Sulaiman O. Aljaloud

Use of Dietary Supplements among Professional Athletes in Saudi Arabia

The objective of this study was to understand the usage patterns of dietary supplements among professional athletes in Saudi Arabia. The survey consisted of sixteen questions divided into four categories: use of supplements, reason for consumption of supplements, personal beliefs about supplements, and behavior. The questionnaires were given to the three teams residing in Riyadh: Al Hilal, Al Nasr, and Al-Shabab. Out of the 105 athletes surveyed, we found that only 98 are currently taking dietary supplements and the mean age and standard deviation were 25.74 ± 2.90. The survey results showed a high percentage of athletes (93.3%; n = 98) using different dietary supplements throughout the season, 43.8% (n = 43) reported using supplements for performance, and 32.6% (n = 32) believed in health benefits as a reason for using dietary supplements. Our results showed that a total of 87 (88.7%), 81 (82.6%), and 51 (52.0%) athletes are consuming sports drinks, vitamin C, and multivitamins, respectively. Meanwhile, those supplements ranking among the least used included omega 6 (18.6%), creatine (16.3%), and Ginkgo biloba (10.2%). A majority of athletes indicated that their use of supplements was for the purpose of improving their health and performance.

Microbiological Quality and Safety of Energy Drink Available in the Local Markets in Saudi Arabia

Energy drinks have become a popular beverage worldwide. The global market for energy drink has gained momentum in the past decade, and demand is increasing every year. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of commercial energy drinks available in the local stores in Saudi Arabia. Total bacterial count, coliform, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus were included in this analysis. Out of a total of 20 tested energy drinks, microbial con- tamination was present in only two products. Microbial levels of the total bacterial count for most of the samples were very low (< 1.0 log CFU/ml). The initial biochemical analysis from these two samples indicated the presence of Bacillus which is common spoilage bacteria in soft drinks showed bacterial contamination. In addition, we also tested the impact of energy drinks on beneficial microorganisms ( Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus spp). We found that in all tested energy drinks bacte- rial population decreased by at least 4.0 log CFU/ml indicating the negative effects of drinks on the survival of beneficial microorganisms. Our findings suggested that safety improvements are needed in these energy drinks. Moreover, consumers also need to be educated regarding the impact of various ingredients, their safety, and recommendation regarding the use of these drinks. This will help to ensure safe products available for todays savvy, health-conscious consumer. Thus, the proposed methodology could be useful for quality and safety control purposes in the energy drinks industry.

Chapter 26 – Antimicrobials from herbs, spices, and plants

Due to recent outbreaks by foodborne pathogens, food safety has started to gain much more attention from consumers and food industry. Foodborne pathogens are becoming resistant to food preservation methods and antibiotics. However, synthetic and chemical preservatives have negative impact on health. Natural antimicrobials have potential health benefits and they can improve the flavor and aroma of products. Plant extracts, herbs, and spices are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and have antimicrobial effects against foodborne pathogens. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from plants and their active ingredients have also shown antioxidant and antimicrobial activities against several harmful microorganisms. However, these natural ingredients lose activity in food products during processing and handling since these ingredients could interact with food compounds. Therefore, nanoencapsulation of natural antimicrobials could help to protect the antimicrobial efficacy and increase the shelf-life of food products. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the role of several natural products and nanoencapsulation strategies to enhance the efficacy of these products. We discuss several methods of encapsulation processes and their activity in growth media and food systems.

Use of Phytone Peptone to Optimize Growth and Cell Density of Lactobacillus reuteri

The objective of this study was to determine the use of phytone peptone to optimize the growth and cell density of Lactobacillus reuteri. Four strains of L. reuteri (DSM 20016, SD 2112, CF 2-7F, and MF 2-3,) were used in this study. An overnight culture of individual strains was inoculated into fresh basal media with various protein sources (peptone, tryptone, proteose peptone #3, phytone peptone, tryptic soy broth, yeast extract, and beef extract). Samples were then mixed well and incubated at 37 °C for 15 h. Bacterial growth was monitored by measuring turbidity (optical density 610 nm) at different time intervals during the incubation period. At the end of incubation, samples were plated on de-Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) agar to determine the bacterial population. Our results showed that phytone peptone promoted the growth of L. reuteri (p < 0.05) by 1.4 log CFU/mL on average compared to the control samples. Therefore, phytone peptone could be included in laboratory media to enhance growth and increase the cell density of L. reuteri.

Determining β-Galactosidase Activity of Commercially Available Probiotic Supplements

Consumer interest in probiotics has dramatically increased in recent years due to improved knowledge of the significant benefits imparted on human health. A specific health issue in which probiotics have been found advantageous is lactose intolerance. Probiotics have demonstrated the ability to act on ingested lactose due to the presence of lactase. The objective of this study was to assess the β-galactosidase (β -gal) activity of commercially available probiotics supplements in the market. Ten supplements were used in this study. Two capsules of each supplement were allowed to activate in MRS broth for 10-12 h. Cultures were then inoculated into TPY broth with lactose (induced) or glucose (uninduced) then incubated at 37°C. After bacterial growth reached the mid log phase (optical density 0.7-0.9; 610 nm), the procedures as outlined by Miller were followed. Activity of β-gal was quantified using the o-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactoside (ONPG) assay. The activity of β-gal in the uninduced group ranged between 0 and 800 Miller unit, whereas there as the induced group ranged from 1 to 1,120 Miller units. When induced, supplement #5 exhibited the strongest enzyme activity at 1,120 Miller units and supplement #10 exhibited the lowest activity. Similarly, supplement #3 exhibited the highest (800 Miller unit) and supplements #1, #2 and #10 did not show any β-gal activity with glucose. These findings indicate that β-gal activity in the ten tested supplements varies. Our results suggest that not all of the commercially available probiotic supplements have the same health benefits.