Monday, January 27, 2020

Antioxidant Activity of Banana Peel

Antioxidant Activity of Banana Peel According to several authors, banana peel recorded stronger antioxidant activity, pooled more quantity of phenolic compounds (Someya et al., 2002), greater range of phenolics composition and higher in minerals content than banana pulp. Banana pulp had been reported as having various antioxidants such as vitamins (A, B and E), ÃŽÂ ² carotene (Kanazawa Sakakibara, 2000) and phenolic compounds like catechin, epicatechin, lignin, tannin (Someya et al., 2002), gallocatechin and anthocyanins like peonidin and malvidine. There several type of antioxidant such as vitamin C, E, A, beta-carotene, lycopene and also other substances. Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in nuts, grains, and some meats, and fish. Combination of vitamin C with other antioxidants, including vitamin E, b-carotene, and selenium, provides a synergistic antihypertensive effect. Experimental evidences prove that antioxidants can protect human body from free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) effects. Antioxidants are substances that can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body and also may protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules or highly reactive chemical that often contains oxygen and is produced during oxidation. Exposure to various environmental factors will lead to free radical formation such as tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage important cellular molecules such as DNA or lipids or other parts of the cell and als o may lead to cancer. Banana peel also demonstrated the presence of various phenolic compounds such as gallocatechin and anthocyanins like peonidin and malvidin. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites, which have been associated with flavour and colour characteristics of fruits and vegetables and are gaining considerable attention because of their potent antioxidant and health promoting properties (Kaur Kapoor, 2001). Extraction of phenolic compounds in plant materials is influenced by many factors including the extraction method employed, types of solvent polarity used, storage time, presence of interfering substances, sample particle size and conditions as well as their chemical nature. Bananas were enriched with minerals like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. Banana peel could be a good source of carbohydrates and fiber. The high fiber content also indicates that the peels could help treat constipation and improve general health and well being (Anhwange, B. A. et al., 2009). Natural antioxidant are compound from plant or animals sources that retard oxidative rancidity of oil, fats and fat soluble components, thus protecting them while delaying the development of unpleasant flavors and odors resulting from oxidation process. Antioxidant are present naturally in most raw food sources. Processing of the fruit can remove or trigger the degradation of these antioxidant. Nowadays, the most widely used antioxidant were synthetic antioxidant such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyanisole (TBHQ), and propyl gallate (PG). Figure 1.1 show the molecular structure of the available synthetic antioxidant. Problem Statement Doubt on the safety of the synthetic arose first in the 1960s and led to an increased interest and broad research on natural antioxidant (). Natural antioxidant particularly found in fruit and vegetables have gain interest among consumer and the scientific community because epidemiological studies have indicate that frequent consumption of natural antioxidant is associate with the lower risk of cardiovascular and cancer (Renoud et al.1998). Natural antioxidants are perceived safe, less toxic and beneficial for human health. However, natural antioxidants is very expensive and have been not widely commercialized. In the recent years, there had been an explosive interest in studying antioxidants of some fruits due to their health promoting properties. A large number of studies have been demonstrated either on the effect of extraction time and extraction temperature or drying temperature toward antioxidant activity, phenolic content and minerals in banana peel. Antioxidant activity could influence by geographical origin, cultivar and harvest storage time. (C. Guo et al., 2003). These statements show that different origin of banana peel will have different value of antioxidant. This present studies are focusing on the banana peel that originally harvest in Malaysia because banana peel from Malaysia origin is rarely being studied before. Objective The objective of this research project is to establish the optimal condition for obtaining the banana peel extract with high antioxidant activity, phenolic content and minerals by using solvent extraction. Research Scope Following tasks will be undertaken as a part of the proposed research:- Different drying temperatures of 50Â °C, 55Â °C, 60Â °C, 65Â °C and 70Â °C used to dry the sample. 70% acetone was use as the extracting solvent. Antioxidant activity and phenolic content was analyst by using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay and Folin-Ciocalteus calorimetric (FC) respectively. The detection of the products was performed by using UV-visible Spectrophotometer. The sample of 60Â °C drying temperature was extract by using different solvent (methanol, acetone and water) with different dilution ratio (90%, 70%, 50%) in the hot water extraction. The extraction was done at 50Â °C for 1 hour. Antioxidant activity and phenolic content were analyst by using FRAP assay and FC assay respectively. The detection of the product was performed by using UV-visible Spectrophotometer. Time of extraction vary from 1minutes-120 minutes was used to determined the effect of extraction time on antioxidant activity and phenolic content. Banana peel drying at 60Â °C extracted with 70% acetone was used as the sample. Analysis were done by using FRAP and FC assay where the detection was performed by using UV-visible Spectrophotometer Different extraction temperatures of 40Â °C, 50Â °C, 55Â °C and 60Â °C were for the hot water extraction. Banana peel drying at 60Â °C extracted with 70% acetone was used as the sample. Duration of the extraction process was 2 hours. Analyst for antioxidant activity and phenolic content were performed. Verification of the Ascorbic acid existence in the banana peel extract was performed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) unit. Banana peel drying at 60Â °C extracted with 70% acetone was use as the sample. The extraction process was done at 55oC for 2 hours. Sodium(Na), Magnesium(Mg) and Calcium(Ca) compositions in banana peel extracted with 70% acetone and undergo 2 hours extraction at 55oC were investigate by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) unit. Rationale and Significance Banana is one of the source of natural antioxidant. Besides, banana is easy to get because it is not a seasonal fruit and it grow well in Malaysia. Banana peels are waste from banana fruit and they contain high amount of antioxidant, phenolic content and also mineral. This peel is biodegradable and it will produce environmental problem due to it nitrogen and phosphorus quantity. Therefore extracting the banana peel will be the best solution in order to protect human being, gaining some profit and also creating waste to wealth. Banana peel also can be commercialize because it qualitative and quantitatively contain more antioxidant than it pulp. It also will have does not compete with banana pulp in producing end product especially in the food industry.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Effects of Baby Boomers on Social Security and Healthcare

Expected Lifetime Costs of Significant â€Å"Aging Shocks† for a 65-Year-Old Today Population Needing Long-term Care If we also look at another issue as to why long-term care could be a large burden is the rapid inflation in expenditures for long-term care in recent years. Medicare and Medicaid expenditures on nursing home care were $9 billion in 1980, more than doubling to $25 billion by 1990, and doubling again to $54 billion by 1999. Likewise, Medicare and Medicaid expenditures on home health care increased from less than $1 billion in 1980 to $5 billion in 1990 and to $16. billion in 1999, down from a high of $17 billion in 1996 (Health Care Financing Administration 2000; Heffler et al. 2001). With this we can also see that out of pocket expenses have not been lowered at all either. Also there is a concern about long-term care costs that comes from a report by Curran, McLanahan, and Knab (in review) it suggest that children who experience divorce may be less willing or abl e to care for their aging parents. Their data indicate that the probability of an elderly person perceiving an availability of emotional support from his or her children is reduced from 71 percent for those who marry once and remain married to 56 percent for those who many and divorce. Which would make these elderly Baby Boomers more apt to have to depend on Social Security or some sort of governmental supplement? {draw:frame} There remain some substantial challenges to getting ready to meet the long-term care needs of Baby Boomers. Basically there are four areas of concerns that need to be focused on: Creating a finance system for long-term care that works Building a viable and affordable community-based delivery system Investing in healthy aging in order to achieve lower disability rates, and Recharging the concept of family and the value of seniors in American culture. There are four sources of payments currently finance long-term care services for the elderly: Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and out-of-pocket payments. The federal Medicare program pays for approximately 24 percent of all long-term care costs (Congressional Budget Office 1999). In principle, Medicare does not cover custodial long-term care, but rehabilitation care. The federal/state Medicaid program is probably the most important player in the long-term care financing system. Medicare may if you will, be considered as a back up to the Medicaid program. Basically what Medicare does is help pay for the eldest and more serious conditions in the elderly who are in a situation that they have little to no money.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Challenges of the U.S. Healthcare System Essay

Understanding the U.S. Healthcare system can be very challenging due to the system is constantly changing from new technology; manage care, health care reforms, aging populations and other economic factors that have a significant impact in the service provided. This paper will focus on the stakeholders involved in health care today. Who are these stakeholders? What are their roles in the healthcare industries? Understanding the public, payers, providers, and the suppliers may explain why the healthcare system continues to be challenge. Today U.S. Health Care System is facing many challenges. According to Sultz & Young (2011), this because the growing concern that the Health Care is a large and difficult to manage and that consume over 17% of the U.S. Gross domestic product and exceeds $ 1.5 trillion in cost (p.1). Who are these major stakeholders that sometimes share and often cause conflicting concerns, interest and influence the major component on the health care system? They are the public, payers, providers, and the suppliers. The public is the major consumers of the service provided by the health system. The insured and the uninsured are both major contributors. The public is truly not aware of the real cost of healthcare services because of the third party payers or the government’s Medicare/ Medicaid program. The insured is only concern is the amount of deductible and co-pay due. The uninsured relies on the government aid and with the lack of understanding prefer ER visit instead of primary doctor vis it. The public also assumes that healthcare is just like other inherits right (such as protection from the police, fire department or public education) and should be accessible to all U.S. citizens. Currently, the number of uninsured is rising, and that’s why Affordable Care Act was implemented by President Obama. The question is â€Å"How many uninsured will actually gain coverages, and whether the reform law will keep healthcare spending growth down are the two many uncertainties in the year ahead?† (Meyer & Evans, 2014, p.15). The consumers also have an organization that lobbies legislation and protection for the public. Such organizations are the American Association of Retired Person, labor organization and a disease specific group (ACS-American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association). Traditionally, patient’s behavior is very  dependent upon the provider (physician), and the possibility of excessive services such as diagnostic testing can be done. Currently, internet has empowers people to seek health information. Internet plays a larger role in their diagnosis and treatment. A survey done by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (2013), 1 in 3 American adults have gone online to figure out a medical condition, and 35 % of U.S. adults say t hat, at one time, or another, they have gone online specifically to try to figure out what medical condition they or someone else might have (p.1). Internet use is becoming more popular due to easy access to the internet with smartphones. There are reliable and not reliable website that patients’ needs to be aware when searching the interment. According to Sultz & Young (2011), internet users are becoming more educated and participatory in clinical decision-making (p.59). These just challenge the doctors on how to deal with a more knowledgeable and involved patients. I see more and more patient dictating their treatment options versus before just doing what the doctor says. The payers in the U.S. health system are very influential group of stakeholders because they are the one paying for the high percentage of the cost. The payers are the public sector which includes the federal government, state and local government. The private sectors are the private insurers and business. According to the article Understanding the U.S. Healthcare System (2010), 47% of the expenditures comes from the public sources and 53% from private sources (p.4). They are also the one the currently taking an active role in determining what those costs should be. The government is considered a dominant stakeholder since the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid. The government is the taxing authority that generates the funds to support the healthcare system. The governmentâ₠¬â„¢s role is not just a payor but also as regulators and providers through public hospitals, state and local health department and other government facilities. Many regulators were formed over the years to control over various areas in the healthcare system. Most common regulators are the HHS- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CMS- the Center of Medicare and Medicaid, and the FDA- the Food and Drug Administration. These organizations are created to make sure everyone is compliant with the current law of U.S. The current healthcare situation has created a significant dilemma in our country. Problems such as the rising uninsured,  the advancement of technology and the rising cost and healthcare system emphasis on cure and fail prevention are just few of the example of why the president implemented the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Affordable Care Act will help millions of Americans who currently lack insurance, working-aged men and women and their children, access to Medicaid. It will help small business and individuals with modest means purchase reasonably priced plans. Shaw et al. (2014) mentioned by 2019, the law will bring health coverage and the health benefits of insurance-to an estimated 25 million more Americans (p. 75). It has already restrained discriminatory insurance practices, made coverage more affordable, and realized new provisions to curb costs (including tests of new health- care delivery models) (Shaw et al., 2014). The ACA has positive and negative points, but our troubled healthcare system needs to emerge in these issues and challenges in order to improve our healthcare system. The providers in the U.S. Healthcare System include all individuals and organization that provide healthcare services to the consumers. Individuals include; physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, dentist and any allied health providers. Organization include; hospitals, nursing homes, community-based ambulatory services and other similar entities. Although health professional is the one that provides actual care, hospitals in particular offer the environment in which care can be provided and are compensated by the payers for the service provided. As an employee in the healthcare, I have seen a physician that provides extra service or chargeable item in order to increase revenue. This assumption is hard to prove because of documentation provided by a physician and conflicting opinions. Physicians and organization that emphasis on cure can fail to lead prevention. Healthcare professional can steer and influence public opinion especially when it comes to health. According to Sultz & Yo ung (2011), Professional Association has considerable influence over legislation proposals, regulation, quality issues, and other political matters (p.16). A good example is the lobbying effectiveness of the American Medical Association plays an important role. It also includes the American Hospital Association, and The American Nurses Associations are just a few of the powerful organization that has a role in the health policy decisions. Another important issue is the long term care in the aging population is also creating challenges in our healthcare system. The increase of senior  citizen (baby boomers) will create higher cost deficit and it’s important to create a seamless process of care to avoid duplication of services. Currently, healthcare providers are experiencing budget constraints and strict regulation. Providers are asked to have EMR (electronic medical record) system implemented. According to CMS.gov, as required by law, President Obama issued a sequestration order on March 1, 2013. Under these mandatory reductions, Medicare EHR incentive payments made to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals will be reduced by 2%. This 2% reduction has been applied to any Medicare EHR incentive payment for a reporting period that ended on or after April 1, 2013 (â€Å"EHR incentive programs,† 2014). Continuous quality improvement (CQI) should be included in gathering data quality in the organization, since it focuses on processes rather than the individual; reorganized both external and internal customers, and promotes the need for objective data to analyze and improve processes (Green & Bowie, 2011, p. 258). A more patient-centered care and prevention could cause impact on how the providers handle business. The suppliers in the healthcare system include medical equipment companies and drug companies. These suppliers have grown immensely due to the search of greater efficiency in the delivery of health care services. These companies are for profit and strive for competition in the market just like the insurance companies. New drugs, technology and new creative surgical procedures have made it possible to treat diseases that have a bad prognosis. New technologies have created a life enhancing and life-extending medical accomplishment (Sultz & Young, 2011, p.44). Strategies have c hange in the delivery of care due to the advancement of technology and brought new problems. New medical and technological advancement came with new financial and ethical dilemmas. Financial aspect is whatever it’s beneficial or not the use of new technology has contributed to the higher healthcare cost. The ethical dilemmas are greater ability to prolong the life can likely cause poor quality of life and the right to die. The AMA (American Medical Association) and the federal government have developed programs to examine these issues and provide information to the public and to the providers. In the Technology Assessment Act of 1972, â€Å"it is essential that, to the fullest extent possible, the consequences of the technological applications be anticipated, understood, in the determination of public policy on existing  and emerging national problems† (Shultz & Young, 2011,p.45). The Agency of Health Care Policy and Quality has a challenging mission to adhere and sort out the complicated health care system and determine what is reasonable to whom, when and a t what cost. In conclusion, the U.S. Health Care system is changing economically and socially. Healthcare organizations are challenge in providing high quality, affordable care, and healthcare services are an increasingly difficult challenge. The reported outcomes are critical components of evaluating whether clinicians are improving the health of the patient, safety, reducing cost and encouraging preventive care. Containing the cost will affect the quality of care; that will raise the question to quality and access. In addition, there are strong pressures on providers to examine and document the outcomes and effectiveness of their health care actions. All stakeholders must change in order to resolve the complex issues such as treatment options, domain of laws, politics, journalism, administration, public and providers. There are still a lot of issues that need improvements, but I believe that our government and society will find a middle ground to solve these issues.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The And Childhood Environment Defines A Person - 929 Words

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