International Journal of Nutrition Sciences
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Dec 2022

limited dietary diversity is a major challenge and the cause of malnutrition in rural and urban poor households b in Bangladesh. Most families depend on carbohydrate-rich staple food crops and eat few animal products, fruits, or fruits and veggies, having contributed to an increment in the amount of individual’s malnutrition.

This study was a cross-sectional, conducted on 358 participants. Data were collected using pretested, structured self-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical package and level of significance was set at p < 0.05

Among the total population are 79.9% Bengali and 20.9% were ethnic. 57.0% & 43.0% were female and male respectively. 53.6% belong from 18-25 age group. Most of the participants were Housewife (38.0%). Around 39.4% respondents complete the secondary education whereas only 14.8% had no education. Most of the participants belong from medium and high-income group 36.6% & 62.3% respectively. Among the study participants 10% were Underweight, 33.0% belong from normal nutritional status, Overweight 19.8%, Obese 37.2%. Around 68.7% participants have high diversity score and 19% have medium diversified food while only 12% have less diversified food. In-spite of high diversity score most of the people don’t consume fats and oils and vitamin A rich foods. A significant relationship was found with nutritional status and age, gender, occupation, monthly income as p value was <0.05.

The female participants were suffering from malnutrition than their counterparts. The prevalence of underweight among female was 6 times higher than male.

Poor feeding practices during infancy and early childhood can result in malnutrition. The present study aimed to determine infant and young child feeding practices among children <36 months and to assess the association between infant and young child feeding practices and under-nutrition. A total of 327 infants and children below 3 years were enrolled in the study. Data on various socio-economic, demographic variables and feeding practices were collected from mothers using the questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height/length was done to all the study population using standard equipment and procedures.The scoring system on infants and young children feeding practices developed by World Health Organization (WHO) and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) scoring were applied for comparison. The initiation of breastfeeding within an hour was found in 42.81% of children. Pre-lacteal feed was given in 31.19% and complementary feeding beyond 7 months in 39.76%. Under-nutrition in terms of underweight, stunting, and wasting was noticed in 37.61%, 43.73%, and 29.66% of children, respectively. There was a significant association between IYCF scoring with stunting, age, and birth interval. The newborns devoided colostrum and were underweight and the newborns initiated breast-feeding after one hour showed stunting with a significant association. Mother’s knowledge on infants and young children feeding practices is needed to be promoted to prevent malnutrition among children. These findings can help the health authorities in future plans for infant and young feeding practices in Shamirpet Mandal, Hyderabad, India.

In Sri Lanka, consumption of foods high in salt is high. Efforts are underway to tackle this issue, including the reformulation of fast foods to contain less salt. To succeed, understanding the practices in using salt among restaurant owners, cooks, and chefs are important. The objective of this study was to explore the challenges that may prevent the reformulation of foods to contain less salt in selected food premises in Sri Lanka. In a qualitative study design using semi-structured interviews and focus groups as data gathering tools, food premises from ten districts in Sri Lanka were selected; while owners of food premises, chefs and cooks were the study population. The study recognised several key themes related to the study objective including awareness and practices on salt use, ‘eating outside’ behaviour, dominance of experience when using salt, commercial vs. domestic use of salt and catering to the demand. Findings included both supportive and resistive perceptions and attitudes. Fears of competition and consumer demands may prevent restaurant owners, chefs and cooks from taking decisive steps towards lowering salt use. Training them on ways of lowering salt, while maintaining the appeal for foods and building trust on equitable implementation of salt lowering policies may win industry support. However, such efforts must parallel approaches to changing consumer behavior towards salt containing foods.

Green coffee seed (Coffea canephora) are rich in polyphenolic compounds and yellow turmeric (Curcuma domestica val.) is rich in curcuminoids and essential oils. This study determined the combination effect of green coffee seed and yellow turmeric extracts on TNF-α in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in rat model. Thirty rats were randomly grouped into five equal groups of 5 rats. Control group received normal diet and distilled water, positive control was administered with 0.8 mg/kg of LPS to induce ARDS in absence of any treatment, Treatment group 1 received 200 mg/kg/day of the combination of green coffe seed and yellow tumeric extract intraperitoneally (IP) for 14 days, Treatment group 2 was given 400 mg/kg/day of the combination similarly, and treatment group 3 was injected with 600 mg/kg/day of the combination identically. TNF-α level wascompared between groups. The combination of green coffee seed and yellow turmeric extract (400 mg/kg/day) given for 14 days could significantly decrease TNF-α level in rats after induction of ARDS (p˂0.05). A combination of green coffee seed (C. canephora) and yellow turmeric (C. domestica Val.) extract can be considered a therapeutic choice in ARDS.

Approximately 90% of the fatty acids in sunflower oil are unsaturated. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of leaf methanol extract of four Iranian olive cultivars on the oxidative stability of sunflower oil. Leaf methanolic extracts of four Iranian olive cultivars (Zard, Roghani, Shiraz, and Dezfool) were prepared by microwave extraction method. Total phenolic content, diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and reducing power of the extracts were determined. Peroxide and anisidine values of sunflower oil treated with the extracts were measured during 30 days of storage at 60°C. The concentration of methanolic extract of the Roghani cultivar (46.27±2.76 μg/mL) required to scavenge 50% of the initial DPPH radicals (IC50) showed a significant difference (p<0.05) with the IC50 of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (112.90±14.81 μg/mL), meaning that the percent inhibition of the DPPH radical of the methanol extract of the Roghani cultivar was higher than that of BHT (p<0.05). During the 30 days storage period, sunflower oil samples without antioxidants showed significantly higher anisidine and peroxide values than samples treated with olive leaf extracts (p<0.05). In all treated samples, as the concentration of the extracts increased, peroxide and anisidine values significantly decreased (p<0.05). This study showed that the methanolic extracts of olive leaves had the ability to limit the oxidation of lipids and can be considered as a potential antioxidant source of natural origin. The methanolic extract of Roghani cultivar had the highest effect on the oxidative stability of sunflower oil.

As mesenchymal stem cells have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties and can be a therapeutic option in regenerative medicine, this study was undertaken to determine ameliorating effect of adipose tissue stem cells (AdSCs) on liver function in experimental rats with liver fibrosis. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four equal groups including control group 1 receiving just 1 mL/kg of distilled water, twicea week for 8 weeks (intraperitoneally: IP). Control group 2 received 1mL/kg of olive oil, similarly. Sham group was treated with CCl4 (1 mL/kg) dissolved in 1 mL of olive oil to induce liver injury, identically. In control and sham groups, blood samples were collected at the beginning of week 8. Finally, the experimental group after induction of liver injury, was injected with 2×106 AdSCs in the tail vein at the beginning of week 8, while a blood sample was provided after 3 and 8 weeks following cell transplantation to determine liver function. AdSC were spindle shape, positive for osteogenic and adipogenic inductions and expressed mesenchymal and lacked hematopoietic markers. Following cell transplantation, an improvement in albumin, total protein, and direct and indirect bilirubin were noticed denoting to repairing effect of AdSCs and treatment of liver injury. AdSCs improved liver function and acted as a promoting factor for liver regeneration. So they can be helpful for ameliorating hepatic injuries. These findings can be beneficial for cell therapy and can open a new era for researchers trying to improve mesenchymal stem cell therapeutic outcomes.

Methamphetamine use and misuse cause severe side effects in different body organs and are associated with socioeconomic consequences. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro effect of methamphetamine on cell morphology, growth and differentiation potential in Wharton’s jelly stem cells (WJSCs) when added to the culturemedia. MTT assay was applied to assess the toxicity of recreational dose of 60 μg/mL of methamphetamine on WJSCs. The cells were characterized morphologically, by osteo- and adipo-genic differentiation potential and by flow cytometry. Population doubling time of stem cells was determined and after exposure to methamphetamine was comparedwith the control. WJSCs were adherent to culture flasks, were spindle shape and positive for osteo- and adipo-genic inductions and expressed mesenchymal markers, while lacking hematopoietic markers. Methamphetamine resulted in a reduction in cell proliferation and viability. Our results can be the first study evaluating the in vitro effect of methamphetamine on WJSCs at cellular level revealing a decrease in cell proliferation, and viability when cells were exposed and treated with methamphetamine. These findings can be added to the literature especially when methamphetamine is targeted for recreational purposes.

Antioxidants contain in tempeh are free radical scavengers that can inhibit the process of lipid oxidation and prevent several diseases. Types of tempeh sold in the Indonesian market include local soybean tempeh and imported soybean tempeh. This study aims to compare and analyze the differences in the antioxidant activity of local soybean tempehand imported soybean tempeh.

The research was conducted from June to November 2022 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study used objects in the form of local soybean tempeh and imported soybean tempeh. Tempeh was floured first, then its antioxidant activity was analyzed in the laboratory. Antioxidant activity was defined as the amount of IC50 antioxidant in tempeh flour studied in units of mg/mL, with a ratio scale. IC50 antioxidant analysis used the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The data obtained were compared and analyzed statistically using the Independent t-test.

It was shown that the IC50 antioxidant level in both types of tempeh was significantly different (p=0.0001). The difference in the mean of the two groups showed a higher IC50 antioxidant score in local soybean tempeh of 9.96 mg/mL.

Based on the IC50 antioxidant value, imported soybean tempeh had significantly a higher antioxidant activity than the local soybean tempeh.