Antioxidant Activities, Nutrient Composition and Sensory Properties of Unripe Plantain-Purple Skinned Sweet Potato Flour Blends

The functional properties of plant foods have received much attention in recent times. Therefore, the  present study sought to assess the antioxidant potential and  nutrient composition  of  unripe plantain (UP) and purple skinned sweet potato (PP) composite blends (UP: PP); (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80 and 0:100)  and also to evaluate the sensory properties of the porridge prepared from the blends.  HPLC/DAD analyses revealed the presence of some flavonoids and phenolic acids.  The evaluated antioxidant indices increases progressively as the percentage inclusion of sweet potato increases, and the highest antioxidant activities was recorded for 100% sweet potato. Whereas, the evaluated proximate indices, with exception of moisture content, increases as the inclusion of unripe plantain increases in the blend;  and the highest carbohydrate (78.51%), protein (13.35%), fiber (0.19%) and fat (5.56%) were recorded for 100% unripe plantain. The 100% potato recorded the highest level of Ca, Mg, P and Fe, while the highest level of Na and K was recorded for 100% unripe plantain. The result of the sensory properties of the porridge showed a varied rating with respect to the evaluated sensory parameters; however, better overall acceptability was recorded for porridge from two blends (60UP:40PP, 40UP:60PP).  Result from this investigation showed that combination of these plant foods can be harnessed as functional food, most especially two of the blends; (60UP:40PP, 40UP:60PP) and these could be a valuable blend that could be explored in the management of free radical mediated diseases. Keywords: Antioxidant potential; Nutritional value; Phenolic composition; Sensory properties; Solanum tuberosum; Musa paradisiaca

Phenolic Profiles of Four Processed Tropical Green Leafy Vegetables Commonly Used as Food

The phenolic profiles are presented of four tropical green leafy vegetables ( Ocimum gratissimum, Vernonia amygdalina, Corchorus olitorius and Manihot utilissima) commonly used as food, after application of traditional treatments, such as boiling and abrasion. The HPLC/DAD/MS technique was mainly used to carry out this study. Preliminary evaluation of the antioxidant properties of the vegetables was also performed using the DPPH in vitro test. For the first time, seasonal variations in the phenolic content of the four investigated vegetables were highlighted. Of the four plants, all showed only quantitative differences, except for Ocimum graticimum, in which cichoric acid, previously detected as one of the main constituents of this vegetable collected in November (dry season), was absent in the sample harvested in March. The phenolic constituents are chemically unmodified after a strong heating process, such as the traditional blanching (about 15 minutes) applied by Nigerian people prior to consuming these vegetables. Nevertheless, these typical preparations showed a consistent decrease in the total phenolic compounds with respect to the raw material, particularly for Corchorus olitorius (from 42.3 to 5.56 mg/g dried leaves) and Vernonia amygdalina (from 40.2 to 4.4 mg/g dried leaves). As expected, when the blanching treatment is reduced to a few minutes, as for Manihot utilissima leaves, the cooked vegetable maintained almost unaltered its original phenolic content (around 10 mg/g dried leaves). The unique exception is the blanched Ocimum gratissimum sample that showed a consistent increment of the total phenols, particularly of rosmarinic acid (from 6.1 to 29.8 mg/g dried leaves) with respect to the unprocessed vegetable

Nutraceutical Potential and Sensory Acceptability of Unripe Plantain-Millet Composite Flour Blends

There is an increasing need globally to eat foods that contain arrays of health promoting phytochemicals as alternatives to synthetic drugs. Therefore, the  present study sought to assess the nutritional  and antioxidant potentials of unripe plantain (UP) and millet (M) composite blends (UP: M); 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80 and 0:100. Some of the evaluated proximate indices (fat, protein, and fiber) gave high values as the composition of millet increases in the blends. On the contrary, the result showed an increasing value in the level of some minerals (sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium) as the inclusion of unripe plantain increases in the blend, with the exception of phosphorous. Physico-chemical properties of the blends did not show any particular trend with the proportion of either plantain or millet in the blend. The result of the sensory properties of the porridge prepared from the blend showed a varied rating, with better overall acceptability for two blends (40UP:60M, 20UP:80M). HPLC/DAD analyses of millet and unripe plantain revealed the presence of some flavonoids and phenolic acids. Antioxidant indices were also high as the percentage inclusion of millet increases in the blend. Results from this investigation revealed that millet contributes  higher antioxidant potential and is a better source of protein and fat, while unripe plantain have higher amount of minerals. This by implication is that the combination of these plant food most especially two of the blends (40UP:60M and 20UP:80M) would serve well as a functional food which could be harnessed as in the management of free radical mediated diseases. Keywords: Antioxidant potential; Nutritional value; Phenolic composition; Sensory properties; Millet; Musa paradisiaca

Comparative Studies on the Antioxidant Potential of Three Medicinal Plants Commonly Used in the Treatment of Haemorrhoids

The present study sought to evaluate the antioxidant properties of stem bark of Anogeiessus leiocarpus, Axonopus compressus and Senna fistula that has been previously reported to be effective in the treatment of haemorrhoids. The amount of antioxidant agents such as phenols and flavonoids were determined in the methanolic extracts of their stem barks. In addition, the possible antioxidant mechanisms of the extracts were assessed by measuring their reducing property, iron (II) chelating ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, ABTS radical scavenging ability and their ability to scavenge 2, 2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) radicals. The results show that extracts of Anogeiessus leiocarpus have a total phenolic content of (11.525±0.061µg/mg), Axonopus compressus (12.080±0.041µg/mg) and Senna fistula (12.813±0.054µg/mg). The highest level of total flavonoids were obtained in the extracts of Anogeiessus leiocarpus (1.321±0.034 µg/mg) followed by Senna fistula (1.127±0.034µg/mg) and Axonopus compressus (0.681±0.034µg/mg). The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity was found in Anogeiessus leiocarpus while the least value was recorded for Senna fistula. In addition, extracts of Anogeiessus leiocarpus was recorded to have the highest hydroxyl scavenging activity. Furthermore, ABTS radical scavenging activities of the three plants revealed that extracts of Axonopus compressus had the least scavenging activity. Taken together, we conclude that since extracts of stem bark of the three plants exhibited potent antioxidant potentials and haemorrhoids is intrinsically linked with oxidative stress, then Anogeiessus leiocarpus, Axonopus compressus and Senna fistula possibly exerts their antihaemorrhoidal action using a combination of mechanisms and their antioxidant potency possibly plays a major role in ameliorating secondary complications resulting from oxidative damage in haemorrhoids. Keywords – Antioxidant, Haemorrhoids, Medicinal plants, Oxidative stress, Treatmen

Hplc-Dad Phenolic Characterization and Antioxidant Activities of Ripe and Unripe Sweet Orange Peels

Phenolic compounds of unripe and ripe sweet orange peels were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography separation method with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The in vitro antioxidant properties and the EC50 (concentration required to obtain a 50% antioxidant effect) values were also determined. The predominant phenolic compounds were quercitrin, rutin, and quercetin with values of 18.77 ± 0.01 mg/mL, 18.65 ± 0.03 mg/mL, and 10.39 ± 0.01 mg/mL respectively in unripe orange peel and 22.61 ± 0.01 mg/mL, 17.93 ± 0.03 mg/mL, and 14.03 ± 0.02 mg/mL respectively in ripe orange peel. The antioxidant properties revealed 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) scavenging ability of both unripe and ripe orange peels respectively as 14.68 ± 0.01 and 16.89 ± 0.02 mmol TEAC/g, the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Properties (FRAP) as 70.69 ± 0.01 and 91.38 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalents/100g, total phenol content as 5.27 ± 0.03 and 9.40 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and total flavonoid content as 3.30 ± 0.30 and 4.20 ± 0.02 mg quercetin equivalent/g. The antioxidant assays showed enhanced potency of extract from ripe orange peel with EC50 values of 2.71 ± 0.03 mg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 0.67 ± 0.03 mg/mL for hydroxyl radicals (OH*), 0.57 ± 0.02 mg/mL for Fe2+ chelation, and 0.63 ± 0.06 mg/mL for malondialdehyde (MDA), and was more potent than unripe orange peel