Antibiotic and Bacteriocin Sensitivity of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>Strains Isolated from Different Foods

This study aimed to determine the antibiotic and bacteriocin sensitivity of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from animal derived foods. With disc diffusion assay, all fourteen L. monocytogenes strains were suscepti-ble to the antibiotics, including penicillin G, vancomycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, erythromycin, gentamicin and trime- thoprim. However, the percentages of fosfomycin and streptomycin resistances were 92.9% and 7.1%, respectively. Multiple resistances were not observed among the tested strains. The results of well diffusion assays showed that all strains were inhibited by the cell-free supernatant of a bacteriocin-producing strain, Pediococcus acidilactici 13, with the inhibition zones ranging from 16.00 to 24.50 mm. These results provide useful information on antibiotic resistance of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from foods, and can potentially be used to develop bacteriocin-based interventions to guard against the hazards associated with L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

Nutritional Characterization of Traditional Foods Based on Millet, Sorghum and Cowpea from the North-Central Region of Burkina Faso

The food and nutrition situation in Burkina Faso, like most developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is marked by growing food vulnerability. The majority of local dishes are being abandoned in favor of a minority of imported cereal dishes and other ultra-processed foods. This minority of cereal foods is blamed for stunted growth in children, while ultra-processed foods are linked to chronic diseases such as hypertension, certain types of diabetes and cancer. Knowledge of the nutritional value of local foods is needed to determine their nutritional quality. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional values of local dishes based on millet, sorghum and cowpea in the Centre-North region. The methodology consisted of making an inventory of millet-, sorghum- and cowpea-based dishes using focus groups made up of women and men from three age groups comprising young people, adults and the elderly in the communes of Lebda and Boussouma. The dishes were reproduced, and standard biochemical methods were used for nutritional characterization. A total of 34 dishes were inventoried, including 16 millet/sorghum-based dishes, 8 cowpea-based dishes and 10 dishes composed of millet/sorghum and cowpea or leaves. The mean protein, carbohydrate, ash and iron contents per 100 g DM of the three types of dishes were significantly different (p ≤ 0.05), ranging respectively from 13.61 to 22.63 g, 70.76 to 80.88 g, 1.87 to 5.96 g and 7.67 to 12.06 mg. Those for lipid, energy and zinc were not significantly different, ranging from 5.51 to 6.56 g, from 427 to 433 Kcal and from 2.98 to 3.32 mg respectively. Cowpea-based and mixed dishes cover the nutritional requirements for protein, carbohydrates, iron, zinc and energy recommended for children and adults. The consumption of mixed dishes and cowpea-based dishes could be promoted by nutritional policy to reduce stunting and recommended to obese, hypertensive and diabetic people as part of their diet.

Chemical, Nutritional and Organoleptical Characteristics of Orange-Based Formulated Low-Calorie Jams

Twelve low-calorie orange-based formulated jams were prepared mainly from orange, pumpkin and papaya, and then sweetened using fructose (F), stevioside (St) and sucralose (Su). The nutritional value of formulated jams was estimated after the approximate chemical composition and total soluble solid have been determined. The effect of storage on total phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, carotenoids content and vitamin C was investigated. Organoleptical attributes of prepared low-calorie jams were done as well. Results indicated that the nutritive value [kcal 100 g–1 fw] ranged from 88.10 ± 0.60 to 164.34 ± 0.41;total phenol content (TPC, mg GAE 100 g–1 fw] ranged from 188.52 ± 2.45 to 411.79 ± 3.3;the antioxidant capacity (μmol TE g–1 fw) ranged from 14.57 ± 0.86 to 32.39 ± 1.19;total carotenoids [mg 100 g–1 fw] ranged from 115.20 ± 5.66 to 204.33 ± 4.21;vitamin C [mg 100 g fw] ranged from 8.94 ± 1.07 to 28.77 ± 4.46;total soluble solids [Brix] ranged from 22.53 ± 0.05 to 43.37 ± 0.13. Jams storage for a period of 12 months at room temperature led to a decrease in vitamin C content, TPC, antioxidant capacity, while total soluble solids (TSS) and carotenoids increased during storage. The results of organoleptical attributes showed that the formulas O11, O1 had the highest score of color and odor respectively while O7 recorded maximum score for taste, texture and bitterness respectively. Statistical analysis showed that storage intervals and treatments had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on sensory quality of diet jam. The organoleptical characteristics were affected with the extension of shelf-life. Addition of stevioside and sucralose to formulate the low-calorie jam increased total phenol and antioxidant capacity, improved color, taste and produced targeted low-calorie jams. The use of sweeteners such as fructose, sucralose and stevioside in the manufacture of orange diet jam was shown to be satisfactory, resulting in low-calorie jams, improved the quality and could be produced commercially.

Safety Evaluation of Stacked Genetically Modified Corn Event (MON89034 ×MON88017) Using Zebrafish as an Animal Model

This study assessed the effect of feeding stacked genetically modified (GM) corn event (MON89034 × MON88017) on embryonic development, adult tissue histology and assessed the possibility of transgenic DNA transfer, using zebrafish as an animal model. Adult zebrafish were separated into male and female groups. After 3 weeks of feeding with experimental diets, males and females were paired once a week and fertilized embryos were collected, then the male and female fish were re-turned to their sex-specific groups. This fertilization and embryo collection process were repeated 3 times. Embryonic morphological measurements were obtained on developing embryos up to 96 hours after fertilization, and then the embryos were fixed in 4% phosphate-buffered paraformal-dehyde for morphologic assessment. At the end of the feeding study, various adult zebrafish tissues were histologically examined for abnormalities. Both zebrafish tissues and embryos were analyzed for presence of plant specific genes and transgenic sequences. No changes or abnormalities were observed in embryonic morphology nor in any of the tissues examined histologically. In addition, no plant DNA reference genes or transgenic DNA were found in any of the analyzed samples. These results demonstrate that the safety and nutrition of MON89034 × MON88017 corn are similar to non-GM corn.

Effect of Home-Cooking Methods on Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Sweetpotato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i>(L.) Lam.) Cultivars Grown in Egypt

Four sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) cultivars grown in Alexandria, Egypt, including Monofya 6, Monofya 66, Abeeis, and Beauregard were cooked using four different home-cooking methods (boiling, baking, microwaving, and deep-frying). The antioxidant contents (total phenolics by Folin-Denis, and individual phenolic acids by HPLC) as well as the antioxidant activity determined by reducing power (RP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) were measured in this study. Results indicated that total phenolic contents of raw flesh tissue by Folin-Denis ranged from 0.53 to 0.87 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent (mg ChAE)/g dry weight basis (dw). The RP ranged between 0.1 and 0.25 mg ChAE/g dw, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities varied from 1.10 to 1.72 and 0.85 to 1.51 μmol trolox equivalent (TE)/g dw, respectively. Thermal processing significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased the total phenolic content, as well as individual phenolic acids and antioxidant capacity of all the cultivars under study. In this respect, deep-frying exhibited the highest increment among the four processing methods. The most abundant individual phenolic acids in processed flesh roots tissues were chlorogenic acid followed by 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid. Total phenolic contents were highly correlated with RP, DPPH, and ABTS, also the correlation between the DPPH and ABTS values were significantly high.

Nutritional, Chemical and Organoleptical Characteristics of Low-Calorie Fruit Nectars Incorporating Stevioside as a Natural Sweetener

The study is aiming at preparation of low-calorie fruit nectars for diabetes and weight maintaining approaches as well as consumer satisfaction. Therefore, twenty low-calorie fruit-based formulated nectars were prepared mainly from orange, pomegranate, guava and mango pulps which sweetened with sucrose or sucrose— replaced at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% using stevioside. Primitively, the yield of fresh fruits had been calculated. Consequently, nutritional, chemical and organoleptical characteristics of prepared fruit nectars have been determined. Results indicated that total solids content was in range of 5.57% - 13.20%, 9.90% - 14.37%, 8.25% - 13.27% and 8.25% - 16.50% for orange, pomegranate, guava and mango nectars, respectively. Dependently, caloric value resulted 21.57 to 51.08, 38.31 to 55.62, 31.93 to 51.37 and 31.93 to 63.86 kcal 100 g-1 fw for orange, pomegranate, guava and mango nectars, respectively. Total phenols content [TPC, mg GAE 100 g-1 dw] ranged from 665.12 to 747.41, 1180.42 to 1319.47, 742.54 to 848.27 and 418.01 to 472.42 for orange, pomegranate, guava and mango nectars, respectively. The antioxidant capacity by DPPH method [μmol TE g-1 dw] ranged from (20.79 to 26.51), (47.13 to 56.56), (60.68 to 69.25) and (8.39 to 13.32) for orange, pomegranate, guava and mango nectars, respectively. Total carotenoids [mg 100 g-1 dw] were the highest in mango nectars ranged from (102.99 to 110.52) in mango nectar with 100% sugar and mango nectar with 100% stevioside, respectively. Anthocyanins content recorded 6.14 mg 100 g-1 dw in pomegranate nectar with 100% sugar, while increased to be 9.01 mg 00 g-1 dw in pomegranate nectar with 100% stevioside. Ascorbic acid [mg 100 g fw] ranged from 23.41 to 27.53, 15.73 to 18.32, 25.72 to 30.87 and 18.07 to 20.98 for orange, pomegranate, guava and mango nectars, respectively. The results of organoleptical attributes showed no effect of sugar substituting by stevioside on color, odor and mouth feel. The most dramatic effect of sugar substituting had been observed on taste, bitter after taste and the overall acceptability of prepared nectars with high substitution levels. Practically, using stevioside to produce low-calorie nectars was shown to be satisfactory up to 50% - 75% substituting level, resulting low-calorie nectars and could be applied commercially.

Potential of Biostimulants Based on PGPR Rhizobacteria Native to Benin’s Soils on the Growth and Yield of Maize (<i>Zea mays </i>L.) under Greenhouse Conditions

The application of biostimulants in agriculture represents an environmentally friendly alternative while increasing agricultural production. The aims of the study were to develop solid biostimulants based on five rhizobacteria native to Benin’s soils and to evaluate their efficacy on the growth and biomass yield of maize under greenhouse conditions on ferrallitic and ferruginous soils. Clay and peat were used as a conservation binder for the preparation of the biostimulants. These binders were used alone or combined in the different formulations with maize flour and sucrose. 10 g of biostimulants were applied at sowing in pots containing five kilograms of sterilised soil. The experimental design was a completely randomised block of 24 treatments with three replicates. The results obtained showed significant improvements (P < 0.001) in height (49.49%), stem diameter (32.7%), leaf area (66.10%), above-ground biomass (97.12%) and below-ground biomass (53.98%) on ferrallitic soil with the application of the clay + Pseudomonas putida biostimulant compared to the control. On the other hand, the use of the peat biostimulant + Pseudomonas syringae was more beneficial for plant growth on ferruginous soil. The height, stem diameter, leaf area, above-ground biomass and below-ground biomass of the plants under the influence of this biostimulant were improved by 83.06%, 44.57%, 102.94%, 86.84% and 42.68%, respectively, compared to the control. Therefore, these results confirm that Rhizobacteria express their potential through biostimulants formulated on maize. The formulated biostimulants can later be used by producers to improve crop productivity for sustainable agriculture.

Valuable Biomolecules from Nine North Atlantic Red Macroalgae: Amino Acids, Fatty Acids, Carotenoids, Minerals and Metals

In modern society, novel marine resources are scrutinized pursuing compounds of use in the medical, pharmaceutical, biotech, food or feed industry. Few of the numerous marine macroalgae are currently exploited. In this study, the contents of nutritional compounds from nine common North Atlantic red macroalgae were compared: the lipid content was low and constant among the species, whereas the fatty acid profiles indicated that these species constitute interesting sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The dominating essential and non-essential amino acids were lysine and leucine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and arginine, respectively. The amino acid score of the nine algae varied from 44% to 92%, the most commonly first limiting amino acid being histidine. Lutein, β-carotene, and zeaxanthin were the identified carotenoids. Contents of all macro and trace minerals, with the exception of phosphorus, were higher than those described for conventional food. Low sodium/potassium ratios (0.08 - 2.54) suggested a potential for using the ash fraction for sodium salt replacement. The algae constituted rich sources of carbohydrates (40% to 71% of DM) which show their potential for a broader commercial exploitation. In some species, the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, and lead exceeded limit values for application in food or feed. In conclusion, the nine algae represent promising potential sources of health promoting additives for human and animal diets, in whole or in a biorefinery concept.

Production of Manganese Peroxidase by Trametes villosa on Unexpensive Substrate and Its Application in the Removal of Lignin from Agricultural Wastes

Manganese peroxidase (MnP) is a ligninolytic enzyme that is involved in the removal of lignin from the cell wall of plants. This removal facilitates the access of hydrolytic enzymes to the carbohydrate polymers that are hydrolyzed to simple sugars, which allows the subsequent fermentation to obtain bioproducts, such as ethanol. In this work, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the culture conditions on unexpensive substrate for MnP secretion by Trametes villosa. Three independent variables were evaluated (i.e., temperature, moisture content and pH). The crude extract containing MnP was used in the delignification experiment and it caused a reduction in lignin content for all residues tested: 35.05 ± 1.45 (%) for the sugar cane bagasse;63.11 ± 0.06 (%) for the sisal fiber and 39.61 ± 0.39 (%) for the coconut shell, under the reaction conditions tested after 4 hours of fermentation. The preliminary results exhibited the potential application of this enzyme in the removal of lignin from plant residues. However, the conditions should be evaluated and optimized for each residue type.

Production of Cocoa Butter Replacer by Dry Fractionation, Partial Hydrogenation, Chemical and Enzymatic Interesterification of Tea Seed Oil

Production of cocoa butter replacer (CBR) from tea seed oil through common modification methods of oils (dry fractionation, partial hydrogenation, chemical and enzymatic interesterification) was evaluated. Some physico-chemical properties (iodine, saponification, acid and peroxide values) and fatty acid composition (FAC) of modified samples were analyzed and compared with a reference cocoa butter (CB). Solid and liquid fractions for large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (approx. 80%) and thereby lower iodine values (81 - 85 gI2/100g) than that of CB (37% and 34 gI2/100 g, respectively), are not suitable as CBR. Among all ratios of chemically and enzaymatically interesterified oil blends (20%, 25% and 30% of hydrogenated tea seed oil with 80%, 75% and 70% of tea seed oil/liquid fraction/solid fraction), the samples with ratio of 30:70 from both chemical and enzymatic interesterification had FAC and iodine value closer to that of CB. A comparision between chemically and enzymatically interesterified samples (CISs and EISs, respectively), in terms of solid fat content (SFC) indicated that although the SFC values in EIS were much lower than that of CB, but the thermal behavior of this sample is comprable to CB at 20℃- 30℃ (sharp melting point of CB).

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Microbial Pollution of Lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i>) Cultivated in Two Sites (Paspanga and Tanghin) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Environmental pollution can have detrimental effects on crop yield and its consumers. The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with the consumption of lettuce crop contaminated with toxic heavy metals and microbiological status. Irrigated water, soil and lettuce were analyzed by AAS technics for heavy metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Transfer factor (TF), daily intake of metals (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) were also calculated. Microbial analysis was carried out for the presence foodborne pathogens. The results showed that the heavy metals contents were higher in the soil than wastewater and the vegetables. Heavy metals ranged (mg·Kg-1) for Cd (1.27 to 2.93), Cr (7.28 to 7.38), Cu (0.91 to 1.70), Mn (0.29 to 6.60), Ni (1.74 to 2.16), Pb (1.32 to 1.69), Zn (3.08 to 3.79);and were higher than the WHO maximum limit permissible (ML) in vegetables. HRI TF values designated an enhanced bio-contamination. Microbial numeration revealed the presence of spoiler and pathogenic microorganisms. The lettuce tested was not safe for human use, especially for direct consumption by human beings.

Pepper plants growth, yield, photosynthetic pigments, and total phenols as affected by foliar application of potassium under different salinity irrigation water

Irrigation with high salinity water influences plant growth, production of photosynthetic pigments and total phenols, leading to reduction in crop yield and quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of potassium (K) foliar application in mitigating the negative effects of salt stress on pepper plants. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar application of potassium (K) on pepper plants grown with different salinity water irrigation (3000 and 6000 ppm as compared to tap water with salinity level of 300 ppm). Irrigation using high salinity water decreased plant height, biomass production, and fruit yield as compared to those of the plants irrigated by tap water. Photosynthetic pigments and total phenols increased in the former as compared to those of the latter plants. The most serious affect was for the plants under highest salinity irrigation (6000 ppm) as compared to that of the plants under moderate salinity irrigation (3000 ppm). Foliar application of potassium mono phosphate (KMP) at 200ppm concentration increased the plant growth, biomass production, and fruit yield. Chlorophyll_a content and total phenols increased significantly with foliar application of 100 ppm KMP. Further increase in foliar KMP concentration to 200 ppm had no significant benefits on photosynthetic pigments and total phenols content. This study demonstrated that foliar application of KMP, to some extent, mitigated the negative effects of high salinity water irrigation on pepper plant growth and fruit yield.

In vitro neuroprotective potentials of aqueous and methanol extracts from Heinsia crinita leaves

This study was designed to determine the neuroprotective potentials of aqueous and methanol extracts from Heinsia crinita leaves in vitro.The total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined using colorimetric method while phenolic characterization of the leaf was analyzed via high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector(HPLC-DAD).The effects of the extracts on Fe^2+-induced lipid peroxidation in rats’brain homogenate,monoamine oxidase(MAO),Na^+/K^+-ATPase,acetylcholinesterase(AChE)and butyrylcholinesterase(BChE)activities were also assessed.The aqueous extract had higher total phenol and flavonoid contents than the methanol extract.HPLC-DAD revealed that quercetin ellagic,chlorogenic and caffeic acids were the most abundant phenolic compounds in the leaves.The aqueous extract had higher inhibitory effects on MAO,AChE and BChE activities while there was no significant difference between their Fe^2+-induced lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects.Furthermore,both extracts stimulated Na^+/K^+-ATPase activity;however,methanol extract had higher stimulatory effect.The neuroprotective properties of H.crinita leaves could be associated with its inhibitory effects on Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation and modulation of MAO,Na^+/K^+-ATPase,AChE,and BChE activities.Therefore,H.crinita leaves could be used as a functional food and dietary intervention for the management of some neurodegenerative diseases.Nevertheless,the aqueous extracts exhibited better neuroprotective properties.

Hygienic Quality and Nutritional Value of Attiékéfrom Local and Imported Cassava Dough Produced with Different Traditional Starters in Burkina Faso

Attiéké is an essentially flavour starchy food produced from fermented cassava root. The product is widely consumed in Burkina Faso. The objective of the present study was to investigate the biochemical and the microbiological characteristics of attiéké from Burkina Faso. The samples (36) were collected from six (6) producers. Cassava dough which is used for attiéké production contains from 70.67% ± 0.25% to 86.02% ± 0.2% as starch. The undesirable organic elements rate is about 1.28% ± 0.14% to 26.46% ± 0.53%. The inorganic impurities rate is about 0 to 7 ± 0.1 mg/100g. Cassava dough acidity varies from 1.8 ± 0.2 to 12.4 ± 0.1;and its pH from 3.48 ± 0.01 to 4.20 ± 0.01. Lactic bacteria are the main microorganisms involved in cassava dough fermentation (5.17 to 9.30 log cfu/g). Yeasts and molds number is low (<6.53 log cfu/g). Attiéké moister is about 50.6% ± 0.00% to 55.12% ± 0.7% and its protein contents from 0.77 to 1.74 ± 0.13 g/100g. The content in lipid of attiéké shows an important variation and is about 0.15 to 3.28 ± 0.32 g/100g. Carbohydrates content varies from 36.6 ± 0.04 to 47.01 ± 0.1 g/100g and its ashes content is from 140 to 780 ± 20 mg/100g. Attiéké acidity and pH are less weak than cassava dough. They vary respectively from 0.92% ± 0.05% to 4.08% ± 0.57% and from 3.7 to 4.4 ± 0.01. As a main energizer food, attiéké energizing value is from 161.95 to 215.26 Kcal/100g. All the attiéké analyzed was exempt of aflatoxin (B1, B2, G1, G2) and ochratoxin A. The local attiéké has higher acidity, fermented bacteria load, protein and minerals salt than the imported one. The process mastery is the mainly factor that determines nutritional and sanitary quality of attiéké.

Evaluation of Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Protein Recovered Obtaining from Whitemouth Croaker (<i>Micropogonias furnieri</i>) Byproducts

Proteins recovered were obtained from Whitemouth Croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) byproducts and their physico-chemical and functional properties were evaluated. The proximate composition, presented 8.64% ± 0.10% of moisture, 85.33% ± 0.12% of protein, 2.69% ± 0.09% of ashes and 2.16% ± 0.12% of lipids, in dry basis. The highest solubility was obtained in pH 11 (93.24%), the maximum water holding capacity was presented at pH 11 (25.71 mL H2O/gprotein), the oil holding capacity was 13.71 mL/gprotein and the digestibility in vitro was 91.32% ± 0.15%. The electro-phoretic profile was observed typical of the myofibrillar proteins, with the appearance of the heavy chain of myosin (220 kDa) and actin (50 kDa). The results show that the products of low commercial value of fish that are usually used for the production of animal feed or simply discarded, contributing to environmental pollution, may be used to produce products with a greater added value.