The Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder on the Physical Quality, Nutritional Composition and Consumer Acceptability of White and Brown Breads

Comparative Analysis of Vitamin, Mineral Content, and Antioxidant Capacity in Cereals and Legumes and Influence of Thermal Process

Cereals, as the world's most consumed food, face challenges related to nutrient quality due to climate change and increased production impacting soil health. In this study, we investigated the vitamin and mineral content, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity in cereals from Western Romania, analyzing whole and hulled wheat, rye, oat, and soybeans before and after heat treatment. Samples from 2022 crops were processed into dough and subjected to 220 °C for 30 min. The results reveal that, despite efforts to optimize nutrient content, cereals, particularly after heat processing, exhibited lower vitamin and mineral levels than the recommended daily intake. The decrease in polyphenols and antioxidant capacity was notable, with rye flour experiencing the largest decline (15%). Mineral analysis showed copper levels in decorticated wheat decreased by 82.5%, while iron in rye decreased by 5.63%. Soy flour consistently displayed the highest calcium, magnesium, and potassium levels, whereas oat flour had the highest zinc and copper levels before and after heat processing. The study highlights the concerningly low vitamins and minerals contents in cereals, as well as in the final products reaching consumers in the Western part of Romania, and contributes to the assessment of measures that are meant to improve the contents of these minerals.

Elevating Cereal-Based Nutrition: Moringa oleifera Supplemented Bread and Biscuits

Enhancing the nutritional value of commonly consumed, cost-effective staple foods, such as bread and biscuits, by fortifying them with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) and its phenolic-rich extract holds substantial potential for addressing malnutrition. This study evaluated the phenolic extract from MOLP obtained through Soxhlet extraction, focusing on its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic properties. The resulting extract exhibited a total phenolic content (TPC) of 138.2 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g. The ABTS and DPPH assays presented IC50 values of 115.2 mg/L and 544.0 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the extract displayed notable α-amylase inhibition and no cytotoxicity towards human fibroblasts. The primary phenolic compounds identified were catechin, epicatechin, and caffeic acid. Subsequently, MOLP and its extract were incorporated into bread and biscuits, replacing 5% of wheat flour, resulting in fortified functional foods. The fortified products exhibited improved TPC and antioxidant activity compared to the non-fortified foods. Furthermore, they displayed the ability to inhibit microbial growth, leading to an extended shelf life. Sensory analysis indicated that the products incorporated with the extract were preferred over those with MOLP. These results have demonstrated the viability of using MOLP and its phenolic-rich extract as an environmentally sustainable strategy for enhancing the quality of cereal-based products.

Development of Functional Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread with Pseudocereals and Enriched with Moringa oleifera

Celiac patients tend to have an unbalanced diet, because gluten-free products typically contain a high amount of fats and carbohydrates and a low amount of proteins, minerals, and dietary fiber. This research focused on the development of gluten-free functional breads using pseudocereals, psyllium, and gluten-free sourdough to replace commercial yeast, fortifying them with Moringa oleifera. Six different gluten-free breads were made with sourdough: three control breads differentiated by sourdough (quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice) and three breads enriched with moringa leaf differentiated by sourdough. The antioxidant capacity, phenolic compounds, nutritional composition, physicochemical parameters (color, pH, and acidity), folate content, amino acid profile, reducing sugars, mineral composition, mineral bioaccessibility, fatty acid profile, and sensory acceptability were evaluated. A commercial gluten-free (COM) bread was included in these analyses. Compared with COM bread, the reformulated breads were found to have better nutritional properties. Moringa leaf increased the nutritional properties of bread, and highlighted the QM (quinoa/moringa) bread as having increased protein, fiber, sucrose, glucose, maltose, phenylalanine, and cysteine. The AM (amaranth/moringa) bread was also shown to have a higher total folate content, antioxidant capacity, phenolic compounds, 9t,11t-C18:2 (CLA), and 9t-C18:1. Reformulated breads enriched with moringa could meet nutritional requirements and provide health benefits to people with celiac disease.

Effects of Roasting on the Quality of Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder and Loaf Volume of Moringa oleifera-Supplemented Bread

Although a decrease in bread volume on adding nutrient-rich Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) is known, to our knowledge, improving the swelling of MLP-added bread has not been attempted. This study aimed to investigate the effects of MLP and roasted MLP (RMLP) on bread quality. Bread was supplemented with MLP and RMLP treated at varying temperatures and times; the baked bread was then biochemically evaluated relative to the control. The specific volume of MLP-supplemented bread was 2.4 cm3/g, which increased to >4.0 cm3/g on using MLP roasted at 130 °C for ≥20 min, demonstrating remarkable swelling. The specific volume of bread supplemented with MLP roasted at 170 °C for 20 min was 4.6 cm3/g, similar to that of the control. Additionally, MLP interfered with carbon dioxide production in bread, thus decreasing the abundance of yeast cells; however, RMLP had no such effect and allowed normal fermentation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed gluten formation independent of MLP roasting. Thus, MLP-containing breads generally exhibit suppressed fermentation and expansion due to the bactericidal properties of raw MLP, but these effects are alleviated by heat treatment. These findings highlight the importance of heat treatment in mitigating the effects of MLP on bread fermentation and swelling.

Innovative Approaches for Food: Using Natural Phenolic-Rich Extracts to Produce Value-Added Fresh Pasta

Cereal-based products, which are rich in carbohydrates, are widely consumed worldwide; however, this type of food lacks other nutrients. Phenolic compounds from natural sources, such as Moringa oleifera, can be incorporated into these products to increase their nutritional and biological value. In this study, a phenolic-rich extract was obtained from M. oleifera leaf powder using a Soxhlet extractor. The extract obtained presented a total phenolic content of 79.0 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g and the ABTS and DPPH assays showed that the extract can act as an anti-oxidant agent, with IC50 values of 205.2 mg/L and 636.0 mg/L, respectively. Afterwards, fresh pasta was produced and the extract was incorporated into the pasta to improve its biological properties and extend its shelf-life. The results demonstrated that the addition of M. oleifera to the fresh pasta increased its anti-oxidant capacity and did not interfere with the cooking properties of the product. Moreover, the fortified pasta presented an increased shelf-life, since the extract conferred protection against microbial contamination for longer periods of time. Therefore, these findings showed that the incorporation of phenolic-rich extracts from natural sources (such as M. oleifera) is a feasible sustainable biotechnological approach to produce value-added cereal-based products.

Complementary Feeding Practices and Childhood Malnutrition in South Africa: The Potential of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Powder as a Fortificant: A Narrative Review

Poor complementary feeding is a common practice in developing regions, including South Africa (SA), and is one of the main contributing factors to childhood malnutrition. This paper reviews the literature on complementary feeding practices in SA and the potential of fortifying home-prepared complementary foods with Moringa oleifera to improve their nutritional composition. Studies that investigated complementary feeding practices, indigenous crops, nutritional benefits of Moringa oleifera, and the use of MOLP as a fortificant both locally and globally were included in this review. In SA, maize meal and commercial cereal are the most commonly used complementary infant foods. The diet consumed by children from vulnerable households commonly has insufficient nutrients. Foods consumed are generally high in starch and low in other essential nutrients, including good-quality protein. Impoverished individuals consume poor-quality foods as they are unable to afford a diversified diet with food from different food groups, such as protein, fruits, and vegetables. In SA, various programs have been implemented to reduce the incidence of childhood malnutrition. However, childhood malnutrition remains on the rise. This shows a need for complementary food-based strategies that can be implemented and sustained at a household level. This can be conducted through the use of accessible indigenous crops such as Moringa oleifera. Moringa oleifera contains essential nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, it could possibly be used as a home-prepared complementary food fortificant to enhance nutritional composition. Before complementary foods can be fortified with Moringa oleifera, popular home-prepared complementary foods must be identified.

Effect of Marjoram Leaf Powder Addition on Nutritional, Rheological, Textural, Structural, and Sensorial Properties of Extruded Rice Noodles

Food-to-food fortification is an emerging technique to enrich the micronutrients in foods. Pertaining to this technique, noodles could also be fortified with natural fortificants. In this study, marjoram leaf powder (MLP) at a level of 2-10% was used as a natural fortificant to produce fortified rice noodles (FRNs) through an extrusion process. The MLP addition caused a significant increase in the iron, calcium, protein, and fiber in the FRNs. The noodles had a lower whiteness index than unfortified noodles but had a similar water absorption index. The water solubility index increased significantly due to the higher water retention ability of MLP. A rheological study showed a minimal effect of fortification on the gelling strength of the FRNs at lower levels. The microstructural studies found incremental cracks, which facilitated a lower cooking time and hardness but had an insignificant effect on the cooked noodle texture. Fortification improved the total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and total flavonoid content. However, no significant changes in bonds were observed, but a reduction in the noodles' crystallinity could be seen. The sensory analysis of the noodles reflected a higher acceptability of the 2-4% MLP fortified samples compared to the others. Overall, the MLP addition improved the nutritional content, antioxidant activity, and the cooking time but slightly affected the rheological, textural, and color properties of the noodles.

Potentiality of Moringa oleifera as a Nutritive Ingredient in Different Food Matrices

Given the growing interest of today's society in improving the nutritional profile of the food it consumes, industrial food reformulation is booming. In this sense, due to its high yield, good adaptation to climate change and high nutritional potential, Moringa oleifera may be an alternative means of fortifying products, in order to improve different food matrices. The different parts of this plant (leaves, seeds, flowers, pods, roots…) can be marketed for their nutritional and medicinal attributes. In this analysis, various scientific studies have been compiled that evaluate the potential of Moringa oleifera in terms of its incorporation into food matrices and its influence on the final sensory characteristics. In general, the incorporation of different parts of moringa into products, such as bread, pastries, snacks and beverages, increases the nutritional profile of the product (proteins, essential amino acids, minerals and fiber), the dried leaf powder representing an alternative to milk and eggs and helping vegans/vegetarians to consume the same protein content. In the case of dairy and meat products, the goal is to improve the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. In every food product, adding high concentrations of moringa leads to greenish colorations, herbal flavors and changes in the mechanical properties (texture, hardness, chewiness, volume and sponginess), negatively impacting the acceptance of the final product. This bibliographic review highlights the need to continue researching the technological properties with the dual aim of incorporating different parts of moringa into food matrices and increasing consumer familiarity with this product.

Formulation of plant-based food and characterisation of the nutritional composition: A case study on soy-moringa beverage

Formulation of plant-based food ingredients rich in nutrients is becoming a viable intervention to enhance food security. In this study, a novel soy-moringa beverage was produced using two processing methods. Method I involved blending soymilk and moringa juice, whereas method II dealt with the co-grinding of soymilk together with blanched moringa leaves. The proximate and mineral compositions, pH, total dissolved solids, and viscosity of the soy-moringa beverages were carefully analysed using standard methods. The results showed different nutritional compositions in the soy-moringa beverages formulated. Moreover, method II was found to be the most effective technique to process the soy-moringa beverage. Hence, the proximate compositions were observed to increase significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in moringa leaves. The amounts of protein, fat, ash, fibre and carbohydrates increased by 49.77%, 8.59%, 84.85%, 85.71%, and 114.56%, respectively with the increase of moringa leaves. The concentrations of β-carotene, iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, and potassium presented an increasing trend by 147%, 40%, 284%, 30%, 12% and 190%, respectively as moringa leaves increase. The quantitative data on nutritional values and physicochemical properties suggested that the soy-moringa beverages produced with 30 and 40% moringa leaves under method II could be suitable to address undernutrition for vulnerable people.

A Cross-sectional Study to Evaluate the Acceptance of Non-pharmacological Interventions to Control Anaemia among Adolescent Girls and Lactating Mothers in a District of Gujarat, India

Background

To combat Iron deficiency anemia, an innovative pilot project, anemia prevention among adolescent girls and lactating mothers through nonpharmacological measures has been started at few places in Gujarat. To evaluate the acceptability of intervention kits provided to the beneficiaries.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study design where 182 beneficiaries were randomly selected for interview from 12 randomly selected Anganwadi centers of intervention taluka of Junagadh district.

Results

Information Education and Communication (IEC) material though available was unread by majority of beneficiaries. Iron utensils were used by 65% of beneficiaries for cooking. Only few beneficiaries (7%) daily use the provided moringa powder. Only half of the beneficiaries (53%) had grown some of the crops from the kitchen garden kit provided and knowledge of beneficiaries regarding iron-rich food was satisfactory in less than one-fifth (19%) of them.

Conclusion

Study results concluded that providing nonpharmacological material is of little use until beneficiaries were properly guided and motivated by regular follow-up visits and addressing their problems; otherwise, it just stands as a mere matter of rock only.

Influence of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) enriched ice creams on rats’ brain: Exploring the redox and cholinergic systems

The broad application of Moringa oleifera leaves in the treatment of numerous diseases is prevalent globally where it extends to the management of diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, hypercholesterolemia and neurodegenerative diseases. This study provides findings on the role of Moringa oleifera leaves (MO) [MO leaves] formulated ice creams on brain cholinergic enzymes [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)], antioxidant enzymes, glycemic index and blood lipid profile of rats. Thirty (30) adult male rats acclimatized for 2 weeks were divided into five groups: Group 1 rats received commercial ice cream, Group 2 rats were received plain ice-cream, Group 3, 4 and 5 received 0.5 g, 1.0 g and 2.0 g of MO-formulated ice creams. Rats were fed on normal pellets and exposed to ice creams produced from whipping cream, skimmed milk and Moringa oleifera leaves for 30 consecutive days. Following administration, results from this study revealed that rats that received Moringa formulated ice-creams had reduced brain butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymes activities, glycemic index (GI), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and significantly increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level in the plasma while revealing elevated brain antioxidant status (Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT)) when compared against rats consuming commercial ice creams. Therefore, results from this study attests to the intake of ice creams made from blends of Moringa leaves in the reduction of rats’ body weight, glycemic index and lipid profile (TC, TG, LDL-C), inhibition of brain cholinergic enzymes (AChE and BChE) while increasing brain antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD and CAT).

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Ice creams enriched with Moringa leaves reduces rats' body weight gain and GI.

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Also, rats' brain antioxidant and cholinergic enzymes activities was modulated.

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This study shows the influence of Moringa ice creams on brain enzymes activities.

Qualitative and Nutritional Improvement of Cereal-Based Foods and Beverages

The main directions of research aimed at nutritional improvement have to face either excesses or deficiencies in the diet. To this end, different strategies may be adopted, such as the reformulation of products, the introduction of functional ingredients, and the application of biotechnology to increase the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. These interventions, however, can alter the physico-chemical and sensory properties of the final products, making it necessary to achieve a balance between nutritional and quality modification. This Special Issue offers readers information on innovative ways to improve the cereal-based foods and beverages, useful for researchers and for industry operators.