Using a rice-based model weaning food, the effect of Lactococcus lactis on the growth and survival of a range of enteric pathogens has been investigated. The starter organism used produces the bacteriocin nisin and the physiological L-lactate isomer, thus avoiding the risk of D-lactate acidosis when consumed by infants. L. lactis was a less effective antagonist than stronger acid producers such as the DL lactate producer, Lactobacillus plantarum , and only produced a potentially useful inhibition of pathogens when present in a large numerical superiority (>105:1). Prefermentation of the weaning food with L. lactis for 24 h produced a product with a pH of 3.7-3.8 containing ≈ 0.25% lactate (>96% L-lactate). The prefermented product was bactericidal for pathogens introduced subsequently. Despite the production of 100-150 international units nisin per g during fermentation, the inhibition of pathogens could be ascribed to acid production alone.
This study was conducted to determine radical scavenging activity and vitamin antioxidant composition in red pitaya from organic plantation. For antioxidant vitamins analysis, a reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography was used and radical scavenging activity of methanolic and water extract were determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-pircrylhydrazyl assay. Results for radical scavenging activity, red pitaya methanolic extract achieved the highest percentage 70.13% compared with water extract (47.13%). Antioxidant vitamins composition in red pitaya showed that the concentration of vitamin A is 120.13 ± 0.69 μg/100 g freeze-dried sample, vitamin C is 540.27 ± 0.59 μg/100 g fresh samples and vitamin E is 105.67 ± 0.56 μg/100 g freeze-dried samples. This shows that red pitaya may become an alternative and potential source of natural antioxidant.
Eighteen Bifidobacterium strains were tested for their susceptibility to a range of antimicrobial agents. All the strains tested, including the reference culture Lactobacillus acidophilus CH2, were susceptible to several groups of antimicrobial agents, they were cephalosporin (cefamandole, cefazolin, cefaperazone, cefoxitin), polypeptide (bacitracin), macrolide (erythromycin), penicillin (amoxicillin), phenicol (chloramphenicol) and beta-lactam (imipenem). Fourteen strains were resistant to more than 10 antibiotics. The reference culture was resistant to only three antibiotics. The results showed that bifidobacteria are resistant to a wide range of antimicrobial agents.
The main objective of this study was to determine the motives underlying the selection of foods between husbands and wives in an urban community. Thiscross-sectional study was carried out in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia among 150 married couples aged 20 and above, who voluntarily agreed to participate and were not on any special diet. Data were collected using the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) which measured the health-related and non health related factor that influence people's food choices. It consisted of 36 items designed to assess the reported importance of nine factors: health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern. In this study, the FCQ was adapted and a new factor, religion (religious guidelines), was included. Demographic characteristics including age, occupation, education, household income and household size were also collected. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16. Results showed that 40.7% of husbands (mean age= 43.33 + 11.16 years) and 55.3% of wives (mean age= 41.28 + 10.93 years) perceived themselves as the main food shopper while 12.0% of the husbands and 85.3% of the wives perceived themselves as the main meal planner. Husbands rated religion as the most prominent factor in food choice motives with a mean average rating of 4.56 + 0.59 on a 5-point rating scale, followed by health and convenience factor. Meanwhile, the wives rated health as the most essential factor with mean average rating of 4.49 + 0.58, followed by religion and convenience factor. Sensory appeal, ethical concerns and familiarity were rated as the bottom three factors of food choice motives among these two groups. Price of foods was not considered as an important factor in making food choices for the subjects in this study. In conclusion, the husbands and wives of this urban community rated religion, health and convenience as the three most important food choice motives in food selection.