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School‐age children frequently consume snacks. However, most of the snacks they consume are of low nutritional quality. The objective of this study was to develop a nutrient‐rich and acceptable extruded bean‐based snack, which could... more
School‐age children frequently consume snacks. However, most of the snacks they consume are of low nutritional quality. The objective of this study was to develop a nutrient‐rich and acceptable extruded bean‐based snack, which could contribute to improved nutrient intake, especially for school‐age children. Snack formulations developed from Roba1 beans, maize, orange‐fleshed sweet potato, and amaranth mixtures, and processed in a twin‐screw extruder, were evaluated and optimized for nutritional, textural and sensory properties. High proportion of beans in the formulation was associated with high protein, iron, zinc, and dietary fiber content. An optimal formulation (82.03:10: 5:2.97; beans, maize, OFSP, amaranth), containing 20.38 g, 4.12 g, 4.83 mg, and 1.51 mg per 100 g, of protein, dietary fiber, iron, and zinc, respectively, was obtained. The snacks were crunchy and moderately acceptable with average sensory scores of 6 on a 9‐point hedonic scale, and hardness 26.6 N. Nutrient c...
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African eggplant (Solanum anguivi Lam.) fruits reportedly exhibit antidiabetic properties, possibly due to the presence of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to assess the bioactive compounds content (BCC) and antioxidant activity (AA)... more
African eggplant (Solanum anguivi Lam.) fruits reportedly exhibit antidiabetic properties, possibly due to the presence of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to assess the bioactive compounds content (BCC) and antioxidant activity (AA) in the fruits of fourteen African eggplant accessions. The relationship between the fruit BCC and AA, and the plant (leaf, stem and fruit) morphological characteristics was determined. Morphological traits for the plant accessions were characterized based on existing Solanum species descriptors. Total phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, vitamin C and AA were determined by spectrophotometry, while total alkaloids were detected by gravimetry. HPLC was used for the quantification of phenolic compounds. Morphological characteristics, BCC and AA differed among the accessions. The fruit's accessions contained total phenolics (8.0-12.4 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (DW)), saponins (51.1-124.8 mg diosgenin equivalent/g DW), alkaloids (81.4-127.7 ...
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder of glucose homeostasis associated with a status of insulin resistance, impaired insulin signaling, β-cell dysfunction, impaired glucose and lipid metabolism, sub-clinical... more
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder of glucose homeostasis associated with a status of insulin resistance, impaired insulin signaling, β-cell dysfunction, impaired glucose and lipid metabolism, sub-clinical inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. Consuming fruits and vegetables rich in phytochemicals with potential antidiabetic effects may prevent T2DM and/or support a conservative T2DM treatment while being safer and more affordable for people from low-income countries. Solanum anguivi Lam. fruits (SALF) have been suggested to exhibit antidiabetic properties, potentially due to the presence of various phytochemicals, including saponins, phenolics, alkaloids, ascorbic acid, and flavonoids. For the saponin fraction, antidiabetic effects have already been reported. However, it remains unclear whether this is also true for the other phytochemicals present in SALF. This review article covers information on glucose homeostasis, T2DM pathogenesis, and als...
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Research Interests: Chemistry and Postharvest
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In this study, an integrated approach incorporating Remote Sensing (RS), Geographical Information System (GIS), local meteorological weather stations’ data and NASA’s virtual meteorological stations’ data were used to quantify Grain... more
In this study, an integrated approach incorporating Remote Sensing (RS), Geographical Information System (GIS), local meteorological weather stations’ data and NASA’s virtual meteorological stations’ data were used to quantify Grain Amaranth (GA) water requirements in Uganda. Penman-Monieth method within CropWAT8 model and Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) Model was used to quantify the evapotranspiration. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), daily spatial distribution of Evapotranspiration (ET), Land Surface Temperature (LST) and surface albedo were extracted from satellite imagery. The ratio of effective rainfall (Pe) to Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) – (Pe/PET) and time series for NDVI were computed to determine the growth stage of GA in different areas. The GA water demand was the highest in Karamoja sub-region (467.5 mm/season) and the lowest in Tororo (174.1 mm/season). The growing season for GA in most areas of Uganda was from March to December. ...
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This project undertook a survey in Rachuonyo (Kenya), Bukoba (Tanzania) and Rakai (Uganda) districts to assess the contribution of banana to the household food security and nutrition of PLWHA and assessed the potential nutritional benefit... more
This project undertook a survey in Rachuonyo (Kenya), Bukoba (Tanzania) and Rakai (Uganda) districts to assess the contribution of banana to the household food security and nutrition of PLWHA and assessed the potential nutritional benefit of providing nutrient enhanced banana to PLWHA. Data were collected through interviews with 373 PLWHA and key informants (local agricultural support staff and personnel from PLWHA support agencies) and using focus group discussions. A banana based nutrient enhanced food supplement made by blending banana flour (61%) with soybean flour (39%) and multi?.nutrient fortificant pre?.mix (0.2% of mixture) was distributed to 15 respondents and their nutrient intake estimated. The majority (71.5%) of the survey respondents were females aged 20-50 years; most had no higher than primary level education and the majority were small scale farmers (with gardens ＜1 acre). Most of the respondents produced and consumed bananas. The study population was generally foo...
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Purpose Refractance window drying (RWD) has been identified as the method that can give high-quality products at a relatively low production cost. However, knowledge about its use and adoption remains lacking both in academic curricula... more
Purpose Refractance window drying (RWD) has been identified as the method that can give high-quality products at a relatively low production cost. However, knowledge about its use and adoption remains lacking both in academic curricula and industry in the developing world. Design/methodology/approach A lab-scale batch RWD of a closed-loop control system was designed, fabricated and evaluated for drying rates, evaporation rate, the energy of evaporation, energy efficiency and throughput. Testing was done using mango and tomato pulps. Findings Drying rates at 95°C of 1.32 gg−1min−1 and 0.854 gg−1min−1 at 2 and 3 mm, respectively, for tomato, 0.6 gg−1min−1 and 0.33 gg−1min−1 at 2 and 3 mm for mango pulp were obtained. The dryer had an evaporation rate of 4.63 × 10–4 kg/s and 4.25 × 10–4 kg/s, the energy of evaporation of 1.05 kW and 0.96 kW and thermal energy efficiency of 25.64% and 21.73% while drying tomato and mango pulps, respectively. Dryer throughput of 0.6 kg/h of dried mango P...
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The study was designed to optimize extrusion processing conditions for production of instant grain amaranth flour for complementary feeding. Multi‐response criteria using response surface methodology and desirability function analysis... more
The study was designed to optimize extrusion processing conditions for production of instant grain amaranth flour for complementary feeding. Multi‐response criteria using response surface methodology and desirability function analysis were employed during the study. The central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to determine the level of processing variables and to generate the experimental runs. The process parameters tested included extrusion temperature (110–158°C), screw speed (40–52 Hz), and feed moisture content (11%–16%), while response variable was protein digestibility, sensory acceptability, water absorption index, water solubility index, bulk density, and viscosity. Data obtained from extrusion were analyzed using response surface methodology. Data were fitted to a second‐order polynomial model, and the dependent variables expressed as a function of the independent variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that extrusion parameters had significant linear, q...
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Tamarind seeds are not consumed despite their high antioxidative activity. In this study, 0–10% tamarind seed powder (TSP) was incorporated into mango juice and cookies. Total phenolics (Folin–Ciocalteu assay), antioxidant activity... more
Tamarind seeds are not consumed despite their high antioxidative activity. In this study, 0–10% tamarind seed powder (TSP) was incorporated into mango juice and cookies. Total phenolics (Folin–Ciocalteu assay), antioxidant activity (2,2‐diphenyl‐1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay), flavonoid (aluminum chloride assay), condensed tannins content (Vanillin‐HCl assay), and consumer acceptability (n = 50) of the products were determined. TSP increased the pH and viscosity and reduced titratable acidity of juice. Incorporation of TSP increased the: total phenolic content (6.84 ± 0.21 to 88.44 ± 0.8 mg GAE/100 mL); flavonoid (4.64 ± 0.03–21.7 ± 0.36 mg CE/100 mL); condensed tannins (0.24 ± 0.01–21.81 ± 0.08 mg CE/100 mL) and total antioxidant activity (4.65 ± 0.88–21.70 ± 0.03 mg VCE/100 mL) of juice. A similar trend was observed for cookies. Maximum sensorially acceptable TSP levels were 1.5% and 6%, respectively, for juice and cookies. TSP can thus be utilized as a source o...
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Aims: The study evaluated the use of refractance window dried passion fruit powder as a flavoring for yogurt. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Makerere University, Kampala-Uganda between October... more
Aims: The study evaluated the use of refractance window dried passion fruit powder as a flavoring for yogurt. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Makerere University, Kampala-Uganda between October 2020 and January 2021. Methodology: Passion fruit pulp was mixed in carboxymethyl cellulose and dried using a laboratory refractance window drier. Plain yogurt was flavored with 2% passion fruit powder. Passion fruit flavored, plain and commercial yogurt were analyzed for physico-chemical and sensory properties. Statistical analyses were performed using XLSTAT and all results were considered to be significant at P<0.05. Results: pH values and titratable acidity for all yogurts ranged from 4.67 to 3.77 and 1.21% to 2.89%, respectively throughout the 14 day storage period. The apparent viscosity of all yogurts increased significantly during storage and ranged from 413.76 cP to 525.20 cP, the syneresis of Original Research Article Asiimwe et al.; AFSJ...
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Knowledge is a significant component of several behavioral theories used in nutrition, including the health belief and stages of change models. In Uganda, the evaluation of nutrition interventions ...
Objective To determine the contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and estimate their association with household food insecurity. Design Cross-sectional survey conducted among 279 households. Using a 7 d recall questionnaire,... more
Objective To determine the contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and estimate their association with household food insecurity. Design Cross-sectional survey conducted among 279 households. Using a 7 d recall questionnaire, information on household food consumption was collected from women and used to determine the household dietary diversity score, food variety score and forest food consumption score (FFCS). Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) score was determined and Spearman rank correlation was used to establish the relationship between consumption of forest foods and HFIAS score. Women’s dietary intake was estimated from two 24 h recalls. The contribution of forest foods to women’s nutrient intakes was calculated and women’s nutrient intakes were compared with estimated average nutrient requirements. Setting Rural forest-dependent households in twelve villages in eastern and southern Cameroon. Subjects Household heads and their non-pregnant, non-lactating sp...
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... JM Ssebuliba, ENB Nsubuga 1 and JH Muyonga 2 Department of Crop Science, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda 1 Department of Agricultural ... b-carotene content of the sweetpotato cultivars was determined by... more
... JM Ssebuliba, ENB Nsubuga 1 and JH Muyonga 2 Department of Crop Science, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda 1 Department of Agricultural ... b-carotene content of the sweetpotato cultivars was determined by spectrophotometry (Ameny and Wilson, 1997 ...
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Grain amaranth is a highly nutritious crop. It is high in proteins and its proteins are of high quality. Compared to common starchy staples, grain amaranth also contains higher levels calcium, zinc, iron as well as vitamins A, E and folic... more
Grain amaranth is a highly nutritious crop. It is high in proteins and its proteins are of high quality. Compared to common starchy staples, grain amaranth also contains higher levels calcium, zinc, iron as well as vitamins A, E and folic acid. Grain amaranth has also been reported to exhibit nutraceutical properties. Despite its high nutritional value and nutraceutical properties, grain amaranth consumption in Uganda is low. This study was undertaken to evaluate the acceptance of grain amaranth containing recipes and to determine their potential nutritional contribution. A 24 hour recall was conducted on a sample of 420 respondents drawn from nine sub-counties, three from each of three districts: The results of the 24 hour recall were used to calculate nutritional quality indices. The 24 hour recall results showed low nutritional quality indices for zinc, calcium, niacin, thiamin and lipids. In addition, diets for 74% of respondents were low in iron. A total of 17 recipes containin...
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Valid and reliable questionnaires are necessary to improve the existence and quality of nutrition information, which determines interventions in low-resource settings, especially among decision makers and change agents. The present study... more
Valid and reliable questionnaires are necessary to improve the existence and quality of nutrition information, which determines interventions in low-resource settings, especially among decision makers and change agents. The present study evaluated the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the data collected among 255 head teachers from schools in Mukono and Wakiso districts in Uganda using a general nutrition knowledge questionnaire (GNKQ) earlier developed. Cronbach alpha (α) was used to determine internal consistency. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and intraclass correlation coefficient were used to measure test-retest dependability on scores (ICC2,1). Overall internal consistency on 94 items was α = 0.89 at time one and 0.92 at time two. All items yielded data with a satisfactory internal consistency (α > 0.7). Two domains, Expert advice (ICC = 0.64) and Selecting food (ICC = 0.41), were determined to have insufficient test-retest reliability (r < 0...
Automated control of temperature in fruit dryers is important for product quality and retention of nutrient content. In this study, the continuous refractance window dryer (RWD) was calibrated for drying temperature to enable the dryer to... more
Automated control of temperature in fruit dryers is important for product quality and retention of nutrient content. In this study, the continuous refractance window dryer (RWD) was calibrated for drying temperature to enable the dryer to be set to dry a wide range of products. The drying operation in a RWD is carried out over a bed of hot water. The calibration system comprised of a computer program, calibrated knob, arrangement of sensors and output components. A computer program was successfully written in Arduino environment and a circuit board connected. A DS18B20 sensor was used to read the hot water temperature and a 5V potentiometer employed to vary the voltage as it corresponds to the desired water temperature. The system calibration focused on drying temperatures for mango, tomato and pineapple, but it can be applied to any other food products since the optimum drying temperature for most food products falls within the considered range. A calibration equation relating pote...
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A refractance window dryer with a 14.5kg/hr throughput capacity was developed to effectively dry food product of 3mm on the conveyor belt. For efficient dryer performance an automated system for the conveyor belt movement and water... more
A refractance window dryer with a 14.5kg/hr throughput capacity was developed to effectively dry food product of 3mm on the conveyor belt. For efficient dryer performance an automated system for the conveyor belt movement and water conveyance system was designed. The automated system comprised of an ARDUINO centered control system, an arrangement of sensors, water pump and the conveyor motor. A computer program was written in Arduino environment, successfully compiled and uploaded on to the controller board to process all commands. The system was first simulated successfully in ISIS Proteus environment and connected onto a bread board for testing before attaching the motor onto the main circuit board. Performance tests done at 85°C revealed that there was no movement of the belt as temperature built steadily from 31.19°C until it reached a temperature of 92.0°C in the boiler. The maximum recorded water temperature was 98.06°C and the system had an operating range of 95±3°C. Achievin...
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Uganda produces a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs with much of it going to waste because of limited post-harvest processing methods. Refractance window drying technology (RWDT) has a potential of producing high quality dried food... more
Uganda produces a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs with much of it going to waste because of limited post-harvest processing methods. Refractance window drying technology (RWDT) has a potential of producing high quality dried food products from fruits, vegetables and herbs. A techno economic analysis (TEA) was conducted to compare the processing potential of a new hybrid RWD model to existing fruit drying technologies in selected districts of Uganda. Technical and economic data was collected using in-depth interviews with small and medium scale dried fruit processors, farmers and exporters. Comparisons of the technical and economic parameters of the currently used dryers and the hybrid RWD were done to ascertain the competitiveness of hybrid RWD in the local market. Economic analysis was conducted using the cost benefit analysis and payback period tools. Findings indicated the solar box dryer was the commonest and cheapest dryer at USD. 163, while the UNIDO solar hybrid dryer...
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Widely consumed forest fruits in Gabon, were analyzed for nutrient and bioactive compositions and their potential contributions to meeting the nutrient requirements of consumers. Edible pulps of Panda oleosa, Gambeya lacourtiana and Poga... more
Widely consumed forest fruits in Gabon, were analyzed for nutrient and bioactive compositions and their potential contributions to meeting the nutrient requirements of consumers. Edible pulps of Panda oleosa, Gambeya lacourtiana and Poga oleosa contained substantial amounts of bioactive compounds; flavonoids (13.5–22.8 mg/100g), proanthocyanins (2.4–7.6 mg/100g), polyphenols (49.6-77.3 mg/100g) and vitamin C (6.7–97.7 mg/100g). The highest content of β-carotene (76.6 µg/100g) was registered in fruits of Pseudospondias longifolia. The fruits of P. oleosa had the highest essential minerals Fe, Zn and Se. If a child aged 1 to 3 years consumed about 200g or if a non-lactating and non-pregnant woman consumed 300g of P. oleosa, A. lepidophyllus, G. lacourtiana, P. longifolia and P. oleosa, they could obtain substantial RDI ranging between 20-100% for energy, vitamins C and E, iron, magnesium, iron and zinc. Forest fruits can considerably contribute towards the...
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Accurate measurement of body composition in children and adolescents is important as the quantities of fat and fat-free mass have implications for health risk. The objectives of the present study were: to determine the reliability of... more
Accurate measurement of body composition in children and adolescents is important as the quantities of fat and fat-free mass have implications for health risk. The objectives of the present study were: to determine the reliability of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements and; compare the Fat Mass (FM), Fat Free Mass (FFM) and body fat percentage (%BF) values determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to those determined by deuterium dilution method (DDM) to identify correlations and agreement between the two methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 children and adolescents aged 8-19 years attending schools in Kampala city, Uganda. Pearson product-moment correlation at 5% significance level was considered for assessing correlations. Bland Altman analysis was used to examine the agreement between of FTIR measurements and between estimates by DDM and BIA.. Reliability of measurements was determined by Cronbach's alpha. There was good ...
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Studies show that a number of forest foods consumed in Cameroon are highly nutritious and rich in health boosting bioactive compounds. This study assessed the knowledge and perceptions towards the nutritional and health promoting... more
Studies show that a number of forest foods consumed in Cameroon are highly nutritious and rich in health boosting bioactive compounds. This study assessed the knowledge and perceptions towards the nutritional and health promoting properties of forest foods among forest dependent communities. The relationship between knowledge, perceptions and socio-demographic attributes on consumption of forest foods was also determined. A total of 279 females in charge of decision making with respect to food preparation were randomly selected from 12 villages in southern and eastern Cameroon and interviewed using researcher administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting consumption of forest foods. Baillonella toxisperma (98%) and Irvingia gabonesis (81%) were the most known nutrient rich forest foods by the respondents. About 31% of the respondents were aware of the nutritional value and health benefits of forest foods. About 10%-61% of the respondents expressed positive attitudes to questions related with health benefits of specific forest foods. Consumption of forest foods was found to be higher among polygamous families and also positively related to length of stay in the forest area and age of respondent with consumption of forest foods. Education had an inverse relationship with use of forest foods. Knowledge and positive attitude towards the nutritional value of forest foods were also found to positively influence consumption of forest foods. Since knowledge was found to influence attitude and consumption, there is need to invest in awareness campaigns to strengthen the current knowledge levels among the study population. This should positively influence the attitudes and perceptions towards increased consumption of forest foods.
Research Interests: Cameroon, Adolescent, Multidisciplinary, Appetite, Humans, and 15 moreFemale, Male, Forests, Cluster Analysis, Young Adult, Feeding Behavior, Aged, Middle Aged, Theoretical Models, Adult, Socioeconomic Factors, Nutritive Value, Surveys and Questionnaires, Family Characteristics, and Rural Population
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