Capsaicin Content and Pungency of Different Capsicum spp. Cultivars

Six chilli cultivars belonging to three species of Capsicum: Capsicum annuum L. (cvs 'Meiteimorok' and 'Haomorok'), Capsicum frutescens L. (cvs 'Uchithi' and 'Mashingkha') and Capsicum chinense Jacq. (cvs 'Umorok' and 'Chiengpi') are economically important food crops. The capsaicin content and pungency in scoville heat unit (SHU) of these six chilli cultivars were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The capsaicin content and pungency of the chillies varied depending upon the genotype. Among the six chilli cultivars studied, the cultivar 'Umorok' had the highest capsaicin content (2.06%), and was also the most pungent of with 329.100 SHU while the cultivar 'Haomorok' had the least capsaicin content (0.17%) with a corresponding pungency of 26.000 SHU

Attitude of Higher Secondary Level student towards Games and Sports

The purpose of the study is to find out the attitude of students towards Games and Sports. Games and Sports contribute towards social, mental, emotional and intellectual development. Vigorous activity is basically meant for increasing the efficiency of the body and human being need to be fit efficiently throughout their lives. To take part in games and sports activities one can develop his health definitely. A healthy society needs the healthy individual. The aim of the present investigation is to study the attitude of the students of Higher Secondary Level of Manipur towards Games and Sports. In other words the main goal of this research is to ascertain the role of the favourable attitude towards Games and Sports. The parents of the students of Higher Secondary School Level of Manipur had progressive nature about games and sports. These progressive natures were very helpful to develop the favourable attitude of their children towards games and sports. The above finding of the study clearly indicates that the Higher Secondary School level students of Manipur had favourable attitude towards games and sports. Overall apart from the above finding, the study found that the Higher Secondary School level students of Manipur are keenly interested in games and sports

Mental health and sleep: in COVID positive health care workers in India

Background: Starting from Wuhan as a local transmission, COVID-19 turned out to be a pandemic affecting the entire global population either as a patient or at least being exposed to the novel corona virus. The present study has been done to see how much working to treat Covid patients has put stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance on health care professional after becoming covid positive themselves, essentially their own life at risk. Methods: This was a prospective observational cross-sectional study done in Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, with ethics approval. Sample size was 145 health care workers who had covid infection. The study comprised of questions from Dass 21 questionnaire and Likert sleep scale. Results: Mild levels of stress was seen in 16 members (11.03%), moderate stress was seen in 3 members (2.06%). The chi square value was calculated as significant p value of 0.045. Mild anxiety was seen among 13 (8.96%), moderate anxiety seen in 23 (15.86%), severe anxiety was seen in 2 (1.37%), Extremely severe anxiety was seen in 1 individual (0.68%). Mild depression was seen in 12 (8.27%), moderate depression was seen in 14 (9.65%). The quality of sleep was rated on a 10-point scale, 5.5% had reported poor sleep, 53.8% reported moderate sleep disturbance. Conclusions: This study reveals that mental health issues are possible for medical professionals too and that anxiety needs to be addressed in health professionals too. More so when isolated from their families and friends

In vitro plantlet regeneration from nodal segments and shoot tips of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga King Chili

An in vitro regeneration protocol was developed for Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga King Chili, a very pungent chili cultivar and an important horticultural crop of Nagaland (Northeast India). Maximum number of shoot (13 ± 0.70) was induced with bud-forming capacity (BFC) index of 10.8, by culturing nodal segments in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 18.16 μM Thidiazuron (TDZ) followed by 35.52 μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Using shoot tips as explants, multiple shoot (10 ± 0.37) (BFC 8.3) was also induced in MS medium fortified with either 18.16 μM TDZ or 35.52 μM BAP. Elongated shoots were best rooted in MS medium containing 5.70 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Rooted plantlets thus developed were hardened in 2–3 weeks time in plastic cups containing potting mixture of a 1:1 mix of soil and cow dung manure and then subsequently transferred to earthen pots. The regenerated plants did not show any variation in the morphology and growth as compared to the parent plant

Improvement of regeneration in pepper: a recalcitrant species

[EN] Organogenesis is influenced by factors like genotype, type of explant, culture medium components, and incubation conditions. The influence of ethylene, which can be produced in the culture process, can also be a limiting factor in recalcitrant species like pepper. In this work, bud induction was achieved from cotyledons and hypocotyls-from eight pepper cultivars-on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 22.2 mu M 6-benzyladenine (6BA) and 5.71 mu M indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), in media with or without silver nitrate (SN) (58.86 mu M), a suppressor of ethylene action. In the SN-supplemented medium, the frequencies of explants with buds and with callus formation were lower in both kinds of explant, but higher numbers of developed shoots were isolated from explants cultured on SN. Bud elongation was better in medium with gibberellic acid (GA(3)) (2.88 mu M) than in medium free of growth regulators or supplemented with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) at 34.5 mu M. However, isolation of shoots was difficult and few plants were recovered. The effect of adding SN following bud induction (at 7 d) and that of dark incubation (the first 7 d of culture) was also assessed in order to improve the previous results. When SN was added after bud induction, similar percentages of bud induction were found for cotyledons (average frequency 89.37% without SN and 94.37% with SN) whereas they doubled in hypocotyls (50% without SN and 87.7% with SN). In addition, in both kinds of explant, the number of developed plants able to be transferred to soil (developed and rooted) was greatly increased by SN. Dark incubation does not seem to improve organogenesis in pepper, and hypocotyl explants clearly represent a better explant choice-with respect to cotyledonary explants-for the pepper cultivars assayed.We thank the COMAV germplasm bank at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and the Arid Lands Institute for pepper seeds and the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research who fund N. Gammoudi's stay.Gammoudi, N.; San Pedro-Galan, T.; Ferchichi, A.; Gisbert Domenech, MC. (2018). Improvement of regeneration in pepper: a recalcitrant species. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant. 54(2):145-153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-017-9838-1S145153542Ashrafuzzaman M, Hossain MM, Razi Ismail M, Shahidul Haque M, Shahidullah SM, Uz Zaman S (2009) Regeneration potential of seedling explants of chilli (Capsicum annuum). Afr J Biotechnol 8:591–596Bortesi L, Fischer R (2015) The CRISPR/Cas9 system for plant genome editing and beyond. 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MICROPROPAGATION OF CAPSICUM ANNUUM L

An efficient micropropagation protocol was developed for Capsicum annuum L. cv. 'Morok Amuba', an ornamental chilli cultivar using shoo-tip and axillary shoot-tip explants. Multiple shoot buds were induced from shoot-tip explants on MS medium containing cytokinins alone or in combination with IAA. A maximum number of shoot buds was induced on MS medium containing 10 mg/l Zea followed by 5 mg/l BAP in combination with 1 mg/l IAA. Rooting and elongation of the shoot buds were achieved on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l IAA or IBA. Axillary shoots were induced on the rooted plantlets by decapitation and the axillary shoot-tips explants were used for further induction of shoot buds by culturing them on a medium containing combinations of BAP with IAA. The shoot buds were rooted on a medium containing 0.5 mg/l IBA. The plantlets showed 80-90% survival during transplantation

On the use of <em>Dalbergia</em> <em>stipulacea</em> Roxb. (Fabaceae) in oral healthcare with supplementary notes on species used in oral hygiene in Manipur, India

754-762The present paper reports the survey conducted from June 2012–December 2016 to assess the wild species used in oral hygiene and related dental recipes by four indigenous communities (Meitei, Maring, Kabui, Tangkhul) of Manipur, India. The age long tradition of blackening of teeth called Ha–sang practiced by the Maring tribe is documented for the first time. It was revealed that Dalbergia stipulacea Roxb. is exclusively used for the purpose. Additional notes on nine more species used in oral care are also highlighted. A total of 200 informants were interviewed for the purpose. Preference ranking calculation was employed for data analysis to assess the best choice of species used in dental hygiene for the respective four communities. The preference score for each species is different and highest preference of species for the respective communities are A. paniculata (35) for Meitei, D. stipulacea (36) for Maring, O. aristatus (32) for Kabui and M. malabathricum (31) for Tangkhul. The study concludes that D. stipulacea is a new addition to the plant list used in dental hygiene. It further emphasizes on their scientific exploitation and sustainable utilization in dental medicines

METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS CARRIAGE AMONG HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

 Objective: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carrier status in anterior nares and hands of health-care professionals working in orthopedic wards of a tertiary care hospital and to decolonize them to reduce spread of MRSA to their patients.Methods: The study was conducted in a super specialty, tertiary care teaching hospital. The samples were collected from anterior nares, palm, web spaces, and fingertips of 140 health-care professionals (48 doctors, 74 nurses, and 18 technicians) working in orthopedic wards using sterile pre-moistened swabs. MRSA carrier status was identified by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.Result: Most (76.4%) of the health-care professionals were &lt;30 years of age and 51% were male. MRSA in anterior nares of doctors was 4.3%, nurses 1.4%, and technicians 0.7% and none had MRSA in their hands. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) growth was more among nurses (nurses - 5.7%, doctors - 2.1%, and technicians - 1.4%) in anterior nares. In addition, 1.4% nurses' hands were colonized with MSSA. Both MRSA and MSSA carriers were decolonized effectively and repeat sampling showed no growth.Conclusion: Health-care professionals have a greater chance of transmitting MRSA to patients and orthopedic patients are more susceptible for infection. Although MRSA carrier status was not very high among orthopedic health-care professionals compared to previous studies, it cannot be ignored. Nasal mupirocin and bath with chlorhexidine soap were effective in decolonization. Periodic screening and treatment of colonizers would help in elimination of MRSA carriage

METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS CARRIAGE AMONG HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

 Objective: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carrier status in anterior nares and hands of health-care professionals working in orthopedic wards of a tertiary care hospital and to decolonize them to reduce spread of MRSA to their patients.Methods: The study was conducted in a super specialty, tertiary care teaching hospital. The samples were collected from anterior nares, palm, web spaces, and fingertips of 140 health-care professionals (48 doctors, 74 nurses, and 18 technicians) working in orthopedic wards using sterile pre-moistened swabs. MRSA carrier status was identified by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.Result: Most (76.4%) of the health-care professionals were &lt;30 years of age and 51% were male. MRSA in anterior nares of doctors was 4.3%, nurses 1.4%, and technicians 0.7% and none had MRSA in their hands. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) growth was more among nurses (nurses - 5.7%, doctors - 2.1%, and technicians - 1.4%) in anterior nares. In addition, 1.4% nurses' hands were colonized with MSSA. Both MRSA and MSSA carriers were decolonized effectively and repeat sampling showed no growth.Conclusion: Health-care professionals have a greater chance of transmitting MRSA to patients and orthopedic patients are more susceptible for infection. Although MRSA carrier status was not very high among orthopedic health-care professionals compared to previous studies, it cannot be ignored. Nasal mupirocin and bath with chlorhexidine soap were effective in decolonization. Periodic screening and treatment of colonizers would help in elimination of MRSA carriage