A higher proportion of iron-rich leafy vegetables in a typical Burkinabe maize meal does not increase the amount of iron absorbed in young women.

Food-to-food fortification can be a promising approach to improve the low dietary iron intake and bioavailability from monotonous diets based on a small number of staple plant foods. In Burkina Faso, the common diet consists of a thick, cereal-based paste consumed with sauces composed of mainly green leaves, such as amaranth and jute leaves. Increasing the quantity of leaves in the sauces substantially increases their iron concentration. To evaluate whether increasing the quantity of leaves in sauces would provide additional bioavailable iron, an iron absorption study in 18 young women was conducted in Zurich, Switzerland. Burkinabe composite test meals consisting of the maize paste tô accompanied by an iron-improved amaranth sauce, an iron-improved jute sauce, or a traditional amaranth sauce were provided as multiple meals twice a day for 2 consecutive days. Iron absorption was measured as erythrocyte incorporation of stable iron isotopes. Mean fractional iron absorption from maize paste consumed with an iron-improved amaranth sauce (4.9%) did not differ from the same meal consumed with an iron-improved jute sauce (4.9%; P = 0.9), resulting in a similar quantity of total iron absorbed (679 vs. 578 µg; P = 0.3). Mean fractional iron absorption from maize paste accompanied by a traditional amaranth sauce (7.4%) was significantly higher than that from the other 2 meal types (P < 0.05), but the quantity of total iron absorbed was similar (591 µg; P = 0.4 and 0.7, respectively). A food-to-food fortification approach based on an increase in leafy vegetables does not provide additional bioavailable iron, presumably due to the high phenolic compound concentration of the leaves tested. Alternative measures, such as adding iron absorption enhancers to the sauces, need to be investigated to improve iron nutrition from Burkinabe maize meals.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Colon Cancer Activities of Mung Bean Grown in Burkina Faso.

Widely used in traditional medicine in Asia and recently introduced in Burkina Faso under the name Beng-tigré, mung bean is a legume consumed throughout the world and more so in India. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the mung bean grown and consumed in Burkina Faso and to study its biological properties such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of the natural and sprouted seeds. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was tested on Artemia salina larvae, and the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vitro by albumin denaturation method using diclofenac as reference molecule. The anticancer activity of hydro-ethanol extracts was evaluated on rats made cancerous with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) using 5-fluorouracil as reference molecule. The results showed that the highest yield of the plant extraction was observed with the hydro-ethanol solvent, both for the natural form of mung bean (MBN) and for its sprouted form (MBG). The cytotoxicity test showed no toxicity of the extracts toward shrimp larvae. The ethanolic extract of germinated mung bean seeds gave the highest anti-inflammatory activity at 95.13 ± 0.22% inhibition with significant difference (p < 0.05) between the extracts. Cancer induction with DMH was inhibited by both MBN and MBG extracts. The test of preventive effects of the extracts showed the best activity with significant difference in biochemical results. These results confirm that the mung bean grown in Burkina Faso, as a nontoxic legume, is a functional food that can be integrated into the population's dietary habits for a double interest. Moreover, they open perspectives for the research of active principles of plant origin with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

Effect of processing methods on the nutritional content of three traditional vegetables leaves: Amaranth, black nightshade and jute mallow.

The study assessed changes in nutritional content of some commonly consumed traditional vegetables subjected to postharvest processes. Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.), black nightshade (Solanum scabrum Mill.) and jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.) leaves used as vegetables were subjected to blanching, boiling and drying. The proximate composition and ß-carotene content of fresh and processed leaves were determined. Amaranth, black nightshade and jute mallow leaves had 25.21%, 39.74% and 29.18% of protein, respectively. The ß-carotene levels were 16.40, 25.25 and 27.74 mg/100 g for black nightshade amaranth and jute mallow leaves, respectively. The ash content was 10.57% for black nightshade, 12.40% for jute mallow and 16.33% for amaranth. Processing methods caused decreases of ß-carotene and crude lipid content. Boiling for 30 min or more resulted in large loss of ß-carotene. Drying under shade resulted in less loss of ß-carotene than drying in cabinet at 50 and 60°C.

Iron contamination during in-field milling of millet and sorghum.

Nutritionally, contaminant iron in foods may lead to overestimation of the satisfaction of iron requirement while iron deficiencies remain a widespread health problem. Iron contamination was measured in millet and sorghum grains after decortication and in-field milling using different equipments in Burkina Faso. Total iron content did not change significantly after decortication, probably due to a balance between losses resulting from the removal of iron-rich peripheral parts and contamination. Total iron contents increased significantly after mechanical milling irrespective of whether iron or corundum grindstones were used. Contamination was highly variable, ranging from 3 to 6 mg iron/100 g DM, and was mainly due to wear of the milling equipment. After in vitro digestion of traditional cereal dishes prepared with iron-contaminated or uncontaminated flours, the contaminant iron was found mainly in the insoluble fraction. Only in sorghum was a small proportion (4%) bioaccessible, showing that contaminant iron has poor nutritional interest.