NFS Journal最新文献

Background and objectives

Food-to-food fortification (FtFF) is gaining traction as a strategy to enhance nutritional value of cereal-based foods. Sorghum, a major food crop for millions in the semi-arid tropics lends itself to such FtFF efforts. Such food-to-food fortified (FtF fortified) foods also contain bioactive phenolics with health-promoting properties in relation to potential protection against diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) whose prevalence is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, the effects of extrusion cooking of sorghum-based porridges FtF fortified with baobab fruit powder and moringa leaf powder on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and anti-lipogenic properties were determined.

Findings

FtFF porridges showed higher phenolic content (phenolic acids and their esters, flavonoids and their glycosides) and greater radical scavenging properties and reduction in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) compared to unfortified porridges. Extruded instant porridges had lower phenolic content, radical scavenging properties and showed less reduction in AGEs compared to conventionally wet-cooked porridges. All porridges exerted antioxidant effects in Caco-2 cells and FtFF inhibited nitric oxide (NO) formation in RAW 264.7 cells. Extracts from all porridge samples exhibited prevention and reduction of adipocyte formation in 3 T3-L1 cells, indicating anti-lipogenic effects.

Conclusion

FtFF (with moringa and baobab) and extrusion cooking can be used to produce instant porridges from wholegrain sorghums with targeted health-promoting properties to address rising non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Significance and novelty

This study highlights the potential of FtFF with tropical plant foodstuffs to improve health-promoting properties of cereal wholegrain-based starchy staple foods.

A headspace solid–phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with quadrupole time-of-flight (GC/MS-QTOF) was developed for analysis of volatile off-odor compounds, i.e., earthy/musty (2-methylisoborneol, 2-MIB) and rancid (aldehydes and alcohols), from farmed hybrid catfish (Clarias macrocephalus × Clarias gariepinus). The most efficient extraction of targeted volatiles was provided by 50 min at 70 °C with a CWR-PDMS fiber and 3 g of fish diluted to 5 mL with 1.5 g NaCl (30 % saturated NaCl). The maximum time-delay before extraction was 8 h to avoid spoilage and lipid oxidation during analysis. The final method showed good linearity, intraday repeatability of 5–9 %, interday reproducibility of 5–12 % and recoveries of 94–112 %. The implementation part proved that the developed method gave accurate quantitative results for oxidation-derived volatiles, several with high correlation to thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Altogether, our study provided an effective SPME-GC–MS method for the extraction and analysis of important off-odor compounds in catfish mince.

This study examined the nutritional, physicochemical, and bioactive compounds in mangosteen grown in southern Thailand from 2022 to 2024, encompassing hilly areas (Nakhon Si Thammarat range, Tenasserim range) and flat lands during both the fruit season and off-season. The influence of coastal regions (Gulf of Thailand and Andaman coast) on mangosteen nutrition was explored. The impact of high-level plantation and harvesting (during the fruit season) on mangosteen size and levels of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant capacity in mangosteen flesh was found to be greater than that of flat plantations (during the off-season). Mangosteens grown in flatlands during the fruit season exhibited brighter flesh color and faster ripening compared to those grown in hilly areas. Mangosteens from these results contained carbohydrates ranging from 10.3% to 16.9%. Mangosteens cultivated along the Andaman coast exhibited elevated levels of minerals (K 349 mg/100 g, Na 7.76 mg/100 g, and Mn 1.63 mg/100 g) and vitamins, especially B₂ (0.10 mg/kg), B₆ (0.20 mg/kg), B₁₂ (0.03 mg/kg), and vitamin C (9.25 mg/kg). Conversely, the highest total phenolic content, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were observed in hilly areas during the fruit season along the Gulf of Thailand (55 mg GAE/100 g, 32 mg QE/100 g, and ABTS values of 88%, respectively). However, mangosteens from hilly areas ripened faster than those from flatlands due to higher total soluble solids and lower fruit firmness. These findings provide valuable insights into the effects of the environment and location, enhancing understanding for year-round mangosteen plantation preparation.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of ultrafiltration (UF) combined with high-pressure processing (HPP) or heat treatment on the quality of yogurts produced from camel milk (CM) or bovine milk (BM). Milk was concentrated by UF (0, 1, and 2-fold) before applying heat (75 °C or 85 °C for 30 min) or HPP (350 MPa or 550 MPa for 5 min). Yogurts were produced using starter cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus subsp. delbrückii) and pH, viscoelastic and thixotropic rheological properties, and protein profiles were determined. Compared to HPP, heat-treated yogurts, especially at 85 °C, exhibited the highest rheological storage and loss moduli signifying stronger gels. Lower storage modulus values in HPP treated CM yogurts were explained by the lack of long-range β-lactoglobulin bridges at micelle surfaces and the reassociation of pressure-dissociated caseins by hydrophobic interactions. Percent structural regeneration, which increased with increasing milk concentration, revealed higher thixotropic behavior in the case of heat- than in HPP-treated samples. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed extensive proteolysis in CM compared to BM yogurts suggesting the involvement of some enzyme activities in the low gel strength.

In this study, vitexin was encapsulated in chitosan microparticles and phytosome nanoparticles, in order to enhance its stability and bioavailability. The effect of types of carrier agents on the pH stability, thermal stability and shelf-life stability of vitexin-loaded particles was investigated. The free vitexin (V) was degraded at pH 7 due to its lowest value of total phenolic content (TPC), whereas vitexin-loaded chitosan microparticles (V-CHM) and vitexin-loaded phytosome nanoparticles (V-PHN) could improve the stability of vitexin at pH 7. After heat treatment at 120 and 150 °C, the V-CHM and V-PHN gave higher release of TPC and antioxidant activity. V-CHM and V-PHN could prolong the release of TPC and antioxidant activity values of vitexin during storage time of 60 days. The results suggest that chitosan microparticles and phytosome nanoparticles has ability to overcome the limitation and enable the application of vitexin.

In recent years, food fortification has been seen as one of the important approaches to address nutrients deficiency and also considered as a source of a sustainable form of intervention to reach a wider population. Therefore, the aim of our study was to develop Buffalo meat sausage by incorporating dehydrated ash gourd peel powder (DAGPP). Four sausage formulations were prepared with three levels of DAGPP inclusion (4%, 8%, and 12%) along with a control sample. DAGPP-incorporated sausages were compared with the control sample in terms of scanning electron micrograph (SEM), crude fiber content, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and sensory and textural attributes. The storage studies (at 0 °C) were carried out for analysis of physicochemical properties (moisture content, protein content, ash content, pH and TBA value), color parameters (a*, b* and L* values) and microbiological characteristics. Our results showed that crude fiber content and mineral content increased from 0.74% to 6.33% and 1.94% to 2.74%, respectively, on the first day of the study. TBA value decreased from 0.207 to 0.133 (mg of malonaldhyde/ kg sample) on the 14th day of the study. Microbiological analysis revealed that the total plate count, yeast and mold count reduced from 2.87 to 2.12 log cfu/g and 1.93 to 1.38 log cfu/g, respectively, although no coliform was detected. The highest sensory score was achieved for the sample containing 12% DAGPP ie; 7–9. Based upon our findings, we found that the fortified meat sausages had better microstructure and sensory score, increased nutritional value, crude fiber, shelf life as well as high antioxidant activity. Therefore, DAGPP fortified meat sausage can be considered as one of the important sources for proteins and minerals for the under-nutrition population. However, profiling of the fortified food would be warranted to investigate micronutrients along with other functional characteristics.

Extracting value from date fruit pomace, commonly dismissed as animal feed by date syrup factories, unveils a substantial composition of both insoluble and soluble fibers, along with valuable phenolic compounds. This nutritional profile positions date fruit fibre as an option for consumers seeking alternative fibre sources. This study investigates the extraction of high fibre date ingredient from date fruit pomace and its integration into bread wheat flour at replacement levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% (w/w). The research examines the resulting bread dough's properties using farinograph, rheometer, texture analyzer and optical microscopy. Furthermore, it explores the potential of high fibre dietary ingredient as a valuable fibre supplement. Our findings reveal that high fibre dietary ingredient is rich in insoluble fibre and phenolic antioxidants, has moderate moisture and protein content, and low-fat levels. It displays promising high water and oil retention capacity. However, substantial incorporation into bread flour leads to the formation of a hardened, adhesive dough with low stability to mixing. These findings provide insights into the diverse potential applications of high fibre dietary ingredient, highlighting its characteristics and challenges when utilized in baking practices.

Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) can play an important role in nutrition and food security. This study aimed to promote the consumption of two NUS, Ocimum gratissimum and Adansonia digitata, by improving recipes that are traditionally consumed by children aged 6–23 months in the Atacora department. Two (02) improved recipes were formulated: baobab pulp-enriched porridge (BPP) and egusi sauce with african basil leaves and red palm oil (ESBR). Formulation was initially carried out using MINITAB 19 mixing software. For each recipe, two factors (two main ingredients of the recipe) were considered for the formulation. The optimized recipes were then tested through a hedonic test with a sample of 66 children in three (03) communes. The nutritional densities of accepted recipes were then determined. Results showed that most of the children liked both recipes formulated. The energy densities of both recipes (1.24 ± 0.03 kcal and 1.89 ± 0.05 kcal/g respectively for BPP and ESBR) met the recommended standards. As for nutritional densities, only iron recommended density was achieved for BPP (4.86 ± 0.12 mg/100 kcal) while for ESBR, in addition to iron density, zinc and vitamin A densities were also achieved. The BPP recipe covered good levels of daily nutritional requirements for one single feed for iron (46.42%) and energy (13.49%) considering the amount consumed by children, whereas the ESBR recipe covered levels of 26.61% for energy, 399.32% for vitamin A, 94.11% for iron and 17.44% for zinc. A better valorization of these species through cooking demonstration sessions addressed to mothers is necessary to ensure the consumption of recipes formulated by communities in general and children in particular.

Three prototypes of a blackberry-soy-flaxseed beverage were formulated and processed by pasteurization (71.1 °C, 3 s) or commercial sterilization (heating to 87 °C followed by immediate hot-fill). The effects of heat exposure on selected bioactive compounds (total phenolics, ellagitannins, anthocyanins, isoflavones and lignans) and physicochemical properties (pH, °Brix, turbidity, viscosity and color) were evaluated. Bioactive compounds were quantified by HPLC-DAD analytical methods. No significant changes (p > 0.05) were observed in the contents of total phenolic compounds, ellagitannins, cyanidin-3-glucoside, isoflavones (daidzein and genistein), or lignans, regardless of the heat regime applied or the beverage formulation. The pH and soluble solids were similar among the three beverages and did not change after heat treatments. The content of cyanidin-3-malonyl-glucoside, a polyphenol, significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by 35–45% with the hot-fill process in all beverage prototypes. Turbidity was not significantly affected by the type of heat treatment, but the viscosity of the hot-filled beverages was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the pasteurized and non-pasteurized prototypes. No significant differences (p < 0.05) in color parameters L*, a*, and b* were observed. Total color difference (DE*) values indicated differences in perceivable color among samples of the same beverage exposed to the heat processing regimes. DE* values for prototype 1 processed by pasteurization and commercial sterilization were distinct from non-pasteurized beverage. DE* values for prototypes 2 and 3 processed by pasteurization were distinct from those of the non-pasteurized beverage. Pasteurization allowed higher retention of bioactive compounds and had a lower impact on the physicochemical properties of the blackberry-soy-flaxseed beverage.