Asian Health, Science and Technology Reports

Performance Evaluation of the Domestically Developed Powered Air Purify Respirator in Thailand

2025-02-17T16:21:09+07:00

The initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Thailand in 2020 revealed critical shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs), which are essential for protecting medical personnel from airborne pathogens. This study compared the performance of domestically manufactured PAPRs in Thailand (MM and PP) to two commercially imported models (TM and SM), both of which are generally recognized for their compliance with the EN 12941 standard. The study involved 20 subjects, comprised of 10 males and 10 females, to evaluate three key parameters: total inward leakage (TIL), air supply, and breathing resistance. To replicate real-world conditions, subjects wore ASTM-certified surgical masks beneath the PAPR during the TIL tests. The TIL test employed sodium chloride particles produced by an atomizer and was carried out in a sealed chamber. A scanning mobility particle sizer and laser photometer were used to monitor the concentrations of particles both within and outside the respirator. Leakage under dynamic situations was evaluated using standardized exercises following EN 12941 guidelines. Air supply and breathing resistance were tested with a Sheffield dummy head following international protocols. All PAPRs achieved %TIL values below the 1% EN 12941 threshold, with the TM model having the lowest leakage (0.097%). Domestically produced models performed similarly, with small variations in the PP model due to its PTFE membrane filter. Airflow rates exceeded the design specifications while breathing resistance remained within acceptable limits. Compared to a previous study utilizing dummy head testing, this research demonstrated improved consistency in %TIL results by employing human subjects, emphasizing the importance of real-world testing conditions. Furthermore, the present study highlights the potential of domestically manufactured PAPRs to serve as viable, cost-effective alternatives to imported models. Thai-manufactured PAPRs may improve national resilience in future public health emergencies while lowering reliance on global supply chains if they comply with rigorous testing requirements and demonstrate equivalent protective effectiveness.

Development of Phenolic-and-Flavonoid-containing Sugar-Free Jelly from Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) Leaves and Evaluation of Physical and Nutritional Properties

2025-03-03T16:18:00+07:00

The objective of this study was to develop sugar-free jelly from Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) leaves and to evaluate its phenolic and flavonoid contents, physicochemical characteristics, and nutritional properties of the selected formula. Dried Chaya leaf powder's cyanide content and physicochemical properties were determined and evaluated. The results showed that the green-yellow Chaya leaf powder contained a cyanide level less than 0.20 mg/L. The water activity and percent moisture of Chaya leaf powder were below the standard criteria established for dry leaf powder. Different formulas of jellies were developed using various amounts of Chaya leaf powder ranging from 0.50 to 2.00 g. The control formulation was prepared using one gram of green tea powder instead of the Chaya leaf powder. The jellies were evaluated for their physical properties, including color and texture. The color of Chaya leaf jellies had a brightness (L^*) ranging from 31.62 to 33.58 with green (-3.61 to -5.14) and yellow (5.37 to 7.16). In terms of texture, the hardness of Chaya jellies ranged from 560.00 to 966.33 g. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and the Aluminum Chloride method was used to determine the flavonoid contents. The flavonoid content of the developed jellies ranged from 1,432.33 to 1,525.00 mg QE/20 g of sample, which was not significantly different from the control formula (1,520.33 mg QE/20 g of sample). The total phenolic content of the control formula (1.43 mg GAE/20 g of sample), Formula 3 (1.35 mg GAE/20 g of sample), and Formula 4 (1.45 mg GAE/20 g of sample) did not differ significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Therefore, Formula 3 (1.5 g of Chaya leaf powder) was selected to study the nutritional properties. The Formula 3 (2.91 kcal per 100 g of sample) showed a 93% reduction in energy compared to the control formula (43.465 kcal per 100 g of sample). Therefore, Formula 3 represented a low-energy food source that could potentially be further developed into a commercial product.

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2025-02-19T11:05:17+07:00

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Editorial Board

2025-02-19T11:06:43+07:00

Editorial Board