Ability of Essential Oil Vapours to Reduce Numbers of Culturable Aerosolised Coronavirus, Bacteria and Fungi

Transmission of pathogens present in the indoor air can occur through aerosols. This study evaluated the efficacy of an evaporated mix of essential oils to reduce the numbers of culturable aerosolized coronavirus, bacterium and fungus. The essential oil-containing gel was allowed to vaporize inside a glass chamber for 10 or 20 min. Aerosols of a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2, murine hepatitis coronavirus MHV-1, Escherichia coli or Aspergillus flavus spores were produced using a colli-sion nebuliser and passed through the essential oil vapours, then collected on a six-stage Andersen sampler. The six-stages of the impact sampler capture aerosols in sizes ranging from 7 to 0.65 µm. The number of culturable microbes present in the aerosols collected in the different stages were enumerated and compared to the number of culturable microbes in control microbial aerosols that were not exposed to the evaporated essential oils. After 10 and 20 min evaporation, the essential oils reduced the numbers of culturable aerosolized coronavirus by 48% (log10 reduction = 0.3; p = 0.002 vs. control) and 53% (log10 reduction = 0.3; p = 0.001 vs. control), respectively. The essential oils vaporised for 10 min, reduced the number of viable E. coli by 51% (log10 reduction = 0.3; p = 0.032 vs. control). The Aspergillus flavus spores were mostly observed in the larger aerosols (7.00 µm to 2.10 µm) and the essential oils vaporised for 10 min reduced the number of viable spores by 72% (log10 reduction = 0.6; p = 0.008 vs. control). The vapours produced by a gel containing naturally occurring essential oils were able to significantly reduce the viable numbers of aerosolized coronavirus, bacteria and fungal spores. The antimicrobial gel containing the essential oils may be able to reduce aerosol transmission of microbes when used in domestic and workplace settings

Vapor-Grown Carbon Fiber Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

Carbon nanofibers are promising to revolutionize several fields in material science and are suggested to open the way into nanotechnology. Carbon fiber has become an important reinforcement material in composite materials and battery technology because of its low density, high strength, and tensile modulus. Furthermore, high electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties of carbon fiber make it useful in a wide variety of products. This chapter highlighting the synthesis and growth pattern of vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCFs). This chapter work reported here includes the application of VGCFs in composite and battery technology

Millet bran: The underrated ingredient with a potential to transform human nutrition

Millets are consumed by people across the globe. Millet bran (MB), a byproduct of preliminary processes like dehulling, debranning, and milling, is often discarded or utilized as animal feed. Foxtail millet bran(FMB) consists of 9.39% crude oil, 12.48% crude protein, 51.69% crude fiber, 7.50% ash, and 8.29% moisture. Kodo millet bran(KMB) has a nutrient profile of 4.92% protein, 79.84% carbohydrates, 2.83% fat, 48.42% overall dietary fiber, 5.33% ash, and 7.07% moisture. Little millet bran has a phenolic concentration of 465.67 µg, whole grain contains 148.53 µg, and pearled grain has 78.63 µg. Proso millet bran is composed of 9% fat, 26% carbohydrates, 36% dietary fiber, and 14% protein, along with 3 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of phenolics. Bran is a promising ingredient for creating innovative functional and therapeutic foods since it contains good nutrients like protein, fat, dietary fiber, phenols, phytonutrients, flavonoids, and antioxidants. Hydrolytic rancidity is the primary challenge in using bran as food, and the only way to prevent it is through a process called stabilization, which inactivates the enzymes responsible for this issue. Stabilization of bran is crucial to preventing the formation of free fatty acids(FFA) due to the action of lipase. This review addresses stabilization techniques, health and therapeutic benefits, and industrial applications for developing MB-based food products like bakery products, beverages, and bran oil

Prevalence of HIV seropositivity among the patients attending tertiary care hospital at Puducherry, India

Background: HIV/AIDS has been globally increasing since its first identification and reached 36.9 million by the end of 2014. It is more prevalent in underdeveloped countries. India with about 2.1 million HIV/AIDS affected people is placed third on the table followed by South Africa and Nigeria. In the present study, we aim to report the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the patients attending our hospital in and around Puducherry, India.Methods: A total of 18903 patients attending various departments of our hospital from November 2012 to October 2015 were included in this study. HIV screening was done by rapid card test and ELISA for the detection of antibodies against HIV.Results: Out of the total study population, 259 (1.37%) were positive for HIV/AIDS. An increasing prevalence was observed in each successive year of our study. Male (1.94%) population was predominantly affected by HIV/AIDS than the females (0.90%) and is more prevalent in the 41-50 year age group.  Conclusions: Continuous monitoring, testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS would help to keep the disease under control. Special awareness and education programs are to be conducted in areas in which an increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS is reported

Optimizing the stabilization techniques and enhancing the oil yield of Foxtail Millet Bran (FMB)

Millet bran, a by-product of preliminary processes is often discarded or utilised as animal feed. Despite of the nutritional advantage, the main challenge in using bran as food is due to its shortened shelf life. Stabilization of bran is essential to prevent hydrolytic rancidity and free fatty acid (FFA) formation by inactivating lipase enzymes. FMB was stabilized by three methods viz., microwave (900 W, 2450 MHz), ultrasonication (500 W, 40 KHz) and blanching. Lipase activity and oil yield were studied. FMB was stabilized by microwave technique, maintaining an initial moisture to 21 % for 1 min (MT1), 2 min (MT2), 3 min (MT3) and ultrasonication for 20 min (UT1), 40 min (UT2), 60 min (UT3) and blanching for 20 min (BT1), 40 min (BT2), 60 min (BT3) followed by cabinet drying. Lipase activity was measured in control and stabilized millet bran. Lipase activity of control (untreated bran) was 0.01 and it was reduced to 0.0005, 0.001, 0.0003, 0.00042 and 0.0001 in UT1, MT1, MT2, BT1 and BT2 respectively. Lipase activity was found to be nil in UT2, UT3, MT3 and BT3. Oil yield was found to be increased in stabilized bran from 10.13 % (MT2) to 10.95 % (MT3) compared to control (10.01 %). Changes in nutritional characteristics of stabilised FMB were studied. In stabilised FMB increase in protein content a decrease in moisture, ash and fiber was observed in MT3. In conclusion, microwave (MW) treatment for stabilization of FMB significantly improved the stability and oil yield. The emerging debranning and stabilizing technologies may accelerate the utilization of millet bran for industrial application

A Pilot Study of Short-Duration Sputum Pretreatment Procedures for Optimizing Smear Microscopy for Tuberculosis

Direct sputum smear microscopy for tuberculosis (TB) lacks sensitivity for the detection of acid fast bacilli. Sputum pretreatment procedures may enhance sensitivity. We did a pilot study to compare the diagnostic accuracy and incremental yield of two short-duration (<1 hour) sputum pretreatment procedures to optimize direct smears among patients with suspected TB at a referral hospital in India.Blinded laboratory comparison of bleach and universal sediment processing (USP) pretreated centrifuged auramine smears to direct Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) and direct auramine smears and to solid (Loweinstein-Jensen (LJ)) and liquid (BACTEC 460) culture. 178 pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB suspects were prospectively recruited during a one year period. Thirty six (20.2%) were positive by either solid or liquid culture. Direct ZN smear detected 22 of 36 cases and direct auramine smears detected 26 of 36 cases. Bleach and USP centrifugation detected 24 cases each, providing no incremental yield beyond direct smears. When compared to combined culture, pretreated smears were not more sensitive than direct smears (66.6% vs 61.1 (ZN) or 72.2 (auramine)), and were not more specific (92.3% vs 93.0 (ZN) or 97.2 (auramine).Short duration sputum pretreatment with bleach and USP centrifugation did not increase yield as compared to direct sputum smears. Further work is needed to confirm this in a larger study and also determine if longer duration pre-treatment might be effective in optimizing smear microscopy for TB

ASSESSMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRIENT INTAKE OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THREE AGRO-BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN INDIA

Balanced and adequate nutrition is important in improving the health of the community in general and of vulnerable groups in particular. Assessment of the nutritional status of a community is important for development of implementation strategies and suitable policies. Dietary assessment indicates whether intake of macro and micro nutrient are adequate. Anthropometric measurements and comparisons of nutrient intakes with reference values are easy and non-invasive, economical and sufficiently reliable methods for the determination of nutritional status. The present study uses micro-level data drawn from 24 hours recall diet survey to calculate the mean food and nutrient intake by communities in three agro-biodiversity hotspots. The 24 hours recall diet survey was carried out among households in three study locations during June to November 2013 among the project intervention and non-intervention groups. Information on age, sex, physiological status, physical activity of the household members who took meals during the previous 24 hours was collected for computing consumption unit. The result shows that cereals are the chief source of energy in the study locations contributing 70-80% of the daily energy intake. Mean intake of green leafy vegetable are negligible in the study locations. The intake of sugar and jaggery among the intervention group of Meenangadi is 48% higher than recommended dietary intake, while in the non-intervention group it is 28% higher; and 20% higher among the nonintervention group in the Kolli Hills. The intake of vitamin A is the lowest among other nutrients across the internvention and non-intervention groups in the study locations

Reproductive and developmental safety assessment of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in Wistar rats

IntroductionAshwagandha (Withania somnifera L. Dunal), a popular botanical drug in Ayurveda, has a wide range of therapeutic applications. However, safety data for effects on reproduction and embryonic development in animal models is scarce. This randomized controlled study investigated the effects on body weight, reproductive organ weight, and thyroid hormone levels in pups of Wistar rats (10M/13F per group) who received oral aqueous Ashwagandha Root extract (500, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg/day body weight) or carboxymethylcellulose (control) for 4 weeks.MethodsAnimals were housed in polypropylene cages with males and females together during the pre-exposure and pre-mating periods. During the mating phase, one male and one female were kept together until confirmation of pregnancy. Pregnant females were housed individually during the post-mating period and lactating phase, while male rats were returned to their group cages. The procedure used was based on OECD Guideline 421 (OECD, 2016).ResultsThe No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) in adult rats was 2,000 mg/kg. The mean body weights of pups and parental animals were similar (p &gt; 0.05) in the treatment and control arms. Also, the weight of reproductive organs in parental male and female rats was similar (p &gt; 0.05) in all groups.DiscussionThe parameters such as T4 and TSH levels, body weight, and weight of reproductive organs in adult Wistar rats and pups, were within range even at the maximum dosage. No evidence of toxicity at various stages of development and reproduction with aqueous extract was observed when administered orally. Rats’ ability to reproduce and develop was unaffected by standardized ashwagandha root extract