The hot air convective drying characteristics of blanched tomato (Lycopersicon esculantum L.) slices have been investigated. Drying experiments were carried out at four different temperatures (50, 60, 65 and 70 °C). The effect of drying temperatures on the drying behavior of the tomato slices was evaluated. All drying experiments had only falling rate period. The average effective diffusivity values varied from 0.5453 × 10(-9) to 2.3871 × 10(-9) m(2)/s over the temperature range studied and the activation energy was estimated to be 61.004 kJ/mol. In order to select a suitable form of the drying curve, six different thin layer drying models (Henderson-Pabis, Page, Diamante et al., Wang and Singh, Logarithmic and Newton models) were fitted to the experimental data. The goodness of fit tests indicated that the Logarithmic model gave the best fit to experimental results, which was closely followed by the Henderson-Pabis model. The influence of varied drying temperatures on quality attributes of the tomato slices viz. Hunter color parameters, ascorbic acid, lycopene, titratable acidity, total sugars, reducing sugars and sugar/acid ratio of dried slices was also studied. Slices dried at 50 and 60 °C had high amount of total sugars, lycopene, sugar/acid ratio, Hunter L- and a-values. Drying of slices at 50 °C revealed optimum retention of ascorbic acid, sugar/acid ratio and red hue, whereas, drying at higher temperature (65 and 70 °C) resulted in a considerable decrease in nutrients and colour quality of the slices.

Valorization of oilseed processing wastes is thwarted due to the presence of several antinutritional factors such as phenolics, tannins, glucosinolates, allyl isothiocyanates, and phytates; moreover, literature reporting on their simultaneous extraction and subsequent practical application is scanty. Different solvent mixtures containing acetone or methanol pure or combined with water or an acid (hydrochloric, acetic, perchloric, trichloroacetic, phosphoric) were tested for their efficiency for extraction of these antinutritive compounds from rapeseed press-cake. Acidified extraction mixtures (nonaqueous) were found to be superior to the nonacidified ones. The characteristic differences in the efficacy of these wide varieties of solvents were studied by principal component analysis, on the basis of which the mixture 0.2% perchloric acid in methanol/acetone (1:1 v/v) was deemed as "the best" for detoxification of rapeseed meal. Despite its high reductive potential, hemolytic activity of the extract from this solvent mixture clearly indicated the toxicity of the above-mentioned compounds on mammalian erythrocytes. Because of the presence of a high amount of antinutritive antioxidants, the study was further extended to examine the influence of this solvent extract on the stability of waste cooking oil-derived biodiesel. Treatment with the extract harbored significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the induction periods and pronounced reduction in microbial load of stored biodiesel investigated herein. Thus, a suitable solvent system was devised for removing the major antinutrients from rapeseed press-cake, and the solvent extract can, thereafter, be used as an effective exogenous antioxidant for biodiesel. In other words, integrated valorization of two different industrial wastes was successfully achieved.

The attention of researchers is burgeoning toward oilseed press-cake valorization for its high protein content. Protein removal from oil-cakes generates large quantities of fibrous residue (oil-and-protein spent meal) as a byproduct, which currently has very limited practical utility. In the wake of increasing awareness in waste recycling, a simple environmentally benign hydrothermal carbonization process to convert this "end-of-pipe" waste (spent meal) into antioxidative, hemocompatible, fluorescent carbonaceous nanoparticles (FCDs) has been described. In the present investigation, an interesting application of FCDs in fabricating low-cost rapeseed protein-based fluorescent film, with improved antioxidant potential (17.5-19.3-fold) and thermal stability has been demonstrated. The nanocomposite film could also be used as forgery-proof packaging due to its photoluminescence property. For assessing the feasibility of antioxidative FCDs in real food systems, a comparative investigation was further undertaken to examine the effect of such nanocarbon-loaded composite film on the oxidative shelf life of rapeseed oil. Oil samples packed in nanocomposite film sachets showed significant delay in oxidative rancidity compared to those packed in pristine protein-film sachet (free fatty acids, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances reduced up to 1.4-, 2-, and 1.2-fold, respectively). The work presents a new concept of biobased fluorescent packaging and avenues for harnessing this potent waste.

Influence of maleylation on the physicochemical and functional properties of rapeseed protein isolate was studied. Acylation increased whiteness value and dissociation of proteins, but reduced free sulfhydryl and disulfide content (p < 0.05). Intrinsic fluorescence emission and FTIR spectra revealed distinct perturbations in maleylated proteins' tertiary and secondary conformations. Increase in surface hydrophobicity, foaming capacity, emulsion stability, protein surface load at oil-water interface and decrease in surface tension at air-water interface, occurred till moderate level of modification. While maleylation impaired foam stability, protein solubility and emulsion capacity were markedly ameliorated (p < 0.05), which are concomitant with decreased droplet size distribution (d 32 ). In-vitro digestibility and cytotoxicity tests suggested no severe ill-effects of modified proteins, especially up to low degrees of maleylation. The study shows good potential for maleylated rapeseed proteins as functional food ingredient.

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The presence of antinutritional constituents in rapeseed protein products (RPI), such as polyphenols, phytates, allyl isothiocyanates, and glucosinolates, is a formidable constraint. The effect of antinutrient removal from rapeseed meal with an organic solvent mixture (methanol/acetone, 1:1 v/v, combined with an acid (hydrochloric, acetic, perchloric, trichloroacetic, phosphoric)) on the physicochemical and functional properties of RPI was investigated. The extraction resulted in a substantial reduction of antinutrients from RPI, especially polyphenols and phytates, with concomitant decreases in protein yield and solubility. Treatment harbored significant improvement in the degree of whiteness, which was highest in the perchloric acid case. Surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl group of RPI changed considerably, with perchloric acid-treated samples showing higher values, whereas the disulfide content remarkably increased in trichloroacetic acid- and phosphoric acid-treated samples, signifying aggregation. Intrinsic emission fluorescence and FTIR spectra showed significant changes in proteins' tertiary and secondary conformations, and the changes were more pronounced in samples treated with higher concentrations of acids. No appreciable alteration appeared among the electrophoretic profiles of proteins from pristine meal and those treated with lower levels of acids. Interfacial surface properties of proteins were variably improved by the solvent extraction, whereas the converse was true for their extent of denaturation. The results suggest that the physicochemical and conformational properties of RPI are closely related to its functional properties.

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