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Biomedical subjects

R B Toma

Publications and source records attributed to R B Toma.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Resveratrol in raw and baked blueberries and bilberries.

Resveratrol in the fruits of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), the lowbush "wild" blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton), the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade), and the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) were measured using a new assay based on high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The LC-MS/MS assay provided lower limits of detection than previous methods for resveratrol measurement, 90 fmol of trans-resveratrol injected on-column, and a linear standard curve spanning >3 orders of magnitude. The recoveries of resveratrol from blueberries spiked with 1.8, 3.6, or 36 ng/g were 91.5 +/- 4.5, 95.6 +/- 6.5, and 88.0 +/- 3.6%, respectively. trans-Resveratrol but not cis-resveratrol was detected in both blueberry and bilberry samples. The highest levels of trans-resvertatrol in these specimens were 140.0 +/- 29.9 pmol/g in highbush blueberries from Michigan and 71.0 +/- 15.0 pmol/g in bilberries from Poland. However, considerable regional variation was observed; highbush blueberries from British Columbia contained no detectable resveratrol. Because blueberries and bilberries are often consumed after cooking, the effect of baking on resveratrol content was investigated. After 18 min of heating at 190 degrees C, between 17 and 46% of the resveratrol had degraded in the various Vaccinium species. Therefore, the resveratrol content of baked or heat-processed blueberries or bilberries should be expected to be lower than in the raw fruit. Although blueberries and bilberries were found to contain resveratrol, the level of this chemoprotective compound in these fruits was <10% that reported for grapes. Furthermore, cooking or heat processing of these berries will contribute to the degradation of resveratrol.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2000

Effects of moisture content, hybrid variety, kernel size, and microwave wattage on the expansion volume of microwave popcorn.

This study investigated several independent variables affecting the expansion volume of microwave popcorn; (a) different hybrids were used, (b) hybrids were popped at different moisture contents, (c) microwave ovens with various wattages were employed, and (d) kernels were separated by size. The greatest expansion volume was achieved with Hunt-Wesson 214 at 11% moisture. Overall, the large-capacity bag and the 1000-watt microwave oven produced the greatest expansion volume. Medium-sized kernels produced the greatest expansion volume.

Cooking↗
PubMed1997

Effects of debittering on grapefruit juice acceptance.

This study was conducted to assess the acceptance of grapefruit juice which has undergone a debittering process. The sensory effect of debittering and the sensory attributes of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and aftertaste were appraised, and the correlation between chemical and sensory analyses of the debittered juice were identified. The effect of added grapefruit flavor on perception of sweetness and sourness was statistically significant. Both the level of bitterness and storage duration of grapefruit were shown to influence the way judges perceived bitterness and sweetness. Storage study showed no difference in aftertaste, which may increase consumers buying interest in debittered juice with a high level of bitterness (450 ppm).

Beverages↗
PubMed1997

Nutrition knowledge among adolescent high school female athletes.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an original sports nutrition education program in changing the nutrition behavior of the female high school varsity football teams of the Baseline League of Southern California. A total of 72 subjects from eight teams were randomly divided into two groups, control and experimental. Only the experimental group received nutrition education. Dietary habits of the athletes were studied through a pre- and post- 24-hour recall. A comparison of pretest scores of both groups showed no significant difference in level of nutrition knowledge. The posttest scores obtained after nutrition education showed a significant difference in nutrition knowledge for the experimental group. However, there was no significant improvement in dietary intake and food choices due to the limited duration of the study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Irradiated versus fumigated spices in sausage.

The efficacy of gamma radiation and ethylene oxide fumigation as decontaminating treatments for spices used in sausages was compared. Microbial loads of sausages containing irradiated, fumigated or non-treated spices were examined over three intervals of time. No significant differences between microbial loads of Mexican sausages containing irradiated spices (10 kGy) verses ethylene oxide-treated spices were found. Mexican sausages containing treated spices had significantly lower yeast, mould and spore counts than control sausages. After 8 weeks of storage, only the microbial loads of control sausages suggested spoilage. No discernable differences in treatment efficacy were noted with respect to yeast, mould and spore counts in Italian sausages.

Food Handling↗
PubMed1995

Clinical parameters and dietary intake of midwestern adolescent females.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between assessed clinical parameters and dietary intake of adolescent females in the midwest of the United States. A total of 60 subjects participated in the study over a period of four months. Several laboratory tests along with 24-hour dietary recall were statistically analyzed. Results showed that one third of the outpatient group had serum albumin below normal range and were of marginal health status. Also, several parameters (wt., MAC, TSF, MAMA) correlated with anthoropometric measurements. Other factors: Hgb, Hct, and TLC correlated with protein intake.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Color preference and food choice among children.

The effects of color on children's food choices were investigated. Subjects were 120 children who were equally distributed among each of the combinations of age (5 vs. 9 years old), sex (male vs. female), food type (3 types of candies), and color (red, green, yellow, and orange) in a counterbalanced, factorial, analysis-of-variance design with repeated measures on subjects. A significant main effect for color indicated that children preferred foods that were red, green, orange, and yellow, in that order. Interpretation of this main effect was not interfered with by main effects or interaction terms involving age, sex, or food type, which served as alternative rival hypotheses.

Candy↗
PubMed1986

Taste changes during pregnancy.

The ability of pregnant women to discriminate among different concentrations of salt and sucrose solutions, and their preference for the solutions, were assessed to determine if changes in the sense of taste occur during pregnancy. Results of tests with salt solutions showed that pregnant women were significantly less able to correctly identify concentration differences (p less than 0.005), and preferred significantly stronger solutions (p = 0.004) than did nonpregnant women. The data suggest that a physiological mechanism for increasing salt intake may develop during pregnancy.

Adult↗