‘Yellow is good for you’: Consumer perception and acceptability of fortified and biofortified cassava products

Vitamin A, an essential micronutrient for health, can be obtained from various food sources including cassava products made from either traditional white cassava varieties fortified with red palm oil containing provitamin A, or new high provitamin A biofortified yellow cassava varieties. Both products have a similar yellow appearance due to the coloured pigmentation of provitamin A. Using a range of methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of sensory acceptability (blind triangle test, sensory profiling, hedonic preference that included Check-all-that-applies and Just-about-right tests), we tested the acceptability and nutritional perception of traditional West-African food dough-like products (eba and fufu) made from biofortified, fortified, or control products made with non-fortified white cassava (n = 7) at three suburban locations near Ibadan, Nigeria on a total of 122 consumers. Biofortified, fortified, and control products could be differentiated blindly confirming that products clearly differed with respect to other sensory characteristics than appearance. Overall biofortified products were better accepted than control and fortified ones. Three classes of consumer preference were identified based on the dislike for control and fortified products, which indicated that acceptance of biofortified products was not a hindrance. On the contrary the traditional fortified product had poorer acceptance and this was due to its less desirable sensory characteristics as demonstrated by Just-about-right Penalty analysis. A majority of consumers (85%) had previous knowledge of biofortified cassava. Consumers associated ‘yellow colour’ with ‘good for eyesight’, ‘good for children’s health’ and ‘new’. More nutritional benefits were attributed to biofortified than fortified products although they had similar provitamin A contents and this demonstrates a bias. We suggest that nutrition promotion campaigns to improve the vitamin A status should also encompass all natural sources of provitamin A, including biofortified and traditional fortified products

The analysis of candidate genes and loci involved with carotenoid metabolism in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) using SLAF-seq

Carotenoids in cassava storage roots play important roles in benefiting people’s health in the tropics because they provide essential nutrients and antioxidants. Although the related genes and loci associated with carotenoid metabolism in many species are well reported, in cassava they are poorly understood. In the present study, GWAS base on SLAF-seq was used in detecting the related genes and loci correlated to carotenoid contents in 98 accessions from a cassava F1 mapping population. The 98 accessions were divided into four subgroups. On the basis of general linear and compressed linear models, 144 genes were detected by selective sweep analysis, and 84 SNPs and 694 genes were detected by association mapping, in which Manes.04G164700 (XanDH) and Manes.11G105300 (AAO) were probably involved in the downstream pathway of carotenoid metabolism, and their expressions in six cassava genotypes were confirmed. Our results will be useful in yellow-root cassava variety improvement and provide the most effective and sustainable approach to maximize the nutritional and health benefits of carotenoid to a large number of populations

Physical losses could partially explain modest carotenoid retention in dried food products from biofortified cassava

Gari, a fermented and dried semolina made from cassava, is one of the most common foods in West Africa. Recently introduced biofortified yellow cassava containing provitamin A carotenoids could help tackle vitamin A deficiency prevalent in those areas. However there are concerns because of the low retention of carotenoids during gari processing compared to other processes (e.g. boiling). The aim of the study was to assess the levels of true retention in trans–β-carotene during gari processing and investigate the causes of low retention. Influence of processing step, processor (3 commercial processors) and variety (TMS 01/ 1371; 01/1368 and 01/1412) were assessed. It was shown that low true retention (46% on average) during gari processing may be explained by not only chemical losses (i.e. due to roasting temperature) but also by physical losses (i.e. due to leaching of carotenoids in discarded liquids): true retention in the liquid lost from grating negatively correlated with true retention retained in the mash (R = -0.914). Moreover, true retention followed the same pattern as lost water at the different processing steps (i.e. for the commercial processors). Variety had a significant influence on true retention, carotenoid content, and trans-cis isomerisation but the processor type had little effect. It is the first time that the importance of physical carotenoid losses was demonstrated during processing of biofortified crops

Fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin with gemtuzumab ozogamicin improves event-free survival in younger patients with newly diagnosed aml and overall survival in patients with npm1 and flt3 mutations

Purpose To determine the optimal induction chemotherapy regimen for younger adults with newly diagnosed AML without known adverse risk cytogenetics. Patients and Methods One thousand thirty-three patients were randomly assigned to intensified (fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin [FLAG-Ida]) or standard (daunorubicin and Ara-C [DA]) induction chemotherapy, with one or two doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Results There was no difference in remission rate after two courses between FLAG-Ida + GO and DA + GO (complete remission [CR] + CR with incomplete hematologic recovery 93% v 91%) or in day 60 mortality (4.3% v 4.6%). There was no difference in OS (66% v 63%; P = .41); however, the risk of relapse was lower with FLAG-Ida + GO (24% v 41%; P < .001) and 3-year event-free survival was higher (57% v 45%; P < .001). In patients with an NPM1 mutation (30%), 3-year OS was significantly higher with FLAG-Ida + GO (82% v 64%; P = .005). NPM1 measurable residual disease (MRD) clearance was also greater, with 88% versus 77% becoming MRD-negative in peripheral blood after cycle 2 (P = .02). Three-year OS was also higher in patients with a FLT3 mutation (64% v 54%; P = .047). Fewer transplants were performed in patients receiving FLAG-Ida + GO (238 v 278; P = .02). There was no difference in outcome according to the number of GO doses, although NPM1 MRD clearance was higher with two doses in the DA arm. Patients with core binding factor AML treated with DA and one dose of GO had a 3-year OS of 96% with no survival benefit from FLAG-Ida + GO. Conclusion Overall, FLAG-Ida + GO significantly reduced relapse without improving OS. However, exploratory analyses show that patients with NPM1 and FLT3 mutations had substantial improvements in OS. By contrast, in patients with core binding factor AML, outcomes were excellent with DA + GO with no FLAG-Ida benefit

“Liquid from grated mash” freshly collected at the grating step.

<p>Source: Bechoff, A. 2012.</p

“Liquid from grated mash” freshly collected at the grating step.

<p>Source: Bechoff, A. 2012.</p

Schematic representation^a of true retention of trans-β-carotene (TR) during gari processing—Experiment A.

<p>^aAverage and standard error (error bar) for 1 yellow cassava variety TMS 01/1371 at 3 commercial processors. Data for the three locations being Atiba, Barracks, Iseyin (Oyo State, Nigeria) are in triplicate for each location (n = 9). TR are represented in relation to the product yield (PY), dry mass and moisture. Different letters (a, b, c) indicate significant differences in TR between the steps of processing (ANOVA, Tukey test; p < 0.05). Product moisture content (%) is indicated in the blue area. The red area represents the dry mass of the product during processing.</p

Main provitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) content (μg.g^-1 on a fresh weight basis) at different steps of processing into gari for Experiments A^a & B^b.

<p>Main provitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) content (μg.g^-1 on a fresh weight basis) at different steps of processing into gari for Experiments A<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194402#t002fn002" target="_blank">^a</a> & B<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194402#t002fn003" target="_blank">^b</a>.</p

Parameters recorded during gari processing for Experiments A^a and B^b.

<p>Parameters recorded during gari processing for Experiments A<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194402#t001fn002" target="_blank">^a</a> and B<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0194402#t001fn003" target="_blank">^b</a>.</p

Schematic representation^a of true retention of trans-β-carotene (TR) during gari processing—Experiment B.

<p>^aAverage and standard error (error bar) are for 3 yellow cassava varieties TMS 01/1368; 01/1371; 01/1412 processed in triplicate (n = 3) at 2 different seasons/locations (SL1 and SL2). TR are represented in relation to the product yield (PY), dry mass and moisture. Different letters (a, b, c) indicate significant differences in TR between the steps of processing (ANOVA, Tukey test; p < 0.05). Product moisture content (%) is indicated in the blue area. The red area represents the dry mass of the product during processing.</p