Shimrit Bar-El Dadon

Dr. Shimrit Bar-El Dadon


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

13Years (2014-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 January 2014 in Nutrition Journal
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
LMLovemore Nkhata Malunga
Lovemore Nkhata Malunga
SDShimrit Bar-El Dadon
Shimrit Bar-El Dadon
EZEli Zinal
Eli Zinal
ZBZipi Berkovich
Zipi Berkovich
SAShahal Abbo
Shahal Abbo
RRRam Reifen
Ram Reifen
Background: Undernutrition during childhood is a common disorder in the developing countries, however most research has focussed much on its treatment rather than its prevention.Objective: We investigated the potential of using chickpeas in infant follow-on formula production against the requirements of WHO/FAO on complementary foods and EU regulations on follow-on formula.Methods: Chickpeas were germinated for 72 hours followed by boiling, drying and dehulling in order to minimise associated anti-nutrition factors. Saccharifying enzymes were used to hydrolyse starch to maltose and the resulting flours were analysed for their protein content and amino acid profile.Results: The protein content (percentage) increased from 16.66 ± 0.35 and 20.24 ± 0.50 to 20.00 ± 0.15 and 21.98 ± 0.80 for the processed desi and kabuli cultivar compared to raw chickpeas, respectively (P < 0.05). There was insignificant change (P = 0.05) in amino acid profile following processing and the resulting flour was found to meet the amino acid requirements of WHO/FAO protein reference for 0–24 month’s children.Conclusion: The designed chickpea based infant follow-on formula meets the WHO/FAO requirements on complementary foods and also the EU regulations on follow-on formula with minimal addition of oils, minerals and vitamins. It uses chickpea as a common source of carbohydrate and protein hence making it more economical and affordable for the developing countries without compromising the nutrition quality.