Optimization of DIC-Tripolium Ecofriendly Extraction Process: Recovery of Hesperidin from Orange Byproducts, Antioxidant and α-Amylase Inhibition of Extracts.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of an innovative ecofriendly process-instant controlled pressure drop technology, also known as "détente instantanée contrôlée" or DIC-coupled with Tripolium extraction (DIC-Tripolium), on the hesperidin recovery, and antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of orange byproduct extracts. A DIC pretreatment was applied to partially dried orange byproducts (~16% wet basis). A central composite rotatable design (CCRD), composed of 13 experimental trials (four factorial points, four-star points, and five repetitions for the central point), was followed by a Tripolium process consisting of successive intermittent extraction periods using ethanol/water solvent at 20 ± 1 °C, 5 kPa for 5 min and m/v ratio = 5 g/50 mL. The DIC pretreatment, coupled with the Tripolium process, increased the extractability of hesperidin (from 1.55- to 4.67-fold compared to untreated DIC orange byproducts). The radical scavenging activities of the extracts were also enhanced or preserved in different DIC-Tripolium extracts. The α-Amylase inhibition percentage varied between 55.6 ± 0.02 and 88.30 ± 0.01% according to DIC-Tripolium conditions. The multi-criteria optimized condition of DIC-Tripolium extraction, allowing for the maximization of the hesperidin content, radical scavenging activities, iron chelating activity, and α-amylase inhibition of extracts, corresponds to a DIC saturated steam pressure of 599.4 kPa and a DIC pretreatment time of 38 s.

Instant Controlled Pressure-Drop (DIC) for Volatile Compound Extraction and Bioethanol Production from Empty Aleppo Pinecones and Eucalyptus Chips: Process Optimization and Statistical Modeling.

Several plant species contain volatile compounds extracted as "essential oils" through different technologies. After essential oil extraction, the residual solid is a lignocellulosic solid waste. This work proposes the instant controlled pressure-drop (DIC) technology to autovaporize volatile compounds and modify the lignocellulosic matrix. Indeed, DIC technology is a thermomechanical process based on short-time/high-temperature and pressure pretreatment. It enhances the saccharification and fermentation process (SSF) for bioethanol production. A 3-variable design of experiments optimized the DIC processing parameters to reach 100% efficiency (EE) of volatile compound extraction using response surface methodology (RSM). Eucalyptus chips presented 50 volatile identified compounds after 7 min of DIC treatment. 1,8-Cineole, ß-phellandrene, aromadendrene, eudesmol, and spathulenol are the most important volatile compounds. The empty Aleppo pinecones delivered 32 volatile compounds in 5 min of DIC treatment, the most important of which were caryophyllene, nortricyclene, verbenol, and camphor. After the autovaporization extraction stage, solid fraction residues were hydrolyzed and fermented in the same stirred bioreactor, using SSF strategy for 72 h at 37 °C. The highest bioethanol yields reached 73.9% and 54.82% (g per 100 g DM) from eucalyptus chip and empty Aleppo pinecone, respectively.

Intensifying Effect of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) Pre-Treatment on Hesperidin Recovery from Orange Byproducts: In Vitro Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of the Extracts.

The orange byproduct is a widely accessible and valuable source of functional phenolic compounds, particularly hesperidin. Hesperidin extraction remains a challenging phase in its valorization chain due to its low solubility and limited extractability in solvents. This work aims to examine the effect of conventional solvent extraction (CSE) compared to emerging and innovative extraction methods: accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) when applied with or without a pretreatment process of instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) to intensify extraction, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. The total phenols, flavonoids, hesperidin contents, radical scavenging activities, iron chelating activity, and in vitro α-amylase inhibition of the extracts were determined for CSE (80%, 70 °C), UAE (ethanol 80%, 70 °C, 200 W), and ASE (ethanol 60%, 100 °C, 100 bars) with or without DIC pretreatment (pressure = 0.4 MPa, total thermal time = 30 s). The hesperidin amounts obtained were 0.771 ± 0.008 g/100 g DM, 0.823 ± 0.054 g/100 g DM, and 1.368 ± 0.058 g/100 g DM, for CSE, UAE, and ASE, respectively. DIC pretreatment of orange byproducts increased hesperidin recovery by 67%, 25.6%, and 141% for DIC-CSE, DIC-UAE, and DIC-ASE, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging and iron chelating activities of extracts were also significantly enhanced, and the in vitro antidiabetic activity of extracts was preserved.

Use of instant controlled pressure drop technology for the preservation of edible insects' (yellow mealworm) quality: assessment of microbial inactivation.

The world population is expanding, and with it, so is the need for proteins for the food and feed sectors. Conventional livestock production is correlated with negative environmental repercussions such as global warming, land degradation, and biodiversity loss. The nutritional content of edible insects is comparable to that of conventional meat, and insect farming offers various environmental advantages over livestock production, making it a favorable sustainable protein resource. However, to be placed on the market, insects should be processed, and their microbial load should be within the accepted range of the European Commission regulation (EU) 2021/882. The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) technology for the microbial inactivation of yellow mealworm larvae. This innovative decontamination treatment was compared to blanching in hot water, the conventional processing method. We also investigated the impacts on enzymatic browning. Results showed that the application of rapid (20 s) DIC treatment at 0.3 MPa allowed reducing the total aerobic count and the total yeast and mold count of larvae below the thresholds authorized by the commission regulation. Pressure, temperature, and number of cycle factors were found to have significant effects on the decontamination, while the treatment time had no effect for most treatments. In regard to blanching, we were able to get the authorized load at 90 °C for 360 s. Decimal reduction times for DIC and blanching treatments were found to be 3.8 s and 67.8 s for total aerobic count, and 3 s and 57 s for total yeast and mold count, respectively. Furthermore, DIC-treated larvae showed a significant increase in juice color brightness, which could be traced back to the oxidative enzymatic inactivation of larvae, whereas there was a slight difference between blanched and untreated larvae juice colors.

Thermomechanical Autovaporization (MFA) as a Deodorization Process of Palm Oil.

Throughout the vegetable oil industry, there is a focus on eradicating the volatile molecules affecting the aroma or taste of the crude oil, whether it is natural or derived from the extraction process. Refining aims to reduce these compounds to a level acceptable to the consumer. In addition, the famous conventional operation of deodorization calls for high levels of temperature depending on the boiling point used to remove the atmospheric pressure of each molecule. The process implies a vacuum level between 10 to 80 kPa absolute pressure, a temperature generally between 190 and 240 °C, and a duration of 2 to 3 h. These conditions necessarily (inevitably) lead to a decrease in the quality of refined oil. Recently, the application of the Multi-Flash Autovaporization "MFA" operation has shown the possibility of eradicating volatile molecules while adopting relatively low temperature and time levels. Despite the high boiling temperature of the volatile organic compounds (VOC), MFA leads to good efficiency in reducing VOCs and preserving oil quality. The main odorant compounds in the crude palm oil were E-2-Hexenal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, and decanal. Specific literature can indicate precise boiling temperatures under atmospheric pressure. In addition, many experimental studies have explained the evolution of each molecule and shown how they depend on the operating parameters (inlet oil pressure from 200 to 450 kPa and from 5 and 30 s time of each cycle, and the number of cycles up to 7), and how the empirical mathematical models describe the MFA deodorization, estimate the efficiency of the whole process, and optimize the operating parameters. In this research, the thermodynamic data of absolute pressure volatility versus temperature was used to better identify the removal rate (up to around 87%) implied by an abrupt pressure drop to a vacuum of 5 kPa for p = 450 kPa, t = 25 s/cycle, and the number of cycles (C = 6). The safeguarding of the fatty acid profile illustrated the maintenance of the oil quality.

Effect of Swell-Drying on Mango (Mangifera indica) Drying Kinetics.

Swell-Drying operation (SD) was applied on mangoes to evaluate its effect on drying kinetics: starting accessibility (δW), apparent drying coefficient (Dapp), and time to obtain a final moisture content of 20% d.b (tf = 20% d.b). Swell-drying consisted of (1) submitting fresh mangoes to a first pre-drying stage under Convective Air Drying (CAD) until a moisture content of 37% d.b; (2) applying Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) treatments on pre-dried mangoes by following a central composite rotatable design (steam pressure: 0.2-0.6 MPa and treatment time: 5 and 55 s); and (3) apply post-drying of mangoes under CAD. In both cases, CAD was performed at 60 °C and airflow of 1 m/s. Results showed that both the treatment time and the steam pressure impacted the Dapp and the δW. By comparing to the control, SD (0.54 MPa and 48 s) increased the Dapp and δW to 12.2 and 2.7 times, respectively. Moreover, SD triggers a significant reduction in post-drying time (tf = 20% d.b), being this of 2.4 h vs. 30.8 h. These results could be linked to the expansion of the internal pores of mangoes generated by the instant autovaporization of residual water triggered by DIC treatment.

A Preliminary Study on the Effect of the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop Technology (DIC) on Drying and Rehydration Kinetics of Maize Kernels (Zea mays L.).

Maize is one of the three worldwide cereal crops with the most outstanding production; however, its postharvest losses range from 2 to 40% due to inadequate harvesting, drying, and storage technologies. This study focuses on the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop technology (DIC) effect on maize kernels' drying and rehydration kinetics. In total, 19 different DIC treatments were carried out on maize kernels (~25% d.b.). The DIC parameters studied were steam pressure (0.1 to 0.4 MPa) and treatment time (10 to 90 s). After DIC treatment, drying kinetics were carried out by Convective Air Drying (CAD) at 50 °C and 0.4 ms-1 airflow. Rehydration kinetics and Water Holding Capacity (WHC) were evaluated at 20 °C. In comparison to CAD samples, DIC (0.4 MPa and 90 s) reduced the drying time from 180 min to ~108 min. Additionally, regarding the rehydration and WHC results, DIC achieved the same moisture content in only 3.5 min that controls achieved after 1 h of rehydration (0.40 g H2O/g dry matter). Moreover, DIC (0.4 MPa and nine cycles of 10 s) increased the WHC 2.3 times compared to the control. In this way, DIC could be a postharvest technology to improve maize kernels' drying operations and functional properties.

Effect of the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop Technology in Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) Essential Oil Extraction and Antioxidant Activity.

Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is an outspread spice native to Asia, which is well appreciated for its sensory characteristics, delicate aroma, and unique taste. Currently, the main cardamom extracts are essential oils (EOs), and regarding current market tendencies, this market is in high growth. For this reason, technologies such as the instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) have been applied to reach higher yields and better quality of EO. Then, this study explores the impact of DIC as a pretreatment before hydrodistillation (HD) on the EO yield and their antioxidant activity. Obtained results showed that the coupling of DIC-HD increased the yield of essential oil and also had a positive impact on their antioxidant capacity. The EO yield of DIC-HD (140 °C and 30 s) was 4.43% vs. 2.52% for control; the AOX of DIC-HD (165 °C and 30 s) was 86% inhibition vs. 57.02% for control, and the TEAC of DIC-HD (140 °C and 30 s) was 1.44 uMTE/g EO vs. 13.66 uMTE/g EO.

An Overview on Food Applications of the Instant Controlled Pressure-Drop Technology, an Innovative High Pressure-Short Time Process.

Food processing systematically aims at meeting the needs of consumers who are looking for total high quality and perfect food safety. As the various thermal and non-thermal food preservation technologies often affect the natural properties in terms of sensation, flavor, texture, etc., instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) has been conceived as a relevant, innovative process in this field. DIC uses high saturated steam pressure and short duration to provide a new way to expand biological matrices, improve drying, decontaminate, and extract biologically active compounds, among other attributes. Therefore, this review focuses on describing the applications of DIC technology on a wide range of products such as foods and by-products that have been processed both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale. The application of DIC has shown the possibility of a significant leap in quality improvement and cost reduction in the food industry. DIC reduces the drying time of fruits and vegetables, and improves the extraction of essential oils, vegetable oils, and antioxidant components. It also provides strong decontamination, eliminates vegetative microorganisms and spores, and reduces non-nutritional and allergenic components. Over the past 33 years, this technology has continued to expand its food applications and improve its characteristics on an industrial scale. But there are still many food unit operations that can be taken to the next level with DIC.

Can hydro-thermo-mechanical treatment by instant controlled pressure-drop (DIC) be used as short time roasting process? Effect of processing parameters on sensory, physical, functional, and color attributes of Egyptian carob powder.

This study deals with the manufacture of a specific cocoa-like powder from Egyptian carob. The crucial unit operation consists of texturing/roasting unseeded carob kibbles, with the aim being to ensure perfect control of the chemical transformations that generate the desired flavor, drying to remove excess moisture, deodorizing to eliminate the undesirable flavor, and texturing to favor the physical/micro-mechanical changes that regulate the microstructure of the end product, in order to obtain an expanded-granule powder that can be used in many food formulations. The effect of saturated steam pressure of 0.30-0.60 MPa (133.5-158.8 °C) and processing time of 40-70 s, on the sensory attributes, physical and functional properties, and color characteristics were evaluated and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). DIC-texturing/roasting could be used to improve the sensory and color characteristics, increase the expansion ratio and oil holding capacity, and decrease the bulk density of DIC-textured/roasted carob powder. The desired quality of textured/roasted carob powder was obtained at 0.60 MPa (158.8 °C) for 55 s (experimental conditions) with water holding capacity close to those of non-textured/unroasted sample. DIC can be used as a coupled process of texturing and roasting at 0.60 MPa for 68 s as predicted by RSM.

Instant Controlled Pressure Drop as Blanching and Texturing Pre-Treatment to Preserve the Antioxidant Compounds of Red Dried Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.).

Red beetroot is rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, betaxanthins, betacyanins, among others. According to selected processing methods, the bioaccessibility of these compounds could be either enhanced or decreased. This study evaluated the effect of four different drying conditions: (1) Traditional Drying (TD), (2) Swell Drying (SD), (3) DIC Blanching + Traditional Drying (BTD), and (4) DIC Blanching + Swell Drying (BSD) on the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity of red beetroots. Obtained results showed that in all the cases, by comparing to Traditional Drying (TD), the coupling of a DIC Blanching pre-treatment to a Swell Drying treatment (BSD) maintained or enhanced the preservation of the Total Phenolic Compounds (TPC), the Total Flavonoids Compounds (TFC), the Betanin Concentration (BC), the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), and the Free Radical Scavenging Activity by DPPH (IC50) of red beetroots. Various studies have shown that thanks to the expanded and porous structure triggered by the Swell Drying process, it has been possible to achieve better antioxidants extraction and better whole quality. Hence, by coupling DIC as a blanching-steaming pre-treatment, it was possible to preserve better the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity of red dried beetroots.

Influence of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) on Allergenic Potential of Tree Nuts.

Pistachio and cashew contain allergenic proteins, which causes them to be removed from the diet of allergic people. Previous studies have demonstrated that food processing (thermal and non-thermal) can produce structural and/or conformational changes in proteins by altering their allergenic capacity. In this study, the influence of instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) on pistachio and cashew allergenic capacity has been studied. Western blot was carried out using IgG anti-11S and anti-2S and IgE antibodies from sera of patients sensitized to pistachio and cashew. DIC processing causes changes in the electrophoretic pattern, reducing the number and intensity of protein bands, as the pressure and temperature treatment increment, which results in a remarkable decrease in detection of potentially allergenic proteins. The harshest conditions of DIC (7 bar, 120 s) markedly reduce the immunodetection of allergenic proteins, not only by using IgG (anti 11S and anti 2S) but also when IgE sera from sensitized patients were used for Western blots. Such immunodetection is more affected in pistachio than in cashew nuts, but is not completely removed. Therefore, cashew proteins are possibly more resistant than pistachio proteins. According these findings, instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) can be considered a suitable technique in order to obtain hypoallergenic tree nut flour to be used in the food industry.

Steam explosion (SE) and instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) as thermo-hydro-mechanical pretreatment methods for bioethanol production.

Lignocellulosic biomass can be considered as one of the largest sources for the production of renewable biofuels (bioethanol). It involves an enzymatic treatment capable of ensuring the depolymerization of cellulose into fermentable sugars, followed by the production of ethanol by appropriate bacteriological fermentation. Proper destruction of the compact natural structure of the biomass would allow an interesting intensification of the operation. Among the most prominent technical approaches, the steam explosion (SE) is the most famous. However, this high pressure-high temperature process implies too high energy consumption while leading to the generation of many non-fermentable molecules. In recent years, many studies have proposed the use of the Instant Controlled Pressure-Drop (DIC) texturing pretreatment as an effective alternative to SE for ethanol production. Therefore, in this manuscript, we propose to compare and discuss the fundamental principles and experimental results of these two operations, as presented in the relevant literature.

Texture and color characteristics of swell-dried ready-to-eat Zaghloul date snacks: Effect of operative parameters of instant controlled pressure drop process.

In this work, development of ready-to-eat snacks from Zaghloul date using swell-drying process was studied. Pre-dried Zaghloul date samples having 12% water content on dry basis were textured by instant controlled pressure drop technique (DIC) at different operative parameters, saturated steam pressure (p) and processing time (t), ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 MPa and from 9 to 35 s, respectively. The effect of these operative parameters on texture, color, and sensory characteristics of swell-dried (SD) Zaghloul date snacks were determined and optimized through the response surface methodology. Textural (expansion ratio, hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness) and color (L*, a*, b*, C*, and ΔE*) characteristics were significantly affected by the operative parameters of DIC. The optimized textural characteristics was identified for SD Zaghloul date at p = 0.6 MPa and t = 22 s with slight yellowness, while the best color properties were observed for texturing conditions of p = 0.2 MPa and t = 22 s. The expansion ratio εr was then 46% higher and the hardness was 262% lower for SD than airflow-dried date. Instrumental analysis such as texture profile analysis and Hunter's Lab color analyzer could be used to describe the texture and color changes occurred during food drying. Beside these analyses, the expansion ratio could be used to describe the texture as well. Swell-drying process, an alternative drying process, is defined as DIC-assisted hot air drying. The thermo-mechanical effects of DIC are mainly induced by the abrupt pressure drop toward a vacuum after short-time treatment (9-35 s) by saturated steam pressure (0.2 up to 0.6 MPa). The abrupt pressure drop rate induces an autovaporization of product's water immediately decreasing the product's temperature allowing it to cross the glass transition Tg border. The impact of DIC operative parameters on Zaghloul date could be observed through the expansion ratio, and the textural characteristics (hardness HA, springiness SP, cohesiveness CO, and chewiness CH).

Apple juice concentrate impregnation enhances nutritional and textural attributes of the instant controlled pressure drop (DIC)-dried carrot chips.

BACKGROUND: Osmotic pretreatment is an effective processing unit for improving the textural quality of dried fruit and vegetable snacks, whereas nutrition loss and high calorie after impregnation is still a noteworthy shortcoming of sugar-immersed products. Therefore, the use of apple juice concentrate as a clean label solution to improve the qualities of instant controlled pressure drop (DIC)-dried carrot chips was investigated. RESULTS: Apple juice concentrate impregnation substantially enhanced the physical properties of the carrot chips, including hardness (38.28 N), crispness (2.01 mm), porosity (66.72%) and homogeneous microstructure, comparable to chips obtained using sucrose and maltiltol based osmotic solutions. Additionally, compared to the sucrose and maltiltol impregnated chips, a higher retention of carotenoids (302.81 µg g-1 , dry basis), a higher multiplicity of phenolic compounds, stronger antioxidant activities and a superior sensory score were observed in the chips pretreated with apple juice concentrate. CONCLUSION: Apple juice concentrate could be used as a clean label osmotic solution to enhance the organoleptic attributes and fortify the nutritional properties of DIC-dried carrot snacks. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative study of essential oils extracted from Algerian Myrtus communis L. leaves using microwaves and hydrodistillation.

Two different extraction methods were used for a comparative study of algerian myrtle leaf essential oils: solvent-free-microwave-extraction (SFME) and conventional hydrodistillation (HD). Essential oils analyzed by GC and GC-MS presented 51 components constituting 97.71 and 97.39% of the total oils, respectively. Solvent-Free-Microwave-Extract Essential oils SFME-EO were richer in oxygenated compounds. Their major compounds were 1,8-cineole, followed by α-pinene as against α-pinene, followed by 1,8-cineole for HD. Their antimicrobial activity was investigated on 12 microorganisms. The antioxidant activities were studied with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(•)) radical scavenging method. Generally, both essential oils showed high antimicrobial and weak antioxidant activities. Microstructure analyses were also undertaken on the solid residue of myrtle leaves by Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM); it showed that the SFME-cellular structure undergoes significant modifications compared to the conventional HD residual solid. Comparison between hydrodistillation and SFME presented numerous distinctions. Several advantages with SFME were observed: faster kinetics and higher efficiency with similar yields: 0.32% dry basis, in 30 min as against 180 min for HD.

Effect of instant controlled pressure drop on IgE antibody reactivity to peanut, lentil, chickpea and soybean proteins.

BACKGROUND: The use of legume seeds is being expanded in the food industry due to their excellent nutritional and technological properties. However, legumes have been considered causative agents of allergic reactions through ingestion. Previous studies indicated that processing methods combining heat and steam pressure, such as instant controlled pressure drop (DIC®), could decrease allergenicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of DIC treatment on peanut, lentil, chickpea and soybean IgE antibody reactivity. METHODS: Peanut, lentil, chickpea and soybean seeds were subjected to DIC treatment at different pressure and time conditions (3 and 6 bar for 1 and 3 min). Control (raw) and DIC-treated extracts were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using a serum pool from sensitized patients. RESULTS: DIC treatment did not affect the total protein content of legume seeds. Nevertheless, modifications of protein profiles after DIC showed a general decrease in IgE binding to legume proteins that was correlated to a higher steam pressure and longer treatment. The immunoreactivity of soybean proteins was almost abolished with treatment at 6 bar for 3 min. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that DIC treatment produces a reduction in the overall in vitro IgE binding of peanut, lentil and chickpea and a drastic reduction in soybean immunoreactivity.

Extraction of essential oils from Algerian myrtle leaves using instant controlled pressure drop technology.

In the present work, the new extraction process of Détente Instantanée Contrôlée DIC (French, for instant controlled pressure drop) was studied, developed, quantitatively and qualitatively compared to the conventional hydrodistillation method for the extraction of essential oils from Algerian myrtle leaves. DIC was used as a thermomechanical treatment, DIC subjecting the product to a high-pressure saturated steam. The DIC cycle ends with an abrupt pressure drop towards vacuum, and this instantly leads to an autovaporization of myrtle volatile compounds. An immediate condensation in the vacuum tank produced a micro-emulsion of water and essential oils. Thus, an ultra-rapid cooling of residual leaves occurred, precluding any thermal degradation. An experimental protocol was designed with 3 independent variables: saturated steam pressure between 0.1 and 0.6 MPa, resulting in a temperature between 100 and 160°C, a total thermal processing time between 19 and 221 s, and between 2 and 6 DIC cycles. The essential oils yield was defined as the main dependent variable. This direct extraction gave high yields and high quality essential oil, as revealed by composition and antioxidant activity (results not shown). After this treatment, the myrtle leaves were recovered and hydrodistilled in order to quantify the essential oil content in residual DIC-treated samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed some modification of the structure with a slight destruction of cell walls after DIC treatment.

Instant controlled pressure drop extraction of lavandin essential oils: fundamentals and experimental studies.

Détente Instantanée contrôlée (DIC), French for Instant Controlled Pressure Drop, was performed on laboratory apparatus as well as on a pilot plant for proving its feasibility, and identifying the optimized processing conditions and recognizing the energy consumption and the quantity of water used for such an operation. GC-MS and SPME analysis of the extracts and residue material were carried out to assess the extracts and solid residues. The lavandin essential oils obtained by using the new DIC extraction process was studied, modeled and quantitatively and qualitatively compared to the conventional hydrodistillation method. The most important differences between the two essential oils were reflected in the yields, with 4.25 as against 2.3 g EO/100 g of raw matter, and in the extraction time, with 480 s as against some hours for respectively the DIC and the hydrodistillation operations. These differences have been previewed through the fundamental analysis. They can normally explain the great decreasing of energy consumption to be 662 kWh/t of raw material. The amount of water to be added was about 42 kg water/t of raw material.

Controlling lipids in a high-risk population with documented coronary artery disease for secondary prevention: are we doing enough?

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in patients who have achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets in the current era of universal statin therapy remains unknown. We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of low HDL-C in patients with documented coronary artery disease, and to determine the lipid-lowering treatment patterns in secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort analysis, data were obtained from the electronic database of a cardiology clinic. The Joint British Society 2 criteria were used defining low HDL-C as less than 1 mmol/l in males and less than 1.2 mmol/l in females. We compared the prevalence of low HDL-C across the following categories of LDL-C: less than 2, 2-2.5, and greater than 2.5 mmol/l. RESULTS: Two thousand and eighty-seven patients with a mean age of 64.34±11.94 years constituted the study sample. About 36.6% of patients in this study were found to have low HDL-C. Irrespective of sex, low HDL-C was prevalent across all levels of LDL-C, but interestingly this was most prevalent in patients with a LDL-C less than 2 mmol/l (43.06%). HDL-C level of 1.16±0.97 mmol/l in patients with LDL-C less than 2 mmol/l was significantly lower than 1.22±0.33 mmol/l in patients with LDL-C greater than 2 mmol/l, P value less than 0.01. There was a poor correlation between levels of HDL-C and LDL-C in the study population irrespective of sex or statin therapy. CONCLUSION: This study shows widely prevalent low HDL-C levels in high-risk patients across the spectrum of LDL-C levels despite statin therapy. There was no correlation between the LDL-C and HDL-C levels implying their independent relationship and, thus, the need to treat them independently.