Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences
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FORMULATION OF STIRRED PROBIOTIC FRUIT YOGURT TO BOOST IMMUNITY
Get PDFThe food we eat plays a key aspect in determining our overall health and immunity. Improving our immunity during the Covid-19 pandemic is challenging for all age groups. So this study focused on formulating a ready to drink called probiotic fruit yogurt from less utilized passion fruits (Passiflora edulis), as a good option to build resilience in the body against infections and also to help the planters of Thandikudi hills, Tamil Nadu to promote their harvest into a valuable product. Passion fruits were procured and handled in a very hygienic manner. The formulation of stirred fruit yogurts was carried out in three different ratios (10%, 15%, and 20% pulp). These samples were standardized by sensory evaluation (9 points hedonic scale) and physicochemical parameters (pH). Fruit yogurt made from 20% passion fruit pulp scored the highest value in the mean score (8.5±0.17) for sensory evaluation except for texture. The pH value of the passion fruit yogurt was 3.5 found and it was more acidic compared to the plain yogurt value of 3.7 because of the addition of fruit pulp which was balanced by the addition of sugar/stevia. The acceptability of the stirred probiotic fruit yogurt with 20% pulp was mainly because of the flavoring compounds of the yellow passion fruit (P. edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg)
DOES PLAYING LOCATION-BASED AUGMENTED REALITY GAME INCREASES THE LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?
Get PDFRecently, there are an increasing trend in location-based augmented reality (AR) games that require players to move around physically to acquire the in-game features as well as game bonuses. The introduction of this location-based augmented reality (AR) games, specifically, Pokémon Go, has made the players physically move around to achieve higher levels and indirectly, improves the level of physical activity. Thus, the objective of the current study is to examine the association between the time spent playing location-based AR games specifically Pokémon Go, and the level of physical activity of the players in Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was circulated among Pokémon Go players and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 47 players were recruited in the study. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to identify the level of physical activity. The association between time spent playing Pokémon Go and level of physical activity were examined using the Chi-square test. The results of the current study showed no significant association between days spent playing Pokémon Go and level of physical activity (p = .14), hours spent playing Pokémon Go and physical activity (p = .516), or between daily hours spent playing Pokémon Go and daily sedentary time (p = .283). Nevertheless, the mean of the study reported that the physical activity level of the players increased concurrently as the player’s game frequency increases. Further studies are required to shed light on how location-based AR games can be implemented as potential strategies to engage an active lifestyle
EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTIES OF PALU SHALLOT (Allium ascalonicum L VAR. Aggregatum)
Get PDFShallot is one of the typical plants at Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, famous by local people as fried Shallot. It is used as a cooking spice and traditional medicine for treating various diseases. This study was carried out to assess the phytochemical constituent including total phenolics, total flavonoids, and quercetin content of the Palu shallot (Allium ascalonicum L var. aggregatum), and to determine the antifungal and antioxidant properties of this plant ethanolic extract. Total phenolics/ flavonoids and quercetin concentration were determined by spectrophotometry UV-Vis and Reverse Phase - High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) methods. Antifungal activity and antioxidant capacity of the ethanolic extract was assayed by using diffusion agar and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. Results of the study revealed that the total flavonoids content of the ethanolic extract was 0.3634 ± 0.018 mg QE/100 mg while total phenolics content was 0.4834 ± 0.003 mg GAE/100 mg. Meanwhile, the quercetin content was 65.46±0.0002 mg/kg. Further, ethanolic extract of Palu shallot also showed the radical scavenging activity with IC50 of 0.1398 mg/mL and growth inhibition on Candida albicans with inhibitory zone diameter range from 7.57 to 16.51 mm. This study confirms the high quality of Palu shallot as it has high total flavonoids, represented by the high quercetin concentration, and it is proposed to be a source for an antioxidant and antifungal medicinal herb
INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN POTATO WITH COMPOST MADE THROUGH DIFFERENT BIO-DEGRADATION PROCESSES
Get PDFTo achieve the goal of safe and sustainable food, the only realistic option now-a-days lies with the introduction of a low input farming system concept i.e. organic and integrated agriculture. Keeping in view the present scenario, a study was undertaken in Satyapole village, Haringhata block of Nadia district, West Bengal on integrated nutrient management in potatoes during rabi 2018 and 2019. The efficacy of different composts, in terms of their quality, easiness of preparation along with yield and economic attributes were accessed for the high nutrient loving crop, potato. The experiment was planned out in randomized block design (RBD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. High yield with a marginal difference was found among all the treatments with integrated management. But, the treatment with 50% of recommended inorganic fertilizer dose (recommended dose N:P: K @ 200:150:150 kg/ha, 1/3 N, full P and 1/3 K as basal; 1st and 2nd top dressing with 1/3 N and 1/3 K) and vermicompost @ 5 ton/ha showed the best result. According to the B: C ratio composting with NOVCOM showed the best result whereas, in terms of the bio-degradation process with respect to its end-product quality, easiness of procedure, and cost, compost made through waste decomposer and NOVCOM has better results in comparison with vermicompost
CONSTRAINTS FACED BY FARMERS IN ADOPTION OF CLIMATE RESILIENT TECHNOLOGIES
Get PDFNational Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project was launched by ICAR in 2011 to develop climate-resilient agriculture technologies through strategic research. It demonstrates and reinforced to accept better practices and wide-ranging technologies for mitigating climate risk to make farming as a profitable business. The current study was carried out in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The sample consists of 60 farmers as beneficiaries from NICRA villages and 60 farmers as nonbeneficiaries from non-NICRA villages were selected randomly. The ex-post facto research design was used in the study. The constraints faced by the farmers for adoption of climate resilient technologies were lack of sufficient rainfall, lack of owned resources, lack of short duration and drought tolerant crop varieties, lack of knowledge about climate resilient practices, and inadequate financial support. The key suggestions given to the respondents for implementation of climate resilient technologies are the provision of technical guidance and information should be delivered on regular basis, training programs should be conducted about climate resilient practices, financial assistance should be rendered for water and soil conservation and need based technology demonstrations should be given
Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort GREEN SYNTHESIS- REDUCED NICKEL OXIDE NANOPARTICLES FOR ANTIOXIDANT AND BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY
Get PDFA unique way, green, cost-effective, and direct fabrication method is proposed for the synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles (NPs) in an eco-environmentally way through leaf extract of Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. The nickel oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using Nickel (II) nitrate hexahydrate as a metal source and aqueous leaf extract of S. maritima was utilized as a green reducing agent. The formation of NPs was monitored by the change in color in the reaction mixture and the synthesized NPs were characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Further, the antibacterial activity of synthesized NPs was carried using the agar plate well diffusion method and antioxidant activity by DPPH free radical scavenging activity of the NPs was studied. The UV-visible absorption spectra of nanoparticles show a characteristic maximum absorption peak centered at 397 nm. The functional group analysis by FT-IR confirms the presence of various bio-active functional groups in the synthesized particles. The structural characterization confirms that the particles were Face Centred Cubic lattice structure having IR-regular in shape and rough surface with average atomic weight percentages of 76.3%. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to be potent against the growth of gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. In the DPPH assay, the IC 50 values of the synthesized NPs were found to be 28.01 μg/mL which is very close to standard ascorbic acid (22.19 μg/mL) whereas the IC 50 of the aqueous plant leaf extract was found to be 47.30 μg/m confirms that the nanoparticles having enhanced antioxidant activity. From the results of the study it can be concluded that this protocol is simple, rapid, one step, eco-friendly, non-toxic for the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles
ASSESSMENT OF IL-33, TNF- α AND LEUKOTREINS B4 IN PATIENTS SERUM WITH ENTERIC FEVER
Get PDFSalmonella typhoid and paratyphoid are transmitted mainly by the fecal-oral route. This study was designed to find the correlation between Salmonella and IgM, IgG, and the levels of interleukin-33, TNF-α, and LTB 4. The study was carried out from March 2020 to January 2021 for the detection of Salmonellosis in 100 suspected patients with age group ranging from 17 - 69 years, who attended Baghdad teaching hospitals that had been examined and defined as suspected cases by a specialized physician with the recording of clinical manifestation. The diagnosis was done by immunochromatography method, a blood sample was taken from the patient as well as other 30 healthy controls matching in age and gender. The study included measurement of the level of interleukin -33, Tumor necrosis Factor α, and Leukotreins B4 level in sera of patients and healthy control. The results indicated that anti –salmonella IgM positive in 54 cases, anti- salmonella IgG positive in 46 cases, and 18 positive cases with both IgM and IgG. The Level of interleukin 33, Tumor necrosis Factor – α increased significantly while the serum Leukotreins B4 level decreased significantly in patients sera as compared with healthy control
PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MELISSOPALYNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF COMMERCIAL BUCKWHEAT HONEYS FROM POLAND
Get PDFBuckwheat honey is widely consumed by consumers due to its numerous health-promoting properties. Characteristically it is dark, tea-like in colour, sharp, tickly, and sweet in flavour, and has smelled of buckwheat flowers. In the current study, various commercial honey samples were examined to test the quality of buckwheat honey samples available in the market. The research materials were comprised of 15 samples of honeys from 4 voivodships, among these, 5 samples were collected from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, 4 from the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, 4 from the Lubelskie Voivodship, and reset 2 samples from the Podkarpackie Voivodship. Melissopalynological analyses of investigated honeys’ samples revealed that all samples had at least 45% of Fagopyrym pollen content, which means that researched honeys complied with the standards of the International Commission for Bee Botany (ICBB) for buckwheat honey. Honeys’ samples had an average water content of 15.3% (σ= 1.24), and electrical conductivity at 0.37 mS*cm-1. Therefore, all beekeepers correctly marked their honey type as buckwheat honey simply using the organoleptic properties of their honeys and observing their bees collecting pollen and honeydew
NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES: IMPACT OF PESTICIDES
Get PDFPesticides are widely used to fulfill the higher yield requirement for humans in agricultural practices and the repellents to kill the unwanted insects but excess uses of these pesticides combat various diseases and are also responsible for environmental pollution. Total 234 pesticides are registered in India out of these, four pesticides are WHO class 1a pesticide, 15 are WHO class 1b pesticides, and 76 are WHO class 2nd mentioned pesticides together constituting 40% registered pesticides. Excess use of pesticides can cause fatigue, headache, respiratory problems, and neurodegenerative diseases in human beings. Neurodegenerative disease is the result of a process called neuron degeneration in which the structure and functions of the neurons are progressively degenerate. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis impose a burden on most of society. In the present study, we are emphasizing the mode of action of the various pesticides that influenced neurodegenerative diseases that is necessary to check the effect of neurotoxicants
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF DIFFERENT ROOT EXTRACTS OF Ageratum conyzoides AND THEIR POTENTIAL BIOACTIVE PROPERTIES
Get PDFThe present study was conducted to determine different classes of secondary metabolites of Ageratum conyzoides root extracts and to evaluate their antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal potentialities using various pathogenic fungal and different gram-positive/gram-negative bacterial strains. The roots powder was subjected to ultrasonic-assisted extraction with n-hexane, acetone, ethanol, and EtOH:H2O(1:1). The screening of phytochemicals indicated the existence of terpenoids, alkaloids, coumarins, sterols, flavonoids, and glycosides in the root extract of A. conyzoides. However, the absence of saponins, tannins, anthocyanidins, anthraquinones, and phlobatannins was observed. The results indicated a reasonable antibacterial (against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria), and antifungal potential. The antibacterial activity of the ethanolic extract was highest against all four strains of bacteria and was also comparable to the standard medicines used. However, antifungal activity was highest in EtOH:H2O (1:1) extract. Moderate antioxidant properties were also demonstrated, favoring the importance of the roots of this plant from a medicinal point of view