Ömer Utku Çopur

Plasma ascorbic acid level and erythrocyte fragility in preeclampsia and eclampsia

An imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in the circulation is blamed to cause preeclampsia and eclampsia. In this study plasma ascorbic acid level was analysed in 13 eclamptic, 14 mild preeclamptic, 12 severe preeclamptic and 20 uncomplicated pregnancies to see whether there is any correlation with blood pressure, proteinuria, serum triglyceride level, erythrocyte fragility and leukocyte count. Plasma ascorbic acid level was normal and had no significant difference among the groups. Fasting serum triglyceride level was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group but it did not differ among the three study groups. Erythrocyte fragility was found to be increased in all three study groups. Blood leukocyte count was increased in the study groups, especially in the eclampsia group. However, plasma ascorbic acid level and erythrocyte fragility were found to have no significant correlation with blood pressure and proteinuria. It was concluded that though the ascorbic acid levels were normal in both the study and the control groups, erythrocyte fragility increased probably due to an elevation in peroxide and free radical levels in preeclampsia and eclampsia groups, but without any correlation with the severity of the clinical picture.

Impact of different drying parameters on color, β-carotene, antioxidant activity and minerals of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.).

Apricot is one of the fruits dried by using different methods, such as sun, convective or microwave drying. The effects of drying methods on the components of this fruit differ depending upon the temperature or time parameters. In this research, the impacts of convective, microwave and microwave–convective drying techniques on color, β-carotene, minerals and antioxidant activity of apricots were investigated. The color values (L*, b*,ΔEab, h° and C*ab) of dried fruit were decreased, while the a* values increased. Compared with a fresh sample, the dried apricots showed a 1.4-3.9-fold proportional increase in β-carotene based on the increment of dry matter. The samples dried at high temperature and microwave levels, at 75 °C+90 watt and 75 °C+160 watt, showed lower antioxidant activity. Of the different drying treatments, the microwave-convective method (50 °C+160 watt) obtained a higher β-carotene content while maintaining antioxidant activity with a short drying time.

Development of Value-Added Products from Food Wastes

Waste can contain many reusable substances of high value. Biological wastes contain several reusable substances of high value such as soluble sugars and fiber. Direct disposal of such wastes to soil or landfill causes serious environmental problems. Thus, the development of potential value-added processes for these wastes is highly attractive. In addition, environment-friendly method of waste management is very important for sustainability. In the food processing industries, up to 30 % of incoming raw materials becomes waste rather than a value-added product. Dealing with this waste is an urgent matter for many of these industries as landfill sites close, as operators restrict the amount of waste that can be brought into landfill sites, and as regulations have eliminated some of the previously used disposal practices. Depending on there being an adequate technology this residual matter can be converted into commercial products either as raw material for secondary processes, as operating supplies or as ingredients of new products. Numerous valuable substances in food production are suitable for separation and recycling at the end of their life cycle, even though present separation and recycling processes are not absolutely cost efficient. This chapter considers properties of byproducts and other wastes of various food industries and developed process techniques to obtain value-added products from these byproducts and the wastes.

A New Approach: Replacement and Alternative Foods for Food Industry

Abstract The increasing human population and nutritional demands has meant that the food industry has tended to look for alternative sources of food production. To this end various studies have been performed in the field of replacement and alternative foods. Replacement foods are based on the substitution of one constituent with another, and these should have the same or similar attributes to ensure optimal organoleptic, microbial, and functional performance. Several studies evaluated the effects of replacement foods to displace the physical functionality of high-calorie ingredients, such as fats and sugar. For fats, the main work focused on fat intake and energy balance using nutritive or nonnutritive materials, while sugar replacers were used for partial sucrose replacement without compensating the loss in sweetness. Moreover, miscellaneous studies have been performed in the area of alternative foods, such as single cell protein, carotenoids, dietary fiber, biovanillin from agrowastes, and Echium oil as an alternative to marine oils. This chapter reviews the utilization of globally used fat and sugar replacers and alternative foods while giving special emphasis to their properties and novel applications in the food industry. Advantages of fat and sugar replacers including their ability to provide an opportunity to prevent unnecessary calorie intake and their ability to reduce high fat and calorie intake while preserving sensorial characteristics are discussed alongside their manufacturing limitations, such as identifying the most appropriate replacement for the specific product. Moreover, the importance and health benefits of the alternatively used nutritional compounds in current studies are discussed.