Ripe and unripe tomato jams: formulation, acceptability tests, physicochemical and microbiological characteristics

Recent data show that the containers traditionally used for fermentation, due to their nature, exchange with the fermented product, the consequence being a modification of the physico-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic properties of these products. The objective of this work is to study the influence of the fermentation vessel on the sensory, physicochemical, and microbial properties of kindirmou and pendidam, two traditional fermented milks from Adamawa - Cameroon. To this end, a descriptive test was used to generate the sensory properties of fermented milks in different containers, followed by biochemical (pH, titratable acidity, protein, sugar content, and total phenolic compounds) and microbiological analyses (total aerobic mesophilic flora, coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds). Regarding sensory evaluation, samples of kindirmou and pendidam fermented in calabashes have a higher general acceptability than those fermented in plastic buckets and enamel plates. The total mesophilic flora and total coliforms were higher than the norm (≥ 6log10) for kindirmou and pendidam regardless of the fermentation vessel. The absence of yeasts and molds is noted in the samples of kindirmou, while they are found at very high levels in the samples of pendidam fermented in the calabash and in the enamel plates ((≥ 6log10). Fecal coliforms are absent in samples of kindirmou and pendidam fermented in the calabash, while they are found in samples fermented in plastic buckets and enamel plates. On the physicochemical level, the results obtained showed that the kindirmou fermented in the calabash had the highest soluble protein content (1.47 ± 0.04 g / 100 mL of milk) than those fermented in plastic bucket and enamel plates. The phenolic compounds are present only in the samples of milk fermented in the calabash and the average contents are 93.41 ± 3.04 mg / 100 mL of milk for kindirmou and 111.20 ± 2.01 mg / 100 mL for pendidam.
 To conclude, kindirmou and pendidam fermented in calabashes exhibit the best sensory and physicochemical characteristics, and are rich in bioactive compounds than those fermented in plastic buckets and enamel plates.

Aims: To contribute to knowledge of the health quality of food sold near schools in N'Djamena, Chad, in order to ensure that students have healthy food. Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study based on analyses of collected samples and interpretations of the results. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out from January 2023 to December 2024 in five (5) districts of the city of N'Djamena in Chad. Methodology: Microbiological analyses were carried out on samples through standard methods in microbiology. A total of 79 samples were taken, divided between Sandwiches (37), Danwaké (25) and Alelés (17). The germs counted were total mesophilic aerobic flora (FAMT), total coliforms, yeasts and molds, Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli. Results: The results revealed that for sandwiches, 81.2% and 88.9% to 100% of the samples analyzed were non-compliant with respect to total aerobic mesophilic flora and total coliforms respectively. For E. coli, 68.8% of the standard sandwich samples were non-compliant and 100% of the peanut sauce and eggplant sandwich samples were highly loaded with Staphylococcus as well as yeasts and molds. Analysis of the Danwaké samples showed non-compliant results for all germs with high percentages particularly for coliforms (86%) followed by staphylococci (76%). In the Alelés, these are also the germs that are regularly found in samples with non-compliance rates of 62.5% and 75% respectively for staphylococci and yeasts and molds. Conclusion: The presence of these germs in non-compliant proportions in Sandwiches, Danwaké and Alelés sold near schools constitutes a significant health hazard that deserves awareness among stakeholders in order to offer young students healthy foods to guarantee their health.

Malnutrition remains a real health problem in the Far North Region of Cameroon despite the presence of many food commodities. The objective of this work was to evaluate physicochemical and microbiological properties of ten artisanal yoghurt (kossam) sold in Maroua-Cameroun. Proximate composition, viscosity and titratable acidity were determined by standard Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods. Mineral contents: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc and manganese were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and phosphorus by Murphy Riley reagent. The microbiological analyses were carried out following the standard protocols. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in the levels of the parameters analysed in the different yoghurt samples (p<0.05). The results of this study revealed for all the samples an acid pH (3.20 - 4.37); titratable acidity (2.01-2.74% ); viscosity (1.32-1.51). Other contents per 100g fresh matter are as fellow: Moisture (87.29- 92.45%); Protein (2.02-3.72g); Carbohydrate (4% for all the samples); ashes (0.28-0.49g); calcium (74-113mg); magnesium (4-20mg); zinc (0,117-0,333mg); potassium (60.4-165mg); sodium (10- 17,25mg); iron (0.034-0.088mg) and phosphorus (51-80mg). The microbiological analyses revealed that fungal flora were only detected in few samples (1.2-4.47 log10cfu/ml); Total aerobic mesophilic flora (4.36 -9 log10cfu/ml); Staphylococcus (1.30-5.31 log10cfu/ml) and total coliforms (1- 3 log10cfu/ml). These yoghurts could therefore contribute nutrients for human nutrition and for the management of some nutritional diseases.

This study was carried out to investigate the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of well water samples in Ido community. Thirty water samples were collected from five different wells ( six samples from each well) and subjected to standard microbiological and physicochemical analysis. All physicochemical properties showed difference (p<0.05) in all the wells analyzed except temperature and turbidity. Temperature ranged between 25.3±3.50C and 26±2.350C; pH, 6.3±0.7 and 6.9±0.3; electrical conductivity, 127.6±1.9 and 157.8±7.7μs/cm; total suspended solids, 25.2±8.9 and 53.2±1.8mg/l; turbidity, 0.15±0.7 and 1.20±1.4NTU; dissolved oxygen, 4.40±2.8 and 5.35±2.1 mg/l; Biological Oxygen Demand, 9.40±2.8 and15.4±2.8mg/l; Chemical Oxygen Demand, 177.2±1.6 and 260.3±1.6mg/l; chloride, 59.8±8.5 and 101.2±2.6mg/l and total hardness, 246.6±1.9 and 395.6±2.7mg/l. All values fell within WHO standards except Chemical Oxygen Demand (WHO Standard 40mg/l) and total hardness (WHO Standard 100mg/l). Results of microbial population did not show any difference (p>0.05) across the wells. However, Total Heterotrophic Bacteria ranged from 2.15±0.91×104 to 5.3±0.86×104cfu/ml; total coliform, 3.00±0.77×104 to 6.18±0.73×104 cfu/ml; Total feacal coliform, 2.61±0.71×104 to 4.39±0.76×104 cfu/ml; Total vibrio count, 2.68±0.81× 103 to 4.4±0.86×103 cfu/ml; Total salmonella shigella count. 2.02±0.84×103 to 4.8±0.95×103 cfu/ml. Total coliform bacteria ranged from 220 to > 1600 coliform MPN index /100ml-1, while thermo tolerant coliform bacteria ranged from 220 to 1600 coliform MPN index /100ml-1. A total of forty bacterial isolates belonging to ten genera were identified. They include species of Bacillus 22 (26.4%), Staphylococcus 14(16.8%), Vibrio 13(15.7%), Serratia 6(7.3%), Enterobacter 6(7.3%), Chromobacterium 4(4.8%), Salmonella 4 (4.9%), Shigella 4(4.8%) and E. coli 4(4.8%). This result highlights the fact that well water in Ido community are not safe microbiologically for drinking without additional treatment such as boiling or disinfection and this could lead to outbreak of water borne diseases. Good and proper environmental and personal hygiene is advocate especially by the users of those wells to prevent their contamination with bacterial pathogens.

Honey is a food rich in nutrients essential for human life and its composition as well as quality varies greatly. The study was conducted in Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia to determine the physicochemical properties of honey. A total of 20 honey samples were collected from farm gates and local markets. Honey quality parameters like moisture content, sugars (fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose), pH, free acidity, HMF and ash (mineral) contents were tested according to the procedures described by International Honey Commission (IHC) (2009). The overall mean values of moisture, pH, free acidity, hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde (HMF), total ash, electrical conductivity, fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose of the analyzed honey samples were 19.27±1.99%, 3.80±0.24, 34.04±14.21meq/kg, 13.09±4.47mg/kg, 0.23±0.09%, 0.55±0.16mS/cm, 39.95±4.09%, 33.75±5.71%, 0.99±0.38% and 2.08±1.73%, respectively. Moisture content was significantly (p<0.05) affected by both agroecology and hive type for honey samples from farm gates. Honey samples from local markets had significantly (p<0.001) higher moisture, free acidity and sucrose content than honey samples obtained from households in three agroecologies. The study indicated that all honey samples obtained from farm gates and a majority of samples collected from local markets in the study area are of good quality and meet the national and international standard limits. However, some honey samples collected from local markets had a higher level of sucrose than recommended limit suggesting adulteration of honey.

This study aims to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological quality of 11 samples of locally produced honey harvested from bee colonies across different regions of Algeria. Honeys analyzed are characterized by their different floral origins. Want germs are total aerobic mesophilic flora, total coliforms, anaerobic bacteria Sulfito-Drive (clostridium), yeasts and moulds. Water content, pH, the concentration of hydroxymethylfurfural and sucrose content were also measured. For the physicochemical properties, most of the samples meet the requirements of Codex Alimentarius. Microbiological results showed that there is heterogeneity in the load of microorganisms sampled. Honeys have a low microbial profile. Total coliforms and clostridium were not detected in any sample. For counting the total aerobic mesophilic flora (TAMF), two local and imported samples have a concentration greater than the standard TAMF. Yeasts and moulds were also present but at low levels, and figures in all but three samples were below the norm.

Physicochemical, functional and microbiological quality of buffalo liver

Shea oil or shea butter is a food product from shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernels manufactured traditionally by women in sub-African rural areas. It can be used directly for cooking or served as a raw material for the food and cosmetic industries. The aim of this study was to promote the use of natural shea butter through a better knowledge of the quality characteristics. Samples from 07 geographical provinces of Burkina Faso were collected for minera, physico-chemical and microbiological analyses using standard methods. analyses such as Percentage of moisture and dry matter, insoluble impurities in hexan, acid, iodine, refractive and peroxide indexes were perormed. In addition, density, melting point and minerals content (Cu, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, K) were measured. Microbiological parameters such as total aerobic flora, yeast and molds, enterobacteria and presumed Staphylococcus aureus counts were also determined on agar specific media. Results showed that moisture contents varied from 0.06 to 2.81 %, acid values varied from 2.44 and 5.68 mgKOH/g, while iodine indexes and impurities contents varied from 40.70 to 46.66 gI2/100g and from 0.31 to 1.87 % respectively. Concerning mineral contents, Cu had the lowest values (0.23 to 0.66 mg/kg), while with K the highest values were observed (1921.50 to 4117.50 mg/kg). Most of the parameters were within acceptable ranges according to the regional guidelines. Microbiological analyses showed that the samples of shea butters could be considered safe for use with microbial counts within satisfactory ranges. Most of these artisanally manufactured shea butter samples could be used as intrant for the food or cosmetic industries. Therefore it would be useful to locally implement modern processing units in order to increase the added value of shea butter production.

The quality control is vital for the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines. However, the quality of standardization is most difficult because the studies do not cover this step. The objective of this study was quality standardization of herbal drugs of Spondias dulcis Parkinson. The leaves were dried and ground to a powder. The plant drug was evaluated by parameters of mean particle size (417.85 μm), apparent density (0.37 ± 0.01 g mL−1), moisture content (7.96 ± 0.35%), loss on drying (7.33 ± 0.09%), pH (3.90 ± 0.01), total ash (12.66 ± 0.23%), acid insoluble ash (3.22 ± 0.20%) and aqueous extractives (24.00 ± 3.28%). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids and tannins. Microbiological analysis presented a total count within the recommended limits and the absence of pathogenic microorganisms. The infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal analysis (TG/DTA) showed that physical and chemical processes occurred. The FTIR fingerprint has been characterized by characteristic peaks. The TG curves present six steps, and DTA curve presents three events. The results provide the scientific data for the proper identification and establishment of standards for future investigations and applications.

Surface water quality in Dolisie (southwest of the Republic of Congo) is strongly impacted by human activities, particularly domestic wastewater discharge, agriculture, and livestock farming, leading to progressive degradation of water resources and posing risks to public health as well as domestic and agricultural uses. This study assessed water quality through analysis of physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters at several sites representative of domestic and agricultural areas. Physico-chemical analysis showed that pH ranged from 5.5 (Ninja Lake) to 9.9 (marsh near the Orthodox Church), with a mean of 6.58 ± 1.18. Water temperature varied from 25.36°C (upstream of the Loubomo River) to 28.5°C (Tahiti fish ponds), with an average of 26.83 ± 0.93°C. Electrical conductivity ranged from 115.66 to 315.33 µS/cm (mean 213.65 ± 73.18 µS/cm), while total dissolved solids (TDS) varied from 57 to 210.5 ppm (mean 112.52 ± 46.70 ppm). Three heavy metals were detected: cadmium (0.049–0.070 ppm, mean 0.057 ± 0.005 ppm), copper (0.0217–0.0509 ppm, mean 0.037 ± 0.010 ppm), and zinc (0.0004–0.00311 ppm, mean 0.004 ± 0.008 ppm). Microbiologically, total mesophilic aerobic flora (TMAF) ranged from 1,000 to 6,000 CFU/100mL (mean 3,333 ± 1,670), total coliforms from 69 to 193 CFU/100mL (mean 133 ± 43), and fecal coliforms from 32 to 102 CFU/100mL (mean 64 ± 21), exceeding WHO standards and indicating significant fecal contamination. Fecal streptococci ranged from 30 to 72 CFU/100mL, <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp. from 14 to 97 CFU/100mL, <i>Salmonella</i> from 40 to 110 CFU/100mL, <i>Shigella</i> from 19 to 77 CFU/100mL, and <i>Pseudomonas </i><i>aeruginosa</i> from 15 to 62 CFU/100mL. Correlation analyses revealed significant relationships: temperature correlated with total coliforms (r = 0.69) and fecal coliforms (r = 0.63), electrical conductivity correlated with TDS (r = 0.91), and several bacterial groups showed positive correlations among themselves. Principal component analysis associated the F1 axis (42.24% of variance) with microbiological parameters and the F2 axis (20.7%) with physico-chemical parameters. These findings reveal progressive deterioration of surface water quality in Dolisie and emphasize the urgent need for sustainable management measures, public awareness, and wastewater control to preserve water resources and protect public health.

A study aimed at evaluating the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of surface water was therefore carried out in a few watercourses in the municipality of Mbankomo, located in the Center Region (Cameroon). The physico-chemical parameters were measured according to the standard method. The organic pollution index (OPI) was determined from the contents of nitrates, phosphates, and ammoniacal nitrogen to characterize the level of organic pollution of the water. The microorganisms sought were total flora, indicators of faecal contamination like total coliforms, faecal coliforms, feacal streptococci and Escherichia coli, as well as the species Clostridium perfringens. The organic pollution index indicates a high-level organic pollution level during the small rainy season and high to moderate during the small dry season. High concentrations of the total and fecal coliforms, streptococci fecal, Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens respectively of 1712 × 105 CFU/100mL; 82 × 105 CFU/100mL; 10 × 105 CFU/100mL; 27 × 105 and 40 × 103 CFU/100mL, all higher than WHO standards, indicate that the waterways of Mbankomo are subject to feacal pollution and harbor pathogenic microflora. The cell densities of main bacteria were significantly correlated with main abiotic parameters, such as Escherichia coli, which was significantly correlated with the pH of the water (r = 0.35; p < 0.05). The variation of organic pollution index category means correspond to a high level of organic pollution during the small rainy season and a high to moderate level during the small dry season. The deterioration of the quality of these waters is favored by their proximity to sources of pollution (toilets, plantation), the runoff of the waters contaminated, the use of detergents and wrong maintenance. These waters without any treatment are not recommendable for human consumption according to standards of the World Health Organization.

African ethnomedicine makes extensive use of African elemi, also known as Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. (Burseraceae). This study examined the leaf extract's physicochemical characteristics, phytochemical components, and antioxidant capacity. According to physicochemical examination, the following parameters were all within permissible bounds: moisture content (2.60%), total ash (10.30%), water-soluble ash (2.45%), acid-insoluble ash (2.75%), alcohol extractive value (4.00%), and water extractive value (3.60%). Flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, and cardiac glycosides were detected by phytochemical screening. With an IC₅₀ of 9.48 µg/mL, which was marginally lower than that of vitamin C (9.49 µg/mL), the methanol leaf extract demonstrated significant antioxidant activity and a strong capacity to scavenge free radicals. These results help to standardise the pharmacognostic usage of C. schweinfurthii and validate its traditional use.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to develop fermented probiotic millet dried mix by incorporating a probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and to ascertain how different processes used in the product's development affected its chemical components. Study Design: Fermented probiotic millet dried mix was developed by fermentation of germinated finger millet flour and Reconstituted Skim Milk (RSM) with L. acidophilus. The impact of various treatments on moisture, crude protein, crude fiber, total ash, alcoholic acidity and phytate content were investigated. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dairy Microbiology, Dairy Science College, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India between June 2023 and April 2024. Methodology: Moisture, crude protein, crude fiber, total ash, alcoholic acidity and phytate content were examined after various treatments such as soaking, germination, autoclaving, fermentation and drying of millet dried mix. Results: At 10% L. acidophilus inoculum level and a 1:1.5 millet to RSM ratio, a maximum viability of 9.52 log10 cfu/g was reported after 30 h of fermentation. After freeze drying of fermented probiotic millet mix with 2% Skim Milk Powder (SMP) as a cryoprotective agent, viability was retained to 9.50 log10 cfu/g. The optimized fermented probiotic millet dried mix had 4.76% moisture, 11.94% crude protein, 6.50% crude fiber, 4.74% total ash, 1.90% alcoholic acidity and 1.73 mol/kg of phytate. Conclusion: The resultant fermented probiotic millet dried mix was rich in nutrients and the probiotic L. acidophilus helps to improve gut health. Thus, the product had combined therapeutic and nutritional benefits of probiotics with millet.

Comparative analysis of two Himalayan Aconitum species for their phytopharmaceutical properties

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of the main herbs used in the mixture of yerba maté with other aromatic herbs and the characterization of the trademarks of compound yerba maté. Moisture, water extract, total ash, acid-insoluble ash and caffeine concentration were determined. Results showed higher values of moisture content, total and aci-insoluble ash and lower water extracts in the herbs. Determinations were carried out in nine trademarks of compound yerba maté. In most cases they complied with the standards of the country with the exception of one trademark from Argentina.