Supplementary Products Research Articles

Biological Activities of Soy Protein Hydrolysate Conjugated with Mannose and Allulose.

The non-enzymatic conjugation of peptides through the Maillard reaction has gained attention as an effective method to enhance biological functions. This study focuses on two conjugate mixtures: crude soy protein hydrolysate (SPH) conjugated with mannose (SPHM) and crude soy protein hydrolysate conjugated with allulose (SPHA). These two mixtures were products of the Maillard reaction, also known as non-enzymatic glycation. In vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-pancreatic lipase, inhibition of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) denaturation, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activities of these conjugated mixtures. The results indicate that conjugated mixtures significantly enhance the antioxidant potential demonstrated via the DPPH and FRAP assays. SPHA exhibits superior DPPH scavenging activity (280.87 ± 16.39 µg Trolox/mL) and FRAP value (38.91 ± 0.02 mg Trolox/mL). Additionally, both conjugate mixtures, at a concentration of 10 mg/mL, enhance the BSA denaturation properties, with SPHM showing slightly higher effectiveness compared to SPHA (19.78 ± 2.26% and 5.95 ± 3.89%, respectively). SPHA also shows an improvement in pancreatic lipase inhibition (29.43 ± 1.94%) when compared to the SPHM (23.34 ± 3.75%). Furthermore, both the conjugated mixtures and rare sugars exhibit ACE inhibitory properties on their own, effectively reducing ACE activity. Notably, the ACE inhibitory effects of the individual compounds and their conjugate mixtures (SPHM and SPHA) are comparable to those of positive control (Enalapril). In conclusion, SPHM and SPHA demonstrate a variety of bioactive properties, suggesting their potential use in functional foods or as ingredients in supplementary products.

Comparative nutrient and chemometric analysis of leaf to fruits of Soursop (Annona muricata) and Bullock's heart (Annona reticulata): Implications for nutraceutical development

The study investigates comparative nutrient-chemo profiling of fruit genotypes (AM 02, AM 05, AM 06, AM 07, AM 08, AM 09, AM 10) from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India, to leaves (AM Leaf) of Soursop (Annona muricata) and fruits of Bullock's heart (Annona reticulata-AR 02) using various spectroscopic techniques. The concentration of annonacin is three times higher in AM Leaf than in AM and AR 02 fruits. AM Leaf is significantly rich in carbohydrates (27.1 %), proteins (18.88 %), crude fibers (32.51 %), phenols (1360.85 mg/100 g) and flavonoids (887.25 mg/100 g) along with annonacin (2283.77 mg/100 g). Among the fruits, AM 08 is rich in potassium (726.43 mg/100 g), AM 05 with Vitamin C (20.02 IU), and AR 02 in calcium (134.34 mg/100 g). GC-MS analysis identified 116 bioactives with a strong correlation among AM fruits (>90 %) followed by AR 02 and AM Leaf. PCA shows two distinct clusters of qualitative variation (51.2 %) in metabolites, with AM Leaf recording higher variation in metabolites than fruit genotypes. Seven (AM 02, AM 05), eight (AM 06 and AM Leaf), and nine (AM 07, AM 08, AM 09, AM 10, AR 02) metabolites show anti-cancer properties. These finding may help in developing supplementary nutraceutical products for cancer therapeutics.

Physiological performance and fruit quality of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) cultivated in different agro-climatic zones of Fiji

Noni (Morinda citrifolia) fruit juice is widely used as a strong antioxidant nutritional supplement. With its demand for supplementary products globally, commercial noni farming is now increasing in the Pacific Islands. Information on its growth performance and fruit quality under variable climatic condition is limited. This study aimed to establish the climatic requirements and identify the agro-climatic zone in Fiji that provides for increased antioxidant levels in fruits in addition to optimal plant growth and physiological performance. The study investigated plant growth, photosynthetic performance, fruit yield and antioxidant properties of plants that were cultivated under rain fed conditions in the dry, wet and intermediate agro-climatic zones in Fiji Islands. The physiological performance was significantly influenced by the soil moisture, sunshine hours and soil nutrients. Physiological performance including fruit yields were the highest in the intermediate zone which was characterized by a moderate rainfall and fairly good soil properties while it was lowest in the dry zone. Highest fruit antioxidant properties occurred in the dry zone followed by wet zone. The study implies that under cultivation, moderate abiotic stress can enhance the antioxidant properties of noni.

A Journey of Retail banking in India

Retail banking serves as the most prominent interface between the banking sector and the general public. It encompasses the provision of a wide array of banking products and services specifically tailored for individual customers, typically for non-entrepreneurial purposes. These offerings span across both sides of the financial ledger, encompassing fixed, current, and savings accounts on the liability side, while on the asset side, it encompasses mortgages and various forms of loans (including personal, housing, automotive, and educational loans). Furthermore, retail banking extends to include services such as credit cards, depository services, and an array of supplementary para-banking products and services, including insurance products and capital market offerings, tailored to meet the diverse needs of individuals. In essence, retail banking represents a pivotal stage in the evolution of banking services. While this sector presents substantial opportunities for expansion, it is equally accompanied by formidable challenges. Stringent regulatory requirements aimed at safeguarding consumer interests, exposure to risks stemming from a global economic slowdown, and the ever-growing expectations of customers necessitate continual innovation by banks for sustained growth. This article delves into various facets of retail banking in India, with a primary focus on the challenges it faces and the most recent trends that shape its landscape.

Role of silicate-rich and silicate-less industrial solid wastes in the physicomechanical properties and durability of low quality metakaolin-blended cement.

Although calcined clay-blended cement offers higher performance and durability compared to neat Portland cement (PC), its extensive use of natural clay leads to the depletion of natural non-renewable resources. To address this concern, this study focuses on the utilization of supplementary cementitious materials-based waste products as a substitute for PC. The blended cement was optimized with a low replacement level of 10 wt.% calcined Fanja clay (FNJ) as a low-grade metakaolin (MK) and 90 wt.% PC. Various types of industrial solid wastes (ISWs) were incorporated into the PC-FNJ blend in place of PC. The ISWs utilized included silicate-rich wastes, such as silica fume (SF) and glass waste (GW) powder, as well as silicate-less waste, such as marble dust (MD). The results revealed that incorporating 10 wt.% SF into the PC-FNJ mixture resulted in a considerable decrease in the flow rate while improving its early mechanical strength. GW, as another silicate waste, also enhanced early mechanical properties but not as much as SF. However, the composite of PC-FNJ-GW exhibited higher workability than the neat PC, PC-FNJ, and PC-FNJ-SF. The mixtures of PC-FNJ-MD demonstrated the same trend. Embedding SF into PC-FNJ-GW and PC-FNJ-MD substantially decreased both their flowability and mechanical properties. Nonetheless, all composites containing ISWs showed higher flexural strength, higher resistivity to chloride diffusivity, and higher or comparable acid and salt resistivity.

Analysis of the level of information, habits and knowledge of university students about the importance and relationship of physical activity and oral health

This study aimed to evaluate university students' awareness, habits, and knowledge concerning the relationship between physical activity and oral health as part of overall well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 345 students from the University of East Sarajevo, comprising 132 males (38.26%) and 213 females (61.74%), aged 19 to 27. The survey included 20 closed-ended questions. Results revealed that 77.69% of participants were non-smokers, with every fifth participant reporting physical inactivity and 64.34% engaging in physical activity one to three times a week. A third of the students exercised for over 60 minutes, while 44.05% exercised for 15-45 minutes. Most respondents (53.91%) brushed their teeth twice daily, with 45.51% brushing for 2-3 minutes. Over half (55.36%) were aware of the positive effects of physical activity on both general and oral health. However, 26.96% were unaware that poor oral health could impact physical activity quality. Some students feared dental procedures (18.85%) or did not use supplementary oral hygiene products (10.72%). A smaller percentage (8.40%) would use performance-enhancing drugs, and 50.44% were unaware of their adverse effects on oral and overall health. Additionally, 28.92% did not know the importance of mouthguards in contact sports. While 42% knew that a knocked-out tooth can be reimplanted, only 30.14% knew how to do it. Most (89.28%) recognized the harmful effects of carbonated drinks on health. Over half (59.13%) changed their toothbrush every three months, and 49.86% visited the dentist only when necessary. The study concludes that students at the University of East Sarajevo have a commendable level of knowledge regarding the relationship between physical activity and oral health.

The Relationship between Oral Health Preventive Management and Oral Health Belief of among Health College Students

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between oral health belief and oral health preventive management among health college students. The study also determined if oral disease recognition is related to oral health preventive management. Methods: A survey was of 385 health-related college students in Chungcheongnam-do was conducted to determine the relationship between oral health preventive management and oral health belief. t-teat, ANOVA, correlation and regression analysis were conducted. Results: Differences in oral health belief and the use of oral supplementary hygiene products were noted as 2.14 for “using” oral supplementary hygiene products and 2.43 for “not using” (p<0.01). The effect of oral health belief on oral hygiene product awareness was in the order of disability, importance, and benefit (p<0.01). Conclusions: To prevent oral diseases and manage oral health, regular oral examinations to assess for oral diseases and to provide continuous oral education, raise awareness of various oral hygiene products, increase the importance and benefits of oral health preventive management, and reduce disability through continuous feedback.

Evaluation of Antiplatelet Aggregation and Anticoagulant Effects of Oxalis Debilis Kunth Rhizome Extracts

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death globally. The discovery and use of natural products in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases have achieved great interest. Oxalis debilis is traditionally used for the treatment of various ailments. This study aimed to investigate the potential antiplatelet and anticoagulant properties of extracts derived from O. debilis rhizome. The rhizome of O. debilis was extracted with methanol and then fractionated to obtain four extracts: the total methanol extract, the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and water fraction. These four extracts were then tested for their ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and blood coagulation in human blood samples. This report demonstrated for the first time that O. debilis had inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation induced by both adenosine diphosphate and collagen as well as blood coagulation. Moreover, the total methanol extract, the ethyl acetate, and the water fraction had strong antiplatelet aggregation effects. All tested extracts had mild anticoagulant activities. This plant could be a valuable natural source for searching for antithrombotic substances, or for the development of supplementary products for the treatment and prevention of heart diseases and thrombosis.

Supplementary Influence Maximization Problem in Social Networks

Due to important applications in viral marketing, influence maximization (IM) has become a well-studied problem. It aims at finding a small subset of initial users so that they can deliver information to the largest amount of users through the word-of-mouth effect. The original IM only considers a singleton item. And the majority of extensions ignore the relationships among different items or only consider their competitive interactions. In reality, the diffusion probability of one item will increase when users adopted supplementary products in advance. Motivated by this scenario, we propose a supplementary independent cascade (IC) and discuss the supplementary IM problem. Our problem is NP-hard, and the computation of the objective function is #P-hard. We notice that the diffusion probability will change when considering the impact of its supplementary product. Therefore, the efficient reverse influence sampling (RIS) techniques cannot be applied to our problem directly even though the objective function is submodular. To address this issue, we utilize the sandwich approximation (SA) strategy to obtain a data-dependent approximate solution. Furthermore, we define the supplementary-based reverse reachable (SRR) sets and then propose a heuristic algorithm. Finally, the experimental results on three real datasets support the efficiency and superiority of our methods.

Factors Contributing to the Purchase Intention of Halal Fragrances (Ator): A Study on Dhaka City

Fragrance is identical to the cherry on the cake in personal grooming. The halal fragrance (Ator) has different acceptance among Muslim customers. Like many supplementary beauty products, the purchase intention for fragrance is also a complex one. To understand the drivers of the purchase intention of halal fragrance a structured survey questionnaire was formed and responses were collected from 500 respondents conveniently. Nine predictors including price, bottle design, brand, smell, personal care budget, advertisement, peer recommendation, sales promotion and online review are considered as the determinants through reviewing the past literature and hypotheses were developed as well. The Multiple Linear Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results found that price, smell, personal care budget and advertisement have significant associations with the purchase intention of halal fragrances (Ator). The study has also discussed the significance of this study’s findings aligning with prior literature and provided guidelines for practitioners. Finally, the limitations and future research opportunities have been discussed.

Physico-chemical and techno-functional characterization of quinoa bran protein concentrate

Quinoa is considered to be a superfood with enormous nutritional quality. Quinoa bran is an underutilized agro-processing by-product despite being a good source of high-quality proteins and nutritional properties. It contains 14% protein, which are poorly extractable as they are entrapped within the complex cell wall polysaccharide matrix. The current study attempts to improve the yield and recovery of quinoa bran proteins by enzymatic pre-treatment (cellulase and xylanase) and aqueous alkaline extraction. The physicochemical, techno-functional properties and bioactivity of the quinoa bran protein concentrate (QBPC) were studied to assess its potential as a good quality plant protein source. The yield of QBPC was enriched from 3.13 to 7.72% by enzymatic pre-treatment with a protein purity of 67.7%. The QBPC has 45.6% essential amino acids and showed 89.6% protein solubility, better foaming capacity (35 ± 5%), foam stability (76.4 ± 10.4%), emulsion ability (7.6 ± 2.8%) and stability (69 min). The nutritional parameters are as per FAO/WHO requirements. SDS-PAGE revealed the presence of 11S globulin chenopodin and 2S albumins. QBPC also showed 26.5% DPPH radical scavenging activity. These findings suggest that enzymatic pre-treatment improves protein extractability from quinoa bran, a low-cost, potential source of good-quality plant protein for supplementary food products.

Development of products based on ke-kame-tu formula for PMT at posyandu as an effort to prevent stunting

The "ke-kame-tu" formula is a mixture of Moringa leaf flour, red bean flour and tuna fish meal, with high protein, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium content. The specific aim of the research is to analyze the proximate content, amino acids, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium of supplementary feeding nugget products, and determine the most preferred supplementary feeding products. The “ke-kame-tu” formula (15-60-25) and supplementary feeding products were made using a randomized block design. Taste data was obtained using organoleptic tests. Analysis of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium using spectrophotometric methods. To determine the best supplementary feeding product, a diversity analysis (Anova) of organoleptic test results was carried out. The ke-kame-tu formula (15-60-35) contains 4.39 mg/100g of calcium, 530 mg/100 g of phosphorus, 80 mg/100 g of magnesium, 1.65 mg/100 g of zinc, and protein as much as 16.81%. In general, nuggets made using a modified recipe by adding to-kame-tu formulas with different concentrations have different nutritional content, namely increasing calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and protein content. Based on organoleptic tests, it was found that nugget products with N3 treatment were the preferred product compared to other treatments. This supplementary feeding product uses the addition of 100 grams of the second formula.

INFLUENCE OF THE HEATING AGENT TEMPERATURE ON THE KINETICS OF THE CONVECTIVE DRYING PROCESS AND THE CONTENT OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN APPLE POMACE

An environmentally ecological approach to the reuse of agro-industrial products in the food industry involves extracting biologically active substances or using them as supplementary products rich in dietary fibers. Apple pomace obtained after juice extraction presents a product rich in biologically active substances, soluble and insoluble fibers, organic acids, and minerals. Convective drying of apple pomace is an alternative method for long-term preservation by maintaining the biologically active substances. The research aimed to study the influence of temperature in the range of 60-80 °C on the drying of apple pomace to a final moisture content of 12.0±0.13% using the convective method, and the effect of temperature on the yield of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in Gold Delicious apple pomace. Changing the air temperature during convective drying from 60 to 80 °C reduced the drying time by 1.6 times and demonstrated a 1.4-fold increase in drying rate. The increase in the thermal agent's temperature led to an increase in the kinetic characteristic values; KI values increased by 4%, and KII values increased by 44%. Spectrophotometric analysis demonstrated that apple pomace dried at a temperature of 70 °C had the highest total content of polyphenols, tannins, and carotenoids. Thus, the convective drying method of apple pomace in the temperature range of 60-80 °C exerts a significant influence on the composition of biologically active compounds in the apple pomace composition.

Citrus Fruit Peels: From Waste to Worth

Citrus fruits are most commonly consumed fruits. However, the peels of these fruits yield a huge waste. The peels also contain important phytoconstituents. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant properties of peels of two selected citrus fruits (sweet lime and lemon). The peels were extracted using four solvents namely methanol, ethanol, acetone and distilled water. The extracts were analysed for total phenolic content, flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The result revealed that highest antioxidant profile was found for methanol extract of both sweet lime peel and lemon peel as compared to other extracts. The extracts of peels of sweet lime possessed higher total phenol, flavonoid and FRAP. The antioxidant capacity in terms of DPPH RSA and FRAP were attributed mainly to total phenolics as compared to flavonoids for both the peels. The higher antioxidant potential of peels of selected citrus fruits make them key ingredient for the development of functional foods and other supplementary products.

The German Development Bank as a policy entrepreneur for social health protection: a case study of the development and implementation of the ‘Sehat Sahulat Programme’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Background The German Development Bank (KfW) supported the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) to design and implement its first social health protection (SHP) scheme, named the Sehat Sahulat Programme (SSP). We described the role of KfW in the evolution of SSP with a view to identifying transferrable lessons for international development agencies working on similar initiatives in socioeconomically comparable contexts. Methods We employed a qualitative instrumental case study design approach. First, we obtained and analysed key programme documents to describe the chronology of events and policy changes. We then undertook in-depth interviews to understand factors influencing policy changes. Finally, we carried out non-participant observations to understand how policy decisions were made and implemented. We employed maximum variation sampling to recruit participants and conducted a thematic analysis of data. Results SSP was described by GoKP officials as an innovative financing strategy and a flagship project of the government formed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). First, programme officials reported that KfW was instrumental in both designing and financing SSP, which had plans to provide free health insurance to low-income families and raise revenue through paid enrollment of the wealthy (solidarity). Second, GoKP deviated from this model and covered the entire population of KP free of cost. Through SSP, GoKP envisaged service provision through private hospitals (subsidiarity). In the third year, GoKP included public sector hospitals in the programme. Although planned supplementary insurance products might result in inequitable utilisation, KfW continued supporting SSP and committed funding for piloting outpatient department services for two years, 2023 and 2024. Conclusions This in-depth case study has highlighted the potentially positive role of international development assistance in introducing innovative financing strategies to promote universal health coverage. However, development partners might have limited control over how things evolve.

Regulation of Insulin Resistance, Lipid Profile and Glucose Metabolism Associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Tinospora cordifolia.

Background: The plant Tinospora cordifolia (TC), traditionally known as guduchi or giloy, is used for a number of health conditions as a nutritional supplement and rejuvenation medicine. Its nutritional supplementary products are traditionally recommended for a wide range of health issues, including diabetes, menstruation discomfort, fever, obesity, inflammation, and more. Unfortunately, there has not been extensive research into its effectiveness in treating or managing insulin resistance, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, hormonal imbalance, and metabolic syndrome-associated polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Consequently, the present study was designed to induce insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hormonal abnormality, hyperglycemia, and menstrual disturbance of PCOS using dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in mice and study the effect of oral TC extracts on these factors by using ancient and modern technologies. During the 21-day study, 6 mg/100 g/day of DHEA was given to female mice. Levels of glucose, insulin, lipids, and hormones were estimated. In addition to being seen with the naked eye, the morphological and microscopic changes were also observed on histology slides. Results: The study outcomes show that pretreatment with TC preparations significantly improved biochemical and histological abnormalities in female mice. Diestrus phase was only observed in DHEA-treated animals, while cornified epithelial cells were present in TC-treated mice. Pretreatment with TC satva showed significant (p < 0.001) reductions in body weight compared to placebo. Fasting blood glucose, 1-h OGTT, and 2-h OGTT levels were all significantly lower in TC satva- and oil-treated animals in comparison to the disease control group (p < 0.001). Treatment with TC extracts resulted in a normalization of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels (p < 0.05). Treatment with TC extract improved lipid profiles (p < 0.001), LH/FSH ratios (p < 0.01), fasting insulin levels (p < 0.001), HOMA-IR (p < 0.001), HOMA-Beta (p < 0.001), and QUICKI (p < 0.001). Both macroscopic and microscopic alterations were seen to be restored after TC extract treatment. After being treated with TC satva, oil, and hydroalcoholic extract, the severity of PCOS decreased by 54.86%. Conclusions: These findings lead us to the conclusion that TC extracts and satva as nutritional supplements are useful for treating PCOS and associated symptoms. It is recommended that additional research be conducted to determine the molecular mechanism of action of TC nutritional supplements on PCOS-related changes in metabolic profiles. We also recommend further clinical studies to explore the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of TC nutritional supplements in treating and/or managing PCOS.

Development of a Novel Poushtic Powder: Nutritional characteristics, Organoleptic properties, Morphology study, Storage, and Cost Analysis, of supplementary food for a vulnerable group in Midnapore

Ready supplementary food has been the best choice to arrest hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. To develop low-cost with high nutritious supplementary food with locally available ingredients those fill up the requirements of nutrients of Indians per day at different age groups according to recommended dietary allowance. To prevent malnutrition and keep children healthy, the ICDS center provides several foods, one of which is poushtic laddu, which is made with rice, wheat, groundnut, gram flour, and sugar. The women of the self-help group mainly make these nutritious laddu ingredients and provide them to the ICDS center. There are currently several ICDS centers offering poushtic powders made by CINI known as Nutrimix, which is advised to feed the children as laddu at home. This laddu powder lags far behind in terms of nutrition and phytochemicals, this is the reason for submitting the report to improve the quality of this laddu in terms of nutrition. Three different poushtic powders were prepared, marked as P, PC, and PI by healthy and nutritious food ingredients which are locally available in the market and environment. After experiments, it was found that P, PI, and PC are best for protein (28.315g), iron (23.77mg), and calcium (325.502mg) content respectively. A sufficient amount of macro and micronutrients is present in all types of poushtic powders. Phytochemicals like ascorbic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, valinic acid, routine, trans-cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, apigenin, and kaempferol are found to be present. Antioxidant activity like FRAP (12.854µmol/gm), ABTS (19.217µmol/gm) and DPPH (19.167µmol/gm) high in PC sample. Every poushtic powder is good in one way or another. SEM determines morphology and particle size with a correlation with hardness and fineness. The shelf life of the products is determined by different types of storage containers. In this study cost of the three products is analyzed for product marketing. Locally available ingredients help to prepare the low cost with high healthy and nutritious ready to supplementary food products that improve human health and nutritional status. The innovation of poushtic powder is the production of a low-cost supplemental product using locally accessible, nutritionally fortified ingredients, allowing those from poor socioeconomic groups to benefit. At the same time, villagers have the potential to turn it into a small-scale company and profit from it in the future.

Sports foods are not all they shake up to be. An audit of formulated supplementary sports food products and packaging in Australian retail environments.

To determine store availability, total number of products, and types of Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods in Australia, along with their stated nutrition content, sweeteners added, total number, and type of claims displayed on the packaging. A cross-sectional, visual product audit of mainstream retailers. Supermarkets, pharmacies, health food stores, and gym/fitness centres. A total of 558 products were captured in the audit, 275 of which displayed the correct mandatory packaging attributes. Three categories of products were identified, based on the dominant nutrient. Only 184 products appeared to display the correct energy value based on the listed macronutrient content (protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre). The stated nutrient content was highly variable across all product subcategories. Nineteen different sweeteners were identified, with most foods containing only one (38.2%) or two (34.9%) types. The predominant sweetener was stevia glycosides. Packages displayed multiple claims, with a maximum of 67 and minimum of 2 claims. Nutrition content claims were most frequently displayed (on 98.5% of products). Claims included regulated, minimally regulated and marketing statements. Sports food consumers should be provided with accurate and detailed on pack nutrition information, to ensure informed choices are made. However, this audit showed multiple products which did not conform to current standards, appeared to provide inaccurate nutrition information, contained multiple sweeteners, and displayed an overwhelming number of on-pack claims. The increase in sales, availability, and products available in mainstream retail environments, could be impacting both intended consumers (athletes), and general non-athlete population. The results indicate underperformance in manufacturing practices which preference marketing over quality and stronger regulatory approaches are needed to protect consumer health and safety, and to prevent misleading consumers.

Effect of Class C and Class F Fly Ash on Early-Age and Mature-Age Properties of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste

To promote the sustainable development of eco-efficient calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements through the partial replacement of the CSA clinker with supplementary cementitious waste products, the effects of coal fly ashes on the early-age and mature-age properties of a calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA)-based cement paste were investigated. The impacts of both Class C and Class F fly ashes on the rheological properties, hydration kinetics, and compressive strength development of CSA cement paste were studied. Rheology-based workability parameters, representing the rate of loss of flowability, the rate of hardening, and the placement limit, were characterized for the pastes prepared with fixed water-to-cement (w/c) and fixed water-to-binder (w/b) ratios. The results indicate a slight improvement in the workability of the CSA paste by fly ash addition at a fixed w/b ratio. The isothermal calorimetry studies show a higher heat of hydration for the Class C fly ash-modified systems compared to the Class F-modified systems. The results show that fly ash accelerates the hydration of the calcium sulfoaluminate cement pastes, chiefly due to the filler effects, rather than the pozzolanic effects. In general, ettringite is stabilized more by the addition of Class F fly ash than Class C fly ash. Both fly ashes reduced the 1-day compressive strength, but increased the 28-day strength of the CSA cement paste; meanwhile, the Class C modified pastes show a higher strength than Class F, which is attributed to the higher degree of reaction and potentially more cohesive binding C-S-H-based gels formed in the Class C fly ash modified systems. The results provide insights that support that fly ash can be employed to improve the performance of calcium sulfoaluminate cement pastes, while also enhancing cost effectiveness and sustainability.

Nano-Nutraceuticals for Health: Principles and Applications.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43450-022-00338-7.