Cell suspensions (0.2 ml each) of three lactic streptococci were freeze-dried from distilled water. In order to determine the optimum conditions of rehydration the effect of different factors such as composition, temperature, and pH of rehydrating media on viability of the freezedried cells of the lactic streptococci has been studied. Rehydration of freeze-dried cells with 10% solution of dextrose, sucrose or reconstituted skim milk at pH 6.5 and 22°C can be recommended as optimum conditions for maximum recovery of viable cells.

The characterization and classification of smokeless tobacco products has been a continuously evolving process. This is based on a number of different parameters like nicotine content, moisture content, amount of heavy metals, pH, and in vitro cytotoxicity assays. Their contexts often vary between countries, research institutions, and legal requirements. The categorisation of these products is quite challenging due to the diffused sample sizes, diverse array of branded products on offer, and the absence of a centralized manufacturing facility. This study aims at a systematic classification of 10 smokeless tobacco product samples from the retail market based on their potential toxicity upon long-term use. The estimation of potential toxicity follows a well-established method that employs the concentration of toxic metals in the different samples. The potential toxicity as well as heavy metal concentrations of the smokeless tobacco products analysed was found to be much higher than acceptable limits. For instance, the levels of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc of 2.5, 1, 4 and 23 ppm, respectively, are well above their recommended limits. The results from the study indicate that chronic use of smokeless tobacco products is a significant health risk, especially in the vulnerable population. Further studies of this nature will help establish a toxicological fingerprint on the diverse class of products that floods the market now.

A total of 245 samples of Indian milk products comprising khoa, burfi, and pera were examined for chemical, microbiological, and organoleptic qualities, and samples were graded as ‘good,’ ‘fair,' and ‘poor'. The chemical composition of these products varied considerably. Higher bacterial and fungal counts were noted in khoa, as compared to burfi and pera. A variety of microorganisms such as micrococci, sarcinae, aerobic spore-formers, coliforms, staphylococci, streptococci, and lactobacilli were isolated from the samples.

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The influence of three different feeds, wheat straw, sorghum and berseem, on total and cellulolytic bacterial counts in the buffalo rumen at different time intervals from 0 to 8 h after feeding was studied. Berseem feeding supported maximum growth of rumen bacteria in general and cellulolytic bacteria in particular. Wheat straw supported the poorest growth. The types of cellulolytic bacteria recovered from the rumen of adult buffaloes were Ruminococcus albus, R. flavefaciens, Bacteroides succinogenes, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Clostridium lochheadii, Cl. longisporum and other Clostridium spp. Cellulolytic cocci were present in smaller numbers than rod forms in the rumen of wheat‐straw‐fed buffaloes, whereas the cocci outnumbered rod forms in sorghum‐and berseem‐fed buffaloes.