Spray drying is a conventional technique for converting liquids into powders, involving preparation, homogenization, atomization, dispersion, and drying. However, electrostatic charges on the drying chamber walls and powder particles often cause adhesion and buildup, reducing process efficiency and cleanliness. This study aims to identify the types of electrical charges on powder particles contributing to impurity formation and to reduce such deposits by introducing alternating repulsive charges based on the dominant charge polarity. A total of 1,200 ml of full cream milk was subjected to spray drying, and the powder charge profile was measured using a multimeter to determine polarity in three replications. A system modeled after a Dual Output DC Power Supply applied repulsive charges through aluminum foil on the inner surface of a borosilicate chamber, generating 1140 Coulomb (C) of repulsive charge for each replication (Profiles 1–3, n = 3). The resulting electric charges were 5.0×10⁻⁵ ± 1.73 C, 4.0×10⁻⁵ ± 1.73 C, and 4.0×10⁻⁵ ± 1.73 C of positive polarity (p>0.05). Comparisons of powder weight collected with and without repulsive charge application were 0.204 ± 0.082 g and 0.254 ± 0.080 g, respectively. Although powder weight decreased with repulsive charge, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). These findings indicate that alternating repulsive charges have limited effectiveness in minimizing impurity deposits or enhancing spray drying efficiency, likely due to complex interactions involving charge behavior, temperature, and humidity. Future work should explore detailed models incorporating particle size, shape, and electroconductivity to better understand fouling mechanisms.

The sugary drink boba milk tea has seen its popularity surge in recent years. However, the overwhelmingly trending boba milk tea is categorised as a sugar-sweetened beverage due to its high sugar content. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the sugar content of four brands of boba milk tea drinks (brand A, B, C, and D) available around Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The physico-chemical characteristics of each brand were evaluated comprising the pH level, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), conductivity value, and liquid density. In addition, the glucose content in the liquid milk and boba pearls were determined using the glucometer and gravimetric analysis, which were then used to estimate the total glucose content in the boba milk tea samples. Based on the results, there were significant differences between the pH value and glucose content (p < 0.05). The pH of brand A recorded the highest value of 8.23 ± 0.03 (slightly alkaline) compared to other brands. The liquid milk of Brand A also exhibited the highest glucose content value and the highest density value (p < 0.05) with a value of 23.4 ± 0.5 mmol/L and 1030 g/L, respectively. However, brand D possessed the highest TDS content and conductivity with values of 1912 ± 36 ppm and 3825 ± 71 µS, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest glucose content in the liquid milk and boba pearls were 23.4 ± 0.5 mmol/L (brand A) and 18.1 ± 0.4 (brand B), respectively. Overall, the study estimated that brand B has the highest total glucose content (38.6 ± 0.1 mmol/L) due to the significant glucose content from the boba pearls. Surprisingly, the overall glucose content in boba milk tea (milk tea solution and boba pearl) was approximately from 2- to 5-fold more than the recommended daily sugar (glucose) intake of 8.33 mmol/L (equivalent to 50 g/day) by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia. The lack of preventive measures to curb the overconsumption of boba milk tea would cause a long-term adverse health effect on individuals and increase the rate of patients suffering from diabetic-related diseases and other non-communicable diseases (NCD). An intervention is required instantaneously from a public health perspective to regulate the consumption of sweetened and flavored beverages that is limitless added to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) without strict regulations.

In recent years, overwhelming studies have recognized the excellent functional and nutritional properties of green leafy vegetables that can be gained through a proper human diet. Among the vegetables studied, Spinacia oleracea Linn. or commonly known as spinach is widely being acknowledged for having a diverse range of nutritional composition and bioactive phytochemical compounds. Spinach, which is grouped under the Amaranthaceae family, contains various beneficial effects owing to their nutritional compositions, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive constituents that are directly linked to various bio-functional properties. The valuable bio-constituent of polyphenols that exist in spinach contributes to its effective antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Therefore, the antioxidant from spinach extract is a promising source of natural antioxidants to replace the harmful effect of synthetic antioxidants. Moreover, it can inhibit cellular oxidative damage, increase storage stability, and restrict the growth of a wide range of pathogenic bacteria, which offers a huge prospect for potential food application. The main attention of this review was to highlight the effective antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of phytochemical compounds in spinach extract. Additionally, this review provided a comprehensive description of the wide range of food applications with regards to the use of spinach extract

Clinacanthus nutans (Sabah snake grass) is widely recognized for its pharmacological properties, particularly its high phenolic content and antioxidant activity. However, the optimization of its ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) remains underexplored. This study aims to enhance the extraction efficiency of phenolic compounds from Clinacanthus nutans leaves using ionic liquid (IL) binary solvents, with optimization based on Peleg’s model and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Peleg’s model was used to determine the optimal extraction time, while RSM with a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was applied to evaluate the effects of ultrasonic frequency (40–60 kHz) and the ratio of ILs to water (2:8, 5:5 and 8:2) on total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity, and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP). The experimental results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, model fitting, and desirability functions. Peleg’s model indicated that the predicted maximum total phenolic content (TPC) of 42.556 ± 0.0003 mg GAE/g was achieved at an ultrasonic frequency of 50 kHz within 3 hours, making this duration as the predictive model benchmark for further optimization. The optimal extraction conditions were identified as an ultrasonic frequency of 60 kHz and an IL-to-water ratio of 2:8, yielding a maximum TPC of 0.01 ± 7.97 x 10−5 mg GAE/g, DPPH antioxidant activity of 95.08 ± 0.57%, and FRAP antioxidant capacity of 6.31 ± 0.10 mg AEAC/g. Peleg’s model inadequately predicted the best exhaustive extraction time prior to RSM leading to a low TPC value throughout the optimization process while maintaining high in antioxidant efficacy. However, the use of IL binary solvents significantly enhanced the release of phenolic compounds compared to conventional solvents, demonstrating their potential as a green extraction alternative. This study highlights the effectiveness of ultrasonic-assisted extraction combined with IL binary solvents for maximizing the recovery of bioactive compounds from Clinacanthus nutans leaves. The optimized extraction method can be beneficial for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and functional food industries. Future research should focus on identifying specific phenolic compounds using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), combined kinetic and diffusion equilibrium model and further refining process optimization parameters (e.g., longer concoction duration) to enhance yield efficiency.