José Luiz Viana de Carvalho

Iron and zinc retention in common beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) after home cooking

Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO), iron, iodine, and Vitamin A deficiencies are the most common forms of malnutrition, leading to severe public health consequences. The importance of iron and zinc in human nutrition and the number of children found to be deficient in these nutrients make further studies on retention in cooked grains and cooked bean broth important. Objectives This work aimed to evaluate iron and zinc retention in six common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars under the following conditions: raw beans, regular pot cooking, pressure cooking, with and without previous water soaking, and broth. Design Determination of iron and zinc content in the raw, cooked bean grains and broth samples was carried out by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Optical Emission Spectrometry (Spectro Analytical Instrument – Spectroflame P). All experiments and analyses were carried out in triplicate. Results Overall, regardless of the cooking method, with or without previous water soaking, the highest zinc concentration was found in the cooked bean grains. However, pressure cooking and previous water soaking diminished iron retention in the cooked grains, while increasing it in the bean broth. Conclusion The common bean was confirmed to be an excellent source of iron and zinc for human consumption, and it was suggested that beans should be consumed in a combined form, i.e. grain with bean broth.

Retention of total carotenoid and β-carotene in yellow sweet cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) after domestic cooking

Background Over the last decade, considerable efforts have been made to identify cassava cultivars to improve the vitamin A nutritional status of undernourished populations, especially in northeast Brazil, where cassava is one of the principal and essentially only nutritional source. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the total carotenoid, β-carotene, and its all-E-, 9-, and 13-Z-β-carotene isomers content in seven yellow sweet cassava roots and their retention after three boiling cooking methods. Design The total carotenoid, β-carotene, and its all-E-, 9-, and 13-Z-β-carotene isomers in yellow sweet cassava samples were determined by ultraviolet/visible spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively, before and after applying the cooking methods. All analyses were performed in triplicate. Results The total carotenoid in raw roots varied from 2.64 to 14.15 µg/g and total β-carotene from 1.99 to 10.32 µg/g. The β-carotene predominated in all the roots. The Híbrido 2003 14 08 cultivar presented the highest β-carotene content after cooking methods 1 and 3. The 1153 – Klainasik cultivar presented the highest 9-Z-β-carotene content after cooking by method 3. The highest total carotenoid retention was observed in cultivar 1456 – Vermelhinha and that of β-carotene for the Híbrido 2003 14 11 cultivar, both after cooking method 1. Evaluating the real retention percentage (RR%) in sweet yellow cassava after home cooking methods showed differences that can be attributed to the total initial carotenoid contents. However, no cooking method uniformly provided a higher total carotenoid or β-carotene retention in all the cultivars. Conclusion Differences were found in the cooking methods among the samples regarding total carotenoid or β-carotene retention, suggesting that the different behaviors of the cultivars need to be further analyzed. However, high percentages of total carotenoid or β-carotene retention were observed and can minimize vitamin A deficiency in low-income populations.

Effects of Boiling and Frying on the Bioaccessibility of β-Carotene in Yellow-Fleshed Cassava Roots (Manihot Esculenta Crantz cv. BRS Jari)

Background The effects of boiling and frying on the bioaccessibility of all-trans-β-carotene in biofortified BRS Jari cassava roots have not been investigated, although these are conventional methods of cassava preparation. Objective The aims of the present study were to investigate β-carotene micellarization efficiency of yellow-fleshed BRS Jari cassava roots after boiling and frying, as an indicator of the bioaccessibility of this carotenoid, and to apply fluorescence microscopy to investigate β-carotene in the emulsified fraction. Methods Uncooked, boiled, and fried cassava roots were digested in vitro for the evaluation, by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), of the efficiency of micellarization of all-trans-β-carotene in BRS Jari cassava roots. Fluorescence microscopy of the micellar fraction was used to confirm the presence of β-carotene in the emulsified fraction and to observe the structure of the microemulsion from the boiled and fried cassava samples. Results Fried cassava roots showed the highest (p < .05) micellarization efficiency for total carotenoids and all-trans-β-carotene (14.1 ± 2.25% and 14.37 ± 2.44%, respectively), compared with boiled and raw samples. Fluorescence microscopy showed that after in vitro digestion there were no carotenoid crystals in the micellar fraction, but rather that this fraction presented a biphasic system compatible with emulsified carotenoids, which was consistent with the expected high bioavailability of β-carotene in this fraction. Conclusions Increased emulsification and bioaccessibility of β-carotene from fried biofortified BRS Jari cassava roots compensates for chemical losses during preparation, indicating that this preparation is suitable for home use of BRS Jari cassava roots and might represent a relatively good food source of bioavailable provitamin A.

Effects of cooking methods on the iron and zinc contents in cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) to combat nutritional deficiencies in Brazil

Background Because iron deficiency anemia is prevalent in developing countries, determining the levels of iron and zinc in beans, the second most consumed staple food in Brazil, is essential, especially for the low-income people who experience a deficiency of these minerals in their diet. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cooking methods by measuring the iron and zinc contents in cowpea cultivars before and after soaking to determine the retention of these minerals. Methods The samples were cooked in both regular pans and pressure cookers with and without previous soaking. Mineral analyses were carried out by Spectrometry of Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). Results The results showed high contents of iron and zinc in raw samples as well as in cooked ones, with the use of regular pan resulting in greater percentage of iron retention and the use of pressure cooker ensuring higher retention of zinc. Conclusions The best retention of iron was found in the BRS Aracê cultivar prepared in a regular pan with previous soaking. This cultivar may be indicated for cultivation and human consumption. The best retention of zinc was found for the BRS Tumucumaque cultivar prepared in a pressure cooker without previous soaking.

Carotenoids of Sweet Potato, Cassava, and Maize and Their Use in Bread and Flour Fortification

Publisher Summary Carotenoids are among the most valuable food constituents in terms of food quality and human health effects. As natural pigments, they confer the pleasing yellow, orange, or red color of many fruits, vegetables, egg yolk, crustaceans, and some fish. The principal carotenoids found in foods are β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids are also the most commonly found in human plasma and have been the most studied in terms of health benefits. This chapter reviews the carotenoid compositions of three major staple foods consumed by millions of people in many countries, especially developing countries, along with their possible use in the fortification of flour and bakery products. For all three crops, nutrition education is needed to promote acceptability, considering the current preference for varieties devoid of color in many countries. For Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), varieties with considerable amounts of all-E-b-carotene are available; however, for cassava and maize, enhancing the provitamin A content is still being pursued, especially by biofortification, although adding β-carotene to cassava flour may be an alternative. The use of carotenoid-rich or biofortified flours in a variety of products has been shown to be technologically feasible; carotenoid retention during these processes needs to be demonstrated.

Comparative analysis of nutritional compositions of transgenic RNAi-mediated virus-resistant bean (event EMB-PV051-1) with its non-transgenic counterpart

Golden mosaic is among the most economically important diseases that severely reduce bean production in Latin America. In 2011, a transgenic bean event named Embrapa 5.1 (EMB-PV051-1), resistant to bean golden mosaic virus, was approved for commercial release in Brazil. The aim of this study was to measure and evaluate the nutritional components of the beans, as well as the anti-nutrient levels in the primary transgenic line and its derived near-isogenic lines after crosses and backcrosses with two commercial cultivars. Nutritional assessment of transgenic crops used for human consumption is an important aspect of safety evaluations. Results demonstrated that the transgenic bean event, cultivated under field conditions, was substantially equivalent to that of the non-transgenic bean plants. In addition, the amounts of the nutritional components are within the range of values observed for several bean commercial varieties grown across a range of environments and seasons.

Effect of different home-cooking methods on the bioaccessibility of zinc and iron in conventionally bred cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) consumed in Brazil

Background The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Wap.) is an excellent source of iron and zinc. However, iron from plant sources is poorly absorbed compared with iron from animal sources. Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate iron and zinc bioaccessibility in cowpea cultivars after processing. Methods Zinc and iron bioaccessibilities in cowpea samples were determined based on an in vitro method involving simulated gastrointestinal digestion with suitable modifications. Results When water-soaked beans were cooked in a regular pan, the highest percentage of bioaccessible iron obtained was 8.92%, whereas when they were cooked in a pressure cooker without previous soaking, the highest percentage was 44.33%. Also, the percentage of bioaccessible zinc was 52.78% when they were cooked in a regular pan without prior soaking. Higher percentages of bioaccessible iron were found when cooking was done in a pressure cooker compared with regular pan cooking. In all cultivars, cooking of cowpea beans in both pressure cooker and in a regular pan yielded higher percentages of bioaccessible zinc compared with availability of bioaccessible iron. Conclusions Iron bioaccessibility values suggest that cooking in a regular pan did not have a good effect on iron availability, since the percentage of bioaccessible iron was lower than that of zinc. The determination of iron and zinc bioaccessibility makes it possible to find out the actual percentage of absorption of such minerals and allows the development of efficient strategies for low-income groups to access foods with high levels of these micronutrients.

An Overview on Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC) Macro and Micro Components and a Technological Approach

Many fruit species native to the Brazilian Cerrado region have great economic and ecologi‐ cal potential, as well as social importance to the native population (Bezerra, Silva, Ferreira, Ferri, & Santos, 2002). These fruits often supplement the diet and are a source of medicine, textile fibers, building materials and fuel. The development of new technologies may result in these fruits becoming potential sources of economic exploitation (Martinotto, Soares, San‐ tos, & Nogueira, 2008).

Physical characteristics of Brazilian wheat and their utilization as an indication of flour extraction

An extensive work to determine the test weight (TW), the thousand kernel weight (TKW) and the hardness (HD) of Brazilian wheat, was undertaken for the crop years from 1990 to 1994, with the objetive of drawing the Brazilian wheat physical characteristics and their relationship with flour extraction (FE). The results showed a median TW of 78.2kg/hl, a TKW of 34.2g and the HD was graded as hard. The values varied accordingly with the crop year, the local and year vs. local. Among the locals the wheat from the MS/DF/MG/GO States showed the best results. Correlation coefficients between FE and each of the parameters, TW, TKW and HD were low but significant (P< 5.0%) and, therefore, should not be used as a direct relationship but only as an indicator of FE. Segregation of TW, TKW and HD by specific ranges did not improve the correlation coefficient values.