Iranian Food Science and Technology Research Journal

Abstract Identification of a new source of hydrocolloids is of interest due to their important effects on the textural attributes of food products. The objective of this study was to investigate the extraction conditions of Plantago major L. seed mucilage using a central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology. Temperature (25–85°C), pH (3–9) and water to seed ratio (50:1-50:4) were the factors investigated. Results showed that temperature was major factor in the extraction yield, whereas water to seed ratio and pH had minor effects on the yield. The maximum and minimum yields were 18.95% (conditions: temperature= 85 °C, water to seed ratio = 31.3 and pH= 6) and 6.35% (conditions: temperature = 25 °C, water to seed ratio= 31.3 and pH= 6), respectively. The optimal conditions were obtained at the temperature of 60 °C, water to seed ratio of 48.9 and pH of 3 in which predicted value for the extraction yield was 11.84%. The rheological properties of the mucilage, extracted at the optimal conditions, were investigated as a function of concentration at three levels of 3, 4 and 5% w/v, and shear rate ranged from 14 to 300s-1. Mucilage dispersions showed non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior at all studied concentrations. The Power law model well described the rheological behavior of the mucilage solutions with high determination coefficients (R2>0.99). The flow behavior index (n) varied in the range of 0.30 to 0.36. The consistency coefficient (k) was in the range 6.13-17.81 Pa.sn. Overall, Plantago major L. seed mucilage could be attended as a new beneficial source for use as a food thickening agent.

Abstract Textural, thermal and microstructural properties of single component gels and binary composite gels (BCG) of high amylose corn starch (Hylon VII) mixed with wheat flour at different wheat flour/Hylon VII (WF/H) ratios (95:5, 90:10 and 85:15) and temperatures (100, 121 and 135ºC) were investigated. The visual appearance showed that as Hylon VII was increased in BCG, the stronger gel was achieved. Textural results confirmed by increasing Hylon VII, the firmness was increased, but the springiness, cohesiveness and adhesiveness were reduced. Moreover, the BCG at high temperatures showed the higher level of Hylon VII, the higher water solubility index would be achieved. The gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) and peak gelatinization temperature (Tp) increased by improving the content of amylose in BCG. Hylon VII showed the lowest peak viscosity and the BCG gel containing high amount of Hylon VII indicated a reduction in the paste viscosity. The differences in the microstructure of WF and HylonVII gels were also reflected the pasting properties of the gels. Consequently, BCG of WF/H develops the stronger gel which can withstand at high thermal processing such as retort to improve the shelf-life of the final product.

Abstract β-d- glucan as a soluble dietary fiber, has many desirable physical and physiological characteristic. In this research the effect of β-d- glucan and aging conditions (Time and Temperature) on some physicochemical and textural properties of frozen soy yogurt was investigated. Three variables including concentration of oat β-d- glucan (0, 1 and 2%), aging time (2, 13 and 24 h) and aging temperature (2, 4 and 6°C) were studied. The results showed that the addition of β-d- glucan to frozen yogurt increased viscosity, overrun, hardness and fat destabilization but the melting resistance and L*value were decreased.  In terms of aging conditions, it was revealed that increasing aging time could improve the quality of product whereas higher temperature had an undesirable effect on the quality of frozen soy yogurt. Longer aging time caused an increase in viscosity, hardness, fat destabilization and melting resistance. By increasing aging temperature, fat destabilization, overrun and viscosity were decreased and melting rate was increased. It was concluded that addition of β-d- glucan as a dietary fiber and prolonged aging time at low temperature could adjust textural properties of frozen soy yogurt and improve quality of this frozen dessert.

Abstract The orange samples were cut into slices with a thickness of 4 mm and treated with ohmic method for 3, 5, and 7 min as ohmic pre-treatment in three voltages 30, 50 and 70 V. Then, they were dried in three replicates using a microwave dryer and at three powers of 90, 360, and 900 W. The statistical analysis results showed that the ohmic time, ohmic voltage and microwave power are significant for the energy and exergy efficiency and specific energy and exergy loss at 1% level. The highest energy and exergy efficiency was observed at 900 W and in the ohmic time of 7 min. The highest energy and exergy efficiency was observed at 59.041% and 47.76%, respectively. The maximum energy loss was seen at 90 W and ohmic time of 3 min. The microwave power, ohmic time, and ohmic voltage were statistically significant for all the parameters (energy and exergy) such that with increasing them, the energy and exergy efficiency increased, while the specific exergy and energy loss decreased.

Abstract In this study the effect of drying conditions on physical and rehydration properties of foam-mat dried mushroom powder was investigated. Physical properties included moisture content, a_w, hygroscopicity, particle size, flowability and cohesiveness, angle of repose, and T_g. The results showed physical properties of mushroom powder significantly (p<0.05) affected by dry temperature. The water activity of mushroom powder was below 0.3, which leads to stable conditions. As decreasing drying temperature, the particle size of mushroom powder increased and led to the increase moisture content and a_w. The mushroom powder showed better flowability as increased drying temperature. T_g of mushroom powder ranged from 41.3- 55.6°C. An increase in drying temperature led to increasing wettability and dispersibility. The drying condition had no-significant effect (P<0.05) on the solubility of mushroom powder.

Abstract Since persimmon is a pressure-sensitive fruit and it is difficult to store this fruit in warehouses, in this research, an attempt has been made to examine the parameters affecting the reduction of changes in its physical properties. The samples were loaded at 150 and 250 N, three types of foam container packaging with polyolefin film, polyethylene-terephthalate, and ordinary box, and four types of polyamine putrescine coating with concentrations of 1 and 2 mM, distilled water and uncoated. Properties such as Physiological Weight Loss, volume, and the density of persimmon fruit, as well as the firmness of this fruit in the prepost-storage stage were examined. The results showed, the highest firmness was obtained in the treatment of putrescine at a concentration of 1 mM and a foam container with polyethylene film with a value of 6.5 N, which was almost three times the firmness of uncoated fruits. The lowest Physiological Weight Loss, volume, and density were obtained in the same type of coating and packaging. The values of these parameters were 2.458%, 1.82, and 0.833%, respectively, compared to the first day of storage. Overall, the use of polyamine treatment showed a significant effect on changes in the physical properties of persimmon fruit, and foam containers with polyolefin film emerged as the optimal packaging option, resulting in the least amount of change among the different types of packaging used.

Abstract The sapodilla fruit has a limited shelf life due to its perishability and rapid moisture loss. The application of edible coatings has attracted much interest because they are effective in prolonging the shelf life of fruits. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an edible coating made from xanthan gum (XG) (0.1% and 0.2%) combined with oleic acid (Ol) (1%) in prolonging the shelf life of sapodilla fruit at 8 ± 1 ^οc and a relative humidity (RH) of 85-90%. Weight loss was significantly reduced in the treated fruits, with the minimum weight loss observed in the Xan 0.2% + Ol treatment. Except for the Ol treatment, the other treatments showed a higher level of firmness compared to the control. At the end of the experiment, the treatments significantly reduced fruit respiration. The treated fruits also showed significantly increased antioxidant capacity and higher levels of ascorbic acid compared to the control. The lowest TSS (22.8%) level was noted in the Xan 0.2 + Ol treatment. Moreover, the results showed that fruit treated with Xan 0.1% + Ol coating exhibited higher activity in the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes compared to the fruit treated with Xan 0.2 + Ol coating and the control samples. In general, fruits treated with Xan 0.2 + Ol and Xan 0.1% + Ol demonstrated the highest overall quality compared to the control and other treatments. Therefore, the application of these treatments is recommended for maintaining the quality of sapodilla fruit.

Abstract The aim of this study was to develop and characterize carboxymethylated agar (CMA) based films crosslinked with citric acid, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and β-cyclodextrin for sustainable food packaging applications. The inherent brittleness, high hydrophilicity, and limited thermal stability of native agar films, which restrict their practical use in food packaging systems were considered as the aim of performing this study. Five distinct film formulations were prepared using different combinations of crosslinking agents, and their physicochemical, morphological, and thermal properties were systematically evaluated. The degree of substitution (DS) of carboxymethyl agar was determined to be 0.69, indicating successful chemical modification. Water contact angle analysis revealed that the CMA-P-β-A film exhibited the highest hydrophobicity, with a contact angle in the range of 80–89°, compared to approximately 67° for the control CMA film, demonstrating enhanced moisture resistance. Differential scanning calorimetry showed a significant increase in glass transition temperature (Tg), reaching 82.08 °C for the CMA-P-β-A formulation, compared to 52.54 °C for CMA, confirming the formation of a highly crosslinked polymer network. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed successful carboxymethylation and crosslinking, accompanied by reduced crystallinity and improved structural flexibility. SEM micrographs revealed smooth and homogeneous surfaces with interconnected polymer networks. Overall, the integrative carboxymethylation crosslinking strategy effectively enhanced the hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and structural integrity of agar-based films, highlighting the CMA-P-β-A formulation as the most promising candidate for environmentally friendly food packaging applications. These findings provide valuable insights into the design of advanced biopolymer-based packaging materials.

Abstract The acidified ethanol extracts of dried barberry which have a relatively high anthocyanin content (376.28± 1.45 mg c3g/Kg dmp) were freeze dried using maltodextrin (MDX), polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) and mixture of MDX and calcium alginate (MDX-CaAlg) as a carrier and coating agents. The qualitative attributes of the powders were characterized by their productively encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, bulk density, colour values (L*, a*, b*, C and H° ), particle size, total phenolic compounds (TPC), free radical scavenging activity of DPPH (RSA), ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) and minimized 50% of radical- scavenging activity (IC50). Scanning electron microscope was used for monitoring the structures of the powders. To determine the stability and half- life period of microencapsulated pigments, samples were stored under different storage temperatures (4◦C and 25◦C) at relative humidity 75%. Results showed that the encapsulated powder containing PVP 8% as wall material represented the best powder quality (p

Abstract The central composite rotatable design by response surface methodology was applied for optimization of ultrasonic extraction conditions of Bene hull (Pistacia atlantica subsp. Mutica) polyphenols. The sonication time, temperature and ethanol-water ratio were independent parameters studied for the extraction optimization. Total polyphenols and antioxidant potentials of extracts in terms of ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), DPPH scavenging activity and oxidative stability index (OSI) were determined. The obtained data were well consistent with the polynomial equations by significant variation in linear, quadratic and interaction impacts of the process factors. The optimized extraction conditions were sonication time, 26.91 min, temperature, 50.42 °C and ethanol concentration, 55.84%. The total polyphenols, DPPH, FRAP an OSI of optimal extract were 304.47 mg GAE/g, 72.47%, 54.04 mmol/100g and 8.55 h, respectively. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of optimal extract detected presence of epicatechin, chlorogenic, sinapic, caffeic and gallic acids.

Abstract Caviars represent the best-known form of fish roe products. The conventional method of roe processing includes saturated brine salting. However, despite the importance of these products, there is relatively little technical information available about their chemical composition, product quality and food safety attributes.
Three experimental treatments were provided with kutum roe brined in 10, 18 and 24% sodium chloride solutions for 14 days (24°C). Then, the brined-roes were removed from the solution and stored at 4°C for 90 days in refrigerator. The contents of proximate compositions, salt, volatile base nitrogen (VBN), total psychrotrophic bacteria and histamine forming bacteria, color were measured. Sampling was carried out at the first and at the end of days 30, 60 and 90 of storage period.
The samples brined in 10% solution putrefied during the brining and removed from study. The moisture and total volatile nitrogen content of 24% brined roes were lower than 18% treatment. The pH and histamine forming bacteria number at the end of storage and total psychrotrophic bacteria number after 60 days of storage were higher. The increase of L* value and the decrease of a* value in samples of brine 18% were observed on days 60 and 90 of storage, but this increase was induced only on the day 90 for samples of brine 24%.
18%brined roe showed acceptable chemical and microbial results in refrigerated condition, and 24% brine roe appeared optimal during storage period.

Abstract In this study, the effects of bath and probe ultrasound treatments were investigated on yield, texture (hardness, adhesion, cohesion, springiness and chewiness), pH and moisture content of fresh white cheese. The times 2, 4, 6 minutes and 5, 10, 15 minutes were used in probe treatment (frequency 20 kHz) and bath treatment (frequency 37 kHz), respectively, at temperatures of 40, 50 and 60°C in two stages (raw cow milk and cheese matrix). The results showed that applying ultrasound treatment significantly (P

Abstract The consumer’s acceptance significantly reduces during the storage of fresh cut fruits. Edible coating is one of the most innovative ways to maintain quality and improve shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of quince seed gum (QSG) at different concentrations (0.5, 1 and 1.5%) as edible coatings for banana slices and to determine their influence on changes in physicochemical properties during storage at 4 °C and 40 °C. Data on shrinkage, weight loss and color were collected and subjected to statistical analysis. Banana slices which coated with 1 % of QSG and stored at 4 °C showed significantly better physicochemical characteristics. Higher temperatures result in more rapid changes of quality parameters. On the other hand, samples coated with gum reduced the weight loss and shrinkage during storage. It is recommended that 1% quince seed gum can be used to reduce the surface fresh-cut banana browning.

Abstract In order to inhibit the oxidation of lipids, improve the oxidative stability of foods and to minimize the hazard risk to human health, antioxidants are added to food materials in industrial processing. In this work, the antioxidant potential of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), ajowan (Carum copticum) and zataria (Zataria multiflora Boiss.) essential oils (EOs) at different concentrations (0, 1 and 1.5%) on free fatty acid content (FFA), peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of grape seed oil stored at 60ºC was evaluated. Ajowan treated samples (1.5%) showed the lowest (1.02%) and zataria treated samples (1%) expressed the highest (1.19%) FFA value among EO-treated samples. Samples treated with 1.5% cinnamon showed the lowest PV (69.5 meq O2/ kg) at the end of the storage period. Following control, the highest PV was seen in samples treated with zataria (1%). Grape seed oil samples treated with 1 and 1.5% cinnamon showed the lowest TBARS values during the whole storage period (one month). TBARS of zataria treated samples increased slightly toward the end of storage and a similar trend in TBARS was observed for samples treated with ajowan. The antioxidant activity of EOs in grape seed oil followed in descending order was cinnamon, ajowan, and zataria.

Abstract Nowadays, in modern agriculture, the combination of image processing techniques and intelligent methods has been used to replace smart machine instead of humans. In this study, an artificial image processing and artificial neural network (ANN) method was used to classify strawberry fruit of Parus variety. In the first step, the fruit was divided into 6 classes (ANN outputs) by the expert, and 100 samples were randomly collected from each class. In the next step, the images of the samples were captured and three geometric properties with twelve color properties (as ANN inputs) were extracted. Optimum artificial neural network structures considering root mean squared error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) were investigated to classification process of the strawberry samples. Finally, the perceptron neural network with a structure of 6-18-15 was selected with an average accuracy of 83.83%.

Abstract Over the past decades, the use of natural additives has increased as an alternative to artificial ingredients in the food industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of pomegranate peel (PP) as a natural food additive. Many factors, including genotype, could affect the quality of PP as a by-product of juice production with many nutritional, functional and anti-infective properties. In this study, the most significant phytochemical characters of thirty Iranian pomegranate peels (IPP) from different genotypes, including total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC), and nine phenolic compounds were determined. The HPLC-DAD-MS results of PPEs revealed nine phenolic compounds in the IPP extracts. Punicalagin β, punicalagin α, and ellagic acid were the main components constituting 20.8–48.7, 13.9–30.1, and 1.6–13.4 μg/mg DW, respectively. The peel of IPP23 (Kabdar-Shirin-e- Behshahr) contained the highest quantity of polyphenolic compounds. Also, TPC and TFC of the peel extracts ranged between 66.38 and 181.41 mg GAE/ g DW and 38.5 to 144.13 mg RE/ g DW, respectively. Eventually, antioxidant potential estimated by the DPPH assay ranged between 4.1 and 14.4 μg/ml. The results showed that the antioxidant property of pomegranate peel extracts is significantly higher than the standard of gallic acid. Also, the peel of the genotypes that had high phenolic compounds were introduced as superior genotypes. The results of HCA showed that, among the studied genotypes, the peel of IPP23 can be introduced as a potential source of natural preservatives in the food industry.

Abstract Falafel is considered as an inexpensive and nutritious product that contains various plant substances, vitamins, dietary fibers, and phenolic compounds. The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of sprouting time on the physicochemical characteristics of sprouted chickpea flour. Also, the effects of sprouting time on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory properties of falafel prepared from sprouted chickpea flour were examined. The finding of this research indicated that the sprouting process significantly increased the total phenolic content (from 284.17 to 720.98 μg gallic acid/g dry), antioxidant capacity (from 77.55% to 93.35%), and redness (from 7.65 to 11.39) of chickpea flour (p<0.05). While, it significantly decreased the lightness (from 70.81 to 57.07) and yellowness (from 43.71 to 25.62) of chickpea flour (p<0.05). The total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of falafel prepared from flour of sprouted chickpea for two-days (48 hours) were significantly higher than those prepared from unsprouted chickpeas flour (p<0.05). The volume of falafel samples produced from unsprouted, one-day sprouted, and two-day sprouted chickpea flours was 18.75, 16.60, and 15.40 cm³, respectively. The minimum oil uptake was observed in the sample prepared from chickpeas sprouted for two-days (p<0.05). The sprouting process did not have a significant impact on the firmness, cohesiveness, and chewiness of the falafel (p>0.05). In general, utilizing of one-day (24 hours) sprouted chickpea flour for the production of falafel is recommended due to the best flavor, the highest overall acceptance score, high content of phenolic compounds, high antioxidant capacity, and low oil absorption.

Abstract In this study, mathematical modeling of hot air baking-drying of thin-layer crisp bread was investigated. Thin-layer drying process were conducted under three different temperatures of 110, 150 and 190 °C at a constant air velocity of 0.5±0.1 m/s and absolute humidity of 0.6 ± 0.04g water/kg dry air. It was found that the baking-drying process occurred in falling rate period over the baking-drying times. Eight well-known thin-layer baking-drying models were fitted to the baking-drying experimental data of crisp bread, implementing non-linear regression analysis techniques. Based on the coefficient of determination (R²) and root mean square error (RMSE) values, it was concluded that the best models in terms of fitting performance for hot air baking-drying of bran free crisp bread were Wang & Singh and Logarithmic while for whole-wheat crisp bread were Page, Logarithmic and Wang & Singh. The moisture transfer from crisp bread was described using the Fick’s diffusion model. The effective diffusivity was within the range of 2.88×10-8 to 1.11×10-7 m2/s for bran free crisp bread and from 2.47×10-8 to 8.84×10-8 m2/s for whole-wheat crisp bread over the temperature range. The activation energy for bran free and whole-wheat crisp bread was found to be 25.22 and 23.43 kJ/mol, respectively..

Abstract In the Nigerien Sahel, Moringa oleifera processing presents a valuable economic opportunity for local communities; however, product quality and safety are closely linked to the processing methods employed. This study investigated the phytochemical composition and contamination markers of Moringa leaf extracts (MLE) and Moringa seed oil (MSO) using GC–MS analysis. The results demonstrated a significant influence of processing on chemical profiles. Fatty acids dominated the compositions (32.93%). Room-dried MLE was enriched in esters (39.9%) and terpenes (18.84%), while solar-dried samples showed elevated aldehyde content (25.3%), reflecting lipid oxidation. Sun-dried extracts uniquely contained N,N-dimethyltryptamine and phenylquinonine, indicating the presence of photochemically induced metabolites. In MSO, fatty acids were predominant (72.76%), and extraction conditions affected the stability of bioactive compounds. Cold extraction preserved thermolabile molecules such as squalene (0.29%), which were absent from heat-treated samples. Contamination markers were also identified, including di-n-octyl phthalate (1.68%) in room-dried MLE and 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (2%) in Solar dryer-dried extracts. Industrial contaminants, such as 10-undecenoyl chloride (3.68%) and 13-oxabicyclo[10.1.0]tridecane (5.85%), were detected in the control MSO. Overall, GC–MS profiling revealed that each processing method yields a distinct phytochemical fingerprint with specific nutritional, pharmacological, and safety implications. These findings highlight the need for optimized processing and packaging strategies to enhance the quality and market value of Moringa-based products in the Sahel.

Abstract Ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD) is an advanced hydrodistillation (HD) technique utilizing ohmic heating process and could be considered as a novel method for the extraction of essential oils. Long extraction time is one of the major problems with traditional methods. OAHD of essential oils from the aerial parts of peppermint was studied and the results were compared with those of the conventional HD. The results showed that OAHD method had the extraction time of 19.71 min while this value was about 55.88 for HD. Scanning electron micrographs of mint leaves showed a sudden eruption of essential oil glands for OAHD samples. GC- MS analysis did not indicate any noticeable changes in the compounds of the essential oils obtained by OAHD in comparison with HD. The results introduced OAHD as a green technology.

Abstract This research focuses on the application of response surface methodology (RSM) in the optimization and mathematical modeling of potato slice drying in a laboratory-scale convective dryer assisted by incandescent lamps. The relationships between the independent variables in terms of temperature (°C), incandescent lamp power (W), and slice thickness (mm) were studied in relation to the responses of interest or dependent variables, consisting of drying time (min), overall product acceptance, and effective water diffusivity (m²s^-1). A high value of overall product acceptance is considered to be the optimizing parameter for drying potato sheets. The response surface methodology was applied using a rotational central composite design (RCCD) to optimize the dependent variable. Second-order polynomial regression equations were obtained for each response variable. The optimal drying conditions were established for the maximum value of overall acceptance and were: 69.33 °C, 328.80 W, and 4.40 mm, for temperature, power, and thickness, respectively, with the optimized drying time for the product being approximately 130 min. Drying was carried out during the decreasing drying rate period, and the results show that the addition of energy from incandescent lamps reduces the drying time by 30%. Using the Quasi-Newton Simplex method, the constants of the mathematical models were determined to simulate the drying curve, and the conjugate model of two terms and five constants presented the best fit. Using Fick's law equation, the effective diffusivity of water ranged from 4.48x10^-10 to 3.38x10^-9 m²s^-1, and under optimal drying conditions, it was 2.46x10^-9 m²s^-1. The information obtained contributes fundamentally to the development of dryers and the control of drying processes on a commercial and industrial scale.

Abstract Lemon verbena leave is a flavoring food additive as well as a good source of valuable compounds such as essential oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids. However, similar to many other aromatic plants, lemon verbena leave is perishable due to its high moisture content. The aim of this work was to study the effect of air temperature (45, 55, and 65°C) on the quality attributes of lemon verbena leaves during hot-air drying (HAD). The drying kinetics were also modeled. The results showed that higher drying temperature led to a significant decrease (p˂0.05) in the rehydration ratio due to a change in the structural features of the dried leaves. The essential oil content of dried samples was also significantly different (p˂0.05) from that of the fresh leaves due to high loss of volatile components and ranged from 0.42 to 0.85. Moreover, a significant increase in the value of effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) and color change was observed when the samples were dried at 65°C compared to 45°C. The value of Deff varied from 1.140×10-10 to 2.280×10-9 m2/s and the activation energy was found to be 31.04 kJ/mol. The greatest R2 (≥0.999) and the lowest RMSE and SSE were obtained for the Naghavi et al. model (proposed in this research)

Abstract The influence of 0-27 g/100g of full-fat soy flour (FFSF), 31-35g/100g of water content and extrusion conditions on the textural characteristics of spaghetti were evaluated. Process was performed with screw speed of 10-40 rpm and water circulating temperature of 35-70°C. This enrichment resulted in significant differences in mechanical strength and cutting parameter. Based on the mixture surface and contour plots, it was found that the optimum textural characteristic of spaghetti could be obtained by addition of 20.6 g/100g FFSF and 35.0 g/100g water and process in screw speed of 40 rpm and temperature of 35oC.

Abstract As traditional extraction methods like Hydrodistillation (HD) and steamdistillation (SD) have long extraction times, some novel extraction methods like microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) and ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD) are recently introduced. In this study, essential oils of Mentha piperita were extracted by OAHD and MAHD and the results were compared with those of the SD and HD to clarify if these novel procedures have significant effect on antioxidant activities of extracted essential oils. The results showed that OAHD and MAHD are able to reduce extraction time (up to 72%) and also required electrical energy. Furthermore, all extracted essential oils were shown to have approximately same physical properties (relative density and visual color) and antioxidant activity using DPPH and β-carotene bleaching methods. The findings of this study revealed the applicability of using mint essential oil obtained by MAHD and OAHD as a natural antioxidant in food and pharmaceutical products.

Abstract Sensory evaluation of food materials is an important factor to choose and even produce new formulations. Being time consuming, results in being difficult to interpret and the necessity to educate specialists make these methods kind of impractical. In this study, we have made an effort to introduce physical properties as a substitute for sensory evaluations in a semi solid food such as chocolate pudding. Higher reliability, reproducibility and higher pace are among some of the advantages of instrumental measurements. Thus, if sensory evaluation can be predicted based on physical properties solely, besides increasing the inspection pace, they would be available to be used online. The obtained results can also be used in designing new products for special consumers such as the dysphasia patients. The results showed that parameters such as shear viscosity, plastic viscosity, yield stress, extensional viscosity, apparent modulus and adhesive force can be used to design and produce new materials; they make sense beside each other though. In this way, the products which have been designed for the patients with swallowing difficulties should have suitable texture in mouth and also good swallow ease.