Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a legume consumed as a high-quality plant protein source in many parts of the world. High protein and carbohydrate contents with a relatively low fat content and a complementary amino acid pattern to that of cereal grains make cowpea an important nutritional food in the human diet. Cowpea has gained more attention recently from consumers and researchers worldwide as a result of its exerted health beneficial properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive properties. Among the mechanisms that have been proposed in the prevention of chronic diseases, the most proven are attributed to the presence of compounds such as soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, phytochemicals, and proteins and peptides in cowpea. However, studies on the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties of cowpea have produced conflicting results. Some studies support a protective effect of cowpea on the progression of cancer and inflammation, whereas others did not reveal any. Because there are only a few studies addressing health-related effects of cowpea consumption, further studies in this area are suggested. In addition, despite the reported favorable effects of cowpea on diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, a long-term epidemiological study investigating the association between cowpea consumption and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer is also recommended. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Coconut oil is an integral part of Sri Lankan and many South Asian diets. Initially, coconut oil was classified along with saturated fatty acid food items and criticized for its negative impact on health. However, research studies have shown that coconut oil is a rich source of medium‐chain fatty acids. Thus, this has opened new prospects for its use in many fields. Beyond its usage in cooking, coconut oil has attracted attention due to its hypocholesterolemic, anticancer, antihepatosteatotic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial and skin moisturizing properties. Despite all the health benefits, consumption of coconut oil is still underrated due to a lack of supportive scientific evidence. Even though studies done in Asian countries claim a favorable impact on cardiac health and serum lipid profile, the limitations in the number of studies conducted among Western countries impede the endorsement of the real value of coconut oil. Hence, long‐term extensive studies with proper methodologies are suggested to clear all the controversies and misconceptions of coconut oil consumption. This review discusses the composition and functional properties of coconut oils extracted using various processing methods. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

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This study was carried out to determine the effect of various factors influencing the antibacterial activity of fermented milk with Bifidobacterium spp. 420 (bifidus) and with L. acidophilus 145 (acidophilus) against eight test bacteria, viz Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Listeria monocytogenes, Serratia marcescens and Salmonella infantis were determined. The agar diffusion technique was used to determine the antibacterial activity. There was a significant variation (P≤0.05) in the antibacterial activity of bifidus and acidophilus made of various types of milk (buffaloes, cows, goats, ewes and camels' milk). Goats and camels fermented milk had a greater antibacterial activity than control (MRS medium) and other types of milk. The Gram-positive bacteria (L. monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) took an opposite trend compared with tested Gramnegative pathogens. Antibacterial activity against Gram-positive were higher at pH 5 and pH 4.8 than pH 4.6, while antibacterial activity increased against tested Gramnegative pathogens at lower pH values. Statistically, no significant differences were observed between control and 15% sucrose concentration against all tested pathogens, except Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and Serratia marcescens, which were significant inhibition at 15% sucrose. Generally, there were not statistically significant differences between antibacterial activity in control and 0.3 % sodium chloride (NaCl) or between 0.6 and 0.9 % NaCl, however, 0.6 and 0.9% resulted in significant inhibition against the tested pathogens than 0.3 % NaCl.