Date seed and date seed oil

Date palm is an important plant in arid regions with more than 20 varieties reported all over the world. Date seed is a byproduct of date fruit industry which is normally being discarded, used as animal feed ingredient or turned into non-caffeinated coffee by the Arabs. About 11-18% of date fruit weight is the seed which is composed of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fat, ash and protein. In addition, the antioxidant content in date seed oil (DSO) was found to be comparable with olive oil, which can be as a good source of antioxidant in order to fulfill the consumers demand. Oleic acid is the major fatty acid found in DSO, followed by lauric, linoleic, palmitic and myristic acid. However, different varieties of date fruits have different fatty acid compositions. This paper reviewed the potential use of date seed and date seed oil in order to discover and develop its usage and find out the suitable application of these seed and oil

Specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of raw meats and fats of pigs for Halal authentication

Species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of a conserved region in the mitochondrial (mt) 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was developed for species identification from raw pork and lard samples. Genomic DNA of pork and lard were successfully extracted and were found to be of good quality. The extracted genomic DNA was then subjected to PCR amplification targeting the specific regions of the 12S rRNA gene and produced clear PCR products on the amplification of 12S rRNA gene of 387 base pairs (bp) from pig species. The species-specific PCR identification yielded excellent results for identification of pig. This made it deal for quality control purposes and a potentially reliable technique to avoid species adulteration for Halal authentication and verification

Studies of Saudi Arabian Locally Produced Wheat Germ

Local wheat germ (LWG) had higher protein and oil but lower crude fibre total sugar, and carbohydrates than commercial wheat germ (CWG). Variation in amino acid composition occurred in both samples Laboratory extracted commercial wheat germ oil (LECGWO) has the highest acid and peroxide values while commercial wheat germ oil (CWGO) was the lowest in unsaponifiable matter. Palantir, viearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids were found. Local wheat germ oil (LWGO) was the riches in alpha and beta locopherols. Gamma locopheral was only found in CWGO

Some Antinutritional Factors in Moringa Peregrian (Al-Yassar or Al-Ban) and Soybean Products

Moringa peregrine and soybean defatted flours, protein concentrates, and isolates were assayed for trypsin (TIA) and α-amylase (A1A) inhibitor activities, phytic cid, tannin and chlorogenic acid contents, and in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD). TIA in M. peregrina defatted flour (MDF) was lower (p<0.05) but more heat resistant than in soybean. AIA in MDF was lower than in soybean and inhibited pancreatic amylase more than bacterial amylase. Some M. peregrina products were higher phytic acid but lower in chlorogenic acid than soybean. Tannins was low in all samples. IVPD was slightly lower for M.peregrina than for soybean

Sensory and Microbial Quality of Chicken As Affected by Irradiation and Postirradiatiion Storage at 4.0ºC

Chickens were subjected to gamma irradiation doses of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 100 KGy using a semi-commercial gamma irradiation facility. The irradiated and unirradiated (control) chickens were stored at 4.0ºC and samples were drawn at day 0 and at 3-day intervals up to 21 days for sensory and microbiological analyses. All irradiation doses (2.5 to 10.0 KGy) had little effect on the sensory acceptability (appearance, odor, texture, taste) of both raw and cooked chicken (breast and thigh). Irradiation extended the time during which these characteristics were acceptable. Moreover, juiciness and tenderness of cooked chicken were only slightly affected by irradiation, and chickens were not rejected even after 21 days of storage. A dose of 2.5 KGy seemed adequate to extend the shelf life of chicken by 12 days, and increasing the dose level above 2.5 KGy gave little if any additional benefit as far as total and psychrotrophic bacterial counts are concerned. Moreover, the dose of 2.5 KGy was enough to destroy Salmonella, Yersinia, and Compylobacter species and coliforms. The study also showed that yeasts of the genera Candida, Saccharomyces, and Alternaria started to grow on day 12 in samples treated with ≥ 5.0 KGy, but not in samples treated with <5.0KGy

Chemical changes after irradiation and post-irradiation in tilapia and Spanish mackerel

Influence of gamma irradiation (1.5-10 KGy) and post irradiation storage up to 20 days at to ± 2ºC on some chemical criteria of tilapia and Spanish mackerel were studied. Total volatile basic nitrogen formation was lower in radiated fish than in unirradiated. Irradiation also caused a large increase in thioparpituric acid values which continued gradually during storage. Some fatty acids decrease by irradiation treatment at all doses. Thiamin loss was more severe at higher doses (≤ 4.5 KGy), whereas riboflavin was not affected. Alfa and gamma tocotherols tilapia and alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocotherols, in Spanish mackerel, decrease with increase dose and continued to decrease during 20-days post irradiation storage

Argus II retinal prosthesis for retinitis pigmentosa in the Middle East: The 2015 Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology Gradle Lecture

Background: To describe the outcomes of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who received the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. Methods: This retrospective, interventional case series evaluated 10 consecutive patients who received the Argus II retinal implant and underwent visual function tests with the system on and system off. The main outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events), and visual function measured by computer-based objective tests, including square localization (SL) and direction of motion (DOM). Secondary measures included functional vision performance, including orientation and mobility (O&M) tasks. Results: There were no intraoperative complications and all prostheses remained implanted at the end of follow up. The mean patient age was 41.3 years; mean duration of the implant in vivo was 2.1 years. One patient had a suture exposure over the coil suture tab and over the inferior case suture tab at 2 years postoperatively, which was managed successfully. One patient developed mild vitreous hemorrhage that resolved spontaneously. One patient developed high intraocular pressure postoperatively due to a tight scleral band (SB) that was managed successfully. Patients performed significantly better with the Argus II system on than off on all tasks. Conclusion: Patients who received the Argus II had a safety profile out to 4 years post-implantation that was markedly better than that observed in the pre-approval phase of the Argus II. In this population of RP patients, the Argus II retinal prosthesis provided useful visual function over several years that likely translates into improved quality of life. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT00407602

Diversity of Toxigenic Molds and Mycotoxins Isolated from Dairy Products: Antifungal Activity of Egyptian Marine Algae on Aspergillus and Candida Species

Fungal and mycotoxin contamination of milk products constitute a potential hazard to human health and food safety. Isolation and identifications of mold and yeast out of 140 milk products samples collected from dairy shops in Qena, Egypt were done through conventional microbiological methods. Aflatoxin-M1, aflatoxin-B1 and ochratoxin-A were characterized by thin-layer chromatography; aflR regulatory gene identified by using PCR. Marine algal extracts of Halimeda opuntia, Padina pavonica and Turbinaria decurrens species were studied for their antimicrobial activity. Overall of 80 and 64% dairy products samples were positive for mold and yeast contamination. A total of 38 mold and 15 yeast species were isolated. Aspergillus and Candida spp. were the most abundant isolated species. Furthermore 25, 40 and 27% of cheese and 71, 78 and 73.3 of dairy desserts samples were contaminated with AFM1, AFB1 and OTA, respectively; with average estimated dietary intake level much more than the acceptable daily intake for infant and adult. PCR identified aflR gene among four selected aflatoxigenic A. flavus. The major constituents of H. opuntia extract were 2,4-Decadienal, (E,E)- (21.56%) and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- (36.16%). Ethyl acetate extract of Halimeda opuntia (3mg/ml) exhibited the strongest fungicidal activity with inhibition zones of 16.5 and 22.3 mm against A. flavus and A. niger. It exhibited potent candidacidal activity against C. tropicalis; 11 log10 orders of killing at 750 µg/ml. The discovered antimicrobial activity of H. opuntia is a promising candidate for designing novel antifungal agents which can be used in food preservatives and medicine industry