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Papers by Charity Muchoki

South African Journal of Bioethics and Law

Background. Africa has seen an increase in the number of health research projects being conducted... more Background. Africa has seen an increase in the number of health research projects being conducted on the continent, particularly clinical trials. Ideally, this should be accompanied by a commensurate improvement in research ethics review capacity to competently provide the much-required research ethics oversight. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many African countries, which are still grappling with weak research ethics oversight capacity, not only at national level but also at institutional level. Objectives. To describe the proposal by Kenya’s national research ethics regulatory authority, the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), to build the capacity of its National Scientific and Ethics Committee (NSEC), tasked with providing the required research ethics oversight in the country. Methods. This is the proposal submitted by NACOSTI to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership for funding of a project entitled ‘Strengthe...

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Apr 30, 2022

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2007

This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on t... more This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on the nutritional, sensory and keeping properties of cowpea leaf vegetables. The cowpea leaves were purchased from the local markets, sorted to remove the blemished, leaves and foreign materials, washed in running tap water then drained. The vegetables were divided into three batches of 16kg. One batch was heat treated in hot water for 3 minutes then cooled to ambient temperatures, drained and solar-dried. The second portion was acidified to a pH of 3.8, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The third portion was fermented for 21 days, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The three batches of vegetables were spread at different times on drying trays at the rate of 4kg/m2 and dried in a solar drier to approximate moisture content of 10%. The dried vegetables were packaged in either polyethylene bags or Kraft company paper bags and stored for three months at 18o C, 22o - 26o C or 32o C. Fermenta...

This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on t... more This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on the nutritional, sensory and keeping properties of cowpea leaf vegetables. The cowpea leaves were purchased from the local markets, sorted to remove the blemished, leaves and foreign materials, washed in running tap water then drained. The vegetables were divided into three batches of 16kg. One batch was heattreated in hot water for 3 minutes then cooled to ambient temperatures, drained and solar-dried. The second portion was acidified to a pH of 3.8, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The third portion was fermented for 21 days, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The three batches of vegetables were spread at different times on drying trays at the rate of 4kg/m 2 and dried in a solar drier to approximate moisture content of 10%. The dried vegetables were packaged in either polyethylene bags or Kraft company paper bags and stored for three months at 18 o C, 22 o -26 o C or 32 o C.

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2011

This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and storage durati... more This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and storage duration on the levels of anti-nutrients: nitrates, oxalates and phenols, in cowpea leaf vegetables. The rationale was reduction of the anti-nutrients. Reduction of nutritional stress factors in plant foods increases bioavailability of nutrients, hence improving their quality as foodstuffs. The cowpea leaves were purchased from the local markets, sorted to remove blemished leaves and foreign materials, washed in running tap water. Then, the vegetables were drained and divided into three batches of 16 kg each. One batch was heat-treated in hot water for 3 minutes and then cooled to ambient temperatures, drained and solar-dried. The second portion was acidified to a pH of 3.8, heat-treated, and solar-dried. The third portion was fermented for 21 days, heat-treated, and solar-dried. The three batches of vegetables were spread at different times on drying trays at the rate of 4 kg/m 2 and dried in a solar drier to an approximate moisture content of 10%. The dried vegetables were packaged in either polyethylene bags or Kraft paper bags and stored for three months at 18 o C, 22 o-26 o C or 32 o C. Fermentation, heat-treatment and drying of vegetables led to significant (P < 0.05) reduction in nitrates compared to fresh cowpea leaves, but the reduction in oxalates and phenols was not significant. Storage for three months led to significant (P < 0.05) reduction in nitrates in the fermented sample compared to the other samples. The acidified sample had significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of phenols after three months of storage than the other samples. Samples stored at 18 o C had higher levels of oxalates and phenols but lower levels of nitrates, compared to those stored at higher temperatures. Packaging material had no significant effect on the level of nitrates, oxalates and phenols. Data obtained in this study reveal a novel technique for the reduction of anti-nutrients in cowpea leaf vegetables, namely; fermentation followed by solar drying. The increased acceptability of these fermented-dried vegetables would help rural communities in providing better foodstuff with fewer anti-nutrients, thus alleviating micronutrient malnutrition. This novel long-term storage technology can greatly help to deal with the issue of seasonality and will increase food security, especially during the dry season.

Health Promotion International

Summary Integrating nutrition communication in agricultural intervention programs aimed at increa... more Summary Integrating nutrition communication in agricultural intervention programs aimed at increased food availability and accessibility in resource-poor areas is crucial. To enhance the sustainability and scalability of nutrition communication, the present study piloted the approach of ‘nutrition integrated agricultural extension’ and tested nutrition-related outcomes with two types of nutrition messages (specific vs. sensitive) and two delivery channels (public sector vs. private sector). The study intervention comprised (i) vegetable seed kit distribution, (ii) ongoing agricultural extension activities by public or private sectors and (iii) nutrition communication with two different messages. The intervention was tested with three treatment arms and reached 454 farmers (>65% female) in rural Kakamega County, Western Kenya. Pre-/post-surveys measured outcome variables focused on farmers’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and practices in vegetable production and consumptio...

Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2017

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a major concern in the world today and is a risk for children in de... more Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a major concern in the world today and is a risk for children in developing countries. Trends have shown that food based interventions are the preferred long-term solution in controlling VAD as opposed to supplements. The orange-fleshed sweetpotato and mangoes are rich in beta-carotene, yet they are not fully utilized. A processed product from these raw materials will make use of surplus produce, promote year round utilization, increase the economic value of the crops and provide variety and convenience of uses. The roots were obtained from the field station, University of Nairobi, while the mangoes were purchased from the local market. The roots were washed, peeled and sliced. They were boiled to softness and mashed. The mangoes were washed, peeled, sliced and pureed in a blender. The two raw materials were mixed using six different formulations. Each formula was pasteurized at 80˚C for 5 min in a batch pasteurizer, packaged by hot filling, cooled immediately and stored. The cooking time for the sweetpotatoes was 19.5 min. Losses of beta-carotene and ascorbic acid ranged from 17%-21% and 18%-28% respectively after pasteurization. The total solids increased by 3% on average. Changes due to storage of the product at 25˚C could be detected by sensory analysis only after six months of storage. After storage, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid decreased by 18% and by 45% respectively. The final stored product could provide 73.7% and 64.5% of retinol equivalent for infants and 1-10 year-olds respectively. It could also provide 48.9% of ascorbic acid for children 1-10 years old, when consumed in amounts of 100 g per day.

South African Journal of Bioethics and Law

Background. Africa has seen an increase in the number of health research projects being conducted... more Background. Africa has seen an increase in the number of health research projects being conducted on the continent, particularly clinical trials. Ideally, this should be accompanied by a commensurate improvement in research ethics review capacity to competently provide the much-required research ethics oversight. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many African countries, which are still grappling with weak research ethics oversight capacity, not only at national level but also at institutional level. Objectives. To describe the proposal by Kenya’s national research ethics regulatory authority, the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), to build the capacity of its National Scientific and Ethics Committee (NSEC), tasked with providing the required research ethics oversight in the country. Methods. This is the proposal submitted by NACOSTI to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership for funding of a project entitled ‘Strengthe...

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Apr 30, 2022

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2007

This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on t... more This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on the nutritional, sensory and keeping properties of cowpea leaf vegetables. The cowpea leaves were purchased from the local markets, sorted to remove the blemished, leaves and foreign materials, washed in running tap water then drained. The vegetables were divided into three batches of 16kg. One batch was heat treated in hot water for 3 minutes then cooled to ambient temperatures, drained and solar-dried. The second portion was acidified to a pH of 3.8, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The third portion was fermented for 21 days, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The three batches of vegetables were spread at different times on drying trays at the rate of 4kg/m2 and dried in a solar drier to approximate moisture content of 10%. The dried vegetables were packaged in either polyethylene bags or Kraft company paper bags and stored for three months at 18o C, 22o - 26o C or 32o C. Fermenta...

This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on t... more This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and packaging on the nutritional, sensory and keeping properties of cowpea leaf vegetables. The cowpea leaves were purchased from the local markets, sorted to remove the blemished, leaves and foreign materials, washed in running tap water then drained. The vegetables were divided into three batches of 16kg. One batch was heattreated in hot water for 3 minutes then cooled to ambient temperatures, drained and solar-dried. The second portion was acidified to a pH of 3.8, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The third portion was fermented for 21 days, heat-treated, and then solar dried. The three batches of vegetables were spread at different times on drying trays at the rate of 4kg/m 2 and dried in a solar drier to approximate moisture content of 10%. The dried vegetables were packaged in either polyethylene bags or Kraft company paper bags and stored for three months at 18 o C, 22 o -26 o C or 32 o C.

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2011

This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and storage durati... more This study was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation, solar drying and storage duration on the levels of anti-nutrients: nitrates, oxalates and phenols, in cowpea leaf vegetables. The rationale was reduction of the anti-nutrients. Reduction of nutritional stress factors in plant foods increases bioavailability of nutrients, hence improving their quality as foodstuffs. The cowpea leaves were purchased from the local markets, sorted to remove blemished leaves and foreign materials, washed in running tap water. Then, the vegetables were drained and divided into three batches of 16 kg each. One batch was heat-treated in hot water for 3 minutes and then cooled to ambient temperatures, drained and solar-dried. The second portion was acidified to a pH of 3.8, heat-treated, and solar-dried. The third portion was fermented for 21 days, heat-treated, and solar-dried. The three batches of vegetables were spread at different times on drying trays at the rate of 4 kg/m 2 and dried in a solar drier to an approximate moisture content of 10%. The dried vegetables were packaged in either polyethylene bags or Kraft paper bags and stored for three months at 18 o C, 22 o-26 o C or 32 o C. Fermentation, heat-treatment and drying of vegetables led to significant (P < 0.05) reduction in nitrates compared to fresh cowpea leaves, but the reduction in oxalates and phenols was not significant. Storage for three months led to significant (P < 0.05) reduction in nitrates in the fermented sample compared to the other samples. The acidified sample had significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of phenols after three months of storage than the other samples. Samples stored at 18 o C had higher levels of oxalates and phenols but lower levels of nitrates, compared to those stored at higher temperatures. Packaging material had no significant effect on the level of nitrates, oxalates and phenols. Data obtained in this study reveal a novel technique for the reduction of anti-nutrients in cowpea leaf vegetables, namely; fermentation followed by solar drying. The increased acceptability of these fermented-dried vegetables would help rural communities in providing better foodstuff with fewer anti-nutrients, thus alleviating micronutrient malnutrition. This novel long-term storage technology can greatly help to deal with the issue of seasonality and will increase food security, especially during the dry season.

Health Promotion International

Summary Integrating nutrition communication in agricultural intervention programs aimed at increa... more Summary Integrating nutrition communication in agricultural intervention programs aimed at increased food availability and accessibility in resource-poor areas is crucial. To enhance the sustainability and scalability of nutrition communication, the present study piloted the approach of ‘nutrition integrated agricultural extension’ and tested nutrition-related outcomes with two types of nutrition messages (specific vs. sensitive) and two delivery channels (public sector vs. private sector). The study intervention comprised (i) vegetable seed kit distribution, (ii) ongoing agricultural extension activities by public or private sectors and (iii) nutrition communication with two different messages. The intervention was tested with three treatment arms and reached 454 farmers (>65% female) in rural Kakamega County, Western Kenya. Pre-/post-surveys measured outcome variables focused on farmers’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and practices in vegetable production and consumptio...

Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2017

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a major concern in the world today and is a risk for children in de... more Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a major concern in the world today and is a risk for children in developing countries. Trends have shown that food based interventions are the preferred long-term solution in controlling VAD as opposed to supplements. The orange-fleshed sweetpotato and mangoes are rich in beta-carotene, yet they are not fully utilized. A processed product from these raw materials will make use of surplus produce, promote year round utilization, increase the economic value of the crops and provide variety and convenience of uses. The roots were obtained from the field station, University of Nairobi, while the mangoes were purchased from the local market. The roots were washed, peeled and sliced. They were boiled to softness and mashed. The mangoes were washed, peeled, sliced and pureed in a blender. The two raw materials were mixed using six different formulations. Each formula was pasteurized at 80˚C for 5 min in a batch pasteurizer, packaged by hot filling, cooled immediately and stored. The cooking time for the sweetpotatoes was 19.5 min. Losses of beta-carotene and ascorbic acid ranged from 17%-21% and 18%-28% respectively after pasteurization. The total solids increased by 3% on average. Changes due to storage of the product at 25˚C could be detected by sensory analysis only after six months of storage. After storage, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid decreased by 18% and by 45% respectively. The final stored product could provide 73.7% and 64.5% of retinol equivalent for infants and 1-10 year-olds respectively. It could also provide 48.9% of ascorbic acid for children 1-10 years old, when consumed in amounts of 100 g per day.