Background: Diabetes mellitus is regarded as a serious chronic disease that carries a high risk for considerable complications. The use of natural plant products for management of diabetes is increasing due to their minimal side-effects and economical aspects. Aegle marmelos L. Correa (A. marmelos), family Rutaceae is highly reputed medicinal plant commonly known as bael. A. marmelos fruit is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Aim of the work: This study was aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of A. marmelos fruit ethanolic extract against alloxan-induced diabetes in male rats. Material and Methods: Twenty five male albino rats with an average body weight 180-195g were divided into two main groups; first group: control (n=5) and second group: diabetic rats (n=20), which were divided equally to four subgroups as follows: diabetic untreated rats , diabetic rats treated with 125 mg/kg/day A. marmelos fruit extract; diabetic rats treated with 250 mg/kg/day A. marmelos fruit extract and diabetic rats treated with 500 mg/kg/day A. marmelos fruit extract. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitonial injection of alloxan (120 mg/kg). Results: Phytochemical screening of A. marmelos fruit extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, sterols and triterpenoids. Results of the biological study reported that alloxan-induced diabetic group exhibited hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, elevation in malondialdehyde (MDA) level accompanied with weight loss and reduction in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, reduced glutathione (GSH) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity when compared to control group. Treatment with A. marmelos fruit extract at the three dose levels reported improvement in the biological evaluation, lipid profile, glucose, insulin, MDA and GSH levels and SOD enzyme activity when compared to the diabetic group. The improvement was most pronounced in 500 mg/kg A.marmelos treated group. Conclusion: It could be concluded that A. marmelos fruit extract had hypoglycemic activity; this effect may be attributed to its antioxidant activity and its high content of active constituents which was proved in this study. Therefore, it could be recommended that A.marmelos fruit may be useful as a healthy food and in the development of antidiabetic drugs.

The aim of this paper is to review the microbiological quality of food samples taken from a wide range of cooked and raw foods obtained from restaurants and sweet shops in the Ramallah and al-Bireh district, and to identify the gaps in food inspection and handling that can be realistically improved. Utilizing food sample test results of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, records pertaining to the years 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, and the first 2 months of the year 2003 reveal that only 60.9%, 44.0%, 63.8%, 93.6%, 51.8%, 83.8%, and 50.4% of the food samples tested for total aerobic count, total Coliform, faecal Coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, faecal Streptococci, moulds, and yeasts respectively are within the limits of the Palestinian and International standards. None of the tested samples for Salmonellae or Clostridium perfringes were positive. Analysis of the data indicates an irregular rather than systematic process to testing. For example, 60.4% of the tested food samples in 2000 came from sweet shops, while the relative percentage of sweet shops is 21.4% out of the total restaurants and sweet shop figures in the area at the time. In contrast to what would be expected, most of the samples were collected during the cold season, raising questions as to the suitability of testing procedures and guidelines. Systemic and procedural gaps were identified by the analysis that can be addressed to at least contain, if not completely eliminate the presence of foods in the market that are unacceptable for consumption.

No abstract

No abstract

Ground date seeds and wheat flour (72 % extraction) blends (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 % date seeds powder) were rheologically evaluated and used to produce butter cake. Results showed that water absorption, batter stability, development time, time to break down, begin of gelatinization, gelatinization temperature and gelatinization maximum were negatively affected by the addition of date seed powder. The processed cake samples were chemically and organoleptically evaluated. Results showed that by increasing date seed powder levels, the fiber, fat and ash contents increased. The substituted cake (2.5 %) scored high sensory scores and was not significantly (p<0.05) different from the control. While, the other substituted cakes, (5, 7.5, and 10 %) scored low sensory scores. Therefore date seed powder could be added to some bakery products such as cakes at a level of 2.5% of the flour.