Arnold Hugo

• PhD
• University of the Free State

This study investigated the effects of incremental increases in acid detergent fibre (ADF) content on the nutrient digestibility and performance of South African Mutton Merino wether lambs fed low-fibre finishing diets. Four dietary treatments were formulated with similar nutritional compositions, but with ADF concentrations of 46.8, 59.3, 63.8, an...

The effect of increasing non-protein nitrogen content on nutrient digestibility, performance, and carcass characteristics of South African Mutton Merino wether lambs on low-fibre finishing diets containing similar degradable protein was investigated. The production and digestibility studies consisted of 60 and 32 lambs, respectively. Four similar d...

The effect of increasing the non-protein nitrogen content of low-fibre finishing diets on the meat quality of South African Mutton Merino wether lambs was investigated. Four similar dietary treatments were formulated with different non-protein nitrogen contents (16.6 g/kg, 28.3 g/kg, 40 g/kg, and 51.7 g/kg) on a dry matter basis. The study was cond...

This study determined whether natural preservatives, when used as substitutes for sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Boerewors, influenced water activity (aw), pH, and moisture content; microbial and sensory quality; and the lipid oxidative and color stability in Boerewors models. The inclusion of sulfur dioxide at 0.035% (positive control), formulation witho...

The effects of Artemisia afra (African wormwood) essential oil incorporation in diets on meat quality and fatty acid profilers of broilers was assessed. Four hundred Cobb500 day-old chicks were obtained and placed randomly into the following 4 diets replicated 10 times: NC-Negative control (broiler diet without antibiotics), PC-positive control (br...

Pectin and alginate are well-established biopolymers used in natural film development. Single-polymer mucilage films were developed from freeze-dried native mucilage powder of two cultivars, ‘Algerian’ and ‘Morado’, and the films’ mechanical properties were compared to single-polymer pectin and alginate films developed from commercially available p...

Pectin and alginate satisfy multiple functional requirements in the food industry, especially relating to natural packaging formulation. The continuous need for economic and environmental benefits has promoted sourcing and investigating alternative biomaterials, such as cactus pear mucilage from the cladodes of Opuntia spp., as natural packaging al...

Although the benefits of polymeric blend films have been well-established, mucilages’ interaction with other commercial bio-based polymers remains greatly unknown. Pectin and alginate were used to develop such polymeric blend films, with the addition of both ‘Algerian’ and ‘Morado’ cultivar freeze-dried, native mucilage precipitate. Mucilage additi...

The intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), is associated with health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This fatty acid also exhibits antifungal properties in vitro. In order to determine if this antifungal property is valid in vivo, we examined how EPA affects Candida albicans pathogene...

Sodium (Na) reduction and replacement were evaluated in traditional South African sausages (boerewors). The Na levels were adjusted to contain the Na inclusion limits of South African regulations for 2017 and 2019, on its own and in combination with different replacers (KCl and K-lactate). The effect of these treatments was evaluated in terms of ch...

Background: The onset of an industrial shift from grass to grain-supplemented feed has resulted in a rapid change in human diets, specifically in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids; where saturated fats and n-6 fatty acid consumption increased at the expense of n-3 fatty acids. Although recent reports on global nutrition put emphasis on health-rel...

Objective: Long chain n-3 PUFA exert positive effects on human health. The LC n-3 PUFA of pork can be increased by adding fish oil to the diet. Due to the cost and availability of fish oil an alternative source must be found. Methods: This study evaluated the effect of five dietary oils on meat quality, fatty acid composition and lipid stability...

In this study a survey of various meat quality characteristics of beef loin cuts was conducted in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (Gauteng Province of South Africa) to determine the variation and consistency of beef quality of products purchased over time. Four hundred and twenty beef loin samples were collected on 20 occasions over 3...

Wild-growing edible flora should be investigated to improve human food sustainability and security. Portulacaria afra (spekboom) is an undervalued edible succulent plant that thrives in harsh conditions in Southern Africa. This study determined whether the indigenous edible spekboom can be harnessed as a sustainable, nutritious food source and ingr...

Meat has been found to be a prime vehicle for the dissemination of foodborne pathogens to humans worldwide. Microbial meat contaminants can cause food-borne diseases in humans. The threat to consumers by microbial meat contaminants necessitates the studying of meat microbial loads to prevent potential illnesses in consumers. Studies investigating t...

We present the first report on the effect of graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) (0, 0.25, and 0.5%) and fat (0, 10, and 15%) on fatty acid profile, lipid oxidation, and proximate composition of chicken droëwors. On triplicate samples of all treatments, proximate analysis was done, the total lipid was quantitatively extracted using c...

AbstractCactus pear seed oil production is an important emerging industry in South Africa. The oil is classified as an essential oil containing mainly omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants. Although the yield of the oil is low, it is classified as a good-quality oil with good stability. As part of an initiative to promote cactus pears as a...

Chryseobacterium species are isolated and taxonomically evaluated from a wide range of sources. While C. gleum and C. indologenes have been implicated in human disease, the potential pathogenicity of numerous other species have not been investigated. The aims were therefore to evaluate 37 Chryseobacterium species and Elizabethkingia meningoseptica...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.805565.].

Bambara groundnut is a nutritious, underutilized legume crop and has the potential to mitigate problems associated with malnutrition and food security. The objectives of this study was to characterize a Southern African Bambara groundnut germplasm collection for protein content, seleccted minerals, oil content and fatty acid composition, to identif...

Rotaviruses are one of the leading causes of severe dehydrating diarrhoea in infants and children under the age of five. Despite the introduction of vaccines, disease burden remains high in sub-Saharan Africa, with no known anti-viral treatments available. During early infection rotavirus attaches to several cellular receptors and enters the cells...

This study evaluated the effect of five dietary oils - palm (Control), soya, linseed, fish and Echium oil at a 1% inclusion level- on growth performance, feed efficiency, subcutaneous fat quality and fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat. The trial consisted of 60 gilts, randomly allocated to ten groups with six animals per pen. Dietary treatm...

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most important oils, food, confectionery, and feed crops due to its high oil quality and richness in all classes of nutrients. Coheritability helps in determining the pattern of coinheritance of two or more traits. This study was aimed at determining the coheritability of oil and yield traits to provide...

The study was conducted to determine the response in growth performance, physicochemical properties and fatty acid composition of broiler meat fed incremental levels of M. pruriens seed meal. A total of 112 Cobb 500, seven days old, unsexed broiler chicks with body weight of 150 ± 5.47 g/bird (mean ±SD) were used. Chicks were allotted to pens in a...

Food security is threatened in Southern Africa, because of unpredictable droughts and higher summer temperatures brought on by climate change and global warming. Durable and hardy plants that grow easily and quickly in such conditions must be adopted to ensure sustainable and reliable food supplies. The young cladodes (nopalitos) from the cactus pe...

Cactus pear seed oil is a novel and essential oil. Progressive expansion on the extraction and refining of cactus pear seed oil has been made in recent years. This was and is done to expand the market and use of cactus pear seeds in countries producing Opuntia spp. cactus. The seed oil is an excellent source of bio-active substances such as essenti...

Plant extracts are essential substances and explored for their natural active ingredients, which have different properties including nutritional, antioxidant and healing. Opuntia spp. are primarily grown as a fruit crop that generates huge amounts of seeds from which oils can be extracted. The seed oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, phenol...

Context Water scarcity often accompanied by limited water intake (WI) in livestock may result in pre-slaughter stress, thereby affecting meat quality parameters. Aims This study was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin C (VC) supplementations on fatty acid (FA), lipids oxidation and sensory attributes of Longissimus lumborum muscles of Xho...

Cold-pressed seed oil from twelve commercially produced cactus pear cultivars was assessed for oil yield, fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, quality and stability. Large differences in oil content, fatty acid composition and physicochemical properties (IV, PV, RI, tocopherols, ORAC, % FFA, OSI and induction time) were observed. Oil...

Cactus pears are nutritious, drought-tolerant plants that flourish in hot and arid regions. All its plant parts can be consumed by humans and animals. Fruit seed oil production is an important emerging industry in South Africa. As part of an initiative to promote cactus pears as multi-functional crops, dual-purpose cultivars should be identified, a...

Natural food items and the additional benefits they provide have received considerable attention in recent years. Betalains are nutritious pigments which have valuable biological properties, e.g., antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity. In this study, aqueous betalain extracts were obtained from different coloured cactus pears (purple, re...

The proximate composition of milk from fifteen free-ranging white rhinoceroses at different lactation stages is reported with detailed analysis of fatty acid composition and minerals. Lactose is the main component at 7.93 ± 0.53%, followed by 0.93 ± 0.19% protein, 1.76 ± 0.39% fat, 0.40 ± 0.18% ash, 0.05 ± 0.01% glucose, and 0.04 ± 0.02% non protei...

Since high salt intake is regarded as unsafe for human health, the South African Department of Health released regulations for a stepwise lowering of salt content in certain food products. This can, however, negatively impact on the safety and shelf-life of food products. No studies have yet been performed on the effect of salt reduction/replacemen...

The effect of dietary graded inclusion levels of Imbrasia belina worm meal on meat chemical composition and fatty acid profile of broiler chicken meat was evaluated. A total of 360 chicks were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments, with each treatment group replicated 6 times (n = 15/replicate). The inclusion levels of the I. belina worm me...

Inexpensive fibre sources might be used as an alternative to lucerne hay in diets for finishing lambs. Thus, effects of providing fibre from lucerne hay (LH), soyhulls (SH), maize stover (MS) and Eragrostis teff hay (ET) on the nutrient digestibility of diets of finishing lambs with comparable NDF and nutrient concentration were evaluated. Thirty-s...

Simple Summary Until now, the milk composition of impala and tsessebe has been unknown. Our study showed that the composition of impala milk was 5.56 ± 1.96% fat, 6.60 ± 0.51% protein, and 4.36 ± 0.94% lactose, and that of tsessebe milk was 8.44 ± 3.19%, 5.15 ± 0.49%, and 6.10 ± 3.85%, respectively. The fatty acid composition and protein properties...

During processing, the peels and seeds from cactus pear fruits are usually discarded. These “waste” products contain valuable bioactive compounds. This study investigated the antioxidant content and antioxidant potential of fresh and processed (juiced, dried, preserved, and chutney) cactus pear fruit peels from different fruit-colored cactus pear c...

The milk composition of each species is unique, because it has evolved according to specific needs and adaptation to the environment. As milk data from more species became available, an evolutionary trend shows a phylogenetic distinction between Eutherian taxa regarding milk composition. For example, differences in the composition and properties of...

Climate change, limited water resources and expected population increases would require crops which contribute toward more resilient, more productive, more sustainable and climate-smart food systems. The cactus pear is a drought-resistant and sustainable food source to humans and livestock alike. Cactus mucilage has multiple applications in the foo...

African elephant milk fats from different stages of lactation were studied to investigate the link between high contents of medium‐chain fatty acids (MCFA), triacylglycerol (TAG) species, and crystallization in a milk fat system. The elephant milk fats contained high amounts of MCFA, specifically C8:0, C10:0 and C12:0, which mainly formed medium mo...

The existence of genetic variation is essential in plant breeding for increasing yield, wider adaptation, selection of parents for hybridization, desirable quality, and pest or disease resistance. This study was planned to investigate genetic variability based on cluster analysis of groundnut cultivars based on morpho-agronomic traits. The crop was...

Simple Summary The composition of elephant milk differs from all other mammals, as well as between Asian and African elephants. The changes of this milk composition during lactation is also unique. Apart from the major sugar being lactose, sugars also occur as longer chains. With progressed lactation, the content of the lactose decreases, and oligo...

The study evaluated the effects of Citrullus lanatus essential oils inclusion in diet on egg production, egg quality, and physiological parameters in layer hens. A total of 72 White Leghorn point-of-lay hens at 18 wk were used for the study. The hens were randomly allocated to following 3 dietary treatments: 1) commercial layer diet (control), 2) c...

Feeding systems and other factors associated with processing influence meat quality, and therefore sensory attributes. This study was conducted to assess the meat quality attributes of young grain-fed and older grass-fed steers that mostly affect consumer acceptability of beef. Eighty Bonsmara steers consisting of 20 each of A-age (0-tooth) grain-f...

Fish is a rich source of protein that can play a major role in food security for millions of poverty-stricken people world-wide. Although C. gariepinus was identified as a leading candidate for global aquaculture production, consumers have bestowed a reputation as a mud-covered fish from murky water upon it. This study aimed to find a simple econom...

Marula seed cake (MSC) is a nutritionally-rich natural feed resource that can enhance the healthiness of animal-derived foods (ADFs) for human consumption. This study compared the health-related fatty acid (FA) profiles of MSC products from South Africa and Eswatini. Composite samples monthly collected from both countries were analysed for FAs. MSC...

Vernonia [Centrapalus pauciflorus (Willd.) H.Rob.] is a novel industrial oilseed crop that can be used to produce vernolic acid, a naturally epoxidised fatty acid. The study objective was to determine whether ethyl methylsulphonate (EMS) mutagenesis significantly altered seed oil content and fatty acid compositions in selected vernonia accessions....

The cactus pear plant is an under-valued food source with health-promoting properties that thrives in arid and semi-arid regions due to its efficient use of water. Eight South African cultivars from two Opuntia species were investigated for their antioxidant content and potential. The fresh fruit (pulp), peel, seeds and cladodes of each cultivar we...

Hedonic assessment and sensory characteristics of 13 Amaranthus genotypes, stewed with onions, tomatoes and potatoes, were evaluated. 50 consumers ranked their preference on a nine-point hedonic scale to determine overall acceptability of the stewed samples. In addition, 100 consumers were asked to select sensory characteristics that described the...

The demand for functional foods is expanding as more consumers become obese or allergic to dairy, eggs and gluten. Functional food products could increase well-being, yet the undesired ingredients need to be replaced to restore the textural properties. Mucilage is a hydrocolloid gum, extracted from cactus pear cladodes that could transfer its funct...

Fatty acid composition of groundnut oil varies among genotypes and across locations. Furthermore, no sufficient information has been generated on fatty acid composition of groundnut cultivars in Ethiopia. That is why this study was planned to analyze oil profile in groundnut cultivars. The crop was sown during 2015 wet season across four locations...

This study investigated the long-term effect of dietary fatty acid saturation on eggshell quality and bone characteristics of laying hens at end of lay. Five isoenergetic (3,011.5 kcal AME/kg DM) and isonitrogenous (169 g CP/kg DM) diets were formulated using different lipid sources at a constant 30 g/kg inclusion level. The control, polyunsaturate...

The study investigated the nutritional value of M. azedarach Linn. (umsilinga; Meliaceae family) leaf meal (MALM) as an alternative protein source for beef cattle. In a completely randomised design (CRD), 18 Nguni x Brahman 18–20 months old steers were randomly offered 3 iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous dietary treatments with, respectively, 0% (C...

This study aimed to determine and compare the fatty acid composition and atherogenecity index of milk fat from Nguni, Boer and non-descript at two different sampling periods. The goats (n = 10 for each goat genotypes) were raised under an extensive system of husbandry. Milk samples were collected from each individual goat to determine fatty acids,...

Cactus pear mucilage is a novel, inexpensive hydrocolloid that is used to add nutrients, body and texture to functional food products. However, varied physicochemical and technological properties of powders when cultivar and harvest month of cladodes differ could lead to differentiation in the application of mucilage powders. To that end, three Opu...

The productivity of indigenous goats in Africa is constrained by shortage of protein rich feed especially in winter. This study investigated the nutritional value of mucuna forage (MF) and seed meal (MSM) as alternative protein sources for indigenous goats. Mucuna was planted in 3 parallel and adjacent fields and its foliage nutritional composition...

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the effect of potassium humate and enzymes (Xylanase + Amylase + Protease) inclusions in diets on carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid profiles of broilers fed canola-based diets. Methods: Two hundred and twenty broilers randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments: the control (commerci...

The associations between the traits of interest in plant breeding are commonly evaluated by means of phenotypic, genotypic and environmental correlations, and through path coefficient analysis that shows direct and indirect cause and effect relationship. Sixteen groundnut genotypes (including local check) were evaluated for quantitative parameters....

The study investigated consumers’ overall liking and sensory profiling of 13 boiled Amaranthus genotypes by using the Check-all-that-apply question. Fifty consumers ranked their preference on a nine-point hedonic scale to determine overall liking of boiled samples. Additionally, 100 consumers completed a CATA question, which contained 19 descriptiv...

Cactus pear fruit is a valuable source of antioxidants and could be an important functional ingredient in foods. Cultivars differ in fruit colour, which may indicate the presence of specific antioxidants. There is increased interest for cactus pear-derived products due to their potential nutraceutical effects, and determining antioxidant potential...

If the cactus plant could find applications in the food industry, other than that of fresh fruit, by means of preserving the cladodes, a larger market may emerge, thus making it an economically more viable crop. The aim of this study was therefor to explore the processing of cladodes into different preserved food products and to study the processed...

Mucilage extracted from cactus pear cladodes is a hydrocolloid gum. It is a novel, natural, low-kilojoule, cost-effective texture-modifying ingredient in functional food products. Yet, the cultivar with the most optimal nutrient content and the preferred harvest times are as yet unknown. For this reason, mucilage from three Opuntia ficus-indica (Al...

The effect of dietary Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the quality and fatty acid profile of meat from 3 chicken strains, normally used in low-input, extensive production systems, was evaluated. The MOLM was included in a commercial broiler finisher diet at 0 (MOLM0), 25 (MOLM25), 50 (MOLM50), and 100 (MOLM100) g/kg. All diets were formulated t...

The effect of dietary Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on the quality and fatty acid profile of meat from 3 chicken strains, normally used in low-input, extensive production systems, was evaluated. The MOLM was included in a commercial broiler finisher diet at 0 (MOLM0), 25 (MOLM25), 50 (MOLM50), and 100 (MOLM100) g/kg. All diets were formulated t...

Deprivation of social contact through solitary confinement has the potential to induce stress in farm animals. Current evidence that housing-induced stress contributes to suboptimal welfare, growth performance and meat quality in sheep is neither ubiquitous nor convincing. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of social stress, as induced...

The objective of the study was to determine the meat quality responses of weaner steers fed diets containing potassium humate (PH) in a feedlot. Twenty-two yearling male steers were randomly allocated to two treatments: control (n = 11), fed a standard feedlot diet and PH (n = 11), fed a standard diet with added PH (5.8g/kg feed). The steers were h...

In this study the effects of animal age combined with feeding regime and the utilisation of a beta-agonist (within a grain-fed system) on proximate composition and fatty acid profile of M. longissimus lumborum (LL), M. biceps femoris (BF), and M. semitendinosus (ST) were determined. Eighty Bonsmara steers consisting of A-age (0 permanent incisors)...

Cactus pear fruit seeds contain oil that can be utilized for human consumption. Forty‐two South African cultivars are evaluated over two seasons for seed oil content and fatty acid composition in an attempt to ascertain the best oil yielding cultivar. Seed oil content varied among cultivars and seasons and the yield ranged between 4.09 and 8.76% of...

Thyroid function and nutritional indicators were measured in obese, steatitis-affected Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus from Loskop Reservoir (LR), South Africa. Plasma thyroid hormones (especially T3) and thyroid follicle histomorphology revealed high levels of activity in every aspect of the thyroid cascade measured in fish from LR comp...

Genetic progress has brought about increase in yield potential per se for almost all production areas around the world. The present study examines the relationship of groundnut yield with year of release, yield components and other agro-morphological traits using aggregative data from 1976 to 2012 to calculate genetic gain in groundnut grain yield...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of intermediate added salt levels (1.33% w/w and 1.84% w/w) as a strategy for reducing the total sodium content of polony, an emulsified, heat-treated meat product, which is reliant on the various functions of salt normally included at a 2.5% (w/w) level. Chemical, microbial, and textural stability...

This study was conducted to determine the perceptions of rural low-income consumers on meat quality and health issues associated with meat consumption. A total of 466 consumers in the Eastern Cape (EC) Province (South Africa (SA)) were randomly sampled, and principal component analyses (PCA) were used to analyse the data. With regard to purchasing...

This study compares the aetiology of pansteatitis in Lake Loskop, relative to two other impoundments along the Olifants River. Macroscopic and microscopic pathology, age determination and analysis of stomach content, fatty acids and stable isotopes explain the high prevalence of pansteatitis in Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) and several other spe...

This study compares the aetiology of pansteatitis in Lake Loskop, relative to two other impoundments along the Olifants River. Macroscopic and microscopic pathology, age determination and analysis of stomach content, fatty acids and stable isotopes explain the high prevalence of pansteatitis in Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) and several other spe...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of synthetic conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on the quality of yoghurt. Yoghurt was prepared by adding CLA to create yoghurt with 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% w/w of the recommended dietary allowance for CLA. CLA inclusion had no effect on the viability of the yoghurt lactic acid bacteria. P...

The chemical composition of three lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars (?SA Standard?, ?WL711? and ?WL525?) were compared to spinach beet (Beta vulgaris var. cicla L.), a familiar leafy vegetable (as control), in order to establish its potential as an alternative green leafy vegetable for human consumption. The degrees Brix, macro- and micro-mine...