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BackgroundThe analysis of the quality of food is important to protect humans from food-borne or food-based illnesses caused by pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Rapid identification of these pathogens is critical to ensure food safety. Various detection and identification strategies exist; however, they are laborious and time consuming and hence the detection takes longer time. The aim of this study was to develop the specific and fast method for the detection of contaminants in milk.ResultsIn this study, we have developed a simple paper-based PCR method with minimum sample preparation process. The 16S rDNA universal primers were used for the detection of bacterial contaminants. LacZ primers were used for coliform detection which causes serious illness and hence their detection is crucial. ITS region primers were used for fungal detection. The most unique thing about this study is use of Whatman paper no. 1 as sample carrier material. We developed and validated the paper-based PCR method and used it for the detection of microbes and coliforms using milk as a representative sample.ConclusionWe evaluated this method for its suitability in the detection of contaminant microbes using different milk samples. The paper-based method could successfully detect contaminants in the milk samples and the results were comparable to the traditional microbial detection method. The traditional microbiological method takes at least 18–20 h for detecting the presence of microbes in any sample but the developed paper-based PCR method can confirm the microbial presence in 2–3 h. This is very promising especially in the testing where sample sterility is crucial.

Underexposed heterogeneous complex-background and graphical embossing text documents are treated using proposed preprocessing image-abstraction framework that can deliver the effective structure preserved abstracted output by manipulating visual-features from input images. Reading of the text character in such images is extremely poor; hence, the framework effectively boosted the significant image properties and quality features at every stage. Work effectively preserves the foreground structure of an image by comprehensively integrating the sequence of NPR filters and diminishes the background content of an image, and in this way, the framework contributes to separation of foreground text from image background. Effectiveness of the proposed work has been validated by conducting the trials on the selected dataset. In addition, user's visual-feedback and image quality assessment techniques were also used to evaluate the framework. Based on the obtained abstraction output, this work extracts text-character by wisely utilizing traditional image processing techniques with an average accuracy of 98.91%.

Bacterial cellulose is a biopolymer produced from of Gluconoacetobacter sp. RV28 has versatile application in the biomedical field. The bacterial cellulose biocompatibility, water holding capability, never dried gel, microfiber structure make it suits for scaffolds for tissue engineering, carriers for drug delivery, neuron protection, vascular grafts and wound healing. Moreover the bacterial cellulose alone itself not having any antimicrobial activity the implementation of antimicrobial agent is required for its effect. The Tridax procumbens leaf extract was known for its wound healing activity from ancient days, this idea were utilized in the present study to achieve wound healing activity. In this connection the present study represents bacterial gelimmersion in ethanol and methanol leaf extract of Tridax procumbens for 48 h and examined for its antimicrobial effect. The Tridax procumbens based bacterial cellulose showed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). Candida albicans (Yeast) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; E. coli (Gram-negative). Hence this Tridax procumbens based biopolymer is excellent product for wound healing activity.

An investigation of the air quality and the quantity of airborne microbes was conducted in a private and a government tertiary health care centre of Davanagere in the month of November 2011 to assess the level of air borne pathogens. Using a Merck Microbial Air Sampler MAS-100NT, samples were collected in the morning and in the evening from the different environs of the private and government tertiary health care centre. The media used for the study of fungi was sabouraud dextrose agar. Aspergillus spp, Curvularia spp, Alternaria spp, Penicillium spp, Rhizopus spp, Nigrospora spp, and Fusarium spp were found in either of the tertiary health care centre. Aspergillus spp was dominant in the Government tertiary health care centre, and Alternaria spp and Curvularia spp were dominant in the private tertiary health care centre. For the bacteria, quantitative enumeration was done using soyabean casein digest agar and selective media like Escherichia coli and coliform agar and urinary tract infection agar were used in qualitative enumeration. Selected pathogens like E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, and Entirococcus faecalis were found in either of the tertiary health care centre. Maximum number of fungi and bacteria were isolated from emergency ward and general ward of government and private health care centre. There was also considerable difference in the morning and in the evening.

Microbial cellulose, an exopolysaccharide produced by bacteria, has unique structural and mechanical properties and is highly pure compared to plant cellulose. Present study represents isolation, identification, and screening of cellulose producing bacteria and further process optimization. Isolation of thirty cellulose producers was carried out from natural sources like rotten fruits and rotten vegetables. The bacterial isolates obtained from rotten pomegranate, rotten sweet potato, and rotten potato were identified asGluconacetobactersp. RV28,Enterobactersp. RV11, andPseudomonassp. RV14 through morphological and biochemical analysis. Optimization studies were conducted for process parameters like inoculum density, temperature, pH, agitation, and carbon and nitrogen sources usingGluconacetobactersp. RV28. The strain produced 4.7 g/L of cellulose at optimum growth conditions of temperature (30°C), pH (6.0), sucrose (2%), peptone (0.5%), and inoculum density (5%). Characterization of microbial cellulose was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).