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Antibiotic resistance has posed a major public health challenge because of antibiotics misuse, overdose, underdose, ignorance of antibiotics usage and substandard production from producers, thus entailing the need for an alternative antibiotic agent production. Here, a commonly used antibiotic plant, Chrysophyllum albidum leaf, was used to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and was characterized using XRD, FTIR, DSC and DLS. The characterization data showed the production of six (6)-week stable AgNPs, with high antioxidant properties and amylase, glucosidase and cholinesterases inhibition properties. Similarly, the product exhibited stable antibiotics properties on Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus after six (6) weeks of storage at 4 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistant starch, which is produced by the interaction between starch, lipids and proteins, is an important part of diet due to its ability to escape digestion in the gut, thus reducing the blood glucose concentration. Resistant starch contents of some processed food products sold in Enugu Metropolis were quantified using Megazyme resistant starch kit (Megazyme Bray, Ireland). The processed foods were grouped into cereals (Oatmeal flours, basmati rice flours), Legumes (beans flour), Fruits (Unripe plantain flours) and Tubers (yam flours and potato starch flours). Mean values were determined with MegaCalc and data were expressed as percentage weight per weight. Among the processed food samples analyzed, plantain flour (82.314% Ayoola foods plantain flour, 82.757 % for naked amala plantain flour and 65.648% for deluxe plantain flour) contains the highest concentration of resistant starch. In descending order of resistant starch concentration is as follows; rice samples (lamis basmati rice, 43.427%, TBR basmati rice (39.268%). The resistant starch content of yam samples was 38.769% (Ayo ola poundo yam flour) and 28.354% for Ola ola yam flour respectively. The least resistant starch content was detected in beans sample; deluxe bean flour (~6.788%), Ayo ola bean flour (~3.481 %) and tasty pot bean flour (~4.345 %) and oat flour; lecker white oat 1.503%), health-wise oat meal (3.497%) and elkaris swallow oat (1.325%) respectively. Plantain and rice flours should be considered most for consumption, due to the high resistant starch content that confer many of health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12) was partially purified from germinated seeds of Cucumeropsis manii to a purification fold of 47.14, enzyme activity recovery of 72.18%, and specific activity of 326.25 units/mg protein, using a three-step process of centrifugation, ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration. Kinetic properties show maximum activity at pH 6.0 and at optimum temperature of 40°C. Inhibitory effects of the extract from Gongronema latifolium and two other known antioxidants: ascorbic acid and propyl gallate on lipoxygenase from Cucumeropsis manii were studied. Result shows presence of inhibition with IC50 of 4.2 x 10-3 ± 0.09 x 10-3 g/L, 4.3 x 10-2 ± 0.11 x 10-2 g/L and 7.9 x 10-2 ± 0.11 x 10-2 g/L for the extract from ascorbic acid and propyl gallate, respectively. The extract when compared to the other antioxidants exhibits a competitive mechanism of inhibition. This tannin extract could be included during food processing as preservative against food deterioration that might be caused by oxidative enzymes such as lipoxygenase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on nutritional composition of the yellow variety of tiger nut, is, the amino acid, monosaccharide, disaccharide, mineral, and vitamin contents. Topics include the data obtained show the presence of ten amino acids including six essential amino acids, as well as the monosaccharides glucose, ribose, and sedoheptulose, and the yellow variety of tiger nut is also rich in minerals such as K, Ca, Na and vitamins A, C and E, which are important for the proper growth of the body.

Various aromatic compounds that are structurally analogous to lignin were tested as possible/preferred substrates for purified laccase from newly isolated white rote fungi, Trametes polyzona WRF03. The pH optima were tested using different substrates and kinetic studies were conducted at these pH optima. The pH optima in the presence of ABTS, α-naphthol, o-dianisidine, and catechol were 4.5 but 5.0 and 5.5 in the presence of guaiacol and pyrogallol, respectively. The initial velocities obtained from the kinetic study were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 7 and Lineweaver-Burk plot to obtain kinetic constants ( k m and Vmax ) which were used to calculate substrate specificity. Amongst all the substrates tested, ABTS had the highest specificity-constant (181.51 M -1 s -1 ), and therefore, the most preferred substrate was followed by α-naphthol, o -dianisidine, guaiacol, pyrogallol, and catechol. Resorcinol, orcinol, and veratryl alcohol did not display any considerable chemical shift in the presence of Trametes polyzona WRF03 laccase. Also, oxidation of phenolic substrates appeared to be dependent on the nature of the substituent groups and their relative position on the aromatic nucleus. Since most of these substrates are structural analogs of lignin and many recalcitrant environmental pollutants, the enzyme may find application in delignification, treatment of wastewater containing dyes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)