Hasnah Haron

Absorption of calcium from milk and tempeh consumed by postmenopausal Malay women using the dual stable isotope technique

Assessment of calcium bioavailability from non-dairy foods containing moderate amounts of calcium is especially important in populations that have habitually low dairy consumption. Absorption of calcium from milk and tempeh (a traditional fermented soy product) was compared in a sample of Malay subjects. A randomized, crossover design was utilized to assess calcium absorption in 20 postmenopausal women from either a glass of milk (114 g) or from a meal of tempeh (206 g); each containing 130 mg calcium. At each study of Phase 1 (mid-July) and Phase 2 (mid-August), intravenous 42Ca and oral 44Ca were administered and calcium absorption was measured in 24-h urine collections post-dosing; with a 1-month washout period between phases. Absorption of calcium from tempeh did not differ significantly from milk (36.9 ± 10.6% vs. 34.3 ± 8.6%, respectively). Due to differences in the calcium content of tempeh, four servings of this product would be needed to get the same amount of absorbed calcium as that obtained from a 4-ounce glass of milk. Tempeh may provide readily available calcium for this population of women at risk for low bone mass.

Apparent bioavailability of isoflavones in urinary excretions of postmenopausal Malay women consuming tempeh compared with milk

Quantitation of isoflavones in humans is important to establish the benefits of these compounds to the populations. Urinary isoflavones are frequently used as a biomarker of isoflavone bioavailability from food or supplement since urine contains 100-fold higher concentrations of isoflavones. The objective of the present study was to determine and compare the urinary excretions of daidzein (DA), genistein (GE) and equol (EQ) in postmenopausal Malay women following the consumption of tempeh and milk in a calcium absorption study and to test the hypothesis that the excretion of isoflavones following consumption of tempeh maybe higher compared with milk. The amounts of DA (47.06 ± 4.18 μmol/h), GE (33.27 ± 3.71 μmol/h) and EQ (24.35 ± 4.34 μmol/h) excreted in urine following tempeh consumption were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with those in milk (3.51 ± 0.62 μmol/h DA, 2.79 ± 0.35 μmol/h GE and 0 μmol/h EQ). Almost all studied postmenopausal Malay women were able to excrete EQ following consumption of 240 g tempeh but only one subject can be classified as an equol producer. We concluded that most postmenopausal Malay women excreted DA, GE and EQ in their urine following tempeh consumption and the amount of the excreted isoflavones were higher compared with those in milk. However, further studies are needed to determine whether longer periods of time are required to capture EQ producers.

Changes in Macronutrient, Total Phenolic and Anti-Nutrient Contents during Preparation of Tempeh

Background: The effects of processing towards changes in contents of macronutrient, total phenolic and antinutrient during preparation tempeh was studied. Tempeh preparation was carried out using the usual method used in the tempeh cottage industry in Malaysia. Methods: The samples studied were in the form of raw, soaked, cooked soya bean and tempeh. Macronutrients, total dietary fiber (TDF), total phenolic, phytate and oxalate were determined using AOAC method, Folin-Ciocalteu assay, Anion Exchange Column (AEC) and Oxalate kit, respectively. Each analysis was carried out with minimum of four replicates for every sample. Results: Raw soya bean contained significantly lower (p<0.05) content of moisture (10.11%) but highest in ash (5.27%), protein (32.80%), fat (10.60%), carbohydrate (41.22%), phytate (615.00 mg/100 g) and oxalate (43.43 mg/100 g) contents when compared to tempeh. Phenolic content (8.90 mg GAE/100 g) increased significantly after fermentation process and it was not significantly different compared to the one in raw soya bean. Fermentation process also caused increment moisture content but reduction in ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate, phytate and oxalate contents in tempeh. Conclusions: Nutrient and phenolic contents reduced after soaking and boiling process. However, total phenolic increased after fermentation process. Anti nutrients like phytate and oxalate contents were reduced significantly with fermentation. Tempeh produced in this study can be considered as food containing low amount of oxalate content (<10 mg/ serving).

Effect of Talbinah food consumption on depressive symptoms among elderly individuals in long term care facilities, randomized clinical trial

Talbinah is a barley syrup cooked with milk and sweetened by honey. In his famous Hadith on Talbinah, the Prophet Mohammad (SAW) recommended it when sad events happen for its effect on soothing hearts and relieving sadness. This 3-week crossover designed, randomized clinical trial was conducted to determine the effect of Talbinah on mood and depression among institutionalized elderly people in Seremban. A sample of 30 depressed elderly subjects (21 men and 9 women) was selected from the long term care facility. Three different interview-based validated scales (Geriatric Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and Profile of Mood States) were used to determine mood, depression, stress, and anxiety at week 0, 3, 4, and 7. The nutritional value of Talbinah was examined using proximate food analysis, minerals content analysis, and differential amino acid analysis. The results indicated that Talbinah is a high carbohydrate food (86.4%) and has a high tryptophan: branch chain amino acids ratio (1:2). A Wilcoxon nonparametric test showed that there was a statistically significant decrease on depression, stress, and mood disturbances scores among the intervention group (P < 0.05) for all parameters. In conclusion, Talbinah has the potential to reduce depression and enhance mood among the subjects. Ingestion of functional foods such as Talbinah may provide a mental health benefit to elderly people.

Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Selected Canned Fruits

Fruits are high in polyphenols which are compounds associated with the protection against diseases such as diabetes and cancer. However, food processing including canning can leads to the loss of polyphenol in the fruits. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of canned fruits commercially available in the local supermarkets in Malaysia. The TPC was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu method while the antioxidant capacity was evaluated by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH assay) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP assay). Five types of different canned fruits with the total of 21 samples including longan, lychee, rambutan, pineapple and orange were selected for the analysis. The samples were analyzed in two forms which were, the homogenized (fruits and syrup) and syrup samples. Canned pineapples have the highest TPC for both homogenized (95.16±30.16 mg GAE/100 g) and syrup sample (108.62±33.88 mg GAE/100 g). For antioxidant capacity, canned pineapple also had the highest value for the homogenized sample (41.79±4.20 umol TE/100 g) while lychee was the highest (46.84±12.81 umol TE/100 g) for syrup sample assessed by DPPH assay. For FRAP assay, lychee was highest in antioxidant capacity for both homogenized sample (40.61±10.55 umol TE/100 g) and syrup sample (33.58±7.56 umol TE/100 g). A positive and significant (P < 0.001) correlation was found between TPC and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP). In conclusion, canned pineapple and lychee were the highest sources of polyphenol as compared to other types of canned fruits. Further investigation is warranted to determine the specific polyphenol present in the canned fruits.

Insights into Putative Health Implications of Gelam (Melaleuca cajuputi) Honey: Evidence from In-Vivo and In-Vitro Studies

Honey has been used as a therapeutic agent since ancient times for health maintenance and the treatment of various ailments. In modern days, researchers reappraised the therapeutic values of honey, such as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, and wound healing properties. These findings supported its applications in the modern healthcare system as complementary medicine. Gelam honey (GH) is a monofloral Malaysian honey which has been proven to have considerable health benefits. This paper presents a state of the art review on the therapeutic values of GH. A descriptive elucidation is performed to elaborate a wide spectrum of biological activities of GH using evidence from a considerable body of literature. The compositional and physiochemical characteristics of GH have contributed substantially to its putative biological properties. A brief explanation will be presented on GH attributes to familiarize readers with this novel natural health product.

Kesan perencatan fitat terhadap bioavailabiliti kalsium, ferum dan zink dalam produk kacang soya tempatan

This study was carried out to determine the inhibitory effects of phytate on the bioavalaibility of calcium (Ca), ferum (Fe) dan zink (Zn) in selected soy-based products. Phytate exerts its inhibitory effects on the absorption of minerals such as Ca, Fe and Zn by forming insoluble and undigestible complexes. The inhibitory effect of phytate on the bioavailability of minerals like Ca, Fe and Zn was estimated by measuring their molar ratios. Phytate content was determined by using anion-exchange method while mineral contents were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer ( AAS ). Soybased products were bought from the night markets and food stall located at Cheras and Sri Rampai, Kuala Lumpur. Each samples from both location was analysed in duplicates. Results from this study showed that soy cake and all dishes containing tempe did not contain phytate content. This may due to the presence of R. oligosporus that produces phytase and hydrolysed the phytate content during the fermentation process of tempe. There were fi ve food samples that have a phytate/Ca molar ratio > 0.24, ten food samples with a phytate/ Fe molar ratio > 1, eight food samples have a phytate/Zn molar ratio >15 and one food sample has a [phytate x Ca]/ Zn molar ratio > 200. The result of molar ratio phytate/mineral in this study estimated the low bioavailability of Ca, Fe and Zn. In conclusion, soy cake and all dishes containing tempe contained high bioavailability of minerals, while tau-hoo pok contained low bioavailability of minerals.