Exposure to air pollutants and heat stress among resource-poor women entrepreneurs in small-scale cassava processing.

Exposure to air pollutants and heat stress from traditional cooking fires is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in low- and middle-income countries globally and have an adverse effect on the environment. According to the World Health Organization, 3.8 million people die annually prematurely from illness related to household air pollution. Families living in poverty are at the highest risk, especially women and children. In this study, exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was measured among resource-poor women cassava processors. The test locations were chosen in the peri-urban settlements of Abeokuta in the Ogun State of Nigeria, where household women entrepreneurs roast garri (granulated cassava) for sale in the local market. The measurements were taken for two types of stoves which are generally existing in the study location. First, a rectangular stove (RS) with two operators and, second, a circular stove (CS) with one operator; both stoves used wood as fuel. The emissions were compared with a modern mechanical liquefied petroleum gas burner-based garri roaster (GS). Hours spent per day in front of garri stoves ranged from 6 to 12 h for both stoves, with a frequency of 1 to 3 days of operation per week. It was found that CS operators were spending significantly more time in producing garri, which is due to the low capacity of the CS. The average PM2.5 concentrations for RS and CS were 381 and 273 µg/m3, respectively, estimated to be 21 and 41 µg/m3 on an annual mean level basis. Similarly, for PM10, the mean concentration levels were 1580 and 594 µg/m3 for RS and CS, respectively. The annual mean levels for PM10 were about 89 µg/m3 for both types of stoves. CO exposure during garri processing was up to five times higher than the recommended concentrations with a 4-h mean of 48 and 50 mg/m3 for RS and CS, respectively. NO2 levels were very low, ~ 0 ppm. This investigative research concluded that wood-fired small-scale garri producers in Nigeria are exposed to very unhealthy levels of PM, CO and thermal stress. The concentration levels of both PM and CO were exceeding the global as well as Nigerian ambient air quality standard regulations. Along with air pollution, thermal stress was a significant issue, which is known to exacerbate the negative effect of air pollution on the human body.

Boxwood Borer Heterobostrychus brunneus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) Infesting Dried Cassava: A Current Record from Southern Ethiopia.

Insect specimens of adult beetles and larvae of 7-9 and 9-10 mm length, respectively were collected from infested dry cassava at two locations from multiple stores in southern Ethiopia. The specimens were identified as Heterobostrychus brunneus (Murray, 1867) commonly known as boxwood borer and auger beetle. The study presents a current record of H. brunneus in Ethiopia, particularly in the context of infesting food products. Additionally, a wide geographical distribution of the pest was reviewed and presented in this article. Current evidence suggests that H. brunneus is a serious pest of forest wood, structural timbers, and dried food products and that it carries a risk to be introduced into various other parts of the world via global trade.

Optimizing the extraction of phenolic antioxidants from date palm fruit by simplex-centroid solvent mixture design.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits are rich in various bioactive compounds, such as phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamates, flavonoid glycosides, coumarins, alkaloids, and proanthocyanidin oligomers. The focus of this study was to develop a simplex-centroid mix design method to identify the most suitable mixture of solvents (water, acetone, and methanol) to extract bioactive compounds from date fruits. Three extraction solvents (water, methanol, and acetone) were investigated during this study to determine, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (free radical DPPH) and ferric reduction ability (FRAP). The results showed that polar mixtures were effective in extracting antioxidant phenolics. The optimum solvent for extraction was Binary mixture water-acetone (50%) presenting TPC, TFC, DPPH and FRAP values of 502.88 mg GAE.100 g-1 DW, 206.23 mg QE.100 g-1 DW, 77 0.01% and 1688.66 µmol.100 g-1 respectively. The results also confirmed a strong correlation between the amount of polyphenols in a given extract and the antioxidant activities observed in the DPPH and FRAP assays. This study presents a pragmatic and efficient way to choose a solvent combination to extract polyphenols from date palm fruits.

Application of Potassium Humate and Salicylic Acid to Mitigate Salinity Stress of Common Bean.

In the current study, we investigated the effect of potassium humate (Kh) and salicylic acid (SA) in mitigating the salinity stress of common bean plants. Common bean seedlings were treated with 0.2 g/L SA as a foliar application and 0.3 g/L Kh as a soil application individually or in combination. After 7 days of germination, plants were treated with 50 mM NaCl and normal water as a control. Our results indicate that salt treatment reduced the plant growth (fresh and dry shoots and roots), leaf pigments (total chlorophyll and carotenoids), ascorbic acid (AA), glutathione (GSH), and potassium (K) contents. On the contrary, proline content; sodium (Na); hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); superoxide anion (O2•-); and antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were increased by saline stress. However, applying either individual Kh and SA or their combination stimulated seedling growth under salinity stress by increasing growth parameters, leaf pigment contents, AA, GSH, proline content, K content, and antioxidant enzymes compared with the control. Additionally, Na content, H2O2, and O2•- were reduced by all applications. The application of the Kh (0.3 g/L) + SA (0.2 g/L) combination was more effective than using the individual compounds. In conclusion, applications of Kh + SA can mitigate salt stress and improve the seedling growth of common bean.

Phytochemical Characterization and Utilization of Dried Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) Peel Extract in Maintaining the Quality of Nile Tilapia Fish Fillet.

Phytochemicals derived from agro-industrial waste materials could be employed as functional food additives and natural antioxidants to replace their synthetic counterparts, which are increasingly being rejected. The current study aims to assess total phenolic compound (TPC), flavonoids, betalain contents, and antiradical scavenging using DPPH and IC50% of dried red beetroot peel (DRBP) extract at different concentrations of 50, 80, 100, 150, and 200 mg/100 mL t. In addition, a characterization of phenols and flavonoids was conducted using HPLC. The second part of this study aims to utilize aqueous DRBP extract in preserving Nile Talipia fish fillet at two concentrations of 80 and 100 mg/100 mL water, compared with 200 ppm of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and control at 5 °C for 10 days. The DRBP aqueous extract was found to have a high concentration of TPC (832 mg/100 g), flavonoids (234 mg/100 g) and betalains (535 mg/100 g) compounds, resulting in a potential antioxidant activity. The IC50% for the extract was detected at 80 mg/100 mL extract. DRBP aqueous extract showed an excellent preservative effect on the fish fillet. Fish fillet samples treated with DRBP extract at a concentration of 100 mg/100 mL were superior in reducing TBA (thiobarbituric acid) increase compared with other treatments at the end of cold storage. Overall, the study showed that red beetroot extracts can act as a natural preservative agent due to their significant antioxidant activity, providing healthy and safe food to consumers.

Extending the Shelf-Life of Fresh-Cut Green Bean Pods by Ethanol, Ascorbic Acid, and Essential Oils.

Green beans are a perishable crop, which deteriorate rapidly after harvest, particularly when minimally processed into ready-to-eat fresh-cut green beans. This study investigated the effectiveness of ethanol, ascorbic acid (AsA), tea tree essential oil (TTO), and peppermint essential oil (PMO) on the quality and storability of fresh-cut green bean pods samples stored at 5 °C for 15 days. Our results indicated that samples treated with ethanol, AsA, TTO, and PMO preserved appearance, firmness (except ethanol), chlorophyll content, and moisture compared with the samples without any treatment (control). Additionally, higher vitamin C, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars, and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were observed in samples treated with ethanol, AsA, TTO, and PMO compared with the control. The most effective treatments for controlling microbial growth were ethanol followed by either TTO or PMO. All the treatments had positive effects on shelf life, maintained quality, and reducing microbial growth during 15 days of cold storage. A particular treatment can be selected based on the economic feasibility and critical control point in the value chain.

Improved Shelf-Life and Consumer Acceptance of Fresh-Cut and Fried Potato Strips by an Edible Coating of Garden Cress Seed Mucilage.

Coatings that reduce the fat content of fried food are an alternate option to reach both health concerns and consumer demand. Mucilage of garden cress (Lepidium sativum) seed extract (MSE) was modified into an edible coating with or without ascorbic acid (AA) to coat fresh-cut potato strips during cold storage (5 °C and 95% RH for 12 days) and subsequent frying. Physical attributes such as color, weight loss, and texture of potato strips coated with MSE solutions with or without AA showed that coatings efficiently delayed browning, reduced weight loss, and maintained the texture during cold storage. Moreover, MSE with AA provided the most favorable results in terms of reduction in oil uptake. In addition, the total microbial count was lower for MSE-coated samples when compared to the control during the cold storage. MSE coating also performed well on sensory attributes, showing no off flavors or color changes. As a result, the edible coating of garden cress mucilage could be a promising application for extending shelf-life and reducing the oil uptake of fresh-cut potato strips.

Nutritional Comparison of White and Red Coccinia Abyssinica (Lam.) Cong. Accessions: An Under-Utilised Edible Tuber of the Ethiopian Highlands.

Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) is an indigenous tuber crop of the Ethiopian Highlands. It is popular in the western Oromia Region of the country. Apart from food, the crop is also used in traditional medicine. Anchote tubers possess two variations in its tissue colour, red and white. In this study, a small market survey and a nutritional comparison of red and white anchote were conducted. White tissue anchote seems to be more popular, due to its soft texture and ease of cooking. However, the red variant was considered for flour making (by dehydration), for use in porridge and soups for various medicinal and supplementary food applications. Red anchote tubers contained significantly higher protein content (16.85 mg/100 g dry matter basis) than the white variant. However, apart from the marginally higher protein content compared to other tropical root and tuber crops, anchote seems to remain a primary source of carbohydrates. In macro minerals, white anchote proves to be a more important source of Ca with 81 mg/100 g edible portion; however, on dry matter basis, the content was similar to the red variant (316 and 309 mg/100 g dry matter, white and red respectively). Further research on vitamin content (especially vitamin A in the red variant) would be useful to understand the full nutrition potential of the crop.