Thesis (MTech (Consumer Science)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / Globally, and in South Africa, consumers have become concerned about living healthier lifestyles as well as acquiring an understanding of health and using self-medication as disease preventative measures. This has resulted in an expanding consumer interest in functional foods and the non-nutrient bioactive ingredients in foods that support health. The aim of this study therefore was to determine: (i) the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding (i.e. acceptance) of functional foods and a number of bioactive food ingredients of health conscious consumers in two adjoining subcouncils of the City of Cape Town and (ii) the demographic, health and lifestyle characteristics and other socioenvironmental influences affecting their acceptance of bioactive ingredients in functional foods to describe the consumer market for functional foods and the bioactive food ingredients investigated. For the purpose of this study two groups of respondents representing the health conscious consumer were purposefully sampled. One hundred and thirty nine respondents representing the health conscious market, which includes gym subscribers and dietary supplement users, anonymously and voluntarily participated (67% response rate) from the two subcouncils, De Grendal and Blaauwberg, representing a higher economically active segment of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2012 / The chronic diseases of lifestyle, tuberculosis and Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have a high prevalence in South Africa. These diseases are characterised by oxidative stress and a chronic inflammatory state that contribute to both the development and the acceleration of these diseases. Research into the phytochemical plant food components suggest that these substances could possibly play a vital role in the prevention of such disease. Corn steep liquor (CSL) is a waste product with an exceptionally high polyphenol content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). This led to the suggestion that it could be utilised in the development of food products with functional food characteristics. Stock cubes, due to the widespread use among consumers of different socio-economic backgrounds, were identified as vehicle for the delivery of the CSL with its phytochemical content. This lead to the development of a stock cube utilising CSL as a source of phytochemical polyphenolic antioxidants with the micronutrients zinc, selenium and copper as added support to immunonutrition, along with iron due to the wide spread prevalence of iron deficiency in the South African population. The acceptability of the developed stock cube was tested by preparing savoury rice and pea soup and having blue collar (n = 50) and white collar (n = 49) participants rate the acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale, ranging from “dislike extremely” to “like extremely”. The savoury rice received a 41% “like very much” rating followed by a 24% “like moderately” rating. The pea soup was rated even more positively as it received a 42% “like very much” rating and a 29% “like extremely” rating. In addition, among the blue collar participants, significant (p < 0.05 for each) findings occurred with a greater liking of the sample dishes prepared with the developed stock cube by participants of the ethnic Black grouping, with Xhosa as home language and being married, as well as those participants who habitually prepare the meals in the household. A significant (p < 0.05) finding with the white collar participants was a greater liking of the sample dishes prepared with the developed stock cube among those participants who would be willing to make use of a stock cube with health benefits. The developed stock cube was also subjected to six months accelerated shelf-life stability testing, reflecting twelve months real time storage. The parameters measured were microbial growth, oxidative rancidity, antioxidant status and organoleptic changes. All microbial growths tested remained within the acceptable specification ranges. Oxidative rancidity, measured as the peroxide value, was detected analytically at the fifth and sixth samplings, but was not detectable organoleptically. The antioxidant status, measured as the TAC and the total polyphenol content, remained relatively stable during the testing period. Though no noticeable organoleptic changes were observed during the stability testing, there was a darkening of the colour by the second sampling. The results of the acceptance testing, as well as the shelf-life stability testing, support the conclusions that the study objectives of developing a stock cube with functional food characteristics and it being received positively by consumers were achieved. Keywords: stock cubes; corn steep liquor; phytochemicals; consumer acceptance; new product development

The black rhinoceros remains one of the world's extremely endangered species despite a variety of policies to protect it. The black rhinoceros population at the Great Fish River Reserve (GFRR) in the Eastern Cape in South Africa has increased steadily since their re-introduction in 1986. This megaherbivore is a browser, with a diet obtained largely from the short and medium succulent thicket of the GFRR. Knowledge of the preferential diet of the black rhinoceros on the reserve is an important factor for the effective management of the land and the herbivores that compete for its resources. The dietary preferences of the black rhinoceros at the reserve have been established using backtracking methods. In this study the rbcL gene was used to establish an rbcL gene database of the plants from the GFRR and determine the botanical composition of the black rhinoceros dung from the GFRR. Due to the limited number of rbcL gene plant sequences from the GFRR deposited in the GenBank database, 18 plant species from the GFRR were sequenced. Sequence analyses between the partial rbcL gene sequences generated were able to distinguish between plants down to species level. Plant species from the family Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae showed sequence variation at intra-specific level compared to those of Tiliaceae which were more conserved. The generated rbcL gene sequences from seasonal dung samples were compared to the rbcL gene sequenced from 18 plant species obtained from the GFRR and those from the GenBank database. A wide range of plant species were identified from the dung samples. There were no major differences in botanical composition between the dung samples, except that Grewia spp. were found to dominate in almost all seasons. The results obtained on the free radical scavenging activity of the extracts against 2,2-Diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) increased in the order of methanol > ethyl acetate > chloroform. The DPPH free radical scavenging activity of the methanol plant extracts increased in the order Brachylaena elliptica > Plumbago auriculata > Grewia robusta > Azima tetracantha. Methanol extracts on the TLC plate sprayed with Fe³⁺-2,4,6-Tri-2-pyridyl-s-triazine (TPTZ) showed that the compounds present in the extracts react differently to ferric ion, with most compounds unable to reduce ferric ion. Furthermore the methanol extracts were able to exhibit reduction potentials vs. Ag/AgCl at low concentrations. The compounds in the extracts were shown to be phenolic acids and flavonoid glycosides.