Search

The present work was designed to explore the functionality of Pakistani date cultivar (Zahidi) against atherogenic diet induced oxidative stress. The bioefficacy assessment of Zahidi date fruit and extract was carried out via model feeding trial. The rats (Sprague Dawley) were divided into two broad categories; one fed with normal diet, whereas the other was fed with atherogenic diet to induce oxidative stress. The formulated groups were G1 (normal diet), G2 (date fruit + normal diet), G3 (date extract + normal diet), G4 (atherogenic diet), G5 (date fruit + atherogenic diet) and G6 (date extract + atherogenic diet). The results showed that date fruit reduced 3.65% serum cholesterol in normal rats, and 15.14% in atherogenic rats, while, the date extract treatment resulted in 4.49 and 18.55% reduction in normal and atherogenic rats, respectively. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reduced by 8.66 and 11.55% in date fruit and date extract fed normal rats, respectively, while 21.05 and 25.98% reductions were noted in the atherogenic groups fed with date fruit and date extract, respectively. To assess the extent of cardiac risk in the subjects, several atherogenic ratios were calculated based on the serum lipid parameters. The analysis showed that atherogenic diet groups were at higher risk than the normal ones, and that date fruit and extract containing functional diets effectively ameliorated the elevated risk ratios. The date fruit and extract-based diets intensified serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels throughout the study up to 29.05 and 27.99%, respectively. Date fruit effectively lowered lipid peroxidation by 13.64 and 33.67% in normal and atherogenic rats, respectively. Conclusively, date fruit and extract treatment proved effectual in modulating the serum lipid profile and effectively restored the SOD and CAT levels alongside reducing the lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron, iodine and vitamin A deficiencies are major clinical conditions affecting 33% of global population. Dual fortification of salt with iron and iodine could be a sustainable approach to fight against Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). The present work was designed to analyse the bioavailability of iron and iodine fortificants. For this reason, common table salt (NaCl) was subjected to various analyses like moisture, ash and minerals followed by double salt fortification with iron compounds like sodium iron ethylene diamine tetra acetate (NaFeEDTA), iron(II) sulphate (FeSO4) and potassium iodate (KIO3) at two different levels. Bioavailability of iron and iodine fortificants was analysed by feeding albino rats with fortified salt at 3.5%. Serum thyroxin (T4) level increased significantly from day 0 to 28 (26.72 ± 0.2 to 31.41 ± 0.4 nmol/L). Haemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin levels also depicted significant increase with the passage of time. However, whole blood zinc protoporphyrin, serum transferrin and serum triiodothyronine significantly decreased. As a conclusion, the present work revealed that double fortification of salt with iron and iodine along with a suitable stabiliser could be an effective strategy to control the two major micronutrient deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine organisms are increasingly being investigated as sources of bioactive molecules with therapeutic applications as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In particular, nutraceuticals are gaining popularity worldwide owing to their therapeutic potential and incorporation in functional foods and dietary supplements. Abalone, a marine gastropod, contains a variety of bioactive compounds with anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer activities. For thousands of years different cultures have used abalone as a traditional functional food believing consumption provides health benefits. Abalone meat is one of the most precious commodities in Asian markets where it is considered a culinary delicacy. Recent research has revealed that abalone is composed of many vital moieties like polysaccharides, proteins, and fatty acids that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. A review of past and present research is presented with relevance to the therapeutic potential of bioactive molecules from abalone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core objective of the present investigation was to isolate and quantify antioxidants from mosambi (sweet orange) peel. In the proposed research, different solvents were used for the extraction of antioxidants from mosambi peel. Among these solvents, ethanol resulted in better antioxidant yield compared to aqueous extract. Ethanolic extract of mosambi peel showed higher total phenolic contents (19.3 ± 0.3 mg/g) as compared to aqueous extracts (18.2 ± 0.04 mg/g). Considering the safety health concern, aqueous extract of mosambi peel was incorporated in cookies at different concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 3%, and further subjected to physico-chemical and sensory attributes. Proximate composition (moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, and niitrogen-free extract (NFE) contents) of fortified cookies varied non-significantly. However, sensory evaluation rated aqueous extract of mosambi peel (2%) with better hedonic response. Mosambi peel antioxidants have a great potential to be used in various functional foods and the ability to improve storage stability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Trans fats are popular owing to their low cost and potential to increase the shelf life of processed foods but also associated with various risk factors. The present study is focused on the impact of oil processing, like frying, on the formation of trans fats in commercially available edible oils. Scanning electron microscopy was carried out to observe the structural changes in the frying material. The physicochemical analysis of processed edible oils was carried out, while the formation of trans-fatty acid (TFA; elaidic acid) during processing was measured by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Furthermore, levels of TFA, i.e., elaidic acid, were found higher in oil samples with potatoes than the oil samples without potatoes. It is proposed that trans fat content could be reduced by using the high-quality frying medium as well as avoiding the repeated frying in order to improve the quality and nutritional value of the diet and avert risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current research, arabinoxylans (AX) and arabinogalactans (AG) were extracted from different wheat varieties and utilized in bread at different levels (0.5 and 1%). Texture analysis (hardness, fracturability, gumminess, cohesiveness) of dough and bread was performed using texture analyzer. Results showed that the AX content in whole wheat flours ranged from 2.93 to 4.68% while AG ranged from 0.47 to 0.93%. Hardness of bread decreased significantly because of the increase in the levels of AX and AG while it improved during storage study. Moreover, bread fracturability improved as the AX and AG levels increased. Highest gumminess was assigned to Shafaq-06 with increasing trend from control to 0.5% AX level. After the addition of AG, highest bread gumminess (155.74 ± 6.1, 156.32 ± 7.9) was observed in Shafaq-06. Both fracturability and gumminess have been increased with the addition of these nonstarch polysaccharides but decreased with the storage intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]