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The smoke from Combretum hartmannianum and Terminalia laxiflora sapwood and fermented heartwood (nikhra) are used in body smoke baths and homemade skincare products in Sudan, which are believed to have various health benefits. In this study, the volatiles of sapwood and nikhra were collected using two extraction techniques: a Mono-TrapTM sampling technique (at low temperature) and a smoke trapping system (at high temperature). After GC-MS analysis, the chromatogram of each sample revealed numerous peaks. The detected peaks were identified using the DIST08 mass spectral library database, resulting in known and unknown compounds. The results showed that 1,2,4,5-tetrachloro-3,6-dimethoxybenzene was the major compound in the Mono-Trap and smoke extracts from nikhra samples of C. hartmannianum and T. laxiflora. In contrast, the dominant compounds in the Mono-Trap extracts of C. hartmannianum and T. laxiflora sapwoods were acetonyldimethylcarbinol and cadina-1(10),4-diene, respectively. The largest peaks in the chromatograms of the sapwood smoke extracts of both species corresponded to unknown compounds. Some of the detected compounds are known for their aromatic and pharmaceutical properties. Identifying these aromatic compounds in nikhra and not in sapwood might prove the traditional Sudanese beliefs, and it could potentially improve the manufacturing of health products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain sorghum is the leading cereal crop in the Sudan, grown in the summer season, and acts as the principal source of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals for the low-income population living in Sudan. To secure the sorghum grain availability throughout the year, farmers in a rural area of West and South Darfur developed two winter sorghum cultivars known as Abu Ragaba and Abu Kunjara. To date, studies on the nutritional quality of these winter sorghum cultivars are rare. Thus, in this research we examined the effect of fermentation and/or cooking on the chemical composition, amino acid content, and the scores of essential amino acids of the flour of two Sudanese winter season cultivars and one summer season cultivar locally known as Wad Ahmed. The results obtained showed that the cultivars differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in nutrients contents. Abu Ragaba and Abu Kunjara had higher ash content (3.74 and 5.15%, respectively) than Wad Ahmed (1.71%). Abu Kunjara had the highest protein content (19.37%) followed by Wad Ahmed (14.40%). Chemical composition of the cultivars gave inconsistent results after fermentation and cooking. Fermentation increased protein content while reducing the level of some amino acids due to the action of fermenting microorganisms. Cooking of raw and fermented flour had a minor effect on chemical composition. The starch content decreased after fermentation and increased after cooking of raw and fermented samples. Cooking of unfermented and fermented dough increased (p ≤ 0.05) the amino acids content. Although cooking of both raw flour and fermented dough increased lysine score to 14.30, 26.60, and 34.20% of Wad Ahmed, Abu Ragaba, and Abu Kunjara, respectively, it remains the most limiting amino acid followed by sulphur amino acids. Overall, the results demonstrated that fermentation and cooking of winter sorghum grains could improve the nutritive quality of these grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to investigate the chemical composition, mineral extractability, and antioxidant capacity of six date palm varieties grown in Sudan. The results showed that Sudanese date varieties contained significantly different ( P < 0.05) amounts of moisture, ash, fiber, oil, and carbohydrates, but have almost similar amounts of protein. Moreover, results revealed that date varieties contained significantly varied ( P < 0.05) amounts of total polyphenols and total flavonoids, which ranged between 35.82 and 99.34 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g and 1.74-3.39 mg catechin equivalent/100 g, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the studied date varieties were as follows: ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was within the range of 2.82-27.5 mmol/100 g, chelation of Fe2+ ion ranged from 54.31% to 94.98%, and scavenging of H2O2 ranged from 38.48% to 49.13%. There were many correlations (positive, negative, and weak) between antioxidant and mineral extractability of Sudanese date fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major periodontitis pathogen that produces several virulence factors including hemagglutinins. These proteins, which are vital molecules, allow P. gingivalis to uptake iron and heme by attaching, aggregating, and lysing erythrocytes. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activity of the aqueous extract of Monechma ciliatum seeds against the hemagglutination activity of P. gingivalis. M. ciliatum is a Sudanese medicinal herb that grows in arid and semi‐arid lands of tropical Africa. The water extracted from dry powdered seeds was partitioned using ethyl acetate followed by reversed‐phase chromatography, thin‐layer chromatography, ESI‐MS, and NMR analysis resulting in the isolation of four compounds identified as oleic acid, coumarin, 1,2‐dioleoylglycerol, and 1,3‐dioleoylglycerol with MICs of 15–100 μg/ml against hemagglutination. We believe that the isolation and purification of these compounds will expand the application of M. ciliatum as a natural therapeutic or preventative agent. Practical applications: Monechma ciliatum or black mahlab is a famous medicinal plant that grows in some parts of arid and semi‐arid areas of tropical Africa including western Sudan. Despite its nutritional and traditional medical applications, no studies have evaluated its anti‐hemagglutination activity against periodontal pathogens. In this study, four active compounds (oleic acid, coumarin, 1,2‐dioleoylglycerol, and 1,3‐dioleoylglycerol) were isolated and identified from an aqueous extract of M. ciliatum seeds. The isolated compounds revealed high levels of inhibitory activity against all hemagglutinin agents secreted by Porphyromonas gingivalis. This evidence of inhibitory activity will encourage the application of M. ciliatum effectively as a functional food or therapeutic agent to prevent periodontal diseases in the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]