Application of decolourized and partially purified polygalacturonase and α-amylase in apple juice clarification

Polygalacturonase and α-amylase play vital role in fruit juice industry. In the present study, polygalacturonase was produced by Aspergillus awamori Nakazawa MTCC 6652 utilizing apple pomace and mosambi orange (Citrus sinensis var mosambi) peels as solid substrate whereas, α-amylase was produced from A. oryzae (IFO-30103) using wheat bran by solid state fermentation (SSF) process. These carbohydrases were decolourized and purified 8.6-fold, 34.8-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively by activated charcoal powder in a single step with 65.1%, 69.8% and 60% recoveries, respectively. Apple juice was clarified by these decolourized and partially purified enzymes. In presence of 1% polygalacturonase from mosambi peels (9.87 U/mL) and 0.4% α-amylase (899 U/mL), maximum clarity (%T660nm = 97.0%) of juice was attained after 2 h of incubation at 50 ºC in presence of 10 mM CaCl2. Total phenolic content of juice was reduced by 19.8% after clarification, yet with slightly higher %DPPH radical scavenging property

"The fruits of independence": Satyajit Ray, Indian nationhood and the spectre of empire

Challenging the longstanding consensus that Satyajit Ray's work is largely free of ideological concerns and notable only for its humanistic richness, this article shows with reference to representations of British colonialism and Indian nationhood that Ray's films and stories are marked deeply and consistently by a distinctively Bengali variety of liberalism. Drawn from an ongoing biographical project, it commences with an overview of the nationalist milieu in which Ray grew up and emphasizes the preoccupation with colonialism and nationalism that marked his earliest unfilmed scripts. It then shows with case studies of Kanchanjangha (1962), Charulata (1964), First Class Kamra (First-Class Compartment, 1981), Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970), Shatranj ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991) and Robertsoner Ruby (Robertson's Ruby, 1992) how Ray's mature work continued to combine a strongly anti-colonial viewpoint with a shifting perspective on Indian nationhood and an unequivocal commitment to cultural cosmopolitanism. Analysing how Ray articulated his ideological positions through the quintessentially liberal device of complexly staged debates that were apparently free, but in fact closed by the scenarist/director on ideologically specific notes, this article concludes that Ray's reputation as an all-forgiving, ‘everybody-has-his-reasons’ humanist is based on simplistic or even tendentious readings of his work

Solvation and Solvatochromism: An Overview#

Different examples of solvatochromic shifts are shown and the theory that explain the non-specific general solvent effects are discussed here. The use of solvatochromic shifts for the determination of excited state dipole moment has been presented in detail in connection with a brief overview of different solvent polarity functions. The lack of proper theoretical expressions to explain the specific solvent effect stimulates to introduce the concept of “empirical measures of solvent polarity”, based on well known, convenient, solvent sensitive model processes. Various solvent sensitive polarity probes are discussed in this context. So far as quantitative estimation of various parameters responsible for the observed solvatochromic shifts are concerned, introduction of multiparameter approaches, its application in recent years has been carefully analyzed. The review also focuses some of the recent developments on the theoretical calculations of various solute-solvent interaction parameters based on quantum mechanical approaches. This issue solvation interaction by the use of mixed solvents has been discussed in detail, starting from the early development of the theories related to preferential solvation to the recent scenario, with a critical survey on the application of the concept of preferential solvation in the solubilization of drugs, polymers considering the emerging ‘green approach’ in recent years

Solvation and Solvatochromism: An Overview

472-481Different examples of solvatochromic shifts are shown and the theory that explain the non-specific general solvent effects are discussed here. The use of solvatochromic shifts for the determination of excited state dipole moment has been presented in detail in connection with a brief overview of different solvent polarity functions. The lack of proper theoretical expressions to explain the specific solvent effect stimulates to introduce the concept of “empirical measures of solvent polarity”, based on well known, convenient, solvent sensitive model processes. Various solvent sensitive polarity probes are discussed in this context. So far as quantitative estimation of various parameters responsible for the observed solvatochromic shifts are concerned, introduction of multiparameter approaches, its application in recent years has been carefully analyzed. The review also focuses some of the recent developments on the theoretical calculations of various solute-solvent interaction parameters based on quantum mechanical approaches. This issue solvation interaction by the use of mixed solvents has been discussed in detail, starting from the early development of the theories related to preferential solvation to the recent scenario, with a critical survey on the application of the concept of preferential solvation in the solubilization of drugs, polymers considering the emerging ‘green approach’ in recent years

Impact of Internet on delivery of critical cardiac health care: A case study from India

A case study has been conducted in India to estimate the impact of Internet on delivery of critical health care. Time series data on discharge and death from intensive cardiac care units have been collected from three individual centers that are under the Internet based telemedicine project of a private public partnership. Logistic Regression analysis has been performed to estimate the response parameters and test of hypotheses. The results confirm the effectiveness of using Internet in providing critical cardiac care to patients. The findings can be utilized to increase the number of local telemedicine centers in remote and underdeveloped areas

5-Amino-1-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide

Intramolecular hydrogen bonds influence the molecular conformation of the title compound, C10H19N5O, resulting in an extended planar hydrogen-bonded heterocyclic ring structure. The bulky diethylaminoethyl group adopts a butterfly conformation. The stabilization of the crystal structure is supported by an extensive network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds

Limited effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on T-lymphocyte and natural killer cell numbers and functions in healthy young males

OBJECTIVE: Greatly increasing the amount of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet has been reported in some studies to decrease T-lymphocyte and natural killer functions. However, dose-response relations have not been identified. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of supplementing the diet of young male subjects with different amounts of an oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on T-lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production by T lymphocytes, and natural killer cell activity. METHODS: In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study, healthy young (18 to 42 y) males were randomized to one of four supplements. These were placebo (no additional omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) or different amounts of an EPA-rich oil that provided 1.35, 2.7, or 4.05 g/d of EPA for 12 wk. Blood samples were taken at baseline and after 12 wk. RESULTS: Eicosapentaenoic acid was incorporated in a linear dose-response fashion into mononuclear cell phospholipids. EPA did not alter the proportions of T lymphocytes, helper T lymphocytes, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, or natural killer cells in the bloodstream. T-lymphocyte proliferation in response to concanavalin A and the production of the cytokines interleukin-2, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-10 were not affected by the different treatments. However, interleukin-4 production was increased with increasing intake of EPA. Natural killer cell activity was little affected by the treatments, although there was a trend for EPA to increase activity at a low effector-to-target cell ratio. CONCLUSION: T-lymphocyte and natural killer cell numbers and function in healthy young males are little affected by supplemental EPA intakes up to 4 g/d

Structural, magnetic, and transport properties of nanoparticles of the manganite Pr<SUB>0.5</SUB>Ca<SUB>0.5</SUB>MnO<SUB>3</SUB>

In this paper we report the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of nanoparticles of Pr<SUB>0.5</SUB>Ca<SUB>0.5</SUB>MnO<SUB>3</SUB>(PCMO). On comparing our results with that of bulk PCMO, we find that there is a likely destabilization of charge ordering in nanoparticles of PCMO. The investigation has been done with particle sizes as small as 15 nm synthesized by polyol route. The size reduction (by keeping the chemical composition unchanged) reduces the orthorhombic c axis preferentially and thus reduces the orthorhombic distortion. The size reduction to 15 nm enhances the ferromagnetic moment at low temperatures and strongly suppresses the activated charge transport which is seen in the bulk samples of charge ordered PCMO