Lam. fruits (SALF) possess bioactive compounds, such as phenolics, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and vitamin C, that are beneficial for preventing oxidative stress-related diseases. It has been documented that ripeness stage influences the nutritional quality of fruits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrying processes including solar, oven, and refractance window were studied to determine their influence on the drying behavior of jackfruit slices and properties of resultant jackfruit powders. The loss of sample mass, converted to the ratio between the water content at time and the initial water content (moisture ratio), was used as the experimental parameter for modelling drying processes. Fifteen thin layer drying models were fitted to the experimental data using nonlinear regression analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRefractance window drying is a novel technology with high operational efficiency and high product quality retention compared with conventional drying methods. This study assessed the effect of refractance window dryer water temperature and pulp thickness on nutrient content and the antioxidant activity of jackfruit. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the drying temperature and fruit pulp thickness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial biomass is cultivated for different technological applications including food processing, medicine, waste management, and research. The conventional growth media used are generally expensive thus necessitating the development of more affordable alternatives. In this study, four sorghum grain varieties, SESO 1, SESO 3, , and , and their malt extracts were characterized which is aimed at determining their suitability for growing microbial biomass.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder of glucose homeostasis associated with a status of insulin resistance, impaired insulin signaling, β-cell dysfunction, impaired glucose and lipid metabolism, sub-clinical inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. Consuming fruits and vegetables rich in phytochemicals with potential antidiabetic effects may prevent T2DM and/or support a conservative T2DM treatment while being safer and more affordable for people from low-income countries. Lam.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCultivation of lactic acid bacteria cultures is vital for research and commercial production of fermented foods. However, the conventional growth media used are generally costly. Malt extracts from four sorghum varieties (SESO 1, SESO 3, Epuripur, and Eyera) were evaluated as alternative low-cost growth media for MNC 21.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to establish the probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter cultures, MNC 21, MNC 24, and MNC 20, isolated from a traditionally fermented sorghum-millet beverage from Uganda. The cultures were examined for tolerance to acid and bile salts, bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity, antibiotic susceptibility, biogenic amine production, mucin degradation, hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, adherence to the ileum, coaggregation, and antimicrobial properties against selected pathogenic species. yoba 2012, a known probiotic, was the reference.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChanges in total starch and reducing sugar content in five sweetpotato varieties were investigated weekly during root development and following subjection of the roots to different postharvest handling and storage conditions. Freshly harvested (noncured) roots and cured roots (spread under the sun for 4 days at 29-31°C and 63-65% relative humidity [RH]) were separately stored at ambient conditions (23°C-26°C and 70-80% RH) and in a semiunderground pit (19-21°C and 90-95% RH). Changes in pasting properties of flour from sweetpotato roots during storage were analyzed at 14-day intervals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSweet potato ( L.) roots contain amylolytic enzymes, which hydrolyze starch thus having the potential to affect the viscosity of sweet potato porridges provided the appropriate working conditions for the enzymes are attained. In this study, the effect of sweet potato variety, postharvest handling conditions, freshly harvested and room/ambient stored roots (3 weeks), and slurry solids content on the viscoelastic properties of complementary porridges prepared using amylase enzyme activation technique were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSingle and mixed starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB): MNC20, MNC21, MNC24 and MNC34 and yeasts: MNC20Y and MNC21Y were used to produce , a fermented sorghum beverage. Microbial counts, pH, sugars, organic acids, and volatile compounds in starter culture and spontaneous fermentations were monitored during 48 hrs. Maximum counts of LAB (8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In spite of intervention efforts, in Uganda, as in other developing countries, high levels of anaemia among pregnant women continue. Anaemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) is a matter of national concern. This study was carried out to assess determinants of anaemia in Kiboga district.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh ingredient costs continue to hamper local production of therapeutic foods (TFs). Development of formulations without milk, the most expensive ingredient, is one way of reducing cost. This study formulated a ready-to-drink peanut-based TF that matched the nutrient composition of F100 using plant sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObushera includes four fermented cereal beverages from Uganda namely: Obutoko, Enturire, Ekitiribita and Obuteire, whose microbial diversity has not hitherto been fully investigated. Knowledge of the microbial diversity and dynamics in these products is crucial for understanding their safety and development of appropriate starter cultures for controlled industrial processing. Culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques including denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and mixed DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified ribosomal RNA genes were used to study the bacteria and yeast diversity of Obushera.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmylolytic lactic acid bacteria (ALAB) can potentially replace malt in reducing the viscosity of starchy porridges. However, the drawback of using ALAB is their low and delayed amylolytic activity. This necessitates searching for efficient ALAB and strategies to improve their amylolytic activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVarious extraction and drying conditions for the isolation of kafirin from dry-milled, whole grain sorghum have been investigated, with a view to optimizing extraction of the protein for commercial food coatings and packaging films. The addition of sodium hydroxide to an aqueous ethanol extractant increased the yield and solubility of kafirin. Subsequent heat drying at 40 degrees C was shown to cause the kafirin to aggregate as indicated by an increase in intermolecular beta-sheets.
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