Three experimental diets, viz. habitually consumed diet (D1), D1 + 34 g pulses (D2), D1 + 190 ml milk (D3) were fed to 18 healthy pre-adolescent girls of low socio-economic group. The additional amount of pulses/milk provided 8 g of additional protein/day. The overall results indicate that the supplementation of habitually consumed diet with a small amount of milk greatly improved the absorption and retention of trace minerals. Minimum daily intake of Zn, Cu and Mn required to maintain equilibrium of these minerals in pre-adolescent children was calculated using the prediction equations and was found to be 8.77, 2.01 and 1.91 mg, respectively. The requirement of Fe could not be calculated due to wide variations among the subjects.

The bioavailability of iron from habitually consumed diet by pre-adolescent children of low socio-economic group and the diet supplemented with additional 8 g of protein supplied by 34 g legumes (Green gram and Moth bean 1:1) or 195 ml of buffalo's milk to per day diet was studied in anaemic rats using haemoglobin regeneration method. The bioavailability of iron for haemoglobin regeneration relative to FeSO4 was 69.5 percent from milk supplemented diet as compared to 47.5 percent from the diet normally consumed by pre-adolescent children of low socio-economic group while legume supplementation to the diet showed no improvement.

fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, and triose phosphate isomerase in sorghum grain as compared to those in wheat grain.Keywords inorganic phosphates; liquid culturing; organic acids; starch synthesis; sorghum; wheat Abstract The path of carbon from sucrose to starch in developing grains appears to be different in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). In this paper we present indirect evidence in support of this hypothesis. Detached ears, carrying actively metabolising grains, were cultured in complete liquid media manipulated with respect to inorganic phosphates and organic acids. 14 C-incorporation studies indicated a higher level of metabolism of sucrose before starch formation in sorghum grain as compared to that in wheat grain. Starch and protein contents drastically decreased in sorghum grain in response to exogenously-supplied inorganic phosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate. In contrast, these inorganic phosphates had no such effect on starch and protein accumulation in wheat grain, a-ketoglutarate and citrate in sucrose-free culture medium increased the starch content of wheat grain. Conversely, these organic acids markedly decreased the starch content of sorghum grain. This difference in the response of wheat and sorghum grains to inorganic phosphates and organic acids leads us to suggest that whereas triose phosphates act as precursors of starch in sorghum grain, hexose phosphates and/or adenosine 5'-diphosphoglucose may act as direct precursors of starch in wheat grain. This hypothesis is supported by the observation of higher specific activities of some selected glycolytic enzymes, such as phosphoglucoisomerase, ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase,

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) was purified from rabbit liver to homogeneity by ultracentrifugation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Cellulose phosphate, CM-Sephadex and Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) on Mono-S column. The enzyme was purified approximately 20,000 fold with an approximate 2% recovery. The purified enzyme showed a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. GSK-3 is a monomeric enzyme with a molecular weight of 50,000-52,000 as derived from SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration. The purified enzyme was indeed a GSK-3 since it phosphorylated three sites, i.e., 3a, 3b, and 3c on liver glycogen synthase. GSK-3 incorporated up to 2.6 mol Pi/mol glycogen synthase subunit with a concomitant inactivation of glycogen synthase activity.