Sugar detection in adulterated honey using hyper-spectral imaging with stacking generalization method

This paper develops a new hybrid, automated, and non-invasive approach by combining hyper-spectral imaging, Savitzky-Golay (SG) Filter, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Machine Learning (ML) classifiers/regressors, and stacking generalization methods to detect sugar in honey. First, the 32 different sugar concentration levels in honey were predicted using various ML regressors. Second, the six ranges of sugar were classified using various classifiers. Third, the 11 types of honey and 100% sugar were classified using classifiers. The stacking model (STM) obtained R2: 0.999, RMSE: 0.493 ml (v/v), RPD: 40.2, a 10-fold average R2: 0.996 and RMSE: 1.27 ml (v/v) for predicting 32 sugar concentrations. The STM achieved a Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 99.7% and a Kappa score of 99.7%, a 10-fold average MCC of 98.9% and a Kappa score of 98.9% for classifying the six sugar ranges and 12 categories of honey types and a sugar.

Application of raw starch degrading enzyme from Laceyella sacchari LP175 for development of bacterial cellulose fermentation using colored rice as substrate

Brown and black rice substrates were applied for sugar syrup production by the hydrolysis of raw starch degrading enzyme (RSDE) from Laceyella sacchari LP175 (300 U/mL) and commercial glucoamylase (GA, 2.0 U/mL) at 50 °C for 12 h using a simplex centroid mixture design. Results indicated that 300 g/L of substrates, consisting of 255 g/L Leum Pua glutinous rice and 45 g/L Black Jasmine rice, gave the highest sugar syrup production at 124.6 ± 2.52 g/L with 2.00 ± 0.05 mg GAE/mL of total phenolic content (TPC), equivalent to 0.42 ± 0.01 g/g rice sample and 6.67 ± 0.15 mg GAE/g rice sample, respectively. The obtained sugar syrup was used as the substrate for production of bacterial cellulose (Nata) by Komagataeibacter xylinus AGR 60 in a plastic tray at room temperature for 9 days. The fermentation medium containing 200 mL of rice syrup (25 g/L), 2.0 g of ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] and 0.4 mL glacial acetic acid yielded 1.1 ± 0.08 cm thickness with 8.15 ± 0.12 g of dry weight. The obtained bacterial cellulose from colored rice was characterized compared with bacterial cellulose from the conventional coconut juice by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) which demonstrated that the sugar syrup from colored rice could use as substrate for a novel bacterial cellulose as a healthy product in the future through microbial enzyme technological process.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02673-3.

Evaluation of vacuum impregnation as a novel approach for soaking of fried Gulabjamun balls

Vacuum impregnation of sugar syrup into sub-baric fried Gulabjamun was evaluated as a technological approach to prepare a product of most acceptable quality. Sugar syrup concentrations (40, 50 and 60 °Brix) in combination with process time (2, 4 and 6 min) were analyzed for their effect on product quality in terms of its overall acceptability, expansion ratio, hardness, juiciness and sugar content. The effect of the process conditions on the five listed responses during the vacuum impregnation process was evaluated using response surface methodology and modelled using a second order polynomial equation. The optimum combination was obtained as soaking in a syrup of 55 °Brix for 5 min and was experimentally validated for its real time adequacy. The experimental values of the quality parameters thus obtained were found to be in close agreement with the predicted values.

Graded levels of sugar syrup in broiler rations and its effect on growth performance and blood biochemical parameters

Dietary energy for chickens normally includes cereal grains and fat. This innovative study investigated the effect of replacing part of the corn and fat in broiler chicken rations with graded levels of sugar syrup on growth performance and biochemical parameters. Experimental treatments consisted of feeding a corn-soy basal diet alone, or with graded levels of sugar syrup in increments of 5%, 10% and 15%. All starter diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Body weight gain and efficiency of feed utilization of chicks fed the control diet alone were not significantly (P < 0.05) different from chicks fed diets supplemented with either 5% or 15% sugar syrup. Supplementation of sugar syrup to broiler diets had no significant effect on blood glucose, creatinine, total protein, or liver enzymes. Adding 5% sugar syrup to broiler rations significantly decreased blood cholesterol and triglycerides in chickens fed the sugar syrup diet compared with birds fed the control diet. In conclusion, the results shows sugar syrup can be used in poultry ration to replace part of the corn as a source of energy. These results allowed the authors to recommend the safe usage of sugar syrup in broiler rations.

Efficacy of various techniques on biochemical characteristics and bitterness of pummelo juice

The consumer acceptability of pummelo juice is affected badly due to the presence of bitter principles in it. Therefore in order to avoid such bitterness development, the extracted juice from pummelo was subjected to five different treatments like juice diffused into syrup (70°Brix), lye peeling of segments in boiling NaOH for 2-3 min, increasing the pH of juice, hot water treatment (50 °C) prior to peeling for 20 min and without any treatment (control) for suppressing the development of bitterness in the juice. Based on bio-chemical analysis, diffusion of juice into syrup (70°Brix) showed better result as compared to other treatments. The maximum amount of TSS was found in juice diffused into syrup (i. e. 45, 30 and 15°Brix) along with highest TSS/acid ratio (92.21, 49.87 and 17.53). Higher amount of acidity was observed in pH adjusted samples with 4.25, 4.50 and 4.75 respectively. However, control samples showed higher amount of ascorbic acid (73.97 mg/100 ml juice) content followed by pH adjusted samples. The highest organoleptic score for taste (8.00), colour (8.83), aroma (8.66), overall acceptability (7.88) and extent of debittering (7.50) were recorded in juice diffused into syrup 70°Brix and achieved final TSS of juice at 45, 30 and 15°Brix respectively. Moreover, the above treatment (juice diffused into syrup 70°Brix) showed promising low cost and easy to adopt technique of debittering in respect of extent of debittering and maintaining sensory quality during storage of pummel juice.

Revelation in the field of tissue preservation - a preliminary study on natural formalin substitutes

INTRODUCTION

The quest for formalin substitutes has long been going on due to its health hazards. Honey has been proven as a safe alternative to formalin. However, we explored more economical, eco-friendly & readily available substances like sugar & jaggery as natural substitutes for formalin. The aim of this study was to compare the tissue fixation abilities of honey, sugar syrup & jaggery syrup with that of formalin using H & E stain and to determine the best fixative among the three.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Commercially available fresh goat meat (buccal mucosa) was cut into five bits & each bit was placed in five different containers containing 10% buffered formalin, distilled water, 20% honey, 20% sugar syrup & 30% jaggery syrup with formalin as positive control & distilled water as negative control. 24 hours tissue fixation was attained at room temperature followed by conventional processing and staining. The tissue sections were assessed for cytoplasmic, nuclear details & staining quality under light microscopy. Each criteria was rated on a scale of 1- 4 (1 for poor & 4 for excellent) & the whole procedure was blinded. RESULTS were analysed by Kruskal Wallis ANOVA test. Inter-observer variability was determined by Kappa statistics.

RESULTS

The preservation of tissue by honey, sugar & jaggery syrup was comparable to that of formalin. Among the three natural fixatives, jaggery syrup excelled.

CONCLUSION

Our effort of using sugar and jaggery for tissue fixation is first of its kind and yielded good results. Hence they can be successfully adopted in routine histopathology laboratories in place of formalin.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Natural fixatives can be used in place of the hazardous formalin with equal efficiency. Also, jaggery being highly economical and universally available can be employed in large scale as in screening camps. How to cite this article: Patil S, Premalatha B R, Rao R S, Ganavi B S. Revelation in the Field of Tissue Preservation - A Preliminary Study on Natural Formalin Substitutes. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(1):31-38.

Studies on dehydration of figs using different sugar syrup treatments

The ripe fig (Ficus carica L) fruits of cultivar cv., 'Deanna' were steam treated at 90°C and 10 psi for 5 min in autoclave. Steamed fruits were dipped in sucrose, glucose, fructose and invert sugar syrups at 50°Brix for 24 h for getting desired total soluble solids content. The treated fruits were further dried to 20% moisture in a cabinet dryer at 50-55°C. Good quality and acceptable dried figs could be prepared by using invert sugar syrup treatment. Dried figs prepared using invert sugar and packed in aluminum foil pouch and stored at ambient (27 ± 2°C) as well as refrigerated (10 ± 2°C) temperature remained in excellent condition up to 6 months.