Judul: Physicochemical properties and In Vitro starch digestibility of Thai tradisional rice cake and pie cake
Abstrak: This research was first aimed to investigate the effect of flour types (pea flour, rice flour, sticky rice flour) and mixed flour (rice flour and sticky rice flour) on physicochemical properties and starch digestibility of the corresponding pea cake and rice cake. Second, to investigate the effect of cold setting conditions on physicochemical properties and starch digestibility of pea cake and rice cake. In the preliminary research, chemical composition of raw materials involved moisture, ash, protein, crude fat, and amylose content were determined as well as granular morphology, thermal and pasting properties. Experiment I was conducted in order to investigate the effect of mixing rice flour and sticky rice flour on granular morphology, thermal, and pasting properties. The resulted cakes were then analyzed in term of starch digestibiliity, textural and color properties (experiment II). At last, effect of cold setting condition on starch digestibility, textural, and color properties of pea cake and rice cake was investigated.
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Judul: Development of organic rice noodle and Pad Thai preparation
Abstrak: This study was aimed to develop rice noodle from broken organic Jasmin rice with addition of different additives. Physicocemical of flours were determined as dried rice noodle was prepared with wet casting method and determined in chemical, physical and cooking properties. The physicochemical properties of organic rice flour (ORF) in comparison with commercial rice flour (CRF) and tapioca flour (TPF) were significantly different (p<0.05). The ORF contained low amylose content compared with others (p<0.05). Swelling power of ORF (10.76) at higher temperature (85°C) was lower compared to others (12.37 for CRF and 21.33 for TRF). Water absorption index of ORF was significantly higher at ambient temperature but lower than CRF and TPF in higher temperature (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in term of water solubility index between ORF and CRF both at ambient and high temperature (p>0.05). Addition of 1% (w/w) microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) increased yellowness of cooked rice noodle from -1.34 to 8.23 as well as improved tensile strength and cooking weight when compared to control (p<0.05). Addition of glycerol mono-stearate (GMS) 1% (w/w) significantly increased hardness (787.03g to 1331.00g) of cooked rice noodle as well as increased cooking loss (7.43% to 10.86%) (p<0.05). Addition of 2% (w/w) NaCl improved the noodle quality significantly in tensile strength (42.91g to 59.24g) and cooking loss (7.43% to 4.78%) (p<0.05). Rice noodle with 2% (w/w) NaCl addition was chosen and compared to the commercial rice noodle in the form of Pad Thai dish. The commercial rice noodle was significantly superior to the developed rice noodle on textural properties and sensory ratings in terms of overall acceptability, firmness, elasticity and stickiness (p<0.05). Further study should be finding or modifying process parameters of organic rice noodle such as combining flours or other additives addition to improve noodle quality that comparable to commercial rice noodle, especially the textural properties
Keyword: pad thai, rice noodle, organic food, rice flour, cooking properties

Judul: Perbandingan Karakteristik Anatomi Skelet Kepala Komodo (Varanus komodoensis) dan Biawak Air (Varanus salvator).
Abstrak: Komodo dan biawak air diklasifikasikan dalam Ordo Squamata dan Famili Varanidae. Meskipun kedua hewan ini termasuk dalam ordo dan famili yang sama tetapi perannya di alam berbeda. Komodo sebagai predator utama memiliki ukuran tengkorak yang lebih besar dibandingkan dengan ukuran tengkorak biawak air yang berperan sebagai predator opportunistik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari komparasi karakteristik struktur skelet kepala komodo (Varanus komodoensis) dengan skelet kepala biawak air (Varanus salvator). Struktur kepala ini dikaitkan dengan fungsi skelet kepala untuk mendukung perilaku sehari-hari. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan cara mengamati dan mengukur tulang-tulang penyusun skelet kepala komodo dan biawak air, serta mengamati perilaku sehari-hari kedua hewan melalui pengamatan video. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ukuran skelet kepala komodo memiliki panjang 21.9 cm, lebar 11.6 cm, dan tinggi 8.9 cm. Skelet kepala biawak air memiliki panjang 16.0 cm, lebar 7.0 cm, dan tinggi 5.0 cm. Komodo memiliki gigi marginal dan lingual dengan tipe gigi pleurodont dan ziphodont, yaitu bentuk gigi seperti pedang dan melengkung ke arah lateral. Biawak air memiliki gigi marginal dengan tipe pleurodont yang tumbuh disamping rahang dengan satu gigi pengganti pada setiap gigi marginal. Hubungan antar tulang penyusun skelet kepala komodo relatif longgar dan memiliki os temporale yang sangat berkembang, sehingga pembukaan mulut komodo sangat lebar dibandingkan biawak air yang tidak memiliki kraniokinesis. Kedua hewan ini memiliki canalis intercisivum yang terdapat pada palatum durum menghubungkan cavum oris dan cavum nasi. Secara fungsional, saluran ini dikaitkan dengan kemampuan penciuman yang tajam karena saluran ini berhubungan dengan organ vomeronasale. Perbedaan struktur skelet kepala komodo dan biawak air berperan dalam melakukan aktifitas sehari-hari kedua hewan ini.
Keyword: perbandingan skelet kepala, komodo, biawak air