Dr Anwaar Ahmed | PMAS Arid Agricultural university.Rawalpindi,Pakistan (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr Anwaar Ahmed

$Research paper thumbnail of Extraction and determination of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of buckwheat seed milling fractions$

Food Science and Technology, 2022

Buckwheat is a precious source of various bioactive compounds like phenolics, flavonoids, rutin, ... more Buckwheat is a precious source of various bioactive compounds like phenolics, flavonoids, rutin, and quercetin, etc. This
research work was performed to harvest the nutraceutical potential of indigenous buckwheat varieties and their milling fractions
(fine flour, coarse flour, bran flour, and husk). Common buckwheat (CBW) and Tartary buckwheat (TBW) were analyzed
in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH scavenging activity. When compared to
common buckwheat, Tartary buckwheat had a higher total phenolic content (2101.421 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoid content
(1233.990 mg QEQ/100 g), and DPPH scavenging activity (44.51%).In the same context, throughout comparisons among
milling fractions, the highest TPC and TFC were observed in the husk part of Tartary buckwheat while the lowest was found
in common buckwheat. During the comparison of different solvents and their concentrations, it was observed that Ethanol
70% extracted a greater quantity of phytochemicals as compared to the rest of the other solvents and concentrations. This study
recognized variability among buckwheat varieties and milling fractions for nutraceutical potential and nutritional qualities that
can be used in the treatment of different maladies and food products.`

Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture

Antioxidants play a vital role in food preservation. They ensure that food keeps its taste and co... more Antioxidants play a vital role in food preservation. They ensure that food keeps its taste and color and stays edible over a longer period. In this study, the oxidative stability of Frozen beef incorporated with Moringa oleifera leaves was evaluated. Antioxidant activities were investigated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and Phosphomolybdate assay. Whereas the effect of tested extract on frozen beef quality was monitored using Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) lipid oxidation assay and organoleptic evaluation. Our results indicated that methanol extract of Moringa oleifera is the most active extract with IC50 of 22.52 μg/mL against DPPH free radical and 32.47 μg/mL against phosphomolybdate ion. Methanol extract also showed a considerable inhibition of lipid per oxidation along with some positive organoleptic effect, which indicates the presence of compounds with preservative effect on frozen beef. The GC-MS analysis of this extract resulted in the identification of 41 compounds. These identified compounds should be further purified and tested individually in order to indicate agents that have potential to be used commercially as natural meat preservatives.

Bioavailability of calcium, iron and zinc as calcium carbonate (CaCO 3), ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4)... more Bioavailability of calcium, iron and zinc as calcium carbonate (CaCO 3), ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4) and zinc sulphate (ZnSO 4) @ 1,000, 40 and 20 mg kg −1 respectively from fortified bread of 72% extraction straight grade flour was assessed. Fortified bread diets were fed to 64 female Sprague-Dawley Albino rats for a period of 28 days. The retention of Ca, Fe and Zn was measured in plasma, femur and liver tissues of rats. The results showed that the feed intake and live body weight of the experimental animals increased significantly with the time period. The Ca levels in plasma and liver did not change significantly while in femur, Ca retention changed significantly with changing type of the fortificants. Similarly, the results for percent apparent absorption (AA) of Ca also remained unchanged (P<0.05). The Fe and Zn levels were significantly higher in the plasma, liver and femur of rats fed Fe and Zn fortified bread. Interaction of Ca, Fe and Zn resulted in their decreased bioavailability. However Ca, Fe and Zn absorption was higher in the rats fed triple fortified diet compared with those fed unfortified bread diet. This negative interaction did not appear to be great enough to discourage multiple fortification of flour to address minerals malnutrition in the vulnerable groups.

The bioavailability and interactive effects of calcium, iron and zinc fortified whole wheat flour... more The bioavailability and interactive effects of calcium, iron and zinc fortified whole wheat flour chapattis on female Sprague-Dawley albino rats were determined. The whole wheat flour was fortified with CaCO 3 , FeSO 4 and ZnSO 4 at 1000, 40 and 20 mg/kg, respectively and fed to 64 female Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 weeks. Retention of Ca, Fe and Zn was determined in plasma, femur and liver tissues. Ca levels in plasma and liver did not alter significantly while the Ca retention in femur changed significantly with the change in fortificants. The calcium retention was higher in the femur of rats fed on the diet supplemented with Ca+Zn (221±13.61 mg/g) than the rats fed on the diet supplemented with Ca+Fe (219±18.92 mg/g). The iron in plasma, liver and femur ranged from 2.19±0.11 to 2.77±0.10 μg/ml, 203.5±13.24 to 251.5±17.19 μg/g and 43.5±1.05 to 52±2.07 μg/g while zinc content ranged from 1.31±0.089 to 1.55±0.114 μg/ml, 89.5±3.41 to 132± 6.10 μg/g and 175±8.29 to 191±10.85 μg/g, respectively. The minerals interacted with each other resulting in decrease of bioavailability among each other. The absorption was higher in the rats fed on fortified diet than those fed on unfortified chapatti diet. Hence, it is concluded that fortification of whole wheat flour is feasible to overcome the Ca, Fe and Zn malnutrition in the vulnerable groups.

Protein-enriched cookies were prepared by supplementing gram flour into wheat flour at levels of ... more Protein-enriched cookies were prepared by supplementing gram flour into wheat flour at levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% and analysed for physicochemical properties. The protein quality of the cookies was assessed by feeding gram floursupplemented cookies to albino rats for 10 days. The supplementation resulted in a significant increase in protein, fat, crude fibre and ash contents of the cookies. The thickness and spread factor of cookies differ significantly while non-significant effect was observed in the width of the cookies. The protein efficiency ratio, net protein utilization, biological value and true digestibility differed significantly among diets containing cookies with gram flour fed to rats. Cookies with 30% substitution of straight grade flour and gram flour produced acceptable cookies as compared to control. The cookies containing 40–50% gram flour were best regarded as protein bioavailability for rats.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2021

Langmuir, 2021

Utilization of β-carotene in functional food products is limited due to chemical instability, low... more Utilization of β-carotene in functional food products is limited due to chemical instability, lower water-solubility, and higher melting point. The present research was designed to formulate a nanoemulsion system for the effective delivery of β-carotene. β-Carotene was successfully incorporated into nanoemulsions using the ultrasonication method. During 60 days of storage, the droplet size of β-carotene-containing nanoemulsions varied from 112.36 to 133.9 nm at 4 °C and from 112.36 to 147.1 nm at 25 °C. The oxidation stability of olive oil was remarkably increased when incorporated into nanoemulsions. β-Carotene nanoemulsions remained stable under varying ionic strengths (50-400 mM), pH values (2-8), and freeze-thaw cycles (four). The values of turbidity and total color difference increased over time and at a higher temperature. Degradation of β-carotene was substantially slower in nanoemulsions, and the addition of antioxidants significantly increased the retention of β-carotene in nanoemulsions. These findings suggest that the ultrasonic homogenization method has potential for the preparation of β-carotene nanoemulsions with desirable properties. These nanoemulsions can be effectively used for the incorporation of β-carotene in the food and beverage industry.

Science of The Total Environment, 2021

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 2020

B uckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) belongs to the family Polygonaceae. It is classified as pseudoc... more B uckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) belongs to the family Polygonaceae. It is classified as pseudocereal because its grains are practically identical to other cereals like wheat, maize, rice etc. (Liu et al., 2001). The chemical composition of buckwheat is similar and comparable with other cereals. Among various buckwheat varieties, only nine have agricultural and beneficial qualities. Two of these buckwheat species are mostly cultivated throughout the world i.e. common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum). In the year 2015, the world production of buckwheat was 2.0 million tonnes. Russia was the leading producer with 43% of the world production followed by China with 25% production. In 2017, the production of buckwheat was increased up to 13% on the globe. The structure and qualities of buckwheat grain are unique or different in relation to those of wheat grain. It contains a variety of nutraceutical compounds with the potential for functional food development that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition (Bonafaccia et al., 2003). Other than being rich in vitamins, especially vitamins B group, higher lysine, iron compounds, copper and magnesium contents Abstract | The need for nutraceutical and gluten-free food is increasing day by day and buckwheat food products can serve to be a good source to address this demand. In the present study, we investigated the supplementation of buckwheat @ 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% in durum wheat to make egg-free pasta of good quality. Rheological studies (dough development time, dough stability, water absorption and mixing tolerance index) were significantly affected (p≤0.05) by the supplementation of buckwheat flour. There was a gradual increase in the ash (0.88±0.02 to 1.72±0.04) and fiber contents (0.01±0.001 to 2.64±0.04) with the increment in buckwheat flour while moisture contents decreased significantly (4.63±0.04 to 3.80±0.04). The protein (8.93±0.03) and fat contents (3.01±0.06) were significantly higher in supplemented pasta having 50% buckwheat. However, it negatively influenced the cooking quality parameters (cooking time, loss of solids). The sensory scores emphasized that pasta with 30 % buckwheat supplementation was more appealing for taste, color and texture. The study postulated that buckwheat could be used as a potential source of gluten-free bakery products.

Food Chemistry, 2019

Optimization of soya lecithin and Tween 80 based novel vitamin D nanoemulsions prepared by ultras... more Optimization of soya lecithin and Tween 80 based novel vitamin D nanoemulsions prepared by ultrasonication using response surface methodology,

Food chemistry, 2018

In the present study, food grade mixed surfactant-based β-carotene nanoemulsions were prepared wi... more In the present study, food grade mixed surfactant-based β-carotene nanoemulsions were prepared without using any co-surfactant. Response surface methodology (RSM) along with central composite design (CCD) was used to investigate the effect of independent variables (surfactant concentration, ultrasonic homogenization time and oil content) on response variables. RSM analysis results revealed that experimental results were best fitted into a quadratic polynomial model with regression coefficient values of more than 0.900 for all responses. Optimized preparation conditions for β-carotene nanoemulsions were 5.82% surfactant concentration, 4 min ultrasonic homogenization time and 6.50% oil content. The experimental values at optimized preparation conditions were 119.33 nm droplet size, 2.67p-Anisidine value and 85.63% β-carotene retention. This study will be helpful for the fortification of aqueous products with β-carotene.

Food Chemistry, 2017

The present study was conducted to prepare co-surfactant free, olive-oil based alpha tocopherol n... more The present study was conducted to prepare co-surfactant free, olive-oil based alpha tocopherol nanoemulsions, using a food grade non-ionic surfactant. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the effects of independent variables (ultrasonic homogenization time, olive oil concentrations and surfactant contents) on different physico-chemical characteristics of O/W nanoemulsions. This study was carried out using a central composite design. The coefficients of determination were greater than 0.900 for all response variables and there were significant effects of independent variables on all responses. The optimum levels of independent variables for the preparation of nanoemulsions were 3 min. ultrasonic homogenization time, 4% olive oil content and 2.08% surfactant concentration. The physico-chemical responses at these levels were 151.68 nm particle size, 7.17% p-anisidine and 88.64% antioxidant activity. These results will help in design of nanoemulsions with optimum independent variables.

This research evaluates the performance of various hot mix asphalt mixtures. Four HMA mixtures (t... more This research evaluates the performance of various hot mix asphalt mixtures. Four HMA mixtures (two controlled and two modified) for wearing course were evaluated within envelope of national highway authority (NHA's) class A and class B gradations using Superpave mix design method. Bakelite, an old plastic was added as modifier to the penetration grade 60/70 binder. This study investigated the rutting resistance by Hamburg Wheel tracker test at room temperature and stiffness by dynamic modulus test at various temperatures (25, 40 and 50˚C) and frequencies (0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 and 25 Hz) using Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT). The test results indicated that with the addition of bakelite, the performance of mixtures improved significantly. The percentage reduction in rut depth at 6% optimum bakelite content was found to be 29% and 38% for class A mixtures and class B mixtures, respectively when compared to controlled mixtures. Likewise, the percentage increase in dynamic ...

International journal of injury control and safety promotion, Jan 9, 2015

Injuries and fatalities from road traffic crashes have emerged a major public health challenge in... more Injuries and fatalities from road traffic crashes have emerged a major public health challenge in Pakistan. Reliable estimates of road crash fatalities (RCF) of a country, is a vital element needed for identification and control of key risk factors, road-safety improvement efforts and prioritizing national health. Reliability of current annual RCF estimates for Pakistan becomes highly questionable due to serious underreporting. This study aimed to predict annual RCF for Pakistan using data from World Health Organization and International Road Federation sources. An ordinary least square (OLS) regression model that relates fatality rate with different explanatory variables was developed. RCF were predicted for Pakistan for year 2012 and 2013, and results were compared with national police reported estimates. Study results indicated that there is serious underreporting of RCF in Pakistan and immediate measures are needed to improve the existing road crash recording and reporting syste...

Wheat and Rice in Disease Prevention and Health, 2014

Abstract Mineral balance is of significant importance to achieve sound health in humans. Scarcity... more Abstract Mineral balance is of significant importance to achieve sound health in humans. Scarcity, overdose, or discrepancies of minerals have a negative effect on bodily fitness. However, the amount of a mineral consumed is not the most important factor in maintaining a balance; this, rather, is the amount that is bioavailable. Micronutrient malnutrition is a serious threat to more than 2 billion people worldwide, even though it is preventable to a large extent. Deficiencies of micronutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc can cause various disorders – for example, osteoporosis, anemia, and development of a defective immune system, respectively. Wheat contains significant amounts of Ca, Fe, Zn, and other minerals. Wheat and wheat products can contribute significantly to the dietary intake of minerals, but the limiting factor is the presence of high amounts of phytic acid. In order to overcome malnutrition, it is necessary to find different ways to reduce the inhibitory effect of phytic acid on minerals.

The Journal of Agricultural Science, 2013

SUMMARYA growing trend for nutraceutical and gluten-free cereal-based products highlights the nee... more SUMMARYA growing trend for nutraceutical and gluten-free cereal-based products highlights the need for development of new products. Buckwheat is one of the potential candidates for such products and the present paper reviews the functional and nutraceutical compounds present in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum). The vital functional substances in buckwheat are flavonoids, phytosterols, fagopyrins, fagopyritols, phenolic compounds, resistant starch, dietary fibre, lignans, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which make it a highly active biological pseudocereal. Cholesterol-lowering effects that lessen the problems of constipation and obesity are important health benefits that can be achieved through the functional substances of buckwheat.

Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 2014

Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 2013

Journal of Transportation Engineering, 2012

ABSTRACT Estimates of planning-level treatment costs are vital inputs for preservation project bu... more ABSTRACT Estimates of planning-level treatment costs are vital inputs for preservation project budgeting, prioritization, and programming in highway asset management. However, with the paucity of analytical research on highway asset preservation costing, agencies have resorted to the use of average costs. However, average cost values fail to adequately accommodate the influence of cost factors such as project size and asset condition at the time of the preservation treatment. In addressing this issue, this paper explores the efficacy of different mathematical specifications, including the Cobb-Douglas form and a variety of other nonlinear forms, for developing treatment cost functions. The paper shows how flexible formulations could be used to specify the response variable in order to avoid unduly restricting the models and to yield cost estimates that are more reliable compared to average costs. The paper shows how to investigate the direction and strengths of scale economies and condition economies in highway asset preservation costs using mathematical forms that allow for determining the partial derivatives of treatment cost with respect to asset dimensions and pretreatment condition. The paper demonstrates its concepts by using data on flexible pavement preservation treatments at a midwestern state highway agency