Aims: To assess co-exposure to deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin through cottonseed cake in Malian sheep and cattle, characterise potential health risks, and evaluate sensitivity to unmeasured HT-2. Study Design: Cross-sectional contamination study with deterministic and probabilistic screening-level risk assessment. Place and Duration of Study: Mali’s post-harvest cotton value chain; the sampling period was not specified. Methodology: The database included 243 determinations from triplicate analyses of 81 independent samples. Replicates were averaged, and 33 cottonseed-cake samples informed the primary assessment. Exposure scenarios comprised four observed sheep rations and cattle cake intakes of 1, 2 and 4 kg/day. Risk quotients (RQ) were calculated against species-specific reference values. Monte Carlo simulations used 100,000 iterations per scenario, preserving paired toxin concentrations. T-2-only quotients provided lower-bound estimates against combined T-2 + HT-2 reference points. Sensitivity analysis assumed HT-2 equalled T-2. Results: Mean DON and T-2 concentrations were 274.98 and 136.36 µg/kg, respectively (Spearman’s ρ = 0.912). Sheep deterministic T-2 RQ values ranged from 5.14 to 15.12; the simulated mean was 9.393 (2.5th–97.5th percentiles: 5.278–13.901), with 100% exceeding 1. Mean cattle T-2 RQ values were 0.146, 0.293 and 0.586 at 1, 2 and 4 kg/day, respectively, without simulated exceedances. Under the illustrative HT-2 = T-2 assumption, exceedance probability reached 66.5% at 4 kg/day. DON RQ values remained below 1 throughout. Conclusion: T-2 exposure indicated potential concern in sheep. Cattle estimates remained below the reference point for measured T-2 alone, but high-intake estimates were sensitive to unmeasured HT-2. Joint T-2 and HT-2 quantification in complete rations is needed before definitive safety conclusions.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global health burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Medical nutrition therapy is an integral component of diabetes management, and current guidance supports individualised dietary patterns that include nutrient-dense foods, such as nuts and seeds. This study evaluated a locally prepared, pumpkin seed powder-based dietary intervention among women of reproductive age with T2DM. A community-based, controlled, pretest–post-test intervention was conducted among 120 women aged 21–49 years in five communities along the Freetown Peninsula. One hundred participants received food containing 30 g of pumpkin seed powder per serving, with two servings daily (60 g/day), for 50 days; 20 participants received the same food without pumpkin seed powder. Capillary fasting blood glucose (FBG) and random/non-fasting blood glucose (RBG) were assessed at baseline and every 10 days. Longitudinal changes were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models that included group, time, the group × time interaction and study site, with participant-level random intercepts. Mean FBG declined from 8.913 to 8.708 mmol/L in the intervention group (mean change −0.205 mmol/L), compared with 8.450 to 8.420 mmol/L in the comparison group (−0.030 mmol/L). The adjusted difference in change at day 50 was −0.175 mmol/L (95% CI −0.211 to −0.139; p < 0.001). Mean RBG declined from 8.913 to 8.709 mmol/L in the intervention group (−0.204 mmol/L), compared with 8.450 to 8.415 mmol/L in the comparison group (−0.035 mmol/L), yielding an adjusted difference in change of −0.169 mmol/L (95% CI −0.203 to −0.135; p < 0.001). Reductions in the intervention group were evident from day 10 and were maintained through day 50. Standardised, pumpkin seed powder-based food was associated with modest but statistically significant improvements in FBG and RBG relative to the comparison food. These findings support further controlled trials but should not be interpreted as evidence that pumpkin seed powder can replace prescribed diabetes treatment.
The present study focused on the development and evaluation of a protein-rich nutritional sattu premix prepared from roasted Bengal gram and complementary cereal, fruit, nut, dry-fruit and traditional sweetening ingredients. Five formulations (T0–T4) were prepared by varying the proportions of sattu, roasted rice flour, almonds, banana powder, dates powder, dry-fruit mix and jaggery powder. T0 served as the control without sattu, whereas T1–T4 contained progressively varied levels of sattu and complementary ingredients. The raw materials and formulations were evaluated for proximate composition, physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes and instrumental colour. The formulation receiving the highest overall sensory acceptance was subsequently monitored for 90 days under ambient storage for changes in nutritional, functional, microbiological and sensory characteristics. Sattu and almonds contained 20.85% and 21.18% protein, respectively. Among the formulations, T1 exhibited the highest protein (16.92%) and fat (15.76%), whereas T4 recorded the highest crude fibre (6.42%), water absorption capacity (1.58 g/g) and solubility (77.10%). T2 achieved the highest overall acceptability score (8.2/9) and was therefore selected as the sensory-optimised formulation. Over 90 days of storage, moisture increased from 4.67% to 5.28%, whereas protein and fat decreased slightly. Total plate count and yeast and mould counts increased gradually, whereas coliforms remained undetected in the reported dataset. Overall, the formulation demonstrated potential as a convenient, nutrient-dense dry premix. Because the supplied manuscript does not report inferential statistical outputs, definitive statements of statistical significance and shelf-life should be based on the original laboratory replicates and appropriate statistical analysis.
This study developed and evaluated a protein-enriched millet wafer bar using millet flour combined with roasted Bengal gram flour, green gram flour, defatted soy flour and pea protein powder. Six formulations, comprising a control (C) and five treatments (T1–T5), were prepared with progressively increasing proportions of millet and plant-protein ingredients. The raw materials and developed wafer bars were assessed for proximate composition, physicochemical characteristics, texture, colour and sensory acceptability, while the selected formulation was evaluated during 90 days of storage. Protein content increased from 8.10% in the control to 18.65% in T5, with concurrent increases in ash and crude fibre and a reduction in carbohydrate. Hardness increased from 18.40 N in C to 25.10 N in T5, whereas the reported crispness score decreased from 8.10 to 7.05. T4 contained 17.20% protein and retained an overall acceptability score of 8.06, compared with 7.43 for T5. During storage, moisture increased from 4.28% to 5.32% and hardness from 22.40 to 27.20 N, while overall acceptability decreased from 8.06 to 7.15. The findings indicate that combining millet with complementary pulse and plant-protein ingredients can increase protein density, although higher enrichment may adversely affect texture, colour and sensory quality. Formulation optimisation and appropriate moisture-barrier packaging are therefore important for maintaining product quality.
This study evaluated the effects of different salt concentrations during the fermentation process on the physicochemical properties, microbial characteristics, and sensory acceptance of salted radish pickles. Five formulations (LM1–LM5) containing different salt concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) were prepared. Salt concentration significantly (p < 0.05) affected pH, lactic acid content, moisture content (MC), water activity (), and colour (L*, a*, and b*) of the fermented salted radish pickle samples. Samples fermented with lower salt concentrations exhibited lower pH, moisture content, and water activity, but higher lactic acid content compared with those fermented with higher salt concentrations. In addition, increasing salt concentration resulted in lighter, less red, and more yellow samples, indicating that salt concentration had a significant influence on the physicochemical properties of the fermented product. Microbiological analysis revealed that higher salt concentrations affected the total plate count (TPC), yeast and mould (Y&M), coliforms, Escherichia coli, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Sensory evaluation was conducted with 35 untrained consumer panellists using a seven-point hedonic scale. The results showed that LM1 (2%) received the highest mean scores for colour and odour, while LM3 (6% salt) achieved the highest mean score for texture. LM4 (8% salt) obtained the highest mean scores for saltiness, taste, and overall acceptability, indicating that it was the most preferred formulation among the panellists. Therefore, LM4 (8% salt) was selected as the optimum formulation for salted radish pickles fermented for seven days.
