Popular Traditional Food Research Articles

Antihypertensive Effects of Natto, a Traditional Japanese Fermented Food, in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Natto is a popular traditional Japanese food made by fermenting steamed soybeans with Bacillus subtilis natto. It has long been thought that natto is effective in preventing hypertension. But there have not been any reports demonstrating in vivo antihypertensive effects of natto. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the antihypertensive activity of natto in vivo. We determined optimal conditions for producing natto with the highest angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. An ACE inhibitor partially purified from natto was orally administered as a single dose (1 mg, 10 mg, and 100 mg/kg body weight) in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and then their blood pressure was measured five times every hour after administration. The administration of the inhibitor, even at the lowest dose, resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure 4 h after administration. Thus, the ACE inhibitor from natto appears to moderately reduce blood pressure relative to increases in dosage.

Volatile Compounds of Persea americana Mill from Nigeria

Persea americana Mill., avocado, is a popular traditional fruit food that is consumed during food scarcity in Southwestern Nigeria. The plant of P. americana have several therapeutic effects including analgesic, anti-inflammatory and hypotensive effects. The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaf of the plant was analyzed by gas Chromatography (GC) and gas Chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). β-Caryophyllene (43.9%) and valencene (16.0%) are the most abundant compounds in the oil. Other quantitatively significant constituents are germacrene D (5.9%),ot-humulene (5.0%) and δ-cadinene (4.8%).

Effects of temperature on viscosity of dodol (concoction)

Dodol is a popular traditional food that has great potential to be commercialized. The physico-chemical characterization of dodols such as proximate analysis, pH, moisture content, protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash and fibre contents are investigated. The rheological characterization of dodols were modelled by several models such Bingham, Power Law and Casson models. Regression analysis shows good agreements for all three models applied in this study. Dodol exhibits pseudoplastic behaviour under the conditions tested, as indicated by flow behaviour indices ( n) ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 and is further confirmed with the data of decreasing apparent viscosity with increasing shear rate, indicating strong shear-thinning behaviour.

A yen for sushi: an analysis of demographic and behavioural patterns of sushi consumption in Japan

AbstractSushi is an ancient Japanese art popularized as the crown prince of Pacific Rim party food. The main objective of this study was to analyse Japanese consumers’ sushi purchasing behaviour and their attitudes towards consumption of sushi. This paper also reports the timeline for sushi businesses in Japan. Data on consumers’ sushi consumption habits, demographic characteristics and attitudes towards sushi were collected using structured questionnaires and informal interviews. The sample of consumers included 108 individuals from the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Sushi is the most popular traditional food among Japanese consumers. The most common frequency for having sushi meals was between once and less than once a month. Older women were the heaviest consumers, preferring to purchase from supermarkets rather than from specialized sushi bars. Sushi made from tuna was in the highest demand (76%), with salmon as a second choice. The ‘freshness of fish’ and the ‘special price of sushi’ were the most important factors for the final purchasing decision. Sushi consumption patterns in Japan seem to closely reflect the evolution of households’ life cycle.

Effect of gamma irradiation on microbial decontamination, and chemical and sensory characteristic of lycium fruit

Lycium fruit, popular traditional Chinese medicine and food supplement generally is ingested uncooked, was exposed to several doses of gamma irradiation (0–14 kGy) to evaluate decontamination efficiency, changes in chemical composition, and changes in sensory characteristic. In this study, lycium fruit specimens contained microbial counts of 3.1×10 3–1.7×10 5 CFU/g and 14 kGy was sufficient for microbial decontamination. Before irradiation, the main microbe isolated from lycium fruit was identified as a strain of yeast, Cryptococcus laurentii. After 10 kGy of irradiation, a Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus cereus, was the only survivor. The first 90% reduction (LD 90) of C. laurentii and B. cereus was approximately 0.6 and 6.5 kGy, respectively, the D 10 doses of C. laurentii and B. cereus was approximately 0.6 and 1.7 kGy, respectively. After 14 kGy irradiation, except the vitamin C content, other chemical composition (e.g., crude protein, β-carotene, riboflavin, fructose, etc.) and the sensory characteristic of lycium fruit specimens did not have significant changes. In conclusion, 14 kGy is the optimal decontamination dose for lycium fruit for retention of its sensory quality and extension of shelf life.

A novel vitamin C analog, 2- O-(β-D-Glucopyranosyl)ascorbic acid: examination of enzymatic synthesis and biological activity

2-O-(beta-D-Glucopyranosyl)ascorbic acid (AA 2 beta G) isolated from a popular traditional Chinese food (Lycium fruit) was synthesized using cellulase derived from Trichoderma sp. with cellobiose as a glucose donor. 6-O-(beta-D-Glucopyranosyl)ascorbic acid as well as AA 2 beta G was also synthesized in this reaction. The vitamin C activity of AA 2 beta G was also evaluated using inherently scorbutic (osteogenic disorder Shionogi [ODS]) rats. The rats were fed vitamin C-deficient food and water containing AA 2 beta G for 21. AA 2 beta G supported their growth and the level of vitamin C in tissues was moderately maintained. The vitamin C level in some tissues depended on the hydrolytic activity of AA 2 beta G (beta-glucosidase activity) although the correlation was not statistically significant (P=0.08). The results indicate that AA 2 beta G has pro-vitamin C activity.

Non food-related environmental stimuli induce increased meal intake in healthy women: comparison of television viewing versus listening to a recorded story in laboratory settings

The objective of the present study, performed under laboratory conditions, was to assess the impact of two non food-related environmental stimuli (television and auditory stimulus) on meal intake. Normal weight women ( N=48) ate lunch in the laboratory once a week for four weeks. All lunches were identical and included popular traditional foods, of which participants could eat ad libitum. The first and last lunches were eaten in the absence of the environmental stimuli (control conditions); in the other two tests, presented in random order, subjects ate while either watching television or listening to a recorded story. Energy intakes were determined for each meal, as were ratings of hunger, satiety and meal palatability. Subjects filled out the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire at the end of the meal series. Meal size was significantly larger in the presence of both environmental stimuli than in both control conditions (+11.6%, 280 kJ, p<0.01). Television viewing induced a significant stimulation of intake, equal to, but not greater than the effect of the auditory stimulus. Ratings of hunger, satiety, and palatability were not significantly different between conditions, despite the differences in intake. These results suggest that environmental, non food-related stimuli could stimulate intake regardless of hunger-satiety or palatability conditions. Environmental stimulation of eating should be tested in other populations, eg subjects with weight control problems, and other conditions, e.g. free-living.

Development of food products based on millets, legumes and fenugreek seeds and their suitability in the diabetic diet

A multitude of investigations have demonstrated the beneficial hypoglycemic effect of millets, fenugreek seeds and legumes in diabetic subjects. However, the bitter taste of fenugreek seeds and coarse nature of millets have been limitations in using them in daily dietaries. Moreover, as of today, the availability of special foods for diabetics in the Indian market is negligible. The millets, fenugreek seeds and legumes in judicious combination, after suitable processing, were used to formulate three nutritious food products - dhokla (leavened steamed cake), uppuma (kedgeree) and laddu (sweet balls), which are popular traditional snack foods in India. Evaluation of these food products for glycemic response in five normal and five diabetic subjects showed hypoglycemic effects in terms of glycemic-index (GI). The highest GI was observed for dhokla (34.96) followed by laddu (23.52) and uppuma (17.60) in normal subjects. All three food products differed significantly from each other in GI. Comparison of GI of all three food products in normal subjects with diabetes did not show significant differences (P ~ 0.05). The food products were well tolerated and acceptable to the subjects. These food products may have an important role in dietary management for diabetic people and may cater for their needs on a large scale if commercialized.

PUNCTURE AND STRESS RELAXATION BEHAVIOR OF BLACKGRAM (PHASEOLUS MUNGO) FLOUR‐BASED PAPAD DOUGH

ABSTRACTPapad is a popular traditional food adjunct in South East Asian countries. The rheology of papad dough is important for the purpose of sheeting and/or rolling. In the present study, two methods for testing the behavior of papad dough (prepared from blackgram flour) have been presented and correlated with the instrumental stickiness values. These consist of an empirical method (puncture testing) and a fundamental procedure (stress relaxation characteristics). In the former method maximum stress during compression was used as an index. In the later method, the parameters determined included the stress decaying constants k1 and k2, the percent relaxation and the initial compressive stress. These tests were conducted on the papad dough with varying moisture content (32–40%) and at different dough holding (resting) times (0–120 min). Stickiness values in the range of 141 and 148° were suitable for machining of the dough to make flat circular papad sheets. The corresponding moisture content was between 35 and 36% when the holding time was in the range of 0‐30 min.

Clinical trial of fermented maize-based oral rehydration solution in the management of acute diarrhoea in children

In an effort to identify appropriate fluids available in the home for oral rehydration therapy in Ghana, a study was designed to investigate the efficacy of fermented maize gruel, a popular Ghanaian traditional food, in the management of acute diarrhoea. Altogether 108 children aged between 4 and 27 months presenting with acute diarrhoea at the Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra, with mild to moderately severe dehydration, were randomly assigned to treatment with either WHO/UNICEF oral rehydration solution (ORS) or fermented and unfermented maize solutions. About 35 children were admitted to each of the three treatment groups. Treatment with the rehydration fluid was maintained for 24 h. Efficacy of the various treatments, assessed in terms of fluid intake, stool output, stool frequency, weight gain and duration of diarrhoea, showed no significant variation among the three groups. The results indicate that the maize solutions were as effective as WHO/UNICEF ORS for oral rehydration therapy. However, the fermented maize was more readily accepted by the children than the unfermented solution. Because fermented maize gruel is widely consumed, inexpensive, readily available, and culturally acceptable to most communities in Ghana, it may be recommended as an appropriate home-available fluid for the management of acute diarrhoea in children at the community level.

Instantization and evaluation of some traditional Egyptian foods

Four of the popular traditional Egyptian foods were prepared in instantized form. These foods included Medammis in two forms, Kishk, Bellila and rice with milk. Data obtained revealed a good acceptability for the instant products as compared to their parent fresh ones. Moreover, Medammis, Bellila and Kishk can be considered as a good source of protein (19·7–32·%), carbohydrates (62·6–74·9%) and minerals (Ca, P, Mg, Fe and Mn). The C-PER was computed from data of amino-acid composition, FAO/WHO pattern for essential amino-acids and in-vitro digestibility. The C-PER values can be arranged ascendingly as follows: 0·95 (whole Medammis), 0·98 ( Kishk), 1·33 (dehulled Medammis), 1·47 ( Bellila) and 2·41 (rice with milk). The in-vitro digestibility ranged between 76·3 ± 0·7% and 89·3 ± 0·8% being the lowest for whole Medammis and the highest for rice with milk.