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Convenient foods are defined as fully prepared or partially prepared food items where some or all of the preparation time, culinary skills or energy inputs are provided by food processor than a home maker. The study proposed to find the suitability of fruit flours namely jackfruit and breadfruit flour in the production of extruded products. The study tried different combinations of oyster mushroom and fruit flours and the best treatment was selected using organoleptic evaluation. Incorporation level of 90 per cent of fruit flours and 10 per cent of mushroom flour was found suitable than other combinations. In the selected treatments from each fruit flour based pasta, nutritional evaluation of proximate values and minerals, shelf life studies and cost of production was carried out. When comparing the sensory aspects of the two pastas, jackfruit-based pasta was preferred, whereas breadfruit-based pasta was superior in terms of nutritional value. The study thus demonstrates that both underutilised fruits can be effectively utilized in the manufacturing of low cost gluten-free pasta with additional research on industrial production and modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chocolate is a popular product that millions enjoy every day due to its unique, rich and sweet taste. Jackfruit seeds rich in nutrients, produce a chocolaty aroma and could be potentially cheap abundant substitute for making chocolate. Hence, the present study was carried out to formulate nutritionally superior chocolates using jackfruit seed. Methods: Jackfruit seed flour was used in varying proportions ranging from 30 to 70 per cent along with 10 to 50 per cent cocoa butter and 20 per cent other ingredients. Other ingredients used were cane sugar, cocoa powder and milk powder. The best treatment was selected through sensory evaluation using a score card with a 9 point hedonic scale. Result: Based on organoleptic evaluation, chocolate prepared with 30 per cent roasted jackfruit seed flour and 50 per cent cocoa butter had a maximum mean score of 8.31 for overall acceptability. The selected roasted jackfruit seed flour based chocolate was subjected to physico-chemical analysis and observed to have moisture (7.62%), carbohydrate (63.03 g 100 g-1), protein (3.78 g 100 g-1), fat (1g 100 g-1) and fibre (3.13g 100 g-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The functions of food has extended from satisfying hunger and providing nutrients to the body, health maintenance, well being and prevention of diseases. Probiotics are such functional food and when they are incorporated to locally available foods, it helps to improve the nutritional profile and therapeutic value. Hence, the study entitled "Process optimisation and quality evaluation of passion fruit and pineapple probiotic drink" was undertaken with the objective of standardising probiotic fruit drink with passion fruit and pineapple and also to evaluate the nutritional and organoleptic qualities of these developed pass ion fruit and pineapple probiotic drinks. Methods: In the present study 5 treatments along with one control with 3 replications were standardized. Passion fruit juice (PFJ) was used as the major ingredient and used in varying proportions starting from 50 to 90 per cent with 10 to 50 per cent of pineapple juice (PJ). The best treatment was selected through sensory evaluation along with control by using a score card with nine point hedonic scale. In the selected treatments optimization for the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus with regard to substrate concentration, time of incubation, temperature of incubation and inoculum concentration were done. The probiotic drinks and their respective controls were then analysed for their nutrient composition like TSS, titratable acidity, energy and ascorbic acid. Result: Among the various treatments, highest scores for organoleptic qualities was observed in treatment having 70 per cent passion fruit juice and 30 per cent pineapple juice (T3) with a mean score of 8.52 for overall acceptability. The selected juice was optimized for the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus and had a viable count of 13.38 log cfu ml-1. The probiotic and non probiotic drinks had TSS content of 12.8 and 13.5 Brix, titratable acidity of 2.28 and 2.03 per cent, energy of 59.32 and 68.96 Kcal and ascorbic acid of 10 and 12.8 mg 100 g-1 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics are live microbial supplement, which beneficially affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance. Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the most common probiotic bacteria which have beneficial effects on the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study, L. acidophilus was used as the probiotic culture. The antagonistic effect of L. acidophilus against the enteropathogens strains of E. coli (MTCC 40), Salmonella enteritidis (MTCC 3219), Bacillus cereus (MTCC 430), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 430) and Shigella flexineri (MTCC 1457) was studied. The results showed that L.acidophilus was able to inhibit the growth of some of the selected pathogens in varying degrees. It was found to be most effective with a zone of inhibition of 24 mm recorded against Staphylococcus aureus. The antagonistic effect may be due to the production of organic acids, bacteriocins and hydrogen peroxide. Later, an attempt wasmade to develop probiotic food mixtures containing banana flour, soya flour, tomato, mango and papaya involving L acidophilus. The food mixture (25g) was mixed with 150ml water and stirred to obtain uniform slurry. Adjusted the pH to 4.5 and autoclaved at 121°C (1.5 kg cm-2) for 15 minutes. After cooling this was inoculated with 300µl (8.07log cfu ml-1) liquid culture of L. acidophilus (24 hour old culture) and incubated at 37° C for 24 hours. After fermentation it was freeze dried. The viability of the developed food mixtures were assessed for 6 months and it showed good viability which was within the recommended level of probiotic organism to assure health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we have investigated the temporal evolution of 6H-SiC (0001) surface under 100 keV Ar+ ion irradiation at oblique incidence (θ=60°). The topographical changes introduced by ion beam were examined using scanning force microscopy, and it is demonstrated that while at short time scales, surface morphology is dominated by dots with average diameter of 30 nm, periodic height modulations or ripples emerge at the later time scales. Existing theories of ripple formation have been invoked to explain various features of the observed ripples. Ripple structures developed on a physically stable material such as SiC are expected to show very small time degradation and therefore, would be more advantageous for various technological applications as compared to those grown on conventional semiconductors such as Si, GaAs, InP, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation is one of the household food technologies by which the nutritive value of foods could be improved. 'Tempeh' is one of the most widely accepted and researched mould modified fermented product. Tempeh is traditionally made with soybeans only. In Indian situation where a variety of cereals and pulses are used, tempeh could be prepared with these. Hence, in the present study, tempeh types were standardised using different combinations of rice and green gram and their mineral content and in vitro mineral bioavailability was assessed. Tempeh developed with 100 per cent green gram had the best texture and firmness and was comparable with the control (100% soybean). The tempeh types showed a reduction in the total calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and zinc when compared to the mineral content in the raw grains used for tempeh preparation. Mineral availability studies revealed that the availability of minerals from T1 (soybean 100%) tempeh was the lowest and the highest availability of minerals was from T4 (green gram 50% + rice 50%) tempeh. The mineral bioavailability ranged from 49 to 88.99 per cent among the treatments. The availability of zinc was found to be the highest among the minerals studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A staple based food mixture if developed from the commonly used foods in a community and then fermented with probiotic organism will have a better profile of nutrients, acceptability and therapeutic value. The present study was undertaken to develop a banana based probiotic fermented food mixture involving Lactobacillus acidophilus. The total viable count of L. acidophilus in the products was maximized while variables like substrate concentration, quantity of the inoculum, time of incubation, pH and temperature were kept at acceptable levels. Each developed food mixture (25g) was mixed with 150 ml water and stirred to obtain uniform slurry, the pH adjusted to 4.5 and autoclaved at 121°C (1.5 kg cm-2) for 15 mts, cooled, inoculated with 300µl(119 106 cfu ml-1) liquid culture of L. acidophilus (24 hour old culture) and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. After fermentation it was freeze dried. The results revealed that banana flour is a good substrate for developing a probiotic food with a total viable count of L. acidophilus ranging from 9.13 to 9.45 log cfu g-1. The viable count of L. acidophilus in the developed probiotic food mixtures was within the recommended level of probiotic organism to assure health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid action of steroid hormones on lipid metabolism is not reported so far in any vertebrate. The present study was intended to evaluate the quick actions of cortisol and testosterone on enzymes, namely malic enzyme (ME), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) in Oreochromis mossambicus. Cortisol and testosterone produced rapid and opposite effects on the lipogenic enzymes studied. Cortisol significantly decreased the activities of ME, G6PDH, as early as 5 min and ICDH as early as 10 min in vitro (10(-6) M), and 30 min in vivo (0.1 microg/g body wt.) whereas the same doses of testosterone significantly stimulated the activity of all enzymes as early as 5 min in vitro and 30 min in vivo. Actinomycin D treatment did not interfere with the inhibiting effect of cortisol on enzyme activities when measured at 10 min in the in vitro system. The transcriptional inhibitor appeared to partially block the effect of cortisol in vivo. The stimulatory effect of testosterone was insensitive to the action of actinomycin D both in vivo and in vitro. These effects appear to be brought about independently of new protein synthesis because the rapid responses occurred within a latent period of 5-30 min and were insensitive to the action of actinomycin D, suggesting a non-genomic action.

The effects of feeding of 6-propylthiouracil (6-PTU) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) independently and in combination and administration (ip) of a single dose of triiodothyronine (T3) (2.5 microg/100 g body wt) along with feeding of 6-PTU and PUFA were studied in rat brain. Dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid (5-HIAA), norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) contents were assayed in the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex regions. It was found that 6-PTU feeding resulted in decrease in dopamine, 5-HT, 5-HTP and 5-HIAA in both regions. In animals fed with PUFA followed by administration of T3, the DA level was found normal.