Solanum torvum (STO) and edible insects are potential dietary approaches to prevent malnutrition. Hence, we determined the effect of STO and insect powders on improving nutritional status in malnourished rats. Malnutrition was induced in rats by feeding 5% protein, ~2 ppm Fe (LPI) diet for 21 days. During the 14 day repletion, five groups of rats (n = 8) were fed diets supplemented with Acheta domesticus (cricket, ADO), Rhynchophorus phoenicis fabricius (palm weevil larvae, RFA), STO, ADO + STO (TAD), and casein + ferrous sulfate (PIS, positive control), as well as a non-supplemented group (negative control, LPI). A normal (NOM) group was fed protein-Fe sufficient (PIS) diet throughout the study. Body composition was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The hemoglobin (Hb) repletion method was used to assess relative biological value (RBV, compared to PIS) of the supplemented groups. No differences were found in weight gain, bone mineral content, lean and fat mass, and organ weights among the edible insects and PIS groups, but these results differed from STO and the LPI groups. An increase in Hb Fe and RBV with ADO and RFA was comparable to PIS. ADO and RFA could be excellent sources of protein and bioavailable Fe, making it a sustainable, low-cost food source to prevent malnutrition in humans.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/10/2481/pdf

Alternative Protein and Iron Sources from Edible Insects but Not Solanum torvum Improved Body Composition and Iron Status in Malnourished Rats.

By-products of edible plants may contain potentially useful phytochemicals. Herein, we valorized the by-products of Capsicum chinense by phytochemical characterization of its leaves, peduncles and stems. Plants of habanero pepper were grown in a greenhouse, in polyethylene bags with two soils that were named according to the Maya classification as: K’ankab lu’um (red soil) and Box lu’um (black soil). Habanero pepper by-products were dried using an oven, the extracts were obtained by Ultrasound Assisted Extraction, and phytochemical quantification in all the extracts was conducted by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Diode Array Detector (UPLC-DAD). Differences in the phytochemical content were observed according to the by-product and soil used. Catechin and rutin showed the highest concentrations in the peduncles of plants grown in both soils. The leaves of plants grown in black soil were rich in myricetin, β-carotene, and vitamin E, and the stems showed the highest protocatechuic acid content. While the leaves of plants grown in red soil were rich in myricetin and vitamin C, the stems showed the highest chlorogenic acid content. This novel information regarding the phytochemical composition of the by-products of C. chinense may be relevant in supporting their potential application in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Phytochemical Characterization of By-Products of Habanero Pepper Grown in Two Different Types of Soils from Yucatán, Mexico.



Carotenoids are natural plant pigments and precursors of vitamin A,
which provide a health benefit, protect against chronic degenerative diseases, and contribute to immune
functions. Utilization and identification of foods with a high content of carotenoids received
greater attention nowadays.



The present study was aimed at evaluating total carotenoids content (TCC) and carotene
composition of unconventional leafy vegetables growing in Bangladesh.



The samples were collected from different locations of Bangladesh and
mixed together to ensure sample representativeness. Acetone–petroleum ether extraction followed
by spectrophotometric measurement was utilized for quantification of TCC. High-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC- DAD) was used to separate and quantify carotene components.



The TCC values ranged from 129.38 μg/100 g edible portion (EP) in Helencha
to 12803.31 μg/100 g EP in Roktodrone. The study findings also revealed that the selected
plant samples exhibited high content of β-carotene ranging from 120.99 μg/100 g EP in Parul to
11301.16 μg/100 g EP in Roktodrone. It was also observed that most of the vegetables analyzed
did not have α-carotene, lycopene, β-cryptoxanthin or it was in such a small quantity that could not
be detected with HPLC.



 It can be suggested that regular intake of these vegetables may provide pro-vitamin A.
In order to address the vitamin A deficiency and to maintain biodiversity, the analysis of
carotenoids composition of these unconventional plant foods is to be initiated and make it available
to the mass population. It would also fill up the data gap in the existing food composition table of
Bangladesh.


Total Carotenoids Content and Assessment of Carotene Profile by High- Performance Liquid Chromatography in Selected Vegetables of Bangladesh with Special Reference to Some Unconventional Varieties

Green leafy vegetables are rich in carotenoids. The study investigated the effect of duration of storage and cooking time on the carotenoids in Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon, locally known as ‘adeimey’ and ‘gboma’ respectively. The storage conditions were: overnight at room temperature (25°C), refrigeration for one day and a week, and cooking at 100 o C for thirty minutes. The three individual carotenoids and total carotenoid content (TCC) were quantified using HPLC and by measuring absorbance at 450 nm, respectively. The TCC varied from 17.1 mg/100 g to 670.2 mg/100 g. The β-carotene content ranged from 7.5 mg/100 g to 196.3 mg/100 g while lutein ranged from 1.4 mg/100 g to 112.8 mg/100 g. The zeaxanthin content ranged from 0.7 mg/100 g to 16.3 mg/100 g. These results show that the two green leafy vegetables are good sources of carotenoids. There were variations in the concentrations of carotenoids in Solanum macrocarpon and Corchorus olitorius with the latter having a higher carotenoids content than the former. β-carotene was the most predominant carotenoid whilst zeaxanthin was the lowest in the vegetables studied. It was observed that the β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and the total carotenoid contents decreased drastically when the vegetables were left to stand overnight at room temperature, refrigerated for one day and a week and then cooked for thirty minutes. These findings suggest modification in the storage and cooking practices of these green leafy vegetables to ensure retention of the carotenoids for the best nutritional value and health benefit; hence the need for policy towards nutrition education on vegetable processing and storage.

/pdf/carotenoids-content-of-corchorus-olitorius-and-solanum-1mst2skkra.pdf

Carotenoids content of Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon - commonly used Ghanaian vegetables

Antioxidant content and activity of selected African leafy green vegetables in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) : determination using simulated GIT digestion

Green leafy vegetables are good sources of antioxidants. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of storage and cooking time on the antioxidant properties of two commonly used Ghanaian vegetables: Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon locally known as "adeimey" and "gboma" respectively. The storage conditions were: Left to stand overnight at room temperature, refrigerated for one day and refrigerated for one week, and cooked for ten and thirty minutes at 100oC. The reducing power and the total carotenoid content were determined by measuring absorbance using a Shimadzu UV-120-02 spectrophotometer at 700nm and 450 nm respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was determined by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl- hydrazil (DPPH) method. The antioxidant activity (AOA) ranged from 91.59 to 38.42%. The total carotenoid content (TCC) varied from 5.10 to 27.30 mg/100 g. The reducing power ranged from 9.52 to 50.59%. The results show that Solanum macrocarpon and Corchorus olitorius are good sources of antioxidants with the later exhibiting higher antioxidant properties than the former. However the AOA, TCC and reducing power decreased drastically when the vegetables were refrigerated for one day and one week and cooked for thirty minutes at 100oC. Similarly the AOA, TCC and reducing power decreased slightly when the stored vegetables were cooked for ten minutes. These findings suggest modification in the storage and cooking practices of these green leafy vegetables to ensure retention of antioxidants for the best nutritional value and health benefit. The results also indicate that in areas where refrigeration is not possible, vegetables can be left overnight at room temperature to preserve the antioxidants in them.

A. O. Danquah

Papers

Carotenoids content of Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon - commonly used Ghanaian vegetables

Effect of storage and cooking time on the antioxidant properties of two commonly used ghanaian vegetables