Effect of dietary enrichment with antioxidants on the sensory quality of raw and cooked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

The main sensory quality parameters of Atlantic salmon are color, texture, fillet integrity, taste and odor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of diet on sensory quality of raw salmon fillets, and sensory quality and consumer acceptability of cooked salmon fillets. Diets investigated were a standard commercial feed and the same feed added antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium). The experiment was carried out from 7th January to 13th March 2015. Salmon with an average body weight of 4123 ± 106 g and 4203 ± 108 g of control and antioxidant diet groups respectively were killed by percussive stunning. Fillet color, gaping and texture were analyzed in the raw fillets after 7 days of ice storage. Untrained assessors evaluated color, odor, tastiness, juiciness, firmness and acceptability of cooked fillets after 7 months of storage at -40°C. The result showed significant higher fillet weight, lower gaping and higher juiciness of salmon fed the antioxidant diet group compared to the control diet. Also a tendency to improved tastiness and firmness were observed for salmon fed the antioxidant diet. Females rated the cooked salmon as tastier, firmer and juicier than males. Color, odor, tastiness and juiciness, but not firmness, correlated significantly to the acceptability. It is concluded from the present experiment that dietary supplementation of antioxidants improved muscle growth, integrity of raw fillets and sensory quality of cooked fillets.M-A

HISTORY OF INDIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE: A MEDICAL INHERITANCE.

 Objective: Indian Traditional Medicine, the foundation of age-old practice of medicine in the world, has played an essential role in human health care service and welfare from its inception. Likewise, all traditional medicines are of its own regional effects and dominant in the West Asian nations; India, Pakistan, Tibet, and so forth, East Asian nations; China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and so forth, Africa, South and Central America. This article is an attempt to illuminate Indian traditional medical service and its importance, based on recent methodical reviews.Methods: Web search engines for example; Google, Science Direct and Google Scholar were employed for reviews as well as for meta-analysis.Results: There is a long running debate between individuals, who utilize Indian Traditional Medicines for different ailments and disorders, and the individuals who depend on the present day; modern medicine for cure. The civil argument between modern medicine and traditional medicines comes down to a basic truth; each person, regardless of education or sickness, ought to be educated about the actualities concerning their illness and the associated side effects of medicines. Therapeutic knowledge of Indian traditional medicine has propelled various traditional approaches with similar or different theories and methodologies, which are of regional significance.Conclusion: To extend research exercises on Indian Traditional Medicine, in near future, and to explore the phytochemicals; the current review will help the investigators involved in traditional medicinal pursuit

MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT PLANT CLEOME GYNANDRA: A PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EXPLANATION

  Cleome genus includes 601 plant species from the family Cleomaceae. Of more than 600 plants, 206 (34.3%) plants are having accepted species names. Cleome gynandra Linn. is a well-known medicinal plant with traditional and pharmacological importance. A good number of secondary plant metabolites have also been isolated from different parts of C. gynandra. Our investigation confirms two mutant varieties of C. gynandra exists in India. Accordingly, the objective of this study was designed to critically evaluate the pharmacological and phytochemical evaluation of C. gynandra of two mutant variety, to provide a consolidated platform for research potential of both the mutant varieties of C. gynandra. Careful scrutiny reveals that the plant possesses a huge range pharmacological applications, such as anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging, anticancerous, immunomodulator, and antidiabetic agents. To arrive its pharmacological importance the published papers also shown an enormous amount of phytochemicals endorsement. Scientific perusal reveals different parts of the plant has an immense medicinal importance which proofs its traditional use round the glove. But in North-Eastern region of India, the same plant abundantly found in pink mutant variety. To date, there is not much research investigation for this mutant variety to validate its pharmacological importance. Therefore, research needs to scrutinize and compare the medicinal claims of the pink mutant variety in the bio-diverse region of North-East India

In vitro Cultivation of Newly Reported Wild Edible Mushroom Volvariella bomybycina from Nepal

Wild edible mushrooms are becoming endangered all over the world. Very few wild edible mushrooms are found in natural habitat. Volvariella bombycina is an edible and medicinal mushroom. The mushroom was collected in natural habitat growing on Populus tree. Mycelium of the mushroom was developed in PDA slant tubes by tissue culture method, incubated at 25°C for 1-2 weeks. Spawn was developed in wheat grains after incubation at 25°C for 2-3 weeks. Substrates were formulated for the development of fruiting bodies by combination of paddy straw, saw dust and rice husk. Fruiting bodies of V. bombycina was cultivated in these substrates after incubation at 28 ± 2°C for 2-4 weeks. The work describes the optimized process for in vitro culture of wild edible mushroom Volvariella bomybycina.Nepal Journal of Biotechnology. Dec. 2017 Vol. 5, No. 1: 27-3

ETHNOMEDICINAL, PHYTOCHEMICAL, AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF GENUS ACANTHUS

Acanthus (family Acanthaceae) is a genus of the major group angiosperms (flowering plants) comprising more than 29 species widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical region. The aim of this review is to offer thorough scientific information on ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical, and pharmacological activities of the plant species belonging to the genus Acanthus. Numerous traditional uses of the genus have been supported in this article from the results, and executed by the extracts and/or pure compounds obtained from pharmacological studies will provide a single platform to help future researches on the genus Acanthus. Furthermore, ethnomedicinal evaluation using fractions or isolation of medicinal principles was extensively explored by databases like Google, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect at the same time.Â

Simulating the Impacts of Irrigation Levels on Soybean Production in Texas High Plains to Manage Diminishing Groundwater Levels

There is an increasing need to strategize and plan irrigation systems under varied climatic conditions to support efficient irrigation practices while maintaining and improving the sustainability of groundwater systems. This study was undertaken to simulate the growth and production of soybean [Glycine max (L.)] under different irrigation scenarios. The objectives of this study were to calibrate and validate the CROPGRO-Soybean model under Texas High Plains’ (THP) climatic conditions and to apply the calibrated model to simulate the impacts of different irrigation levels and triggers on soybean production. The methodology involved combining short-term experimental data with long-term historical weather data (1951–2012), and use of mechanistic crop growth simulation algorithms to determine optimum irrigation management strategies. Irrigation was scheduled based on five different plant extractable water levels (irrigation threshold [ITHR]) set at 20%, 35%, 50%, 65%, and 80%. The calibrated model was able to satisfactorily reproduce measured leaf area index, biomass, and evapotranspiration for soybean, indicating it can be used for investigating different strategies for irrigating soybean in the THP. Calculations of crop water productivity for biomass and yield along with irrigation water use efficiency indicated soybean can be irrigated at ITHR set at 50% or 65% with minimal yield loss as compared to 80% ITHR, thus conserving water and contributing toward lower groundwater withdrawals

Spatial Variability of Electrical Conductivity of Desert Soil Irrigated with Treated Wastewater: Implications for Irrigation Management

Knowledge of spatial variability is important for management of land affected by various anthropogenic activities. This study was conducted at West Mesa land application site to determine the spatial variability of electrical conductivity (EC1:1) and suggest suitable management strategy. Study area was divided into five classes with EC increasing from class I to V. According to the coefficient of variation (CV), during 2009 and 2010, EC1:1 values for different classes were low to moderately variable at each depth. Semivariogram analysis showed that EC1:1 displayed both short and long range variability. Area coverage of classes I and II were much higher than classes III, IV, and V during 2009. However, during 2010 area coverage decreased from 26% to 14.91% for class II, increased from 12.11% to 22.97%, and 10.95% to 20.55 for classes IV and V, respectively. Overall area under EC1:1≥ 4 dS/m increased during 2009. Soil EC map showed EC classes IV (4.1–5 dS/m) and V (>5.1 dS/m) were concentrated at northwest and southeast and classes I and II were at the middle of the study plot. Thus, higher wastewater should be applied in the center and lower in the northwest and southwest part of the field

Effect of dietary enrichment with antioxidants on the sensory quality of raw and cooked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

The main sensory quality parameters of Atlantic salmon are color, texture, fillet integrity, taste and odor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of diet on sensory quality of raw salmon fillets, and sensory quality and consumer acceptability of cooked salmon fillets. Diets investigated were a standard commercial feed and the same feed added antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium). The experiment was carried out from 7th January to 13th March 2015. Salmon with an average body weight of 4123 ± 106 g and 4203 ± 108 g of control and antioxidant diet groups respectively were killed by percussive stunning. Fillet color, gaping and texture were analyzed in the raw fillets after 7 days of ice storage. Untrained assessors evaluated color, odor, tastiness, juiciness, firmness and acceptability of cooked fillets after 7 months of storage at -40°C. The result showed significant higher fillet weight, lower gaping and higher juiciness of salmon fed the antioxidant diet group compared to the control diet. Also a tendency to improved tastiness and firmness were observed for salmon fed the antioxidant diet. Females rated the cooked salmon as tastier, firmer and juicier than males. Color, odor, tastiness and juiciness, but not firmness, correlated significantly to the acceptability. It is concluded from the present experiment that dietary supplementation of antioxidants improved muscle growth, integrity of raw fillets and sensory quality of cooked fillets.M-A

Biofortification of Selenium in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) and onion (Allium cepa L.)

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element to animals and human. To increase the consumption of Se in the human, biofortification of Se is usually practiced which is the process of increasing the concentration of Se in the edible portion. The main aim of the study is to investigate the effect of biofortification of Se in onion and broccoli and to evaluate and compare the effect of Se in average yield, dry matter, ascorbic acid, total phenols, antioxidant, Se and S accumulation and accessibility of Se. Four treatments (control, 20 mg, 50 mg and 80 mg) of Se and three treatments (control, 20 mg and 50 mg) of Se were applied in broccoli and onion respectively. Sodium selenate was used as a source of Se. The three varieties Ironman, Lord and Marathon of broccoli and Summit, Hytec and Red Baron of onion were chosen for the experiment. The accumulation of Se concentration was increased with the increase in concentration of Se in the soil in both onion and broccoli without affecting the health related compounds. The accumulation of Se is higher in broccoli than in onion. In broccoli, the highest accumulation of Se concentration was 44.28µg g-1 in variety ‘Ironman’ when treated with 80 mg Se and the accumulation of Se in onion was in the range of 6.11 to 8.31 µg g-1 treated with 50 mg Se. The net accumulation of Se lied within the safe limit and thus safe for the consumption for human. The accessibility is higher in onion than in broccoli