Development and nutritional evaluation of a complementary diet from fermented provitamin-a-biofortified maize (Zea mays L.) and germinated lentil seeds (Lens culinaris)

Breast milk often becomes insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of infants from 6 months onwards, and thus there is a need to introduce complementary diets. This study aimed at formulating complementary diets by combining fermented provitamin A biofortified maize flour with germinated lentil flour in ratios of 100%, 90:10%, 80:20% and 70:30%. They were evaluated for proximate composition, functional properties, mineral composition, carotenoid content, anti-nutrient content, amino acid profile and organoleptic properties. The protein contents ranged from 10.65 to 28.17%, 100%; germinated lentil flour (O6R) had the highest value, while the energy values of the diets ranged from 395.62 to 404.13 Kcal/100 g. The foaming capacity, foaming stability, water absorption capacity and bulk density increased, while the oil absorption capacity and dispersibility decreased as the lentils increased. The swelling capacity ranged from 39.92 to 69.42 %. The viscosity increased as the temperature dropped. The potassium and calcium contents increased with increased in the addition of lentils. Sodium and iron contents were high in the sample AM4 (fermented 100% provitamin A biofortified maize). The carotenoid content ranged from 0.80 to 1.27 mg/100 g. The anti-nutritional contents (phytate and oxalate) were reduced, while the trypsin inhibitor increased. The most abundant essential amino acid was leucine, while glutamic acid was the most abundant non-essential amino acid. It was observed that as lentil seed increased, the amino acids increased too. The values obtained for essential amino acid met up with the recommended standards, except for tryptophan, methionine, threonine and cystine. The sample TU1 (70% fermented provitamin A biofortifed maize and 30% germinated lentils seed) was the most acceptable by the panelists compared to the commercial baby formula (control). Therefore, this complementary diet may serve as means to combat protein-energy malnutrition in infants. A further research should be carried out on in-vivo study of this complementary diet

Towards healthier staples : Yellow cassava pasta fortified with African leafy vegetables

Hidden hunger, due to regular consumption of a diet deficient in micronutrients, may persist unabated, especially in low-and-middle-income countries of the world, unless more attention is focused on developing healthy and nutritious foods to alleviate the burden. Several nutritional interventions have been implemented for decades but one of the most sustainable food-based solutions proffered in recent times is the twin-strategy of biofortification and food-to-food fortification. In response to the challenge of combating hidden hunger, the yellow cassava biofortified with pro-vitamin A carotenoids was introduced to sub-Saharan Africa. However, yellow cassava is still low in minerals such as iron and zinc, hence the need to incorporate micronutrient-rich and affordable food ingredients such as the African leafy vegetables. To ensure an adequate intake of the much-needed micronutrients, we developed pasta, a widely consumed, healthy and affordable food product with the yellow cassava with two leafy vegetables, amaranth and fluted pumpkin incorporated. The increasing demand by consumers for gluten-free pasta as a functional food also focused attention on cassava as a gluten-free ingredient. This thesis, therefore aimed at evaluating the nutritional, sensorial, technological and functional aspects of the novel vegetable fortified yellow cassava pasta to gain more insights into its contribution to a healthier living for the consumers.In Chapter 2, using consumer survey focus group discussions and sensory studies, we evaluated the acceptance of yellow cassava pasta and African leafy vegetables. We found the main driver of intended consumption among the consumers in Nigeria to be related to health concerns. Also, yellow cassava pasta was acceptable to the consumers while fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) was the most preferred leafy vegetable followed by amaranth. The low awareness of yellow cassava among the consumers was also highlighted with solutions proffered to boost awareness of the nutritional benefits of the novel food product. The findings of this study highlighted a need to conduct experimental studies on the nutritional composition of the novel pasta products to ascertain the health benefit to consumers.The main focus of Chapter 3 was to ascertain the nutritional value of the novel cassava pasta product. We conducted experiments to gain insights into the nutritional and functional properties of the cassava- vegetable pasta before and after being processed. We found that the incorporation of amaranth leaf powder boosted the antioxidant capacities of pasta products while the cooking time and gruel solid loss were also reduced upon the addition of the leaf powder. Furthermore, the protein, fibre, iron and zinc contents of the formulated pasta were enhanced with the addition of amaranth leafy vegetables. As a follow up to the study in Chapter 3, another popular leafy vegetable, fluted pumpkin was used in food-to-food fortification of yellow cassava pasta in Chapter 4. We conducted experiments on both the white and yellow cassava flours and pasta to evaluate the functional, textural, pasting, thermal, cooking and sensory properties of the novel pasta with the inclusion of fluted pumpkin leaf powder. We found that the inclusion of the leaf powder reduced the cooking time and hardness of cassava pasta products. Also, the pasting temperatures were lowered with leaf powder incorporation. Interestingly, we observed that the provision of nutritional information enhanced the likeness of the leaf powder-fortified cassava pasta products.In Chapter 5, we focused on the nutritional value of both Amaranth-fortified and fluted-pumpkin-fortified yellow cassava pasta highlighting the added health benefits of the gluten-free cassava pasta. We conducted in-vitro studies to evaluate the impact of leaf powder addition (amaranth and fluted pumpkin leaves) on the retention and bioaccessibility of beta carotene, iron and zinc in the pasta and the impact on the starch digestibility and in-vitro glycemic index of the functional pasta. We found that the estimated glycemic index of yellow cassava pasta was reduced with the inclusion of the leaf powder while the zinc was found most bioaccessible. Also, the functional pasta was estimated to contribute a substantial percentage to estimated average requirements for vitamin A, iron and zinc.Chapter 6 provided the rundown of all the results presented in the previous chapters and put them into perspective with similar works from literature while enumerating prospects of the novel gluten-free cassava pasta. We demonstrated the potential of the functional food to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies

Consumption of fresh Centella asiatica improves short term alertness and contentedness in healthy females

Centella asiatica is rich in pentacyclic triterpenes that have been associated with several beneficial health effects. Several earlier studies investigated the effects of long term intake of C. asiatica on several cognitive functions and mood, either in the form of dried herb, powder, supplements or extract, but not as a fresh herb in a human intervention study. In this research, for the first time, the short-term effect of consuming a single smoothie, containing two concentrations of the fresh herb, on the cognition and mood of healthy female participants was investigated. Madecassic acid was the major triterpene in the fresh leaves of C. asiatica. Cognitive performance and mood dimensions were assessed before and one hour after consuming a single serving of smoothies. Alertness and contentedness factors significantly improved with higher concentration of C. asiatica. No significant improvements in cognitive functions after one hour of consumption were found.</p

Physicochemical evaluation and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy characterization of quality protein maize starch subjected to different modifications

Abstract: Quality protein maize (QPM) is a biofortified maize rich in lysine and tryptophan, essential amino acids required in human nutrition. This research therefore characterizes native and modified starches from QPM by evaluating the physicochemical properties, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), and pasting properties. The native QPM starch was modified by oxidation, acetylation, pregelatinization, and acid thinning techniques. The starch yield of native QPM was 43.80%, while that of modified starches were from 88.22 to 98.34%. The moisture content of the native and modified starches was from 4.56 to 9.20 g/100g. Modifications significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the lipid, protein, and amylose contents of the QPM. While the native starch had 0.72 g/cm3 bulk density, modified starches were between 0.59 and 0.88 g/cm3; chemical modification reduced the bulk density and physical modification increased it. In addition, all the modifications except oxidation significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased water absorption capacity. The oil absorption of the starch samples was increased by modification techniques used with the exception of physical modification. Chemical modification reduced the viscosity of QPM starch while physical modification increased it. The reducing sugar content of the starch was reduced by both the physical and chemical starch modification techniques. Acetylated sample exhibited the highest swelling power while acid-thinned sample had the least. The major functional groups identified via FTIR were OH, C-H, C=H, and C≡H. Modifications did not affect the functional groups as all the native and modified starches (except oxidized sample) all have similar spectrum and bands stretch. Practical Application: The study contributes to existing knowledge on valorization of modified starch from quality protein maize. Profiling the chemical attributes of modified starches is especially valuable in novel food processing techniques.</p