Antioxidative properties and proximate analysis of spent coffee ground (SCG) extracted using ultrasonic-methanol assisted technique as a potential functional food ingredient

Spent coffee ground (SCG) produced in tons by restaurants and cafeterias and domestic consumers is a potentially good source of natural antioxidants because it contains substantial amounts of bioactive compounds. The purpose of this study was to identify the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of three different types of spent coffee ground (SCG), namely Robusta, Arabica and Liberica extracted using ultra-sonicmethanol assisted technique. DPPH, FTC, TBA, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were used to measure the antioxidant properties. Robusta SCG exhibited the highest DPPH inhibition 41.63±0.04%), FTC (60.42±0.03%) and TBA analysis (73.09±0.08%). The total phenolic compounds in the samples varied widely ranging from 18.94±0.06 to 26.23±0.86 mg GAE/g sample, with Robusta SCG showing the highest value among the three, while Arabica SCG depicted the highest amount total flavonoid content (47.62±0.05 to 56.20±0.08). A strong correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were observed in this study. Compared to Arabica and Liberica SCGs expended, Robusta SCG demonstrated a stronger beneficial effect against lipid peroxidation. This study reveals that SCGs can be regarded as a new useful source of natural antioxidant with a view to increasing the use of antioxidant synthetics by using the ingredient of agro-industrial residues in food production especially ingredients for functional food

Development of white bread fortified with calcium derived from eggshell powder

Bread is commonly used mostly around the world which obtained from grains, legumes, tubers and other fortified ingredients. Eggshell makes up from 9-12% of the total egg weight that consists largely of calcium carbonate (94%) with some magnesium carbonate and calcium phosphate deposited in the organic matrix. The objectives of this study were to produce white bread fortified with calcium derived from the eggshell powder and to study the physicochemical changes, microbiological status and sensory evaluation of the product. The main analyses were done on specific volume, texture, colour, proximate analysis, calcium determination by ICP-MS and microbiological test for the determination of shelf life. Besides, acceptance test was also carried out. The result showed that increasing of the eggshell did not have any effect on the specific volume, springiness, cohesiveness and colour but affect the hardness of the bread. Furthermore, addition of the eggshell significantly increased (p<0.05) the moisture content, ash, fibre but decreased the carbohydrate. However, there were no significantly different between sample in terms of fat and protein. The bread with addition of eggshell have potential to be produced and accepted by the consumer especially the bread with fortification of 2% egg shell powder

Antioxidative properties of selected microencapsulated plants powder prepared using ultrasonic spray-drying technique

Ultrasonic spray drier technology has been practice because of its numerous advantages, including providing more uniform droplets and reducing bioactive compounds damages. This study was aimed to measure the antioxidant properties of several microencapsulated plants powder (MPP) prepared using ultrasonic spray dying technique. The plant samples were treated using ultrasonic spray drier at 80°C inlet temperatures and 10% of gum Arabic relative to solid content. The collected MPP were analysed for their antioxidant activities. The plants use in this study were C. ternatea, M. indica, S. rebaudiana, P. macrocarpa, K. salvarezii and R. apiculata, All MPP showed somewhat very promising high antioxidative activities with C. ternatea significantly exhibited the highest (P<0.05) antioxidant power in nearly all antioxidative test analysis performed. On the other hand, M. indica showed the least ability in antioxidant power and the content of bioactive compounds. Results of the study point that the production of MPP and microcapsules is feasible as a functional ingredient in food industry as it can retain the antioxidative properties, which could lead to a more sustainable usage of natural resources

Antibiotic susceptibility, antibacterial activity and probiotic characterisation of isolated Lactobacillus brevis strains from Heterotrigona itama honey

Heterotrigona itama (Family: Apidae, Tribe: Meliponini, Genus: Trigona) is one of the stingless bee in Meliponiculture in Malaysia. H. itama honey is reported to be a good reservoir for novel lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with probiotic properties. In this study, five Lactobacillus brevis strains (strain Ibr-42, strain 37901, strain ATCC 367, strain NJ42 and strain KLDS) were previously isolated and identified from H. itama honey obtained from local stingless beekeepers in the coastal areas in Kelantan and Terengganu, were evaluated for antibiotic resistance, antibacterial activity, resistance to low pH, tolerance to bile salts and haemolytic activity. The results indicated that all five strains of L. brevis were susceptible to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, erythromycin, and tetramycin, but resistant to kanamycin. In terms of antagonistic activity among L. brevis, it was found antagonistic activity was minimum. For antibacterial activities of these strains against selected foodborne pathogenic bacteria by well diffusion method, L. brevis strain NJ42 exhibited the highest inhibition (24 mm) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. All Lactobacillus strains from H. itama honey were able to survive in pH 2 and 0.3% (w/v) bile salts concentration that mimic the conditions in the gastrointestinal system. The inability of L. brevis strains to exhibit β- haemolytic activity showing that haemolysis is not the virulence factor for these strains. These findings proved the isolated L. brevis in H. itama honey could be used as potential probiotic, envisaging its potential as one of functional foods for food industry

Cheese containing probiotic Lactobacillus brevis NJ42 isolated from stingless bee honey reduces weight gain, fat accumulation, and glucose intolerance in mice

Background: The high occurrence of metabolic syndrome has driven a growing demand for natural resource-based therapeutic strategies, highlighting their potential efficacy in addressing the complexities of this condition. Probiotics are established to be useful in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and obesity. However, limited exploration exists regarding the application of the isolated Lactobacillus strain from stingless bee honey as a probiotic within dairy products, such as cheese. This study investigated the effect of a high-fat diet supplemented with cheese containing probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis strain NJ42) isolated from Heterotrigona itama honey (PCHFD) on the symptoms of metabolic disorder in C57BL/6 mice. Methods and results: Body weight, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and fat accumulation were measured during 12 weeks of feeding and compared to mice fed with a normal chow (NC) and high-fat diet (HFD). Over a 12-week feeding period, PCHFD-fed mice exhibited substantial reductions in several metabolic syndrome-associated features. They had a lower rate of weight gain (p = 0.03) than the HFD-fed mice. Additionally, they displayed a notable 39.2% decrease in gonadal fat mass compared to HFD-fed mice (p = 0.003). HFD-fed mice showed impaired glucose tolerance when compared to NC-fed mice (p = 0.00). Conversely, PCHFD-fed mice showed a reduction in glucose intolerance to a level close to that of the NC-fed mice group (p = 0.01). These positive effects extended to reductions in hepatic steatosis and adipocyte hypertrophy. Conclusion: These results indicated that L. brevis strain NJ42, isolated from H. itama honey, is a prospective probiotic to lower the risk of developing metabolic syndrome features induced by a high-fat diet. These positive findings suggest the prospect of enriching commonly consumed dietary components such as cheese with probiotic attributes, potentially offering an accessible means to alleviating the symptoms of metabolic diseases