Antioxidant properties of fresh, powder, and fiber products of mango (Mangifera foetida) fruit

This study was aimed to investigate the antioxidant capacity and antioxidant components in fresh, powder and fiber products prepared from Mangifera foetida fruit, locally known as bacang. The antioxidant capacity and components (reducing, flavonoid, carotenoid, and ascorbic acid contents) were in the order of fresh > fiber > powder, whereas based on β-carotene bleaching method, order of antioxidant activity was fiber > powder > fresh. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was positive and significant correlation (r > 0.9) between antioxidant capacity and certain antioxidant components

Antioxidant capacity, phenolics and isoflavones in soybean by-products

This study aimed to determine proximate composition, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, isoflavones and free phenolic compounds in soy by-products. High carbohydrate and protein contents were found in grade A soymilk powder (GASP) compared to grade B soymilk powder (GBSP) and soy husk powder (SHP). Ash, moisture and total dietary fibre contents were reported to be the highest in soy husk, while GBSP had the highest fat content. Antioxidant capacity as assessed using β-carotene bleaching assay was in the order of SHP ≈ GBSP > GASP, and the ranking order of the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) value was GASP ≈ GBSP > SHP, while the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) value was GASP > GBSP > SHP. The total phenolic content was in the range of 62.44-103.86. mg GAE/100. g wet weight, and the major phenolic compounds in free form were ferulic, vanilic as well as gallic acids. Acid hydrolysis increased the amount of total extractable isoflavone in all soy samples

Phytochemicals derived from soya bean husk exert hypoglycemic and anti-adipogenic properties in cell culture models

Purpose: Literature has shown that phenolic acids and flavonoids are bearing with hypoglycemic and anti-adipogenic properties. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the possibility of phenolic-rich soya bean husk powder extract (SHPE) in combating diabetes and obesity using in vitro models. Design/methodology/approach: The hypoglycemic properties were evaluated by determining the ability of SHPE (25-100 µg/mL) in inhibiting a-amylase and a-glucosidase enzymes and in triggering insulin secretion in BRIN-BD11 cells. Murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes were used for evaluating the anti-adipogenic properties of SHPE through the determination of relative lipid accumulation, triglyceride content and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity. Findings: The hypoglycemic properties of SHPE was in the dose-dependent manner, where 100 µg SHPE/mL exhibited a significant higher (p < 0.05) a-amylase inhibitory activity (56.8 ± 0.11 per cent) and insulin secretion activity (0.73 ± 0.02 µg/l) against other concentrations. In contrast to the aforementioned findings, a significant lower a-glucosidase inhibitory activity (52.0 ± 0.44 per cent) was also observed in 100 µg SHPE/mL. Nevertheless, findings revealed that all the SHPE were able to inhibit the activity of a-amylase and a-glucosidase and stimulated the insulin secretion in BRIN-BD11 cells. On the other hand, the anti-adipogenic properties of SHPE were in the reverse dose-dependent manner, where 100 µg SHPE/mL demonstrated a significant lower (p < 0.05) relative lipid accumulation (48.5 ± 0.03 per cent), intracellular triglyceride content (5.7 ± 0.07 mg/dL) and GPDH activity (1.0 ± 0.01 mU/mL). These findings reflected that 100 µg SHPE/mL was a potent anti-adipogenic agent when compared with other concentrations. In conclusion, soya husk could emerge as a potential hypoglycemic and anti-adipogenic agents in in vitro models. Originality/value: This was the first study to explore the effectiveness of phytochemicals derived from soya bean husk in ameliorating hyperglycemia and adipogenesis. Promising findings that derived from the present study could enable the scientists to re-evaluate the potential use of agricultural wastes, especially in the formulation of nutraceuticals

Antioxidant properties of selected non-leafy vegetables

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the antioxidant properties (capacity and component) of four non-leafy vegetables. The correlation between the antioxidant capacity and its components of the studied vegetables was also assessed. Design/methodology/approach: Winged beans, also known as four-angled bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), string bean (Vigna sinensis) and snow pea (Pisum sativum) were selected as samples from among the common non-leafy vegetables consumed by Malaysians. These fresh vegetables were lyophilised and ground and their ethanolic extracts were prepared for antioxidant capacity assays and total phenolic, β-carotene and ascorbic acid contents. Findings: Among the vegetables, string beans showed the highest antioxidant capacity compared to the other vegetables studied (p < 0.05). The total phenolic, ascorbic acid and -carotene contents of snow peas were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the other vegetables. There was a significant positive correlation between scavenging activity and antioxidant components studied. On the other hand, a negative correlation was found between antioxidant activity and its components of the studied vegetables. Originality/value: Previous reports have indicated that vegetables contain high levels of antioxidants. However, data on antioxidant capacity of these non-leafy vegetables are still lacking. This research paper shows the non-leafy vegetables studied is a promising source of antioxidants with good antioxidant capacity. Beside that, along with the studied antioxidant components, other compounds in these vegetables could also contribute to their antioxidant capacity

Health benefits of flavanoids in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics perspectives

Flavonoids are the largest and most studied group of plant phenolics. Epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods may protect humans against oxidative stress related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. This chapter aims to review the occurrence of flavonoids from various sources. Additionally, this chapter also highlights the interactions among flavonoids, genes and diseases in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics perspectives. Clinical studies related to health effects of flavonoids on osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipedemia and cardiovascular health are also discussed in this chapter. Taken together, this chapter intends to provide a new insight for the development of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics in near future

Soy husk extract improves physical and biochemicals parameters of obese-diabetic rats through the regulation of PPAR-gamma expression

Unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activities are among the contributing factors for obesity and diabetes. It has been reported that consumption of naturally occurring phenolics could exert beneficial effects toward these diseases. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the ability of phenolic-rich soy husk powder extract (SHPE) in modifying the physical and biochemical parameters for obesity and diabetes. Forty-nine Sprague Dawley rats were divided into seven groups, including three supplementary/treatment groups. Rats in supplementary/treatment groups were provided with either 4 mg/kg BW Rosiglitazone Maleate, 250 mg SHPE/kg BW, or 500 mg SHPE/kg BW. The effectiveness of SHPE in alleviating obesity-diabetes was evaluated by measuring body weight (physical parameter), blood glucose metabolisms (biochemical parameters), and PPARγ expression. Findings in the present study revealed that short-term SHPE and Rosiglitazone Maleate administration improved the physical and biochemical parameters of obese-diabetic rats. In addition, SHPE was also demonstrated to upregulate PPARγ expression in adipocytes. These findings suggest that soy husk could emerge as a potential hypoglycemic and anti-adipogenic nutraceutical in future. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This was the first study to evaluate the potential effects of soy husk against the parameters of obese-diabetes in rats. In addition, promising effects derived from this study might explore the possibility of soy husk to be utilized as an antidiabetes nutraceutical

20th International Medical, Pharmaceutical, Cosmeceutical and Health Science Symposium

The 20th International Medical, Pharmaceutical, Cosmeceutical & Health Science Symposium (iMPaCHS) is an annual symposium co-organized by Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, International Medical School, School of Pharmacy, Management & Science of the Management & Science University, Malaysia. With the theme 'Advancing Health Science Innovations through Interdisciplinary Collaboration', the 20th iMPaCHS aims to promote holistic research skills for future betterment. Advancing health science innovations requires a multidisciplinary approach, which involves the collaboration of experts from various fields. Interdisciplinary collaboration enables the integration of knowledge, perspectives, and methodologies from different disciplines, leading to the development of novel and effective solutions to complex health challenges. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, health science can leverage the strengths of each field and accelerate the translation of research findings into clinical practice, ultimately improving and advancing the overall state of health science. This is in line with the sustainable development goal and collaborative research activity in the university. The 20th International Medical, Pharmaceutical, Cosmeceutical & Health Science Symposium (iMPaCHS) is an annual symposium co-organized by Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, International Medical School, School of Pharmacy, Management & Science of the Management & Science University, Malaysia. With the theme 'Advancing Health Science Innovations through Interdisciplinary Collaboration', the 20th iMPaCHS aims to promote holistic research skills for future betterment. Advancing health science innovations requires a multidisciplinary approach, which involves the collaboration of experts from various fields. Interdisciplinary collaboration enables the integration of knowledge, perspectives, and methodologies from different disciplines, leading to the development of novel and effective solutions to complex health challenges. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, health science can leverage the strengths of each field and accelerate the translation of research findings into clinical practice, ultimately improving and advancing the overall state of health science. This is in line with the sustainable development goal and collaborative research activity in the university

Determining hypoglycaemic and anti-adipogenic properties of phenolic-rich soya husk extract using in-vitro and in-vivo models

The growing incidence of obesity and diabetes seem to be an unavoidable trend in both developed and developing countries. Emerging evidence derived from epidemiological studies claim that sufficient intake of phenolics may effective in protecting human against the oxidative-stress related diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Besides, numerous literatures reported that there is considerable concentration of health-promoting compounds in the outer layers of cereal grains and legumes, or specifically in the bran or hull (husk). However, the bran or hull from cereal grains and legumes are often considered as by-products in food processing industries, and is currently used only for animal feed or as fertilizer. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the possibility and potentiality of soya husk in improving obesity-diabetes parameters. The present study begun with proximate composition determination and antioxidant analysis in grade A soya milk powder (GASP), grade B soya milk powder (GBSP) and soya husk powder (SHP). Findings from the present study showed that SHP had a significant higher fibre contents (74.41 ± 0.19%) of the powders tested, which in turn, also deposited its potentiality to appear as an interfering component for obesity-diabetes studies. Following, the three powders were subjected for antioxidant capacity analyses, free phenolics and isoflavones identification. Soya byproducts, for instance, GBSP and SHP in present study, have reported to contain significant amounts of bioactive compounds such as daidzein, gallic acid, vanilic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid and chlorogenic acid. The hypoglycaemic of phenolic- rich soya husk powder extract (SHPE) were determined in-vitro with three different parameters whereas murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes were employed for evaluating the antiadipogenic properties of SHPE. Collectively, the hypoglycaemic properties of SHPE were successfully demonstrated in three parameters studied. In addition, SHPE with lower concentrations (25-100 μg/ml) were also regarded as potential anti-adipogenic agent due to their ability in reducing lipid droplet accumulation (48.48 ± 0.03 to 102.02 ± 2.00%), triglyceride accumulation (5.68 ± 0.07 to 11.17 ± 0.14 mg/dl), GPDH activity (49.13 ± 0.15 to 91.44 ± 0.04%) and subsequently down-regulating PPARγ expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Since in-vitro model has provided promising findings, evaluation on the hypoglycaemic and anti-adipogenic properties of SHPE was further expanded using an in-vivo model. It is showed that short-term of SHPE supplementations (250 mg/kg BW or 500 mg/kg BW) improved the biomarker parameters (fasting plasma blood glucose, insulin level and lipid profiles) of obese-diabetic rats. Additionally, the supplementations were also shown to slightly up-regulated PPARγ expression (4.81 ± 1.31 to 6.69 ± 2.71%) in adipocytes of experimental rats. Therefore, SHPE could be considered as potential hypoglycaemic and anti-adipogenic agents. In line with the reported promising effects, the present study has revealed the possibility of soya husk to be used for the development of hypoglycaemic and anti-adipogenic nutraceuticals

Trajectories of Food Choice Motives and Weight Status of Malaysian Youths during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stay-at-home orders have abruptly altered food purchasing behaviour, dietary habits, and food choice motives. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the trajectory of food choice motives and their associations with the weight status of Malaysian youths in the time of COVID-19. Socio-demographic information and anthropometric measurements were self-reported by the respondents, while the food choice motives were assessed using a validated 38-item food choice questionnaire (FCQ). Of the 1013 Malaysian youths, 48.6% gained weight due to the confinement, with an average weight gain of 3.90 ± 2.92 kg. On the other hand, 47.0% to 73.0% of the youths changed their food choice motives in the time of COVID-19. Of the 10 motives, convenience (48.5%) had the largest percentage increase, followed by weight control (47.0%) and health (45.3%). Moreover, the mean scores of health (t = −3.324, p = 0.001), convenience (t = −5.869, p &lt; 0.001), weight control (t = −7.532, p &lt; 0.001), natural content (t = −5.957, p &lt; 0.001), ethical concern (t = −4.419, p &lt; 0.001) and price (t = −3.737, p &lt; 0.001) were significantly higher during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. Findings from the multinomial regression model revealed that youths highly concerned for weight control were more likely to be in the weight loss category (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.633, Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.230–2.168, p = 0.001). Conversely, those who gained weight due to the pandemic confinement highly valued natural content in foods (AOR = 0.653, CI = 0.481–0.886, p = 0.006) when making their food choices in this unprecedented pandemic. In conclusion, Malaysian youths made healthier food choices to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection

Comparison of eating behaviour by relative weight change status of young adults throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and purpose: The enforcement of nationwide lockdowns has worsened the obesity epidemic in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to compare eating behaviour by relative weight change status among young adults in Malaysia throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Socio-demographics, body height, pre-pandemic body weight, and post-lockdown body weight were self-reported by the young adults. The eating behaviour was assessed using the validated Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-Revised 18-item (TFEQ-R18). The mean difference in eating behaviour subscales was analysed using MANCOVA with a Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc test. Findings: One-third of the young adults put on body weight due to the lockdowns, with an average relative weight gain of 12.44 ± 9.67%. Conversely, about one-fifth of the young adults reported having lighter body weight in the post-lockdown pandemic phase, with an average relative weight loss of 10.10 ± 4.66%. Young adults in the weight loss category had a significantly higher standardised raw score in cognitive restraints than those in the sustained weight and weight gain categories. In addition, young adults in the weight gain category had statistically higher standardised raw scores in uncontrolled eating and emotional eating compared to those in the sustained weight category. Weight trajectory during the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to disordered eating behaviour among young adults in Malaysia. Originality/value: The findings presented in this study can be potentially valuable in formulating weight management strategies in the post-COVID-19 era