Effect of Packaging on the Stability of Stored Dry Silver Cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea)

Dried silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea) has the potential to provide an affordable and accessible food-based strategy to fight malnutrition among Ugandans and enrich diets of the vulnerable persons. However, there is inadequate information on changes in the nutritional content and safety of stored dry silver cyprinid along the local handling chain. This study evaluated the effect of conventionally used packaging on microbial safety and nutrient quality of dry silver cyprinid during storage. Freshly dried silver cyprinid was obtained from stores at four landing sites on Lake Victoria and stored in open and closed gunny bags for 8 weeks. Samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of storage and assessed for nutritional and microbial quality. The type of packaging used (open or closed gunny bags) had no significant effect on most nutrient content and microbial safety parameters (p >0.05) except iron content, aflatoxin content, and TVBN content. Open gunny bags had higher aflatoxin content, greater iron degradation and greater variation in TVBN as compared to closed gunny bags throughout the storage duration. The observed difference in some of the quality parameters can be attributed to increased permeability to oxygen and moisture in open gunny bags as compared to closed gunny bags.

The Comparison of the DASH, Hypocaloric, Mediterranean/Low Glycemic Diet/Low Carbohydrate, as a Nutritional Intervention in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Overweight Women: A Systematic Review

There is substantial evidence supporting individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) benefit from lifestyle changes through a nutrition intervention that improves small to moderate weight loss, restore ovulation, improve menstrual regularity, along with clinical (anthropometrics) and biochemical features (glucose tolerance, insulin, menstrual cycle, testosterone levels, free androgen index (FAI), and sex hormone binding globin). The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate individuals with PCOS and their body responses to different diets following a DASH, Mediterranean/Low-glycemic diet/low carbohydrate diet, and hypocaloric, diet in the improvement of clinical (anthropometrics) and biochemical (glucose tolerance, insulin, menstrual cycle, testosterone levels, free androgen index [FAI], and sex hormone binding globin) features. The literature was analyzed in different diet groups supporting nutrition intervention for PCOS in overweight/obese women in term of finding in clinical (anthropometrics- body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and weight loss) and biochemical features (glucose tolerance, insulin, menstrual cycle, testosterone levels, FAI, and sex hormone binding globin), which will provide evidence to determine the best nutrition intervention for PCOS. This systematic review highlighted significant improvements in BMI, insulin resistance, menstrual irregularity and decrease testosterone levels in PCOS patients when following different diets (DASH, hypocaloric, Mediterranean/low-glycemic diet/low carbohydrate diet) when they are being compared among each other. Each diet supported different improvements in anthropometrics or biochemical biomarkers.

Preparation Technique of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) in Grins in Mali: Phytochemical Profiles and Antioxidant Activity

The tea consumption has become an important part of the Malian’s habits. As a result, an image of tea preparation and consumption among Malians has become widely diffused; tea is offered in three successive glasses: the first drink (FD), the second drink (SD) and the third drink (TD). However, no study has been carried out on the antioxidant potential of this type of green tea preparation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of the preparation methods of green tea (Camellia sinensis) as performed in grins. Thus, a phytochemical screening was carried out, the quantitative estimation of total polyphenols was performed by the method of Folin-Ciocalteu and that of flavonoids by using the aluminum trichloride. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the different tea extracts (macerated and decocted) was determined by the DPPH method. Thus, the presence of several metabolites was revealed in these tea extracts and the cumulative contents of phenolic compounds in the green tea extracts found in the glasses were 150.67 ±7.87 mg EAG/g, while 140.67 ±2.37 mg EAG/g were collected in the macerated extract (WM). Both types of extracts showed similar levels of flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of FD in all tea samples was statistically identical to that of the extracts (WM) from tea samples A and D (p-values > 0.05). It appears from this preliminary study that neither the total phenolic compound contents nor the antioxidant activity would be impacted by the way Malian green tea is prepared.

Optimization of the Process for Production of Enriched Ketchup

Post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in Uganda are estimated at 30% which is approximately 4 billion shillings lost annually. This is due to limited knowledge on value addition and preservation technologies being unaffordable. This study sought to add value to fruits and vegetables with a focus on mangoes, tomatoes, and carrots produced locally. The study determined the effect of processing conditions and addition of fruits and vegetables on the physico-chemical and sensory properties of tomato ketchup. Tomatoes were replaced with mangoes in increments of 10% up to 50% while keeping carrot levels constant at 5%. The best sensory properties were observed in the treatment that contained 15% mango. The Physico-chemical and sensory properties of ketchup were enhanced by the addition of fruits and vegetables up to 20%. The sensory evaluation revealed that ketchup prepared by the addition of fruits and vegetables (local mangoes and carrots) was preferred as compared to the control sample at 0% mango. The color of ketchup was affected by the incorporation of mangoes and carrots and it was acceptable up to at 5% carrot and 15% mango including taste, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and aroma. The best treatment was then subjected to different processing conditions at different holding times and temperatures of 5, 10 and 15 minutes at temperatures of 70, 75, 80, 85, 90 and 100 degrees Celsius respectively. The best conditions were observed to be between 80℃ and 85℃ and 10 to 15 minutes holding time. It was also evident that time and temperature had a significant (p<0.05) effect on the Physico-chemical properties of ketchup.

Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Palm Kernel Oils Extracted from Varieties Dura and Tenera of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and the Relationship to Their Chemical Composition

The investigation of the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of palm kernel oils extracted from varieties Dura (oil D) and Tenera (oil T) of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and the relationship to their chemical composition were carried out in this study. The results obtained show that oil D had the greatest antimicrobial activity. The analysis of gas chromatographic coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed that this oil D contained in addition to the lauric acid, the undecylenic acid which both possess antimicrobial activity. This undecylenic acid was not identified in oil T. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the Fe3+ reduction test (FRAP) used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the palm kernel oils had showed that oil T had the greatest antioxidant activity with a concentration inhibiting 50% of the reaction (IC50%) of 750 mg/L. It was also noted that, this oil T had also the highest contents in polyphenols, α-tocopherol and sterols with predominance of β-sitosterol. Moreover, the β-sitosterol is known to possess a regulatory role of the immune system.The findings of this study provide thus, useful information which may help customers to make the best choice in the consumption of these oils.

Consumer Perception of Antibiotic-Free and Hormone-free Meat Products

The use of food labels has become a popular resource that consumers use to determine if their food is safe. Some meat packages contain labels stating “antibiotic-free” or “hormone-free” meat, which can cause consumer concerns about health risk for other meat not labeled. The purpose of this study was to assess consumer views of meat that is labeled antibiotic-free or hormone-free, and meat that lacks those labels. A survey was created to determine consumer perception of meat products and sent to approximately 162 potential respondents. Ninety-one adults participated in the survey for a response rate of 56%. Chi-square tests were used to determine if age, agriculture knowledge or education level was related to the participants’ responses to selected survey questions. Agriculture knowledge was significant in consumer perception of non-labeled meat being healthier (P=0.0017), willingness to pay more for labeled products (P=0.0009) and concern for purchasing products not labeled (P=0.0362). Education level and age had no significant relationship to any questions asked in the survey. The perception that meat products lacking labels contain antibiotics or hormones is not related (P=0.05) to age, agriculture knowledge or age. The results from the data collected showed that 50% of the respondents thought meat products with “antibiotic-free” and “hormone-free” labels were healthier than other products not labeled. Sixty-three percent believed that meat products lacking labels contained antibiotics or hormones; however, a majority of the respondents were not concerned about purchasing meat products that were not labeled.

Optimization of Roasting Conditions for Preservation of Nutritional Quality of Terminalia catappa Almonds by Response Surface Methodology

The optimal roasting conditions (temperature and time) of Terminalia catappa (TC) almonds allowing to preserve the nutritional quality of their almonds and oils were investigated. The almonds roasted at different temperature (80-120 °C) for various time (30-60 min) using response surface methodology and oils extracted were analyzed. Effect of temperature and time on antinutritional factors and the nutritional quality of almonds and oils was evaluated then the optimum roasting conditions was determined. Results showed that oxalates, tannins and phytates contents of roasted almonds were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the temperature and time. Roasting had a significant effect on oxidative stability and some quality index of oils. The optimal roasting conditions for reduction of antinutritional factors in almonds were 89.91 °C and 60 min with 70.37% as desirability. However, the results indicate that TC almond could be used in several areas of the food industries.

Optimization of Extrusion Conditions for Production of Instant Millet-Soybean Blended Flour

This study developed an optimized protocol for production of instant millet-soybean flour with high solubility. Response surface methodology was used to determine optimal processing conditions for desired water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI). Three levels of extrusion temperature (130, 150 and 180 °C) and feed moisture (15, 20 and 25%) were used. Nutritional composition, consumer acceptability and shelf stability of millet-soybean blend produced using optimal extrusion conditions were determined. Analysis of variance showed that the contribution of a quadratic model was significant for WAI and WSI, with high correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.80 and 0.75, respectively). Response surface plots showed that increase in temperature significantly increased both WAI and WSI, while increase in feed moisture significantly increased WAI and decreased WSI. The optimal extrusion conditions were found to be: barrel temperature 159 °C and feed moisture of 25% with product predicted WAI of 2.124 g H2O/g and WSI of 51.30%. Experimental values for responses of products made using optimized conditions were in agreement with the predicted values. Gruels made using the extruded millet-soybean flour were acceptable but with lower consumer acceptability (p < 0.05) scores than the commercially available and extruded millet only flour. Yeasts and molds as well as coliforms were not detected. Total plate count results ranged from 1.35 to 2.9 log cfu/g within one month of storage. This study provides information on the conditions that are suitable for processing an acceptable highly soluble instant millet-soybean flour.

Assessment of Health Risks Related to the Consumption of Minced Meat Sandwich

The objective of this work was to assess the health risks associated with the consumption of minced meat sandwiches, sold in the informal sector in Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. A survey on the application of hygiene rules was conducted in parallel with a bacteriological analysis of cooked minced meat. The enterobacteria isolated from this food were identified and antibiotic resistance testing was performed. The investigation revealed shortcomings in respect of basic hygiene rules, and 56% of the sandwiches analyzed were of bacteriological quality unsatisfactory. The non-compliance of the sandwiches was caused mainly by the presence total aerobic mesophilic flora (71.43%) and total coliforms (57.14%). In contrast, not all samples were contaminated with anaerobes sulfito-reducting bacteria and Salmonella. Five species of Enterobacteriaceae were identified: Escherichia coli (35.30%), Proteus vulgaris (11.76%), Klebsiella oxytoca (11.76%), Citrobacter spp. (23.53%) and Enterobacter cloacae (17.65%). Of these, 42.65% were resistant to 75% of antibiotics tested: Cefalexin (17.24%), Ceftriaxone (48.28%) and Norfloxacin (34.48%). In contrast, all strains were sensitive to Nitrofurantoin. Minced meat sandwiches sold in informal sector in Brazzaville can be source of enteropathogens, susceptible to expose consumers to foods poisonings.

Following a Low Carbohydrate, High Fat Diet Compared to Reduced Calorie, High Carbohydrate Diet as a Nutritional Intervention in Type Two Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Systematic Review

There is evidence supporting individuals with type 2 diabetes benefit from lifestyle changes through a nutrition intervention that improves diabetic (blood glucose and HgbA1c) and cardiovascular (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) biomarkers. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate if patients with type 2 diabetes following a low carbohydrate, high fat eating pattern is more effective than following a reduced caloric, high carbohydrate eating pattern in the improvement of diabetic (blood glucose and HgbA1c) and cardiovascular (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) biomarkers. A literature search was conducted on peer-reviewed research trials registered in PubMed, from January 2007 to September 2019 using combinations of the search terms: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 AND Diet, Ketogenic; OR Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted. The literature was analyzed in chronological order; grouping in four year increments from 2007 to 2019. The thirty-six articles reviewed provide evidence to support the use of a low carbohydrate diet in patients with type 2 diabetes versus a reduced caloric diet. This systematic review highlighted diabetic (HgbA1c and fasting blood glucose) and cardiovascular biomarkers (HDL) of type 2 diabetic patients improve significantly when following a low-carbohydrate, high fat diet versus a reduced calorie, high carbohydrate intake.