Structural, thermal and rheological properties of starches isolated from Indian quinoa varieties.

In this study starches isolated from Indian quinoa varieties were examined for physicochemical, morphological, thermal and rheological properties. Among isolated starches V1 showed higher starch yield and lower purity (48.45% and 98.32%) than V2 (41.28 and 98.53%). The amylose content was higher for V1 (12.10%) than V2 (9.46%). Swelling powers and solubility of the starches increased with increasing temperature. Peak viscosity (386.4 RVU) was higher for V1. In contrast V2 showed higher pasting temperature (72.85°C). Low setback viscosity of the starches suggests that they can be profitably used in frozen and refrigerated foods. Starch granules from both varieties were irregular, angular and polygonal in shape. The starch granule size obtained by SEM was 1.23µm for V1 and 1.19µm for V2. Both starches showed a typical A-type diffractrometric pattern with varying crystallinity. Further V1 showed lower transition temperatures (To, Tp and Tc) than V2. FTIR spectroscopy showed higher intensity and broader shape of V2 at OH stretch which can be due to its higher crystallinity. Increased interest is shown in quinoa starch because of its unique microcrystalline granules. Higher yield and purity values suggest that both varieties can be exploited for commercial starch utilization.

Vermouth: technology of production and quality characteristics.

The aperitif wine, known as vermouth, is primarily prepared by adding a mixture of herbs and spices or their extract to a base wine. As such, it could also be called aromatized liquor, or a fortified wine. Various plant parts, such as seeds, wood, leaves, bark, or roots in dry form can be used in flavoring. These additives may be infused, macerated, or distilled in a base white wine, or added at various stages of preparation. The final liquid is filtered, pasteurized, and fortified (by the addition of alcohol). Some vermouths are sweetened, whereas other are left unsweetened (dry vermouth). These tend to have a bitterish finish. The two versions differ in alcohol content as well. Vermouths are most commonly prepared from grape-based wines, but fruit-based wines made from mango, apple, plum, sand pear, and wild apricot may also be used. These possess distinct physicochemical and sensory qualities from standard vermouths. The review gives comprehensive information on the historical developments and technology of vermouth production, the various spices and herbs used in its production, and its quality characteristics. In addition, the chapter also discusses the commercial potential of nongrape fruits in vermouth production.

Non-genotoxic p53-activators and their significance as antitumor therapy of future.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 mediates critical cellular functions including regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA repair, and senescence. This protein has been found to be inactivated or functionally down-regulated in several malignancies such as Li-Fraumeni syndrom, hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia. Thus, p53 represents an attractive target for therapeutic design and development of new anticancer agents. The most clinically used cytotoxic agents target stabilization of wt-p53 through DNA damage and are associated with several unwanted and life threatening side effects. There are a number of recently developed approaches that hold promise for non-genotoxic reactivation of p53. Earlier, we have reported various inhibitors of p53 and their importance to prevent unwanted death of normal cells in a variety of diseases [1]. To extend p53 protein as new target for anticancer agents, in this review we discussed the mechanisms of p53 inactivation. Subsequently, we described some of recently developed non-genotoxic activators of p53 and their significance in various neoplastic disorders. Additionally, we summarized advantages of nongenotoxic p53-activating agents over conventional anticancer therapy and challenges in future of p53 based therapy.

Applicability of pectate-entrapped Lactobacillus casei cells for L(+) lactic acid production from whey.

Lactic acid is a versatile organic acid, which finds major application in the food, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries. Microbial fermentation has the advantage that by choosing a strain of lactic acid bacteria producing only one of the isomers, an optically pure product can be obtained. The production of L: (+) lactic acid is of significant importance from nutritional viewpoint and finds greater use in food industry. In view of economic significance of immobilization technology over the free-cell system, immobilized preparation of Lactobacillus casei was employed in the present investigation to produce L: (+) lactic acid from whey medium. The process conditions for the immobilization of this bacterium using calcium pectate gel were optimized, and the developed cell system was found stable during whey fermentation to lactic acid. A high lactose conversion (94.37%) to lactic acid (32.95 g/l) was achieved with the developed immobilized system. The long-term viability of the pectate-entrapped bacterial cells was tested by reusing the immobilized bacterial biomass, and the entrapped bacterial cells showed no decrease in lactose conversion to lactic acid up to 16 batches, which proved its high stability and potential for commercial application.