Effect of low-zinc status and essential fatty acids deficiency on the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in liver and serum of albino rats

The effects of dietary deficiencies of zinc and essential fatty acids (EFAs) or both on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were investigated in young growing rats. Four groups of albino rats were fed diets deficient in either EFA (4% hydrogenated coconut oil) or zinc (6 ppm) or both. The control diet was adequate in EFA (4% soybean oil) and zinc (100 ppm). The feeding trial lasted eight weeks and the activities of AST and ALT were determined in the liver and serum. EFA deficiency had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on liver AST. However, zinc and the double deficiencies depressed AST activity in the organ. Deficiencies of EFA, zinc and their combination depressed ALT activity in the liver significantly (p < 0.05) with a concomitant increase recorded in the serum. The data suggested alteration in endothelial permeability of the plasma membrane and thus leakage of membrane constituents in the tissue studied. It is therefore considered that these deficient diets may affect liver tissue negatively in view of the role of these enzymes in amino acid metabolism.     

响应面法优化黄浆水絮凝工艺及其代谢组学分析

为了提高黄浆水的附加值和利用率,缓解排放黄浆水带来的环境污染,本文对黄浆水中的可溶性固形物进行絮凝处理。在单因素实验基础上结合响应面法对黄浆水中可溶性固形物的絮凝工艺进行优化,并且对絮凝前后黄浆水进行了蛋白质和总糖含量测定、生化需氧量和化学需氧量测定以及代谢组学测定。实验结果表明,絮凝沉降黄浆水可溶性固形物最佳工艺参数为:壳聚糖添加量为0.54 mg/mL,海藻酸钠添加量为0.24 mg/mL,pH为4.4,温度为47 ℃,此时黄浆水可溶性固形物沉降率为（46.26%±0.38%）;蛋白质含量下降40.68%、总糖含量下降8.41%;生化需氧量和化学需氧量去除率分别为43%、40.95%。代谢组学实验结果表明:黄浆水絮凝前后有66种化合物含量存在显著变化。本研究结果表明絮凝能有效的降低黄浆水中可溶性固形物的含量,为黄浆水的进一步开发利用提供一定的参考。     

响应面法优化黄浆水超滤工艺及其代谢组学分析

为了高效分离获得蛋白的同时减轻黄浆水的污染问题,提高其综合利用率,本文采用超滤分离技术对黄浆水进行浓缩处理。在单因素实验基础上,采用响应曲面对黄浆水超滤工艺进行优化,并对超滤前后的黄浆水进行了蛋白质和总糖含量测定、生化需氧量（BOD）和化学需氧量（COD）测定以及代谢组学测定。结果表明:黄浆水超滤浓缩工艺的最佳参数为:pH为6.2、操作压力为0.22 MPa、温度为31 ℃。按此条件进行黄浆水的超滤操作,此时的膜通量为（51.8±1.3）L/m2·h,蛋白质截留率达到76.84%,总糖透过率达到79.10%,生化需氧量及化学需氧量去除率为69.27%、61.03%。通过对浓缩液和透过液进行代谢组学分析,发现浓缩液和透过液中有114种化合物的含量存在显著的差异。研究结果表明超滤可以有效地将黄浆水中的蛋白质和糖类物质进行分离,同时也对小分子物质具有一定的富集作用,该研究可以为黄浆水的进一步开发与利用提供一定的参考依据。     

Effect of chemical preservatives on shelf life of mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) cultivated on cassava peels

Short shelf life is a major impediment to the processing and distribution of mushroom. The effect of chemical preservatives on some quality attributes of mushroom during storage was investigated. Mushroom were soaked in four preservatives at two concentrations for 10 mins, packaged, stored at 4 °C for 30 days and analysed at intervals for their microbial population, colour, firmness and weight loss. Sodium benzoate (0.05%, 0.1%) lost its preservative effect on all the micro‐organisms enumerated after 3 days, and samples treated with 0.1% potassium sorbate had the lowest microbial load at the end of the storage period. Change in colour of the potassium sorbate (0.1%)‐treated sample was lower than and significantly different from the citric acid (2%, 4%)‐treated samples. The values of the firmness of the 4% citric acid preserved mushroom were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from other samples throughout the storage period. There was a significant negative correlation (r = ?0.807, P < 0.01) between the firmness and weight loss of the preserved mushroom. Potassium sorbate (0.1%) and citric acid (4%) extended the shelf life of mushroom for 24 days.     

Effect of low‐zinc status and essential fatty acids deficiency on the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in liver and serum of albino rats

The effects of dietary deficiencies of zinc and essential fatty acids (EFAs) or both on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were investigated in young growing rats. Four groups of albino rats were fed diets deficient in either EFA (4% hydrogenated coconut oil) or zinc (6 ppm) or both. The control diet was adequate in EFA (4% soybean oil) and zinc (100 ppm). The feeding trial lasted eight weeks and the activities of AST and ALT were determined in the liver and serum. EFA deficiency had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on liver AST. However, zinc and the double deficiencies depressed AST activity in the organ. Deficiencies of EFA, zinc and their combination depressed ALT activity in the liver significantly (p < 0.05) with a concomitant increase recorded in the serum. The data suggested alteration in endothelial permeability of the plasma membrane and thus leakage of membrane constituents in the tissue studied. It is therefore considered that these deficient diets may affect liver tissue negatively in view of the role of these enzymes in amino acid metabolism.     

Evaluation of the functional potential of Weissella and Lactobacillus isolates obtained from Nigerian traditional fermented foods and cow's intestine

The characterisation of 24 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from Nigerian traditional fermented dairy foods, including some cow's intestine isolates, was conducted in order to select isolates for potential use as probiotics. LAB isolates were identified by partial sequencing the 16S rRNA gene as belonging to the species Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus brevis and mainly Weissella confusa. At the end of a characterisation process, 2 L. paracasei and 2 W. confusa isolates were selected, and their resistance to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion and their ability to adhere to eukaryotic cell lines were assessed. The survival to the simulated gastrointestinal passage was higher when bacterial suspensions were made in skimmed milk (2.0 ± 0.8 log units reduction) or at the simulated gastric juice pH 3 (2.7 ± 0.9 log units reduction) than at pH 2.0 (5.5 ± 0.7 log units reduction). Adhesion of LAB to both intestinal and vaginal epithelial models was comparable or higher than that of the reference Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. However, some of the isolates increased the adhesion of the pathogen Escherichia coli LMG2092 to HT-29 and HeLa monolayers. Overall, isolates L. paracasei UI14 and W. confusa UI7 are good candidates for further studying potential benefits that support their use as probiotics. This is one of the few articles reporting the characterisation and the probiotic potential of Weissella, although more studies are needed in order to establish their safety for potential probiotic applications.     

Optimization of oil extraction from Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) leaves using simplex centroid design

Simplex centroid design (SCD) was employed to optimize the mixing of petroleum ether, n-hexane, methanol and ethanol for the extraction of oil (PLO) from Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) leaves, via Soxhlet extraction. The highest yield (54%) of Pitanga leaf oil (PLO) was obtained with 100% ethanol and the lowest yield (16%) from the mixture of methanol (33.3%)/hexane (33.3%)/ethanol (33.3%). The coefficient of determination (R²) of the model equation obtained was 0.91, while the adjusted R² and predicted R² were 0.8729 and 0.951, respectively. The saponification value (S.V.), iodine value, acid value and free fatty acid (FFA) are 35.34 mgKOH/g, 72.97 mgI₂/g oil, 32.41 and 16.30 mgKOH/g, respectively.     

End-user preferences for pounded yam and implications for food product profile development

Pounded yam is a popular food in Nigeria. This study reports end-user preferences for pounded yam and implications for trait evaluation by breeding programme. The study was carried out in two pounded yam-consuming regions in Nigeria: south-east and south-west. Multistage sampling technique was used to collect information from users along food chain. This involved market, individual, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Responses of participants were used to develop product profile of pounded yam from raw material (yam) to final product. Key user-preferred quality traits for pounded yam in both regions were colour and textural quality followed by taste and aroma which are lesser attributes. There were regional differences in ranking of these quality attributes but no gender difference. This information will be useful in determining food quality indicators that can be used to select breeding lines for preferred quality traits in pounded yam.     

A model of group satisfaction in computer-mediated communication and face-to-face meetings

This study attempts to present a model of member satisfaction with group decision process. Three variables: ease of use (EOU) of the communication medium; participation; and decision confidence (DC), were explored as determinants of member satisfaction. The study offers an explanation of the effects of these variables on group process satisfaction in two communication media: a nearly synchronous text-based computermediated communication (CMC) and traditional face-to-face communication (FTF). Results indicate that these variables were good predictors of member satisfaction. Regression and correlation analyses help to validate the model for the two communication media using the ordering of the predictor variables and the strength of the relationship. Results confirm that ease of use showed the most contribution to satisfaction and that ease of use is lower in CMC than in FTF. The findings also confirm the effect of communication medium on member satisfaction.