Nabil Qaid M. Al-Hajj

Proximate composition, functional properties, amino acid, mineral and vitamin contents of a novel food: Alhydwan (Boerhavia elegana Choisy) seed flour

Alhydwan (Boerhavia elegana Choisy) seed flour was evaluated for chemical and nutritional composition, and functional properties in a pursuit to identify an innovative plant with high nutraceuticals value which could be exploited in other food applications. The flour was found to be rich in dietary fiber (30.13%), protein (14.60%), crude fat (11.49%), carbohydrates (30.77%), and ash (6.88%) and encompassed adequate amounts of essential amino acids and minerals, whereas, sucrose constituted 71.3% of total sugar contents. Vitamins analysis revealed that flour is rich in water-soluble vitamins such as Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2) and Niacin (B3), to the amounts of 19.3, 8.2 and 2.3mg/100g, respectively. Results on functional properties demonstrated high water and oil absorption capacities of 6.31 and 2.43g/g, respectively. Foaming capacity, foam stability and emulsion capacity were 9.35%, 6.90%, and 29.60%, respectively. It can be concluded that alhydwan is an excellent food material with a high nutritional value.

Determination of preservative residues and microbial contents of commercial Chinese duck neck meat

ABSTRACT Duck neck meat products are traditional, popular snack items in China for its attractive spicy taste, flavor and texture. These products are perishable and different types of chemical preservatives are used extensively. This study determined the levels of preservatives and microbial load in Chinese duck neck meat product by gas chromatography and agar plate methods, respectively. The results showed that Chinese duck neck meat product contains methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (E-218) in the range 21.15 μg/g–14.5 mg/g, propionic acid (E-280) in the range 26.84–30.24 mg/g and benzoic acid (E-210) in the range not detected – 15.99 μg/g. Sorbic acid (E-200) was not detected. The total plate counts were 1.01–2.03 log cfu/g, and Lactobacilli counts were 1.04–1.43 log cfu/g. Refrigerated raw duck neck contained all the tested microorganisms while yeast, mold and salmonella were not detected in all of the processed duck neck meat products.

Influence of lipase under ultrasonic microwave assisted extraction on changes of triacylglycerol distribution and melting profiles during lipolysis of milk fat

In this study, the use of low irradiation ultrasonic microwave assisted extraction (UMAE) on lipases mixed with anhydrous milk fat (AMF) or anhydrous buffalo milk fat (ABF), with the aim of hydrolyzing triacylglycerols (TAGs), especially those containing short chain fatty acids, is reported. Lipozyme-435, Novozyme-435 and Thermomyces lanuginosus were mixed with phosphate buffer and either AMF or ABF in a jacketed flask. The reaction mixtures were exposed to low irradiation UMAE under temperature control (50 °C ± 2 °C) for 45 minutes. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) system coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Qu-ToF-MS) was used to analyze TAG in AMF and ABF after lipolysis. The re-distribution was evidenced by the presence of a higher percentage of TAGs with at least two medium-chain fatty acids and one long-chain fatty acid, and a high percentage of TAGs with long-chain fatty acids as a consequence of a decreased percentage of TAGs with short-chain fatty acids. Furthermore, the melting and crystallization profiles were modified in both AMF and ABF treated with lipases in comparison to just AMF or ABF.