Nutritional and hypocholesterolemic properties of termitomyces microcarpus mushrooms.

Wild edible mushrooms, Termitomyces microcarpus are widely consumed in Uganda, partly because of their taste, flavour and because they are believed to have medicinal benefits. This study investigated the nutrient composition of the Termitomyces microcarpus mushrooms and the effect of the mushroom on feed intake, weight gain, serum cholesterol and triglycerides of male albino rats. Semi-dried mushrooms collected from Kyenjojo District in western Uganda were analyzed for nutrient composition using standard procedures. To determine the effect of dietary intake ofmushrooms, a completely randomized study design was used with experimental treatments having diets containing 25, 45 and 60% air -dried mushroom flour mixed with the basal feed and 0.5% cholesterol. These were compared to a control diet consisting of only commercial (basal) feed and to a diet containing basal feed and 0.5% cholesterol. The rats were fed on the five diets for ten weeks and were monitored for changes in feed intake and weight at weekly intervals for six weeks and in serum total cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides at two weeks intervals for ten weeks. Proximate analysis revealed that the mushrooms contained 25.5% protein, 2.3% fat, 11.2% dietary fibre, 48.37% available carbohydrates and 12.67% water. The mushrooms were also found to contain 61 mg/100g of iron, 156 mg/100g of calcium and a number of other dietary minerals. Dietary inclusion of Termitomyces microcarpus mushrooms significantly reduced the feed intake and weight gain of therats by up to 36.8 and 29.5%, respectively. The reduction increased with the proportion of dietary mushroom. Inclusion of mushrooms in the diets of rats also lowered their total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides by up to 15.6, 28.3 and 29.9%, respectively. Reduction in serum lipids did not, however, show a clear relation to the quantity of mushrooms in the diet. The reduction in the total serum cholesterol, LDL- cholesterol and triglycerides may be attributed to the high quantities of fibre in the mushrooms. These results suggest that consumption of T.microcarpus mushrooms could contribute to reducing the prevalence of diseases linked to high blood lipids.Key words: Serum cholesterol, mushroom, Termitomyces microcarpus, triglyceride

Nutritional And Hypocholesterolemic Properties Of Termitomyces Microcarpus Mushrooms

Wild edible mushrooms, Termitomyces Microcarpus are widely consumed in Uganda, partly because of their taste, flavour and because they are believed to have medicinal benefits. This study investigated the nutrient composition of the Termitomyces microcarpus mushrooms and the effect of the mushroom on feed intake, weight gain, serum cholesterol and triglycerides of male albino rats. Semi-dried mushrooms collected from Kyenjojo District in western Uganda were analyzed for nutrient composition using standard procedures. To determine the effect of dietary intake of mushrooms, a completely randomized study design was used with experimental treatments having diets containing 25, 45 and 60% air-dried mushroom flour mixed with the basal feed and 0.5% cholesterol. These were compared to a control diet consisting of only commercial (basal) feed and to a diet containing basal feed and 0.5% cholesterol. The rats were fed on the five diets for ten weeks and were monitored for changes in feed intake and weight at weekly intervals for six weeks and in serum total cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides at two weeks intervals for ten weeks. Proximate analysis revealed that the mushrooms contained 25.5% protein, 2.3% fat, 11.2% dietary fibre, 48.37% available carbohydrates and 12.67% water. The mushrooms were also found to contain 61 mg/100g of iron, 156 mg/100g of calcium and a number of other dietary minerals. Dietary inclusion of Termitomyces microcarpus mushrooms significantly reduced the feed intake and weight gain of the rats by up to 36.8 and 29.5%, respectively. The reduction increased with the proportion of dietary mushroom. Inclusion of mushrooms in the diets of rats also lowered their total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides by up to 15.6, 28.3 and 29.9%, respectively. Reduction in serum lipids did not, however, show a clear relation to the quantity of mushrooms in the diet. The reduction in the total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides may be attributed to the high quantities of fibre in the mushrooms. These results suggest that consumption of T. microcarpus mushrooms could contribute to reducing the prevalence of diseases linked to high blood lipids

LOW-COST NUTRIENT-DENSE COMPOSITE FLOURS FOR CHILDREN AGED 1-5 YEARS DEVELOPED FROM LOCALLY AVAILABLE FOODS

Childhood malnutrition persists in low-income countries due to inadequate diet diversity and nutrient density. For seasonal crops, consumers make food substitutions based on price variations which has dietary implications and can cause episodes of nutritional deficiencies. Locally available foodstuffs can be used to formulate low-cost nutritionally adequate food mixtures. Design-Expert® and Nutrisurvey software were used to generate nutrient-dense formulations for the dry season (n=2) and wet season (n=5) from low-cost locally available foods in Eastern Uganda (sweet potatoes, sorghum, soybeans, beans, sesame, groundnuts and maize). Composite flours of the formulations were prepared and cooked following the World Food Program (WFP) recommendations and consumer acceptability determined using a consumer panel (n=43). The most acceptable formulation for the dry season (D2) and the most acceptable formulation for the wet season (R5) were selected for the determination of functional properties (dispersibility, bulk density and water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI)), pasting properties (peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity and peak time), color and nutrient density (energy content, sugars, starch, protein, crude fat, fiber, ash, iron and zinc). D2 contained 25.35g of sorghum, 1.31g of soybeans, 4.34g of beans, 33.11g of sesame and 35.89g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. R5 contained 4.95g of maize, 20.98g of sorghum, 5.49g of beans, 29.39g of sesame and 39.19g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. The nutrient densities of D2 and R5 when cooked according to WFP recommendations were also determined. D2 and R5 had high dispersibility (77.2-76.8%), low water absorption index (1.7-2.0g/g) and high water solubility index (0.2-0.3g/g). The pasting properties indicated that the formulations form stable low viscosity pastes that can withstand breakdown during cooking and have high resistance to retrogradation on cooling. Cooked D2 (100g) contained 87.2kcal, 9.5g starch, 2.3g sugars, 5.8g protein, 1.6g fat, 1.7g fiber, 2.3mg iron and 1.6mg zinc. Cooked R5 (100g) had 71.4kcal, 7.1g starch, 2.6g sugars, 4.2g protein, 0.9g fat, 1.0g fiber, 1.9mg iron and 1.4mg zinc. The cooked samples provided more than 50% of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for children aged 1-5 years for protein and zinc per serving (200g for children aged 1-3 years and 250g for children aged 4-5 years). Adopting formulations developed in this study can potentially contribute to reducing undernutrition in children aged 1-5 years

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF LEAST-COST STAPLE FOOD SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS IN EASTERN UGANDA

Food cost and seasonal availability are important determinants of food choice and ultimately nutrient intake. This study aimed at establishing the nutritional composition of least-cost staple food sources of nutrients in Kamuli, Buyende and Pallisa districts in eastern Uganda across the cropping seasons. The World Food Programme (WFP) Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Market Analysis Tool guidelines were used to conduct a mini-survey to determine seasonal prices and availability of foods. Retailers (n= 268) from six markets in Kamuli, three in Buyende and six in Pallisa were interviewed. The least-cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were determined using nutrient-cost values. The nutrient composition of the least-cost foods were determined using standard methods. For the first dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.016$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg), respectively. For the second dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.015$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg). For the first rainy season, the least cost source of energy was sorghum (0.074 $/1000kcal), protein was groundnuts (0.019$/10g), iron was sesame (0.100 $/10mg) and zinc was sweet potatoes (0.123$/10mg), respectively. For the second rainy season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were sorghum (0.049 $/1000kcal), groundnuts (0.016$/10g), sesame (0.067 $/10mg) and sweet potatoes (0.082$/10mg), respectively. The richest sources of energy, sugars and starch, protein, fat, fibre and iron were sesame (797.2 ± 116.84 Kcal/100g), sweet potatoes (11.5 ± 1.22 and 86.8 ± 10.75 g/100g), soybeans (40.7 ± 4.58 g/100g), sesame (52.9 ± 3.82 g/100g), soybeans (7.0 ± 0.32 g/100g), groundnuts (7.0 ± 0.82 mg/g). The nutrition composition of least-cost foods in the dry seasons and rainy seasons indicates that they can be used to formulate low-cost nutrient-dense mixtures for the respective seasons

LOW-COST NUTRIENT-DENSE COMPOSITE FLOURS FOR CHILDREN AGED 1-5 YEARS DEVELOPED FROM LOCALLY AVAILABLE FOODS

Childhood malnutrition persists in low-income countries due to inadequate diet diversity and nutrient density. For seasonal crops, consumers make food substitutions based on price variations which has dietary implications and can cause episodes of nutritional deficiencies. Locally available foodstuffs can be used to formulate low-cost nutritionally adequate food mixtures. Design-Expert® and Nutrisurvey software were used to generate nutrient-dense formulations for the dry season (n=2) and wet season (n=5) from low-cost locally available foods in Eastern Uganda (sweet potatoes, sorghum, soybeans, beans, sesame, groundnuts and maize). Composite flours of the formulations were prepared and cooked following the World Food Program (WFP) recommendations and consumer acceptability determined using a consumer panel (n=43). The most acceptable formulation for the dry season (D2) and the most acceptable formulation for the wet season (R5) were selected for the determination of functional properties (dispersibility, bulk density and water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI)), pasting properties (peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity and peak time), color and nutrient density (energy content, sugars, starch, protein, crude fat, fiber, ash, iron and zinc). D2 contained 25.35g of sorghum, 1.31g of soybeans, 4.34g of beans, 33.11g of sesame and 35.89g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. R5 contained 4.95g of maize, 20.98g of sorghum, 5.49g of beans, 29.39g of sesame and 39.19g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. The nutrient densities of D2 and R5 when cooked according to WFP recommendations were also determined. D2 and R5 had high dispersibility (77.2-76.8%), low water absorption index (1.7-2.0g/g) and high water solubility index (0.2-0.3g/g). The pasting properties indicated that the formulations form stable low viscosity pastes that can withstand breakdown during cooking and have high resistance to retrogradation on cooling. Cooked D2 (100g) contained 87.2kcal, 9.5g starch, 2.3g sugars, 5.8g protein, 1.6g fat, 1.7g fiber, 2.3mg iron and 1.6mg zinc. Cooked R5 (100g) had 71.4kcal, 7.1g starch, 2.6g sugars, 4.2g protein, 0.9g fat, 1.0g fiber, 1.9mg iron and 1.4mg zinc. The cooked samples provided more than 50% of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for children aged 1-5 years for protein and zinc per serving (200g for children aged 1-3 years and 250g for children aged 4-5 years). Adopting formulations developed in this study can potentially contribute to reducing undernutrition in children aged 1-5 years

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF LEAST-COST STAPLE FOOD SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS IN EASTERN UGANDA

Food cost and seasonal availability are important determinants of food choice and ultimately nutrient intake. This study aimed at establishing the nutritional composition of least-cost staple food sources of nutrients in Kamuli, Buyende and Pallisa districts in eastern Uganda across the cropping seasons. The World Food Programme (WFP) Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Market Analysis Tool guidelines were used to conduct a mini-survey to determine seasonal prices and availability of foods. Retailers (n= 268) from six markets in Kamuli, three in Buyende and six in Pallisa were interviewed. The least-cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were determined using nutrient-cost values. The nutrient composition of the least-cost foods were determined using standard methods. For the first dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.016$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg), respectively. For the second dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.015$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg). For the first rainy season, the least cost source of energy was sorghum (0.074 $/1000kcal), protein was groundnuts (0.019$/10g), iron was sesame (0.100 $/10mg) and zinc was sweet potatoes (0.123$/10mg), respectively. For the second rainy season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were sorghum (0.049 $/1000kcal), groundnuts (0.016$/10g), sesame (0.067 $/10mg) and sweet potatoes (0.082$/10mg), respectively. The richest sources of energy, sugars and starch, protein, fat, fibre and iron were sesame (797.2 ± 116.84 Kcal/100g), sweet potatoes (11.5 ± 1.22 and 86.8 ± 10.75 g/100g), soybeans (40.7 ± 4.58 g/100g), sesame (52.9 ± 3.82 g/100g), soybeans (7.0 ± 0.32 g/100g), groundnuts (7.0 ± 0.82 mg/g). The nutrition composition of least-cost foods in the dry seasons and rainy seasons indicates that they can be used to formulate low-cost nutrient-dense mixtures for the respective seasons