Leccinum molle (Bon) Bon and Leccinum vulpinum Watling: The First Study of Their Nutritional and Antioxidant Potential

This work presents the chemical profile of two edible species of mushrooms from the genus Leccinum: Leccinum molle (Bon) Bon and Leccinum vulpinum Watling, both harvested on the outskirts of Bragança (Northeastern Portugal). Both species were prepared and characterized regarding their content in nutrients (i.e., free sugars, fatty acids and vitamins), non-nutrients (i.e., phenolic and other organic acids) and antioxidant activity. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies on the chemical characterization and bioactivity of these species have been undertaken. Accordingly, this study intends to increase the available information concerning edible mushroom species, as well as to highlight another important factor regarding the conservation of the mycological resources--their potential as sources of nutraceutical/pharmaceutical compounds. Overall, both species revealed similar nutrient profiles, with low fat levels, fructose, mannitol and trehalose as the foremost free sugars, and high percentages of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They also revealed the presence of bioactive compounds, namely phenolic (e.g., gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid) and organic acids (e.g., citric and fumaric acids) and presented antioxidant properties.

Chestnut and lemon balm based ingredients as natural preserving agents of the nutritional profile in matured “Serra da Estrela” cheese

Chestnut flowers, lemon balm plants and their decoctions were incorporated into "Serra da Estrela" cheese, to assess their potential to preserve its nutritional properties and provide new foodstuffs. The analyses were carried out after the normal ripening period of 1month and after 6months of storage. The most abundant nutrients were proteins and fats. The most abundant minerals were Ca and Na, while C16:0 and C18:1 were the main fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids were the most abundant, followed by the monounsaturated. Moisture seemed to be lower in the samples with the plants incorporated. The dried plants, when incorporated, seemed to be more efficient as preservers then the decoctions, although these better preserved the proteins. These plants can be regarded as promising natural preservers in foodstuffs cheese, given the preservation of key parameters and the slight impact on the nutritional value.

Non-institutionalized nonagenarians health-related quality of life and nutritional status: is there a link between them?

Introduction: Nonagenarian population, clearly increasing, shows different characteristics from the rest of elderly people. Health-related quality of life is a way to study population health in physical, psychological and social dimensions. Objectives: To examine the relationship between nutritional status and health-related quality of life in a group of free-living nonagenarians. Differences with octogenarians were also studied. Methods: Within Villanueva Older Health Study, 20 non-institutionalised people (92.5±3.5 years; 80% women) make the nonagenarian subsample. Nutritional risk was assessed by Mininutritional Assessment questionnaire, dietary intake by a 24-hour dietary recall and health-related quality of life by EuroQoL-5D questionnaire. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results: 40% nonagenarians were at risk of malnutrition. Dietary assessment showed magnesium, zinc, potassium, folic acid, vitamin D and vitamin E deficiencies. Problems in mobility were more frequently reported (80%). EQ-5Dindex was associated with MNA (p<0.05). Self-care dimension was associated with calcium and niacin (p<0.05), retinol and cholesterol (p<0.01) intake. Usual activities dimension was associated with niacin (p<0.01) and cholesterol(p<0.05) intake. Pain/discomfort dimension was associated with protein (p<0.01), energy, selenium and niacin (p<0.05) intake. Anxiety/depression was associated with protein(p<0.01) and selenium (p<0.05) intake. Conclusions: Risk of malnutrition is a factor associated to health-related quality of life. Results suggest that energy and some nutrient intakes could be possibly associated to health-related quality of life but further research on this influence is required.

Experiences of health professionals with nutritional support of critically ill patients in tertiary hospitals in Malawi

Background Nutritional support is a recognized determinant of outcome in critically ill patients. Development of critical care services in low-income countries has not been accompanied by certain appropriate ancillary services and interventions, such as adequate nutritional support. This study was designed to investigate the experiences of health professionals who have provided nutritional supportive care to critically ill patients admitted to two major central hospitals in Malawi, with the aim of identifying the common practices in nutritional support in these settings. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study in which 50 health professionals working in intensive care and high dependency units, admitting both adult and pediatric patients, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were coded and then analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Responses between the two hospitals were compared using Fisher’s exact test. Results There was no difference in the composition of respondents from the two hospitals. About 60% of respondents had had experience with nutritional supplementation in their patients—mainly enteral. The most commonly used formulations were the “ready-to-use therapeutic feeds,” followed by modified milk. A high percentage of respondents (40%) reported having used dextrose solution as the sole nutritional supplement. Lack of in-service training, nonexistent nutrition protocols pertaining to acutely and critically ill patients, and a lack of clinical nutritionists were the major challenges identified. Conclusion Knowledge of nutrient supplementation was poor among the respondents. The use of ready-to-use therapeutic feeds was quite common, although there is no evidence of its effectiveness in care of acutely critically ill patients. There is a need to establish nutritional support teams in these tertiary hospitals. Clinical nutritionists would ideally help train and play leadership roles in such teams, who would be responsible for assessing patients for their nutritional needs, and ensuring that the feeds provided to patients are appropriate and adequate for their needs.

Nutritional status and its impact on time and relocation in postoperative complications of abdominal patients undergoing surgery

Introduction: The nutritional state is the independent factor that most influences the post-operational results in elective surgeries. Objective: to evaluate the influence of the nutritional state on the hospitalization period and on the post-operative complications of patients submitted to abdominal surgery. Methods: prospective study with 99 surgical patients over 18 years of age, submitted to abdominal surgeries in the period from April to October of 2013, in the Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP). All patients were submitted to anthropometric nutritional evaluations through the body mass Index (BMI), arm circumference (AC) and triceps skinfold thickness (TEST). The biochemical evaluation was carried out from the leukogram and serum albumin results. The identification of candidate patients to nutritional therapy (NT) was carried out through the nutritional risk (NR) evaluation by using the BMI, loss of weight and hypoalbuminemia. The information about post-operational complications, hospitalization period and clinical diagnosis was collected from the medical records. Program SPSS version 13.0 and significance level of 5% were used for the statistical analysis. Results: The malnutrition diagnosed by the AC showed significant positive association with the presence of post-operative complications (p=0.02) and with hospitalization period (p=0.02). The presence of NR was greater when evaluated by hypoalbuminemia (28.9%), however, only 4% of the sample carried out the NT in the pre-operational period. The hospitalization period was greater for patients with malignant neoplasia (p<0.01). Conclusion: The malnutrition diagnosis of patients submitted to abdominal surgeries is associated to greater risk of post-operational complications and longer hospitalization permanence.

Nutritional risk among surgery patients and associations with hospital stay and postoperative complications

Introduction and Objectives: Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) is employed to identify nutritional risk in the hospital setting and determine which patients would benefit from nutritional support. The aim of the present study was to identify nutritional risk in patients admitted to the surgery ward and determine possible associations with hospital stay and postoperative complications. Methods: Three hundred fifteen surgery patients were evaluated in the first 24 hours since admission. Evaluations involved the calculation of the body mass index, the determination of weight loss ≥ 5% in the previous six months and the assessment of nutritional risk using the NRS 2002. Hospital stay (in days) and postoperative complications were also recorded. Results: A total of 31.1% of the patients were classified as being "at risk", among whom 98.3% had food intake 50% lower than habitual intake, 65.9% had weight loss ≥ 5% in the previous six months, 64.7% had a diagnosis of neoplasm, 59.9% were aged ≥ 60 years and 59.9% were candidates for non-elective surgery. Postoperative complications were recorded in 4.4% of the overall sample and were more frequent in patients at nutritional risk (p < 0.000). Hospital stay was also longer among the patients at nutritional risk (p < 0.01). Conclusion: A high percentage of surgery patients were at nutritional risk in the present study and associations were found with age ≥ 60 years, a diagnosis of neoplasm, non-elective surgery of the gastrointestinal tract, a reduction in habitual food intake and weight loss. Patients at nutritional risk had a greater frequency of postoperative complications and a longer hospital stay.

Anthropometric characteristics and the burden of altered nutritional status among neuropsychiatric patients at Zomba Mental Hospital in Zomba, Malawi

Objective To determine the prevalence of overnutrition and undernutrition among neuropsychiatric inpatients and outpatients at Zomba Mental Hospital in Zomba, Malawi. Methods In this analytical cross-sectional study (n = 239), data were collected from psychiatric patients who were either inpatients (n = 181) or outpatients (n = 58) at Zomba Mental Hospital, which is the largest mental health facility in Malawi. Information was collected about patient demographics, anthropometric data, dietary information, and tobacco and alcohol use, among other variables. Data were entered and analysed in SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Means were generated and compared between male and female patients, and between inpatients and outpatients. Results The study recruited 158 male and 81 female patients, with mean ages of 31.24 ± 11.85 years and 33.08 ± 15.18 years (p = 0.328), respectively. Male patients were significantly taller (165.27 ± 7.25 cm) than female patients (155.30 ± 6.56 cm) (p < 0.001); were significantly heavier than females (60.02 ± 10.56 kg versus 55.64 ± 10.53 kg); and had a significantly lower mean body mass index (BMI) than females (21.87 ± 3.21 vs. 23.01 ± 3.78) (p = 0.016). Overweight and obese patients comprised 17.6% of the participants, and 8.8% were underweight. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and underweight between male and female participants, or between inpatients and outpatients. Conclusion Our study—the first one of its kind in Malawi—characterised the anthropometry of neuropsychiatric patients at a major metal health facility in Malawi, and has shown a high proportion of overweight patients and a notable presence of underweight patients among them. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for metabolic disorders. Being underweight may aggravate mental illness or disturb the effect of medication. There is need, therefore, to include nutrition screening and therapeutic or supplementary feeding as part of a comprehensive care and treatment plan for neuropsychiatric patients.

Packaging as a vehicle of nutritional information for children: Enhancing children’s perceptions of healthy food

Field lab in marketing: Children consumer behaviour

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF RAPHIONACME SPLENDENS (SCHL.) TUBERS

People of Western Kordofan (Sudan) are endowed with a deep knowledge concerning the use of wild plants. Tubers of Raphionacme splendens Schl. subspecies splendens Flickr (family Apocynaceae), locally known as Elfayo, are used as a food reserve during times of famine or poor harvest. The aim of this study was to analyze the nutritional composition and antioxidant capacity of root tubers of R. splendens. Samples were collected from South-West Kordofan. Analyses included determination of moisture, carbohydrate, crude protein, fat, fibre, ash, minerals, vitamin C, amino acids and fatty acids composition. Antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2.2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays. The total phenolic content was also assessed. The results, which are referred to as (%) dry weight, showed that the tubers contained 3.2% protein, 18% carbohydrate, 0.5% lipid, 2.4% crude fibre, 3.5% ash, 79.2% moisture and gross energy 101.7 kJ/g. The total amino acids were 10776 mg/100g where the essential amino acids represented 28.2%. The more abundant essential amino acids were leucine (792mg/100g), isoleucine (712mg/100g) and threonine (536mg/100g). Methionine and lysine were the limiting amino acids. Minerals were potassium (259mg/100g), calcium (183mg/100g), magnesium (64mg/100g), phosphorus (37mg/100g), copper (3.6mg/100g), manganese (2.4mg/100g), zinc (1.8mg/100g) and iron (1.2mg/100g). Total saturated fatty acids were 45.6% whereas total unsaturated fatty acids were 54.4%. Oleic acid (32.56%) and palmitic acid (30.23%) were the most abundant fatty acids. Tubers displayed good antioxidant activity with IC50 values 0.987 and 1.559mg/mL against DPPH and ABTS radicals respectively. Vitamin C was 31.5mg/100g and total phenolic content was 60mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per 100g dry sample and they could be the main contributor to the antioxidant capacity of the tubers. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that tubers of R. splendens could have beneficial effect for food and/or nutraceutical application for normal growth and adequate protection against diseases associated with reactions of free radicals.

NUTRITIONAL AND AMINO ACID ANALYSIS OF RAW, PARTIALLY FERMENTED AND COMPLETELY FERMENTED LOCUST BEAN ( Parkia biglobosa ) SEEDS

The nutritional and amino acid analysis of raw and fermented seeds of Parkia biglobosa were carried out. Parameters investigated include moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, crude fibre and mineral contents; and the effect of the degree of fermentation on these parameters was also investigated. The amino acid compositions of all the samples were evaluated and amino acid quality determined by calculating amino acid scores and the predicted protein efficiency ratio (P-PER). Results showed that the proximate composition was significantly affected by fermentation, although there was little difference between the parameters for the partially fermented and completely fermented samples. Based on dry matter percentage, protein content was in the 39.77 – 43.74 % range while crude fibre ranged between 5.55 – 7.42 %. The ash content was lowest in the raw sample (2.34 %), while the fermented samples had ash contents between 4.27 and 8.33 % for the fully fermented and the partially fermented seeds, respectively. The fat content increased from 8.65 % in the raw seed to 24.4 % and 27.6 % for the partially and completely fermented samples, respectively. Results of the amino acid analysis showed that the partially fermented sample had the lowest quantities of all amino acids determined and had lysine as the limiting amino acid, whereas the raw and completely fermented samples had very similar amino acid profile with amino acid scores of 100, indicating that there are no limiting amino acids. All the samples were rich in essential amino acids. The P-PER also showed that the partially fermented sample had the lowest protein efficiency while the raw seed had the highest. Mineral contents generally increased from the raw, through the partially fermented, to the completely fermented seeds and results showed the samples to be good sources of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in addition to being complementary sources of other metals. Locust bean seed does not accumulate lead and is, therefore, safe for consumption without the potential of food poisoning.

QTLs mapping for primary metabolites responsible of the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa)

The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is the berry fruit most consumed worldwide and is well-known for its delicate flavour and nutritional properties. However, fruit quality attributes have been lost or reduced after years of traditional breeding focusing mainly on agronomical traits. To face the obstacles encountered in the improvement of cultivated crops, new technological tools, such as genomics and high throughput metabolomics, are becoming essential for the identification of genetic factors responsible of organoleptic and nutritive traits. Integration of “omics” data will allow a better understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying the accumulation of metabolites involved in the flavour and nutritional value of the fruit. To identify genetic components affecting/controlling? fruit metabolic composition, here we present a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis using a 95 F1 segregating population derived from genotypes ‘1392’, selected for its superior flavour, and ‘232’ selected based in high yield (Zorrilla-Fontanesi et al., 2011; Zorrilla-Fontanesi et al., 2012). Metabolite profiling was performed on red stage strawberry fruits using gas chromatography hyphenated to time-of-flight mass spectrometry, which is a rapid and highly sensitive approach, allowing a good coverage of the central pathways of primary metabolism. Around 50 primary metabolites, including sugars, sugars derivatives, amino and organic acids, were detected and quantified after analysis in each individual of the population. QTL mapping was performed on the ‘232’ x ‘1392’ population separately over two successive years, based on the integrated linkage map (Sánchez-Sevilla et al., 2015). First, significant associations between metabolite content and molecular markers were identified by the non-parametric test of Kruskal-Wallis. Then, interval mapping (IM), as well as the multiple QTL method (MQM) allowed the identification of QTLs in octoploid strawberry. A permutation test established LOD thresholds for each metabolite and year. A total of 132 QTLs were detected in all the linkage groups over the two years for 42 metabolites out of 50. Among them, 4 (9.8%) QTLs for sugars, 9 (25%) for acids and 7 (12.7%) for amino acids were stable and detected in the two successive years. We are now studying the QTLs regions in order to find candidate genes to explain differences in metabolite content in the different individuals of the population, and we expect to identify associations between genes and metabolites which will help us to understand their role in quality traits of strawberry fruit.

One-year follow-up of the nutritional status of patients undergoing liver transplantation

Background: Choosing the method of nutritional assessment is essential for proper follow-up of the nutritional status of patients undergoing liver transplantation. Objectives: Evaluate and compare the nutritional status of cirrhotic patients before and after liver transplantation over a year by different methods of nutritional assessment. Methods: Patients undergoing liver transplantation were assessed in five phases: pre-transplant, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after transplantation at the hospital Santa Casa de Misericordia de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. The methods used for nutritional assessment were anthropometry, grip strength of the non-dominant hand (HGS) by dynamometry, thickness of the adductor pollicis muscle (APM) and phase angle (PA) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). In all evaluations, the same measurements were taken. Results: Evaluations were performed in 22 patients. Methods that showed a higher prevalence of malnourished patients before transplantation were PA by BIA (25%), arm muscle circumference (AMC) (21.9%) and arm circumference (AC) (18.8%). When comparing the nutritional status of patients during follow-up, there was a significant difference only in the evaluation methods AC, triceps skinfold thickness and PA by BIA. At the end, the methods of nutritional assessment were compared again. They showed a significant statistical difference, with HGS being the best method for detecting malnutrition. Conclusions: In conclusion, it is suggested that the method PA by BIA could be widely used with this population since the results are consistent with other findings in the literature and they are significant, reliable, and reproducible.

National survey of the portuguese elderly nutritional status : study protocol

© 2016 The Author(s). Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

Nutritional status in children with esophageal stenosis and dysphagia associated with caustic ingestion

Introduction: Caustic ingestion (CI) in children and adolescents may lead to esophageal burns, esophageal stenosis and secondary dysphagia. These complications may limit the normal feeding process leading to malnutrition and growth impairment. Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the nutritional status and its association with dysphagia and esophageal stenosis in children with CI. Methods: Sixty-two patients with caustic ingestion treated at a pediatric referral hospital were included in this cross-sectional study. Independent variables were dysphagia/normal swallowing and esophageal stenosis/normal barium-swallow. The dependent variables were growth and nutritional status evaluated by anthropometry. Analysis: χ² test, OR, 95% CI, kappa test and Student's t-test. Results: The average age at the time of CI was 39.7 months; 38.7% of the patients were girls. Endoscopy performed upon admission revealed erosive esophagitis (II-b, III-a, and III-b) in 46 (77.8%) of the patients, dysphagia in twenty-four (38.7%) and esophageal stenosis in forty (64.5%). Both complications occurred simultaneously in 20 children (32.3%, kappa = 0.3, p = 0.014). The z-score of height-for-age was below -2 SD in five children (8.1%). The z score of body mass index (BMI) was < -2 SD in three children (4.8%) and it was above +1 SD in 24.2%. The z-score means of the arm anthropometric indicators of fat stores and muscle mass in both the dysphagia and esophageal stenosis groups were located in the negative area of the z-score curve and their values differed significantly from the z-scores of the non-dysphagia and non-stenosis groups. Conclusions: The proportion of erosive esophagitis, esophageal stenosis and dysphagia was high. Children with dysphagia and/or esophageal stenosis associated with CI had lower fat stores and muscle mass than the cases without esophageal complications.

Nutritional assessment of the most frequently consumed dishes in a slum in Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon

Introduction: Large nutritional surveys in Peru have identified the magnitude and location of the different types of malnutrition. The chronic type is the most prevalent one. However, although rates may be considered as alarming (even more in rural areas), only one of these studies contains information about intake characteristics, using 24-hour recalls (R24). That is, it lacks some other systems, adapted to the gastronomical characteristics of their regions and to the bioavailability of food in each area, in order to locate the origin of this situation and, thus, propose truly effective and efficient solutions. Aim: To determine the nutritional value of the main dishes consumed by the residents of a slum in Peruvian Amazon. Methods: Ninety-eight participants completed three 24-h recalls. Based on these data, we selected the 25 most commonly eaten dishes and evaluated their nutritional composition. We took note of the homemade recipes, weights and measures. In addition, we observed preparation and cooking. The mean nutritional composition of each dish was calculated per 100 g using the Nutriplato 4.6. software. We also calculated gains or losses resulting from culinary treatments. Results: Within those which include milk, the highest energy density is the mingado de arroz. In the group of fish, the most energetic is pescado frito, while within meat-based recipes tallarín con pollo, res asada and chancho frito are the most energetic ones. Regarding prepared dishes, the juane is the highest energy density of all recipes. Inside garnish, using bananas as the main ingredient, plátano frito and madurito are the most energetic. Fats are higher in fried dishes and those which contribute most fat ratio. The same thing happens with garnish as 100 grams of plátano frito or madurito contain more than 70% of the RDA. Res asada and juane present the highest sodium level. Conclusions: If we wish to offer healthier dishes, it is necessary to change their composition and/or cooking methods, reducing the consumption of fried foods. Sodium intake should also be reduced. Two foods could be important to that aim: menudencia de pollo, rich in B vitamins and low in fat, and frijol hervido, which is rich in vegetable protein and, with rice dishes ubiquitous in this area, increases the biological value of ingested proteins.