Food and Health
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Winter 2023

Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder in the elderly characterized by a bone density lower than 2.5 standard deviations in young adults. Diet may play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to determine the possible relationship between major dietary patterns and osteoporosis in Iranian postmenopausal women. A case-control study was conducted on 440 postmenopausal women in Tehran using convenient sampling that included 220 cases and 220 controls. Demographic and anthropometric data, medical history, physical activity and usual dietary intake were collected through interviews. A 147-item Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess dietary patterns. The levels of physical activity and nutrient intake between the two groups were compared. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine dominant dietary patterns. Two dominant dietary patterns (mixed and western) patterns were identified using 33 food groups. There was a significant difference in nutritional status and physical activity between the case and control groups. After adjusting for the effect of possible confounding variables (Model 4), those in the second tertile of the Western dietary pattern were significantly more likely to have osteoporosis than in the first tertile (OR=3.87/95% CI=1.13-7.03). The western dietary pattern was strongly associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis. In addition, no association was found between mixed dietary patterns and osteoporosis.

In this study, we investigated the combined effect of Bacillus coagulans and a mixture of potassium chloride and yeast extract on the microbial, physicochemical, and sensory properties of a vegetable sausage (probiotic and with reduced salt content) during four weeks of refrigerated storage. The viable count of B. coagulans in probiotic vegetable sausage containing potassium chloride solution and 1% or 2% yeast extract was 8.34 log CFU/g for both groups on the first day and decreased to 7.2 and 7.42 log CFU/g, respectively, after four weeks of storage. Adding the mixture of potassium chloride and 1% yeast extract to probiotic sausage improved the survival of B. coagulans by about 0.2 log CFU/g compared to probiotic sausage without the mixture. Similarly, 2% yeast extract instead of 1% improved the probiotic bacteria viability count by about 0.22 log CFU/g. Moreover, adding probiotic bacteria and the mixture of potassium chloride and yeast extract to the vegetable sausage altered the pH of the product during the storage period. On day 28, the pH values for probiotic samples without potassium chloride and yeast extract, probiotic samples with a mixture of 1% potassium chloride and 1% yeast extract, and probiotic samples with a mixture of 1% potassium chloride and 2% yeast extract were 5.75, 5.73, and 5.7, respectively. Potassium chloride and yeast extract improved the taste score and overall product acceptance while deteriorating color characteristics. In general, the results showed that replacing salt with potassium chloride reduced the product's sodium content. At the same time, yeast extract improved the survival of the probiotic bacterium B. coagulans, lowered pH during refrigerated storage time, and enhanced sensory properties related to taste, color, and overall acceptance of vegetable sausages.

Anthocyanins are the largest group of water-soluble plant pigments with significant health-promoting activities, and can be used as natural colorants in food systems. The overall purpose of the current study was to optimize the methanol-water solvent extraction of Roselle anthocyanin using three independent variables: extraction time (2 to 6 h), extraction temperature (20 to 40⁰C), and Roselle petal to solvent weight ratio (2 to 6 g). According to the results, the amount of extracted anthocyanin from Roselle petals ranged from 123.85 to 270.49 mg/L. An increase in extraction time, extraction temperature, and petal: solvent ratio could significantly increase the anthocyanin extraction efficiency (P≤0.05), as the highest anthocyanin content (270.490 mg/L) was obtained in the following extraction conditions: extraction temperature of 40⁰C for 4 h and petal: solvent ratio of 6. Optimal conditions for maximum anthocyanin extraction from Roselle petals were predicted to be extraction temperature of 40⁰C, extraction time of 5.71 h, and petal: solvent ratio of 6. Under these conditions, the amount of extracted anthocyanin was 266.19 mg/L, indicating the suitability of the model prediction (R2=0.96).

Foodborne diseases are a major public health concern worldwide, and they can be prevented by implementing a food safety management system (FSMS) in the food chain. Coliforms and Escherichia coli are commonly used as indicators of foodborne pathogens and hygiene conditions in food products. This study aimed to assess the FSMS performance in three meat processing plants and the local market of Tehran by detecting coliforms and Escherichia coli in hamburger samples and evaluating the main sources of contamination in final products. A total of 107 samples were collected from raw materials, hands of food handlers, contact surfaces of food processing equipment, and products of the three plants. In addition, 45 hamburger samples were purchased from the local market. Polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed on the positive samples to confirm the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Frequency (percentage), and mean (standard deviation) were used to describe the data. Approximately 38 % (41/107) of the samples from the three plants were contaminated with coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli, and only one sample was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, which originated from the raw meat in plant C. Moreover, 80 % (36/45) of hamburger samples collected from the local market contained coliforms lower than 102 CFU/g and E. coli lower than 10 CFU/g, and none of them were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The results showed that the three plants were significantly different in terms of the number of coliforms and E. coli (p<0.05). Regarding the number of coliforms and E. coli, plant C had the highest, and plant B had the lowest value.  Implementation of FSMS in the food chain reduces microbial contamination. There is no safety concern about Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination in hamburgers marketed in Tehran.

This study aimed to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, from Lactobacillus brevis IBRC 10818 using microbial biosynthesis and ultrasonic shock. Microbial biosynthesis is one of the best production methods compared to chemical synthesis. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize and model the GABA production under the influence of four shock factors: ultrasonic intensity, ultrasonic time, incubation period, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) concentration. The shock was applied during the lag phase. The optimal conditions for maximum GABA production were predicted to be 2.98 % MSG, 70.8 h incubation time, 6.30 min shock time, and 33 kHz frequency. Under these conditions, the GABA production was 266.19 mg/L, which was close to the predicted value of 212.2 mg/L. The model prediction was suitable with a high coefficient of determination (R2=0.96).