Master of Science / Food Science Institute -- Human Nutrition / Koushik Adhikari / A significant increase in the number of products carried in supermarkets has lead manufacturers to use food color as a way to differentiate their products from competitor’s products or as a form of communication. This report’s overall objective was to review the impact of color on sensory properties of foods and beverages and help product developers understand the multiple sensory properties within a food or beverage that may potentially change by manipulating color. The effect of color on flavor or odor identification, basic taste perception, flavor or odor intensity, quality and refreshment, and consumer acceptance has been extensively researched. Research to date has shown inconsistent findings, although key themes are consistent. Some colors are more appropriate for certain foods and beverages, and product color can be directly linked to palatability. Color cues can be used for flavor identification within a food or beverage, and the presence of certain colors evoke flavor associations within a product. Perceived intensities of basic taste or flavor attributes have increased or decreased merely with color addition. Consumers use color cues to determine quality, therefore color can ultimately affect product acceptance.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A number of relevant brewing industry issues associated with malt quality were examined. These included beer foam quality, premature flocculation of yeast during fermentation and antimicrobial factors in malt. The cause of poor foam at a brewery relative to other similar breweries was identified as being related to the boiling temperature during wort preparation and the associated conformational changes of the abundant foam protein lipid transfer protein 1 (LTPl). The temperature range of 96 to 102°C was revealed to be critical. At the higher temperature the denaturation of LTP 1 was more extensive and its effectiveness as a foam protein was reduced. In addition, it was shown that the prominent role of LTPI with respect to foam was as a lipid binding protein, forming a lipid sink and protecting foam from lipid damage. The occurrence of malt associated premature yeast flocculation (PYF) during fermentation was induced in malt by the addition of extra-cellular fungal enzymes to the malt husk or by micro-malting barley in the presence of fungi. In addition, treating malt husk with commercial xylanase or adding commercial arabinoxylan to the fermentation also impacted on yeast flocculation. It was proposed that a range of molecular weight arabinoxylans formed by the enzymatic breakdown of the major barley husk component (arabinoxylan) resulted in PYF. Antimicrobial activity against brewing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), other fungi and bacteria was found in barley, malt and malt derived wort trub. Wort trub is the non-specific precipitate of protein, polyphenols and lipids formed during wort boiling and which is, to some extend, carried over in the wort to the fermentation. Antimicrobial activity appeared to increase during malting. The growth of brewery collected yeast was inhibited in the presence of brewery production wort when compared to the same wort filtered to remove the trub. Brewery yeast was found to be more sensitive to inhibition than laboratory propagated yeast of the same strain. Different strains of S. cerevisiae were also found to differ in their sensitivity to inhibition. Investigation revealed that the activity originated from the inside of the barley grain and impacted on yeast sugar uptake. However, there was no direct correlation detected between levels of antimicrobial activity in malt and fermentation performance. At high concentrations the factors were microcidal causing cell lysis. Partial characterisation of an antimicrobial extract from malt revealed the presence of a factor between 5 and 14 kDa, containing a cationic peptide component. The optimum pH stability was ±5 when it was also most cationic. The factor easily and irreversibly lost activity at extreme pH and when exposed to certain reagents but was heat resistant in accordance with its survival in wort trub. Preliminary results showed the presence of LTP1 associated with other peptides in the active cationic fraction from the one malt tested. The occurrence of malt related PYF and malt antimicrobial factors are associated with microbial contamination of the grain. The fungi generating the PYF factors from the barley husk while the barley's defence mechanism generates antimicrobial factors to cope with the pathogenic effect of the fungi. In addition there is a potential link between the foam protein LTP 1 and malt antimicrobial activity as LTP 1 or LTP 1 in association with another component(s) is potentially antimicrobial. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Aantal problematiese areas in die broubedryf, wat met mout geassosieer word, is ondersoek, naamlik bierskuimkwaliteit, voortydige flokkulering van gis tydens fermentasie en die invloed van antimikrobiese faktore in mout. Die oorsaak van swak bierskuim by 'n spesifieke brouery relatief tot ander soortgelyke brouerye was geidentifiseer as die moutekstrakkookpunt tydens moutekstrakbereiding. Tydens hierdie proses ondergaan dieskuimprotein, lipiedoordrag proteien 1 (lipid transfer protein 1, LTPI), 'n konformasieverandering. Die temperature tussen 96 to 102°C was kritiek t.o.v. ideale konformasieverandering vir skuimaktiwiteit. Denaturering van LTPI het by hoër temperature plaasgevind wat die skuimproteien se aktiwitiet verminder het. Daar is ook bewys dat LTPI 'n verdere rol in bierskuim speel aangesien dit 'n lipiedbindingsproteien is wat die skuimnegatiewe lipiede verwyder. Die voorkoms van moutgeassosieerde voortydige flokkulering van gis (PYF) tydens fermentasie is op twee maniere in mout geinduseer, naamlik: • deur die toevoeging van ekstrasellulêre swamensieme tot die moutdop • deur mikrovermouting van gars in die teenwoordigheid van swamme. Die behandeling van die moutdop met kommersiele xilanase of die toevoeging van kommersiele arabinoxilaan by fermentasies het ook die flokkulering van gis beinvloed. Die hipotese was dat PYF veroorsaak is deur 'n reeks arabinoxilane met verskillende molekulêre massas wat gevorm het tydens die ensimatiese afbraakproses van die primere moutdopkomponent (arabinoxilaan). Antimikrobiese aktiwiteit teenoor brouersgis (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), ander swamme en bakterie was teenwoordig in gars, mout en moutekstrakpresipitaat. Die presipitaat bestaan uit nie-spesifieke presipitate van proteien, polifenole en lipiede wat gedeeltelik in die gekookte moutekstrak agterbly. Daar is gevind dat antimikrobiese aktiwiteit tydens vermouting toe geneem het. Die groeiproses van brouersgis, gekollekteer by 'n brouery, was geinhibeer deur die teenwoordigheid van brouery-geproduseerde moutekstrak in vergelyking met dieselfde moutekstrak wat gefiltreer was om die presipitaat te verwyder. Die brouersgis was meer sensitief heens inhibisie in vergeleke met dieselfde gisstam wat opgegroei is in die laboratorium. Verskillende S. cerevisiae stamme het ook verskille in sensitiwiteit getoon t.o.v. the antimikrobiese komponente in die moutekstrakte. 'n Verdere ondersoek het getoon dat die oorprong van die inhiberende aktiwiteit die interne dele van die gars is, asook dat dit die gissuikeropname beinvloed. Daar was egter geen direkte verband tussen antimikrobiese aktiwiteit in mout en fermentasie effektiwiteit, soos gemeet onder laboratorium toestande, nie. Hoë konsentrasies van die faktore het egter gelei tot seldood weens sellise. 'n Kationiese peptiedbevattende fraksie tussen 5 en 14 kDa en 'n optimale pH stabliliteit van 5 is gevind deur gedeeltelike karakterisering van 'n antimikrobiese moutekstrak. Die aktiewe fraksie se aktiwiteit is onomkeerbaar vernietig by ekstreme pH en blootstelling aan sekere reagense. Die aktiewe verbinding(s) is egter hittebestand en resultate het getoon dat hierdie aktiwiteit die brouproses oorleef as deel van die moutektrakpresipitaat. Voorlopige resultate van die een mout wat getoets is het die teenwoordigheid van LTP 1 getoon, asook die moontlike assosiasie met ander peptiede of kleiner komponente in die aktiewe kationiese fraksie. Die voorkoms van moutgeassosieerde PYF en antimikrobiese faktore in mout word met die mikrobiologiese kontaminasie van gars verbind. Swamme produseer die PYF faktore vanuit die moutdopkomponente, terwyl die plant weer antimikrobiese faktore produseer as deel van 'n beskermingsmeganisme teen die patogene effek van die swamme. Daar is ook 'n potensieele verwantskap tussen bierskuimproteien LTP 1 en antimikrobiese faktore in mout, aangesien LTPI ofLTPl tesame met 'n ander verbinding(s) moontlik antimikrobies is.

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Heat treated orange juice, both pasteurized and concentrate, are being increasingly consumed in the U.S. Orange juice is primarily heat treated to increase its shelf life, by curbing the growth of microorganisms; and to inactivate pectin methylesterase, which demethylates pectin and leads to cloud loss in the juice. However, because of heat processing, orange juice undergoes undesirable flavor changes that decrease its acceptability to consumers. The objectives of this study were to differentiate between fresh frozen and heat treated orange juice employing descriptive analysis, and to determine by Osme, a gas chromatography-olfactometry (GCO) method, odor active volatiles that were either lacking or created in the heat treated juice. The second objective was to determine how changes in the odor-active volatile profile of heat treated orange juice, relates to changes in the aroma and flavor intensities of the samples as assessed by descriptive analysis. Through descriptive analysis, the panel was successful in significantly (p<0.05) separating the fresh, pasteurized, and concentrate samples. Orange, orange peel, sweet, and grassy descriptors were found to be important for fresh aroma and flavor, while cooked, yam, metallic, tamarind, green bean and artificial orange descriptors were higher in heat treated samples. Using Osme, it was possible to separate fresh frozen from heat treated orange juice, on the basis of their aroma profiles. Fresh frozen samples show a higher concentration of peaks tentatively identified as gamma-butyrolactone, citral, nonanal, carvone, perillaldehyde, carvyl propinate, valencene, and other unidentified peaks possessing descriptors such as floral, lime, citrus, pine, bamboo leaf, metallic, and vinyl. Pasteurized samples show a larger concentration of peaks tentatively identified as hexanol, octanol, nerol / carveol, myrcene, 2-octanone, p-cymene, terpenen-4-ol, betacitronellol, and other unidentified peaks with descriptors such as cilantro, vinyl, melon, mushroom, and metallic. Descriptors such as orange, orange peel, sweet, grapefruit, and grassy are more pronounced in the fresh samples and are similar to the odor descriptors of Osme peaks higher in the fresh samples. Descriptors such as cooked, artificial orange, yam, metallic, tamarind, and green bean are higher in the pasteurized samples, and are similar to the odor descriptors of peaks higher in these samples. / Graduation date: 1999

The unique flavor of high quality Swiss cheese is difficult to reproduce in commercial market cheese. Swiss cheese flavor has never been duplicated or thoroughly understood. New techniques and advances in flavor research have enabled better definition and understanding of food flavors. Therefore, it was desirable to make a detailed investigation of Swiss cheese flavor. Neutral volatile flavor compounds were isolated from Swiss cheese fat by low-temperature low-pressure distillation. The compounds were separated by temperature programmed gas chromatography. Direct analysis of cheese fat and whole cheese from four domestic and two imported good flavored cheeses by gas entrainment and on-column trapping provided a further means of isolation of volatile flavor compounds in Swiss cheese. Gas chromatography in conjunction with rapid scan mass spectrometry and relative retention time data were used to identify compounds. Compounds positively identified by the distillation and on-column trapping techniques were as follows: methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-pentanol, trans-2-hexene-1-ol, 2-phenylethanol, acetaldehyde, 2-methyl propanal, 2-methyl butyraldehyde, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, acetone, butanone, 2-pentanone, 2-hexanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, 2-tridecanone, 2-pentadecanone, hexane, octane, 1-octene, nonane, 1-nonene, dodecane, pentadecane, toluene, α-pinene, methyl acetate, methyl hexanoate, methyl octanoate, methyl decanoate, ethyl propionate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl dodecanoate, butyl acetate, 3-methyl butyl acetate, γ-valerolactone, γ-dodecalactone, δ-octalactone, δ-decalactone, δ-dodecalactone, dimethyl sulfide, diacetyl, benzothiazole, o-dichlorobenzene, 1, 2, 4-trichlorobenzene, di-isobutyl adipate, and chloroform. Compounds tentatively identified include an aromatic hydrocarbon, pinane, α-fenchene, ethyl benzene, a di-methyl benzene, methyl benzoate, 2-phenyl-2-methyl butane, 5-methyl-5-ethyl decane, 3-methyl butyl octanoate, 2, 5-dimethyl tetra decane, methyl vinyl ether and 2-methyl propenal. The concentration of selected volatile compounds identified by the on-column trapping technique were determined by relating their peak heights to known quantities of compound. Average concentrations calculated from the mean values for all the six cheeses and expressed in parts per million were as follows: dimethyl sulfide. 0.107; diacetyl, 0.8; acetaldehyde, 1.4; acetone, 1.6; butanone, 0.3; 2-methyl butyraldehyde, 0.42; 2-pentanone, 0.98; 2-heptanone, 0.45; ethanol, 16.3; 2-butanol, 0.3; 1-propanol, 2.9; 1-butanol, 0.7; methyl hexanoate, 1.5; and ethyl butanoate, 0.6. Liquid-liquid partition chromatography and gas chromatography were utilized to determine quantitatively the major free, fatty acids in the six Swiss cheeses. 2-Methyl butyric acid was detected in all cheeses and varied from 9.0 to 100.0 mg/kg cheese. The other isomeric acid, 3-methyl butyric, was detected in only two cheeses. Formic acid was detected in only one cheese. No n-valeric or 2-methyl propionic acids were detected. A synthetic Swiss cheese flavor was prepared utilizing the data obtained in this investigation and that available in the literature for free amino acids. A satisfactory reproduction of Swiss cheese flavor could be achieved only if the mixture contained free fatty acids, volatile constituents, and free amino acids and was adjusted to the pH of natural cheese. / Graduation date: 1966

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is notable for its toxicity and corrosion is one of the major sources of odor in wastewater treatment plants. Evaluation of existing or potential odor problems requires knowledge of the type of compounds likely to cause such problems and the mechanism of their formation in wastewater systems which is discussed in this paper. For the present study, the East Bank wastewater treatment plant was chosen since it is the largest wastewater treatment facility within Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. To combat the odor problems in this facility, a monitoring program was designed and developed to characterize the severity of the problem. The program involved continuous ambient monitoring followed by careful evaluation of the data obtained from sample collection and analysis. Different instruments were strategically placed within the facility after a hot-spot analysis to determine the major sources of odor generation.

Thesis advisor: Stephen C. Heinrichs / This study investigated the effects of baclofen, a GABAB agonist, on modulating drug seeking and drug reward in a novel model of reinstatement. To investigate drug seeking, rats were trained to nosepoke for cocaine infusions, given a drug holiday, and under a baclofen pretreatment (0, 0.2, 1, or 5 mg/kg i.p.), were exposed to an odor conditioned discriminative stimulus (DS+) that reinstated cocaine self-administration. To investigate drug reward, an odor reactivity test was used. Rats were tested for changes in odor preference after the acquisition, drug holiday, and reinstatement phases of self-administration behavior were each completed. Pretreatment with the low dose of baclofen (0.2) attenuated cocaine seeking primed by a conditioned DS+. Medium doses (1.0) caused no change in drug seeking. High doses (5.0) caused a reduction in drug seeking, but this was due to motor impairment. No doses of baclofen had any affect on the rewarding properties of cocaine or cocaine-associated stimuli. It can be concluded that GABAB receptors have no role in modulating the rewarding properties of drug rewards or drug-associated stimuli, but instead play a role in modulating drug seeking. In rats that were exposed to a drug in the past, low levels of GABAB receptor activation reduce drug-seeking, while medium to high levels could have reduced dopamine levels to the point that increased drug seeking or motor impairment was seen. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

The survival of Elasmobranch fishes (sharks, skates and rays) depends critically on their ability to sense odor cues. The outstanding question of detection thresholds to food odors in the shark is investigated in this study. The tracking behavior of Mustelus canis (the smooth dogfish) was analyzed using a binary choice flume designed specifically for testing odor preferences of aquatic animals. To determine threshold, odor was serially diluted until no tracking responses were observed. Sharks spent significantly more time in the odor side of the flume, regardless of their individual side bias, until the "squid juice" was diluted several orders of magnitude. For the whole flume the two greatest dilutions (10-4-10-5 at the odor source) did not cause significant choice and for the upstream flume half, all but the greatest dilution (10-5 at the odor source) caused significant odor side preference. To interpret these results fully we need to consider the structure of odor plumes and the function of the sharks' olfactory responses. Nonetheless, assuming that M. canis represent sharks in general, these findings demonstrate that their extraordinary sensitivity to food attractants may indicate aspects still unknown about life history of elasmobranch fishes including the ranges that benthic elasmobranchs are capable of traveling to feed.

Impliquée dans de nombreuses fonctions comportementales, l'olfaction joue un rôle majeur quant à l'orientation de nos actions. Les odeurs communiquent avec le système nerveux central par l'intermédiaire de récepteurs situés dans l'épithélium olfactif du nez qui génèrent des signaux neuronaux, transmis et traités dans de nombreuses régions du cerveau. En particulier, le cortex piriforme antérieur (CPa) est une région olfactive importante impliquée dans la perception et l'intégration des odeurs. Étant donné le rôle du principal récepteur aux cannabinoïdes de type 1 (CB1) dans les fonctions sensorielles et les processus de mémoire, nous avons émis l'hypothèse que ces récepteurs pourraient moduler le traitement des odeurs dans le CPa. Pour ce faire, en combinant des approches anatomiques, électrophysiologiques et pharmacologiques, nous avons d'abord caractérisé la répartition des récepteurs CB1 et évalué leur capacité à réguler les circuits du CPa. Nous avons observé que ces récepteurs sont principalement exprimés dans les interneurones GABAergiques et que leur activation régule la transmission et la plasticité inhibitrice. Puis, nous avons cherché à déterminer le rôle et l'impact des récepteurs CB1 dans le traitement des odeurs dans le CPa. Grâce à une technique d'imagerie calcique in vivo, nous avons montré que l'altération de la signalisation des récepteurs CB1 affecte l'activité des neurones du CPa en réponse aux odeurs. En agissant très semblablement sur les circuits inhibiteurs locaux, nous avons mis en évidence que le fonctionnement physiologique des récepteurs CB1 dans le CPa est nécessaire pour le rappel d’une information olfactive apprise dans un contexte appétitif mais pas aversif. De façon générale, ces travaux permettent de mieux comprendre comment les récepteurs CB1 modulent les processus olfactifs dans le CPa. / Being involved in many behavioral functions, olfaction has powerful influence in guiding our actions. Odors communicate with the central nervous system via specialized receptors in the nose olfactory epithelium that generate neuronal signals, which in turn are eventually distributed and processed in many brain regions. In particular, the anterior piriform cortex (aPC) is an important olfactory area involved in perception and integration of odors. Given the extended role of the main cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor in sensory and memory brain functions, we hypothesized that CB1 receptors could modulate odor processing in the aPC. To this aim, using a combination of anatomical, electrophysiological, and pharmacological approaches, we first characterized the distribution of CB1 receptors and their ability to regulate aPC circuits. We found that CB1 receptors are mainly expressed in GABAergic interneurons where their activation regulates inhibitory transmission and plasticity. Then, we evaluated the role and the impact of CB1 receptor modulation on odor-related aPC processing. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that odor-evoked aPC activity is affected by alteration of CB1 receptor signaling. Additionally, we demonstrated that physiological aPC-CB1 receptors functioning is necessary for retrieve appetitive but not aversive olfactory memory, likely through modulation of local inhibitory circuits. Overall, this work contribute to a better understanding of how CB1 receptors modulate olfactory processes in the aPC.