Cyanide in garri. 2. Assessment of some aspects of the nutrition, biochemistry and haematology of the rats fed garri containing varying residual cyanide levels

Nutraceutical Profile of the Ceylon Spinach (Talinum triangulare)

Objective This study appraises the nutraceutical potential of uncooked and cooked Ceylon spinach, the wild leafy vegetable Talinum triangulare occurring in southwest India.

Materials and Methods Proximal properties (moisture, crude protein, total lipids, crude fiber, ash, total carbohydrates, and calorific value), mineral contents, amino acid composition, in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), protein digestibility–corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), protein efficiency ratios (PERs), and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were evaluated by following standard protocols.

Results Total lipids, crude fiber, total carbohydrates, and calorific value were higher in cooked than in uncooked samples. Among nine minerals assessed, sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, manganese, and zinc were significantly higher in uncooked samples compared with cooked samples. Lysine, methionine, cystine, tyrosine, alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine were higher and histidine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, valine, glycine, and proline were lower in uncooked samples. Cooking improved IVPD, PDCAAS, and PER. Capric and linoleic acids were higher in uncooked samples, while palmitic, 1-pyrrolidinebutanoic, and ɑ-linolenic acid acids were higher in cooked samples. The total unsaturated fatty acids (TUFAs) were higher in cooked samples; however, the total saturated fatty acids (TSFAs) were lower in cooked samples. The ratio of TUFA to TSFA was higher in uncooked than in cooked samples.

Conclusion The protein content of T. triangulare is comparable to those of legume seeds and consists of low fat, high fiber, and high carbohydrates along with increased calorific value. The Na/K (<1) and Ca/P (>1) ratios are favorable to combat blood pressure and prevention of calcium loss, respectively. The indispensable amino acids are comparable to or higher than soybean, wheat, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (FAO-WHO) standards. Improved IVPD, PDCAAS, and PER in cooked samples of T. triangulare support its nutraceutical potential in human diet to tackle the protein-energy malnutrition and supplement of its flour strengthens the value of fortified foods. The nutraceutical potential has possible roles to combat lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancers, and cardiac ailments.

Biological treatment of wastewater from the cassava meal industry

Biological treatments of cassava meal processing wastewaters were investigated by aerobic and combined anaerobic/aerobic reactors. As a pretreatment, flocculation and sedimentation with aluminum salts and natural polyelectrolytes were employed, in order to change the effluent concentration of organics from 14,000 to 2000 mg/L in the bench scale reactor, with a hydraulic retention time of 37 min and an influent rate of 0.56 L/cm. Biological degradation by an activated sludge process was carried out using a reactor volume of 20 L. The observed organic matter removal rates were 89 to 93%, the cyanide removal was 95 to 99%, and the food to microorganisms ratio was found to be in the range of 0.166 to 0.242/day, with a hydraulic residence time of 1.4 to 4.2 days. As a posttreatment, flocculation and coagulation were employed, resulting in an effluent of good quality, as shown by turbidity measurements and negative tests for fecal and total coliforms.