Faculty Publications
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Item An insight into microscopy and analytical techniques for morphological, structural, chemical, and thermal characterization of cellulose(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2022) Chakraborty, I.; Rongpipi, S.; Govindaraju, I.; Rakesh, B.; Mal, S.S.; Gomez, E.W.; Gomez, E.D.; Kalita, R.D.; Nath, Y.; Mazumder, N.Cellulose obtained from plants is a bio-polysaccharide and the most abundant organic polymer on earth that has immense household and industrial applications. Hence, the characterization of cellulose is important for determining its appropriate applications. In this article, we review the characterization of cellulose morphology, surface topography using microscopic techniques including optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Other physicochemical characteristics like crystallinity, chemical composition, and thermal properties are studied using techniques including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. This review may contribute to the development of using cellulose as a low-cost raw material with anticipated physicochemical properties. Highlights: Morphology and surface topography of cellulose structure is characterized using microscopy techniques including optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Analytical techniques used for physicochemical characterization of cellulose include X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Item Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of rice and corn starch(Wiley-Liss Inc., 2020) Govindaraju, I.; Pallen, S.; Umashankar, S.; Mal, S.S.; Kaniyala Melanthota, S.; Mahato, D.R.; Zhuo, G.-Y.; Mahato, K.K.; Mazumder, N.Starch granules from rice and corn were isolated, and their molecular mechanism on interaction with ?-amylase was characterized through biochemical test, microscopic imaging, and spectroscopic measurements. The micro-scale structure of starch granules were observed under an optical microscope and their average size was in the range 1–100 ?m. The surface topological structures of starch with micro-holes due to the effect of ?- amylase were also visualized under scanning electron microscope. The crystallinity was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns as well as second-harmonic generation microscopy. The change in chemical bonds before and after hydrolysis of the starch granules by ?- amylase was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Combination of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques relates structural and chemical features that explain starch enzymatic hydrolysis which will provide a valid basis for future studies in food science and insights into the energy transformation dynamics. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Item Investigation of structural and physico-chemical properties of rice starch with varied amylose content: A combined microscopy, spectroscopy, and thermal study(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Govindaraju, I.; Zhuo, G.-Y.; Chakraborty, I.; Melanthota, S.K.; Mal, S.; Sarmah, B.; Baruah, V.J.; Mahato, K.K.; Mazumder, N.Starch from a given botanical source can vary considerably in terms of physicochemical properties in its native and hydrolyzed forms. The current study investigated the structural and functional characteristics of starch from ten indigenous rice varieties endemic to Northeast India. In vitro enzymatic hydrolysis was used to reveal the dextrose equivalent profile of each type of starch. Gezep Sali and Betguti Sali respectively exhibited the highest and lowest starch hydrolysis. Among the ten rice varieties, amylose content varied between 7.50 and 28.58%. Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the polyhedral shape of the native starch granules and deformation of the shape upon enzymatic hydrolysis. Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of and variations in starch crystallinity. XRD revealed spectral peaks characteristic of A-type starch crystals in the native form. The elevated intensity of XRD peaks in hydrolyzed starch granules confirmed the occurrence of amylose hydrolysis rather than hydrolysis in amylopectin regions. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed the common stretching and bending of bonds in all native starches; however, changes were observed in the fingerprint region (1080, 1000, 926 cm−1) of hydrolyzed starch granules, which indicates the amylolysis of the amylose region and disturbances in the ordered arrangement in the crystalline part. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) endotherms revealed the highest and lowest gelatinization peak temperatures in Harfoni (78 °C) and Tulosi Sali (41 °C) rice cultivars, respectively. The findings in this study can help to optimize the usage of rice starch in food and non-food industries. Furthermore, understanding the control points of starch digestion and genetically tailoring rice grains with different digestibility could be beneficial for nutraceutical applications. © 2021 Elsevier LtdItem Investigation of physico-chemical properties of native and gamma irradiated starches(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Govindaraju, I.; Sunder, M.; Chakraborty, I.; Mumbrekar, K.D.; Mal, S.; Mazumder, N.Starch is one of the most abundantly found carbohydrates in cereals, roots, legumes and fruits located in amyloplasts of plants. Native starch comprises of amylose, a linear α-glucan with α-1,4-linkage and amylopectin, a branched polysaccharide with both α-1,4-linkage and α-1,6-linkage. In food industries, the native starch is modified to manufacture the desired quality of starchy foods by means of physical, chemical, and enzymatic modification techniques. Gamma irradiation technique is one among the physical modifications of starch which is extensively used for the modification of native starch as it is rapid, less toxic and cost-effective technique. When starch is radiated with gamma rays, it is observed to produce free radicals owing to cleavage of amylopectin branches and exhibit variation in their physicochemical properties. In this study, commercially available corn, rice, and potato starch were irradiated with 10 kGy dose of gamma radiation and changes in their physicochemical properties were investigated. Native and irradiated starch was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis with bacterial α-amylase (150 U/mL). The highest starch hydrolysis was observed for irradiated rice starch (17.03%). Amylose content of irradiated starch decreased by 3–4 %. The optical microscopic images showed the surface erosions of the irradiated starch and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed the thermal transition temperatures. Overall, starch hydrolysis and amylose content showed inverse correlation between them. Further studies regarding the effect of storage on gamma irradiated starch can help to gain new insights into the usage of modified starches in the manufacture of processed foods. © 2022Item Enhancement of dysprosium oxide doped zinc alumino borosilicate glasses in thermal, optical and luminescence domain for solid state lighting application(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Monisha, M.; Mazumder, N.; Melanthota, S.K.; Padasale, B.; Almuqrin, A.H.; Sayyed, M.I.; Karunakara, N.; Kamath, S.D.Zinc alumino borosilicate (ZABS) glasses incorporated with Dy3+ ions are prepared through melt-quenching technique. Non-crystallinity behaviour of the glasses are confirmed through XRD studies. The presence of functional and vibrational groups in the glass network are witnessed through FTIR studies. From the differential thermal analysis (DTA), the thermal stability of the glasses are found to be greater than 90 °C. UV–Visible–NIR spectra of glasses showed strong absorptions of Dy3+ ions in the NIR region (∼1267 nm). The highest bandgap value is obtained for ZABSDy0.5 (4.27 eV) glass that has the lowest amount of non-bridging oxygens. The ionic nature of dysprosium ions in the glass vicinity is thereby known through bonding parameter calculation. Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters showed the trend Ω2 > Ω6 > Ω4, maintained same for all synthesized glasses. The luminescence spectra showed three emission peaks of Dy3+ ions at 482 (6H15/2), 575 (6H13/2) and 663 (6H11/2) nm. The hypersensitive transition observed at 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 exhibits a greater emission cross-section and radiative transition for all the glasses. Through the decay measurements, the lifetime of the Dy3+ ions are calculated. The estimated CIE coordinates for the glasses showed their location in white light region. The correlated colour temperature (CCT) values are obtained between 4200 and 4500 K suggesting the importance of glasses to use for white-LEDs application. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.Item Spectroscopic methods for assessment of hand sanitizers(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2022) Banik, S.; Melanthota, S.K.; Anandan Vannathan, A.; Mahato, K.K.; Mal, S.S.; Mazumder, N.Sanitization of inanimate objects or body surfaces using disinfectant is essential for eliminating disease-causing pathogens and maintaining personal hygiene. With the advent of health emergencies, the importance and high demand for hand sanitizers (HS) are observed in everyday life. It is also important to know the constituent added to formulate HS, as the presence of harsh chemicals can cause skin irritation. In this study, different spectroscopic techniques were used to assess several commercially available HS along with the in-house prepared HS as per the WHO protocol. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy identified the different HS chemical bonds and quantified the amount of alcohol and water in the HS. Varying amount of alcohols in HS, calibration profile was generated to identify its amount in commercial samples. Further, the commercial samples were also checked for contaminants whose presence in the HS might bring down its sanitization efficacy. © 2022, The Author(s).Item Synthesis and detailed characterization of sustainable starch-based bioplastic(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2022) Chakraborty, I.; Pooja, N.; Banik, S.; Govindaraju, I.; Das, K.; Mal, S.S.; Zhuo, G.-Y.; Rather, M.A.; Mandal, M.; Neog, A.; Biswas, R.; Managuli, V.; Datta, A.; Mahato, K.K.; Mazumder, N.There is an urgent requirement of replacing the environmentally hazardous petroleum-based plastics with sustainable and efficient starch-based bioplastics. Development and detailed characterization of the biodegradable bioplastics from plant-based polysaccharides such as starch is essential to reduce plastic pollution in the environment. In this research, bioplastics were developed from an equivalent blend of starch from two different sources namely rice and potato (1:1, w/w), crosslinked with different concentrations of citric acid (CA). The effect of CA cross-linking of starch-based bioplastics was investigated on its physicochemical and functional properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra revealed that the synthesized bioplastics were amorphous in nature with broad diffraction peaks. Further, the peak at 1716 cm−1 in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated the formation of ester bonds in CA cross-linked bioplastics. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed the surface roughness of the bioplastics decreased with increasing concentration of CA. Mechanical and thermal properties of bioplastics were characterized using universal testing machine, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Item Evaluation of physicochemical properties of citric acid crosslinked starch elastomers reinforced with silicon dioxide(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024) Pooja, N.; Chakraborty, I.; Mal, S.S.; Bharath Prasad, A.S.; Mahato, K.K.; Mazumder, N.Thermoplastic starch (TPS), derived from renewable resources, offers advantages such as biodegradability and lower production costs compared to petroleum-based plastics. However, its limited mechanical properties pose a challenge for broader applications. This research aims to explore the potential of enhancing the mechanical and barrier properties of TPS films through the incorporation of silicon dioxide as a reinforcement filler and citric acid as a crosslinking agent. By introducing silicon dioxide as a reinforcement filler, the mechanical strength of the TPS films is expected to be improved. Additionally, the incorporation of citric acid as a crosslinking agent is anticipated to enhance the barrier properties of the films. The combination of these additives holds promise for creating TPS films with improved performance, contributing to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials in various industries. The results reveal that SiO2 improves the stiffness of the films at lower concentrations but causes brittleness at higher concentrations. In contrast, citric acid crosslinked films exhibit improved flexibility and density. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrates the morphological changes in the films, with SiO2 affecting surface roughness and aggregate formation. SiO2 reduces film thickness and transparency, while citric acid enhances water resistance and barrier properties. X-ray diffraction analysis shows a reduction in crystallinity due to the plasticization process. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy highlights chemical changes and antimicrobial activity is observed with citric acid against specific bacteria. The soil burial test reveals that citric acid crosslinked films exhibit slower degradation due to antimicrobial properties. The combination of SiO2 reinforcement and citric acid crosslinking enhances the overall performance of the films, promising sustainable and environmentally friendly materials for various applications. © 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Spectroscopic evaluation of sesame and mustard oils treated with Murchana method(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Deekshitha, S.; Neelavara Makkithaya, K.; Sajankila Nadumane, S.; Hussain, G.; Mal, S.S.; Babitha, B.K.; Pai, P.; Mazumder, N.In recent years, there has been a growing interest in traditional medicinal practices such as Ayurveda, which emphasizes the use of natural ingredients for various therapeutic purposes. Vegetable oils are an integral part of our diet and have several applications in the cosmetics and healthcare industries. These oils have also been prescribed in ancient Ayurveda texts to treat various health problems. Ayurveda prescribes a processing technique called ‘Murchana’ to improve the therapeutic nature of the oils. Spectroscopic techniques have been used for quality assessment in many fields. High sensitivity and a low detection rate make spectroscopy a formidable analytical technique. This study focusses on the spectroscopic analysis of sesame and mustard oils prepared using the ayurvedic processing method ‘Murchana’. Spectroscopic analysis techniques including UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy were employed to study the oils. Origin software was used to plot graphs of the spectra. The results indicated that the murchana process may reduce the components of the oil responsible for its oxidation, thereby increasing the shelf life of the oils. However, further investigations, including other spectroscopy and chromatography techniques, will prove beneficial in ascertaining the effects of the murchana process on vegetable oils. The study’s findings also suggest that spectroscopic techniques can be used to supplement chemical techniques to investigate the characteristics of vegetable oils. © The Author(s) 2024.Item Investigation of the physicochemical factors affecting the in vitro digestion and glycemic indices of indigenous indica rice cultivars(Nature Research, 2025) Govindaraju, I.; Das, A.R.; Chakraborty, I.; Mal, S.S.; Sarmah, B.; Baruah, V.J.; Mazumder, N.Rice (Oryza sativa) is a vital food crop and staple diet for most of the world’s population. Poor dietary choices have had a significant role in the development of type-2 diabetes in the population that relies on rice and rice-starch-based foods. Hence, our study investigated the in vitro digestion and glycemic indices of certain indigenous rice cultivars and the factors influencing these indices. Cooking properties of rice cultivars were estimated. Further, biochemical investgations such as amylose content, resistant starch content were estimated using iodine-blue complex method and megazyme kit respectively. The in vitro glycemic index was estimated using GOPOD method. The rice cultivars considered in our study were classified into low-, intermediate-, and high-amylose rice varieties. The rice cultivars were subjected to physicochemical characterization by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. FTIR spectral analysis revealed prominent bands at 3550-3200, 2927-2935, 1628-1650, 1420-1330, and 1300-1000 cm?1, which correspond to –OH groups, C=O, C=C, and C–OH stretches, and H–O–H and –CH bending vibrations, confirming the presence of starch, proteins, and lipids. Additionally, the FTIR ratio R(1047/1022) confirmed the ordered structure of the amylopectin. DSC analysis revealed variations in the gelatinization parameters, which signifies variations in the fine amylopectin structures and the degree of branching inside the starch granules. The percentage of resistant starch (RS) ranged from 0.50–2.6%. The swelling power (SP) of the rice flour ranged between 4.1 and 24.85 g/g. Furthermore, most of the rice cultivars are classified as having a high glycemic index (GI) based on the estimated in vitro GI (eGI), which varies from 73.74–90.88. The cooking properties of these materials were also investigated. Because the amylose content is one of the key factors for determining the cooking, eating, and digestibility properties of rice, we investigated the relationships between the amylose content and other biochemical characteristics of rice cultivars. The SP and GI were negatively correlated with the amylose content, whereas the RS had a positive relationship. The findings of our study can be beneficial in illustrating the nutritional profile and factors affecting the digestibility of traditional rice cultivars which will promote their consumption, cultivation, and contributes to future food security. © The Author(s) 2025.