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21 – 30 of 156
Article
Publication date: 27 May 2014

Pradeep Kumar Dahiya, M.J.R. Nout, Martinus A. van Boekel, Neelam Khetarpaul, Raj Bala Grewal and Anita Linnemann

The purpose of this paper is to address malnourishment in developing countries by a food-based approach in which locally produced and consumed foods are improved by applying food…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address malnourishment in developing countries by a food-based approach in which locally produced and consumed foods are improved by applying food processing techniques that benefit the amount and availability of desirable nutrients.

Design/methodology/approach

To facilitate this approach, this paper reports on the composition and in vitro micronutrient accessibility of 14 traditional mung bean foods from India in relation to their preparation methods.

Findings

Proximate composition, in vitro mineral accessibility, phytic acid and polyphenol contents varied among the range of products. Products requiring either fermentation or germination, had higher in vitro iron, zinc and calcium accessibility. Average in vitro iron, zinc and calcium accessibility of the mung bean products were 16, 9 and 418 mg kg−1 dry weight. Phytic acid and polyphenols averaged 2.1 and 1.8 g kg−1 dry weight, respectively, and were negatively correlated with in vitro mineral accessibility.

Practical implications

Different mung bean products (100 g) cover 12.0-59.5, 5.2-45.6, 4.2-28.6 and 1.1-7.1 per cent of the recommended dietary allowance for protein, iron, zinc and calcium, respectively, for seven- to nine-year-old Indian children.

Originality/value

This study demonstrated the wide range of traditional mung bean foods in India and presents options to tackle malnourishment by a food-based approach.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 116 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2023

Ji Li, Pradeep Thaker, Deshou Jiang, Qingrong Huang and Chi-Tang Ho

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the functionalities, safety regulations and product applications of herb Stevia rebaudiana extract. This plant material is…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the functionalities, safety regulations and product applications of herb Stevia rebaudiana extract. This plant material is embedded with multiple functionalities such as antioxidant, antidiabetics, anti-inflammation and antimicrobial. The regulations released from global authorities are covered to ensure the safety premise of stevia. Besides, the product applications of the extract of aerial parts of the herb S. rebaudiana helps us to recognize its value from commercial side.

Design/methodology/approach

Relevant literatures are selected and obtained from main scientific databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed and trade magazines published between 2000 and 2023. The keywords and their possible combinations such as sweetening, antioxidant, antidiabetics, anti-inflammation, safety and product development were used to ensure the preciseness and completeness of literature searching. Major data such as sweetness, total phenolic content and dose together with latter critical conclusions from searched publications were appropriately used and discussed. In this review, approximately 150 scientific literatures were meticulously ordered and analyzed. In applications, it is the first time that sentiment analysis was used to obtain a market assessment of the stevia-containing products.

Findings

This review paper helps rearrange the scientific affairs of those stevia extract’s functions like sweetening, antioxidant, antidiabetics and inflammation. Sweetness indexes of steviol glycosides were summarized together for comparison while various in vitro and in vivo approaches were reviewed to quantify those functions’ capacities and to depict the related mechanism. The regulation of steviol glycoside compounds such as rebaudioside A was established by global authorities such as US Food and Drug Administration and Joint FAO/World Health Organization Expert Committee to ensure the safety endorsement before commercialization. Then, this study discussed about the market performance of stevia ingredients or products with the self-developed data analytics. This study also investigated the product development progress of stevia-containing food products in the categories of beverage, bakery, dairy and confectionery. Those stevia-containing food consumer goods can be acceptable by certain consumers.

Originality/value

This review paper precisely presents the evidential information about the stevia’s multiple functionalities with mechanisms and global regulation milestones. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is then the first time to probe the stevia-containing products’ market performance through data analytics.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 53 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 February 2014

Shahnawaz Umer Khan

There is need for exhaustive studies to be undertaken to identify various probiotic strains and to understand the actual mechanism of action by which these probiotics exert their…

1285

Abstract

Purpose

There is need for exhaustive studies to be undertaken to identify various probiotic strains and to understand the actual mechanism of action by which these probiotics exert their health benefits in order to exploit its fullest health benefits expressed by various kinds of the probiotic strains. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The health effects of the probiotics can be accessed by in vivo as well as the in vitro studies of live microorganisms and their biological active compounds on various disease-causing organisms and their harmful metabolites.

Findings

The paper is a brief review of recent findings about the health benefits of probiotic strains of microorganisms. The health effects of fermented food items were known since the time immemorial, but the actual cause of this was a mystery. Recent discoveries led to the author's knowledge about the mechanism through which they exert these curative effects which is either by competitive inhibition of harmful microbes in gut or by production of biological active compounds against disease-causing organisms and their harmful metabolites.

Originality/value

Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods which are produced with active live cultures, so various new types of these probiotic cultures can be introduced which can act as food as well as curative agents for treating and preventing various types of diseases at nominal costs.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2016

Pallavi Joshi and Kanika Varma

Soybean has great nutritional potential. Its high protein content makes it an alternative protein source to milk in situations where milk cannot be used due to allergic reactions…

520

Abstract

Purpose

Soybean has great nutritional potential. Its high protein content makes it an alternative protein source to milk in situations where milk cannot be used due to allergic reactions or intolerance. However, the potential benefits of soybean might be limited by the presence of antinutritional factors, including trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA). The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of dehulling and germination on the nutritive value of the soy flour and on the factors that could negatively affect the nutritional potential of the bean.

Design/methodology/approach

Soybean seeds were soaked for 24 h and allowed to germinate for one to three days. Soaked soybeans were manually dehulled and the flours obtained were evaluated for nutritional and antinutritional factors.

Findings

Dehulling and germination produce significant increase in crude protein and crude fiber and ash content (p = 0.05). Crude fat and starch content decreased, but the reduction was insignificant. Trypsin inhibitor levels were significantly lower after germination and dehulling of the seeds (p = 0.05).

Originality/value

Dehulling and germination are cost-effective processing techniques to improve the nutritional quality of the legume.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 46 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2016

Marta Aurelia Horianski, Juan Manuel Peralta and Luis Alberto Brumovsky

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of epichlorohydrin (ECH) concentration and reaction time on the food-grade resistant starch production and its pasting…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of epichlorohydrin (ECH) concentration and reaction time on the food-grade resistant starch production and its pasting properties by using native cassava starch of Misiones-Argentina origin.

Design/methodology/approach

Cassava starch was modified using ECH (0.30 and 0.15 per cent) during 4 or 8 h. Digestibility was evaluated by determining resistant starch as total dietary fiber. Pasting properties and the cross-linking degree were studied using a micro-viscoamylograph (Brabender).

Findings

Resistant starch content was not influenced by ECH concentration and reaction time. Cross-linking was detected at higher reaction times (8 h) and ECH concentrations (0.30 per cent), where a decrease in viscosity peaks by more than 80 per cent was observed. Both pasting temperature and breakdown were increased, whereas a decrease in retrogradation was detected.

Practical implications

Starches can be suitable for different food applications. This is because of the ability to modify its pasting properties and the invariability of the in vitro digestibility of cassava starch as a result of using ECH (at concentrations approved by local and regional legislation) and reaction times of 4 and 8 h.

Originality/value

Information related to the modification of cassava starch using ECH is scarce or not available nowadays in literature.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 46 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 September 2019

Neelam Yadav, Devinder Kaur, Ritika Malaviya, Pinki Saini and Saba Anjum

Iron deficiency anaemia and zinc deficiency are major public health problems across the globe. Cereals and pulses are important vegetarian source of minerals like zinc (Zn) and…

Abstract

Purpose

Iron deficiency anaemia and zinc deficiency are major public health problems across the globe. Cereals and pulses are important vegetarian source of minerals like zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), however, poor digestibility impairs proper availability of micro minerals in the body. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) were selected for study as they are important pulse crops consumed worldwide. Therefore, in order to remove antinutrients and enhance bioavailability of nutrients in chickpea and cowpea, extrusion cooking was selected as a technology and its impact was studied by an in vitro method. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Four chickpea cultivars, two desi (K 850 and PUSA 362) and two kabuli (PUSA 1108 and PUSA 1053) and one cowpea (Gomati) cultivars were selected for the study. Pulses were processed in a laboratory using a single screw food extruder. Raw and extruded pulses were analysed for antinutrients content, micronutrients content (Fe, Zn) and their bioavailability.

Findings

Extrusion cooking significantly decreased phytate in all cultivars of chick pea and cowpea with highest reduction (72.92 per cent) in PUSA 362; similarly, tannin and trypsin inhibitor decreased by 87.5 and 71.54 per cent, respectively, in Gomati cultivar of cowpea. All cultivars showed significant increase in protein digestibility. Iron bioavailability in all samples enhanced significantly; however, only 50 per cent cultivars (K 850, PUSA 362 and PUSA 1108) showed improvement in Zn bioavailability.

Originality/value

The present research therefore brought the outcome as an enhanced in vitro protein digestibility and bioavailability of micro mineral and protein in certain pulses having minimized antinutrients. Therefore, it is concluded that extrusion cooking is an effective tool in enhancing protein and micro mineral bioavailability.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 121 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2017

Elif Inan Eroglu and Zehra Buyuktuncer

Resistant starch, defined as all starch and starch-degradation products not absorbed by small intestine of healthy individuals, is included in the diet of individuals due to its…

1292

Abstract

Purpose

Resistant starch, defined as all starch and starch-degradation products not absorbed by small intestine of healthy individuals, is included in the diet of individuals due to its prebiotic characteristics and protective effects against diseases like colon cancer, type II diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Some cooking methods are known as effective on resistant starch content of foods. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of various cooking methods on resistant starch content of foods.

Design/methodology/approach

Potential health benefits and functional features of the resistant starch have been emphasized in the recent years. This review includes up-to-date scientific findings in different studies on the effect of various cooking methods on resistant starch content of foods. Advantages and nutritional quality of resistant starch are included to topic.

Findings

Cooking methods including baking, steaming and autoclave cooking increased the amount of the resistant starch of foods, but cooking method such as pressure cooking decreased the amount of the resistant starch of foods. Boiling, frying, microwave cooking and extrusion cooking have the potential of increasing the amount of resistant starch, which depends on the source of starch and the process conditions. Although frying method has a high potential to increase the resistant starch content of foods, it is inconvenient to recommend frying to modify resistant starch content of foods due to detrimental effects of frying and products on health.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the effects of various cooking methods on resistant starch content of foods, which offers a promising future for the inartificial development of the prebiotic content of diet. Due to its potential health benefits, appropriate cooking methods should be preferred to increase resistant starch content of foods.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 47 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1993

S.G. Ring

Starch is a valued structural component of many foods. Considersthe behaviour of starch as a macronutrient and as a structural componentof food materials.

Abstract

Starch is a valued structural component of many foods. Considers the behaviour of starch as a macronutrient and as a structural component of food materials.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 93 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2015

R. L. Bhardwaj and Urvashi Nandal

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the scientific information of various qualities of bael fruit juice used in traditional system of medicine for variety of purposes…

648

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the scientific information of various qualities of bael fruit juice used in traditional system of medicine for variety of purposes. Utilization of bael fruit juice in day-to-day life has great nutritional, therapeutic, and commercial importance. Bael fruit contains nutrients like vitamins (riboflavin), minerals, trace elements, energy and phytochemicals, including flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidants, that have been shown to have varied health benefits. In past few decades, bael has been extensively studied for its medicinal properties by advanced scientific techniques, and a variety of bioactive compounds like marmelosin, tannins, alkaloids, coumarins, steroids, rutacine, y-sitosterol, psoralin, xanthotoxin, scopolotein, aegelemine, aegeline, marmeline, fragrine, dictamine, cinnamide and different derivatives of cinnamide have been isolated from its fruit juice.

Design/methodology/approach

The medicinal value of bael fruit is very high when the harvests just begin to ripen. As a result, it has a high demand as alternative medicine for curing the diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, peptic ulcer, inflammation, diarrhea and dysentery, constipation, respiratory infection. Furthermore, the bael fruit juice has anticancer, cardio protective, antibacterial, antifungal, radio protective, antipyretic, analgesic, antioxidant, antiviral, anthelmintic and anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, wound healing properties. The ripe fruit juice is aromatic, has cooling and laxative effects, and arrests secretion or bleeding.

Findings

The unripe or half-ripe fruit juice is good for digestion, useful in preventing or curing scurvy, and it strengthens the stomach action. It helps in the healing of ulcerated intestinal surfaces and has appreciable activity against intestinal pathogenic organisms. The present review summarizes the scientific information of various qualities of bael fruit juice used in traditional system of medicine for a variety of purposes.

Originality/value

It is quite evident from this review that bael is an important medicinal herb and extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha and other medicinal systems. Bael fruit juice is an excellent source of water and natural sugar and is important principally for containing vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, pigments, energy, organic acids, dietary fiber and other food components, which are the key factors in the medicinal value of this plant. Moreover, mechanisms of action of a few bioactive compounds have been identified so far.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 45 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1996

Jonathan Salter, Martin Chaplin, John Dickerson and Jill Davies

Bile acids are usually related to biliary problems such as gallstones, but are in fact implicated in other diseases as well. Reviews bile acid formation in the body and its role in

2315

Abstract

Bile acids are usually related to biliary problems such as gallstones, but are in fact implicated in other diseases as well. Reviews bile acid formation in the body and its role in digestion. Discusses the concept that a diet involving fibre, particularly non‐starch polysaccharides, may be the key to health with respect to coronary heart disease and colon cancer, through interactions with the bile acids. Points out that this is not a new idea but one that still needs further investigation.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 96 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

21 – 30 of 156