Mycotoxigenic fungi contaminating wheat; toxicity of different Alternaria compacta strains

We studied mycotoxigenic fungi contaminating stored wheat grain, measured the toxins they secreted, and assessed their harmfulness. We focused on one common genus Alternaria, and chose 19 isolates representing A. compacta to study how different strains differed in their mycotoxin secretion and toxicity. Toxicity was assessed in a bioassay with a model bacteria Bacillus subtilis. All 19 A. compacta strains secreted toxins. Both the mycotoxin pattern and the fungal toxicity differed between the A. compacta stains. It seemed that some other toxins than alternariols or altenue acted as the main virulence factors of A. compacta against B. subtilis. We suggest that the most commonly studied mycotoxins do not necessarily indicate the toxicity of the fungi. The high variation in the amounts and toxins that different Alternaria species and strains secrete pose a challenge to the food supply chain. Keywords: Alternaria, Mycotoxins, Wheat grains, B. subtili

Influence of Internal and Macro Factors on Profitability of Indian Commercial Banks: Empirical Study

This review aims to study the influence of financial performance in commercial banks in India. The article used descriptive analysis, correlation matrix, and regression analysis. The results showed that firm size, capital adequacy, deposit, and inflation rate have a strongly significant influence on financial performance, while gross domestic product (GDP) has no significant impact on return on assets. The outcomes also indicated that firm size (LOGAS), capital adequacy (CA), and deposit (DP) have a negative influence on financial performance, whereas macroeconomic features as GDP and rate of inflation have a positive effect on return on assets of the current investigation. This article bridges the existing gap in the financial performance and profitability of Indian banks during the period of the study. This study also very important for users, analyses, investors, academicians, and research scholars