Detection of Enterotoxin Genes in Bacillus species Isolated from Cassava Processing Environment in Nigeria.

Introduction: The health challenges associated with cassava products as a common staple food for approximately 70% of Africans and part of Asia pose a looming danger due to Bacillus enterotoxins’ presence in the processing environment. Objective: This study investigated the presence of enterotoxigenic genes namely, Bacillus cereus enterotoxin T (bceT), hemolysin bl (hblC, hblD) and non-haemolytic enterotoxin (nheA, nheB and nheC) from Bacillus species isolated from soil of cassava processing environment. Methods: Soil samples from 20 cassava processing sites in Ile-Ife and Modakeke, Nigeria were collected and cultured on Nutrient agar at 37 ºC for 24 hours. Colonies phenotypically identified as Bacillus were identified using Bacillus-specific 16S rRNA-targeted PCR technique. Screened Bacillus spp were assessed for the presence of enterotoxigenic genes using PCR with previously reported primers. Results: A total of 100 Bacillus isolates were selected from this study with Bacillus macerans (33 %) showing the highest frequency of occurrence among the identified species, however, 74 isolates were molecularly confirmed as Bacillus. Amongst the 74 molecularly confirmed Bacillus isolates, 28 (37.84%), 35 (47.30 %) and 37 (50 %) has nhe, hbl and bceT genes respectively. Investigation showed that 42 (56.76 %) of the Bacillus species encoded at least one of the screened enterotoxin genes. Conclusion: The presence of these 3 sets of enterotoxin genes in Bacillus isolated from cassava processing sites calls for immediate attention as they could be pivotal in the release of toxins in cassava products, cause lethal effects via consumption. This study demonstrates the possibility of foodborne disease outbreaks in Bacillus toxin-laden cassava products processed under unhygienic conditions.

Dietary Fiber and Dyslipidemia

Fibers are abundantly found in vegetables, fruit, beans, cereals, seeds, and tubers. Beans and seeds, alongside prevailing as both of the fiber sources, are the sources of vegetable protein as well. Whereas tubers are a carbohydrate source, which people deem as a staple food. Fiber intake in diets, particularly soluble fibers, has the ability to produce gel in the intestines, inhibiting glucose and cholesterol absorption. Dietary fibers have the ability to bind bile salts in the digestive tract, and disturbed bile reabsorption will stimulate bile synthesis in the liver. Dyslipidemia has a significant role in systemic responses and inflammation in adipose tissues. Inflammation can increase intestinal permeability and adipose tissues. Dyslipidemic management is carried out by altering lifestyles, intervening in suitable diets to reduce LDL levels, and increasing HDL levels. The degree of compliance with diet interventions is seminal to ensure successful dyslipidemic management.

Sustainable Development in the Agrifood Rice Chain in Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste, rice is a source of livehood and a staple food. However, it presents persistently low yield, quality, price, and value to consumers, which, allied with climate projections and pressure for higher quality and productivity, raised logistics costs, and subsidized imports, creates a need to identify drivers/inhibitors of sustainable development. This chapter investigates rice agri-food chain sustainable development by recording the main actors involved and understanding their perspectives. Interviews, questionnaires, observation, and focus group have been applied to understand how sustainable development can be triggered. Results show that actors are not accurately coordinated to find a future sustainable development. An alignment of activities, innovation, best practices, and cooperation are recommended towards a future sustainability plan as a starting point to agrifood rice development. Each element of this development should be measured and quantified in future research.

The growth and production of field rice (Oryza sativa l.) Inpari 9 and Mentik Wangi variety on peat land and peat buried

Rice plant is paddy producing plant needed by most of Indonesians as staple food. Sei Geringging Village in Kampar District, Kampar Kiri Sub-District had technically irrigated field on peat land and peat buried. Farmers on Sei Geringging Village farmed 2 kinds of rice which were prime variety and local variety. Most of prime variety farmed was Inpari 9 and the local variety was Mentik Wangi. Farmers on Sei Geringging Village had been farming the rice without knowing which variety had been best to farm on peat land and on peat buried that the yield had not been optimal. This research aimed to know the comparison of maximum growth and production rate of Inpari 9 and Mentik Wangi variety rice on peat land and peat buried. This research was done by a survey with descriptive method .Treatment combination was repeatedly done 4 times resulting 16 unit trial squares. Each square had 5 sample plants. Best growth was on peat land that planted with the Inpari 9 variety and on peat buried was planted with Mentik Wangi variety resulting yield of 4,20 ton.ha-1

Quantity and Quality in Staple Food Security from Legal Prefect

Dalam menganalisa perihal ketahanan pangan merupakan hal yang terpenting karena pangan harus dipenuhi oleh manusia terkhusus masyarakat Indonesia. Pangan merupakan kebutuhan dasar manusia dan menjadi isu yang rumit sehingga akan mempengaruhi aspek, politik, sosial, ekonomi dan lingkungan. Dalam aspek politik maka haruslah pemerintah mempunyai kebijakan terhadap pangan termasuk strategi ketahanan pangan yang mana sebagai negara hukum maka pangan sebagai mestinya tercantum di perundang-undangan dan memberikan hal yang efektif dalam strategi ketahanan pangan dan untuk masyarakat indonesia itu sendiri . Disamping itu ada data-data pendukung serta fakta yang terjadi yang memengaruhi implementasi peraturan perundang-undang tersebut. Hal ini dapat menjadikan tolak ukur keefektifan peraturan perundang-undangan dengan meninjau kuantitas dan kualitas pada ketahanan pangan pokok.unsur kuantitas dipengaruhi oleh jumlah beras dan kegiatan impor secara langsung berkaitan dengan perlindungan lahan pertanian dan kemudian dari unsur kualitas dipengaruhi mutu dan standar beras itu sendir yang diawasi oleh pemerintah dan pemerintah daerah.

Accuracy of an artificial intelligence-based model for estimating leftover liquid food in hospitals: validation study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The accurate evaluation of the nutritional status of malnourished hospitalized patients at a higher risk of complications, such as frailty or disability, is crucial. Visual methods of estimating food intake are popular for evaluating the nutritional status in clinical environments. However, from the perspective of accurate measurement, such methods are unreliable. OBJECTIVE The accuracy of estimating leftover liquid food in hospitals using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model was compared to that of visual estimation. METHODS The accuracy of obtained using the AI-based model (AI estimation) was compared to that of the visual estimation method for thin rice gruel as staple food, and fermented milk and peach juice as side dishes. A total of 576 images of liquid food (432 images of thin rice gruel, 72 of fermented milk, and 72 of peach juice) were used. Welch's t-test and the confusion matrix were used to examine the difference of mean absolute error between AI and visual estimation. RESULTS The mean absolute errors obtained through the AI estimation approach for side dishes were as follows: fermented milk: 0.63 and peach juice: 0.25. These were significantly smaller than those obtained using the visual estimation approach: fermented milk: 1.40 and peach juice: 0.90. Contrastingly, the mean absolute error for staple food obtained using the AI estimation method (0.99) did not differ significantly from that obtained using visual estimation (0.99). The confusion matrix for staple foods showed variation in the distribution of errors, indicating that the errors in the AI estimation were biased toward the case of many leftovers. CONCLUSIONS AI estimation measures liquid food intake in hospitals more precisely than visual estimation, but its accuracy in estimating staple food leftovers requires improvement.

As a Staple Food Substitute, Oat and Buckwheat Compound Has Health-Promoting Effects for Diabetic Rats

Dietary intervention is crucial for the prevention and control of diabetes. China has the largest diabetic population in the world, yet no one dietary strategy matches the eating habits of the Chinese people. To explore an effective and acceptable dietary pattern, this study uses oat and buckwheat compound (OBC) as a staple food substitute and explored its effects on diabetic Sprague–Dawley rats. The model of diabetic rats was established by combining high-calorie feed and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. The dietary intervention for the seven groups, including a normal control group, a model control group, a metformin control group, a wheat flour control group, and three OBC groups with different doses, started from the beginning of the experiment and lasted for 11 weeks, two consecutive injections of STZ in small doses were operated at the 6th week. General states, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism indexes were measured. Antioxidant and inflammatory indexes and pathologic changes of kidney and liver tissues were tested. Changes in kidney and ileum ultramicrostructure were detected. What's more, ileal epithelial tight junction proteins and gut microbiota were analyzed. Significant decreases in fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucose tolerance, serum insulin, and insulin resistance were observed in rats intervened with OBC, and these rats also showed a higher level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) together with improved lipid metabolism, attenuated inflammation, and liver and kidney injuries. In addition, in OBC groups, the intestinal barrier was improved, and the disturbance of gut microbiota was reduced. These results suggest that OBC has health-promoting effects for diabetic rats, and since oat and buckwheat are traditionally consumed grains in China, OBC could be a potential and easy-to-accept staple food substitute for the dietary pattern for Chinese.

Adoption and adaptability of modern Aman rice cultivars in Faridpur region - Bangladesh

Rice is not just a staple food; but it is at the center of culture, politics, and economy of Bangladesh. The determinants affecting the adoption of modern rice cultivars and their adaptability in the Aman season (June to November) at the Faridpur region in Bangladesh were discussed. A total of 500 farmers from five different districts such as, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Rajbari, and Gopalganj through multistage sampling technique participated in the survey. Before the survey, 15 farmers were selected for the cultivation of eight modern T. Aman rice cultivars in their fields during three consecutive years 2018 to 2020 in the mentioned five districts of Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was used to identify the determinants associated with the adoption of modern rice cultivars by replacing the popular old ones. Results revealed that beyond preferences, some other determinants (age, education, risk aversion, land size, yield, and perception of modern rice cultivars and their seed availability) directed the decision to adopt or not. Considering the average grain yield of the tested rice cultivars, the genotypes BRRI dhan72 (G-6) and BRRI dhan87 (G-8) were the high yielding cultivars for the above five districts. Despite having a comparatively low yield, the cultivars BRRI dhan71 (G-4) and BRRI dhan49 (G-3) were more stable compared to other cultivars in the Faridpur region of Bangladesh.