Gamma irradiation of Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit as a post-harvest technique and its subsequent effect on some phytochemicals, free scavenging activity and physicochemical properties

Electron-beam irradiation as an alternative to preserve nutritional, chemical and antioxidant properties of dried plants during extended storage periods

“…The specific characteristics of e-beam irradiation make it particularly suitable for food products with low density and small size, such as aromatic and medicinal herbs. These plants might suffer chemical and biological contaminations throughout their production process (harvesting, drying, packaging and storage), causing spoilage, quality deterioration and consequently economic loss (Darfour, Agbenyegah, Ofosu, Okyere, & Asare, 2014).…”

Combined effects of gamma-irradiation and preparation method on antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of Tuberaria lignosa

“…10,11 Besides being a health hazard to consumers, contaminated medicinal plants can also adversely affect the efficacy and stability of their bioactive compounds, especially during storage, 12 and lead to spoilage of pharmaceuticals and food items to which they are added. 13 Therefore, an effective and sustainable decontamination process must be followed to ensure the hygienic quality of these products, making them suitable for human consumption and commercialization.…”

Effect of Gamma Radiation on <i>Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica</i> Typhimurium and <i>Aspergillus niger</i> in Peppers

“…In 1981, the WHO/IAEA/FAO announced that irradiation of food up to an overall average dose of 10 kGy presented no toxicological hazard and introduced no special nutritional or microbiological problems (Roberts, 2014). In previous studies, it was confirmed that spices with a dosage up to 10 kGy is safe for human to consume without obviously physicochemical properties changing (Darfour et al, 2014) . In poached chicken meal, a lower dose of 2 kGy reduced counts of E. coli, and no colonies were detected (Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2008).…”

“…However, these spices are highly susceptible to microbial contamination in the process of growing, harvesting, processing and transporting, etc. These peppers are usually used after dehydrating, which prolongs storage time but could not prevent the growth of microbes (Darfour et al, 2014). In recent years, prevalence of pathogens in spices, such as toxigenic fungi and bacteria, have been reported in many studies (Hammami et al, 2014;Zweifel and Stephan, 2012;Van Doren et al, 2013;Kong et al, 2014;El Mahgubi et al, 2013).…”