Nguyen Phuoc Minh

Jackfruit and mango fruit have a distinctive aromatic flavour and a delicious taste with numerous bioactive components useful for human health. They are highly perishable at ambient conditions after harvesting. It was essential to convert these good food supplies into value-added products like wine. The main objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of material replacement ratios (6 %-18 %) of jackfruit to mango mash, initial pH (4.0-4.8), initial total dry matter (16-32 oBx), yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae inoculation ratios (0.8-1.6 g/L) to wine quality basing on the alcoholic content (%), acidity (%), total dry matter (%) and overall acceptance (sensory score). The wine fermentation process was performed in 10 days. Results showed that the best wine quality would be obtained with alcoholic content (1.891 ± 0.002 %), acidity (1.446 ± 0.001 %), total dry matter (0.363 ± 0.003 %) and overall acceptance (8.60 ± 0.01 sensory score) by the jackfruit/mango incorporation of 12 %, initial pH 4.4, initial total dry matter 24 oBx, yeast ratio 1.4 g/L. Jackfruit incorporated with mango created a pleasant flavour wine. Mango blended with jackfruit for wine making could be considered an intelligent strategy to exploit and alter the abundant source into a valuable product. This research opened a wide opportunity to diversify fruit wine from different valuable crops.

In the post-harvest stage, papaya fruit is highly perishable due to its climacteric characteristic and high respiration rate. Papayas are typically consumed fresh, but converting them into jam as a value-added foodstuff could help minimize losses. The purpose of this research was to evaluate various papaya fruit varieties (namely Va505, Vo786, Sapna, Mangnum, Tn55) and key technical variables such as blanching temperature/time, thickness of papaya strip, gelatin ratio, sucrose ratio and lemon juice ratio concerning the color, texture and overall acceptability of papaya jam. Raw matured papaya fruits at technical maturity were selected for the experiments. Papaya strips were blanched in hot water at different temperature and time (80 °C for 30 min, 85 °C for 25 min, 90 °C for 20 min, 95 °C for 15 min and 100 °C for 10 min). These blanched papaya strips were then mixed with varying concentration of sucrose (20, 25, 30, 35, 40%), gelatin (0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6%) and lemon juice (2, 3, 4, 5, 6%). The samples were kept at 8 oC for 30 min before heating at 100 oC for 25 min. The results showed that the Sapna variety had the highest contents of beta-carotene (8.72±0.01 µg/g) and ascorbic acid (68.17±0.14 g/100 g), while the Vo786 variety had the lowest contents of beta-carotene (4.17±0.02 µg/g) and ascorbic acid (64.49±0.09 g/100 g). For the preparation of papaya jam, the papaya fruit should be peeled and sliced into strips with a thickness of 2.0 mm. These strips should be blanched primarily at 95 °C for 15 min, then mixed with 30% sucrose, 0.5% gelatin and 5% lemon juice. The mixture should be allowed to stand at 8 °C for 30 min before being heated at 100 °C for 25 min. The stripped papaya jam should then be cooled, packed in plastic bags and stored at ambient temperature for 6 months. This study successfully identified Sapna as the appropriate papaya fruit variety and verified several major parameters for jam making. The formulated Papaya jam is designed to maintain its quality for long shelf-life storage

Fucoxanthin as a seaweed xanthophyll is abundant in edible brown algae. Fucoxanthin showed numerous excellent bioactivities and pharmacological benefits. Its durability and bioavailability were very important during processing and storage when it is used as a colorant and bioactive ingredient in food applications. However, fucoxanthin is very susceptible to external factors in environmental conditions such as heavy metals, high temperature, light and oxygen. In order to improve its bio-accessibility, the same proportion of 12% of wall materials such as maltodextrin, trehalose, Arabic gum, modified starch, inulin; inlet/outlet drying temperature 150oC/80oC and feed flow rates 10 mL/min were investigated on spray drying of fucoxanthin. The spray-dried powder was then checked for microencapsulation efficiency, particle size and bulk density. Storage stability was also observed at 4 week-interval for 24 weeks of storage at ambient conditions. Results showed that Arabic gum was the best selection among wall materials. By spray drying with Arabic gum, the spray-dried fucoxanthin powder showed the highest microencapsulation efficiency (94.27±1.17%), particle size (6.79±0.05 µm) and bulk density (0.43±0.02 g/mL). The best fucoxanthin stability (90.46±0.15%) was also noticed in Arabic gum during 24 weeks of storage. Meanwhile, inulin was not suitable as a carrier for microencapsulation of fucoxanthin. The findings of this research suggested that proper carrier was very essential for the microencapsulation validity of thermal-sensitive constituents

Red onion (Allium ascalonicum) bulb and turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome are important crops with high economic value. The present research aimed to evaluate the application of red onion (Allium ascalonicum) extract (6, 9, 12, 15, 18 g/kg diet) combined with turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome extract (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 g/kg diet) in a basal diet on growth performance, survival rate and feed utilization of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). A total of 240 kg of black tiger shrimp (initial weight 150±10 g) and 240 kg of white leg shrimp (initial weight 50±5 g) were reared separately in two groups, each group including 16 indoor shrimp farming tanks (120 × 60 × 50 cm) (length × width × height) with continuous aeration. Results showed that red onion extract 12 g/kg diet or turmeric rhizome extract 8 g/kg significantly improved growth performance, survival rate and feed utilization of black tiger shrimp and white leg shrimp. In 5 different formulas in a combination of red onion and turmeric rhizome extract (7 g onion + 3 g turmeric/ kg diet, 6 g onion + 4 g turmeric/ kg diet, 5 g onion + 5 g turmeric/kg diet, 4 g onion + 6 g turmeric/ kg diet, 3 g onion + 7 g turmeric/ kg diet), we found that 6 g onion + 4 g turmeric/ kg diet resulted to the best growth performance, survival rate and feed utilization in aquaculture of these shrimps. It is suggested that red onion combined with turmeric rhizome extract would be considered an effective phyto-additive incorporated into feed during aquaculture farming.

Squash (Cucurbita sp.) flower or petal has gained a special significance recently due to its valuable phytochemical components contributing to human health. Petal tea included abundant outstanding metabolites similar to those of leaf tea like catechins, flavonoids, vitamins, and aromatic elements. This research was performed to evaluate the influence of temperature (45 to 65°C) and pressure (-0.4 to -0.8 bar) to in vacuum drying; temperature (80 to 100°C) and duration (4 to 12 min) in infusion to the bioactive constituents and antioxidant abilities of the dried squash petal tea. Results showed that raw squash flower should be dehydrated at 55°C in -0.7 bar in vacuum chamber, and then macerated in boiled water at 85°C within 8 min to obtain the highest the beta-caroten content (BCC), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), diphenylpicrylhydrazyl content (DPPH) and overall acceptance. Squash petal tea was highly appreciated on both the aroma and appearance.

White mulberry (Morus alba) leaf is highly valued due to its health-promoting attributes. It is specified by a great content of phytochemical constituents with excellent antioxidant properties. This research was conducted at STNanotech Laboratory in 2021 to evaluate the dried tea production from the white mulberry leaf. The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, DPPH free radical scavenging, FRAP ferric reducing antioxidant and beta-carotene bleaching activity in the raw white mulberry leaf were primarily analyzed. The raw white mulberry leaf was blanched in different conditions (100/5, 95/10, 90/15, 85/20 and 80/25 oC/s) to inactivate enzymes. The blanched leaves were cut into small pieces with dimension of 0.5 × 3.5 cm. The cut mulberry leaves were then convective-dried at different conditions (50/18, 55/15, 60/12, 65/9, and 70/6 oC/h) by a convective dryer. Dried tea was left to cool and ready for testing of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, DPPH free radical scavenging, FRAP ferric reducing antioxidant and beta-carotene bleaching activity. Results showed that raw mulberry leaves should be blanched in hot water at 95/10 (oC/s) and convective-dried at 60/12 (oC/h) to maintain the highest bioactive contents and antioxidant properties. The dried mulberry leaf tea still retained the most valuable ingredients in raw material.

Watermelon and cantaloupe are vital fruits that supply the basic energy requirement along with reduction in poverty of millions of farmers. However, the nutritional quality is influenced by soil, climatic condition and cultivation technique, adopted by the local farmers which needs to be explored in depth. Therefore, this research was conducted at Chon Thanh district, Binh Phuoc province, Vietnam in 2021 to survey the impact of crop seasons (winter-spring and autumn-winter) on the proximate composition, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of watermelon and cantaloupe fruits. This investigation was carried out on 24 orchards (for watermelon) and 18 green-houses (for cantaloupe) of Binh Phuoc province, Vietnam with total 216 watermelon fruits and 162 cantaloupe fruits in the winter–spring crop from October 2019 to March 2020; and total 216 watermelon fruits and 162 cantaloupe fruits in the autumn-winter crop from April 2020 to September 2020. Results showed that winter-spring provided a minor higher proximate composition, phenolic content and antioxidant activity on both the watermelon and cantaloupe fruits than ones grown in the autumn-winter season. It could be explained by the effect of crop seasons on the growth of fruits and accumulation of quality attributes.

Jambolan (Syzygium cumini L.) fruit contained numerous phytochemical and bioactive constituents beneficial for human health. However, this underutilized fruit was highly susceptible to quality degradation after harvesting. Due to the seasonality and perishability of the jambolan fruit, it’s very necessary to convert this valuable fruit into instant, stable and convenient form for long-term consumption. This research was conducted at STNanotech laboratory in 2021 to evaluate the exploitation of jambolan fruit for juice extraction, spray drying and effervescent tablet production. Different variables of spray drying conditions such as proportion of wall material (maltodextrin 8-16%), inlet/outlet drying temperature (150/80, 160/85, 170/90, 180/95, 190/100 oC/oC), feed flow rate (7.5-17.5 ml/min) were deeply investigated on physicochemical and antioxidant properties of spray-dried jambolan powder (SDJP). In preparation of effervescent tablet, the spray-dried jambolan powder (SDJP) was mixed with sodium bicarbonate (SB) and magnesium stearate (MS) in five different formulas: F1 (65/10/25), F2 (65/5/30), F3 (70/10/20), F4 (65/15/20), F5 (70/15/15). Results showed that jambolan extract should be spray-dried with maltodextrin 14% as wall material (WM), inlet/outlet drying temperature 170/90 oC/oC, feed flow rate (FFR) 12.5 ml/min to obtain the optimal particle size 7.94±0.05 µm, solubility 96.80±0.02%, yield 56.71±0.01%, microencapsulation efficiency (ME) 93.25±0.05%, total phenolic content (TPC) 298.45±0.79 mg GAE/100 g, anthocyanin content (AC) 76.59±0.06 mg/100 g, and antioxidant activity (AA) 85.63±0.04%. The jambolan effervescent tablet produced by formula F2 (65/5/30) achieved the optimal hardness 47.24±0.05 N, disintegration time (DT) 271.05±2.03 s, TPC 201.03±1.28 mg GAE/100 g, AC 40.89±0.30 mg/100 g, AA 73.12±0.24% and overall acceptance (OA) 8.81±0.05. Jambolan fruit could be utilized to produce spray-dried powder and its effervescent tablet as a versatile functional food with excellent physicochemical, antioxidant and sensorial characteristics under safe and convenient way for all year round.

Pumpkin is a rich source of beta-carotenoid, a valuable pro-vitamin A known for maintenance of eye vision. Meanwhile jackfruit seed is also rich in carbohydrate however it is considered as waste product and normally discarded during jackfruit processing. The purpose of this research work was to utilize the valuable pumpkin flour as well as the cheap carbohydrate source from jackfruit seed flour in partial replacement with wheat flour to develop bread. The different blending formulations with 100% wheat flour, 90:5:5 (wheat :pumpkin :jackfruit seed flour), 80:10:10 (wheat :pumpkin :jackfruit seed flour), 70:15:15 (wheat :pumpkin :jackfruit seed flour) and 60:20:20 (wheat :pumpkin :jackfruit seed flour) were tested and their effect on the functional properties (moisture uptake ability, bulk density, bloating ratio, loaf climax, loaf dimension and hardness) of bread was investigated. Results showed that increasing the pumpkin flour and jackfruit seed flour incorporation in wheat flour increased the hardness but reduced the moisture uptake ability, bulk density, bloating ratio, loaf climax, and loaf dimension of bread. There was no significant difference between the control bread prepared using 100 % wheat flour in respect of functional properties. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that 5% pumpkin flour and 5% jackfruit seed flour could be successfully supplemented in 90% wheat flour for bread making, while maintaining the the functional properties close to 100% wheat-based bread. Findings of this research facilitated the incorporation of the underutilized and valuable flour-based sources like pumpkin and jackfruit seed in bread making.

Jackfruit seed is commonly considered as waste from fruit processing. This research was conducted at STNanotech Laboratory in 2021 to evaluate the possibility of using jackfruit seed as a good carbohydrate source for saccharification and ethanol fermentation. Different fungi species such as Rhizopus oryzae, Penicillium oxalicum, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus awamori were examined on the efficacy of saccharification to produce the reducing sugar. The ratios of yeast affected on the ethanol fermentation were verified. The starch hydrolysis was performed on the cooked jackfruit seed powder with different fungi as starter culture using Rhizopus oryzae, Penicillium oxalicum, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus awamori at different ratios (6-14%). The starch hydrolysis and alcohol fermentation were performed on the cooked jackfruit seed powder with fungi species at ambient temperature for 72-168 hrs. Water was added into the saccharification batch at different time points (24-120 hrs). Results showed that jackfruit seed should be simultaneously treated by Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cereviceae at 8% : 4% ratio, time point of water addition at 96 hrs, total time of ethanol production for 144 hrs to obtain 24.08±0.00 g/L of ethanol. Jackfruit seed with abundant carbohydrate content would be a promising candidate for ethanol fermentation.