Allah Rakha

University of Agriculture Faisalabad · National Institute of Food Science and Technology

This experiment was designed to investigate the impact of different extraction techniques on the yield, and physicochemical, functional, and morphological properties of okra varieties. Specifically, combined ultrasound-microwave extraction UMAE exhibited a significantly higher extraction yield (23.99%) compared to microwave-assisted extraction MAE...

Cereals, being staple diet of the majority of the global population, are a great source of macro- and micronutrients. Though cereals provide essential nutrients but can also be contaminated by heavy metals, mycotoxins, and insects. These contaminants not only deteriorate the quality but can also lead to trade barriers. The consumption of contaminat...

Colorimetric indicators/intelligent packaging plays a pivotal role in the food sector by guaranteeing the quality, and safety of food and offering important information to the consumer. The scientific literature indexed between 2000-01-01 and 2022-12-31 was included in this analysis. A total of 2276 articles were collected from Web of Science datab...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifactorial disorder characterized by insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, central obesity, and hypertension, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes. Although conventional drugs have been used to treat MetS and its associated complications, they are often linked with undesirable si...

Food fortification processes are used to improve the functional and dietary characteristics of the final product. The basic aim of the current study was to evaluate the ginger (Zingiber officinalis, Roscoe) fortification in yogurt and to improve its functionality. For this purpose, ginger at different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%) was...

This study evaluated the feasibility of colorimetric sensor array (CSA), near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy for quantitation of free fatty acids in rice using data fusion. Purposely, different data sets of low-level (CSA-NIRLL, CSA-MIRLL, and NIR-MIRLL) and mid-level (CSA-NIRML, CSA-MIRML, and NIR-MIRML) fusion were adopted to...

Chronic inflammation plays an imperative role in the onset and progression of chronic diseases including diabetes , hypertension, cancer, allergies, and asthma. Diet can modulate different stages of inflammation since it is a rich source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Flavonoids are bioactive compounds abundantly found in various food gro...

Food intake and body weight regulation are of special interest for meeting today's lifestyle essential requirements. Since balanced energy intake and expenditure are crucial for healthy living, high levels of energy intake are associated with obesity. Hence, regulation of energy intake occurs through short- and long-term signals as complex central...

Present study was conducted to investigate the functional properties of multigrain cookies with the addition of mango waste as a source of bioactive compounds. Purposely, fortified cookies were prepared using mango peel and kernel powder in 2%, 4%, and 6% ratio in simple wheat flour along with 10% oat and 10% barley flour. The prepared cookies were...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune progressive disease, associated with many pathophysiological consequences. Owing to the adverse effects and higher costs of pharmaceuticals, people are now looking for complementary and alternative remedies. In this milieu, the present study was designed to explore the therapeutic potential of walnuts agai...

The global prevalence of obesity is alarmingly high and is impacting both developed and underdeveloped countries, beyond the borders of ethnicity, sex, and age. On the other hand, the global interest in dieting has increased, and people are obsessed with certain fad diets, assuming them as a magic bullet for their long-term problems. A fad diet is...

Metabolic syndrome (MS), commonly known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes. MS is believed to impact over a billion individuals worldwide. It is a medical condition defined by visceral obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholestero...

The current study was conducted to determine the effect of four maturity stages on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties. Four varieties of date palm viz., Zahidi, Aseel, Halawi, and Dhaki were used at four ripening stages (Kimri, Khalal, Rutab, and Tamer). The protein and fat contents of all t...

Street vended food businesses play economic and social roles in developing countries through provision of employment, availability of food at affordable prices, and accessibility of wide range of food choices that suits different social communities and classes. Mobile, semi-mobile or fixed carts are used by street food vendors comprising of men and...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) constitutes a group of risk factors that may increase the risk of cancer and other health problems. Nowadays, researchers are focusing on food compounds that could prevent many chronic diseases. Thus, people are shifting from dietary supplements towards healthy nutritional approaches. As a nutritious and natural food sourc...

Health boosting potential of almonds is attributed to its antioxidant potential and rich nutritional profile containing a blend of multifarious nutrients and phytochemicals. These traits considerably vary amongst different genotypes and varieties. Hence, current research was planned to explore the basic nutritional composition and antioxidant poten...

Highly nutritional and functional properties of chia seeds would make it unique than other grains. Considering its known properties, chia can be used as an important food ingredient. These are rich in fiber, ash, protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and antioxidants. Higher proportion of protein having greater biological value with essential...

Oxidative stress is the underlying cause of various chronic diseases and can contribute to its progression. Plant‐based therapeutics are effective in the prevention of various chronic diseases through the management of underlying causes. Walnuts owing to their rich phytochemistry possess antioxidative potential. In this context, the present researc...

The current research work was designed to investigate the protective effects of white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) against 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)‐induced breast cancer. Breast cancer was induced in rats by the administration of a single dose of 50 mg/kg DMBA via gavage. The rats were divided into four groups: G1 (negative cont...

This study involved the fabrication of colorimetric sensor array system for rapid discrimination of adulterants in premium grade basmati rice. Purposely, low-grade white rice was used to adulterate the pure basmati rice at 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%, 50%, and 75% weight ratios. Sensor array system was used to capture the odors of prepared samples, resulting...

A smartphone-based colorimetric sensor array system was established for discrimination of rice varieties having different geographical origins. Purposely, aroma profiling of nine rice varieties was performed using solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, ketones, heterocyclic compounds, and org...

This work was aimed to investigate the effect of geographical regions and drying methods on phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant properties, sugars, and acid content of Chinese jujube. The results revealed significant differences in the antioxidant properties and phenolics content of jujube as affected by geographical origin (Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi,...

The Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is being extensively used in folk medicine owing to its rich phytochemical profile including polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, organic acids, and polysaccharides, thereby offering greater prospects in therapeutic and medicinal uses. The Roselle infusions or decoctions present significant therapeutic options aga...

Background: The consumption of alcoholic beverages is an integral part of many socio-cultural traditions. The existing methods of compositional analysis and quality control of alcoholic beverages are not satisfying the burgeoning demands of global market due to their high cost and slow turnaround time. Scope and approach: The nondestructive instrum...

Lifestyle associated disorders have always been a hazard for the advancement of chronic diseases. Therefore, use of natural dietary sources is proved to be safe for reducing the occurrence and management of chronic diseases. Okra along with its various parts has been used for the treatment of several diseases. The present study was done to examine...

The present study was designed to characterize oat bran for their biological attributes. The results showed that bran of Avon variety contained high TDF, SDF, β-glucan and extractability of β-glucan than bran of oat variety Sargodha-81. The extrusion process exhibited the highest extractability of β-glucan (45.37%) followed by cooking (37.28%) and...

Terminalia arjuna bark extract based functional drinks along with control were prepared using 0.5% extract powder prepared after freeze drying of extracts. The physiochemical properties of the prepared drinks i.e. acidity, pH, Brix to acid ratio were affected significantly with the control and selected treatments and storage intervals while Brix wa...

This study was designed to quantify the phenolics and flavonoids in wild Lycium ruthenicum Murr. using portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy integrated with chemometric algorithms. Synergy interval partial least squares with ant colony optimization (Si-ACO-PLS) was applied to optimize and capture the target variables for the determination of ph...

A low cost hand-held spectral analytical system was developed for in situ screening of phenolics and flavonoids in puff dried Z. Jujuba samples. Standards of gallic acid, caffeic acid, L-epicatechin, phloridzin and cianidanol were used to quantify the individual phenolics and flavonoids using HPLC-DAD. The synergy interval partial least square with...

Metabolic syndrome, variously known also as insulin resistance or syndrome X, is a frequently prevailing problem in underdeveloped, organized and developed world regions. Metabolic syndrome is usually accompanied by concentrations of high triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, blood pressure, insulin resistance and stress symbols...

In this work, near-infrared spectroscopy coupled the classical PLS and variable selection algorithms; synergy interval-PLS, backward interval-PLS and genetic algorithm-PLS for rapid measurement of the antioxidant activity of Chinese dates. The chemometric analysis of antioxidant activity assays was performed. The built models were investigated usin...

Introduction Polyphenols are the foremost measure of phytochemicals in Chinese dates due to their many potential health benefits such as averting cancers, reducing the risk of coronary artery disease, diuretic activity, myocardial stimulant, coronary dilator and muscle relaxant. Objective To quantitate the polyphenols in Chinese dates using a data...

In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with partial least-squares (PLS) regression and various efficient variable selection algorithms, synergy interval-PLS (Si-PLS), backward interval PLS (Bi-PLS) and genetic algorithm-PLS (GA-PLS) were applied comparatively for the prediction of antioxidant activity in black wolfberry (BW). The e...

Background: Gluten-free (GF) bakery products available in the market are often poor in nutritional value, flavor, mouthfeel and have double the price as compared to traditional products. Strict GF diet has raised long-term concerns about food choices and dietary habits of celiac disease (CD) patients. Scope and approach: The limited intake of dieta...

The increase in obesity and fat‐related diseases pose a major health issue especially in developed countries. Over the past years, consumer demand for low‐fat potato chips and French fries stimulated the scientific work on the issue of fat uptake during frying. The main objective of this review article is to summarize the latest efforts to reduce t...

Celiac disease (CD) is a genetic autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, occurring in genetically predisposed people with a prevalence of about 1% in global population. To combat the CD, lifelong adherence to gluten free (GF) diet is required. The GF breads are generally deficient in nutrients such as dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, mine...

In the current study, antioxidant potential of licorice extracts was determined through different assays. For optimum recovery of bioactive components, three solvents (ethanol, methanol, and ethyl acetate) were employed at different ratios with water (25:75, 50:50, and 75:25) and supercritical fluid extracts (SFE) were obtained at varying pressures...

In current study, cowpea and mungbean were utilized in preparation of weaning foods. Roasting was carried out to enhance the nutritional profile of legumes and to reduce anti-nutritional factors. Afterwards, three cowpea or/and mungbean based weaning food treatments were prepared; W1 (20% cowpea), W2 (20% mungbean) and W3 (10% cowpea+10% mungbean)...

In the current millennium, consumers are becoming more conscious about their dietary patterns with special concern to nutrient retention during cooking methods. There is a need to assess the most convenient and nutritionally better thermal cooking method which causes the least nutrient abuse. The current study investigated the consequence of three...

Enrichment of wheat flour with dehydrated broccoli powder has positive effects on the nutritional value of bread. In present study, broccoli powder was prepared by dehydrating the broccoli and then added in wheat flour in variable proportions (1%, 3%, 5% and 7%) to check its impact on physico-chemical, rheological and sensory attributes of enriched...

Current study was performed to evaluate the effect of basil seed gum on physicochemical, sensorial, and rheological parameters of bread. Purposely, gum was extracted from basil seeds followed by its addition in bread in different proportions (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5%). With basil seed gum addition, a significant impact on physical properties...

Inulin is a water soluble storage polysaccharide and belongs to a group of non-digestible carbohydrates called fructans. Inulin has attained the GRAS status in USA and is extensively available in about 36,000 species of plants, amongst, chicory roots are considered as the richest source of inulin. Commonly, inulin is used as a prebiotic, fat replac...

Agro-industry yields ample quantity of several byproducts with considerable importance. These byproducts are mostly under-utilized, often used as animal feed or rejected as waste, hence their true potential is not harnessed. The use of such superfluous resources is not only of economic significance but also a form of commercial recycling. Rice bran...

The supplementation of wheat flour with high lysine legume flours has positive effects on the nutritional value of bread. In present study, germinated and ungerminated soya flour blends were prepared and supplemented in bread in variable proportions (10% and 20% of each) to check its impact on quality and sensory attributes of bread. The results sh...

Cereal mixed linkages (1 → 3) (1 → 4)-β-D-glucan is a linear polysaccharide composed of glucose units. Oat β-glucan is a natural polymer. The main products of β-glucanase are oligosaccharides with DP3 and DP4, i.e., 3-Ob-cellobiosyl-D-glucose and 3-Ob-cellotriosyl-D-glucose, which represent over 90% of the molecule. Keeping in mind all the benefits...

Instant study was an attempt to elucidate the suitability of wheat bran for extrusion cooking and to check the effect of different extrusion parameters on the dietary fibre profile as well as on water solubility index. Response surface methodology was used to optimise the extrusion parameters. From results, it was concluded that extrusion cooking h...

In recent years, foods are not anticipated to only satisfy hunger needs and to deliver essential nutrients to people but also to avoid nutrition-related diseases and enhance physical and mental comfort of the people. Bakery products provide best structure by which functionality can be provided to the customers in a suitable food. Apple pomace is th...

Iron and zinc are 2 important nutrients in the human diet. Their deficiencies in humans lead to a variety of health-related problems. Iron and zinc biofortification of cereals is considered a cost-effective solution to overcome the malnutrition of these minerals. Biofortification aims at either increasing accumulation of these minerals in edible pa...

Rheological properties of triticale extract are important determinants of the grain utility. Extracts of eight triticale cultivars and a wheat reference grown at two different locations i.e. Svalöv and Kölbäck were analysed for their viscoelastic properties. Extracts of triticale cultivars grown at Svalöv were significantly higher in elastic modulu...

Bread is a staple food worldwide. It is a good source of energy, protein, dietary fibre (DF), minerals, vitamins and many other bioactive compounds. Increased intake of DF has been associated with a decreased risk of overweight and obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, certain cancers and constipation. The use of refined flour i...

Enzymatic fingerprinting of arabinoxylan (AX) and β-glucan using endo-xylanase and lichenase, respectively, helps determine the structural heterogeneity between different cereals and within genotypes of the same cereal. This study characterised the structural features of AX and β-glucan in whole grains of eight triticale cultivars grown at two loca...

Extractable dietary fiber (DF) plays an important role in nutrition. This study on porridge making with whole grain rye investigated the effect of rest time of flour slurries at room temperature before cooking and amount of flour and salt in the recipe on the content of DF components and molecular weight distribution of extractable fructan, mixed l...

The structure of whole grain cereals is maintained to varying degrees during processing and preparation of foods. Food structure can influence metabolism, including perceived hunger and satiety. A diet that enhances satiety per calorie may help to prevent excessive calorie intake. The objective of this work was to compare subjective appetite rating...

In this study, dietary fibre (DF) was characterised in rye products from a local supermarket. Soft breads generally had lower DF contents (8–18%) than had crisp breads (13–20%) due to high inclusion of wheat flour. For some products, the labelled DF values contained fructan, but others did not. However, for most products, the DF values analysed exc...