Efficiency of Electronic Nose in Detecting the Microbial Spoilage of Fresh Sardines (Sardinella longiceps).

The assessment of microbial spoilage in fresh fish is a major concern for the fish industry. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency and reliability of an electronic nose (E-nose) to detect microbial spoilage of fresh sardines (Sardinella longiceps) by comparing its measurements with Total Bacterial Count (TBC), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) producing bacterial count and Trimethylamine Oxide (TMAO) reducing bacterial count after variable storage conditions. The samples were stored at 0 °C (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days) and 25 °C (0, 3, 6, and 9 h), while day 0 was used as a control. The E-nose measurements were analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Microbial counts increased significantly and simultaneously with the changes in E-nose measurements during storage. The LDA and ANN showed a good classification of E-nose data for different storage times at two storage temperatures (0 °C and 25 °C) compared to PCA. It is expected as PCA is based on linear relationships between the factors, while ANN is based on non-linear relationships. Correlation coefficients between E-nose and TBC, TMAO-reducing bacterial and H2S-producing bacterial counts at 0 °C were 0.919, 0.960 and 0.915, respectively, whereas at 25 °C, the correlation coefficients were 0.859, 0.945 and 0.849, respectively. These positive correlations qualify the E-nose as an efficient and reliable device for detecting microbial spoilage of fish during storage.

Polyphenol and Flavonoid Stability of Wild Blueberry (Sideroxylon mascatense) during Air- and Freeze-Drying and Storage Stability as a Function of Temperature.

But (Sideroxylon mascatense) is an indigenous wild blueberry found in Oman. It has a very short season and is commonly preserved by drying. The aims of this study were to determine the physico-chemical characteristics and stability of phytochemicals (i.e., polyphenols and flavonoids) in the berries during drying (i.e., freeze-drying at -40 °C and air-drying at 60 and 90 °C) and the polyphenol stability of the dried berries as a function of storage temperature (i.e., 90, 70, 60, 40, 20, and -20 °C). The moisture content of fresh berry flesh was 64.5 g/100 g sample (wet basis). The crude protein and fat contents were higher in the seeds than in the flesh. Glucose and fructose were the main sugars and their concentrations were highest in the sample air-dried at 60 °C. The initial total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of the flesh were 2.009 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry-solids and 0.199 mg catechin equivalent (CE)/g dry-solids, respectively. The samples air-dried at 90 °C and freeze-dried at -40 °C had higher TPC (i.e., 2.638 mg GAE/g dry-solids) and TFC (i.e., 0.395 mg CE/g dry-solids), respectively. There was a significant difference between the TPC and TFC of fresh and dried wild berries (p < 0.05). The freeze-dried wild berries retained a high TPC compared to the air-dried samples. The polyphenol storage stability of freeze-dried wild berries at different storage temperatures showed two phases: an initial release phase followed by a decay phase. The polyphenol storage stability was modeled using the Peleg model and the kinetic parameters were correlated with the storage temperature.

Nutrition quality of life associated with affective functioning among Omani patients with type 2 diabetes from primary health care.

Diabetes requires challenging lifelong dietary management, affects quality of life and heightens the impact of affective functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Nutrition Quality of Life (NQOL) and affective functioning in a sample of Omani patients with type 2 diabetes. A sample of 149 adults with type 2 diabetes was conveniently recruited from seven Primary Health Centers (PHCs) during follow-up visits. Data were gathered via face-to-face interviews. Pearson correlation and χ2 test of independence were applied to examine associations at P < 0⋅05. Most patients had poor glycemic control (71⋅1 %), BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (85⋅2 %) and central obesity (75⋅8 %), and moderate (54⋅4 %) and poor (32⋅9 %) level of NQOL. Based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), 16⋅1 and 23⋅5 % of the sample endorsed the presence of anxiety and depression, respectively. A significant negative correlation was found between NQOL and HADS (r -0⋅590, P = 0⋅000), anxiety (r -0⋅597, P = 0⋅000) and depression (r -0⋅435, P = 0⋅000). There was a significant association between NQOL and HADS, χ2 (2) = 38⋅21, P < 0⋅01 that was large, Cramer's V = 0⋅51. Also, there were significant associations (P < 0⋅01) between NQOL and HADS when controlling for HbA1c, BMI, waist circumference and HMNT that were moderately to largely strong, Cramer's V = 0⋅43-0⋅55. There is an evident association between NQOL and affective functioning in adults with type 2 diabetes. Further research is recommended to confirm these relationships and to guide intervention programmes at PHCs to help improve the general quality of life of such patients.

Impact of vitamin D on neurocognitive function in dementia, depression, schizophrenia and ADHD.

Vitamin D deficiency has been estimated to affect roughly 30% to 50% of the global population and thus labeled as a silent pandemic. In addition to its role in skeletal and calcium homeostasis, vitamin D has been implicated in brain functioning across both preclinical research and human populations studies. These findings have also been extended to various neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions. Furthermore, these individuals tend to display diminishing cognition symptoms. In this regard, this review is dedicated to address the relationship between vitamin D and dementia, mood disorders, and the various neuropsychological disorders of psychosis. The review takes both preclinical and clinical studies into consideration. While there are many literature suggesting the critical role of vitamins in cognition on the above said diseases, it is still premature to unequivocally postulate the role of vitamin D on cognitive symptoms. Further research is necessary to establish this association, including the need to increase the ecological validity of animal models, delineating the core cognitive symptoms associated with the disorders, and establishing the optimal source of vitamin D consumption.

Two Cultivars of Ocimum basilicum Leaves Extracts Attenuate Streptozotocin-mediated Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Leaves of basil plant (Ocimum basilicum) are often used for medicinal purposes because of their bioactive constituents, yet the antioxidant properties of this plant are not fully studied in the field of diabetes. The present study investigated the antioxidant property and anti-diabetic effect of two basil cultivars of Ocimum basilicum, 'Italian Genovese' and 'Thyrsiflora', in a Streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of diabetes . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty adult Sprague Dawley rats (n = 10/group) were divided into 6 groups: Three non-diabetic and three diabetic groups that either did not receive any supplementation or were supplemented with the leaves extract of one or the other cultivar. After 13 weeks of feeding, all rats were sacrificed, pancreatic tissues were homogenized and used for evaluating oxidative DNA damage and dichlorofluorescein fluorescence (DCF) assay. Blood was collected for the measurements of glucose and insulin. RESULTS: The STZ caused oxidative stress in the diabetic group as evidenced by an increase in oxidative DNA damage and also caused DCF production in pancreatic tissues as compared to non-diabetic groups, (p<0.05). The STZ treatment resulted in hyperglycemia and low serum insulin level in diabetic rats. Supplementation with extracts of 'Italian Genovese' and 'Thyrsiflora' to the diabetic groups significantly abrogated the STZ-mediated effects (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the extracts from the leaves of the two examined basil cultivars act as potent antioxidants and combat the STZ-mediated diabetogenic effect.

Food Safety Knowledge and Hygienic Practices among Different Groups of Restaurants in Muscat, Oman.

Food safety is vital to human beings as well as to the food industry. Therefore, knowledge and hygiene practice of food safety among food handlers are particularly important. Evaluation of food safety knowledge and hygienic practices among 18 restaurants in three different regions (i.e., districts) in the Governorate of Muscat was performed. In order to determine the quality level of restaurants, grouping (i.e., Region 1, Region 2, and Region 3; e.g., Group I, Group II, and Group III) was adopted from the regulations and assigned by the municipality based on the number of complaints against the restaurants. A questionnaire was designed to assess the knowledge of hygiene, food poisoning, food handling, cooking, and local regulations/rules of the food handlers in selected restaurants. The food handlers in the Region 1 restaurants showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) overall knowledge (58.6%) in food safety as compared to Region 2 (52.1%) and Region 3 (53.2%). Overall knowledge of food handlers in Group I restaurants was significantly higher (p < 0.05) (64.4%) as compared to Group II (53.1%) and Group III (48.1%). The hygiene practices in Group I restaurants were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in Groups II and III. A small but significant inverse association (r 2 = -0.38) between total knowledge scores and hygiene practices was found. In conclusion, higher knowledge in the field is associated with better hygiene practices, and these are more likely to prevent food poisoning originating from restaurants. We recommend implementing specialized education courses and workshops for the food handlers as a requirement before embarking on service to decrease the risks of foodborne diseases.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables among adolescents: a multi-national comparison of eleven countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

A regional cross-country profile of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is lacking in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). This study examines the prevalence of and differences in consumption of F&V ≥5 times/d among adolescents in eleven EMR countries, and describes differences in the proportions of taking F&V ≥5 times/d by sex, age and BMI. The study included 26 328 school adolescents (13-15 years) with complete data on consumption of F&V, age, sex, weight and height taken from the Global School-based Student Health Survey conducted in the EMR between 2005 and 2009. Overall, only 19·4 % of adolescents reported consuming F&V ≥5 times/d. The highest prevalence was reported in Djibouti (40·4 %) and the lowest was reported in Pakistan (10·0 %). Statistically significant differences in prevalence were observed across countries (P<0·05). With the exception of Oman, Libya and Djibouti, significantly more males than females ate F&V ≥5 times/d. The proportion of students consuming F&V ≥5 times/d also varied significantly in all countries based on BMI (P<0·0001), with students within normal BMI having the highest frequency. A negative trend was observed between age and intake of F&V ≥5 times/d in most of the eleven EMR countries except Jordan, Djibouti and Morocco. The prevalence of adequate intake of F&V is low in the eleven EMR countries. There is a need for interventions to increase the prevalence of adolescents consuming F&V ≥5 times/d. Interventions should take into consideration the psychosocial, environmental and socio-environmental factors influencing F&V intake within countries.

Ameliorative Effects of Pomegranate Peel Extract against Dietary-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver in Rats.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is caused by fat accumulation and is associated with oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the potential protective effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract (PPE) against oxidative stress in the liver of rats with NAFLD. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high fat diet (HFD), 20% corn oil, or palm oil for 8 weeks in the presence or absence of PPE. The control group was fed a basal diet. The progression of NAFLD was evaluated histologically and by measuring liver enzymes (alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase), serum lipids (triglycerides and total cholesterol), and oxidative stress markers. The HFD feeding increased the body weight and caused NAFLD, liver steatosis, hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress, and elevated liver enzymes. Administration of PPE ameliorated the hepatic morphology, reduced body weight, improved liver enzymes, and inhibited lipogenesis. Furthermore, PPE enhanced the cellular redox status in the liver tissue of rats with NAFLD. Our findings suggest that PPE could improve HFD-induced NAFLD via abolishment of hepatic oxidative damage and hyperlipidemia. PPE might be considered as a potential lead material in the treatment of NAFLD and obesity through the modulation of lipid metabolism.

Prevalence of physically active and sedentary adolescents in 10 Eastern Mediterranean countries and its relation with age, sex, and body mass index.

BACKGROUND: A cross-country profile of physical activity and sedentary behavior is lacking within Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) counties. The objectives were to examine prevalence of physical activity and sedentary behavior among adolescents of 10 EMR countries, and to describe potential differences in the 2 factors by sex, age, and BMI. METHODS: A total of 23,562 adolescents were included from 10 EMR counties based on completeness of data (physical activity, sedentary behavior, age, sex, weight and height) from the Global school-based student health survey (GSHS). RESULTS: Overall prevalence of physical activity (19%) is low and sedentary behavior is high (29%), with significant differences among counties. Oman had the highest (26%) and Egypt had the lowest (9%) prevalence of active students. Prevalence of sedentary behavior was the highest in United Arab Emirates (40%) and lowest in Pakistan (8%). Physical activity was lower and sedentary behavior was higher among female adolescents. A linear trend was observed between BMI and both physical activity and sedentary behavior; a similar pattern was seen with age. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for interventions to increase the prevalence of adolescents meeting physical activity recommendations in the 10 countries. More investigation is required to understand the cultural context of sex and BMI influence on activity patterns.