Effects of watermelon pulp fortification on maize mageu physicochemical and sensory acceptability.

Mageu is a non-alcoholic fermented gruel processed from cereal grains, mostly maize and is widely consumed in the Southern African region. The refined maize meal used for mageu processing is limited in dietary fiber, B-vitamins, vitamin C, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids and minerals because of bran removal during milling. Fortification with plant carotenoid sources may be an effective method to supply potent antioxidants such as lycopene and beta-carotene that help preventing vitamin A deficiency related diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of three levels of watermelon pulp powder fortifications (5g, 10g, and 15g) on the physicochemical and sensory acceptability of maize mageu. Significant difference (p < 0.05) was found for crude protein, ash, titratable acidity, and total carotenoid contents among the mageu samples. The percentage protein, ash, titratable acidity (TA), vitamin C (mg/100g) and total carotenoids (TC) (µg/g) contents for the mageu samples ranged between 10.60-13.70, 0.53-0.86, 0.08-0.15, 8.81-17.60 and 0.00-51.60, respectively. There was an increase in the protein, ash, TA, vitamin C and TC contents with an increasing level of watermelon pulp fortification. When watermelon pulp fortification increased to 15g, total carotenoids content increased significantly which shows the potential to fortify mageu with lycopene, the major carotenoid in the watermelon pulp, as well beta-carotene a pro-vitamin A carotenoid. Furthermore, the sensory attributes of the mageu sample fortified with 15g watermelon pulp was liked significantly (p < 0.05) more by a consumer panel. The study showed the potential of an acceptable maize mageu fortification with watermelon pulp powder to increase its nutritional and bioactive compounds, particularly lycopene.

The Association of General and Central Obesity with Dietary Patterns and Socioeconomic Status in Adult Women in Botswana.

Dietary patterns and their association with general and central obesity among adult women were studied using a cross-sectional survey with multistage cluster sampling in urban and rural areas nationwide in Botswana. The participants in the study were adult women (N = 1019), 18-75 years old. The dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis, and their associations with the body mass index and the weight-for-height ratio were examined. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify six dietary patterns (fast foods, refined carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits, fish and nuts, Botswana traditional foods, and organ and red meat dietary pattern). Overall, 24.5% of the women were overweight (BMI 25.0-29.99 kg/m2) and 24.5% were obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2). A waist-to-height ratio greater than 0.5 was observed for 42.2% of the women. With adjustment for age and education, individuals in the highest tertile of the Botswana traditional food pattern had a significantly higher risk of general obesity (RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.07-1.84) and central obesity (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.97-1.48). With respect to the fish and nut pattern, a significant association was observed with central obesity only (RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.18-1.72). The Botswana traditional food pattern, characterised by a high carbohydrate intake, was found to be associated with a high risk of obesity in this study. However, more research is required to assess other factors contributing to obesity in women so that appropriate intervention programs can be put in place to help control this epidemic.

The efficacy of micronutrient-fortified sorghum meal in improving the immune status of HIV-positive adults.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies are common and compound the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Africa. Nutritional interventions, particularly vitamin A supplementation, may improve immune functioning and delay disease progression. AIM: To investigate the effect of fortified sorghum meal provided for 12 months on the immune status of adults with HIV. METHODS: HIV-infected men and women were enrolled in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in Kanye, Botswana, to receive either sorghum meal fortified with micronutrients including vitamin A (n = 67) or control (n = 65). Serum retinol, iron, zinc, albumin, CD4 cell count and HIV viral load were assessed at baseline and every 3 months. RESULTS: Baseline serum retinol levels were 1.6 µmol/l in both groups and no significant difference was observed at the end of the intervention (control group: 1.5 µmol/l; experimental group: 1.6 µmol/l). In addition, there was no significant difference in the mean (Q1, Q3) CD4 cell count; 348 (220, 456) cells/mm(3) for the control group versus 338 (228, 426) cells/mm(3) in the experimental group after intervention. CONCLUSION: In this study, fortified sorghum meal did not influence serum retinol, CD4 cell count and HIV viral load. Future intervention studies should carefully consider the composition and dosing of food supplements needed to improve immune status and delay disease progression.

Validation and reproducibility of an FFQ for use among adults in Botswana.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity and reproducibility of a 122-item interviewer administered quantitative FFQ developed to determine food and nutrient intakes of adults in Botswana. DESIGN: Relative validity of the FFQ was evaluated by comparing nutrient and food group intakes against four non-consecutive 24 h recalls administered over 12 months. The FFQ was repeated after 1 year to assess reproducibility. SETTING: Kanye, Botswana. SUBJECTS: Seventy-nine adults aged 18­75 years. RESULTS: Spearman correlation coefficients for the validity of energy-adjusted nutrients ranged from 0.42 (carbohydrate) to 0.49 (protein) for macronutrients and from 0.23 (Fe) to 0.44 (PUFA) for micronutrients. Exact agreement of quartile distribution for nutrients between the FFQ and recalls ranged from 27% to 72%. Weighted kappa values were lowest for retinol (0.13), Fe (0.22) and b-carotene (0.25) and ranged from 0.33 (SFA) to 0.59 (folate) for other nutrients (energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, Ca and vitamin E). Spearman correlation coefficients between the recalls and FFQ for food groups ranged from 0.18 (dark green leafy and yellow vegetables) to 0.58 (poultry). Reproducibility correlation coefficients (energy-adjusted) varied between 0.39 for retinol and 0.66 for vitamin E, with most values falling between 0.50 and 0.60. CONCLUSIONS: The FFQ had good relative validity for estimating habitual food group and nutrient intakes, but was poor for some micronutrients (Fe, retinol and b-carotene) and foods (fruits and dark green leafy vegetables).