Optimization of soaking conditions (temperature and time) on physicochemical properties of selected parboiled rice varieties grown in Eastern Ethiopia.

This study aimed to optimize soaking temperature and time for better physicochemical properties of parboiled rice varieties grown in Eastern Ethiopia. Two brown rice varieties (NERICA-4 and NERICA-6) were collected from the Somali Regional Agricultural and Pastoral Research Center in Gode. The experiment was designed to aid the design expert software using box-behnken experimental design of response surface methodology to optimize the effects of soaking temperature (60-70°C) and soaking time (4-6 h). Relevant physical and chemical composition properties of the parboiled rice varieties were investigated using standard methods. Numerical optimization of the responses was performed using design expert software. The results showed that soaking time and temperature significantly (p < .05) influenced the physicochemical quality of studied brown rice varieties. The optimal soaking temperature and time were 65°C and 6 h, respectively, for NERICA-4. Under these conditions, the optimum response variables obtained were 375.37 N, 52 min, 12.3%, 1.24%, 13.86%, 2.17%, 3.2942%, 67.1171%, 343.5 kcal/100 g, 274.72 mg/100 g, 318.35 mg/100 g, and 268.31 mg/100 g for hardness, cooking time, moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, energy, magnesium, and potassium and phosphorous content, respectively. However, 65°C and 5 h were optimum soaking temperatures and time for NERICA-6, giving hardness, cooking time, moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, energy content, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous of 375.18 N, 52 min, 12.2%, 1.4%, 11.54%, 2.29%, 2.89%, 69.6%, 345.42 kcal/100 g, 156 mg/100 g, 105.9 mg/100 g and 136.9 mg/100 g, respectively. The findings showed that rice varieties, in particular NARICA 4, were processed under optimal parboiling conditions in the study setting for better physical properties, proximate composition, and mineral content.

Effects of blending ratios and baking temperature on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of biscuits prepared from pumpkin, common bean, and wheat composite flour.

The utilization of vegetables with supplementation of cereals and pulses plays a vital role in improving protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. Therefore, the study aimed to develop biscuits from pumpkin, common bean, and wheat composite flour with better physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability. All quality parameters were evaluated by using an official standard procedure. The results showed a significant (p < 0.05) difference among products. The addition of pumpkin and common bean flour to composite biscuits significantly (p < 0.05) increased the protein (9.44-16.16%), fat (17.03-21.42%), ash (1.72-2.08%), and crude fibre (1.37-2.06%) contents. In addition, the biscuit's lightness decreased as the incorporation of pumpkin and common bean increased. However, the redness and yellowness of the sample increased. Sensory evaluation scores indicated that biscuits supplemented with 10% pumpkin, 15% common bean, and 75% wheat composite flour baked at 200 °C were more preferred than other formulated products. Therefore, substituting pumpkin powder with wheat-common bean flour significantly improved the nutritional content of the biscuit with desirable sensory acceptability. The findings also showed that the developed products are essential in improving dietary diversity and food insecurity among low-income families.

Effect of Oromo Dinich (Plectranthus edulis) flour supplemented on quality characteristics of teff-maize composite injera.

Blending Oromo dinich flours with cereals-based flours significantly enhances the nutritional potential of cereals-based products. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate the quality of teff-based injera supplemented by underutilized indigenous tuber Oromo dinich (Plectranthus edulis) and maize flours. Fourteen formulations were generated using D-optimal constrained mixture design with a range of maize (5-15%), Plectranthus edulis (5-15%), and teff (70-90%). Statistical evaluation and optimization were done using D-optimal mixture design expert software. The results showed that the supplementation of more Plectranthus edulis flour in the formulations indicated better improvements in terms of protein (10-10.8%), fat (2.4-2.8%), gross energy contents (380.7-391.9 kcal/100g), total phenolic content (8.6-15.8 mg GAE/g) and total antioxidant capacity (66.20-82.7%) at the concentration of 3.32 mg/mL. The sensory acceptability of the injera was significantly (p < 0.05) liked in terms of aroma with increasing the ratio of Plectranthus edulis and maize flours. The optimum value of the blending ratio was 77.6% teff, 13.1% maize, and 9.3% Plectranthus edulis flours with desirable nutritional composition of injera, which varied for protein (10.7-10.8%), fat (2.62-2.8%) and energy (388.3-391.9 kcal/100g) and overall acceptance (5.5-6.3) with the desirability of 0.66. The optimization results indicated that supplementing Plectranthus edulis flour up to 10% with teff-maize composite flours were acceptable in terms of nutritional composition and sensory quality. Thus, supplementing underutilized indigenous Plectranthus edulis tuber flour with teff-maize flours significantly enhanced the nutritional potential of injera products.

Dietary diversity and associated factors among preschool children in selected kindergarten school of Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Preschool children are the most vulnerable group because of their high nutritional needs for growth and development. The study assessed dietary diversity scores and associated factors among preschool children in selected kindergarten schools of Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia. METHODS: The institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on a total 440 of preschool children. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the dietary diversity score of preschool children using a 24 h dietary recall method. Binary logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with dietary diversity scores of preschool children. RESULTS: The result showed that the majority (87.3%) of preschool children in the selected kindergarten school practiced a low dietary diversity score (less than four food groups). The result obtained from multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the age of preschool children [AOR 9.58(2.26-40.60)], sex of child [AOR 3.21(1.71-5.99)], and work of mother [AOR 7.49(2.33-24.07)] were significantly (p < 0.05 associated) with dietary diversity of children. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that many preschool children in the study area did not get a minimum dietary diversity score. Therefore, health extension workers must organize community-based behavior change nutritional education for mothers or caregivers to create awareness of preschool child dietary diversity practices.

Optimization of nutritional and sensory qualities of complementary foods prepared from sorghum, soybean, karkade and premix in Benishangul - Gumuz region, Ethiopia.

Consumption of nutritionally deficient complementary foods in developing countries is among the main contributing factors to infants and young children's malnutrition. Therefore, this study was aimed to optimize the nutritional and sensory properties of complementary food made from malted sorghum, blanched soybean, boiled karkade seeds and premix. A D-optimal mixture experimental design with 18 runs was generated by design expert software within in the constrained: 40-60% malted sorghum, 20-30% blanched soybean, 10-20% boiled karkade seeds and 10% premix (5.0% figl leaf powder, 4.5% sugar and 0.5% iodized table salt). Statistical model evaluation and optimization were done using D-optimal mixture design expert software. Sensory evaluation was conducted using 53 untrained panelists on two selected formulations and the control (local formulation). The study shows that with an increasing ratio of blanched soybean and boiled karkade seeds flour in the blend, a significant (p < 0.05) increase in protein, fat, energy and mineral contents, and a decrease in tannin and phytic acid contents of high mineral bioavailability except for oxalate: calcium ratio in the formulations were observed. The optimal blending ratio was 45.0% malted sorghum, 26.0% blanched soybean, and 19.0% boiled karkade seeds flour plus 10.0% premix. The gruel made from the new formula was significantly (p < 0.05) liked in terms of aroma, flavor, mouthfeel and overall acceptability than the control sample. The findings suggested that the optimal mix of these traditionally processed ingredients can potentially alleviate protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency to mitigate expensive commercial infant complementary foods sold in the market.

Effect of Harvesting Ages on Yield and Yield Components of Sugar Cane Varieties Cultivated at Finchaa Sugar Factory, Oromia, Ethiopia.

This study was initiated with the objective of determining the effect of different harvesting ages (12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 months) on yield and yield components of selected the two sugar cane varieties (B52/298 and NCo 334) grown in Finchaa sugar factory, Oromia, Ethiopia. A field experiment was conducted at Finchaa sugarcane plantation using a randomized complete block design of a factorial arrangement of 2 × 5 with three replications. The data were performed using SAS version 9.3, and a significant difference was considered at p ≤ 0.05. The results showed that B52/298 variety had a higher estimated recoverable sucrose than NCo 334 variety. The results also indicated that as harvesting ages increase yield, yield components of sugar cane quality are increased. The maximum sugar yield of 1.89-ton ha-1 month-1 was obtained at the harvesting age of 15 months. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between harvesting age and sugarcane varieties on cane yield, sugar yield, brix percent juice, pol percent, and recoverable sugar. Generally, the findings imply that as harvesting ages in month increase, brix percent juice, estimated recoverable sucrose, and sucrose percentage in both varieties were simultaneously increased. The findings suggested that B52/298 sugar cane variety with harvesting age between 14 and 16 is highly recommended to obtain optimum sugar cane yield and yield components at the tropical areas of Finchaa sugar factory.

Premilling treatments effects on nutritional composition, antinutritional factors, and in vitro mineral bioavailability of the improved Assosa I sorghum variety (Sorghum bicolor L.).

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is among the staple cereal crops in different parts of Ethiopia. However, the presence of antinutritional factors restricts the digestion of proteins and bioavailability different minerals. Therefore, this study investigates the premilling treatments effects on nutritional composition, antinutritional factors, and in vitro mineral bioavailability of the improved Assosa I sorghum variety grown in Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with single factor of premilling treatments (control, washing, soaking, and malting). Among evaluated premilling treatments, malting showed significant (p < .05) increase in terms of crude fiber, utilizable carbohydrate, gross energy, and sodium contents. As compared to the raw sorghum, premilling treatments reduced antinutritional contents from 55.81 to 27.4 mg/100 g for tannin, 156.15 to 70.50 mg/100 g for phytates, and 29.9 to 3.22 mg/100 g for oxalate. The premilling techniques also significantly (p < .05) improved in vitro mineral bioavailability as compared to unprocessed sorghum grains. Among the premilling treatments, malting showed significant difference (p < .05) in terms of reduction of tannins, phytates, and oxalate contents with relatively higher mineral bioavailability. In order to enhance the food and nutritional value of sorghum particularly for children and lactating mothers, it is recommended to germinated the grains. Flour from germinated grain also can be used in combination with other nutrient-dense foods to formulate healthy diets for children and maternal nutrition.

Phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity and functional properties of Raphanus sativus L, Eruca sativa L. and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. growing in Ethiopia.

Information on phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity and functional properties of underutilized plants Figl (Raphanus sativus L.), Girgir (Eruca sativa L.) and Karkade (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) grown in Benishangul Gumuz, Ethiopia are limited. In view of this, leaves and roots of Figl, leaves of Girgir, calyces and seeds of Karkade were evaluated following standard analytical methods. The total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, ß-carotene and L-ascorbic acid contents were ranged: 5.28-35.97, 0.01-2.53, 0.15-0.42 and 0.28-1.49 (db mg/g), respectively. The total flavonoids content, total anthocyanins content and antioxidant capacity were high in the brown calyces of Karkade, but are low in the roots of Figl. The antioxidant activity of roots of Figl and seeds of Karkade were low. The effective inhibitory concentration (IC50) toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity demanded from brown calyces of Karkade was low and the IC50 was strong negatively correlated with ß-carotene and L-ascorbic acid contents (i.e., achieve IC50 with low amounts of these bioactive compounds). The ferric reducing antioxidant power was positively strong correlated with total flavonoids and anthocyanins content. The finding showed that calyces of Karkade can be used as a candidate to substitute synthetic antioxidants and food colorant in food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries because of their high antioxidant capacity, desired color and as a good source of phytochemicals. The study also showed that the leaves of Figl and Girgir were found to exhibit good sources of vitamin C, ß-carotene with low bulk density. Because of these properties, they can be regarded as good candidate to supplement micronutrients particularly for vulnerable groups like infants and young children.