Introduction: Mung beans [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] are good sources of protein. Nevertheless, its protein quality is still questionable. This study aimed to determine the effect of different processes prior to boiling, on the in vitro protein and amino acid digestibility of mung beans by using a 6-hour enzymatic digestion. Methods: This study was based on the household method of the processes before boiling including unsoaking, soaking, and dehulling. Products from all treatment methods were analysed for proximate composition (moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, and dietary fibre) on a dry basis, naturally occurring anti-nutritional factors, amino acid composition, and digestibility of protein and amino acids. The amino acid composition and amino acid digestibility were used to calculate the dietary protein quality. Results: The treatments prior to the boiling of mung beans such as dehulling, soaking and without soaking, improved protein digestibility significantly by 10.8%, 10.3%, and 12.0%, respectively, when compared with that of raw mung beans (37.9%). Of the different mung bean pre-treatments, soaking seems to have the highest value of average indispensable amino acid (IAA) digestibility (55.4%), in particularly branched-chain amino acids (66.4%). However, there was no difference in the protein quality in terms of digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) across different treatment groups. Conclusion: The different processes performed on mung bean before boiling had only a slight impact on its amino acid digestibility and they rarely affected DIAAS values.

Introduction: Obesity or high adiposity is known to be associated with various medical consequences, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome. High adiposity and poor cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) have been found to be related with higher risks of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, previous studies in Asia reported inconsistent findings on the association between obesity or high adiposity, based on various indicators, with impaired CRF. This study investigated the association between adiposity indicators and CRF in terms of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) in adolescents from rural northeastern Thailand. Methods: This study was performed among 486 adolescents aged 14-15 years old in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. Adiposity indicators included body mass index-for-age z-scores (BAZ), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and percent body fat (%BF) based on deuterium dilution technique. Results: Male adolescents had higher WHR and VO2 max than female adolescents, while female adolescents had higher %BF and WHtR. Adolescents who had higher adiposity tended to have lower VO2 max, especially among females in which the lowest VO2 max was found in the highest quintile of adiposity indicators, including BAZ, WC, WHtR and %BF. Conclusion: Adolescents with higher adiposity tended to have poorer CRF. Based on previous knowledge that both high adiposity and poor CRF may lead to higher risks of developing CVD, this suggests that obese adolescents should be considered and managed at an early age in order to maintain optimal CRF.

Introduction: Data on nutrients of indigenous durians are useful for selecting suitable varieties for future cultivation and conservation. The objective of this study is to investigate the nutrient composition (proximate composition, dietary fibre, minerals, sugars, and fatty acids) of 17 indigenous durian varieties from Thailand. Methods: The edible part of each variety was collected, freeze dried, and kept in a freezer until analysis. All parameters were analysed by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17025 accredited laboratories using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) standards or well-validated methods. Results: All varieties of durian contained protein, fat [2.2-3.4g and 2.6-6.1g/100g fresh weight (FW), respectively], and carbohydrate (20.0-39.5g/100g FW). Sugars were predominantly found (14.2-21.8g/100g FW) and sucrose was the major form of sugars (50.0-90.0%). For the most part, all varieties contained considerable amounts of potassium, sulphur, and phosphorus. Oleic acid (C18:1n9) was the major monounsaturated fatty acid and palmitic acid (16:0) was the major saturated fatty acid (27.9-51.9% and 35.6-48.3%, respectively) in all varieties. Conclusion: Varieties of Kob-wat-kuay, Kob-sao-noi, and Kob-wai provided several beneficial compounds but also had unhealthy nutrients in small amounts. This food composition database information is beneficial for selecting good varieties for the purpose of conservation, healthy consumption, and export promotion.