Desirable Nutrient Research Articles

The dietary supplementation of Sargassum fusiforme can effectively alleviate high-fat diet induced metabolic abnormalities

Sargassum fusiforme, a brown seaweed widely consumed as a culinary delicacy and medicinal herb in East Asian countries, contains multiple bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-obesity properties. This suggests that its dietary consumption could help mitigate metabolic diseases induced by high-fat diet (HFD). To test this hypothesis, we initially analyzed the nutritional components of the macroalga, and evaluated its acute oral toxicity and long-term safety. Subsequently, we explored the impacts of its dietary intake on HFD-fed mice. Additionally, 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to further elucidate the mechanism underlying the protective effects of this macroalga against HFD-induced metabolic abnormalities. Our results revealled that S. fusiforme has a desirable nutrient profile, characterized by rich carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and carotenoids, and is also highly safe for consumption. Its dietary intake remarkably alleviated HFD-induced metabolic disorders. Analysis of gut microbiota showed that HFD consumption increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and decreased Bacteroidetes. This trend was further exacerbated by S. fusiforme supplementation, resulting in a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared to both the control and HFD groups. At the genus level, Muribaculum, Lactobacillus, Clostridia_UCG_014, Clostridium_sp, Acetatifactor, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes, and IS_44 (from family Nitrosomonadaceae) were significantly enriched in the mice supplemented with S. fusiforme. These findings support the potential use of S. fusiforme as a functional food to counteract HFD-induced metabolic dysbiosis.

Temporal snacking patterns among Canadian children and adolescents.

Snacking is nearly universal among children but there is growing concern around snacking patterns and energy contribution. This study aimed to characterize temporal snacking patterns among Canadian children and adolescents. A cross-sectional analysis drew on data from 5209 respondents aged 4-18 years from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey Nutrition, using one 24 h dietary recall. Descriptive statistics estimated proportions of morning, afternoon, and evening snackers, the mean caloric contribution of each snacking period to total daily energy intake, and the top food categories consumed as snacks (kcal per capita). Snacking was nearly universal and accounted for one of every four calories consumed. Morning snacks were more popular among children vs. adolescents and contributed significantly less energy than afternoon or evening snacking periods for both age groups (P<0.001). The top food groups consumed as snacks were the same for children and adolescents, although the ranking order varied. Fruits were the leading food group in terms of per capita energy for children and second for adolescents. Aside from fruits and milks, all other top per capita energy contributors were generally more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods such as cookies, biscuits and cereal bars, and other breads. Among children, morning snacks were higher in desirable nutrients compared with afternoon snacks. Not all snacking periods are equal in terms of energy and nutrients. A better understanding of how time of day may influence the quality of snack foods can inform meal-based guidance and help children achieve the recommended daily amounts of foods and nutrients.

Farming non-typical sentient species: ethical framework requires passing a high bar

More widespread farming of species not typically used as livestock may be part of a sustainable approach for promoting human health and economic prosperity in a world with an increasing population; a current example is peccary farming in the Neotropics. Others have argued that species that are local to a region and which are usually not farmed should be considered for use as livestock. They may have a more desirable nutrient profile than species that are presently used as livestock. It may also reduce the pressure from hunting on other wild species, and cause less environmental damage than exotic species. We propose a sentiocentric utilitarian framework that could be used to decide whether species that are local, but generally not used as livestock, should be farmed. To illustrate the use of our decision-making framework, we employ two contrasting neotropical case studies: the Spotted Paca (Cuniculus paca) and the Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). We argue that it may be acceptable to use non-sentient species that are typically not farmed as livestock. However, research should determine whether farming them offers human, environmental or sustainability benefits. In addition, we recommend that if invertebrate species are considered for farming, research should be conducted to determine the likelihood that they are sentient. Finally, given the ethical failings of current livestock farming practices, we argue that a high bar must be met if ‘new’ species that are sentient are to be farmed.

Evaluation of the relationship between household economic situation and food group intake in children attending nursery school

Objectives The relationship between household income and dietary intake among older children and adults in Japan has been studied. However, few studies have examined the relationship in younger children, and we believe that this should be taken into consideration from early childhood to correct health disparities. In this study, we examined the relationship between family income and dietary food group intake, and investigated the adequacy of food intake based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top for young children aged 3 to 6 years attending nursery school. The goal of this study was to obtain trends in food intake that can be used to improve poor dietary intake of young children caused by socioeconomic factors.Methods A dietary survey using the food weighing or recording method and a self-administered questionnaire on dietary status were conducted on two non-consecutive days, including weekdays and weekends, from October to December 2019 or 2020. The participants were 761 young children (423 boys and 338 girls) attending nursery schools in seven cities in Japan. Equivalent income was calculated from household income and the number of family members indicated in the dietary status survey. Intake of each food group and consistency with the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top were compared in five quintiles.Results Compared to the low equivalent income group, the high equivalent income group showed a decreasing trend in cereal intake and an increasing trend in the intake of sugar and sweeteners, green and yellow vegetables, and dairy products. The percentage of the low-income group who did not meet the definition of adequate intake using the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was lower for meals that include cereals and grain products, and higher for meals that include meat and fish, vegetable, milk and dairy products, and fruits.Conclusion The lower income group had higher intake of cereals and lower intake of vegetables and fruits compared to the higher income group. This finding is similar to the results of studies in adults and older children. However, based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, >90% of young children have a diet that fall below the adequate intake of meals, including vegetable dishes and even on weekdays, which suggests a general vegetable deficiency in young children. Multifaceted support is required to address this concern, including measures to correct disparities of income and to ensure desirable nutrient intake in early childhood.

Coal fly ash application as an eco-friendly approach for modulating the growth, yield, and biochemical constituents of Withania somnifera L. plants.

The solid waste known as fly ash, which is produced when coal is burned in thermal power plants, is sustainably used in agriculture. It is an excellent soil supplement for plant growth and development since it contains some desired nutrients (macro and micro), as well as being porous. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of different fly ash levels on Withania somnifera. The present study aimed to assess the impact of various fly ash (FA) concentrations on growth, yield, photosynthetic pigments, biochemical parameters, and cell viability of W. somnifera. The results showed that FA enhanced physical and chemical properties of soil like pH, electric conductivity, porosity, water-holding capacity, and nutrients. The low doses of FA-amended soil (15%) significantly increased the shoot length (36%), root length (24.5%), fresh weight of shoots and roots (107.8 and 50.6%), dry weight of shoots and roots (61.9 and 47.1%), number of fruits (70.4%), carotenoid (43%), total chlorophyll (44.3%), relative water content (109.3%), protein content (20.4%), proline content (110.3%), total phenols (116.1%), nitrogen (20.3%), phosphorus (16.9%), and potassium (26.4%). On the other hand, the higher doses, i.e., 25% of fly ash showed a negative effect on all the above parameters and induced oxidative stress by increasing lipid peroxidation (33.1%) and hydrogen peroxide (102.0%) and improving the activities of antioxidant enzymes and osmolytes. Compared to the control plants, the plants growing in soil enriched with 15 and 25% fly ash had larger stomata pores when examined using a scanning electron microscope. In addition, according to a confocal microscopic analysis of the roots of W. somnifera, higher fly ash concentrations caused membrane damage, as evidenced by an increase in the number of stained nuclei. Moreover, several functional groups and peaks of the biomolecules represented in the control and 15% of fly ash were alcohols, phenols, allenes, ketenes, isocynates, and hydrocarbons. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometryanalysis of the methanol extract of W. somnifera leaves cultivated in soil amended with 15% fly ash shows the presence of 47 bioactive compounds. The most abundant compounds in the methanol extract were cis-9-hexadecenal (22.33%), n-hexadecanoic acid (9.68%), cinnamic acid (6.37%), glycidyl oleate (3.88%), nonanoic acid (3.48%), and pyranone (3.57%). The lower concentrations of FA (15%) can be used to enhance plant growth and lower the accumulation of FA that results in environmental pollution.

Evaluation of Wheat Noodles Supplemented with Soy Protein Isolate for Nutritional, Textural, Cooking Attributes and Glycemic Index

The elderly population in developed countries has increased rapidly in recent years; the elderly may be at greater risk of protein deficiency due to dietary, socio-economic, dental, and physical restrictions. Therefore, to address the issue of protein deficiency in elderly people, the present study aimed to enhance the protein content of high-gluten flour noodles, an Asian staple food, by supplementing them with soybean protein isolate (SPI) powder. The effect of SPI addition (5–20%, w/w) on composition, quality, texture, physical and sensory properties, and glycemic index (GI) of high-gluten flour noodles was investigated. The noodles made only from high-gluten flour served as control. In comparison to control noodles, 20% SPI noodles showed a rise in protein and moisture content from 16.17% to 30.64% and 36.06 to 44.84%, respectively. The cooking yield and cooking loss increased with an increase in SPI concentration compared to control noodles. Color characteristics analysis revealed the decreasing trend in brightness and yellowness of SPI noodles with minimal L* and b* values at a 20% SPI concentration. The addition of SPI also resulted in a decrease in the hardness and tensile strength of the noodles. The sensory analysis showed that 5% SPI noodles were more similar to control noodles in terms of flavor, taste, and overall acceptability. Moreover, the addition of SPI to the noodles significantly decreased the GI of the noodles reaching the standard of low-GI food. The findings of the current study indicate that soy protein noodles, besides supplementing the desired nutrients, may also prevent the risk of diabetes in elderly people.

Analisis Spesifisitas Terhadap Sensor NPK

Insufficient use of fertilizers results in non-optimal plant growth, while excessive use is wasteful and results in pollution. Sensor usage is one method for measuring the nutrient content in the soil so that the fertilization process can be carried out precisely. Accuracy, precision, and error are commonly used in analyzing sensor quality. But for chemical measurements, the specificity also needs to be analyzed. This is because the soil contains various types of nutrients, so it is necessary to know whether the readings from the sensor only come from the desired nutrients or the others. In this writing, the elements measured were N, P, and K which are nutrients needed by plants in large quantities. The sensors were tested using compounds containing N, P, or/and K elements and NPK fertilizers with different NPK ratios. Results of this study prove that the sensor is not specific as the readings are known to use the electroconductivity method as proved by the regression results between the two variables which have R² ≈ 1 correlation. In addition, the sensor also produces readings for elements/compounds that should not be read and cannot distinguish the ratio of types of compound NPK fertilizer with different types.

Development of Auto-PIVOT: Automated Platform In Vitro for Cell Tissue Culture

Bioreactors are growing in popularity among network engineers. Bioreactors are generally chambers used for cell culture processes with predetermined parameters. Pivot is a bioreactor system for cell culture that is controlled automatically and remotely using multi-chambers that allow inflow of fresh liquid or output for sample collection. This system facilitates gas exchange between the culture medium and ambient gas. The system provides a storage bag for fresh media and a peristaltic pump is used to move the media in a closed loop during perfusion and stirring in the cell culture chamber. The flow rates used is 2 mL/min. The system has a container for direct sample measurement to obtain pH, oxygen, and carbon dioxide parameters. The bioreactor system is also equipped with a mixing vessel which allows the addition of desired nutrients or additives to the system. The results of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and shear stress-based flow analysis have been conducted. The simulation results demonstrate that the applied Pivot parameters correspond to an ideal environment to hepatocyte cell viability and growth. This research is expected to increase the number of cells produced without reducing the quality of each chamber and be carried out simultaneously, automatically, and remotely controlled.

MicroRNAs modulating nutrient homeostasis: a sustainable approach for developing biofortified crops.

During their lifespan, sessile plants have to cope with bioavailability of the suboptimal nutrient concentration and have to constantly sense/evolve the connecting web of signal cascades for efficient nutrient uptake, storage, and translocation for proper growth and metabolism. However, environmental fluctuations and escalating anthropogenic activities are making it a formidable challenge for plants. This is adding to (micro)nutrient-deficient crops and nutritional insecurity. Biofortification is emerging as a sustainable and efficacious approach which can be utilized to combat the micronutrient malnutrition. A biofortified crop has an enriched level of desired nutrients developed using conventional breeding, agronomic practices, or advanced biotechnological tools. Nutrient homeostasis gets hampered under nutrient stress, which involves disturbance in short-distance and long-distance cell-cell/cell-organ communications involving multiple cellular and molecular components. Advanced sequencing platforms coupled with bioinformatics pipelines and databases have suggested the potential roles of tiny signaling molecules and post-transcriptional regulators, the microRNAs (miRNAs) in key plant phenomena including nutrient homeostasis. miRNAs are seen as emerging targets for biotechnology-based biofortification programs. Thus, understanding the mechanistic insights and regulatory role of miRNAs could open new windows for exploring them in developing nutrient-efficient biofortified crops. This review discusses significance and roles of miRNAs in plant nutrition and nutrient homeostasis and how they play key roles in plant responses to nutrient imbalances/deficiencies/toxicities covering major nutrients-nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). A perspective view has been given on developing miRNA-engineered biofortified crops with recent success stories. Current challenges and future strategies have also been discussed.

Oilseed Cakes in the Food Industry; A Review on Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

:By-products from the food sector now have a wide range of applications. Low-cost raw materials, followed by low-cost goods, are regarded as one of the sectors’ top goals. Because of its economic relevance, reduced price, and nutrients such as protein, fiber, carbs, and antioxidants, oilseed cakes (OCs) have found a desirable place in livestock and poultry feed. Furthermore, because the cake has the same desirable nutrients, its usage in the food business is unavoidable. However, its use in this sector is not simply for nutritious purposes and has it has different impacts on flavor, texture, color, and antioxidant qualities. Therefore, as a result of its desirable qualities, the cake can be more useful in extensive applications in the food business, as well as in the manufacture of supplements and novel foods. The current review looks at the reapplications of byproducts obtained from oilseeds (soybean, sunflower, sesame, canola, palm kernel, peanut, mustard, and almond) in the food sector in the future. Furthermore, allergenicity, toxicity, antinutritional compounds, and techniques of extracting cakes from oilseeds have been discussed.

Insect meals as emerging protein source in the aquafeed sector: Emphasis on complementary effects to fishmeal, digestibility, carcass characterisation and immunomodulation in aquatic species

Insect meals received great attention in the aquafeed sector during the past decade due to the unsustainable demand for fishmeal. Desirable nutrient content, especially protein with balanced amino acids is of great importance in the use of insect meals as a viable protein source in aquafeeds. Insect meal could complement about 20-75% of dietary fishmeal in various aquatic species. They have better digestibility compared to low-quality fishmeal, oil meals/cakes, fermented plant proteins, feather meal; blood and meat meal and showed equal performance to high-quality fishmeal. Though partial substitution of fishmeal using insect meals could promote the health status, complete substitution resulted in detrimental effects in some aquatic species. This review concludes that insect meals are of great importance as a sustainable protein source and a viable complement to fishmeal in aquafeeds, thereby, helping to reduce the tremendous demand on fishmeal.Keywords: Aquafeed, Carcass characterisation, Fishmeal, Immunomodulatory effect, Insect meal

Effects of Dehulling On the Mineral Elements Content of Some Cereals (Maize, Millet, And Guinea Corn)

Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of its grains which are composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. However, to improve palatability and organoleptic qualities, most grains undergo further processing to yield better product, this processing includes dehulling, winnowing which may alter the nutritional composition of the resultant products to varying degree. The present study investigated the effect of dehulling on mineral content of cereals. Mineral elements composition in the undehulled and dehulled millet were: potassium (18.89 and 18.91) mg/kg, magnesium (14.13 and 14.26 mg/kg), calcium (44.12 and 48.15 mg/kg), zinc (5.28 and 5.33 mg/kg), iron (5.64 and 5.82 mg/kg) and copper (18.00 and 18.00 mg/kg) respectively. Undehulled and dehulled guinea corn were: potassium (17.45 and 15.29 mg/kg), magnesium (15.22 and 14.32 mg/kg), calcium (40.14 and 34.14 mg/kg), zinc (4.45 and 4.04 mg/kg), iron (4.49 and 5.37 mg/kg) and copper (17.02 and 18.48 mg/kg) respectively. Undehulled and dehulled maize were: potassium (64.24 and 48.17 mg/kg), magnesium (13.28 and 12.14 mg/kg), calcium (24.17 and 42.62 mg/kg), zinc (4.27 and 4.17 mg/kg), iron (6.09 and 5.41 mg/kg) and copper (16.00 and 15.27 mg/kg) respectively. Dehulling is inevitably and negatively affects the levels of desirable nutrients which are mostly located on the outer parts of some grains.

Estimating the potential public health impact of fibre enrichment: a UK modelling study.

For improving human health, reformulation can be a tool as it allows individuals to consume products of choice while reducing intake of less desirable nutrients, such as sugars and fats, and potentially increasing intake of beneficial nutrients such as fibre. The potential effects of reformulating foods with increased fibre on diet and health need to be better understood. The objective of this statistical modelling study was to understand how fibre enrichment can affect the diet and health of consumers. The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey datasets from 2014 to 2015 and 2015 to 2016 were utilised to evaluate intakes of fibre and kilocalories with a dietary intake model. Foods and beverages eligible for fibre enrichment were identified (n 915) based on EU legislation for fibre content claims. Those people who meet dietary reference values and fibre enrichment health outcomes such as weight, CVD and type 2 diabetes risk reductions were quantified pre- and post-fibre reformulation via Reynolds et al., D'Agostino et al. and QDiabetes algorithms, respectively. The fibre enrichment intervention showed a mean fibre intake of 19·9 g/d in the UK, signifying a 2·2 g/d increase from baseline. Modelling suggested that 5·9 % of subjects could achieve a weight reduction, 72·2 % a reduction in cardiovascular risk and 71·7 % a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes with fibre fortification (all Ps ≤ 0·05). This study gives a good overview of the potential public health benefits of reformulating food products using a straightforward enrichment scenario.

Effect of organic manures and land configuration on growth and yield of rice bean [Vigna umbelletta (Thunb.) Ohwi and H. Ohashi] in Sikkim Himalayan Region

Rice bean is an important underutilised pulse crop of Sikkim and Himalayan region and mostly it is grown organically on the terraces with locally available organic nutrient sources. The aim of the study was to understand the effect of locally available organic manuresand land configuration on growth and yield of the rice bean crop. Among the organic manure treatments, OM4 (FYM + mixed compost + vermicompost + poultry manure) has resulted into higher growth and yield followed by OM3 (FYM + mixed compost + vermicompost) and OM2 (FYM + mixed compost). The higher growth and yield in OM4 might be due to continuous supply of desirable nutrients to the crop throughout the seasons. Whereas, rice bean had comparatively lower growth and yield in OM1 and OM2 treated plants which might be due to less available nutrient content in FYM and mixture of FYM and mixed compost for desirable growth and yield. So, integrated application of FYM (1/4 RDN), mixed compost (1/4 RDN), + vermicompost (1/4 RDN), + poultry manure (1/4 RDN) would be helpful for farmers for achieving higher yield of rice bean. Among the land configuration techniques studied, ridge and furrow followed by broad bed and furrow techniques had resulted into higher growth and yield of the crop, which might be due to higher nutrient and moisture availability to the rice bean crop under ridge and furrow as well as broad bed furrow beds through positive impact of effective drainage of excessive rain water onhigher activities of soil microbes and enzymesin rhizospheric soil.

Using MVDA with stoichiometric balances to optimize amino acid concentrations in chemically defined CHO cell culture medium for improved culture performance.

Chemically defined (CD) media are routinely used in the production of biologics in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture and provide enhanced raw material control. Nutrient optimized CD media is an important path to increase cell growth and monoclonal antibody (mAb) productivity in recombinant CHO cell lines. However, nutrient optimization efforts for CD media typically rely on multifactorial and experimental design of experiment approaches or complex mathematical models of cellular metabolism or gene expression systems. Moreover, the majority of these efforts are aimed at amino acids since they constitute essential nutrients in CD media as they directly contribute to biomass and protein production. In this study, we demonstrate the utilization of multivariate data analytics (MVDA) coupled with amino acid stoichiometric balances (SBs) to increased cell growth and mAb productivity in efforts to support CD media development efforts. SBs measure the difference between theoretical demand of amino acids and the empirically measured fluxes to identify various catabolic or anabolic states of the cell. When coupled with MVDA, the statistical models were not only able to highlight key amino acids toward cell growth or productivity, but also provided direction on metabolic favorability of the amino acid. Experimental validation of our approach resulted in a 55% increase in total cell growth and about an 80% increase in total mAb productivity. Increased specific consumption of stoichiometrically balanced amino acids and decreased specific consumption of glucose was also observed in optimized CD media suggesting favorable consumption of desired nutrients and a potential for energy redistribution toward increased cellular growth and mAb productivity.

Strengthening anoxic glycogen consumption in SNEDPR-CW as a strategy to control PAO–GAO competition under carbon limited condition

Cooperation between Phosphate and Glycogen Accumulating Organisms (PAOs and GAOs) plays a pivotal role in nutrients removal in simultaneous nitrification endogenous denitrification and phosphorous removal (SNEDPR) systems. Recent findings have expanded the application of SNEDPR from activated sludge system to constructed wetland (CW). However, how to regulate competition between PAOs and GAOs in SNEDPR-based CW is still unclear. Here we showed that, GAOs could easily gain dominance over PAOs in SNEDPR-CW under alternating anaerobic/aerobic (A/O) operational mode. Shortening aerobic hydraulic retention time (HRT) at low oxygen concentration was benefit for simultaneous nitrification endogenous denitrification (SNED) and denitrifying dephosphatation but would reduce the overall phosphorus uptake rate and lead to high phosphorus effluent concentrations. Extended aerobic HRT promoted the proliferation of aerobic GAOs over PAOs, decreasing both enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) and SNED performance. Surprisingly, by switching the operation of system to alternating anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic (A/O/A) mode, an extraordinary nutrients removal performance with mean nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency of 84.57% and 89.37% was achieved under carbon sources limited condition. Stoichiometric analysis demonstrated that adding anoxic stage strengthened the intracellular glycogen oxidization of GAOs for denitrification which compromised its subsequent anaerobic carbon sources uptake and PHA storage and provided sufficient carbon sources for PAOs. Microbial community analysis showed that numerical ratio of GAOs to PAOs decreased from 6.67 under A/O to 4.89 under A/O/A mode, which further indicated strengthening glycogen denitrification of GAOs should be an effective way to regulate microbial competition in order to obtain a desired nutrients removal performance in SNEDPR-CW.

High Levels of Nutrients of Concern in Baby Foods Available in Europe That Contain Sugar-Contributing Ingredients or Are Ultra-Processed.

Introducing children to healthy and diverse complementary foods, either prepared at home or produced commercially, helps to establish taste preferences and good eating habits later in life. Assessing the nutrient profile of foods available commercially is key to informing consumers and policy makers. We used commercial data to provide an overview of the energy and nutrient content of 7 categories of foods intended for infants and young children that were launched or re-launched across 27 European countries from March 2017 to March 2021 (n = 3427). We also assessed the presence of sugars as added ingredients, and the foods’ level of processing, using the NOVA classification system. In total, 38.5% of the products contained at least one sugar-contributing ingredient; about 10% of products listed an added sugar, almost ¼ of the products listed a free sugar and finally about 20% of the products listed fruit and vegetable purees and powders as an ingredient. Half of the products had a ‘no added sugars’ positioning statement; among these, almost 35% had free sugars, fruit and vegetable purees and powders as added ingredients. With regard to processing classification, 46.3% of the products were minimally processed, 24.5% were processed and 29.2% ultra-processed. About half of all products had a ‘no artificial ingredient’ positioning statement; however, among these, 31.4% were ultra-processed. Our analysis showed that, within each food category, products with sugars as an added ingredient had a less desirable nutrient profile compared to those that did not have sugar-contributing ingredients. The results for level of processing were similar; in most food categories, ultra-processed foods had higher energy, fat, saturated fat, sugars and sodium content, and lower fibre content, compared to the minimally processed and processed ones.

Bioactive Composition and Nutritional Profile of Microgreens Cultivated in Thailand

Microgreens are young and tender leafy vegetables that have gained wider consumer acceptance. This is attributed to their low caloric composition and rich micronutrient and antioxidant composition. The present study investigated the bioactive composition and proximate analysis of fourteen microgreens belonging to Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Pedaliaceae, Polygonaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Malvaceae. All the microgreens showed low calories (20.22 to 53.43 kcal 100 g−1) and fat (0.15 to 0.66 g 100 g−1), whilst mung bean and lentil microgreens showed considerable amounts of carbohydrate (7.16 g 100 g−1) and protein (6.47 g 100 g−1), respectively. Lentil microgreens had the highest total chlorophyll (112.62 mg 100 g−1) and carotenoid (28.37 mg 100 g−1) contents, whilst buckwheat microgreens showed the highest total phenolic content (268.99 mg GAE 100 g−1) and DPPH• scavenging activity (90.83 mM TEAC g−1). The lentil microgreens also presented high ascorbic acid content (128.70 mg 100 g−1) along with broccoli, Chinese kale, purple radish, and red cabbage microgreens (79.11, 81.33, 82.58, and 89.49 mg 100 g−1, respectively). Anthocyanin content was only detected in purple radish (0.148 mg CGE 100 g−1) and red cabbage (0.246 mg CGE 100 g−1). The results provide basic information and highlight the benefits of utilizing genetic biodiversity to obtain microgreens with the desired nutrients and antioxidants.

English

Guava and jackfruit are popular fruits in East Africa. With consideration of the high post-harvest losses of these two fruits and only seasonal availability, this study aimed to produce nutrient rich fruit-based snacks to decrease this problem and make use of surplus fruits during on-season. Given the nutritional situation in East Africa, these products were also developed to have a high content of desired nutrients. Next to either guava or jackfruit also mango, different nuts and lemon juice was partly added. Processing methods included cooking and drying, which are suitable for local households and small processing groups. Chemical analyses were implemented to determine nutrient contents before cooking, after cooking and after drying. Major results included that bars with guava and lemon juice contained the highest content of ascorbic acid, 81.19 and 48.18 mg/100 g FM before and after cooking, respectively; jackfruit-based samples without lemon juice after drying contained more phenolic content than guava-based samples; fruit bars with lemon juice had higher acidity; samples of guava contained more &beta;-carotene than jackfruit. In conclusion, the fruit-nut-bars can provide a good option to process surplus fruits and provide essential nutrients to the local population in East Africa. &nbsp; Key words: Guava, jackfruit, fruit-nut-bars, East Africa.

Continuous Performance Improvement Framework for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Arid Regions: Case of Wadi Rumah in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

In arid regions such as Saudi Arabia, wastewater treatment (WWT) facilities (meeting promulgated standards) need to adapt their continuous performance improvement (CPI) for long-term sustainability. To achieve this, the facilities need to improve their performance to comply with more strict objectives for broader reuse applications of treated effluent. The present research proposes a CPI framework based on performance benchmarking process for the stepwise improvement of WWT facilities. A grey rational analysis water quality index (GWQI) based on exceedance probability was developed. For weights’ estimation of 11 physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters, the entropy method effectively accommodated the changes in relative importance of the parameters with including additional future reuse applications. For existing effluent reuse scenarios of restricted and unrestricted irrigation, the GWQI values were found consistent with the modified version of the Canadian WQI (CWQI). The indices’ values (ranged between 0 and 100) greater than 80 showed the efficient operation of four WWT plants in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. Two hypothetical CPI scenarios with future reuse applications (fish, livestock drinking, and recreation) showed an overall decline in the average (of four plants) values of the GWQI (97 to 78) and CWQI (85 to 60). CWQI predicted stricter results for the facilities with parameters’ concentrations exceeding the targets with larger margins and was found applicable for the CPI of WWT facilities in arid regions. For existing scenarios, the assessment results suggest the facilities to control and monitor the chlorination practice. For future targets, tertiary treatment needs to be enhanced for desired nutrients and total dissolved solids removal. The proposed CPI framework provides a platform to initiate the performance benchmarking process for WWT facilities at local or regional levels in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.