Antioxidant.

ABSTRACTThe increase rate of malnourished children and Adults is alarming during the last few years according to Health Management record in Ekiti State. Malnourished people need to consume adequate calories for growth and maintenance in order to overcome the problem of economic crisis leading to under nutrition or Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM) according to World Health Organization. The increasing rate of population coupled with high cost and dwindling availability of plant foods and animal feeds have resulted into malnourishment. The aim of this study is to compare the beta carotene, nutritive anti-nutrient and antioxidant properties of orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP) and white sorghum (SWSB). The orange flesh sweet potato tubers were washed, dried and processed into flour while white sorghum seeds were washed, sprouted, dried and made into flours. The processed flours were then analyzed for proximate, anti-nutrient, antioxidant properties and Beta carotene content using standard methods. The ash content ranged from 2.59±0.01 in SWSB to 3.29± 0.02 in OFSP, carbohydrate content ranged between 78.82±0.04 in SWSB to 80.42± 0.03 in OFSP. The crude protein ranges from 6.28±0.06 in SWSB to 6.97±0.06 in OFSP all in percentage. OFSP has the highest Beta carotene content with 6.41±0.43mg/100g followed by SWSB with 5.1±0.40mg/100g.Flavonoids value ranged between 7.8±0.01 in OFSP to 32.94±0.05mg/100g in SWSB, the highest DPPH was found in OFSP with 13.78 ±0.02% followed by that of SWSB. The Beta carotene level and antioxidant properties evaluated were all higher in OFSP than SWSB. The Beta carotene and antioxidant properties of all the flour shows that OFSP would be best suitable than that of SWSB to combat micronutrient deficiency, malnutrition and food security in southern part of Nigeria especially in Ondo State. Keywords:  Malnutrition, Nutraceutical, Orange Flesh Sweet Potato, White Sorghum, Sprouted, Antioxidant.

Abresham or silk cocoon (Bombyx mori), a well known Unani drug has been previously shown by us to possess striking antilipidperoxidative and ROS generation blocking potential in rats subjected to oxidative stress by immobilization. This effect is likely to be produced by an increase in the concentration of GSH following silk cocoon administration, as it contains a higher concentration of those three amino acids viz. Gglycine, Glutamic acid and Cysteine, which constitute the glutathione and by modulating the activities of its metabolizing enzyme which are responsible for the reduction of oxidized glutathione and break down of GSH. Therefore, in present study silk cocoon was studied for its effects on the level of GSH, GR, GGT and GST in rat subjected to oxidative stress by immobilization. It produced a significant increase in GSH concentration and GR activity and a significant decrease in GGT activity in a dose dependant manner. It can be concluded that silk cocoon exerts antioxidant activity by increasing glutathione and by modulating its metabolizing enzyme.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) are three very important spices and essential flavoring agents in many cuisines, particularly in South-East Asia. The spices are available both as fresh and in commercial packages. The present study deals with the analyses of their in vitro antioxidant profile before and after thermal processing in water. The thermal processing resembled methods commonly practiced in India for cooking, viz. pressure cooking and microwave treatment. The assays performed included DPPH radical decolorization assay, reducing power assay and assay for total phenolic contents. It was observed that the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was different in the two types of spices, and the packaged spices were better than the fresh samples. Antioxidant activity improved in case of all the three spices after thermal processing, probably due to better solublization of the antioxidants in hot water by thermal treatment. Improvement in the total phenolic contents also substantiated the radical scavenging abilities of the spices after aqueous extraction. Among the different extraction procedures, microwave extraction was found to be most effective with respect to radical scavenging abilities.