<b>Characterization of some traditional fermented foods and beverages of Himachal Pradesh</b>

325-335Traditional fermented foods and beverages are very popular in the tribal and rural areas of Himachal Pradesh. A number of fermented foods and beverages were identified and the traditional fermentation processes were studied. Some of the popular fermented foods and beverages were analysed for their microbiological characteristics. The fermented products that are unique to the tribal and rural belts of Himachal are Bhaturu, Siddu, Chilra, Manna, Marchu, Bagpinni, Seera, Dosha, Sepubari, Sura, Chhang, Lugri, Daru, Angoori and Behmi. Besides source of nutrition, these fermented foods e.g. Bhaturu, constitute staple food in larger part of rural areas of Kullu, Kangra, Mandi and Lahaul & Spiti districts of the state while others are consumed during local festivals, marriages and special occasions. Traditional starter cultures like ‘Phab’ (dehydrated yeast formulations), ‘Treh’ (previously fermented wheat flour slurry) and ‘Malera’ (previously fermented wheat flour dough) are the inocula used in preparing fermented products. Microbiological studies revealed that species of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a dominant microorganism in fermentation along with species of Candida, Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus. The ethanol content of some of the fermented beverages was also analysed

In silico prediction of potential inhibitors for the M2 protein of Influenza A virus using molecular docking studies.

Influenza A virus is a major player in the spread of global epidemics, causing millions of deaths globally due to seasonal sickness and respiratory disorders. Only M2 H+ ion channel blockers (amantadine and rimantadine) and neuraminidase inhibitors (NAI) (oseltamivir and zanamivir) are currently utilised to treat influenza A infection. Furthermore, the rise of drug-resistant variant has highlighted the need for novel antiviral medications to supplement or replace existing treatments. The M2 protein, is a minor component in virions but plays an essential role in the viral life cycle. With the aid of the computational approach in biology, using in-silico techniques, the evaluation of drug-likeness, molecular properties, and bioactivity of the identified 8 phytocompounds (Pseudo beta colubrine, Withaferin, Shinjulactone D, 5-Dehydrouzarigenin, Cinchonidine, Corylidin, Amarolide, Deoxyartemisinin) was carried out using Swiss ADME, while Protox-II server were used to identify its toxicity. The in silico molecular docking of the phytochemical ligands with the M2 protein motif was carried out using AutoDock (Vina), which evaluated the binding affinity for further selection of the most compatible and pharmacologically significant ligand. All the potent ligands could be considered as lead molecules based on their pharmacokinetic and drug likeness properties