The characterization and fat migration of palm kernel stearin (PKS) and desiccated coconut, used as base filling centre in dark chocolate were studied. C36 and C38 triglycerides of PKS decreased by 11% and 9.6% respectively, whereas C32 and C34 increased by 97% and 48% respectively. The change in the triglycerides composition of PKS shift the melting point of PKS from 33.2 to 31.4 degrees C. Solid fat content (SFC) of PK reduced by 40% at 30 degrees C. The rate of fat migration was very slow at 18 degrees C storage compared to 30 degrees C. The rate of change of C36 in the chocolate layer was 0.1% week-1 and 1.2% week-1 at 18 and 30 degrees C respectively. Chocolate stored at 18 degrees C showed post hardening during storage period and withstood bloom during the storage period, whereas that stored at 30 degrees C became soft and bloomed faster after 3 weeks of storage.
Major (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) and minor elements (iron, copper, zinc, manganese) and one heavy metal (lead) of Cavendish banana flour and Dream banana flour were determined, and data were analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques of factor analysis and discriminant analysis. Factor analysis yielded four factors explaining more than 81% of the total variance: the first factor explained 28.73%, comprising magnesium, sodium, and iron; the second factor explained 21.47%, comprising only manganese and copper; the third factor explained 15.66%, comprising zinc and lead; while the fourth factor explained 15.50%, comprising potassium. Discriminant analysis showed that magnesium and sodium exhibited a strong contribution in discriminating the two types of banana flour, affording 100% correct assignation. This study presents the usefulness of multivariate statistical techniques for analysis and interpretation of complex mineral content data from banana flour of different varieties.
Sponge cake prepared by partial substitution of wheat flour with mango pulp and mango peel flours (MPuF and MPeF, respectively) at different concentrations (control, 5%, 10%, 20% or 30%) were investigated for the physico-chemical, nutritional and organoleptic characteristics. Results showed sponge cake incorporated with MPuF and MPeF to have high dietary fiber with low fat, calorie, hydrolysis and predicted glycemic index compared with the control. Increasing the levels of MPuF and MPeF in sponge cake had significant impact on the volume, firmness and color. Sensory evaluation showed sponge cake formulated with 10% MPuF and 10% MPeF to be the most acceptable. MPeF and MPuF have high potential as fiber-rich ingredients and can be utilized in the preparation of cake and other bakery products to improve the nutritional qualities.
Four formulations of burgers, prepared with 65% lean meat and 15% fat consisting of RBD palm stearin (PS), Socfat 4000P and Socfat 4100P and beef fat (BF) as control were evaluated for solid fat content (SFC), slip melting point (SMP), cooking loss, proximate analysis (moisture, fat and protein), colour, i.e. lightness ('L'), redness ('a') and yellowness ('b'), free fatty acid (FFA), iodine value (IV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and texture profile analysis (TPA). Sensory evaluation was carried out for texture, juiciness, aroma, oiliness and overall acceptance. SFC and SMP for raw and cooked SF4000P beef burgers were closest to BF control burgers, falling into the range of 35-40 degrees C. Cooking loss was highest for PS burgers, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) amongst BF, SF4000P and SF4100P burgers. Proximate analysis on raw burgers showed SF4000P to contain high fat and lowest moisture contents. Objective textural measurements using texture profile analysis (TPA) for all cooked burgers showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) for springiness and cohesiveness. Variation of values among the formulations for hardness, gumminess and chewiness are explained by the differences of SFC for beef burgers with various types of fats. Raw and cooked PS burgers have the lightest 'L' values compared with other fat-substituted burgers while BF, SF4000P and SF4100P indicated no significant differences (P > 0.05) for 'L', 'a' and 'b' values. Beef fat showed the highest amount of free fatty acids (FFA) compared to palm oil samples. For the iodine value (IV), SF4000P showed the highest value which means that it contained the highest level of unsaturated fatty acids followed by PS, BF and SF4100P successively. SF4000P had the highest TBA values followed successively by BF, PS and SF4100P. For sensory evaluation, PS burgers had the least oily taste. This may be due to its high cooking loss. Taste panelists could not differentiate burgers with substituted vegetable fats against the control burgers.
Four formulations were processed into frankfurters with different ratios of mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) and cooked chicken skin (CCS) i.e. 80/0, 70/10, 60/20 and 50/30. The products were evaluated for proximate composition, cholesterol content, colour; 'L' value (lightness) and 'a' value (redness), percentage of cooking loss, physical measurements (shearforce-kgf and folding test), thiobarbituric acid value (TBA) and taste panel evaluation. The increment of CCS in the frankfurters increased the contents of moisture, ash, protein, fat, cholesterol, the lightness ('L' value) and redness ('a' value). After 3 months of frozen storage, the increment continued except for the moisture contents for formulations with 20 and 30% CCS. The lipid oxidation (TBA value) and cooking loss were lowered in formulations with CCS. After 3 months of frozen storage, TBA value decreased, while the cooking loss increased for all the formulations. The addition of CCS increased hardness of the frankfurters but affected folding ability, with formulation with 10% CCS scoring better grade. Sensory evaluation was carried out using 30 untrained panelists to evaluate aroma, colour, appearance, hardness, juiciness, chicken taste, oily taste, rancid taste and overall acceptance of the products. The addition of CCS in the frankfurters at 10 and 20% resulted in products with taste and texture that were acceptable after 3 months of frozen storage.
Red seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) cultivated from Sabah (RSS) and Langkawi (RSL) were digested using in vitro mouth, gastric and duodenal model. The digested seaweed then fermented in a pH-controlled batch culture system inoculated with human faeces to mimic the distal colon. Bacterial enumeration were monitored using fluorescent in situ hybridisation, and the fermentation end products, the short chain fatty acids (SCFA), were analysed using HPLC. Both RSS and RSL showed significant increase of Bifidobacterium sp.; from log10 7.96 at 0 h to log10 8.72 at 24 h, and from log10 7.96 at 0 h to log10 8.60 at 24 h, respectively, and shows no significant difference when compared to the Bifidobacterium sp. count at 24 h of inulin fermentation. Both seaweeds also showed significant increase in total SCFA production, particularly acetate and propionate. Overall, this data suggested that K. alvarezii might have the potential as a prebiotic ingredient.
Radiation processing has been employed successfully for value addition of food and agricultural products. Preliminary studies were undertaken to evaluate the changes induced by ionizing radiation (up to 30 kGy), in the form of gamma irradiation and electron beam irradiation, on some quality attributes and nutritive values of nutraceutically valued lotus seeds. Significant loss in seed firmness was recorded between control and irradiated seeds, irrespective of radiation source. Similarly, the specific viscosity of irradiated lotus seeds decreased significantly up to a dose of 7.5 kGy. Starch increased after exposure to gamma or electron beam irradiation, whereas the total phenolic contents were decreased. Gamma irradiation revealed an enhancement in protein, while the electron beam showed a decrease. Partial oxidation of the seeds during radiation treatments might have occurred as evidenced from the decomposition profiles (thermogravimetry) during heating. It is evident that ionizing radiation brought about significant and variable changes in the quality and nutritive values of lotus seed. Further exploration of this technology for safety and quality is warranted.
The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters and sodium caseinate on physicochemical properties of palm-based functional lipid nanodispersions prepared by the emulsification-evaporation technique. The results indicated that the average droplet size increased significantly (P < 0.05) by increasing the chain length of fatty acids and also by increasing the hydrophile-lipophile balance value. Among the prepared nanodispersions, the nanoemulsion containing Polysorbate 20 showed the smallest average droplet size (202 nm) and narrowest size distribution for tocopherol-tocotrienol nanodispersions, while sodium caseinate-stabilized nanodispersions containing carotenoids had the largest average droplet size (386 nm), thus indicating a greater emulsifying role for Polysorbate 20 compared with sodium caseinate.
Helicobacter pylori is a major risk factor for gastritis, gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. Traditional therapy with proton pump inhibitor and antibiotics is regarded as optimal for H. pylori eradication whereas, the eradication rate is unsatisfactory. Studies have reported that cranberry may inhibit H. pylori adhesion to the human gastric mucus but lack of other berry extracts have been evaluated in clinical study. Thus, a 9-week add-on randomised controlled trial was conducted to explore the impact of blueberry and grape seed extract (BGE) combinations traditional therapy for H. pylori eradication. In results, we found that there was no significant difference of eradication rate between the berry extract group and placebo group in the intention-to-treat analysis and in the per-protocol analysis (94.64% versus 84.62%, p = 0.085). Diarrhoea, constipation and epigastric pain were observed increasing during ingestion of the berry extract in some cases. In conclusion, this study indicated that no significant difference existed between the BGE extract group and placebo group in eradication rate under triple therapy.
This study aimed at utilizing electroporation to further enhance the growth of lactobacilli and their isoflavone bioconversion activities in biotin-supplemented soymilk. Strains of lactobacilli were treated with different pulsed electric field strength (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 kV/cm) for 3, 3.5 and 4 ms prior to inoculation and fermentation in biotin-soymilk at 37°C for 24 h. Electroporation triggered structural changes within the cellular membrane of lactobacilli that caused lipid peroxidation (p 9 log CFU/ml after fermentation in biotin-soymilk (p
Ten strains of Lactobacillus were evaluated for their viability in soymilk. Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 314, L. acidophilus FTDC 8833, L. acidophilus FTDC 8633 and L. gasseri FTDC 8131 displayed higher viability in soymilk and were thus selected to be evaluated for viability and growth characteristics in soymilk supplemented with B-vitamins. Pour plate analyses showed that the supplementation of all B-vitamins studied promoted the growth of lactobacilli to a viable count exceeding 7 log CFU/ml. alpha-Galactosidase specific activity of lactobacilli as determined spectrophotometrically showed an increase upon supplementation of B-vitamins. High-performance liquid chromatography analyses revealed that this led to increased hydrolysis of soy oligosaccharides and subsequently higher utilization of simple sugars. Production of organic acids as determined via high-performance liquid chromatography also showed an increase, accompanied by a decrease in pH of soymilk. Additionally, the supplementation of B-vitamins also promoted the synthesis of riboflavin and folic acid by lactobacilli in soymilk. Our results indicated that B-vitamin-supplemented soymilk is a good proliferation medium for strains of lactobacilli.
Evidences from several studies suggest that probiotics affect glucose homeostasis. This paper reviews the results of animal and human studies on the role of probiotics in modulating glucose homeostasis.
Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. The prevalence of anaemia in the developing countries is three to four times higher than that in the developed countries. The iron status was assessed in 199 apparently healthy male and female adolescents aged 12-19 years living in a fishing community in Sabah, Malaysia. Data on socio-economic characteristics, lifestyles, anthropometry measurements, iron status, and dietary intake were gathered. Dietary intake of energy, iron, and most nutrients (with the exception of protein and vitamin C) were below the recommended levels for Malaysian adolescents. Three-quarters of the iron was derived from plant foods. The mean haemoglobin value for the male was 13.9 +/- 1.3 g/dl with 9.5% having less than 12 g/dl, while the respective figures for the female were 12.4 +/- 1.6 g/dl and 28.6%. The mean serum ferritin concentrations for male and female adolescents were 21.5 and 15.4 microg/l, respectively; with 25.7% of the males and 49.5% of the females having deficient levels of ferritin. Dietary intake of total energy and iron, and gender were found to be independent determinants of serum ferritin and haemoglobin levels, accounting for over 40% of the variations for each of these iron indicators. In males, but not in females, the intake of dietary protein and iron, and physical activity were also found to be significant determinants of serum ferritin. The age of subjects and household size were significant determinants of haemoglobin levels for male subjects, but not for female subjects. The findings indicate the importance of adequate intake of energy and dietary iron for improving the iron status of adolescents.
Cross-linked soy protein isolate (SPI) gels were produced via single-treatment of SPI with microbial transglutaminase (MTG) for 5 h or 24 h, or with ribose for 2 h, or via combined-treatments of SPI with MTG followed by heating with ribose. Assessment of gel strength and solubility concluded that measures which increased protein cross-links resulted in improved gel strength; however, in most cases the digestibility and amino acid content of the gels were reduced. The combined treated gel of SPI/MTG for 24 h/ribose was more easily digested by digestive enzymes and retained higher amounts of amino acids compared with the control Maillard gels of SPI with ribose. MTG consumed lysine and glutamine and reduced the availability of amino acids for the Maillard reaction with ribose. MTG was able to preserve the nutritional value of SPI against the destructive effect of the Maillard reaction and cross-links.
Quantitation of isoflavones in humans is important to establish the benefits of these compounds to the populations. Urinary isoflavones are frequently used as a biomarker of isoflavone bioavailability from food or supplement since urine contains 100-fold higher concentrations of isoflavones. The objective of the present study was to determine and compare the urinary excretions of daidzein (DA), genistein (GE) and equol (EQ) in postmenopausal Malay women following the consumption of tempeh and milk in a calcium absorption study and to test the hypothesis that the excretion of isoflavones following consumption of tempeh maybe higher compared with milk. The amounts of DA (47.06 ± 4.18 μmol/h), GE (33.27 ± 3.71 μmol/h) and EQ (24.35 ± 4.34 μmol/h) excreted in urine following tempeh consumption were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with those in milk (3.51 ± 0.62 μmol/h DA, 2.79 ± 0.35 μmol/h GE and 0 μmol/h EQ). Almost all studied postmenopausal Malay women were able to excrete EQ following consumption of 240 g tempeh but only one subject can be classified as an equol producer. We concluded that most postmenopausal Malay women excreted DA, GE and EQ in their urine following tempeh consumption and the amount of the excreted isoflavones were higher compared with those in milk. However, further studies are needed to determine whether longer periods of time are required to capture EQ producers.
Assessment of calcium bioavailability from non-dairy foods containing moderate amounts of calcium is especially important in populations that have habitually low dairy consumption. Absorption of calcium from milk and tempeh (a traditional fermented soy product) was compared in a sample of Malay subjects. A randomized, crossover design was utilized to assess calcium absorption in 20 postmenopausal women from either a glass of milk (114 g) or from a meal of tempeh (206 g); each containing 130 mg calcium. At each study of Phase 1 (mid-July) and Phase 2 (mid-August), intravenous (42)Ca and oral (44)Ca were administered and calcium absorption was measured in 24-h urine collections post-dosing; with a 1-month washout period between phases. Absorption of calcium from tempeh did not differ significantly from milk (36.9 +/- 10.6% vs. 34.3 +/- 8.6%, respectively). Due to differences in the calcium content of tempeh, four servings of this product would be needed to get the same amount of absorbed calcium as that obtained from a 4-ounce glass of milk. Tempeh may provide readily available calcium for this population of women at risk for low bone mass.
The risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases during the second trimester of pregnancy. However, the role of dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) on GDM risk is controversial. We aimed to determine the association of established risk factors of GDM with GI and GL among healthy pregnant women, and whether GI and GL were subsequently related to GDM risk. Dietary GI and GL were assessed in healthy pregnant women from the Seremban Cohort Study using a food frequency questionnaire. After adjusting for energy intake, high GI was significantly associated with lower household income, shorter stature, higher proportion of carbohydrate intake, lower sugar proportion and lower fibre intake. High GL was significantly associated with younger maternal age, higher carbohydrate proportion and lower fibre intake. GI and GL intakes were not significantly associated with GDM risk. However, they were associated with a few established risk factors of GDM.
Circulating zinc concentrations were measured in 73 healthy adult males and females 19-52 years of age who were volunteers for eight different metabolic studies at the University of California, Berkeley. The interindividual variation in the eight studies varied from 5 to 20%; the global coefficient of variation for all studies was 12 +/- 7% (mean +/- SD). The analysis of a reference plasma sample on six different days showed a mean coefficient of variation of 3.8%. Thus, only a small portion of the intraindividual variation is due to day-to-day analytical differences. There was no relationship between circulating zinc concentrations and age, height, or body mass index. Nor were there any significant differences due to gender. Information regarding dietary zinc and protein intakes was available from three-day weighed food intake records from 44 of the subjects. Plasma zinc concentrations were unrelated to the intake of either zinc or protein in those subjects. The results of this study show that the impact of age, gender, body size and dietary zinc or protein on circulating zinc concentrations are too small to be detected in the presence of the analytical and endogenous factors that influence plasma/serum zinc concentrations. Also, within a population of healthy adults, circulating zinc concentrations may vary by as much as 15%.
Flour was prepared from peeled and unpeeled banana Awak ABB. Samples prepared were subjected to analysis for determination of chemical composition, mineral, dietary fibre, starch and total phenolics content, antioxidant activity and pasting properties. In general, flour prepared from unpeeled banana was found to show enhanced nutrition values with higher contents of mineral, dietary fibre and total phenolics. Hence, flour fortified with peel showed relatively higher antioxidant activity. On the other hand, better pasting properties were shown when banana flour was blended with peel. It was found that a relatively lower pasting temperature, peak viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity and setback were evident in a sample blended with peel.