Relationship between the mineral content of sugarcane and its genuine derivative, non-centrifugal raw cane sugar.

Non-centrifugal raw cane sugar (NRCS) is a minimally processed product from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L). This product contains phytochemical and nutritional compounds that benefit human health. Despite these advantages, NRCS commercialization is hindered by a lack of knowledge about its composition and, consequently, the absence of quality standards. Studies associating the nutritional composition of sugarcane varieties and their genuine products have not yet been found in the literature, and understanding this relationship can help establish quality standards for this product. Therefore, this study evaluated the mineral nutritional composition of genuine derivative NRCS produced from two sugarcane varieties obtained under different agronomic conditions at two stages of maturation to verify the relationships between raw material and the product. The obtained sugarcanes, juices, and bagasse, as well as the produced sugars, were analyzed for mineral content, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Most mineral constituents of sugarcane are in the juice in direct proportions to those in raw sugarcane. Thus, minimally processed food derivatives have nutritional characteristics equivalent to the raw materials. Consumption of NRCS contributes to meeting daily requirements for essential nutrients such as magnesium, copper, potassium, and manganese. For manganese, 25 g of NRCS, like the one produced in this study, can fulfill 22 to 76 % of an adult male's daily mineral requirements. The variation observed in the four NRCS samples, obtained from the same sugarcane variety under different maturation and agronomic conditions, was 250 %. This variation makes establishing quality parameters for mineral or ash content difficult. Therefore, setting mineral content levels for NRCS is inappropriate, as this parameter naturally depends on the raw material.

Application of microwave treatment for reduction of microbial load in jaggery cubes.

In present study, fresh jaggery cubes were used and treated with microwave heating. Two treatment time has been selected to treat the jaggery such as 30 s and 45 s. Physiochemical and microbial parameters were analysed before and after treatment of microwave. Moisture content of treated jaggery sample was 3.98 ± 0.59 and 3.86 ± 0.63 for 30 s and 45 s microwave treatment respectively. Similarly, this treatment maintains the water activity at 0.6, which is considered as a safe for consumption. The content of iron retains in this microwave treatment; it doesn't affect much on the iron content present in fresh Jaggery sample. Most substantial result has been observed in case of total plate count and yeast and mold count when treated with microwave heating. In this case microwave process at 45 s was found to be the best since it reduced the total plate count (TPC) load to 13 ± 4 from 194 ± 48 cfu/g. Also, in case on yeast and mold count, 45 s microwave treatment showed reduction of load to 28 ± 7 cfu/g from 25,498 ± 2809 cfu/g. Present investigation showed that microwave treatment for 45 s was found to be the best to treat the jaggery.

Comparative Evaluation of Changes in Salivary pH and Streptococcus mutans Count in Saliva by Natural Sugar Substitutes: An In Vivo Study.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of natural sugar substitutes-stevia, jaggery, and honey on salivary pH and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) count in saliva. Materials and methods: Children aged between 7 and 12 years with no active carious lesion were selected. A total of 80 subjects were randomly selected and divided into three experimental groups and one control group, with 20 subjects in each group. Prior to rinsing with the respective solutions, the baseline pH and S. mutans count were evaluated for each individual. All solutions were freshly prepared whenever required. After rinsing with the respective solutions, saliva samples were collected to evaluate pH and S. mutans count. The pH was analyzed at different time intervals, that is, 0 (immediately after rinsing), 15, and 30 minutes. The S. mutans count was analyzed after 30 minutes of rinsing with the respective solutions. Results: The results were tabulated and statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests. The results depicted that group I (stevia) showed a maximum increase in salivary pH, followed by group III (honey) and group III (jaggery) at different time intervals (0, 15, and 30 minutes). The maximum number of subjects who had shown a decrease in S. mutans count were from group III (honey), followed by group I (stevia), and group II (jaggery) after 30 minutes of rinsing with the respective solutions when compared to baseline S. mutans count. Clinical significance: It is a universally known fact that dental caries is a multifactorial disease process, one of the key factors of which is the consumption of sugar. Of all the fermentable carbohydrates, sucrose is considered the archcriminal in the carious process. Hence, this advocates the need for developing suitable sugar substitutes that help in controlling dental caries. An ideal sugar substitute should not only minimize the risk of dental caries but also should have nutritional benefits. Conclusion: Natural sugar substitutes (stevia, jaggery, and honey) have the ability to reduce caries risk in children. How to cite this article: Sharma W, Bhola M, Bajaj N, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Changes in Salivary pH and Streptococcus mutans Count in Saliva by Natural Sugar Substitutes: An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(5):728-733.

Impact of Refined and Unrefined Sugar and Starch on the Microbiota in Dental Biofilm.

Aims and Objective: Sugar is not only associated with dental diseases but also, along with carbohydrates, is linked to various health issues including obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart, liver, and kidney-related diseases. At the same time, a polyphenol present in unrefined sugar and starch (UReSS) is shown to inhibit microbial growth and prevent biofilms and dental plaque. The question arises, "is sugar the causative agent for dental diseases, or is its refined form the cause?" The objective of this study is to conduct in-vivo studies of the impact of refined and unrefined sugar and starch on the microbiota of dental biofilm. Materials and Methods: An in-vivo study was performed using saliva and dental biofilm samples collected from 75 healthy subjects. For this study, healthy volunteers (n = 75) were randomly divided into five groups and were given sweet meals either made with refined white sugar and white rice (ReSS) or with unrefined brown sugar and red rice (UReSS). This was followed by using or not using a polyphenolic mouthwash. Before and after 4 h of eating a sweet meal, the saliva and dental plaque were collected and the DNA was analyzed by 16s metagenomic sequencing. The results were expressed in fold change of bacteria from 0 to 4 h. Statistical analyses have been performed by logarithmic linear discriminant analysis (LDA), Student's t-test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Upon LEfSe and statistical analysis, in-vivo experiments clearly showed that UReSS significantly decreased bacteria associated with dental diseases. In contrast, ReSS showed a significant increase in Actinomyces, Streptococcus, and Selenomonas with a high LDA score (Log 4.2) and statistical significance (P < 0.003). Mouthwash significantly decreased bacterial taxa associated with diseases in both the ReSS and UReSS groups. The in-vivo study showed a significant increase and decrease in Streptococcus levels in refined and unrefined sugar groups, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, polyphenols aid in the prevention of dental caries. This study recommends using polyphenol-rich unrefined sugars and carbohydrates for both oral and general health. This study is the first of its kind to bring awareness to the effects of refined and unrefined starch and sugars on the oral microbiota.

Stoichiometric Analysis and Production of Bacterial Cellulose by Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens using Borassus flabellifer L. Jaggery.

The objective of the work is to examine the potential utilization of Palmyra palm jaggery (PPJ) for the enhancement of bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens. To evaluate the culturing condition, the production of BC fermentation was carried out in batch mode using different carbon sources namely glucose, sucrose and PPJ. PPJ in the HS medium (PHS medium) resulted maximum concentration of BC (14.35 ± 0.18 g/L) under shaking condition than other carbon sources in HS medium. The influence of different medium variables including initial pH and nitrogen sources on BC production was investigated using PHS medium under shaking condition. The maximum BC concentration of 17.79 ± 2.4 g/L was obtained in shaking condition at an initial pH of 5.6 using yeast extract as nitrogen source. Stoichiometric equation for the cell growth and BC synthesis was developed using elemental balance approach. The metabolic heat of reaction (40 kcal generated per liter of medium) was evaluated using electron balance approach. Based on the process economic analysis and the yield of BC during the fermentation, PHS medium without nitrogen source could be a promising cost-effective nutrient than HS medium. Thermal stability, crystallinity index and structural characterizations of produced BC using PPJ medium were evaluated using TGA, XRD and FTIR and the obtained results were compared with HS medium containing glucose and sucrose.

Technological advancements in jaggery-making processes and emission reduction potential via clean combustion for sustainable jaggery production: An overview.

Jaggery is a kind of unrefined non-centrifugal sugar (NCS) used mainly in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Traditionally, jaggery is produced by concentrating sugarcane juice in open pans with the help of bagasse combustion. However, due to thermal energy loss with flue gases and an unscientific approach in plant construction, jaggery plants have a poor thermal efficiency of less than 25%, poor emission characteristics, and a high bagasse consumption rate. Advanced jaggery-making techniques use solar energy and heat pumps for jaggery production. However, these techniques are in the early stage of development, and the literature indicates that these techniques should be used in conjuction with traditional ones to improve the performance of jaggery making plants. This literature review describes advances in jaggery-making methods, critically analyzed them, and provides a qualitative comparison of these methods. Further, gaps in the existing literature are identified and reported for future research direction. In addition, efforts have been made to quantify and estimate the emissions reduction and bagasse consumption potentials from the traditional jaggery industry to make this rural industry a sustainable and profitable business for rural entrepreneurs. The comparison with the recently developed clean combustion device exhibits that the harmful emissions from the jaggery industry could be reduced drastically viz. 95%-98% of PM2.5; 92%-95% of CO, and 52-60% of CO2, while saving more than 35% of bagasse consumption. Implemented at a national scale, it may reduce nearly 3% of all harmful emissions in the country, which is equally applicable elsewhere.

Mucilage and cellulosic derivatives as clarifiers for the improvement of the non-centrifugal sugar production process.

Non-centrifugal cane sugar (NCS) is the second most important Colombian agribusiness in social importance. However, the sugar cane industry is facing some challenges caused by the controversial nutritional and safety attributes of NCS. Some Colombian NCS producers employ natural mucilages as clarifiers; but the uncontrolled application of these components has caused a risk of extinction in the mucilage source plants. Other producers employ acrylamide as a clarifier. Health consequences have generated concerns from the consumers and demanded control from the food authorities. Efforts are being made to develop a standard manufacturing methodology to increase NCS productivity and improve its quality, hygiene, and storability. The application of better clarifiers, which provide the best clarifying activity and minimize the toxicity while conserving NCS's natural attributes, is one of the outstanding challenges as well. This study is a proposal which looks for sustainable, natural, nontoxic, and economical clarifiers for the Colombian NCS producers.

Value Addition and Fortification in Non-Centrifugal Sugar (Jaggery): A Potential Source of Functional and Nutraceutical Foods.

Nutraceutical, functional or fortified food not only supplements the diet but also assists in developing immunity and preventing diseases. Therefore, it also provides medical benefits apart from nutrition. Individual health and diet are receiving a lot of attention these days. Food products that are healthy, safe, and easy to use are in high demand. A lot of emphases has been directed toward food products with added health benefits. Jaggery (non-centrifugal sugar), made from sugarcane juice, is one of them. It is known to mankind for the last 3000 years and is an essential part of the diet in the rural part of many countries. Jaggery is recognized as a nutraceutical due to the presence of a variety of essential amino acids, antioxidants, phenolics, minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins. Jaggery has a better natural source and nutrients for health benefits and could be used as a healthier dietary substitute to white sugar. The nutraceutical value of jaggery can be enhanced with value addition and fortification of medicinally important herbs and spices. This would not only enhance the quality of nutritive jaggery but will also offer value-added products with exciting flavors for daily use sweeteners with several nutritional health benefits.

Impact of sugar replacement by non-centrifugal sugar on physicochemical, antioxidant and sensory properties of strawberry and kiwifruit functional jams.

Raw cane sugars have been claimed to be rich in natural phenolic compounds which, in contrast to refined sugar, may increase the nutritional value of foods and contribute to the development of healthier foods and diets. The use of non-refined cane sugars in food formulation seems an interesting option since they provide natural antioxidants with sucrose still being the major sugar present, minimizing the loss of technological properties. However, substitution of refined sugar could imply an undesired impact on physicochemical and sensory properties, conditioning consumer's acceptance. Functional jams (strawberry and kiwifruit) with a larger fruit to sugar ratio than conventional ones, in which white sugar was replaced by granulated jaggery (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 y 75 % w/w) were obtained. Impact of sugar replacement was assessed by evaluating physicochemical properties (moisture, water activity, pH, total soluble sugars, sugar profile (glucose, fructose, sucrose), and optical, rheological, mechanical and antioxidant properties). Sensory properties and microbiological stability were also determined. Jaggery improved the antioxidant properties of jams (total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antiradical activity by the DPPH and ABTS methods), proportionally to the amount of cane sugar incorporated and more significantly in the case of kiwifruit. Other physicochemical properties were not significantly affected by jaggery, except for color. However, these differences were not crucial in the acceptability tests, since acceptance of jams containing jaggery was generally good, very good when intermediate replacement percentages were used. Conclusions of the present work suggest that granulated jaggery can be used to formulate sugar-rich food products such as jams in order to increase their nutritional value, with little impact on physicochemical properties and good consumer acceptance.

Chemical characteristics and colorimetric properties of non-centrifugal cane sugar ("panela") obtained via different processing technologies.

Non-centrifugal cane sugar (NCS) samples obtained by traditional moulding and granulation, and also via a novel spray-drying powdering process without additives, were assessed to characterise their sugar and phenolic profiles, flavonoid content, as well as colour parameters. As expected, sucrose was the predominant sugar (91.9-95.5%), followed by glucose (2.9-4.6%), and fructose (1.6-3.7%). Total phenolic content was between 0.4 and 0.6% and total flavonoid content into the range of 0.2-0.4%. Six phenolic acids were found in all NCS samples: protocatechuic acid (0.36-0.94 µg/100 g), vanillic acid (0.70-1.45 µg/100 g), chlorogenic acid (2.08-3.82 µg/100 g), syringic acid (1.08-2.80 µg/100 g), p-coumaric acid (0.69-1.35 µg/100 g), and ferulic acid (0.50-0.95 µg/100 g). The thermal treatment under high temperatures required in the production of granulated products was related with darker colours and changes in phenol and flavonoid contents. In contrast, spray drying generates clearer products, but with slightly less phenol and flavonoid contents.

Potential influence of jaggery-based biofloc technology at different C:N ratios on water quality, growth performance, innate immunity, immune-related genes expression profiles, and disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Biofloc technology is increasingly becoming the most promising aquaculture tool especially in places where water is scarce and the land is very expensive. The dynamics of water quality, as well as plankton and microbial abundance, are collectively necessary for successful fish farming. The prospective use of jaggery as a potential carbon source and its influence on water quality, growth performance, innate immunity, serum bactericidal capacity, and disease resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila was investigated in Oreochromis niloticus. A completely randomized design was used in triplicates, where the control group was reared in a water system with no carbon source, while T1, T2, and T3 groups were raised in biofloc systems at C:N ratios of C:N12, C:N15, and C:N20, respectively. Water specimens were collected daily and fortnightly, while blood, serum, and head kidneys were collected at 75 days of experimental period for further analysis. TAN, nitrite, and ammonia values were considerably reduced, while the TSS values elevated significantly in all treated groups compared to the control. Jaggery-based biofloc system (JB-BFT) has a pronounced effect on hematological and growth performance parameters rather than control. Similarly, serum antioxidants, lysozyme, protease, antiprotease and bactericidal capacity were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the treated groups in a dose-dependent manner. LYZ, TNF-α, and IL-1ß genes were upregulated in proportion to C:N ratios with the highest fold in C:N20. Furthermore, fish treated with JB-BFT presented lower cumulative mortalities and better relative levels of production (RLP) after experimental challenge with A. hydrophila compared to control. In conclusion, JB-BFT has a robust influence on Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) innate immunity through favorable innovation of various immune-cells and enzymes as well as upregulating the expression levels of immune-related genes. This study offers jaggery as a new carbon source with unique properties that satisfy all considerations of biofloc technology in an eco-friendly manner.

Effect of processing technology and sugarcane varieties on the quality properties of unrefined non-centrifugal sugar.

In this research, the unrefined non-centrifugal sugar (UNCS) quality obtained from two sugarcane varieties (RD 7511 and CC 8475) and using two types of technologies (traditional and Ward-Cimpa production facilities) were evaluated. The parameters monitored through the process were impurities, total soluble solids, acidity, pH, and temperature profile. Microbiological analyses were carried out on beating, molding, packing, and storage operations; and finally, an organoleptic analysis was carried out on the final UNCS product. Results showed that the UNCS obtained from variety CC 8475 had higher consumer acceptance; meanwhile, the technologies assessed did not show significant differences in final product quality. However, these technologies showed significant differences in the highest temperature, syrup, and juice properties. Microbiological analyses highlighted beating and molding as the critical points in UNCS production safety. Finally, it was evident that the implementation of new technologies or the improvement of the furnace, as in the Ward-Cimpa production facility, is not enough to achieve food safety requirements, as many other conditions affect the microbiological quality of the product. Although the temperatures reached on the Ward-Cimpa furnace are higher than those reached with the traditional furnace and thus, enough to kill all the harmful microorganisms, contamination in downstream operations still occurs.

Effect of sodium hydrosulphite treatment on the quality of non-centrifugal sugar: Jaggery.

Jaggery is a non-centrifugal sweetener produced by thermo-chemical treatments of sugarcane juice. The traditional practices involved in making jaggery are usually tailored using chemicals to meet consumer requirements. Sodium hydrosulphite (hydros) is a commonly employed chemical in the jaggery industry to improve its colour. This article presents a comparative study of jaggery made with and without hydros treatments. The differences in properties, such as sorption behaviour, colour, polyphenols, flavonoids, minerals, and sulphur dioxide content, were measured. Hydros-treated jaggery was found to be brighter in colour with a lower browning index by 5-10. SO2 content of hydros-treated jaggery was >70 ppm, while minerals, polyphenols, and flavonoids were less abundant compared to control jaggery, thereby compromising overall quality. Based on the experiments carried out, the optimum treatment of hydros can be employed to satisfy consumer demand while producing an acceptable quality of jaggery that conforms to norms.

Effects of acid treatment in jaggery making.

The jaggery-making process involves various thermo-chemical treatments of sugarcane juice. As jaggery making is a traditional practice, knowledge about the use of different chemicals in the process is transferred from generation to generation without much scientific understanding. Phosphoric acid is one of the chemicals commonly used in this process. We have investigated its effect through systematic experiments. The addition of acid causes inversion of sucrose, which beyond a certain point is not desirable for good quality jaggery. In the correct proportions, however, phosphoric acid improves the colour and texture of jaggery and helps in the formation of smaller sized crystals. Reducing sugars formed due to inversion hinder crystal growth, resulting in relatively small crystals. In our experiments, the average crystal size reduced from 22.22 µm to 14.34 µm. Acid-treatedjaggery was found to equilibrate at higher moisture. A comparison with normal jaggery is thus provided for its keeping quality.

Optimization of ingredients for preparation of low calorie fiber enriched chhana balls-Sandesh like product.

The present study aimed to optimize the relative proportion of roasted flax seed flour as dietary fiber ingredient (DFI) and jaggery:stevia percent in preparation of chhana balls. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimum DFI proportion and jaggery:stevia percent. Thirteen experimental runs were conducted with varying levels of independent variables viz. dietary fiber ingredient (4.0-8.0%) and jaggery:stevia :: 1:1 (22.5-27.5%), as generated by central composite design. The responses investigated were pH, cooking yield, water activity (aw), Hue angle, Chroma value and sensory attributes of chhana balls. The RSM results showed that the experimental data could be adequately fitted to a second-order polynomial model with a satisfactory Coefficient of determination (R2 > 50%). The study revealed that the effect of all the factors were significant on the studied responses. The optimum formulation obtained using desirability function was 5.92 and 26.42% for DFI proportion and jaggery:stevia respectively. The values of responses at optimum formulation were 6.36 pH, 91.80 cooking yield (%), 0.9481 water activity (aw), - 22.62 Hue angle, 8.71 Chroma value, 6.89 sweetness and 7.10 overall acceptability. These predicted values were validated with experimental values and found be not significantly different.

Effect of replacement of sugar with jaggery on pasting properties of wheat flour, physico-sensory and storage characteristics of muffins.

Jaggery (Gur) is a natural sweetener made by concentration of sugarcane juice, contains all minerals and vitamins present in sugarcane juice. In order to utilise jaggery in place of sugar, muffins were prepared by replacing 84% sugar with 42, 63 and 84% jaggery. Different levels of eggs namely 42, 63 and 84% were also tried for jaggery muffins. The results showed that muffins prepared with 84% each of jaggery and eggs had acceptable quality characteristics. Effect of jaggery in comparison with sugar on the pasting characteristics of wheat flour, physico-sensory and storage characteristics of muffins were studied. Addition of jaggery and sugar increased pasting temperature and peak viscosity. Higher increase in pasting temperature with jaggery and in peak viscosity with sugar were observed indicating differential influence on pasting characteristics of wheat flour. The muffins with jaggery had lower pH, overall quality score and higher aw than muffins with sugar. During 21 days storage period, pH and aw decreased and titratable acidity increased for both the muffins. Even though the muffins with jaggery were less soft, showed lower overall quality score than the muffins with sugar, muffins with jaggery were acceptable and both the muffins were found to be microbiologically safe, as shown by the microbial load (total mesophilic count and yeast and mold count) in the range of 66-89 CFU/g. Hence, it can be concluded that it is possible to replace sugar with jaggery in muffins without affecting the properties of the product.

Probing natural substitute for formalin: Comparing honey, sugar, and jaggery syrup as fixatives.

BACKGROUND: Since its discovery in 1859, formalin has been considered as the "gold standard" in tissue fixation. As formalin is highly toxic and carcinogenic, the quest for its substitute has started recently. Literature search reveals very sparse studies on natural substitute for formalin. Here, it is an attempt to explore eco-friendly, economical, and readily available natural substance for formalin substitute. AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of natural fixatives such as honey, sugar, jaggery, and water in comparison to the standard fixative used like formalin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh goat tissues (tongue) were fixed separately with buffered 10% formalin (positive control), honey, sugar syrup, jaggery syrup, and distilled water (negative control). 24 h fixation was done at room temperature followed by conventional processing and routine H and E staining. The stained sections were assessed for cytoplasmic and nuclear detail by three pathologists under light microscope and were graded accordingly. RESULTS: The results showed statistically significant differences between jaggery with other natural fixatives for both nuclear details and cytoplasmic staining. CONCLUSION: The preservation of tissue by honey, sugar, and jaggery syrup was comparable to that of formalin. Among the three natural fixatives, jaggery syrup excelled. Hence, it can be considered as an equally effective formalin substitute.

Nonformalin Fixative Agents: A Comparative Study of Fixative Efficacy and Histomorphology.

OBJECTIVES: Formalin is a gold standard fixative agent. However, formalin possesses health hazards and is not always available in rural areas. The objective of this study was to compare tissue fixative efficacy of nonformalin fixative agents with formalin. METHODS: Oral tissues obtained during impacted tooth removal were collected. The tissue fragments were sectioned and fixed in 4 different fixatives; 30% jaggery, 70% ethanol, 2% mepivacaine with 1:100 000 epinephrine, or formalin for 24 and 72 hours. All specimens were then immersed in formalin for another 24 hours and processed according to standard protocol. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were evaluated by a pathologist. The cellular structure, cellular outline, and quality of staining were graded from 1 to 3 and average fixative efficacy scores were compared using 1-way analysis of variance. Fixative artifacts were described. RESULTS: Fixative efficacy scores of 70% ethanol and 30% jaggery at 24 and 72 hours were not statistically different from those of formalin. Conversely, 2% mepivacaine demonstrated significantly lower fixative efficacy scores than other agents. Although efficacy of each fixative was not statistically different between 24 and 72 hours, efficacy of 70% ethanol was markedly reduced at 72 hours when compared with others. Acantholysis of epithelial cells was the most notable artifact at 72 hours when fixed with nonformalin fixative agents. CONCLUSION: Both 70% ethanol and 30% jaggery provided acceptable fixative efficacy at 24 hours. However, only 30% jaggery maintained fixative efficacy at 72 hours. Nevertheless, negative effects on the epithelial cells were unavoidable and should be interpreted with caution.

Natural substitutes for formalin: A boon to histopathology!!

INTRODUCTION: In routine tissue processing, formalin has been proved as efficient as fixative since inception and hazards associated with it are of major safety and health concern. AIM: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of natural fixatives such as jaggery and Khandsari over formalin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety normal tissue specimen collected during minor oral surgical procedures were included in this study. Thirty specimen each were fixed in 30% jaggery (Group-A), 30% Khandsari (Group-B) and 10% formalin (Group-C). The slides obtained after tissue processing were analyzed for the quality of fixation. The tissue sections were assessed for cellular outline, cytoplasmic details, nuclear details, staining quality and overall morphology. Each criterion was rated on a scale of 1-4. (one for poor and four for excellent). The study was double-blinded and subjected to the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The cellular outline is excellent in 90% (Group-C) followed by 36.67% (Group-B) of specimens. With respect to cytoplasmic staining 83.33% (Group-C) of tissues showed excellent results followed by 60% (Group-B), 33.33% (Group-A). Nuclear details are excellent in 86.67% (Group-C) followed by 83.33% (Group-B), 36.67% (Group-A) of specimens. With respect to staining quality 93.33% (Group-C) followed by 50% (Group-B), 26.67% (Group-A). Overall morphology is excellent in 90% (Group-C) followed by 46.67% (Group-B). CONCLUSION: In the present study, Khandsari was on par with formalin and our effort of using Khandsari and jaggery for tissue fixation in human oral tissues yielded good results.

An integrated bio-process for production of functional biomolecules utilizing raw and by-products from dairy and sugarcane industries.

The study investigated an integrated bioprocessing of raw and by-products from sugarcane and dairy industries for production of non-digestible prebiotic and functional ingredients. The low-priced feedstock, whey, molasses, table sugar, jaggery, etc., were subjected to transglucosylation reactions catalyzed by dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides MTCC 10508. HPLC analysis approximated production of about 11-14 g L-1 trisaccharide i.e. 2-α-D-glucopyranosyl-lactose (4-galactosyl-kojibiose) from the feedstock prepared from table sugar, jaggery, cane molasses and liquid whey, containing about 30 g L-1 sucrose and lactose each. The trisaccharide was hydrolysed into the prebiotic disaccharide, kojibiose, by employing recombinant ß-galactosidase from Escherichia coli. The enzyme ß-galactosidase achieved about 90% conversion of 2-α-D-glucopyranosyl-lactose into kojibiose. The D-fructose generated by catalytic reactions of dextransucrase was targeted for catalytic transformation into rare sugar, D-allulose (or D-psicose), by treating the samples with Smt3-D-psicose 3-epimerase. The catalytic reactions resulted in the conversion of ~ 25% D-fructose to D-allulose. These bioactive compounds are known to exert a plethora of benefits to human health, and therefore, are preferred ingredients for making functional foods.