Traditionally, Malaysian women (Malay, Indian and Chinese) breastfed their infants as a matter of course and for an extended period of time; only elite Chinese women might have resorted to a wet-nurse. But the introduction of condensed and dehydrated milk in colonial Malaya from the late nineteenth century, and the later marketing also of commercially manufactured baby foods, led to some variation in traditional practice. Structural changes, industrialiZation and urbanisation affected social as well as economic life, and again these broad changes had an impact on infant feeding. Today, few women remain unfamiliar with the wide range of infant food products sold in the most isolated provision shops. This paper focuses on key sociological factors that might predict the frequency and duration of breastfeeding and weaning patterns. The data analysed below, collected during semi-structured interviews with 278 women presenting at Maternal and Child Health Clinics in Peninsular Malaysia, are in part confusing. They suggest that the women most likely to bottle feed only or to breast feed for a short period, and to use commercial baby foods, are young, with one child only, who reside in urban or peri-urban areas and have a reasonable household income. Higher educated women, and women whose husbands are in non-traditional occupations, are also less likely to breast feed or to do so for an extended period. But the profile of infant feeding practices is by no means clear. One of the shortcomings of the study relates to the method of collection of data, and highlights the need for detailed ethnographic studies to better explore the variability and complexity of the patterns of infant feeding.
The bovine milk allergenic protein, 'β-lactoglobulin' is one of the leading causes of milk allergic reaction. In this research, a novel label-free non-faradaic capacitive aptasensor was designed to detect β-lactoglobulin using a Laser Scribed Graphene (LSG) electrode. The graphene was directly engraved into a microgapped (~ 95 µm) capacitor-electrode pattern on a flexible polyimide (PI) film via a simple one-step CO2 laser irradiation. The novel hybrid nanoflower (NF) was synthesized using 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) as the organic molecule and copper (Cu) as the inorganic molecule via one-pot biomineralization by tuning the reaction time and concentration. NF was fixed on the pre-modified PI film at the triangular junction of the LSG microgap specifically for bio-capturing β-lactoglobulin. The fine-tuned CDI-Cu NF revealed the flower-like structures was viewed through field emission scanning electron microscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed the interactions with PI film, CDI-Cu NF, oligoaptamer and β-lactoglobulin. The non-faradaic sensing of milk allergen β-lactoglobulin corresponds to a higher loading of oligoaptamer on 3D-structured CDI-Cu NF, with a linear range detection from 1 ag/ml to 100 fg/ml and attomolar (1 ag/ml) detection limit (S/N = 3:1). This novel CDI-Cu NF/LSG microgap aptasensor has a great potential for the detection of milk allergen with high-specificity and sensitivity.
Meat is a rich source of energy that provides high-value animal protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and trace amounts of carbohydrates. Globally, different types of meats are consumed to fulfill nutritional requirements. However, the increasing burden on the livestock industry has triggered the mixing of high-price meat species with low-quality/-price meat. This work aimed to differentiate different meat samples on the basis of metabolites. The metabolic difference between various meat samples was investigated through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis approaches like principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). In total, 37 metabolites were identified in the gluteal muscle tissues of cow, goat, donkey and chicken using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. PCA was found unable to completely differentiate between meat types, whereas OPLS-DA showed an apparent separation and successfully differentiated samples from all four types of meat. Lactate, creatine, choline, acetate, leucine, isoleucine, valine, formate, carnitine, glutamate, 3-hydroxybutyrate and α-mannose were found as the major discriminating metabolites between white (chicken) and red meat (chevon, beef and donkey). However, inosine, lactate, uracil, carnosine, format, pyruvate, carnitine, creatine and acetate were found responsible for differentiating chevon, beef and donkey meat. The relative quantification of differentiating metabolites was performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey test. Our results showed that NMR-based metabolomics is a powerful tool for the identification of novel signatures (potential biomarkers) to characterize meats from different sources and could potentially be used for quality control purposes in order to differentiate different meat types.
Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*; Food Contamination/prevention & control
Soy sauce, a dark-colored seasoning, is added to enhance the sensory properties of foods. Soy sauce can be consumed as a condiment or added during the preparation of food. There are 3 types of soy sauce: fermented, acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (acid- HVP), and mixtures of these. 3-Chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is a heat-produced contaminants formed during the preparation of soy sauce and was found to be a by-product of acid-HVP-produced soy sauce in 1978. 3-MCPD has been reported to be carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, and reproductively toxic in laboratory animal testing and has been registered as a chemosterilant for rodent control. 3-MCPD is classified as a possible carcinogenic compound, and the maximum tolerated limit in food has been established at both national and international levels. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the detection of 3-MCPD in soy sauce, its toxic effects, and the potential methods to reduce its concentration, especially during the production of acid-HVP soy sauce. The methods of quantification are also critically reviewed with a focus on efficiency, suitability, and challenges encountered in analysis.
One of the novel and progressive technology employed in pharmaceutical manufacturing, design of medical device and tissue engineering is three-dimensional (3D) printing. 3D printing technologies provide great advantages in 3D scaffolds fabrication over traditional methods in the control of pore size, porosity, and interconnectivity. Various techniques of 3D-printing include powder bed fusion, fused deposition modeling, binder deposition, inkjet printing, photopolymerization and many others which are still evolving. 3D-printing technique been employed in developing immediate release products, various systems to deliver multiple release modalities etc. 3D printing has opened the door for new generation of customized drug delivery with built-in flexibility for safer and effective therapy. Our mini-review provides a quick snapshot on an overview of 3D printing, various techniques employed, applications and its advancements in pharmaceutical sciences.
Matched MeSH terms: United States Food and Drug Administration
Various 6-methoxytetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives, namely BEN (6-methoxy-1-phenyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), ANI (6-methoxy-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), ACE (6-methoxy-1-methyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) and VAN (2-methoxy-4-(6-methoxy-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indol-1-l)phenol), were prepared via the Maillard reaction using food flavours and 5-methoxytryptamine in aqueous medium and were investigated for their in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties. These derivatives were found to exhibit moderate antioxidant properties, based on a combination of DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. The results suggested that the Maillard reaction could be used to generate β-carboline antioxidants. It was beneficial that VAN showed the highest antioxidant activity but the least cytotoxic activities on non-tumourous cell lines of NIH/3T3, CCD18-Co and B98-5 using MTT assay. ACE, ANI and BEN showed mild toxicity at effective antioxidative concentrations derived from DPPH and ABTS assays. Furthermore, they are safer compared to 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin and betulinic acid on NIH/3T3, CCD18-Co and B98-5 cells. In conclusion, the antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties of 6-methoxytetrahydro-β-carbolines were demonstrated for the first time.
The research field of culinary and medicinal mushrooms has been well developed since the first relevant publication in 1966. However, to date, there has been no bibliometric analysis published specifically for this field. This study aimed to assess the most influential publications as well as the research trends and important drivers in the field of culinary and medicinal mushrooms. Scopus was used to identify relevant publications and the 1000 most-cited publications were identified and analyzed. Bradford's law of scattering shows one-third of the papers were published in 14 core journals, with a total of 102 papers published in International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. There is an insignificant negative correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = -0.355) between the journal impact factor and publication count. VOSviewer was used to generate a country network. China represents Asia's research center in this field, having contributed 20% of the 1000 most-cited publications. A term map was also created to visualize the co-occurrence of key terms in the domain. Different biological activities such as antioxidant and antitumor properties of mushrooms appeared to be a recurring topic in this field. Wasser (2003) showed the highest citation count (n = 1282), which is almost double the second most-cited publication (n = 611). There is a weak positive correlation (r = +0.237) between the years since publication and total citation count. In conclusion, this bibliometric study will assist researchers to comprehend the current status of the research on culinary and medicinal mushrooms, and to visualize the future impact of such an important field.
A developed colorimetric pH sensor film based on edible materials for real-time monitoring of food freshness is described. The mixed natural dyes from edible plants Clitoria sp and Brassica sp were extracted and incorporated into ι-carrageenan film as a colorimetric pH sensor film for monitoring food spoilage and its freshness. The color changes of the developed colorimetric sensor film were measured with chromametry and UV-vis spectroscopy, respectively. Experimental results show that colorimetric pH sensor film demonstrated statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between CIE-L*a*b* coordinates color system indicated that the developed colorimetric sensor film was able to give a gradual change in color over a wide pH range. The color of the colorimetric sensor film also changes discretely and linearly with factors that contribute to food spoilage using shrimp and durian samples. Moreover, the developed colorimetric pH sensor film has the potential to be used as a safe, non-destructive testing and also a flexibly visual method for direct assessment of food freshness indicator during storage.
Different parts of a plant (seeds, fruits, flower, leaves, stem, and roots) contain numerous biologically active compounds called "phytoconstituents" that consist of phenolics, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. The conventional techniques applied to extract these phytoconstituents have several drawbacks including poor performance, low yields, more solvent use, long processing time, and thermally degrading by-products. In contrast, modern and advanced extraction nonthermal technologies such as pulsed electric field (PEF) assist in easier and efficient identification, characterization, and analysis of bioactive ingredients. Other advantages of PEF include cost-efficacy, less time, and solvent consumption with improved yields. This review covers the applications of PEF to obtain bioactive components, essential oils, proteins, pectin, and other important materials from various parts of the plant. Numerous studies compiled in the current evaluation concluded PEF as the best solution to extract phytoconstituents used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. PEF-assisted extraction leads to a higher yield, utilizes less solvents and energy, and it saves a lot of time compared to traditional extraction methods. PEF extraction design should be safe and efficient enough to prevent the degradation of phytoconstituents and oils.
Living free from hunger is a basic human right. However, some communities still experience household food insecurity. This systematic literature review explored different aspects of household food insecurity in Malaysia including vulnerable groups, prevalence, risk factors, coping strategies, and the consequences of food insecurity. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Thirty-three relevant articles were selected from scientific databases such as CINAHL, Pubmed and Google Scholar, scrutiny of reference lists, and personal communication with experts in the field. The prevalence of household food insecurity in Malaysia was unexpectedly reported as high, with affected groups including Orang Asli, low-income household/welfare-recipient households, university students, and the elderly. Demographic risk factors and socioeconomic characteristics included larger household, living in poverty, and low education. Coping strategies were practices to increase the accessibility of food in their households. Consequences of household food insecurity included psychological, dietary (macro- and micronutrient intakes), nutritional status, and health impacts. In conclusion, this review confirmed that household food insecurity in Malaysia continues to exist. Nevertheless, extensive and active investigations are encouraged to obtain a more holistic and comprehensive picture pertaining to household food security in Malaysia.
This work presents current information on the presence of aflatoxins (AFs) and zearalenone (ZEN) in feed and feed ingredients from Punjab, Pakistan. The 105 samples tested were concentrated feed, i.e., cotton seed meal (18 samples) and soybean meal (14), and feed ingredients, i.e., crushed corn (17), crushed wheat (15), barley (17). and poultry feed (24). Samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a fluorescence detector. Analysis revealed that 69 of 105 samples were contaminated with AFs, and the highest mean concentrations of AFB1 (6.20 μg/kg) and total AFs (9.30 μg/kg) were found in poultry feed samples. The mean total AF concentrations ranged from the limit of quantification to 165.5 μg/kg. However, 75 of the 105 samples were positive for ZEN. The highest mean concentration (19.45 μg/kg) was found in poultry feed samples. The mean ZEN concentrations were 0.15 to 145.30 μg/kg. The prevalence of AFs and ZEN was high in feed and feed ingredients and needs urgent attention.
Leptospirosis is a major zoonotic disease, especially in the tropics, and rodents were known to be carriers of this bacterium. There was established information on Leptospira prevalence among animal reservoirs in human-dominated landscapes from previous literature. However, there was very little focus given comparing the prevalence of Leptospira in a wide range of habitats. An extensive sampling of small mammals from various landscapes was carried out, covering oil palm plantations, paddy fields, recreational forests, semi-urbans, and wet markets in Peninsular Malaysia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in a diversity of small mammals across different landscapes. Cage-trapping was deployed for small mammals' trappings, and the kidneys of captured individuals were extracted, for screening of pathogenic Leptospira by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using LipL32 primer. Eight microhabitat parameters were measured at each study site. Out of 357 individuals captured, 21 (5.9%) were positive for pathogenic Leptospira of which recreational forest had the highest prevalence (8.8%) for landscape types, whereas Sundamys muelleri shows the highest prevalence (50%) among small mammals' species. Microhabitat analysis reveals that rubbish quantity (p food waste, and exposure to humans in each landscape type also were linked with high prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira among the small mammals. This study supplements previous studies on pathogenic Leptospira prevalence across different landscape types, and the major microhabitat factors associated with Leptospira prevalence. This information is crucial for epidemiological surveillance and habitat management to curb the possibility of the disease outbreaks.
Bone remodelling is a complex and tightly regulated process. Disruption of bone remodelling skewing towards resorption will cause osteoporosis and increase the risk of fragility fracture. Honey is a natural product containing various bioactive ingredients with health benefits, especially polyphenols. Therefore, honey may be a novel dietary supplement to prevent osteoporosis. This review aims to summarize the current evidence on the effects of honey on bone health. The evidence reported so far indicates a skeletal-beneficial effect of honey in animal models of osteoporosis. However, the number of studies on humans is limited. Honey can protect the bone via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, primarily through its polyphenol content that acts upon several signalling pathways, leading to bone anabolic and antiresorptive effects. In conclusion, honey is a potential functional food for bone health, but the dose and the bioactive contents of honey need to be verified prior to its application in humans.
Currently, there are no harmonized guidelines which govern skin banking in the Asia Pacific region. Therefore, skin banks are either unregulated or rely on their nation's legislation or international accreditation to uphold their quality standards. A new set of skin banking guidelines was developed through a comprehensive review and collation of best international practices for the Asia Pacific Burn Association (APBA) members, from donor screening and testing, to skin recovery, processing, storage and distribution, and quality assurance. National regulatory requirements reviewed include the European directives, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration and Singapore's tissue banking standards. Further technical and quality management recommendations are referenced from the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), the United States Food and Drug Administration standards and guidance documents, various relevant European guides, Japanese Society of Tissue Transplantation guidelines and the Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking. Adapted mainly from the AATB standards, the new Asia Pacific Burn Association Guidelines for Skin Banking in Therapeutic Applications offer a comprehensive manual, addressing: governance and contracts; staff responsibilities; quality management; facilities, equipment and supplies management; donor consent and testing; and recommendations of good practices pertaining to skin recovery, processing, storage and distribution. Besides complementing current generic regulations, they provide technical specifications of major aspects unaddressed in most legislations. This inaugural set of new regional skin banking guidelines would be a start for regional members of the APBA to adopt, and will hopefully culminate in a set of standards so that, in the long run, skin allografts from this region can be of similar quality, which can simplify import process and facilitate the exchange of allografts between members.
Matched MeSH terms: United States Food and Drug Administration
Overconsumption of plastic goods and improper handling of petroleum-derived plastic waste have brought a plethora of negative impacts to the environment, ecosystem and human health due to its recalcitrance to degradation. These drawbacks become the main driving force behind finding biopolymers with the degradable properties. With the advancement in biopolymer research, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and poly(lacyic acid) (PLA) and its composites have been alluded to as a potential alternative to replace the petrochemical counterpart. This review highlights the current synthesis process and application of PHAs and PLA and its composites for food packaging materials and coatings. These biopolymers can be further ameliorated to enhance their applicability and are discussed by including the current commercially available packaging products. Factors influencing biodegradation are outlined in the latter part of this review. The main aim of this review article is to organize the scattered available information on various aspects of PHAs and PLA, and its composites for packaging application purposes. It is evident from a literature survey of about 140 recently published papers from the past 15 years that PLA and PHA show excellent physical properties as potential food packaging materials.
Fungi are distributed worldwide and can be found in various foods and feedstuffs from almost every part of the world. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some fungal species and may impose food safety risks to human health. Among all mycotoxins, aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), trichothecenes, deoxynivalenol (DON and T-2 toxin), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisins (FMN) have received much attention due to high frequency and severe health effects in humans and animals. Malaysia has heavy rainfall throughout the year, high temperatures (28 to 31 °C), and high relative humidity (70% to 80% during wet seasons). Stored crops under such conditions can easily be contaminated by mycotoxin-producing fungi. The most important mycotoxins in Malaysian foods are AFs, OTA, DON, ZEN, and FMN that can be found in peanuts, cereal grains, cocoa beans, and spices. AFs have been reported to occur in several cereal grains, feeds, nuts, and nut products consumed in Malaysia. Spices, oilseeds, milk, eggs, and herbal medicines have been reported to be contaminated with AFs (lower than the Malaysian acceptable level of 35 ng/g for total AFs). OTA, a possible human carcinogen, was reported in cereal grains, nuts, and spices in Malaysian market. ZEN was detected in Malaysian rice, oat, barley, maize meal, and wheat at different levels. DON contamination, although at low levels, was reported in rice, maize, barley, oat, wheat, and wheat-based products in Malaysia. FMN was reported in feed and some cereal grains consumed in Malaysia. Since some food commodities are more susceptible than others to fungal growth and mycotoxin contamination, more stringent prevention and control methods are required.
The food production industry is a significant contributor to the generation of millions of tonnes of waste every day. With the increasing public concern about waste production, utilizing the waste generated from popular fruits and vegetables, which are rich in high-added-value compounds, has become a focal point. By efficiently utilizing food waste, such as waste from the fruit and vegetable industries, we can adopt a sustainable consumption and production pattern that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper provides an overview of the high-added-value compounds derived from fruit and vegetable waste and their sources. The inclusion of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibrowning properties can enhance the quality of materials due to the high phenolic content present in them. Waste materials such as peels, seeds, kernels, and pomace are also actively employed as adsorbents, natural colorants, indicators, and enzymes in the food industry. Therefore, this article compiles all consumer-applicable uses of fruit and vegetable waste into a single document.