Probiotic potential of spontaneously fermented cereal based foods – A review

The realization that food has a role beyond provision of energy and body forming substances has shifted scientific investigations with growing interest in the research and development of functional foods. A lot of attention is being focused on probiotics due to the enormous support showing health benefits. Probiotics are associated with fermented foods and it is therefore of importance that spontaneously fermented foods, that are so common in Africa, be assessed for their probiotic attributes. These foods are within the economic means of the people and are widely accepted in populations where they are produced. The foods have relatively long shelf-lives under ambient temperatures (without spoiling), are widely accepted especially by the vulnerable groups such as children, expectant/breastfeeding mothers, the aged and are commonly served to the sick and recovering persons. These foods would therefore render an invaluable health benefit to communities when consumed and would impart an invaluable economic benefit to society. Probiotics are associatedwith lactic acid bacteria that are commonly found in fermented foods. This paper reviews studies that have been carried out to enumerate, isolate, characterize and identify the microorganisms involved in the spontaneous fermentations of cereal based products and their assessments for  potential probiotic attributes

Implementasi Six Sigma untuk Perbaikan Proses Bisnis dan Perancangan Prosedur Operasional Standar: Studi Kasus pada Nasi Krawu Bu Tiban Gresik

Usaha kuliner di Indonesia saat ini semakin hari semakin diminati oleh para pebisnis. Hal ini menyebabkan bertambah ketatnya persaingan bisnis kuliner. Restoran Nasi Krawu Bu Tiban (NKBT) adalah UMKM dalam sektor kuliner yang merupakan salah satu pelopor restoran nasi krawu di Gresik dan memiliki citra yang baik. Meskipun demikian, restoran NKBT memiliki beberapa permasalahan khususnya permasalahan pada proses bisnisnya yang menyebabkan para konsumen tidak puas sehingga terdapat beberapa komplain dari pelanggan. Melakukan perbaikan dan pengelolahan proses bisnis adalah salah satu cara untuk mempertahankan konsumen Maka dari itu, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis proses bisnis dan melakukan perancangan prosedur operasi standar pada restoran NKBT. Metode yang digunakan adalah Six Sigma dengan langkah-langkah DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). Hasil penelitian terhadap proses bisnis eksisting di restoran NKBT ini adalah didapatkan 11 permasalahan dengan tiga permasalahan utama yang diprioritaskan untuk diperbaiki Hal ini perlu diperbaiki dengan melibatkan secara penuh oleh stakeholder restoran NKBT. Lalu, telah dirancang prosedur operasional standar untuk mengontrol perbaikan proses bisnis yang dibuat dengan mempertimbangkan permasalahan yang terjadi agar perbaikan bisa terkendalikan secara terus menerus

Microbiological quality and safety of raw and pasteurized milk marketed in and around Nairobi Region

The microbiological quality of raw and pasteurized milk marketed in Nairobi and its environs was determined. Milk samples were collected randomly at milk selling points from three market areas: rural (Kiambu/Ngong), urban (East/West of Tom Mboya street) and slum (Kibera/Mathare). Samples were analysed for titratable acidity, total viable count (TVC), Staphylococcus aureus, coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae. Titratable acidity was determined using titration method, while TVC, S. aureus and Enterobacteriaceae were determined by the spread plate methods and coliforms were determined by most probable number. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat statistical package. The mean acidity was 0.20% lactic acid (LA), while mean counts for TVC, S. aureus, coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae were 6.05, 3.46, 2.30, and 3.93 log10cfu/ml, respectively. The  ercentage of milk samples with acidity values greater than 0.18% LA, the upper limit set by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), was 52.8 %. Total viable count (TVC) greater than 106 cfu/ml, was detected in 95.2% and 21.4% of raw and pasteurized milk, respectively. Coliform counts greater than 4.70 and 1.0 log10cfu/ml for raw and pasteurized milk were detected in 77.8% and 4.8%, respectively of raw and pasteurized milk samples collected. Enterobacteriaceae and S. aureus were detected with mean counts ranging from 6.08-6.86 and 5.82-6.32 log10/ml, respectively. Highest mean acidity and counts were recorded from slum areas of Nairobi and there were significant differences between raw and pasteurized milk (P<0.05). The poor bacterial quality coupled with high acidity of raw milk, indicates poor hygienic practices and lack of temperature control during marketing. The incidence of high acidity and bacterial counts in pasteurized milk could indicate post process contamination and/or inappropriate storage of the milk. Most vendors of pasteurized milk were observed selling directly from the distributor crates without refrigerated storage. The rapid deterioration of raw and pasteurized milk marketed in Nairobi, at the time of this study, may be largely due to poor hygienic standards and non-adherence to temperature controls during handling, distribution and marketing. This requires urgent attention by the appropriate authorities, because the poor microbiological quality of raw milk and pasteurized milk may expose consumers to health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated milk.Key words: Marketed milk, quality, acidity, total viable count, coliforms, enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureu

Isolation, purification and biochemical characterization of alkaline α-amylase from Bacillus subtilis strain W3SFR5 isolated from kitchen Wastes

Background and Objective: Amylase is a hydrolytic enzyme that breaks starch into simple sugars. This enzyme includes uses in starch production, brewery, detergent formulation, paper production and pharmaceuticals as a digest aid. The aim of the present study was to isolate, identify and characterize an alkaline amylase from bacteria of food wastes. Material and Methods: Bacteria were isolated using serial dilution, screened on agar plates and characterized through biochemical assessments and 16S rRNA sequencing. After optimizing the bacterial growth conditions using one factor at a time method, the alkaline amylase was extracted from the culture broth and partially purified using Sephadex G-75 chromatography. Enzyme activity generated by submerged fermentation was assessed using 3,5-dinitrosalicylic and recorded as the mean of three replicates. Results and Conclusion: The bacterial isolate W3SFR5 showed high amylolytic activity in agar culture. Biochemical analysis and sequencing of the 16S rRNA verified the bacterial isolate as Bacillus subtilis (GenBank accession number: OM258620). Bacillus subtilis W3SFR5 was propagated within 30–50 ℃ and pH 6-9. The partially purified Bacillus subtilis W3SFR5 amylase included a molecular weight of 65 kDa and demonstrated a maximum specific activity of 216.02U mg-1. The optimum temperature for the enzyme was 60 °C and the pH was 9. The W3SFR5 amylase was actively stable under temperatures of 50–70 °C and pH of 7-9. Furthermore, 5 mM Fe2+ increased W3SFR5 amylase activity. The enzyme was more resistant to organic solvents, surfactants, inhibitors and oxidizing agents than that most amylases were. Additionally, results showed that W3SFR5 amylase was compatible with most commercial detergents, indicating that it could be used as a detergent additive

Isolation, identification and characterization of yeasts from fermented goat milk of the Yaghnob Valley in Tajikistan

The geographically isolated region of the Yaghnob Valley, Tajikistan, has allowed its inhabitants to maintain a unique culture and lifestyle. Their fermented goat milk constitutes one of the staple foods for the Yaghnob population, and is produced by backslopping, i.e., using the previous fermentation batch to inoculate the new one. This study addresses the yeast composition of the fermented milk, assessing genotypic, and phenotypic properties. The 52 isolates included in this study revealed small species diversity, belonging to Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia fermentans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and one Kazachstania unispora. The K. marxianus strains showed two different genotypes, one of which never described previously. The two genetically different groups also differed significantly in several phenotypic characteristics, such as tolerance toward high temperatures, low pH, and presence of acid. Microsatellite analysis of the S. cerevisiae strains from this study, compared to 350 previously described strains, attributed the Yaghnobi S. cerevisiae to two different ancestry origins, both distinct from the wine and beer strains, and similar to strains isolated from human and insects feces, suggesting a peculiar origin of these strains, and the existence of a gut reservoir for S. cerevisiae. Our work constitutes a foundation for strain selection for future applications as starter cultures in food fermentations. This work is the first ever on yeast diversity from fermented milk of the previously unexplored area of the Yaghnob Valley

Quality Assurance and Quality Control in ERP Systems Implementation

Many factors are effecting to the successful Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). Quality Control and Quality Assurance is the most important point for successful and effective   ERP system.  Quality Control of ERP system mean detecting and removing defects from the system and Quality   Assurance   mean plan and systematic approach to ensure the   ERP system process.  To ensure about   quality   of   ERP   it must concern about Data Quality. Data Quality is measurement of value of a specific set of data, utilized in a specific manner towards a specific goal. It is highlighted in ERP due to the increasing amount and diversity of data as well as data’s critical impact on success of ERP systems.  Since that for successful, effective ERP  systems  it is not  enough to take  reactive  actions  for data  quality  issues by Quality  Controlling.   It must focus on Quality Assurance methodologies to achieve high Data Quality of ERP

Isolation of Salmonella in Commercial Chicken Feeds in Ilala District

Salmonella is one of important hazardous pathogens causing salmonellosis in both humans and animals. In Tanzania, commercial chicken farming is a rapidly growing industry and salmonellosis is a serious problem. A study on Salmonella was conducted in commercially produced chicken feeds from feed mills in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between October 2015 and January 2016. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella contamination in commercial chicken feeds. Feed samples were collected from a total of 197 randomly selected feed bags of different types from 3 feed mills to estimate the contamination prevalence. Cultural and biochemical tests were performed for the presence of Salmonella in the samples. The overall prevalence of Salmonella in the study was 29.4%. The prevalence of Salmonella in broiler starter mash, broiler grower mash, broiler finisher mash and layers mash were confirmed to be 30.8%, 38.1%, 33.3% and 21.1 respectively and prevalence of Salmonella in batches 1 and 2 were 27.8% and 30.5% respectively. Prevalence of Salmonella contamination in feed mills A, B and C, was 22.2%, 48.1% and 14.7% respectively. Significantly higher (p = 0.001) prevalence of Salmonella contamination was seen in feed mill B when compared to the other two. The presence of Salmonella in commercial chicken feeds in Ilala presents a contamination hazard for both humans and Salmonella-free flocks, and therefore, calls for improvement of hygienic processing and handling of feeds for effective control measures

Tumour occurrence in women with Turner syndrome: a narrative review and single-centre case series

Background: Population studies suggest cancer morbidity may be different in Turner syndrome (TS) compared to the background female population. However, significant variability is observed in cancer associations likely due to heterogeneity in patient cohorts. We explored the prevalence and patterns of cancer amongst a cohort of women with TS attending a dedicated TS clinic. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the patient database was performed to identify TS women who developed cancer. Population data (available before 2015) from the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service database were used for comparison. Results: Out of 156 TS women, median age of 32 (range 18–73) years, 9 (5.8%) had a recorded cancer diagnosis. Types of cancers were, bilateral gonadoblastoma, type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumour (NET), appendiceal-NET, gastrointestinal stromal tumour, plasma cell dyscrasia, synovial sarcoma, cervical cancer, medulloblastoma and aplastic anaemia. Median age at cancer diagnosis was 35 (range 7–58) years and two were detected incidentally. Five women had 45,X karyotype, three received growth hormone treatment and all except one received oestrogen replacement therapy. The cancer prevalence of the background age-matched female population was 4.4%. Conclusions: We confirm the previous observations that women with TS do not appear to be at overall increased risk of common malignancies. Our small cohort showed a spectrum of rare malignancies that are not typically associated with TS, except for a single patient with a gonadoblastoma. The slightly higher prevalence of cancer in our cohort might simply represent increased cancer prevalence in the background population, or might be related to small sample size and regular monitoring of these women due to TS per se

Prevalence and management of hypertension in Turner syndrome:data from the International Turner Syndrome (I-TS) registry

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in Turner syndrome (TS) for which arterial hypertension has a direct influence and is a key modifiable risk factor. Objective: To investigate the prevalence and patterns of hypertension diagnosis and management in adult patients with TS who are registered in a large international multicentre database (TS-HTN study). Methods: Retrospective multicentre observational study of patients aged ≥18 years included in the I-TS (International-TS) registry (2020–2022), using registry and participating centre-collected data. Results: Twelve international centres participated, including 182 patients with a median age of 28 years (IQR 23–37.2). Arterial hypertension was recorded in 13.2% (n = 24). The median age at hypertension diagnosis was 27 years (range 10–56), with 92% aged less than 50 years at diagnosis. The majority (75%) were classified as primary hypertension (n = 18). In binomial regression analysis, higher body mass index was the only parameter significantly associated with the occurrence of hypertension (B = 1.487, P = 0.004). Among patients with aortic disease (n = 9), 50% had systolic BP ≥ 130 mmHg and 66.6% had diastolic BP ≥ 80 mmHg during the last clinic review. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were the most common (n = 16) medication prescribed, followed by angiotensin receptor blockers (n = 6), beta-blockers (n = 6) and calcium channel blockers (n = 6). Conclusions: Arterial hypertension is common in TS and occurs at a young age. Overweight/obesity was a notable risk factor for hypertension. The frequency of suboptimal BP control among high-risk patients highlights the importance of increased awareness and TS-specific consensus guidance on management.</p