Fatty acid,amino acid,and trace mineral analyses of five weaning foods from Jos,Nigeria

Five plant-based weaning foods (WF) (Dietrend, Jot-M, Soy, Ang and Vic-T) locallyprepared in Jos, Nigeria were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography,reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, and atomicemission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma to determine theirfatty acid (FA), amino acid, and trace mineral contents, respectively.Results of these direct analyses were compared to expected values derivedfrom food composition tables prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, results were compared against recommendednutrient values, using breast milk as the standard for FA content andrecommended dietary allowances (RDA) for amino acid and mineral contents.The overall nutritional value of the five WF varied considerably and thequantities of particular nutrients determined by direct analysis differedmarkedly from those estimated using USDA food tables. Comparison of WFfatty acid composition relative to the RDA recommendations and a humanmilk standard revealed a much higher proportion of both linoleic (35–55wt%) and -linolenic acids (1%–7 wt%) relative to human milklipids (11%–12% and 0.8%–0.9% wt, respectively); however, the WFwere devoid of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Soy containedthe highest amounts of linoleic acid (59.7 mg/g) and -linolenicacid (7.46 mg/g) compared to the other four WF (10.2–41.0 and 0.35–3.18 mg/g, respectively). The linoleic acid/-linolenic acid ratio was within the recommended range (5:1 to 10:1) in only Jot-M (10:1)and Soy (8:1). Dietrend, Vic-T and Ang, containedlinoleic/-linolenic ratios of 12:1, 29:1, and 82:1, respectively.The Soy weaning food would provide the most protein (24.3 g/day), basedon an estimated daily intake of 65 g of weaning food by a normalsix-month-old infant, compared to Jot-M (11.9 g/day), Dietrend (11.7g/day), Ang (8.07 g/day) and Vic-T (7.26 g/day). The protein RDA forchildren up to 1 year of age is 13–14 g/day. Comparison of the mineralcontents of the WF to the RDAs for various minerals indicated that all fivewould provide suboptimal amounts of calcium (16 to 250 mg/day) andzinc (1.42 to 3.56 mg/day) compared to respective RDAs of400 mg/day and 5 mg/day.These data show that the Soy weaning food is an excellent source of linoleicacid and -linolenic acid, as well as being a good source of highquality protein. Jot-M and Dietrend provide useful amounts of the essentialFA; however, it is advisable to reevaluate the composition of Ang andVic-T to find ways to improve the linoleic/-linolenic ratio of eachand increase their total protein content. These results document theshortcomings of using published food composition tables based on foods inAmerica when devising weaning foods based on ingredients in another partof the world.     

Nutrient content of the edible leaves of seven wild plants from Niger

Wild plants play an important role in the diet of the inhabitants of Niger. These plants tend to be drought-resistant and are gathered both in times of plenty as well as times of need. Used in everyday cooking, famine foods may be an important source of nutrients. The goal of this study was to investigate the nutritional role of wild plants in the nigérien diet. To this end, leaves of seven plants species were analyzed for their mineral, amino acid and fatty acid contents: Ximenia americana, Amaranthus viridus, Corchorus tridens, Hibiscus sabdarifa, Maerua crassifolia, Moringa oleifera, and Leptadenia hastata. Ximenia americana} contained large amounts of calcium. Large quantities of iron were present in Amaranthus viridus. All seven plants contained significant amounts of selenium and phosphorus. Corchorus tridens contained the most protein (19–25% dry weight), and its composition compared favorably to the World Health Organization's standard for essential amino acids. Moringa oleifera contained 17% protein and compared favorably with the WHO standard. Corchorus tridens contained the largest amounts of the two essential fatty acids linoleic and -linolenic acids. These results reinforce the growing awareness that wild edible plants of the Western Sahel can contribute useful amounts of essential nutrients, including amino acids, fatty acids and trace minerals, to human diets.     

Nutrient Content of Four Edible Wild Plants from West Africa

Non-cereal plant foods in the Western Sahel of Africa contribute significantly to the diets of local residents, especially during periods of grain shortages. In this paper, we analyze four such plant foods including diyan kwakwa (nut of coconut palm, Cocos nucifera L.), muricin giginya (young shoot of Borassus aethiopum), tsamiya biri (fruit of the tree, Tamarindus indica), and yari (a mixture of lichens, mainly Rimelia reticulate) that grows on ebony trees (Diospyros mespiliformis). They were analyzed for their content of amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals. Although diyan kwakwa contained the highest protein content (27.1%), its protein quality fell below the WHO standard in 3 of 8 essential amino acid categories. Yari and muricin giginya contained moderate levels of good quality protein. Only diyan kwakwa contained calorically significant amount of total fatty acid (24.7%); however, none of the plants contained useful amounts of the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid, or α-linolenic acid. All four plants contained useful amounts of zinc (> 12 μg/g dry weight), while yari contained the most calcium (14.7 mg/g dry weight) and iron (1.41 mg/g), and diyan kwakwa the most copper. All the four plant foods contained lesser amounts of magnesium, molybdenum, or selenium. These data indicate that the four plants contain useful amounts of various essential nutrients that could supplement the diets of populations inhabiting the Western Sahel.     

Early distribution of radioactive liposomes and scrapie infectivity in mouse tissues following administration by different routes

Mice were injected with ^99mtechnetium-labelled liposomes or with a standard homogenate of scrapie-affected brain. Four different routes of injection were used, intracerebral (i.c.), intravenous (i.v.), intraperitoneal (i.p.) and subcutaneous (s.c.). Blood and a range of other tissues were removed between 5 min and several hours after injection. The tissues included spleen and salivary gland in which appreciable agent replication (or at least accumulation) is known to occur and, liver where replication of scrapie agent does not occur.Within 30 min of injection by any of the four routes used, radioactivity, and infectivity were detected in tissues remote from the site of injection. The distribution of radioactivity in various tissues was similar to that of infectious scrapie agent, but in both cases it occurred much more rapidly after i.v. injection than after injection by the i.p. or s.c. route. It is suggested that the 1000-fold reduced efficiency of scrapie infection by the s.c. route, compared to the i.v. route, is related to the extensive localisation of inoculum at the site of injection. Despite the relatively high efficiency of infection of the i.v. route, much of the detectable agent is taken up by liver where the agent does not replicate. It is concluded that only a very small proportion of the agent injected i.v. (and presumably by other routes) is involved in establishing scrapie infection of mice.     

Involvement of protein in scrapie agent infectivity

The nature of the causative agent of scrapie is not known. Previous work has demonstrated that nuclease digestion does not inactivate scrapie infectivity, but there are conflicting reports about the effects of proteases. It is shown here that the broad range protease, proteinase K, reduces scrapie infectivity under all conditions tested. Control experiments demonstrated that the loss of infectivity is not artefactual and results from protein breakdown. Proteolytic digestion in the presence of detergent greatly increases proteolysis, but does not lead to a further loss of infectivity. This suggests that the protein involved may be a surface component, but whether the component is an integral or secondary part of the agent is not known.     

Analysis of nutritional components of eight famine foods of the Republic of Niger

In the western Sahel, indigenous plants become important staples when cereal harvests are inadequate to support populations inhabiting that region of Africa. The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrient content of several of these edible wild plants. The leaves of the following seven plant foods were analyzed: Ziziphus mauritiana, Cerathotheca sesamoides, Moringa oleifera, Leptadenia hastata, Hibiscus sabdarifa, Amaranthus viridi, and Adansonia digitata. The fatty acid, vitamin E, carotenoid, selected mineral and amino acid contents of these plant foods were determined. These same analyses were performed on the fruit of the Adansonia digitata. In quantitative and qualitative terms, Amaranthus viridis was found to be an excellent source of protein. Its amino acid composition compared favorably to that of a World Health Organization (WHO) protein standard. It also contained considerable amounts of the two fatty acids that are essential in humans (linoleic and -linolenic) and a number of minerals including iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. The leaves of Hibiscus sabdarifa contained an appreciable quantity of protein the composition of which was comparable to the WHO standard. The mineral content of the leaves of this plant was also exceptionally high; noteworthy was its high zinc content. H. sabdarifa also contained significant quantities of the two essential fatty acids. Ziziphus mauritiana was an excellent source of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid and several of the metals including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Its content of other essential nutrients, however, was rather low. In general, Adansonia digitata leaves were nutritionally superior to the fruit of the tree; however, the fruit did contain useful quantities of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and -linolenic acid. The Leptadenia hastata leaves were an especially good source of lutein and -carotene. These data should be useful to the people who inhabit the western Sahel in helping them devise healthy diets during times when cereal staples are in short supply.     

Amino acid, mineral and fatty acid content of pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita spp) and Cyperus esculentus nuts in the Republic of Niger

Dried seeds and nuts are widely consumed by indigenous populations of the western Sahel, especially those who inhabit rural areas. In light of the need for quantitative information regarding the content of particular nutrients in these plant foods, we collected dried pumpkin (Cucurbita spp) seeds and nuts of Cyperus esculentus in the Republic of Niger and analyzed them for their content of essential amino acids, minerals and trace elements, and fatty acids.On a dry weight basis, pumpkin seed contained 58.8% protein and 29.8% fat. However, the lysine score of the protein was only 65% relative to the FAO/WHO protein standard. The pumpkin seed contained useful amounts of linoleic (92 microg/g dry weight) and the following elements (on a microg per g dry weight basis): potassium (5,790), magnesium (5,690), manganese (49.3), zinc (113), selenium (1.29), copper (15.4), chromium (2.84), and molybdenum (0.81), but low amounts of calcium and iron. Except for potassium (5,573 microg/g dry weight) and chromium (2.88 microg/g dry weight), the C. esculentis nuts contained much less of these same nutrients compared to pumpkin seeds. In conclusion, pumpkin seeds represent a useful source of many nutrients essential to humans. The data in this report should of practical value to public health officials in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.