Research Articles
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Reference genes for expression studies in different developmental stages of Oryctes rhinoceros, the coconut rhinoceros beetle(2023) Kumar Arvind; Ginny Antony; Rajesh, M.K.; Josephrajkumar, A.; Tony GraceOryctes rhinoceros L. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), is a primary pest of coconut in South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The beetle has the potential to severely affect the economies of local communities, many of whom are marginal and small farmers who rely on coconut as the main source of livelihood. Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) based targeted gene expression analysis has emerged as a powerful tool due to its sensitivity and reproducibility. However, calculating the relative expression of target genes requires normalization with reference genes across specific experimental conditions. To identify suitable reference gene(s) possessing stability, we selected six prospective genes (viz., NADH, ACTIN, EF1A, RPL3, SDHA, and ARF6) and evaluated them for their potential use as reference gene(s) across different developmental stages of O. rhinoceros. A comprehensive approach based on five statistical models viz., GeNorm, BestKeeper, NormFinder, RefFinder and the ΔCt value, was utilized, and based on the obtained stability values of candidate genes, a consensus ranking was generated. The expression levels of NADH, EF1A and RPL3 were observed to be the most stable across the developmental stages with significant statistical reliability. Further, this study identified NADH/EF1A as the most reliable reference gene combination which could provide robust normalization of RT-qPCR data in gene expression studies in O. rhinoceros. This is the first report identifying the suitable reference genes for normalizing gene expression in O. rhinoceros across different developmental stages, facilitating future elucidation of gene expressions in this species.Item Elemental Composition of Betel Leaves Using a Novel Optical Spectroscopic Technique(2023) Kripa Adlene Edith A; Ravikiran Ongole; Unnikrishnan V. K; Adarsh U. K; Nagaraja, N.R.Objective: Assess trace elements in betel leaves and slaked lime from different regions of Karnataka, India using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Materials and Method: Betel leaves from six different regions of Karnataka were obtained and named (for the purpose of the study) BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, and BL6 and they were sun-dried. A single tube of slaked lime was obtained from the local ‘paan’ shop. Each dried leaf and a single blob of slaked lime was subjected to elemental analysis using Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Results: A ten-trial experiment was carried out in all six leaves and a blob of the slaked lime. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database was used to assess the emission lines. The elements that were predominantly present in all six betel leaves from different regions of Karnataka are calcium, copper, and iron. Slaked lime showed only the presence of calcium. Conclusion: It is widely accepted that the consumption of betel quid causes various changes in the oral mucosa including oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer. It is important to analyze each component of betel quid to understand the disease progression. Copper is found to be relatively higher in betel leaves, and it is known that copper-induced fibrogenesis via the lysyl oxidase pathway in oral submucous fibrosis.Item Flow Cytometric Based Estimation of Genome Size in Arecanut (Areca catechu L.) Varieties(2023) Kavyashree; Sowmyashree Sharma; Nagaraja, N.R.; N. Ranjini; Niral, V.; Beeranthadka RajeshThe present work was undertaken with the objective to estimate the nuclear DNA content in arecanut varieties using flow cytometry. Released varieties of arecanut maintained in the field gene bank at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CPCRI), Regional Station, Vittal, Karnataka, were used for the estimation of DNA content by using BD AccuriC6 flow cytometer. Nuclei isolated from leaves of Pisum sativum cv. Citrad of known genome size was used as an external reference standard. Significant differences were observed between the arecanut varieties for 2C DNA content. Among the arecanut varieties, 2C DNA content (genome size) was found to be ranging from 6.025 (2.946 Gb/1C) to 6.710 pg (3.281 Gb/1C), with mean value of 6.472 pg (3.164 Gb/1C). The highest DNA content was recorded in the variety Swarnamangala (6.710 pg/2C or 3.281 Gb/1C), followed by Sumangala (6.695 pg/2C or 3.273 Gb/1C) and Shatamangala (6.623 pg/2C or 3.238 Gb/1C), while the lowest DNA content of 6.025 pg/2C or 2.946 Gb/1C was recorded in the variety Sreemangala. The results of this study indicate the potential of using flow cytometry for studying genome size diversity in arecanut.Item Genetic diversity of Pterocarpus dalbergioides (Andaman Padauk) accessions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands(2023) Jaisankar, I.; Augustine Jerard, B.; Manasseh Moses. E; P.SimhachalamForty three phenotypically superior accessions of Pterocarpus dalbergioides, identified from different locations of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, were subjected to genetic diversity analysis using 26 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers [12 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) and 14 Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs)]. The percentage of polymorphic bands detected by ISSR and RAPD was 37.04 and 37.62%, respectively. RAPD primers OPN 04 and OPN 08 gave 53% & 63% polymorphism respectively. Among ISSR primers, (GACA)8G gave 100% polymorphism. Clustering pattern of accessions of Pterocarpus dalbergioides remained more or less similar in RAPD and combined data of RAPD and ISSR. Present study confirmed fair extent of genetic variation within the species even though it is exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions across Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.Item Effect of packaging materials and storage temperature on the physicochemical and microbial properties of ultrasonicated mature coconut water during storage(2023) Anjitha Jacob; I.P. Sudagar; Pandiselvam, R.; P. Rajkumar; M. RajaveldPreservation and shelf life extension of mature coconut water (MCW) is paramount importance for the production of flavored beverages. The present study aims to evaluates the effects of packaging materials (glass bottles, PET bottles and stand-up pouches) and storage temperatures such as atmospheric (28 ±6 ◦C) and cold storage (5 ±1 ◦C) temperatures on microbial growth and quality parameters (pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), total sugar, reducing sugar, and non-reducing sugar) of ultrasound treated MCW during storage. The results showed that pH, total soluble solids, total sugar, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugars decreased significantly (p <0.05) during storage, irrespective of packaging materials. It was observed that the microbial load increased significantly (p <0.05) during storage of ultrasonicated samples and control samples. The present study concluded that ultrasonication of MCW at 60% amplitude for 10 min treatment time increased their shelf life up to 12 days under cold storage condition (5 ±2 ◦C) with a safe limit of microbial load and maximum retention of nutrients. Even though all the packaging materials were found to be statistically on par (p >0.05) in maintaining quality parameters and microbial load, glass bottles were observed to be most effective packaging followed by PET bottles and stand-up pouches.Item Impact of Integrated Ultra Violet-Ozone Treatment on Textural and Structural Properties of Dough Made of Natural Fiber Based Agro Residues(2023) M.P. Harikrishnan; V. Vishnu; Anjineyulu Kothakota; Pandiselvam, R.; T. Venkatesh; Saju Pillai; Manikantan, M.R.In this study, de-oiled rice bran (RB) and virgin coconut oil cake (VCOC) were selected as base materials. Corn starch, wheat bran, and guar gum were taken as binding agents. The doughs were treated with combined Ultraviolet (UV) (1000 μW/cm2 for 15 min) and Aqueous Ozone (AO) (3 mg/L, exposure time 5 min and pH of 4). The effect of these non-thermal treatments on microbial log reduction, textural characteristics, glass transition (Tg), and crystallinity was studied and compared with the control. The results for all samples, dough raising capacities differed widely by 10–30%. Bulk Density and True Density were 1.6 to 2.5 g/cm3 and 2.3 to 3.3 g/cm3. X-Ray Diffraction indicated 30–45% crystallinity, and crystallite size ranges between 0.54 and 0.90 nm. DSC indicated Tg and melting point between 49°C-55°C and 98°C-101°C for RB dough and at 54°C-60°C and 107°C-134°C for VCOC dough samples. UV with AO treated dough showed a maximum of 5.2 log microbial reduction compared to the untreated sample. The developed RB and wheat bran combination demonstrated the highest tensile strength (0.62 MPa) whereas RB-starch combination had the minimum water absorption (1.33 ml/min). This indicates the ability of additives to improve the characteristics of biodegradable cutlery made from agricultural residues.Item An Overview of Andaman and Nicobar Mangroves - Existing Day State of Affairs(2023) Hari Nivas Asokan; Iyyappan Jaisankar; Nikil Lele; Bosco Augustine JerardThis review provides an overview of biotic and abiotic components and a detailed studies on tropical mangrove ecosystem, existing in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Mangrove ecosystem in these Islands is considered unique and wide-ranging among other mangrove systems in India owning to the unique biogeographical behaviours with diverse biological adaptable mechanisms, stabilizing the climatic conditions. Zonation of mangroves, application of remote sensing tools, physical characters and it’s associated micro flora, fauna community with reported checklist of species are deals with in this review. It was revealed that 48 species of mangroves have been documented so far in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by various workers. There are 78 species of mangrove associated Abstract Hari Nivas Asokan,1 Iyyappan Jaisankar,1 Nikil Lele,2 Bosco Augustine Jerard3 associated fungi, 128 species of meiofauna, 277 species of fishes, saltwater crocodiles, and endemic birds, reptiles and mammals have been recorded and this list is setting added up every year by various organizations with new reports of flora and fauna from the mangrove ecosystems of these Islands.Item Evaluation of Growth Conditions, Antioxidant Potential, and Sensory Attributes of Six Diverse Microgreens Species(2023) Ajeet Singh Dhaka; Harsh Kumar Dikshit; Gyan P. Mishra; Mechiya Tomuilim Tontang; Nand Lal Meena; Ranjeet Ranjan Kumar; Ramesh, S.V.; Sneh Narwal; Muraleedhar Aski; Vinutha Thimmegowda; Sanjeev Gupta; Ramakrishnan M. Nair; Shelly PraveenMicrogreens belong to a class of functional foods with valuable nutritional elements and diverse health benefits when consumed as food supplements. Its consumption has increased sharply due to the abundance of different health-promoting components than their mature plants. The present study investigated the growth conditions and nutritional profiles of six crops mungbean, lentil, red radish, pearl-millet, mustard, and red cabbage) as microgreens grown under the light with a 16 h light/8 h dark cycle. Firstly, the optimum temperature and the day of harvesting of each of the microgreens for their maximum yield were standardized. The optimum temperature ranged from 24 to 28 C, and the best stage for their harvesting ranged from the 6th to 13th day for all six microgreens species. Physiological parameters such as height, yield, color, moisture content, seed weight to fresh weight (FW) ratio, and FW to dry weight (DW) were also estimated. All the microgreens were analyzed for the total phenolics content, total anthocyanin content, vitamin C, free radical scavenging activity, dietary fiber, and phytic acid contents at the harvesting stage. Total phenolics, total anthocyanin, and vitamin C contents ranged from 55 to 1240 mg/100 g, 25 to 186 mg/100 g, and 22 to 86 mg/100 g, respectively, in the studied microgreens. Red cabbage and pearl-millet microgreens accumulated higher phenolics than other studied microgreens, while total anthocyanin content was higher in red radish and pearl-millet microgreens. Vitamin C content was recorded as highest in red cabbage microgreens. DPPH-based free radical scavenging activity ranged from 62–84% and was highest in red cabbage microgreens. All the microgreens were also analyzed for their dietary fiber (DF) content which ranged from 2.5–12.5% and was recorded as maximum in pearl millet microgreens. The findings of this study offer helpful information on the growth circumstances necessary to produce microgreens with the greatest nutrient and health benefits.Item Farmers Training through Video Conferencing App in Sub-Himalayan Region of India(2023) Ganesh Das; Golam Torab Ali; Bablu Ganguly; Sushen Kumar Das; Sankalpa Ojha; Bikash Roy; LS SinghIn India majority of the trainings were conducted through conventional training methods. Several limitations were found in conventional training. It was found from the different studies that the majority of Indian people used smart phones and the internet. So, there is a scope of online training through video conferencing app to overcome the limitation. Based on the issue a study was conducted on the effectiveness of online farmers training through video conferencing app. It is found from the study that majority of the trainees’ knowledge level was medium followed by low and high after taking training from video conferencing app. It is also shown from the study that online training saves time and resources, experts are easily available from a distance place, low-cost training methods and large numbers of participants were covered in a shorter time.Item Genome editing in plants: a tool for precision breeding and functional genomics(2023-12-01) Viswanathan Chinnusamy; Van Schepler‑Luu; Satendra K. Mangrauthia; Ramesh, S.V.Genome or gene editing (GE) involves a repertoire of innovative molecular techniques that make use of sequence-specific nucleases (SSNs), for the precise modification of an organism's genome sequences. The CRISPR/Cas-based GE system, associated with Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, has emerged as a potent addition to the expanding genomics toolkit. It enables precise mutagenesis, gene knockouts, multiplex gene editing, and the manipulation of gene expression in plants. Undoubtedly, the application of CRISPR/Cas-based GE in plants has brought about a revolution in basic research, aiding in our understanding of gene functions and significantly advancing applied crop research. This, in turn, underscores its immense potential for crop improvement. Against this backdrop, the current Special Issue on "Genome Editing in Plants: A Tool for Precision Breeding and Functional Genomics" represents a timely effort to assemble a group of leading experts in the field of plant genome editing. This compilation includes a commentary article, two original research papers, and eleven review articles and is expected to bring about substantial progress in the field of plant science, particularly in the domain of genome editing.Item Detection of Oil Adulteration in Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Utilizing Chemometrics and Principal Component Analysis(2023-06-09) M. B. Cariappa; Ramesh, S.V.; G. S. Chikkanna; J. Venkatesh; Vishnuvardhana; Hebbar, K.B..; A. K. SinghAuthentication of virgin coconut oil (VCO) is imperative to protect the interests of the consumers. An investigation was carried out to distinguish VCO from coconut oil (CO), palm oil (PO) and liquid paraffin utilizing biochemical quality parameters, including fatty acid composition, and principal component analysis (PCA). Various oil blends of VCO: PO, VCO: CO (both in 10% increments), VCO:CO:PO and VCO: liquid paraffin and CO: liquid paraffin were prepared. The oil blends were analyzed for quality features, fatty acid composition and the data was analyzed statistically. Biochemical attributes such as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), iodine value (IV) and saponification value (SV) and fatty acids like lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid were influential parameters to distinguish the oil samples at various levels of adulteration. Samples could be classified even with the adulteration level of as low as 10%. Principal component analysis produced two components distinguishing various adulterated oil samples. Multiple regression analysis provided predictive equation models with high coefficient of determination ( R2) and could help in adulteration quantitation. Hence, this study demonstratedItem Harvesting of tender coconuts improves yields and profitability of coconut farming in India(2024-12-01) Ravi Bhat; Surekha; Subramanian, P.; Selvamani V.; Arivalagan Manivannan; Maheswarappa, H P.An experiment was conducted at Kasaragod, Kerala, India for six years to study the impact of different coconut harvesting treatments on growth, yield and return. The treatments were; harvesting tender nuts from January to June and mature nuts from July to December, harvesting tender nuts from July to December and mature nuts from January to June, harvesting tender nuts throughout the year, harvesting tender nuts in alternate years, harvesting alternate bunches for tender nuts and harvesting of mature nuts throughout the year. The results showed that palms that underwent tender nut harvesting throughout the year, compared with harvesting mature nuts throughout the year, recorded high yields (175 nuts/palm), three times high net returns, and 68.7% high energy use efficiency. This study demonstrated the potential of harvesting tender nuts to improve the profitability and energy balance of coconut production.Item Pollen morphological study and temperature effect on the pollen germination of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) varieties(2023-12-01) Babli Mog; G.L. Veena; J.D. Adiga; Hebbar, K.B..; Shamsudheen M; G.N. Manjesh; E. EradasappaTemperature is one of the main environmental factors that affects plant growth and development. Flowering phenology mainly pollination is highly sensitive to temperature extremes. Thus, pollen tests can be used as a tool to screen temperature tolerant crops. In present study, the in vitro pollen germination method was used for screening cashew varieties at different temperatures. The pollens of five cashew varieties comprising three early (VRI-3, Vengurla-4 and Ullal-3), one mid (Bhaskara) and one late (Madakkathara-2) were screened in field (in vivo) as well as at controlled temperatures from 5 to 50◦C. The morphological features of pollen grains were also studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Significant differences in polar axis (P), equatorial axis (E) and P/E ratio were observed among five cashew varieties. Early varieties had high P and E. Pollen germination under in vivo was high for early types with optimum temperature (Topt) of 25◦C while it was low in mid and late types with Topt of 30◦C. The in vitro study further confirmed this finding, pollen germination at 25◦C was 75% in early types while it was 57.8 and 50.5% for mid and late types respectively at 30◦C. However, mid and late varieties exhibited better tolerance to high temperature beyond 40◦C suggesting their wider adaptability to high temperature. The high reducing sugars mainly glucose and fructose in pollens of early varieties may be correlated to high pollen germination in response to temperature. Overall, the varietal differences in pollen behaviour can be used to select cashew varieties for evaluating their adaptability to temperature extremes during flowering across various regions.Item Community farm school approach for coconut seedlings/juveniles through collaborative social actions(2023-12-01) Anithakumari, P.; Indhuja, S; Shareefa, M.Three Grama Panchayats in Kerala's Alappuzha district undertook community-level participatory action research in 2019–2021. A total of 90 coconut farmers participated in the adoption of ICAR-CPCRI technology to produce West Coast Tall (WCT) coconut seedlings that are resistant/tolerant to the root (wilt) disease at the community level. Partners included extension agents, coconut producers' societies (CPS) and clusters, women self-help groups (WSHGs), and agricultural labor organizations. The characteristics of technologies that are suggested for adoption in root (wilt) disease-affected tracts, such as the scientific management of young coconut trees and the production of high-quality seedlings through community nurseries, challenge the idea of adoption. There are a lot of variances in the homestead gardens' marginal holdings, including expertise, the use of technology, and access to advisory services. Government agencies provided the majority of the seedlings and extension advisory services, emphasizing the necessity for FPO-based or private extension in the coconut growing industry. The coconut farmers' understanding has significantly improved as a result of the participatory interventions for managing seedlings. The participatory demonstration and community farm school (CFS) strategy is discussed in the paper as a way for homesteads to manage juvenile coconuts while integrating new ideas and fostering cross and reciprocal learning. Refining the current extension approach requires integrating new knowledge about the characteristics of seedling growth, future economic performance, and social evaluation of choices of technological, individual, and skill-oriented interventions in risk-prone areas with debilitating root (wilt) disease.Item Genome editing in plants: a tool for precision breeding and functional genomics(2023-12-01) Viswanathan Chinnusamy; Van Schepler‑Luu; Satendra K. Mangrauthia; Ramesh, S.V.Genome or gene editing (GE) involves a repertoire of innovative molecular techniques that make use of sequence-specific nucleases (SSNs), for the precise modification of an organism's genome sequences. The CRISPR/Cas-based GE system, associated with Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, has emerged as a potent addition to the expanding genomics toolkit. It enables precise mutagenesis, gene knockouts, multiplex gene editing, and the manipulation of gene expression in plants. Undoubtedly, the application of CRISPR/Cas-based GE in plants has brought about a revolution in basic research, aiding in our understanding of gene functions and significantly advancing applied crop research. This, in turn, underscores its immense potential for crop improvement. Against this backdrop, the current Special Issue on "Genome Editing in Plants: A Tool for Precision Breeding and Functional Genomics" represents a timely effort to assemble a group of leading experts in the field of plant genome editing. This compilation includes a commentary article, two original research papers, and eleven review articles and is expected to bring about substantial progress in the field of plant science, particularly in the domain of genome editing.Item Optimization of continuous flow pulsed light system process parameters for microbial inactivation in tender coconut water, pineapple and orange juice(2021-09-11) P. Preetha; N. Varadharaju; G. Jeevarathinam; J. Deepa; A. P. Mohan Kumar; M. Balakrishnan; P. Rajkumar; Pandiselvam, R.Continuous flow pulsed light (PL) system was designed and fabricated with a residence time of 3.5 s at a flow rate of 100 ml/min to study the effect on microbial quality of the fruit juice. The circuit was designed to deliver pulse energy between 12.6 and 756 J/cm2 with a flash lasted 360 μs at a frequency of three pulses per second. Tender coconut water, pineapple and orange juice was treated with different input voltage (500–1000 V) to the lamp, distance of the lamp exposed to the sample (5–15 cm) and treatment time (15–45 s) to reduce the population of aerobic plate count (APC), yeast and mold. Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize the PL process parameters. The process condition was optimized based on the microbial reduction rate. The optimized condition was input voltage of 1492, 1499, and 1486 V, distance of 7.6, 10.2, and 5.3 cm, and treatment time of 43 s (12 passes), 44 s (13 passes), and 45 s (13 passes) for tender coconut water, pineapple and orange juice, respectively at the target of five log reduction for APC and four log reduction for Y&M. These results recommend that a continuous flow PL system could improve the microbial safety of the fruit juice. PL is a nonthermal method for inactivating food microbes, extending food's shelf life. For industrial purposes, the batch system is virtually impossible. As a result, continuous flow systems for liquid foods can provide a better way to handle large volumes. The optimized setup was found to achieve a microbial death rate of at least 5 log CFU/ml, consistent with FDA guidelines for fruit juice. The BBD of response surface methodology helps in optimizing the process parameters such as input voltage of the lamp, distance of the PL lamp to treatment tube and treatment time. The resulting mathematical model provides the PL process conditions for designing the equipmentfor different fruit beverages to obtain microbiologically safe products.Item Transient computer simulation of the temperature profile in different packaging materials: An optimization of thermal treatment of tender coconut water(2021-08-28) V. Prithviraj1; Pandiselvam, R.; Manikantan, M.R.; Ramesh, S.V.; Shameena Beegum; Anjineyulu Kothakota; Amin Mousavi KhaneghahUnderstanding the temperature profile of different packaging materials would be useful for selecting appropriate packaging material for in-bottle pasteurization. The temperature profile of polypropylene, polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate bottles was investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics software to understand the temperature–time correlation with thermal treatments. PE bottles exhibited the least temperature difference between cold and hot spots. Optimization of thermal treatment processing parameters such as temperature (80–95 C) and treatment time (5– 15 min) for inactivation of enzymes, namely polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), in tender coconut water (TCW) was performed to the extent its shelf life. The quality parameters of heat-treated TCW such as pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), turbidity, phenolic content, PPO, POD, and sensory evaluation were analyzed. The multiple linear regression models were developed for each quality parameter using a central composite design (CCD). The optimized treatment conditions were 84 C temperature and 5 min treatment time with the desirability of 0.926. The responses recorded were pH = 5.4, TSS = 5.52, turbidity = 7.1 NTU, TA = 0.06% of malic acid, relative PPO = 0.099, relative POD = 0.093, phenolic content = 44.712 mg gallic acid equivalent/L, and overall acceptability score = 8.Item Sensorial, textural, and nutritional attributes of coconut sugar and cocoa solids based “bean-to-bar” dark chocolate(2022-01-01) Shameena Beegum; Pandiselvam, R.; Ramesh, S.V.; Sugatha, P.; Arifa Nooh; Neenu, S.; Alka Gupta; Eldho Varghese; D. Balasubramanian; Elain Apshara, S.; Manikantan, M.R.; Hebbar, K.BThe impacts of cocoa solids and coconut sugar on the sensory perception of bean-tobar dark chocolate were investigated with mixture design using response surface methodology. The maximum and minimum levels of cocoa nib, cocoa butter, and coconut sugar for the preparation of chocolate were 35–50%, 15–30%, and 20–35%, respectively. A suitable mathematical model was used to evaluate each response. Maximum and minimum levels of components caused a poor sensory acceptance of the resultant dark chocolate. The optimum level of independent variables, for the best set of responses, was 44.7% cocoa nib, 25.2% cocoa butter, and 30.2% coconut sugar, with a hedonic score of 8.28 for appearance, 8.64 for mouth feel, 8.71 for texture, 8.68 for taste, and 8.51 for overall acceptability, at a desirability of 0.86. The minimum time for grinding the chocolate mix was 24 hour, which was evident from the microscopic analysis of the chocolate mix. The optimized chocolate (70% dark) per 100 g constitutes 1.06 g moisture, 50.09 g crude fat, 10.37 g crude protein, 35.90 g carbohydrates, and 2.55 g ash content. The L, a, b values indicated a darker color and was stable under ambient condition with a hardness value of 59.52 N, which significantly decreased to 16.23 N within 10 min at ambient temperature (30 ± 2_C). The addition of coconut sugar along with cocoa solids incorporates polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidant potential, and minerals into bean-to-bar dark chocolate and hence offers a commercial value and health potential for stakeholders.Item Effect of packaging materials and storage temperature on the physicochemical and microbial properties of ultrasonicated mature coconut water during storage(2023-01-01) Anjitha Jacob; I.P. Sudagar; Pandiselvam, R.; P. Rajkumar; M. RajavelPreservation and shelf life extension of mature coconut water (MCW) is paramount importance for the production of flavored beverages. The present study aims to evaluates the effects of packaging materials (glass bottles, PET bottles and stand-up pouches) and storage temperatures such as atmospheric (28 ±6 ◦C) and cold storage (5 ±1 ◦C) temperatures on microbial growth and quality parameters (pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), total sugar, reducing sugar, and non-reducing sugar) of ultrasound treated MCW during storage. The results showed that pH, total soluble solids, total sugar, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugars decreased significantly (p <0.05) during storage, irrespective of packaging materials. It was observed that the microbial load increased significantly (p <0.05) during storage of ultrasonicated samples and control samples. The present study concluded that ultrasonication of MCW at 60% amplitude for 10 min treatment time increased their shelf life up to 12 days under cold storage condition (5 ±2 ◦C) with a safe limit of microbial load and maximum retention of nutrients. Even though all the packaging materials were found to be statistically on par (p >0.05) in maintaining quality parameters and microbial load, glass bottles were observed to be most effective packaging followed by PET bottles and stand-up pouches.Item Engineering intervention for production of virgin coconut oil by hot process and multivariate analysis of quality attributes of virgin coconut oil extracted by various methods(2019-01-01) Ramesh, S.V.; Pandiselvam, R.; Ramayyan Thushara; Manikantan, M.R.; Hebbar, K.B.; Shameena Beegum; Mathew, A.C.; Sathyan Neenu; Sandip ShilICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, India, has designed and developed a virgin coconut oil (VCO) cooker for the extraction of oil by the hot process. However, a number of VCO production processes being followed in India and elsewhere cause variations in the physicochemical properties, which in turn potentially affect the nutritional and medicinal properties of VCO. The physical and biochemical properties of VCO from the hot process (VCO-Hot), fermentation (VCO-Fer), expelled from dried gratings (VCO-EDG), centrifugation (VCO-Cen), and conventionally prepared copra coconut oil (CCO) were investigated in light of the design concept of the VCO cooker. The nutritionally important total phenolic content (mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant capacity of all the VCOs were found to be in the range of 0.446 ± 0.041 (VCO-Cen) to 2.867 ± 0.152 (VCO-Hot) and 3.87 mM Trolox equivalent (TE) (VCOCen) to 11.31 mM TE (VCO-Hot), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that quality attributes viz., total phenol, total flavonoid, and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity of VCO-Hot defined by principal component 1. Hierarchical clustering showed that the VCO-Hot belonged to the group with high total phenolic and flavonoids content and strong antioxidant capacity. Comparative biochemical properties along with multivariate analysis differentiated the various VCO samples.