Rapid and easy carotenoid quantification in Ghanaian starchy staples using RP-HPLC-PDA

Composite Flour from Indonesian Local Food Resources to Develop Cereal/Tuber Nut/Bean-Based Ready-to-Use Supplementary Foods for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Moderate Acute Malnutrition in Children

Undernourishment is a threat to human health. The prevalence of undernourishment remains alarming, especially among children under five years old in many countries, including Indonesia. Nowadays, the handling of undernourishment has shifted to treatment outside the hospital, utilizing local nutrient-rich foods. At the national level, the utilization of local food resources is a part of the promotion of dietary diversification and the bioeconomy. Ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) refers to supplementary foods aimed at improving the nutrition of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) children under five years old. RUSF biscuit recipes were made using local food resources available in Banten province, Indonesia. To optimize the nutritional profile of the developed RUSF, taro/talas banten were mixed with ground-nut/peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and mungbean (Vigna radiata) as protein and lipid sources and red rice (Oryza longistaminata) and maize (Zea mays) as carbohydrate sources, and enriched by the local banana Nangka (Musa textilia). Two formulations were selected for the pilot testing, namely the taro-peanut and taro-peanut/mungbean RUSF biscuits, made from taro Banten, cereal, peanut and/or mungbean, and local banana. The RUSF biscuit showed promising results, presenting a high level of acceptance and a macronutrient composition that meets the standards for MAM children. However, the RUSF biscuits should be fortified with micronutrient premix to fulfill the dietary requirement for the MAM children. The results of this study provide further development opportunities.

Bioaccessibility of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity of seed-used pumpkin byproducts powders as affected by particle size and corn oil during in vitro digestion process

Powders made from seed-used pumpkin flesh (SUPF) are potential sources of carotenoids. In this study, unexplored effects of particle size and corn oil on bioaccessible amounts of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity of SUPF powders during in vitro digestion process were investigated. Overall, total carotenoid relative bioaccessibility (TCRB) of 100 mesh-sized powder (100 MP, 15.46%) was higher than that of 18 mesh-sized powder (18 MP, 12.94%). With the addition of 2% corn oil, TCRB increased 108.35% (18 MP) and 88.55% (100 MP), respectively. Lutein (≥27160 µg/100 g) and β-carotene (≥5192 µg/100 g) were main carotenoid monomers in SUPF and significantly correlated with DPPH radical scavenging activity of digestive supernatant (p < 0.05). Notably, DPPH radical scavenging activity of 18 MP increased 96.54% with corn oil. These results implied that smaller particle size and oil addition could improve bioaccessible amounts of carotenoids and antioxidant capacity of SUPF powders.

Climate Change Enhanced Carotenoid Pro-Vitamin A Levels of Selected Plantain Cultivars

Diet diversification and the exploitation of traditional, micronutrient-rich germplasm of staple crops are generally regarded as sustainable and low-cost approaches to increase the micronutrient intake of resource-poor people. Sun's UV index was collected daily throughout the year. The study assessed the seasonality of provitamin A carotenoids in three plantain cultivars in response to climatic condition. Fruits were harvested at three maturities and freeze-dried before analysis. The results showed that there were high levels of the sun's UV-B radiations throughout the year with the highest occurring from November to May when the area experienced clear skies with minimal cloud cover. These high levels of the sun's UV-B index occurred between 9.00 h GMT and 17.00 h GMT. The study also showed that α-carotene content increased with maturity in "Apantu" during the rainy seasons ranging from 95 to 172 μg/100 g of dry pulp. Similar trends were observed during the dry season with a range of 28 to 489 μg/100 g. The α-carotene contents were very high in the periods of high sun's UV-B radiations compared to the periods of low sun's UV-B radiations. The α-carotene levels in the giant French plantains showed similar trends. Intermediate French "Oniaba" and False Horn "Apantu" plantain cultivar showed the highest content of β-carotene during the dry season. The high provitamin A carotenoid levels in the cultivars coincided with the high levels of the sun's UV index.