Current applications of probiotic foods in Africa

Currently, there is a growing interest in the consumption of probiotic foods due to their reported health benefits. In developed countries, probiotics have been extensively studied and this has led to the production of a variety of probiotic foods especially with dairy milk. However, the use of beverages from plant materials as a potential carrier of probiotic microorganisms is receiving increasing attention. Various indigenous fermented foods containing probiotic bacteria have been part of local diet in Africa due to reported medicinal properties they possess. However, the usual challenge confronting thecommercialization of the probiotic beverage drinks in Africa is the safety assessment of probiotic strains due to lack of requisite facilities as well as technical manpower. This review therefore, captures local fermented drinks that are usually consumed as probiotic foods by Africans

Comparative study on the effect of Thaumatococcus daniellii (Benn) Benth sweetener on the Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Sorghum based Kunun-zaki Drink

Effect of a natural sweetener (Thaumatococcus danielli) on the physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of kunun-zaki was determined. Proximate and mineral compositions of the natural sweetener, physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of kunun-zaki using Thaumatococcus danielli and sucrose were determined. Proximate composition of the aril showed that protein had (33.03%), crude fibre (5.20%), ash content (4.79%), moisture content (12.20%), fat content (0.16%), and carbohydrate (44.17%). The result of mineral obtained for the aril showed the following values potassium (190.00ppm), sodium (167.66ppm), calcium (132.96 ppm), iron (21.59 ppm) and magnesium (14.40 ppm). Physicochemical composition of kunun-zaki varied with concentrations of Thaumatococcus danielli aril and sucrose pH ranged between (3.90-4.90), total solid (4.95-13.49 %) and titatable acidity (0.78-0.39 %) for Thaumatococcus danielli while kunun-zaki sweetened with sucrose had pH (3.51-4.90), total Solids (4.95-7.43%) and titratable acidity (0.74-0.85) respectively. The sensory evaluation showed that the samples sweetened with Thaumatococcus daniel aril compared favorably with sucrose in terms of colour, taste, aroma and overall acceptability. Keywords: Kunun-zaki, Proximate, Mineral, Sensory properties, Thaumatococcus danielli

Bioactive compounds of plum mango (Bouea macrophylla Griffith)

The fruit of Bouea macrophylla referred as Plum mango or Gandaria is a popular seasonal fruit, which is widely consumed in the Malay subcontinent. There is ample of traditional knowledge available among the locals on the use of leaves, bark, fruits and seeds of this plant. However, very limited research information and scientific report is available on their composition, phytochemicals or on the bioactive compounds. In the present chapter, we have aimed towards comprehensively providing information on nutritional value, functional qualities, health promoting bioactive compounds and volatile constituents of this underutilized fruit

A Biodiverse Rich Environment Does Not Contribute to a Better Diet: A Case Study from DR Congo

The potential of biodiversity to increase and sustain nutrition security is increasingly recognized by the international research community. To date however, dietary assessment studies that have assessed how biodiversity actually contributes to human diets are virtually absent. This study measured the contribution of wild edible plants (WEP) to the dietary quality in the high biodiverse context of DR Congo. The habitual dietary intake was estimated from 2 multiple-pass 24 h dietary recalls for 363 urban and 129 rural women. All WEP were collected during previous ethnobotanical investigations and identified and deposited in the National Botanical Garden of Belgium (BR). Results showed that in a high biodiverse region with precarious food security, WEP are insufficiently consumed to increase nutrition security or dietary adequacy. The highest contribution came from Dacryodes edulis in the village sample contributing 4.8% of total energy intake. Considering the nutrient composition of the many WEP available in the region and known by the indigenous populations, the potential to increase nutrition security is vast. Additional research regarding the dietary contribution of agricultural biodiversity and the nutrient composition of WEP would allow to integrate them into appropriate dietary guidelines for the region and pave the way to domesticate the most interesting WEP

Measurement of biochemical oxygen demand of the leachates

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of the leachates originally from the different types of landfill sites was studied based on the data measured using the two manometric methods. The measurements of BOD using the dilution method were carried out to assess the typical physicochemical and biological characteristics of the leachates together with some other parameters. The linear regression analysis was used to predict rate constants for biochemical reactions and ultimate BOD values of the different leachates. The rate of a biochemical reaction implicated in microbial biodegradation of pollutants depends on the leachate characteristics, mass of contaminant in the leachate, and nature of the leachate. Character of leachate samples for BOD analysis of using the different methods may differ significantly during the experimental period, resulting in different BOD values. This work intends to verify effect of the different dilutions for the manometric method tests on the BOD concentrations of the leachate samples to contribute to the assessment of reaction rate and microbial consumption of oxygen