Food Science and Nutrition

The chemical or metabolic compositions of tea (Camellia sinensis) varies according to numerous factors, such as geographical origin, cultivar, climate, plucking position, and horticultural practices. However, how the age of tea plants affects the metabolite compositions of tea leaves has not been reported yet. Therefore, we extended the metabolomic approach to the investigation of the age-related differences of tea leaf metabolites in the fresh leaves collected from tea plants aged 8 and 25 years. Multivariate statistical analysis with comprehensive metabolite profiles analyzed by 1 H NMR spectroscopy showed the clear metabolic differentiation between the fresh tea leaves from different ages of the tea plants. Of the various tea leaf metabolites varied according to the age of the tea plants, theanine, glutamine, catechin, and gallocatechin were uniquely dependent on the age of tea plants, demonstrating a difference of theanine metabolism between young and old tea plants. These results suggest that leaves from 25-year-old tea plants would still be worthy as a functional ingredient for the production in the food or cosmetic industry rather than quality-enhanced tea infusions for human consumption.

Bromelain is a complex mixture of proteases and non-proteases components found in pineapple (Ananas cosmosus). The objective of this study was to find out a suitable extraction and purification process. Then characterize the pulp and stem bromelain enzyme and compare the effectiveness of those enzyme as anti-browning agent with commercial anti-browning agents. Both the stem and pulp extracted with sodium citrate buffer had higher protein content 1.178 and 0.332 mg/mL, respectively. Enzyme activity of stem bromelain was higher in extracted with sodium citrate buffer (0.0031 U/mL) and enzyme activity of pulp bromelain was higher in distilled water extraction (0.0085 U/mL). Bromelain with ethanol precipitation had higher protein content and enzyme activity than ammonium sulfate. The results showed that ammonium sulfate precipitation was achieved higher purification fold (1.76) and activity yield 27.53%. Bromelain showed a maximum activity at pH 8.5 and at 50°C temperature for 30 min. S...

BackgroundPoverty and health illiteracy, combined with inappropriate systems to track disease and infection rates, contribute to children-and-mothers’ poor adherence to nutrient-rich foods intake in Bangladesh. Although risk factors for child and pregnant women malnutrition have been explored, the relationship between Bangladeshi adults’ nutrition literacy and their demographics and personal beliefs remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between adults’ nutrition literacy, demographics and personal beliefs in a large sample of Bangladeshi adults.MethodsFour hundred adults from two districts (Dhaka and Chattogram) of Bangladesh participated in a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected by interviews using a structured questionnaire containing the Nutrition Literacy Scale. Multiple linear regression models were employed to analyze associations between nutrition literacy and related factors.ResultsThe mean nutrition literacy score was 21.6 (SD: 3.7...

A combination of nutritionally inferior diets and improper feeding practices are major contributing factors to the development of childhood malnutrition. Complementary feeding improvement should be of highest priority for nutrition of infant and young children containing all essential nutrients at required amount. The objective of this study was designed to investigate the inclusion of weaning food formulation and evaluating compositional and functional properties of the products. The analysis undertaken in this study was infant food formulation, proximate composition, mineral concentration and sensory properties. The moisture content in this study ranged from 1.49 ± 0.12 to 3.89 ±0.12, crude protein from 15.09 ± 0.05 to 16.79± 0.01, crude fat from 11.11 ± 0.07 to 12.80 ± 0.00, total ash from 2.06 ± 0.03 to 2.21 ± 0.00, carbohydrate from 65.9740 ± 0.24 to 68.2641 ± 0.14 and energy value ranged from 431.68 ± 0.05 to 449.18 ± 0.57. From the result provided, sample-A contained the high...

Aims: This study was intended to investigate and quantify the phytochemicals and the antioxidant activities of fresh and powdered wheatgrass. Study Design:  The experiment was performed by solvent extraction technique for determining the phytochemicals of wheatgrass samples. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Food engineering laboratory in Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh between June 2018 and December 2018. Methodology: Fresh and powdered wheatgrass were used for the experiment. Methanol and ethanol solutions were separately utilized, in an attempt to assume the efficient solvent for extraction. UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods were employed in general throughout the study. Total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), DPPH scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the total chlorophyll contents of both solvent extracts were analyzed. Results: Phytochemicals and antioxida...

A high performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC) equipped with photodiode array detector (PDA) has been used to determine the water-soluble vitamin B complex ( B1, B2, B3, and B6) in eleven selected vegetables of Bangladesh. The results showed varied levels of vitamin B-complexes. Precisely, Thankuni leaves showed the highest contents of vitamin B1; 0.19 mg/100 g, and vitamin B2; 0.25 mg/100g. Higher content of vitamin B3 (0.59 mg/100 g) were quantified in Coriander leaves, but absent in Jute leaves. On the other hand, the maximum quantified amount of B6 (0.73 mg/100 g) was detected in Carrot. In contrast, there was no detectable vitamin B6 in Jute, and Mint leaves and Cabbage. The findings of the current study may supplement the current Food Composition Table for Bangladesh (FCTB) by providing nutritional information of vitamin B complex in leafy and non-leafy vegetables which can also be used for calculating the habitual dietary intake and/or nutritional survey purposes.