Efficacy of multigrain supplementation in type 2 diabetes mellitus:A pilot study protocol for a randomized intervention trial

BACKGROUND Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)may lead to microvascular complications(nephropathy,retinopathy,and neuropathy)and cardiovascular diseases.The beta-glucan content in grains has the potential to improve insulin sensitivity,lowering postprandial glucose response and reducing inflammation degrees.A proper combination of grains not only satisfies human body’s need,but also provides essential and reasonable nutritional contents.However,no trial has been conducted to evaluate the roles of multigrain in T2DM.AIM To determine the efficacy of multigrain supplementation among T2DM patients.METHODS From October 2020 to June 2021,a total of 50 adults living with T2DM,who were receiving standard diabetes care at Day Care Clinic,were randomized into either a supplementation group or a control group.The supplementation group received twice daily 30 g multigrain supplement(equivalent to 3.4 g beta-glucan)with standard medication for 12 wk,while the control group was prescribed with standard medication.Parameters such as glycemic control(HbA1c,FPG,and HOMO-IR),cardiometabolic profile(lipid profile,renal function test,and liver function test),oxidative stress status,nutritional status,and quality of life(QoL)were assessed at two time points:Baseline and the end of the treatment period(week 12).RESULTS The primary outcomes were the mean difference of glycated haemoglobin(%),fasting plasma glucose,and serum insulin as intervention effects.Secondary outcomes included the measurement of cardiometabolic profile,antioxidative and oxidative stress status,nutritional status indices,and QoL.Tertiary outcomes involved the determination of safety and tolerability,and supplementation compliance.CONCLUSION The present clinical trial will reveal the effectiveness of multigrain supplementation among T2DM patients for the improvement of diabetes management.

Modulatory effect of pineapple peel extract on lipid peroxidation,catalase activity and hepatic biomarker levels in blood plasma of alcoholinduced oxidative stressed rats

Objective:To investigate the ability of the methanolic extract of pineapple peel to modulate alcohol-induced lipid peroxidation,changes in catalase activities and hepatic biochemical marker levels in blood plasma.Methods:Oxidative stress was induced by oral administration of ethanol(20%w/v) at a dosage of 5 niL/kg bw in rats.After 28 days of treatment,the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed by cervical dislocation.Blood was collected with a 2 mL syringe by cardiac puncture and was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min.The plasma was analyzed to evaluate malondialdehyde(MDA),catalase activity,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) concentrations.Results:Administration of alcohol caused a drastic increase(87.74%) in MDA level compared with the control.Pineapple peel extract significantly reduced the MDA level by 60.16%at 2.S mL/kg bw.Rats fed alcohol only had the highest catalase activity,treatment with pineapple peel extract at 2.5 mL/kg bw however, reduced the activity.Increased AST,ALP and ALT activities were observed in rats fed alcohol only respectively,treatment with pineapple peel extract drastically reduced their activities. Conclusions:The positive modulation of lipid peroxidation,catalase activities as well as hepatic biomarker levels of blood plasma by the methanolic extract of pineapple peels under alcoholinduced oxidative stress is an indication of its protective ability in the management of alcoholinduced toxicity.

Optimization of a fermented pumpkin-based beverage to improve Lactobacillus mali survival and-glucosidase inhibitory activity:A response surface methodology approach

The aim of this research was to develop an optimum fermentation and composition model for a new fermented pumpkin-based beverage with high probiotic survival and-glucosidase inhibitory activity.Relationship between fermentation temperature,inoculum and ingredient concentration with response variables(fermentation time at the fermentation endpoint pH 4.5,survival rate of Lactobacillus mali K8 in pumpkin-based beverage treated with simulated gastrointestinal tract enzyme fluids,-glucosidase inhibitory activity and sensory overall acceptability after 4 weeks of refrigerated storage)was investigated using response surface methodology.Optimal formulation was obtained at an approximation of 40%pumpkin puree concentration,8 Log CFU/mL inoculum and at 35℃.The product derived from this optimum formula reached the fermentation endpoint after 28.34±0.10 h and the quality change during 4 weeks storage was studied.The product achieved 88.56±0.67%of L.mali survival after treatment with simulated gastric and intestinal juices;demonstrated 95.89±0.30% α-glucosidase inhibitory activity,as well as scored 6.99±0.40 on sensory overall acceptability after 4 weeks of storage.These findings illustrated that the model is effective in improving probiotic survival and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with excellent sensory acceptability,thus may offer a dietary means for the management of hyperglycaemia.

Antihyperglycemic effect of Ocimum plants:A short review

This present review provides information on the antihyperglycemic effect of the plants belonging to the genus Ocimum. The species of this genus which mostly show significant antihyperglycemic effects are Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Ocimum basilicum L., Ocimum gratissimum L. and Ocimum canum L. The results were shown in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The anti-hyperglycemic activities of different extracts from all these species are reported here. Aqueous extracts are common to show a satisfactory result for all the species. The results for ethanol, methanol, ethyl-acetate, petroleum ether extracts, chloroform and hexane fraction of ethanol extract are also presented here. Some of the results showed a better effect than the standard medicine. Eugenol is the most important bioactive compound among all the components for reducing blood glucose level. Other components include polyphenols, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid compound and chichoric acid, which are reportedly found in these species. There are fewer studies performed to identify the phytochemical components which are responsible for these plants blood glucose, serum glucose and plasma glucose lowering effect. This review presents the studies which have been done lately to establish the antihyperglycemic effects of these plants with a view to identify the core components responsible for this activity in near future.

A Simple,Efficient and Rapid Method for Good Quality DNA Extraction from Rice Grains

An efficient and good DNA extraction protocol should be simple, affordable and yield enough DNA with high quality. Rice(Oryza sativa L.) DNA extraction methods often use seedlings or leaves rather than the grains and tend to be time-consuming, involve multiple steps, and use hazardous chemicals and expensive enzymes. Rice grains offer several benefits over seedlings and leaves as a source of DNA for genetic analysis. However, these benefits are underutilized because the bulk of a rice grain is made up of starch. It is particularly important, but difficult to get rid of the starch while extracting DNA from rice grains. This co-precipitated polysaccharide is a known inhibitor of DNA polymerase activity in polymerase chain reaction(PCR). We describe here a very simple and highly affordable Chelex~?-100 based DNA extraction method from rice grains. It does not require any hazardous chemicals or enzymes. This method reproducibly extracts DNA with good purity indices(A_(260)/A_(230) and A_(260)/A_(280) values), but requires only a few steps.

Hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic study of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.leaves extract in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Objective:To investigate the antidiabetic activity of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.(O.tenuiflorum) leaves used in the traditional medicine management of diabetes in Malaysia.Methods:O.tenuiflorum leaves were extracted sequentially with hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,methanol,and water.The extracts were evaluated in terms of antidiabetic activity by using acute,subcutaneous glucose tolerance,and sub-chronic tests in streptozotocininduced diabetic rats.The extracts were also subjected to phytochemical analyses.Results:With an acute dose(1 g/kg),the methanol extracts showed significant reduction(31%) in fasting blood glucose(FBG) of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.The FBG-decreasing effect of ethyl acetate extract was more rapid than that of the other extracts;the decreasing rates were 20%after 2 h,21%after 3 h,and 8%after 5 and 7 h.After 7 h(31%),the effect of methanol extract on FBG was significantly lower than that of metformin.In the subcutaneous glucose tolerance test,only methanol and hexane extracts showed the similarity of metformin in diabetic rats.After 14 days,the effects of these extracts were similar to those of metformin(63.33%).The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of extracts decreased as the polarity of the extraction solvent increased.Conclusions:The results obtained provide support for a possible use of O.tenuiflorum leaves in managing hyperglycemia and preventing the complications associated with it in type 2 diabetic.

Composition and Physico-Chemical Properties of Meat from Capons Fed Cereals

Chemical composition, physico-chemical properties and fatty acid composition of breast and drumstick meat from capons （castrated male cockerels） fed cereals were studied. Three groups of capons were reared. One group was fed ad libitum the same commercial diet until the 4th mon of life. The last month of its life, the capons of this group were fed corn. The second and third group of capons were fed the same diet from caponization. The second group was fed mixture of corn （50%） and wheat （50%）. The third group of capons was fed 2/3 corn and 1/3 mixture of corn （50%） and barley （50%）. Capons were reared under free-range conditions and slaughtered at 150 d of age. Caponization was performed at 48 d. No signiifcant effects of feeding in chemical composition, pH, water holding capacity, drip and cooking losses and texture of the meat were observed. The meat of the third group （capons fed 83%corn） was more yellow and showed higher content of C18：2 than that of the other capons.

Studies on Effect of Syrup Concentration and Drying Modes on Quality of Kesar Mango Slices

An attempt was made to preserve mango slices by treating with 2% calcium chloride solution followed by dipping into sugar syrup of different concentrations i.e. 50°, 60° and 70 °Brix respectively. The treated slices were subjected for drying in different modes of drying （oven, microwave oven and cabinet tray drying） and analyzed for various physico-chemical and organoleptic quality characteristics. The study revealed that the osmo-air dried slices of mango produced with partial dehydration facilitated by osmotic agent （sugar syrup of 60 °Brix. A fruit： sugar syrup ratio of 1：4 （w/v） for 18 h at 40 ℃ temperature） followed by mechanical drying showed superiority in sensorial quality attributes over other concentrations of ingredients and the rest of the modes of drying. The good quality osmotically dehydrated mango slices could be preserved with maximum retentions of vitamins with better dehydration, rehydration and sensorial quality characteristics.

Effect of pineapple peel extract on total phospholipids and lipid peroxidation in brain tissues of rats

Objective:To investigate the ability of the methanolic extract of pineapple peel to attenuate alcohol-induced changes in total phospholipids and lipid peroxidation in brain tissues. Methods:Oxidative stress was induced by oral administration of ethanol(20%w/v) at a dosage of 5 mL/kg bw in rats.After 28 days of treatment,the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed by cervical dislocation.Brain tissues were assayed for total phospholipid(TP) content and malondialdehyde(MDA).Results:Administration of alcohol significantly caused a reduction in TP content.Treatment with pineapple peel extract significantly increased the TP content. Significant high levels of MDA was observed in alcohol-fed rats,treatment with pineapple peel extract significantly reduced the MDA levels.Conclusions:Results obtained from this study indicates that pineapple peel extract protects against alcohol-induced changes in total phospholipids and lipid peroxidation in brain tissues.

Influence of Aloe Gel Enrichment on the Physicochemical, Textural and Sensory Characteristics of Dahi

Aloe gel, derived from Aloe vera plant is well known for its nutraceutical potential, It is available commercially as a juice with poor sensory quality. The therapeutic benefits of Aloe gel could be extended to food products concomitantly improving its acceptability. Dahi/curd is an Asian fermented dairy product that enjoys tremendous mass appeal. The objective of the present study was to formulate dahi enriched with Aloe gel （AG） as a functional ingredient and to study its effect on the quality of dahi. Plain dahi was prepared by addition of 2.5% skimmed milk powder （SMP） and suitable starter to milk. For the preparation of AG enriched dahi, SMP was replaced by AG at different levels （0.1-0.25%）. The products were evaluated for moisture, pH, titrable acidity （TA）, whey syneresis （WS）, total solid content （TS）, water holding capacity （WHC）, total yield （TY）, whiteness index （WI）, and viscosity. Microbial analysis and sensory evaluation were also carried out. Enrichment of dahi with AG was found to improve its quality characteristics by causing a significant reduction in WS and an increase in TA, TS, WHC, TY, WI and viscosity. AG dahi recorded good sensory acceptability. Storage study also indicated AG dahi to perform better in terms of the various parameters studied. The present investigation suggests the feasibility of adding Aloe gel powder as a functional ingredient to dahi to enhance product quality as well as its nutritional and therapeutic potency. It could be commercially exploited as a novel product.

Value-Added Utilization of Agro-Waste Derived Oil Palm Ash in Epoxy Composites

Oil palm ash(OPA)is an agro-industry waste and it has disposable problems.In the present study,an effort was made for value addition to OPA by incorporating it as a micro-filler in different concentration(0,10,20,30,40,and 50%)and sizes(100,200,and 300 mesh size particles)in the epoxy matrix.Prepared micro OPA was having a crystallinity index of 65.4%,high inorganic elements,and smooth surface morphology.Fabricated composites had higher void content as compared to neat epoxy matrix.Mechanical properties of fabricated composites had a maximum value at 30%loading of 300 mesh-size filler due to its low void content and size as compared to filler of 100 and 200 mesh size.Further increase in the concentration of OPA filler after 30 wt%of loading leads to the agglomeration of OPA microparticles and thereby resulted in the reduction of mechanical characteristics such as tensile strength,tensile modulus,flexural strength and flexural modulus of the composites.However,elongation at break decreased with increase in filler content at all percentage.Thermal stability and char residue percentage of composite increased with the concentration of filler at all percentage.Surface morphology of composite showed that OPA incorporation lead towards its roughness and cracks were originated from the site of OPA embedded in the epoxy matrix.The 300 mesh-size particles were having the best effect on composite as compared to 100 and 200 mesh-size filler.