This work reviews treatments and uses of Moringa oleifera seeds in human nutrition. Moringa oleifera seeds are considerable sources of proteins (mean 19%) and lipids (mean 31%). Previous reports presented the nutritional properties of the seeds and oil. Moringa seeds are sources of lipids, and their removal leads to Moringa seed flour with a high protein content which might play a role in food technology and human nutrition. Moringa oil has been tested in frying and was found to be more stable than groundnut oil; its incorporation in groundnut at level lower than 10% improved on the acceptability of chips. Several treatments like roasting, germination, and boiling have been applied to Moringa seeds to produce flour with improved nutritional properties. In particular, defatted Moringa flour has been applied in different formulations including cakes, cookies, burgers, infant porridges. Generally, the products deriving from the flour were more stable in conservation and well accepted for low substitution while high substitution increased the bitterness. Notwithstanding their high content in protein and oil, defatted M. oleifera seed flour and oil are still fairly investigated in order to envisage their integration in the food habits of people. The present wrote up reviews the treatments applied on M. oleifera seeds and applications of the defatted M. oleifera flour and oil in food systems for human nutrition.

The effects of soaking and roasting on the physicochemical and pasting properties of soybean flour were evaluated. Soybean seeds were soaked overnight in tap water for 0–72 h, hand dehulled, dried, and part of the sample was roasted. Roasted and unroasted soy beans were milled into flour and analyzed. The results showed that the total carbohydrates (22.8–27.9 g/100 g), the ash content (3.5–3.6 g/100 g), and the total polyphenols (0.29–0.51 g/100g) did not significantly change during both the soaking and roasting processes. However, the total proteins (35.8–46.0 g/100 g) and lipid contents (21.4–29.5 g/100 g) were significantly (p < 0.05) affected only by soaking, with a decrease in total protein and an increase in lipid contents. Phytate content (0.22–0.26 g/100 g) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) only with roasting. The tannins (0.01–0.30 g/100 g) and soluble proteins (4.0–29.0 g/100 g) significantly (p < 0.05) diminished with both treatments. There was a significant increase in the least gelation concentration (20–30 g/100 mL), a decrease in the swelling power (1.3–2.0 mL/mL), and consequently, reduction in the viscosity (range peak viscosity 18–210 cP) of the flour slurry after soaking and roasting. All these qualities—needed for producing nutritious flour for infants—highlighted the efficiency of these endogenous technologies.

Bacteria inhabiting the gut of insects provide many benefits to their hosts, such as aiding in food digestion, reproduction, and immunity, tissue homeostasis, adaptation to environment and resistance to pathogen and pesticides. The cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is a serious cosmopolitan pest of pulses. This beetle has lent itself as a guinea pig for several ecological studies. It harbors a consortium of bacterial communities in its gut, but the evidence for their role in its physiology is fragmentary. In this work, we hypothesized that gut microbiota mediates C. maculatus resistance to dichlorvos (DDVP or O,O-dimethyl O-2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate) and represent the target of Lippia adoensis (Gambian Tea Bush) essential oil (EO). Symbiotic and aposymbiotic beetles were exposed to artificial cowpea seeds earlier treated with DDVP or EO. Adult mortality and changes in gut bacterial community composition and abundance were examined at F₁ and F₅ generations. The susceptibility of experimental beetles to DDVP was significantly affected by their symbiotic status. The adult mortality decreased across generations in DDVP treatments, and remained significantly higher in aposymbiotic groups. In EO treatments, the mortality was consistent irrespective of symbiotic status and experimental generations. When compared to DDVP and the Control, EO treatments had significantly lower bacterial richness and diversity, as well as lower abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. These results support our hypothesis and describe the responses of gut microbial communities to pesticide treatments. This could be of interest for developing new management strategies of this pest.

The present investigation aimed at evaluating the effect of powder fractionation based on particle size on the chemical composition in macronutrients, polyphenol contents, and antioxidant properties of powders of Boscia senegalensis seeds, Dichrostachys glomerata fruits, and Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces. Significant differences (p < 0.05) among granulometric classes of each plant were observed for the chemical composition in macronutrients. A decrease in particle size of plant powders was associated with an increase in ash, protein, and fat contents, while carbohydrate content was lowered. The following Granulometric classes, [0–180 µm] for Boscia senegalensis, [180–212 µm] for Dichrostachys glomerata, and [212–315 µm] for Hibiscus sabdariffa, respectively, were found to maximize total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. These results confirm that the grinding and controlled differential screening technology is an approach may serve as a useful guide to obtain optimum polyphenol extraction and enhance antioxidant activity of plant products.