Moringa is one of the important crop originated from India and Africa which can be exploited for its nutritive richness present in leaves, flowers and pods. The crop is suitable for cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions of India and Tamil Nadu. Recently the crop is rediscovered for its potentiality in alleviating malnutrition which is the severe problem among young children and women throughout the world. Apart from its leaves, the flowers and pods are also useful in preventing many diseases and widely used in homeopathy, sidha and ayurvedic preparations. Moringa trees can be grown in social forestry eco-system, there by the livelihood, socio-economic status of the rural people may be improved. Moringa leaves when fed to cattle increases the milk yield and quality. India is one of the highly populated country and the economic growth is surged ahead since independence but, the nutritional security of the rural women and children is the biggest threatening issue to be addressed. This review article aims at gathering information about moringa particularly its nutritional value and research carried out in moringa for further exploitation.

Pregnancy is a crucial period of woman’s life where socio demographic factors and other factors like lifestyle pattern, food choices and dietary habits, determine the health of future generation1. Nutritional knowledge also plays an important role in giving birth to a healthy baby. So, the aim of the present study was to assess the health status of the working and non-working pregnant women and relate it with their existing nutritional knowledge. A total of 100 pregnant women visiting two private hospitals of Jaipur city were selected for the study. Out of the 100, 50 were working and 50 were non-working. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to assess the nutritional knowledge, life style pattern and dietary habits of the subjects. The nutritional knowledge of the working pregnant women was observed to be high and the health status was also good in comparison to non-working pregnant women. It was observed that majority of the pregnant women consume cereal based diet and pulses were consumed in less amount among both the groups. The consumption of milk and its products and green leafy vegetables was high among both the group. High prevalence of anemia was found among both the groups. 48% of non-working and 34% working were mildly anemic; 28% (non-working) and 50% (working) were moderately anemic and 24% (non-working) and 16% (working) were non-anemic. No pregnant women was observed to be severely anemic.

The sugarcane syrup prepared from fresh sugarcane juice as well as the sugarcane syrup (70o Brix) was processed, packed in three different packaging materials viz., polyethylene (400 gauge) bag (P1), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) jars (P2) and glass bottles (P3) and stored at ambient conditions to study the storage quality. The changes in physical, chemical characteristics, microbial load and sensory scores were evaluated at periodic intervals of 30 days during the period of storage study (180 days). The moisture, pH and total sugar content of sugarcane syrup decreased during storage. An increase in acidity and reducing sugar content of sugarcane syrup were observed at the end of storage. The mineral composition was observed to be high in sugarcane syrup (ash 1.67g/100g, calcium 43.2 mg/100g, phosphorus 42.5 mg/100g and iron 2.22 mg/100g) than sugar syrup. However, there was slight changes were observed in mineral content of the samples during storage. Initially there was no bacterial, fungal and yeast count in control and treated samples. A slight increase in bacterial, fungal and yeast population noticed at the end storage period was found to be within acceptable limits.

Obese patients had a high blood non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration. The high NEFA concentration could induce adipocytes to secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which would inhibit insulin function and cause insulin resistance. This study, therefore, was to investigate the effects of supplementation of trivalent chromium and fatty acids on non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), pro-inflammatory cytokines of IL-6, TNF-α and insulin-signaling factors in vitro. Differentiated mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were randomly divided into three groups: control, trivalent chromium (Cr group, Cr), trivalent chromium + fatty acids (Cr+FA group, CrFA). The added level of trivalent chromium was 50 μg/kg, fatty acids was 0.1％. The NEFA level in the CrFA group had significantly greater than that in the control group (P< 0.05); however, the Cr group was significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05). The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines of IL-6 and TNF-a in Cr group was significantly lower than in the control (P< 0.05), in CrFA group was higher than in Cr group (P< 0.05). The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in CrFA group was lower than in the Cr and control groups (P<0.05). In insulin-signaling factors, added trivalent chromium or fatty acids had no effect on IR (insulin receptor) expression. Added trivalent chromium could increase the expression of IRS-1 (insulin receptor substrate 1), PI3K-p85a and Akt significantly (P< 0.05). However, in the CrFA group, the expression of IRS-1 and PI3K-p85a was reduced and increased the expression of Akt than that of the Cr and control groups (P< 0.05). Thus, trivalent chromium with fatty acids supplementation has no greater efficiency than chromium only in cytokines and insulin-signaling factors.

This study investigated the parasitism activity of a pupal parasitoid, Encarsia hitam (Insecta: Hymenoptera) (Chalcididae: Coccophaginae), on whitefly pupae, Bemisia tabaci (Insecta: Aleyrodidae), infesting eggplants pre-infested with whiteflies and aphids and fertilized with varying levels of nutrient concentrations (50, 150 and 300 ppm). Two-week-old plants without pre-infestation with pests (control) and pest-pre-infested plants (early infestation) were planted in polyethylene bags (30 cm × 30 cm) filled with burnt rice husks and placed under an exposed rainshelter (without walls). This condition enabled the plants to be freely attacked by several eggplant pests, including whiteflies and aphids, as they grew to maturity (bearing fruits). Our findings revealed that Encarsia hitam began to parasitize whitefly pupae as early as vegetative stage (four weeks after transplanting). Parasitizations number were very low on whiteflies infesting control eggplant plants fertilized with nutrient concentrations of 50 and 300 ppm (N1TC and N3TC), whitefly-pre-infested plants receiving 300 ppm of nutrients (N3TW) and aphid-pre-infested plants receiving 150 ppm of nutrients (N2TA). Whitefly- and aphid-pre-infested eggplant plants did not demonstrate significantly increased parasitism of whiteflies by Encarsia hitam, but varying dosages of nutrient and disparities in plant growth exhibited significant effects on parasitism activity. Parasitism on whiteflies declined when the aphids and whiteflies occupied simultaneously on eggplant leaves, which apparently offered better hosts for Encarsia hitam to oviposit in. Whitefly–parasitoid interactions in a multitrophic system generate vital information that improves our understanding of the community ecology, which is useful in the development of effective management techniques for the whitefly and its natural enemy.

The main meal is often concluded by eating a Dessert. This includes sweet foods and beverages such as sweets, milk based preparations such as ice creams, pies, puddings etc., baked cakes and pastries or wines and mocktails. The Desserts have often an important role in meals and people are often fond of eating them. Now the planning of a well plated dessert, there are five characteristics to be considered such as Flavour, Texture, Temperature and visual attractions such as shapes and colors. The muffins are traditionally made from the refined wheat flour, butter and sugar. Mostly desserts are made from point of view of the taste and flavours but the Nutritional composition is not kept in mind. We have developed a Dessert or Muffin from different composition to provide the nutrition as well with taste, flavor and texture. Water chestnut flour and maize flour was used for making of the muffins. These flours are rich in minerals and vitamins. It was found that the water chest nut flour was used as supplements to the diet of people in southern Germany (Karg, 2006). In India this is known by the name of Singhara or paniphal. This fruit is eaten as raw or boiled. After the drying of this fruit this is ground to a flour and called as water chestnut flour. Another flour used to prepare muffins was maize flour. Batters was prepared by mixing 200g flour with a composite mixture of butter, coco powder, castor sugar and vanilla essence all in measured amounts and then were baked. The results thus indicated that the panelists accepted the muffins prepared from different level of water chestnut flour with highest acceptability at 50% water chestnut flour level followed by 60% water chestnut flour level.

Wild edible plants play a vital role in human diet. The Present study was to carry out the nutritional values of a selected fifteen wild edible fruits collected from Boda and Kolli hills of Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu. The nutritional value was analyzed in term of Protein by Lowry’s method, Lipid by Bligh and Dyer, Carbohydrate, Ash content, crude fibre and Moisture content were analyzed by using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (A.O.A.C) methods. The result shows high values of Protein, Carbohydrate and Lipid content in the wild edible fruits, the high Energy value obtained in Phoenix loureirii (265.26±0.002), Syzygium cumini (247.91±1.6) and Carissa spinarum (237.3±0.002), therefore they were identified as promising species for promotion as backyard planting especially farming systems affliction from loss of crop, shortage of food and various chronic diseases. This parameter also helps to found valuable pharmacological drugs for various severe disorders.

Pigs are animals that their contribution to economic progress and as food security inputs in developing country. In this paper, the performance of the pig industry in Ethiopia is reviewed and the opportunities and challenges highlighted, community perceptions about local pig keeping and the potential impact has on productivity are discussed. Current management practices, feeding regimes, disease control strategies, sow breeding and welfare issues are highlighted. Since the goal of pig production is for income and produce pork using least costs, the potential use of local feedstuffs as cheap ingredients for pig marketing and feeding has been discussed. The role of breeding pigs in sustaining the pig sector is discussed. Opportunities for improved marketing both within and outside the villages are explored. Economics of local pork business is also presented. In Ethiopia, there are good starts in pig production in central parts of the country and it focuses on to get additional income for the household and in achieving food security at individual level, but they were against to consumption. This review initiate’s sectors development for advantageous if introduced and popularized to the farmers of the country and if exported enhances per capita income and may replace the meat demand and supply of peri-urban owners and hotels of the country through popularization of pork as far as the increasing number of population, sky rocketed meat demand and its cost is concerned.

Objective: To study and compare the effectiveness of nutritional games to improve nutritional knowledge levels in adolescents. Design: A school based intervention was carried out for 8th and 9th grades for a period of two and a half months. A multi- factorial design was used with repeated measures of nutrition knowledge at three points in time, of dependent samples from control and intervention group. A sample of two schools each in experimental and control groups were selected by multi stage random sampling. Data was collected by interviewing the adolescents using a pretested, semi- structured schedule. Results: The study revealed a significant difference in the nutrition knowledge scores after post intervention-1. Significant decrease (p<0.05) in the knowledge level was not observed at post intervention-2 indicating retention of knowledge due to effective learning through nutritional games. Conclusion: The developed nutritional games kit was found effective in imparting nutrition education for adolescents.

The study aimed at determining nutritional, functional and antioxidant properties of organic and conventionally (non-organic) grown horse gram, moth beans and Red kidney beans. Samples were procured from certified sources, converted to flours and analyzed using standard techniques. Nutrient analysis revealed that legumes had a high protein (19.8-22.5%) and low fat (0.75-1.45%) content. Dietary fiber content was more in horse gram and kidney bean (22.28-23.79%) and less in moth bean (12.08-13.52%). There were significant differences in nutritional composition of organic and conventional legumes, though no specific trend was observed and it varied depending upon the legume. Organic legume showed significantly lower phytic acid content. Functional properties showed that organic legumes had lower water absorption capacity and higher emulsion activity. Horse gram had high phenolic constituents. Legumes exhibited high antioxidant activity with minor differences between legumes. In conclusion, organic and non-organic legumes showed some differences in nutritional and functional properties, however, no trend was observed.