Quality characteristics of white cabbage juice stored using thermal processing and addition of chemical additives

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) is one of the most important vegetables grown worldwide. Cabbage is valued for medicinal purposes in treating headaches, gout, diarrhea and peptic ulcers. The beneficial phytochemicals in cabbage help to activate and stabilize the body’s antioxidant and detoxification mechanisms that dismantle and eliminate cancer-producing substances. This seasonal vegetable can be made available for the consumers in off seasons also in the form of juice. The juice can be made shelf stable by using thermal treatment and various chemical additives. Therefore, the aim of the experiment was to compare the effect of different chemical additives namely Sodium benzoate, Potassium metabisulfite (KMS) and their combinations and the heat treatment, on the physicochemical, phytochemical parameters and antioxidant activity of Cabbage juice for a period of 6 months at room temperature at the regular intervals.The parameters like TS and TSS did not change significantly. The minimum increase in acidity was found in samples treated with combination of Sodium benzoate and Potassium metabisulfite. The color was best preserved by addition of KMS where the L value changed from 52.66 to 50.86 after 6 months. The ascorbic acid, total phenol content and antioxidant activity was best preserved by KMS with final values of 2.51 mg/100 g, 21.18 mg/100 g and 15.97 % respectively that were far better than the thermally treated samples with values 1.47 mg/100 g, 8.14 mg/100 g and 6.98 % respectively. Keeping in view all the parameters KMS was found to be the most appropriate agent for preservation

Development and evaluation of nutritionally enhanced potato rice papads (Indian cookie)

The present study was carried out to develop papads (Indian cookie) from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa) blends and to analyze them for organoleptic, physicochemical, phytochemical and shelf life quality. Two processing cultivars (Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Chandramukhi) and one commonly grown cultivar (Kufri Pukhraj) were evaluated for processing into papad. Based on preliminary sensory trails, papads with boiled potato mash (60%) and gelatinized rice (30%) level of supplementation were found to be most acceptable and these papads were subjected to nutritional evaluation. Results were compared with rice papads (control). Protein content and yield was significantly (p<0.05) higher in control papads compared to potato supplemented papads. Oil uptake significantly (p<0.05) increased on supplementation with potato. Bioactive compounds including ascorbic acid, totalphenolics and total antioxidant activity measured as DPPH radical scavenging activity increased significantly (p<0.05) on incorporation of potato. Between the cultivars, papads enriched with Kufri Pukhraj, a table variety which is considered unfit for processing, displayed the highest phytochemical content and total antioxidant activity. Sensory evaluation indicated higher overall acceptability scores of potato enriched papads compared to control. During storage of papads at room temperature for up to 3 months, significant (p<0.05) changes in the moisture content, phytochemical content and antioxidant activity were observed. Storage studies showed that the potato supplemented papads can be stored safely for 3 months of storage at ambient temperature

Histomorphometry of human vermiform appendix

Background: Acute Appendicitis is one of the most common acute abdominal conditions. Advances in modern radiographic imaging have improved diagnostic accuracy, however the diagnosis of appendicitis remains essentially an enigmatic challenege. Though much work has been done on morphometry but there is less work done on variation of histomorphometric features of appendix. Hence the study was carried out by keeping the following objectives in mind. Aim was to study the general histomorphology and measure the histomorphometric parameters of human vermiform appendix. And also, to study diagnostic significance of histomorphology and histomorphometric parameters in causing appendicitis.Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy. Specimens of appendix were obtained from embalmed cadavers. Serial sections were taken at different levels and slides were prepared. The slides were then examined using Nikon Trinocular Research microscope under magnification power of 40x for various parameters, after staining with H&E.Results: The mean luminal diameter varied from 1.32±0.65mm at base to 1.22±0.72mm from base. Diffuse lymphatic tissue was seen in both mucosa and sub-mucosa.Conclusions: Definitely there is a relationship between lymphoid follicle diameter and mucosal-serosal thickness on one hand and that between the luminal diameter and lymphoid follicle diameter on the other hand. Since our study was restricted to geriatric age group so studies need to be done in different age groups to highlight any further relationship

Sensory attributes, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and color values of jam and candy developed from Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.)

Beetroot is a root vegetable with abundant bioactive compounds like phenols, flavonoids and betalains that give the beetroot a characteristic colour. The present study was conducted to develop preserved functional foods from fresh beetroot and analyze sensory attributes, physico-chemical properties, nutritional parameters, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and color values. Total soluble solids and acidity contents of raw beetroot, beetroot jam and candy was found to be 10.72° Brix and 0.06 %, 69.03 °Brix and 0.72 % and 69.43° Brix and 0.12 %, respectively. The TSS content of jam and candy was found to be 55.77±0.09 and 66.50±0.19, respectively. Total phenols, flavonoids, betalains and antioxidant activity of jam and candy were found to be 82.58 and 98.94 mg GAE/100g, 47.85 and 45.51 mg QE/100 g, 267.73 and 357 mg/100g and 35.43 and 42.13 %, respectively. The L* value indicating the lightness of a product decreased for beetroot jam as opposed to L* value of beetroot candy, which increased compared to raw beetroot. The a* value revealing the redness of jam increased whereas redness of candy decreased compared to raw beetroot. The present study indicated that; beetroot could be used for the preparation of jam and candy with good sensorial quality, which has a high market potential

Successful outcome of pregnancy in a case of Guillain Barre syndrome-report of a rare case and review of literature

Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that has been reported to carry a high maternal risk and maternal mortality risk of >10% if occurred during pregnancy. It is characterized by acute onset of symmetrical ascending paralysis with or without respiratory depression and autonomic dysfunction secondary to gastrointestinal or respiratory infection. This is case report of 30 years old multigravida who presented at 19 weeks period of gestation with sudden onset back pain and bilateral lower limb weakness that progressed to involve bilateral upper limbs with respiratory insufficiency.  Based on clinical presentation and relevant investigations like serum electrolyte, arterial blood gas analysis and nerve conduction studies, provisional diagnosis of GBS was made. In collaboration with the physician, she was managed with ventilator support for 12 days, intravenous immunoglobulin and supportive therapy. This was followed by complete and rapid recovery as she was extubated on 12th day and discharged on day 16. Patient was followed by strict maternal and fetal surveillance. She successfully delivered a healthy boy at 38 weeks of period of gestation by caesarean section done in view of meconium-stained liquor grade 3 in early labour and she was discharged on day 3 of LSCS.

Effect of Chemical Additives on the Shelf Life of Cucumber Juice

ABSTRACT Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a commercially cultivated worldwide as a seasonal vegetable crop. The aim of the experiment was to compare the effect of different chemical additives namely Sodium benzoate, Potassium metabisulfite( KMS) and their combination, on the physicochemical and phytochemical parameters and antioxidant activity of cucumber juice. The storage was done for 6 months at room temperature and the analysis was conducted at the interval of one month. For the physicochemical parameters like TS, TSS, acidity, color values (Lab), a very slight but non-significant change was observed. Vitamin C, total phenols and antioxidant activity changed significantly (p≤0.05). The variation was found in the color of different samples. Considering all the parameters, samples treated with potassium metabisulfite maintained the maximum nutrient stability

Utilisation of Honey in Processed Food Products

Honey is a unique food owing to its rich composition. Honey consumption in the diets dates back to older times where it was used as a remedy for stomach aches, dehydration, allergies, intercellular damage, skin and hair problems, as well as for its astringent. Honey is used in several food formulations these days. The majority of population is demanding partial or complete replacement of sugar with some healthy sweeteners. Honey is one of the replacers offering so many benefits from being sweet to therapeutic. The unique healing properties of honey such as antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral are well recognised. By harnessing the unique benefits of honey for formulating healthier products is very beneficial for overall nutrition and well-being. Many honey-containing products such as honey candy, honey spreads, honey bread, honey yoghurt and honey flakes have been prepared which showed increased therapeutic potential. Also, honey-containing beverages are becoming popular owing to its natural sweetness. Honey offers great scope for the development of value-added products or as an ingredient in several formulations

Autophagy induction by Scutellaria flavones in cancer: recent advances

In parallel with a steady rise in cancer incidence worldwide, the scientific community is increasingly focused on finding novel, safer and more efficient modalities for managing this disease. Over the past decades, natural products have been described as a significant source of new structural leads for novel drug candidates. Scutellaria root is one of the most studied natural products because of its anticancer potential. Besides just describing the cytotoxic properties of plant constituents, their molecular mechanisms of action in different cancer types are equally important. Therefore, this review article focuses on the role of the Scutellaria flavones wogonin, baicalein, baicalin, scutellarein and scutellarin in regulating the autophagic machinery in diverse cancer models, highlighting these molecules as potential lead compounds for the fight against malignant neoplasms. The knowledge that autophagy can function as a dual-edged sword, acting in both a pro- and antitumorigenic manner, further complicates the issue, revealing an amazing property of flavonoids that behave either as anti- or proautophagic agents

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival