Plastic fats and margarines through fractionation, blending and interesterification of milk fatMilk fat stearins and oleins were blended with high-and low-melting natural fats to produce plastic fats, vanaspati substitute and confectionery fats. Margarines of improved nutritional value were also formulated. Fractionation was carried out using acetone, hexane, and isopropyl alcohol. The yield (wt-%) of high-melting stearin (HMS) from acetone and IPA was 13.0 6 0.2 to 13.3 6 0.1 after crystallization for 24 h at 20 7C. The melting point of the products was 49.0 6 0.5 to 49.8 6 0.6 7C. However, in hexane the yield of HMS was 12.2 6 0.2% at 10 7C. The olein fractions were further fractionated at 10 7C from acetone and IPA, and at 0 7C from hexane, to obtain superoleins and low-melting stearins (LMS). HMS fractions were blended with rice bran oil and cottonseed oil at the ratio 70 : 30 (wt/wt), and the superoleins were blended with sal fat and palm stearin at the ratios 40 : 60, 30 : 70 and 20 : 80 (wt/wt). The blends were interesterified (product melting point: 22.7 6 0.04 to 39.3 6 0.10 7C) chemically and enzymatically to prepare margarine. The penetration values (in 0.1 mm) of these margarines were noted to be 112 6 1.52 to 145 6 0.00.

Among subtropical fruits Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana L.) one of the most common fruit crop, grown under neglected soil types. It is a drought hardy and can grow under the most hazardous conditions of soil, water and climate and thus it has rightly been recommended for the arid and desert area of India [1]. It is found growing wild as well as in cultivated forms throughout the warmer regions up to an altitude of 1500 metres above Mean Sea Level. The experiment comprised 13 treatments consisting of foliar spray of GA3, NAA, Urea and control. The treatments are as follows- T0 Control (water spray), T1 (GA3 @10 ppm), T2 (GA3 @20 ppm), T3 (NAA @20 ppm), T4 (NAA @40 ppm), T5 (Urea @1.0%), T6 (Urea @1.5%), T7 (GA3 @10 ppm + NAA @20 ppm + Urea @1.0%), T8 (GA3 @20 ppm + NAA @40 ppm + urea @1.5%). Mentioned solutions with different concentration were sprayed by foot sprayer in the morning hours and selected branches were fully drenched. On the basis of sprays of plant growth regulators i.e. GA3 and NAA and urea as well as their combined treatments influenced different parameters in this research trial. The combined treatments of GA3 20 ppm + NAA 40 ppm + urea 1.5% maximized initial fruit set, fruit retention, fruit volume, length of fruit, fruit diameter, fruit weight, pulp weight, pulp/stone ratio and minimized the fruit drop, stone weight content. The second effective treatment was GA3 10 ppm + NAA 20 ppm + urea 1.0% identified in present investigation.