Dietary Crude Lecithin Increases Systemic Availability of Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid with Combined Intake in Rats

Crude lecithin, a mixture of mainly phospholipids, potentially helps to increase the systemic availability of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Nevertheless, no clear data exist on the effects of prolonged combined dietary supplementation of DHA and lecithin on RBC and plasma PUFA levels. In the current experiments, levels of DHA and choline, two dietary ingredients that enhance neuronal membrane formation and function, were determined in plasma and red blood cells (RBC) from rats after dietary supplementation of DHA-containing oils with and without concomitant dietary supplementation of crude lecithin for 2–3 weeks. The aim was to provide experimental evidence for the hypothesized additive effects of dietary lecithin (not containing any DHA) on top of dietary DHA on PUFA levels in plasma and RBC. Dietary supplementation of DHA-containing oils, either as vegetable algae oil or as fish oil, increased DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and total n-3 PUFA, and decreased total omega-6 PUFA levels in plasma and RBC, while dietary lecithin supplementation alone did not affect these levels. However, combined dietary supplementation of DHA and lecithin increased the changes induced by DHA supplementation alone. Animals receiving a lecithin-containing diet also had a higher plasma free choline concentration as compared to controls. In conclusion, dietary DHA-containing oils and crude lecithin have synergistic effects on increasing plasma and RBC n-3 PUFA levels, including DHA and EPA. By increasing the systemic availability of dietary DHA, dietary lecithin may increase the efficacy of DHA supplementation when their intake is combined.Nutricia Researc

Nutritional and structural evaluation of selected Black gram varieties for preparation of Fermented Thick Pancake (Dosa)

The quality characteristics of selected black gram varieties viz., VBN 5, VBN 7, ADT 3, T9 and CO 6 and were evaluated for their suitability for the preparation of thick pancake. The foaming stability and foaming capacity were found to be maximum in VBN 5, CO 6 and T9. Maximum rise in volume was recorded in CO 6 (149 ml) followed by VBN 5 (148 ml) and T9 (147 ml) which is an indication good quality of thick pancake. Thick pancake prepared using 5 black gram varieties were analyzed for the physicochemical and microbial load. The texture profile viz., springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and gumminess was evaluated for VBN 5, CO 6, T9 and VBN 7 respectively. The protein content was higher in thick pancake prepared from VBN 5 (25.47/100 g) compared to CO 6 (24.66 g/100g). Among the selected varieties, CO 6, T9 and VBN 5 had good batter content, texture, and microstructure and were found to be most suitable for thick pancake preparation

Evaluating tannery wastewater treatment performance based on physicochemical and microbiological characteristics: An Ethiopian case study

Tanneries are an important industrial sector in Ethiopia; consequently, gaps in wastewater treatment process performance need to be identified as the country increases its emphasis on compliance. A case study was conducted to evaluate physicochemical and microbial water quality at a tannery near Addis Ababa. The treatment process was designed for the following: sulfide oxidation; biological oxygen demand reduction; and chromium removal. While some of Ethiopia’s standards for industrial wastewater treatment were met through treatment, effluent COD, sulfide, total nitrogen, and total chromium guidelines were not. 16S rRNA gene analysis was used to evaluate the microbial community composition across the treatment train. The results show that common ruminant phyla were dominant throughout, with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes comprising 77% to 82% relative abundance. The Firmicutes Clostridium increased consistently in relative abundance with treatment, comprising 39% to 61% of the total bacterial community in the effluent. Improved treatment is needed to meet environmental and public health goals.Practitioner PointsCase Study of tannery wastewater treatment in Ethiopia shows ineffective treatment of chemical pollutants.Microbiological pollutants from tannery wastewater systems can introduce agents of importance to public healthThe microbiological composition of tannery influent, mixed liquor and effluent contains mostly four bacterial phyla lead by Firmicutes.Most pathogenic bacterial genera found in the tannery wastewater treatment system became a decreasing percentage of the total population.Clostridium comprises up to 61% of the effluent bacterial population and deserves further evaluation to better understand the consequences of its dominance.Chemical and microbiological characteristics across a tannery wastewater treatment system in EthiopiaPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167775/1/wer1364.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167775/2/wer1364_am.pd