significantly higher electrical conductivity, moisture and ash content, and high abundance of 2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde, 2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexene-1-acetaldehyde and ethyl 2-(5-methyl-5-vinyltetrahydrofuran-2-yl)propan-2-yl carbonate. Copaene was proposed as chemical marker for G. thoracica honey. The potential of different parameters that aid in honey authentication was highlighted.

Lard extracted from adipose tissue of swine was traditionally used as shortening in the production of bread, biscuit, cake, etc. Inclusion of lard in any consumer products is, however, prohibitive under the Halal and Kosher food regulations, as well as vegetarian dietary rules. Hence, there were attempts by several research groups to produce fat blends using plant lipids to replace lard in food formulations. Blend formulation simulating the properties of lard was done in combination of binary, tertiary, and quaternary mixtures of plant fats of various origins. The formulated blends were evaluated against lard in terms of composition, thermal properties, and rheological characteristics. In a number of instances, selected best blends were evaluated for their performance characteristic in real products such as cookies, meat products, etc. This chapter provides a concise overview of the developments taken place on this area.

The present study investigates the detection of lard in cocoa butter through changes in fatty acids composition, triacylglycerols profile, and thermal characteristics. Cocoa butter was mixed with 1% to 30% (v/v) of lard and analyzed using a gas chromatography flame ionization detector, high performance liquid chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results revealed that the mixing of lard in cocoa butter showed an increased amount of oleic acid in the cocoa butter while there was a decrease in the amount of palmitic acid and stearic acids. The amount of POS, SOS, and POP also decreased with the addition of lard. A heating thermogram from the DSC analysis showed that as the concentration of lard increased from 3% to 30%, two minor peaks at −26 °C and 34.5 °C started to appear and a minor peak at 34.5 °C gradually overlapped with the neighbouring major peak. A cooling thermogram of the above adulterated cocoa butter showed a minor peak shift to a lower temperature of −36 °C to −41.5 °C. Values from this study could be used as a basis for the identification of lard from other fats in the food authentication process.

Geniotrigona thoracica ( G. thoracica ) stingless bee honey contained high moisture that can easily lead to fermentation process. The high moisture content of stingless bee honey could lead to unwanted fermentation and crystallization form. Hence, it will affect the quality of honey in terms of acidic taste and undesirable appearance. To make sure stingless bee honey meets the standard set by IHC, some methods have been carried out to reduce its moisture content. This study investigates the moisture reduction during storage of G. thoracica stingless bee honey in a clay pot. The G. thoracica honeys were stored in clay pot with the inner volume of 75.4cm 3 and glass bottle (as control) at 25˚C for 21 days. Physicochemical analysis of honey such as moisture content, total soluble solid, water activity, viscosity, pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity, colour (L*, a* and b*) and colour intensity were investigated during storage. The result obtained indicated that the honey stored in a clay pot was significantly reduced the moisture content from 28.03% to 16.51%. The water activity (a w ) of honey in a clay pot was also reduced from 0.779 to 0.601. The free acidity of honey stored in a glass bottle increased significantly compared to honey stored in a clay pot, which was initially 106.7meq/kg to 146.3meq/kg and 121.7meq/kg, respectively. In conclusion, the application of clay pot as a storage medium was capable to reduce water content and preserved the quality of honey from G. thoracica .

The seeds (6.9±0.2% by weight of fruit) of the red-skin rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) contain a considerable amount of crude fat (38.0±4.36%) and thus, the aim of the study was to determine the physico-chemical properties of this fat for potential applications. The iodine and saponification values, and unsaponifiable matter and free fatty acid contents of the seed fat were 50.27 g I2/100g fat, 182.1 mg KOH/g fat, 0.8% and 2.1%, respectively. The fat is pale yellow with a Lovibond color index of 3.1Y+1.1R. The fatty acid profile indicates an almost equal proportion of saturated (49.1%) and unsaturated (50.9%) fatty acids, where oleic (42.0%) and arachidic (34.3%) acids were the most dominant fatty acids. It also contained small amounts of stearic (8.0%), palmitic (4.6%), gadoleic (5.9%), linoleic (2.2%), behenic (2.1%) palmitoleic (0.7%) myristic (0.1%) and erucic (0.1%) acids. HPLC analysis showed that the fat comprised mainly unknown triacylglycerols (TAG) with high retention times indicating they have higher carbon numbers compared with many vegetable oils. The fat has melting and cooling points of 44.2°C and -42.5°C, respectively, making it a semi-solid at room temperature. The solid content at 0°C was 53.5% and the fat melted completely at 40°C. z-Nose analysis showed that the presence of high levels of volatile compounds in red-skin rambutan seed and seed fat.

BACKGROUND: The seeds of musk lime (Citrus microcarpa) represent a substantial waste product of small-scale citrus-processing factories, as they constitute about 100.0 ± 3.2 g kg−1 of the whole fruit and contain a considerable amount of crude fat (338.0 ± 11.3 g kg−1). Thus the aim of the present study was to determine the physicochemical properties of this fat with a view to potential applications. RESULTS: The iodine and saponification values and unsaponifiable matter and free fatty acid contents of the freshly extracted oil were 118.0 g I2 per 100 g oil, 192.6 mg KOH g−1 oil, 22 mg g−1 oil and 18 mg oleic acid g−1 oil respectively. The oil had a Lovibond colour index of 33.1 Y + 1.1 B. Its fatty acid profile indicated that 73.6% of the fatty acids present were unsaturated. Linoleic (L, 31.8%), oleic (O, 29.6%) and palmitic (P, 21.4%) acids were the predominant fatty acids, existing mainly as the triacylglycerols POL (18.9%), PLL (13.7%) and OLL (11.9%). The melting and cooling points of the oil were 10.7 and − 45.2 °C respectively. Electronic nose qualitative analysis of the oil showed the presence of volatile (aroma) compounds, although the concentrations of the more volatile compounds were lower than those present in the seeds. CONCLUSION: Musk lime seeds are a rich source of oil, which is unusual in having linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids dominating the fatty acid composition. This property should make the oil both relatively stable to thermal oxidation owing to the combined presence of oleic and palmitic acids (61.0%) and highly nutritive owing to its high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids (73.6%). Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry