Comparative evaluation of ethylene oxide, electron beam and gamma irradiation treatments on commonly cultivated red chilli cultivars (Kunri and Hybrid) of Sindh, Pakistan.

Chillies are considered a universal ingredient for imparting flavor and pungency to foods. Pakistan stood in the top twenty countries worldwide by producing 82 thousand Tons of chillies during 2022-23. Chilli fungal contamination and aflatoxin production during drying is a common problem during post-harvest process. Gasses treatment and Ionizing radiations are efficient methods for reducing toxigenic and pathogenic microbial growth in food items. The current study was designed to compare the effects of ethylene oxide (ETO), gamma (GB) & electron beam (EB) treatments on two red chilli local cultivars (Kunri and Hybrid) of Pakistan. After treatment, the chilli samples were analyzed for aflatoxins, physicochemical, quality & safety attributes. All results were subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), dendrogram and ANOVA to check the correlations, grouping and level of significance within the varieties and treatments. The results showed that moisture and water activity mainly designated PC-2 directions and are slightly positively correlated. Conversely, both fat and proteins have a negative correlation with moisture, ash and water activity. Besides, carotenoids and ABTS assay mainly designated PC-2 directions and are slightly positively correlated. Color, flavonoids and TPC also possess positive correlations among them. ETO depicts effectiveness in the reduction of E. coli but is not effective in saving antioxidant potential such as total flavonoids. Similarly, gamma irradiations showed strong reduction trends in fungal and pathogenic count, however same trend was observed in ascorbic acid too. Besides, the electron beam with dosage levels of 12 and 15 kGy has shown effectiveness against Aspergillus spp., aflatoxins and pathogenic microbial load in addition to saving antioxidant potential (phenolics and flavonoids), physicochemical parameters and color values compared to other applied methods especially in Kunri variety. It was evident from the research that varietal combination in addition to applied treatment must be specially considered while designing a treatment for chillies.

Development of chicken tender pops by utilizing pomegranate peel powder.

Pomegranate peel powder (PPP) is a rich source of many bioactive components particularly polyphenols that are interlinked to various technological and functional properties. In the present study, chicken tender pops were developed with incorporation of PPP, and its effect on quality attributes and storage stability of the product were evaluated. The treatments were formulated using 0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% PPP in replacement of chicken. The physicochemical properties, texture profile, instrumental color, sensory attributes, and storage stability were assessed for 21 days at refrigeration temperature, at a regular interval of 7 days. The results indicated that the inclusion of PPP significantly (p < .05) increased the dietary fiber from 0.25% in T0 to 1.45% in T3 at Day 0 and WHC 43.60% ± 0.02 in T0 to 49.36% ± 0.02 in T3 at Day 0, whereas the moisture content significantly reduced from 60.05% ± 0.03 in T0 to 55.08% ± 0.01 in T3 at the start of the study. In addition, the values of TBARS were significantly (p < .05) reduced for treated samples 0.72 mg MDA/Kg in T3 as compared to control 1.17 mg MDA/Kg on the 21st day of storage, whereas a significant increase (p < .05) in TPC from 0.90 mg GAE/g to 3.87 mg GAE/g in T0 to T3 was observed at the start of the study. For TPA, a significant (p < .05) increase was noticed in hardness, chewiness, and gumminess, whereas cohesiveness and springiness showed a non-significant (p > .05) change in treated samples in relation to control, and the instrumental color (L* and a*) decreased significantly. However, pH, crude fiber, fat, ash, and protein content showed non-significant (p > .05) variations over time. The sensory evaluation suggested that chicken tender pops supplemented with 6% PPP (T2) presented high overall acceptability and balanced organoleptic properties. Hence, it can be concluded that PPP can be effectively utilized as a natural fiber source, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agent in novel functional foods.

Comparison of Thawing Treatments on Quality, Microbiota, and Organoleptic Characteristics of Chicken Meat Fillets.

The current research attempted to evaluate the impact of various thawing techniques (R0: control group, R1: water immersion thawing, R2: low-temperature thawing, R3: combined thawing, water thawing then low-temperature thawing, R4: combination thawing, low temperature thawing then water thawing, and R5: oven thawing) on the quality, microbiota, and organoleptic characteristics of chicken meat fillets. The findings showed that moisture content varied from 74.43 to 72.33%; thawing loss peaked in R1 at 4.66%, while it was minimum in R5 at 2.10%. Lipid content varied from 1.09% in R0 to 1.03% in R5, while protein content varied from 22.06% in R0 to 23.10% in R1. The values of shear force, protein, and lipid oxidation increased for all treatments compared to control, ranging from 7.94 N to 9.54 N, 0.99-1.21 nm/mg protein, and 0.74-1.15 mg MDA/Kg, respectively. On the other hand, pH (5.94 in R4) and protein solubility (238.63 mg/g in R1) were decreased in contrast to the control group (6.08 and 298.27 mg/g). In association with different methods, R5 and R2 showed minimal thawing loss and the highest lipid and protein oxidation rates. However, R3 showed reduced shear force and lipid oxidation comparatively. TPC was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in both R2 and R1. Sensory evaluation indicated that R3 and R2 showed better color and taste, while R1 showed minimum scores for organoleptic attributes. R0, R3, and R5 obtained a higher sensory score, whereas R1, R2, and R4 showed a lower score. However, R5 exhibited better results in close association with the control group (R0). Hence, it can be concluded that freezing and subsequent thawing decrease the quality of chicken fillets due to the time required for thawing. In the present study, the best quality of chicken fillets was retained by R3 and R5 due to their reduced thawing periods.

Radiation Therapies in Cancer.

A crucial element of cancer treatment is radiation therapy that is used to destroy tumors and cancer cells through radiation. Another essential component is immunotherapy that helps immune system to combat cancer. The combination of both radiation therapy and immunotherapy is being focused recently for the treatment of many tumors. Chemotherapy includes the use of some chemical agent to control the growth of cancer, whereas irradiation involves the use of radiations of high energy to kill cancer cells. The union of both became the strongest practice in cancer treatment techniques. Specific chemotherapies are combined with radiation in the treatment of cancer after proper preclinical assessment of their effectiveness. Some classes of compounds include platinum-based drugs, antimicrotubules, antimetabolites (5-Fluorouracil, Capecitabine, Gemcitabine, Pemetrexed), topoisomerase I inhibitors, alkylating agents (Temozolomide), and other agents (Mitomycin-C, Hypoxic Sensitizers, Nimorazole).

Hormonal Therapies in Cancers.

The hormonal therapy for cancer has become a household name and the series of experiments performed leading to the discovery of hormones use in the treatments of breast cancer. The hormones like antiestrogen, aromatase restrictors, antiandrogens, and use of extremely strong luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists to perform a "medical hypophysectomy" because of their ability of causing desensitization in the pituitary gland have proven their value in the treatment of cancers over the last two decades. Millions of women still use hormonal therapy for menopause symptoms. Estrogen plus progestin or estrogen separately utilized as a menopause hormonal therapy throughout the world. Women receiving different premenopausal and postmenopausal hormonal therapies are on higher risk of having ovarian cancer. The risk of ovarian cancer did not increase with the increase of duration of hormonal therapy. Postmenopausal hormone use was found to be inversely related to major colorectal adenomas.

Supplementation of PUFA extracted from microalgae for the development of chicken patties.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in development of a diverse range of foods that are enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. It is widely recognized that through dietary interventions, the lipid fraction of food can be modified to enhance its nutritional content. This study is aimed to develop chicken patties enriched with poly unstaurated fatty acids (PUFAs) extracted from microalgae aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) concentration of 0% (T0), 1% (T1), 2% (T2), and 3% (T3). All treatments were stored at -18 °C for one month and analysed at an interval of 0, 10, 20, and 30 days to assess the effect of PUFAs supplementation on physicochemical, oxidative, microbiological and organoleptic properties of chicken patties. The results revealed that moisture content was significantly increased during the storage; the maximum moisture was observed in T0 (67.25% ± 0.03) on day 0, while the minimun was found in T3 (64.69% ± 0.04) on day 30. Supplemenatation of PUFAs in chicken patties significantly enhanced the fat content of the product the highest fat content was observed for T3 (9.7% ± 0.06. An increase in PUFAs concentration led to a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). TBARS were increased from 1.22 ± 0.43 at 0 days to 1.48 ± 0.39 at 30 days of storage. The PUFAs incorporation negatively effected sensory acceptance of the product ranging from (8.41 ± 0.17 to 7.28 ± 0.12). However, the sensory scores were in acceptable range for supplemented patties as compared to control sample. Treatment T3 depicted the highest nutritional content. The sensory and physiochemical analysis of supplemented patties suggested that PUFAs extracted from microalgae can be used as a functional ingredient in the preparation various meat products particularly chicken meta patties. However, antioxidants should be added to to prevent lipid oxidation in the product.

Nutritional probing and storage stability of papaya jam supplemented with date pit powder.

Jam Quality is a factor robustly influenced by storage conditions. The current research aimed to develop papaya jam with improved nutritional attributes, rheological profile, and shelf-life utilizing date pit powder as a functional ingredient. The effect of date pit powder on the formulated product's physicochemical, microbial, and organoleptic properties was analyzed. Results revealed that overall mineral profile (0.35-1.11%), crude fiber (0.56-2.01%), pH (3.51-3.70%), and antioxidant properties (22.97-30.67%) were significantly increased while water activity reduced (0.77-0.73). Moreover, date pit powder improved the color scores like a*(10.10-10.67), b* (8.13-8.78), L* (25.56-28.09), and textural attributes (Cohesiveness: 0.83-0.90; Firmness: 6.82-6.93) of functional papaya jam. Microbial count reduced from 3.60 × 105-3.06 × 105 cfu/ml by adding date pit powder and staying within the acceptable limit (4.13 × 105-3.60 × 105 cfu/ml) during 2-month storage at refrigeration. Organoleptic evaluation depicted that samples treated with date pit powder scored better than the control, and a sample with 75% pectin replacement was considered best.

Supplementation of banana peel powder for the development of functional broiler nuggets.

Banana peel powder is considered one of the most nutritive and effective waste product to be utilized as a functional additive in the food industry. This study aimed to determine the impact of banana peel powder at concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6% on the nutritional composition, physicochemical parameters, antioxidant potential, cooking properties, microbial count, and organoleptic properties of functional nuggets during storage at refrigeration temperature for 21 days. Results showed a significant increase in nutritional content including ash and crude fiber ranging from 2.52 ± 0.017% to 6.45 ± 0.01% and 0.51 ± 0.01% to 2.13 ± 0.01%, respectively, whereas a significant decrease was observed in crude protein and crude fat ranging from 13.71 ± 0.02% to 8.92 ± 0.02% and 9.25 ± 0.02% to 4.51 ± 0.01%, respectively. The incorporation of banana peel powder significantly improved the Water Holding Capacity from 5.17% to 8.37%, cooking yield from 83.20 ± 0.20% to 87.73 ± 0.16% and cooking loss from 20.19 ± 0.290% to 13.98 ± 0.15%. Antioxidant potential was significantly improved as TPC of functional nuggets increased ranging from 3.73 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g to 8.53 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g while a decrease in TBARS (0.18 ± 0.02 mg malonaldehyde/kg to 0.14 ± 0.02 mg malonaldehyde/kg) was observed. Furthermore, functional broiler nuggets depicted a significantly reduced total plate count (3.06-4.20 × 105 CFU/g) than control, which is likely due to high amounts of phenolic compounds in BPP. Broiler nuggets supplemented with 2% BPP (T1) received the greatest sensory scores in terms of flavour, tenderness, and juiciness. Results of current study revealed the potential of BPP to be utilized as an effective natural source of fibre supplementation in food products along with enhanced antioxidant and anti-microbial properties.

Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of an Efficient Siderophore Producing Bacterium From Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil.

An efficient siderophore producing strain, YQ9, was isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil and identified as Burkholderia vietnamiensis. To the best of our known, the strain owns the highest siderophore producing capacity among genus Burkholderia with 96.6% siderophore unit. Moreover, B. vietnamiensis YQ9 has good adaptability to different pH values, temperatures, NaCl, and Fe3+ concentrations. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of heavy metals and antibiotics were also tested. It was found that the MIC values of strain YQ9 to several major soil heavy metal pollutants, such as Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ reached 3000, 5000, 4500, and 1000 µmol·L-1, respectively. And YQ9 was sensitive to 4 of 8 test antibiotics, including rifampicin, kanamycin, doxycycline hyclate, and gentamicin (25, 25, 30, and 30 µg·mL-1, respectively). Strain YQ9 also owns the ability to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase and dissolve phosphorus. The IAA production capacity was 6.93 mg·L-1, the ACC deaminase activity was 8.71 µmol α-KA·(h·mg)-1, and the phosphorus dissolving capacity of YQ9 was 104.05 mg·L-1. The traits were excellent, and the strain was qualified as a candidate for microbial reinforcement of phytoremediation in soil contaminated by heavy metals.

Exploring the potential of curry leaves on mercury-induced hepatorenal toxicity in an animal model.

Herbal drugs play an imperative role in healthcare programs in developing countries. Curry leaves have wide medicinal importance and are used to treat various diseases traditionally. The current study was carried out to estimate the extent of mercury toxicity and the potential effect of curry leaves against defined toxicity. The study group comprised 24 rats weighing between 130 and150 g. Group 1 was kept normal, and group 2 was exposed to mercury at 0.4 mg/kg of body weight in the form of mercuric chloride (HgCl2). The group 3 animals were treated with curry leaves with a dosage of 300 mg/kg of body weight. Group 4 was treated with curry leaves along with mercury with a dosage of 300 and 0.4 mg/kg consecutively. After 28 days, the rats were killed. Blood sample of all groups were evaluated separately to determine the results of different parameters. The results show that ALP, AST, ALT, urea, bilirubin, and creatinine increased with mercury application and decreased with curry leaf exposure. SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR of the liver as well as the kidney depleted on mercury exposure whereas they increased with curry leaf application. HDL increased with curry leaf application and decreased with mercury treatment, while LDL, triglyceride, and cholesterol decreased with curry leaves and increased with mercury exposure. Organ index in mercury along with curry leaf application got close to normal.

Physicochemical analysis of mango flavored yogurt supplemented with moringa oleifera leaf powder.

The fermented foods are same as traditional food, in appearance and consumed as normal foods but have modified by the addition of certain pro & pre-biotics or fortification with the plant extract, which have specific physiological roles beyond just satisfying nutrition requirement. Fresh leaves of Moringa oleifera were collected from the field of Institutes of Agriculture Sciences, then dried and grounded. The proximate analysis of dried moringa leaf powder and milk was performed. In four different concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2%) Moringa Oleifera leaf powder, was used for the production of fortified flavoured yogurt, while mango flavor and color was added to enhance its sensory characteristics. Physicochemical analysis (pH, acidity, ash, fat, protein, fiber, synersis, total solid content and moisture content) was done to check the yogurt nutritional profile and effect of moringa dried leaf powder on it. Sensory evaluation (body texture, appearance, color, taste, aroma, flavor and overall acceptability) is also done by expert panel of food scientist (n = 20) by using hedonic scale to check the acceptability and quality of product.To check the product shelf life stability, product is stored at 5 ± 1 ºC for 15 days and observed for its physicochemical changes and sensory attributes. The sample were analyzed for their stablity as fresh and during storage interval of 10th day and 15th day. Results shows that mango flavored yogurt supplemented with 1% Moringa Oleifera leaf powder has got the highest score in majority of the sensory attributes such as body and texture, flavor, taste and overall acceptability over the storage period of 15 days at 5 ± 1 °C. All treatment showed significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) result from each other. However, higher acidity%, total solids%, protein% and synersis value were observed, than control samples on 0 days (fresh), 10 days and 15 days storage, respectively. While all treatments have less pH and moisture content than control during fresh condition and over storage time of 15 days while fat content was nearly same in all treatments and control sample.

Vitex negundo Linn.: phytochemical composition, nutritional analysis, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.

Vitex negundo (VN) is a widely used plant in folk medicine, namely for the treatment of jaundice, wounds, body ache, toothache, asthma, eye pain, and migraine. These effects have been increasingly attributed to its chemical composition. Here, we assessed the VN chemical and nutritional composition and biological activity, with particular emphasis on antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. VN methanol and hexane extracts revealed the presence of important phytochemical, such as terpenoids, polyphenol, steroids, saponins, phenolic compound and flavonoids. Total phenolic content of VN methanol extract from bark was 1082.473 mg/g GAE and that of leaves was 1382.984 mg/g GAE. The total flavonoids content in VN methanol extract from VN bark was 127.744 mg/g QE and that of leaves was 123.776 mg/g QE. VN methanol extract from bark exhibited high antioxidant effects (IC50=38.47 ppm). The content (%) of ash, moisture, crude fiber, crude protein and fat in VN leaves was, respectively, 7.86%, 18.35%, 6.52%, 9.687% and 6.19%. VN leaves methanol extract revealed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition halos being, respectively, 13 mm and 14 mm, and the MBC values were found to be 1.562 mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively. Similarly, VN bark methanol extract led to inhibition halos of 18 mm and 15 mm for B. subtilis and S. aureus, respectively, and the MBC values were found to be 2.372 mg/mL and 0.245 mg/mL. GC-MS analysis of the VN bark methanol extract revealed that monoolein was the major compounds, with an area of 0.57%. Thus, our results encourage the potential use of VN as a medicinal product, with high protein contents, and prominent antioxidant and anti-bacterial effects.

Palmatine antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities: A pre-clinical assessment.

There is evidence that palmatine (PA), an alkaloid isolated from the Guatteria friesiana plant, has some important biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects. In this study, the antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) effects of PA were assessed. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated in vitro and in vivo through 7 distinct assays, and the anti-AChE activity was determined in vitro. The standards, trolox and ascorbic acid were used for the in vitro antioxidant test, while hydrogen peroxide was selected as a stressor for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae test. Additionally, PA was also combined with trolox and ascorbic acid to determine the likelihood of synergistic effects occurrence to what concerns to antioxidant potential. PA exhibited a potent and concentration-dependent antioxidant potential, although a stronger antioxidant activity was stated using the PA + trolox combination. PA was also found to inhibit AChE activity when compared to the negative control. Thus, PA may be viewed as a promissory phytotherapeutic agent to manage oxidative stress-mediated neurological diseases, especially the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Modulatory-antibiotic activity of the essential oil from Eucalyptus citriodora against MDR bacterial strains.

The growing number of bacterial strains resistant to therapeutic agents has been surpassing the various antibiotics developed by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. This problem has driven the development of research using agents with antimicrobial potential, with an emphasis on plant-derived natural products. This study evaluated the chemical compounds present in Eucalyptus citriodora essential oil (EOEc) cultivated in northeastern Brazil and its properties as an antibacterial agent and resistance modifier against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and ß-lactamase-producing strains. The EOEc was obtained using the hydrodistillation method, later analyzed by GC/MS, presenting a total of twelve compounds, with citronellal (65.45%); citronellol (14.87%); isopulegol (11.80%) and citronellyl acetate (2.51%) as its main constituents. The microdilution test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the bacterial resistance modulation of the essential oil. The EOEc did not present significant activity against the tested strains (MIC > 1000 µg mL-1). However, when evaluating the capacity of the EOEc to modify the resistance of S. aureus and E. coli strains to different antimicrobials, synergistic effects were obtained with reduced MIC values for all tested antibiotics being obtained. The EOEc showed antimicrobial and ß-lactam optimizing potential against resistant strains, presenting itself as a possible alternative for the use of these drugs at concentrations lower than those indicated against resistant strains.

Anxiolytic-like effects of Moringa oleifera in Swiss mice.

Moringa oleifera is evident to act against many neurological diseases, including muscle spasm, epilepsy, nervousness, fatigue, memory impairment, convulsion, and epilepsy. Anxiety represents the most common and disabling psychiatric condition, being often associated with depressive symptoms. This study investigated the anxiolytic-like effects of crude organic fractions of M. oleifera leaves in different behavioral paradigms that evaluate anxiety in mice. To this end, mice were administered with crude extracts (500 mg/kg, p.o.) and/or diazepam (2 mg/kg, p.o.), and submitted to behavioral tests. In the open-field test, the number of square field cross, grooming and rearing were calculated, while in light-dark and swing test were, respectively, the time spent in dark portion and number of swings. Each test was performed for 3 min. M. oleifera leaf methanol and n-hexane extracts elicited an anxiolytic-like effect observed by increased total time in the center and decreased number of rearings and groomings responses in the open field and swing tests, and residence in the dark portion in the light-dark box, similar to the diazepam group. A moderate anxiolytic effect was observed in the aqueous fraction group, while insignificant effects were recorded in the ethyl acetate fraction group in all test paradigms. In addition, both extracts potentiate the calming effects of diazepam in experimental animals. Preliminary phytochemical reports suggest that M. oleifera contains alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, steroids, glycosides, saponins, tannin, terpenes, and gums. Of note, the results expand the understanding of M. oleifera effects in central nervous system and suggest that plant metabolites may be helpful for anxiety-related disorders management.

Untargeted profiling of field cultivated bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.) based on metabolite analysis.

Bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.) is an aromatic South African indigenous plant used for many decades as a health beverage and medicine. Several studies have extensively investigated wild bush tea's secondary metabolites, but the entire profiling of cultivated bush tea's metabolites is limited in the literature. Thus, the objective of this study was to profile cultivated bush tea metabolites using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). The 31 metabolites profiled included; benjaminamide, chlorogenate, chrysosplenetin, coumarin, 6Z-docosenamide, naringenin 7-O-ß-d-glucoside, 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid, integrastatin A, luteolin 7-O-(6-O-malonyl-ß-d-glucoside), 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, magnoshinin, okanin, (2S)-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-6,8-dimethylflavanone, (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadecatrienoic acid, 2″-deamino-2″-hydroxy-6″-dehydroparomamine, O-butanoylcarnitine, myricitrin, gorlic acid, tetracenomycin X, sakuranin, d-tryptophan, linoleamide, laricitrin 7-monoglucoside, l-ß-phenylalanine, l-proline, pheophytin A, pheophorbide A, PI(18:0/20:4(8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z), stearidonic acid, and gibberellin A14 aldehyde. These annotated metabolites included phenolics, flavonoids, and quinic acids, indicating that bush tea is rich in metabolites, which have a potential wide range of health benefits.

Phytochemical characterization of the Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. metabolites by UPLC-QTOF and antifungal activity evaluation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal and modulatory potential of the Ziziphus joazeiro bark and leaf extracts, both in isolation and in association with fluconazole, against resistant species from the Candida genus. Antifungal assays were used to determine the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the extract in isolation and in combination with fluconazole using the broth microdilution method and spectrophotometric readings, followed by verification of the minimum fungicidal concentration by solid medium subculture. According to the cell viability curve, both extracts inhibited fungal growth in a concentration dependent manner, in addition to showing inhibitory concentrations similar to fluconazole. However, the extracts behaved in a fungistatic manner with minimum inhibitory concentration > 8.19 mg/mL and IC50 values ranging from 0.450 mg/mL to 9 mg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration for both extracts decreased when in combination with fluconazole, with the AEL standing out against Candida albicans URM 4387, displaying an IC50 equal to that of fluconazole (0.002 mg/mL). Nevertheless, fluconazole antagonism was observed against the tested strains. Overall, the evaluation of both extracts against Candida spp. presented inhibitory concentration values greater than fluconazole. Moreover, despite these being chemically complex crude extracts, they did demonstrate antifungal effects and properties that concur with their ethno-biological aspect.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 in raw and processed milk and assessment of daily intake in Lahore, Multan cities of Pakistan.

In this survey aflatoxin, M1 was quantified in raw and processed milk from various areas of two big cities of Punjab province, i.e. Lahore and Multan. The results indicated that approximately 90% of the raw milk samples collected from Lahore city was contaminated with aflatoxin M1. Similarly, around 92% of the raw milk samples collected from Multan city was contaminated with aflatoxin M1. All samples of processed milk and tea whiteners were contaminated and 56% of the contaminated processed milk samples and 66% of the contaminated tea whitener samples were violating the maximum limits. The dietary exposure data of AFM1 among six different groups was calculated, which indicated that the male children population was the most vulnerable group to AFM1, up to 6.68 ng L-1 per day and the least affected one was the female group above 20 years of age with 1.13 ng L-1 per day.

Evidence of genetically diverse virulent mating types of Phytophthora capsici from Capsicum annum L.

Chili pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is an important economic crop that is severely destroyed by the filamentous oomycete Phytophthora capsici. Little is known about this pathogen in key chili pepper farms in Punjab province, Pakistan. We investigated the genetic diversity of P. capsici strains using standard taxonomic and molecular tools, and characterized their colony growth patterns as well as their disease severity on chili pepper plants under the greenhouse conditions. Phylogenetic analysis based on ribosomal DNA (rDNA), ß-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1α loci revealed divergent evolution in the population structure of P. capsici isolates. The mean oospore diameter of mating type A1 isolates was greater than that of mating type A2 isolates. We provide first evidence of an uneven distribution of highly virulent mating type A1 and A2 of P. capsici that are insensitive to mefenoxam, pyrimorph, dimethomorph, and azoxystrobin fungicides, and represent a risk factor that could ease outpacing the current P. capsici management strategies.

Further characterization of o-nitrobenzaldehyde degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp: ONBA-17 and deduction on its metabolic pathway

A previously reported o-nitrobenzaldehyde (ONBA) degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp. ONBA-17 was further identified and characterized. Based on results of DNA base composition and DNA-DNA hybridization, the strain was identified as P. putida. Its degradation effect enhanced with increase of inoculum amount and no lag phase was observed. Higher removal rate was achieved under shaking conditions. All tested ONBA with different initial concentrations could be completely degraded within 5 d. In addition, degradative enzyme(s) involved was confirmed as intra-cellular distributed and constitutively expressed. Effects of different compounds on relative activity of degradative enzyme(s) within cell-free extract were also evaluated. Finally, 2-nitrobenzoic acid and 2, 3-dihydroxybenzoic acid were detected as metabolites of ONBA degradation by P. putida ONBA-17, and relevant metabolic pathway was preliminary proposed. This study might help with future research in better understanding of nitroaromatics biodegradation.