Objectives: The study was conducted to prolong the shelf life of freshly harvested pomegranate fruits and to find out its physiochemical properties during storage.

Materials and Methods: Pomegranate fruits of variety ‘Bhagawa’ were stored in 200, 300 gauge high-density polyethylene (HDPE) package, and silicone membrane modified atmospheric storage system at ambient conditions and 10°C. Gas composition inside the package, texture, color, and overall quality parameters were evaluated at these two storage temperatures. The physico-chemical properties such as total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, total, reducing, and non-reducing sugars, and physiological loss in weight (PLW) were also determined.

Results: In ambient storage, the shelf life of pomegranate fruit was 10 days, whereas in modified atmosphere packaging (200 gauge HDPE, 300 gauge HDPE, and silicone membrane system), the shelf life of pomegranate fruits was extended up to 60, 60, 25 days at ambient and 96, 96, 65 days at 10°C temperature, respectively.

Conclusions: Among the 200, 300 gauge HDPE package, and silicone membrane system treatments T1, T5, and T8, respectively, were found better with respect to all the sensory and quality parameters studied.

Objectives: A study to determine food safety hazard status of fish products from Lake Chivero was conducted in selected high density suburbs of Harare. Lake water and fish were tested for E. coli O157:H7, total bacterial, fungal counts, mercury (Hg) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to determine contamination levels and assessing human health hazard exposure.

Materials and Methods: Membrane filtration method was used to determine E. coli O157:H7 viable counts using CHROM agar. Plate count and Potato dextrose agar were used for determination of total viable bacterial and fungal counts. Concentrations of Hg and AFB1 in fish and water were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer and High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 136 adult fish consumers to determine the fish consumption patterns to assess hazard exposure against international standards.

Results: Significant levels of microbial contamination above international standards in both fish and water were recorded. Mean E. coli O157:H7 counts were 106 ± 10 (cfu/cm²) in fish and 52 ± 14 (cfu/100ml) in water. Mean Log₁₀ TBC were 8.98 ± 0.26 (cfu/cm²) in fish and 9.05 ± 0.05 (cfu/ml) in water. Mean Log₁₀ TFC were 4.83 ± 0.02 (cfu/cm²) in fish and 4.56 ± 0.03 (cfu/ml) in water. Hg and AFB1 were 0.018 (μg/kg) and 0.025 (μg/kg) in fish and 0.008 (μg/kg) and 0.005 (μg/kg) in water, both with a hazard quotient (HQ) <1 using CODEX STAN 193-1995 of 2015.

Conclusion: Fish and water are contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, contain bacterial and fungal loads above international food safety guidance levels. Fish were caught already contaminated with pathogens together with toxigenic Hg and carcinogenic AFB1 although their concentration levels are within international food safety toxicological levels. Levels of Hg and AFB1 in water were almost double that of fish, implying bio-accumulation occurred in fish. Thus, fish consumers are exposed to food safety hazards and are at risk of contracting foodborne illnesses from consuming contaminated fish.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the modulatory effect of chitosan oligosaccharidenisin conjugate (CON-C) on intestinal microbiota of human flora-associated (HFA) mice and also reveal its effect towards the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Both Chitosan oligosaccharides and nisin showed great potential in modulating the intestinal microbiota, so it is worth to explore whether the modulation effect of chitosan oligosaccharide could be improved by covalently binding with nisin.

Materials and Methods: CON-C was prepared by heating the mixed solution of chitosan oligosaccharide and nisin at 80°C and pH 2.0 for 24h. The structure of CON-C were analyzed by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The CON-C’s antiobesity effect and modulatory effect toward intestinal microbiota were analyzed using human flora-associated (HFA) mice model.

Results: CON-C could alleviated HFD-induced gut dysbiosis, by significantly decreasing the numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus/Enterococcus spp., and increasing the numbers of Bacteroides–Prevotella and Clostridium groups. CON-C could also enriched the most differentially expressed genes through KEGG pathways of biosynthesis of amino acids, two-component system, and ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters.

Conclusions: The improved therapeutic effect of CON-C against HFD-induced obesity has been approved, and hence, CON-C has a great potential to be utilized as a functional food ingredient in reducing body weight.

Objective

Insecticidal activity of Clerodendrum capitatum extracts against the stored product insect pest, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) were investigated.

Materials and Methods

Hundred grams of C. capitatum powder was sequentially extracted with a series of solvents of increasing polarity in a Soxhlet apparatus and the extracts were concentrated on rotary evaporator to make it solvent free and the residue dissolved in a known volume of methanol and the solution was assayed for insecticidal activity by the fumigant toxicity. Hexane extract which showed maximum activity was selected for the preparation of herbal formulation and for its insecticidal properties and phytotoxicity. The herbal formulation obtained from leaves of C. capitatum was investigated by GCMS and GC/FID.

Results

Clerodendrum capitatum ethyl extract had a very strong repellent activity to adults of all three major stored grain insects and was significantly repellent at a 1.58 mg/cm². The hexane extract (oil) had high fumigant activity with LC₅₀ values in the range between 25 and 32 μg/L. A total of 14 components representing 97.8% of the formulation were identified and the main compounds in the formulation were found to be 2-Heptanone, 3-methyl (33.9 %) and Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (25.3%) followed by 3-Dodecen-1-al (10.2%) and 8-Methyl-1-undecene (4.9%). Further, herbal formulation was found to be highly toxic to mixed age cultures of all three major stored grain insect pests which recorded 80%–90% mortality at dose of 200 μg/L in 24 h exposure, where as 100% mortality achieved at dose of 200 μg/L in 72 h exposure, respectively.

Conclusion

The results indicate that extracts and formulation of C. capitatum has the potential to be developed in to a natural insecticide or repellent for controlling of stored product beetles.

Objectives: Information on the distribution and presence of microbiology and chemical hazard of commercial attieke (a fermented cassava product) produced in the south of Cote d’Ivoire were evaluated.

Materials and Methods: Microbiological analyses and chemical were carried out, which included the total viable bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Bacillus spores, heavy metal (pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Cr).

Results and Conclusions: The results revealed that the viable bacteria counts ranged from in all of samples. Staphylococcus aureus counts in the samples were comprised between (1.8 ± 0.4)102 (Jacqueville localitie) and (4.3 ± 1.8)103 (Abidjan localitie). While that of Bacillus cereus was ranged from (1.1 ± 0.9)102 (Adzopé localitie) and (5.1 ± 3.2)102 (Abidjan localitie). Salmonella spp. was not found. The levels of Pb in all samples were between 2.2 ± 0.1 mg/kg (Grand-lahou localitie) and 4.5 mg/kg ± 0.15 (Abidjan localitie) while the Cd levels of the samples varied between 0.02 ± 0.1 mg/kg (Adzopé localitie) and 0.07± 0.1 mg/kg (Divo localitie). The levels of Cr in the samples were comprised between 0.1 ± 0.03 mg/kg (Adzopé localitie) and 0.95 ± 0.1 mg/kg (Abidjan localitie) while Fe (7.3 ± 1.5 mg/kg) and Cu (1.7 ± 0.2 mg/kg) levels were the highest, respectively in Sikensi and Grand-Lahou localities. Samples from Divo localitie contained high amounts of Mn (1.6 ± 0.1 mg/kg).

The occurrence of some microbiological and chemical hazard that commercial attieke collected in Cote d’Ivoire may act as a reservoir of pathogenic micro-organisms and heavy metal for human.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop whole wheat crackers fortified with biocalcium (BC) and protein hydrolysate (PH) powders from salmon frame at varying substitution levels.

Materials and Methods: Whole wheat cracker fortified with BC and protein hydrolysate PH powders from salmon frame was produced. BC and PH powders or their mixtures at different ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3) were used to fortify the dough mix at a substitution level of 16.67% based on the whole wheat flour content. The physical, textural, sensory, and nutritional profiles of the crackers produced were examined and compared with crackers without fortification.

Results: The weight, colour, textural properties, and thickness of the crackers varied with the addition of different ratios of BC and PH powders. The incorporation of BC/PH at ratio (3:1) showed no negative effect on sensory properties. The crackers thus produced possessed higher protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and cholesterol but lower carbohydrate, sugar, fibre, and energy value than the control crackers without fortification. The crackers contained 0.026–0.045 mg/100 g polyunsaturated fatty acid. Developed crackers had a denser structure and were less porous than the control crackers as shown in scanning electron microscopic images. In scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (SEM-EDX) analysis, the crackers fortified with BC/PH at ratio (3:1) had higher calcium and phosphorus contents and intensity than the control.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the addition of BC and PH powders obtained from salmon frame represent a promising means of increasing the nutritive values of crackers.

Objectives: Three medicinal plants: Zingiber officinale rhizome, Allium sativum bulb, and Moringa oleifera seeds, were evaluated for progeny inhibition in fish beetle, Dermestes maculatus, and incidence of bacteria and fungi in smoked-dried Clarias gariepinus. Materials and Methods: Cleaned C. gariepinus were separately soaked in extracts of these selected plants (50 g/1000 ml) for 60 min before smoke-drying in a mud kiln at 105°C and later divided into lots. Sensory evaluation was conducted on uninfested fishes in lot A while fishes in lot B was artificially infested with five pairs of newly emerged adult D. maculatus for 10 days. Number of emerged larva, adult insects, and incidence of microorganisms before and following 90 days in storage after infestation were used as indices of potency of the extracts.

Results: Results obtained showed that all the treated uninfested smoked-dried C. gariepinus retained high scores for taste, texture, aroma, and appearance within the first 5 weeks of storage after smoking when compared with the control. This implied that the tested extracts had no negative effect in terms of sensory attributes on the treated fish during storage and can therefore be used for fish preservation. Meanwhile, A. sativum among all the selected extracts had the least number of larvae (17.67 ± 1.45), adult (21.00 ± 1.53), fungi (9.00 × 102 ± 0.53 sfu/ml) and bacteria counts (11.33 ×102 ± 0.33 cfu/ml) following 90 days in storage after infestation.

Conclusion: Allium sativum among the tested extracts proved to be most effective and could be recommended for control of D. maculatus and microorganisms in smoked C. gariepinus.