Nutrition & Food Technology Research
Volume:8 Issue: 2, Apr-Jun 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown has multifaceted effects on people’s life including fall in economy which may affect food choices. This study was designed to evaluate changes in dietary intakes of the Iranian households during COVID-19 lockdown and also to predict the consequent health impacts.

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study is conducted using a web-based electronic self-administered questionnaire. A previously developed platform is applied to develop the electronic questionnaire. A web link is created (https://digit.rabit.info/s/2ZRaVKMB.html) and the questionnaire is uploaded. An official letter from the Community Nutrition Office of the Ministry of Health is sent to the vice-chancellor in health affairs and the Community Nutrition Offices of the medical universities of all provinces. In that letter, the objectives of the study and the related link are explained and the provincial health and nutrition workers are requested to encourage the community under their service coverage to participate in the study through completing the questionnaire. In addition, the questionnaire link is distributed massively to all popular social media networks such as Telegram and WhatsApp.

Because of pandemic lockdown and consequent economic changes, it is expected that expensive food items, notably animal protein sources including meat, fish and poultry, to be less consumed. Be that as it may, the important questions are firstly what are the alternatives of these food items? and secondly what are the potential health consequences of these dietary shifts? This national survey will clarify the answers.

Refugees are often further susceptible to food insecurity in host countries. This study was carried out to review food insecurity statuses of Afghan refugees in Iran.

A comprehensive search was carried out using keywords of "food insecurity", "food security", "Iran", "Afghan", “immigrant” and "refugee" in English databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar, as well as Persian databases, including Scientific Information Database, Noor, Magiran and Irandoc, from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2019. Prevalence of food insecurity reported in each study was recorded based on the types of questionnaires and food insecurity criteria. Meta-analysis was carried out using random effect model with publication bias and heterogeneity tests using STATA Software.

Overall, four studies were reviewed; of which, one was carried out in two provinces of Tehran and Mashhad. Household food insecurity access scale, United States Department of Agriculture and Radimer/Cornell questionnaires were used as the measurement tools in 2, 1 and 1 studies, respectively. Prevalence of mild, moderate and severe food insecurities was reported as 11.6–16.1, 27.4–46.5 and 20–61%, respectively. Based on meta-analysis, prevalence of food insecurity in Afghan refugees in Iran was 89% (95% CI: 69–110%). Food insecurity was significantly more prevalent in Afghan immigrants with illegal residential statuses and female-headed and bigger family size households. Being Sunnis, living in various cities (Tehran and Mashhad) and duration of staying in Iran were associated with food insecurity in Afghan refugees.

The high prevalence of food insecurity in Afghan refugees in Iran reveals the necessity of policies to limit the prevalence of food insecurity in these refugees in Iran.

Chronic gastritis is a chronic inflammation of gastric mucosa associated with various degrees of damages to superficial and glandular epithelia. Garcinia species are evergreen tropical shrubs, cultured in North-Eastern India and Southeast Asia. In Indian traditional medicine, the kokum fruit rinds are used to treat various inflammatory diseases such as gastric ulcers and bowel complaints caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. The objective of this study was to assess effects of kokum rind extract with honey on symptoms and life quality of individuals with chronic gastritis as well as their effects on gastric myoelectrical activity.

60 chronic gastritis patients were randomly gategorized into two groups. Experimental group (n = 30) received 10 g of kokum rind extract with 18 g of honey twice a day and control group (n = 30) received 200 ml of warm water twice a day for three weeks. Electrogastrogram, Izumo scale questionnaire and gastrointestinal symptom questionnaire were used at the baseline and on Day 21. Data analysis was carried out using R Statistical Software v.3.6.0.

Significant decreases in gastrointestinal symptoms were observed in experimental group verified by gastrointestinal symptom questionnaire (p < 0.0001), compared to control group (p = 0.2879). Izumo scale questionnaire for quality of life assessment showed significant improvements with p < 0.0001 in experimental group. The mean decreases in dominant frequency of electrogastrogram were higher in experimental group (p < 0.0001), compared to control group (p = 0.1511), which suggested improvements in gastric myoelectric activity.

Kokum rind with honey is a cost-effective treatment to decrease symptoms of chronic gastritis, which can be considered as a safe home remedy.

Breast milk composition is affected by several factors such as maternal diet and body mass index. Milk fats include a major calorie content of the milk, which changes dramatically throughout the lactation. The aim of the present study was to assess breast milk fatty acid profile in overweight and obese mothers and its correlations with maternal body mass index.

Milk samples were collected from 73 healthy lactating women referring to various health centers in Mashhad. Data were collected using food frequency questionnaire to assess the maternal dietary intakes. Breast milk fatty acid profile was assessed using gas chromatography.

Breast milk content of saturated fatty acids was higher in obese mothers than overweight mothers (p = 0.03) with positive correlations with maternal body mass index (r = 0.256; p = 0.037). Furthermore, breast milk monounsaturated fatty acids were negatively correlated with pre-pregnancy body mass index (r = -0.385; p = 0.003) and pre-pregnancy body weight (r = -0.276; p = 0.026). However, no significant correlations were observed between the maternal body fat mass and fat proportion with the breast milk fatty acids (p > 0.05). Moreover, no significant associations were seen between dietary saturated fatty acids, milk monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids with the corresponding fatty acids in breast milk (p > 0.05).

Based on the results, breast milk of the obese mothers included higher proportion of saturated fatty acids, while no significant differences were observed in the contents of milk monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids between the overweight and obese women. Furthermore, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index was negatively correlated with the contents of milk monounsaturated fatty acids, while it was positively correlated with saturated fatty acids contents.

To study associations in diet quality academic performance and weight status in urban adolescent high-school students.

This study was a cross-sectional study in high schools in Tehran, Iran. A total of 629 students (317 boys and 309 girls), aging 17–19 years, from 49 high schools participated in the study. Dietary intake was measured using two 24-h recalls. Diet quality was measured using Healthy Eating Index-2015. Academic performance was assessed by evaluating scores achieved in national exams at the end of high-school junior year. Standard anthropometric measurements were used. Linear and multinomial regressions were used to assess the associations between weight status, diet quality and academic performance.

Student’s scores in grammar and literature were significantly associated to diet quality (p < 0.05). After adjusting for sex and other socioeconomic confounders, the association was non-significant. Significant differences were seen in weight status between boys and girls; however, such differences were not based on the prosperity levels in weight statuses. The overall frequency of overweight was nearly 24%, while obesity was twice in boys (nearly 26%), compared to girls.

Findings verify needs of policies to improve student diet quality, leading to better health and educational achievements. Further studies are needed to investigate associations between diet quality and academic performance.

Regarding health effects of probiotics and prebiotics in prevention and control of diseases and the lack of standard questionnaires in this field in Iran, objective of the present study was to assess validity and reliability of questionnaires designed to assess validity and reliability of probiotics and prebiotics in individuals aged 20–40 years in Tehran, Iran.

After verifying content validity of the questionnaires by eight experts in fields of nutrition, psychology and psychometrics, face and construct validities (in two levels of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) were assessed and then the tool was validated using Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient (due to the multi-value of the response spectra).

The sampling adequacy index was higher than 0.7, which was the premise of exploratory analysis. For all the items, the standard loading factor was higher than 0.3, and the T-value was higher than 1.96. Furthermore, fit indices in confirmatory analysis were at the desired levels (0/9 and greater), and validity was verified. Cronbachchr('39')s alpha value was calculated higher than 0.7, and the reliability of the questionnaire was verified.

Results of this study showed that the researcher-prepared food frequency questionnaire developed to assess the level of probiotic and prebiotic consumptions, especially in people aged 20–40 years in Tehran, includes significant validity and reliability.

Chemical synthesis and extraction of flavorings from natural sources include disadvantages. However, biotechnology is a preferred method for biosynthesis of flavorings. The objective of this study was to synthesize natural esters with fruity flavors in whey using lipase of Palatase in combination with ethanol fermentation.

Lactobacillus fermentum ATCC 14931, Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938, and Lactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788 were used as in situ ethanol producers. Ultra-high temperature (UHT) cream (30% fat) was added to the fermentation media as a fat source, which was esterified with produced ethanol by Palatase. Viable cell counts and pH were monitored at 0, 24 (Palatase addition), and 48 h (end of fermentation). Free fatty acids of up to 12 carbon chain and their ethyl esters were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Palatase did not affect the viable cell counts of Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus buchneri, but increased the viable cell counts of Lactobacillus fermentum. Ethyl ester and free fatty acid levels of the samples increased after Palatase addition. Lactobacillus fermentum produced higher ester levels in ultrafiltration whey permeate whereas other lactobacilli produced higher ester levels in traditional whey. Lactobacillus buchneri included the lowest ester levels and Lactobacillus reuteri included the lowest free fatty acid levels between the lactobacilli. The ester levels of Lactobacillus reuteri samples were the highest in most cases. Free fatty acid levels were higher in traditional whey than ultrafiltration whey permeate.

This method can be recommended as an alternative to artificial flavorings with the advantage of labeling products as natural.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a substance used in epoxy resin monomers and polycarbonate plastics. This research focuses on the effect of Bisphenol A on histology alterations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats.

Thirty male rats were divided into 3 groups: A control group, a placebo group received distilled water intra peritoneal and the experiment group received 1.0µg/kg BPA intra peritoneal for 14 days. After 2 weeks, rat’s brains were enucleated, sequenced in 10µm widths and HE stained for histological examinations. Neural and neuroglia cells were counted and rats’ PFC volume was measured using stereological methods.

Our results showed statistically significant decreases in PFC volume and neural cell count in the experiment group in comparison to both placebo and control groups. Also, results showed statistically significant increases in glial cell count in the experiment group in comparison to other groups.

This research showed that BPA has negative and pathological effects on neural cells and PFC in rats