Human, Health and halal Metrics
Volume:3 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2022

In the last decade, we have observed an increasing interest in the Internet as source of information, especially social media has become a necessity in daily life. Healthcare professionals have found the potential of social media to provide accessible and enjoyable content for the audiences. Purpose of this study is evaluation of the challenges experienced by nutritionists in using Instagram as a popular medium for people education and development of nutritional guidelines in balanced diet.

In this qualitative descriptive study, three nutritionists which had Instagram account with more than twenty thousand followers were selected. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured online interviews. After recording the interviews and their transcribing, the concepts were extracted using a content analysis method.

Instagram is an audiovisual medium that is accessible and easy to use for the followers. It provides a social network for people around the world. However, our investigation revealed that there are a lot of incorrect myths on Instagram which should be administered by the specialists by development of educational programs and guidelines in their personal Instagram accounts. Although, the role of influencers having a large number of followers is prominent in this regard. What is important is that they should motivate the followers to actively interact and provide them with updated information about balanced diet to attract the audiences and keep them away from incorrect information provided by fake and non-professional accounts.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) are tropical trees widely cultivated in Nigeria. They are rich in lipid but their functionality has not been studied well. In this study, we investigated lipid composition of both mango seed and cashew nut kernels.

Fresh mature and disease-free mango seed and cashew nut were collected from farms of Agyaragu in Nasarawa state (Nigeria) in April 2020. Kernel of the samples was separated and their oil were extracted by Soxhlet method for analysis. Profile of fatty acids, phospholipids, and sterols were determined by gas chromatography in the laboratory. To evaluate the health attributes, amounts of saturated fats, unsaturated fats, essential fatty acids, and ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats were calculated.

In mango seed kernel, palmitic (23.83%), linoleic (23.18%), and oleic (19.85%) acids had the most concentration. In comparison, linoleic (57.21%), oleic (25.30%), and palmitic (5.73%) acids were the abundant fatty acids in cashew nut kernel. Caprylic, capric, and lauric acids were determined in mango seed kernel, but they were not detected in cashew nut kernel. Margaric, arachidic, behenic, palmitoleic, arachidonic, and erucic were present in small quantities in both samples (less than 1%). Total amount of essential fatty acids in cashew nut kernel (62.42%) was much higher than that of mango seed kernel (31.9%). In addition, a higher ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids, that is strongly associated with human health, was determined in cashew nut kernel (6.11 vs. 0.74). However, mango seed kernel was rich in phospholipids especially phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol, which have significant role in cellular vital processes such as membrane fusion, cell circles, autophagy, and apoptosis. High concentration of phytosterol in cashew nut kernel (295.69 mg/100 g) compared to mango seed kernel (51.18 mg/100 g) was also of importance. Accordingly, we concluded that both oils have a potential for consumption in foods and cosmetics, and animal feeding.

Bakery products are of cereal group and considered as valuable nutritional source in human diet. They provide most of our daily calories. Development of bakeries’ establishment is related to local financial capacity and processing techniques. It has led to different types of bread in term of their quality and hygienic status. Same as other countries, bread is staple food in Nigeria. In this study, we aimed to determine microbial contamination of the bread samples prepared and distributed in Wukari, a local government area in Taraba State, Nigeria.

In this study, two types of bread were purchased from five different places in Wukari metropolis. Two retail bakeries were selected for sampling in each place. Analysis was done in microbiology laboratory of the Federal University Wukari. The samples were studied for Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, other Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Streptomyces spp., Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger contamination to investigate the quality of practices during production and distribution.

Microbial contamination of the bread samples was included to Bacillus subtilis 22.5%, Aspergillus flavus 20%, Aspergillus niger 17.5%, Streptomyces spp. 12.5%, Streptococcus spp. 12.5%, Staphylococcus aureus 7.5%, and other Staphylococcus spp. 7.5%. Our investigation revealed that a variety of bacteria and fungi species were present in the bread samples produced and distributed in Wukari, that make the products susceptible to rapid deterioration, and may lead to organoleptic changes and economic loss. Apparently, there is a need for strict surveillance and monitoring in the retail bakeries located in Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient which was help to improve human health. There are different problems in VD3 fortification of foods including low water solubility and susceptibility to environmental conditions. Microencapsulation of VD3 could be used to overcome these limitations. Encapsulation of VD3 in yeast cells can be counted as an affective technique to provide a protection against VD3-photochemical degradation.

In this study, VD3 was encapsulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells as encapsulating matrix. Microcapsules were dried by spray drier and freeze drier. Two concentration of vitamin (100 and 500 IU) used for bread fortification. Furthermore, the effect of UV irradiation and thermal treatment (80 °C for 1 minutes) on stability of free and encapsulated vitamin D was investigated.

The results showed, about 40% and 95% of vitamin were remained after application of UV and high temperature treatment, respectively. In addition, yeast cells could provide good protection against (more than 95%) high temperature of bread baking process (180 °C for 30min). The analysis of bread quality and sensory properties showed higher value of bread containing encapsulated VD3 in comparison to free form. The results of this study show that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell could be used as a suitable carrier for encapsulation of VD3.

Infant formula is a food that mimics human milk and is intended for use by infants under 1 year old. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a congenital defect in the synthesis of phenylalanine (Phe) and is caused by the failure of phenylalanine hydroxylase converting Phe to tyrosine. In this review the current treatments for PKU are discussed.

  Patients with PKU should still be treated with dietary therapy, but in the long term the introduction of a wide array of new treatment approaches such as more palatable foods. Treatment, which includes a low Phe diet supplemented with amino acid formulas, commences soon after diagnosis within the first weeks of life.  Other potential issues associated with dietary therapy by micronutrients. Advances in dietary therapy such as the use of neutral amino acids and glycomacropeptides (GMP) have yielded more promising data in the recent years. In conclusion, GMP medical foods and micro/macronutrient supplementation will be useful in providing the evidence allowing for standardization of management and will alternatively provide in a cost-effective way an individualized management plan for PKU patients.

Infant formula is a food that mimics human milk and is intended for use by infants under 1 year old. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a congenital defect in the synthesis of phenylalanine (Phe) and is caused by the failure of phenylalanine hydroxylase converting Phe to tyrosine. In this review the current treatments for PKU are discussed.

  Patients with PKU should still be treated with dietary therapy, but in the long term the introduction of a wide array of new treatment approaches such as more palatable foods. Treatment, which includes a low Phe diet supplemented with amino acid formulas, commences soon after diagnosis within the first weeks of life.  Other potential issues associated with dietary therapy by micronutrients. Advances in dietary therapy such as the use of neutral amino acids and glycomacropeptides (GMP) have yielded more promising data in the recent years. In conclusion, GMP medical foods and micro/macronutrient supplementation will be useful in providing the evidence allowing for standardization of management and will alternatively provide in a cost-effective way an individualized management plan for PKU patients.