Current Nutrition & Food Science - Volume 13, Issue 1, 2017

Autism is characterized by communication impairments, neurobehavioral, social abnormalities and immunological and metabolic dysfunction. Among these, gastrointestinal abnormalities are of clinical importance associated with the autistic individuals. Gastrointestinal abnormalities can affect the neuropathological and behavioral features and contribute to pathogenesis of autistic symptoms. Now a spate of new studies supports this notion and suggests that restoring proper microbial balance could alleviate some of the disorder's behavioral symptoms. Evidence is mounting that some of the beneficial intestinal microbiome called probiotics favors the individuals with autism supporting the gut-brain barrier. These probiotics may provide therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders. Therapies that target the gut microbiome may hold the key for making progress against a wide range of notoriously difficult psychiatric illnesses. Thus, a probiotic supplementation early in life may reduce the risk of neuropsychiatric disorder development later in childhood possible by mechanisms not limited to gut microbiota composition.

Scientific attentions have been recently drawn to functional foods consisting of biologically active components. Probiotics are one of the food components exerting beneficial health effects by balancing the microflora in the intestinal environment when consuming in an adequate amount and manufacturing of probiotic products, especially fermented dairy ones raised. In order to achieve health claim of commercialized probiotic products, enough quantity of each probiotic strain is essential. However, poor viability and high susceptibility of probiotic bacteria to the environmental conditions have encouraged food researchers to investigate various methods to enhance minimum viable numbers of each probiotic strain in probiotic products. Recently, using herbal extracts and essential oils in yogurt and fermented milk as new trends in order to improve the viability of probiotics has been taken into consideration. In this article, the importance of probiotics as functional food ingredients and the impact of extracts and essential oil from different sources on the viability of probiotic fermented milk are reviewed.

Background: The freshwater bagrid catfish, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, is used in hot chowder or tonic soup, and it has become a favorite inland aquaculturable species in Asian countries. To investigate the claims regarding its beneficial effects, we examined physical exercise performance in mice fed protein-rich P. fulvidraco extract. Methods: Mice were fed P. fulvidraco extract (25 mg/mL) orally once per day for 1 week at a dose of 10 μL/g body weight, and then forelimb grip strength, swimming endurance, body weight, and blood biochemical indicators were examined. Results: Bagrid catfish extract significantly enhanced grip strength to 1.25 ± 0.04 N (P < 0.01), which was 23% higher than that on day 0. The extract also increased swimming endurance to 86 ± 10 sec (P <0.05), which was 46% higher than that on day 0. After the gripping exercises, the blood glucose level was significantly increased to an average of 222% compared with the control level. Lactate dehydrogenase and glutathione peroxidase levels were also significantly increased by 350% and 205%, respectively. The urea level in blood serum was 60% compared with control. In addition, triglyceride and cholesterol levels decreased to 69% and 73%, respectively, in extract-fed mice. Conclusion: Bagrid catfish extract improved exercise performance and fatigue recovery by providing more blood glucose and decreasing lactate and oxidative stress caused by exhaustive exercise.

Aim: To explore the association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) consumption and salt intake in relation to blood pressure and body composition in adolescents living in Sicily, southern Italy. Methods: From September 2012 to June 2014, 1643 students attending 15 secondary schools in the district of Catania were invited to participate. The information collected included demographics, anthropometric data (bioelectrical impedance), physical activity level, and dietary habits based a food frequency questionnaire validated for the Italian youth population. Results: The mean age of participants was 12.4 years and more than half (53.8%) were boys. The 30.1% and 24.5% of the sample was overweight or obese, respectively. The 30.5% of participants consumed sugary drinks every day. After adjusting for confounding factors, SSBs consumption was positively associated with salt intake, BMI, and fat mass. Blood pressure was associated with SSBs intake only in overweight/obese subjects, which was no more significant after adjustment for salt intake. Conclusion: There is an association between salt intake and SSBs consumption. SSBs intake has been linked to increased BMI and fat mass. SSBs and salt consumption should be discouraged, particularly among children and adolescents, and obesity prevention strategies should include information and education about both SSBs and salt.

Background: Not only do infant formulas lack nutritional components supplied in breast milk, they lack a variety of maternal immune components normally transferred through breast milk, including microbial agglutinins. Bacterial aggregation by these agglutinins potentially reduces the likelihood of infection and is a critical step in the formation of the normal ecosystem of the infant’s gut, which is vital to proper immune system development. Objective: Given the need for better sources of breast milk for children who cannot receive their own mother’s milk, the effect of High Temperature, Short Time (HTST) pasteurization and Holder pasteurization methods on agglutinins in human breast milk was assessed. Methods: For this purpose, a small scale HTST pasteurization apparatus and protocol was created and validated. Bacterial aggregation was assessed indirectly by measuring initial changes in CFUs following post-pasteurization addition of exogenous bacteria, with less increase in CFUs being indicative of aggregation. Results: Raw milk and Holder pasteurized milk resulted in the fewest CFUs, with no difference observed between the two preparations. Interestingly, HTST pasteurized breast milk did not result in fewer CFUs than Holder pasteurized milk (p = 0.03), suggesting that the Holder method of pasteurization is at least as effective as HTST pasteurization at preserving bacterial agglutinins in human breast milk. Conclusion: Although more CFUs were observed in the assay using boiled human breast milk than any other milk preparation, the most CFUs were observed with infant formula, suggesting a propensity for that material to support uncontrolled planktonic bacterial growth.

Background: During maturation and ripening, fruits undergo numerous biochemical reactions by either accumulating or degrading different metabolites. Most fruits accumulate sugars during maturation and ripening. Method: This study investigates the profile of short chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) of two ackee fruit varieties (Blighia sapida Köenig). scFOS of arils (edible) and husk (non-edible) of “cheese” and “butter” varieties were profiled during five different maturation and ripening stages using HPAEC-PAD. Results: Results showed that in arils, glucose increased by 0.6 and 2.7 folds in “cheese” and “butter” varieties, respectively, while fructose variation averaged 20% in arils during maturation. In arils, sucrose increased progressively during maturation by 1.3 to 1.7 folds in both varieties. Surprisingly, three scFOS (1-kestose, nystose and DP-5) have been identified and their contents were variable, but DP5 content was lower in the husk. In the two arils varieties, total saccharides increased significantly during maturation and ripening; however, in the husk, total saccharides increased and then decreased during the last three stages. Total scFOS increased during the first two stages and decreased during the last three stages. Surprisingly, saccharides to scFOS ratio increased in arils during maturation and ripening in the two varieties, while in the husk, the ratio showed a decrease at stage three. Conclusion: Results indicate that more saccharides were accumulated during the last maturation stages, while scFOS accumulated in the first stages. Results also indicate that the edible arils accumulate more carbohydrates than the husks.

Background: There are a great interest for studying the health benefits of vegetables that are rich sources of bioactive compounds. Dried chili is a spice product and the one most widely used as condiments in the world. The quality of dried chili is assessed by a number of different parameters such as color, ascorbic acid content and volatile flavor compounds. Methods: Two varieties of red chili pepper “Serrano and Fresno” was used in this study to investigate the effect of two different drying methods “solar drying at 45 °C and conventional drying at 60 °C” on the physical properties "color, rehydration ratio and firmness" and bioactive content “total phenolic compound, vitamin C and Total carotenoids” of chili pepper. Results: The solar drying method recorded lowest decreasing in color parameters “L, a, and b”. Moreover, rehydration ratio of solar dried chili pepper is higher than conventional drying method, and firmness of conventional dried chili pepper received the lowest texture intensity score. The conventional drying method had the highest content of all bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds (321.12-207.14 mg/100 g), vitamin C (37.34-29.00 mg/100 g) and Total carotenoids (92.34- 90.75 mg/100 g) for Serrano and Fresno varieties respectively. Conclusion: The solar drying method showed high values for physical properties “color and rehydration ratio” than the conventional drying method for both varieties, and there was a significant reduction in the bioactive content of all the dried chili varieties. But the reduction was significantly lower in the conventional dryer than the solar dryer.

Background: Brain tissues oxidative damage has been proposed to occur as a result of epileptic seizures. With respect to the antioxidant effects of Pinus eldarica (P. eldarica), the impacts of a hydroalcoholic extract of the plant on the brain tissues oxidative damage taking after seizures induced by Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) was investigated in rats. Methods: The rats were divided into 6 groups and treated: (1) Control(saline); (2) PTZ (100 mg/kg, i.p.), [3-6] four doses including 20, 50, 200 and 500 mg/kg of P. eldarica extract (Ext 20, Ext 50, Ext 200, Ext 500) 30 min before PTZ injection. Latencies to the first Minimal Clonic (MCS) and Generalized Tonic-Clonic (GTCS) seizures were recorded. The hippocampal tissues were then collected for biochemical measurements. Results: The extract non-significantly postponed both the MCS and GTCS onsets. PTZ- induced seizure increased Malondialdehyde (MDA) (P<0.001) concentration while, diminished thiol contents (P<0.01) of hippocampal tissues. Pretreatment with 200 mg of the extract diminished MDA level in the hippocampal tissues compared to the PTZ group (P<0.001). Both 50 and 200 mg/kg of the extract improved thiol concentration in the hippocampal tissues (p<0.01). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the extract of P. eldarica possess protective effects against hippocampal tissues oxidative damage in PTZ- induced seizure model.

Introduction: The present investigation was carried out to study antihyperglycemic activity of formulation prepared by spray-dried powder of fruit juice of E. officinalis (SDF) on animal model of type 1 diabetes. Methods: Hyperglycemia was produced by streptozotocin 45 mg/kg i.v. and formulation was administered orally (100 mg/kg) for 28 days to diabetic rats. At the end of 28 days various biochemical parameters such as serum glucose, insulin, AUCglucose, AUC insulin and lipid profile were estimated. Results: STZ induced rats showed signs and symptoms of diabetes such as body weight loss, polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, treatment with formulation produced slight improvement in these symptoms. Treatment with formulation to diabetic rat produced significant decrease in serum glucose, AUCglucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol. However, insulin, AUCinsulin and serum high density lipoprotein level were not significantly affected after treatment. Treatment also produced reduction in malonaldehyde levels and increased antioxidant enzymes levels in diabetic rats. Conclusion: Thus, formulation of E. officinalis significantly improved glucose and lipid dysfunction and oxidative stress in diabetic status. The mechanism of its antidiabetic activity may be either increase in peripheral glucose uptake, reduced insulin resistance or antioxidant property of formulation.

Background: Dental caries is closely related to the nutritional habits. Mother’s nutritional knowledge affects the nutritional habits and choices of the child. Mother is mostly responsible for child’s nourishment and represents the ideal for them. According to many studies, the most consumed foods at schools are chips, biscuit, pastry and soft drinks. Aim: This study aimed to determine the snack food most consumed by children at a primary school in Damascus, and to investigate the mother’s knowledge about the preferred food kinds for the children’s dental health, Also we aimed to determine the rate of students who consume homemade food at school. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on a primary public school children in Damascus. 396 students were randomly included, aged between 8 to 12 years. Information was obtained through a questionnaire filled by the mothers. Teacher’s notes were also taken in consideration. Results: Almost 60% of the children used to regularly consume homemade food at school, (35.79%) sometimes and (4.21%) never. The most consumed snack foods according to the mother’s answers were biscuit 64.74%, chips 33.68%, chocolates 23.16%, other food 13.68%, peanuts 8.95% and 1.58% of the mothers said they have no idea. According to the teacher’s observation the rates were; biscuit 42.85%, chips 39.28%, chocolate 21.41% and peanuts 10.71%. Children who did not consume any snack food at school comprised 6.32% of the study sample, 26.84% consumed it once a week, 22.63% twice a week, 15.79% three times a week, 14.21% four times a week and 8.42% five times a week. Most mothers (43.68%) considered peanuts as the healthiest snack food for teeth; 35.26% considered biscuit, 7.89% chips, 6.84% preferred chocolate and 16.32% couldn’t choose the preference of these foods. Conclusion: The most consumed snack food by the children of Damascus schools is biscuit, chips, chocolate and peanuts in this order. Peanuts are considered the healthiest food for the teeth according to mothers. Most of the students usually bring homemade food to the school in Damascus.

Background: Cauliflower is an important vegetable in human diet as it is associated with various health benefits. Main quality loss of cauliflower is due to the poor post-harvest practices. Radiation processing is gaining popularity now a days as one of the promising alternative to address quality retention of product. Since aroma quality of vegetable is crucial for its consumer acceptance therefore study of changes in volatile compounds of vegetables due to post harvest processing is required. Objective: The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of radiation processing (0.5 - 2 kGy) and storage (4 °C for 21 days) on the volatile constituents of minimally processed cauliflower. Method: Head Space Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) was used for aroma extraction from cauliflower and subsequent analysed by GC-MS. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used for data analysis. Cauliflower samples irradiated with different doses were also subjected to sensory evaluation along with non-irradiated control samples. Results: Data analysis using principal component analysis suggested significant differences both due to irradiation and storage. A 2.37, 1.96, 2.78 and 2.48 fold increase in the content of odour active compounds such as Dimethyl Disulphide (DMDS), Dimethyl Trisulfide (DMTS), dimethyl tetrasulfide, and Methanethiol (MT) respectively, immediately after irradiation was noted at 1 kGy. Sensory analysis of aroma quality supported the acceptance of radiation processing for cauliflower. Conclusion: PCA analysis suggested significant differences in volatile profile both due to radiation processing and storage, however radiation processing was not found to affect sensory acceptability of the product.