Exploring the nutritional and phytochemical potential of sorghum in food processing for food security

Inclusion of Sorghum in Cyprinus carpio L. Diet: Effects on Growth, Flesh Quality, Microbiota, and Oxidative Status

This study investigates the impact of including sorghum in the diet of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) on its growth, blood parameters, meat composition, intestinal microbiota, and oxidative stress. Experimental diets with varying sorghum content (0%-V0 or control, 10%-V1, 20%-V2, and 30%-V3) were administered to carp weighing 43 g initially. Notably, in the 30% variant, sorghum entirely replaced corn and barley in the diet. Chemical analysis of sorghum unveiled a protein content of 14% and a fat content of 3.9%. Sorghum inclusion led to a decline in final body weight and weight gain, particularly notable in the V3 group with 30% sorghum. However, other physiological parameters, such as feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate, and organ indices, remained unaffected. Protein and salt content in carp flesh increased with higher sorghum inclusion levels, while hematological parameters showed minimal variations. Analysis of the intestinal microbiota revealed increases in both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial populations with sorghum inclusion. Furthermore, sorghum concentration inversely correlated with glutathione levels and positively correlated with malondialdehyde content, indicating a disruption of antioxidant defense mechanisms and elevated oxidative stress.

Antidepressive-Like Effect of Aegle marmelos Leaf Extract in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Depression-Like Behaviour in Rats

Background

Depression is a psychiatric disorder leading to anhedonia and lack of interest and motivation. Depressive symptoms are triggered by stressful life events, and patients with major depression are at significantly increased risk of attempting suicide. The crucial concern in depression treatment with antidepressant medications is that few weeks are required to show the therapeutic effect along with moderate side effects. The use of herbal medications is a new strategy for the treatment of depression which is often based on medicinal plants.Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. (family: Rutaceae) is reported to have several actions on the central nervous system producing beneficial effects in anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and convulsion. Thus, the current investigation designed to assess the antidepressant activity of the standardized hydroethanolic extract of Aegle marmelos (EAM) leaves in male rats exposed to the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) paradigm.

Methods

Rats were divided in 5 groups. The control group was not subjected to experimental CUMS paradigm, while 4 other groups were subjected to CUMS paradigm to induce depression-like behaviour from day 1 to day 28. Following the CUMS paradigm, 4 groups were divided as CUMS disease control, CUMS+EAM (150 mg/kg, p.o.), CUMS+EAM (300 mg/kg, p.o.), and CUMS+imipramine (15 mg/kg, p.o.), and treatment was given for seven consecutive days to the respective groups (day 29 to day 35). Behavioural parameters such as open field test, forced swim test, sucrose feeding test, and tail suspension test on day 1, day 28, and day 35 were measured, and biochemical parameters such as plasma corticosterone level, serotonergic system (5-HT, 5-HIAA, and 5-HT/5-HIAA), mitochondrial function, and proinflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) were estimated in hippocampus (HIP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) regions of the brain on day 35, after the behavioural observations. On the other hand, phytochemical profile of Aegle marmelos was done.

Results

On day 35, EAM (300 mg/kg) significantly reduced the immobility time during the tail suspension test from 208.66 ± 4.72 s to 108.83 ± 4.81 s and forced swim test from 200.16 ± 4.12 s to 148.5 ± 4.58 s. It also enhanced the behavioural parameters in the open field test such as ambulation from 26.5 ± 2.14 to 56.5 ± 1.80, rearing from 8.33 ± 0.71 to 19 ± 0.57, time spent in centre from 9.16 ± 0.9 to 17.16 ± 0.79 s, total distance travelled from 2.36 ± 0.12 to 4.68 ± 0.10 m, and anhedonia in the sucrose feeding test from 109.33 ± 1.08 to 135.83 ± 3.91 mL. The stimulation of the HPA axis resulting elevated corticosterone level caused by CUMS was reduced by EAM (300 mg/kg) from 80.12 ± 2.020 to 48.25 ± 2.407 μg/dL. Furthermore, EAM (300 mg/kg) increase CUMS-induced changes in serotonin (5-HT) level in HIP and PFC from 3.132 ± 0.09586 to 4.518 ± 0.1812 and 4.308 ± 0.1593 to 5.262 ± 0.1014 ng/mg protein, respectively. EAM (300 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the CUMS-induced changes in proinflammatory cytokine production and mitochondrial function in HIP and PFC. One group used to determine the acute toxicity as per OECD-23 standard protocol which resulted that 300 mg/kg EAM has no significant acute toxicity. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content of standardized hydroalcoholic extract of AM was found 95.024 ± 2.431 and 36.820 ± 3.41, respectively, and additional identification tests showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, and terpenoids.

Conclusion

On the basis of findings, EAM can be inferred as a potential antidepressant-like effect of this plan in preclinical research.

Anti-cancer peptides: their current trends in the development of peptide-based therapy and anti-tumor drugs

Human cancer remains a cause of high mortality throughout the world. The conventional methods and therapies currently employed for treatment are followed by moderate-to-severe side effects. They have not generated curative results due to the ineffectiveness of treatments. Besides, the associated high costs, technical requirements, and cytotoxicity further characterize their limitations. Due to relatively higher presidencies, bioactive peptides with anti-cancer attributes have recently become treatment choices within the therapeutic arsenal. The peptides act as potential anti-cancer agents explicitly targeting tumor cells while being less toxic to normal cells. The anti-cancer peptides are isolated from various natural sources, exhibit high selectivity and high penetration efficiency, and could be quickly restructured. The therapeutic benefits of compatible anti-cancer peptides have contributed to the significant expansion of cancer treatment; albeit, the mechanisms by which bioactive peptides inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells remain unclear. This review will provide a framework for assessing anti-cancer peptides' structural and functional aspects. It shall provide appropriate information on their mode of action to support and strengthen efforts to improve cancer prevention. The article will mention the therapeutic health benefits of anti-cancer peptides. Their importance in clinical studies is elaborated for reducing cancer incidences and developing sustainable treatment models.

Effects of germination and lactic acid fermentation on nutritional and rheological properties of sorghum: A graphical review

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a nutritional grain considered an important source of micro- and macro-nutrients. Also, the flour obtained from sorghum is considered a suitable substitute for wheat flour for celiac disease patients due it is gluten-free. However, its use has some limitations due to anti-nutritional factors such as tannins, phytates, trypsin inhibitors, and protein crosslinkers. To prevent those effects, new strategies for sorghum processing have been explored. Germination of this grain has been shown to increase nutrient content further and reduce anti-nutrients. In addition, fermentation with lactic acid bacteria could modify starch and protein digestion in sorghum flour and increase their nutrient availability. Although there are many benefits to germination and fermentation, more research must be done to improve the products' texture and sensory properties to gain wider consumer acceptance. In this review, the mechanism behind changes in the nutritional and anti-nutritional profile of sorghum grain due to germination and fermentation treatments is shown, and the impact of these changes on dough rheological properties and bread quality.

Challenges for food security and safety: a qualitative study in an agriculture supply chain company in Iran

Background

Food supply chain companies are major link for safe food production and distribution. Food safety ensures reduced food losses and, therefore, contributes to food security. Although there have been extensive studies on the food industry with different perspectives, no study has so far been conducted on the challenges in terms of the food security. The present study is a qualitative one conducted in 2019 in one of the largest agricultural production chain companies in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran.

Results

The research method was based on the conventional content analysis. Triangulation method was used for the data collection being a combination of the participant observations, focus group discussions (17 managers) and semi-structured interviews with the president of the company. Participants believed that their company plays an important role and has a prestigious position in the food security of Iran. However, the main challenges of the company are regulatory system, food safety risks, market unpredictability, traditional management and sanctions.

Conclusions

The company is highly resilient to all these challenges; however, the traditional management is still a serious disadvantage. This leads to the managers’ burnout along with the company survival problem, removing unfair sanctions and protecting agricultural development in developing countries is a necessity. In general, paying attention to the modern organizational management of these companies and their survival is an essential policy. For this reason, it is suggested that trust must be established between policymakers and companies on one hand and relationship between the academia and such companies to promote the organizational management on the other hand.

Potential of underutilized millets as Nutri-cereal: an overview

In this current scenario with changing food habits, escalating population and unrestricted use of natural resources, there are lacking of resources to provide nutritious food to all. Natural plant resources are fast depleting and need to explore new alternatives. Besides the staple rice and wheat; lots of underutilized crops are being consumed that are having great potential to replace the staple crops. Millets are one of the major underutilized crops with a Nutri-cereal potential. Millets are highly nutritive, non-acid-forming, gluten-free and having dietary properties. Despite the fact that millets are highly nutritious, their consumption is still limited to the conventional and poor population due to lack of awareness towards its nutritional values. There is lack of processing technologies, lack of food subsidies and inconvenience in food preparations which makes millets more obsolete. Millets are Nutri-cereals and rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibres, energy, essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamin-B and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc, which helps to prevent from post-translational diseases like, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and celiac diseases, etc. Millets help in controlling blood pressure, blood sugar level and thyroid but inspite of these functional properties, millets consumption is still declining. Millets utilization in-combination with other staple food crops to develop food alternatives has become an emerging area for food industries. Besides, to strengthen our fight against malnutrition in children and adolescents, consumption of millets can help to foster immunity and health. Here, author's have reviewed the potential of millets for their Nutri-cereal qualities.

Bioactive compounds of Aegle marmelos L., medicinal values and its food applications: A critical review

Aegle marmelos L. (bael) is a fruit tree of Rutaceae family, widely grown all over the world. This plant is gaining popularity because of its nutrient-rich fruits and immense traditional medicinal usage and pharmacological properties. The health promotive and protective effect of bael fruit is accounted by fibers, carotenoids, phenolics, terpenoids, coumarins, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The curative relevance of these compounds has been assessed by various in vivo and in vitro studies. Fruit shows numerous possible health benefits, namely, radio-protective effects, peroxidation, antibacterial, inhibition of lipid, antidiarrheal, gastroprotective, antiviral, antidiabetic, anti-ulcerative colitis, cardioprotective, free-radical scavenging (antioxidant) and hepatoprotective effects. The health benefits of bael are not only limited to edible portion (fruit), but it also extends to nonedible portion (root, trunk, bark, leaf, flower and seed) having comparable biologically active compounds. Increasing awareness about the role of diet among health-conscious consumers for human well-being has increased the interest in functional foods thereby exploration of the functional attributes of various underutilized plants is being reaffirmed and various sources are emerged out as suitable food material for processing industry. The various scientific reports collected from different bibliometric sources suggested that A. marmelos and its bioactive constituents could play a vital role in the prevention of several chronic and degenerative diseases associated with oxidation stress. This review emphasis on recent scientific evidences on nutrition and bioactive profile of A. marmelos, health benefits along with clinical and nonclinical trials of various phytoconstituents and A. marmelos potential in food processing industry for various food products. Our study suggests that this plant does indeed have pharmacological properties of interest, however, further extensive research is needed to establish a potential strategy that can balance the pharmacological and toxic effects of bael.

Sorghum Pasta and Noodles: Technological and Nutritional Aspects

Sorghum is a major cereal crop with various agronomic advantages, contains health-promoting compounds and is gluten-free. There is a growing tendency to use sorghum in pasta and noodle formulations, which are among the most widely consumed products in the world, but its potential benefits in human diet are not being fully exploited. Here we review research carried out during the past few years on the use of sorghum as the main ingredient or as an additive in pasta and noodles, highlighting its properties and production technology. Pasta and noodles can be produced with 5 to 100% of sorghum at laboratory, pilot or industrial scale with suitable cooking and textural quality coupled with distinctive sensory attributes. Cooking loss shows minimum values of 0.85 and 1.9 g/100 g for pasta and noodles, respectively, and high water absorption (up to 345 g/100 g). The interesting nutritional profile of the products generally includes up to 45% resistant starch (RS) and phenolic compound content with high antioxidant activity. In addition, tannins decrease starch digestibility 15-20%, producing low glycemic index (GI) products (below 65). This is especially important for celiac people, offering them the alternative of gluten-free sorghum pasta and noodles.