Evaluation of Dietary Intake and Food Insecurity: A Case Study on Selected Households from Lahore,Pakistan

Background: Food insecurity consistently challenges middle-income countries, including Pakistan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary food intake of the households in the selected location through a semi-structured questionnaire. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 500 households comprised 2094 participants to investigate dietary intake and status of food insecurity. Furthermore, socio-demographic and weekly dietary food intake was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire in 2019. Those households who assent to participate were included in the study. Results: Mean household size was 5.80±2.05 comprised 49.27% male and 50.61% female. Six food types were commonly consumed in the study population. Among these foods (g/capita/day) starch remained at the top 734.43 followed by fruits 256.02 and vegetables 89.77. These data highlighted limited dietary diversity and reduced dietary intake. The energy intake (per capita/day) from the food basket, contribution of the starch was the highest 32.37% versus protein 14.43%, milk 14.08%, vegetables 1.31%, and fruit 7.79% with an overall calories intake 81.08% from all food groups except tea. Finally, of the 500 households, 42.4% people were below the poverty line, 41.8% people at the poverty line, and 15.8% people were above the poverty line. Conclusion: The results showed that dietary intake of the participants was below the reference intake, demonstrating food insecurity and unbalanced diet.

In Silico Drug Discovery of 4-Hyroxypanduratin A, 6-Gingerol and Luteolin Targeting Nipah Virus

Nipah Virus is a zoo tonic virus and has re-emerged again with more deadliness. NiV has infected many animals and humans worldwide and a huge loss to life has been faced. NiV contains a Fusion protein on its outer membrane which helps in the virus entry into the host cell. This fusion protein is a virulent factor and is a major anti-viral target. Many medicinal plants have been used against viral diseases, current research aims towards the potential of three daily dietary food elements that can be used as an anti-viral agent. In-silico studies are performed with 4-hyroxypanduratin A, 6-gingerol and Luteolin against the NiV-F and binding energies were calculated. It was reported that these phyto-compounds have good negative binding energies and they have the promising potential against Nipah Virus. Further in-vitro research can be performed with these phyto-compounds to design a specific drug against Nipah Virus.

Analysis of PCDDs/PCBs by AhR-CALUX assay in Indian dietary food and environment ash

This study found distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in bovine milk and ash samples collected from 9 different major districts namely Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Trippur, Madurai, Chennai, Dindigul and Tiruchirappalli, which were highly populated and industrialized districts of South India (Tamil Nadu). The total toxic equivalency (TEQ) for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in the bovine milk samples were ranged from 0.028 to 7.331-pg TEQ/g fat. Some of the districts showed higher PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs concentration in milk and ash samples. Further, BM14 (7.331 pg-TEQ/g fat) and BM21 (6.406 pg-TEQ/g fat) sampling sites showed exceed level of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs than WHO regulation limits (6 pg-TEQ/g fat). Similarly, Total dioxins and DL-PCBs concentration in the ash sample were between 0.003-1. ng TEQ/g. Samples from AS3 (1.2 ng-TEQ/g) and AS11 (1.06 ng-TEQ/g) showed higher total dioxins and DL-PCBs level among other sampling sites. This study provides an overview of dioxins and dioxin-related compounds contamination in bovine milk and ash samples in south Tamil Nadu. Further, the CALUX assay method validation has simplified the monitoring of dioxin contamination in the environment.

Analysis of PCDDs/PCBs by AhR-CALUX assay in Indian dietary food and environment ash

This study found distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in bovine milk and ash samples collected from 9 different major districts namely Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Trippur, Madurai, Chennai, Dindigul and Tiruchirappalli, which were highly populated and industrialized districts of South India (Tamil Nadu). The total toxic equivalency (TEQ) for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in the bovine milk samples were ranged from 0.028 to 7.331-pg TEQ/g fat. Some of the districts showed higher PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs concentration in milk and ash samples. Further, BM14 (7.331 pg-TEQ/g fat) and BM21 (6.406 pg-TEQ/g fat) sampling sites showed exceed level of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs than WHO regulation limits (6 pg-TEQ/g fat). Similarly, Total dioxins and DL-PCBs concentration in the ash sample were between 0.003-1. ng TEQ/g. Samples from AS3 (1.2 ng-TEQ/g) and AS11 (1.06 ng-TEQ/g) showed higher total dioxins and DL-PCBs level among other sampling sites. This study provides an overview of dioxins and dioxin-related compounds contamination in bovine milk and ash samples in south Tamil Nadu. Further, the CALUX assay method validation has simplified the monitoring of dioxin contamination in the environment.

Toward Healthier Cookie Habits: Assessing the Role of Packaging Visual Appearance in the Expectations for Dietary Cookies in Digital Environments

As we tend to consume more and more via e-commerce platforms, the digital version of a dietary product’s package can be one of the most important touchpoints that the consumer has with such product during the purchasing stage of the consumer’s journey. Hence, a dietary food/drink properly presented via its packaging in e-commerce is key, for example, to nudge consumers toward healthier purchase habits. In this study, we assessed the role of different configurations of visual cues commonly present in a product’s packaging (jar vs. bag, transparent vs. opaque, labeled vs. unlabeled) in the expectations associated with dietary cookies when presented in a digital environment. A between-participants study was conducted where eight different packages with different combinations of the three aforementioned features were digitally evaluated by the participants. The results suggest that the presence (vs. absence) of labeling triggered the highest ratings on most assessed dimensions (product quality, healthiness, lightness, sweetness, crumbliness, price, tastiness, greediness for product, product/packaging liking). Moreover, transparent (vs. opaque) packaging tends to yield higher expectations concerning this product’s quality (i.e., product liking, package liking, greediness), though it has an opposite effect on the expected healthiness for such cookies. Some particular interactions between these three visual cues were also observed and are discussed as part of the obtained results. In summary, our results point to how the visual appearance of packaging can be strategically used in order to potentially nudge consumers toward healthier cookie purchase habits.

The Use of Megamolecular Polysaccharide Sacran in Food and Biomedical Applications

Natural polymer is a frequently used polymer in various food applications and pharmaceutical formulations due to its benefits and its biocompatibility compared to synthetic polymers. One of the natural polymer groups (i.e., polysaccharide) does not only function as an additive in pharmaceutical preparations, but also as an active ingredient with pharmacological effects. In addition, several natural polymers offer potential distinct applications in gene delivery and genetic engineering. However, some of these polymers have drawbacks, such as their lack of water retention and elasticity. Sacran, one of the high-molecular-weight natural polysaccharides (megamolecular polysaccharides) derived from Aphanothece sacrum (A. sacrum), has good water retention and elasticity. Historically, sacran has been used as a dietary food. Moreover, sacran can be applied in biomedical fields as an active material, excipient, and genetic engineering material. This article discusses the characteristics, extraction, isolation procedures, and the use of sacran in food and biomedical applications.

Thyroid function and gallstone disease: is there an association?

Gallstone disease, amounts to a significant amount of disease burden to the medical society, more commonly encountered in the West. Various predisposing factors are associated with the development of cholelithiasis, namely age, gender, dietary food habits and haemolytic conditions, but whether or not thyroid dysfunction is a causative factor, till date, is a subject of dispute. Gallstones can be classified into cholesterol stones and pigment stones which are black or brown (with cholesterol) in colour. Thyroid hormones are said to have a direct effect on the sphincter of oddi, thereby aiding in biliary emptying. They also alter the lipid metabolism which is said to cause supersaturation of cholesterol in bile, and hence result in the formation of cholesterol stones. Several studies have tried to establish this hypothesis and have concluded with diversified results. This review article throws light into the concept of the association between thyroid dysfunction and formation of gallstones by evaluating several articles through a systematic approach in order to arrive at a better consensus.

PERBEDAAN KADAR TRIGLISERIDA ANTARA ANGGOTA SENAM BODY LANGUAGE DENGAN ANGGOTA SENAM HIGH IMPACT SETELAH PEMBERIAN ASUPAN MAKANAN YANG SEBELUMNYA MELAKUKAN SENAM BODY LANGUAGE DAN SENAM HIGH IMPACT

The majority of studies have found that aerobic exercise can reduce the increment of triglyceride postprandial in plasma. Therefore, the author is doing this research to know the difference of triglyceride concentration in plasma between-group who joint high impact exercise and group who joint body language exercise after given the same amount and dietary composition which had done high impact and body language exercise before. Twenty men (19-39 years old) did high impact or body language exercises for 1 hour. Two hours later, they were given dietary composition with carbohydrates 60% and fat 25%. Then the triglyceride postprandial concentrations were measured 3, 5, and 6 hours after the given dietary food. The result showed that the triglyceride concentration of high impact group was higher than body language group 3 hours after given dietary food (122.167 ± 17.11627 vs 111.67± 7.86554 mg/dL) and there was no difference between the high impact and body language group 5 hours (96.167 ± 7.25029 vs 94.0 ± 16.66133mg/dL) and 6 hours after given dietary food (77.5 ± 8.8261 vs 78.167 ± 14.27469 mg/dL).In conclusion, the triglyceride concentration of the high impact group was higher than the body language group 3 hours after given the same amount and dietary composition. But, there was no difference between triglycerides concentration of body language group and high impact group 5 and 6 hours after given the same amount and dietary composition which had done high impact and body language exercise before.