In this study, monolayer drying of kiwi slices was simulated by a laboratory-scale hot-air dryer. The drying process was carried out at three different temperatures of 50, 60, and 70°C. After the end of drying process, initially, the experimental drying data were fitted to the 11 well-known drying models. The results indicated that Two-term model gave better performance compared with other models to monitor the moisture ratio (with average R 2 value equal .998). Also, this study used artificial neural network (ANN) in order to feasibly predict dried kiwi slices moisture ratio (y), based on the time and temperature drying inputs (x 1 , x 2 ). In order to do this research, two main activation functions called logsig and tanh, widely used in engineering calculations, were applied.The results revealed that, logsig activation function base on 13 neurons in first and second hidden layers were selected as the best configuration to predict the moisture ratio. This network was able to predict moisture ratio with R 2 value .997. Furthermore, kiwi slice favorite is evaluated by sensory evaluation. In this test, sense qualities as color, aroma, flavor, appearance, and chew ability (tissue brittleness) are considered. K E Y W O R D SArtificial neural network, hot-air drying, sensory evaluation 1

The attempts toward addition of biocontrol agents in dairy products have gained popularity. Here, we worked on analysing the antifungal activity of binary and ternary combinations of three Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) against five spoilage yeasts in yogurt. The yogurt samples were characterized in terms of pH, acidity, WHC, textural parameters, viscosity, survivability and antifungal activity of LAB and sensorial properties during cold storage. The results showed that the inoculation of LAB in yogurt gave rise in significant reduction of pH throughout cold storage while titrable acidity and WHC decreased (p < .05). Inoculation of LAB resulted in significant increase in hardness and adhesiveness while springiness remained constant. On the other hand, apparent viscosity of all samples experienced a profound increase up to the 10th day of storage followed by a reduction trend for the rest of storage period. Analysis of inhibitory activity of LAB showed an efficient barrier against all five yeasts, in which the most activity was recorded for Lactobacillus reuteri followed by Lactobacillus acidophilus. On the other hand, the most resistance yeast was Kluyveromyces marxianus followed by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Sensorial analysis revealed that addition of LAB in yogurt brought about a profound improvement in textural quality of samples. Inoculation of LAB cultures in yogurt at 5% (v/v) not only could improve the physicochemical and sensorial properties of yogurt, but also could introduce a strategy toward substituting of chemical preservatives with biocontrol agents.

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Introduction The effect of honey consumption in diabetic patients has been contradictory. The aim of the present animal study was to compare the effect of different types of honey on the lipid profile in diabetic rats. Material and methods Sixty-four male Wistar rats were divided into two main groups: a streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) group (including four subgroups) and a healthy group (including four subgroups), based on random allocation. Three subgroups of each main group were given 1 mg/kg of three different types of honey (acacia, astragalus, and artificial honey) by oral gavage for 10 weeks. The control groups were given distilled water. Blood samples were collected, and the lipid profile was measured and compared between the eight groups after the intervention. Results The levels of LDL, triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (Tchol) in DM rats treated with astragalus honey were significantly lower and the HDL level was significantly higher compared to the other DM and healthy groups (all p -values < 0.05). LDL, TG, and Tchol levels in DM rats treated with artificial honey were significantly higher, and HDL levels were significantly lower than for other types of honey and for the control groups (all p -values < 0.05). LDL, HDL, TG, and Tchol levels in healthy rats were not significantly different between the groups ( p -value > 0.05). Conclusions Different types of honey (acacia, astragalus, and artificial honey) had various effects on serum lipid profiles in diabetic rats. The results of this study indicated that the effect of honey on diabetic patients can vary widely based on its source.

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing rapidly. Diabetic patients are deprived of sugar sweetener consumption due to their high blood sugar. Choosing appropriate substitutes in the meal plan of diabetic patients is one of the important therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different types of honey on the concentration of glucose, fructosamine and insulin of diabetic rats. This study was an interventional clinical trial animal study. In this study, 32 Wistar rats were used, which were divided into 4 groups. The drug of Streptozocin was used to induce diabetes in 4 groups of rats. Three types of Acacia honey, Astragalus honey, and Nodushan Yazd honey were used in 3 groups of diabetic rats and 1 group also was considered as control groups of diabetic and normal groups. Difference in blood Fructosamine of diabetic rats was not significant in the receiver groups of different types of honey. On the other hand, the Astragalus honey consumption significantly increased glucose and the Nodushan honey consumption significantly increased insulin concentration in diabetic rats. The present study showed that some types of honey do not have any negative effect on blood glucose concentration of diabetic rats, but they cause an increase in serum insulin concentration. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that some types of honey can be used as a safe natural sweetener and even can be beneficial.