Larysa Paniwnyk

The uses of ultrasound in food technology

Abstract The same physical and mechanical effects which have been utilised in sonochemistry, i.e. strong shear forces, particle fragmentation, increased mass and heat transfer, nucleation of seedling, have been applied to food processing. Examples are quoted from various applications where power ultrasound has been used to influence the development of living cells, improve sterilisation and effect enzyme activity. Typically ultrasound can be used as a processing aid in extraction, crystallisation, freezing, emulsification, filtration and drying.

Investigation of the effects of ultrasound on vegetal tissues during solvent extraction.

The paper presents an insight into the mechanism of the ultrasonic enhancement of solvent extraction through the effect of ultrasound on the vegetal material involved. Thus, a series of experiments has been developed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic energy on the vegetal material and the solvent used. Several results concerning the ultrasonic extractive value, ultrasonic swelling index and the effects of frequency on vegetal material are presented.

The extraction of rutin from flower buds of Sophora japonica

The efficiency of extraction of rutin from Sophora japonica is improved by ultrasound but is dependent on the solvent employed. Rutin is a compound with antioxidant activity and aqueous solvents appear to be unsuitable for ultrasonic extractions due to the formation of free radicals from the insonation of the solvent. The application of ultrasound to methanolic extraction gave a significant reduction in extraction time and an increase in maximum yield.

The enhancement and scale up of the extraction of anti-oxidants from Rosmarinus officinalis using ultrasound.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ultrasound on the solvent extraction of anti-oxidants from the rosemary herb and to scale up the ultrasonic extraction process. The anti-oxidants of interest were identified using HPLC. Results indicated that, compared with conventional solvent extraction, the use of ultrasound gives a more effective extraction at lower temperatures with less dependence on the extraction solvent employed and that scale up of the process is possible.

Power ultrasound in meat processing.

Ultrasound has a wide range of applications in various agricultural sectors. In food processing, it is considered to be an emerging technology with the potential to speed up processes without damaging the quality of foodstuffs. Here we review the reports on the applications of ultrasound specifically with a view to its use in meat processing. Emphasis is placed on the effects on quality and technological properties such as texture, water retention, colour, curing, marinating, cooking yield, freezing, thawing and microbial inhibition. After the literature review it is concluded that ultrasound is a useful tool for the meat industry as it helps in tenderisation, accelerates maturation and mass transfer, reduces cooking energy, increases shelf life of meat without affecting other quality properties, improves functional properties of emulsified products, eases mould cleaning and improves the sterilisation of equipment surfaces.

Ultrasound-enhanced mass transfer in Halal compared with non-Halal chicken

BACKGROUND Halal foods are often perceived as wholesome products that are specially selected and processed to achieve the highest standards of quality. In this study, dye penetration from an aqueous solution of methylene blue (1 mol L(-1)) was used as a model for the marination process of Halal and non-Halal chicken breast. RESULTS The effect of dye penetration was evaluated by three techniques: (1) the mass of methylene blue solution in the samples was quantified by mass gain, (2) the amount of dye absorbed was determined by spectroscopy and (3) the penetration distance of dye inside the samples was measured. For non-Halal meat, ultrasound increased the amount of dye inside the samples by 6 and 13% after 15 and 30 min respectively. The effect on Halal meat was much more pronounced, with an increase in dye uptake of over 60% being observed for both time periods. CONCLUSION Dye penetration is an indication of meat permeability and so can be used as an estimate of marinading of meat. Thus the use of high-power ultrasound has potential in poultry-processing methods, in particular that of Halal chicken marination.

Applications of ultrasound in processing of liquid foods: A review

Ultrasonic processing of a variety of liquids, drinks and beverages has generated much interest with published literature papers increasing within this area in recent years. Benefits include enhanced emulsification with improved homogenization and fat globule size reduction being recorded. In dairy systems increased creaming rates are observed on sonication in a process known as fractionation. Whilst fruit juices exhibit retention or enhancement of quality parameters whilst increasing levels of bioactive compounds. Sterilization of liquids is a large feature of ultrasonic treatment with microbial activity of a range of fruit juices being monitored over time as increased stability and reduced spoilage is observed. Progress has also been made towards scale up of ultrasonic processes with several examples of batch and continuous processes being studied with reduced processing times and temperatures being quoted as a result of ultrasonic treatment. This short review covers the effect of sonication on liquids and beverages with a specific focus towards dairy and fruit juices and covers emulsification, fractionation, sterilization and some pilot scale initiatives.

Thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and electrochemistry of external field-assisted nonthermal food technologies

ABSTRACT Interest in the development and adoption of nonthermal technologies is burgeoning within the food and bioprocess industry, the associated research community, and among the consumers. This is evident from not only the success of some innovative nonthermal technologies at industrial scale, but also from the increasing number of publications dealing with these topics, a growing demand for foods processed by nonthermal technologies and use of natural ingredients. A notable feature of the nonthermal technologies such as cold plasma, electrohydrodynamic processing, pulsed electric fields, and ultrasound is the involvement of external fields, either electric or sound. Therefore, it merits to study the fundamentals of these technologies and the associated phenomenon with a unified approach. In this review, we revisit the fundamental physical and chemical phenomena governing the selected technologies, highlight similarities, and contrasts, describe few successful applications, and finally, identify the gaps in research.

The progressive role of acoustic cavitation for non-invasive therapies, contrast imaging and blood-tumor permeability enhancement

ABSTRACT Introduction: Drug delivery pertaining to acoustic cavitation generated from ultrasonic (US) irradiation is advantageous for devising smarter and more advanced therapeutics. The aim is to showcase microbubbles as drug carriers and robust theranostic for non-invasive therapies across diverse biomedical disciplines, highlighting recent technologies in this field for overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to treat cancers and neurological disorders. Areas covered: This article reviews work on the optimized tuning of ultrasonic parameters, sonoporation, transdermal and responsive drug delivery, acoustic cavitation in vasculature and oncology, contrast imaging for real-time magnification of cell-microbubble dynamics and biomolecular targeting. Scholarly literature was sought through database search on key terminology, latest topics, reputable experts and established journals over the last five years. Expert opinion: Cavitation offers immense promise in overcoming current diffusion and convection limitations for treating skull/brain/vascular/tissue injuries and ablating tumors to minimize chronic/acute effects. Since stable cavitation facilitates the restoration of US-opened BBB and the modulation of drug concentration, US equipment with programmable imaging modality and sensitivity are envisaged to create safer miniaturized devices for personalized care. Due to differing biomedical protocols with regard to specific medical conditions, quantitative and qualitative controls are mandatory before translation to real-life clinical applications can be accomplished.

Physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of beef treated with high-intensity ultrasound and stored at 4 °C.

BACKGROUND The application of high-intensity ultrasound causes changes in the physical and chemical properties of biological materials including meat. In this study the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of beef after the application of high-intensity ultrasound for 60 and 90 min and subsequent storage at 4 °C for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days were evaluated. RESULTS The ultrasound-treated meat showed higher (P < 0.05) pH and luminosity than the control, with no difference (P > 0.05) between sonication times. The redness of ultrasound-treated meat was initially lower than that of control meat, but no difference (P > 0.05) was observed after day 8 of storage. The 90 min ultrasound-treated meat had higher (P < 0.05) yellowness during the entire storage period. Ultrasound decreased (P < 0.05) coliform, mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria in the meat throughout the storage period; however, the original microbial loads increased constantly during refrigeration. The 90 min ultrasound-treated meat showed the greatest reduction in microbial load during storage. Coliforms and psychrophilic bacteria were the most affected by ultrasound. CONCLUSION The application of high-intensity ultrasound to beef semitendinosus muscle stored at 4 °C decreased bacterial growth without affecting the physicochemical quality of meat.