Narumol Matan

Improvement of the antifungal activity of Litsea cubeba vapor by using a helium–neon (He–Ne) laser against Aspergillus flavus on brown rice snack bars

The aim of this study was to improve the antifungal activity of the volatile Litsea cubeba essential oil and its main components (citral and limonene) on brown rice snack bars by applying He-Ne laser treatment. Different volumes (50-200 μL) of L. cubeba, citral or limonene were absorbed into a filter paper and placed inside an oven (18 L). Ten brown rice snack bars (2 cm wide × 4 cm long × 0.5 cm deep) were put in an oven and heated at 180 °C for 20 min. The shelf-life of the treated snack bars at 30 °C was assessed and sensory testing was carried out to investigate their consumer acceptability. A count of total phenolic content (TPC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) on the properties of essential oil, citral, and limonene before and after the laser treatment was studied for possible modes of action. It was found that the laser treatment improved the antifungal activity of the examined volatile L. cubeba and citral with Aspergillus flavus inhibition by 80% in comparison with those of the control not treated with the laser. L. cubeba vapor at 100 μL with the laser treatment was found to completely inhibit the growth of natural molds on the snack bars for at least 25 days; however, without essential oil vapor and laser treatment, naturally contaminating mold was observed in 3 days. Results from the sensory tests showed that the panelists were unable to detect flavor and aroma differences between essential oil treatment and the control. Laser treatment caused an increase in TPC of citral oil whereas the TPC in limonene showed a decrease after the laser treatment. These situations could result from the changing peak of the aliphatic hydrocarbons that was revealed by the FTIR spectra.

Activated Carbon for Food Packaging Application: Review

This was a descriptive research aiming at investigating the quality of life of the Royal Thai Navy College of Nursing’s (RTNCN) personnel. There were 325 samples which were from the executives, nursing instructors, supporting staff and nursing students in the academic year 2014. The research tool was the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL - BRIEF - THAI) and the reliability of which was tested using the Cronbach’s Alpha with the result at 0.91. The statistics applied in this study were descriptive statistic. The results were as follows: 1) The Quality of Life in the aspects of physical health, psychological state, environment and overview of Quality of Life were mainly at moderate level (66.77, 54.77, 45.54, 75.38 and 57.85 percent respectively); and 2) Analyzing the Mean, it was found that QOL in all aspects of the personnel was at moderate level.

Shelf life extension of semi-dried fish Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by ultraviolet and infrared irradiations

Shelf life extension of semi-dried fish, Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), was investigated by means of ultraviolet (UV-C) irradiation, infrared (IR) spectrum or a combined UV and IR irradiations for 5, 10 and 15 min. Microbial qualities (i.e. total bacteria, total yeast and mold, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) on the semidried fish were examined during incubation at 4 oC for up to 21 days. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was also employed to quantify various sensorial attributes (i.e. color, appearance, odor, hardness, taste and texture) of the semi-dried fish product during storage. It was found that the combined irradiation of UV for 7.5 min followed by IR for 7.5 min successfully extended the shelf life of the semi-dried fish up to 21 days. Pathogens on the semidried fish were reduced to an acceptable level. All sensorial attributes of the semi-dried fish after 21 days storage was decreaed at the levels obtained just after irradiation except appearance. These findings illustrate a possibility of using the combined irradiation of UV-C and IR to improve the quality of the semi-dried fish to the required shelf life.