title: Extraction of Lycopene from Tomato Paste and its Immobilization for Controlled Release

authors: Haroon, Saima

subjects: Lycopene

abstract: Lycopene is one of the 600 carotenoids found in nature and can be easily identified in tomatoes. Several epidemiological studies report that lycopene rich diets have beneficial effects on human health, showing strong correlations between the intake of carotenoids and a reduced risk of cancer, coronary and cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and effective method for solvent extraction of lycopene from tomato paste, and to stabilise and encapsulate the lycopene in the form of sodium-alginate beads.

The Soxhlet method was used for the extraction of lycopene from commercially available tomato paste. Several solvents were tested, and ethyl acetate was found to be the best solvent for extraction, resulting in the separation of more lycopene than other solvents. 

Due to the presence of unsaturated bonds in its molecular structure, lycopene is susceptible to oxidation and degrades easily when exposed to light and heat. In the food processing field, microencapsulation techniques have been widely used to protect food ingredients against deterioration, volatile losses, or interaction with other ingredients and factors. 

Lycopene was encapsulated in 4% alginate (4g/100 mL), 1% agar-agar and chitosan. The stability of the resulting beads was tested under conditions to simulate those in the human intestine. The lycopene beads showed good survivability when exposed to the acidic conditions such as those in the gastric environment (pH 2.0–3.0).  The lycopene release rate was best at higher pH levels (pH 6.6) such as in the intestine, which is where nutrient absorption occurs. The release rate of chitosan-coated alginate-lycopene was found to be much faster at body temperature (37°C) than at 24°C. 

The experimental results show that Ca-alginate chitosan coated lycopene beads have a potential application as pH/temperature-controlled drug release carriers in the biomedical field.

text: Extraction of Lycopene from Tomato Paste and its Immobilization for Controlled Release Lycopene is one of the 600 carotenoids found in nature and can be easily identified in tomatoes. Several epidemiological studies report that lycopene rich diets have beneficial effects on human health, showing strong correlations between the intake of carotenoids and a reduced risk of cancer, coronary and cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and effective method for solvent extraction of lycopene from tomato paste, and to stabilise and encapsulate the lycopene in the form of sodium-alginate beads.

The Soxhlet method was used for the extraction of lycopene from commercially available tomato paste. Several solvents were tested, and ethyl acetate was found to be the best solvent for extraction, resulting in the separation of more lycopene than other solvents. 

Due to the presence of unsaturated bonds in its molecular structure, lycopene is susceptible to oxidation and degrades easily when exposed to light and heat. In the food processing field, microencapsulation techniques have been widely used to protect food ingredients against deterioration, volatile losses, or interaction with other ingredients and factors. 

Lycopene was encapsulated in 4% alginate (4g/100 mL), 1% agar-agar and chitosan. The stability of the resulting beads was tested under conditions to simulate those in the human intestine. The lycopene beads showed good survivability when exposed to the acidic conditions such as those in the gastric environment (pH 2.0–3.0).  The lycopene release rate was best at higher pH levels (pH 6.6) such as in the intestine, which is where nutrient absorption occurs. The release rate of chitosan-coated alginate-lycopene was found to be much faster at body temperature (37°C) than at 24°C. 

The experimental results show that Ca-alginate chitosan coated lycopene beads have a potential application as pH/temperature-controlled drug release carriers in the biomedical field.

year: 2014

title: Improving the performance of HTTP over high bandwidth-delay product circuits

authors: McGregor, Anthony James

subjects: TCP/IP performance

abstract: As the WWW continues to grow, providing adequate bandwidth to countries remote from the geographic and topological center of the network, such as those in the Asia/Pacific, becomes more and more difficult. To meet the growing traffic needs of the Internet some Network Service Providers are deploying satellite connections. Through discrete event simulation of a real HTTP workload with differing international architectures this paper is able to give guidance on the architecture that should be deployed for long distance, high capacity Internet links.
We show that a significant increase in the time taken to fetch HTTP requests can be expected when traffic is moved from a long distance international terrestrial link to a satellite link. We then show several modifications to the network architecture that can be used to greatly improve the performance of a satellite link. These modifications include the use of an asymmetric satellite link, the multiplexing of multiple HTTP requests onto a single TCP connection and the use of HTTP1.1.

text: Improving the performance of HTTP over high bandwidth-delay product circuits As the WWW continues to grow, providing adequate bandwidth to countries remote from the geographic and topological center of the network, such as those in the Asia/Pacific, becomes more and more difficult. To meet the growing traffic needs of the Internet some Network Service Providers are deploying satellite connections. Through discrete event simulation of a real HTTP workload with differing international architectures this paper is able to give guidance on the architecture that should be deployed for long distance, high capacity Internet links.
We show that a significant increase in the time taken to fetch HTTP requests can be expected when traffic is moved from a long distance international terrestrial link to a satellite link. We then show several modifications to the network architecture that can be used to greatly improve the performance of a satellite link. These modifications include the use of an asymmetric satellite link, the multiplexing of multiple HTTP requests onto a single TCP connection and the use of HTTP1.1.

year: 2001

title: A path to lotions and potions: Ngāti te Maunga ahi kā use of rongoā for hapū wellbeing

authors: Diamond, Kiri

subjects: rongoā

abstract: The research aimed to determine the challenges and improvements required during the implementation of the rongoā programme. The rongoā programme was based on a papakāinga near a marae, in a semi-rural location with difficult access. Participatory action research and autoethnography methods were used with the ahi kā (local residence) to develop a programme that would fulfil the hapū ora (extended family wellbeing) goals.  The goals of the programme were: for the ahi kā to use rongoā (modalities of health) confidently for their wellbeing; consistently use a Facebook page to learn and share information and to develop a database of the local rongoā rākau (medicinal plant). The ahi kā identified a further question to ask Facebook members to understand what motivated their participation and a survey was conducted. The ahi kā also wanted to understand the local doctor’s view on rongoā and its context on health provision in their area. An interview was conducted and the survey and interview added to the understanding of what the ahi kā could do to improve theirs and the hapū whānau (group extended family) wellbeing.
The findings of the research highlighted the complexities that arise from conducting research in a bicultural space where a common understanding of cultural knowledge is assumed to be homogenous. A shared history with colonisation and religious beliefs brought to the forefront the multiplicity Māori work through to determine a shared hapū identity. Based on an understanding of Māori principle values and tikanga (ways of enacting values), as understood by ahi kā, transformed a programme of learning how to make lotions and potions for the ahi kā, into influencing hapū members to change their attitudes and behaviours to their environment and their wellbeing.
This research highlighted the role that ahi kā hold as keepers of cultural knowledge that is rooted in the papakāinga through ancestral links that informs the identity of a hapū. Learning how to use rongoā provided ahi kā a platform to learn a new skill while helping the hapū heal through connecting with the identity and land of the hapū they belong to.

text: A path to lotions and potions: Ngāti te Maunga ahi kā use of rongoā for hapū wellbeing The research aimed to determine the challenges and improvements required during the implementation of the rongoā programme. The rongoā programme was based on a papakāinga near a marae, in a semi-rural location with difficult access. Participatory action research and autoethnography methods were used with the ahi kā (local residence) to develop a programme that would fulfil the hapū ora (extended family wellbeing) goals.  The goals of the programme were: for the ahi kā to use rongoā (modalities of health) confidently for their wellbeing; consistently use a Facebook page to learn and share information and to develop a database of the local rongoā rākau (medicinal plant). The ahi kā identified a further question to ask Facebook members to understand what motivated their participation and a survey was conducted. The ahi kā also wanted to understand the local doctor’s view on rongoā and its context on health provision in their area. An interview was conducted and the survey and interview added to the understanding of what the ahi kā could do to improve theirs and the hapū whānau (group extended family) wellbeing.
The findings of the research highlighted the complexities that arise from conducting research in a bicultural space where a common understanding of cultural knowledge is assumed to be homogenous. A shared history with colonisation and religious beliefs brought to the forefront the multiplicity Māori work through to determine a shared hapū identity. Based on an understanding of Māori principle values and tikanga (ways of enacting values), as understood by ahi kā, transformed a programme of learning how to make lotions and potions for the ahi kā, into influencing hapū members to change their attitudes and behaviours to their environment and their wellbeing.
This research highlighted the role that ahi kā hold as keepers of cultural knowledge that is rooted in the papakāinga through ancestral links that informs the identity of a hapū. Learning how to use rongoā provided ahi kā a platform to learn a new skill while helping the hapū heal through connecting with the identity and land of the hapū they belong to.

year: 2019