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This study explores the possibility of simultaneous and specific detection of Salmonella serovars by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The Plasmonic ® SPR device was used to develop this rapid assay. The sandwich immunoassay involves the use of a polyclonal anti-Salmonella antibody to simultaneous capture multiple Salmonella serovars present in a sample. This is followed by specific detection of the captured serovars using O-specific anti-Salmonella antibodies. Milk spiked with Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis was used as a model system to establish the assay. The assay was further extended to sequentially differentiate between the two Salmonella serovars on a single SPR chip in a single channel. The assay was proved to work without any additional dilution or clean-up steps. The sample volume requirement for the assay is only 10 µL. The lower limits of detection for Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis were 2.50×10 5 cells mL -1 and 2.50×10 8 cells mL -1 , respectively.

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Soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber contents, rapidly and slowly digestible starch contents, arabinoxylans, β-glucans, fructans, resistant starch, amylose and total sugar contents, minerals and trace elements compositions and proximate compositions of three finger millet varieties, namely Ravi, Rawana and Oshadha, were evaluated using standard protocols. There were no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) among the rapidly digestible starch, arabinoxylans, β-glucans, fructans, amylose, total sugar, protein, crude fat and crude fiber contents of Ravi, Rawana and Oshadha varieties. Total dietary fiber contents varied between 13.01% (Ravi) and 13.79% (Oshadha). Slowly digestible starch contents ranged from 43.38% (Ravi) to 49.15% (Oshadha) and resistant starch contents ranged from 3.75% (Ravi) to 4.58% (Oshadha). Ash content of Ravi (3.22%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than ash contents of other two varieties. Average sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and phosphorous contents of three finger millet varieties were 12.04, 141.78, 407.15, 345.62, 3.49, 1.89 and 331.07 mg/100 g, respectively. Findings of the present study indicated that studied finger millet varieties were good sources of dietary fibers (including resistant starch) as well as minerals and trace elements (especially potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron) when compared to commonly consumed cereals such as rice and wheat.

We study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the groundnut value chain and all the actors involved in its value chain in Ananthapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh, a leading groundnut producing state in south India. The results revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic created a double burden on farmers by disrupting farm production on one side and decreased diet diversity on the other. Disruption in farm productions resulted in a decline in household income and increased consumer food prices. The effect on farmers snowballed to other actors in the value chain, and all the actors were affected variably. Availability of storage infrastructure would have saved the farmer’s household income to some extent during the pandemic. Supply of diverse nutrient foods through the existing public distribution system, which mostly provides wheat and rice, might have helped tackle the diet diversity issue amongst farmers. Farmer’s collectives were perceived to reduce the negative impact during natural disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic by helping to organise smallholder farmers, minimise transaction costs and increase their bargaining power. In addition, effective farm extension services, including market information, could have benefited farmers during the crisis.