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Biomedical subjects

S R Morcos

Publications and source records attributed to S R Morcos.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1983

Supplementary and weaning foods for the Egyptian child.

Attempts were made to prepare 5 protein rich food mixtures to be used as supplementary and weaning foods for children from 6 months of age onwards. They contain vegetable and animal protein sources. They were prepared in a way to simplify their use. Potatoes, carrots and peas were the basal ingredient in each mixture. The protein content of the mixtures ranges from 16-20% with a chemical score not less than 50%. The mixtures contained most of the essential amino acids in optimal concentrations, except methionine and cystine which are slightly lower than the amounts recommended by FAO. The nutritive value of each mixture estimated by the slope ratio bioassay procedure was high. They are nutritionally superior to casein, used as a reference protein. They differ slightly when compared with each other.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1981

Protein-rich food mixtures for feeding the young in Egypt. 1. formulation.

Ten protein-rich food mixtures were suggested. They are based on popular dishes which could be prepared simply at home. Such mixtures were prepared from seeds or legumes available in the local markets at reasonable prices. These ingredients are polished rice, decorticated lentils, defatted sesame flour, whole or roasted chick peas (dehulled), maize bread, sun flour kernels, fenugreek seeds, wheat (whole grains or parboiled grains), white wheat flour, defatted peanut flour, defatted sesame flour and dry yeast. The protein content of such food mixtures ranged from 17.7 to 23.2%, which is in agreement with recommended values. Defatted sesame flour was incorporated in most of the mixtures in order to correct for their sulphur-containing amino-acids as it is already known that sesame is a rich source of sulphur-containing amino acids in comparison to other vegetable sources. Further investigations are going on to determine the nutritive value of the formulated mixtures before feeding them to the children.

Child↗
PubMed1980

Variation of body nitrogen--body water ratio of Sprague-Dawley rats as a function of the dietary protein quality and quantity.

Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 45 days were analyzed for total body nitrogen and body water, and the correlation between the body nitrogen:body water ratio according to the type and level of protein was found lowest body nitrogen:body water ratios (0.021-0.033) in rats maintained on protein-free diet, or in diets in which protein was derived from French bread. Highest body nitrogen:body water ratios were found in rats maintained on either 7.2 or 7.9% or diets, based on casein protein + dl-methionine.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

The amino acid composition and protein quality of high-protein gluten bread.

Dietetic bread is mainly produced for diabetics. Gluten accounts 80% of the protein of whole wheat flour. Forty per cent wheat gluten are incorporated in the dough to increase the protein content and decrease the starch in the final product. Gluten-rich foods are still of low cost as compared to others such as skim milk, soya and fish flour.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1979

The amino acid composition and protein quality of biscuits.

The protein quality of biscuits (Mary's Bisuit), a product largely consumed by infant and children in this country proved to be of very inferior quality, with very low lysine content, which is obviously completely destroyed during the baking process. Rats fed biscuits as protein source lost weight during the experimentation period and their food consumption was too low. Rats fed this diet showed also very slight increase in body water (1.9 g), in comparison to a value of 16.0 g in rats fed casein at the same dietary protein level.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of the protein quality of wheat grains (Grizza 155) and eight related products by the dose-response bioassay.

The amino acid analysis revealed that wheat grains, white and dark flour, baladi bread prepared from white or dark flour, bread prepared from formulae enriched with gluten and biscuits are poor in lysine with chemical scores ranging between 20 and 49. The assessment of the protein quality of wheat and related products was done by slope ratio bioassay. Results based on slopes relative to those of reference casein + methionine ranked bread prepared from dark flour and cooked wheat (belila) as the highest in their protein quality, followed by their parent; wheat (RNV = 44). Dietetic bread with gluten had RNV = 20-24; owing to its high protein content (38%), its utilizable protein approached that of good proteins (8%). Very high significant correlation existed between the two measures of response; gain in weight and net increase in body water as response of nitrogen intake.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1978

An epidemiological and biochemical study on osteomalacia among pregnant women in Egypt.

230 pregnant women of low socio-economic standard were studied regarding the nutritional status and state of calcium and bone mineralization, social, environmental, dietary and biological factors of the women were also investigated to determine their possible role in such state. Results revealed a low nutritional status associated with biochemical abnormality denoting an impaired calcium state and defective bone mineralization. The low intake of available calcium and lack or inefficient supplements are suggested to be the main factors in causing the low state of calcium.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1977

Effect of authentic and natural vitamin C and carotene on amino acid absorption.

The effect of vitamin C or carotene either from authentic or natural sources on absorption of lysine, glycine and methionine was evaluated. Results revealed that maximum absorption of these amino acids was reached at different intervals from the orally given dose. Addition of ascorbic acid enhanced amino acid absorption and this effect was maximum in case of methionine. Carotene brought about variable effect to the three amino acids tested. Pepper, parsley, or orange juices did not affect the extent of intestinal lysine absorption. Pepper juice enhanced absorption of methionine in contrast to orange and parsley. Glycine absorption was markedly enhanced by addition of orange juice. Ascorbic acid suppelementation to dietary constituents is recommended for better utilization of proteins.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

Vitamins content of fruits and vegetables in common use in Egypt.

The vitamin content, namely vitamin C, carotene, riboflavin and nicotinic acid, of some popular vegetables and fruits was determined. It was found that the green parts of the plants were the most rich in these four vitamins. Trigonella foenum-graecum (Helba) was the richest of all vegetables and fruits in vitamin C (207 mg%). Scandicium stellatum (Shabat contains the highest value for carotene (57.3 mg%). Solanum tuberosum (Batatis) was the richest in riboflavin (0.3 mg%) and Pisum sativum (Busselah) in niacin (1.8 mg%).

Ascorbic Acid↗
PubMed1976

The effect of chromium III on the intravenous glucose tolerance of rats given diets of different protein values.

The effect of chromium administration on glucose utilization was investigated in 32 rats fed either high or low protein diet. In rats fed a low protein diet of NDpE% 4.3 the glucose removal rate increased significantly following the administration of chromium. However, the administration of chromium has no effect on the glucose removal rate in rats fed high protein diet of NDpE% 10.1. The glucose removal rate of rats kept on a diet of high protein value free from chromium was significantly higher than those kept on a low protein diet. Chromium deficiency did not appear to be the only responsible cause for the impaired glucose tolerance in animals fed low protein diet. It could be concluded that both chromium supplementation and protein ingestion promote insulin secretion.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Phytochemical and nutritional studies on pigeon pea and kidney bean cultivated in Egypt.

1. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the two seeds established the presence of carbohydrates and/or glycosides, flavnoids, unsaturated sterols and/or triterpenes, saponins, trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins. In addition, it established the absence of cardenolides, tannins, alkaloids and oxidase enzyme. 2. Certain pharmacopoeial constants, including moisture, ash, acid-insoluble ash, water-soluble ash and crude fibre were determined. 3. The two seeds were subjected to successive extractions with different organic solvents such as petroleum ether (50-70 degrees C), diethyl ether, chloroform and ethyl alcohol. The successive yields of extractives were determined. Examination of the crude extracts showed that petroleum ether extract contained sterols and/or triterpenes, while ether, chloroform, and ethyl alcohol extracts contained reducing substances. 4. General analysis of the two seeds for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibre and ash contents were carried out and the results were given in g/100 g dry seeds. Pigeon pea contained 25.2 g protein, 170 mg calcium and 8.9 mg iron. The protein content of kidney bean was 23 g, while calcium and iron contents were 134 mg and 8.02 mg respectively. 5. Extractions of the proteins using different solvents such as cold water, hot water, saline buffer pH 7 and sodium hydroxide was the best extractant. 6. The amino-acid content of the two seeds, whether raw or cooked, showed that they were deficient in methionine, cystine and tryptophan. Other essential amino acids were present in amounts higher than that given by the FAO provisional pattern. 7. Cooking the seeds by the popular methods used in the country resulted in an increase in the amounts of the amino acids, threonine, leucine and isoleucine, while the other amino acids present remained unchanged or decreased. It was also observed that cooking the seeds destroyed the trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins found in the two seeds.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1976

Intestinal absorption of iron alone and in combination with authentic or natural vitamin C and carotene.

The effect of vitamin C and carotene derived from authentic or natural sources on intestinal iron absorption was studied. Vitamin C caused slight enhancement to iron absorption, while carotene hindered it. The three juices tested, namely orange, parsley and pepper, which were found to be rich in these two vitamins, hindered intestinal iron absorption to different extents. It was recommended that patients suffering from iron deficiency are not supplied with nutrients rich in carotene particulary during iron therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

The use of Lupinus termis L. cultivated in Egypt, as a food protein supplement.

1. General analysis of the seeds for protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and ash contents were carried out and the results were given in g/100 g dry seeds. Lupinus termis contained a higher percentage of protein (40.36), 290 mg calcium and 6.5 mg iron. 2. All the essential amino acids are present in fair amounts with the exception of sulphur-amino acids and Lysine. 3. Cooking the seeds resulted in a slight decrease of most of the amino acids with the exception of Tryptophan and Lysine, which exhibited a slight increase after cooking. 4. Of the toxic substances present in the seeds is Trypsin inhibitor, which was destroyed by heat treatment, and alkaloids, which were removed by soaking the seeds three days in running tap water. 5. Supplementing the debittered seeds with Lysine and Methionine resulted in an increase in its nutritive value.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1976

Nutritive studies on some raw and prepared leguminous seeds commonly used in the Arab Republic of Syria.

1. The proximate analysis of raw Syrian lentils (Lens esculentus), variety red chick pea (Cicer arietinum) variety balady, has been made. The protein content of the two raw seeds were 23 and 22 g% for lentils and chick peas, respectively. Ethereal extract, fiber, ash, calcium, phosphorus and iron content of the two raw seeds have been also assayed. 2. The levels of most of the amino acids were also estimated in the raw and cooked seeds. It was found that tryptophan- and sulphur-containing amino acids were the most limiting ones. Cooking the seeds by the same methods commonly used in Syria resulted in the loss of most of the amino acids, with the exception of lysine and tryptophan which were slightly increased. 3. Trypsin inhibitors and saponins were detected in the raw seeds. Haemagglutinins were present in raw lentils only. Cooking the seeds destroyed the trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins and did not affect the saponins. 4. The net protein utilization of whole lentils and chick peas were 38 and 53, respectively. Decortication of lentils or cooking without decortication has no effect on the NPU values. Cooking the decorticated lentil seeds raised its NPU values from 38 to 56. Cooking chick peas resulted in a slight increase in their NPU. Supplementation of the raw and treated seeds with methionine and tryptophan raised its NPU values markedly.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1976

Effect of vitamin C and carotene on the absorption of calcium from the intestine.

The effect of vitamin C or carotene either in the authentic form or naturally occurring as in orange, parsley and pepper juices on calcium absorption was studied. Results obtained revealed that ascorbic acid, orange and pepper juices enhanced intestinal calcium absorption. Carotene and parsley proved to be without effect.

Animals↗