International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences

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Effect of Drying Method and Irradiation on the Microbiological Quality of Moringa Leaves

Received: 28 January 2014    Accepted:     Published: 10 March 2014
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Abstract

Effect of drying method and irradiation on the microbiological quality of dried moringa leaves (DML) was investigated. Moringa leaves dried by 3 methods (mechanical, solar and room drying) was assessed for microbiological quality in addition to 6 different retail samples of DML. Mechanical, solar and room-dried moringa leaves were irradiated at doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 kGy with gamma radiation from a Co-60 source and the microbiological quality was assessed using the methods of serial dilution and pour plating. Range of mean counts of total viable cells, coliforms, moulds and yeasts, E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. of the retail samples of DML were respectively 5.92 – 8.44, 4.85 – 7.25, 1.65 – 3.69, 3.71 – 4.78 and 1.84 - 4.22 log10cfu/g. Salmonella spp. was detected in 2 out of the 6 retail samples analysed. Room-dried moringa leaves relatively had high counts of total viable cells (6.45); coliforms (6.18); moulds and yeasts (3.46); E. coli (1.58) and Pseudomonas spp. (3.32) compared to samples dried by mechanical or solar methods. Irradiation dose of 2.5 kGy reduced the counts of all microorganisms to ≤ 3.57 and no survivors were detected in the samples of DML at 5, 7.5 and 10 kGy. High counts of total viable cells, coliforms, E. coli, Pseudomonas spp. and presence of Salmonella spp. in retail samples of DML raise food safety concerns. Solar-dried moringa leaves had improved microbiological quality compared to mechanical or room-dried leaves. Gamma irradiation significantly improved the microbiological quality of DML. A minimum irradiation dose of 5 kGy is recommended to enhance the quality of dried moringa leaves to meet standards of domestic and export markets.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21
Published in International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2014)
Page(s) 91-96
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Drying Methods, Microbiological Quality, Moringa Leaves, Irradiation

References
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[2] Babu, S. C. (2000) Rural nutrition interventions with indig enous plant foods: a case study of vitamin deficiency in Malawi. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington,DC. Biotechnology, Agronomy Soc. Environ. 4(3):169-179.URL: http://www.bib.fsagx.ac.be/library/base/text/v4n3/169.pdf.
[3] D’Souza, J. and Kulkarni, A.R. (1993) Comparative stud ies on nutritive values of tender foliage of seedlings and mature plants of Moringa oleifera Lam. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 17(2): 479-485.
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[6] Caceres A, Saravia, A., Rizzo, S., Zabala, L. De Leon, E., Nave, F. (1992) Pharmacologic properties of Moringa oleifera. 2: Screening for antispasmodic, anti inflammatory and diuretic activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 36: 233-237.
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[13] Arias, M. L., Chaves, C., Alfaro, D. (1999) Microbiological analysis of some herbal infusions used as medicines. Rev Biomed.10(1):1–6., http://www.imbiomed.com.max/uay.English/ZYu91-01.html Erich, C., Wolfgang, K., Brigitte, K. (2001) Microbiologi cal Status of Commercially available Medicinal Herbal Drugs-A screenings study. Planta Med. 67:263–269.
[14] Wolfgang ,K,. Erich, C., Brigitte, K. ( 2002) Microbial con tamination of medicinal plants- A review. Planta Medica. 2002;68:5–15.
[15] Adeleye, I. A., Okogi, G, Ojo, E. O. (2005) Microbial contamination of herbal preparations in Lagos, Nigeria. J . Health, Population and Nutrition. 23(3):296–297.
[16] Okunlola, A., Adewoyin, A.B., Odeku, A.O. (2007) Eval uation of pharmaceutical and microbial qualities of some herbal medicinal products in south western Nigeria. Trop J. Pharmaceut Res.6(1):661–670.
[17] Gerphart, U. (1990). Kontamination der Gewurze. pp. 89 – 126. In Gewurze in der Lebensmittelindustrie. Behr’s Verlag, Hamburg, Germany. Cited in: Kneifel, W. and Berger, E. (1994). Microbiological Criteria of Random Samples of Spices and Herbs Retailed on the Austrian Market. J. Food Prot., vol. 57, No. 10. pp 893 – 901.
[18] Zagon, J.; Dehne, L.I.; Wirz, J., Binke, B and Bogl, K.W. (1992). Ozon-Behandlung zur Entkeimung von Gewurzen. Bundesgesundheitsblatt 35:20 – 23. Cited in: Kneifel, W and Berger, E. (1994). Microbiological Criteria of Random Samples of Spices and Herbs Retailed on the Austrian Mar ket. J. of Food Prot, vol. 57, No. 10. pp 893 – 901.
[19] Brulhart, M.; Gysel, M. and Emch, F. (1986). Das Dampfsterilisieren von Gewurzen. Food Sci. Technol. 19: 405 – 406 Cited in: Kneifel, W. and Berger, E. (1994). Microbiological Criteria of Random Samples of Spices and Herbs Retailed on the Austrian Market. J. of Food Prot. vol. 57, No. 10. pp 893 – 901.
[20] Sharma, A., Padwal-Desai, S.R. and Nair, P. M. (1989). Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Some Gamma Irradiated Indian Spices. J. Food Sci. 54: 489 – 490.
[21] Farkas, J. (1988). Irradiation of Dry Food Ingredients, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., pp. 42.
[22] Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). Radiation Pasteurisation of Food, Issue Paper No. 7, CAST, Ames, IA (1996).
[23] IAEA-TECDOC-639 (1992), International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna-ISSN 1011- 4289
[24] American Society for Testing and Materials. (1998). Stand ard Guide for Irradiation of Spices, Herbs and Vegetable Seasoning to Control Pathogens and other Microorganisms. ASTM Standard F 1885-98.
[25] APHA (1976). Compendium of Methods for the Microbi ological Examination of Foods. Speck, M.K (ed) Ameri can Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
[26] UNIDO (1984) Guidelines for commercial plantation and manufacture of medicinal and aromatic plants
[27] A. Adu-Gyamfi, V. Appiah and J. Nketsia-Tabiri (2014) Preliminary Studies on Decontamination of Some Dried Herbal Products by Gamma Irradiation.’ Journal of Medicinal Plant Research, Vol. 8(2), pp. 116-120
[28] Adu-Gyamfi, A. (2005). Effect of Storage Time on the Microbial Quality of Some Spices and Dried Seasonings. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, 39, 93-101.
[29] Farkas, J. (1998) Irradiation as a method for decontaminating food: A review International Journal of Food Microbiology 44 (1998) 189-204.
Author Information
  • Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Accra Legon, Ghana

  • Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Accra Legon, Ghana

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    Abraham Adu-Gyamfi, Tahiru Mahami. (2014). Effect of Drying Method and Irradiation on the Microbiological Quality of Moringa Leaves. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 3(2), 91-96. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21

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    Abraham Adu-Gyamfi; Tahiru Mahami. Effect of Drying Method and Irradiation on the Microbiological Quality of Moringa Leaves. Int. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2014, 3(2), 91-96. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21

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    AMA Style

    Abraham Adu-Gyamfi, Tahiru Mahami. Effect of Drying Method and Irradiation on the Microbiological Quality of Moringa Leaves. Int J Nutr Food Sci. 2014;3(2):91-96. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21,
      author = {Abraham Adu-Gyamfi and Tahiru Mahami},
      title = {Effect of Drying Method and Irradiation on the Microbiological Quality of Moringa Leaves},
      journal = {International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences},
      volume = {3},
      number = {2},
      pages = {91-96},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20140302.21},
      abstract = {Effect of drying method and irradiation on the microbiological quality of dried moringa leaves (DML) was investigated. Moringa leaves dried by 3 methods (mechanical, solar and room drying) was assessed for microbiological quality in addition to 6 different retail samples of DML. Mechanical, solar and room-dried moringa leaves were irradiated at doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 kGy with gamma radiation from a Co-60 source and the microbiological quality was assessed using the methods of serial dilution and pour plating. Range of mean counts of total viable cells, coliforms, moulds and yeasts, E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. of the retail samples of DML were respectively 5.92 – 8.44, 4.85 – 7.25, 1.65 – 3.69, 3.71 – 4.78 and 1.84 - 4.22 log10cfu/g. Salmonella spp. was detected in 2 out of the 6 retail samples analysed. Room-dried moringa leaves relatively had high counts of total viable cells (6.45); coliforms (6.18); moulds and yeasts (3.46); E. coli (1.58) and Pseudomonas spp. (3.32) compared to samples dried by mechanical or solar methods. Irradiation dose of 2.5 kGy reduced the counts of all microorganisms to ≤ 3.57 and no survivors were detected in the samples of DML at 5, 7.5 and 10 kGy. High counts of total viable cells, coliforms, E. coli, Pseudomonas spp. and presence of Salmonella spp. in retail samples of DML raise food safety concerns. Solar-dried moringa leaves had improved microbiological quality compared to mechanical or room-dried leaves. Gamma irradiation significantly improved the microbiological quality of DML. A minimum irradiation dose of 5 kGy is recommended to enhance the quality of dried moringa leaves to meet standards of domestic and export markets.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effect of Drying Method and Irradiation on the Microbiological Quality of Moringa Leaves
    AU  - Abraham Adu-Gyamfi
    AU  - Tahiru Mahami
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    JF  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2716
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20140302.21
    AB  - Effect of drying method and irradiation on the microbiological quality of dried moringa leaves (DML) was investigated. Moringa leaves dried by 3 methods (mechanical, solar and room drying) was assessed for microbiological quality in addition to 6 different retail samples of DML. Mechanical, solar and room-dried moringa leaves were irradiated at doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 kGy with gamma radiation from a Co-60 source and the microbiological quality was assessed using the methods of serial dilution and pour plating. Range of mean counts of total viable cells, coliforms, moulds and yeasts, E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. of the retail samples of DML were respectively 5.92 – 8.44, 4.85 – 7.25, 1.65 – 3.69, 3.71 – 4.78 and 1.84 - 4.22 log10cfu/g. Salmonella spp. was detected in 2 out of the 6 retail samples analysed. Room-dried moringa leaves relatively had high counts of total viable cells (6.45); coliforms (6.18); moulds and yeasts (3.46); E. coli (1.58) and Pseudomonas spp. (3.32) compared to samples dried by mechanical or solar methods. Irradiation dose of 2.5 kGy reduced the counts of all microorganisms to ≤ 3.57 and no survivors were detected in the samples of DML at 5, 7.5 and 10 kGy. High counts of total viable cells, coliforms, E. coli, Pseudomonas spp. and presence of Salmonella spp. in retail samples of DML raise food safety concerns. Solar-dried moringa leaves had improved microbiological quality compared to mechanical or room-dried leaves. Gamma irradiation significantly improved the microbiological quality of DML. A minimum irradiation dose of 5 kGy is recommended to enhance the quality of dried moringa leaves to meet standards of domestic and export markets.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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