From the Director's Desk - Niscair

From the Director’s Desk

India is one of the richest and most diversified countries as far as biodiversity, natural products and resources are concerned. Dissemination of information on various topics related to these subjects has acquired unprecedented prominence in the last two decades as every field, be it science, technology or engineering, look to natural resources as a safe source, both environmentally as well as technologically.

The National Institute of Science Communication And Information Resources (NISCAIR), is a constituent establishment of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi which houses globally renowned publications such as, The Wealth of India–An Encyclopaedia of Indian Raw Materials, 17 scholarly research journals and 2 abstracting journals, viz. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts (MAPA) and Indian Science Abstracts (ISA). Since, MAPA and ISA have vast coverage on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and all science subjects, respectively, we have now decided to extend our services on all plant and animals based natural products in faster mode i.e. electronically. With immense pleasure we announce launching of Natural Products and Resources Repository (NPARR)

with open access to adequately fulfill the information needs of teachers, scientists, scholars and entrepreneurs for research and commercial products development from natural resources. Another feature of this repository is that authors can be users and contributors to this repository at the same time by sending soft copies of abstracts of their published papers with full citation and address of corresponding authors and information on technologies/know-how developed at their institute/university for placing under respective group of products/technologies. I trust that this collection will also help researchers in searching core and non-core journals on specified products.

I welcome all experienced authors, editors and publishers of national and international journals for their creative cooperation and enthusiastic involvement in this new endeavor. The NPARR allows free access to its contents and hence will enhance citation/visibility of papers/ technological know-how included in this repository. We look forward to provide you a comprehensive collection of quality information on natural products in coming years.

Gangan Prathap (Former Director)

CSIR-NISCAIR

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NATURAL PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES

REPOSITORY (NPARR) (A Quarterly Electronic Repository of Current Information on Natural Products and Resources)

This repository is produced by systematic survey of research and review papers published in primary journals and providing abstracts/summaries and bibliographic details of applied research. It is covering information on all aspects of natural products and resources of plants and animals. The abstracts are presented in various categories viz. Beverages, Cosmetics, Dyes, Essential oils, Fats/Oils, Feed/Fodder, Fibre, Flavour/Fragrance, Food, Fruits, Fuel, Gum/Rubber, Insecticides /Fungicides/Nematicides, Oils/Fats, Poultry, Pulp/Paper, Spices/Condiments, Therapeutics, Vegetables, Wood, etc. Title, journal, author(s), address of corresponding author (Asterisk marked) of the original paper are provided for scientific reference and citation. NPARR inserts new products and technologies developed forthcoming conferences or educational event, book reviews, projects completed and theses awarded.

Compilation/Editor: Dr (Mrs) Sunita Garg

National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), CSIR Dr K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012, INDIA Phone: 91-011-25846301 ext 258, 25846001; Fax: 91-011 2584 7062 Website; http://nopr.niscair.res.in E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

The information on this site is intended for educational purposes and societal benefit and is available free of cost. It is a compilation from research journals and it is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified professional. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India does not endorse nor does it verify the content or claims made. Editor does not accept responsibility for the consequences of the use of the information. Every effort is made to present the information accurately; however, we assume no liability for any errors and omissions.

Information for Readers

We encourage readers to sign up for the publishing notification service for this repository. Use the Register link and register yourself. It will result in the readers receiving the E-mail alert for each new issue. This list also allows the NPARR to claim a certain level of support or readership. The Privacy Statement assures readers that their name and E-mail address will not be used for other purposes.

For including in respective categories, we would like to ask you to contribute soft copies of: (i) Abstract of your excellent papers published during the last one year or current year in any journal; (ii)

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New technologies/ Know-how Developed at your Institute or University; (iii) Books for review or book reviews for publication; (iv) Forthcoming events and Theses awarded in recent past. We certainly hope that more ground will be covered in future issues. The librarians are requested to list NPARR among their library's electronic journal holdings. You may send your above contributions to Dr (Mrs) Sunita Garg, on E-mail Id: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Pages 1-74

NATURAL PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES REPOSITORY (NPARR)

(A Quarterly Electronic Repository of Current Information on Natural Products and Resources)

C O N T E N T S

Volume 7, No. 1 Jan. 2016

Products

Beverages 05

Cosmetics/Cosmeceuticals 08

Dyes 10

Essential oils 13

Feed/Fodder 18

Fibres 21

Food 25

Fruits 29

Fuel 33

Insecticides 38

Manure/Fertilizers 42

Oils/Fats 45

Phytochemicals 47

Rubber/Gum/Resin 50

Spices/Condiments 54

Sugar 56

Therapeutics 58

Vegetables 61

Wood 64

Others

Cultivation 66

Postharvest Technology 69

Forthcoming events 72

Announcements 73

NATURAL PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES REPOSITORY (NPARR)

BEVERAGES (incl. Juices, Tea /Coffee,

Yoghurt and other natural soft drinks)

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-01 Comparative

characteristics of the isotopic D/H composition

and antioxidant activity of freshly squeezed

juices from fruits and vegetables grown in

different geographical regions

Data presented in this paper reflect

changes in antioxidant activity, the content of prooxidant factors and deuterium concentration in freshly squeezed juices from fruits and vegetables grown in different climatic regions (10 samples of juices from wholesale and retail trade network of 8 kinds of vegetables and fruits, 28 manufacturers from 14 countries). Determination of the concentration of deuterium was performed using a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. Total antioxidant activity of fresh juices was determined amperometrically after dilution in 2.2 mM H3PO4 in a ratio of 1:100. Prooxidant performance was evaluated by a maximum and area of flash of chemiluminescence induced by the introduction of 0.3% hydrogen peroxide. It was found that the antioxidant activity of fresh juice from fruits and vegetables grown within the same climatic region can differ by several times. In this case, most of the fruits and vegetables of russian producers were not inferior, than antioxidant activity of the fresh juices from the same plant products grown abroad. It should be noted that the indicators of the antioxidant activity of fresh juice from Russian pears exceeded this indicator of all fresh juices from pears, imported from Argentina, South Africa and the United States of America by 21.1, 30.4 and 32.7%, respectively. In assessing the prooxidant properties of fresh juices should be noted the almost complete absence of factors with prooxidant nature only in 36% of the studied fresh juices, whose maximum performance and area of flash of chemiluminescence were less

than 0.1%, including a pear and apple juices from the russian production. It should be noted that the area of chemiluminescence of the juice from potatoes, grown in Russia, was at 103.1 and 115.2% lower than in juice obtained respectively from potatoes produced in Israel and Egypt (p<0.05), indicating a higher safety of consumption of potatoes produced in Russia. When studying--the isotopic D/H composition of fresh juices it was found that the highest deuterium content was in the juice from the pears, imported from Argentina (deltaD = -72% per hundred), while the lowest concentration of deuterium was observed in the juice from the Egyptian potatoes (delta = -358% per hundred). In general, significantly lower deuterium content was determined in fresh juices made from potatoes and cabbage grown in different countries, in comparison with other fresh juices from fruits and vegetables. The smallest range of differences in the isotopic D/H was composed in freshjuices from tomato, pomegranate and oranges of Turkish manufacturers (deuterium concentration ranged in them from -221 to -214% per hundred), that can be used to confirm the geographical origin of fruits and vegetables grown in Turkey. The data reflecting the antioxidant activity, the content of prooxidant factors and deuterium concentration in the juices, allow us to recommend the latter as additional criteria when assessing the quality of food products [Bykov, M.I*., Dzhimak, S.S., Basov, A.A., Arcybasheva, O.M., Shashkov, D. and Baryshev, M.G (Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar, Russian Federation), Voprosy

pitaniia, 2015, 84(4), 89-96].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-02 Comparative milk and

serum cholesterol content in dairy cow and

camel

In order to compare cholesterol contents in cow and camel milk in similar farming conditions, milk and blood of seven cows and

NAT PROD RESOUR REPOS, VOL. 7, NO. 1, 2016

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seven camels maintained at normal diet at the middle of lactation were sampled at morning and evening, then after two weeks of keeping them at low protein diet. The cholesterol content in camel milk (5.64. ±. 3.18. mg/100. g, SD) was not significantly lower than in cow milk (8.51. ±. 9.07. mg/100. g, SD). Fat contents in cow milk were higher. Cholesterol/fat ratios were similar in the two species (camel: 225. ±. 125. mg/100. g fat; cow: 211. ±. 142. mg/100. g fat). The serum cholesterol concentration was significantly higher in cow (227.8. ±. 60.5. mg/100. ml) than in camel (106.4. ±. 28.9. mg/100. ml). There was a significant difference between morning and evening milking in milk fat compositions and concentrations in cholesterol. Fat levels increased in cow after two-week low energy-protein diet [Faye, B.* , Bengoumi, M., Al-Masaud, A. and Konuspayeva, G. ( Camel Project, P.O. Box n721, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia ), Journal of King Saud

University – Science, 2015, 27(2), 168-175]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-03 Effects on

physicochemical characteristics of yoghurt

and ice cream with fatty acid modification and

cholesterol removal

This study investigated the effect of fatty acid modification and cholesterol removal on physicochemical characteristics of yoghurt and ice cream. Fatty acid profile of milk fat was modified by feeding calcium salts of soybean oil fatty acids to cows and cholesterol was removed by P-cyclodextrin. P-cyclodextrin removed 76% and 60% cholesterol from yoghurt and ice cream. Modification of fatty acid composition did not have a significant effect on a-tocopherol content; while P-cyclodextrin treated milk had substantially lower a-tocopherol content. The concentration of a-tocopherol in control and P-cyclodextrin treated yoghurt was 45.62, 32.73 ng/g and 210.34, 185.56 ng/g for ice cream, respectively. Fatty acid modification and cholesterol removal significantly decreased the overrun in ice cream (P<0.05), with no effect on sensory characteristics of yoghurt and ice cream.

These results evidenced that milk with higher content of unsaturated fatty acids and low cholesterol can be used in the formulation of yoghurt and ice cream with improved health benefits and suitable sensory features [Nadeem, M.*, Uuah, R., Imran, M. and Arif, A.M. (Department of Dairy Technology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan), Pakistan Journal of Scientific and

Industrial Research Series B: Biological

Sciences, 2015, 58 (1), 40-46]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-04 Effect of combined

maillard reaction products in fructose-lysine

model system and pulsed electric field

sterilization on banana juice quality

The anti-browning and anti-microbial effects of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) in fructose-lysine model system and pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment during the low-temperature processing of banana juice were investigated in this study. First, the impact of the MRPs in inhibiting banana polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and color changes after pulping banana fruits were investigated. Second, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of MRPs with and/or without PEF against Staphylococcus

aureus and Escherichia coli were measured. The results showed that the addition of 0.0625 mg/mL MRPs decreased PPO activity by 84% and retained the original color of banana fruits for 30 minutes after pulping. The MICs of MRPs against S. aureus and E. coli were both 12.5 mg/mL. PEF effectively inactivated S. aureus and E. coli, significantly enhancing the anti-microbial effects of MRPs. Specifically, the MICs of MRPs against S. aureus and E. coli decreased to 1.56 mg/mL and 3.125 mg/mL, respectively, after PEF treatment at 30 kV/cm for 1200 µs. MRPs at a concentration of 0.0625 mg/mL in combination with PEF at 50 kV/cm for 1200 µs while pulping the banana fruits produced banana juice with a bright yellow color, a pure flavor, and a desired shelf life [Gao, Q.*, Yuan, D.-B., ang, J.-S., Li,

BEVERAGES

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F.-F., Li, Y.-X., Wang, C.-Z., and Chen, J. (College of Food Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, China), Modern

Food Science and Technology, 2015, 31(12), 220-226 & 234].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-05 The protective role of

pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice

against hepatotoxicity induced by

pentylenetetrazol in epileptic rats

Epilepsy is one of the greatest common neurological disorders which cause oxidative damages especially in the liver cells.The present study aims to investigate the protective effects of pomegranate juice as a source of natural antioxidant on the liver fun ctions and hepatic oxidative stress induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in epileptic rats. Pomegranate juice had 43.3% antioxidant activity and contained good quantities of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and anthocyanin which are considered the main components of non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system. Forty eight rats were randomly divided into three groups, the first group, normal control group (n=16). The second and third groups (n=16 for each) were received a daily oral dose 5 and 10 µL/g of body weight (B.W) , respectively of pomegranate juice. At the 28th day, the rats were fasted for 12 hours, and the

half of rats of each group (n = 8) were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of (PTZ) (60 mg/kg of (B.W) and the other half rats were received the same dose of sterile isotonic saline solution without (PTZ). After 30 minutes, animals were sacrificed under diethyl ether anesthesia. Injection of rats with (PTZ) resulted in an increase in liver functions alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamine transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphates (ALP) and total bilirubin in the serum. Pomegranate juice increased total antioxidant and vitamin C in the serum of rats and reduced the levels of liver functions in serum of rats, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Hydrogen peroxide (HP)in the serum and liver of rats which induced by (PTZ). Increasing the level of pomegranate juice from 5 to 10µL/g of (B.W) was more effective in increasing enzymatic and non - enzymatic antioxidants and reduction lipid peroxidation. In summary, the pretreatment with PJ had the ability to inhibition or decreasing of lipid oxidation and cell damage in the liver and serum of rats which induced by (PTZ) [Abeer A. Khedr*, Mohamed Fekry Serag El-Din, Hebe Ezz El-Din Yossef (Department of Nutrition and Food Science s, Faculty of Home Economics, Minufyia University, Shibin El-Kom, Egypt), Life Sci J, 2015, 12(12), 119-124].


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COSMETICS/COSMECEUTICALS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-06 Studies for the potential

utilization of Guadua angustifolia Kunth

(poaceae) leaves for the cosmetic sector

The use of agro-industrial wastes is a practice that has been implemented by the environmental impact it represents. The objective of studt is to perform a bromatological and phytochemical analysis of Guadua leaves and to evaluate the effect of some variables involved in the process of obtaining plant material that may affect the yield and the antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic extract. Secondary metabolites in the leaves were qualitatively identified and then supplemented with bromatologic study according to AOAC standards. Through a simple comparison designs and factorial design 22, there was determined the influence of the drying process (natural and controlled), the particle size (120 and 64 µm), crop age (3-4 years) and storage time of the dried and ground leaves (1 and 6 months) on the extraction yield and antioxidant activity (DPPH Folin and Ciocalteu) of hydroalcoholic extract. Results: dried leaves revealed the presence of compounds with antioxidant activity (flavonoids and phenols) and 2, 4 % nitrogen less than reported for other bamboo trees. From the leaves, one can obtain a hydroalcoholic extract with yield up to 10,6 % and antioxidant activity up to 9, 2 mg gallic acid / 100g and Trolox 14,5 mg / 100g. It was observed that neither age of the cultures (3-4 years) from leaves, the drying method, nor the time storage of leaves affect antioxidant properties and the extraction yield of hydroalcoholic extract, whereas these properties did change with the particle size. Guadua leaves, for their antioxidant activity, are a potential raw material for use in the cosmetics industry [Durango Álvarez, Enith Susana, Gallardo Cabrera, Cecilia, Contreras and Contreras, Anyeline (Universidad de Antioquia. Calle 67 Nº 53-68, Medellín, Colombia), Revista

Cubana de Farmacia, 2015, 49(3), 535-542].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-07 Investigation of the anti-

melanogenic and antioxidant characteristics of

Eucalyptus camaldulensis flower essential oil

and determination of its chemical composition

The effects of essential oil from

Eucalyptus camaldulensis flowers oil on melanogenesis and the oil’s antioxidant characteristics were investigated. Assays of mushroom and cellular tyrosinase activities and melanin content of mouse melanoma cells were performed spectrophotometrically, and the expression of melanogenesis-related proteins was determined by Western blotting. The possible signaling pathways involved in essential oil-mediated depigmentation were also investigated using specific protein kinase inhibitors. The results revealed that E. camaldulensis flower essential oil effectively suppresses intracellular tyrosinase activity and decreases melanin amount in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. The essential oil also exhibits antioxidant properties and effectively decreases intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. The volatile chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The chemical constituents in the essential oil are predominately oxygenated monoterpenes (34.9%), followed by oxygenated sesquiterpenes (31.8%), monoterpene hydrocarbons (29.0%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (4.3%). The results indicated that E. camaldulensis flower essential oil inhibits melanogenesis through its antioxidant properties and by down-regulating both mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathways. The present study indicates that the essential oil has the potential to be developed into a skin care product [Huang, H.C.*, Ho, Y.C. , Lim, J.-M., Chang, T.-Y., Ho, C. L. and Chang, T.M. (Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan), International Journal of

Molecular Sciences, 2015, 16 (5), 10470-10490].

COSMETICS/COSMECEUTICALS

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NPARR, 7(1), 2016-08 Treatment of acne with tea

tree oil (melaleuca) products: A review of efficacy,

tolerability and potential modes of action (Review)

Over-the-counter acne treatments containing tea tree oil from the plant Melaleuca

alternifolia are widely available, and evidence indicates that they are a common choice amongst those self-treating their acne. The aims of this review were to collate and evaluate the clinical evidence on the use of tea tree oil products for treating acne, to review safety and tolerability and to discuss the underlying modes of therapeutic action [Hammer, K.A. (School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (M504), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Perth, WA, Australia), International Journal of Antimicrobial

Agents, 2015, 45 (2), 106-110].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-09 Anti-dandruff hair tonic

containing Lemongrass (Cymbopogon

flexuosus) Oil

Natural remedies for treating dandruff are becoming popular. A randomized, double-blind,

placebo-controlled, split-head efficacy evaluation was conducted 30 Thai volunteers aged 20-60 years experiencing dandruff measured at level 3 on D-Squame® scale. An easy to use hair tonic containing essential oil of lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) active against lipophilic yeasts was developed and then evaluated for efficacy and preference. The base formulation with the significantly highest preference (p < 0.05) was stowed with the oil at 5, 10 or 15%. Subjects applied the formulation twice a day, and an efficacy assessment with D-Squame® scale was conducted on days 7 and 14 of application. The application of lemongrass oil hair tonics with 5, 10, or 15% reduced dandruff significant (p < 0.005) at day 7 (33, 75, and 51%) and increased the effect even more (p < 0.005) at day 14 (52, 81, and 74%). The hair tonic formulation with 10% of lemongrass oil seems to be the most effective preparation [Chaisripipat, W., Lourith, N. and Kanlayavattanakul, M. (School of Cosmetic Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand), Forschende

Komplementarmedizin, 2015, 22 (4), 226-229].


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DYES (incl. Food colorants)

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-10 Comparison of the

ionizing radiation effects on cochineal, annatto

and turmeric natural dyes

As studies on radiation stability of food dyes are scarce, commercially important natural food grade dyes were evaluated in terms of their sensitivity against gamma ionizing radiation. Cochineal, annatto and turmeric dyes with suitable concentrations were subjected to increasing doses up to 32. kGy and analyzed by spectrophotometry and capillary electrophoresis. The results showed different pattern of absorbance versus absorbed dose for the three systems. Carmine, the glucosidal coloring matter from the scale insect Coccus cacti L., Homoptera (cochineal) remained almost unaffected by radiation up to doses of about 32. kGy (absorbance at 494. nm). Meanwhile, at that dose, a plant-derived product annatto or urucum (Bixa orellana L.) tincture presented a nearly 58% reduction in color intensity. Tincture of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) the active ingredient in the eastern spice turmeric (Curcuma longa) showed to be highly sensitive to radiation when diluted. These data shall be taken in account whenever food products containing these food colors were going to undergo radiation processing [Cosentino, H.M., Takinami, P.Y.I. and del Mastro, N.L. (Mackenzie Presbyterian University, R. da Consolação 930, 01302-907 SP, Brazil), Radiation

Physics and Chemistry, June 05, 2015].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-11 Formulation and

evaluation of lip jelly by replacing synthetic

colorants with colorants extracted from Bixa

orellana seeds

Cosmetics are incredible in demand. Cosmetic includes various formulations. Among them, lip jelly is having very appreciable contribution in it. Lip jelly is having similar properties as compared to lipstick and lip balm which prevents the lips from environmental factors and colors them. Current market uses

synthetic colorants in lip cosmetics which have various side effects. Nature is full of colors which are safer to human. The team targetted different plants to extract natural colors from them and use for development of herbal lip jelly. Current formulation involves the development of lip jelly by using natural dye obtained from the seed coat of Bixa orellana. It is evaluated for organolaptic properties like colour, odour, spread ability, pH, melting point, skin irritation, etc. The developed formulation is having no side effects which can bechronically used by the women with great satisfaction [Panchal, C.*, Sapkal, E., Padhiar, J., Deshmukh, S. (Alard College of Pharmacy, Pune, Maharashtra, India), International Journal

of Pharma and Bio Sciences, 2015, 6 (2), P37-P41].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-12 Study of colouring effect

of herbal hair formulations on graying hair

The dried aqueous herbal extracts of Gudhal leaves (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), Jatamansi rhizome (Nardostachys jatamansi), Kuth roots (Saussurea lappa), Kattha (Acacia

catechu), Amla dried fruit (Emblica officinalis), were prepared. Coffee powder (Coffea arabica) and Henna powder (Lowsonia inermis) were taken in the form of powder (# 40). Fourteen herbal hair colorants were prepared from these dried aqueous herbal extracts and powders. Activities of hair colorants were observed on sheep wool fibers. On the basis of the above observation six hair colorants were selected. These six formulations were taken for trials on human beings. The formulation coded HD-3 gave maximum colouring effect on sheep wool fibers as well as on human beings and percentage of acceptance among the volunteers were in the following order: HD- 3 > HD- 4 > HD-1 > HD-13 > HD-14 > HD-11. The remarkable results were obtained from five herbal hair colorants, viz., HD-1, HD- 3, HD- 4, HD-13 and HD-14 on sheep wool fibers and human beings. Formulation HD-3, having gudhal, jatamansi, kuth, kattha, amla, coffee and henna, was the

DYES

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maximum accepted formulation and suggested that these herbs in combination acts synergistically in hair colouring action. It also concluded that jatamansi, present in different hair colorants, was responsible to provide maximum blackening on hair [Singh, V.*, Ali, M. and Upadhyay, S. ( Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, BBS Institute of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences, Greater Noida, India), Pharmacognosy Research, 2015, 7 (3), 259-262]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-13 Extraction and

application of natural mordant dyes from

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)

Metallic salts are often added as extra mordant when dyeing the fabrics with natural dyes. Eichhornia crassipes, namely water hyacinth (WH), is an environmentally problematic aquatic weed with high affinity for metals. In this paper, WH was selected as the source of natural mordant dyes, and extracted by absolute ethyl alcohol using a soxhlet apparatus. The colorants in WH were extracted and separated by column chromatography and thin layer chromatography (TLC). UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV-VIS), mass spectrometry, chemical identification with chromogenic reaction and Fourier transform infrared spetroscopy (FTIR) were used to identify the main components of each pigment band. The total metal contents before and after extracting of the WH were determined by using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission detector. The WH extracts were then used to dye wool fabric. The dyeing properties of WH extracts with and without metal mordant were investigated and compared. The results show that the main components of WH extracts are pheophytin and phyllins. The major metallic elements identified in WH are magnesium, manganese, zinc, and iron. Samples dyed with WH extracts without metal mordant exhibits high K/S values and good dyeing properties. This study indicates that the WH extracts can be used as a natural mordant

dye on wool fabrics directly [Luo, Y.*, Yang, R., Zhong, Y., Du, J. (College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, China ), Journal

of Donghua University (English Edition), 2015, 32 (5), 764-769].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-14 Colouration of wool

fibre with natural dyes

Dyeing is a complex, specialised science. Nearly all dyestuffs are now produced from synthetic compounds. This means that costs have been greatly reduced and certain application and wear characteristics have been greatly enhanced. This paper reports the use of natural dyes like marigold, onion peels and hibiscus which were applied on wool fabric using mordants i.e. alum, ferrous sulphate and tartaric acid in combination. The various colour changes on wool were measured by computer colour matching software. The range of colour developed on dyed wool fabrics were evaluated in terms of (L*a*b*) CIELAB coordinates and the dye absorption on the wool was studied by using K/S values. The fastness properties of the dyed samples were found to be quite satisfactory. The fabric thus dyed can be used for apparel purpose [Teli, M.D. and Valia, S.P. (Department of Fibres and Textile Processing Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, India), Journal of the Textile

Association, 2015, 76(2), 73-77].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-15 Utilization of Quercus

robur L. (fruit cups) and Salix alba L. (wood

extract) as dyeing agents for silk and cotton

fabrics

Investigation was carried out to study the dyeing potential of Quercus robur L. and Salix

alba L. of which fruit cups and wood extract were used as source of natural dye and mordant. Dyeing potential of the extracted material was tested on silk and cotton fabrics. Keeping in view the negative impacts of chemical agents, extraction and application was carried out using distilled water. Natural mordant used in


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combination with natural dye showed satisfactory results on silk fabrics both including and excluding mordant, however, poor quality of dye and mordant was recorded on cotton fabric. The natural mordant gave silk fabrics rapid dye adsorption, enhanced colour coordinates, K/S, AE and also showed improvement in fastness properties with regard to washing, light and rubbing of the dyed silk fabric. Cotton fabric does not showed much affinity for the natural dye and mordant [Geelani, S.M.*, Bhat, S.J.A., Qazi, G., Qasba, S., Qureshi, S., Parray, A.A., Mishra, P.K., Ara, S., Sofi, A.H., and Khan, P.A. (Division of Environmental Sciences, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, J and K, India), Journal of Industrial Pollution

Control, 2015, 31(2), 259-266]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-16 Advances in study on

regulation of hair pigment expression by

natural products

Hair color is affected not only by genetic, age, and environmental factors, but also by the regulation of many cytokines and proteins. The generation of melanin is mainly regulated by POMC, α-MSH, MC1R, MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, ASIP, etc. Hair color anomaly is often considered to be a feature of aging which brings great psychological pressure to the people, but the treartment by relevant drugs is still blank. This article summarizes the effect target and the function ways of those natural medicines with great efficacy on the treatment of hair graying. This review may provide some theoretical basis for the application of natural medicines in the treatment of hair graying [Han, M. N.*, Li, Y.-F., Lu, J.M., Yu, J. and Zhao, R.H. (College of Chinese Materia Medica, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China), Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs, 2015, 46 (9), 1393-1398].

ESSENTIAL OILS

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ESSENTIAL OILS (incl. Flavour and

Fragrance)

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-17 Essential oils for the

development of eco-friendly mosquito

larvicides: A review

Mosquitoes serve as vectors for a wide variety of human and veterinary pathogens and parasites and cause extensive morbidity and mortality and are a major economic burden within disease-endemic countries. Protection against mosquitoes is based on insecticides. However, the negative effects of synthetic insecticides have become the main impetus for an expeditious search for new alternatives, which would be acceptable for both the environment and public health. The use of insecticides based on plant extracts is currently highly promising from the alternatives of protection against insects. Many plant extracts that contain substances with insecticidal effects also include a large group of the so-called essential oils (EOs). The intensity of research focused on new EOs that could become suitable active substances for new botanical larvicides has been growing over the past few decades. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the current research on using EOs as potential larvicides based on their chemical composition and biological efficacy. The selected plants (their EOs), as the case may be, were therefore required to meet two essential conditions: (i) LC50 ≤ 100. ppm; and (ii) their chemical composition had to be known. In total, 122 plant species from 26 families were selected from the available literature. However, more than 2/3 of the plants (68.8%) were from only 5 families: Lamiaceae, Cupressaceae, Rutaceae, Apiaceae, and Myrtaceae. Considering the above-estimated LC50 value as the main criterion of efficacy, 77 showed LC50<50. ppm. Some of these efficient EOs were obtained from aromatic plants also grown commercially on relatively large areas, with a good technology of cultivation (e.g., Pimpinella anisum, Coriandrum sativum,

Foeniculum vulgare, Mentha longifolia, Ocimum

basilicum, Thymus spp., Eucalyptus spp., Piper

spp., etc.). Such plants could become a suitable source of active substances for potential botanical larvicides. Only seven plants (Blumea densiflora,

Auxemma glazioviana, Callitris glaucophylla,

Cinnamomum microphyllum, Cinnamomum

mollissimum, Cinnamomum rhyncophyllum,

Zanthoxylum oxyphyllum) can be considered significantly most efficient, given that LC50<10. ppm has been estimated for their EOs. These EOs contained less common substances, predominantly from the group of sesquiterpenes, aromatic acids and ketones [Pavela, R. (Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507, Prague 6-Ruzyne, Czech Republic), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 76 (05), 174-187]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-18 Ameliorative response of

some essential oil furanocoumarins and

proteins from Psoralea corylifolia against

gamma-irradiation induced oxidative stress

Secondary metabolism producing essential oil furanocoumarins depends on various environmental factors and ionizing radiation is currently a very important way of enhancing these compounds through radio stimulation. The study aims to evaluate the ameliorative effect of essential oil furanocoumarins and proteins from Psoralea corylifolia against gamma-irradiation-induced oxidative stress. Antioxidant biomarkers like H2O2, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase increased significantly (p<0.01) in all treated groups. Dose dependent increase of H2O2 concentration leads to significant chromosomal abnormalities. Essential oil (EO) yield and furanocoumarin content showed a significant (p<0.01) increase up to 200Gy. These contents decreased significantly on increased expression of proteins involved in furanocoumarin biosynthesis and stress defense. DPHH and Phosphomolybdenum assays showed a significant (p<0.01) antioxidant activity in the essential oil on varying doses of gamma radiation. It is concluded that mild doses of gamma irradiation is an


14

important abiotic-elicitor for enhancing the essential oil yield and furanocoumarin content in P. corylifolia which possess important radio resistant properties [Bhat, T.M.* , Choudhary, S., Ansari, M.Y.K., Aslam, R. and Ahmed Dar, S. (Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics Section, Department of Botany Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India), Industrial Crops and

Products, 2015, 76, 422-431].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-19 Adaptability and stability

based differentiation and selection in aromatic

grasses (Cymbopogon species) germplasm

The investigation was carried out to determine the stability and adaptability pattern among seventeen clones of the six Cymbopogon species namely; C. khasianus cv. Suwarna, C.

martini var. Motia cv. Harsh, C. flexuosus cv. Krishna, hybrid of C. pendulus ×. C. khasianus cv. CKP-25, C. winterianus cv. CIM Jeeva, C.

citratus cv. T-1 and C. pendulus cv. Praman. The genotypes were examined in terms of quantified degree of adaptability and stability over years. The stable genotypes for high essential oil yield were identified over years within/between species by using AMMI analysis. Based on the AMMI model, genotypes C-9 of C. khasianus cv. CIMAP Suwarna, C-13 of C. flexuosus cv. Krishna, C-1 and C-4 of C. winterianus cv. CIM Jeeva and Manjari, C-11 of C. pendulus cv. Praman, and C-3 of C. martini var. Motia cv. CIMAP Harsh showed the widest adaptability (most stable genotypes). Therefore, these genotypes can be recommended for commercial exploitation [Gupta, P.*, Dhawan, S.S. and Lal, R.K. ( Department of Bio-Technology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal Aromatic Plants (CSIR), P.O. CIMAP, Lucknow, India) , Industrial Crops and Products,

2015, 78, 1-8].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-20 Extraction of essential oil

from the flower of Chionanthus retusus Lindl. et

Paxton by supercritical CO2 and its

antibacterial activities

Single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment design were used to study the

influences of extraction conditions on the yield of essential oil from the flower of Chionanthus

retusus Lindl. et Paxton by supercritical CO2 method. The components of the essential oil were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The in vitro antibacterial activity of the eessential oil was characterized. The optimum extraction parameters were established with the extraction pressure 25 MPa, extraction temperature 45°C, extraction time 2.0 h, and the fluent of CO2 22 kg/h. The yield of essential oil was up to 0.409%. Sixty compositions were separated. Among them, 57 components were identified and respresented 96.18% of the total detected constituents. The results of the antibacteria, i.e., assay showed that the essential oil displayed good antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial, i.e. Staphyloccocus aureus,

Staphyloccocus albus, Escherichia coli [Liu, P*., Li, X. F., Gao, J. Y., Yin, W. P. and Deng, R.X. (Henan Engineering Technology Research Center for Funiu Mountain Wild Medicinal Source, Chemical Engineering & Pharmaceutical College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China), Chemistry and Industry of

Forest Products, 2015, 35 (6), 126-132].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-21 Comparative study on

the extraction process of citrus essential oil

Essential oils were extracted by water distillation and salt-adding steam distillation method respectively in the paper. The single factor experiment showed that, by water distillation, the optimal extraction conditions of essential oil of citrus peel were extraction time of 2.0 h, solid to liquid ratio 1:16 (g/ml), with the most extraction yield 1.969%. Based on the above experiment, the extraction process was optimized by orthogonal experiments and salt-adding steam distillation method. Experimental results showed that the optimal extraction conditions of citrus essential oil were as follows: the content of NaCl 0.3 g, extraction time of 2.5 h, and solid to liquid ratio 1:16 (g/ml) with the most extraction yield 3.838%. Contrast to the above, salt-adding steam distillation

ESSENTIAL OILS

15

method shall be recommended for extract essential oils from citrus peel applied in industry [Jiang, M. (School of Chemistry and Environment Science, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, China), Journal of the Chinese Cereals and Oils

Association , 2015, 30 (12), 66-69 and 75]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-22 Citrus fruits as a

treasure trove of active natural metabolites

that potentially provide benefits for human

health (Review)

Citrus fruits, which are cultivated worldwide, have been recognized as some of the most high-consumption fruits in terms of energy, nutrients and health supplements. What is more, a number of these fruits have been used as traditional medicinal herbs to cure diseases in several Asian countries. Numerous studies have focused on Citrus secondary metabolites as well as bioactivities and have been intended to develop new chemotherapeutic or complementary medicine in recent decades. Citrus-derived secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, limonoids, coumarins, carotenoids, phenolic acids and essential oils, are of vital importance to human health due to their active properties. These characteristics include anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, as well as cardiovascular protective effects, neuroprotective effects, etc. This review summarizes the global distribution and taxonomy, numerous secondary metabolites and bioactivities of Citrus fruits to provide a reference for further study. Flavonoids as characteristic bioactive metabolites in Citrus fruits are mainly introduced [Lv, X.*, Zhao, S. , Ning, Z. , Zeng, H. , Shu, Y. , Tao, O. , Xiao, C. , Lu, C. and Liu, Y. ( Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing, China), Chemistry Central Journal, 2015, 9(1)].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-23 Bioactivity and safety

profile of Daucus carota subsp. maximus

essential oil

Daucus carota (carrot) essential oil is one of the most valued by-product of this species due to

its medicinal properties. The present study focuses on the antifungal and anti-inflammatory activity of the unexplored essential oil of wild carrot (D.

carota subsp. maximus) from Portugal. The essential oil from the aerial parts of plants was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The oil showed high contents of α-pinene (22.2%), geranyl acetate (16.0%), β-bisabolene (11.5%), α.-asarone (9.8%) and E- methylisoeugenol (8.0%). The antifungal activity (MIC and MLC) was evaluated against several pathogenic strains. The oil showed a broad antifungal activity being particularly active against dermatophytes and Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC values ranging from 0.16 to 0.32. µL/mL. The anti-inflammatory potential was also assessed at both a peripheral and central level, by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages and microglia cells. The essential oil (0.32. µL/mL) was able to reduce NO production by 20.7% and 35.8% in macrophages and microglia, respectively. Moreover, the oil safety profile was demonstrated in several mammalian cells using the MTT assay. Both bioactive and safe concentrations of D. carota subsp. maximus essential oil were disclosed supporting further in vivo investigations for the development of therapeutic effective complements in the management of dermatophytosis and/or inflammatory-related disorders. Moreover, bearing in mind that inflammation plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, the novelty and significance of these results set up an interesting starting point for the development of a nutraceutical to prevent or ameliorate these highly prevalent chronic disorders [Valente, J. *, Resende, R., Zuzarte, M., Gonçalves, M.J., Lopes, M.C., Cavaleiro, C., Pereira, C., Salgueiro, L. and Cruz, M.T. (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de S. Comba, Coimbra, Portugal), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 77, 218-224].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-24 Non-conventional yeasts

whole cells as efficient biocatalysts for the

production of flavors and fragrances (Review)

The rising consumer requests for natural flavors and fragrances have generated great


16

interest in the aroma industry to seek new methods to obtain fragrance and flavor compounds naturally. An alternative and attractive route for these compounds is based on bio-transformations. In this review, the application of biocatalysis by Non Conventional Yeasts (NCYs) whole cells for the production of flavor and fragrances is illustrated by a discussion of the production of different class of compounds, namely Aldehydes, Ketones and related compounds, Alcohols, Lactones, Terpenes and Terpenoids, Alkenes, and Phenols [Forti, L.*, Mauro, S.D. , Cramarossa, M.R. , Filippucci, S. , Turchetti, B. and Buzzini, P. (Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 103, Modena, Italy), Molecules, 2015, 20(6), 10377-10398]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-25 Using flavor chemistry

to design and synthesize artificial scents and

flavors

In this project for the organic chemistry laboratory, authors brought together and expand upon two classic undergraduate organic chemistry experiments to create a flavor chemistry unit in which students design and develop a novel smelling product. The scents are derived from a synthetic angle, utilizing an expanded ester synthesis, and from a natural products angle by the isolation of fragrance molecules from natural materials using classic extraction techniques. Students are given an overview of flavor chemistry and each group designs a novel product: a scented soap or candle. The project culminates in an oral presentation and a written report that is submitted in a journal style format for grading [Epstein, J.L*, Castaldi, M., Patel, G., Telidecki, P. and Karakkatt, K. (Department of Chemistry, Saint Peter's University, Jersey City, NJ, United States), Journal of Chemical Education , 2015, 92(5), 954-957]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-26 The eucalyptus oil

ingredient 1, 8-cineol induces oxidative DNA

damage

The natural compound 1, 8-cineol, also known as eucalyptol, is a major constituent of eucalyptus oil. This epoxy-monoterpene is used as flavor and fragrance in consumer goods as well as medical therapies. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, 1,8-cineol is also applied to treat upper and lower airway diseases. Despite its widespread use, only little is known about the genotoxicity of 1,8-cineol in mammalian cells. This study investigates the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of 1,8-cineol in human and hamster cells. First, authors observed a significant and concentration-dependent increase in oxidative DNA damage in human colon cancer cells, as detected by the Formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified alkaline comet assay. Pre-treatment of cells with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine prevented the formation of Fpg-sensitive sites after 1, 8-cineol treatment, supporting the notion that 1,8-cineol induces oxidative DNA damage. In the dose range of DNA damage induction, 1,8-cineol did neither reduce the viability of colon cancer cells nor affected their cell cycle distribution, suggesting that cells tolerate 1,8-cineol-induced oxidative DNA damage by engaging DNA repair. To test this hypothesis, hamster cell lines with defects in BRCA2 and Rad51, which are essential players of homologous recombination (HR)-mediated repair, were treated with 1, 8-cineol. The monoterpene induced oxidative DNA damage and subsequent DNA double-strand breaks in the hamster cell lines tested. Intriguingly, authors detected a significant concentration-dependent decrease in viability of the HR-defective cells, whereas the corresponding wild-type cell lines with functional HR were not affected. Based on these findings, it is concluded that 1,8-cineol is weakly genotoxic, inducing primarily oxidative DNA damage, which is most likely tolerated in DNA repair proficient cells without resulting in cell cycle arrest and cell death. However, cells with deficiency in HR were compromised after 1,8-cineol treatment, suggesting a protective role of HR in response to high doses of 1,8-cineol [Dörsam, B.*, Wu, C.-F., Efferth, T., Kaina, B., and Fahrer, J. (Department of Toxicology, University Medical Center Mainz,

ESSENTIAL OILS

17

Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, Mainz, Germany), Archives of Toxicology, 2015, 89 (5), 797-805].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-27 Isotopic ratio mass

spectrometry study for differentiation between

natural and adulterated essential oils of

lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) and

(Cymbopogon martinii)

Adulteration in aromatic oils with natural isolates and identical synthetic compounds is common practice in flavour and fragrance industry. Blending of synthetic materials is done in such a way that the chemical profile by gas chromatography of product (adulterated) oil remains nearly identical to original one. This practice makes complex issue for detection of adulterants in aromatic oil. In the present study, natural and adulterated essential oils of lemongrass

(Cymbopogon flexuosus) and palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) were differentiated and identified on the basis of their carbon isotope composition (13C/12C) using isotopic-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) technique. This technique differentiates the natural oils (lemongrass and palmarosa oils) with adulterated oils by showing decrease in their carbon isotopic composition as blending of synthetic compounds viz. geraniol, citral, polyethylene glycol (PEG), dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP) of these adulterants with increasing order (5 % to 50 %) [Kumar, A., Niranjan, A., Lehri, A. , Tewari, S.K., Amla, D.V., Raj, S.K., Srivastava, R., and Shukla, S.V. (CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Central Instrumentation Facility, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India ), Journal of Essential Oil-Bearing

Plants, 2015, 18 (2), 368-373].


18

FEED/FODDER

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-28 Alternative feedstuffs

and their effects on blood chemistry and

haematology of rabbits and chickens: a review

The demand for meat in developing

countries is on the increase and this trend is expected to continue over the years. The ability of poultry and rabbit to meet the animal protein demand in developing countries cannot be overemphasized. However, the main constraint limiting effective and efficient use of these choice animals is the high cost of traditional feed ingredients such as maize, soybean meal, fish meal and groundnut cake which are in strict competition with man’s dietary need. However, it is also becoming clear that the requirements for the traditional feed ingredients cannot be met, even according to optimistic forecasts. The gap between local supply and demand for these traditional ingredients is expected to widen over the coming decades, providing a compelling reason for exploring the usefulness of locally available, alternative feedstuffs in feed formulations. Alternative feedstuffs include, but not limited to, agro-industrial by-products and leaf meals of some common tropical plant species. They are good nutrient sources, but their use in animal production has been limited owing to constraints imposed by anti-nutritional and socio-economic factors. Protein from the leaf and seed meals of tropical plants is perhaps the most naturally abundant and cheapest source of plant protein. Several studies regarding the nutritive values of alternative feedstuffs and their usefulness in animal nutrition have been published. The effect of alternative feedstuffs based diets on some physiological parameters of rabbits and chickens have been reported by several authors. The use of alternative feedstuffs in rabbit and poultry diets and their effects on blood chemistry and haematology was reviewed. The review also covered their chemical compositions, economics and availability [Ogbuewu, I.P.* , Emenalom, O.O. and Okoli, I.C.

(Department of Animal Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B.1526, Owerri, Nigeria), Comparative Clinical

Pathology, 2015, 24, 1-10]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-29 Nutrition of bisons

(Bison Bison), camels (Camelus bactrianus),

and horses (Equus caballus) at their joint

grazing in an isolated steppe pasture

The nutrition of free-ranging bisons (Bison bison), house horses (Equus caballus), and camels (Camelus bac-trianus) were investigated at their joint grazing on a forb-grass steppe pasture. The species composition of the consumed plants, the selectivity of food plants, and the digestibility of plant forage were assessed. Species of the consumed plants and their share in the diet were determined using the microhistologic analysis of faeces. The plant food selectivity was estimated by the ratio of the share of plant species in the diet of animals to their portion in the plant community of the pasture. The digestibility is calculated by the ratio of inert (undigested) components (silicon, lignin) in the diet and feces. In summer (June), these characteristics in horses and bisons were similar. Both species are typical animals consuming gramineous plants: the share of these plants in their diet is 81-83%, the selectivity of graminoids is equal (1.4), the digestibility of food is similar (49-51%). Camels differed from bisons and horses in all the characteristics of their food: forbs (mainly ruderal annual Bassia sedoides (43%) and Atriplex tatarica (20%)) predominated (86%); graminoids amounted to 14%. The selectivity index for forbs was 2.1, including 7.7 and 2.9. for Bassia and Atriplex, respectively. The digestibility coefficient (60%) was much higher in camels than in bisons and horses. Under joint grazing, species with different food selectivity (horse-camel or bison-camel) evenly affect the plant community of a pasture and preserve its species diversity [Abaturov, B.D. , Kazmin, V.D. and Kolesnikov, M.P. (Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian

FEED/FODDER

19

Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation), Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, 2015, 94 (12), 1470-1478]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-30 A safety analysis of food

waste-derived animal feeds from three typical

conversion techniques in China

This study was based on the food waste to animal feed demonstration projects in China. A safety analysis of animal feeds from three typical treatment processes (i.e., fermentation, heat treatment, and coupled hydrothermal treatment and fermentation) was presented. The following factors are considered in this study: nutritive values characterized by organoleptic properties and general nutritional indices; the presence of bovine- and sheep-derived materials; microbiological indices for Salmonella, total coliform (TC), total aerobic plate counts (TAC), molds and yeast (MY), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), and Listeria; chemical contaminant indices for hazardous trace elements such as Cr, Cd, and As; and nitrite and organic contaminants such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). The present study reveals that the feeds from all three conversion processes showed balanced nutritional content and retained a certain feed value. The microbiological indices and the chemical contaminant indices for HCH, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), nitrite, and mercury all met pertinent feed standards; however, the presence of bovine- and sheep-derived materials and a few chemical contaminants such as Pb were close to or might exceed the legislation permitted values in animal feeding. From the view of treatment techniques, all feed retained part of the nutritional values of the food waste after the conversion processes. Controlled heat treatment can guarantee the inactivation of bacterial pathogens, but none of the three techniques can guarantee the absence of cattle- and sheep-derived materials and acceptable levels of certain contaminants. The results obtained in this research and the feedstuffs legislation related to animal feed indicated that

food waste-derived feed could be considered an adequate alternative to be used in animal diets, while the feeding action should be changed with the different qualities of the products, such as restrictions on the application of ruminants, and recycling as formula feeds [Chen, T.*, Jin, Y. and Shen, D. ( School of Environment Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China), Waste Management, 2015, 45, 9p]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-31 Maternal flax seed diet

during lactation changes adrenal function in

adult male rat offspring

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) has been a focus of interest in the field of functional foods because of its potential health benefits. However, authors hypothesised that maternal flaxseed intake during lactation could induce several metabolic dysfunctions in adult offspring. The present study aimed to characterise the adrenal function of adult offspring whose dams were supplemented with whole flaxseed during lactation. At birth, lactating Wistar rats were divided into two groups: rats from dams fed the flaxseed diet (FLAX) with 25 % of flaxseed and controls dams. Pups received standard diet after weaning and male offspring were killed at age 180 days old to collect blood and tissues. The body weight was evaluated and food intake during development, corticosteronaemia, adrenal catecholamine content, hepatic cholesterol, TAG and glycogen contentsuj and the protein expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), 11-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) and adrenaline β2 receptor at postnatal day 180 (PN180). After weaning, pups from the FLAX group had a higher body weight (+10 %) and food intake (+10 %). At PN180, the FLAX offspring exhibited higher serum corticosterone (+48 %) and lower adrenal catecholamine (-23 %) contents, lower glycogen (-30 %), higher cholesterol (4-fold increase) and TAG (3-fold-increase) contents in the liver, and higher 11β-


20

HSD1 (+62 %) protein expression. Although the protein expression of hypothalamic CRH was unaffected, the FLAX offspring had lower protein expression of pituitary ACTH (-34 %). Therefore, induction of hypercorticosteronaemia by dietary flaxseed during lactation may be due to an increased hepatic activation of 11β-HSD1 and suppression of ACTH. The changes in the liver fat content of the FLAX group are suggestive of steatosis, in which hypercorticosteronaemia may play an important role. Thus, it is recommended that lactating women restrict the intake of flaxseed during lactation [Figueiredo, M.S., Da Conceição, E.P.S., De Oliveira, E., Lisboa, P.C. and De Moura, E.G. (Laboratory of Endocrine Physiology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Biology Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, 5o andar, Avenida 28 de setembro, 87, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil) , British Journal of

Nutrition, 2015, 114 (7), 1046-1053].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-32 Seaweeds: A sustainable

feed source for livestock and aquaculture

Utilization of seaweed as a feed supplement for animals is not a new

phenomenon; in fact, it has been utilized by farmers as a valuable feed source for livestock and aquaculture for ages. This chapter addresses the worth of seaweed as a sustainable feed ingredient in diets of farm and aquatic animals. The chapter initially outlines the global feed market size and explains the importance of seaweed and its nutritional value according to animal nutrition requirements. Thereafter, a brief overview of in vivo studies that determine the effects of a seaweed supplemented diet on growth and product quality of pigs, cows, sheep, poultry, and fish is outlined. Subsequently, contributions of a seaweed formulated diet in improving the immunity and overall health of animals and reducing the environmental impact of emitted greenhouse gases by ruminants is discussed. Finally, opportunities and challenges of seaweed application in feed are addressed and some preliminary conclusions are drawn [Rajauria, G. (Department of Animal and Crop Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland), Seaweed Sustainability: Food and Non-Food

Applications, 2015, Pages 389-420].

FIBRES

21

FIBRES (incl. Textile and other utility

fibres)

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-33 Bark derived

submicron-sized and nano-sized cellulose

fibers: From industrial waste to high

performance materials

In this study, the use of bark as a natural source for the production of cellulose nanofibers has been explored for the first time. The fibrillation using bleached and unbleached cellulose fibers from the bark yielded sub-micron scale (<1 µm) and nanoscale fibers (<100 nm). Previous attempts to break the cross-linked lignin barrier to produce fibrillated submicron sized or nano sized cellulose fibers with high lignin content (>20%) have never been possible from any other sources. The maximum elastic modulus value of 15.6 GPa and tensile strength value of 76 MPa were obtained for the films made from fibrillated bark cellulose fibers. The water vapour barrier efficiency for these films is comparable to nanocellulose films from other studies [Nair, S.S. and Yan, N. (Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, Canada), Carbohydrate Polymers, 2015, 134, 258-266].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-34 Cellulose fibers isolated

from energycane bagasse using alkaline and

sodium chlorite treatments: Structural,

chemical and thermal properties

Cellulose fibers were successfully

extracted from energycane bagasse by using a combined NaOH and NaClO2 treatment. After the delignification process, most lignin and hemicelluloses were removed with a 27.4wt% yield of cellulose fibers, and the mean diameter of cellulose fibers decreased from 137±46 (raw fiber bundles) to 12±5µm (unpacked fibers). The crystallinity of cellulose fibers first decreased and then increased during the transformation from cellulose I to II, and it gradually decreased after a

further NaClO2 treatment. The raw bagasse fibers showed a three-step pyrolysis process, while isolated cellulose fibers had a one-step pyrolysis process. NaClO2 treatment caused the reduction of cellulose thermal stability due to its acting on lignin and cellulose [Yue, Y.* , Han, J., Han, G. , Aita, G.M. and Wu, Q.( School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, United States), Industrial Crops and

Products, 2015, 76, 355-363]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-35 Fast detection of wool

content in wool/polyester blended fabric by

near-infrared spectroscopy technology

To speed up the testing and analysis accuracy of textile fibers, 80 pure wool samples, 80 pure polyester samples and 150 wool/polyester blended fabrics were taken as research objects for analysis in this paper. Collecting the near infrared spectra of this samples, and selecting the mean value centralization and reciprocal and multiplicative scatter correction as the preprocess method, calibration models for wool content were established with Partial Least Square (PLS). To verify the models, wool content prediction of 50 samples was conducted. The experimental results showed that the absolute average value of wool content was 1.036 4%, and the standard deviation was 0.695 4%. This study provided powerful evidence of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to detect the content of textiles [Liu, R.-X. (Jiangxi Institute of Fashion Technology, Nanchang, China), Wool Textile Journal, 2015, 43(12), 52-56]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-36 Analysis of length and

fineness of lotus fiber extracted by physical

methods

To investigate the characteristics of lotus

fiber length and fineness to provide theoretical basis for developing lotus fiber products, 1500 fibers were extracted by physical method from tip


22

part, middle part and bottom part of lotus stalks (500 fibers for each part) and measured. The analysis showed that the length range of lotus fiber was about 31-50 mm, generally, fibers from tip part are longer, fibers from bottom part are shorter, and fibers from middle part were average in normal distribution. The fineness range of single fiber was 3.963-4.516 µm (less than 5 µm, belongs to microfiber), and the finest fiber was from tip part, with smallest coefficient of variation. The ratio of lotus fiber length to fineness was about 104, which can meet the textile processing requirement [Zhao, L.* , Chen, D.S., Gan, Y.J., Yuan, X. and Wang, Y. (Faculty of Clothing and Design, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China), Chemical Engineering

Transactions, 2015, 46, 85-90]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-37 The mechanical

properties of soybean straw and wheat straw

blended medium density fiberboards made

with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate binder

A study was conducted to test the mechanical properties of medium density fiberboard (MDF) produced using soybean straw [Glycine max ], wheat straw [Triticum aestivum], and a blend of the two fibers and the variations in properties that this blend produced. Additionally, the difference of soybean straw fibers compared to wheat straw fibers in the performance of MDF properties was investigated. Three formulations of the fibers were produced and tested to investigate the variation between properties of boards produced from the different fibers. The boards produced for testing were pressed using a hot press with 4wt% methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resin used to bond the particles and 2wt% AW-50 wax emulsion used as a water retardant. The boards produced had a nominal density ranging from 579kg/m3 to 646kg/m3. Several test methods from ASTM standard D1037-12 were utilized to test the physical and mechanical properties of the boards. Initial results from the testing showed that several combinations of fibers could be used to produce

boards with mostly no statistically significant difference between any one formulation, the only difference being a significantly higher difference in the screw withdrawal load needed for 100% wheat fiberboards compared to other formulations. The testing showed the viability of soybean stover fibers as a viable substitute or blend with wheat straw fibers with no appreciable decrease in the board properties except in the case of direct screw withdrawal resistance [Sitz, E.D.* and Bajwa, D. S. (Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University, Dolve Hall 111, Fargo, ND, United States), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 75, 200-205]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-38 Surface smoothening

and characterization of silk fibers of

Antheraea assamensis Helfer (muga) using

some natural agents

Cocoons of Antheraea assamensis (muga) silkworm were treated with different classes of natural-acidic (Citrus limon and Dillenia indica) and alkaline (Musa balbisiana) materials with the aim to elucidate their effectiveness as degumming agents. The tensile strength of silk fibers increased significantly after bio-degumming compared to industrial degumming using sodium carbonate. Scanning electron microscopy of bio-degummed fibers appeared clean and even with clear individual fibroin filaments. FTIR studies confirmed that bio-degumming resulted in holding the innate nature of muga silk. Under the implemented experimental conditions, M. balbisiana and C. limon functioned as most efficient degumming agents, followed by D. indica. The findings of this study propose the use of such eco-friendly degumming practices over the usual harsh industrial treatments for obtaining applaudable quality of silk with robust strength necessary for both textile and biomaterial purpose, besides reducing the impact of chemical toxicity on the environment [Choudhury, M., Talukdar, B. and Devi, D. (Seri-biotech Unit, Life Sciences

FIBRES

23

Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, India), Journal of the Textile Institute, 2015, 106, 1-10].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-39 Effect of water

treatment on the fiber-matrix bonding and

durability of cellulose fiber cement composites

This research analyzes the effects of the previous wetting and drying treatments of cellulosic fibers on the fiber-matrix bond strength of cement based composites. First, three kinds of fibers-abaca, cabuya and sisal-were subjected to five cycles of water wetting and subsequent drying. The resulting changes in the morphology, mechanical properties, drying kinetics and thermal stability were determined with scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. A reduction in the cross section, an increase in Young's modulus and a decrease in tensile strength and tensile strain as well as a structure with thinner pores was found for the treated fibers. Second, cement based composites with untreated and treated fibers were prepared to evaluate the fiber-matrix bonding before and after accelerated aging. For this purpose the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between the fibers and the matrix was determined by the single fiber pull-out test after seven days of curing in a humidity chamber and after four aging wetting- drying cycles. The treatment of the fibers results in an increase in the interfacial shear strength of the cement composites also improving the durability [Ardanuy, M.* , Claramunt, J., Ventura, H. and Manich, A.M (Departament d'Enginyeria Tèxtil i Paperera, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech, Colom, 11, Terrassa, Spain), Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy,

2015, 9 (5), 486-492].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-40 Extraction method of

flax fibre and its uses

Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is a bast fibre plant cultivated for the production of fibres, for use in a wide range of woven and non-woven end

uses. Bast fibres are also known as 'soft' fibres or skin fibres and are characterised by their fineness, strength and flexibility, which distinguishes them from the coarser and less flexible fibres of the leaf, or "hard," fibre. Flax is a renewable resource and has the potential to be much more eco-friendly than cotton. Linen fibres are obtained from the inner bark (or skin) of a plant. Flaxseed fibre is a high quality, organic, natural, unrefined whole food product that is naturally gluten free with a shelf life of two years, as reported by the manufacturers. The fibres support the conductive cells of the phloem and provide strength to the stem. Traditionally, the production of fibre from flax has focused on long fibres for use in the manufacture of linen yarns. However, short-fibre flax can also be produced and processed to be a 'cottonised' fibre for the production of textile yarns on cotton processing equipment. the production of a cotton compatible fibre from flax crops. Flax fiber is a raw material used in the high-quality paper industry for the use of printed bank notes and rolling paper for cigarettes and tea bags [Dhirhi, N. , Shukla, R., Patel, N.B., Sahu, H. and Mehta, N. (Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, I.G.K.V., Raipur-(C. G.), India), Plant Archives, 2015, 15 (2), 711-716]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-41 Durable fragrance

finishing on jute blended home-textiles by

microencapsulated aroma oil

Jute fibres are conventionally treated with Jute Batching Oil (JBO), a petroleum based fibre lubricant prior to its processing into yarns. The typical kerosenic smell of JBO seriously affects the consumers’ acceptance of jute products particularly value-added hometextiles application. Eventually to invade into hometextiles market, jute products need to avoid such typical odour, though under current practice use of JBO is an integral part of jute fibre processing. To find out an alternate solution, innovative approach of durable aroma/fragrance finishing on jute based textiles has been thought of for masking its bad odour permanently in


24

regards to high-end applications. The present study envisages development of Jasmine oil containing aroma microcapsules from Melamine-Formaldehyde and application of aroma microcapsules on jute-cotton blended fabric in order to impart durable aroma finish. Suitable cross-linker (binder) has also been identified for attaching microcapsule effectively onto ligno-cellulosic textile surface. Effect of partial de-lignification of jute fabric has been examined to

improve the effectiveness of binder as well as durability of aroma finishing. Characterizations of aroma microcapsules and washing durability of aroma finish have been carried out using both analytical and human sensory evaluation methods [Biswas, D. *, Chakrabarti, S.K., Saha, S.G. and Chatterjee, S. (Department of Textile Technology, Indian Jute Industries’ Research Association, Kolkata, India), Fibers and

Polymers, 2015, 16 (9), 1882-1889].

FOOD

25

FOOD (incl. Dairy, Fishery, Poultry

and other Plant and Animal products)

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-42 Comparison of chemical

compositions and rheological characteristics of

husked and naked oat flakes

In order to comprehend the differences of quality within husked and naked oat flakes, 15 categories of domestic naked oat flakes and 42 categories of husked ones abroad bought from supermarket have been used as materials including the protein content, fat content, ash content, β-glucan content & energy, and the rheological characteristics including gelatinization temperature, peak viscosity, break down value and setback have been determined in the paper. The results indicated that naked oat flakes were considerably different with the husked ones on chemical compositions and rheological characteristics. Compared with the husked flakes, the naked oat flakes had a statistically significantly (P<0.05) higher level of fat (almost double), energy while a lower value of ash, β-glucan, peak viscosity, breakdown value, setback. Further, the contents of protein and gelatinization temperature of naked oat flakes were higher than those of husked flakes, but the difference was not significant [Che, T.*, Zheng, J. and Hu, X. (College of Food Science & Engineering, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, China), Journal of the Chinese Cereals

and Oils Association, 2015, 30 (12), 33-37].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-43 Fermented beverage

emulsion based on donkey milk with

sunflower oil

Sunflower oil was added to donkey milk to increase the low energetic intake and improve both texture and healthy characteristics. This milk-based emulsion was fermented using a binary association of two strains of Streptococcus

thermophilus showing distinctive abilities. One strain (St 907) produced ropy exopolysaccharide (EPS), whereas the other strain (St 563) produced

folic acid. Fermentation was stopped at pH 5.0 to prevent whey separation. The refrigerated product was stable at least for 20 days and showed improved viscoelastic properties due to the EPS combined with the oil droplets. The volatile profile was constituted of ketones, aldehydes, alcohols and fatty acids, mainly originated from microbial fermentation, whereas few other compounds suggested the presence of oxidative processes. The folic acid content in the fermented beverage was increased by more than 10 times (2.03 ± 0.17 µg/100 mL) with respect to that found in donkey milk (0.16 ± 0.03 µg/100 mL). An emulsion based on donkey milk and sunflower oil (1.6% v/v) was fermented by two strains of Streptococcus thermophilus showing distinctive abilities, i.e. the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) and folates. A controlled fermentation was carried out to obtain a stable product for 20 days, showing improved viscoelastic properties and an increased folic acid content [Tidona, F.*, Charfi, I., Povolo, M., Pelizzola, V., Carminati, D., Contarini, G. and Giraffa, G. (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie (CREA-FLC), Via Antonio Lombardo 11, Lodi, Italy), International Journal

of Food Science and Technology, 2015, 50 (12), 2644-2652].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-44 Rheological,

antioxidative and sensory properties of dough

and Mantou (steamed bread) enriched with

lemon fiber

Consumption of natural bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and dietary fiber offers health benefits. Lemon pomace, a by-product during processing of lemon juice, is discarded which contributes to environmental pollution. In the present study, lemon fiber (LF) was extracted from lemon pomace and incorporated into dough and Mantou. Results showed that the substitution of wheat flour by LF resulted in stiffer and less extensible dough with


26

or without fermentation. Both Peleg-Normand and Wiechert models fitted well to the stress relaxation data of Mantou (R20.99). The parameters of two models were significantly affected by the amount of LF. The hardness of Mantou increased with the increasing of the LF substitution (0-9g/100g flour), but the cohesiveness, specific volume and elasticity decreased with the fiber substitution. Steaming led to significant decrease in free phenolics and increase in bound form of proofed dough. These results suggest that the substitution of 3 or 6g LF per 100g flour can produce healthy and acceptable Mantou with higher free total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity [Fu, J.-T.*, Chang, Y.-H. and Shiau, S.-Y. ( Department of Food Science and Technology, Tajen University, Pingtung, Taiwan), LWT-Food

Science and Technology, 2015, 61 (1), 56-62]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-45 Effect of different

packaging methods on the quality of stuffed

and sliced mozzarella cheese during storage

Mozzarella produced with high moisture curd method was filled into a fibrous casing and was stored at 4C and 85% relative humidity for 5 days. Sliced cheese was packed in aerobic packaging (AP), vacuum packaging (VP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and was stored at 4C for 21 days. L* (lightness) value of the AP sample decreased, while an increased in other two treatments was detected. The a* (redness) values of VP and MAP samples decreased, while the values of AP samples increased. Mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold counts increased in the AP samples, while that of the VP and MAP samples counts decreased. Lactic acid bacterial count decreased in all three samples and the greatest decrease with a value of 3.90 logcfu/g was detected in samples packed in aerobic conditions. Samples with MAP had significantly better sensory score (P<0.05) than any other samples. Mozzarella cheese is a popular processed dairy product. Mozzarella cheese is primarily produced with water buffalo

milk and cow milk. Mozzarella is produced using two different methods, which are based on dry matter ratio and shelf life. Mozzarella with low moisture is used in the pizza industry and has a longer shelf life. The other mozzarella has higher humidity content and a limited shelf life. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is becoming more common and is successfully applied to different processed dairy products for extending the shelf life. To sum up, this study proves the efficacy of using different packaging methods (AP, VP or MAP) on the microbiological, chemical and sensory properties of sliced mozzarella [Akarca, G. *, Tomar, O. and Gök, V. (Department of Food Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Afyon Kocatepe University, Ahmet Necdet Sezer Camp., Gazligöl Street, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey), Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2015, 39 (6), 2912-2918]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-46 Effect of pineapple

waste powder on probiotic growth,

antioxidant and antimutagenic activities of

yogurt

Although many fruit by-products are good sources of nutrients, little is known about their prebiotic potential. This research was aimed at establishing the prebiotic effect of pineapple wastes on probiotics including Lactobacillus (L.)

acidophilus (ATCC® 4356™), L. casei (ATCC® 393™) and L. paracasei spp. paracasei (ATCC® BAA52™) and the subsequent release of antioxidant and antimutagenic peptides in yogurt during their growth. Oven- and freeze- dried peel and pomace were milled separately into powders and tested for prebiotic activities. The net probiotic growth (1.28–2.14 log cfu/g) in customized MRS broth containing the pineapple powders as a direct carbohydrate source was comparable to MRS broth containing glucose. The powders were also separately added to milk during the manufacturing of yogurt with or without probiotics. An increase (by 0.3–1.4 log cycle) in probiotic populations was observed in

FOOD

27

the yogurts as a consequence of pineapple powder supplementation. Crude water-soluble peptide extracts, prepared by high-speed centrifugation of the yogurts, displayed remarkable antioxidant activities assessed through in vitro assays, namely scavenging activity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (IC50 = 0.37–0.19 mg/ml) and hydroxyl radicals (58.52–73.55 %). The peptide extracts also exhibited antimutagenic activities (18.60–32.72 %) as sodium azide inhibitor in the Salmonella mutagenicity test. Together, these results suggest that pineapple by-products exhibited prebiotic properties and could possibly be commercially applied in new functional food formulations [Sah, B.N.P.*, Vasiljevic, T., McKechnie, S. and Donkor, O.N. (Advanced Food Systems Research Unit, College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University, Werribee Campus, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, Australia), Journal of

Food Science and Technology, 2015, 52, 1-11]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-47 Quantitative descriptive

analysis and principal component analysis for

sensory characterization of Indian milk product

cham-cham

Promising development and expansion in the market of cham-cham, a traditional Indian dairy product is expected in the coming future with the organized production of this milk product by some large dairies. The objective of this study was to document the extent of variation in sensory properties of market samples of cham-cham collected from four different locations known for their excellence in cham-cham production and to find out the attributes that govern much of variation in sensory scores of this product using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and principal component analysis (PCA). QDA revealed significant (p < 0.05) difference in sensory attributes of cham-cham among the market samples. PCA identified four significant principal components that accounted for 72.4 % of the variation in the sensory data. Factor scores of each of the four principal components which

primarily correspond to sweetness/shape/dryness of interior, surface appearance/surface dryness, rancid and firmness attributes specify the location of each market sample along each of the axes in 3-D graphs. These findings demonstrate the utility of quantitative descriptive analysis for identifying and measuring attributes of cham-cham that contribute most to its sensory acceptability [Puri, R.*, Khamrui, K., Khetra, Y., Malhotra, R. and Devraja, H.C. (Dairy Technology Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India ), Journal of

Food Science and Technology , 2015, 52, 9p] NPARR, 7(1), 2016-48 Effect of calcium,

phosphate and pH on goat milk coagulation

and rheological properties

In this study, different concentrations of calcium (0%~0.06%), phosphate (0%~0.06%) were added and pH value were adjusted to study goats' milk rennet coagulation properties by rheometer and texture analyzer. From dynamic perspective, rennet curd rate (CFRmax/Pa·min-1), coagulation time (GT/s), Greatest degree of hardness (GS/Pa) and rate of syneresis (k/min-1) were analyzed with the three factors change. From static perspective, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness and relative whey ratio were studied. The correlations of these indices were also done and regression models were build by Design expert. The results showed goats' milk rennet coagulation properties were affected by three factors significantly, presented certain tendency and indices had some correlations. The regression models of GT, GS and springiness were valuable to predict the goats' milk rennet coagulation properties [Zhao, L*, Zhang, S., Liu, L., Lu, J., Xue, H., Li, H., and Lv, J. (Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agro-Product Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China), Journal of Chinese

Institute of Food Science and Technology , 2015, 15 (9), 61-68]


28

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-49 Meat alternatives: life

cycle assessment of most known meat

substitutes

Food production is among the highest human environmental impacting activities. Agriculture itself accounts for 70–85 % of the water footprint and 30 % of world greenhouse gas emissions (2.5 times more than global transport). Food production’s projected increase in 70 % by 2050 highlights the importance of environmental impacts connected with meat production. The production of various meat substitutes (plant-based, mycoprotein-based, dairy-based, and animal-based substitutes) aims to reduce the environmental impact caused by livestock. This article outlined the comparative analysis of meat substitutes’ environmental performance in order to estimate the most promising options. The study considered “cradle-to-plate” meal life cycle with the application of ReCiPe and IMPACT 2002+ methods. Inventory was based on literature and field data. Functional unit (FU) was 1 kg of a ready-to-eat meal at a consumer. The study evaluated alternative FU (the equivalent of 3.75 MJ energy content of fried chicken lean meat and 0.3 kg of digested dry matter protein content) as a part of sensitivity analysis. Results showed the highest impacts for lab-grown meat and mycoprotein-based analogues (high demand for energy for medium cultivation), medium impacts

for chicken (local feed), and dairy-based and gluten-based meat substitutes, and the lowest impact for insect-based and soy meal-based substitutes (by-products allocated). Alternative FU confirmed the worst performance of lab-grown and mycoprotein-based analogues. The best performing products were insect-based and soy meal-based substitutes and chicken. The other substitutes had medium level impacts. The results were very sensitive to the changes of FU. Midpoint impact category results were the same order of magnitude as a previously published work, although wide ranges of possible results and system boundaries made the comparison with literature data not reliable. Conclusions and recommendations: The results of the comparison were highly dependable on selected FU. Therefore, the proposed comparison with different integrative FU indicated the lowest impact of soy meal-based and insect-based substitutes (with given technology level development). Insect-based meat substitute has a potential to be more sustainable with the use of more advanced cultivation and processing techniques. The same is applicable to lab-grown meat and in a minor degree to gluten, dairy, and mycoprotein-based substitutes [Smetana, S.*, Mathys, A., Knoch, A. and Heinz, V. (German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL-e.V., Quakenbrück, Germany), International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment,

2015, 20 (9), 1254-1267]

FRUITS

29

FRUITS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-50 Leaves are important to

obtain consistent red flesh pigmentation in

Actinidia chinensis fruit

Red-fleshed Actinidia chinensis fruit are new to the market and consumers' acceptance of these kiwifruit is subject to the development of a consistent red flesh pigmentation. It is hypothesised that differences in the availability of source carbohydrate have an effect on the variation in fruit red colour within an orchard. In a block-red-fleshed (red colour in the inner and outer pericarp) genotype, effects of shoot types, parent cane types, vine rootstock, fruit position on the shoot, flowering time and light exposure on fruit flesh colour were evaluated. Vine vigour had a consistent effect on the outer pericarp colour of fruit. Fruit from the vines on the more vigorous rootstock (A. deliciosa 'Bruno' seedling) had the most intense and least variable outer pericarp red colour. In addition, fruit from long shoots on small diameter canes (10-15. mm) were also the most intensely pigmented, whilst fruit position on the shoot, flowering time and fruit light exposure did not affect fruit flesh red colour. The vigour of vines due to rootstock, cane and shoot size also affected fruit growth and dry matter accumulation. These results suggest that, similarly to fruit growth (i.e. fresh weight and dry matter), vine vigour, carbohydrate availability and competition for resources between fruit and vegetative shoot growth have a putative role in red colour development in kiwifruit flesh. These finding can be used to develop optimised growing systems for new red-fleshed kiwifruit cultivars that minimise excessive shoot vigour to enhance red pigmentation of fruit flesh [Nardozza, S. *, Kashuba, P., McCaughan, L., Philippe, M., Wohlers, M., Montefiori, M., Currie, M. and Richardson, A. (The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Mt Albert Research Centre, Private Bag

92169, Auckland, New Zealand), Scientia

Horticulturae, 2015, 197, 496-503].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-51 Protective effects of red

guava on inflammation and oxidative stress in

streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Diabetes is an important chronic disease and the 4th leading cause of death in Taiwan. Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative and inflammatory damage are the main causes of chronic complications in diabetic patients. The red guava (red-fleshed guava cultivar of Psidium

guajava L.) is a tropical fruit belonging to the Myrtaceae family and an important commercial crop in Taiwan. In this study, the protective effects of a diet containing red guava on inflammation and oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were examined. The experimental group was divided into seven subgroups: normal (N), diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes + red guava 1% (L), 2% (M), and 5% (H), diabetes + 5% red guava + anti-diabetic rosiglitazone (HR), and diabetes + anti-diabetic rosiglitazone (R). The mice were fed for 8 weeks and sacrificed by decapitation. Compared with the DM group, the experimental groups with diets containing red guava as well as rosiglitazone all showed significant improvements in blood glucose control, insulin resistance, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, cholesterol, c-reactive protein, TNF-α, and IL-10. Furthermore, the expression of inflammatory proteins, such as iNOS and NF-KB, was suppressed via activated PPARγ, and the expression levels of GPx3 and ACO increased. In summary, red guava can significantly suppress inflammatory and oxidative damage caused by diabetes and alleviate diabetic symptoms; thus, it exerts protective effects and has potential applications for the development of a dietary supplement [Li, P.-Y.*, Hsu, C.-C. , Yin, M.-C., Kuo, Y.-H., Tang, F.-Y. , Chao, C.-Y. and McPhee, D.J. (Department of Health and


30

Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan), Molecules, 2015, 20(12), 22341-22350].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-52 Effect of nutrition,

harvesting date and fruit canopy position on

yield and quality of Kinnow Mandarin (Citrus

nobilis × Citrus deliciosa)

Attractive peel colour and quality development in Kinnow (Citrus nobilis Lour. × Citrus deliciosa Tenara) is a prime requisite for its fair market price. The objective of study was to find out the impact of canopy position, date of harvesting and nutrition on yield and quality of Kinnow mandarin. A field experiment was conducted in a four year old Kinnow orchard using factorial randomized block design with three replications. There were nine treatments comprised of various N, P, K levels and one control; two canopy positions (external and internal) and three harvesting dates (06.12.13, 26.12.13 and 16.01.14). Statistical analysis using SAS 9.3 software and Tukey's HSD test revealed the significance of various treatments, canopy positions and harvesting dates (P<0.01). The treatment comprising 400g+600g+240g (N+P2O5+K2O/plant) was found the best among other treatments with respect to yield (20.06 kg/tree) and other quality parameters (TSS, acidity, ascorbic acid and total carotenoids). Fruits which are present on external canopy of tree were superior in terms of quality (TSS, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids) as compared to fruits present on internal canopy of the tree. The Kinnow fruits harvested during the last week of December were found superior in terms of total carotenoids in juice and peel and ascorbic acid content. While the fruits harvested in second week of January were found superior in terms of TSS and acidity. Application of 400g, 600g and 240g of NPK respectively was found beneficial for quality fruit production of Kinnow. Quality of Kinnow fruits vary as per canopy position and date of harvesting, hence they should harvest at different times and also from different canopy positions according to

purpose [Thakre, M.*, Verma, M.K., Singh, K., Awasthi, O.P., Verghese, E. and Sharma, V.K. (Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India), Indian Journal of Agricultural

Sciences, 2015, 85(11), 1455-1460]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-53 Aloe vera as an

alternative to traditional edible coatings used

in fresh-cut fruits: A case of study with

kiwifruit slices

In this work, a comparative study between Aloe vera, chitosan (formulated with acetic (-AC) or citric acid (-C)) and sodium alginate edible coatings was conducted to evaluate the effects on the quality and shelf life of minimally processed kiwifruit. The pH, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, color, texture properties, gas concentrations, pectin content, microbial load and sensory quality of the fruit were analyzed during 12 days at 4±1°C. Chitosan-AC and alginate based coatings act as a gas barrier, although after eight days of storage, a sharp rise in CO2 production was detected for the alginate and chitosan-C coatings. Aloe vera coating maintained the firmness of the fruit, prevented the ascorbic acid losses and yellowing due to ripening. Aloe vera and chitosan-AC reduced microbial proliferation; however chitosan-AC coated slices were not accepted by the sensory panelists. In contrast, fruit treated with an alginate based coating had higher microorganism counts than the control samples. The sensory panel preferred the kiwifruit slices treated with Aloe vera or chitosan-C coatings compared to the other coatings. Our study indicates that Aloe vera was the best coating to both extend the postharvest shelf life and maintain the sensory properties of the product trough the storage period [Benítez, S., Achaerandio, I., Pujolà, M. and Sepulcre, F. (Departament d'Enginyeria Agroalimentària i Biotecnologia, Escola Superior d'Agricultura de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain), LWT - Food

Science and Technology, 2015, 61(1), 184-193].

FRUITS

31

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-54 Edible coating based on

xanthan gum, lipophilic compounds and/or

calcium chloride in the strawberries

preservation

It was aimed with this study to evaluate the edible coating based on xanthan gum and glycerol, combined the calcium chloride, oleic acid and/or peppermint essential oil, in the preservation of strawberries cv. Festival. Strawberries were selected, washed, sanitized, and after the fruits were subjected to different xanthan based coating treatments containing glycerol, calcium chloride, oleic acid and/or peppermint essential oil. Fruits were dried under forced ventilation at 4 ºC for 15 h and, after, packed in polyethylene terephthalate trays and stored at 4 ºC for 12 days. Analyses of weight loss, firmness, color, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, anthocyanin concentration and incidence of decay were realized. All coatings tested were efficient in maintaining fruit quality. The best treatment was xanthan gum and glycerol, since the addition of oleic acid, peppermint essential oil and calcium chloride was not significant. Xanthan gum coating provided reduction of weight loss, maintained firmness, color, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and anthocyanin concentration and did not stimulate fungal growth. Thus, this gum has potential for application as a coating in strawberries cv. Festival to maximize the useful life of this product [Leite, B.S.F. *, Borges, C.D., Carvalho, P.G.B. and Botrel, N. (Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil ), Revista Brasileira de

Fruticultura, 2015, 37(4), 1027-1036]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-55 Optimization of acetic

acid fermentation for producing vinegar from

extract of jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.) fruits

The optimum conditions for producing vinegar from Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) juice using Acetobacter aceti were exploited by employing the response surface methodology (RSM). In addition to the initial concentration of ethanol, which is known to be a significant factor

affecting acetic acid fermentation, the effects of initial concentration of Jujube juice, A. aceti concentration, pH, and temperature on acetic acid fermentation were also investigated. Out of these factors, the effects of the initial concentration of jujube juice and inoculation amount of A. aceti were determined to be negligible based on statistical analysis. By employing the face-centered experimental design in RSM, the optimum conditions for acetic acid fermentation were exploited for achieving maximum acidity and acetic acid production. The coefficients (R2) of the derived equations from the response surface regression were 0.71 and 0.78 for acidity and acetic acid production, respectively. The maximum production of acetic acid was expected to be 52.76 mg/mL from 25% jujube extract at 21.75 oC with 7.69 % alcohol content [Jo, Y.*, Han, J.W., Min, D.-L., Lee, Y.E., Choi, Y.-J. and Lim, S. (Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, South Korea), Korean Journal of Food Science and

Technology, 2015, 47(6), 711-718].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-56 Optimization of the

debittering technology of sour orange juice by

enzyme

Sour orange has many characteristics,

such as high yield of orange juice, rich in nutrition, unique type of orange flavor. However, its strong bitter taste limits its comprehensive development and utilization. The bitter substance in sour orange juice is mainly naringin, and the content of limonin is very few. Therefore, the effect of naringinase on the debittering of sour orange juice was studied according to a current, rotational and combinational design of quadratic regression. Then, one quadratic regression model for the debittering rate was established, the enzyme hydrolysis conditions were optimized by using above model and the optimized results were verified by experiments. Results showed that the optimized naringin hydrolysed conditions


32

for obtaining maximum rate of debittering were naringinase usage 0.69 g/L, incubation time 95 min, pH value 4.5, the temperature 51°C. Under the optimized conditions, the experimental value of the debittering rate was (95.073±0.627)% (n=3), which was close to the estimated value 95.70% attained by using regression model. This

model can be used to predict the experiment results well [ Liu, W., Shan, Y., Li, G., Zhang, Q., Su, D., and Fu, F. (Hunan Agricultural Product Processing Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China), Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and

Technology, 2015, 15 (12), 134-142].

FUEL

33

FUEL

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-57 Fuel from waste animal

fats

The hunger of the modern human society for energy is tremendous, which is increasing with the increasing population and with the pursuit of higher standards of living. A significant proportion of this energy demand is made up by the different fuels which ensure mobility. Based on environmental and energetic considerations, a larger proportion of this energy is trying to be covered with renewable energy sources on the whole world. Recently mankind utilised the first generation of biofuels for the transportation sector (bioethanol and biodiesel), but the development has not stopped. Today, the second generation is on the border of utilisation (2nd gen. bioethanol and bio gas oil - mixture of iso and normal paraffins). In this article, we are focusing on the topic of 2nd generation bio derived Diesel fuel, the so-called bio gas oil. The possibilities of the utilisation of a new, waste feedstock, namely the brown greases which are the products of rendering facilities, in co-process with high sulphur containing heavy gas oil (1.2% sulphur content). During our experiments we produced bio gas oil containing gas oil fraction via the most favourable process parameters of hydrogenation (T: 330-340°C, p: 50 bar, LHSV: 1.0 h-1) and isomerisation (T: 340°C, p: 50 bar, 1.0 h-1) of waste lard containing gas oil stream. It is determined that these kinds of waste fatty materials can be appropriate feedstocks for the production of renewable diesel-fuel components. In addition, these materials are cheap, and their iLUC (indirect land use change) value is practically zero. The properties (cetane number: ≥54, CFPP: -10 to -20°C, yield: >91%) of the product obtained after the two consecutive process steps met the valid standard for diesel fuel, thus it is proved that this kind of waste feedstock can be an option for bio derived engine fuel production [Baladincz, P. and Hancsók, J. (University of Pannonia, Faculty of Engineering, Institute of

Chemical and Process Engineering, MOL Department of Hydrocarbon and Coal Processing, P.O. Box 158, Veszprém, Hungary), Chemical

Engineering Journal, 2015, 282, 152-160]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-58 Production and

characterization of biodiesel from Thevetia

neriifolia Juss. oil

This is a study on the feasibility of biodiesel preparation from a new and promising nonedible plant, Thevetia neriifolia Juss. and T. neriifolia Juss. oil is a nonedible vegetable oil, which can be a substitute feedstock for traditional food crops in the production of environment friendly and renewable fuel. The transesterification reaction was carried out with methanol using sodium hydroxide as an alkaline catalyst. Various parameters like catalyst concentration, reaction time, reaction temperature, and methanol-oil molar ratio were investigated. The resulted oil was analyzed using a gas chromatography method. It was observed that the oil contains approximately 46 wt% oleic acid (18:1), 20 wt% palmitic acid (16:0), 15.8 wt% linoleic acid (18:2), and 9.5 wt % stearic acid (18:0). The highest yield (98.7 wt %) was obtained at 65°C in 20 min with 0.9 wt % catalyst. The obtained biodiesel was examined using H1 nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy instruments. The fuel properties of Thevetia neriifolia Juss biodiesel were determined and compared with Jatropha curcus L., beef tallow, and karanja biodiesel. Based on the results, Thevetia neriifolia Juss. biodiesel possessed the best kinematic viscosity (4.36 mm2/s) [Mathiarasi, R., and Partha, N. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India) Energy Sources, Part

A: Recovery, Utilization and Environmental

Effects, 2015, 37(24), 2737-2744].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-59 Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) for biogas production: Land use

saving and nitrogen utilisation efficiency

compared with arable crops


34

Aiming to improve the sustainability of biogas supply chains, the research for alternative feedstocks is a key issue and giant reed (Arundo

donax L.) is a promising no-food crop to be used in anaerobic digestion. In fact, giant reed is a perennial species characterised by low nutrient requirements and is able to provide promising biogas yields. Its suitability for anaerobic digestion is influenced by harvest time, since plant characteristics vary noticeably along the season. Moreover, ensiling is a storage technique that can assure a good preservation of the biomass over time, but also influence the methane yields. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the suitability for biogas production of giant reed silage, according to different cutting regimes, and to evaluate the efficiency in saving land and nitrogen for fuelling biogas plants, in comparison with maize and two sorghum varieties. Methane yields per hectare (Nm3 CH4 ha–1) were determined by multiplying the biochemical methane potential of each substrate by the aboveground biomass of the corresponding crop. The land use coefficient (LU), namely the land needed to fuel one kW power (ha kWe–1), was calculated from the estimated methane yields per hectare. Finally, nitrogen utilisation efficiency (NUtE), which is the ratio between the estimated methane yield and the nitrogen uptake per hectare (Nm3 CH4 kgN–1), was determined for each crop species and according to the harvest time and frequency of giant reed. Overall, a good suitability for ensiling was observed in giant reed. When harvested in September, the crop yielded about 9900 Nm3CH4 ha–1, while in double harvest systems biomethane was about 12,000 Nm3CH4 ha–1, +35% and +70% than maize and sorghum, respectively. Moreover, giant reed under double harvest management was the most land-conservative option, as LU was about 0.22 ha kWe–1, while in annual crops it was about 0.35 ha kWe–1. The higher NUtE was observed in single harvests (up to 64 Nm3 CH4 kgN–1), while double harvests showed remarkably lower values, averaging 48 Nm3 CH4 kgN–1. Annual crops were less efficient, since NUtE ranged from 28 Nm3 CH4 kgN–1 (maize) to 40 Nm3 CH4 kgN–1 (fibre sorghum). In conclusion, giant reed can be an

alternative for biogas making, potentially providing land and nitrogen savings compared with conventional annual crop [Dragoni, F. , Ragaglini, G., Corneli, E., o di Nasso, N.N., Tozzini, C., Cattani, S., Bonari, E. (Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy ), Italian

Journal of Agronomy, 2015, 10 (4), 192-201].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-60 Sequential bioethanol

and biogas production from sugarcane

bagasse based on high solids fed-batch SSF

Sugars released from alkali-pretreated SCB (sugarcane bagasse) were used for biofuel (bioethanol and biogas) production based on a high-solids fed-batch SSF (simultaneous saccharification and fermentation) process with delayed inoculation (DSSF). A DSSF process with 24 h delayed inoculation increased the ethanol production rate by eliminating glucose inhibition in the early stages of fermentation, and shortened the duration of the process. Increasing solids loading from 18 to 36% (w/v) enhanced glucose concentration, while ethanol conversion efficiency was decreased. Gradual feeding of the hydrolyzed medium could improve the DSSF process. DSSF, with batch feeding mode, achieved as high as 68.047 g/L (74.13% of theoretical yield) ethanol concentration with 30% (w/v) solids loading at 96 h. After evaporation, the residual stillage obtained 306.974 mL/g volatile solids (VS) methane through anaerobic digestion. Sequential bioethanol and biogas production improved the yield of utilized biomass [Liu, Y.*, Xu, J., Zhang, Y., Yuan, Z. , He, M., Liang, C., Zhuang, X., and Xie, J. (Institute of New Energy and New Materials, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China), Energy, 2015, 90, 1199-1205].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-61 Effect of instant

controlled pressure drop pretreatment of

lignocellulosic wastes on enzymatic

saccharification and ethanol production

This work investigates the utilization of Eucalyptus chips and Aleppo pine cones as a

FUEL

35

feedstock for ethanol fuel production. Besides, authors focussed on the use of a new method for biomass pretreatment, namely instant controlled pressure drop (DIC). DIC treatment is a highly controlled process that combines steam pressure (up to 7 bar) with heat (up to 170. °C) during a short time. The end-product is a whole seed with a porous texture. A response surface methodology was used in order to evaluate the effects of processing parameters on the feedstock's pretreatment efficacy and thus on the ethanol production. The response parameters were biomass's moisture content before pretreatment, the cycle number and the total heating time. Saccharification yield (g reducing sugar/100. g pretreated biomass) is the response of this experimental design. The maximum saccharification yields obtained at optimal conditions for pretreated Eucalyptus chips and Aleppo pine cones were respectively 87% and 74% whereas the maximum ethanol yields were respectively 37.5 and 33.3. g of ethanol/100. g of sugars [Messaoudi, Y. , Smichi, N. , Allaf, T. , Allaf, K. and Gargouri, M. (Biocatalysis and industrial Enzymes Group, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, Carthage University, National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, BP 676, Tunis Cedex, Tunisia ), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 77, 910-919]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-62 Evaluation of eleven

genotypes of castor oil plant (Ricinus

communis L.) for the production of biodiesel

The castor oil plant is an important industrial crop around the world and it could become an important raw material for biodiesel production due to the particular characteristics of its oil. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the seed and oil production and yield and the quality of the biodiesel fuel produced from eleven wild genotypes collected in different areas of Mexico. The seed and oil production was evaluated considering the crop as annual in experimental plots at field level, and biodiesel

was produced by transesterification of the oil at laboratory scale. The quality evaluation was made following the current standards. The results indicate that the seed production varied between 937.1 kg/ha and 56.3 kg/ha. Oil content varied between 42% w/w and 54% w/w. Oil production varied between 431.7 kg/ha and 27 kg/ha. The results indicate the feasibility to produce castor oil in the north-east region of Mexico. Biodiesel production was carried out from the oil previously extracted, and the biodiesel average yield was 1:0.84. The content of ricinoleic acid methyl ester varied between 89.16% and 84.7%. Pure castor biodiesel did not fulfill standard limits due to the high kinematic viscosity, density, water content and CFPP. However, the results showed some potential for use blended with petroleum diesel [Armendáriz, J., Lapuerta, M., Zavala, F., García-Zambrano, E. and del Carmen Ojeda, M. ( Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Francisco Villa s/n, 64520 ex-hacienda Canada, Escobedo, Nuevo León, Mexico), Industrial

Crops and Products, 2015, 77, 484-490]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-63 Conversion of de-oiled

castor seed cake into bio-oil and carbon

adsorbents

Castor seed cake is the byproduct of castor seeds with cold pressing. This bio-waste was used as a raw material for the production of bio-oil and activated carbons through pyrolysis. De-oiled castor seed cake was pyrolyzed at various temperatures for various durations to find out the optimal temperature and duration for the pyrolysis. The highest bio-oil yield (63% w/w) was obtained at 400°C for 60 min. The ultimate analysis and the fuel properties for the produced bio-oil were determined. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and fractionation using column adsorption chromatography for bio-oil were also conducted. The results showed that the properties of bio-oil were similar to those reported in the literature. The pyrolysis char was converted into activated carbons of micro-porous structure


36

[Aldobouni, I.A., Fadhil, A.B. and Saied, I.K. (Industrial Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Mosul University, Mosul, Iraq), Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery,

Utilization and Environmental Effects, 2015, 37(24), 2617-2624].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-64 Phytotoxicity of three

plant-based biodiesels, unmodified castor oil

and Diesel fuel to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.),

lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus

sativus), and wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum)

The wide use of plant-based oils and their

derivatives, in particular biodiesel, have increased extensively over the past decade to help alleviate demand for petroleum products and improve the greenhouse gas emissions profile of the transportation sector. Biodiesel is regarded as a clean burning alternative fuel produced from livestock feeds and various vegetable oils. Although in theory these animal and/or plant derived fuels should have less environmental impact in soil based on their simplified composition relative to Diesel, they pose an environmental risk like Diesel at high concentrations when disposed. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the phytotoxicity of three different plant-derived biodiesels relative to conventional Diesel. For phytotoxicological analysis, we used seeds of four crop plants, Medicago sativa, Lactuca sativa, Raphanus

sativus and Triticum to analyze the germination of seeds in contaminated soil samples were used. The toxicological experiment was conducted with two different soil textures: sandy loam soil and silt loam soil. The studied plant-based biodiesels were safflower methyl-ester, castor methyl ester and castor ethyl-ester. Biodiesel toxicity was more evident at high concentrations, affecting the germination and survival of small-seeded plants to a greater extent. Tolerance of plants to the biodiesels varied between plant species and soil textures. With the exception of R. sativus, all plant species were affected and exhibited some sensitivity to the fuels, such as delayed seedling

emergence and slow germination (average=10 days) at high soil concentrations (0.85% for Diesel and 1.76% for the biodiesels). Tolerance of plants to soil contamination had a species-specific nature, and on average, decreased in the following order: Raphanus sativus (0-20%) >Triticum aestivum (10-40%)≥. Medicago sativa> Lactuca sativa (80-100%). Thus, it is concluded that there is some phytotoxicity associated with plant-based biodiesels. Further, the findings of this study can be useful for selecting the least fuel-tolerant species as a soil contamination bio-indicator and for determining the risks of biodiesel contamination [Bamgbose, I. and Anderson, T.A. (The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, 1207 Gilbert Drive Box 41163, Lubbock, TX, United States), Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2015, 122, 268-274]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-65 Weeds in the algae

garden - A source of biomass for the algae-to-

biofuels program

Despite decades of effort, viable algal biofuels remain a distant vision. High-lipid microalgae for biodiesel are plagued by low productivity, poor biomass quality and pond instability, so conversion of non-specific algal biomass into other fuels is now the favored approach. Nevertheless, with low productivity and high costs, microalgae cannot provide the annual tonnage of biomass needed for fuel production. An alternative source of easily produced algal biomass has been available for decades. Algal turf scrubbing (ATS) robustly cultivates indigenous algae in an open flume photobioreactor. It is a proven, cost-effective, point- and non point-source treatment method for recycling the aquatic nutrient pollution whose levels threaten to exceed sustainable earth system boundaries. Using ATS to reverse nutrient loading in eutrophic waters would produce copious algal biomass at essentially no cost, for biofuel production or for development into other

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37

bioproducts [Calahan, D.*, Blersch, D. and Adey, W. (Botany Department, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, United States), Ecological Engineering, 2015, 85, 275-282]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-66 Biodiesel from chicken

feather meal

Biofuels are the major contributors of

energy sources and an alternative fuels to fossil fuels. As the vegetable derived oils are becoming scarce even to human needs, definitely it has the need to find the alternative routes. Chicken feather meal consists of processed chicken feathers which has an approximate of 12% fat content, which could be used to make biodiesel and a good low cost raw-material for biodiesel production. As the amount of chicken waste is continuously increasing industries have to focus on collecting chicken feather meal to make biodiesel. To study the Product yield by transesterification of chicken feather meal at different pH concentration and temperature.

Chicken feathers waste was obtained from a poultry processing unit, Tenali, A.P. Fat was extracted byheating at 100 ºC and filtered under vacuum followed by transesterification reaction followed by separation of two phases. Yield of biodiesel was determined by mass of biodiesel to mass of raw material ratio. The extracted fat was found between 175 g to 300g from 1kg of chicken feather meal. Acid value was found out by volumetric titration, whereas the viscosity by viscometer. Biodiesel yield ranging between 62% and 75% was obtained by optimizing the pH concentration and temperature. The use of chicken feather meal as a cheap raw material for the production of biodiesel is a good strategy. Bio-diesel can blend with diesel at 20 per cent with 80 per cent of diesel to meet the current needs. It will become a major fuel resource in near future [Karlapudi, A.P., Kodali, V.P., Mikkili, I., Srirama, K., Shaik, M. and Kota, R.K. (Department of Biotechnology, Vignan's University, Vadlamudi, Guntur, A.P, India), Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and

Research, 2015, 7(12), 1073-1075].


38

INSECTICIDES (incl. Fungicides,

Herbicides, Nematicides, Larvicides, etc.)

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-67 Chemical composition of

essential oils extracted from six Murraya

species and their repellent activity against

Tribolium castaneum

Murraya genus (family Rutaceae) has been widely used as local traditional medicines in East Asia. The chemical composition of essential oils extracted from six Murraya species and their repellent activity against Tribolium castaneum was investigated. From the samples of Murraya

tetramera, Murraya euchrestifolia, Murraya

koenigii, Murraya kwangsiensis, Murraya exotica and Murraya alata, essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and their yields were various from 0.03 to 0.23%. All together 36 components were identified by GC-MS from the essential oils samples. The constituents with relatively higher contents included α-cedrene (4.22-21.82%), β-caryophyllene (8.15-27.73%), γ-elemene (4.38-12.65%), γ-selinene (3.80-21.09%), α-selinene (2.60-10.68%), α-zingiberene (2.08-12.68%), spathulenol (3.08-11.80%), caryophyllene oxide (1.58-10.59%), β-eudesmol (1.33-25.32%), etc. Moreover, eight compounds, which were recognized as significant components in the essential oils of M. tetramera, and M.

kwangsiensis, were isolated and they were identified as α-terpinene, β-caryophyllene, α-caryophyllene, alloaromadendrene, spathulenol, β-eudesmol, camphene and caryophyllene oxide. The repellent activity against T. castaneum was tested for all the six samples of essential oils and eight isolated compounds. The testing samples exhibited a variety of repellent activity against T. castaneum. Among them, the essential oils of two species (M.

tetramera and M. kwangsiensis) and three isolated compounds (alloaromadendrene, spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide) showed the fair repellent activity with relatively higher yields of contents. They might be considered as potential materials for the development of natural

repellents for control of insects in stored products. Meanwhile, cluster analysis was performed using the collectives of data which were obtained in the process of the experiments. It was found that the characteristics of the repellent activity against T. castaneum could be related to the chemical composition of the essential oils. There were some interesting senses brought out as well. Such as, the repellent activity of the essential oils would not be depend on the contents of individual bioactive compound, and the existence of some compounds might affect the repellent activity of the essential oils [You, C.-X.*, Zhang, W.-J. , Guo, S.-S. , Wang, C.-F. , Yang, K. , Liang, J.-Y. , Wang, Y. , Geng, Z.-F. , Du, S.-S. and Deng, Z.-W. ( Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 76, 681-687]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-68 Effect of confertifolin

from Polygonum hydropiper L. against dengue

vector mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L.

The essential oil from the leaves of Polygonum hydropiper L. (Polygonaceae) was tested against Aedes aegypti L. The LC50 values were 190.72 and 234.37 ppm against second and fourth instar larvae of A. aegypti, respectively. Confertifolin (6,6,9a-trimethy l-4,5,5a,6,7,8,9,9a-octahydronaphtho [1,2-c] furan-3 (1H)-one) was isolated from the essential oil of P. hydropiper leaves using silica gel column chromatography. The LC50 values were 2.90 and 2.96 ppm for second and fourth instar larvae of A. aegypti, respectively. At 10 ppm, the concentration of confertifolin showed ovicidal activity of 100, 100, and 77.6 % on 0–6, 6–12, and 12–18 h old eggs; the repellent activity was 323.2 min; and oviposition deterrent activity was 97.52 % and adulticidal activity was 100 % against A. aegypti. The results were statistically significant at P < 0.05 level. The results suggested that confertifolin as an effective major constituent

INSECTICIDES

39

against A. aegypti and might be considered as a potent source for the production of superior natural mosquitocides [Maheswaran, R.* and Ignacimuthu, S. (Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India), Environmental Science and Pollution Research,

2015, 22 (11), 8280-8287].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-69 Antitermitic and

antifungal activities of eugenol and its

congeners from the flower buds of Syzgium

aromaticum (clove)

Biodegradation of wood by fungi and

termites is recognized as one of the most serious problems for wooden structures. In this study, we analyzed the antitermitic and antifungal activities of flower buds essential oil from Syzygium

aromaticum and its dominant constituents. Essential oil components were analyzed by gas chromatography and the major compound of essential oil was eugenol (90.6%). The results demonstrated that at the dosage of 50µg/g, clove essential oil had 100% mortality to Reticulitermes

chinensis after testing for 5 d. Furthermore, we found eugenol killed all termites after testing for 3 d, with an LC50 value of 12.1µg/g. Meanwhile, we also found clove essential oil and eugenol displayed activity against three fungi, Trametes

hirsuta, Schizphylhls commne, and Pycnoporus

sanguineus. The eugenol was found principal antifungal constituent of clove oil. The IC50 values of eugenol against T. hirsuta, S. commne, and P. sanguineus were 83.6, 116.1, and 102.4µg/mL, respectively. In addition, comparisons of the termite mortality and antifungal indices of eugenol and its congeners proved that eugenol exhibited the strongest antitermitic and antifungal activities. The clove oil and eugenol have potential for the development of natural wood preservatives [Xie, Y., Yang, Z., Cao, D., Rong, F., Ding, H. and Zhang, D. (The Key Laboratory for Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A and F University,

Linan, China), Industrial Crops and Products , 2015, 77, 780-786].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-70 Antimicrobial activity of

essential oils of Origanum vulgare L. and

Origanum majorana L. against Staphylococcus

aureus isolated from poultry meat

One of the microorganisms present in poultry meat products responsible for the most usual foodborne intoxication is Staphylococcus

aureus. Essential oil of spices has been used as a bio-preservative due to its antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity in vitro of the essential oils of oregano and marjoram against S. aureus isolated from poultry meat marketed in Pelotas/RS-Brazil, and to carry out the phenotypic and molecular characterization of these oils. For this, twenty samples of poultry meat were analyzed. Staphylococcus spp. was isolated from Baird Parker agar, and its molecular characterization was performed by PCR. All isolates of S. aureus were tested for the presence of genes coding for staphylococcal enterotoxins. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of oregano and marjoram was evaluated by disk diffusion, minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration. The results showed that seventeen samples were contaminated by Staphylococcus positive-coagulase and nine were positive to acriflavine resistance and thermonuclease tests, and in the last ones S. aureus was confirmed. The genes coding for staphylococcal enterotoxins detected were sea (6) and seb (3). All isolates were sensitive to essential oils tested, indicating that these can be an alternative to food preservation [Marques, J. L.*, Volcão, L.M., Funck, G.D., Kroning, I.S., da Silva, W.P., Fiorentini, T.M., and Ribeiro, G.A. (Federal University of Pelotas, Department of Agroindustrial Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 354, Pelotas, RS, Brazil ), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 77, 444-450]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-71 Antifungal activity of

essential oils of clove (Syzygium aromaticum)


40

and/or mustard (Brassica nigra) in vapor

phase against gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) in

strawberries

The search for new alternatives to preserve foods is a growing research field that is of great interest to the food industry. In this study, the inhibitory effect of clove and/or mustard essential oils in vapor phase was evaluated in vitro and in vivo (strawberries) against Botrytis cinerea, a mold highly detrimental to fruits and vegetables. In vitro and in vivo minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for clove essential oil was 92.56 µL/Lair, while for mustard, essential oil was 15.42 µL/Lair. As for the combination of tested essential oils the MIC was 46.28 µL/Lair of clove essential oil and 1.93 µL/Lair of mustard essential oil for the in vitro tests, while 11.57 µL/Lair of clove essential oil and 1.93 µL/Lair of mustard essential oil for the in vivo tests. Furthermore, the observed inhibitory effect is due to a synergism of tested essential oils in most of the assessed combinations. Industrial relevance effectiveness of vapors of clove and/or mustard essential oils against B. cinerea was demonstrated. The inhibitory activity exhibited by essential oils vapors can be attributed to the major compounds identified in clove and mustard essential oils, inhibiting B. cinerea growth in vitro and in vivo (strawberries). Combinations of clove and mustard essential oils had a synergistic antifungal effect, confirming that the combined use of volatile compounds from essential oils is more effective than its individual application [Aguilar-González, A.E., Palou, E. and López-Malo, A. (Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Alimentos y Ambiental, Universidad de Las Américas Puebla, Ex hacienda Sta. Catarina Mártir S/N, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, Mexico), Innovative Food Science and Emerging

Technologies , 2015, 32, 181-185]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-72 Insecticidal effect of

plant extracts on Phlebotomus argentipes

(Diptera: Psychodidae) in Bihar, India

Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae), the established vector for kala-azar is presently being controlled by indoor residual spray of DDT in kala-azar endemic areas in India. Search for non-hazardous and non-toxic biodegradable active molecules from botanicals may provide cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic insecticides. The present study was aimed at evaluating various plant extracts from endemic and non-endemic areas of Bihar for their insecticidal activity against sandfly to identify the most effective plant extract. Bio-assay test was conducted with larvae and adult of P. argentipes with different plant extracts collected in distilled water, hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. Thin layer chromatography (TLC), column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were conducted for detection of active molecules. Adults and larvae of sandflies exposed to the aqueous extract of Nicotiana tabacum resulted in 100 per cent mortality. The hexane extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum was found to kill 77 per cent adults but was ineffective against larvae. Bio-assay test of the ninth fraction (hexane extract-methanol phase) separated by column chromatography was found to be 63 per cent effective. The purple spot on the TLC of this fraction indicated the presence of a diterpenoid. HPLC of this fraction detected nine compounds with two peaks covering 20.44 and 56.52 per cent areas with retention time of 2.439 and 5.182 min, respectively supporting the TLC results. The column separated 9th fraction of C. infortunatum extract was found to be effective in killing 63 per cent of adult P. argentipes. Compounds of this fraction need to be evaluated further for identification and characterization of the active molecule by conducting individual bio-assay tests followed by further fractionation and HPLC. Once the structure of the active molecule is identified and validated, it may be synthesized and formulated as a product [Dinesh, D.S., Kumari, S., Pandit, V., Kumar, J., Kumari, N., Kumar, P., Hassan, F., Kumar, V. and Das,

INSECTICIDES

41

P. (Division of Vector Biology and Control, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (ICMR), Patna, India), Indian Journal

of Medical Research, 2015, 142, 95-100].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-73 Effect of citrus peel

chemicals on Bactrocera tryoni larval survival

Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major horticultural insect pest in Australia which significantly limits domestic and international market access for Australian horticultural produce. Citrus is one of the industries seriously affected by the fruit fly problem in Australia. This research investigated the effect of citrus peel essential oil chemicals on B. tryoni larval survival in five different commercially important Citrus species and cultivars as a way of better understanding fruit susceptibility. The fruits used were Murcott Mandarin, Navel orange, Eureka lemon, Valencia orange and yellow grapefruit. The essential oils of each citrus type were extracted using

hydrodistillation and then mixed, at different concentrations, with artificial larval diets to which B. tryoni eggs were added. Surviving larvae were counted after five trial days. The same process was repeated for six essential oil components. Regression analysis of increasing oil concentration against larval survival showed that the crude oil blends of Navel orange, Eureka lemon and yellow grapefruit had significant negative effects on B. tryoni larval survival, but no such effects were seen for Murcott Mandarin and Valencia orange. Of the individual essential oil fractions, only D-limonene had a significant effect on B. tryoni larval survival, with this chemical being highly toxic at very low concentrations. The results of this study open up opportunities for incorporating B. tryoni resistance mechanisms into citrus through minor peel property changes which would not impact on the eating attributes of the fruit [Muthuthantri, S., Clarke, A.R., Hayes, R.A. and Kevin, J. ( Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD, Australia), Acta

Horticulturae, 2015, 1105, 349-356].


42

MANURE/FERTILIZERS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-74 Integrated use of animal

manures along with inorganic fertilizers on

soil available major and secondary nutrients

in bhendi crop (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)

A field experiment was conducted in Agricultural college and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu Agricultural university to evaluate integrated use of animal manures along with inorganic fertilizers on soil available major and secondary nutrients in bhendi crop (Arka anamika) with organic sources like goat manure and pig manure combined with inorganic fertilizers on availability of soil available major and secondary nutrients. There were ten treatment combinations replicated thrice in Randomized block design (RBD) in Maddukkur soil series (Typic Haplustalf). Thus result showed that the combined application of 50 per cent Recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) + goat manure @ 6.5 t ha-1 at different stages of bhendi viz., vegetative flowering, fruit and post harvesting stages was found superior and increased the soil available nutrients then other treatments, organic carbon (0.653%), available Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) & Potassium (K) (216.1, 12.4 and 252.40 kg ha-1) and Calcium (Ca) & Magnesium (Mg) (0.138 & 0.280%) and lowest value registered in the control plot viz., organic carbon (0.435%), available N, P & K (183.8, 8.5 and 189.40 kg ha-1) and Ca & Mg (0.109 &0.229%) respectively [Dhavappriya, A. and Sanjivkumar, V. (Department of soil science and Agricultural chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India), Journal of Scientific and Industrial

Research, 2015, 74 (12), 690-694].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-75 Use of different organic

fertilizers on soil fertility improvement,

growth and head yield parameters of cabbage

(Brassica oleracea L)

Field experiment was carried out in Akure in the rainforest zone of Nigeria to determine the

effect of poultry manure, wood ash and rice bran on the soil fertility improvement, growth and head yield of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) in 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons. The three organic fertilizer treatments were applied each at 6 t/ha with a reference treatment NPK 15-15-15 applied at 300 kg/ha and a control treatment arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results showed significant increases (P < 0.05) in the growth and head yield parameters of cabbage crop under the different organic fertilizers compared to the control treatment. The application of poultry manure resulted in the highest values of cabbage plant height, stem girth, leaf number, leaf area, head weight, head length and head girth followed by NPK 15-15-15, wood ash and rice bran, respectively. Cabbage head weight, head girth, head length, plant height, stem girth, leaf number and leaf area increased by 17, 18, 8,17, 19, 10 and 16 %, respectively, with application of poultry manure compared to NPK fertilizer. Also, these parameters increased by 23, 21, 13 29, 25, 17 and 45 % compared to the wood ash treatment. The highest values of soil pH, Ca and Mg were obtained under wood ash application, while the highest values of soil O.M and moderate values of soil P, K, Ca and Mg were obtained under poultry manure application. Moderate values of soil pH, K, Ca and low % N were also recorded under rice bran treatment. However, the highest K/Ca, K/Mg and P/Mg ratios of 93.1, 74.1 and 572.1, respectively, were obtained under NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer application compared to 2:1 K/Ca, 2:1 K/Mg and 16:1 P/Mg in rice bran treatment. The poultry manure applied at 6 t/ha gave the best results in improving soil fertility, growth and head yield of cabbage, and this was because of its balanced nutrient composition and the least C/N ratio [Ibukunoluwa Moyin-Jesu, E. (Agronomy Department, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo, Nigeria), International Journal of

Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture, 2015, 4 (4), 291-298]

MANURE/FERTILIZERS

43

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-76 Vermicomposting

eliminates the toxicity of Lantana (Lantana

camara) and turns it into a plant friendly

organic fertilizer

In evidently the first study of its kind,

vermicompost derived solely from a weed known to possess plant and animal toxicity was used to assess its impact on the germination and early growth of several plant species. No pre-composting or supplementation of animal manure was done to generate the vermicompost in order to ensure that the impact is clearly attributable to the weed. Whereas the weed used in this study, Lantana (Lantana camara), is known to possess strong negative allelopathy, besides plant/animal toxicity in other forms, its vermicompost was seen to be a good organic fertilizer as it increased germination success and encouraged growth of all the three botanical species explored by the authors - green gram (Vigna radiata), ladies finger (Abelmoschus

esculentus) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus). In terms of several physical, chemical and biochemical attributes that were studied, the vermicompost appeared plant-friendly, giving best results in general when employed at concentrations of 1.5% in soil (w/w). Fourier transform infrared spectrometry revealed that the phenols and the sesquiterpene lactones that are responsible for the allelopathic impact of Lantana were largely destroyed in the course of vermicomposting. There is also an indication that lignin content of Lantana was reduced during its vermicomposting. The findings open up the possibility that the billions of tons of phytomass that is generated annually by Lantana and other invasives can be gainfully utilized in generating organic fertilizer via vermicomposting [Hussain, N.*, Abbasi, T., and Abbasi, S.A. (Centre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineering, Pondicherry University, Chinakalapet, Puducherry, India), Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2015, 298, 46-57].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-77 Effect of organic

manures and inorganic fertilizers on growth

and flower yield of marigold (Tagetes erecta

L.) var. ‘Pusa Narangi Gainda’

The results of field study conducted at RVSKVV, KVK Rajgarh - Biaora (M.P.), India during rabi 2011-2012 to evaluated the performance of marigold var. Pusa Narangi Gainda to various manures and fertilizers levels on growth and flower yield reveal that maximum plant height, girth of stem, number of branches/plant, plant height number of flowers/plant, circulation of flower length, weight of flower, flowers yield/plant, flower yield/ha, gross return, net return and B:C ratio were recorded with recommended dose of 120:80:40 kg NPK/ha alongwith border strip method of irrigation, which significantly superior over control, but statically on a par and closely followed by vermicompost @ 5t/ha and poultry manure @ 3.16 q/hactare, which gave 19.84, 14.57, 30.49, 12.86, 35.01, 27.06, 32.18, 77.94, 78.07, 78.07, 125.68, 61.41 and 104.96% higher growth characters, yield attributing characters, flower yield, gross return, net return, B:C ratio and IBCR ratio respectively than control plot [Singh, L. , Gurjar, P.K.S., Barholia, A.K., Haldar, A. and Shrivastava, A. (College of Agriculture, R.V.S.K.V.V., Race Course Road, Gwalior-(Madhya Pradesh), India), Plant Archives, 2015, 15 (2), 779-783].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-78 Soil and plant nutrient

status as influenced by organic farming in long

pepper

Long pepper (Piper longum L.) spikes and roots forms one of the important constituents in the treatment of various human ailments under ayurveda, siddha and unani medicine systems of India. An experiment was conducted in this crop to study the effect of various combinations of organic manures and bio-fertilizers on crop growth, nutrition and soil fertility status including microbial population after harvesting of the crop. Varied levels of farm yard manure (FYM - 30 and 40 t ha-

1), vermicompost (VC - 1 and 2 t ha-1), neem cake (NC - 1 and 2 t ha-1) and bio-fertilizers


44

(Azospirilum, phosphate solubilizing bacteria and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae each at 10 kg ha-1) were tried in sixteen different combinations. After three years of experimentation the impact of organic farming on soil and plant nutrient status has been analyzed. The results revealed that the application of organic manures has a significant impact on plant and soil nutrient status after three years of cropping. The highest tissue nutrient content and nutrient uptake were recorded in the treatment FYM 40 t + VC 2.0 t + NC 2.0 t + BF 10 kg ha-1 where the organic manures and bio-fertilizers were applied at highest level. The same treatment has also increased the organic carbon, available NPK and microbial population in the soil after three years of cropping. All these parameters were lowest in treatment FYM 30 t + VC 1.0 t + NC 1.0 t ha-1 where manures were applied in lowest quantity without bio-fertilizers. Hence, we conclude that the long pepper is an organic matter loving crop and application of higher levels of organic manures improved both plant and soil nutrient status [Smitha, G.R*. , Umesha, K., Sreeramu, B.S. (Division of Horticulture, Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India), Journal of Medicinal

and Aromatic Plants, 2015, 6 (1), 21-28].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-79 Earthworm and soil

fertility under water and fertilizer

managements in a greenhouse vegetable field

A field experiment was conducted to investigate soil earthworm density and soil basic

fertility changes and their relationship under different water (irrigation) and fertilizer (manure fertilization) managements in greenhouse organic vegetable system to provide scientific basis for reasonable irrigation and fertilization on greenhouse organic vegetable. Soil moisture, porosity, the contents of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium were significantly increased by 4%-27%, 6%-9%, 19%-27%, 19%-26%, 141%-230% and 74%-91% respectively with the increasing organic manure fertilization. Under the same irriga-tion, earthworm density was significantly increased by 43%-110% in the manure treatments compared with no manure treatment. There were extremely significant positive correlations between earthworm density and soil productivity, soil porosity, the contents of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus. The data indicate that soil earthworm can be a bio-indicator to assess soil fertility in greenhouse vegetable fields, and can play important ecological functions. Considering soil fertility and productivity, decrement-irrigation plus conventional-manure application is the best management for sustainable organic vegetable production [Zheng, T.*, Ji-Guang, L.I., Hui, L.I., Ning, Y.U., Zhong-Fang, L.I., Xiao-Xiang, C. and Chun-Ian, C. ( College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, China), Chinese Journal of Ecology, 2015, 34 (8), 2210-2214].

OIL/FATS

45

OIL/FATS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-80 Extraction of Albizzia

julibrissin seed oil and the analysis of fatty

acid

The main nutritional components and physicochemical parameter of Albizzia julibrissin seed have been analyzed. Its oil was obtained by ultra-critical CO2 extraction method. After methyl esterifying the extraction, the fatty acid composition in the Albizzia julibrissin seed oil was determined and analyzed by the GC. Based on the results of analysis, the thousand seeds weight, rate of kernel contents and bulk density of Albizzia julibrissin seed were 42 g, 560 g/kg, and 785 g/L, respectively. Main components consisted of 18.2% crude fiber, 32.2% protein, 4.6% ash, 10.9% fat, etc. The Albizzia julibrissin seed oil proper extracted technology condition through the test were as follows: the extracting temperature 40℃, the pressure 35 MPa, and the extracting time 120 min. The major components of fatty acid comprised 6.5% palmitic acid, 2.6% stearic acid, 17.1% oleic acid, 71.89% linoleic acid etc. of which contained unsaturated fatty acid accounted for 90%. The results indicated that there were rich nutritional ingredients in Albizzia julibrissin seed with wide applying prospect in food field [Jiang, L., Jiang, C., Sun, X., Wei, D. and Hu, Y. (

College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, China), Journal of the Chinese Cereals and Oils

Association, 2015, 30 (12), 76-79].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-81 Changes in oil content

and fatty acid composition in Jatropha curcas

during seed development

Seed development in Jatropha curcas L. was studied with respect to morphology, oil content and lipid profiles. Seeds were collected at 8 different stages of development starting from 6 days after pollination till maturity. Seed oil content increased from 6.15% to 35.86%. Palmitic acid (16:0) decreased from 34.27-15.62,

whereas linolenic acid (18:3) reduced from 26.32 to 0.65%. A sharp increase in oleic acid (18:1) content from 8.05 to 29.56% was observed at stage 5 which increased further to 44.38% at maturity. Linoleic acid (18:2) increased steadily from 33.38 to 47.19 % till stage 7 but reduced to 33.02% at maturity with a simultaneous increase in oleic acid. Remarkable changes in fatty acid composition were observed after stage 4 (27 DAP). The biodiesel quality of oil at stage 8 was better than at stage 7 as indicated by lower iodine number and higher cetane number [Sinha, P., Islam, M.A., Negi, M.S. and Tripathi, S.B. (The Energy and Resources Institute, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, India), Industrial Crops

and Products, 2015, 77, 508-510]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-82 Fatty acid profile of

intact plants of two different sites and callus

cultures derived from seed and leaf explants of

Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess: A new

resource of non-edible oil

In Mexico, the oil seed from Calophyllum

brasiliense is traditionally used for lighting, but the oil seeds and leaves have not yet been evaluated. In this work, two sites of C.

brasiliense were studied: San Andres Tuxtla and Pajapan. The aim of this study was to characterize the fatty acid profile of the seed oil, leaves, and callus cultures from leaves or seed explants. Fatty acids of the leaves, seeds, and callus culture samples were extracted with hexane, esterified, and then analyzed in a Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The San Andrés Tuxtla seeds had a significantly higher (P≤ 0.05) oil content: 58.2% versus 47.6% in Pajapan seeds. The seed oil recovered from the San Andrés Tuxtla samples showed higher amounts of linoleic acid (41.3%), while the oil recovered from the Pajapan seeds had remarkable oleic acid content (39.3%). The physicochemical parameters of San Andrés Tuxtla and Pajapan oils such as the density, viscosity, iodine, acid, and saponification values were measured and met the industrial standards for oil feedstock for


46

biodiesel. The biomass growth of callus cultures was enhanced, and callus could produce fatty acids. These were mainly total saturated acids such as palmitic acid (31.32-39.18%) followed by stearic acid (19.52-21.18%). The main unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid with values ranging from 23.14 to 31.63%. This is the first report on the fatty acid composition of seeds, leaves, and callus cultures from C. brasiliense. Therefore, this study can help to promote the importance of this agricultural product and can lead to biotechnological tools for the sustainable production of fatty acids or secondary metabolites [Bernabé-Antonio, A.*, Álvarez, L., Salcedo-Pérez, E., Toral, F.A.L.-D., Anzaldo-Hernández, J., and Cruz-Sosa, F. (Departamento de Madera, Celulosa y Papel. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Km. 15.5, Carretera Guadalajara-Nogales, Colonia Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico), Industrial Crops and

Products, 2015, 77, 1014-1019].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-83 Effect of microwave

roasting on the quality and volatile

compounds of sunflower oil

How microwave roasting affects the

quality and volatile compounds of pressed sunflower oil was investigated here. The results showed that with an increase in microwave power and duration of treatment, the color of pressed sunflower oil gradually became deeper,

while acid value did not change significantly. Peroxide value increased initially and then decreased under moderate and low microwave power, showing a decreasing trend under high microwave power. The induction time did not have a significant effect at middle and low microwave power, but showed an increasing trend at high power. Finally, vitamin E content decreased gradually. By referring to various indexes, seven sunflower oil samples (700 W 5 min, 700 W 4 min, 700 W 3 min, 560 W 4 min, 560 W 5 min, 420 W 5 min, and 420 W 6 min) with high total sensory scores were selected and their volatile compounds were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A total of 65 kinds of volatile compounds were detected, including 16 aldehyde compounds, 6 ketone compounds, 15 heterocyclic compounds, 12 terpenes, 4 alcohols, 9 alkanes, 2 esters, and 1 acid. Additionally, the oil samples shared 14 volatile compounds in common. It can be seen from the results above that microwave roasting has a significant effect on the quality of sunflower oil. The characteristic flavor of sunflower oil is produced by the combination of the inherent natural fragrance of the sunflower seeds, lipid oxidation products, and Maillard reaction products during the roasting process [Chen, J.*, Hong, Z.-T., Liu, G.-Q. and Wang, Y.-H. (School of Food Science and Technology, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, China), Modern Food Science and

Technology, 2015, 31 (8), 211-218].

PHYTOCHEMICALS

47

PHYTOCHEMICALS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-84 Validation of

ethnomedicinal potential of Tinospora cordifolia

for anticancer and immunomodulatory activities

and quantification of bioactive molecules by

HPTLC

Ethnopharmacological relevance Tinospora

cordifolia (Willd.) Miers. ex Hook. f. & Thomas. (Menispermaceae) is one of the most widely used plants in various traditional medicinal systems including "Ayurveda". The plant is used for the treatment of jaundice, rheumatism, urinary disorder, skin diseases, diabetes and anemia. The phytoconstituents present in the plant belongs to different class of compounds such as alkaloids, diterpenoids lactones, glycosides, steroids, phenol, aliphatic compounds and polysaccharides. The aim of present study was the isolation, structure elucidation, quantification and pharmacological evaluation of secondary metabolites from T.

cordifolia for anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Different extracts and fractions were prepared from the stem of T. cordifolia. Pure molecules were isolated using normal phase chromatography and characterized on the basis of NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques. The anti-cancer and immunomodulatory activities of different extracts, fractions and isolated compounds were evaluated against four different human cancer cell lines, KB (human oral squamous carcinoma), CHOK-1 (hamster ovary), HT-29 (human colon cancer) and SiHa (human cervical cancer) and murine primary cells, respectively. A simple, normal phase HPTLC method was also developed for the quantification of three bioactive compounds i.e N-formylannonain (1), 11-hydroxymustakone (5) and yangambin (8) in the stem of T. cordifolia hosted on fifteen different plants. Chromatographic purification of different fractions led to the isolation of eight pure molecules i.e N-formylannonain (1), magnoflorine (2), jatrorrhizine (3) palmatine (4), 11-hydroxymustakone (5), cordifolioside A (6), tinocordiside (7) and yangambin (8). All extracts

and fractions were active against KB and CHOK-1 cells whereas among the pure molecules palmatine (4) was found to be active against KB and HT-29; tinocordiside (7) against KB and CHOK-1; yangambin (8) against KB cells however N-formylannonain (1) and 11-hydroxymustakone (5), was found active for immunomodulatory activity. HPTLC quantification of three active molecules i.e N-formylannonain (1), 11-hydroxymustakone (5), and yangambin (8) were found in highest quantity in the stem of T. cordifolia hosted on Mangifera

indica, however, other two active molecules were not quantified due to their insufficient quantity. Conclusion Eight compounds have been isolated and characterized belonging to different classes. The pharmacological evaluation of extract, fractions and pure molecules revealed the ethnomedicinal value of T. cordifolia for anticancer and immunomodulatory activities [Bala, M.*, Pratap, K., Verma, P.K., Singh, B. , Padwad, Y. (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi, India), Journal of Ethnopharmacology,

2015, 175, 131-137].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-85 Lectins of Sambucus

nigra as biologically active and DNA-

protective substances

The human genome is affected by diverse

environmental pollution factors and this is particularly acute for Ukrainians who have suffered from the Chernobyl radiation disaster. At the same time many natural compounds, especially from medicinal plants, are known as agents that prevent DNA lesions which often result in increasing mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. The aim of our work was to study the DNA-protective potential of biologically active compounds found in Sambucus nigra called lectins, a very large group of universally occurring proteins that recognize and specifically bind to carbohydrates/glycoconjugates. Various physiological activities of lectins based on protein-carbohydrate interactions have been demonstrated in all living forms. For example,


48

lectins participate in host defense in plants against stress-related conditions, the attack of phytopathogens and phytophagous insects, as well as modulation of immune response, mitogenic stimulation or induction of apoptosis in animals. Antiviral, immunomodulating, antioxidant and insulin-stimulating properties of S. nigra fruit and flower extracts have been described in scientific literature. Also the elderberry lectins were found in roots, leaves, bark, seeds and fruits, the latter (SNA-IV) being the predominant protein in the juice. In Ukraine, various parts of S. nigra plants are used in folk medicine. Using methods of isoelectric focusing and chromatography, we determined that elderberry flowers and pollen contain rather high levels of lectins agglutinating animal and human erythrocytes, which differ from a commercial preparation of S. nigra bark lectin (SNA-I). The major lectin found in inflorescences, named SNAflu-I, is GalNAc/Gal specific and is supposed to be a heterotetramer with subunits of about 30 and 33 kDa. Sambucus nigra lectins demonstrated protective effects against heavy metals (nickel ions) in soil bacteria Bacillus

subtilis. Also it was shown that lectins under study can modulate, in a concentration-dependent manner, the frequency of mutations and genotoxic activity of alkylating agents in eukaryotic cell cultures. Studies focused on the elucidation of cell targets sensitive to S. nigra lectins and demonstrated that at least one of the targets may be the DNA-dependent synthesis of RNA - the way to modulate gene expression. The results obtained lead to the contusion that the protective functions of lectins both in pro- and eukaryotes involve complex mechanisms including components of the DNA repair system [Karpova, I.S., Lylo, V.V., Macewicz, L.L., Kotsarenko, K.V., Palchykovska, L.G., Ruban, T.O. and Lukash, L.L. (Department of Molecular and Quantum Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine), Acta

Horticulturae, 2015, 1061, 93-102].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-86 Improved conversion of

rice straw to ethanol and xylitol by

combination of moderate temperature

ammonia pretreatment and sequential

fermentation using Candida tropicalis

Rice straw is a promising feedstock for sustained production of ethanol and value-added products. In this study, production of ethanol with xylitol from rice straw was improved by employing moderate aqueous ammonia pretreatment and sequential fermentation. The pretreatment removed significant amount of lignin and enhanced the enzymatic digestibility of rice straw by four fold. The analysis of the pretreated rice straw by SEM, XRD and FTIR showed significant changes in physicochemical structure, favoring enzymatic hydrolysis. The fermentability of the sugar hydrolyzate to ethanol was evaluated in repeated batch fermentation with cell recycling. Ethanol yield of 98% was achieved up to three batches of recycling of cells of Candida tropicalis. Fermentation of glucose and xylose in the hydrolyzate to ethanol and xylitol was studied using C. tropicalis in single and two-stage sequential fermentations. While ethanol yield was same, xylitol yield was higher in the two-stage fermentation than single batch fermentation. The results suggest that the sequential fermentation of sugar hydrolyzate of ammonia pretreated rice straw would be a promising process for production of ethanol and xylitol [Swain, M.R. and Krishnan, C. (Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 77, 1039-1046].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-87 Rapid qualitative and

quantitative analysis of bioactive compounds

from Phyllanthus amarus using LC/MS/MS

techniques

Phyllanthus amarus is a small herb belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. It is well known for its potent medicinal properties and

PHYTOCHEMICALS

49

widely used worldwide. The chromatographic method was developed for rapid screening of phytochemicals using high-pressure liquid chromatography hyphenated with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). Fifty two compounds were identified and characterized out of which forty three phenolics and nine lignans were successfully characterized based on retention time, exact mass, molecular formula and their fragmentation patterns. Among them, six bioactive compounds namely phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, and quercetin, were further quantified in 3.6min by developing ultra high performance liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-MS/MS) method in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) acquisition mode. It was found that the calibration curves for all analytes

showed good linearity (R2>0.9986) within the test ranges. The overall limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.18-1.82ng/mL and 0.44-3.82ng/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for intra- and inter-day precisions were below 1.12% and 1.92%, respectively. Remarkable differences were observed in contents of the bioactive compounds in all samples. Principle component analysis was used for samples discrimination obtained from different geographical locations. On the basis of PC scores, samples MP and WB were closer and lying in the same quadrant, while UP was much far apart [Kumar, S.*, Chandra, P., Bajpai, V., Singh, A., Srivastava, M., Mishra, D.K. and Kumar, B. (Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India), Industrial Crops

and Products, 2015, 69, 143-152].


50

RUBBER/GUM/RESIN

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-88 Robust and

biodegradable polymer of cassava starch and

modified natural rubber

The application of starch based materials for packaging purposes has attracted significant interest because they are both cheap and renewable resources. The study investigated the preparation and properties of a novel biopolymer sheet produced from a blend of maleated epoxidized natural rubber (MENR) and natural rubber-g-cassava starch (NR-g-CSt). The water resistance, toluene resistance and elongation at break of the polymer blend were enhanced after the addition of the MENR compared to pristine NR-g-CSt. The maximum tensile strength and thermal stability of the NR-g-CSt/MENR blend were found in the 100:50 NR-g-CSt:MENR blend. The novel films demonstrated good biodegradability in soil [Riyajan, S.-A. (Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, 99 Moo 18 Paholyothin Road, Klong-Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand), Carbohydrate Polymers, 2015, 134, 267-277].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-89 Acid-induced

aggregation and gelation of natural rubber

latex particles

Coagulation of natural rubber latex suspensions into an elastic gel is the first step of their processing into rubber. Authors studied this transition under controlled acidification conditions with the aim of identifying the main parameters controlling gel formation. The onset of aggregation and the percolation events observed during continuous acidification were monitored on a large range of volume fractions by a combination of light-scattering techniques adapted to the different degrees of suspension opacity (namely, diffusing wave spectroscopy, static light scattering and turbidimetry) and by rheology. Consequently, authors established the state diagram of NRL

particles in the pH-ϕv space during acidification. Within this diagram, three states: a suspension, a two-phase macroscopically separated system in between a gel and a suspension, and a gel was identified. The rheological properties of the gels were characterized as a function of the volume fraction ϕv. The elastic modulus scale with ϕv3.35, it shows remarkable consistency independently of the acidification kinetics and final pH [de Oliveira Reis, G*, Menut, P., Bonfils, F., Vaysse, L., Hemar, Y. and Sanchez, C., (UMR IATE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, INRA, CIRAD, 2 Place Viala, Montpellier, France), Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical

and Engineering Aspects, 2015, 482, 9-17].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-90 Investigation of swelling

and dissolution process of natural rubber in

aromatic oil

Aromatic oil has been used to promote the properties of crumb rubber modified asphalt which is an ideal method to deal with the resource utilization of waste rubber tires and by-product of refinery. Furfural extract oil (FEO) was separated into the light fraction and the heavy fraction. Swelling and dissolution process of natural rubber sheet in these three oil samples was investigated to shed light on the interaction mechanism. Crumb rubber also interacted on FEO and asphalt respectively. Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the chemical and structural properties of processed rubber. The chemical composition of processed oils and asphalt was investigated by using the hydrocarbon group analysis (SARA) and gel permeation chromatography. The results revealed that the swelling rate and mass loss of rubber in oils were much higher than those in asphalt and rose with an increasing processing temperature. The heavy fraction of FEO had more diffusion and dissolving capability than the light fraction, whilst compatibility was observed between the heavy fraction and the light fraction. Selective absorption was not observed in the study

RUBBER/GUM/RESIN

51

and detachment of dissolved rubber was disseminated from the outside to the inside. The cross-linking degree of the residue rubber was unchanged with the processing time, and sulfur predominantly remained in the undissolved rubber. Dissolution of crumbed rubber in oils was attributed to devulcanization, while that in the asphalt was mainly attributed to depolymerization [Wang, F., Kuang, M., Li, G., Zhou, X. and Li, C. (Department of Petroleum Processing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China), China Petroleum Processing and

Petrochemical Technology, 2015, 17( 3), 76-86].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-91 Studies on the

emulsifying properties of gum resin of Shorea

robusta

In recent years, the importance of natural

emulsifiers has increased considerably due to the safety concerns associated with synthetic emulsifiers. In this study, gum resin of Shorea

robusta was evaluated for its emulsifying property. An emulsion was prepared using S.

robusta semi-purified gum resin (HGRS) as an emulsifier (2.0, 3.0 and 4.0% w/w), and a standard emulsion was prepared with the known emulsifier, Glyceryl monostearate (GMS SE).The prepared emulsions were evaluated for rheological properties, especially flow behavior, and they were stored at room temperature for stability studies at various time intervals for three months. Results of the study suggested that the semi-purified gum resin of S. robusta possesses good emulsifying properties. The emulsion formulated from the natural emulsifier was less sensitive to centrifugation, pH and shear stress. Thus, gum resin of S. robusta can be used as a natural emulsifying agent in topical preparations [Sarathchandraprakash, N.K.*, Vijayakumar, M., Manral, K., Babu, U.V., and Vishakante Gowda, D., (Research and Development Department, The Himalaya Drug Company, Bangalore, India), International Journal of Pharma and Bio

Sciences, 2015, 6 (1), P544-P549].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-92 The acute toxicity of

Commiphora molmol oleo-gum-resin methanol

extract

The study aimed to investigate the safety of the most biological active extract of C. molmol oleo-gum-resin in terms of blood vessel growth inhibition. The active extract was subjected to the toxicity studies; The dose that consider lethal to the 50% of the animal exposed to the extract (LD50) study of the extract was evaluated in Swiss albino mice by feeding the animals with serial doses of the extract between 1.0 to 20.0 g/kg body weight orally. Acute toxicity study in rats administered with 5000 mg/kg extract, the toxicity in the animals was carried out by assessing the effects on body weight, relative organ weight, biochemical parameters and histopathological study for heart, lung, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach and sex organs for both male and female, following oral administration of methanol extract. the LD50 value of C. molmol methanol extract was calculated from the linear regression equation and equaled to 15.504 g/kg. Serum biochemical findings show no significant differences in comparison to control. No significant body weight or relative organ weight changes occurred throughout the study, histopathology of selected organs showed no remarkable pathology. Commiphora molmol methanol extract showed No signs of toxicity were observed during the acute toxicity study and the LD50 value indicates that the extract is to be safe [Jasim, G.A., Al-Zubaidy, A.A., Hussein, S.M., Sahib, H.B. and Ahmed, B.S. ( University of Mustansiriyah, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Baghdad, Iraq), International Journal

of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research,

2015, 33 (1), 109-114].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-93 Boswellia serrata oleo-

gum resin: A natural remedy for

retrogradation of liver fibrosis in rats

This study aimed to investigate the role of Boswellia serrata oleo-gum resin in ameliorating


52

liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) in rats. Serum liver enzymes bilirubin, plasma fibrinogen, serum hepatocyte growth factor levels, hepatic reduced glutathione content were estimated. Also, hepatic NQO1 and BCL-2 gene expression levels were detected by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Moreover, histopathological investigation of liver tissue sections was carried out. TAA-challenged group showed significant elevation in the activity of serum liver enzymes, bilirubin and hepatocyte growth factor levels accompanied with significant reduction in plasma fibrinogen level and hepatic reduced glutathione content. Significant downregulation in hepatic NQO1 and BCL-2 gene expression levels were detected in TAA-challenged group relative to the negative control group. Histopathological investigation of liver tissue sections of rats in TAA-challenged group revealed many fibrotic features. Boswellia serrata -treated group showed significant depletion in serum liver enzymes activity, bilirubin and hepatocyte growth factor levels associated with significant elevation in plasma fibrinogen level and hepatic reduced glutathione content to near normal values. Moreover, this group showed dramatic upregulation in hepatic NQO1 and BCL-2 gene expression levels versus TAA-challenged group. Interestingly, treatment with Boswellia

serrata resulted in marked improvement in the histological feature of liver tissue. This study provides a clear evidence for the promising role of Boswellia serrata gum extract in the retrogradation of liver fibrosis in the experimental model. Thes effect afforded by Boswellia serrata was likely attributable to its hepatoprotective activity, antioxidant capacity and antiapoptotic potential [Ahmed, H.H.a, El-Alfy, N.Z.b, Mahmoud, M.F.b, and Yahya, S.M.M.b (Hormones Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt), Der Pharmacia

Lettre, 2015, 7(1), 134-144].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-94 Metabolic profiling of

Commiphora wightii (guggul) reveals a

potential source for pharmaceuticals and

nutraceuticals

Guggul gum resin from Commiphora

wightii (syn. Commiphora mukul) has been used for centuries in Ayurveda to treat a variety of ailments. The NMR and GC-MS based non-targeted metabolite profiling identified 118 chemically diverse metabolites including amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, phenolic acids, pregnane-derivatives, steroids, sterols, sugars, sugar alcohol, terpenoids, and tocopherol from aqueous and non-aqueous extracts of leaves, stem, roots, latex and fruits of C. wightii. Out of 118, 51 structurally diverse aqueous metabolites were characterized by NMR spectroscopy. For the first time quinic acid and myo-inositol were identified as the major metabolites in C. wightii. Very high concentration of quinic acid was found in fruits (553.5 ± 39.38 mg g-1 dry wt.) and leaves (212.9 ± 10.37 mg g-1 dry wt.). Similarly, high concentration of myo-inositol (168.8 ± 13.84 mg g-1 dry wt.) was observed from fruits. The other metabolites of cosmeceutical, medicinal, nutraceutical and industrial significance such as α-tocopherol, n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), trans-farnesol, prostaglandin F2, protocatechuic, gallic and cinnamic acids were identified from non-aqueous extracts using GC-MS. These important metabolites have thus far not been reported from this plant. Isolation of a fungal endophyte, (Nigrospora sps.) from this plant is the first report. The fungal endophyte produced a substantial quantity of bostrycin and deoxybostrycin known for their antitumor properties. Very high concentrations of quinic acid and myo-inositol in leaves and fruits; a substantial quantity of α-tocopherol and NMP in leaves, trans-farnesol in fruits, bostrycin and deoxybostrycin from its endophyte makes the taxa distinct, since these metabolites with medicinal properties find immense applications as dietary supplements and nutraceuticals [Bhatia, A.*, Bharti, S.K., Tripathi, T., Mishra, A., Sidhu, O.P., Roy, R. and Nautiyal, C.S. (CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg,

RUBBER/GUM/RESIN

53

Lucknow, UP, India), Phytochemistry, 2015, 110, 29-36].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-95 Health-Promoting

effects of pistacia resins: recent advances,

challenges, and potential applications in the

food industry

Pistacia resins are a complex mixture comprising of different bioactive compounds, with the presence of triterpenes and essential oils being characteristic for these resins. Since ancient times, Pistacia resins have been used in traditional medicine of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries as herbal remedies. There is accumulating evidence that suggests

that Pistacia resins may contribute to the reduction of many chronic diseases, such as gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and some forms of cancer, while in parallel promoting oral health and other physiological functions such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. This review aims at presenting and critically reviewing the health effects from the consumption of Pistacia resins whilst revealing future challenges and potential applications in the food industry [Hadjimbei, E., Botsaris, G., Goulas, V. , and Gekas, V. (Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus), Food Reviews International , 2015, 31(1), 1-12].


54

SPICES/CONDIMENTS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-96 Cancer

chemoprevention effects of ginger and its

active constituents: potential for new drug

discovery

Ginger is a commonly used spice and herbal medicine worldwide. Besides its extensive use as a condiment, ginger has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for the management of various medical conditions. In recent years, ginger has received wide attention due to its observed antiemetic and anticancer activities. This paper reviews the potential role of ginger and its active constituents in cancer chemoprevention. The phytochemistry, bioactivity, and molecular targets of ginger constituents, especially 6-shogaol, are discussed. The content of 6-shogaol is very low in fresh ginger, but significantly higher after steaming. With reported anti-cancer activities, 6-shogaol can be served as a lead compound for new drug discovery. The lead compound derivative synthesis, bioactivity evaluation, and computational docking provide a promising opportunity to identify novel anticancer compounds originating from ginger [Wang, C.-Z.*, Qi, L.-W. and Yuan, C.-S. (Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Pritzker School of Medicine, United States), American Journal of

Chinese Medicine, 2015, 43 (7), 1351-1363].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-97 Evaluation of coriander

spice as a functional food by using in vitro

bioassays

Coriander leaves and seeds are widely used as a condiment and spice. The use of roasted coriander seeds in food and beverage is very common. In this study, we investigated raw and roasted coriander seeds for their functional food quality using antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and human tumour cell proliferation inhibitory assays. The hexane and methanolic extracts of raw and roasted coriander seeds showed identical

chromatographic and bioassay profiles. Chromatographic purification of the roasted seed extracts afforded tripetroselinin as the predominant component. Other isolates were petroselinic acid, 1,3-dipetroselinin, 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol, 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and linalool. Hexane and methanolic extracts of both raw and roasted seeds and pure isolates from them showed comparable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities to the positive controls used in the assays, and inhibited the growth of human tumour cells AGS (gastric carcinoma), DU-145 and LNCaP (prostate carcinoma), HCT-116 (colon carcinoma), MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) and NCI-H460 (lung carcinoma) by 4-34%, respectively [Zhang, C.-R.*, Dissanayake, A.A., Kevseroǧlu, K. and Nair, M.G. (Bioactive Natural Products and Phytoceuticals Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824 MI, United States), Food

Chemistry, 2015, 167, 24-29]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-98 Influence of modified

atmosphere packaging on shelf-life of green

chillies (Capsicum annuum L.)

The effect of passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on postharvest shelf-life of green chillies was studied. Different types of polymeric packaging films such as microporous, low density polyethylene (PE-LD), polyolefin and anti-fog films were used for MAP of green chillies. The respiration rate of the chillies varied significantly (p<0.05) among the control and modified atmosphere packed samples during storage at 8±1°C (RH 85-95%). The anti-fog film packed chillies showed low respiration rates (19 mg CO2kg/h) by delaying the progress in senescence. The physico-chemical characteristics of modified atmosphere packed and control chillies also showed significant (p<0.05) changes in terms of physiological loss in weight, firmness, skin colour and ascorbic acid content. An increase in total phenolic content was observed in chillies, whereas a decrease in total antioxidant activity and capsaicin content was

SPICES/CONDIMENTS

55

observed with progress in senescence during storage at 8±1°C. The anti-fog film packed samples maintained pigment stability for a longer duration as compared to samples packed in other films. A shelf-life of 16, 18, 22 and 28 days was observed in chillies packed in microporous, PE-LD, polyolefin and anti-fog films, respectively, as compared to 15 days in the case of control samples. Anti-fog (RD45) film was effective to maintain postharvest quality of green chillies during low temperature storage (8±1°C, RH 85-95%) [Chitravathi, K., Chauhan, O.P. and Raju, P.S. (Defence Food Research Laboratory, Siddarthanagar, Mysore, India), Food Packaging

and Shelf Life, 2015, 4, 1-9]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-99 Moisture content and its

impact on aflatoxin levels in ready-to-use red

chillies

Moisture content (MC) and aflatoxin contamination were analysed to determine Red Chilli quality. A wide range (9.1–19.8%) of MC

with a mean value of 11.4 ± 2.4% was found. Of 116 chilli samples, about 37% had low MC (<10%), 29.4% had medium-low MC (10–12%), 18.9% had medium-high MC (12 < MC < 14%) and 14.7% were above 14%. These four chilli groups had average aflatoxin levels of 2.1 ± 1.1, 5.3 ± 4.2, 8.9 ± 5.9 and 37 ± 20 µg/Kg, respectively. A direct relationship between moisture and aflatoxin content was found. The data best fitted a polynomial trend (R2 = 0.89). The obtained equation could be utilised to assess aflatoxin levels based on MC. This study highlights the importance of using properly dried chillies with low MC, that is, ≤10%, to minimise health hazards associated with aflatoxin contamination [Sahar, N., Arif, S., Iqbal, S., Afzal, Q.U.A., Aman, S., Ara, J. and Ahmed, M. ( Food Quality and Safety Research Institute, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, University Block, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan), Food Additives and

Contaminants: Part B Surveillance, 2015, 8(1), 67-72].


56

SUGAR

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-100 Prediction of

adulteration in honey using rheological

parameters

Honey is a sweet substance that can be adulterated easily with inexpensive sweeteners by making syrup. Water being the second major constituent of honey, makes its flow behavior one of the important parameter for quality determination. In the present study, the rheological characteristics of honey samples adulterated with different concentrations of jaggery syrup were studied using rotational rheometer with parallel plate geometry. The viscosity of honey and adulterated honey samples was determined by varying temperature and percentage of jaggery concentration. All the adulterated honey samples behaved as non-Newtonian fluid. The viscosity increased linearly with increase in concentration of adulteration and varied from 2.48-4.80 Pa s as adulteration increased from 5 to 30%. Oscillatory tests were performed to find the possible effect of storage time on different honey samples. It was found that adulteration decreased the shelf life of honey, thus rheology can be considered one of the important parameters to determine adulteration of honey [Kamboj, U. and Mishra, S. ( Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, (AcSIR), CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh, India) , International Journal of Food

Properties, 2015, 18 ( 9), 2056-2063].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-101 Coconut inflorescence

sap and its value addition as sugar-Collection

techniques, yield, properties and market

perspective

Fresh coconut sap (neera), if kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, undergoes fermentation. Fresh sap is golden in colour, with pH > 7 and has no foul odour. The traditional way of tapping, i.e. collecting the sap in a mud pot kept at the top of the palm under atmospheric temperature for 8-12 h, ferments the sap before

collection itself. The colour turns whitish, pH drops to below 6 and odour of toddy (fermented smell) slowly develops. Hence the only way to avoid fermentation of sap is either keeping collection boxes at low temperature or to collect the sap every hour and store chilled. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute has developed 'coco-sap chiller' with ice cubes inside, which maintains the temperature at 2-3°C for 10-12 h, and also keeps the sap fresh and unfermented. The sap collected is sweet, non-alcoholic and also free from contaminants like ants, insects, pollen, dust, etc. The fresh, hygienic and unfermented sap is called Kalparasa. It can be sold as a ready-to-serve health drink under refrigerated condition or can be processed into value-added natural products like sugar, jaggery, honey, syrup, etc. without the addition of chemicals [Hebbar, K.B. , Arivalagan, M., Manikantan, M.R., Mathew, A.C., Thamban, C., Thomas, G.V., Chowdappa, P. (CAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, India), Current Science, 2015, 109 (8), 1411-1417].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-102 Phytochemical profile

of sugarcane and its potential health aspects

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) is an important perennial grass of Poaceae family, indigenous to tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated worldwide due to the economical and medicinal value of its high yielding products. Sugarcane juice is well known as a raw material for the production of refined sugar and its wax is considered as a potential substitute for the expensive carnauba wax, which is of cosmetic and pharmaceutical interest. Refined sugar is the primary product of sugarcane juice, but during its processing, various other valuable products are also obtained in an unrefined form, such as, brown sugar, molasses, and jaggery. Sugarcane juice is widely used in India in the treatment of jaundice, hemorrhage, dysuria, anuria, and other urinary diseases.

SUGAR

57

Herein, we have summarized the different phytoconstituents and health benefits of sugarcane and its valuable products. The phytochemistry of sugarcane wax (obtained from the leaves and stalks of sugarcane), leaves, juice, and its products has revealed the presence of various fatty acid, alcohol, phytosterols, higher terpenoids, flavonoids, -O- and -C-glycosides, and phenolic acids. The future prospective of

some of the sugarcane products has been discussed, which needs a phytopharmacological study and has a great potential to be a valuable medicinal product [Singh, A.*, Lal, U. R., Mukhtar, H.M., Singh, P.S., Shah, G. and Dhawan, R.K. (Department of Pharmacognosy, Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab, India), Pharmacognosy Reviews, 2015, 9 (17), 45-54].


58

THERAPEUTICS

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-103 In vitro evaluation of

antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of

Syzygium densiflorum fruits

Powdered S. densiflorum dried fruits were subjected to successive extraction with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol using a Soxhlet extractor. Further, preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out with a series of tests. In

vitro free radical scavenging was evaluated using total antioxidant estimation, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, superoxide radical scavenging, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Antidiabetic activity was estimated using α-amylase inhibition assay. Preliminary phytochemical estimation confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, terpenoids, anthocyanin, phenols, carbohydrates, fixed oils, and fats in fruits of S. densiflorum. Ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts showed less free radical scavenging and α-amylase inhibition activity than ethanol extract. IC50 values of ethanol extracts for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxidation, and α-amylase inhibition assays were found to be 0.01, 0.16, 0.66, 0.46, and 0.46 mg/mL, respectively. In

vitro evaluations confirmed the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of S. densiflorum fruits. Ethanol extract of S. densiflorum fruits showed higher activity with statistical significance vs. ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts [Krishnasamy, G. and Muthusamy, K. (Department of Bioinformatics, Science Block, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India), Asian

Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease, 2015, 5 (11), 912-917].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-104 Neuroprotective effect

of Valeriana wallichii rhizome extract against

the neurotoxin MPTP in C57BL/6 mice

Oxidative stress and inflammation are some of the contributing factors for dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Though Valeriana wallichii DC. is known for its nervine activities its effect against PD is yet to be studied. This is the first report on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of V. wallichii rhizome extract (VWE) in MPTP induced PD mice. GC-MS analysis of VWE indicated the presence of phytoconstituents like isovaleric acid and acacetin. PD induced mice were treated orally with three different doses (50, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight (BW)) of VWE for 14 days and their behavioural changes were studied on days 0, 8, 13 and 21. The levels of striatal dopamine, mid brain tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH+) cell count, TH protein expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidants and inflammatory cytokines were analysed. Mid brain glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Also mid brain histopathological analysis was performed. VWE treatment significantly recuperated the altered behavioural test scores, striatal dopamine levels, mid brain TH+ cell count and TH protein levels, increased GFAP expression and the histopathological changes observed in PD mice. Similarly, diminished levels of antioxidants, elevated levels of ROS, LPO and inflammatory cytokines were also significantly ameliorated following VWE treatment. The effective dose of VWE was found to be 200mg/kg BW. Conclusively, V. wallichii rhizome extract has the potential to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in PD [Sridharan, S.*, Mohankumar, K., Jeepipalli, S.P.K., Sankaramourthy, D., Ronsard, L., Subramanian, K., Thamilarasan, M., Raja, K., Chandra, V.K. and Sadras, S.R. (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India), NeuroToxicology , 2015, 51, 172-183]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-105 Ficus religiosa L. bark

extracts inhibit human rhinovirus and

respiratory syncytial virus infection in vitro

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ficus

religiosa L. is one of the most relevant members

THERAPEUTICS

59

of the family of Moraceae. It is the most sacred tree of South Asia, and it is used in traditional Ayurvedic and Unani medicine to cure respiratory disorders like cough, wheezing and asthma. Some studies were performed to investigate the anti-asthmatic potential of F. religiosa bark, leaves and fruit extracts but none of them tested their antiviral activity against viruses responsible for the exacerbation of wheezing and asthma. The present study was undertaken to investigate the antiviral activity of F. religiosa L. extracts against respiratory viruses such as human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human rhinovirus (HRV). The antiviral activity of F. religiosa L. was tested in vitro by plaque reduction and virus yield assays and the major mechanism of action was investigated by virus inactivation and time-of-addition assays. F. religiosa L. methanol bark extract was the most active against HRV with an EC50 of 5.52 µg/mL. This extract likely inhibited late steps of replicative cycle. Water bark extract was the most active against RSV with an EC50 between 2.23 and 4.37 µg/mL. Partial virus inactivation and interference with virus attachment were both found to contribute to the anti-RSV activity. Replication of both viruses was inhibited in viral yield reduction assays. The results of the present study demonstrate that F. religiosa L. is endowed with antiviral activity against RSV and HRV in vitro. Further work remains to be done to identify the active components and to assess the therapeutic potential in vivo [Cagno, V., Civra, A., Kumar, R., Pradhan, S., Donalisio, M., Sinha, B.N., Ghosh, M. and Lembo, D. (Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano, Torino, Italy ), Journal of

Ethnopharmacology, 2015, 176, 252-257].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-106 Agro-ecological region

based variations in the antioxidant activity of

tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) fruit pulp

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) is a tropical seasonal bearing fruit species grown in relatively dry regions in the tropics. Its sweet and

aromatic fruit pulp contains polyphenols, influenced by regional and seasonal factors. Therefore, this research investigated the variability of antioxidant activity (AOA) and total phenolic content (TPC) of tamarind fruit grown in six different-ecologically dissimilar growing regions. Ethanolic extracts of tamarind fruit pulp were prepared for analysis. Total phenolic content of the tested tamarind samples ranged within 0.77-5.85 mg GAE g-1 fresh weight (FW). Tamarind fruits collected from agro-ecological zone, DL3 (dry and warm region) had the highest TPC, followed by the fruits from IL1 (moderately dry and warm region) (5.39±1.8 mg GAE g-1 [FW]). Antioxidant activity of fruit pulp from relatively drier (low rainfall) regions, IL1 (70.17±9.9 mmol g-1 [FW]) and DL3 (69.18±7.2 mmol g-1 [FW]) were much higher than the other regions. The lowest AOA was found in the fruit samples from DL4 (30.7±1.1 mmol g-1 [FW]) which is geographically distant to DL3 and IL1. Positive correlations could be established between AOA and TPC contents (r=0.92) of the tamarind fruit pulp. Hence the influence of agro-ecological region based environmental conditions on the AOA and its major contributors, polyphenols in tamarind fruit pulp could be established [Amararathna, D.I.M.*, Weerakkody, W.A.P., Madhujith, T., and Eeswara, J.P. (Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Belihuloya, Sri Lanka), Acta Horticulturae , 2015, 1106, 67-72]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-107 Efficacy and safety of

honey based formulation of Nigella sativa seed

oil in functional dyspepsia: A double blind

randomized controlled clinical trial

A honey based formulation from Nigella

sativa L. (N. sativa) has been used in Traditional Persian Medicine for upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Considering the traditional use of this formulation and its ingredients known pharmacologic effects, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of N. sativa seed oil mixed with honey in treatment of patients


60

with functional dyspepsia. Seventy patients diagnosed with functional dyspepsia according to Rome III criteria and confirmed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were selected to receive a traditional honey based formulation of N. sativa (5 ml N. sativa oil orally daily) or placebo for 8 weeks in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial using a parallel design with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Patients were evaluated prior to and following 8 weeks of the intervention in terms of the Hong Kong index of dyspepsia severity, presence of Helicobacter pylori infection based on urease test, scores in different domains of short form (SF-36) health survey, and any observed adverse events. The mean scores of Hong Kong index of dyspepsia severity sores and the rate of H. pylori

infection were significantly lower in the N. sativa group comparing the placebo group after the intervention (P<0.001). No serious adverse event was reported. This study showed that adjuvant supplementation of honey based formulation of N. sativa can cause significant symptomatic improvement of patients with functional dyspepsia whom received the standard anti-secretory therapy. The results should be investigated further in studies with longer duration and larger sample size [Mohtashami, R*, Fallah Huseini, H., Heydari, M., Amini, M., Sadeqhi, Z., Ghaznavi, H. and Mehrzadi, S. (Medicine Quran and Hadith Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran), Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2015, 175, 147-152].

VEGETABLES

61

VEGETABLES

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-108 Unexpected decrease in

yield and antioxidants in vegetable at very

high CO2 levels

Global warming is partly due to the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration. In the last two decades, many investigations have studied the effect of high CO2 levels on crops. However, nearly all studies have examined the effects of CO2 enrichment up to about 1200 µmol mol−1. In general, more CO2 is beneficial to plant growth because plants feed on CO2. Here we tested the effect of CO2 levels from 400 to 5000 µmol mol−1 on the yield and antioxidant capacity of Chinese cabbage, Brassica chinensis, and lettuce, Lactuca sativa. Total antioxidant capacity was measured using the ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential assay and the diphenyl-picryl-hydrazylhydrate free radical detection. These results show that, as expected, CO2 concentrations of 1000–3000 µmol mol−1 enhance the yields and contents of polyphenols, flavonoids and vitamin C in both vegetables. However, surprisingly, further increase up to 5000 µmol mol−1 CO2 decreased yields and contents of polyphenols, flavonoids and vitamin C. The findings thus show that very high atmospheric CO2 levels are impeding the growth of tested plants. They also suggest that agricultural food and production could be depleted at high atmospheric CO2 levels [Fu, Y.*, Shao, L., Liu, H., Li, H., Zhao, Z., Ye, P., Chen, P., and Liu, H. (Institution of Environmental Biology and Life Support Technology, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, China), Environmental Chemistry

Letters, 2015, 13(4), 473-479].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-109 Effect of refrigerated

storage on the bioactive compounds and

microbial quality of Brassica oleracea sprouts

Brassica sprouts are a healthy and convenient food product. Due to a great number of

species and varieties, the knowledge about the bioactive composition and stability of the quality during storage of different Brassica oleracea sprouts is still scarce. In this work, the glucosinolate and phenolic profile of four varieties of B. oleracea sprouts (red cabbage, broccoli, Galega kale and Penca cabbage) grown under different light conditions was monitored during 12 days of storage (at 4 °C). Their microbial quality was assessed by monitoring the microbial load of mesophilic bacteria, total coliforms, yeasts and molds and presence of Salmonella. The presence of biogenic amines was also monitored to guaranty the safety of this product. As expected, the content of bioactive compounds suffered significant (p<0.05) changes during storage, especially after 7 days of storage. The two Portuguese varieties (Galega kale and Penca cabbage) had a high content of aliphatic glucosinolates (as glucoraphanin and sinigrin), having the sprouts grown under darkness a more stable content of these compounds. The phenolic profile was characterized by a prevalence of hydroxycinnamic acids derivatives, and in sprouts grown without light in particular. Sprouts did not show any contamination by Salmonella and were considered as microbiologically safe during the studied period [Vale, A.P.*, Santos, J., Brito, N.V., Marinho, C., Amorim, V., Rosa, E., Oliveira, M.B.P.P. (REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal), Postharvest Biology

and Technology, 2015, 109, 120-129]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-110 Effect of medicinal

plants on free radical scavenging: Herb-herb

interactions

This study was done to investigate the interaction effect of the mixture of each pair of traditional medicinal plants including: Sage (Salvia officinalis), Hawthorn (Crataegus

oxyacantha), Walnut Leaf (Juglans regia L.), Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), and Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis) on the


62

antioxidant activities and free radical scavenging by using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay at different temperatures. Results showed that free radical scavenging in the presence of Walnut Leaf mixed with four other plants and Hawthorn mixed with Sage and Red Cabbage increased with increasing temperature while, in the presence of other mixtures decreased with increasing temperature [Momen Heravi, M., Daneshmehr, S. and Morsali, A. (Department of Chemistry, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran), Oriental Journal of

Chemistry, 2015, 31(1), 557-559]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-111 Effect of irradiation on

vitamin C and nitrite of fresh-cut vegetables

The effects of irradiation technology on vitamin C and nitrate of fresh-cut vegetables are studied. The results showed that the effect of γ-irradiation on vitamin C of balsam pear and cherry tomatoes was not obvious. Irradiation with the dose of 2.32 kGy maked vitamin C content of round lettuce, color peppers and purple cabbage decrease by 45%, 34% and 45%, irradiation could significantly slow the vitamin C content reduce down during storage. The effect of γ-irradiation on nitrate of cucumber and summer radish was not obvious. Irradiation with the dose of 2.32 kGy maked nitrate content of balsam pear and color peppers increase from 0.77 mg/kg and 0.12 mg/kg to 1.03 mg/kg and 0.35 mg/kg. Irradiation had no significant effect on nitrite of fresh-cut vegetables during storage [Li, S. *, Gao, M., Liu, C., Mou, H., Zhao, X. and Shen, Y. (Institute of Agro-Food Science & Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China), Journal of Chinese Institute of

Food Science and Technology, 2015, 15 (9), 224-230].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-112 Characterization of the

growth and fruit quality of tomato grafted on

a woody medicinal plant, Lycium chinense

Grafting has been widely used in vegetables, particularly in the plants of

Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae families because of its many significant advantages. Substantial studies have revealed that grafting can affect the yield and fruit quality of tomato through the vigorous rootstocks as reported previously. The selection of rootstocks plays an important role in improving the fruit yield and quality of scions. Lycium species (popularly known as goji or goji berry), also belonging to the Solanaceae family, is widely used as the functional fruits and vegetables, as well as traditional Chinese herbs. Goji plants also exhibit the excellent salt-tolerant ability. The intergeneric grafting across different genera, importantly with tomato and plant from different genus is little described. In this study, two commercial cultivars of tomato, Zhongshu 5 (ZS5) and TA209 as scions were grafted on goji plants (L. chinense Mill.), and the growth and fruit quality of tomato were investigated. The ungrafted self-rooted tomato plants were used as the control plants. The results showed that the growth of the grafted tomato plants was slightly depressed by grafting at the early development, but was restored like the self-rooted plants during the late development, and the net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content were higher in the grafted plants' leaves at the fruit ripening stage. The size, shape, fresh weight and pigmentation pattern of tomato fruits were remarkably affected by grafting. Grafting produced smaller tomato fruit with lower fresh weight. An interesting observation was noticed that the pigmentation pattern of tomato fruits was close to that of goji berry. Some traits associated with fruit quality were improved by grafting approach, including total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ratio of TSS/TA and vitamin C (Vc). The natural amino acids and nine mineral elements in tomato fruits were also affected by grafting. It was suggested that the increase of fruit quality may be attributed to the reduction of fruit water content and the effect of rootstock. This is the first report on intergeneric grafting between tomato and goji plants. The grafting procedure had a remarkable influence on the growth and fruit quality of tomato plants. With the perspective of high salt-tolerance of goji rootstocks, it is well worthy to

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63

study the performance of grafted tomato under saline condition in future [Huang, W.*, Liao, S., Lv, H., Khaldun, A.B.M. and Wang, Y. (Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China), Scientia Horticulturae, 2015, 197, 447-453].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-113 Biofortification of

vegetables for the developed world

Biofortification can be defined as increasing the concentration of plant-derived nutrients in the edible organ during growth and development, over and above that which would be considered a 'normal' or 'standard' concentration. There has been considerable effort to biofortify staple crops to address micronutrient deficiencies ('hidden hunger') in developing countries, but less effort has been focussed on biofortifying fruit and vegetables with phytonutrients to improve first world nutrition. Part of this could be related to the availability of pharmaceutical supplements

containing plant-derived nutrients, which have had less regulatory restriction than the introduction of novel food products. There appears to be a growing trend however, away from a 'pill-popping' society towards preferences for more natural sources of nutrition and nutritious food. Increasing the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables through biofortification, or increasing their nutrient density, is an attractive means of increasing nutrition without necessarily increasing intake. First-world diseases or disorders are commonly different to those in developed countries, with more emphasis on age-related diseases (e.g., macular degeneration, prostate cancer) or over-consumption (obesity). Biofortification of fruits and vegetables with phytonutrients to address these diseases is underway, and currently includes examples such as phytonutrient-enhanced sweet-corn, tomatoes, and broccoli [O'Hare, T.J. (Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, QAAFI, 39 Kessels Rd., Coopers Plains, Australia), Acta Horticulturae, 2015, 1106, 1-8].


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WOOD NPARR, 7(1), 2016-114 Effects of moisture on

drying rate of micro-explosion-pretreated fast-

growing poplar Wood

A new technique, micro-explosion, was

applied to pretreat the fast-growing poplar wood and assist the drying process. After experimental samples, with the moisture content of 90, 70, 50, 40 and 30 %, had been pretreated five times with a pressure of 1.0 MPa, the experimental and control samples were oven-dried at 103 ± 2°C. Results showed that the average drying rate of samples pretreated by micro-explosion was greater than that of the untreated samples. The improvement of the drying rate of the test group could be attributed to the fractures on the pit membranes, which indicated an increase in the permeability of the pretreated wood. The effective water diffusion coefficient in wood below the fiber saturation point of the test group was greater than that of the control group, especially with the moisture content of 30, 40 and 50 %. Micro-explosion could be applied in the wood drying industry as an effective method for improving drying rate [Qing Ma, Zijian Zhao, Tianlong Wang, Songlin Yi (Beijing Forestry University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing, China), Wood

Research, 2015, 60 (6), 899-906]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-115 Effect of the heat

treatment on the adhesion strength of water

based wood varnishes

Effects of heat treatment on the adhesion strength of water based wood varnish were studied using four tree species woods [Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold subsp. nigravar. Caramenica (Loudon) Rehder), Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.), Sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) and Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.)] and two components water based varnish (one-component semi-matte and two-component glossy water-based varnish). Those tree species’ woods were selected randomly from timber merchants as test materials because of their wide use in industry.

Under atmospheric pressure, the wood samples were subjected to three different temperatures (130, 180 and 230°C) at two different time intervals (2 and 8 h). After that, the wood samples were coated with two components water-based varnish. Adhesion strength of varnish film was then measured with a pull-off test according to the ASTM-D 4541 (1995). The coatings presented the highest adhesion strength (3.33 MPa) on oak wood, followed of the adhesion strength on chestnut (2.1 MPa) and on pine species (black pine 1.78 and Calabrian pine 1.65 MPa) Sessile oak wood showed the highest adhesion strength (3.33) followed by Sweet chestnut (2.19) and pine species (Anatolian black pine 1.78 and Calabrian pine 1.65 MPa). The adhesion strength of all wood types decreased increasing temperature and time [Haci Ismail Kesik and Mehmet Hakan Akyildiz (Kastamonu University, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Industrial Engineering, K a s ta m o n u, Tu r k e y), Wood Research, 2015, 60 (6), 987-994]

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-116 Sensitivity of bamboo

fiber longitudinal tensile properties to

moisture content variation under the fiber

saturation point

The mechanical response of bamboo fibers to variation in moisture content (MC) has a direct influence on the performance of bamboo fiber-based products, both during their processing and final practical applications. However, due to the experimental difficulties involved in testing, this fundamental process remains poorly understood. In this paper, longitudinal tensile modulus (TE), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation at break (EB) for four different MC levels, ranging from approximately 4.97 to 26.2 %, were determined for single bamboo fibers aged 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 years old, respectively. For each MC level, the results show that both TE and UTS of bamboo fibers vary little with age. A general linear reduction is observed for both TE and UTS when MC increases, while EB shows a slight increase. Furthermore, TE is found to be most sensitive to MC change, followed by UTS and then EB. A

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close examination revealed that 2.5-year-old bamboo fibers are more sensitive to MC change than younger specimens, which may partly be related to their relatively higher microfibrillar angel (MFA). A direct TE–MC plot comparison between bamboo fibers and solid bamboo not only demonstrates the decisive role of the fiber component in the overall mechanical response to MC of bamboo, but also reveals that the TE of the former is less sensitive to varying MC levels than the latter [Hankun Wang, , Genlin Tian, , Wanju Li, Dan Ren, Xuexia Zhang and Yan Yu * (SFA and Beijing Co-built Key Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan Science and Technology, State Forestry Administration, Beijing, 100102, People’s Republic of China), Journal of Wood

Science, 2015, 61(3), 262-269].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-117 Efficacy of shellac-

based varnishes for protection of wood against

termite, borer and fungal attack

The termites, wood decay fungi and insect/marine borers cause immense damage to wood and wood products. Shellac, produced by lac insects, is used in various applications including formulation of varnishes. Shellac based varnishes were tested for their efficacy in protecting wood in terrestrial and marine conditions. Tests were carried out as per BIS Standards using specimens of rubber wood (Hevea

brasiliensis). After pre-processing, they were treated with four different types of shellac-based varnishes (V1–V4) adopting three types of treatments. Out of three treatment methods, pressure impregnation was found to be most effective. Out of the four varnishes, stakes treated with V4 was 100 % termite-resistant up to 6 months. With respect to the effectiveness in protection against insect borers, all the four shellac based varnishes were better than control. As regards to marine borer attack in 9 months, while control panels suffered an average internal destruction of 48 ± 39 %, destruction was

37 ± 21 % in V2 panels, 18 ± 11 % in V4 panels, 5 ± 5 % in V3 panels and 2 ± 1 % in V1 panels. Regarding anti-fungal efficacy, V1 showed moderate resistance to wood decay fungi. The results of the study indicate the prospects of utilization of shellac based varnishes for wood protection in terrestrial and marine conditions

[O. K. Remadevi, M. Z. Siddiqui, H. C. Nagaveni, M. V. Rao, K. S. Shiny and R. Ramani (Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore), Journal of the Indian Academy of Wood Science,

2015, 12 (1), 9-14]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-118 Effect of microwave

treatment on air permeability and

preservative impregnation of Eucalyptus

tereticornis wood

Low permeability of many wood species causes problems during timber drying as well as impregnating with preservatives and resins. In the present study, microwave treatment of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. wood which is difficult to treat, was done at 2.45 GHz frequency at different levels of intensity and radiation time. The gas permeability of E. tereticornis wood was measured in an in-house built apparatus. Preservative uptake/retention was tested using Acid Copper Chrome preservative by dipping method. The effect of radiation intensity and time was studied with respect to air permeability and preservative uptake. The results revealed remarkable increase in longitudinal wood air permeability and preservative uptake with the increase of intensity and time of treatment. The results indicate that this technology could be tested and applied on pilot scale for application in wood preservation industry [Pawan Kumar Poonia*, Sadhna Tripathi, Kapil Sihag and Shailendra Kumar (Wood Preservative Discipline, Forest Products Division, FRI, Dehra Dun), Journal of the Indian Academy of Wood

Science, 2015, 12 (2), 89-93].


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OTHERS (incl. Cultivation, Distribution, New

species, Postharvest Technologies, Packaging

Technology, New technologies/Know How

Developed, Book reviews, Forthcoming events)

CULTIVATION

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-119 Does greenhouse

covering material affect fruit quality of

hydroponic tomatoes?

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of covering material on fruit quality of cluster tomatoes grown under commercial conditions in high technology greenhouses (HTG) heated by geothermal energy in Turkey. Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum 'Climberley') were grown between August 2012 and July 2013 in perlite under polyethylene (PE) and glass covered greenhouses belonging to a commercial company in Bergama. Fruit samples were taken monthly from December up to July. Cluster weight and fruit number per cluster, average fruit weight, fruit colour, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, Vitamin C content, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were determined; sensory evaluations were also performed. Fruit quality of cluster tomatoes grown in HTG varied during the season. Effect of covering material on fruit quality was not significant for whole season. Cluster weight was not influenced by covering material. Since plants had the same number of clusters in both greenhouses, yield difference was not expected between PE and glass covers. Therefore, PE film seems more appropriate for HTG in Mediterranean climate since it requires lower investment cost [Gul, A.*, Sen, F. and Bonakdarzedeh, M. ( Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, Bornova-Izmir, Turkey), Acta Horticulturae, 2015, 1107, 237-243].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-120 Effects of water and

fertilizer coupling on yield, fruit quality and

water and fertilizer use efficiency of young

apple tree

In order to explore the accurate management mode of water and fertilizer supplies for young apple tree in semi-arid area field, the bucket cultivation experiment, including four levels of irrigation as 75%~85% (W1), 65%~75% (W2), 55%~65% (W3) and 45%~55% (W4) of field capacity, and three levels of fertilization (N-P2O5-K2O) as 30-30-10 g/plant (F1), 20-20-10 g/plant (F2) and 10-10-10 g/plant (F3), was conducted to study the effects of water and fertilizer coupling on yield, fruit quality and water and fertilizer use efficiency of three-year old young apple tree. The results showed that controlled water and fertilizer can effectively regulate the plant and leaf area growth during bud flowering to new growth period; the highest and lowest yields were obtained by F1W1 and F3W4 treatments, respectively (compared with F3W4, yield of F1W1 was increased by 139.1%), and the determination coefficient between yield and dry mass was 0.908 5. Increasing irrigation depth could improve apple color index but it would reduce the shape index, deficit irrigation and increased fertilizer application rates both could improve apple firmness. Increased fertilizer application rates could improve the vitamin C content of apple under mild deficit irrigation treatment (F2); irrigation depth had no significant effect on soluble solids content and soluble sugar content, but increased fertilizer application rates could improve both of them; increased irrigation depth could reduce titratable acid and improve the sugar acid ratio, but fertilization rate had no significant effect on them. High irrigation depth and low fertilization rate could get high partial factor productivity (PFP), but the maximum water use efficiency (WUE) could not be got by F1W1 treatment. The maximum WUE was appeared in F2W2 treatment with yield decreased by 7.5%, water consumption decreased by 16.7% and WUE increased by 11.2% compared with F1W1 treatment. Thus, F2W2 treatment was the best water and fertilizer application combination for the young apple tree and it reached the best water and fertilizer coupling mode [Zhou, H.*, Zhang, F., Kjelgren, R., Wu, L., Fan, J. and Xiang, Y. (College of Agricultural Engineering,

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Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China), Nongye Jixie Xuebao/Transactions of the Chinese Society for

Agricultural Machinery, 2015, 46 (12), 173-183]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-121 Amelioration of

mineral nutrition, productivity, antioxidant

activity and aroma profile in marigold

(Tagetes minuta L.) with organic and chemical

fertilization

The marigold (Tagetes minuta) oil finds an extensive use in food, flavoring, pharmaceutical, and perfumery industry. Increasing crop productivity and oil yield of the marigold by combining organic and chemical fertilizers is a commercially viable possibility. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on productivity of marigold and soil fertility during 2012-2014. The treatment comprises FYM (Farmyard manure 20tha-1), VC (vermicompost 10tha-1), PM (poultry manure 5tha-1), CF (chemical fertilization 100:60:60kg N:P2O5:K2Oha-1), FYM+CF (FYM 10tha-

1+50:30:30kg N:P2O5:K2Oha-1), VC+CF (VC 5tha-1+50:30:30kg N:P2O5:K2Oha-1), PM+CF (PM 2.5tha-1+50:30:30kg N:P2O5:K2Oha-1) and unfertilized control. Application of PM+CF resulted in significantly superior growth attributes and oil yield in marigold than other treatments. Chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b contents increased by 45 and 35%, respectively, in PM+CF treatment as compared to the control. The nitrogen fertilization and organic amendments linearly correlated with biomass and oil yield with coefficient values of R2=0.882 and 0.887, respectively. Aroma compounds of Tagetes oil represented by dihydrotagetone, (Z)-β-ocimene, (E)-ocimenone, limonene and (Z)-tagetone were unaltered and remained within the commercially acceptable range in all the treatments. N uptake was highest in CF (28%) followed by PM+CF (22%) treatment. Antioxidant activity (DPPH) was higher than the control by 14% in FYM+CF and PM+CF treatments. Similarly, Mg content was highest in PM+CF and FYM+CF, around 32% higher over

the control. Soil fertility parameters viz., organic C, N, P and K showed marked improvement in all the treatments over the unfertilized soil [Pandey, V. , Patel, A. and Patra, D. D. (Agronomy and Soil Science Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India), Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 76, 378-385]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-122 Agro morphological,

chemical and genetic variability studies for

yield assessment in clary sage (Salvia sclarea

L.)

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) is an

industrial crop grown for its high value essential oil, widely used in perfumery and cosmetic industries. In the present work, agromorphological characteristics, essential oil content and composition and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were studied to estimate the relationships among 11 clary sage accessions, with a known variety CIM-Chandni grown in northern Indian plains. The clary sage accessions were distinguished on the basis of agro-morphological traits and essential oil constituents. As a consequence, these were grouped into dwarf, medium and tall; early and late maturing; low, medium and high yielding. Maximum genotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for spike weight plant-1 followed by spike length and plant height. In general, the genotypic correlation was higher than phenotypic. Significant positive genotypic correlation was recorded for plant height with spike length, days to flowering with days to maturity and spike weight plant-1, spike length with oil content. A high direct positive effect on oil content was because of spike length. The variety CIM-Chandni showed genetic similarity with all its progenies except SS1. Accession SS1 selected as a distinct and best performing genotype based on agro-morphic, quantitative, qualitative traits and RAPD profiling [Yaseen, M.*, Kumar, B., Ram, D., Singh, M., Anand, S., Yadav, H.K., Samad, A. (Agronomy and Soil


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Science Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India),

Industrial Crops and Products, 2015, 77, 640-647].

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POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY NPARR, 7(1), 2016-123 Methyl salicylate

treatments of sweet cherry trees increase

antioxidant systems in fruit at harvest and

during storage

Sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) were treated with methyl salicylate (MeSa) at 1 mM at 3 key events on fruit development on-tree to analyze the effect of MeSa on bioactive compounds, total antioxidant activity (TAA) and antioxidant enzymes at harvest and during 28 days storage. The experiments were performed during two consecutive years, by using two sweet cherry cultivars, ‘Sweet Heart’ and ‘Sweet Late’ in 2013 and another more cultivar, ‘Lapins’, in 2014. Both total phenolics and anthocyanins content were significantly higher in MeSa-treated than in control fruit at harvest and during storage, leading to fruit with higher hydrophilic TAA (H-TAA). The activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased along storage for all cultivars and experimental years, although those fruit treated with MeSa exhibited higher activities of these antioxidant enzymes than controls. Thus, MeSa treatment of cherry trees could increase health-promoting properties of cherry fruit consumption, due to its effect on increasing antioxidant and bioactive compounds, with additional effect on delaying the fruit postharvest senescence process by increasing the activity of the enzymes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging [Juan Miguel Valverde, M. José Giménez, Fabián Guillén, Daniel Valero, Domingo Martínez-Romero and María Serrano* (Department Applied Biology, University Miguel Hernández, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain), Postharvest Biology and Technology,

2015, 109, 106–113].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-124 The use of

polysaccharide-based edible coatings enriched

with essential oils to improve shelf-life of

strawberries

Edible coating formulations have been developed to increase shelf-life of some horticultural products. The objective of this research was to study the effect of edible coatings based on sodium alginate (AL) and pectin (PE) enriched with essential oils constituents (citral and eugenol) on the shelf-life extension of strawberries. AL and PE were tested at 1 and 2% (w/v) and were enriched with eugenol (Eug) at 0.1 and 0.2% and citral (Cit) at 0.15 and 0.3%. Strawberries were dipped in those solutions for 2 min, then stored at 0.5 °C. Measurements of color CIE (L*, a*, b*, h°, C*), firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), weight loss, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), microbial growth and taste panels were accomplished at 0, 7 and 14 d storage. With those quality characteristics, hierarchical cluster analysis formed 3 groups either for AL or PE based edible coatings. Taking into account the mean closest values to the one at harvest for color, higher value for firmness, SSC and antioxidant activity, and lower value for weight loss and microbial spoilage, the best group was selected. From the selected groups, the 2 edible coating formulations which had higher score on taste panels were considered the best for preserving quality through shelf-life of strawberries. Those edible coatings were for AL the AL 2% + Eug 0.1%; AL 2% + Cit 0.15% + Eug 0.1% and for PE the PE 2% + Eug 0.1%; PE 2% + Cit 0.15% [Adriana C. Guerreiro, Custódia M.L. Gago, Maria L. Faleiro, Maria G.C. Miguel and Maria D.C. Antunes* (Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, MeditBio, Edf. 8, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal), Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2015, 110, 51–60].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-125 A short-term carbon

dioxide treatment inhibits the browning of

fresh-cut burdock

Fresh-cut burdock is susceptible to browning. The effect of short-term carbon dioxide (CO2) treatment on inhibiting browning


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of fresh-cut burdock during storage at 2–4 °C was investigated. The results showed that the burdock slices treated with CO2 for 4 h, 6 h and 8 h exhibited better visual quality during 8 d storage, compared with the ones treated with air. CO2 treatment for 6 h on the fresh-cut burdock slices reduced the respiration rate, lowered the activity of PPO and PAL, and the content of total phenolic compounds. On the other hand, CO2 treatment increased the content of H2O2, enhanced the activity of CAT, POD, and SOD, maintained DPPH inhibition rate and decreased the content of MDA. The results indicate that the short-term pure CO2 treatment can extend the shelf life of fresh-cut burdock by inhibiting its browning and improving its quality [Tiantian Dong, Jingying Shi, Cai-Zhong Jiang, Yanyan Feng, Yu Cao and Qingguo Wang* (College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China), Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2015, 110, 96–102]. NPARR, 7(1), 2016-126 Identification and

characterization of serotonin as an anti-

browning compound of apple and pear

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is an indoleamine with important physiological functions in plants, including developmental processes and stress responses. In this study, a simple and rapid bioassay was developed to investigate the inhibition of the fruit browning enzyme, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) via serotonin, employing cut apple discs as well as apple tissue homogenate treated with serotonin. The present study demonstrated that serotonin is significantly effective in inhibiting browning compared to ascorbic acid. Serotonin reduced fruit browning in tissues as well as suppressed the activity of PPO enzyme in the browning model solutions containing epicatechin (Epi) and caffeoyl tartrate (CT) as polyphenol substrates. The determination of enzyme kinetic parameters also suggested that serotonin may act as a putative, non-competitive inhibitor of PPO. Apart from its anti-browning

effect, the application of serotonin significantly increased total phenolics content and antioxidant capacity when applied to the apple homogenate. Furthermore, the analysis of MdPPOs showed that five (MdPPO2, MdPPO4, MdPPO6,

MdPPO8 and MdPPO10) out of the nine MdPPOs expressed in apple fruits were down-regulated in apple tissues treated with serotonin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report documenting a role for serotonin in the biochemical and transcriptional regulation of PPO enzymes and a simple system to study the biochemical control of browning in pome fruits [Vikramjit S. Bajwa , Mukund R. Shukla, , Sherif M. Sherif, Susan J. Murch and Praveen K. Saxena* (Department of Plant Agriculture, Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada), Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2015, 110, 183–189].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-127 Shelf life and changes

in phenolic compounds of organically grown

blackberries during refrigerated storage

Fruit of organically grown fresh market blackberry cultivars ‘Natchez’, ‘Ouachita’, and ‘Navaho’ harvested at shiny black and dull black ripeness stages were stored at 1 °C for 15 d or at 1 °C for 13 d plus 20 °C for 2 d. Berries were subjectively rated and anthocyanins and phenolic compounds were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine storage effects on berry postharvest quality and phenolic compounds. Berries harvested at the shiny black ripeness stage or those stored constantly at 1 °C had lower leakage, decay, and softness and a higher overall rating. ‘Navaho’ fruit had generally better storability compared to the other cultivars. Total anthocyanin content was generally higher in ‘Natchez’ and ‘Navaho’ than in ‘Ouachita’, and increased with storage at 20 °C for 2 d, while shiny black and dull black fruit were similar in anthocyanin content. Cyanidin 3-glucoside was found to represent 87–96% of the total anthocyanin content, and cyanidin 3-

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rutinoside, cyanidin 3-xyloside, and pelargonidin 3-glucoside were also detected. Total phenolic content increased during storage for all cultivars, especially when berries were stored at 20 °C for 2 d. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary phenolic compounds identified in fruit tissues of the three cultivars. Content and proportion of cyanidin 3-xyloside and vanillic acid in ‘Natchez’ were significantly lower than in ‘Ouachita’ or ‘Navaho’ fruit. Results indicate that the fruit of blackberry fruit of these cultivars, when grown organically, could be held with acceptable results when harvested at the shiny black stage of ripeness and stored at 1 °C. Transferring fruit to room temperature for as little as 2 d, even after cold storage, decreased marketability. In contrast, phenolic composition differed among cultivars and generally increased with storage [Moo Jung Kim, Penelope Perkins-Veazie*, Guoying Ma and Gina Fernandez, (Plants for Human Health Institute, NC Research Campus, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States), Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2015, 110, 257–263].

NPARR, 7(1), 2016-128 Application of physical

and chemical postharvest treatments to

enhance storage and shelf life of pomegranate

fruit-A review

There has been recent interest in pomegranate fruit production and research due to its high nutritional and health benefits. The increase in demand of the fruit necessitates the need to improve quality, storability and shelf life to meet consumers' expectations of consistent supply of quality fruit. However, pomegranate fruit is susceptible to various postharvest quality problems including high weight loss, decay and susceptibility to physiological disorders such as chilling injury and husk scald. To improve fruit storability and shelf life, physical and chemical postharvest treatments have been applied. However, these treatments have varied effects on the external and internal quality attributes of fruit. This review therefore discusses the different postharvest treatments applied to enhance storage of pomegranate whole fruit and arils and highlights the effects of the treatments on the fruit quality [Opara, U.L. , Atukuri, J. and Fawole, O.A* (Postharvest Technology Research Laboratory, South African Research Chair in Postharvest Technology, Department of Food Science Faculty of Agri Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, South Africa), Scientia

Horticulturae, 2015, 197, 41-49].


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Forthcoming Conferences, Seminars, Exhibitions and Trainings

1. New Delhi 1st International Conference on “Medical, Medicine and Health Sciences” (MMHS- 2016 New Delhi) August 13-14, 2016 New Delhi, India; Website: http://academicfora.com/mmhs-august-13-14-2016-new-dehli-india/

2. International Conference on Food, Agriculture & Engineering; 27th to 28th August 2016

New Delhi, India ;Website: http://ijstm.co.in/icfaeindex.html

3. International Conference On Agriculture, Food Science, Natural Resource Management and Environmental Dynamics: The Technology, People and Sustainable Development; 13th to 14th August 2016; Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India; Website: http://www.krishisanskriti.org/nrm.html

4. New Delhi 2nd International Conference on “Medical, Medicine and Health Sciences” (MMHS-

2016 New Delhi) September 13-14, 2016 New Delhi, India; Website: http://academicfora.com/mmhs-september-13-14-2016-new-delhi-india/

5. 2nd International Conference on Bioinformatics, Biochemistry and Bioscience 24th to 25th October

2016, New Delhi, Delhi, India; Website: http://www.mukpublications.com/icbbb-2016.php

6. 2nd IIMA International Conference on Advances in Healthcare Management Services 10th to 11th December 2016, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; Website: http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/ICAHMS/

7. International Conference of Chemical, Pharmaceutical & Medical Sciences (ICCPMS) 24th to

25th December 2016; New Delhi, Delhi, India; Website: http://www.mukpublications.com/iccpms-2016.php

8. Emerging Technologies in Agricultural and Food Engineering, 27th to 30th December 2016;

Kharagpur, West Bengal, India; Website: http://etae2016.in/

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

INDIAN JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES Original research Papers and Reviews on topics dealt within this repository are invited for

publication in peer reviewed, quarterly journal (March, June, September and December), Indian

Journal of Natural Products and Resources (Formerly known as Natural Product Radiance). For details visit: [email protected]. The papers may be sent to Dr (Mrs) Sunita Garg, Editor Periodicals Division, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), CSIR, Dr K. S. Krishnan Marg (Inside Pusa Campus). New Delhi-110012; Phone: (091)-11-25846001, (091)-11-25846304-07, Ext.258, 255. Fax: (091)-11-2584 7062. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

RAW MATERIALS HERBARIUM AND MUSEUM DELHI (RHMD)

Herbarium is a repository of dried specimens of plants collected from far and wide and is arranged in a systematic order. Plant specimens in herbaria and their raw material samples serve as reference materials for any plant-based research and as source materials for information on utilization, conservation, planning and management. The herbarium specimens have become resources for generating the profiles of chemical constituents and DNA fingerprinting. The herbarium specimens could be used as standard reference materials while identifying the plant specimens and the crude drug samples. Further, the herbaria could provide information on folk-lore, ethnomedicine or traditional medicine from which new medicines could be evolved.

Because of wide spread belief that herbal medicines are safer than synthetic drugs, demand for Indian medicinal plants has increased many fold in the national and international markets. Due to high demand but limited cultivation of medicinal plants in India, more than 95 per cent plants are being harvested from the wild. Consequently there is gap in demand and supply, therefore, the collectors and traders involved in commercialization of medicinal plants often mix other related plant materials to the genuine one or an altogether a distinct plant material is sold in the market in place of genuine one. Thus usage of such adulterated or spurious raw material for manufacturing medicine affects the efficacy of the finished product and could cause deleterious effect on human health.

Considering the demand for natural products including medicines and other products for various purposes, universities, colleges, institutes and various other R & D labs are focusing on research works especially pharmacologoical, phytochemical and ethnobotanical studies. First and foremost requisite for these findings is the correct identification of the plant/crude drug collection, preservation and identification. It is a fact that without correct name literature search is incomplete. Therefore, before starting actual R & D work, researchers need to have correct identification and nomenclature of the plant specimen for any novel finding or to validate an ethnobotanical report.

While starting the revised series of The Wealth of India-An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials in 1978, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), formerly known as NISCOM, a constituent establishment of Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), has set up a Raw Materials Herbarium & Museum, housing authentic samples of economically important raw materials of plant, animal and mineral origin of India as a


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whole, in one place, to disseminate and showcase knowledge on these resources through authenticated collection of samples, herbarium sheets borrowed and collected from fields from throughout India. It is open to the scientists, researchers, industries, entrepreneurs, traders, students and the public. The

NISCAIR Herbarium & Museum was assigned the acronym RHMD (Raw Materials Herbarium

& Museum, Delhi) by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy and it appeared in the

publication "Index Herbarium, New York, USA" (1990). The RHMD houses over 8000 specimens comprising more than 5000 species of economic and medicinal plants of India and the Museum containing over 3500 samples of crude-drugs, animal and mineral specimens.

The facility backed up by the knowledge stored in the Wealth of India, is a veritable storehouse of information on the raw materials of India, and is a place useful to students to gain knowledge on economic biology and geology.

From the Director's Desk - Niscair

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