Phenolic compounds of nutraceutical importance viz., catechins (C), (−)-epicatechin (EC), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and (−)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) were estimated in fresh green tea shoots of Camellia sinensis (L) O Kuntze cultivar. The total polyphenols and total catechins were in the range of 219.90 to 317.81 and 140.83 to 271.39 g/kg, respectively in monthly samples of tea. The values of C, EC, EGC, EGCG and ECG in tea powders as analyzed through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were in the range of 1.560 to 3.661, 13.338 to 27.766, 26.515 to 39.597, 62.903 to 102.168 and 18.969 to 39.469 mg/g, respectively. Effect of tea extracts and standard flavanols against five pathogenic bacteria viz., Listeria monocytogenes (MTCC-839), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC-741), Bacillus cereus (MTCC-1272), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-96) and Escherichia coli (MTCC-443), and eleven indigenous potential bacterial probiotics belonging to genera Enterococcus, Bacillus and Lactobacillus spp. obtained from fermented foods of Western Himalayas, was investigated. EGCG, ECG and EGC exhibited antibacterial activity but, C and EC did not show this activity. Tea extracts having high concentrations of EGCG and ECG were more potent in antibacterial action against bacterial pathogens. Tea extracts and standard flavan-3-ols augmented viability of potential probiotics in an order of EGCG > EGC > ECG > EC > C. Tea extracts and standard flavanols had no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (MTCC-443) but, in combination with probiotic culture supernatants, this activity was seen. The Kangra tea thus, exerts antibacterial effect on bacterial pathogens through EGCG, ECG and EGC constituents while stimulatory effect on growth of indigenous potential probiotics.

Due to the increasing demand for enzymes in various industries, there is enormous interest in research on enzymes suitable for commercial applications and their cost effective production techniques. Thermophilic microorganisms have gained a great deal of attention. Hence, the enzyme from these microorganisms is of special interest because these are not usually denatured by high temperature and are active at elevated temperature. The amylase from thermophilic bacteria of hot springs which are supposed to be unexploited niches may have wide industrial applications. The application of extracted amylase from the bacterial isolates was evaluated for apple and kiwi juice yield and clarification. An application of 0.75 per cent of amylase yielded 58 per cent of apple juice and yielded 54 percent of kiwi juice from J2 isolate. The bacterial amylases were also evaluated for the preparation of bun where the maximum leavening activity of 2.60 ml/h at 0.75 per cent concentration for J2. Further, quality of buns from the selected concentration was also recorded. The loaf volume was recorded to be 177.43 cm 3 and 179.11cm 3 for J2 at the amylase concentration of 0.75 per cent. Hence, amylase yield, stability and the low cost substrate production supported the hypothesis that microbial enzymes have potential in food industries. These natural resources need to be exploited for commercial enzymes.

No abstract

In vivo studies on broiler birds were carried out to evaluate effect of aflatoxin and seabuckthorn leaves on microsomal enzyme system, antioxidant enzymes and biochemical parameters i.e. serum triglyceride, total plasma protein, aminopyrine demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, catalase, LPO, superoxide dismutase, GSH, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels in poultry. The poultry birds were divided into six groups containing six birds each. Aflatoxin (400 ppb) and seabuckthorn leaves (10000ppm) was administered continuously in poultry feed. Aflatoxin increased serum triglyceride, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels where as seabuckthorn leaves supplementation at 10000ppm significantly decreased triglyceride (P<0.05), blood urea nitrogen (P<0.05) and creatinine levels in birds. Toxin decreased liver, kidney and blood superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) activity, whereas, seabuckthorn leaves (SBTL) increased the activity of these enzymes as compared to control group. The level of lipid peroxidation was significantly increased in the toxin exposed group and decreased in case of SBTL. The activity of Aminopyrine demethylase and Aniline hydroxylase increased, while the activity of NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase is decreased in case of toxin group whereas in case of seabuckthorn leaves exposed group showed no significant change in case of aminopyrine demethylase and NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, however, the activity of Aniline hydroxylase decreased. On the basis of present study, it could be concluded that the seabuckthorn leaves reduced the effect of Aflatoxin which produced oxidative stress by altering the levels of antioxidant enzymes of liver and kidney in adult poultry birds

Amylase is a hydrolytic enzyme that is used widely in industries. It is easier to produce enzymes from bacteria than any other organism. The present work focused on the production of amylase enzyme from bacteria isolated, from hot water spring of Manikaran. The amylase producing bacterial strain screening was performed using starch agar plates. Various biochemical tests were carried out and molecularly; it was identified as Bacillus cereus. Optimum conditions such as temperature, pH and incubation period were optimized for maximum enzyme production from B. cereus. The optimum pH was found to be 9.0 and temperature was 45°C and 72 h of incubation period. The enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation method and it was purified by dialysis. After dialysis, partial purified enzyme was immobilized by entrapment method with sodium alginate as natural matrix. The highest operational stability was six reuses with 54% relative activity and storage stability up to 35 days with more than 50% residual activity. The K m and V max of immobilized enzyme were determined and compared with free enzyme.