Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is a perennial rosette plant grown throughout the world for its large, fleshy heads [1-3]. Most of its culture (about 90%) is concentrated in the countries around the Mediterranean Basin mainly in Italy (50 000 ha), Spain (17000 ha) and France (10 000 ha) [4]. Egypt has the potential to develop an excellent export industry in artichoke. The production areas ...

The paper presents the results regarding the electron beam irradiation of fresh Salvia Officinalis and Calendula Officinalis. Irradiation is already a well-known decontamination method, but it received less attention for medicinal plants, especially on fresh herbs. Microbial load behaviour, antioxidant activity, and enzymatic inhibition activity were measured for doses up to 50 kGy. Herbs are d...

UNLABELLED This study investigated the impact of storage temperature and duration on the fate of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on commercially packaged lettuce salads, and on product quality. Fresh-cut Romaine and Iceberg lettuce salads of different commercial brands were obtained from both retail and wholesale stores. The packages were cut open at one end, the lettuce salad inoculated with E. coli ...

The synthesis of effective control structures for reactive distillation (RD) columns through a systematic analysis of the steady state relationship between potential manipulated variables (inputs) and potential controlled variables (outputs) is demonstrated. The industrially important double feed RD columns for MTBE and methyl acetate production are used as examples. In order to regulate produc...

The variation in the composition of fresh tea leaves with season and shoot maturity, and to the applicability of cold storage (4C and 90% relative humidity [RH]) for the purpose of withering of tea leaves were studied. The results showed that the levels of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and the polyphenolic content changed significantly with plucking season and shoot maturity. No significant...

OBJECTIVE As propolis is a highly valued bee product, we aimed to verify the quality of aged propolis, investigating their phenolic and flavonoid composition, levels of toxic metals, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities. MATERIAL AND METHODS Samples of fresh and aged propolis of six different beekeepers, from the same geographical location, were investigated in terms of their pheno...

Most current disinfection strategies for fresh-cut industry are focused on the use of different chemical agents; however, very little has been reported on the effectiveness of the hurdle technology. The effect of combined decontamination methods based on the use of different sanitizers (peroxyacetic acid and chlorine dioxide) and the application of pressure (vacuum/positive pressure) on the ina...

OBJECTIVE The major aim of this trial was to evaluate the potential interaction of fresh or pasteurized yoghurt intake with lactose intolerance on calcium assimilation by means of the stable isotope 43Ca as a tracer. METHODS Forty volunteers (age: 32 +/- 7 years) participated in this parallel simple blind study (20 of them with moderate lactose intolerance). The protocol included the intake o...

Livestock odors are closely correlated to airborne concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC), which are a complex mixture of carbon-, sulfur-, and nitrogen-containing compounds produced primarily during the incomplete anaerobic fermentation of animal manure by microorganisms. Volatile fatty acids, alcohols, and aromatic ring compounds comprise a substantial fraction of VOC, yet very li...

Evidence for the role of silica in plants is reviewed with respect to the application of silicate based sprays in biodynamic agriculture. There is research indicating improved resistance to pests, disease, drought and other stresses on plants from application of silica fertilisers and sprays. There is also evidence of improved nutrient uptake. Experiments with field grown lettuce were undertake...