This study assessed the effect of calcium supplementation towards the change in serum calcium,
phosphorus and magnesium level. We carried out a randomized controlled trial of calcium supplementation in 113 postmenopausal women for 24 months period study. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups. Subjects in Calcium Supplemented Group (CSG) were to take calcium supplement (1200 mg/day) while the Control Group were not given any placebo and advised to continue with their regular diet. The study showed that calcium supplementation helps to increased daily intake of calcium amongst the subject which in results helping to maintain the serum calcium level within normal range. The serum magnesium and phosphorus level in this study were kept at a normal range although there is a slight decrease in serum phosphorus levels may be due to a reduction in the daily intake of the mineral.
MeSH terms: Calcium; Calcium, Dietary; Diet; Female; Humans; Magnesium; Minerals; Phosphorus; Reference Values; Phosphorus, Dietary; Postmenopause; Dietary Supplements; Control Groups
Green leafy vegetables are good sources of carotenoids. Generally, food composition databases related to raw foods are available, but data on cooked foods in Malaysia are still lacking. Since carotenoids are prone to degradation during cooking processes, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the extent of nutrient loss in vegetables subjected to two conventional cooking methods, which were boiling and stir-frying with cooking durations of 4 and 8 minutes. The vegetables selected were Chinese cabbage (Brassica Pekinensis var. cephalata), swamp cabbage (Ipomoea aquatica), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), Ceylon spinach (Basella rubra), red spinach (Amaranthus gangeticus), white spinach (Amaranthus viridis) and tapioca shoots (Manihot utilissima). Percentage losses of nutrients after cooking treatment were calculated based on retention factors. Results obtained showed that stir-frying had reduced lutein content for all vegetables ranging from 8-89% while the effect of boiling for lutein varied (0-428%) with different vegetables at both cooking durations of 4 and 8 min. Boiling for 8 min increased retention of β carotene in all vegetables ranging from 18-380% except for Chinese cabbage and spinach compared with 4 min, while stir-frying generally increased the retention of β-carotene for all vegetables 2-3 times except for spinach. Cooked vegetables have variations in carotenoids composition brought by varying cooking conditions (time and temperature), type of vegetables and the interaction between cooking methods and type of vegetables.
Extraction of lemongrass oleoresin was successfully optimised using Pressurised Liquid Extraction (PLE). Character impact compounds; neral, geranial and geraniol which constituted 72% oleoresin, were monitored during this optimisation study by using GCMSD. Based on maximum extraction of these compounds, the optimised operating conditions for PLE were a temperature of 167°C, a pressure of 1203 psi and a static time of 20.43 min. The quality of PLE extract were compared with conventional extraction methods, hydrodistillation and Soxhlet extraction. The proposed method was found to be better in term of quantity of the targeted character impact compounds.
The study was conducted to determine the mineral contents of 20 species of marine fish and 4 species of shellfish from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.Overall, the contents of micro minerals in all samples were below the permissible limits; except for oyster; with copper slightly higher than the limit set by FAO/WHO (1984), but below the limit set by Malaysian Food Regulations (1985); and zinc content higher than the limit set by Malaysian Food Regulations (1985), but below the limit set by FAO/WHO (1984). Meanwhile for macro minerals, most samples contained comparable sodium contents, significantly lower of potassium contents, higher calcium contents, and extremely higher of magnesium contents compared to the common ranges reported in the literatures. All samples were good sources of micro and macro minerals and could provide multi-health benefits if consumed in recommended amounts.
The extraction of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) bone gelatin was optimized by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) involving 4-factors, 5-levels Central Composite Design (CCD). The optimum conditions for extraction were produced by a pre-treatment of 3.35% HCl for 14.5 h along with hot water extraction at 67.23°C for 5.2 h. Results showed that the predicted yield by RSM (61.81%) was closely matched the experimental yield of 60.54%. The results also indicated that the extracted bone gelatin possessed high protein content (81.75%) and imino acid (proline and hydroxyproline) (144 residues per 1000 residues), with gel strength (230.25 g), viscosity (4.64 mPa.s) and isoionic point (5.35) comparable to that of bovine gelatin. The results suggested that RSM is a great optimizing tool for extraction of gelatin from clarias catfish bone and values of the physicochemical properties of gelatin are higher or comparable than those from other fish species and bovine gelatin.
MeSH terms: Animals; Bone and Bones; Catfishes; Cattle; Gelatin; Hydroxyproline; Imino Acids; Proline; Viscosity; Seafood
Refined bleached and deodorized palm oil (RBDPO) was crystallized from the melt in a thermally controlled water bath at 14 and 22°C for 90 min. Slurries were withdrawn after 5, 15, 30, 60 and 90 min of crystallization for crystal morphology studies. Crystallization was also performed in a similar manner using a Labmax reactor connected to a FBRM detector to obtain the information on crystal count and size distribution during crystallization. Based on the shape of the crystals viewed under the microscope, all crystals appeared as needle shaped spherulitic β´- form at both crystallization temperatures studied. Crystals were slightly larger with increase in crystallization time and at higher crystallization temperature (22°C). Crystals size range between 4.34 to 22.29µm. FBRM recorded high count of crystals with increased in crystallization time and at lower temperature (14°C).
MeSH terms: Baths; Cold Temperature; Crystallization; Hot Temperature; Microscopy; Needles; Plant Oils; Temperature
A study to measure frying quality and stability of rice bran oil (RBO) compared to palm olein (PO) was conducted. The oils were used to fry French fries continuously for six hours a day up to five days at a temperature of 185 ± 5°C. Oil samples were collected and analyzed for free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide value (PV), smoke point, p-anisidine value (p-AV), iodine value (IV) and colour. At the end of the frying period for both oil samples, FFA, PV, colour and p-AV were increased whereas the IV and smoke point decreased. The rate of FFA formation of RBO was slightly lower which increased from 0.142% to 0.66% compared to PO which was from 0.079% to 0.93%. The PV of RBO showed consistent increased from 3.9 meq/kg to 13.4 meq/kg whereas PO with initial value at 3.4 meq/kg increased to 34.6 meq/kg on the fifth day. Smoke point of RBO and PO progressively dropped from 235°C to 188°C and 220°C to 178°C, respectively. The level of p-AV for RBO increased from 12.19 to 32.65 from the initial to the end of frying day whereas PO had higher rate of changes in p-AV which was from 10.45 to 60.75. The IV decreased over frying time where IV of RBO decreased from 94.5 to 66.5 while IV of PO decreased from 50.9 to 44.6. The colour of RBO showed increased in redness and yellowness but PO was darker at the end of the frying trial. In general, RBO showed better stability than the PO in deep frying of French fries.
The profile of total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN), pH, biogenic amines were studied in Indian mackerel packed under different levels of CO2. Gutted and beheaded Indian mackerel was stored in air, vacuum packaging (VP), 30% CO2/65% N2/5% O2 (M30C), 60% CO2/35%N2/5%O2 (M60C), 80% CO2/15%N2/5% O2 (M80C) and 100% CO2 (M100C) at 5°C for 12 days. The application of VP and MAP was effective in retarding the formation of TVBN, total biogenic amines and improve the shelf life of Indian mackerel. Cadaverine obtained the best correlation with storage time when compared with other biogenic amines. Cadaverine or cadaverine + putrescine can serve as a reliable objective freshness indicator of fish stored in different atmospheres. Among the commonly used freshness indices, TVBN was the best quality indicator correlated with histamine. VP and MAP conditions influenced the performance of quality indicators. pH was a good quality indicator of spoilage in air-stored fish except for VP and MAP packed fish. Lower value of TVBN (30 mg/100g) was suggested as an upper limit for this species of fish under MAP condition based on APC and sensory result.
Nipa sap or air nira is a sweet natural beverage obtained from a type of palm tree, Nypa fruticans.
It is readily and spontaneously fermented resulting in the development of alcoholic fermentation products. Objective of this study is to determine the volatile compounds (VOCs) responsible for the aroma in fresh and fermented nipa sap. The sap was left for natural fermentation at 30ºC for 63 days. VOCs of the sap were analysed using static headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fresh nipa sap contained ethanol (83.43%), diacetyl (0.59%), and esters
(15.97%). Fermented nipa sap contained alcohols (91.16 – 98.29%), esters (1.18 – 8.14%), acetoin (0.02 – 0.7%), diacetyl (0.04 – 0.06%), and acetic acid (0.13 – 0.68%). Concentration of ethanol in fresh nipa sap increased from 0.11% (v/v) to 6.63% (v/v) during the fermentation, and slightly decreased to 5.73% (v/v) at day 63. No higher alcohols were detected in the fresh nipa sap. Concentration of 1-propanol and 2-methylpropanol were constant throughout the fermentation with average of 0.004 to 0.006% (v/v) and 0.0001 to 0.0009% (v/v), respectively. 3-methylbutanol increased during the fermentation process. The highest concentration (0.001% v/v) was recorded at day 35. This study has shown differences in VOCs types between fresh and fermented nipa sap.
Proteases in ginger rhizome have the potentials in industrial applications. This study was conducted to extract and characterize the proteolytic enzyme from ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). Ginger protease (GP) was extracted from ginger rhizome by homogenization with 100 mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 7.0 containing 10 mM cysteine and 5 mM EDTA which were found to be the most efficient extraction buffer and stabilizers. After centrifugation at 10,500 x g, protein in the crude extract was precipitated using 60% ammonium sulfate following which the precipitate was redissolved in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 7.0, dialyzed and then lyophilized. The extraction method yielded 0.94% (w/w of fresh weight) of GP with a specific activity of 27.6 ± 0.1 Unit/mg protein where 1 Unit is defined as the amount of protease causing an increase in absorbance by 1 unit per minute using azocasein as the substrate. Results show that the GP was completely inhibited by heavy metal cations i.e. Cu2+and Hg2+, and a thiol blocking agent or inhibitor, n-ethyl maleimide (NEM), indicating that GP is most probably a cysteine protease. The enzyme has an optimum temperature at 60⁰C and the optimum pH ranged between pH 6 to 8. Monovalent cations (K+ and Na+) have no significant effect on activity of GP, but divalent and trivalent cations showed moderate inhibitory effect. Detergents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate increased the activity of GP while Tween 80 and Tween 20 slightly reduced the activity.
The proximate compositions, total dietary fibre (TDF) content, textural properties and sensory acceptability of yeast breads formulated with 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% of cornsilk powder (CSP) were studied. The protein, ash and TDF contents of yeast breads were increased in line with the CSP level added whereas moisture content was decreased. Yeast bread added with 6% CSP recorded the highest content of TDF (5.91%), protein (9.76%) and ash (1.03%) compared to other formulation of yeast breads containing lower percentage of CSP. Besides, texture profile analysis (TPA) reported that the firmness, gumminess and chewiness of yeast breads increased directly proportional to the level of CSP added mainly due to higher content of TDF and lower content of moisture. However, for the yeast bread added with 2%CSP, there were no significant differences compared with control yeast bread. Among all cornsilk-based yeast bread, formulation containing 2% CSP had the highest scores for all attributes including overall acceptance and there were no significant differences with control yeast bread. The present study indicated that the addition of 2% CSP could be an effective way to produce functional yeast bread without changing negatively its desirable textural and sensory acceptability.
Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was applied for the extraction of bioactive valuable compounds from winter melon (Benincasa hispida) seeds. Effects of amplitude (25-75%), temperature (40-60°C) and sonication time (20-60 min) on crude extraction yield (CEY) and radical scavenging activities (RSA, % inhibition of DPPH˙ and ABTS˙+ free radicals) of extracts were determined using complete randomised design (CRD). The results showed that the CEY and RSA of extracts significantly affected by independent variables. The maximum value of CEY (97.14±0.36 mgg-1), scavenging of DPPH˙ radicals (32.12 ± 0.38%) and scavenging of ABTS˙+ radicals (40.52±0.73%) were obtained at the combined treatment conditions of 75%, 55°C and 40 min. The UAE results obtained were compared with those achieved by using conventional Soxhlet extraction (CSE) method. It was found UAE allowed extraction at lower temperature and the extracts obtained posses higher quality compare with CSE. UAE is a promising environment friendly technique for the extraction of bioactive compounds from winter melon (Benincasa hispida) seeds.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of solid-to-solvent ratio (1:5. 1:10, 1:15 and 1:20) on the extraction of phenolic compounds (TPC and TFC) and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging capacity) of P. niruri. Solid-to-solvent ratio showed a significant effect for both phenolic compounds (TPC and TFC) and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging capacity) with 1:20 was the condition for extracting the highest of phenolic compounds (TPC and TFC) with a value of 5788.7 mg GAE/100 g DW and 1906.5 mg CE/100 g DW, respectively and exhibited high antioxidant capacities (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging capacities) with a value of 0.820 mM and 1.598 mM, respectively among the four levels studied. TPC was positively and significantly correlated with ABTS and DPPH (r=0.999 and r=0.999) under the effects of solid-to-solvent ratio as compared to TFC, positively and strongly correlated (r=0.865 and r=0.868) with ABTS and DPPH.
The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activities of dietary bitter melon fruit supplemented in male rat model. In this study, three common tests for measuring antioxidant activity of the bitter melon were evaluated using 2, 2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH assay), total phenolic acid assay (TPC assay) and Ferric reducing ability of plasma assa. (FRAP assay). Results showed that the extracting solvent significantly (P
The peels of pomelo contribute 30% of the fruit weight and yet it has been dump without recognizing the possible nutritional value of the peels. Study has been carried out to identify flavonoid content of the peels and analysed the activity of the flavonoid towards inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Optimization of flavonoid extraction was conducted using aqueous solvent (methanol and ethanol), extraction time (1-3 h) and extraction temperature (50°C-80°) via water bath extraction. The total content of flavonoids was quantitatively determined by using coloration methods with chromogenic system of NaNO2–Al (NO3)3–NaOH and and it was found that the extraction at 65ºC for 2 h in aqueous ethanol was the optimized condition for maximum flavonoids i.e. 190.42mg/L. A spectrophometric analysis was performed to evaluate flavonoid activity towards lipid peroxidation in the fish tissue. There was reduction in Peroxide value (PV) indicated the inhibition of lipid peroxidation in fish treated with pomelo peel as evidence of concurrency of positive flavonoid activity.
This study was conducted to determine the total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) as well as the antioxidant activity of 50% ethanolic extracts from different parts of Camellia sinensis (shoot, young and matured leaves). Comparison was also made between black (fermented) and green (unfermented) tea. For green tea, the results showed that the shoot contained significantly higher total phenolic content, followed by the young and matured leaves (p
Recent research suggesting the existence of potential source of pectin from roselle calyces. Pectin was successfully extracted from seven different varieties of roselle calyces. Pectin extraction was conducted using hydrochloric acid (HCl, 0.03 N, pH 1.5) or ammonium oxalate (0.25% w/v, pH 4.6) at 85⁰C for 1 h. Chemical characteristics of the HCl- and ammonium oxalate extracted pectin were compared. Results indicated that ammonium oxalate exhibited greater efficiency in pectin extraction than HCl. Highest pectin yield at 18.7% was obtained by ammonium oxalate extraction of roselle calyx variety Acc.6 compared to only 9.77% by HCl extraction. The lowest pectin yield at 11.3% and 5.78% were observed respectively in ammonium oxalate and HCl extractions of roselle calyx variety UKMR-3. Some important characteristics of ammonium oxalate extracted pectin of roselle Acc.6 were 5.98% moisture, 3.81% ash, 4.64% methoxyl content, 42.24% anhydrouronic acid (AUA) and degree of esterification (DE) 60%. This study suggested that the high DE% roselle pectin is an alternative source of pectin for food industry.
Guava is a climacteric fruit which has high nutritional content. It is a highly perishable fruit, undergoes rapid postharvest ripening in a few days under ambient condition. This paper aims to determine the effect of palm stearin and palm kernel olein blends on maintaining the quality of guava during storage. Two different coating formulations of palm stearin (PS) and palm kernel olein (PKOo) blends (1:1 and 3:2) were analysed for their slip melting point (SMP), cohesiveness, viscosity and density. Beeswax was used as a commercial coating for comparison whiles the uncoated guava was used as control. These coatings were applied onto guavas by hand-wipe technique using a sponge. Guavas were dried in corrugated fibre board boxes and stored in an air-conditioned room maintained at 20°C while a chiller maintained at 10°C was used for chilled temperature. Coating pick up, thickness and surface area were measured while guava properties were analysed for coating effect on weight loss, O2 and CO2 gases, firmness and glossiness during storage at ambient temperature (20°C) for 21 days and chilled temperature (10ºC) for 30 days. Microstructure analysis was conducted within 2 days of coating at ambient temperature (20ºC). The results obtained indicated that 1:1 PSPKOo blends had higher cohesiveness compared to beeswax. Both PSPKOo blends significantly (p
Green coffee beans are stored for a certain period and under certain conditions until they are finally utilized. The storage period may depend on customer demand while the storage conditions depend on where the coffee beans are stored. Thus, this research emphasizes the physicochemical changes that occur in Liberica coffee beans during storage under the Malaysian
climate (average temperature and relative humidity of 29.33ºC and 71.75% respectively). The changes in the physico-chemical (coffee size, mass, densities, colour, proximate analysis, sucrose, chlorogenic acid content) and microbiological (yeast and mould count) properties were evaluated during eight months of storage. After the storage, the physical properties of the coffee changed as the coffee beans expanded in size, reduced in mass and density and became brighter in colour. Changes in the chemical properties were also detected where the moisture decreased and the ash content increased. In addition, the sucrose level was found to decrease with a corresponding increase in chlorogenic acid. During storage, the counts of yeast and mould were reduced. Model equations describing the changes in the properties were developed. The overall conclusion was that the coffee beans reduced in quality during storage.
The aim of this study is to determine colour changes during storage and physico- chemical properties of peel, core and crown extracts of pineapple variety N36 for maturity indices of 1, 2 and 3. The L* (lightness), a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values for peels increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) at each maturity stage during seven days storage. pH of pineapple peel, core and crown extracts were in the range of 3.24 to 3.84. The titratable acidity, percentage of pulp and Total Soluble Solid (TSS) of pineapple peel, core and crown extracts were in the range of 0.16 to 0.36%, 1.37 to 2.91% and 1.4 to 5.3˚Brix, respectively. Fructose and glucose contents were significantly highest (p ≤ 0.05) in pineapple core extract followed by pineapple peel extract and pineapple crown extract for maturity index 2. Significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) was found in sucrose content between pineapple core and peel extracts with 8.92% and 3.87%, respectively for maturity index 3. However, sucrose was not detected in pineapple crown extract. Pineapple core extract was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) amount of total sugar content compared to pineapple peel and crown extracts for all maturity indices.