Effect of cryogenic grinding on volatile and fatty oil constituents of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) genotypes.

Effect of cryogenic grinding on recovery of volatile oil, fatty oil percentage and their constituents in two cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) genotypes have been analyzed. Cryogenic grinding not only retains the volatiles but enhanced the recovery by 33.9 % in GC 4 and 43.5 % in RZ 209. A significant increase (29.9 %) over normal grinding in oil percentage was also observed in genotype RZ 209. This increase was, however, less (15.4 %) in genotype GC 4. Nineteen major compounds were identified in the essential oil of both genotypes. The two grinding techniques had significant effects on dependent variables, viz., volatile oil and monoterpenes. Cuminaldehyde was the main constituent in both genotypes, content of which increased from 48.2 to 56.1 % in GC 4 on cryo grinding. Content of terpines were found to decrease in cryo ground samples of GC 4 and either decrease or no change was found in RZ 209. Organoleptic test showed more pleasant aroma in cryo ground seeds of both the genotypes. Significant increase was also reported in fatty oil yield due to cryogenic grinding. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis showed oleic acid as major FAME content of which increased from 88.1 to 94.9 % in RZ 209 and from 88.2 to 90.1 % in GC 4 on cryogenic grinding. Other prominent FAME were palmitic, palmitoleic and stearic acid. Results indicated commercial potential of cryogenic grinding technology for cumin in general and spices in particular for better retention of flavour and quality in spices.

Postharvest Processing and Benefits of Black Pepper, Coriander, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, and Turmeric Spices.

Spices are prime source for flavor, aroma, and taste in cuisines and play an active role as medicines due to their high antioxidant properties. As medicine or food, the importance of spices cannot be overemphasized. The medicinal values of spices are very well established in treating various ailments like cancer, fever, malaria, stomach offset, nausea, and many more. A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried which requires further processing to be utilized in the form of value-added product. This review paper deals with the cultivation, postharvesting, chemical composition, uses, health, and medicinal benefits of the selected spice viz., black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, and technological advances in processing of spices viz., super critical fluid extraction, cryogenic grinding, and microencapsulation etc. This paper also focuses on issues related to utilization of spices toward its high end-product development and characterization in pharmaceuticals and other medicinal purposes. The availability of different spices and their varietal differences and location have their pertinent characters, which are much demanding to refine postharvest and processing to assure its quality in the international market.

Influence of pin and hammer mill on grinding characteristics, thermal and antioxidant properties of coriander powder.

In present study, influence of grinding (hammer and pin mills) and moisture content (range: 6.4-13.6 % dry basis) on the quality traits of coriander powder were investigated. These include grinding parameters, colour parameters, specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, glass transition temperature, essential oil, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH scavenging (%) of coriander powder. For coriander seed, the geometric properties such as major, medium, minor dimensions, geometric mean diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, sphericity, surface area and volume of coriander seeds increased significantly with increasing moisture (6.4-13.6 % db). For coriander powder, the grinding parameters such as average particle size, volume surface mean diameter and volume mean diameter increased significantly with increasing moisture (6.4-13.6 % db). With the grinding method, the colour attributes of coriander powder such as L-value, a-value, b-value, hue angle and browning index varied significantly. It was observed that the specific heat followed second order polynomial relationship with temperature and moisture whereas thermal conductivity varied linearly with temperature and moisture content. The variation of glass transition temperature with moisture can be best represented in quadratic manner. Total flavonoid content (mg QE/g crude seed extract) and DPPH scavenging % activity of coriander powder is significantly affected by grinding methods. A lower value of specific heat was observed for hammer ground coriander powder as compared to pin mill ground coriander powder. The thermal conductivity of hammer mill ground coriander powder was higher as compared to pin mill ground coriander. It was observed that hammer mill yields more fine coriander powder in comparison to pin mill. The browning index was more in hammer mill ground coriander powder.

Effect of casitone and fructose on the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus and its survival during storage.

Supplementation of milk with combination of casitone (0.5% (w/w)) and fructose (0.5% (w/w)) resulted in greater acid production, higher viable counts, increased sugar utilization and shorter generation time for the L. acidophilus strains tested. The experimental product prepared by using these additives contained 1.5-2.0-fold more viable L. acidophilus than the control (no additives) throughout 21 days of storage. Further, both control and experimental products remained acceptable throughout the storage period. However, the former was rated superior in flavor, whereas the latter exhibited better texture.

Comparative stabilities of glutaraldehyde & heat inactivated pertussis vaccine components of adsorbed DPT vaccine with different preservatives.

The stability of pertussis component (glutaraldehyde or heat inactivated pertussis vaccine) of the adsorbed diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine preserved in thiomersal or benzethonium chloride was studied at 4-8 degrees C and 35 degrees C for 30 days. The potency of pertussis component of adsorbed DPT vaccine preserved with benzethonium chloride was lower than that preserved with thiomersal. After the initial loss of potency of pertussis component in the benzethonium chloride during blending, the stability of potency of pertussis component at 4-8 degrees C and 35 degrees C for 30 days was similar for vaccines preserved with either benzethonium chloride or thiomersal. The stability of both types of pertussis components inactivated with glutaraldehyde or heat was also similar at both the temperatures for 30 days.

An efficient method for production of purified inactivated Japanese encephalitis vaccine from mouse brains.

The efficiency of production of purified Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine from mouse brains was increased by reprocessing the brain material after recovery of the virus and by pooling of a few extra fractions after zonal ultracentrifugation. By the routine production method, one mouse yielded approximately 2.5 doses of the vaccine while the improved method gave about five doses from each mouse. All the batches of purified JE vaccine made by improved technology passed all the quality control tests as specified by the Minimum Requirements for biological products of the Japanese Government and World Health Organization.

Increasing prevalence of high degree resistance amongst Salmonella to different antibiotics.

National Salmonella & Escherichia Centre situated at Central Research Institute, Kasauli receives Salmonella strains from all over the country. Eight hundred and fourteen Salmonella strains belonging to 14 serotypes received during 1986 were studied for antibiotic resistance and Minimum Inhibitory concentration (MIC) with regard to ampicillin (A), chloramphenicol (C), furazolidone (Fz) and gentamicin (G). Resistance to ampicillin was found to be highest (80%) and furazolidone the least (0.1%). Similarly a large number of strains (31%) had very high MIC values greater than 640 mcg per ml for chloramphenicol, whereas only 3.4% strains were found to have MIC values greater than 640 mcg per ml for gentamicin. The present findings have been discussed in the light of similar data published from this Centre earlier and from other sources in India.

The quantitation of rabies-specific antibodies. III. A comparative evaluation of modified counter immunoelectrophoresis, haemagglutination inhibition and serum neutralization titres of human sera.

The rabies-specific antibodies of 73 serum samples from vaccinated humans were determined by the modified counter immunoelectrophoresis (MCIE), and the haemagglutination inhibition test (HAI) by using the conventional serum neutralization test (SN) as a yard-stick. Both MCIE and HAI were found to be sensitive and specific for the estimation of rabies antibodies. In general, the unitages obtained by the MCIE and SN showed statistically insignificant differences (P greater than 0.05) and the correlation coefficient between the two methods was 0.697 (P less than 0.05). Although the unitage of the sera detected by HAI tests was lower by a factor of 0.155 from the unitage of SN tests, there was statistically insignificant differences between the two techniques (P greater than 0.05) with a correlation coefficient of 0.556 (P less than 0.05).

The quantitation of rabies-specific antibodies. I. Modified counter immunoelectrophoresis. A rapid and sensitive method.

Modified counter immunoelectrophoresis was standardized with respect to dilution of tissue culture antigen and indicator serum, the incubation time for neutralization and the effect of an electric current. The technique was found to be sensitive enough to detect a minimum level of antibodies (0.5 IU/ml) by using a 16 mA current per slide for 2 h, indicator serum of 15 IU/ml and the use of an antigen at a concentration of 1:35. Above all, the incubation period did not affect the neutralization of the virus. The test was also applied to the detection of rabies-specific antibody levels in 73 human sera. The test was found to be simple, quick and economical for titration of rabies antibodies.

The quantitation of rabies-specific antibodies. II. Factors affecting the sensitivity of the haemagglutination inhibition test.

Various factors affecting the HAI test for the quantitation of rabies-specific antibodies have been evaluated with a view to obtaining maximum sensitivity and reproducibility in tests using tissue culture antigens prepared in vero cells and concentrated by dialysis. Goose erythrocytes treated with proteolytic enzyme bromelian at a concentration of 0.025% were much more susceptible to HA than those that were untreated or erythrocytes treated with neuraminidase. In addition, other parameters like the use of a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as a diluent at pH 6.2, incubation at 0-4 degrees C for 1.5-3 h were found to be most critical for achieving maximum HA activity. To remove non-specific inhibitors, serum samples were treated with aerosil, acetone in combination or alone. Of the 73 serum samples tested, removal of non-specific inhibitors by aerosil alone occurred in up to 54.79% of the samples, whereas using acetone-aerosil treatment followed by adsorption with goose erythrocytes, the inhibitors were removed in 98.67% of the samples to a level that was undetectable at the 1:4 starting dilution in the HAI test.

Production of a safe, potent and immunogenic partially purified acellular pertussis vaccine using simple indigenous techniques.

Partially purified acellular pertussis vaccine was prepared from Bordetella pertussis strains 10536, 134, Tohama and 509 using simple indigenously available techniques. The Stainer-Scholte (SS) medium with methylated-beta-cyclodextrin was the most suitable for production of acellular pertussis vaccine. For preparation of the vaccine, 5 day cultures of B. pertussis grown under stationary conditions at 35 degrees C were treated twice with ammonium sulphate and prospective protective antigens were extracted. The extracts contained pertussis toxin (PT), filamentous hemagglutinin and agglutinogens. These extracts were treated with formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde separately for detoxification of PT. The formaldehyde treatment of acellular preparations affected the potency and did not destroy the toxic effects of PT completely. Active PT was found in formaldehyde detoxified acellular pertussis vaccine (FDAPV) preparations by the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell assay, the test for leucocytosis promoting factor (LPF) and the histamine sensitization (HS) test. The FDAPV preparations did not pass the mouse weight gain test (MWGT). The glutaraldehyde treatment had lesser adverse effects on potency than the formaldehyde treatment and the glutaraldehyde detoxified preparations did not show active PT by CHO cell assay, the test for LPF and the HS test. The mice tolerated high doses (up to four human doses) of GDAPV which passed the MWGT showing higher weight gains. Both FDAPV and GDAPV showed immunogenicity against agglutinogens and PT in mice. The GDAPV is a safe and potent vaccine. The total protein content of GDAPV was about 5 times lesser than that of whole cell pertussis vaccine.

Thermostability of Japanese encephalitis vaccine produced in India.

Different batches of bulk vaccine, final bulk at in-process level, finished freeze-dried and reconstituted Japanese encephalitis vaccine were assayed for their stability at temperatures of 22, 37 and 40 degrees C. After ultrazonal purification of 50 times concentrated brain suspension, JE Bulk vaccine was found to be stable for up to 2 years at 4 degrees C, however, the percentage loss in potency (log 10 N antibody titre) after 2.5 years was 24%. Three-times concentrated final bulk showed rapid deterioration by the fourth week at 37 and 40 degrees C. Freeze-dried JE vaccine maintained at 22 degrees C for 28 weeks did not show perceptible deterioration. At 37 degrees C, the same vaccine started showing deterioration (14%) after 8 weeks whereas at 40 degrees C the loss of potency was 24% after 8 weeks. The freeze-dried vaccine was found to be stable for up to 2 weeks duration at 40 degrees C.

Immunogenicity of glutaraldehyde inactivated pertussis vaccine.

The immunogenicity of different types of glutaraldehyde inactivated pertussis vaccine (GIPV) preparations made by inactivation of Bordetella pertussis organisms with different concentrations of glutaraldehyde for variable periods at room temperature and conventional heat inactivated pertussis vaccine (HIPV) was evaluated with regard to production of agglutinins and neutralizing antibodies against pertussis toxin (PT). The different types of GIPV preparations had variable intracerebral mouse potency which depended upon the conditions of inactivation with glutaraldehyde. The agglutinin production in mice against various types of GIPV preparations and HIPV were very similar irrespective of the potency of the preparations. The agglutinins were produced against all the three major agglutinogens 1, 2 and 3 as the preparations were made from B. pertussis strain 10536 (serotype 1,2,3). The titres of agglutinins produced against adjuvanted preparations were slightly higher than those against non-adjuvanted preparations. Neutralizing antibodies against PT were produced for eight out of nine types of GIPV preparations while these antibodies were not produced for conventional HIPV.

Mechanism of protection provided by active immunization with porins in mice challenged with Salmonella typhi.

Oxygen free radical (OFR) generation capacity of peritoneal macrophages was studied by chemiluminescent technique. Chemiluminescent (CL) response of macrophages from control, infected and immunized-infected mice was observed using non specific (Latex) and specific (S. typhi, cells and porins) stimulants at different time intervals. CL response was found to be significantly higher in immunized-infected group throughout the study period using all the three stimulants as compared to that in the infected as well as uninfected control mice. The mode of action of porin vaccine in increasing capacity of generating OFR is probably through increased expression of porin (protein) as well as carbohydrate receptors on the macrophage surface which leads to the stimulation of the whole caseade of respiratory burst or through the increase in the respiratory burst enzyme activities linked with each receptor or both.

Indirect haemagglutination test for the assay of antibodies against Japanese encephalitis viral antigen in human & animal sera.

The indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test was standardized for the assay of antibodies against Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus. Glutaraldehyde fixed sheep erythrocytes were sensitized with purified and concentrated JE vaccine (200-300% brain concentration). The JE vaccine made from Nakayama-NIH strain of JE virus was purified by protamine sulphate treatment and by ultracentrifugation in a sucrose gradient. The sensitized cells were quite stable in liquid as well as in lyophilized state both at -70 degrees C and 4-8 degrees C. These cells could be used for two years without much loss (4-8 times loss) in titre. The IHA test was as sensitive as the neutralization (N) test performed by plaque reduction method in chick embryo fibroblasts. The sensitivity of the test was influenced by the source of erythrocytes i.e., from the different sheep from which these were drawn. After standardization of the test, 16 human sera and 18 sera of immunized mice were assayed for antibodies against JE virus by N and IHA tests. There were no significant differences between titres of both human and mice sera determined by N and IHA tests (P greater than 0.05). The correlation coefficient between N and IHA titres for human sera was 0.60 (P less than 0.05) and for mice sera 0.82 (P less than 0.01). The IHA test has been found to be very simple, inexpensive, sensitive and reproducible.