Preparation of whey based savory beverage with enhanced bio-accessible zinc.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for numerous catalytic, structural and regulatory functions in human body. However, its direct fortification in the food matrix poses the challenges of decreased bio-accessibility by forming insoluble sediments. Complexing zinc with polysaccharides has been reported as a possible intervention to address this issue by keeping the zinc in soluble form. Present investigation was undertaken to transform paneer whey containing complexed zinc into a sensorially acceptable beverage by varying its pH from 3.5 to 5.5, common salt concentration from 0.5 to 1.5% and spices concentration at 0.2 and 0.4%. Changes in complexed zinc concentration, apparent viscosity, instrumental color parameters and sensory attributes were determined. Complexed zinc concentration increased (p < 0.05) with increasing pH, decreasing salt and increasing spices concentration. Whey beverage having 4.5 pH, 1.0% salt and 0.4% spices concentration was most preferred by the sensory panelists. In-vitro digestion of optimized whey beverage revealed that bio-accessibility of zinc was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in complex form than free from. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05497-y.

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) supplemented probiotic lassi prevents Shigella infiltration from epithelial barrier into systemic blood flow in mice model.

The aim of present work was to investigate preventive role of orally administered Aloe vera supplemented probiotic lassi (APL) on Shigella dysenteriae infection in mice. At the end of experimental period (2, 5 and 7 days of challenging), different organs such as spleen, liver, small intestine, large intestine, and peritoneal fluid were collected and assessed for Shigella colonization. Secretary IgA was estimated in intestinal fluid. Blood was collected in heparinized tubes for various haematological studies. Oral administration of APL showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the Shigella counts (log cfu/mL) in all organs as compared to other treatment groups at different intervals after post feeding. Similarly, secretary IgA antibody levels (µg/mL) in intestinal fluid were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in case of APL fed mice. Further, feeding of APL also demonstrated a positive effect on different haematological parameters viz. Hb (gm %), RBC and WBC count. The results indicated the immunoprotective effects of APL against Shigella dysenteriae induced infection in mice.

Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Aloe vera Extract Preparations: A Review.

Obesity is considered to be an epidemic disease, and it is associated with several metabolic disorders. Pharmacological treatments currently available are not effective for prolonged treatment duration. So, people are looking toward new therapeutic approach such as herbal ingredients. Since ancient periods, different herbs have been used for remedy purposes such as anti-obesity, antidiabetes, and antiinflammatory. Among the several herbal ingredients, Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) is widely used to curb the metabolic complications. Till date, reports are not available for the side effects of A. vera. Several researchers are used to different solvents such as aqueous solution, alcohol, ethanol, and chloroform for the A. vera extract preparations and studied their hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in animal and human studies. Furthermore, little information was recorded with the active compounds extracted from the A. vera and their anti-obesity and antidiabetic effects in clinical studies. In this review, we made an attempt to compile all the available literature by using different search engines (PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) on the A. vera extract preparations and the possible mechanism of action involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Potential herbs and herbal nutraceuticals: food applications and their interactions with food components.

Since ancient times, herbs have been used as natural remedies for curing many physiological disorders. Traditional medicinal literature appreciated their value as nature's gift to mankind for the healing of illnesses. Some of the herbs have also been used for culinary purposes, and few of them have been used in cheese manufacture both as coagulating agents and flavor ingredients. Scientific investigations regarding biological activity and toxicity of chemical moieties present in many herbs have been carried out over a period of time. Consequently, literature related to the use of herbs or their functional ingredients in foods and their interaction with food constituents has been appearing in recent times. This article presents the information regarding some biologically active constituents occurring in commonly used herbs, viz., alkaloids, anthraquinones, bitters, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and essential oils, their physiological functionalities, and also the description of few herbs of importance, viz., Asparagus racemosus, Withania somnifera, Bacopa monniera, Pueraria tuberose, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, Terminalia arjuna, and Aloe vera, in terms of their chemical composition, biological functionality, and toxicity. This article also reviews the use of herbs and their active ingredients in foods and their interactions with different food constituents.