Comparing the effects of essential oils and methanolic extracts on the inhibition of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus growth and production of aflatoxins.

The antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic effects of four distinct plant species against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus were investigated. Essential oils and methanolic extracts were prepared from aerial parts of Lippia javanica, Ocimum gratissimum, Satureja punctata, and stem barks of Toddalia asiatica by hydro-distillation and maceration, respectively. The poisoned food method was used to confirm the antifungal activity of essential oils and methanolic extracts from four different plant species against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and high-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify the antiaflatoxigenic activity. The essential oils of Satureja punctata and Lippia javanica showed the highest antiaflatoxigenic activity against the fungi strains tested at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, and 5 µL/mL, followed by Ocimum gratissimum essential oil while Toddalia asiatica essential oil exerted moderate antiaflatoxigenic activity. Meanwhile, the methanolic extracts showed a wide spectrum of low to high antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities at concentrations of 125, 250, and 500 µg/mL against A. flavus and A. parasiticus. This study has indicated that the essential oils of Satureja punctate, Lippia javanica, and Ocimum gratissimum had substantial antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities compared to their methanolic extracts, while Toddalia asiatica methanolic extract had a moderate antifungal activity compared to its essential oil.

Proximate composition, pasting and functional properties of composite flour blends from cassava and chia seeds flour.

The study established the proximate composition, pasting, and functional properties of cassava flour (CF) blended with chia seeds flour (CSF). Composite flour was prepared by blending CF with CSF in the ratios of 95:05, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20, and 75:25 with CF and CSF used as controls, respectively. The effect of blending significantly (p < 0.05) increased protein, fat, fibre, and ash contents as CSF increased. On other hand, moisture and carbohydrate contents decreased significantly. Pasting properties of composite flour blends decreased significantly (p < 0.05) as the incorporation of CSF increased and a noticeable change was observed for composite flour (75:25) except for peak time and pasting temperature. Functional properties of water absorption capacity (WAC) of CSF were significantly different with CF and composite flour blends. Oil absorption capacity (OAC) of CF and CSF were significantly different, while the composite flour blends had varied OAC due to the inclusion of the different amounts of CSF. The swelling capacity (SC) of CF and CSF were not significantly different, but composite flour blends were significantly different from both CSF and CF. The least gelation concentration (LGC) and bulk density (BD) increased significantly as chia seeds increased. Increased concentration of chia CSF in the composite flour blends showed to alter the functional properties. This study recommends composite flour 75:25 for processing semiliquid products like porridge due to reduced pasting properties values that may be associated with increased energy density compared to CF.