Rice cakes of North-East region of India: A systematic review

Documentation is the chief approach for conserving indigenous traditional knowledge. Traditional foods form an integral part of the diets of indigenous people all over the world. The indigenous techniques for rice-based foods in the North-eastern region of India have not been documented systematically. The North-eastern region is made up of eight states: Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Manipur, each with its own food habits and social distinctiveness. Rice cakes are well-known in the North-east region and are mainly consumed during tea time, ceremonies, festivals, and other occasions. This study was performed through direct interview and observation, which signifies the distinct features in the preparation of rice cakes and the limitation of knowledge merely to domestic level. It also describes the techniques of rice cake production, which have few similarities among different states. This study recommends the need to upgrade, preserve, and document indigenous knowledge to promote rice cakes for better marketing and, more importantly, to attempt to conserve these products through general awareness. In addition, several health benefits of rice cake products have been discussed.

Bio-functional properties and storage study of ‘Chubitchi’- a fermented rice beverage of Garo Hills, Meghalaya

In this study, an ethnic fermented rice beverage- ‘Chubitchi’ from Garo Hills region of Meghalaya was closely monitored and was improvised with well characterised Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces strains to develop a product similar to it under laboratory conditions. A comparative analysis between the traditionally made and laboratory made rice beverage was made to assess their storage period and bio-functional properties till 40 days. During the organoleptic evaluation based on the scores of all sensory attributes, the laboratory made rice beverage were acceptable till day 30 and the traditionally made rice beverage was acceptable till day 20. A decrease in pH and increase in acidity (%) with increase in fermentation time was observed for both rice beverage types. An initial rise in ethanol percentage was also witnessed with increase in fermentation time till day 20 for both the rice beverage types. The ACE inhibitory activity of laboratory prepared Chubitchi increased from 22.64% at day 0 to 86.87% at day 20 followed by a reduction at day 30 (68.04%).  The antioxidative activity was maximum at day 0 (95.18%) followed by a decrease at day 10 (81.59%). The laboratory prepared Chubitchi showed rapid reduction in the polyphenol content and high antimicrobial activity against major test organisms during the storage study. The results show longer storage period and higher ACE-inhibition, antioxidative, total phenol reduction and antimicrobial activity of the laboratory prepared Chubitchi against the traditional made. This study could further provide the rural tribes of Garo Hills with well-defined novel starter cultures as well as optimized procedure for rice beverage development with numerous health benefits

Microencapsulation of probiotic cultures for preparation of yoghurt

ABSTRACT Probiotics are live microorganisms which transit the gastrointestinal tract and in doing so benefit the health of the consumer. Therapeutic benefits have led to an increase in the incorporation of probiotic bacteria such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in dairy products, especially yoghurts. Microencapsulation enhanced the survival of probiotic cultures compared to free cells in yogurts stored for a longer periods. It also protects the bacteria from harsh conditions (low pH, antibiotics, bacteriocins, bile salt concentration etc). Microencapsulation of various bacterial cultures including probiotics has been a common practice for extending their storage life and converting them into a powder form for ease of their use

Biofunctional Attributes and Storage Study of Soy Milk Fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus helveticus

Različiti proizvodi od soje smatraju se tradicionalnom funkcionalnom hranom za mongolsku populaciju na sjeveroistoku Indije. U ovom je radu ispitan utjecaj dodatka različitih aroma (mango, naranča, vanilija i bijela ruža), stupnja inokulacije bakterijama mliječno-kiselog vrenja Lactobacillus rham¬nosus K4E (KX950834) i Lactobacillus helveticus K14 (KU644578) i masenih udjela obranog mlijeka i šećera na senzorne značajke sojinog jogurta. Tijekom deset dana skladištenja u hladnjaku pri 6-8 °C ispitivana su fizikalno-kemijska (pH-vrijednost, titracijska kiselost), mikrobiološka (ukupni broj bakterija te broj koliformnih bakterija, kvasaca i plijesni), organoleptička (aroma, okus, boja, punoća, tekstura i ukupna prihvatljivost) i biofunkcionalna (inhibicija proizvodnje angiotenzin konvertirajućeg enzima, antioksidacijski i antimikrobni učinak, biotransformacija izoflavona) svojstva jogurta. Najbolje je ocijenjen jogurt s aromom bijele ruže, čija je pH-vrijednost tijekom skladištenja bila od 5,65 do 4,20, titracijska kiselost (izražena kao maseni udjel mliječne kiseline) od 0,33 do 0,51 % i ukupni broj bakterija vrsta Lactobacillus od 6.81 do 8,69 log CFU/mL. Inhibicija se angiotenzin konvertirajućeg enzima povećavala tijekom skladištenja s početnih 21,17 % na 81,03 % izmjerenih tijekom petog dana skladištenja, a zatim smanjivala sve do 38,85 % nakon desetog dana. Najveća je antioksidacijska aktivnost zabilježena tijekom petog dana skladištenja (87 %). Sojin jogurt s aromom bijele ruže imao je najizraženiji antimikrobni učinak na bakteriju Listeria monocytogenes, a zatim na bakterije Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi i Escherichia coli. Analiza RP-HPLC pokazala je da je u jogurtu nakon 18 sati fermentacije dobiveno 87,3 % aglikona sojinog izoflavona genisteina i 58,4 % daidzeina.Different soybean products are considered as traditional functional food among the Mongolian population in Northeast India. In the present study, the effect of different flavours (mango, orange, vanilla and white rose), inoculation rates of Lactobacillus rhamnosus K4E (KX950834) and Lactobacillus helveticus K14 (KU644578), and mass fractions of skimmed milk and sugar on the acceptability of soy yoghurts was studied. Physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity) and microbial analyses (total bacterial, total coliform, yeast and mould count) were conducted, and organoleptic (aroma, taste, colour, mouthfeel, texture and overall acceptability) and biofunctional properties (angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and biotransformation of isoflavones) were evaluated during storage up to 10 days under refrigeration conditions (6–8 °C). Panellists preferred white rose soy yoghurt more than other flavours. The pH was from 5.65 to 4.20, the titratable acidity (expressed as mass fraction of lactic acid) was from 0.33 to 0.51 % and total Lactobacillus count ranged from 6.81 to 8.69 log CFU/mL during storage. The ACE inhibitory activity increased from 21.17 % on day 0 to 81.03 % on day 5, followed by a decrease of the activity after 10 days (38.85 %). The antioxidant activity was the highest on day 5 (87 %). White rose soy yoghurt had the highest antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, followed by Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli. RP-HPLC analysis showed that after 18 h, the production of soy isoflavone aglycones genistein and daidzein in yoghurt was 87.3 and 58.4 %, respectivel

Indigenous <i>Lactobacillus</i> strains improve growth performance and high density cholesterol levels in broilers

556-563Antibiotics have been used extensively in poultry chicken to promote growth rate, increase feed conversion efficiency, and prevent intestinal infections, resulting in an imbalance of the beneficial intestinal flora. The use of lactic acid bacteria as feed additives to substitute antibiotic associated growth stimulators as well as their impact on meat quality, could possibly be the major approach. In this context, here, we studied two Lactobacillus cultures viz., L. plantarum KGL3A and L. fermentum KGL4 as an alternative to growth promoters. Broilers were grouped into four different treatments: T1 (control: basal diet + antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor), T2 [basal diet without having antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor + L. plantarum KGL3A (108 CFU/mL)], T3 [basal diet without having antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor + L. fermentum KGL4 (108 CFU/mL)] and T4 (basal diet without having antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor + combination of T3 and T4 bacterial strains). During the entire study, higher bodyweight was observed among the Lactobacillus fed broilers groups (T4: 2433g, T3: 2371 g, T2: 2355 g) as compared to the control group (T1: 2339 g). Lipid profile analysis further confirmed the significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) content of T4 (19%) and T3 (16%) groups than the control group while more than 10% increase in high-density lipoprotein HDL content was observed in T4 and T3 groups than the control group. Further, the decrease in coliform and enterococci counts and an increase in Lactobacillus counts in treatment groups compared to the control group were found. The results indicate that the potential use of Lactobacillus cultures (KGL3A and KGL4) as dietary feed supplements as alternative to the antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry feeds

Significance of fermented rice beverage on management of antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) on Wistar rats

Antibiotic associated diarrhoea (AAD) is caused mostly by disruption of the physiological gut microflora. One potential strategy to prevent this is the concurrent use of probiotic bacteria or yeast. Tribal populations of West Garo Hill region of Meghalaya use locally available unique microflora to prepare fermented food products whichserve as a potential source of novel probiotic organisms and bioactive compounds.  In this context, here, we have evaluated the potentiality of laboratory made functional fermented rice beverage in mitigating AAD on animal models viz. Wistar rats. The animal models were administered with fermented rice beverage (test group A1), combination of indigenous Lactobacillus isolates (test group A2), a yeast isolate (test group A3), loperamide (test group STD), normal control (test group NC) and disease control (test group DC). Furthermore, various diarrhea assessment parameters were checked from each group followed by analysis of fecal microbiome, haematological parameters, histopathology of colon, liver and cecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) determination. NC and A1 was least affected by AAD induction with a faecal consistency score of 1 on the final day of the study. After day 10, a significant reduction (P &lt;0.05) in the faecal water content was observed in A1, A2 and STD till day 15. Compared to the NC, a slight decrease in body weight was found in the rest of five test groups at day 5, 10 and 15. Except NC, the remaining five test groups showed a significant decrease of lactobacilli and yeast counts in faecal microbiota at 5th day. An increase in the enterococci and coliform counts indicated severe diarrheal condition but A1 reported with significant increase (P &lt;0.05) in the population of Lactobacillus at day 15. An increase in red blood corpuscles, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was observed. During the histopathology analysis of colon and liver, normal layers of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis and serous with absence of any abnormal changes or lesions was seen in A1. The cecal concentrations of lactate, acetate and propionate were significantly higher in A1 as compared to the other test groups. Therefore, fermented rice beverage possesses potential to be used in inhibition of antibiotic associated diarrhea with further clinical investigations

Indigenous Lactobacillus strains improve growth performance and high density cholesterol levels in broilers

Antibiotics have been used extensively in poultry chicken to promote growth rate, increase feed conversion efficiency, and prevent intestinal infections, resulting in an imbalance of the beneficial intestinal flora. The use of lactic acid bacteria as feed additives to substitute antibiotic associated growth stimulators as well as their impact on meat quality, could possibly be the major approach. In this context, here, we studied two Lactobacillus cultures viz., L. plantarum KGL3A and L. fermentum KGL4 as an alternative to growth promoters. Broilers were grouped into four different treatments: T1 (control: basal diet + antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor), T2 [basal diet without having antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor + L. plantarum KGL3A (108 CFU/mL)], T3 [basal diet without having antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor + L. fermentum KGL4 (108 CFU/mL)] and T4 (basal diet without having antibiotic growth promoter and immunomodulatory factor + combination of T3 and T4 bacterial strains). During the entire study, higher bodyweight was observed among the Lactobacillus fed broilers groups (T4: 2433g, T3: 2371 g, T2: 2355 g) as compared to the control group (T1: 2339 g). Lipid profile analysis further confirmed the significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) content of T4 (19%) and T3 (16%) groups than the control group while more than 10% increase in high-density lipoprotein HDL content was observed in T4 and T3 groups than the control group. Further, the decrease in coliform and enterococci counts and an increase in Lactobacillus counts in treatment groups compared to the control group were found. The results indicate that the potential use of Lactobacillus cultures (KGL3A and KGL4) as dietary feed supplements as alternative to the antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry feeds

beta-Glucosidase from almonds and yoghurt cultures in the biotransformation of isoflavones in soy milk

beta-Glucosidase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the isoflavone bonds and develops the active form of aglycones providing various health benefits. The potential of beta-glucosidase from two sources: almonds and soy yoghurt cultures (lactic cultures) to react with soy in the biotransformation of soy isoflavones was studied. This study investigated 1) the optimum amount of culture (1, 2, 3, 4%) and incubation temperature (30, 35, 42 degrees C) for fermentation of soymilk (SM); 2) the production of beta-glucosidase and its ability to react with isoflavones with and without the addition of skim milk powder (SMP). The ability of beta-glucosidase to convert isoflavones into aglycones was measured using spectrophotometry and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The results showed that a 1% lactic acid culture at 30 degrees C produced the highest viable count of lactic acid bacteria (similar to 10(8) CFU/ml) in fermented SM. Fermentation at 30 degrees C and 1% inoculation showed the maximum beta-glucosidase activity (4.28 U/ml) while 8 U/ml of beta-glucosidase from almonds had the highest activity (daidzein: 1.48 g/l and genistein: 0.78 g/l). Among the yoghurt cultures, 2% inoculation in soymilk led to the highest aglycones (daidzein: 1.14 g/l and genistein: 0.50 g/l). Supplementing soymilk with skim milk powder led to aglycone levels similar to beta-glucosidase from almond

Biopolymer-based antimicrobial coatings for aquatic food products: A review

Aquatic food products, including fish and crustaceans, are some of the most consumed foods globally and are highly prone to microbial contamination. Such products have been preserved using conventional processing techniques such as freezing, cold storage, modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) and vacuum packaging. However, these techniques have been used since decades and are not cost-effective. Therefore, alternative sustainable strategies need to be explored. One viable option is the application of biopolymer-based films and coatings loaded with active antimicrobial agents (peptides and essential oil components) for the preservation of aquatic food products. Nisin is the most widely used peptide for the development of antimicrobial coatings, while eugenol, carvacrol, and cinnamaldehyde are among the most popular essential oil compounds. Findings reveal that both peptides and essential oils, when applied in combination within a coating system, demonstrate robust antimicrobial activity, delayed lipid oxidation, and retain the overall quality of the aquatic food system