by Rose E. Kanfon, Flora J. Chadare, C. Pascal Agbangnan D. and Paulin Azokpota
Original Research
Tamarindus indica L. is a non-timber forest product that offers an exceptional richness in macronutrients and micronutrients. The present work aims to evaluate the nutritional and functional value of dry depetiolated leaves, dry petioles and kernels of seeds roasted between 100°C and 110°C for 15 minutes of Tamarindus indica L. from Benin. The proximal composition of the samples was determined by standard methods and the mineral composition by atomic adsorption spectrometry. The results show that 100 g of leaves of Tamarindus indica L. contain on average ( 94.47 ± 0.31) g dry matter , (5.37 ± 0.09) g ash , (37.49 ± 0.11) g lipid, (14.92 ± 0. 10) g of protein and (50.12 ± 0.01) g of sugars. Roasted almonds showed the highest protein content (22.08 ± 0.10) g. The dry petioles were richer than the leaves and kernels in dry matter (95.33 ± 0.36) g. The most representative mineral of the leaves was phosphorus (701.5 ± 0.21) g and potassium for the almonds (1010.24 ± 2.45) mg per 100g of dry matter. The contents of magnesium, calcium, iron and copper were also high with average values ranging from (22.08 - 157.17) mg, (100.24 - 1346.71) mg, (16.77 - 62.71) mg and (5.43 - 11.54) mg respectively for roasted almonds and dry depetiolated leaves. Manganese was the least important mineral for almonds (5.43 mg) and leaves (7.09 mg) low, respectively below 1 and 0.5. These results show that the organs of Tamarindus indica L. prospected in this study present a rather interesting nutritional profile and reveal their functional character. They could play an important role in human nutrition and food security as food ingredients or incorporated into the formulations of products useful to humans.
American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2023, 11(2), 61-69. DOI: 10.12691/ajfst-11-2-6
Pub. Date: August 10, 2023
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by Tehilah Feye G. Bautista, Dan Daniel B. Neri, Nicole F. Diaz, Imma Avril Lucero, Ian Jay P. Saldo, Mary Jade P. Dandoy and Jhovel Roy D. Calo
Original Research
Antimicrobial agents, or preservatives, are food additives that protect stored food from bacteria. Plant-derived preservatives from leaves, fruits, and seeds inhibit microbial development in food, extending shelf life. The study aimed to assess and compare the quality of meat treated with plant-derived and commercial preservatives on meat through sensory evaluation Plant-derived preservatives from lemon (Citrus limon), citrus peels, basil (Ocimum basilicum), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), and peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) were extracted using maceration extraction, and commercial preservatives (Sodium Nitrite). The quality of Sirloin Tip Side Steak beef treated with plant-derived and commercial preservatives was assessed using a purposive survey by the eight established meat sellers assessing the meat’s color, texture, and smell. The result’s significance was analyzed using T-test. The result of the study showed that plant-derived preservatives preserved the beef with a rate of good quality, averaging 2.88, SD=0.57, while commercial preservatives preserved meat with a rate of poor quality with a mean=2.22, SD=0.54. Generally, the study’s result indicates that the plant-derived preservatives have significantly preserved the meat’s color, texture and smell compared to commercial preservatives. Based on the result, it is recommended to use plants that could enhance the color of the meat, not plants that could alter the meat’s color.
American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2023, 11(2), 57-60. DOI: 10.12691/ajfst-11-2-5
Pub. Date: July 05, 2023
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by Eke-Ejiofor J, Friday U. B and Anumba N. L
Original Research
This study investigated the glycemic indices, vitamins of flour and sensory properties of stiff dough (swallow) from processed, ripe and unripe breadfruits (Artocarpus altilis). Ripe and unripe breadfruits were processed (using five pre-treatments which include: blanching, steaming and fermentation at 12, 18 and 24 hours respectively) into ten flour samples which were evaluated for glycemic indices and vitamins. The flour were separately reconstituted into dough (swallow) and evaluated for sensory characteristics using standard methods. The glycemic index, glycemic load, beta-carotene and vitamin C content of the flour varied significantly (p>0.05) with values ranging from 31.25 to 71.50, 0.225 to 0.525, 0.503 to 4.827ug/100g, 0.002 to 0.015% except vitamin A (0.025 to 0.504 IU/100g) which had no significant difference. Sensory properties of the stiff dough showed significant (p>0.05) variations for texture (3.36 to 6.82) and consistency (4.19 to 7.08) but no significant variation in appearance (3.94 to 5.97), moldability (4.61 to 7.25), taste (4.22 to 6.72) and general acceptability (4.47 to 6.51). The work concluded that blanched, ripe breadfruits produced flour with the highest beta-carotene and vitamin A as well as stiff dough with the best overall acceptability while 12 hours treatment (fermentation) of unripe breadfruit produced flour with the lowest glycemic index and glycemic load.
American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2023, 11(2), 49-56. DOI: 10.12691/ajfst-11-2-4
Pub. Date: June 06, 2023
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by Valeria Berrondo and Adriana Gámbaro
Original Research
For more than 30 years, the Focus Group methodology has been used for numerous types of research on the most varied topics. Until very recently, the Focus Groups were considered a mature methodology with just a few genuine innovations. But in the last decade, innovations have started to emerge, such as the Focus Group integration with other techniques such as projective mapping and projective and creative techniques to improve data generation and for co-creation of ideas and product development. Moreover, a key limitation of the Focus Groups is the need to identify, recruit and gather a group of people in only one place for discussion. Technology has reduced, if not completely eliminated, this limitation and has allowed a wider use of Focus Groups in a world available for the internet.
American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2023, 11(2), 44-48. DOI: 10.12691/ajfst-11-2-3
Pub. Date: May 24, 2023
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by ADEPO Yapo Prosper, ATTO Virginie, TOUZOU Bléou Jean-Jaurès and BIEGO Godi Henri
Original Research
Euphorbia hirta is a herbaceous plant, widespread in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is widely used in traditional medicine for a wide variety of therapeutic indications such as gastrointestinal, respiratory and hepatic infections; it is also used orally for its galactagogue effects in breastfeeding women. In order to enhance the Euphorba hirta plant, studies on the prolactin level and clinical signs in rats force-fed with the aqueous extract of this plant were carried out. The study was carried out experimentally on 18 adult female Albino Wistar rats divided into three (3) groups of six (6) rats. The first batch received by gavage (twice a day for 4 days) distilled water, the second received by gavage a galactogil and the third batch received by gavage the aqueous extract of Euphorba hirta at 0.2 g/mL. The results showed that the prolactin level (15.22 ± 0.67 ng/ml) in the rats force-fed with the aqueous extract of Euphorba hirta is significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the female rats having received distilled water (10.41± 0.11 ng/ml). However, the prolactin level in rats force-fed with the aqueous extract of Euphorba hirta is not significantly different (p>0.05) from that of female rats having received galactogil (15.26 ± 0.84 ng/ ml) All the animals survived for the duration of the experiment and showed no clinical signs. This shows that the aqueous extract of Euphorba hirta is well tolerated by rats. These results open up interesting perspectives relating to the use of the Euphorbia hirta plant in the form of a food that can constitute an effective and rapid means of combating the hypogalactia in breastfeeding women.
American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2023, 11(2), 41-43. DOI: 10.12691/ajfst-11-2-2
Pub. Date: March 28, 2023
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by NO Alamuoye, OF Alamuoye and LK Otitoju
Original Research
The study investigated the antimicrobial properties of onion waste on the microbial spoilage of stored chicken chips and meat balls produced from broiler chicken fed diets supplemented with onion wastes and the repellency of processed chicken chips and meat balls against housefly. One hundred and fifty, day old Arbo acres broiler chicks were procured from a reputable source and reared according to standard experimental procedures. Experimental diets were made up of treatment 1 (control diets, basal only), treatment 2- basal diet + 25 mg/kg onion waste, treatment 3- basal diet + 50mg/kg onion waste, treatment 4 - basal diet + 75mg/kg onion waste and treatment 5- basal diet + 100mg/kg onion waste. Cook yield, cook loss, microbial load count, gram reaction test and housefly repellency bioassay of chips and meat balls were evaluated. The results of microbial load decrease as the level of inclusion of onion wastes increases which showed that onion wastes had antimicrobial properties. The cooking yield percentage of chicken chip which ranged from 49.70 to 58.70 had the highest cooking yield observed in treatment 2 while the lowest was in treatment 3. The percentage of cooking loss in meat balls ranged from 8.80 (treatment 5) to 20.00 (treatment 3). The percentage repellency in chip was higher in female as it ranged from 70.00 to 100.00 than in male housefly which ranged from 53.33 to 93.33. The percentage repellency of housefly in chip was higher (90.00 - 100.00) in female than in male housefly which ranged from 66.67 to 100.00. This trend was observed in meat ball, as percentage repelleny in female housefly was comparatively higher (76.67 - 100) than the male (70.00 - 100) along treatments. The study concluded that the chips and meat balls produced from chicken broiler fed diets supplemented with onion wastes had an improved shelf life with paper bags.
American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2023, 11(2), 34-40. DOI: 10.12691/ajfst-11-2-1
Pub. Date: March 19, 2023
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