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"Hussein, Ahmed M."
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Development and quality evaluation of high-protein gluten-free pasta formulations
The production of high-quality gluten-free pasta remains a persistent challenge, as it is the only effective dietary treatment for individuals with celiac disease. This study aimed to develop and evaluate high-protein gluten-free pasta (GFP) with acceptable quality. To increase GFP quality, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to identify the optimal ratios of xanthan gum (XG) and guar gum (GG) as binding agents. The optimal concentrations of these hydrocolloids, determined as 2.00% XG and 0.75% GG, were used to formulate a GFP based on rice flour (RF), oat flour (OAF), and lentil flour (LF) at varying concentrations. The impacts of different formulations on pasting behavior and functional properties were assessed. The final products were evaluated for their physicochemical properties, hardness, phenolic content, protein digestibility, cooking quality, and sensory attributes. Notably, compared with RF, OAF resulted in a decreased peak viscosity (684.10 to 488.00 cP) and holding strength (548.90 to 357.60 cP), with a higher pasting temperature (59.10 to 63.40 °C) and breakdown (99.18 to 130 cP). LF negatively affected these parameters, which decreased proportionally with increasing LF replacement levels. Compared with RF, OAF resulted in significantly lower swelling power (6.88 to 4.96 g/g) and higher oil holding capacity (157 to 1.80 g/g). Higher LF levels reduce raw pasta hardness but positively impact the phenolic content and protein digestibility of cooked pasta. Sensory evaluations revealed that LF improved color, taste, and overall acceptability. This study contributes to the development of high-quality GFP, addressing both technological and nutritional challenges in gluten-free pasta production.
Journal Article
Closed-form design optimization for LLC converters with wide output voltage range based on FHA
This paper presents a novel design optimization strategy for LLC resonant converters that enhances full-load efficiency while operating across wide input and output voltage ranges. Achieving regulation over a wide output voltage range imposes more stringent design constraints on the converter, demanding higher inductance ratio and wider switching frequency range compared to constant output voltage applications. While numerical optimization techniques are effective for determining the optimal parameters of the converter; however, this effectiveness comes at a substantial computational cost. This work establishes a set of closed-form analytical equations that not only constitute a complete, step-by-step procedure for optimal design without reliance on numerical solvers, but also provide a framework for analyzing design trade-offs. The proposed methodology distinguishes itself from conventional approaches by offering a systematic and non-iterative procedure that is computationally efficient for determining an optimal design. The proposed procedure is validated through the simulation of a 495 W LLC converter specified for a wide operational range with a 320–370 V input and a 35–165 V output. The converter achieved the full output voltage range at the worst-case conditions and attained peak efficiency near the full load, while maintaining soft switching across the entire operating range.
Journal Article
The impact of environmental factors, sowing time, and soil conditions on the growth, yield, and resilience of Fagopyrum tataricum and Fagopyrum esculentum in Egyptian agroecosystems
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) is a gluten-free pseudocereal with high nutritional and bioactive value, offering the potential to diversify Egyptian cropping systems under semi-arid conditions. However, genotype × environment × management interactions remain poorly characterized for common (F. esculentum) and Tartary (F. tataricum) buckwheat in Egypt.
Field experiments were conducted over two growing seasons (2018/19-2019/20) at two contrasting northern Egyptian sites: the Belbies city site (clay-sandy, irrigated Nile Delta) and the Sadat city site (sandy-loamy, desert fringe). A three-factor factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates per site was used to evaluate the species (Common vs. Tartary), location (Belbies vs. Sadat), and sowing date (mid-November, mid-January, and mid-March). Vegetative traits (height, branch number, internode number, leaf number, fresh biomass) and productivity parameters (seed count, seed weight, yield) were measured on ten plants and in three 1 m2 quadrats per plot. Two-step ANOVA (species-specific two-way followed by combined three-way) and LSD mean separation were applied (α = 0.05).
Three-way interactions among species, location, and sowing date were highly significant for all traits (p < 0.001), explaining 18-32% of the variance. Tartary buckwheat outperformed common buckwheat across both sites and seasons, exhibiting greater vegetative vigor and reproductive resilience. At Belbies, mid-March sowing of F. tataricum resulted in the highest grain yields (947 ± 22 kg ha ⁻ ¹ in 2018/19; 997 ± 25 kg ha ⁻ ¹ in 2019/20), whereas common buckwheat yields peaked at mid-November sowing (558 ± 19 and 491 ± 18 kg ha ⁻ ¹, respectively). At Sadat, yields were lower for both species but remained consistently greater for F. tataricum on all sowing dates. Compared with F. tataricum, F. esculentum performed worse under later sowing and desert-fringe conditions.
Tartary buckwheat presented greater growth and yield than did common buckwheat across the two sites and sowing windows tested. Within Belbies (clay-sandy), mid-March sowing resulted in the highest F. tataricum yields; at Sadat (sandy-loamy), yields were lower across dates. These results indicate that F. tataricum is a promising candidate for Egyptian agroecosystems, with location- and date-specific performance.
Journal Article
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorated Diabetic Nephropathy by Autophagy Induction through the mTOR Signaling Pathway
Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus and a common cause of end-stage renal disease. Autophagy has a defensive role against kidney damage caused by hyperglycemia. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes are currently considered as a new promising therapy for chronic renal injury. However, the renal-protective mechanism of exosomes on DN is not completely understood. We examined the potential role of MSC-derived exosomes for enhancement of autophagy activity and their effect on DN. In our study, we used five groups of rats: control; DN; DN treated with exosomes; DN treated with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (inhibitors of autophagy); and DN treated with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), chloroquine, and exosome groups. We assessed renal function, morphology, and fibrosis. Moreover, ratios of the autophagy markers mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), Beclin-1, light chain-3 (LC3-II), and LC3-II/LC3-I were detected. Additionally, electron microscopy was used for detection of autophagosomes. Results: Exosomes markedly improved renal function and showed histological restoration of renal tissues, with significant increase of LC3 and Beclin-1, and significant decrease of mTOR and fibrotic marker expression in renal tissue. All previous effects were partially abolished by the autophagy inhibitors chloroquine and 3-MA. Conclusion: We conclude that autophagy induction by exosomes could attenuate DN in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus.
Journal Article
Chemical, rheological, and sensorial properties of Baladi bread supplemented with buckwheat flour produced in Egypt
This research aimed to enhance the nutritional and sensory qualities of Balady bread by adding locally Egyptian buckwheat flours,
Fagopyrum esculentum
(FE) and
Fagopyrum tataricum
(FT), to Hard Wheat Flour (HWF) 82% extraction at three levels (10%, 20%, and 30%). The chemical composition, rheological properties, color, sensory evaluation and stalling of the balady bread were determined. The chemical composition of raw materials revealed that FE was significantly (
P
≤ 0.05) higher in protein and fat contents compared to HWF and FT. While FT was higher in fiber and ash contents. The findings show that a 30% replacement with FE or FT significantly enhances the bread's nutritional profile, notably increasing protein, fiber, ash, and moisture content. Rheological analysis revealed that FE and FT alter dough handling, with a notable improvement in dough stability and mixing tolerance at 30% FT. Sensory evaluation indicated acceptable qualities even at higher substitution levels, although 30% FE showed slight declines in certain attributes. Furthermore, bread supplemented with 30% FT demonstrated slower staling and potentially extended shelf life. These results highlight the potential of FE and FT as nutritional enhancers in bread formulations, with 30% FT emerging as the optimal replacement level for balancing nutritional benefits and sensory acceptance.
Journal Article
Preparation and characterization of a novel magnetic nano adsorbent for removal of metal ions
As a result of global urbanization and industrialization, heavy metals are one of the hazardous contaminants facing the world. The adsorption process using agricultural wastes can achieve one of the sustainable development goals for wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Moringa and tea extracts were utilized to synthesize iron nanoparticles for the treatment of aqueous solutions containing heavy metal ions (Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , Se 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cr 6+ ). This method offers a sustainable substitute for conventional chemical wastewater treatment methods. Furthermore, the use of magnetic iron nanoparticles reduces the need for extra separation processes by making it simple to separate the adsorbent from the treated waste using a magnetic field. Various techniques were employed to characterize the prepared nanoparticles, such Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). The XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline phase of alpha-FeNPs in the synthesized nanoparticles. The EDX analysis verified the presence of oxygen and iron in the nanoparticles, indicating that the iron was in an oxide form. This study aimed to investigate the removal of heavy metals using nano-magnetic composites of moringa (FeNPs-M) and tea (FeNPs-T). To assess the effectiveness of the FeNPs-M several parameters were tested, including pH, contact time, initial concentration, and nanoparticle dosage. The results indicated that the efficiency of FeNPs-M was significantly higher than that of FeNPs-T for the removal of heavy metals from synthetic solutions, achieving removal efficiency are 96.5% 99.71%, 96.73%, 93.16%, and 91.83% of Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , Se 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cr 6+ , respectively, when using FeNPs-M, while the removal efficiency are 96.36%, 93.40%, 79.83%, 78.6%, and 77.77% of Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , Se 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cr 6+ , respectively, 25 °C, with a contact time of 45 min, a pH of 3.0, concentration 3.0 mg/L, a sorbent dose of 0.8 g/L, and 200 rpm at 25 °C.
Journal Article
A novel template-free synthesis of Na-A Zeolite for enhanced removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions
The removal of toxic heavy metals from wastewater remains a major environmental challenge due to their non-bio-degradability, persistence, and adverse health effects. In this work, a novel DES-assisted microwave hydrothermal route was developed for the rapid synthesis of hierarchical Na A. zeolite (NaAZ), offering a new pathway toward enhanced adsorption performance. Structural characterization (X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy” (FT-IR(Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the formation of highly crystalline cubic NaAZ with improved surface area and accessible porosity. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the uptake of Pb 2 ⁺ , Cu 2 ⁺ , Cd 2 ⁺ , Ni 2 ⁺ , and Zn 2 ⁺ ions under varying operational conditions, including contact time, adsorbent dose, initial concentration, pH, and temperature. Results showed fast adsorption kinetics, with equilibrium reached within 90 min for most ions. Kinetic modeling revealed that the pseudo-second-order model best described the process, while equilibrium data were well-fitted to the Langmuir isotherm, indicating monolayer adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption. Fixed-bed column studies demonstrated efficient dynamic adsorption, with breakthrough behavior successfully modeled using Thomas, Yoon–Nelson, and Bohart–Adams equations, confirming the material’s suitability for continuous treatment applications. Furthermore, the synthesized NaAZ exhibited excellent regeneration and reusability, maintaining high removal efficiency over multiple cycles. Compared to conventional adsorbents such as activated carbon, graphene oxide, chitosan composites, bio-char, and natural zeolite. The superior adsorption performance and distinct selectivity pattern observed for NaAZ (Pb 2 ⁺ > Cu 2 ⁺ > Cd 2 ⁺ > Zn 2 ⁺ > Ni 2 ⁺) can be attributed to the synergistic effects of its hierarchical porosity and defect-engineered active sites, rather than simple ionic size or hydration radius considerations. The results indicated that the high efficiency of NaAZ was significantly for the removal of heavy metals from synthetic solutions, Overall, the optimal conditions with a contact time of 120 min, a pH of 6.0, temperature 35 0 C and an adsorbent dose of 250 mg.
Journal Article
An innovative synthesis approach for Na A. Zeolite: A new pathway for enhanced performance, wastewater treatment, and antibacterial applications
Wastewater treatment is essential for protecting water resources and public health. Zeolite-based adsorbents offer an effective and sustainable solution for this purpose, providing high selectivity and regeneration potential. Zeolites are inorganic, highly crystalline, micro-porous materials composed of aluminotecto-silicates (SiO₄ and AlO₄ tetrahedral). Synthetic zeolites are commercially favored over natural ones due to their higher purity, crystallinity, and uniform pore size. Na A. zeolite (NaAZ) is a type of synthetic zeolite widely used in various applications, including wastewater treatment, due to its excellent adsorption and ion-exchange properties. This study focus on synthesize zeolite A from meta-kaolinite using a wet chemical method. The synthesis involves a hydrothermal process in which chemical reagents are mixed in an aqueous medium and heated under controlled conditions. The resulting (NaAZ) was characterized using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). This study evaluates the synthesized (NaAZ) for the removal of chemical oxygen demand from synthetic wastewater. Various parameters affecting adsorption such as contact time pH, temperature, and adsorbent dosage were investigated. The optimized conditions were then applied to real wastewater, and the material was further tested for its antitoxic and antibacterial properties. The in vitro antibacterial activity of NaAZ was assessed against both Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442). Under optimal conditions contact time (40 min), pH (6–7), and adsorbent dosage (0.25 g) the removal efficiencies for COD, TSS, TKN, and PO₄ 3 ⁻ were 90.69%, 90.41%, 73.75%, and 68.85%, respectively.
Journal Article