Association Of Official Analytical Chemists Research Articles

Acid stress responses of Lactobacillus amylovorus and Candida kefyr isolated from fermented sorghum gruel and their application in food fermentation.

Exposure of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts to adverse fluctuations during fermentation causes stress; consequently, microbes develop adaptive responses. In this study, we investigated the physiological and proteomic responses of LAB and yeast to acid stress and their application in food fermentation. The physiological and proteomic responses of Lactobacillus amylovorus LS07 and Candida kefyr YS12 to acid stress were measured using turbidimetry, SDS-PAGE, and LC-MS/MS. The technique previously reported by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) was employed to evaluate the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of sorghum gruel fermented using LAB and yeast alone and in combination as starter cultures and spontaneous fermentation as a control. The growth of L. amylovorus LS07 was optimal at pH 1.0, and that of C. kefyr YSI2 was optimal at pH 4. An increased intensity of 30S ribosomal protein S2 (L. amylovorus LS07) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (C. kefyr YS12) was observed at pH 1 and 4, respectively, suggesting increased microbial metabolism, thereby reducing the stress. Sorghum gruel produced with combined starters had the highest crude protein (10.94%), iron content (0.0085%), and organoleptic acceptability (7.29), which was significantly different from the products produced with the single starters and the control. The combined starter (L. amylovorus LS07 and C. kefyr YSI2) adapted to stress yielded foods with improved sensory properties, minerals, and reduced anti-nutrient contents.

Nutritional and Phytochemical Properties of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Mistletoe (Tapinanthus Bangwensis) Grown on Orange Tree

Background: African mistletoe (Tapinanthus bagwensis) is a parasitic plant commonly used in folk medicine. The bioconstituents and thus its nutritional and ethnomedicinal uses may be greatly affected by ecological interactions between the plant and host. Objectives: This study investigated the proximate and phytochemical compositions of aqueous leaf extract of Tapinanthus bangwensis grown on orange tree. Methods: Standard methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) was used to evaluate the proximate and mineral elements compositions of Tapinanthus bangwensis aqueous leaf extract. Vitamins content and presence of lectin was quantified using high performance liquid chromatography and via hemagglutinating activity respectively. Phytochemicals were determined using spot test and spectrophotometrically. Results: The proximate analysis revealed that T. bangwensis aqueous leaf extract contained total carbohydrate (12.72 ± 0.1 %), crude fat (9.65±0.3%), protein (6.8 ± 0.4%), ash (3.5 ± 0.1%), moisture (0.13 ± 0.2%) and crude fibre (67.2 ± 0.1%). The minerals (mg/ 100 g dry weight) present were K (147.3 ± 0.01) > Ca (90.70 ± 0.025) > P (62.9 ± 0.025) > Na (54.6 ± 0.03) > Mg (43.05 ± 0.02) > Mn (34.00 ± 0.01) > Zn (24.90 ± 0.015) > Iodine (2.05 ± 0.01). Vitamins A, D, B2, E, K, B12 and Folic acid were relatively abundant compared to other vitamins. The extract possessed lectin depicted by hemagglutination activity on different animal species’ blood samples. The phytochemicals (mg/100 g) concentration was tannin (108.65 ± 0.04), phenol (66.7 ± 0.01), flavonoid (44.58 ± 0.03), cyanogenic glycoside (24.53 ± 0.02) and saponin (2.40 ± 0.02). Conclusion: Given these nutritional, phytochemical constituents and their concentrations, T. bangwensis aqueous leaf extract could be a good nutrient source for consumers and might be beneficial in maintaining good health.

SIMULTANEOUS ANALYSIS METHOD OF TEN WATERSOLUBLE VITAMINS WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY IN FISH FEED ADDITIVES

Water-soluble vitamins (WSVs) as feed additives are useful for increasing growth and immunity against diseases. Analysis of WSVs has been carried out using HPLC with fluorescence or diode arrays detector. Currently, there is no simultaneous analysis method for 10 WSVs with an HPLC UV detector at two wavelengths detection. This study aimed to develop a simultaneous analysis method for 10 WSVs (vitamin B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, ascorbic acid, niacin, and nicotinamide) with an HPLC-UV at 210 and 254 nm. The results showed that this method was able to analyze 10 WSVs in 25 min, with an isocratic mobile phase (24:76) consisting of methanol (A) and 0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 3.0 containing 0.01 M sodium 1-hexane sulfonate and 0.1% TEA (B), Shimpack C18 (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5μm) column, at flow rate 1 ml/min. The method has been validated with parameters based on the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The method has good specificity with resolution >1.15. Linearity was expressed as a correlation coefficient of r > 0.99. The LOD ranged from 0.71 mg/L and 16.32 mg/L; whereas the LOQ ranged from 2.23 mg/L and 54.40 mg/L. Intra-day and inter-day precision were expressed as relative standard deviations in the range of 0.16% to 4.18% and 0.40% to 5.59%, respectively. While the accuracies were in the range of 81.6% to 109.71%. The method can be used to quantify 10 WSVs in fish feed additives for routine analysis in the laboratory.

Performance of Isa-Brown Layers and the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer of the Mineral Content of Eggs Produced by Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder Supplementation

Moringa oleifera leaves richly contain numerous nutrients that can be used to induce performance in animals and when supplemented in layer feeds can improve the feed intake, body weight, egg qualities and mineral content of the eggs. The study was aimed to determine the performance of layers, egg quality and mineral profile of the eggs produced by inclusion of varying percentages of M. oleifera leaf powder in the feed of layers. Two hundred and forty Isa-brown layer birds were offered 0%, 2.5%, 5.0% and 7.5% M. oleifera leaf powder supplemented feeds respectively, using a completely randomized design. The mineral analysis was done following the procedure of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Data collected were analysed using analysis of variance at 0.05 level of significance. The results indicated that the body weight, feed intake, FCR, egg weight, egg length and shell thickness were significantly higher in layers fed M. oleifera leaf powder. However, the laying percentage was significantly higher in the control. The phosphorous, sodium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, selenium and chromium contents of the eggs increased as the percentage of moringa inclusion increased. The eggs produced by layers fed with 5% M. oleifera leaf powder had significantly highest contents of magnesium, potassium and calcium, but decreased with further supplementation of moringa. The findings indicated that the supplementation of M. oleifera leaf powder at various levels improves the mineral contents of eggs but this is significantly achieved at a higher inclusion rate.

Nutritional value and antioxidant properties of Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel., fruit from midhills of western Nepal

Fruit consumption has long been recognized for its beneficial impact on human health. Persimmon fruit (Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel.) is a popular wild edible fruit distributed in mid-hill regions of Western Nepal and is used in treatment of various ailments by local people. Although, persimmon is a popular fruit, its significant nutritive values and bioactive compounds are still unexplored in Nepal. This research on nutritional and phytochemical analysis of persimmon fruit pulp was carried out using standardized analytical methods (Association of Official Analytical Chemists, AOAC) and microplate spectrophotometry with ultraviolet (UV) detection. The results revealed that the fruit is rich in sugar (66.52±2.17 mg /g), fiber (103.95 mg/g), ash (107.44 mg/g) and total phenolic content (112±2.89 mg GAEs/g) and the mild supplier of antioxidants.

Adaptation and validation of a method for evaluating the bactericidal activity of ethyl alcohol in gel format 70% (w/w)

Ethyl alcohol 70% (w/w) is a broad-spectrum bactericidal agent that is mandatorily marketed as a gel in Brazil since 2002. However, there is no method described for the microbiological quality control of surface disinfectants in the form of gel, which makes it impossible to monitor the effectiveness of these products by the Health Surveillance. Thus, the present study aimed to adapt an analytical method and validate it so that it is possible to evaluate the bactericidal activity of ethyl alcohol-based disinfectants at 70% (w/w) in gel form. The proposed analytical method is an adaptation of a method developed by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), which is currently used to evaluate the bacterial activity of disinfectants in the form of spray and aerosol. The method consisted of challenging the disinfectant by putting it in contact with 60 carriers - previously contaminated with the test microorganism - during the contact time established by the manufacturer. The bacteria used in this work were Staphylococcus aureus CBRVS 00039 ATCC 6538, Salmonella enterica CBRVS 00028 ATCC 10708, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa CBRVS 00025 ATCC 15442. The parameters chosen for the validation of the method were: matrix effect, robustness, and repeatability. The experiments performed with a disinfectant matrix showed that there is no interference of the gel on the effectiveness of alcohol. Satisfactory results regarding the evaluation of bactericidal activity were obtained for the three microorganisms tested when the volume of 100 μL of disinfectant was applied. The method also showed good repeatability, as it proved to be robust with modification of incubation times, equipment and analysts. The development and validation of this method were extremely important for the quality monitoring of these products, besides being the first method described for the evaluation of gel disinfectants.

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from groundnut and egg shells as viable precursors for adsorption

This study was carried out to prepare groundnut shell (GS) and eggshell (ES) into activated carbon (AC) and characterize the AC using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods. The AC produced was characterized for: pH, moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon, bulk density and surface area. Surface functional groups and surface morphology were also determined using Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) respectively. The ranges of the following results were achieved for the biomasses: Groundnut shell Activated Carbon (GSAC) and Eggshell Activated Carbon (ESAC) respectively: pH (6.80±0.101−7.80±0.011); moisture content (14.10±0.101−12.90±.110%); volatile matter (9.20±0.112−9.90±0.012%); ash content (8.98±0.111−5.80±0.111%); fixed carbon (67.70±0.010−71.40±110%); bulk density (370.00±0.000−380.00−0.000 g/L); surface area (880.00±0.100−800.00±0.000 m2/g). The agro-wastes have high carbon contents and low inorganic which make them viable adsorbents. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of oxygen surface complexes such as carbonyls and OH groups on the surface of the ACs in addition to good pore structures from SEM studies revealed that the agro-wastes could be good precursors for ACs production. The overall results showed that the AC produced from the agro-wastes can be optimally used as good and effective adsorbents, thereby ensuring cheaper, readily available and affordable ACs for the treatment of effluent, waste water and used oils.

Quantification of Lactose in Lactose-Freeand Low-Lactose Milk and Milk Products by BIOMILK 300 Lac Biosensor: First Action 2020.09.

In 2018, the AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Strategic Food Analytical Methods approved Standard Method Performance Requirement (SMPR®) 2018.009, for lactose in low-lactose or lactose-free milk, milk products, and products containing dairy ingredients, establishing the minimum recommended performance characteristics to be addressed during the evaluation of methods. Subsequently, AOAC INTERNATIONAL opened a call for methods under the Official Method of AnalysisSM program with the aim of finding a candidate method for confirming compliance with regulatory standards and dispute resolution. A biosensor-based analytical method, BIOMILK 300 LAC, was developed by BIOLAN Microbiosensores S.L. (www.biolanmb.com) to rapidly, easily, and accurately quantify lactose in free or low-lactose dairy products. In response to the AOAC call for methods, BIOLAN performed a single laboratory validation of this method against SMPR 2018.009. Several different matrixes were tested, including: milk, sugary plain yogurt, fruit plain yogurt, flavored liquid yogurt, Greek yogurt, cream, soft cheese, infant formula, café latte, chocolate milk, and high-protein milk shake. Evaluated method parameters included: linearity, selectivity, matrix effect, recovery, accuracy, repeatability, intermediate reproducibility, robustness, reagent lot-to-lot consistency, and stability. The method is based on the use of the Biotest gold electrode together with the BIOMILK 300 biosensor reader, for the quantification of residual levels of lactose in dairy samples via an enzymatic recognition/electrochemical transduction system. Assay linearity, applicability to different matrixes, recovery, and precision demonstrated that the method is fit for purpose. The method proved to be robust, consistent, and stable, under conditions detailed in the Instructions For Use guide. The overall results were within requirements stated by SMPR 2018.009 for low-lactose and lactose-free milk, milk products and products containing dairy ingredients. The BIOMILK 300 LAC method enables the quantification of reduced levels of lactose in less than 5 min, without the requirement for expert technicians, toxic solvents or intricate procedures, maintaining a high degree of precision and accuracy in the results. BIOMILK 300 LAC was adopted as a First Action Official MethodSM by the Expert Review Panel of Low-lactose Methods in April 2020 after rigorous review.

​Nutritional Value and Anti-nutritional Factor’s Analyses of Five Indigenous Spices used by the Karbi Group of Assam, India

Background: Uses of indigenous herbs and spices have become ubiquitous on modern culinary systems. But to date literatures on nutritional aspects of these group of plants are limited. Therefore the present study was done to evaluate the nutritional and anti-nutritional compositions of five indigenous spices commonly used in Karbi cuisines. The present study will help identify long forgotten multifunctional food resources which was previously neglected due to its low quantity in use. Methods: The nutritional compositions were determined according to procedures established by Association of official Analytical chemists 1990 and the anti-nutritive factors of the samples were determined according to the procedure described in the reported scientific publications. Result: The results showed appreciable amount of nutrients in Citrus macroptera Montrouz., Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., Ocimum citriodorum Vis., Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton. and Zanthoxylum armatum DC. The energy value of these five spices showed remarkable values, with the highest value observed in Ocimum citriodorum Vis. (354.08 Kcal) and lowest in Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. (108.67 Kcal). The moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fats, total carbohydrate and crude fibre content of the studied spices vary from 0.85-7.45%, 3.30-14.25%, 1.85-25.30%, 1.80-43.09%, 7.03-32.32% and 1.39-72.55% in range respectively. The vitamin C content was estimated highest in Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton. (34 mg/100 g) and lowest in Citrus macroptera Montrouz. (22 mg/100g). The phytate (17.22-18.85 mg/100 g), oxalate (10.15-12.42 mg/100 g), tannin (9.45-11.61 mg/100 g) and saponin (8.82-10.55 mg/100 g) contents were very low and hence these spices are less toxic for human consumptions.

Assessment of Spatial Variability of Heavy Metals (Pb and Al) in Alluvial Soil around Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, Southern Nigeria

Soil heavy metals pollution is a major global threat, because of its impact to plants, animals, and the soil geotechnical properties. Geostatistical method was used to investigate the spatial distributions of aluminum and lead within a section of the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, Nigeria. A total area of 1 km2 (100 hectares) was covered within the school environment. Twenty -five (25) topsoil samples were collected, at the end of the dry season (March 2021); when the water table in the study area was very low. The lead and aluminum concentrations of the 25 samples were measured by using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) approved methods. Using a geostatistical tool, the lead and aluminum concentrations and distribution in the soil were plotted on predication maps. The maps revealed irregular spatial distributions of lead and aluminum ions within the study area. The lead concentration was highest at the North-central region of the study area; while lead concentration was lowest at the Eastern region of the study area. In terms of the aluminum metal, the highest aluminum concentration was observed in the North eastern region; while aluminum concentration was lowest at the South western region. Data obtained from this study will be useful for agricultural and civil engineering purposes, mainly in the area of decision-making.

Quantification of total sugars and reducing sugars of dragon fruit-derived sugar-samples by UV-Vis spectrophotometric method

In the present work, the phenol-sulfuric acid method and the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method were developed with the aim to quantitatively analyze total sugars and reducing sugars, respectively. In regard with the phenol-sulfuric acid assay, 1.0 mL of sample was treated with 1.0 mL of 5% phenol, 5.0 mL of concentrated H2SO4 and measured at 485 nm, with the linearity range of 10–100 ppm for total sugars. The DNS method was performed on 2.0 mL of sample, using 1.5 mL of DNS at 80 °C for 10 minutes and measured at 510 nm, with the linearity range of 50–400 ppm for reducing sugars. The sugar contents of white dragon fruit-derived sugar-samples (extracted from species in Binh Thuan province, Vietnam) were also estimated by the above measured methods, exhibiting the total sugars of above 90% and the reducing sugars of above 5%. The methods were well-performed with the acceptable relative standard deviations of repeatability in accordance with the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC).

Efficient Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Nitrites from Cured Meat and Their Voltammetric Detection at Chemically Modified Electrodes Based on Hexamethyl-p-Terphenyl Poly(methylatedbenzimidazolium) Incorporating Nitrogen-Doped Graphite Nanoplatelets

We describe a fast and reliable procedure for the efficient extraction of nitrites in cured meat using microwave-assisted heat and report their in situ determination via voltammetry using an anion-exchanger ionene, hexamethyl-p-terphenyl poly(benzimidazolium) (HMT-PMBI), and nitrogen-doped graphite nanoplatelets (NGNPs). Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were utilized to evaluate the concentration of the redox mediator within the film and apparent diffusion coefficient. To investigate the suitability of the composite material for sensing applications, HMT-PMBI/NGNPs were tested for their detection of nitrite in bacon samples without the need of any pretreatments or dilutions. HMT-PMBI/NGNP coated electrodes showed enhanced sensitivity in the detection of nitrite ions in bacon with a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.64 µM, sensitivity 0.52 µA µM−1 cm−2, and operating in a linear range between 1–300 μM. The results highlight that the determination of nitrites in cured meat using microwave extraction is in good agreement with standard procedures such as the ISO 2918 and the AOAC International 973.31 methods.

Genetic Variability of Tunisian Faba Beans (Vicia faba L.) Based on Seeds’ Morphophysical Properties as Assessed by Statistical Analysis

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a legume crop cultivated for its nutritious seeds that are an important worldwide source of human food and feed. Seeds characterization is a prerequisite step for faba bean quality improvement. The morphophysical characterization of the seeds of twenty-four local faba bean accessions following the UPOV descriptors and the AOAC International standards was carried out and assessed with an approach based on Euclidean statistical model. “205 Bulk” was the unique accession harboring white hilum color seed which is linked to low convicine grain content. Irregular seed shape was the most observed character among the studied accessions except “Badii” displaying an elliptical seed shape; therefore, seed shape did not allow discrimination within our Tunisian germplasm. Interestingly, the physical characters of the seeds showed significant diversity between the accessions for all the measured parameters. A highly significant variability was observed for axial, length, and width dimensions of seeds, with “Memdouh” being the longest and largest seed accession, whereas “01-02” was the shortest and narrowest. Classification of the studied faba bean germplasm accessions based on morphophysical characters using clustering by Euclidean distance revealed three different groups. Moreover, multivariate PCA analysis further classified the faba bean accessions into four main clusters. Correlation study performed by using Spearman’s test established positive correlations within physical parameters of seeds such as between mean length and mean width of seeds. Therefore, using morphophysical parameters screening, valuable phenotypes have been selected for deeper physiological characterization and further breeding programs.

Valorisation of mango (Mangifera indica) kernel as an ingredient of macaron: sensory acceptance and physicochemical properties

PurposeMango seed, an agricultural food (agri-food) waste obtained during mango processing is generally discarded and causes environmental stress. In the present study, mango kernel was processed into flour and incorporated into macaron formulation. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant potential, physicochemical properties, and sensory qualities of macaron after substitution of almond flour (AF) with 0% (control, MC-0), 20% (MC-20), 40% (MC-40), 60% (MC-60), 80% (MC-80) and 100% (MC-100) (w/w) of mango kernel flour (MKF).Design/methodology/approachSensory evaluation was conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale (n = 90 young adults) to evaluate the acceptance towards MC-0 (control), MC-20, MC-40, MC-60, MC-80 and MC-100 macaron shells (without mango-flavoured ganache). The most preferred formulated and control macarons were subjected to proximate analyses according to the methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists for moisture, ash, and protein, and American Oil Chemists' Society for fat. Carbohydrate content was estimated by difference. Physical analyses such as colour, pH and water activity (aw) were performed using various instrumental techniques. Antioxidant activity of all macaron shell formulations was accessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH-RSA). Sensory evaluation was repeated using a five-point hedonic scale to determine the acceptance of the most preferred macaron (with mango-flavoured ganache) among consumer panels of all age groups (n = 80).FindingsThe first sensory acceptance test revealed that macaron shell with 40% MKF substitution (MC-40) was the most preferred formulation among young adults aged 18–35 years old. Moisture and ash contents between MC-0 and MC-40 were found to be similar (p > 0.05), while significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed for the fat and protein contents. Antioxidant activity increased proportionally with increasing MKF substitution and exhibited significant improvement (p < 0.05) in MC-40. Approximately 93% of the panellists expressed their liking towards MC-40 in the second sensory acceptance test. Overall, this study demonstrated that 40% MKF substitution in macaron improved its antioxidant performance without compromising consumers' acceptance.Originality/valueThis innovative research features the incorporation of MKF in the development of an economical and healthier macaron. The results constitute industrial relevant findings pertaining to its application feasibility and nutritional properties. This research has contributed knowledge to the existing literature as well as benefitted food manufacturers to develop value-added products that could meet the needs and expectations of interested parties, including consumers, governmental organisations, health-cautious advocates and healthcare providers.

PREPARATION AND STABILITY EVALUATION OF LL-37 CREAM

Objective: The present study aimed to prepare LL-37 in a cream formulation (O/W emulsion) and evaluate its stability by determining the physical changes in the cream and concentration of LL-37 using validated high-performance liquid chromatography. Methods: The method was conducted at room temperature using a C18 column (5 µm × 250 mm × 4.6 mm) as a stationary phase, a mixture of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/water (A) and 0.1% TFA/acetonitrile (B) (85:15) as the mobile phase, a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and photodiode array set at 228 nm as the detector. The method was validated in compliance with the Association of Official Analytical Chemists and International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. It demonstrated excellent linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, the limit of detection, and limit of quantitation. Results: The chromatographic analysis indicated minimal degradation of LL-37 during the 12-week, with a predicted expiry time of 99 and 75 mo stored at 4 °C and 28 °C, respectively. Conclusion: LL-37 cream establishes good physical characteristics and stabilizes the active ingredient, especially at 4 °C and 28 °C storage. Therefore, the emulsion delivery system of LL-37 cream is harmless and stable as a novel alternative vehicle of LL-37.

The Profile of Amino Acids in Sea Horse ((Hippocampus sp)

Seahorse (Hippocampus sp.) is a marine fisheries commodity that has high economic and nutritional values. The aims of study were to determine the proximate composition and the profile of the amino acids content in seahorses. The method used refers to the AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemistry) for proximate analysis and a GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy) for the amino acid analysis. This research was done in March 2021. The sea horses were carried out from Simeulue waters, Simeulue district, Aceh Province, Indonesia. Samples were divided into 2 sizes, small size (3.00-5.00 cm) and large size ((5.01-10.00 cm). The analysis was done at laboratorium of Syiah Kuala University. The results of the study was found that the proximate content of the seahorse was water content (6.29%), ash content (25.43%), fat content (0.57%), protein content (39.32%) and carbohydrates ( 28.48%). The amino acid composition of large seahorses and small seahorses consists of four types of essential amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine, histidine and valine, and six types of non-essential amino acids, namely alanine, glycine, aspartic acid, asparagine, arginine and serine.

Proximate and Mineral Composition of Vegetable Salad without Dressing

Salad is a dish of raw vegetables with or without dressing. The study aimed to determine the vegetable salad's proximate, minerals, and daily percentage value without dressing to the dietary regimen. Vegetable salads without dressing were purchased and analysed to evaluate proximate and minerals analysis based on the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The results revealed that vegetable salad without dressing contained 83.20 ± 0.10 moisture content, 16.80 ± 0.01 dry matter, 1.73 ± 0.14, 3.01 ± 0.40, 0.87 ± 0.01, 0.73 ± 0.00, and 10.50 ± 0.12g/100g as in crude lipid, crude protein, crude fibre, ash content, and carbohydrate respectively. Potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) were 464 ± 3.56, 236 ± 2.45, 101 ± 1.63, 124 ± 1.63, 58 ± 0.81, 0.49 ± 0.06, 0.88 ± 0.01, 0.84 ± 0.02, and 0.21 ± 0.01 mg/100g respectively. The percent calorific values from carbohydrates, fat, and protein could help to reduce the risk of chronic disease. The salad is a good source of magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and copper. The study showed that the salad is good for a healthy body, hypertensive and obese patients.

Production of Bioethanol by Co-Culture of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using Watermelon Peels as Substrate

Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass as an alternative fuel source has received considerable attention from researchers worldwide. Bioethanol was produced from watermelon peels by fermentation in the current work, using Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-cultures isolated from soil and local beverage ( kunun zaki ), respectively. The isolates were characterised both macroscopically and microscopically. While starch hydrolysis test was carried out for the mould isolates, thermotolerance, glucose and ethanol tolerance tests were used to identify the yeast isolates. According to standard procedures described by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), Proximate analyses were carried out on the watermelon peels. The ethanol yield was determined using the specific gravity method. Isolate BGD of the moulds had the highest (40 mm) zone of clearance on starch agar. The identified yeasts showed the best growth at a maximum of 35 °C while tolerating up to 50% wt/v and 18% v/v of glucose and ethanol, respectively. The yeasts also fermented all the different sugars tested but lactose. The proximate composition of the substrate revealed low protein (3.5%) and ash contents (7.38%) but a remarkably high carbohydrate content of 79.22%. At optimal fermentation conditions (30 °C, pH 6.0, 4% g/L substrate, 200rpm and five (5) days fermentation period), the maximum ethanol yield produced by the co-culture of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was 57 g/L. However, only 13.5 g/L and eight g/L were produced by individual cultures of A. niger and S. cerevisae, respectively. The bioethanol produced has a specific gravity of 0.994, miscible in water with a pleasant smell. This colourless liquid boils at a temperature of 78 °C with a pH of 3.02 and ignites at room temperature. It was concluded that watermelon peels are a suitable substrate for bioethanol production and was used successfully to produce an ethanol yield of 57 g/L by co-culture of A. niger and S. cerevisiae .

Development of probiotic gummy candy using the indigenous Lactobacillus plantarum Dad-13 strain; evaluation of its gastrointestinal resistance and shelflife prediction

Nowadays, functional food especially probiotic products have gained more interest, and gummy candy L. plantarum Dad-13 is an innovation. However, the efficacy of probiotics relies on their viable cells and resistance in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the gastrointestinal resistance and probiotic cells' shelf life and investigate gummy probiotics' characteristics. A market survey was carried to understand the consumer's knowledge on the health benefit of probiotics and their product, also intend to buy the product. Gastrointestinal simulation with pepsin and the pancreatic enzyme was conducted to evaluate the gastrointestinal tract's probiotic resistance, probiotic shelf life was evaluated with the Accelerated Shelf-life Test (ASLT). Proximate analysis was carried out according to the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), and physical characteristics were analysed before and after 90 days of storage at 4oC. The result showed that the supplementation of L. plantarum Dad-13 in the gummy probiotic had an excellent survival during gastrointestinal system simulation with the predicted shelf life was 75.17 days or 2.5 months at 4oC of storage. However, the moisture content of gummy probiotics was more than 20%. Considering the survival of L. plantarum Dad13 during gastrointestinal simulation, it can be concluded that gummy probiotics can be used as a carrier for L. plantarum Dad-13.

Proximate and physicochemical composition of oil palm empty fruit bunch

Agro-waste management generates worries to most developing countries and the menace needs to be curbed to reduce pollution. This study investigated the Proximate and Physicochemical composition of Oil Palm Empty fruit bunch. Samples collected were oven dried, grinded and analytical methods were carried out adopting AOAC 2005 (Association of official Analytical Chemists) test methods. The proximate analysis of the EFB revealed it to be a poor source of lipid (3.75 ± 0.01) but with a high fibre content (67.0 ± 1.19). The results showed concentrations of ash (6.87 ± 0.11), carbohydrate (12.3 ± 0.95), moisture (5.13 ± 0.24) and protein (4.87 ± 0.01). The physicochemical characteristics of oil palm empty fruit bunch is reported that pH had mean of 5.81±0.22, while temperature, total suspended solid, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, salinity, nitrate and sulphate had mean of 28.14 ± 0.02, 5.09 ± 0.02, 53.15 ± 0.03, 26.61 ± 0.015, 19.97±0.03, 14.65 ± 0.05, and 4.94 ± 0.02 respectively. More so, phosphate had mean of 17.55 ± 0.04, while ammonia, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, magnesium and calcium had mean of 0.04 ± 0.01, 2.86 ± 0.01, 1.58 ± 0.02, 2.55 ± 0.02, 1.05 ± 0.01 and 3.77 ± 0.01 respectively. The Proximate and Physicochemical composition of the Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch in this study demonstrates the efficiency of utilizing and application of this byproduct in various processes to help combat waste management issues in the environment.