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In the present study, effect of particle size and alkaline pretreatment of five recorded lignocellulosic wastes on production of xylanase by five fungal isolates was studied. The different raw substrates used were wheat bran, saw dust, maize straw, rice straw, sugarcane baggase. These raw substrates were firstly subjected to different alkali pretreatments (0.5N NaOH, 0.1N NaOH, and 1.0N NaOH) and added to the culture medium for xylanase production. Maximum xylanase production was achieved with 0.5N NaOH pretreated raw substrates as compared to untreated raw substrates in all five fungal isolates. The 0.5N NaOH treated five raw substrates were then passed through 0.2mm, 0.5mm, 0.8mm, 1.4mm and 2.0mm sieves and used for xylanase production . Raw substrates of 0.8mm particle size supported maximum xylanase production in all five fungal isolates. The xylanase activity increased significantly in Chrysosporium tropicum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus terrus from untreated maize straw to 0.5N NaOH and 0.8mm size treated maize straw, the corresponding values increased from 0.204±0.002, 0.118±0.001 and 0.030±0.005 to 0.448±0.004, 0.415±0.002 and 0.441±0.008 μmoles of xylose/min/ml of culture filtrate, respectively. Malbranchaea sp and Emericella nidulans also exhibited significantly higher xylanase activity with wheat bran, the corresponding values increased from 0.040±0.012 and 0.138±0.003 to 0.513±0.005 and 0.390 ± 0.002 μmoles of xylose/min/ml of culture filtrate, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review the recent trends in the development of active packaging (AP) for foods. Design/methodology/approach - The most up-to-date and pertinent studies within the literature have been included and summated in this paper. Findings - Fresh foods are widely consumed and are becoming a major component of the international food market. During the last decades, the social and scientific modernization, the boom in customer's needs and demands, along with the major changes in the way food products are manufactured, distributed and retailed, led to the development of alternative or novel methods for the production and preservation of food products. This review will present the most comprehensive and current overview of the widely available, scattered information about the different AP technologies for the control of various critical parameters responsible for the quality and shelf life of fresh foods with an interest to stimulate further research to optimize different quality parameters. Originality/value - This paper offers a holistic view that would guide a reader to identify the recent developments in the field of AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study that highlights the importance of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in the ready-to-bake (unbaked) pizza. It states that MAP reduces physiological changes, respiration rates, oxidative deterioration by changing the gas that surrounds the product and it is a process by which the shelf life of food product is significantly increased. It mentions that the shelf life of ready-to-bake pizza increased up to 15 days when compared to conventional air pack.

Natural products (NPs) derived from living organism sources have been identified for the remedy of various human diseases. Active ingredients from NPs have protective and crucial roles in human health and have been used since ancient times. Phytochemicals, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds of plants are major beneficial constituents for human health and an important approach to the discovery and development of new drugs. These plants' bioactive compounds have displayed to inhibit various diseases and applied in pharmaceutical industries. Among them, antioxidants defend molecules from oxidation by free radicals and are used for food spoilage. Phenolics decline the risk of metabolic syndrome and have been applied to treat several diseases including ovarian, breast cervical, and pancreatic. NPs expressed antioxidant, antitumor, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-Alzheimer, and anticancer activities. Almost 47% drugs of anticancer have been derived from NPs. Based on the understandings about active compounds derived from NPs, integrating with leading molecular biological techniques, the presence and applicability of novel drugs can be accordingly developed and confirmed in both microorganisms and combinatorial chemistry models. To decrease or less frequent the side effects of drugs, the demands for medicines and functional foods of natural origin have been increasing rapidly worldwide. In both fields of conventional medicine and folk remedy, NPs commit worthwhile therapeutic constituents to the discovery of active ingredients from natural sources. This review article gives a comprehensive and inclusive overview of promising NPs, particularly phytochemicals and their biological activities including anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-Alzheimer. The provided information is expected to prospectively contribute and lead the way for a useful database to the modern development of novel medications rooted in natural sources in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder caused by imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, and is one of the principal causative factors in the development of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cancer. COH-SR4 ("SR4") is a novel investigational compound that has anti-cancer and anti-adipogenic properties. In this study, the effects of SR4 on metabolic alterations in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese C57BL/J6 mice were investigated. Oral feeding of SR4 (5 mg/kg body weight.) in HFD mice for 6 weeks significantly reduced body weight, prevented hyperlipidemia and improved glycemic control without affecting food intake. These changes were associated with marked decreases in epididymal fat mass, adipocyte hypertrophy, increased plasma adiponectin and reduced leptin levels. SR4 treatment also decreased liver triglycerides, prevented hepatic steatosis, and normalized liver enzymes. Western blots demonstrated increased AMPK activation in liver and adipose tissues of SR4-treated HFD obese mice, while gene analyses by real time PCR showed COH-SR4 significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of lipogenic genes such as sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (Srebf1), acetyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase (Acaca), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg), fatty acid synthase (Fasn), stearoyl-Coenzyme A desaturase 1 (Scd1), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (Cpt1a) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (Hmgcr), as well as gluconeogenic genes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (Pck1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6pc) in the liver of obese mice. In vitro, SR4 activates AMPK independent of upstream kinases liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ). Together, these data suggest that SR4, a novel AMPK activator, may be a promising therapeutic compound for treatment of obesity, fatty liver disease, and related metabolic disorders.

Dopingless devices have shown significant improvement over doped devices in terms of doping fluctuations and thermal dependency. In this paper we designed and simulated dopingless/charge plasma diodes where the diode action is implemented by creating a charge plasma under the metal contacts. Two different gate metals or metal silicides are chosen having a work function different from that of the underlying thin silicon body. The gates are separated by a dielectric layer. Several gate combinations are chosen for the diode and performance is evaluated under variation in different process parameters. Good rectifying properties are obtained along with thermal stability of the device. High ON current of 10−8 A μm−1 is obtained for a 20 nm thick device. The simulated results are compared with experimental data and show good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anthropometric indices such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist hip ratio (WHR) have been used for a long time as a measure of obesity and abdominal fat and the relationship between these indices and hypertension has been well established. But these indices cannot discriminate between fat and muscle mass, leaving a greater population not categorized adequately. Recent studies have also demonstrated that not only the amount of fat but also the distribution of fat is important in hypertensive patients. So, new indices have come up through various studies to overcome this lag. The indices ABSI-Body shape index and BRI-Body roundness index are now being increasingly used to assess the risk of hypertension. Very few studies have been conducted on the Indian population in relation to this index., Material and Methods: The study included 700 patients with hypertension visiting the medicine outpatient department (OPD). Anthropometric indices-Height, weight, WC, HC, and WHR were calculated. The indices ABSI-Body shape index and BRI-Body roundness index were calculated as per the respective formulas. The comparison of various indices of anthropometry and hypertension was done as per the statistical analysis., Results: Our study concluded the positive correlation of hypertension with older as well as newer hypertensive indices., Conclusion: Early screening for the detection of hypertensives should be carried out to ease the disease burden and the anthropometric indices being a cost-effective and easy-to-conduct method can be used to facilitate the detection of hypertension. Appropriate lifestyle interventions should be promoted to decrease the prevalence of hypertensive patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Hypertension has become a major health burden globally. The epidemiological transit to the non communicable disease era has shifted our focus to identify the risk factors and complications associated with each disease so that we can tackle the ongoing menace at the earliest. QT interval has long been associated with ventricular arrythmias and sudden cardiac deaths and the association between the QT interval in healthy subjects and diabetics have been extensively studied, but the association between QT interval and newly diagnosed hypertensive patients have been understudied., Material: The study included 100 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients who were willing to be a part of the study and providing informed consent whereas patients who were pregnant, below 18 years of age, mental health conditions which could affect their ability to comprehend and respond and patients suffering from any conditions such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, acute renal failure (ARF), liver disease, thyroid disorders, malignancy and those on antihypertensive treatment, drugs effecting QT interval were excluded from the study., Observation: Mean BMI was 27.17 with max being 43.45 and minimum being 11.75 (Males: 27.41 and females 26.8). Waist circumference in more in females as compared to males whereas the hip circumference was almost same in both males and females. Age wise distribution showed increasing SBP and DBP values with age. Mean SBP and DBP was higher in males as compared to females whereas FBS was more in females as compared to males. QT values were more in the females as compared to males. BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, W/H ratio had a positive correlation with both SBP and DBP., Conclusion: The subjects with hypertension had relatively longer QTc interval and higher prevalence of prolonged QTc interval. Patients presenting in OPD must be looked for QTc and QTd so that risk of developing Arrythmias could be detected at early stages, thereby reducinfgmorbidity and mortality., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

microRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a major class of endogenous non-coding regulatory small RNAs. They are present in a variety of organisms from algae to plants and play an important role in gene regulation. The miRNAs are involved in various biological processes, including differentiation, organ development, phase change, signaling, disease resistance and response to environmental stresses. This review provides a general background on the discovery, history, biogenesis and function of miRNAs. However, the focus is on the role for miRNA in controlling auxin signaling to regulate plant growth and development.