VALIDATION
Validation of an in vitro digestion method to assess the iron bioavailability of food
Worldwide, the prevalence of anemia is high and several strategies have been suggested to address this
problem. Nevertheless, these strategies would be more effective if they took into account iron bioavailability, that is, the
amount of ingested iron that is absorbed and utilized by the human body. The gold-standard method to evaluate iron
bioavailability is carried out with humans; however a less resource- and time-intensive in vitro method is available which
simulates human digestion in the laboratory. This in vitro method was recently validated against human bioavailability
studies. Results indicate that the in vitro iron bioavailability method yields qualitatively similar results to the gold standard
and is a useful tool for screening a large number of food samples33.
.
APPLICATION
Evaluation of cassava’s antioxidant activity
Cassava’s roots are susceptible to deterioration within 24-72 hours of harvest, but some varieties are more resistant to this
post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) possibly due to their higher content and/or activity of antioxidants. The
objective of this project is to evaluate the antioxidant activity in different cassava varieties, and to explore if there is a
relationship between antioxidant activity and PPD.
PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Evaluation of protein quality in traditional food recipes from the Cauca department in Colombia
prepared with biofortified or conventional maize
Cooking methods can affect the nutritional quality of foods, promoting or inhibiting the absorption of nutrients by the body
and varying their concentration in food. In this study, the protein quality of different maize-based food recipes were
evaluated to observe how different cooking methods could affect the in vitro digestibility of protein and the soluble protein
and tryptophan concentration. These recipes were developed using conventional maize or maize biofortified with lysine and
tryptophan.
Effect of treatment with a mixture of molasses and honey on the protein quality of meat and milk
foods
Currently, food products treated with honey are marketed in Colombia as digestive aides. To confirm if this treatment
improves or preserves the soluble protein concentration and protein digestibility of foods, different meat and milk products
were treated with a mixture of molasses and honey. These products with treatment were compared with meat and milk
http://antonioillan.blogspot.com/2008/06/historias-de-la-dulce-miel.html
products without the honey-molasses treatment.
Evaluating the nutritional quality of different foliar extracts
Food and nutrition insecurity is caused by several factors, including poor access to foods rich in nutrients such as protein, iron,
vitamin A (or its precursor, β-carotene) and zinc. An alternative to address this problem is foliar extract, home-produced with
locally available leaves. This study evaluated the nutritional quality of foliar extracts of cassava, sweet potatoes, beans and
alfalfa, and found that the bean-leaf foliar extract had the highest concentration and bioavailability of nutrients.
www.soynica.org.ni/images/gal-extracto07.jpg
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH
An objective of the Nutritional Quality Laboratory is to conduct innovative research, using current analytical techniques and
methodologies or developing new ones, to contribute to ameliorating nutritional problems around the world.
Projects:
Methods development
•Development of new analytical methods to identify and quantify bioactive compounds in foods.
Investigating mechanisms of action
•Investigate through which mechanisms or pathways antioxidant compounds in cassava contribute to reducing post-harvest
physiological deterioration.
Research for the food industry
•Evaluate the nutrient bioavailability of new foods.
•Evaluate the nutrient bioavailability of commercially fortified foods to analyze the efficacy of the fortificant used and of the fortification
process.
Public health research
•Evaluate and compare the nutritional quality of food distributed by governments in their nutritional programs, both nationally and
internationally.
Contacts: Helena Pachón
h.pachon@cgiar.org
Darwin Ortiz
d.a.ortiz@cgiar.org
Dayron Gutiérrez
d.e.gutierrez@cgiar.org