Nutritional Recommendations for Sport Team Athletes

In present days, consistent scientific evidence is confirming that nutritional intake has an essential role in optimizing training and competition performance in athletes.

When nutritional practices are adequate, athletes can exploit their maximum talent performance, while promoting a suitable recovery process with a lower risk of disease and sport injuries.

Therefore, in order to address these issues, it is important to clearly define all the nutritional parameters which optimize the athletes feeding practices: energy intake, macro and micronutrients consumption and hydration practices.

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Kkuaripepper and Olive Oil Effects on Quality Characteristics of Pork Sausage Studied by Response Surface Methodology

Response surface methodology was used to investigate the effect and interactions of processing variables such as kkuaripepper powder (1.0-5.0%), olive oil (3-13%) on physicochemical, textural and sensory properties of cooked pork sausage.

It was found that L* and a* values decreased; however, water-holding capacity, and a* values increased, respectively, as the amount of kkuaripepper increased.

Olive oil addition decreased water-holding capacity, moisture contents, and L* values of the sausages. The adhesiveness depended on the kkuaripepper and olive oil added, as its linear effect was positive at p<0.01.

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Non-destructive Analysis of Food Adulteration and Legitimacy by FTIR Technology

Despite of old methods, an emerging technology of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been appeared to use as a promising application for the detection of adulteration in food.

FTIR method works on the principal of interaction of electromagnetic radiations with the molecules of specific food with defined energy. In this review, the three regions of electromagnetic spectra including near infrared, mid infrared and far infrared are the points of spotlight.

For food industry, FTIR method is expedient, automatic, time saving and most importantly, it shows non-destructive analysis of food physically as well as chemically.

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Obesity Risk Factors among Beirut Arab University Students in Tripoli- Lebanon

Studies among university students in developing countries had shown high prevalence of obesity. Obesity among young people increases lifetime chronic disease risk.

Unhealthy dietary patterns including high consumption of fast foods and meal skipping specially breakfast have been suggested as major risk factors for the development of obesity in developed countries.

The study objective was to investigate the major dietary risk factors associated with the development of overweight and obesity among university students.

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Nutritional Evaluation and Utilization of Pea Pod Powder for Preparation of Jaggery Biscuits

Food industry generates massive waste, which is a concern not only to environment but also loss of valuable biomass. The foremost benefit of industrial waste is that it is available at zero cost and in immense quantities.

Pea pods which otherwise are discarded in bins or at finest used for animal feed is exploited for its nutritional benefits in present study. Pea powder formulated was found rich in crude protein, fibre and ash with exceptional good amounts of iron.

Composition of powder was 5% ash, 0.43% fat, 14.88% protein, 77.86% crude fibre, 61.43% total carbohydrates and 309.11Kcal energy content The concept of healthy eating is addressed in current analysis whereby, value added biscuits are devised by substituting pea pod powder in place of refined wheat flour at 10%, 20% and 30% level.

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Effects of Acute Caffeine Consumption on Sodium-Aided Hyperhydration

When utilized separately, pre-exercise hyperhydration or consumption of caffeine have both been shown to be ergogenic. Acute caffeine consumption has also been shown to promote diuresis in some situations, but this effect has not been studied when caffeine is used in conjunction with sodium-aided hyperhydration. 

We measured urine production during hyperhydration strategies performed with and without caffeine. Fifteen euhydrated subjects performed five strategies by consuming 20 mL water/kg bm alone (NT), or with a placebo (PL), 5 mg/kg bm caffeine (Caf), 110 mg/kg bm NaCl (Na), or 5 mg caffeine +110 mg NaCl/kg bm (CafNa). Total urine excretion was measured for 2 h following treatment consumption and expressed as a percentage of the total water consumed. Total twohour urine excretion values were 103 16% (NT), 102 15% (PL), 116 18% (Caf), 68 14% (Na) and 85 14% (CafNa) of water consumed.

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Traditional Medicinal Oil Extracts are Effective in Controlling Pests in the Ethiopian Livestock

This study was conducted to determine parasiticidal efficacy of seven ethnomedicinal plants against Sarcoptes scabiei var. caprae of goats using in vivo and in vitro techniques.

In vitro techniques for evaluation of efficacy of medicinal plants essential oils and fixed oils of seven medicinal plant extracts diluted at different concentrations (essential oils from 2.5% to 0.15625% and fixed oils from 160 mg/ml to 5 mg/ml) were added to petridishes containing adult stage of Sarcoptes scabiei var. caprae.

After 3 h of contact, all concentrations of essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus and Cymbopogon citractus showed a good in vitro acaricidal efficacy as compared with the non-treated controls (p<0.05).

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Development of Fiber Rich Soft Dough Biscuits Fortified with Kohila (Lasia spinosa) Flour

Currently there is a growing demand for fiber fortified food products in the world to prevent from non-communicable diseases.

To develop high fiber soft dough biscuit, kohila flour was added to biscuit formulation at 10% and 15% levels (w/w), respectively. Sugar was substituted with sucralose (1 g) to obtain a low energy product.

The chemical and proximate compositions of the product (moisture, pH, protein, fat, ash, dietary fiber, carbohydrate, sodium and heavy metal, antioxidant capacity) were determined.

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Use of Non-Pathogenic Biological Agents as Biological Warfare Simulants for the Development of a Stand-Off Detection System

Development of new technologies for Biological Warfare Agents (BWA) stand-off detection implies several safeties, logistic and economic drawbacks that involve production of different highly virulent bacteria and viruses, their isolation and characterization under adequate bio-containment and sample preparation for each agent to evaluate the testing method.

In order to overcome these difficulties most of the research activities and tests reported so far, are performed using simulants: Biological Agents (BA) which are phylogenetically or structurally related to BWA.

The use of the simulants (BWA-S) show, however, some limitations: they can share some of the properties of the biological warfare agents but have different antigens, proteome and genome.

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Combination of Process Technology and Packaging Conditions to Improve the Shelf Life of Fresh Pasta

In this work, the effects of Potassium Sorbate (PS) in the dough, antimicrobial air filter after the pasteurization and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) as combined preservation techniques were studied on shelf life of fresh pasta.

In particular, in the first experimental step the influence of an antimicrobial air filter used to cool down pasta temperature after heat treatment and packaging under MAP (70:30 CO2:N2) were tested.

Subsequently, different concentrations of PS (500, 750 and 1000 mg kg-1), combined with the air filter, were added to the pasta dough to control moulds and bacteria proliferation. In the final trial, PS (1000 mg kg-1), air filter and MAP were combined.

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Metabolic and Exercise Performance Responses to Two Different Oral Doses of Calcium Lactate

This opinion article aims to highlight the use of the Word Association technique (WA) as a food safety tool, as evidenced in the article by J.M. Latorres and coauthors.

The application of this cognitive technique revealed two interesting results: a) the importance of the constant participation and improvement of professionals in the food area when the subject is food security; and b) the immediate associations with the stimuli employed that were made by each group studied.

The application of the technique also allowed for the verification of changes or improvements in the perceptions referring to the subjects related to food safety after the training courses, which demonstrated their efficacy.

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Eccentric Overload Training and Injury Prevention during Running

Running is, maybe, the most ancient physical activity. Nevertheless, it has been on the spot in the last years, and actually is a trending exercise around the world. Running is a whole body activity that stresses our systems both in metabolic and mechanistic way. This stress, repeated continuously, could lead into an overuse injury in muscle, tendon or even bone, being running one of the sports in which overuse injuries develop more frequently, in around 59.4% of the cases. As Videbæk found in their study, the incidence of injury is higher in beginners than in recreational runners, which could be explain, at least partially, in the adaptations reached along their physical training period.

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Application of the Word Association Cognitive Technique in the Evaluation of Food Safety Perception

This opinion article aims to highlight the use of the Word Association technique (WA) as a food safety tool, as evidenced in the article by J.M. Latorres and coauthors.

The application of this cognitive technique revealed two interesting results: a) the importance of the constant participation and improvement of professionals in the food area when the subject is food security; and b) the immediate associations with the stimuli employed that were made by each group studied.

The application of the technique also allowed for the verification of changes or improvements in the perceptions referring to the subjects related to food safety after the training courses, which demonstrated their efficacy.

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Mediterranean Diet Food: Strategies to Preserve a Healthy Tradition

The traditional Mediterranean diet refers to a dietary pattern found in olive growing areas of the Mediterranean region.

It’s essential characteristic is the consumption of virgin olive oil, vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, pasta, bread, olives, pulses, nuts and seeds. Moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs are consumed with small amounts of red meat and wine.

Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest in the role of the Mediterranean diet in preventing the development of certain diseases, especially cardiovascular disease.

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Bactericidal and Sporicidal Activities against Pathogenic Bacteria of Direct Flow Electrolyzed Water

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the bactericidal activity of long lifetime ozone water (LLO water) against pathogenic bacteria of medical, veterinary, and public health interest.

An electrolytic system using Pt mesh electrodes combined with a conventional polymer electrolyte, the Nafion 117 membrane, produced LLO water from tap water with high efficiency.

LLO water killed 7.144 ± 0.0507 log10 CFU of Escherichia coli O157:H7, 6.979 ± 0.045 log10 CFU of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 6.503 ± 0.3681 log10 CFU of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 6.579 ± 0.123 log10 CFU of Legionella pneumophila within one minute.

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Effect of Preparation Method on Antioxidant Activity of Ayurvedic Formulation Kumaryasava

Kumaryasava is an alcoholic Ayurvedic formulation prepared by the fermentation of Aloe vera. Flowers of Woodfordia fruticosa are added as inoculums for fermentation process.

The aim of the present investigation is to find the effect of its preparation method on antioxidant activity of kumaryasava. Three different formulations of Kumaryasava were prepared by fermentation using three different inoculums viz. Woodfordia fruticosa flowers, Madhuca indica flowers and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC1011.

During fermentation process, relationship between alcohol generation and sugar utilization in each formulation was studied. In vitro antioxidant activity of all formulations was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and total reducing power.

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Antibiotic Resistant Genes in Natural Environment

In early times, scientists considered antibiotic resistance in terms of adaptation to the toxic agents. For instance, Ehrlich worked on development of p-rosaniline resistance to Trypanosoma brucei as early as 1904.

The resistance was observed during the treatment of trypanosome infections as the organisms emerged that were resistant to p-rosaniline. The drug inactivation was also discovered early as well.

In 1919, Neuschlosz reported Paramecium caudatum resistance to quinine and a dye that acquired the ability to destroy the toxic agent.

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Chemical and Sensory Analysis of Some Egyptian Virgin Olive Oils

In the paper here presented, virgin olive oils produced in the year crop 2010/2011 in two different areas of Egypt, Siwa oasis and Giza, were characterised by their chemical-physical parameters.

Also, the analysis of volatile compounds by SPME/GC/MS was carried out and the results compared with those provided by the panel test for the same samples.

SPME/GC/MS analysis revealed that most of the volatile compounds determined in the virgin olive oil samples under investigation, contribute to characterise the sensory notes related to the rancid perceptions, oily and fatty persistency justifying and hence the negative attributes noticed by the sensory evaluation.

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The Effects of Deep-Frying, Refrigerated Storage and Reheating on the Fat Content, Oxidation and Fatty Acid Composition of the Fish Rutilus frisii kutum

Fatty acid distribution in the different parts of kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum and the effect of frying and refrigerated storage followed by reheating on lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition in different parts of body flesh were evaluated.

Lipid content increased after frying and reheating. In general, saturated fatty acids were higher in anterior parts, while the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids increased from the anterior to the posterior parts. Frying decreased the contents of unsaturated fatty acids but increased the contents of saturated fatty acids.

After refrigerated storage, followed by microwave reheating, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased, whereas the content of saturated fatty acids increased. The peroxide value increased after frying, compared with that of raw sample.

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Antimicrobial Activity of Broth Fermented with Kombucha Colonies

The kombucha is a consortium of yeast and bacterias originally from China, and able to produce a fermented broth, which presents antimicrobial activity against some pathogenic microorganisms.

The goal of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of fermented broth by kombucha colonies in the same condition used in a hospital in the Northeast of Brazil and to optimize the medium of kombucha growth.

The fermented growth was efficient against Microsporum canis (LM-828), Escherichia coli (CCT-0355) and Salmonella typhi (CCT-1511). The best conditions of inhibition against M. canis (> 32mm) and E. coli (16 mm) was observed at pH 4.0, 55% of commercial sugar and 0.10 g/l of MgSO4, and for S. typhi (32 mm) without MgSO4.