The objective of the current study was to identify the effect of reusing the alkali solution on thermoduric count in pasteurized milk. The study was carried out in a commercial Dairy Plant, where reusing of alkali solution is not practiced. In the present study, 28 samples each were collected from raw milk, pasteurized milk, and alkali solution before and after its use. Equivalent numbers of samples from surface swab of storage tank were also collected after cleaning procedure. Immediately after collection samples were plated for evaluating Total Viable Count (TVC) and thermoduric count on plate count agar. The genera which comes under the thermoduric bacteria are characterized based on colony morphology, Gram staining, biochemical reactions and 16s rDNA PCR. The result indicated that the isolated organism was B. megaterium. The isolated organisms were subjected to acid, alkali and heat adaptation studies.

Green Leafy Vegetables (GLVs) are fresh-cut sections of edible plants that play an integral rolein the human diet as a source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. GLVs are generally cooked toimprove their quality and acceptability. It found that the cooking conditions and processing methodsaffect the nutritive value of GLVs. Fermentation seems to enhance the nutritional and medicinal value ofthe foods; hence, this study aimed to determine the proximate composition and functional properties ofyeast fermented Agathi leaves (Sesbania grandiflora). Collected Agathi leaves from a local farm werecleaned, washed and separated the leaves from the stalks. The leaves were subjected to various thermalprocessing such as boiling (20min), simmering (10min), steaming (10min) and dried at 60°C for fewhours. The dried leaf powders were dissolved in water at 1:10 ratio then fermented with 3% w/v Bakers’yeast for 20 hours in a shaking water bath. The fermented slurry was dried in a cabinet drier at 60°C for4-5 hours, made into powder and stored in air-tight containers under refrigeration condition until furtheranalysis. Phytochemicals, nutritional and functional properties of the fermented Agathi leaves powderswere analyzed by following standard procedures. Phytochemical screening of the fermented leavespowder showed the presence of Phenols, Steroids, Alkaloids, Glycosides, Saponins, Tannins, Quininesand Flavanoids in the aqueous extracts. Proximate anlaysis revealed that fermented Agathi leaf powdercontains 6.83-8.10% moisture, 35.59-45.90g% crude protein, 9.06-10.31% minerals, and 7.74-9.49g%crude fiber. The functional properties of the fermented leaf powders were 0.56-0.63g/ml for bulkdensity, 2.70-3.95g/g for Water Absorption Capacity (WAC), 0.96-1.20g/g for Oil Absorption Capacity(OAC), 30.99-51.83% for Foaming Capacity (FC) and 51.26-67.73% for Emulsifying Capacity (EC). Amarked difference in the nutrient content and functional properties of fermented and unfermented Agathileaf powders was observed. The findings suggest that fermented Agathi leaf powders are concentratedwith nutrients like protein, minerals, and crude fiber and exhibited good phytochemicals profiles andfunctional properties that can be used to develop functional food products for the malnourished

Background: Green leafy vegetables (GLVs) are seasonal and perishable nature. It undergoes substantial-quality changes immediately after harvest that may lead to loss of its freshness. Hence this experiment was aimed to process and preserve Agathi leaves by dehydration and study the influences of thermal processing and fermentation on its physicochemical and functional properties. Methods: Agathi leaves were separted from stalks, cleaned, washed then subjected to thermal treatments such as boiling (20 min), simmering (10 min) and steaming (10 min) followed fermentation with Baker’s yeast (3% w/w concentration, 20 hours incubation at pH 6.5, 30°C temperature). The processed leaves were cabinet dried at 60°C for 4-5 hours then powdered and stored in an airtight container. The physicochemical and functional properties of the Agathi leaf powders were determined by following standard methods. Result: The processed Agathi leaf powders contain 5.60-8.10% moisture, 35.12-45.90g/100g protein, 6.47-11.41g/100 g minerals and 7.74-9.75 g/100 g crude fibre. Bulk density, Water absorption capacity, Oil absorption capacity, Emulsifying activity and Foaming capacity of the leaf powders were ranged from 0.56 to 0.67g/mL, 2.69 to 3.95 g/g, 0.96 to 1.23 g/g, 48.26 to 67.73% and 23.06 to 51.83% respectively. Thermal and fermentation treatments have significantly changed/altered the physicochemical and functional properties of Agathi leaf powders. The findings suggest that Agahti leaf powder is rich in protein, minerals and crude fibre and showed good functional properties that could be used to develop functional food products.