Photopyroelectric calorimetry of solids

An alternative photopyroelectric (PPE) technique that combines the front detection configuration (FPPE) with the thermal wave resonator cavity (TWRC) method is proposed. The theoretical analysis of the FPPE signal indicates that the configuration also offers information about both fluid sample and backing solid material. It is demonstrated that the normalized phase of the FPPE signal has an oscillating dependence as a function of the sample’s thickness. In the thermally thin regime for the sensor and liquid sample, the method can be used for direct measurement of backing thermal effusivity. This article presents experimental results on solid materials, with various values of thermal effusivity (Cu, brass, steel, glass, bakelite, and wood), used as backings in the detection cell. A study of the sensitivity of the technique for different liquid/backing effusivity ratios is performed. The main result of this article is the possibility of deriving the thermal effusivity of a solid sample (backing material) by monitoring the thickness of a fluid with well-known properties. In such a way, the so-called coupling fluid is not anymore a disturbing factor; however, its properties can be used to obtain the value of the thermal effusivity of a solid. The method proved to be suitable especially for thermal effusivity investigations of low thermal conductors. An application on polymer composites with different liquid/powder content is presented.     

Photopyroelectric (PPE) calorimetry of composite materials

The front photopyroelectric configuration was applied to measure the thermal effusivity of some composite materials, inserted as backing layers in the detection cell. The technique is based on the scanning procedure of the coupling fluid’s thickness (TWRC method). Two particular composite materials were selected for investigation: (i) a liquid one: water based nanofluids with gold nanoparticles and (ii) a solid one: urea—fumaric acid (1:1) cocrystal. The thermal effusivity was found independent on the size and concentration of gold particles. Concerning the urea—fumaric acid cocrystal, the thermal effusivity value of the compound is different from the pure starting materials, indicating the formation of the compound.     

The Use Of Hplc To Separate Triglycerides In Confectionery Fats Using Ultra Violet Detection

Abstract

The triglycerides of confectionery fats have been separated by reverse phase HPLC using mixtures of either acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran or acetonitrile and methyl tertiary butyl ether using UV detection at 237 nanometres. The method has been applied to samples of cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents, milk fat and other vegetable fats. The fat from a milk chocolate has been separated by the above system.     

Determination of vegetal proteins in milk powder by sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis: interlaboratory study

An interlaboratory study, with the participation of 8 laboratories, was conducted to evaluate a sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis method for determination of adulteration of milk powder with soy and pea proteins. Calibration standards (0-8%, w/w, soy and pea protein in total protein) and adulterated skim milk powders (0-5%, w/w, soy and pea proteins in total protein) were produced. Vegetal proteins were determined after removal of milk proteins by pretreatment of the samples with tetraborate-EDTA buffer, pH 8.3. Repeatability standard deviations ranged from 9 to 15% and reproducibility standard deviations ranged from 25 to 30% in the samples containing 5% vegetal protein in total protein.     

Melting Properties of Butter Fat and The Consistency of Butter. Effect of modification of cream ripening and fatty acid composition

The cold unspreadable consistency of butter after taking it out of the refrigerator is a rightful objection on behalf of consumers. The possibilities to improve the cold spreadability of butter are: the enrichment with low melting point triglycerides and the application of a good cream-ripening method. In our investigations milk fat fractions of different low melting points and plant oils of low melting points obtained by cold pressing and extraction have been used to change the original fatty acid composition of milk fat. The cream-ripening, the traditional method and the heat-step ripening method, which seemed to be the most effective to our earlier research, have been applied. The consistency of butter was examined by penetration measurements and its thermal characteristics by differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) method. The cold unspreadable consistency of butter can only be improved by the combination of the heat-step cream ripening and enrichment with low melting point triglycerides to get stable consistency at room temperature. The milk fat fraction of melting point below 5°C made the spreadability better but the spreadable consistency of margarine still cannot be attained. Plant oils with melting point below 0°C improved the cold spreadability of butter to a significantly higher degree than the former did. In the case of the same melting point the plant oil obtained by a cold method (pressing) was more effective. There is a close relationship between the consistency of butter and its product characteristics. From DSC curves the cold spreadability and room temperature stability of butter can be directly concluded. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A chemometric approach to the detection of milk adulteration based on protein profiles determined by capillary electrophoresis

The general objective of this study was to utilize chemometrics in the interpretation of capillary electrophoresis milk protein profiles, for the detection of pasteurized milk adulteration with rehydrated milk powder or a rehydrated dairy-based milk substitute. The specific objectives were 1) to collect quantitative data on major casein and whey proteins in authentic and adulterated milks in a single CE analysis; and 2) to apply a pattern recognition procedure, Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogies (SIMCA), on collected CE protein data, for the development of a statistical model useful in the detection of pasteurized milk adulteration. Authentic samples were fresh milk collected from various farms over a period of six months. Adulterated samples were authentic fresh milk partially or totally substituted with rehydrated milk powder or a rehydrated commercial milk substitute at different levels. Quantitative protein data obtained by capillary free zone electrophoresis for beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-casein, and alpha-casein of 86 samples, authentic and adulterated samples, were used as a training set to build a SIMCA multivariate statistical model. The detection of sample outliers was useful for the elimination of unusual samples and optimization of the multivariate model. From the 35 commercial pasteurized milks tested, which were treated as unknowns, a total of 14 samples (40%) were not assigned to the authentic or fresh milk group, meaning that these samples had some type of adulteration at the levels included in the training set (> 15%). Decision-making on detecting adulteration of unknown commercial pasteurized milk samples was eased since predictions were based on statistical probabilities.     

Detection of Ovine or Bovine Milk Components in Commercial Camel Milk Powder Using a PCR-Based Method

Food ingredient adulteration, especially the adulteration of milk and dairy products, is one of the important issues of food safety. The large price difference between camel milk powder, ovine, and bovine milk powder may be an incentive for the incorporation of ovine and bovine derived foods in camel milk products. This study evaluated the use of ordinary PCR and real-time PCR for the detection of camel milk powder adulteration based on the presence of ovine and bovine milk components. DNA was extracted from camel, ovine, and bovine milk powder using a deep-processed product column DNA extraction kit. The quality of the extracted DNA was detected by amplifying the target sequence from the mitochondrial Cytb gene, and the extracted DNA was used for the identification of milk powder based on PCR analysis. In addition, PCR-based methods (both ordinary PCR and real-time PCR) were used to detect laboratory adulteration models of milk powder using primers targeting mitochondrial genes. The results show that the ordinary PCR method had better sensitivity and could qualitatively detect ovine and bovine milk components in the range of 1% to 100% in camel milk powder. The commercial camel milk powder was used to verify the practicability of this method. The real-time PCR normalization system has a good exponential correlation (R² = 0.9822 and 0.9923) between ovine or bovine content and Ct ratio (specific/internal reference gene) and allows for the quantitative determination of ovine or bovine milk contents in adulterated camel milk powder samples. Accuracy was effectively validated using simulated adulterated samples, with recoveries ranging from 80% to 110% with a coefficient of variation of less than 7%, exhibiting sufficient parameters of trueness. The ordinary PCR qualitative detection and real-time PCR quantitative detection method established in this study proved to be a specific, sensitive, and effective technology, which is expected to be used for market detection.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of milk fat and cocoa butter equivalents in milk chocolate: interlaboratory study

A collaborative trial was conducted to validate an analytical approach comprising method procedures for determination of milk fat and the detection and quantification of cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) in milk chocolate. The whole approach is based on (1) comprehensive databases covering the triacylglycerol composition of a wide range of authentic milk fat, cocoa butter, and CBE samples and 947 gravimetrically prepared mixtures thereof; (2) the availability of a certified cocoa butter reference material for calibration; (3) an evaluation algorithm, which allows reliable quantitation of the milk fat content in chocolate; (4) a subsequent correction to take account of the triacylglycerols derived from milk fat; (5) mathematical expressions to detect the presence of CBEs in milk chocolate; and (6) a multivariate statistical formula to quantitate the amount of CBEs in milk chocolate. Twelve laboratories participated in the validation study. CBE admixtures were detected down to a level of 0.5 g CBE/100 g milk chocolate, without false-positive or -negative results. The applied quantitation model performed well at the statutory limit of 5% CBE addition to milk chocolate, with a prediction error of 0.7%, and HorRat values ranging from 0.8 to 1.5. The relative standard deviation for reproducibility (RSDR) values for quantitation of CBEs in analyses of chocolate fat solutions ranged from 2.2 to 3.8% and for analyses of real chocolate samples, from 4.1 to 4.7%, demonstrating that the whole approach, based solely on chocolate fat blends, is applicable to real milk chocolate samples.     

Static and dynamic thermal quantities near the consolute point of the binary liquid mixture aniline-cyclohexane studied with a photopyroelectric technique and adiabatic scanning calorimetry

We studied the thermal conductivity, thermal effusivity, and specific heat capacity at constant pressure of the critical binary liquid mixture aniline-cyclohexane near the consolute point, using a photopyroelectric (PPE) technique and adiabatic scanning calorimetry (ASC). According to recent theoretical predictions based on renormalization group theory calculations, a substantial (but not diverging) enhancement in the thermal conductivity in the homogeneous phase near the critical temperature was expected for this binary system near the consolute point. However, within an experimental precision of 0.05%, we found no deviation from linear behavior in the range of 5 K above Tc down to Tc. The specific heat capacity calculated from the results for the thermal conductivity and effusivity is in good agreement with that measured by ASC. For the ASC results, the theoretical power law expression with the Ising critical exponent was fitted to the specific heat capacity both above and below the transition temperature. Good agreement with theory was found both for the amplitude ratio and the two-scale universality.     

Study of thermal effusivity variations in water solutions of polyethylene glycol 200 using photoacoustic method

A photoacoustic open cell with microphone registration has been used to determine thermal effusivity of liquids. Modification of the method has been proposed and tested. Application of the method for the investigation of structural changes in water solutions of polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG) is presented. The dependence of thermal effusivity of the solution on the PEG concentration has been compared with these obtained for density and adiabatic compressibility. It has been shown, that the determination of effusivity can complement and verify information obtained by other methods of studying concentration dependent structural changes in liquid mixtures.     

Development of a methodology based on headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry for the rapid detection and determination of patin fish oil adulterated with palm oil

The present research intends to develop a new method based on headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) for the detection and determination of patin fish oil adulterated with different percentages of palm oil, because it is a cheaper vegetable oil. Five variables that affect headspace generation (incubation time and temperature, amount of sample, injection volume, and pre-heating time) have been optimized by means of a Box Behnken design in combination with Response Surface Methodology. Then, repeatability and intermediate precision have been studied where coefficients of variation lower than 10% were obtained. This new method has been applied to several samples of patin fish oil adulterated with palm oil at 20 different levels (5–50% palm oil content). The results have confirmed the suitability of the HS-GC-IMS for a rapid, easy, and reliable detection and discrimination of adulterated oil samples since a characteristic fingerprint that allows 100% successful discrimination between adulterated and unadulterated patin oil samples was achieved. Finally, a regression model has been developed to determine each sample’s adulteration level with an error lower than 10% and a coefficient of determination greater than 0.95.     

Application of lag-k autocorrelation coefficient and the TGA signals approach to detecting and quantifying adulterations of extra virgin olive oil with inferior edible oils

The combination of lag-k autocorrelation coefficients (LCCs) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) equipment is defined here as a tool to detect and quantify adulterations of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with refined olive (ROO), refined olive pomace (ROPO), sunflower (SO) or corn (CO) oils, when the adulterating agents concentration are less than 14%. The LCC is calculated from TGA scans of adulterated EVOO samples. Then, the standardized skewness of this coefficient has been applied to classify pure and adulterated samples of EVOO. In addition, this chaotic parameter has also been used to quantify the concentration of adulterant agents, by using successful linear correlation of LCCs and ROO, ROPO, SO or CO in 462 EVOO adulterated samples. In the case of detection, more than 82% of adulterated samples have been correctly classified. In the case of quantification of adulterant concentration, by an external validation process, the LCC/TGA approach estimates the adulterant agents concentration with a mean correlation coefficient (estimated versus real adulterant agent concentration) greater than 0.90 and a mean square error less than 4.9%.     

Fluorimetric determination of alkaline phosphatase in solid and fluid dairy products

A new assay has been developed for measuring residual alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in a wide variety of dairy products. The method proposed is simple, rapid and directly applicable to solid and liquid dairy samples. ALP in the test sample hydrolyzes a non fluorescent substrate, trifluoromethyl-β-umbelliferone phosphate, to its highly fluorescent phenolate product. The assay is performed in a reverse micellar medium composed of mixed buffer (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol buffer pH 9.0 and borate buffer pH 9.0) in AOT/isooctane, at a temperature of 38 °C. Total test time is 450 s. Reaction rates are linear (except for butter) up to 8.5 and 11% (v/v) raw milk, for whole milk and chocolate milk, respectively. The detection limits are 0.04, 0.4 and 0.22% (v/v) raw milk, for whole milk, chocolate milk and butter, respectively. The precision of the fluorimetric method was assessed by repeated analysis of a pasteurized milk sample spiked with mixed herd raw milk. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by comparison with an official colorimetric assay using p-nitrophenylphosphate as ALP substrate.     

Preparation of a new type of giomers and their thermal characterization by photopyroelectric calorimetry

Giomers represent a new concept in restorative dentistry, based on novel pre-reacted glass technology, where special glass-ionomer fillers are included in the resin matrix. A series of resin matrices based on 2,2-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloxypropyl), bis-GMA (phenylpropane), and 1,6-bis(methacryloxy-2-ethoxy-carbonyl-amino)—UDMA (2,4,4-trimethylhexane) as base monomers and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA)/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as diluting monomers, have been prepared and investigated together with commercial Beautifil II giomer and three adhesives (one commercial and two experimental). The photopyroelectric (PPE) calorimetry in both front and back (BPPE) detection configurations was applied to measure the dynamic thermal parameters of the investigated materials. The BPPE configuration, together with the frequency scanning procedure, was used to directly measure the thermal diffusivity of the primer and the bounding materials, as well as the UDMA/HEMA and TEGDMA/bis-GMA mixtures. The results indicate that the values of the thermal parameters of the materials prepared in our laboratory (6.95 × 10^?8 m² s^?1 < α < 12.93 × 10^?8 m² s^?1) are close to those of the corresponding commercial materials (11.63 × 10^?8 m² s^?1 < α < 12.01 × 10^?8 m² s^?1). For the commercially available giomer (Beautifil II), the values of the thermal diffusivity (α = 8.19 × 10^?8 m² s^?1) and effusivity (e = 960 W s^1/2 m^?2 K^?1) indicate a good thermal biocompatibility of the material.     

Detection of recombined butter by DSC

DSC can be used to quickly determine if a product labeled as butter is actually a recombined butter made without milk. Recombined butter is manufactured from anhydrous milk fat, skim milk powder, water, salt, and lecithin. Melting profiles of tempered samples of natural butter and recombined butter were alike, but DSC curves from 5 to 25°C of untempered refrigerated samples revealed that the enthalpy of the melting transition around 17–20°C was much higher for natural butter than for recombined butter. The procedure for differentiating the two products can be completed in less than 20 min.Mention of brand or firm names does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over others of a similar nature not mentioned.The authors thank Dr. Thomas Foglia for helpful discussions and Donna Lu for assisting in butter extractions.     

毛细管电泳检测奶粉中添加的大豆分离蛋白

采用毛细管电泳方法对乳蛋白和大豆分离蛋白进行检测。选择聚丙烯酰胺涂层毛细管,在紫外检测波长214 nm、分离电压25 kV条件下测出五种乳蛋白在不同线性范围内的线性相关系数均大于0.998,各乳蛋白的迁移时间和峰面积的相对标准偏差(RSD)分别小于0.34%和4.50%,奶粉样品加标回收率范围为88.07%~102%;通过对比大豆7S和11S组分、大豆分离蛋白及乳蛋白的电泳图谱,定性确定出大豆分离蛋白8个特征峰,各特征峰的迁移时间和峰面积的RSD分别小于0.36%和4.87%,方法重现性较好。建立了奶粉中添加大豆分离蛋白的半定量检测方法。     

Quantification of cow’s milk percentage in dairy products – a myth?

The substitution of ewe's and goat's milk for cheaper cow's milk is still a fraudulent practice in the dairy industry. Moreover, soy-based products (e.g., soy milk, yoghurt) have to be checked for cow's milk as they are an alternative for people suffering from an allergy against bovine milk proteins. This work reports the evaluation of different protein-based electrophoretic methods and DNA-based techniques for the qualitative detection as well as the quantitative determination of cow's milk percentage in dairy and soy milk products. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of γ-caseins using an optimized pH gradient was appropriate not only for the detection of cow's milk, but also for an estimation of cow's milk percentage in mixed-milk cheese varieties. Urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) proved the method of choice to detect cow's milk in soy milk products, whereas IEF and SDS-PAGE of proteins were not applicable due to false-positive results. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was used to confirm the results of protein-based electrophoretic methods. Problems inherent in quantitative analysis of cow's milk percentage using protein-based techniques and even more using DNA-based methods were emphasized. Applicability of quantitative real-time PCR for the determination of cow's milk percentage in mixed-milk cheese was shown to be hampered by several factors (e.g., somatic cell count of milk; technological parameters influencing the final DNA concentration in ripened commercial cheese samples). The implementation of certified reference standards (of major relevant cheese groups) containing 50% cow's milk was urgently recommended to enable at least a yes/no decision in commercial mixed-milk cheese samples.     

Evaluation of physicochemical properties on the blending process of pharmaceutical granules with magnesium stearate by thermal effusivity sensor

Magnesium Stearate (MgSt) is a widely used lubricant for preventing tablet compression trouble. It is known that the powder characteristic of MgSt is different among MgSts manufactured by different methods and conditions. These differences affect blending efficiency with pharmaceutical additives. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical properties of MgSt by thermal effusivity sensor for in-process monitoring of powder blending. MgSts having different physicochemical properties and granulated sugar spheres were used for model excipients. V-blender was used for powder blending. Thermal effusivity values of each of the ingredients in the blend were measured using one of the sensors prior to placing the ingredient in the blender. The effect of magnesium stearate addition to uniform ingredients can be clearly identified using the sensors. Compared to effusivity data and powder density, effusivity data correlated with the powder characteristics of magnesium stearate. These results suggested that effusivity can be used for end point detection of blending process for various magnesium stearates with sugar sphere. When various magnesium stearates were added to the granule, required time for achieving homogeneous powder blend was different. Blending behavior would be affected by the physicochemical characters. Blend uniformity and blended states of granules containing magnesium stearate can be detected nondestructively without intricate sampling process. Thermal effusivity sensors are an efficient tool to monitor the real time blending behavior of pharmaceutical ingredients.     

Rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in foods

A rapid and reliable method is presented for the determination of the preservatives sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in fruit juices, sodas, soy sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, cream cheese, and other foods. The procedure utilizes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by UV diode array detection for identification and quantitation of the two preservatives. Liquid samples were prepared by diluting 1 ml of the sample with 10 ml of an acetonitrile/ammonium acetate buffer solution. Samples of viscous or solid foods were prepared by blending the sample with the same buffer solution in a 1:5 ratio followed by a dilution identical to liquid samples. All samples were filtered to remove particulate matter prior to analysis. The HPLC determination of the preservatives was performed using a reversed-phase C18 column and UV detection at 225 nm for sodium benzoate and 255 nm potassium sorbate. The percentage of preservative in the sample was calculated by external standard using authentic sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Apple juice, apple sauce, soy sauce, and peanut butter, spiked at 0.10 and 0.050% for both sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, yielded recoveries ranging from 82 to 96%. The method can detect 0.0010% (10 mg/l) of either preservative in a juice matrix.     

Effect of the γ‐form crystal on the thermal fractionation of poly(propylene‐co‐ethylene)

The effect of the γ‐form crystal on the thermal fractionation of a commercial poly(propylene‐co‐ethylene) (PPE) has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques. Two thermal fractionation techniques, stepwise isothermal crystallization (SIC) and successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA), have been used to characterize the molecular heterogeneity of the PPE. The results indicate that the SSA technique possesses a stronger fractionation ability than that of the SIC technique. The heating scan of the SSA fractionated sample exhibits 12 endothermic peaks, whereas the scan of the SIC fractionated sample only shows eight melting peaks. The WAXD observations of the fractionated PPE samples prove that the content of the γ‐form crystals formed during the thermal treatment of the SIC technique is much higher than that of the SSA treatment. The former is 57.4%, whereas the later is 12.6%. The effect of theγ‐form crystals on thermal fractionation ability is discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4320–4325, 2004