Sensory attribute and antioxidant capacity of Maillard reaction products from enzymatic hydrolysate of bovine bone marrow extract.

ABSTRACT: Maillard reaction and Maillard reaction products (MRPs) are commonly used in food industry, with various sensory and functional properties. Bovine bone marrow extract (BBME) was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, followed by the Maillard reaction to enhance its sensory attributes. The antioxidant and antihypertensive activities of BBME, its hydrolysate and their MRPs were assessed. (37) orthogonal experimental design was used to obtain the optimal reaction conditions for generation of MRPs with improved sensory characteristics. The optimal conditions were: processing temperature, 120 °C; processing time, 60 min; xylose concentration, 2.5% (w/v); cysteine concentration, 2%; Vitamin B1, 1.2%; Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, 6%; and sample to liquid ratio, 1:1. The total content of free amino acid in BBME decreased from 86.18 to 25.50 g L-1 in EH-BBME-MRPs. In addition, EH-BBME and EH-BBME-MRPs contained significantly higher amount of low molecular weight peptides (< 1000 Da; 47.2% and 21.84%, respectively) compared to other samples. They also exhibited enhanced antioxidant activities against DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl free radicals, and presented improved FRAP activity and reducing power. EH-BBME-MRPs also exhibited higher antihypertensive activity compared to other samples. The results indicate that MRPs derived from BBME hydrolysate are promising components for improving food flavor and also provide health benefits.

Determinants of Diarrhea Among Children Aged 1 to 6 Years in Flood-Affected Areas of Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Frequent floods can contribute to the spread of various diseases and complications, some of which may result in diarrhea, especially among children. The current study aimed to find the determinants of diarrhea among children aged 1-6 years in flood-affected areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted in flood-affected districts. Data regarding sociodemographic information related to diarrhea and anthropometric data were collected through a validated questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to find the determinants of diarrhea. In the presence of diarrhea, the prevalences found of stunting, wasting, and being underweight were 75.2%, 76.5%, and 74.1%, respectively, which is higher than those in children without diarrhea (stunting, 24.8%; wasting, 23.5%; and being underweight, 25.9%). In bivariate regression, children aged 2-4 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65, P < 0.05), large family size (OR = 7.46, P < 0.01), low income (OR = 2.55, < 0.001), bathing in ponds (OR = 3.05, P < 0.05), drinking of untreated water (OR = 3, P < 0.05), flooding (OR = 1.8, P < 0.05), children living in mud houses (OR = 1.5, P < 0.05), and usage of utensils without lids (OR = 1.96, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with occurrence of diarrhea. In multivariate regression, the identified risk factors (P < 0.05) for diarrhea in flood-affected areas included illiterate mothers, flooding, large family size, households without livestock, poor water quality, untreated water, and lack of toilet facilities. In conclusion, addressing the determinants of diarrhea identified in this study is crucial for mitigating the impact of frequent floods on children in flood-affected areas. Moreover, the higher prevalence of malnutrition underscores the urgent need for comprehensive strategies and proper water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to reduce the occurrence and determinants of diarrhea.

Nutritional composition, health benefits and bio-active compounds of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), an annual plant of the family Fabaceae is mainly grown in semiarid and temperate regions. Among pulses, cultivated worldwide chickpeas are considered an inexpensive and rich source of protein. Chickpea is a good source of protein and carbohydrate, fiber, and important source of essential minerals and vitamins. The quality of protein is better among other pulses. Consumption of chickpeas is related to beneficial health outcomes. Dietary peptides from the protein of chickpeas gaining more attention. Peptides can be obtained through acid, alkali, and enzymatic hydrolysis. Among all these, enzymatic hydrolysis is considered safe. Various enzymes are used for the production of peptides, i.e., flavorzyme, chymotrypsin, pepsin, alcalase, papain, and trypsin either alone or in combinations. Chickpea hydrolysate and peptides have various bioactivity including angiotensin 1-converting enzyme inhibition, digestive diseases, hypocholesterolemic, CVD, antioxidant activity, type 2 diabetes, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic activity. This review summarizes the nutritional composition and bioactivity of hydrolysate and peptides obtained from chickpea protein. The literature shows that chickpea peptides and hydrolysate have various functional activities. But due to the limited research and technology, the sequences of peptides are unknown, due to which it is difficult to conduct the mechanism studies that how these peptides interact. Therefore, emphasis must be given to the optimization of the production of chickpea bioactive peptides, in vivo studies of chickpea bioactivity, and conducting human study trials to check the bioactivity of these peptides and hydrolysate.

Development of Efficient and Recyclable ZnO-CuO/g-C3N4 Nanocomposite for Enhanced Adsorption of Arsenic from Wastewater.

Arsenic (III) is a toxic contaminant in water bodies, especially in drinking water reservoirs, and it is a great challenge to remove it from wastewater. For the successful extraction of arsenic (III), a nanocomposite material (ZnO-CuO/g-C3N4) has been synthesized by using the solution method. The large surface area and plenty of hydroxyl groups on the nanocomposite surface offer an ideal platform for the adsorption of arsenic (III) from water. Specifically, the reduction process involves a transformation from arsenic (III) to arsenic (V), which is favorable for the attachment to the -OH group. The modified surface and purity of the nanocomposite were characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR, HRTEM, and BET models. Furthermore, the impact of various aspects (temperatures, pH of the medium, the concentration of adsorbing materials) on adsorption capacity has been studied. The prepared sample displays the maximum adsorption capacity of arsenic (III) to be 98% at pH ~ 3 of the medium. Notably, the adsorption mechanism of arsenic species on the surface of ZnO-CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite at different pH values was explained by surface complexation and structural variations. Moreover, the recycling experiment and reusability of the adsorbent indicate that a synthesized nanocomposite has much better adsorption efficiency than other adsorbents. It is concluded that the ZnO-CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite can be a potential candidate for the enhanced removal of arsenic from water reservoirs.

Low Birth Weight, and Low Ponderal Index Mediates the Association between Preeclampsia, Placenta Previa, and Neonatal Mortality.

BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was conducted to assess the mediation role of low birth weight, and low ponderal index between the preeclampsia, placenta previa, and neonatal mortality in the tertiary hospital of Hubei Province, China. METHODS: A total of 12772 neonatal births were included for data analysis. Birth weight, birth length, and neonatal mortality were recorded after birth. Sobel test based on mediation regression was used to evaluate the effect of mediator variables. RESULTS: Approximately, 383 (3%) and 409 (3.2%) women experienced preeclampsia and placenta previa respectively. After adjusting for covariates, the indirect effect of preeclampsia on neonatal mortality mediated by low birth weight and low ponderal index was [ß 2.59 (95% CI: 0.74 - 4.44)], and [ß 3.94 (95% CI: 1.50 - 6.38)] respectively. Moreover, the indirect effect of placenta previa on neonatal mortality mediated by the low birth weight was [ß 1.74 (95% CI: 0.16 - 3.31)], and low ponderal index was [ß 3.21 (95% CI: 0.95 - 5.48)]. The estimated mediation proportion between the preeclampsia and neonatal mortality accounting for possible mediation by low birth weight and low ponderal index was 44.5% and 34.5% respectively. Furthermore, 47.9% by low birth weight and 33.2% by low ponderal index mediate the association between placenta previa and neonatal mortality. CONCLUSION: Low birth weight, and low ponderal index partially mediates the association between preeclampsia, placenta previa and neonatal mortality.

Optimization of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) Parameters for the Analysis of Pyrazines in Yeast Extract via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

Yeast extract was analyzed through headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) in combination with (GC-MS) for its pyrazine compounds. Four different types of SPME fibers with various polarities were selected for preoptimization. The three coated fiber 50/30 µm DVB/CAR/PDMS showed the maximum volatile extraction efficiency and was selected for further analysis. Twenty-eight volatile compounds were tentatively identified through GC-MS including eight pyrazines and were categorically characterized as major volatile compounds responsible for the flavor enhancing notes in YE. Response surface methodology encoded with face centered central composite design was employed to optimize the experimental design. Average peak area of selected pyrazines; methylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine, trimethylpyrazine, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, tetramethylpyrazine, 3,5-diethyl-2-methylpyrazine, and 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-ethylpyrazine were optimized through RSM-CCD to get the best conditions for HS-SPME. The HS-SPME variables X1 (equilibrium time), X2 (extraction time), and X3 (extraction temperature) were programed into the run sheets to opt an optimistic statistical approach. Among these, the variable X2 and X3 showed the most significant results with the response variable R and could be concluded as the most tantalize variables while practicing pyrazines extraction through HS-SPME method. Resultantly, the optimization methodology was successfully applied for the extraction of pyrazines from yeast extract. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The selection of optimal conditions to conduct a HS-SPME experiment can dramatically affect the sensitivity and accuracy of aroma extraction process. Optimizing the SPME conditions is the best way to identify the role of all the possible factors that can fluctuate the volatile profile of any sample. This type of statistical approach to optimize the HS-SPME conditions for pyrazines in yeast extract was practiced for the very first time and could be considered as a prerequisite strategy to proliferate future projects related to some novel studies in terms of pyrazines flavor perception.