Preservation of food by freezing is a common method of processing. Of relatively recent origin is the freeze-drying method. This method has several advantages over other methods of preservation, but is not free of problems, one of which is the maintenance of appearance and texture. In the present study, the effects of freezing, thawing, freeze-drying, and reconstitution on the physico-chemical properties of Northwest variety strawberries with particular reference to textural characteristics were investigated. Very little prior work is reported with regards to the effect of these factors on fruits. Strawberries were frozen at two different rates of freezing - slow frozen at 0°F and quick frozen in a blast freezer at -20°F. Frozen berries were examined by physical and chemical methods to evaluate the changes. In a separate study, berries were thawed under standard conditions of relative humidity and temperature and the drip collected for analysis. Thawed berries were examined by both physical and chemical methods. To study the reconstitution behaviour of the berries, they were freeze-dried and reconstituted under standard conditions of berry to water ratio, temperature of water and time of reconstitution. Reconstituted berries and the remaining solutions were then examined. Measurements of the texture, color, total solids, alcohol insoluble solids, pectins, cellulose, ash, and constituents of ash were made on raw, frozen, thawed, and reconstituted berries. The results indicated the following conclusions: 1. An increase in percent soluble solids, pH, and titratable acids and a decrease in total solids and AIS of the berries were observed upon freezing. Slow frozen berries showed more pronounced effects. Smaller berries were observed to change the least. No significant differences were found in the other constituents. 2. Strawberries lose weight upon thawing depending on the chemical composition of the berries. An inverse relationship was observed between weight loss and total solids, AIS, pectic substances, cellulose, ash and mineral content of the berries. With gradual increase in the weight loss upon thawing, there was a progressive softening of the berries. A direct relationship was found between weight loss and the amount of pectic substances, sugars, titratable acids, ash, and minerals found in the drip. Slow freezing resulted in higher weight loss and smaller berries lost the least. 3. A linear relationship exists between weight loss of the berries upon thawing and the area of the drip. This method offers a convenient and quick procedure for evaluation of the quality of frozen strawberries, with the added advantage of collecting the drip and storing it for further analysis at a convenient time. 4. Ability to reconstitute was found to be related to rate of freezing and size of berry. Quick freezing and smaller berries gave the best results. 5. Direct relationship was found between the degree of reconstitution and total solids, AIS, pectic substances, cellulose, ash, and minerals. The amount of pectic substances, sugar, titratable acids, ash, and minerals leaching out of the berries into the reconstituting solution were smaller and were independent of the degree of reconstitution. 6. Individual berries showed a large variation in their chemical constituents, which was responsible for the differences in the thawing and reconstitution behavior of Northwest strawberries. / Graduation date: 1967

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1965. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: l. 57-60.

No description available.

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / Artemisia afra (A. afra) is traditionally used for a variety of ailments and contain flavonoids e.g. luteolin which may contribute to some of its activity. It is generally administered as a tea or decoction, and such liquid dosage forms present challenges as far as long term storage and stability are concerned, as well as sub-optimal oral bioavailability of actives they contain. Freeze dried aqueous extracts (FDAE) can alleviate such problems but may be hygroscopic and unstable. The use of modified forms of FDAE can counter the problem of hygroscopicity (e.g. use of alginate) and alleviate the issue of sub-optimal bioavailability of plant actives (e.g. polymethylmethacrylate). The objectives of this study, were to: (1) prepare the freeze dried aqueous extract (FDAE) and modified forms, which include alginate-extract beads (alginate-FDAE) and polymethylmethacrylate coated alginate matrix beads of herbal extract (PMMA-alginate-FDAE) of the FDAE of A. afra, (2) determine and compare the pharmaceutical characteristics of the above mentioned preparations of A. afra,(3) quantify and compare the total flavonoid and specifically luteolin levels of the different forms of A. afra,(4) evaluate and compare the release characteristics of FDAE of A. afra from the alginate-FDAE and PMMA-alginate-FDAE beads in gastrointestinal fluids and (5) determine the intestinal permeability of luteolin contained in selected modified Artemisia afra extract preparations. It was hypothesized that making the alginate beads and the polymethylmethacrylate coated alginate beads would make the FDAE less hygroscopic with a lower moisture content, that the rate of release of luteolin from A. afra FDAE into gastrointestinal fluids would be faster than from the modified forms, and that the effective gastrointestinal permeability of luteolin in the alginate-FDAE and PMMA-alginate-FDAE beads of A. afra is equal to that in FDAE. To realize these objectives, the FDAE was prepared by freeze drying the aqueous extract of the A. afra dried leaves, alginate-FDAE prepared by dispersing FDAE into 4% sodium alginate solution, then adding the resulting stock solution into a 2% calcium chloride solution and drying resulting beads and PMMA-alginate-FDAE prepared by a modified water-in-oil-in-water emulsion solvent evaporation method using water as an internal aqueous phase. Using pharmacopoeial methods and methods adapted from other workers the organoleptic and pharmaceutical characteristics were determined to compare the pharmaceutical quality of these preparations of A. afra. To identify and determine the levels of luteolin in the plant preparations, a validated HPLC assay was developed. Finally, the in situ perfused rat intestine model was used to determine the in vitro bioavailability, i.e. gastrointestinal permeability, of luteolin from solutions containing luteolin in pure form, FDAE, alginate-FDAE and PMMA-alginate-FDAE. The A. afra forms were obtained in moderate to good yields and FDAE was brown and hygroscopic in nature, the alginate beads dark brown free flowing and spherical in shape and the PMMA-alginate beads light brown in colour with rough edges. The A. afra plant forms on average contained 0.185 ± 0.24, 0.067 ± 0.014, 0.012 ± 0.071 μg/mg of free luteolin (n=3) in FDAE, alginate-FDAE and PMMA-alginate-FDAE respectively and 0.235 ± 0.026, 0.079 ± 0.093, 0.058 ± 0.082 μg/mg of total luteolin (n=3) in FDAE, alginate-FDAE and PMMAalginate- FDAE respectively. The Plumen values for intestinal uptake of luteolin were significantly higher from solutions of A. afra forms than the pure luteolin solution (i.e. Plumen values in the range of 0.02 - 0.035 cm/s for all plant forms vs Plumen values in the range of 0.010 - 0.014 cm/s for pure luteolin, t-test p = 0.0252). The permeability of luteolin in FDAE appeared to be slighter greater than that of the modified forms (Plumen values >0.03 cm/s for FDAE and Plumen values <0.03 cm/s for both modified forms). In summary, the results showed that, the modified A. afra forms; alginate-FDAE and PMMAalginate- FDAE were of acceptable pharmaceutical quality with luteolin better taken up in the plant forms than in its pure form. The A. afra forms prepared had similar rates of uptake (permeability) of free and total luteolin with the rates being highest for the FDAE. Collectively, these results indicate that alginate-FDAE and PMMA-alginate-FDAE bead forms should be suitable for use in a solid dosage form (e.g. tablet or capsule) of A. afra.

Thesis. 1976. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Bibliography: leaves 121-127. / M.S.

No description available.

There has been a lot of interest in Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), called Bissap in Senegal, hibiscus recently because of consumer interest in nutraceutical products. However, beverages made from hibiscus have a short self-life due to anthocyanin and flavor degradation. The purpose of our study was first to assess the impacts of water, extraction procedure and origin on the anthocyanins of hibiscus extracts and secondly, to examine the impacts of freeze-drying on the anthocyanins and the volatiles compositions of hibiscus extracts. For the first experiment, a 2x3 factorial design was used with hibiscus calyces from Senegal and Egypt for the factor origin, distilled water and reformulated Dakar (Senegal) water for the second factor water, and then cold and hot extraction procedures were applied. For the second experiment, Senegalese hibiscus was extracted with hot and cold water and one part of each extract was freeze-dried. For both objectives, a ratio of 1:15 w/v (1 kilogram of calyces for 15 liters of water) were used. The time-temperature was 98°C / 30 min for hot and 22°C / 4 hours for cold extractions. The anthocyanins were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). And the volatiles were measured using headspace-solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GCMS). Origin and temperature as well as their interaction had significant effects on the anthocyanin contents, with respective p-values of 0.0036 and 0.0025 and 0.0002. Freeze-drying showed no effect on the anthocyanins in cold extracts. In contrast, a significant difference between the hot extract and its freeze-dried product was observed with a p-value of 0.0013. For the flavor compounds, the aroma profiles were different between cold and hot extracts and their instant powders. Globally the results of this study can help in the optimization when processing hibiscus derivatives. / MSLFS

Many different bacteria have essential roles in the process ofrecycling organic waste, making them useful tools when it comes toestablishing artificial ecosystems, a key technology to master inthe expansion of human space travel.In order to further investigate bacteria growth conditions duringspace travel, the MOREBAC experiment was formulated. The objectivewas to design an experimental setup and develop measurementequipment with the capability of confirming successfulresuscitation of freeze-dried bacteria in space by measuringbacteria growth, on-board the student-built MIST-satellite.The experimental setup prototype consisted of an acrylic chipwherein the bacteria would be placed during experiments and anoptical measurements configuration using a photosensor with thepurpose of detecting bacteria cell growth. For experimentalenvironment monitoring, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensorwere calibrated.An Arduino Nano microcontroller was programmed to control allelectrical components during measurements. During the opticaldensity measurements blue dyed water and E.coli bacteria innutrition media were used as test samples.Provided varying blue dye or bacteria cell concentrations, in theform of dilution series and growth-over-time-series, the equipmentproved capable of producing measurements that indicate the opticaldensity of the test sample.Furthermore, a prototype experiment protocol simulating eventsthat will occur in the final experiment design, was implementedand was able to produce real-time monitoring graphs of optical,temperature and pressure measurements, as well as documentation ofall events and measurement data. / MOREBAC / MIST

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa is a common gram-negative bacterium present in the environment. It causes severe infections in immunosuppressed patients. Cystic fibrosis patients are especially at risk of being infected with Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Ongoing studies are preformed to find alternative therapies to antibiotics, due to increased resistance. One new treatment is intake of specific IgY antibodies against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa as an oral therapy. The problem today is that IgY solutions must be kept frozen until consumed.  In this study we examined the possibility to freeze-dry specific IgY antibodies without losing any activity or specificity of the antibodies. This would be more convenient of patients, as well as it makes transportation and storage easier.  The methods used were ELISA for control of activity, western blot analysis and SDS-PAGE gel for control of specificity. Three different batches of the IgY anti-Pseudomonas Aeruginosa solution were tested. The results showed that no loss in activity occurred that would affect clinical outcome or change of specificity in the antibodies after freeze-drying appears. This indicates that it is possible to replace the liquid antibody to a freeze-dried powder.

Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 21, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.