Quercetin extraction from small onion skin (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum Don.) and its antioxidant activity.

In the present study, the maximum yield of quercetin was optimized for the ethanol extraction of small onions (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum Don.), and the antioxidant activity was investigated in vitro. The extraction of quercetin from the small onion skin was carried out through ethanol solvent extraction with different ratios of ethanol and water. Ethanol: water ratio produced the highest quercetin from the onion skin. RP-HPLC analysis of the extracted material showed 2, 122 mg/g of quercetin and 0.34 mg/g of isorhamnetin. A total of 301.03 mg GAE/g dry weight and 156 mg/g quercetin equivalents were found in the onion skin extract. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging potentials of the tested extract (90:10 v/v) were dose-dependent, with IC50 values of 62.27 µg/mL and 53.65 µg/mL, respectively. Therefore, the present study reports that small onion skin extract rich in quercetin may serve as a promising antioxidant and anticancer agent.

Preliminary Studies on Detection of Fusarium Basal Rot Infection in Onions and Shallots Using Electronic Nose.

The evaluation of crop health status and early disease detection are critical for implementing a fast response to a pathogen attack, managing crop infection, and minimizing the risk of disease spreading. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae, which causes fusarium basal rot disease, is considered one of the most harmful pathogens of onion and accounts for considerable crop losses annually. In this work, the capability of the PEN 3 electronic nose system to detect onion and shallot bulbs infected with F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae, to track the progression of fungal infection, and to discriminate between the varying proportions of infected onion bulbs was evaluated. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first report on successful application of an electronic nose to detect fungal infections in post-harvest onion and shallot bulbs. Sensor array responses combined with PCA provided a clear discrimination between non-infected and infected onion and shallot bulbs as well as differentiation between samples with varying proportions of infected bulbs. Classification models based on LDA, SVM, and k-NN algorithms successfully differentiate among various rates of infected bulbs in the samples with accuracy up to 96.9%. Therefore, the electronic nose was proved to be a potentially useful tool for rapid, non-destructive monitoring of the post-harvest crops.

Antiallergic activities of shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) and its therapeutic effects in allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Onion has antiallergic activity but lack of evidence for shallot. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether shallot owns similar antiallergic activity to onion and its therapeutic effects in allergic rhinitis when added to standard treatment. METHODS: In-vitro ß-hexosaminidase inhibitory activities of shallot was compared with onion on RBL-2H3 cells. In clinical study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed. Sixteen AR patients were randomized equally into the controls who received cetirizine 10 mg once daily and placebo capsules for 4 weeks, and the treatment who received 3g of oral shallot per day (equivalent to 1 ½ bulbs) and cetirizine. Visual analog scores of overall symptoms (VAS), total nasal and ocular symptom scores (TNSS and TOSS), nasal airway resistance (NAR), and adverse events were assessed. RESULTS: Shallot extract at 200 µg/mL had an average ß-hexosaminidase inhibition rate of 97% while onion extract had 73%. HPLC chromatograms (λ = 290nm) of both plants showed nearly identical patterns of quercetin compounds, such as quercetin 3,4'-diglucoside, quercetin 4'-glucoside, and quercetin. After 4-week of treatment, 62.5% of patients in shallot group and 37.5% of patients in control group showed improvement of post-treatment VAS. TNSS were significantly reduced in both groups, however no difference between groups (P = 0.18). TOSS were significantly improved only in the shallot group (P = 0.01). Adverse events from shallot were not different from placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Shallot had antiallergic activity and similar quercetin compounds to onion. The shallot oral supplement and cetirizine was shown to improve the overall AR symptoms more than cetirizine alone.

Genotoxic effects and proteomic analysis on Allium cepa var. agrogarum L. root cells under Pb stress.

Ionic lead (Pb) in the environment has accumulated due to anthropogenic activities, causing a potential threat to plants and plant consumers. We conducted this study to reveal the molecular mechanism of Pb stress response in plants. The effects of Pb (5.0 and 15.0 µM) on mitosis, DNA replication, gene expression and proteins in root-tip cells of Allium cepa var. agrogarum L. were addressed. The results indicated that root growth was inhibited dramatically in Pb treatment groups. Chromosomal aberrations were observed and the mitotic index decreased during Pb treatments at different concentrations. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in onion roots was induced by Pb stress. Pb increased DNA damage and suppressed cell cycle progression. The above toxic effects got more serious with increasing Pb concentration and prolonging exposure time. A total of 17 proteins were expressed differentially between control and Pb exposure groups. Under Pb treatment, the decreased expression of Anx D1 indicated decreased defensive response; the decreased expression of SHMT1 indicated decreased respiration; the decreased expression of COMT2 indicated decreased response of other funtions; the increased expression of NDPK indicated increased transcription and protein synthesis; the increased expression of PR1 and CHI1 indicated increased pathogen invasion; the increased expression of ORC5 and MPK5 indicated the reduced DNA replicating activity; the decreased expression of POLD1 indicated the reduced DNA repair activity. Our results provide new insights at the proteomic level into the Pb-induced responses, defensive responses and toxic effects, and provide new molecular markers of the early events of plant responses to Pb toxicity.

Effect of Extraction Methods on Antioxidant Activity of Papery Skin Extracts and Fractions of Maja Cipanas Onion (Allium cepa L. var. ascalonicum).

Extraction can be carried out at ambient temperature or high temperature to accelerate the extraction process of secondary metabolites from simplicia. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of extraction methods on antioxidant activity of secondary metabolites of papery skin extracts and fractions of Maja Cipanas onion (Allium cepa L. var. ascalonicum). Extraction methods were maceration, percolation, reflux, and Soxhlet method, and then, concentrated extracts were fractionated by liquid-liquid extraction based on the polarity of secondary metabolites. Antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method. The phytochemical screening showed that onion papery skin contained alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. The IC50 value of the extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and water fraction of the four extraction methods in the concentration range 25-400 µg/mL were in the range of 55.62-107.08, 31.31-84.06, and 126.05-139.82 µg/mL, respectively, while the IAA value was in the ranges of 0.25-0.49, 0.32-0.86, and 0.19-0.21, respectively. Variation in IC50 and IAA values indicate that the extraction method affects antioxidant activity, due to extracted secondary metabolites from simplicia. The highest antioxidant activity was an ethyl acetate fraction by the reflux method, while the lowest was water fraction by the percolation method.

Metabolome-Based Discrimination Analysis of Shallot Landraces and Bulb Onion Cultivars Associated with Differences in the Amino Acid and Flavonoid Profiles.

Shallot landraces and varieties are considered an important genetic resource for Allium breeding due to their high contents of several functional metabolites. Aiming to provide new genetic materials for the development of a novel bulb onion cultivar derived from intraspecific hybrids with useful agronomic traits from shallots, the metabolic profiles in the bulbs of 8 Indonesian shallot landraces and 7 short-day and 3 long-day bulb onion cultivars were established using LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and dendrogram clustering analysis showed two major groups; group I contained all shallot landraces and group II contained all bulb onion cultivars, indicating that shallots exhibited a distinct metabolic profile in comparison with bulb onions. Variable importance in the projection and Spearman's rank correlation indicated that free and conjugated amino acids, flavonoids (especially metabolites having flavonol aglycone), and anthocyanins, as well as organic acids, were among the top metabolite variables that were highly associated with shallot landraces. The absolute quantification of 21 amino acids using conventional HPLC analysis showed high contents in shallots rather than in bulb onions. The present study indicated that shallots reprogrammed their metabolism toward a high accumulation of amino acids and flavonoids as an adaptive mechanism in extremely hot tropical environments.

Bioactive 2-(Methyldithio)Pyridine-3-Carbonitrile from Persian Shallot (Allium stipitatum Regel.) Exerts Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity.

Antibiotic resistance is a problem that continues to challenge the healthcare sector, especially in clinically significant pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Herein is described the isolation and structure elucidation of a bioactive compound from Allium stipitatum with antimicrobial activity. Crude Allium stipitatum dichloromethane extract (ASDE) was subjected to systematic purification by chromatographic procedures to afford various bioactive fractions. A fraction that exhibited anti-MRSA activity (4 µg·mL-1) was further characterized to determine the structure. The structure of the compound was elucidated as 2-(methyldithio)pyridine-3-carbonitrile (2-Medpy-3-CN). The 2-Medpy-3-CN compound, which was screened for antimicrobial activity, exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in the range of 0.5 to >64 µg·mL-1 for tested bacterial species and 0.25 to 2 µg·mL-1 for Candida spp. Further studies are important to confirm the drug target and mechanism of action.

Residue level and dissipation pattern of lepimectin in shallots using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection.

Lepimectin, as an emulsifiable concentrate, was sprayed on shallots at the recommended dose rate (10 mL/20 L) to determine its residue levels, dissipation pattern, pre-harvest residue limits (PHRLs), and health risk. Samples were randomly collected over 10 days, extracted with acetonitrile, purified using an amino solid-phase extraction (NH2 -SPE) cartridge and analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection method. Field-incurred samples were confirmed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The linearity was excellent, with a determination coefficient (R2 ) of ≥0.9991. The recoveries at two spiking levels (0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg) ranged from 84.49 to 87.64% with relative standard deviations of ≤7.04%. The developed method was applied to field samples grown in separate greenhouses, one located in Naju and one in Muan, in the Republic of Korea. The dissipation pattern was described by first-order kinetics with half-lives of 1.9 (Naju) and 1.7 days (Muan). The PHRL curves indicated that, if the lepimectin residues are <0.18 (Naju) and <0.13 mg/kg (Muan) 5 days before harvest, the residue levels will be lower than the maximum residue limit (0.05 mg/kg) upon harvesting. The risk assessment data indicated that lepimectin is safe for use in the cultivation of shallots, with no risk of detrimental effects to the consumer.

Screening and incorporation of rust resistance from Allium cepa into bunching onion (Allium fistulosum) via alien chromosome addition.

Bunching onion (Allium fistulosum L.; 2n = 16), bulb onion (Allium cepa L. Common onion group), and shallot (Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group) cultivars were inoculated with rust fungus, Puccinia allii, isolated from bunching onion. Bulb onions and shallots are highly resistant to rust, suggesting they would serve as useful resources for breeding rust resistant bunching onions. To identify the A. cepa chromosome(s) related to rust resistance, a complete set of eight A. fistulosum - shallot monosomic alien addition lines (MAALs) were inoculated with P. allii. At the seedling stage, FF+1A showed a high level of resistance in controlled-environment experiments, suggesting that the genes related to rust resistance could be located on shallot chromosome 1A. While MAAL, multi-chromosome addition line, and hypoallotriploid adult plants did not exhibit strong resistance to rust. In contrast to the high resistance of shallot, the addition line FF+1A+5A showed reproducibly high levels of rust resistance.

An investigation of antimicrobial and wound healing potential of Allium ascalonicum Linn.

BACKGROUND: The pharmacological properties of Allium ascalonicum Linn., commonly called shallot, have been reported as including those that are antibacterial and antioxidant. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect and wound-healing activity ofthe ethanolic extracts of Allium ascalonicum Linn. (AAE). MATERIAL AND METHOD: The antimicrobial activity of AAE was tested in vitro against using the disc diffusion method and a broth micro-dilution technique to determine the minimal inhibition concentrations (MIC) and the minimal microbicidal concentrations (MMC). Wound-healing activity of the extract was performed on rat test subjects. RESULTS: The AAE showed potential antimicrobial activity by inhibiting gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. MIC and MMC varied from 25-50 mg/ml and 25-200 mg/ml, respectively. After surgery 14 days, wound contractions oftreated groups and standard group were 78.61 +/- 1.20%, 78.55 +/- 1.93% and 100%, respectively; but, in the control group, wound contraction was 64.90 +/- 3.55%. Histological studies showed the complete epidermis and found the collagen fibers and fibroblasts as similar appearance as standard group in dermis. The results of histological evaluation have confirmed remarkable wound-healing activities of AAE. CONCLUSION: Taken together the present study provides evidence that AAE extract processes antimicrobial and wound-healing activities.

Application of Silica Nanoparticles in Combination with Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus thuringiensis for Anthracnose Disease Control in Shallot.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Anthracnose in shallot contributes to significant losses. To solve this issue, silica nanoparticles, in combination with <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> and <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> were used together. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> <i>In vitro</i> antagonistic test of <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> B-27 with <i>Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</i> was carried out using dual culture and co-culture methods. Treatment in greenhouse experiments was carried out using single application of silica, <i>B. thuringiensis</i>, <i>B. velezensis</i>, a combination of <i>B. thuringiensis</i> and <i>B. velezensis</i> and a combination of <i>B. thuringiensis</i>, <i>B. velezensis</i> and silica. Detection of <i>B. velezensis</i> in the roots of shallot plants was carried out by PCR using a pair of specific primers. <b>Results:</b> <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> was able to inhibit the growth of <i>C. gloeosporioides</i> mycelium <i>in vitro</i>, both in the dual culture and co-culture methods, by 62.8 and 77.17%, respectively. Treatment of <i>B. thuringiensis</i> and <i>B. velezensis</i>, either individually or in combination with silica, could reduce the intensity of anthracnose disease by 20% each and stimulate the growth of shallot plants. The PCR detection using specific primers on the roots of shallot plants showed that <i>B. velezensis</i> was detected with a DNA band length of ±576 bp. <b>Conclusion:</b> <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> can inhibit the growth of <i>C. gloeosporioides</i> mycelium <i>in vitro</i>. Applying <i>B. velezensis</i>, <i>B. thuringiensis</i> and silica can reduce the intensity of anthracnose disease, promote plant growth and increase plant productivity. Furthermore, <i>B. velezensis</i> was detected in the roots of shallot plants, revealing that the bacteria are well-established.

Early Detection of Fusarium Basal Rot Infection in Onions and Shallots Based on VOC Profiles Analysis.

Gas chromatography ion-mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) technology is drawing increasing attention due to its high sensitivity, low drift, and capability for the identification of compounds. The noninvasive detection of plant pests and pathogens is an application area well suited to this technology. In this work, we employed GC-IMS technology for early detection of Fusarium basal rot in brown onion, red onion, and shallot bulbs and for tracking disease progression during storage. The volatile profiles of the infected and healthy control bulbs were characterized using GC-IMS and gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS). GC-IMS data combined with principal component analysis and supervised methods provided discrimination between infected and healthy control bulbs as early as 1 day after incubation with the pathogen, classification regarding the proportion of infected to healthy bulbs in a sample, and prediction of the infection's duration with an average R2 = 0.92. Furthermore, GC-TOF-MS revealed several compounds, mostly sulfides and disulfides, that could be uniquely related to Fusarium basal rot infection.

Single-step modified QuEChERS for determination of chlorothalonil in shallot (Allium ascalonicum) using GC-µECD and confirmation via mass spectrometry.

A single extraction method was developed for chlorothalonil in shallot using gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-µECD). Samples were extracted with single-step modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method using ethyl acetate as an extraction solvent. Significant matrix effects were observed, and the calibration curve was constructed from the matrix. The linearity of the analytical response across the studied range of concentrations (0.01-1.00 mg/L) was excellent, obtaining a correlation coefficient (r(2) ) of 0.996. >0.996. Recovery studies were carried out on spiked shallot blank samples, at two concentration levels (0.4 and 2.0 mg/kg) with three replicates performed at each level. Mean recoveries of 97.2-104.9% with RSDs of 1.3-2.7% were obtained. The method is demonstrated to be suitable for the determination of chlorothalonil in shallot. The dissipation rates of chlorothalonil were described using first-order kinetics, and its half-life was 2.8 days. Based on the dissipation pattern of the pesticide residues, the pre-harvest residue limit (PHRL) was also calculated. Residues were confirmed via mass spectrometry.

Analysis of imidacloprid and pyrimethanil in shallot (Allium ascalonicum) grown under greenhouse conditions using tandem mass spectrometry: establishment of pre-harvest residue limits.

In this study, the original Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe method was used for the extraction of imidacloprid and pyrimethanil followed by a rapid clean-up through dispersive solid-phase extraction technique with primary secondary amine sorbent and magnesium sulfate in shallot. Residues were analyzed using LC-tandem mass spectrometry in positive-ion electrospray ionization mode. The limits of detection and quantification were estimated to be 0.006 and 0.02 mg/kg, respectively. The samples were fortified at two different concentration levels (0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg), and the recoveries ranged between 79.7 and 83.9% with relative standard deviation values < 6%. The method was successfully applied for the establishment of the pre-harvest residue limits (PHRL). The rate of disappearance of imidacloprid and pyrimethanil on shallot was described with first-order kinetics (imidacloprid, y(2) = 0.9670; pyrimethanil, y(2) = 0.9841), with half-lives of 2.87 and 2.08 days, respectively. Based on the dissipation patterns of the pesticide residues, the PHRL was recommended at 7.86 mg/kg for 14 days (PHRL14 ) and 1.98 mg/kg for 7 days (PHRL7 ) before harvest for imidacloprid, and 21.64 mg/kg for 7 days (PHRL7 ) and 9.28 mg/kg for 4 days (PHRL4 ) before harvest for pyrimethanil in shallot.

Development of effluent-free dry-peeling method for shallots (Allium cepa L. aggregatum): Spectral characterization of mid and long infrared peak wavelengths for maximizing the peeling performance.

Different wavelength emitting infrared (IR) lamps (transparent quartz tungsten (TQT), ruby-coated quartz tungsten (RCQT), and ceramic) were used for dry peeling and evaluating the spectral characteristics of emitted radiations. The maximum temperatures for ceramic, RCQT, and TQT were 560, 662, and 861°C, respectively. The peak wavelength determined by Wien's law was between 3.37 and 21.47 µm. Comparatively, longer wavelength was emitted by ceramic lamp. The spectral emissive power determined by Stefan Boltzmann's law was 1.14-37.49 kW m-2 using the IR emitters at different power levels. The radiant efficiency was higher for the ceramic lamp. The peak wavelength and emissive power had a major influence on the peeling performance and quality during IR peeling. The optimized parameters for IR dry peeling of shallots are 60 mm distance between lamp and product, 59.74% IR power level, 15 min of heating time using the ceramic (peak wavelength 8.16 µm) lamp. Practical Application: Infrared dry peeling of shallots is a sustainable alternative to traditional peeling methods that leaves adverse environmental footprints. Spectral characteristics of the infrared lamp can be used to determine the suitable emitter for the dry-peeling operation. It is necessary to check the wavelength emitted by the source for designing the IR system based on the food product and application. This study will be helpful in food processing industries to use an effective infrared lamp that can efficiently peel the agricultural product and sustainably maintain quality.

The potential of shallot skin powder and actinomycetes metabolites as antimicrobe and antibiofilm in the treatment of eel (Anguilla bicolor bicolor) infected with Aeromonas hydrophila.

BACKGROUND: Eel (Anguilla bicolor bicolor) is an Indonesian export commodity. However, it is facing a problem related to Aeromonas hydrophila, which can cause motile aeromonas septicemia (MAS) and produce biofilm formation. Problem with antibiotic resistance challenges the need of an alternative treatment. Therefore, it is important to explore a solution to treat infection and the biofilm formed by A. hydrophila. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we used shallot skin powder and actinomycetes metabolite 20 PM as antimicrobe and antibiofilm to treated eels infected with A. hydrophila. RESULTS: Shallot skin powder (6.25 g 100 g-1 feed) and Actinomycetes 20 PM metabolite (2 mL 100 g-1 feed) were found to be effective as antimicrobe and antibiofilm agent in treating eels infected with A. hydrophila. Eel treated with antibiotic, shallot skin powder, and actinomycetes metabolite had 80%, 66%, and 73% survival rates, respectively. Other indicators such as red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were increased, but white blood cell count and phagocytic activity were dropped. Biofilm destruction were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy to determined antibiofilm activity of actinomycetes metabolite against biofilm of A. Hydrophila. CONCLUSIONS: Shallot skin powder and actinomycetes metabolite were potential to treat infection of A. hydrophila in eel as an alternative treatment to antibiotics.

Increasing the productivity of shallot planting and its impact on the agricultural market, West Java.

The main objective of this study is to increase the productivity of shallot planting and its impact on the agricultural market. This study analyzes the transmission of shallot prices at the Caringin Main Market (wholesale) level with shallot prices at the farmer (producer) level using quantitative analysis of the Asymmetric Error Correction Model (AECM). The results showed that long-term transmission with positive ECT coefficients and negative ECT showed the same and significant positive values. Positive ECT is 0.286909 and negative ECT is 0.289266, where when there is a price deviation above and below the average balance line of onion prices at the farmer level, it takes three weeks to adjust to the balance of changes in shallot prices. The onion market at the wholesale or parent market occurs asymmetric price transmission from the wholesale price level (Caringin Main Market) to production prices (at the farmer level). A significant t-value of one percent evidences this. Asymmetric price transmission can be caused by abuse of market power.

Screening of Anti-carcinogenic Properties of Phytocompounds from Allium ascalonicum for Treating Breast Cancer Through In Silico and In Vitro Approaches.

Plants, rich in phytocompounds, have been in usage since time immemorial for treating various diseases, namely, cancer. One such plant species, Allium ascalonicum (Shallot) belonging to Amaryllidaceae family is being studied here for its anti-carcinogenic properties against breast cancer. GC-MS characterization of A. ascalonicum exhibited 48 phytocompounds containing five peak phytocompounds and 13 phytocompounds with anti-carcinogenic properties. These 13 anti-carcinogenic phytocompounds were docked with three hormonal receptors involved in breast cancer malignancy, namely, ERα, PR, and human EGFR with tamoxifen as standard for in silico analysis. The results exhibited three phytocompounds that had better binding scores compared to that of the standard drug, tamoxifen. Lyophilized powder of aqueous A. ascalonicum extract, also referred as ASE, was used for in vitro approaches. Antioxidant study using DPPH assay revealed that the highest percentage of FRSA in ASE, nearly 51%, was observed at 50 µg/ml concentration. Cytotoxicity study on MCF-7 cell line using MTT assay demonstrated IC50 value at 1400 µg/ml and anti-proliferative study using Trypan blue assay for the determination of percentage viability of MCF-7 cells at IC50 concentration was observed to be 49%. Anti-mitotic activity using Vigna radiata seed germination assay revealed clear morphological differences in a dose-dependent manner between the seeds grown at various concentrations of ASE with nearly 56.5% growth inhibition observed at 1500 µg/ml concentration. Hence, this research work proves that Allium ascalonicum has very good anti-carcinogenic properties and this can be confirmed further through in vivo animal model studies and it can also be formulated as a promising drug to treat breast cancer. GC-MS characterization of Allium ascalonicum demonstrated the presence of five peak compounds and thirteen anti-carcinogenic compounds. The thirteen anti-carcinogenic compounds were docked with three target proteins (in silico analysis) involved in breast cancer malignancy and identified the presence of three potential phytocompounds that can be used for treating breast cancer. In vitro approaches also confirmed the presence of anti-carcinogenic properties such as antioxidative potential, cytotoxic, anti-proliferative, and anti-mitotic effects. Hence, Allium ascalonicum can be taken further to in vivo studies so that it can be formulated to treat breast cancer.

Shallot-enriched amaranth-based extruded snack influences blood glucose levels, hematological parameters, and carbohydrate degrading enzymes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Diabetes mellitus affects different age groups, and it is popularly managed using synthetic drugs; however, recent research efforts focus on dietary intervention especially the use of fiber rich crops to circumvent the effects of drugs. Developed shallot-enriched amaranth-based extruded snacks, namely: GCB, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (55:25:20) %; TYD, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (75:14.81:10.19)%; DZU, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (60.43:25:14.57)%; and JKL, Amaranth: shallot: soy cake (70:25:5)%, were evaluated for proximate composition, total phenol and flavonoid contents. Snacks ability to modulate carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were also investigated. AMT (100% amaranth grain extrudate) and CCS (commercial shallot-enriched snack) served as control. Protein contents of snacks provided up to 25% of daily protein requirements for adult. Snacks exhibited high total phenol and flavonoid contents. Animals fed with snacks showed ameliorative effects on hematological parameters, attenuates elevation of enzyme activities in kidney and liver homogenates, and displayed decreased α-glucosidase/α-amylase activities. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Dietary intervention is capable of circumventing the adverse effects of synthetic drugs in the management of diabetes mellitus. The study established that developed shallot-enriched amaranth-based extruded snacks possess significant ability to hamper the activities of key carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, hence, has potential as a functional nutritious snack to curtail hyperglycemia and prevent diabetic complications.

Study on the characteristics of gluten/alginate-cellulose/onion waste extracts composite film and its food packaging application.

The study aimed to improve the properties of SA-CMC film by gluten (G) blends and bioactive compounds from onion waste extracts (OWEs) peel (OPE) and stalk (OSE). The applicability of film on the quality of peeled shallot onion during storage was also examined. Water barrier (0.62 g/msPa × 10-14) and tensile strength (11.50 MPa) of G/SA-CMC film improved more than SA-CMC film (1.55 g/msPa × 10-13 and 7.05 MPa). OPE and OSE increase the total phenolic content (43.86 and 38.35 mgGAE/g) and radical scavenging activity (88.74 and 68.30 %) of G/SA-CMC film than control (20.33 mgGAE/g and 39.20 %). Microbial load (logCFU/g) in terms of total bacterial count, yeast and mold count of shallot onion packed in OPE (5.34 and 5.21) and OSE (4.26 and 4.21) film was reduced than control (6.03 and 4.68). Thus, the G/SA-CMC/OWEs film had improved properties than SA-CMC film and can be used to store peeled onion at 4℃ for 21 days.