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.
Commercial samples of Malaysian cocoa butter (MCB), anhydrous milkfat (AMF), high melting fraction milkfat42 (HMF42) and cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) were blended in binary and ternary blends. All the fats were then evaluated for their solid fat content, thermal analyses and polymorphic stability. MCB possessed the highest solid followed by CBE, HMF42 and AMF. Data on thermal analyses showed that eutectic interaction was more noticeable when AMF and HMF42 were present in the MCB and CBE system. Moreover, X-ray diffraction patterns also showed that AMF and HMF42 exhibit the presence of beta' polymorph while MCB and CBE exhibit beta polymorph.
Palm oil (PO ; iodin value = 52), palm stearin (POs1; i.v. = 32 and POs2; i.v. = 40) and palm kernel oil (PKO; i.v. = 17) were blended in ternary systems. The blends were then studied for their physical properties such as melting point (m.p.), solid fat content (SFC), and cooling curve. Results showed that palm stearin increased the blends melting point while palm kernel oil reduced it. To produce table margarine with melting point (m.p.) below 40 degrees C, the POs1 should be added at level of < or = 16%, while POs2 at level of < or = 20%. At 10 degrees C, eutectic interaction occur between PO and PKO which reach their maximum at about 60:40 blending ratio. Within the eutectic region, to maintain the SFC at 10 degrees C to be < or = 50%, POs1 may be added at level of < or = 7%, while POs2 at level of < or = 12%. The addition of palm stearin increased the blends solidification Tmin and Tmax values, while PKO reduced them. Blends which contained high amount of palm stearin showed melting point and cooling curves quite similar to that of pastry margarine.
Two types of palm oil and sal fat based cocoa butter equivalents, namely fCBE (produced by using co-fractionation method) and mCBE (produced by using conventional method) were prepared. Results showed that the fCBE had triglyceride composition and solidification characteristics closer to the Malaysian cocoa butter than the mCBE produced at the same yield percentage. Increasing acetone washing time had little effect on the fCBE if compared to the effect of increasing palm olein to sal fat blend ratio. Co-fractionation technique increase the compatibility between CBE component triglycerides. Thus, more palm oil can be incorporated in the preparation and the process can be carried out at not low temperature as compared to the conventional method.
Nine formulations were processed into bologna with different ratios of soy protein isolate (SPI):sodium caseinate (SCA), i.e. 1:1, 1:2.5, 1:5, 5:1, 5:2.5, 5:5, 10:1, 10:2.5 and 10:5. The products were evaluated for yields, emulsion stability, physical measurements (shearforce-kgf and folding test) and taste panel evaluation. Formulations with 5:1 and 5:5 SPI:SCA had lower liquid loss resulting in higher yields while the others had poor emulsion stability and high liquid loss. Firmer texture was exhibited by formulations 1:1, 5:1 and 10:1 SPI:SCA but formulation with 1:1 SPI:SCA showed better gelation followed by 1:2.5, 1:5, 5:1, and 5:2.5. The other formulations had poor gelation and binding properties, especially formulation with 10:5 SPI:SCA. Sensory evaluation was carried out using 30 untrained panelists. Attributes evaluated were aroma, texture, chewiness, juiciness, saltiness, chicken taste and overall acceptance. Formulation with 5:1 SPI:SCA was more acceptable for texture, chicken taste and overall acceptance while formulation with 1:1 SPI:SCA was more acceptable for the chewiness, juiciness and saltiness attributes. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in aroma attribute, for all formulations.
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%.
There is a high and increasing global prevalence of nutraceuticals use. This study aims to systematically review and critically appraise all available evidence to identify the factors affecting consumers' decisions in taking nutraceuticals. Questionnaire, interview or focus group studies which directly reported factors affecting consumers' decisions in using nutraceuticals were included. A thematic synthesis method was employed to synthesis the findings from the included studies. Out of the 76 studies included, the key factors identified as the most important factors motivating consumers to take nutraceuticals were the perceived health benefits and safety of nutraceuticals, as well as the advice from healthcare professionals, friends and family. The identified barriers to take nutraceuticals were a lack of belief in the health benefit of nutraceuticals, the high cost of nutraceuticals and consumers' lack of knowledge about nutraceuticals. As a chief course of recommendation for the use of nutraceuticals, healthcare professionals should strive to utilise reliable information from clinical evidence to help consumers in making an informed decision in using nutraceuticals. Future studies should explore the possible ways to improve channelling clinical evidence information of nutraceuticals to the public.
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.
In this study, the insulin-like and insulin sensitising effects of the ellagitannins geraniin, corilagin, ellagic acid, gallic acid and Nephelium lappaceum rind extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was investigated. It was observed that non-toxic concentrations of geraniin and its metabolites (0.2-20 μM) and N. lappaceum extract (0.2-20 μg/mL) exhibited insulin-like properties in the absence of insulin and insulin-sensitising properties in the presence of insulin particularly with regards to glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The compounds were further able to promote adipocyte differentiation and may be involved in the inhibition of lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in the presence of insulin. However further study into the molecular mechanisms of action of these compounds need to be carried out to better understand the potential of these compounds/extracts to act as therapeutic agents for hyperglycaemia associated with diabetes mellitus and obesity.
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.
Blood pressure (BP) control is a key target for interventions to reduce cognitive decline. This cross-sectional study explored associations between objective (24-hour urine excretion) and subjective (food frequency questionnaire [FFQ]) measures of dietary sodium and nitrate intakes with cognitive function and resting BP in the InCHIANTI cohort. Baseline data from 989 participants aged >50 years were included. In fully adjusted models, participants with concurrent high nitrate and low sodium (Odds Ratio (OR)=0.49, 95%CI 0.32-0.76, p = 0.001) and high nitrate and high sodium (OR = 0.49, 95%CI 0.32-0.77, p = 0.002) 24-hour urinary concentrations had lower odds of high BP than participants with low nitrate and high sodium concentrations. We found no significant associations between sodium and nitrate intakes (24-hour urinary concentrations and FFQ) and poor cognitive performance. Urinary nitrate excretion was associated with lower BP and results appeared to be independent of sodium intake. Further analyses in longitudinal studies are required to substantiate these findings.
Hypertension is defined as the persistence of elevated blood pressure in the circulation system. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is a major modulator of blood pressure. Among the risk factors of cardiovascular disease, hypertension is the most preventable and treatable, with drugs such as ACE inhibitors. Many ACE inhibitors are known to have undesirable side effects and hence, natural alternatives are being sought. Dietary polyphenols, particularly ellagitannins, are derived from plant products and are known to exhibit a variety of bioactivities. Geraniin, an ellagitannin has been shown to have antihypertensive activity in animal experiments. It is speculated that the metabolites of geraniin are responsible for its ACE inhibitory activity. We have performed in vitro ACE inhibition and in silico studies with geraniin and its metabolites (ellagic acid, urolithins). Our studies confirm that ellagic acid exhibited similar inhibitory potential to ACE as the positive control captopril.
3',4'-Dihydroxycinnamic acid (aka caffeic acid) is a common dietary component found in a variety of plant-derived food products either in a free form or esterified as in chlorogenic acids such as 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid. The dihydroxycinnamate is produced principally by hydrolysis in the colon of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and other caffeoylquinic acid esters, and is catabolised by the resident microbiota prior to absorption. In the present study 3',4'-dihydroxycinnamic acid was incubated in vitro, with or without glucose, under anaerobic conditions with faecal slurries obtained from five volunteers. The main resultant catabolites to accumulate were 3-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid (aka dihydrocaffeic acid), 3-(3'-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid and phenylacetic acid. Both the rate of degradation of the hydroxycinnamate substrate and the catabolite profile varied between the faecal samples from the individual volunteers. Overall there was no clear cut effect when glucose was added to incubation medium.
This study was conducted to examine how subjects modulate their food intake and energy balance when they migrate from a low energy density food intake pattern to one of high energy density. It was hypothesised that an increase in the energy density of food consumed would result in increased body weight of the migrating subjects unless food intake and energy balance could be modulated. Food selection, food intake, basal metabolic rate (BMR) and anthropometric measurements were made on 53 female and 56 male newly arrived overseas students. All subjects were from Malaysia, but the data was collected at Oxford Brookes University where the subjects were studying. Food intake using 3-day food diaries and food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). BMR and anthropometric measurements including body weight were measured on arrival in the UK and after 3 and 6 months' stay. Student's t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare the data. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between the energy density of the foods consumed in Malaysia and after 3 and 6 months in the UK. There was also a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in protein consumed. However, there were no differences in total energy intake. From results of the FFQs, differences were found in food selection due mainly to the lack of availability of certain foods in UK supermarkets. No significant differences were found in the BMR and anthropometric measurements made at the start of the study and later assessments. It appears that Malaysian students are able to remain in energy balance and are weight stable at least during the first 6 months of residence in the UK, despite the wider choice of energy dense food available. This suggests that at least in the short term, subjects are able to modulate their food intake in response to changes in the energy densities and free choice of food.