Judul: aKajian perilaku mi jagung selama proses pengeringan menggunakan fluidized bed drier
Abstrak: The objective of this study were to optimize corn noodles drying process utilizing fluidized bed drier, and also to determine the influence of dried noodles moisture content and the amount of water addition in noodles dough to the quality of dried noodles. The study was done in three stages, in which the first stage was done to determine the optimum temperature and air velocity to dry corn noodles. The second stage was done to determine the time needed to dry the corn noodles, and the last stage is used to determine the critical moisture content that has effect over the quality of dried corn noodles. The result of this research concludes that noodles with best rehydration profile can be attained from drying at 60°C and drying air velocity 2.17 m/s. Furthermore, the quality of dried corn noodles was proofed to be affected by its final moisture content and the amount of water added to its dough. Critical moisture content is the lowest amount of moisture content that did not caused cracking on corn noodles. The critical moisture content for noodles which made from dough that has 60% water addition is 12%, while for noodles which made from dough that has 70% water addition it is 11%, and for noodles which has 80% water addition in its dough the critical moisture content is 10% (wb). Dried corn noodles which has optimum quality was made from dough that has 80% water addition and dried at 60°C and drying air velocity 2.17 m/s for 107 minutes until its moisture content reaches 10% (wb).
Keyword: moisture content., fluidized bed drier, drying process, dried noodle quality, Corn noodle, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB)

Judul: Rheological characteristic of corn noodles made with extrusion process
Abstrak: This research generally aimed to prepare corn-based noodles which have good elasticity and low cooking loss by using extrusion process. In detail, this research has the objective to: (1) study the effects of particle sizes, amounts of corn flour and corn starch in water, concentration of salt in corn flour and corn starch on gelatinization profile; (2) to optimize corn noodle extrusion using RSM, and (3) to study the effect of salt addition and number of passing in extruder on corn noodle characteristics. The gelatinization profile of corn flour and corn starch were characterized by Brabender Visco Amylograph type D-4100 Duisburg. Corn noodles were prepared by Scientific Laboratory Single Screw Extruder type LE25-30/C from Labtech Engineering Co. Ltd., Thailand. Process optimization was conducted by using response surface methodology (RSM) with four parameters, i.e., 1) firmness; 2) stickiness, 3) elongation and 4) cooking loss. Firmness and stickness was set in range, elongation was set in maximum, and cooking loss was set in minimum. It was found that the initial temperature and maximum temperature of gelatinization increased and peak viscosity decreased with the increase of particle sizes. Increasing concentration of corn flour and corn starch in water tended to decrease maximum temperature of gelatinization and increase peak viscosity, but it had no significant effect on initial temperature. The addition of sodium chloride Process optimization showed that the optimum condition, with a desirability of 0.835, was achieved by the combination of 70% (dry basis) dough’s moisture content with the extruder temperature is 90in corn flour increased significantly initial gelatinization temperature, maximum temperature of gelatinization, peak viscosity and cold viscosity. In the case of corn starch, the addition of sodium chloride 1% increased initial temperature and peak viscosity, but the addition more than 1% of concentration had no significant effect. The addition of sodium carbonate in corn flour and corn starch increased the initial temperature and peak viscosity, but decreased maximum temperature of gelatinization and cold viscosity. o In general, this research showed that firmness of corn noodle decreased by the increased of salt addition and by number of passing in extruder. In sodium carbonate addition, the optimum condition was obtained at moisture content of 80% (dry basis), salt concentration of 0.11 or 0.12%, and number of passing in extruder for 3 times (desirability 0.836). Under this optimum condition, predicted by RSM, corn noodles has firmness of 2242.29 gf, stickiness of -58.83 gf, elongation of 418.81%, and cooking loss of 3.66%. In sodium chloride addition, the optimum condition was achieved at moisture content of 80% (dry basis), salt concentration 2%, and number of passing for 3 times (desirability 0.877). Under this condition, predicted by RSM, corn noodles has firmness of 1855.23 gf, stickiness of -35.86 gf, elongation of 576.38%, and cooking loss of 2.62%.
Keyword: Corn starch, Wheat salt noodle

Judul: Upaya Penyelamatan Satwa Liar Indonesia Melalui Konservasi Harimau Sumatera (Panthera tigris sumatrae)
Abstrak: Dalam tiga dasawarsa terakhir ini, harimau telah banyak menarik perhatian dunia internasional. Keberadaan hewan mengagumkan ini di alam sudah mencapai tingkat yang paling kritis. Tiga dari 8 sUb-spesies yang pernah ada telah dilaporkan punah dari permukaan bumi. Ketiga subspesies tersebut adalah sub spesies harimau Kaspia (Panthera tigris virgata), harimau Jawa (Panthera tigris sondaica) dan harimau Bali (Panthera tigris balica). Kemusnahan sub-spesies harimau ini disebabkan oleh perbuatan manusia seperti perburuan, perusakan habitat asli serta perdagangan harimau untuk berbagai kepentingan. Lima sub-spesies harimau terakhir yang ada saat ini juga akan mengalami nasib yang sama apabila tidak dilakukan upaya konservasi. Kondisi tersebut mencapai titik kulminasi pada tahun 1975 ketika CITES (Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species) memasukkan hewan ini kedalam daftar Appendix I yaitu kategori hewan yang sangat dilarang untuk diperdagangkan baik pada tingkat nasional maupun internasional. Badan internasional lain yang merupakan badan dibawah pengawasan PBB yaitu IUCN (International Union/or Conservation o/Nature and Natural Resources) juga memasukkan hewan ini kedalam daftar merah yang memuat hewan-hewan yang terancam kepunahan. Atas dasar di atas kemudian muncul berbagai respon dari pihak yang peduli pada upaya pelestarian dan mencegah kepunahan satwa langka tersebut. Sebagai contoh adalah keluarnya perundang-undangan dalam kerangka strategi konservasi yang melarang pemusnahan harimau di setiap negara yang memiliki habitat asli spesies harimau dan hal tersebut berlaku bagi Indonesia. Di Indonesia respon yang dilakukan terhadap pelestarian spesies harimau dilakukan setelah dua sub spesies dari tiga sub spesies yang pernah ada di Indonesia dinyatakan punah. Indonesia pernah memiliki tiga sub spesies dari delapan sub spesies harimau dunia. Sub spesies harimau Bali (Panthera tigris balica) telah dinyatakan punah sekitar tahun 1940-an dan harimau Jawa (Panthera tigris sondaica) diperkirakan punah pada akhir tahun I 970-an. Sedangkan sub spesies terakhir yang dimiliki Indonesia adalah harimau Sumatera (Panthera tigris sumatrae). Dalanl rangka mendukung program konservasi satwa harimau sumatera, kemudian dibentuk strategi konservasi Harimau Sumatera. Sasaran utama dari strategi ini adalah untuk mengembangkan dan menjamin kelangsungan hidup dari harimau Sumatera liar dalam jangka waktu yang panjang di Indonesia. Strategi ini memiliki dua komponen yang berbeda yaitu : komponen in situ dan komponen ex situ. Komponen in situ mengutamakan tanggung jawab atas perlindungan populasi harimau Sumatera liar (di alam lepas) dan kelangsungan hidupnya serta ditambah pula dengan pengembangan strategi dalam memelihara populasinya. Komponen ex situ mengutamakan tanggung jawab dalam pengembangan populasi dari harimau Sumatera yang ada di dalam kebun binatang (penangkaran) serta mengatur populasi, penyakit dan kemurnian genetik dalarn mengembalikan keutuhan dari populasi liar. Konservasi harimau Sumatera yang telah dilakukan memberikan titik terang dalam upaya menyelamatkan keberadaan harimau Sumatera yang ada. Peningkatan populasi harimau Sumatera didapat apabila dilakukan upaya yang cukup maksimal, dan keberhasilan dalam menyelamatkan satwa ini akan dicapai. Namun hal yang masih perlu ditingkatkan dalam upaya konservasi harimau Sumatera adalah memeasyarakatkan program konservasi kepada seluruh lapisan masyarakat guna menumbuhkan kesadaran dalam menjaga kelestarian harimau Sumatera.
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