Obesity is considered to be a major health problem throughout the world. Factors contributing to obesity include increased intake of calorie dense foods and physical inactivity. Teachers represent one of the most important, large and growing sector of workforce in many countries. The objective of the present study was to determine risk of obesity among female school teachers along with various factors and health problems associated with it. A descriptive cum cross-sectional survey was conducted among 500 female school teachers. Anthropometric measurements such as height, body weight and waist circumference were measured. BMI was calculated and blood pressure was recorded. Results indicated that 43.2% of the teachers had Grade I obesity, 20.4% had Grade II obesity and 6.6% had Grade III obesity thereby indicating obesity as a significant health problem among teachers. Factors such as age, waist circumference, intake of junk foods, physical inactivity and BMI were significantly associated with obesity. In addition, health issues such as hypertension and arthritis was also found to be associated with obesity. The study therefore recommends the need to promote healthy lifestyle for school teachers that can be achieved through appropriate health education and interventional measures.

The present study evaluated the phytochemicals, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential; and thin layer chromatographic studies of Cucumis sativus L. peel extracts. The total flavonoid content was assessed using Aluminium Chloride reagent method. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using in vitro assays viz DPPH radical scavenging assay, FRAP and Phosphomolybdenum assay. The antimicrobial activity was determined against Shigella flexneri, E coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia using Agar Well Diffusion method. Qualitative phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, diterpenes, steroids and flavonoids. Total Flavonoid content in the Cucumis sativus L. peel was 3.50 µg/mg QE. Cucumis sativus L. peel showed highest radical scavenging activity of 71% at the concentration of 600 µg/mL. In determination of antioxidant activity via FRAP and Phosphomolybdenum assay cucumber peel extract showed highest absorbance of 0.80 and 0.94 respectively at the concentration of 300 µg/mL. The peel extracts inhibited the growth of all the tested pathogens by forming inhibition zones ranging from 11-21 mm. Thin layer chromatographic studies of the cucumber peel extracts constituted different coloured phytochemical compounds with different Rf values. This study highlights the pharmacological properties of Cucumis sativus L. peel.

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The objectives of the study were to assess the total phenolic content and flavonoid content, and to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of carrot peel extracted with methanol and acetone. Total Phenolic content and Flavonoid content was higher in carrot peel acetone extract (AE) i.e. 106.36 µg/mg of GAE and 27.83 µg/mg of QE respectively than methanol extract (ME). Carrot peel acetone extract showed greater antioxidant capacity for DPPH radical scavenging activity whereas methanol extract showed better result for FRAP reducing power and Phosphomolybdenum assay. Both AE and ME could inhibit the growth of Shigella flexneri, E coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. This study substantiates the potential of carrot peel to be used as a novel functional food ingredient, natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent

Excessive use of refined flour, solid fats, and sugar in preparing baked products are considered to be unhealthy and is intricately linked with the development of lifestyle diseases. Replacing refined flour with whole wheat flour and solid fats with cold-pressed oil serves as an alternate option. The study was aimed at evaluating the physicochemical properties, nutrient composition, sensory attributes, and shelf life of cupcakes enriched using pomegranate seed oil (PSO). Vanilla and chocolate cupcake variants were prepared using 25 and 50% of PSO. A sensory panel consisting of 30 semi-trained participants was selected for evaluating the formulated products using a five-point hedonic scale. Nutrient content was estimated using standard techniques. The stability of the formulated product was determined by evaluating the physicochemical traits and microbial growth on the 0th, 4th, and 7th day. Mean scores of the sensorial analysis showed that the incorporation of PSO in cupcakes was highly accepted by the panel members. Chocolate cupcake containing 50% of PSO was found to be the most preferred product (3.53±0.94), followed by vanilla cupcake containing 25% of PSO (3.4±0.62). The moisture, protein, and fat content of chocolate cupcakes containing 25% of PSO were high. Cupcakes prepared with PSO can be stored for four days at room temperature. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of punicic acid, oleic acid, tocopherols, campesterol, sitosterols, stigmasterol, and α-tocopheryl acetate as pre-dominant fatty acid in unheated and heated PSO. In conclusion, cupcakes prepared using PSO showed acceptable physicochemical qualities and sensory properties which indicated its successful consumption by people affected with metabolic disorders.