Effect of fermentation on the chemical composition of mango (Mangifera indica R) peels

Ripe mango peels (Mangifera indica R) was naturally fermented for 96 h at room temperature (30 o C). The quality of the fermented mango peels were accessed by determing the microbiological quality, proximate composition as well as the anti-nutritional content. Mixed flora of fungi and bacteria were isolated from the fermenting mango peels. Three species of fungi (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus oryzae) and five bacteria (Aerobacter clocae, Leuconostoc Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus mutans and staphylococcus aureus) were identified. The result of the proximate analysis revealed that there was an increase in the protein content of the ripe mango peels fermented. There was no considerable difference in the fat and carbohydrate content while there was a decrease in fibre content. Antinutrients such as tannin and phytate decreased in the fermented sample. A decrease in pH was also recorded

Bioconversion of Some Agricultural Wastes and Associated Enzymes by Trametes species: A Wild Mushroom

The ability of Trametes speciesto degrade readily available agricultural wastes with associated enzymes under submerged fermentation was the aim of the study. Tissue culture technique was employed in obtaining active mycelium of the mushroom from its fresh fruiting body. Proximate analysis of the agricultural wastes after fermentation revealed that the percentage protein and moisture contents increased while the fat, crude fiber, ash and carbohydrate contents decreased. Analysis of the mineral contents of the wastes revealed a reduction with fermentation. Several types of agro-industrial wastes were evaluated as substrates for enzymes production by Trametes speciesin comparison to commercial substrates (control). The composition of the wastes was observed to affect the quantity as well as the activity of the enzymes assayed. Wheat bran had higher cellulase activity of 236.66?mol/min/mL between 48 and 72 h of fermentation

Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Properties of Coagulants and Soft Cheese Produced from Goat Milk Using Different Biocoagulants of Plant Origin

The nutritional importance and easy accessibility of soft cheese has made it indispensable. This study assessed the phytochemical constituents and the effects of antioxidant of biocoagulants used in soft cheese produced from goat milk. Different biocoagulants such as Calotropis procera, Carica papaya, lemon juice and steep water from cereals (maize, millet, and sorghum) were used. The results of the antioxidant properties revealed that Carica papaya had the highest ferric reducing property and displayed better DPPH scavenging activity of 14.94 mg AAE/g and 10.82%, respectively, when compared with other biocoagulants. Also, the results of phytochemical screening revealed that cheese coagulated with Carica papaya displayed the highest DPPH scavenging activity (1.93%) compared with other cheese samples. Cheese coagulated with lemon juice had the highest phenol content (19.88 mgGAE/100g) and also displayed the highest ferric reducing property (10.31mg AAE/g). Cheese coagulated with steep water from millet had the highest flavonoid content (0.20 mgGAE/100g) and cheese coagulated with Calotropis procera had the highest alkaloid content (13.42 (mgGAE/100 g). Therefore, cheese produced from goat milk coagulated with Carica papaya or lemon juice may be incorporated into the daily diet because of its high phenolic content which can improve the health status of the consumers. It also possesses some natural antioxidant compounds, which can effectively scavenge free radicals

An Appraisal of Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) Methods

Background: Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) is an aspect of computer vision and image processing that finds images that are similar to a given query image in a large scale database using the visual contents of images such as colour, texture, shape, and spatial arrangement of regions of interest (ROIs) rather than manually annotated textual keywords. A CBIR system represents an image as a feature vector and measures the similarity between the image and other images in the database for the purpose of retrieving similar images with minimal human intervention. The CBIR system has been deployed in several fields such as fingerprint identification, biodiversity information systems, digital libraries, Architectural and Engineering design, crime prevention, historical research and medicine. There are several steps involved in the development of CBIR systems. Typical examples of these steps include feature extraction and selection, indexing and similarity measurement. Problem: However, each of these steps has its own method. Nevertheless, there is no universally acceptable method for retrieving similar images in CBIR. Aim: Hence, this study examines the diverse methods used in CBIR systems. This is with the aim of revealing the strengths and weakness of each of these methods. Methodology: Literatures that are related to the subject matter were sought in three scientific electronic databases namely CiteseerX, Science Direct and Google scholar. The Google search engine was used to search for documents and WebPages that are appropriate to the study. Results: The result of the study revealed that three main features are usually extracted during CBIR. These features include colour, shape and text. The study also revealed that diverse methods that can be used for extracting each of the features in CBIR. For instance, colour space, colour histogram, colour moments, geometric moment as well as colour correlogram can be used for extracting colour features. The commonly used methods for texture feature extraction include statistical, model-based, and transform-based methods while the edge method, Fourier transform and Zernike methods can be used for extracting shape features. Contributions: The paper highlights the benefits and challenges of diverse methods used in CBIR. This is with the aim of revealing the methods that are more efficient for CBIR. Conclusion: Each of the CBIR methods has their own advantages and disadvantages. However, there is a need for a further work that will validate the reliability and efficiency of each of the method

Fermentation Studies on Roselle (Hibiscus Sabdariffa) Calyces Neutralised with Trona

The effect of trona on the fermentation of roselle calyces was evaluated. The addition of trona to the calyces raised the initial pH from 3.3 to 5.3. The important microorganisms of roselle calyces fermentation were enumerated, isolated and identified. The fungi isolated consist of one yeast identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and two moulds, Apergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Of the aerobic bacteria, only Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Klebsiella sp. were isolated. The total titratable acid (TTA) value increased throughout the fermentation (0.027-0.043). The nutritional evaluation showed that there was an increase in the protein (6.56%), lipid (4.25%) and carbohydrate contents (74.33%) of the fermented sample with a higher ash content (4.54%) in the unfermented sample. The mineral contents (PPM); Zn (31.86), Fe (12.35), Mg (132.00), Ca (294.31), Na (214.62) and K (382.13) of the fermented sample were generally low. This study reveals that trona can be used to neutralize the acid in roselle calyx and that fermentation can greatly influence the nutritional composition positively. Keywords: Roselle, calyces, Trona, nutritional evaluation, fermentation J Food Tech in Africa (2002) 7, 75-7

Fermentation and Exrusion Effects on the In Vitro Proteinand Starch Digestibility of Unripe Plantain and Pigeon Pea Blends

This study investigated effects of fermentation and extrusion on the in vitro protein andstarch digestibility of unripe plantain and pigeon pea blends. The blended samples were set-up in three arrangements (A=100g unripe plantain; B= 70g unripe plantain: 30g pigeon pea; C= 50g unripe plantain: 50g pigeon pea) and divided into four batches (i.e. first batch = preconditioned and fermented; second batch = extruded; third batch = fermented and extruded; and fourth batch = unfermented/unextruded). Semi-solid state method of fermentation was deployed to ferment blended samples for 96 hours. The pH, temperature and total titratable acidity (TTA) of these samples were evaluated. Fifteen microorganisms comprising 9 bacteria, 2 yeasts and 4 molds were isolated and identified as; Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Leuconostocmesenteroides, Lactobacillus mali, Streptococcus lactis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, Aspergillusniger, Aspergillusfumigatus, Aspergilluscandidus, and Mucorhiemalis. There were notable variation in the values of pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) during fermentation. The processes of fermentation and extrusion significantly amplified the in vitro starch digestibility of the flour blends with fermented extruded samples (51.03±0.02 to 55.19±0.02mg/ml) unlike theraw flour blends (36.77±0.20 to 41.26±0.003mg/ml).The in vitro protein digestibility significantly increased with the extruded fermented samples (12.73±0.17 to 15.45±0.06mg/ml) and lowest forraw flour blends (4.57±0.29 to 5.98±0.37mg/ml). Hence, it can be concluded based from the available information from this study that fermentation and extrusion increase the in vitro starch digestibility and protein digestibility of unripe plantain and pigeon pea blends

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Crops and their derived foodstuffs: Safety, security and nutritional value

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and yam (Dioscorea spp.) are tropical crops consumed by ca. 2 billion people and represent the main source of carbohydrate and energy for the approximately 700 million people living in the tropical and sub-tropical areas. They are a guarantee of food security for developing countries. The production of these crops and the transformation into food-derived commodities is increasing, it represents a profitable business and farmers generate substantial income from their market. However, there are some important concerns related to the food safety and food security. The high post-harvest losses, mainly for yam, the contamination by endogenous toxic compounds, mainly for cassava, and the contamination by external agents (such as micotoxins, pesticides, and heavy metal) represent a depletion of economic value and income. The loss in the raw crops or the impossibility to market the derived foodstuffs, due to incompliance with food regulations, can seriously limit all yam tubers and the cassava roots processors, from farmers to household, from small-medium to large enterprises. One of the greatest challenges to overcome those concerns is the transformation of traditional or indigenous processing methods into modern industrial operations, from the crop storage to the adequate package of each derived foodstuff