ABSTRACT
Cereal grain is processed using different combinations of heat, moisture, time, and mechanical action in order to improve its digestibility. The objective of the present research was to quantitatively represent the physicochemical properties of raw and processed starch using an in vitro methodology, as well as to describe the changes that occurred after heat treatment, such as pelleting, steam flaking, micronization, and extrusion of corn. Based on the obtained results, pelleting, steam flaking, and micronization can be considered as mild heat treatment methods, whereas extrusion proved to be a severe heat treatment method. Analysis of functional and pasting properties implied a possible interaction between the degraded components in the steam-flaked sample, as well as in the micronized sample, through to a lesser extent. Additionally, the occurrence of dextrins was noted after extrusion. The obtained results indicate the existence of significant differences in the physicochemical properties of corn starch depending on the heat treatment applied, which could possibly affect rumen starch degradation traits.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this systematic review was to examine the scientific evidence regarding physical activity and physical fitness among university students. The search and analysis of the studies were done in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. An electronic databases search (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus) yielded 11,839 studies. Subsequently, the identified studies had to be published in English between 2011 and 2021, the experimental study had to have included males and females attending a faculty, and the participants had to have been evaluated for physical activity and fitness. A total of 21 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis, with a total of 7306 participants, both male and female. After analyzing the obtained results, it could be concluded that university students show a satisfactory level of physical activity and physical fitness. However, the results vary due to different factors involved, mostly related to the cultural differences and educational systems in different countries. As this study observes mediocre results of physical activity and physical fitness among university students, it is crucial to get their attention and awareness, to at least maintain a satisfactory level of physical activity and physical fitness.
Subject(s)
Physical Fitness , Universities , Exercise , Female , Humans , Male , StudentsABSTRACT
Apple pomace (AP) is the main by-product of apple juice production. Large amounts of this material disposed into landfills can cause serious environmental problems. One of the solutions is to utilise AP as animal feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of dried AP inclusion into model mixtures made from conventional feedstuffs on pellet quality and pellet press performance. Three model mixtures, with different ratios of maize, sunflower meal and AP, were pelleted. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied when designing the experiment. The simultaneous and interactive effects of apple pomace share (APS) in the mixtures, die thickness (DT) of the pellet press and initial moisture content of the mixtures (M), on pellet quality and production parameters were investigated. Principal component analysis (PCA) and standard score (SS) analysis were applied for comprehensive analysis of the experimental data. The increase in APS led to an improvement of pellet quality parameters: pellet durability index (PDI), hardness (H) and proportion of fines in pellets. The increase in DT and M resulted in pellet quality improvement. The increase in DT and APS resulted in higher energy consumption of the pellet press. APS was the most influential variable for PDI and H calculation, while APS and DT were the most influential variables in the calculation of pellet press energy consumption. PCA showed that the first two principal components could be considered sufficient for data representation. In conclusion, addition of dried AP to feed model mixtures significantly improved the quality of the pellets.
