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Nowadays, studies about the anti‐obesity potential of probiotics are of growing interest. Lactobacilli are one of the well‐studied probiotics owing to their preventing effect on metabolic disorders. This study was undertaken to access the anti‐obesity effect of probiotic dahi containing Lactobacillus casei NCDC 19 on C57BL/6 mice. Feeding of probiotic dahi showed reduce body weight gain and epididymal fat weights. Moreover, blood glucose, plasma lipids and expression level of leptin were reduced and caecal bifidobacteria counts and adiponectin expression levels were significantly increased. It can be concluded that feeding of probiotic dahi containing L. casei NCDC 19 showed potential anti‐obesity effects.

Variation in the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity was evaluated in fourteen apricot varieties grown in north India. In the present study, the bioactive composition of apricot varieties of north Indian Kashmir was assessed by HPLC-MS/MS and their contribution towards free radical scavenging was assessed using DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays. Studies revealed that content of bioactive compounds in apricot varieties was found to vary significantly (p ≤ 0.05) among cultivars. Content of total phenols was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in Rakausilk variety (72.5±3.12 mg/100 g GAE) followed by Viva-gold (71.2±2.11 mg/100 g GAE) and Rakhchekarpo (69.6±1.65 mg/100 g GAE). Halman apricots exhibited the highest content of total carotenoids (12.2±2.13 mg/100 g) followed by Nugget (10.5±1.11 mg/100 g). HPLC analysis of apricot samples revealed the presence of fifteen phenolic acids in Halman, Venatchaa, Rakausilk and New Castle varieties; nine phenolic acid in Rakchekarpo and Sterling apricots; twelve phenolic acids in Shakanda, Nugget, Shakarpara and CITH-1 varieties; fourteen phenolic acid in Viva gold and Turkey varieties; seven phenolic acid in Khante and nineteen phenolic acids in CITH-2 apricots. Strong correlation existed between total phenolics and antioxidant activity for DPPH assay (r = 0.91) and ABTS radical inhibition (r = 0.86) while as moderate correlation existed for FRAP (r = 0.76). For DPPH and FRAP assays; EC 50 values among apricot varieties were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower in Rakausilk (69.2, 123.6 mg/ml) followed by Viva Gold (74.3, 129.5 mg/ml) and Rakhchekarpo (77.4, 132.4 mg/ml). For ABTS .+ inhibition the EC 50 values among apricot varieties were in the order of EC 50(Rakausilk) < EC 50(Khante) < EC 50(Viva Gold) . The present study reported the first time presence of p-coumaric acid-O-hexoside, isorhamnetin-O-glucouronide, Kaempferol-3-O-acetylhexoside, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, sinapic acid-Ohexoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, vitexin and luteolin-7-O-rutinoside compounds in apricot varieties of north India.

Quince fruits harvested at commercial maturity were evaluated for using the feasibility of gamma irradiation to maintain storage quality and extend shelf-life. Matured green quince fruits were irradiated in the dose range of 0.3-2.1 kGy followed by storage under ambient (temperature 15 ± 2°C, RH 85%) conditions. The fruits were evaluated at intervals of 5 days for various physico-chemical parameters to investigate the effect. Studies revealed that irradiation treatment significantly (p ≤ 0.05) maintained the storage quality of quince fruit under ambient conditions. Positive correlations (r = 0.88) existed between the irradiation treatment and firmness retention, while as an inverse correlation (r = -0.89) existed between radiation treatment and water soluble pectin. Color scores of the fruits showed that extent of decrease in L value was 13.1% in control fruits compared to 3.4% and 2.8% in 1.8 kGy and 2.1 kGy irradiated fruits after 30 days of storage. Retention of higher hue values (79.8) in 2.1 kGy treated fruits indicated inhibition of chlorophyll degradation at higher doses. Microbial analysis indicated that in samples irradiated at 1.8 and 2.1 kGy, no microbial load was detected up to 15 days of ambient storage and resulted in about 2.4 log reduction in microbial load after 30 days of storage. Dose range of 1.8-2.1 kGy significantly inhibited the decaying of quince and resulted in about 40 days extension under ambient storage.

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