Asian Food Science Journal

Dietary Pattern, Diversity and Nutritional Status of Pregnant Women in Urban and Rural Areas of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Jelili Akorede Quadri — 2026-09-08

Adequate maternal nutrition is essential for the health and well-being of both the mother and the developing fetus. However, poor dietary diversity and malnutrition remain important nutritional challenges among pregnant women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study assessed dietary habits, dietary diversity, and nutritional status among pregnant women in urban and rural areas of Oyo State, Nigeria.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending selected health facilities in Ogbomoso North and Orire Local Government Areas of Oyo State. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, 24-hour dietary recall, and food frequency assessment. Dietary diversity was assessed using the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) indicator, while nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric measurements. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Dietary diversity among the respondents was moderate, with a substantial proportion failing to meet the minimum dietary diversity for women. Cereals and starchy staples were the most frequently consumed food groups, while consumption of animal-source foods, fruits, and green leafy vegetables was relatively low. Dietary diversity was significantly associated with educational level, household income, and occupation (p < 0.05). A significant association was also observed between dietary diversity and pre-pregnancy BMI among urban (p = 0.003) and rural (p = 0.024) respondents. Significant associations were further observed between dietary diversity and respondents’ description of their weight before pregnancy in both urban and rural areas (p < 0.001).

The study revealed inadequate dietary diversity among a considerable proportion of pregnant women, alongside the coexistence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity. The significant associations between dietary diversity, socio-demographic factors, and pre-pregnancy nutritional status highlight the need for strengthened maternal nutrition education, improved access to affordable nutrient-rich foods, and promotion of diverse diets during pregnancy.

Biochemical Analysis of Jaggery Products Prepared for Value Addition and Fortification by Using Various Plant Sources

Parthraj Kshirsagar — 2026-09-17

Jaggery is an unrefined sweetener that retains several biochemical and mineral constituents and can serve as a matrix for value addition using plant-derived ingredients. This study prepared sixteen jaggery formulations using sugarcane juice alone or in combination with grape juice, black plum, beetroot, mango, turmeric, cardamom, and honey. The samples were evaluated for pH, electrical conductivity, total carbohydrate, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content, DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and mineral composition using SEM–EDS. The formulations showed acidic pH values ranging from 3.68 to 4.45. Total carbohydrate content ranged from 246 to 966 mg/g, while ascorbic acid ranged from 520 to 1740 mg/100 g. Total phenolic content varied from 24.22 to 68.84 mg/g, and DPPH activity ranged from 0.317 to 0.727 µM. SEM–EDS analysis identified macroelements including calcium, sodium, sulphur, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, together with microelements including zinc, iron, copper, manganese, and molybdenum. The distribution of these constituents varied among the formulations, indicating compositional differences associated with the ingredient combinations used. Overall, the findings show that plant-based value addition produced jaggery formulations with diverse physicochemical, biochemical, antioxidant, and mineral profiles. The results provide a compositional basis for further evaluation of these formulations as value-added jaggery products.

Physicochemical Stability of Peppermint Essential Oil under Variable Storage and Packaging Systems

Vimal Kumar — 2026-09-24

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) essential oil stability is strongly influenced by the storage environment and container material. the aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical stability and chemical composition of peppermint essential oil stored for up to 12 months in plastic, aluminium, and amber glass vials under room-temperature, dark, and refrigerated conditions. Fresh aerial parts collected from Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh, India) in July 2023 were steam-hydrodistilled using a Clevenger apparatus for 6–8 h. Oil aliquots (50 mL) were stored in plastic, aluminium, and amber glass vials under room-temperature (27 ± 3 °C), dark (27 ± 3 °C), and refrigerated (<1 °C) conditions for 12 months. Initial physicochemical properties included an optical rotation of −33.03°, a refractive index of 1.4543, and a specific gravity of 0.8920. These parameters showed minimal variation, with refrigeration and amber glass providing the greatest stability, whereas plastic containers under ambient conditions showed greater drift, with specific gravity reaching 0.8986. GC–MS analysis revealed l-menthol as the major constituent (76.55%), increasing to 82.69% in plastic vials under ambient storage, whereas menthone declined from 7.88% to 5.72%. Methyl acetate decreased markedly from 2.26% to approximately 1.2%, while iso-menthone (approximately 3.2–3.7%) and neo-menthol (approximately 2.2–2.3%) remained relatively stable. Refrigeration and storage in amber glass or metal containers best preserved chemical integrity.

Analysis of the Potentials of Citrus sinensis Peels’ Oil as Biopreservative for Zobo Drinks and Raffia Palm Wine

Achadu M. Abah — 2026-09-24

The study evaluated the effect of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) peel oil as a biopreservative for raffia palm wine and zobo drink. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) screening of the extract showed that limonene had a corresponding maximum percentage of 85.90. The wet-mount method indicated the presence of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Candida sp., Saccharomyces sp., Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Micrococcus sp. The total heterotrophic bacterial count (THBC) decreased from 7.5 × 10⁶ to 1.0 × 10⁶ CFU/mL and from 6.5 × 10⁶ to 1.0 × 10⁶ CFU/mL, respectively. The total fungal plate count (TFPC) initially increased between 0 and 72 h of fermentation, from 4.5 × 10⁴ to 14.4 × 10⁵ CFU/mL and from 8.0 × 10⁴ to 28.5 × 10⁵ CFU/mL. After 72 h, the fungal counts gradually decreased from 13.9 × 10⁵ to 7.8 × 10⁵ CFU/mL and from 25.2 × 10⁵ to 16.9 × 10⁵ CFU/mL, respectively. As fermentation progressed, the oil inhibited bacterial activity. The analysis indicated that Citrus sinensis peel oil exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and reduced yeast activity in the beverages, thereby contributing to their preservation. However, the controls changed from 4.5 × 10⁶ to 4.7 × 10⁶ CFU/mL and from 3.0 × 10⁶ to 8.3 × 10⁶ CFU/mL for THBC, with TFPC values changing from 1.0 × 10⁵ to 11.4 × 10⁵ CFU/mL and from 5.0 × 10⁴ to 17.3 × 10⁵ CFU/mL, respectively. The lower counts in the treated samples suggest that oil extracted from discarded Citrus sinensis peel can inhibit microbial activity in raffia palm wine and zobo drink, thereby preserving the beverages and prolonging their shelf life. The oil may also improve the flavour of a wide range of foods.

Comparative Evaluation of Selected Nutritional, Amino Acid, and Fatty Acid Profiles of Horse Eye Bean (Mucuna urens) Flour under Varied Pre-Treatment Methods

T. K. Adebayo — 2026-09-26

This study investigated the effects of different pre-treatment methods (raw, roasting, boiling, and soaking) on the proximate, mineral, amino acid, and fatty acid compositions of horse eye bean flour (Mucuna urens) to evaluate its nutritional and functional potential. Statistically significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed across all tested parameters, establishing this specific genotype as a uniquely high-protein, high-fat, and iron-dense legume. Proximate composition of the samples showed that sample A (Roasted horse eye bean flour) exhibited the highest protein (28.46%), fat (10.44%), and ash (4.37%), while raw horse eye bean flour showed the highest fibre (5.49%) and carbohydrate (50.88%). Mineral composition showed that roasted horse eye bean flour contained the highest phosphorus (73.62 mg/100 g), magnesium (48.65 mg/100 g), and iron (16.66 mg/100 g), while sample B (Soaked horse eye bean flour) had the highest calcium (36.52 mg/100 g). Selected amino acid showed that roasted horse eye bean flour had the highest lysine (6.44 g/100 g), isoleucine (4.73 g/100 g), valine (4.89 g/100 g), aspartic acid (10.25 g/100 g), and glutamic acid (14.45 g/100 g), while soaked flour had the highest leucine (7.92 g/100 g). Fatty acid analysis revealed roasted flour contained the highest palmitic (12.68%), stearic (7.75%), oleic (22.78%), linoleic (46.78%), and linolenic (6.99%) acids. Boiling caused the greatest nutrient losses across all parameters due to leaching and thermal degradation. Functional properties showed raw flour had the highest water absorption (6.95 g/g) and oil absorption (6.89 g/g), while roasted flour had the highest foaming capacity (13.85%). In conclusion, roasting is the most effective pre-treatment method for preserving protein, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids, making roasted horse eye bean flour suitable for high-nutrition food products, while raw flour is best for water and oil binding applications.

Effect of Salt Concentration on the Physicochemical Characteristics and Sensory Acceptance of Salted Radish Pickles

Nur Farah Hani Muhamad — 2026-09-28

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.

Development of a Protein-Enriched Millet Wafer Bar Using Cereal, Pulse and Plant Protein

Swapnil Patare — 2026-10-03

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.

Development and Optimization of a Protein-rich Nutritional Sattu Premix

Sushil Gadve — 2026-10-13

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.