Mycotoxins are fungal secondary metabolites that pose health risks to exposed individuals, requiring necessary measures to reduce them. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), mycotoxins were quantified in whole grain sorghum and ting subsequently derived from two sorghum varieties (high and low tannin). The whole grain (WG) ting samples were obtained by fermenting sorghum with Lactobacillus fermentum strains (FUA 3165 and FUA 3321). Naturally (spontaneously) fermented WG-ting under the same conditions were equally analysed. Among the mycotoxins investigated, fumonisin B1 (FB1), B2 (FB2), B3 (FB3), T-2 toxin (T-2), zearalenone (ZEA), alpha-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and beta-zearalenol (β-ZOL) were detected in sorghum. Results obtained showed that mycotoxin concentrations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced after fermentation. In particular, L. fermentum FUA 3321 showed the capability to significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduce all the mycotoxins by 98% for FB1, 84% for T-2 and up to 82% for α-ZOL, compared to raw low tannin sorghum. Fermenting with the L. fermentum strains showed potential to effectively reduce mycotoxin contamination in whole grain ting. Thus, we recommended L. fermentum FUA 3321 in particular to be used as a potential starter culture in sorghum fermentation.
Background: Despite increased economic growth and development, and existence of various policies and
interventions aimed at improving food security and nutrition, majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa have very
high levels of child malnutrition. The prevalence of stunting, an indicator of chronic malnutrition, is especially high.
Methods: In this paper, we use Demographic and Health Survey datasets from three countries in the region that
obtained middle-income status over the last decade (Ghana, Kenya and Zambia), to provide a comparative
quantitative assessment of stunting levels, and examine patterns in stunting inequalities between 2007 and 2014.
Results: Our analyses reveal that stunting rates decreased in all three countries over the study period, but are still
high. In Zambia, 40% of under 5-year olds are stunted, compared to 26% in Kenya and 19% in Ghana. In all three
countries, male children and those living in the poorest households have significantly higher levels of stunting. We also
observe stark inequalities across socio-economic status, and show that these inequalities have increased over time.
Conclusions: Our results reveal that even with economic gains at the national level, there is need for continued focus
on improving the socio-economic levels of the poorest households, if child nutritional outcomes are to improve.
Keywords: Inequality, Stunting, Children, Malnutrition, Sub-Saharan Africa, Concentration indices, Concentration curves,Middle-income, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia
The superior agronomic and human nutritional properties of grain legumes (pulses)
make them an ideal foundation for future sustainable agriculture. Legume‐based
farming is particularly important in Africa, where small‐scale agricultural systems
dominate the food production landscape. Legumes provide an inexpensive source
of protein and nutrients to African households as well as natural fertilization for
the soil. Although the consumption of traditionally grown legumes has started to
decline, the production of soybeans (Glycine max Merr.) is spreading fast, especially
across southern Africa. Predictions of future land‐use allocation and production
show that the soybean is poised to dominate future production across Africa. Land
use models project an expansion of harvest area, whereas crop models project
possible yield increases. Moreover, a seed change in farming strategy is underway.
This is being driven largely by the combined cash crop value of products such as oils
and the high nutritional benefits of soybean as an animal feed. Intensification of
soybean production has the potential to reduce the dependence of Africa on
soybean imports. However, a successful “soybean bonanza” across Africa necessitates an intensive research, development, extension, and policy agenda to
ensure that soybean genetic improvements and production technology meet future demands for sustainable production.
The superior agronomic and human nutritional properties of grain legumes (pulses) make them an ideal foundation for future sustainable agriculture. Legume‐based farming is particularly important in Africa, where small‐scale agricultural systems dominate the food production landscape. Legumes provide an inexpensive source of protein and nutrients to African households as well as natural fertilization for the soil. Although the consumption of traditionally grown legumes has started to decline, the production of soybeans (Glycine max Merr.) is spreading fast, especially across southern Africa. Predictions of future land‐use allocation and production show that the soybean is poised to dominate future production across Africa. Land use models project an expansion of harvest area, whereas crop models project possible yield increases. Moreover, a seed change in farming strategy is underway. This is being driven largely by the combined cash crop value of products such as oils and the high nutritional benefits of soybean as an animal feed. Intensification of soybean production has the potential to reduce the dependence of Africa on soybean imports. However, a successful “soybean bonanza” across Africa necessitates an intensive research, development, extension, and policy agenda to ensure that soybean genetic improvements and production technology meet future demands for sustainable production.
Phosphate (Pi) deficiency reduces nodule formation and development in different legume species including common bean. Despite significant progress in the understanding of the genetic responses underlying the adaptation of nodules to Pi deficiency, it is still unclear whether this nutritional deficiency interferes with the molecular dialogue between legumes and rhizobia. If so, what part of the molecular dialogue is impaired? In this study, we provide evidence demonstrating that Pi deficiency negatively affects critical early molecular and physiological responses that are required for a successful symbiosis between common bean and rhizobia. We demonstrated that the infection thread formation and the expression of PvNSP2, PvNIN, and PvFLOT2, which are genes controlling the nodulation process were significantly reduced in Pi-deficient common bean seedlings. In addition, whole-genome transcriptional analysis revealed that the expression of hormones-related genes is compromised in Pi-deficient seedlings inoculated with rhizobia. Moreover, we showed that regardless of the presence or absence of rhizobia, the expression of PvRIC1 and PvRIC2, two genes participating in the autoregulation of nodule numbers, was higher in Pi-deficient seedlings compared to control seedlings. The data presented in this study provides a mechanistic model to better understand how Pi deficiency impacts the early steps of the symbiosis between common bean and rhizobia
The aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic predictors of nutritional knowledge
(NK) based on total household income, educational level and employment status. A secondary
aim was to determine the relationship between NK and the body mass indexes (BMI) of children.
Using a cross-sectional study, 39 participants enrolled in the Prospective Urban Rural
Epidemiological (PURE) study were purposively sampled for data on their children’s age,
gender, height and weight. A semi-structured researcher-generated questionnaire was used to
collect sociodemographic information and assess NK. Pearson correlation assessed the
relationship between the parent’s NK and their child’s BMI. Linear regression analysis was used
to test predictive relationships. The Alpha level was set at p < 0.05. Regression analysis showed
that 2.5% of the variance (R2 = 0.25) was based on NK and was significant (p < 0.05).
Employment status was a significant predictor (p = -0.038) of NK, when controlling for total
household income and education level. Parents of underweight children had the lowest NK. In
conclusion, there was a positive correlation between the children’s BMI and their parents NK,
but this was not significant. Employment status was a significant predictor of NK. Public health
practitioners should develop interventions based on NK, which might benefit black parents,
especially those of low socioeconomic status.
Keywords: Nutritional knowledge, socioeconomic status, South Africa, educational level,
employment status.
The role of agriculture in rural development is widely documented in literature. Many analysts regard agriculture, specifically small-scale agriculture, as an effective instrument for poverty reduction and food security, particularly in rural communities of developing countries where large numbers of poor people are concentrated. However whether the focus of such production should be on export crops or for domestic food security remains an issue for debate. Using the avocado industry in Giheta-Burundi, this paper argues that some emerging tree crops such as avocados present enormous opportunities to income generation and food security for small-scale farmers. This paper suggests that small-scale avocado farming presents the economic, market and health potentiality to contribute to a viable and sustainable rural economy through internal markets thereby reducing levels of poverty and malnutrition in this area. From a policy perspective, the paper suggests that the avocado sector needs to be supported by both the private and public sectors, irrespective of whether the crop is consumed, traded domestically or exported. Increasing the capacity of avocado production and trade will then enable small-scale farmers and vendors to gain greater income from this sector.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), South Africa recently experienced the largest ever recorded outbreak of listeria (Listeria monocytogenes), with almost 1049 confirmed cases and 209 deaths between 1 January 2017 and 5 June 2018. South Africa’s listeria outbreak provides an opportunity to interrogate the relative power of the state and the private sector in shaping the food system and to re-evaluate the issues of traceability and broader governance. It also provides an opportunity to consider the determinants of diets and consequent health outcomes of the poor, and to develop policy and programmatic inventions better attuned to the lives of the poor and aligned for the creation of health.
Nitric oxide synthase-like activity contributes to the production of nitric oxide in plants, which controls plant responses to stress. This study investigates if changes in ascorbate peroxidase enzymatic activity and glycine betaine content in response to inhibition of nitric oxide synthase-like activity are associated with transcriptional regulation by analyzing transcript levels of genes (betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase) involved in glycine betaine biosynthesis and those encoding antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase and catalase) in leaves of maize seedlings treated with an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase-like activity. In seedlings treated with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, transcript levels of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase were decreased. In plants treated with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, the transcript levels of ascorbate peroxidase-encoding genes were down-regulated. We thus conclude that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase-like activity suppresses the expression of ascorbate peroxidase and betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase genes in maize leaves. Furthermore, catalase activity was suppressed in leaves of plants treated with nitric oxide synthase inhibitor; and this corresponded with the suppression of the expression of catalase genes. We further conclude that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase-like activity, which suppresses ascorbate peroxidase and catalase enzymatic activities, results in increased H2O2content.
The role of agriculture in rural development is widely documented in literature. Many analysts regard agriculture, specifically small-scale agriculture, as an effective instrument for poverty reduction and food security, particularly in rural communities of developing countries where large numbers of poor people are concentrated. However whether the focus of such production should be on export crops or for domestic food security remains an issue for debate. Using the avocado industry in Giheta-Burundi, this paper argues that some emerging tree crops such as avocados present enormous opportunities to income generation and food security for small-scale farmers. This paper suggests that small-scale avocado farming presents the economic, market and health potentiality to contribute to a viable and sustainable rural economy through internal markets thereby reducing levels of poverty and malnutrition in this area. From a policy perspective, the paper suggests that the avocado sector needs to be supported by both the private and public sectors, irrespective of whether the crop is consumed, traded domestically or exported. Increasing the capacity of avocado production and trade will then enable small-scale farmers and vendors to gain greater income from this sector.