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Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) or 'Kadipatta' is an important leaf-spice used in curries, pickles and chutneys as a natural flavoring. Curry leaf is a rich source of fibers, minerals and vitamins such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and carotene, niacin, vitamin B2 and vitamin C. The present study aimed to standardize the Curry leaf chutney, assess its nutritional value and study the storage stability of the product in a suitable packaging material under ambient temperature (15-35oC) conditions for a period of 90 days. Preparation of Curry leaf chutney was standardized using roasted Bengal gram (40%), Black gram (20%), dried curry leaves (10%) roasted in 10% oil and spice mix (30%). The product had a low moisture content of 2.57%, was rich in protein (20.01%) and carbohydrates (56.99%). Sorption studies indicated that the critical moisture content for the product was found to be 9.79%, which corresponded to 68% RH indicating non- hygroscopic nature. Storage studies conducted in PET/Metallized polyester/Polythene pouches under ambient temperature (15-35oC) conditions for a period of 90 days indicted that the overall acceptability scores for product ranged from 8.7 (excellent) to 8.2 (very good), the tintometer colour units of Red varied from 3.3 to 3.8 units while units for yellow and blue constant. TBA values for the product also remained low indicting no rancidity development. Microbial analysis showed that an increase in the rate of growth of ACC was observed after 75 days of storage in PET/Metpoly/PE samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are attractive as food biopreservatives in place of chemical preservatives. Pediococcus acidilactici was found to produce bacteriocin that can inhibit bacterial and fungal food contaminants. Based on the conventional deMan, Rogosa and Sharpe ( MRS) medium, simplified food-grade medium for bacteriocin production by the bacterium was developed containing casein peptone and dextrose for food application and scale-up of the bioprocess. Central composite rotatable design was used to study the main and interactive effects of medium components and fermentation parameters, i.e., temperature and pH on bacteriocin production by Pediococcus acidilactici. The optimized medium conditions with 97% desirability under the set criteria were: casein peptone 3.97%, dextrose 3.45% at pH = 7.0 and temperature 35C. Bacteriocin titer obtained from the optimized casein peptone and dextrose medium was comparable with MRS medium (538 AU/ mL). Practical Applications Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria are of potential usefulness as natural substitutes for chemical food preservatives in the production of food with enhanced shelf-life. The bacteriocin obtained from Pediococcus acidilactici has a wide spectrum of activity against bacterial and fungal food pathogens. Usually, bacteriocins is obtained from deMan, Rogosa and Sharpe medium that contains nitrogen sources such as beef extract, yeast extract, proteose peptone and ammonium citrate that is not acceptable by the consumers. Keeping this in mind, we have developed a food-grade medium containing casein peptone and dextrose for food applications. Further casein peptone and dextrose concentrations along with fermentation parameters such as pH and temperature were optimized to give optimum yield of bacteriocins. So, the bacteriocin produced in the food-grade medium should be acceptable by the consumers as well as economical according to industrial point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Withania somnifera Dunal, commonly known as Ashwagandha, has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to increase longevity and vitality. Various groups of researchers support its polypharmaceutical uses by confirming anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory and antistress properties in the whole plant extract. The present investigation adds up the antioxidant assay profiling in this list. The Ashwagandha root extracts were prepared in different solvents of varied polarity in a sequential fashion. The maximum yield (5.8%) and total polyphenolic compounds (TPC, 88.58 μg GAE/mg extract) were recorded in methanolic fraction. All the extracts were screened for their potential antioxidant activities using tests such as free radical scavenging activity, metal chelation activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. Results of study showed methanolic extract as the most potent fraction and a strong correlation could be established with its TPC. Overall, the study suggests that Ashwagandha root extract could be of great use for the preparation of antioxidant rich nutraceuticles to treat various human diseases and its complications. It is quite likely that the antioxidant capacity of plant/root is one of the reasons for its established anti-stress, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a term that has been used to describe a variety of ailments, ranging from minor to incapacitating. Clinically significant depression, termed as major depression, is a serious condition characterized not only by depressed mood but also by a cluster of somatic, cognitive, and motivational symptoms. Significant research efforts are aimed to understand the neurobiological as well as psychiatric disorders, and the evaluation of treatment of these disorders is still based solely on the assessment of symptoms. In order to identify the biological markers for depression, we have focused on gathering information on different factors responsible for depression including stress, genetic variations, neurotransmitters, and cytokines and chemokines previously suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. The present review illustrates the potential of biomarker profiling for psychiatric disorders, when conducted in large collections. The review highlighted the biomarker signatures for depression, warranting further investigation.