JOURNAL OF NUTRITION SCIENCES & FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Year:2016 | Volume:11 | Issue:2|Papers Count:16

Background and Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common chronic liver diseases thorough the world. The pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver is closely associated with obesity and insulin resistance. There is evidence suggesting a relationship between ginger intake and NAFLD risk factor management. The objective of present study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with ginger on liver enzymes, hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in patients with NAFLD.Materials and Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 50 patients with NAFLD were divided into two groupsand receiving daily 2 gram ginger or placebo for 12 weeks. Both groups were advised to follow an energy-balanced diet and recommended to perform physical activity. Liver enzymes and hepatic fibrosis and steatosis were assessed at the baseline and at the end of the study. The SPSS 20th software was used for data analysis.Results: Among the 50 volunteers, 23 patients in the treatment group and 21 patients in the control group completed the study. At baseline no significant differences were seen in the background variables between the two groups. Ginger supplementation compared to placebo resulted in a significant reduction in alanine aminotransferase, g-glutamyl transferase and hepatic steatosis grade (P-value < 0.001). We did not find any significant effect of taking ginger supplements on the levels of hepatic fibrosis and aspartate aminotransferase (P-value = 0.39, P-value – 0.886, respectively).Conclusion: This study showed that ginger flaxseed supplementation can act as a new therapeutic approach in NAFLD management.

Background and Objectives: Several studies have indicated the protective effect of Mediterranean Dietary Pattern (MDP) in psychological disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between adherence to the MDP with depression, anxiety and stress among adolescent girls in Tehran.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 280 high-school female adolescents aged 15-18 years in Tehran were selected using the multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. Usual dietary intake during the past year was assessed by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and adherence to the MDP was characterized using MSDPS (Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score). The subscale scores of psychological disorders were determined by DASS-21 (Depression Anxiety Stress Score-21 items) questionnaire. The Post Hoc Bonferroni test was used to compare the mean score of each psychological subscale between the highest and lowest quintiles of MSDPS.Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, depression subscale score in the fifth quintile of MSDPS was significantly lower than in the first quintile (the difference between the first and fifth quintiles = -4.72, 95% CI= -9.67-0.22, P=0.04). However, no other significant relationship was found between the first and fifth quintile of MSDPS regarding to the anxiety and stress subscale scores.Conclusion: Adherence to the MDP can be associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms.

Background and Objectives: Findings from few studies that investigated the relation between dietary behaviors and obesity are inconsistent. We aimed to assess the relation between patterns of dietary habits, identified by latent class analysis (LCA) and obesity in a large sample of Iranian adults.Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study on 7958 adults, dietary behaviors were assessed in five domains (meal patterns, eating rate, intra-meal fluid intake, meal-to-sleep interval and fatty foods intake) using a pretested questionnaire. LCA was applied to identify classes of diet-related practices. Anthropometric measures were assessed through the use of a validated self-reported questionnaire. General and abdominal obesities were defined as a body mass index ³30 kg/m2 and a waist circumference ³88 cm for women, ³102 cm for men.Results: General and abdominal obesityies were prevalent in 9.7 and 27.7% of the study population, respectively. We identified three distinct classes of eating rates (moderate, moderate-to-slow and moderateto- fast), two classes of meal patterns (regular and irregular), two classes of intra-meal fluid intake (moderate and much intra-meal drinking), three classes of meal-to-sleep interval (short, moderate and long meal-tosleep interval), and three classes of fatty foods intake (low, moderate and high intake of fatty foods). After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals with ‘irregular meal pattern’ were 21%, 24% and 22%, respectively more likely to be overweight/obese, abdominally overweight/obese and abdominally obese, compared with those who had a ‘regular meal pattern’. Individuals with ‘much intra-meal drinking’ had greater odds of overweight (OR: 1.37; 1.19-1.58) and obesity (OR: 1.51; 1.16-1.97) than those with ‘moderate intra-meal drinking’. Moderate intake of fatty foods was inversely associated with abdominally overweight/obese (OR: 0.85; 0.73-1.00) and abdominally obesity (OR: 0.80; 0.68-0.96) compared with ‘low intake of fatty foods’. No significant association was observed between eating rate, meal-to-sleep interval and general or abdominal obesity, after controlling for confounders.Conclusion: Irregular meal pattern and much intra-meal drinking were associated with increased odds of general and abdominal obesities, whereas moderate intake of fatty foods was related to the decreased odds of central obesity among Iranian adults.

Background and Objectives: Due to the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity among rural children, despite the high prevalence of underweight, identification of dietary patterns and their association with weight status can provide valuable information about health of children. This study was conducted to detect major dietary patterns and their relationship with weight status in school age children in rural areas of Bijar, Iran.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 255 rural school age children living in the rural areas of Bijar were selected by simple random sampling. Dietary intakes during the past year were examined by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Assessment of anthropometric indicators, physical activity, and socioeconomic information was performed by standard methods. Dietary patterns were determined using factor analysis, and their relation to weight status of children was investigated.Results: Three major dietary patterns, “traditional”, “modern” and “mixed” were identified. There was no significant adjusted relationship between overweight or obese and identified dietary patterns. After adjustment for age and physical activity, individuals in the highest quartile of the traditional dietary pattern score were more likely to be overweight or obese (OR = 4.33, CI 95%: 1.14 -16.46). More adherence to modern dietary pattern resulted in a significant increase in the odds ratio of severe thinness and thinness (P for trend = 0.04).Conclusion: Modern and mixed dietary patterns next to the traditional dietary pattern can be found among rural children. While following the traditional dietary pattern probably due to higher energy is associated with an increased risk of obesity, modern dietary pattern leads to thinness in rural areas.

Background and Objectives: The results of some studies suggest that garlic and its products at baseline prevent oxidative stress due the incidence of adverse oxidative changes in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to determine the effect of short-term supplementation of garlic extract on total serum creatine kinase followed by an exhaustive activity in active and inactive girls were doing.Materials and Methods: The total of 24 female participants were randomly selected (12 active and 12 inactive). Mean age, height, weight, and maximal oxygen consumption of subjects in the active and inactive groups were (22.1±0.63 years, 162±0.05cm, 54.25±7.95kg, and 39.94±8.97ml/kg/min) and (21.8±.98years165±.06cm, 55.73±5.65kg, and 32.42±5.18ml/kg/min), respectively. Both groups completed 14 days of garlic extract supplementation/intake (800 mg per day). Then all the subjects were included in the contract during exhaustive exercise. Initial blood samples were taken at baseline before the start of supplementation; a second blood sample was taken after completion of supplementation; and the third sample was taken after exhaustive activity. Normal data were analyzed with SPSS software (ver. 19) using repeated ANOVA test, Bonferroni test, and t-test at significance level of 5%.Results: It was revealed that the 14-day consumption of garlic extract on the basis of the study had no significant effect. This extract also failed to increase the damage of creatine kinase after exhaustive activities in the active and passive girls (P<0.05). However, there was a significant difference in increase of enzyme level after exhaustive activity between the active and inactive groups (P<0.05).Conclusion: The results indicated that creatine kinase levels after exhaustive activity were significantly lower in the active group than in the inactive group; garlic extract plus exercise is recommended.

Background and Objectives: Because of its stimulant effects, caffeine has long enjoyed wide acceptance among the various strata of the society. This study aims to determine the effect of short-term caffeine supplementation on some of antioxidant (GPx and SOD) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) indices responses in serum active men after one-session aerobic exercise.Materials and Methods: Twenty active males (mean age 25±3 years, body fat 13±2% and VO2max 52±4 ml/kg-1/min) into a experimental, randomized and double-blind design were divided in two homogeneous supplement and placebo groups (5 mg.kg-1.day Caffeine or Dextrose). After 14 days of supplementation, all subjects were participated in the aerobic exercise protocol (running on the treadmill at the -15% incline for 30 min with 65% VO2max). Blood samples were taken at three phases (baseline, after supplementation period and immediately after the exercise). Data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA, Bonferroni and independent t-test at a£0.05.Results: The results showed that the 14-days caffeine intake had significant effect on the basal ant ioxidative enzymes (GPx and SOD) capacity (P£0.05). Moreover, 30 min aerobic exercise significantly reduced ant ioxidative power (P£0.05) and significantly increased in the oxidative stress markers (MDA) (P£0.05). However, increased levels of oxidative stress markers in the placebo group were significantly more than in the caffeine group (P£0.05).Conclusion: Our results suggest that the increased basal ant ioxidative capacity (GPx and SOD) following caffeine supplementation can decrease the undesirable alterations of exercise-induced oxidative damage (MDA) in active males.

Background and Objectives: Diabetes is a common disease, and different methods have so far been recommended for its treatment and control. Since the use of herbal medicines has fewer side effects than many chemical drugs, this study aimed to investigate the effect of Ginger together with swimming training on blood fat profiles in adult diabetic rats with streptozotocin.Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 60 adult rats, which were randomly divided into four groups including Swim, Ginger, Swim with ginger, and Control. The training program included 30 minutes of swimming, five times a week for 4 weeks. At the end, by phlebotomizing the rats’ heart, Low-density lipoprotein, Very low-density lipoprotein, Triglycerides, Cholesterol and High-density lipoprotein were measured. The one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test were used for data analysis (05.0 = a).Results: The results showed that Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, Triglycerides and Total cholesterol were significantly lower in the Ginger, Swimming, and Swimming exercise with ginger extract groups than in the control group, but High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly higher than in the control group.Conclusion: Swiming together with ginger extract is effective on blood fat profiles in diabetic rats and improves them.

Background and Objectives: Pomegranate seed oil contains significant amounts of estrols such as b- sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and also, a, b and g tocopherols. The object of this article is encapsulation of pomegranate seed oil in zein nanoparticles and investigation of the stability of these encapsulated functional compounds in food systems model (such as acidic beverages) and passing under gastric simulating conditions and release in the intestinal tract.Materials and Methods: Zein was chemically cross-linked with citric acid in the presence of sodium hydroxide as catalyst. Water was then used to desolvate the zein and generate core-free or pomegranate seed oil-loaded particles.Results: The mean sizes of the particles obtained from non-cross-linked and cross-linked zeins were 350 and 246 nm, respectively. Cross-linking of the particles resulted to increase in the oil encapsulation efficiency from 87% to 95%. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a spherical morphology for particles. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the occurrence of chemical linkages between citric acid and zein. Also it was found that oil entrapment inside the zein particles was merely physical.Conclusion: The results showed that citric acid in the presence of NaOH as alkaline catalyst can be used successfully for production of cross-linked zein.

Background and Objectives: Listeria monocytogenes population is one of the effective parameters in the quality and durability of feta cheese during its ripening. Reducing this population is one of the important problems for manufacturers. This study was carried with the aim of modeling the effect of the free form of nisin on reduction of listeria monocytogenes population in feta cheese using cellular automata; while saving time and cost to perform biological experiments, important issues analyzed in this model.Materials and Methods: In this paper, we used capabilities of cellular automata such as simplicity of structure, being formulated, and producing interesting and complex behaviors of simple cells to provide a model. For this purpose, first, we defined the characteristics and rules of listeria monocytogenes and nisin. Then we executed the resulting model for two states (i.e. lack of nisin and presence of nisin in free form) by Netlogo simulator and in five time periods. Finally, the results of the runs were observed and analyzed in the form of graphs and values.Results: The results showed that in the absence of nisin, durability and stability of quality cheese during ripening will not be increased. Moreover, the addition of nisin in free form had no influence on the quality of cheese, and even in this state, the rate of reduction of listeria monocytogenes population was lower than in the state of the absence of nisin.Conclusion: Our analysis demonstrated that cellular automata is a powerful tool for modeling the effect of the free form of nisin on reduction of listeria monocytogenes population in feta cheese. Also the results showed that this model is a good starting point to create models for assessing the durability of a wide range of food products.

Background and Objectives: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most widely used containers in both the packaging and food industries. Despite having convenient features, components of the PET polymer structure including phthalates may migrate into food, and the accumulation of these compounds in the human body may cause health problems.Material and Methods: 27 samples of rose water with 1 liter volume were collected from one of the factories of Fars Province, Iran. Levels of phthalates migration were measured by air assisted liquid liquid micro-extraction method coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) at 4, 25 and 42 °C temperatures at 2 days, 2 weeks and 2 months.Results: On the second day, with an increase of temperature from 4˚C to 25˚C, the migrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and di-butyl phthalate (DBP) increased from 14.76 to 24.55 ppb and 131.9 to 149.6 ppb, respectively. When the temperature increased further to 42 °C, the migration levels increased by 8.9 and 29.4 ppb, respectively. Finally, at the end of the second month, migration of DMP and DBP at 4, 25 and 42 °C reached to 38.6, 67.8 and 83.05 ppb & 173.7, 181.1 and 268.7 ppb, respectively.Conclusion: PET containers are not suitable for storing distillates. Additionally, measuring migration in glass containers has demonstrated that the plastic reservoirs, in which distillates are stored are important causes of phthalates migration. Therefore, in order to raise public health levels, it is recommended that alternative reservoirs made of glass and stainless steel be used.

Background and Objectives: The use of prebiotic compounds to stimulate growth of probiotics in dairy products has been important subject in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oat and rice bran on Lactobacillus acidophilus survivability and increase nutritional value of low-fat yogurt.Materials and Methods: In this study, different amounts of oat and rice bran (0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2%) were added to low-fat milk and after pasteurization, commercial yogurt culture starter within 1% concentration of 2 McFarland turbidity of Lactobacillus acidophilus was added. After incubation, the number of Lactobacillus acidophilus were counted on MRS-Bile agar. Sensory assessment of the treatment was done by five-point Hedonic scale method.Results: The results showed that in 1.2 % of oat bran and rice bran concentration, number of Lactobacillus acidophilus were 7.7 log and 7.57 log respectively in day 0 of storage. Whereas, in the control group, 7.2 log and 7.25 log were observed, respectively. Also during the storage period, decreasing in the number of Lactobacillus acidophilus was significantly lower than control group (P£0.05). So in the 28th day of storage, the number of bacteria in all treatments containing oat and rice bran were higher than 107cfu/gr but in the control group, its number was lower than this amount. The increase of oat and rice bran concentration lead to significant decrease in the taste and flavor scores of final product (P< 0.05). Rice bran had worse influence on the sensory attribute than oat bran.Conclusion: It was observed that oat and rice bran have prebiotic effects on Lactobacillus acidophilus in low-fat yogurt and could be added to this functional product in order to improve survivability of Lactobacillus acidophilus during the storage time.

Background and Objectives: Walnut green husk is one of agricultural residues that can be considered as natural compound with biological properties because of its phenolic compounds. In the present work, the goal is extraction of aqueous extract of green walnut skin and studying the effect of extraction temperature on the phenolic compounds and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of extract. Meanwhile, the effects of spray dried encapsulation process of extract in malt odextrin on the biological activity of extract are investigated.Materials and Methods: In this study, walnut green husk (Sozani variety) was extracted in two temperatures of 25 and 80 °C. Then it was encapsulated in 10% maltodextrin in three different concentrations of extract (0.5, 1 & 2 mg/ml) using spray drying method. Total phenol of the extract was evaluated before and after encapsulation. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract of walnut green husk was determined before and after microencapsulation by the scavenging effect on DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals. Antimicrobial activity of the extract was determined by Agar well Diffusion Method against gram positive (Bacillus cereus, staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium).Result: It was revealed that the effect of extraction temperature on total phenolic compounds was significant (p<0.05). The samples extracted in 80°C had more phenol components (39.77 mg GAE/g) than the samples extracted in room temperature (28.88 mg GAE/g). Encapsulation efficiency was increased by increasing the extract concentration. The 2 mg/ml concentration of free and microencapsulated extract obtained at 80 °C had the highest scavenging effect on the DPPH radicals (85.05 & 81.05%, respectively). In addition, 2 mg/ml concentration of free and microencapsulated aqueous extracts of walnut green husk showed the highest inhibitory effect against Gram-positive bacteria. The results further showed no significance differences in the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of free and microencapsulated aqueous extracts of walnut green husk.Conclusion: Sozani walnut green husk can be used as a cheap source of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds due to having high amount of phenolic compounds. Therefore, microencapsulation can be used as an efficient method for increasing the stability of walnut green husk extract against the environmental conditions.

Background and Objectives: In addition to the numerous benefits of bio polymeric nano complex, it has drawbacks including difficulty in strict control of particle size and to prevent particle agglomeration. In this study, the influence of Tween 20 on the electrostatic interaction between sodium caseinate and gum Arabic was evaluated.Materials and Methods: Initially, the organic phase (curcumin in ethanol) was introduced to aqueous phase (sodium caseinate, gum Arabic and Tween 20). Then by reducing the pH, the nanoparticles were formed. To evaluate the effects of the independent variables on the responses, the Box-Behnken design was used. The antioxidant activity of samples was evaluated by 1, 1diphenyl 2 picryl hydrazyl radical inhibition assay.Results: Tween 20 has a significant effect on particle size, and particle size distribution (p<0.0001). Sodium caseinate and Tween 20 have significant effects on the encapsulation efficiency and antioxidant activity of curcumin nano capsules (p<0.0001). Using desirability function, optimal processing conditions was achieved in the sodium caseinate concentration (0.28%), Arabic gum concentration (0.5469%), Tween 20 concentration (0.18%) and pH (5.02).Conclusion: Due to the high encapsulation efficiency and antioxidant activity of curcumin nano complex and no need for high energy equipment such as homogenizer, this method is suggested as a simple, fast and lowenergy technique.

Background and Objectives: Lysinoalanine (LAL) is created in the course of preparation of infant formula during the heat processing, alkaline pH, b elimination, dehydroalanine production and reaction with amines group. Produced LAL not only results in losses of necessary amino acids’ content, but also could cause nephrotoxic effects. So the formulated infant formula must be free from LAL. In this study, HPLC for detection and determination of LAL was developed and validated.Materials and Methods: HPLC conditions were optimized (C18 Column, Fluorescence detector, Column temperature 30℃, flow rate 0.9 ml/min. Mobile phase consisted of mixed phosphate buffer, pH: 7, acetonitrile and pure acetonitrile in gradient elution), and LAL was dansylated by adding dansyl chloride. The method was validated according to the above conditions. 10 infant formula brands were analyzed according to the validated method.Results: The calibration curve for concentration versus LAL peak area (R2= 0.9949) was linear in the range of 5_80 mg/L. LOD and LOQ were 2 and 5 mg/L respectively, and the accuracy result (recovery range) was within 83.6-87.7%. Assessment of precision showed that the relative standard deviation (RSD%) of concentration and area peak of spike samples in the intra-day study were less than 2.7% and 3.8% respectively, and in inter-day study were less than 7.4% and 5.2%, respectively. In the analyzed infant formula in seven samples, LAL was not detectable, and it was detected between LOD and LOQ only in three samples.Conclusion: This method is a valuable validated way, available, reliable and cost benefit in LAL detection and determination in infant formula.