Browsing by Author "Ntwenya, J."

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    Contribution of minerals from fresh kidney bean leaves and grains in meals consumed in East, South and Central Africa
    (Rural Outreach Program, 2012) Mamiro, P. M.; Nyagaya, M.; Mamiro, D. P.; Jumbe, T.; Ntwenya, J.; Bundara, N.
    Varieties of legumes are recognized as an important source of protein and dietary minerals by a number of ethnic groups in East, South and Central Africa. Among the legume that is preferred by most Africans are the bean varieties. Beans are consumed in many forms: the young leaves, green pods, and fresh bean grains are used as vegetables; dry bean grains are used in various food preparations, and both are used as relish or side dishes together with the staple food. Apart from alleviating food insecurity, the bean leaves, green bean pods and fresh bean grains are good sources of micronutrients especially iron and zinc. Thirty eight varieties of beans deemed to be rich in minerals iron and zinc collected from a number of locations in East and Central Africa were brought from University of Nairobi and multiplied at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro. Bean leaves and fresh beans grains were picked for analysis after the plants reached three weeks and two months, respectively. Iron and zinc content was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer after ashing the samples. Analysis showed that leaves had significantly (P<0.05) more iron than the fresh bean grains. For bean leaves, Maharagi soja had the highest level of iron (1653.9 mg/100g) followed by Nain De Kiondo (1061.1 mg/100g). Similarly, Maharagi soja had the highest level of zinc (40.8 mg/100g), followed by Kiangara (40.5 mg/100g). Variety HRS 545 fresh bean grains, had the highest level of iron (1114.0 mg/100g) followed by Ituri Matata (983.4 mg/100g) while highest zinc content was found in HRS 545 (41.1 mg/100g) followed by RWR 10 (41.1 mg/100g). These levels of minerals are significantly higher than the average amount found in dry bean grains (Fe 5.6 – 8.0 mg/100g) and (Zn 1.7 - 2.0 mg/100g). Creating more awareness and encouraging the utilization of bean leaves and fresh bean grains will contribute in alleviating micronutrient deficiencies especially among the vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant and lactating women, and resource-poor families.
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    Effect of cooking on tannin and phytate content in different bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties grown in Tanzania
    (Academic Journals, 2017) Mamiro, P. S.; Mwanri, A. W.; Mongi, R. J.; Chivaghula, T. J.; Nyagaya, M.; Ntwenya, J.
    Phytates and tannins are present in varying proportions in legume based foods. Investigation on the effect of cooking on tannins and phytates was carried out on thirty eight raw and cooked bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties. Tannins were assayed by vanillin-hydrochloric acid method, while phytates were determined by a method developed by Haugh and Lantzsch. There was a very high significant difference (P≤0.00001) in the tannin concentrations between the raw and cooked bean samples. The mean tannin content for the raw and cooked samples was 1.168±0.81 and 0.563±0.503%CE, respectively. Reduction of tannins after cooking ranged from 20%CE in M’mafutala to 81%CE in GLP 2 with an average reduction of 56.3%CE. Equally, there was a very high significant difference (P≤0.0001) in the phytate concentrations between the raw and cooked bean samples. The mean phytate content for the raw and cooked samples were 0.0219±002 and 0.0122±003 μg/mL, respectively. Cooking reduced the anti-nutritional factors significantly (p≤0.0001). The extent of antinutritional factors reduction varied between bean varieties. Cooking is therefore important for mineral absorption during digestion process in humans as it makes the minerals less bound and hence physiologically available.
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    Maternal dietary diversity and growth of children under 24 months of age in rural Dodoma, Tanzania
    (Sage publishing, 2018) Huang, M.; Sudfeld, C.; Ismail, A.; Vuai, S.; Ntwenya, J.; Mwanyika-Sando, M.; Fawzi, W.
    Objective: To identify predictors of maternal dietary diversity in rural Dodoma, Tanzania and assess its association with child growth outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 361 mothers with children under 24 months of age was con-ducted in 5 villages in rural Dodoma, Tanzania. Maternal diets were assessed using food frequency questionnaires, and dietary diversity was categorized using Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) guidelines. Child anthropometric measures were taken to calculate height-for-agez-score (HAZ), weight-for-heightz-score (WHZ), and weight-for-agez-score (WAZ). Linear and logistic regressions were used to examine the association between maternal dietary diversity and children’s growth outcomes. Results: About 40% of mothers did not consume a diverse diet (MDD-W < 5), and 35% of children were stunted. Household production of greater number of crops was associated with greater MDD-W scores (P< .01). Greater maternal dietary diversity was associated with significantly greater child WHZ (mean difference¼0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.10-0.78;P¼.01), WAZ (mean dif-ference¼0.37; 95% CI: 0.08-0.65;P¼.01), and reduced risk of wasting (odds ratio¼0.22; 95% CI:0.07-0.66;P¼.01). Conclusions: Greater maternal dietary diversity was associated with improved child WHZ and WAZ outcomes. Sustainable interventions to increase maternal dietary diversity may improve WHZ and WAZ in young children in similar settings.