Chemical and nutritional composition of tejate, a traditional maize and cacao beverage from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Foam-topped cacao and maize beverages have a long history in Mesoamerica. Tejate is such a beverage found primarily in the Zapotec region of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Historically tejate has been ceremonially important but also as an essential staple, especially during periods of hard fieldwork.

Nutritive value of diets containing fish silage for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei (Bonne, 1931).

Background: Fish wastes has been used for many years as an alternative in feeds for aquaculture. In the present study weight gain of juvenile white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei fed diets including fish waste silage (WS), fish waste silage with soybean meal SBM (WS + S) or fish waste meal (WM) was compared. A conventional acidic silage process was applied to obtain from wastes (skin, heads, bones and viscera) of snapper (Lutjanus spp.

Role of oxate, phytate, tannins and cooking on iron bioavailability from foods commonly consumed in Mexico.

The objectives of this research were to assess the bioavailability of iron in foodstuffs found in the Mexican diet, to provide data on the content of iron absorption inhibitors present in plant origin products and to assess the inhibitory effect of these compounds and of cooking on iron bioavailability; therefore, total content and bioavailable iron, tannins, phytic and oxalic acid were determined in vegetables, cereals, legumes and animal products, before and after cooking. Vegetables, although rich in iron, have poor iron bioavailability and a high content of inhibitory factors; cooking reduced the content of iron and inhibitory factors, whereas in animal products the treatment of cooking did not significantly reduce it. Iron bioavailability, phytate content and the phytate to iron molar ratio predicted poor iron bioavailability and, therefore, a negative impact on the nutritional status of people who rely on them as staple foods could be expected.

Effect of malnutrition on the pharmacokinetics of cefuroxime axetil in young rats.

Purpose: To determine the pharmacokinetics of cefuroxime axetil in malnourished rats using a diet with a restriction in energy and nutrients (group M), a diet with a low quality protein (group K) and a good quality diet (group C) as a control.

Methods: The rats were fed with the corresponding diet during 21 days. After this period a single oral dose of cefuroxime axetil (equivalent to a 2.

Content of nutrient and antinutrient in edible flowers of wild plants in Mexico.

Nutrient and antinutritional/toxic factors present in some edible flowers consumed in Mexico were determined. The edible flowers were: Agave salmiana, Aloe vera, Arbutus xalapensis, Cucurbita pepo (cultivated), Erythrina americana, Erythrina caribaea, Euphorbia radians benth and Yucca filifera. The nutrient content in the flowers studied is similar to that of the edible leaves and flowers studied mainly in Africa.

[Free amino acids in the amniotic fluid and maternal plasma in different periods of the normal pregnancy].

Objective: To describe changes in the concentration of total free amino acids (TFAA) in amniotic fluid (AF) and in maternal plasma (MP) at different periods of pregnancy, to analyze their differences, and to correlate the composition of the aminograms (AMG).

Methods: A total of 19 free AA. were measured by chromatography in the AF and MP from 18 women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, 6 at 16 weeks of gestation (wg), 6 at 28 wg and, 6 at 36 wg.

Nutritive evaluation of the seed, germinated seed, and string bean of Erythrina americana and the detoxification of the material by boiling.

The nutritive and toxicological values of the dry seeds, germinated seeds, and string beans of Erythrina americana were studied using raw and boiled samples. Raw germinated seeds had a higher protein content and lower fiber content than dry seeds. The whole string bean had lower protein content and higher fiber content.