Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Publication
    Preliminary studies on antimicrobial activity of extracts from aloe vera leaf, citrus hystrix leaf, zingiber officinale and Sabah snake grass against bacillus subtilis
    Herbal plants have several potential antimicrobial activities either as antifungal or antibacterial to fight against the disease and pathogen that attack the plants. The extractions of the Aloe vera leaf, Citrus hystrix leaf, Zingiber officinale rhizome and Sabah snake grass were selected in this study to fight against Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium, rodshaped and catalase-positive that lives on decayed organic material. It is known as Gram-positive bacteria because of its thick peptidoglycan and would appear purple when subjected to Gram test. This species is commonly found in the upper layers of the soil, in meat or vegetables, in pastry, cooked meat, in bread or poultry products. The extracts of Sabah Snake Grass found to be most effective than A.vera leaf, Z. officinale, and C. hystrix against the B. subtilis.
  • Publication
    Effect of Potassium Permanganate and Zeolite on Shelf Life and Quality of Musa Acuminata
    This paper study the effect of ethylene scavenger treatments in different quantity (T0: 0g, T1: 1g, T2: 3g, T3: 5g and T4: 10g per sachet) and types of packaging (T5: non-perforated and T6: perforated packaging) on Musa Acuminata to its shelf life and physicochemical quality. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and zeolite were used as ethylene absorbent which stored together with the bananas under uniform atmospheric condition at temperature of 25-28°C and 85-95% of relative humidity (RH). Physicochemical analysis (e.g. weight loss, peel colour changes, firmness, total soluble solid content and titratable acidity) were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of each treatments throughout its storage period. Results showed that treatment with higher quantity of KMnO4-zeolite (T4: 10g) shows reduction and retardation in percent weight loss (9.62%), peel colour changes, firmness changes (28.2%), total soluble solid (TSS) (12.1% Brix), titratable acidity (TA) (0.084% malic acid) and also greater storability of banana. Therefore, postharvest losses can be reduced by the mentioned treatment and it can be implemented in postharvest industries for extending the shelf life of banana effectively.
  • Publication
    Properties of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)thermoplastic starch filled with treated and untreated sugarcane bagasse fiber
    ( 2024-07) ;
    Syazana Ahmad Zubir
    ;
    Mariatti Jaafar
    Sugarcane bagasse, comprising fibrous rind and spongy pith, is frequently employed as a reinforcing agent in both concrete and plastic composites. In thin plastic films, sugarcane bagasse is typically utilized as finely ground particles within the composite film. The integration of this agricultural byproduct into biodegradable plastic films could potentially lower production expenses and promote the film's biodegradability. This study presents the development of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) (90/10) formulations incorporating varying loadings of sugarcane bagasse fibers. The impact of alkaline and silane surface treatments on tensile strength, thermal properties, and water barrier properties was investigated. Upon the inclusion of sugarcane bagasse (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), a decrease in tensile strength from 23.47 to 8.41 MPa and elongation at break from 1135% to 55.83% was observed. Conversely, the Young's modulus increased from 47.12 to 188.50 MPa following the addition of 20% sugarcane bagasse in the PBAT/TPS matrix. Modest enhancements in tensile properties, thermal characteristics, and water barrier properties were noted after treating the bagasse fibers with alkaline and silane. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that silane-treated sugarcane bagasse exhibited increased surface roughness due to the removal of lignin and hemicellulose, facilitating better adhesion between the fibers and the PBAT/TPS matrix.