Physical, Chemical and Functional Properties of Tiger Nuts (Cyperus esculentus) Selected from Ghana, Cameroon and UK Market (Spain)

Physical, chemical and functional properties of tiger nuts selected from Ghana, Cameroon and UK (market (Spain) Abstract The tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) has attracted a lot of unsubstantiated health claims, yet there is a dearth of research investigation within Ghana specifically in the area of food product development. This study addresses the development of ‘functional bread and biscuit’ from tiger nuts obtained from UK market (Spain). The chemical constituents; carbohydrate, lipid, protein, dietary minerals and antioxidants, the functional properties of three varieties of tiger nuts obtained from Ghana (black and brown), Cameroon (yellow) and UK market (Spain) (brown) were investigated using standard analytical methods as well as the blood glucose response of healthy adults who consumed the developed bread. Tiger nuts were found to be good sources of carbohydrate (51-82g/100g) and lipids (21-37g/100g). The dietary fibre components ranged between 18, 1, 19 and 19g/100g for IDF, SDFP, HMWDF, and ITDF respectively, while the available carbohydrate as sugars were 45, 0.5 and 5g/100g for glucose, maltose and xylose respectively. Minerals that were found to be inherent to the crop were; potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and selenium and do not depend on place of origin. The following ratios for Sodium/Potassium 0.04, Calcium/Phosphorus 0.13 and Calcium/Magnesium 0.28 were obtained. Tiger nuts had TPC ≥ 134GAE per g, DPPH and stability index of 0.9-8.7mmol/litre and 3- 4 respectively. In conclusion the tiger nuts originating from different geographical locations were good sources of health giving minerals and had diversity of physical properties and chemical constituents which could inform future research in the functional food industry. Tiger nut could be added to the Ghana food basket and the product developed from it could be a potential functional food because of its effect on glucose response and phytochemical contents. It could again be used to replace artificial antioxidants (BHA or BHT) which are used in the food industry to inhibit lipid and protein oxidation especially the black variety.Self sponsored and University of Plymout

Calcium carbonate as a dietary supplement: its effects on soft tissues, with special reference to erythropoiesis

This thesis describes some unexpected results obtained when a standard diet for breeding mice was supplemented with calcium carbonate at rates up to 2 per cent. The abnormalities observed included profound anaemia in both dams and their litters» and Impaired growth and reproductive efficiencyj in addition to the anaemia, young animals also exhibited thymus atrophy, hyperlipaemia, and fatty changes in the liver. The cause - or, at least, the major cause • of these disorders has proved to be an induced deficiency of iron, which can be largely overcome by feeding an iron supplement.The work is presented in three Parts, with, in addition, Technical, Bibliographical and Tabular Appendices. Part I is introductory, and contains a description of the abnormalities caused by dietary supplements of calcium carbonate, together with details of the experiment in which they were first recognised. The major portion of the experimental work and argument is included In Part II. This Part begins with an appraisal of the probable Importance of the observations, and proceeds to the formulation of a plan of research desired to elucidate the mechanism at work. The anaemia appears to be dyshaemopoietic in origin, and, after a survey of normal and abnormal erythropoiesis, its likely causes are listed. An experiment shows that a supplement of iron not only improves the blood haemoglobin concentration but also largely prevents the other abnormalities, and further evidence that calcium carbonate interferes with iron availability is adduced from later eaqperiments. It is also shown that restoration of the calcium : phosphorus ratio, effected by means of a supplement of inorganic phosphate, does not abolish the deleterious effects of calcium carbonate.Further work goes on to show that neither copper deficiency nor pyridoxin deficiency can have played any important part in causing the anaemia. However, supplements of cobalt or of dried thyroid (although not of iodine) increase the -iihaemoglobin level, and the effects of both are affected by the presence of calcium carbonate#Following discussion of the other abnormalities observed in soft tissues, it is shown that in every case they could arise secondarily to anaemia. Nevertheless, other possible causes - including deficiencies of manganese, pyridoxin, thyroid hormone, choline and inositol - are suggested and investigated, but it is shown that none of these plays any part.In Part III, the conclusion is reached that the effects on soft tissues which result from supplementing the diet with calcium carbonate can all be explained on the basis of an induced deficiency of iron, and that this is the major if not the sole cause of the entire syndrome. After reviewing the literature on caloium-phosphate-iron relationships, it is concluded that some important factor remains unrecognised, and suggestions are put forward to indicate the lines on which further investigations should proceed. Finally, the importance of the findings is discussed

Study of short-wave ultraviolet treatments (UV-C) as a non-thermal preservation process for liquid egg products

La viabilidad de los tratamientos con radiación ultravioleta (UV-C) a 254 nm como proceso no térmico para la conservación de ovoproductos líquidos fue evaluada desde el punto de vista de la eficiencia en la descontaminación y sus efectos en los atributos de calidad. Los estudios cinéticos sobre la inactivación de microorganismos inoculados y de los principales grupos de microorganismos alterantes sirvieron para discriminar los parámetros más relevantes del tratamiento con UV-C. Los estudios de vida útil sirvieron para evaluar las ventajas aportadas por esta tecnología frente a tratamientos térmicos tradicionales. Las fracciones de huevo (clara, yema y huevo entero) tratadas con UV-C fueron analizadas en cuanto a los cambios de pH, color, estabilidad de lípidos (TBARS, colesterol y valor de peróxidos), efectos en las proteínas (oxidación proteica, DSC, SDS-PAGE), propiedades reológicas (viscosidad dinámica, comportamiento de flujo, viscosidad en función de la temperatura), propiedades funcionales (emulsionantes y espumantes), composición nutricional (vitaminas y minerales), composición de componentes saludables (carotenoides), y cito-genotoxicologia. Finalmente, la aceptación sensorial de los ovoproductos líquidos tratados por UV-C y de productos preparados con ovoproductos líquidos tratados por UV-C (mayonesa, bizcocho y pudin) fueron evaluadas por medio de pruebas triangulares y afectivas. El tratamiento con UV-C demostró ser una excelente alternativa a la pasteurización térmica. En microorganismos inoculados, se demostró una reducción de 5 Log tanto para Gram(+) como para Gram(-) en un equipo comercial para tratamientos en régimen continuo (UVivatec�). En tandas, los resultados también mostraron decrecimientos importantes en el recuento de microorganismos inoculados, aunque serían necesarios tiempos largos de tratamiento para producir una descontaminación comparable a la pasteurización térmica. Los ovoproductos líquidos tratados con UV-C fueron estables durante 8Mendes De Souza, P. (2012). Study of short-wave ultraviolet treatments (UV-C) as a non-thermal preservation process for liquid egg products [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/16696Palanci

Physicochemical, Sensory and Nutritional Properties of Foods Affected by Processing and Storage

Processing and storage can cause changes and interactions in food components that have effects on nutritional value, organoleptic characteristics or even food safety. This book includes 19 research works showing important and interesting advances, as well as new approaches, in this research topic. Four articles are dedicated to studying the effect of canning conditions (filling media and some ingredients) on the diverse parameters of quality for fish and pet foods. Three articles are devoted to studying the effects of dehydration (pre-treatments and drying procedures). One article is dedicated to monitoring the elaboration of a fermented and dehydrated product (sausage) using a portable NIRS device. The ninth article of this book studies the effect of low-dose electron beam irradiation on cooking quality, moisture migration, and thermodynamics, as well as the digestion properties of the isolated starches in newly harvested and dried rice. The next contribution studies the use of different preservatives to avoid the formation of undesirable volatile organic compounds in stracciatella cheese. Another article examines the impact of source material, kibble size, temperature, and duration on the efficiency of the aqueous extraction of sugars and phenolics from carob kibbles by conventional heat-assisted (HAE) and ultrasound-assisted (UAE) methods. In two articles, marinating with different extracts, alone or combined with other seasoning/conditioning methods, was essayed to tenderize beef or to improve the sensory quality of chicken leg and breast meat. The effect of various cooking methods on the quality, structure, pasting, water distribution and protein oxidation of fish and meat-based snacks is studied in the fourteenth article. The last five articles are dedicated to the study of the effects of storage on several foods (olive oil, blueberry, beetroot and Atlantic mackerel)

Prophylaxis of disease caused by bacterial pathogens of man

This thesis reports research undertaken which will lead to improved pretreatments and therapies for disease caused by Clostridium perfringens, Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis and Burkholderia pseudomallei. C. perfringens is thought to be the most widely distributed bacterial pathogen and is the most important Clostridial species associated with enteric disease in domesticated animals. During warfare C. perfringens has been a significant causes of mortality. Between 1 and 10% of wounded personnel developed gas gangrene during the 1st and 2nd world wars. The ability of the bacterium to cause a range of diseases is due largely to the differential production of toxins. The first reported cloning and nucleotide sequencing of three of the four major toxins (α, β and ε-toxins) is documented in this thesis. The regulation of expression of α-toxin in C. perfringens has been investigated and methods for the expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli have been devised This information has been used to develop improved PCR-based diagnostic tests, and to investigate structure-function relationships. A high resolution crystal structure of a-toxin (phospholipase C) is reported. Using molecular and biophysical techniques, the functions of the two domains of the protein have been determined. Residues that play roles in the interaction of the toxin with host cell membranes have been identified using site-directed mutagenesis. This work has also provided a major insight into the structures and functions of related phospholipases C (the zincmetallophospholipases C) from other bacterial pathogens. This pioneering work with α-toxin is recognised by invitations to write reviews and book chapters on this subject and on bacterial phospholipases C. C. perfringens β-toxin has been shown to be related to pore forming toxins such as Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin. This finding suggests, for the first time, the mode of action of β-toxin. The interaction of C. perfringens ε-toxin with host cells has been investigated and progress made in identifying the cell-surface receptor for the toxin. Genetically engineered toxoids have been devised which induce high-level protection against α and ε-toxins. These vaccines are currently being developed by industry for veterinary use. Similar approaches have been used to devise a recombinant vaccine against Clostridium botulinum toxin F. The wider applications of toxins as therapeutics have also been investigated, and a novel cancer drug delivery system based on targeted lysis of drug-containing liposomes by α-toxin has been devised and patented. F. tularensis is the etiological agent of tularemia, a disease of man that is found in most countries in the Northern hemisphere and most frequently in Scandinavia, N. America, Japan and N. Russia. In this thesis the efficacy of antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of experimental tularemia is documented. Two surface antigens (lipopolysaccharide and FopA) have been evaluated as sub-unit vaccines. Of these, lipopolysaccharide shows potential as a protective antigen. However, because of the paucity of information available on this bacterium, a wider approach to vaccine development, involving the determination of the genome sequence of a fully virulent strain of F. tularensis has been undertaken. A preliminary analysis of the genome sequence is reported here, which has allowed the identification of targets for the development of a rationally attenuated mutant for use as a live vaccine. Y. pestis is generally recognised to have caused three major pandemics of disease, and credible estimates indicate that together these resulted in 200 million deaths. WHO figures indicate that there is a continuing public health problem from plague, especially in Africa, Asia and South America. In this thesis existing vaccines and antibiotics have been evaluated for the prevention and treatment of plague and found to have limitations. A number of approaches to the development of an improved vaccine have been investigated including rationally attenuated strains of the bacterium and isolated surface antigens. A sub-unit vaccine against plague has been devised based on recombinant forms of the F1- and V-antigens. This vaccine provides high level protection against both bubonic and pneumonic plague. This recombinant sub-unit vaccine has been patented and is currently in phase I clinical trials in man. This vaccine has been formulated for single oral or intranasal delivery, using microencapsulated or Salmonella-based delivery systems. Methods for enhancing the stability and efficacy of these vaccines have been investigated. Reviews on plague and plague vaccines have been written, confirming the status of the author as a world leader in this field. The work to devise an improved vaccine has also provided insight into the molecular basis of pathogencity of Y. pestis. A phoP / phoQ regulatory system has been discovered in the bacterium, which plays a key role in survival of the bacterium within macrophages. The V-antigen has been shown to be surface located to play a key role in the translocation of effector proteins into host cells. The biogenesis of the F1-capsular antigen has been investigated at a genetic and biophysical level. In order to underpin future work with this pathogen, the genome sequence is currently being determined. This work has already provided major new insights into the evolution of this pathogen. B. pseudomallei (formerly Pseudomonas pseudomallei) is found primarily in S. E. Asia, N. Australia and other tropical areas of the world. Melioidosis has recently appeared in temperate zones, including mainland France and the UK possible as a consequence of increased international travel. Acute disease can be treated with antibiotics but the bacterium can persist in the host and subsequent disease episodes can occur. In this thesis ciprofloxacin and doxycyline have been are evaluated and shown to have significant limitations for the treatment of melioidodis. In the longer term there is a requirement for an effective vaccine against melioidosis, and work is reported here to devise the genetic tools which will be necessary for the genetic manipulation of the bacterium, with a view towards the identification of virulence determinants

Studies on the Trypanocidal Drug, Homidium: Development and Use of ELISA for Its Detection and Quantification in Cattle

This thesis concerns the development, validation and use of enzyme- linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine homidium concentrations in sera of treated cattle. Previously published work with particular emphasis on control and specifically, chemotherapy of animal trypanosomiases are reviewed in Chapter One. This includes the development and use of trypanocidal drugs detailing previous analytical techniques used in the determination of drug levels in plasma/serum of treated cattle. Chapter 2 describes the general materials and methods used in the experiments reported in the later Chapters of this thesis. Chapter 3 describes the development of two highly sensitive homidium ELISA methods (detection limit 0.1 ng ml-1); Assay 1 an indirect competition assay and the Assay 2 a direct competition assay. Validation of the assays was carried out on serum samples obtained from treated Friesian calves. Using Assay 2, the serum homidium concentrations obtained following treatment of calves showed less variations between individual animals when compared to Assay L It was thereafter adopted for use in all subsequent experiments. Following the development and validation of the ELISA method, several experiments were carried out in cattle using homidium bromide at 1 mg kg-1 b.w. to establish baseline data on serum homidium concentrations and pharmacokinetics in cattle. Serum homidium concentrations and pharmacokinetics were determined following i.v. treatment of Friesian calves. No drug was detectable after approximately 17 days of treatment in four out of five and in 21 days in the remaining calf showing rapid elimination of the drug. Following the establishment of homidium pharmacokinetics in the Friesian cattle in work carried out in Scotland, the studies were extended to Boran (Bos indicus) cattle, a breed of cattle which is commonly kept in the trypanosomiasis endemic areas, in Kenya. Following i.m. treatment with homidium bromide at 1 mg k-1, serum homidium concentrations were determined. The results showed a wide variation in serum homidium concentrations between individual Boran cattle when compared to the Friesian. However, both groups showed similar the serum homidium concentration-versus-time profiles. The results of investigations into homidium as a chemotherapeutic drug are reported in Chapter 5. Two groups of five animals were inoculated with two different populations of T. congolense; one drug-sensitive (IL 1180) and the other drug-resistant (IL 3330). The animals were treated with homidium bromide at 1 mg kg-1 seven days following detection of trypanosomes. No trypanosomes were detected in the cattle infected with the drug-sensitive trypanosome population within 24 hours in four and 48 hours in of five cattle following treatment. The animals remained aparasitaemic up to the end of the observation period of 90 days post-treatment. Whist trypanosomes did not disappear from the circulation following treatment of cattle infected with drug- resistant trypanosome population, low serum homidium concentrations of between 0.1 and 0.3 ng ml-1 remained in the circulation for over 10 weeks following treatment. Both groups showed an increase in the rate of drug elimination within the first week of treatment which reverted back to normal following disappearance of trypanosomes from circulation of cattle treated with drug-sensitive trypanosome population. This accelerated rate of drug elimination was maintained in the presence of drug-resistant trypanosomes until no drug was detectable within 10 days of treatment. Investigations into homidium as a chemoprophylactic drug under controlled conditions are reported in Chapter 6. Following monthly trypanosome challenge of homidium-treated cattle using the same T. congolense populations mentioned above, trypanosomes were detected in blood of the five cattle challenged with the drug-sensitive trypanosome population after 120, 134, 137, 143 and 144 days following treatment. Homidium concentrations of between 0.1 and 0.3 ng ml-1 were detectable for over 10 weeks in circulation in four out of five cattle challenged with drug-sensitive trypanosome population. However, tiypanosomes were detected in the circulation of all the five cattle challenged with the drug-resistant trypanosome population eight to nine days following the first challenge at 30 days post-treatment. Serum homidium concentrations were undetectable within 13 days of challenge

Development of rapid tools for the early diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis

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Senescence

The book "Senescence" is aimed to describe all the phenomena related to aging and senescence of all forms of life on Earth, i.e. plants, animals and the human beings. The book contains 36 carefully reviewed chapters written by different authors, aiming to describe the aging and senescent changes of living creatures, i.e. plants and animals