Kashif Akram

Pomegranate Extracts: A Natural Preventive Measure against Spoilage and Pathogenic Microorganisms

Pomegranate has been known for hundreds of years as a healing food. Health benefits associated with the use of pomegranate are well documented. Research studies have shown that various pomegranate extracts possess great preventive potency against a wide range of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoans. Various phytochemical compounds are considered as potent agents responsible for antimicrobial efficacy of pomegranate extracts. These compounds include polyphenols, including hydrolyzable tannins (punicalagin and ellagic acid), anthocyanins, and other polyphenols. The present review investigates the antimicrobial potential of pomegranate fruit extracts against various pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.

Antidiarrheal Effect of Food Fermented by Various Strains of Lactobacillus

 Various Lactobacillus species possess antidiarrheal properties due to their probiotic effects and could be utilized in the form of fermented foods for the treatment of diarrheal disease. Diarrhea is the condition of having 3 or more loose or watery bowel movements per day. This disease is a global problem causing several million deaths each year, and the major victims are children. So its prevention and control is crucial. For the treatment of diarrheal disease, antibiotics and oral rehydration solutions are used, but these therapies are not always effective to reduce the duration and frequency of diarrhea and of increase consistency. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the natural mode (fermented food) of disease management because of its easy availability, low cost, and efficacy against diarrhea.

Prevention and Control of Diseases by Use of Pro- and Prebiotics (Synbiotics)

Probiotics are microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) that can reestablish and recolonize the human intestinal micro flora to give beneficial effect to a host. Prebiotics are the food ingredients that are nondigestible and affect the consumer by encouraging the number and activity of beneficial but selective colonic bacteria. The probiotics perform more efficiently in the presence of prebiotics, with the enhanced beneficial potential of live microorganisms having additional benefits of the prebiotic. Due to the concept, recently much research attention is focused on the combined use of probiotics and prebiotics, generally known as synbiotics, to get their synergistic health properties. This article provides an overview of possible synbiotic combinations, and their mode of action and health benefits upon consumption. In addition, research trends are also elaborated.

Management of diabetic complications through fruit flavonoids as a natural remedy

ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a global disorder, and a major issue for health care systems. The current review outlooks the use of fruit flavonoids as natural remedy in the prevention of diabetes mellitus. The onset of diabetes mainly depends upon genetics and lifestyle issues. Currently used therapeutic options for the control of diabetes, like dietary amendments, oral hypoglycemic drugs, and insulin, have their own limitations. Fruit flavonoids possess various antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant potentials and act on various cellular signaling pathways in pancreas, white adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and liver function, which in result induces antidiabetic effects. Recently, antidiabetic effect of fruit flavonoids has been studied using various animal models and clinical trials. Research studies revealed a statistically significant potential of fruit flavonoids in managing the altered glucose and oxidative metabolisms in diabetes. Unlike synthetic antidiabetic agents, fruit flavonoids manage diabetes without compromising cellular homeostasis thereby posing no side effects. Further studies are required in purification and characterization of different fruit flavonoids with respect to their beneficial effect for diabetic patients.

Evaluation of a natural methionine source on broiler growth performance.

BACKGROUND Methionine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, is essential for the health and growth of broilers, so its optimum level should be provided in broiler diets. Synthetic methionine sources used by poultry nutritionists may cause health hazards in broilers as, during conversion of synthetic methionine to the active form, homocysteine is produced which may be injurious to body tissues when there is a lack of coordination between methyl group donors and acceptors. Thus the present study evaluates the efficacy of a natural methionine source. RESULTS The comparative growth performance of broilers fed synthetic and/or natural methionine was observed. Results revealed that the basal diet has a lower growth performance (P < 0.05) than all other diets. However, replacement of synthetic methionine with a naturally sourced methionine has no significant effect (P > 0.05) on weight gain, feed consumption or feed conversion ratio. Serum biochemistry values and slaughter data also indicated no effect due to two different methionine sources (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The results of the present study show that synthetic methionine may effectively be replaced with a naturally sourced methionine without affecting the health and growth performance of broilers. However, additional research is needed to further explore other natural sources of methionine.

ESR Spectroscopy for the Identification of Irradiated Fruits and Vegetables

Food irradiation can ensure the microbial safety and shelf life extension of the global supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. Reliable detection methods for irradiated foodstuffs can greatly enhance the widespread application of irradiation technology. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy is able to directly analyze radiation-specific radicals (e.g., cellulose radicals and crystalline sugar radicals) that can serve as detection markers in irradiated foods. On the basis of these unique radiation-induced markers, the European Committee for Standardization has recommended ESR spectroscopy as a confirmatory technique for the identification of irradiated foods containing cellulose and crystalline sugar. This chapter focuses on the basic knowledge of food irradiation and the application of ESR spectroscopy in the detection of irradiated fruits and vegetables. The stability and specificity of the radiation-induced signals with respect to the shelf life of various fruit and vegetables are summarized. Recent investigations, limitations, and future research trends, particularly including different sample pre-treatments, improved detectability, and dose estimation, are also discussed.

Impact of different farming systems (conventional, integrated and organic) and storage time on physiological characteristics of Kinnow mandarin (Citrus nobilis × Citrus deliciosa).

Citrus is one of the most diversified and economically important fruit commodities grown in more than 142 countries in diversified environmental conditions. Potentially it is grown in subtropical to tropical climates between 40° North-South latitude. It has distinctive sensorial, physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics along with unique medicinal value and economic importance. After grapes it stands on 2 rank contributing over 70 million tons per annum and occupies 1 position in terms of trade revenue of fresh fruits (FAO, 2012). Citrus group is most diversified having wide range of cultivars. By inheritance it is the most challenging fruit to improve its genetics or varietal behavior because of complicated breeding and reproductive biology which frequently inhibit its sexual hybridization and zygotic segregation (Grosser et al., 2000). Citrus trees are vigorous, tall and columnar and can be characterized as ever green plants ideally grown in Mediterranean Hemisphere. These are white flowering plants having numerous long, slender, ascending and virtually thorn less shoots. Its dense foliage consists of medium, large broad lanceolate complete leaves. Citrus fruit is non-climacteric in nature and ripens on the tree. It is poorly chilling resistant and unable to tolerate cold climate (<3°C) in the field, however it gives satisfactory response in hot climate regions (Malik, 1994). The productivity and quality of citrus fruit depends upon the implementation of integrated crop management practices in which all biotic (rootstock, cultivar, insect pest and disease management) and abiotic (climate, site, soil, irrigation and nutrition management) factors are necessarily involved (Iglesias et al., 2007). Kinnow Mandarin is the most flavored and aromatic citrus member predominantly grown in Pakistan but is unable to fetch the competitive earning because of certain quality, safety and storage problems. Low quality, poor presentation, high seed number, mono-culture, squeezed supply window and zero certified nonconventional (integrated and organic) production can be the potential factors of its poor penetration and low earning in high value markets (PHDEC, 2014). Most of the intimidating factors can be addressed and resolved effectively through transitioning the conventional production system into integrated and organic (Ioannis et al., 2004). Non-conventional such as integrated and organic Kinnow production can be the easiest and shortest approach to improve fruit yield or quality, product safety and ultimately high cash stream in national revenue. In current scenario, in Pakistan very low per unit earning has compelled growers to replace the old conventional farming with some advance Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vol. 53(1), 7-15; 2016 ISSN (Print) 0552-9034, ISSN (Online) 2076-0906 DOI: 10.21162/PAKJAS/16.4953 http://www.pakjas.com.pk