Effect of Supplementing Cassava with Okara on Biscuit Quality

Okara is a nutritious by-product of soy milk industry; however it is discarded as industrial waste because it is perishable and other uses for it have not been fully identified. The feasibility of utilization of okara in food formulations was investigated. Five blends of composite flour were prepared by combining cassava flour with 10% to 50% of okara flour, respectively. The 100% cassava flour served as control. The functional and pasting properties of the flour blends as well as the chemical and sensory properties of biscuit samples were determined. Statistically significant (p≤0.05) difference in functional properties was observed between cassava flour supplemented with different levels of okara. The pasting properties showed that peak and final viscosities decreased with increase in level of okara flour in the blend. The biscuit samples had protein (4.7-11.9%), ash (1.63-2.17%), crude fibre (17.13-20.38%), fat (17.9- 23.4%), carbohydrate (34.9-53.0%) and energy (349.8-363.5 Kcal/g). Anti-nutritional components (oxalate, phytate and tannin) were significantly affected by inclusion of okara in the formulation. The sensorial characteristics of biscuits prepared from cassava and okara showed significant difference (p≤0.05) compared to the control. Cassava flour could be supplemented with okara flour up to 20% level in the production of biscuits with improved nutritional quality without affecting sensorial acceptability. The results from this study could be adopted by indigenous food industries that want to take the functional and nutritional advantage of okara flour to supplement starchy food ingredients.

INFLUENCE OF PROCESSING METHODS ON THE NUTRIENT CONTENT OF ASPARAGUS SPEARS

Changes in the nutrient contents of the asparagus (Asparagus officinalis, L.) spears were determined in order to investigate the influence of the blanching, pressure cooking and microwaving on spears. Standard AOAC methods were used for the analysis of parameters selected for the study. The data obtained during the study revealed a significant (p>0.05) decrease in the content of fat, dietary fibre, carbohydrate and ash in all the samples. However, pressure cooking resulted in increase of 1 % in fat content in the sample. Moisture and protein content increased to a level of 13%-15% and 6% to 18 % respectively in all the processed samples. Results revealed that percentage reduction of nutrients was least in blanched sample as compared to pressure cooking and microwaving. The present research suggests blanching as the most suitable technique for processing of asparagus spears for optimum nutritional advantage.

Nutritional Results of Roux-en-Y Pouch Reconstruction After Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

Objective: The aim of the present study was to describe the nutritional advantage of pouch reconstruction. Summary of background data: Roux-en-Y (RY) pouch reconstruction might improve patients' quality of life compared with RY reconstruction without a pouch after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed in 9 and 30 patients with gastric cancer for stages I to III diseases in the pouch and RY groups, respectively, and perioperative and nutritional results were studied. Nutritional results were studied for hemoglobin, serum albumin, total lymphocyte count, and prognostic nutritional index for 5 years postoperatively. Results: Intraoperative blood loss did not differ between 2 groups, and operative time in the pouch group was prolonged compared with the RY group. All parameters we studied for nutritional results did not differ between the pouch and RY groups in patients with stages I to III diseases. When nutritional results were investigated in patients with stage I diseases, the total lymphocyte count at 2 years and prognostic nutritional index at 2 and 3 years postoperatively were greater in the pouch group than RY group, but the increase was not obvious at 4 to 5 years after the operation, and serum albumin and hemoglobin did not differ between 2 groups. Conclusions: These results indicate that the nutritional advantage of pouch reconstruction is very limited after total gastrectomy because the nutritional benefits of pouch reconstruction were observed in 2 of 4 parameters in patients with stage I at 2 and 3 years postoperatively.

Physiological and Molecular Understanding of Bacterial Polysaccharide Monooxygenases

SUMMARY Bacteria have long been known to secrete enzymes that degrade cellulose and chitin. The degradation of these two polymers predominantly involves two enzyme families that work synergistically with one another: glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and polysaccharide monooxygenases (PMOs). Although bacterial PMOs are a relatively recent addition to the known biopolymer degradation machinery, there is an extensive amount of literature implicating PMO in numerous physiological roles. This review focuses on these diverse and physiological aspects of bacterial PMOs, including facilitating endosymbiosis, conferring a nutritional advantage, and enhancing virulence in pathogenic organisms. We also discuss the correlation between the presence of PMOs and bacterial lifestyle and speculate on the advantages conferred by PMOs under these conditions. In addition, the molecular aspects of bacterial PMOs, as well as the mechanisms regulating PMO expression and the function of additional domains associated with PMOs, are described. We anticipate that increasing research efforts in this field will continue to expand our understanding of the molecular and physiological roles of bacterial PMOs.

Grain Chemical Composition as Affected by Genetic Backgrounds and Toxigenic Aspergillus flavus Inoculation in Corn Hybrids

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites commonly found in corn and known to cause health issues to human and animals. Information on the relationship between corn grain inoculated with mycotoxins and grain nutrients (protein, oil, fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids) in corn hybrids, especially stacked-gene hybrids is very limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the nutritional advantage of stacked-gene hybrids (Stgene) over non-genetically modified organisms (non-GMO) corn or glyphosate-resistant corn (RR). The experiment was conducted in two locations (clay and sandy soils) in 2011, irrigated, and inoculated with toxigenic Aspergillus flavus using four hybrids of stacked-gene, four of RR, and two non-GMO (conventional). Non-inoculated plots were used as control. The results showed that stacked-gene hybrids had no observable nutritional advantage over RR or non-GMO as all hybrid classes accumulated adequate nutrients in their grains; this effect could be due to adequate concentrations of nutrients in the soil. Higher levels of grain protein, carbohydrates (glucose, reducing sugars, and starch), oleic acid, total amino acids, and some minerals were observed under inoculated conditions in clay and sandy soils indicated a possible osmotic adjustment role of these compounds as stress indicators and osmoprotectants under inoculated conditions. Grain nutrients in clay soil were higher than those in sandy soils; nutrient differences could be due to sandy soil possibly suffering drier conditions, especially inoculated soil, reducing nutrient uptake and nutrients mobility to the grain. This study provides advanced knowledge on the relationship between grain nutrients and mycotoxins in corn hybrids. It is also useful to the corn breeders to understand the responses of grain nutrients to fungal diseases in corn hybrids.

Organic and inorganic selenium in poultry: A review

Selenium was believed to be toxic to animals, however, in 1957, selenium was reported as a dietary vital nutrient. Selenium is available in inorganic and organic forms. In 1974, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated the supplementation of selenium in poultry diets. In 1994, the National Research Council recognized selenium as a dietary essential nutrient for laying hens. The maximum allowed selenium addition level is 0.30 mg/kg. One of the most common supplements used is sodium selenite (SS), the inorganic selenium source. However, in 2000, the FDA approved the use of the organic source of selenium, Se-enriched yeast (SY) in poultry diets. Selenium has valuable effects on animal immune status, growth parameters, production and reproduction. Experimentally, it has been indicated that SY benefits more than that of SS due to its more bioavailability. Selenium inclusion in food-animal diets has an extra nutritional advantage to human consumers of Se-enriched food-animal products.