Innovative Ingredients Fortified Nutrients Enriched Biscuits and Cookies: Quality and Sensory Analyses

Global suffering from COVID-19 has necessitated augmenting the immunity systems of humans through consumption of macro-micro-nutrients and antioxidant-enriched fortified foods. In this article, fortifications of popular bakery products, viz. biscuits, cookies, have been reviewed, encompassing the novel fortifying ingredients and innovative methods employed with an emphasis on the overall enrichment in the final product quality. A few notable features concerning novel fortified biscuit and fortified cookie have been decisively summarized. Wheat flour blended with 40% sesame-cake flour resulted in a fortified biscuit possessing higher protein (16.6%), crude fat (16.95%), and dietary fiber (8.2%) with acceptable sensory characteristics. About 9% toting up of chicken-eggshell dried-powder could result in high Ca content in biscuits with customary changes in texture and sensory properties. A remarkable 5% addition of bee pollen to wheat flour appreciably improved the nutrient compositions (carbohydrate 65.18%, protein 7.32%, and total dietary-fiber 1.47%) along with high polyphenol and antioxidant potentials. Notably, mixing fish fillet protein concentrate with wheat flour could yield enhanced nutritional content (protein 14.63-19.52%, fat 16.2-16.5%), as well as augmented amino acids. Remarkably, wheat flour fortified with fermented jack bean flour resulted in an overall fortified biscuit with substantial carbohydrate, crude protein, fat, fiber, ash, and appreciable macro-micro mineral contents and sensory characteristics. Innovative fortified cookies were made by blending wheat flour or Brewer's spent grain flour with one or more ingredients, e.g. full fat soya, mushroom, cardamom powder, moringa leaves, coconut, sweet potato flour rendering amplified values of nutrients, superior physical properties, increased mineral and flavonoid contents and organoleptic qualities.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Self-medication Practices for COVID-19 Prevention: A Study among Medical Students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the interest in self-care strategies, including self-medication. Medical students, as future health practitioners, learn more about medications than other students. This study aimed to describe self-medication practices for preventing COVID-19 among medical students at Universitas Islam Indonesia. This observational study used a cross-sectional design and was undertaken in November- December 2020. The study sample included 336 undergraduate medical students determined using a consecutive sampling technique based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using an online questionnaire about self-medication practices in the preceding 3 months. Among a total of 336 students, 137 (41%) reported using self-medication intending to prevent COVID-19, and 126 (92%) of these 137 took preventive supplements, mainly vitamins C, D, and E, and omega-3. Seven students reported the use of zinc, mainly in combination with other vitamins. Students who practiced self-medication lived closer to people confirmed with COVID-19, washed their hands more often, and desinfected their belongings more frequently than their counterparts (p<0.05). The mean duration for consuming vitamins was 11-16 days. Forty students (29%) used herbal medicine to prevent COVID-19;ginger, turmeric, honey, black seed, cutcherry, and Curcuma were the most often consumed herbal remedies. Fourteen students (10%) reported taking over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms related to COVID-19, including antipyretic, analgesic, antiseptic, antihistamine, decongestant, antitussive, and expectorant medications. Most respondents (82%) purchased their medications at pharmacies, and 11 (9%) obtained them from online shops. These findings show the high rate of self-medication using vitamins and herbal remedies for COVID-19 prevention among university medical students. Further studies are needed to explore students' knowledge about the risks of self-medication including the use of herbal medicines.Copyright © 2022 Marmara University Press.

Nutrition Intervention for Undernourished Older Adults amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Older adults are vulnerable to disease exposure because of the agerelated decrease in immune capacity. Older adults with macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies may have poor nutritional status and low immune responses, making them prone to COVID-19 infection.Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of orange almond potato cookie supplementation on weight, hemoglobin, and albumin levels in undernourished older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A quasi-experimental study design was utilized in a cohort of 31 older adults. The subjects consumed 50 grams of cookies per day for 4 weeks. The examination was performed to assess the hemoglobin and albumin levels at pre- and post-study timepoints. Education about balanced nutrition and anemia was provided throughout the study using leaflets, flipcharts, and videos. The subjects were weighed weekly to assess compliance;cookies were distributed, and a daily food consumption record was collected three times a week during home visits.Results: Weight, hemoglobin, and albumin levels increased by 0.4 kg, 0.1 points, and 1 point, respectively. The difference was significant for weight, albeit nonsignificant for hemoglobin and albumin levels. At the end of the study, participants' knowledge regarding balanced nutrition and anemia was statistically significantly different, as well as that of energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin C, and iron intake. Weight gain was found to be influenced by the total cookie consumption (p < 0.035).Conclusion: Orange almond potato cookies increased the undernourished older adults' weight when consumed for 4 weeks.

Production and optimization of novel Sphorolipids from Candida parapsilosis grown on potato peel and frying oil wastes and their adverse effect on Mucorales fungal strains.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION: Mucormycosis disease, which has recently expanded with the Covid 19 pandemic in many countries, endangers patients' lives, and treatment with common drugs is fraught with unfavorable side effects. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: This study deals with the economic production of sophorolipids (SLs) from different eight fungal isolates strains utilizing potato peels waste (PPW) and frying oil waste (FOW). Then investigate their effect against mucormycetes fungi. RESULTS: The screening of the isolates for SLs production revealed the highest yield (39 g/100 g substrate) with most efficiency was related to a yeast that have been identified genetically as Candida parapsilosis. Moreover, the characterizations studies of the produced SLs by FTIR, 1H NMR and LC-MS/MS proved the existence of both acidic and lactonic forms, while their surface activity was confirmed by the surface tension (ST) assessment. The SLs production was optimized utilizing Box-Behnken design resulting in the amelioration of yield by 30% (55.3 g/100 g substrate) and ST by 20.8% (38mN/m) with constant level of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) at 125 mg/L. The studies also revealed the high affinity toward soybean oil (E24 = 50%), in addition to maintaining the emulsions stability against broad range of pH (4-10) and temperature (10-100℃). Furthermore, the antifungal activity against Mucor racemosus, Rhizopus microsporus, and Syncephalastrum racemosum proved a high inhibition efficiency of the produced SLs. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrated the potential application of the SLs produced economically from agricultural waste as an effective and safer alternative for the treatment of infection caused by black fungus.

Potato Processing Industry in China: Current Scenario, Future Trends and Global Impact.

Potatoes play an important role in ensuring food security. During the COVID-19 epidemic, consumption of processed potato products decreased, and consumption of fresh potatoes increased. China is the world's largest potato producer with more than 4.81 million hectares of area under potato production and 90.32 million metric tonnes of potatoes produced in 2018. This accounts for 27.36% of the world's planting area and 24.53% of the world's potato production. The proportion of potatoes processed in China was about 12% in 2017, mostly dominated by starch production. However, the recent policy of the Chinese government to popularise potato as a staple food has created new markets for processed potato products other than starch. A very few reports have analysed these future trends of the rapidly growing Chinese potato processing industry and its impact within and outside China. This paper provides an overview of the latest developments with a focus on processed potato products such as potato chips, French fries and dehydrated potatoes, and also, due to the unique Chinese diet culture, it highlights the need for more scientific research dedicated towards the development of novel potato-based healthy foods.

Ayurvedic Herbs Advised for COVID-19 Management: Therapeutic Potential and Clinical Relevance

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide. There is no effective medication for COVID-19 as of now, so it would be good to take preventive measures that not only boost our immunity but also fight against infections. The use of traditional Chinese medicine in China to treat COVID-19 patients sets the prototype demonstrating that traditional medicines can contribute to prevention and treatment successfully. In India, the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeop-athy) released a self-care advisory during the COVID-19 crisis as a preventive aspect. This review article discusses the therapeutic potential and clinical relevance of some herbs [(Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Tvaka (Cinnamon), Maricha (Piper longum), Shunthi (Zingi-ber officinale), Munakka (Dried grapes), Lavang (Syzigiumaromaticum), Pudina (Mentha arvensis), and Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi)] advised by AUYSH to take during COVID-19 infection. They are effective in COVID-19 management, therefore, authors have discussed their detailed traditional uses as therapeutics and spotted scientific insight and clinical significance of the herbs mentioned above along with their mechanistic viewpoint, adequately, on a single platform. Provided information could be a treasure to open up a new research arena on natural products to manage human health crises effectively, caused not only by COVID-19 but also by other infectious diseases.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Increase of nutritional security in Sub-Saharan Africa through the production of dried products from underutilized crops

Currently, an estimated 20% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa is food insecure with the incidence of hunger and malnutrition still rising. This trend is amplified by the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, more than a third of the harvestable perishable produce is lost due to a lack of preservation or failure to utilize preservation as is the case for underutilized crops (UCs). Moreover, some of the preservation techniques utilized are poor, leading to the deterioration of food quality, especially the micronutrients. In this study, we thus exemplarily investigated the impact of different drying settings on the quality of two highly nutritious UCs, namely cocoyam and orange-flesh sweet potato (OFSP) (40, 60, and 80 °C for cocoyam and 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C for OFSP) to deduce the optimum quality retention and further develop a theoretical design of processing units and processing guidelines for decentralized food processing. Drying cocoyam at 80 °C and OFSP at 60 °C, respectively resulted in a relatively shorter drying time (135 and 210 min), a lower total color difference (2.29 and 11.49-13.92), greater retentions for total phenolics (0.43 mg GAE/100 gDM and 155.0-186.5 mg GAE/100 gDM), total flavonoid (128 mg catechin/100 gDM and 79.5-81.7 mg catechin/100 gDM) and total antioxidant activity (80.85% RSA and 322.58-334.67 mg AAE/100 gDM), respectively for cocoyam and OFSP. The β-carotene, ascorbic acid and vitamin A activity per 100 gDM of the OFSP flours ranged between 6.91- 9.53 mg, 25.90 − 35.72 mg, and 0.53 − 0.73 mg RAE, respectively. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Urban Farming: The Reluctant Utopia

The old conceptual dichotomy between the city and the countryside has often been a historical stumbling block for architects and urban planners. Whilst there have been many attempts to bring the city closer to the natural environment, some on grand scales, more modest experiments have often gleaned better results. Daniele Belleri is a partner at design and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, where he is in charge of all editorial and curatorial projects. He and the practice's founder, architect and engineer Carlo Ratti – who is director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – together explore our contemporary options. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hospital Initiative to Increase PlantPredominant Foods and Nutritional Education

Introduction: Due to reduction in cardiovascular risk, healthy, plant-based foods, as opposed to animal-derived products should be promoted to patients. We created a hospital initiative on the cardiac floors to educate the multidisciplinary staff to serve as advocates for healthy eating. Method(s): Housestaff participated in education sessions on the benefits of plant-predominant meals and patient counseling. More plant-predominant options were added to the menu and several unhealthy items were eliminated. Food orders were assessed pre-intervention (February 2020) and post-staged interventions (October 2020 and April 2022). Food choices were assessed using the healthful and unhealthful diet index. Press Ganey scores were obtained and housestaff comfort with diet counseling was also assessed. Result(s): Resident perception of their own knowledge went from "poor" to "good" post-intervention. Confidence in talking to patients about plant-based diets went from "not confident at all" to "fairly confident'. After analysis of diet orders, a 52% decrease was noted in animal-based products (chicken, beef, pork and turkey), 35% decrease in unhealthful food items (refined grains, processed foods, potatoes and sweetened beverages), and 25% decrease in plant-predominant food items (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, salads, legumes and fish), but this time period occurred in the setting of high COVID-19 rates. A subsequent analysis of a single cardiac unit after the COVID-19 surges and after select unhealthy items were removed from the menu showed notable improvements in each parameter when adjusted for discharges;a 2% increase in plant-based, 37% decrease in animal based and 4% decrease in unhealthy items. Press Ganey ratings for the quality of food increased post-initiative by at least 27%. Conclusion(s): This quality initiative was a local pilot to increase our understanding of interventions that may have a meaningful impact on healthy eating for patients. Interpretation of results is limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have impacted food choices of admitted patients. Although further research is needed, housestaff engagement may be a promising mechanism to educate patients and encourage food and nutrition changes in a health system.

Analysis of product shrinkage and waste in a potato bagging plant

Nowadays, an average of 2 kg of waste per person are generated in Spain. Furthermore, the household consumption is rising and, as a consequence, the waste production is also increasing. This trend presents a direct impact in the environment. Moreover, after two years of COVID-19 pandemic, it has been detected a stronger rise in consumption per person, while consumption through professional commercial channels for hospitality industry has been lower. This paper analizes the waste generation and product shrinkage in a potato bagging plant, which addresses its production to both final consumers and retailers. The raw materials washing line, as well as the production line, are taken into consideration in the analysis, while new uses to the produced waste are proposed, aiming at providing new useful life, such as the production of bioplastics or the production of biodiesel. As a consequence, the environment impact is minimized and new products are obtained. © 2022 The Authors.

Treatments for melasma: A cross-sectional study of YouTube videos including DISCERN scores

Background: Online searches have become a popular source of medical information, especially in the COVID-19 era. Methods: On February 13, 2021, we performed a YouTube search of “melasma treatment” with the “view count” filter on a private browser. The first 102 videos yielded were screened, and the top 30 videos meeting our inclusion criteria were independently evaluated by 2 reviewers using the DISCERN instrument. Results: The mean DISCERN score for the 30 videos was 41.4 points, categorizing them as “fair” in quality. The mean score for videos uploaded by dermatologists was similar at 46.3 points (“fair”) compared with 31.3 points (“poor”) by profit companies. It is concerning that only 53% of videos supported shared decision-making with a physician/dermatologist. Almost one-third of videos focused on natural home remedies, which generated the most views. A video using raw potato with 3.8 million views claimed to permanently “cure” melasma in weeks. Such false claims pose unrealistic expectations for viewers. Furthermore, only 17% of videos discussed melasma recurrence, and 60% mentioned treatment risks. Popular home ingredients (i.e., raw potato, lemon, etc.) that videos classified as “harmless” can certainly cause contact urticaria, anaphylaxis, or exacerbate melasma. Conclusions: The top 30 most-viewed videos with 15.5 million views contained mostly fair-quality medical information with a focus on home remedies without reliable sources of evidence. Dermatologists should be aware of common misconceptions propagated by these videos and thus underscore treatment risks, recurrence, and insufficient evidence in the literature on the efficacy of home remedies for melasma.

AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF POTATO SEED PRODUCTION IN JALANDHAR DISTRICT OF PUNJAB

Seed is an essential input for the potato crop. Much of the efforts and investment would be infructuous if the farmers did not get the quality seeds. Only the seed with assured purity-genetic and physical can be expected to respond to fertilizers and other inputs in a respected manner. The present study attempted to analyze the source, SRR of potato seed and assess the effect on potato crop yield by using certified seed in the Jalandhar district of Punjab. The current study was conducted on primary data collected from 120 farmers during the 2020-21 agricultural year. The data were analyzed using simple tabular analysis and other suitable statistical techniques. The study found that the most preferred source of seed was the self-retained seed which came out to be 48 per cent, the second most preferred source was private seed dealers, as 17 per cent procured seed from these dealers. The high use of self-retained seed was due to the high cost of purchased seed, and the other reason was that farmers had more confidence in the self-retained seed. The study found that large farmers’ Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) was higher. It was 11.2 per cent for small farmers, 19.5 per cent for medium farmers and 27.5 per cent for large farmers. The yield of potato crop using certified seed was higher than non-certified seed. The per cent difference in yield of potato grown by certified and non-certified seed among small and medium farmers was 17 per cent, 11 per cent among large farmers and 15 per cent overall in the Jalandhar district of Punjab. The study highlighted that the primary constraint faced by potato seed growers were high prices of certified seed (69.1 per cent), high cost of pesticides and insecticides (65.8 per cent), fluctuations in the price of potato seed (55 per cent), lack of public procurement at MSP (53.3 per cent), covid related restrictions (52.5 per cent) and lack of extension facilities (48.3 per cent). The study suggested that the government should provide certified seed to the farmers at the lowest cost to increase the seed replacement rate. Awareness regarding the use of certified seed should be given to farmers through extension services. Government institutes like Central Potato Research Station (CPRS) (ICAR), the Centre of Excellence (Dogri) and the Department of Horticulture should expand the production of certified seeds as only 18 per cent of potato growers purchased seeds from these agencies in the study area. The minimum support price of potatoes should be fixed to promote the production of potatoes in the state. © 2022, Indian Potato Association. All rights reserved.

A 51-YEAR-OLD MAN WITH WEIGHT LOSS AND CARDIOGENIC SHOCK

CASE: A 51-year-old man without significant past medical history presented to our hospital with dyspnea on exertion. SARS-CoV-2 was detected on routine occupational screening 2 months prior to admission. He subsequently reported a 100lb weight loss, during which time he experienced dysgeusia and ate primarily cereal, sandwiches, and potatoes and consumed nearly no fruits or vegetables. Three weeks prior to admission he developed postprandial nausea and vomiting and anorexia. A week later he developed progressive epigastric pain, lower extremity edema, and dyspnea while walking around the college campus where he worked as a security guard, and sought medical attention. He did not have fever, chills, night sweats, cough, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, rash, or diarrhea. He had not seen a doctor in 20 years and took no medications. He did not drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or use illicit substances. Vital signs were T 36.6°F HR 104 BP 149/111 RR 20 and SpO2 97%. Physical examination revealed a cachectic man with bitemporal wasting, sunken orbits, poor dentition, and severe periodontal disease. JVP was 14cm of H2O at 45°. An S3 was present. The abdomen was tender to palpation in the mid epigastrium. The extremities were cool with 3+ pitting edema. Pancreatitis was diagnosed after discovery of markedly elevated lipase levels and peripancreatic fat stranding on abdominal CT. TTE showed biventricular systolic dysfunction with LVEF 15%. He developed cardiogenic shock complicated by oliguric renal failure, congestive hepatopathy and obtundation, requiring ICU transfer for diuresis and inotropic support. Further workup revealed deficiencies of thiamine, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and D. A regadenoson myocardial perfusion PET/CT showed no flow-limiting coronary artery disease, and workup for inflammatory, infectious, and toxic-metabolic causes of heart failure was unrevealing. While COVID myocarditis and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) were considered, ultimately, a diagnosis of wet beriberi was made. After 5 months of aggressive nutritional supplementation via percutaneous gastrostomy tube and initiation of guideline-directed medical therapy, LVEF improved to 53% and weight increased by 35lbs. IMPACT/DISCUSSION: Wet beriberi is a potentially underrecognized cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in resource-rich areas. Within 3 months, thiamine deficiency can cause high-output heart failure due to impaired myocardial energy metabolism and dysautonomia. Risk factors include alcohol use disorder, prolonged vomiting, and history of bariatric surgery. CONCLUSION: The laboratory evaluation of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy should include measurement of serum thiamine, carnitine, and selenium levels in select patients, alongside iron studies, ANA, screening for HIV, Chagas disease, and viral myocarditis, and genetic testing in patients with a suggestive family history. Empiric thiamine repletion should be considered in all critically ill patients with evidence of malnutrition.

SCARED INTO SCURVY: NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES DUE TO FEAR OF COVID-19

CASE: A 26-year-old male presented to the hospital with 2 weeks of difficulty ambulating, bilateral lower extremity rash, and diffuse myalgia with arthralgia. Symptoms began suddenly with lower extremity pain and difficulty getting up from his chair. He denied sensory changes, and pain was most prominent at the hips and knees. He also noticed a new rash on his thighs and mild bleeding from his gums. All other review of systems were negative. He denied family history of autoimmune disease and was without any personal chronic medical conditions. He was the primary caretaker of his grandmother and had stayed isolated at home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Vital signs were normal, and physical exam revealed 3/5 right hip flexion, 4/5 left hip flexion, and 4/5 right knee flexion and extension. Inspection of his rash demonstrated follicular hyperkeratosis, perifollicular erythema, and corkscrew hairs. Initial lab work revealed anemia, hypothyroidism, hypotonic hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, an elevated CK, ESR, and CRP. Extensive infectious and autoimmune workup was unrevealing. Further interview revealed that his diet consisted of soy milk, potato chips, crackers, peanut butter, and water in the preceding 6 months. This was intentionally done to reduce exposure to SARS- CoV-2. Further evaluation revealed Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, and Iron deficiencies. His presenting symptoms and rash were ultimately attributed to hypothyroid myopathy and Scurvy. Following thyroid replacement therapy, dietary education, and nutritional supplementation, he experienced improvement in his symptoms and rash. IMPACT/DISCUSSION: It has become evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant psychosocial impact on the public, with substantial portions of our population experiencing increased fear and anxiety. Interestingly, a longitudinal study by Pan et al. found that Dutch patients without prior mental health disorders, such as our patient, had a more significant increase in depression, anxiety, and worry during the pandemic. To add to this, a study by Izzo et al. found that a substantial part of their study population had turned to unhealthy nutritional behaviors during the pandemic. Furthermore, Nguyen et al. demonstrated that increased health literacy was protective against the negative psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our case presents an outcome of merging pandemic fears with poor health literacy. It also highlights the critical role of the clinician as historian. Conceptualizing the patient's clinical presentation with their daily life ultimately led to appropriate diagnostic workup and treatment. CONCLUSION: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, its broader and less apparent effects will continue to be seen. Clinicians must remain vigilant in assessing the changes in their patients' daily lives with open and invested communication. Early identification of potentially harmful changes and improved health education could prevent potential complications.

Evaluation of Three Abundant Indonesian Traditional Tubers as Carbohydrate-Rich Food Alternatives for Diabetic Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Diabetes is the tenth most common comorbidity in coronavirus disease, hence COVID-19 patients with this disease showed higher mortality rates and worse outcomes. Therefore, Management of diabetes during the pandemic became more critical, especially in ensuring patients consume functional foods containing diets, such as sweet potato, cassava, and taro, among the top ten abundant-traditional tubers in Indonesia. These foods are rich in protein, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and dietary fibre. Carbohydrate-rich foods, which constitute around 60% of the average diet should be considered. This study evaluated the potential of the three most consumed Indonesian tubers;sweet potato, cassava, and taro, as functional foods for managing diabetes during the pandemic. These foods were selected based on their chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and in silico molecular docking against COVID-19 and diabetes-related target proteins. The target proteins are ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), TMPRSS-2 (transmembrane serine protease 2), DPP IV (dipeptidyl peptidase IV), and α-glucosidase. The results showed that sweet potato has the highest phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity, valued at 7.40 ± 0.20 mg/g GAE and 9.39 ± 0.3%, respectively. Moreover, molecular docking results indicated that sweet potato phenolic compounds, namely isorhamnetin, peonidin, and catechin against DPP IV, isorhamnetin, peonidin, and quercetin against ACE2, isorhamnetin and quercetin against α-glucosidase, and epicatechin against TMPRSS2 strongly interacted with the target proteins. In conclusion, cassava, taro, and sweet potato were the most potential functional foods for diabetes management during the pandemic.

Emergence of Candida auris-A Human Isolate with Atorvastatin as a Growth Promoter

Background and Objective: The fungal infection, caused by the newly discovered highly resistant Candida auris was a major health threat before COVID-19. The concept of drug repurposing not only addresses the issue of microbial resistance, but also is an easy way to bypass costly and time-consuming novel drug development. Rationale: Statins which are therapeutically used for the treatment of atherosclerosis, have exhibited some antifungal actions against various fungal spp. Although, no such study was conducted on C. auris. Based on the anti-HMG-CoA reductase activity on ergosterol synthesis, we elucidated the effect of Atorvastatin at the clinically administered human dose (0.055g), on Candida auris. Materials and Methods: Candida auris was isolated from an adult male diabetic patient and was identified on the VITEK system and confirmed on MALDI-TOF MS with 99% accuracy. It was cultured on 24 g potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Pure atorvastatin was incorporated in culture plates, incubated at 37∘C observed for fungal growth. Results: Initially no growth was observed in the first twenty-four hours, but an unexpected growth was observed after 48 hours, and the colonization further doubled in 96 hours. Conclusion: Atorvastatin was repurposed in C. auris due to its anti-HMGCoA reductase activity on ergosterol synthesis. The observation raises cautions among the patients on atorvastatin therapy at the clinically administered human dose (0.055 g), on a clinical isolate of C. auris isolate. Our investigation provides an awareness that the patients on a statin-therapy should be highly cautious about C. auris infection and must take appropriate measures to prevent the infection.

Increase of nutritional security in Sub-Saharan Africa through the production of dried products from underutilized crops

Currently, an estimated 20% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa is food insecure with the incidence of hunger and malnutrition still rising. This trend is amplified by the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, more than a third of the harvestable perishable produce is lost due to a lack of preservation or failure to utilize preservation as is the case for underutilized crops (UCs). Moreover, some of the preservation techniques utilized are poor, leading to the deterioration of food quality, especially the micronutrients. In this study, we thus exemplarily investigated the impact of different drying settings on the quality of two highly nutritious UCs, namely cocoyam and orange-flesh sweet potato (OFSP) (40, 60, and 80 degrees C for cocoyam and 40, 50, 60, and 70 degrees C for OFSP) to deduce the optimum quality retention and further develop a theoretical design of processing units and processing guidelines for decentralized food processing. Drying cocoyam at 80 degrees C and OFSP at 60 degrees C, respectively resulted in a relatively shorter drying time (135 and 210 min), a lower total color difference (2.29 and 11.49-13.92), greater retentions for total phenolics (0.43 mg GAE/100 g(DM) and 155.0-186.5 mg GAE/100 g(DM)), total flavonoid (128 mg catechin/100 g(DM) and 79.5-81.7 mg catechin/100 g(DM)) and total antioxidant activity (80.85% RSA and 322.58-334.67 mg AAE/100 g(DM)), respectively for cocoyam and OFSP. The beta-carotene, ascorbic acid and vitamin A activity per 100 g(DM) of the OFSP flours ranged between 6.91- 9.53 mg, 25.90 - 35.72 mg, and 0.53 - 0.73 mg RAE, respectively.

Genetically modified potato and rice based edible vaccines – An overview

The current pandemic has made us realize the importance of efficient and large-scale vaccine production and distribution. Conventional vaccines have not only helped us overcome this pandemic but aided us in avoiding numerous pathogenic diseases. The production complexity and high cost of traditional vaccines have taken a toll on the world economy. Plant-derived vaccines serve to eliminate such concerns. Specifically, rice and potato being staple crops have been used extensively for the same. In this study, we have thoroughly reviewed the existing literature on rice and potato-derived edible vaccines. We have elaborated the studies performed by several researchers since 1995 for various diseases like dengue, cervical cancer, hepatitis B, diarrhea, cedar pollinosis, periodontitis, Japanese encephalitis etc. Although numerous plants such as banana, tomato, tobacco, lettuce, alfalfa, etc have been used for the production of edible vaccines, this review solely focuses on potato and rice based studies.

Development of a Ladder-Shape Melting Temperature Isothermal Amplification (LMTIA) Assay for the Identification of Cassava Component in Sweet Potato Starch Noodles.

Food authenticity has become increasingly important as a result of food adulteration. To identify the authenticity of sweet potato starch noodles, the ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (LMTIA) method of determining cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) DNA in sweet potato starch noodles was used. A set of primers targeted at the internal transcription spacer (ITS) of cassava was designed, genomic DNA was extracted, the LMTIA reaction temperature was optimized, and the specificity of the primer was verified with the genomic DNAs of cassava, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), Solanum tuberosum L., Zea mays L., Vigna radiate L., Triticum aestivum L., and Glycine max (L.) Merr. The sensitivity with the serially diluted genomic DNA of cassava and the suitability for the DNA extracted from sweet potato starch adulterated with cassava starch were tested. The LMTIA assay for identifying the cassava component in sweet potato starch noodles was established. At the optimal temperature of 52 °C, the primers could specifically distinguish a 0.01% (w/w) cassava component added to sweet potato starch. Additionally, the LMTIA method was applied to the cassava DNA detection of 31 sweet potato starch noodle samples purchased from retail markets in China. Of these, 14 samples were positive. The LMTIA assay could be a reliable method for the rapid detection of cassava components in sweet potato starch noodles, to protect the rights of consumers and to regulate the sale market order of starch noodles.

Crop Cycle Length Determines Optimal Transplanting Date for Seedlings from Hybrid True Potato Seeds

The technology of hybrid breeding in diploid potatoes creates opportunities to design novel and improved cultivation systems based on hybrid true potato seeds. A promising cultivation pathway to produce seed or ware tubers is by transplanting greenhouse-raised seedlings into the field. This study explored the effects of transplanting date and seedling age on tuber yield, using greenhouse-raised seedlings. Field trials with experimental hybrid genotypes were conducted in three consecutive years. In 2017 and 2018, 4- and 6-week-old seedlings were transplanted at four dates: March, April, May and June. In 2019, transplanting dates included April, May and June and seedling age was 5 weeks. In 2018, the March planting experienced severe frost during the initial field period resulting in crop failure. In 2017 and 2019, plants could withstand shorter and less severe frost events. Seedling age did not significantly affect tuber parameters. Transplanting in June resulted in lower marketable yield (> 28 mm) compared with earlier transplanting dates when crops were harvested in September. At full crop senescence, no differences in marketable yield were observed. The optimal transplanting window, taking into account weather-related risks, is approximately between early April and end May. For some genotypes, crop cycle length was observed to be a more important yield-determining factor than transplanting date. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Potato Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)