Keshab Chandra Mondal

Fermented foods share an integral part of age-old wisdom from ancient Indian civilization. Over the generations, this pioneering practice of food fermentation has expanded and improved to preserve and fortify the available food resources, particularly to meet the hidden hunger. India, being the second largest producer of rice, has a great history of traditional rice-based fermented foods with different tastes and textures linked with cultural diversity and mostly prepared by rural women following village art techniques. Some of them have been scientifically investigated and it has been revealed that microflora in natural or starter culture plays imperative roles to bio-embolden the rice with varieties of health promoting macronutrients and micronutrients, phytochemicals, and other functional components during fermentation. In this review, some explorative information on traditional rice-based foods and beverages has been assembled to illustrate the global interest in Indian food heritage and their functional aspects. The review also deals with the preparation of raw materials, traditional processing, composition, and ethno-medicinal importance of each food to encourage entrepreneurs to develop large-scale production to meet the growing market demand of functional foods.

A potent feather degrading bacterium was isolated from soil and it was identified as Paenibacillus woosongensis TKB2 on the basis of morphological, biochemical and as well as 16S rDNA sequence characteristics. The physico-chemical cultural condition for keratinase (principal feather degrading enzyme) production by the isolate was optimized following OVAT (one variable at a time) protocol. It was found that the bacterium produced highest amount of keratinase at 0.75% (w/v) raw feather as sole substrate, 2% (v/v) inoculums, pH 8.5, incubation temperature 30 °C, 5% (w/v) sodium chloride and other mineral components like 0.05% K2HPO4, 0.025% MgSO4 and 0.02% CaCO3 (w/v). The filter sterilized fermented hydrolysate has the ability to promote significantly the germination of seeds (germination rate 87.5%) and growth of Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum) seedlings. It induces the nodule formation (3 fold) and increased soil fertility by altering N, P, K and the C/N ratio by 1.2 fold. This also enhanced the quantity of free living nitrogen fixers (2 fold) and phosphate solubilizers (5.8 fold) in comparison to the control soil. Thus the enzymatic feather hydrolysate can be exploited as a useful biological fertilizer in future.

A dominant lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus fermentum KKL1 was isolated from an Indian rice based fermented beverage and its fermentative behavior on rice was evaluated. The isolate grown well in rice and decreased the pH, with an increase of total titratable acidity on account of high yield in lactic acid and acetic acid. The production of α-amylase and glucoamylase by the strain reached plateau on 1st and 2nd day of fermentation respectively. The accumulation of malto-oligosaccharides of different degrees of polymerization was also found highest on 4th day. Besides, phytase activity along with accumulation of free minerals also unremittingly increased throughout the fermentation. The fermented materials showed free radical scavenging activity against DPPH radicals. In-vitro characteristics revealed the suitability of the isolate as probiotic organism. The above profiling revealed that probiotic L. fermentum KKL1 have the significant impact in preparation of rice beer and improves its functional characteristics.

A multistep approach was undertaken for biobutanol production targeting valorization of agricultural waste. Optimum production of lignocellulolytic enzymes [CMCase (3822.93U/mg), FPase (3640.93U/mg), β-glucosidase (3873.92U/mg), xylanase (3460.24U/mg), pectinase (3359.57U/mg), α-amylase (4136.54U/mg), and laccase (3863.16U/mg)] was accomplished through solid-substrate fermentation of pretreated mixed substrates (wheat bran, sugarcane bagasse and orange peel) by Aspergillus niger SKN1 and Trametes hirsuta SKH1. Partially purified enzyme cocktail was employed for saccharification of the said substrate mixture into fermentable sugar (69.23 g/L, product yield of 24% w/w). The recovered sugar with vegetable extract supplements was found as robust fermentable medium that supported 16.51 g/L biobutanol production by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824. The sequential bioprocessing of low-priced substrates and exploitation of vegetable extract as growth factor for microbial butanol production will open a new vista in biofuel research.

Response surface methodology was employed to optimize mixed substrate solid state fermentation for the production of cellulases and xylanase by Aspergillus fumigatus ABK9. Among 11 different parameters, fermentation time (86–88 h), medium pH (6.1–6.2), substrate amount (10.0–10.5 g) and substrate ratio (wheat bran:rice straw) (1.1) had significantly influences on enzyme production. Under these conditions endoglucanase, β-glucosidase, FPase (filter paper degrading activity) and xylanase activities of 826.2, 255.16, 102.5 and 1130.4 U/g, respectively were obtained. The enzyme cocktail extracted (solid to water ratio of 1:10) from the ferments increased brightness of waste office paper pulp by 82.8% ISO, InkD value by 82.1%, removed chromophores (2.53 OD; A237 nm) and hydrophobic compounds (1.15 OD; A465 nm) and also decreased the kappa number to 13.5 from 16.8.

Haria, a popular rice based ethnic fermented beverage, is consumed as a staple food and refreshing drink by the vast number of Indian tribal people. In this study, the composition of microbial consortia and the occurrence of some important nutraceuticals during haria preparation were investigated. The quantities of moulds and yeasts were highest at 2nd day, and then declined, but, on the contrary, the quantity of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacterium sp. increased concurrently during the course of fermentation. Accumulation of starch hydrolytic enzymes along with different types of malto-oligosaccharides like maltotetrose (26.18 μg/gm), maltotriose (28.16 μg/gm), and maltose (26.94 μg/gm) were also noted. Furthermore, GC–MS analysis indicated the occurrence of pyranose derivatives in the fermented products. The fermented materials showed higher free radicals scavenging activity (82.54%, 4th day) against DPPH radicals. These studies clearly demonstrated that the microbial interaction during fermentation of rice makes it more nutritious, and most likely more beneficial for health.

Tannin-rich materials are abundantly generated as wastes from several agroindustrial activities. Therefore, tannase is an interesting hydrolase, for bioconversion of tannin-rich materials into value added products by catalyzing the hydrolysis of ester and depside bonds and unlocked a new prospect in different industrial sectors like food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, etc. Microorganisms, particularly bacteria are one of the major sources of tannase. In the last decade, cloning and heterologous expression of novel tannase genes and structural study has gained momentum. In this article, we have emphasized critically on bacterial tannase that have gained worldwide research interest for their diverse properties. The present paper delineate the developments that have taken place in understanding the role of tannase action, microbial sources, various cultivation aspects, downstream processing, salient biochemical properties, structure and active sites, immobilization, efforts in cloning and overexpression and with special emphasis on recent molecular and biotechnological achievements.

Production of alkaline keratinolytic protease related to various industrial applications, especially for enzyme detergents combination, was done from a selected bacterial strain Paenibacillus woosongensis TKB2. Enzyme yield was maximized by optimizing the culture conditions of a low-cost culture medium under submerged condition with a lab scale fermentor of 5 L capacity. The highest keratinolytic activity was obtained 76.05 U/mL by maintaining fermentation conditions of keratinase production at 30 °C, 40% dissolved oxygen level at 500 rotations per minute (rpm) and an initial pH of media of 8.5 supplemented with 0.76% chicken feathers. In fact, the crude enzyme showed four proteolytic zones in casein zymography which revealed that the crude keratinase contained four hydrolytic enzymes. The crude keratinase was active in broad range of pH (7–10.5) with keratin as a substrate. However, it exhibited highest activities at pH 9. The crude keratinase which was strongly inactivated by Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), aprotinin and leupeptin, indicated that it was a serine type protease. The crude enzyme showed remarkable stability with EDTA and was compatible with commercially available detergents. The enzyme bead prepared by 1.5% CMC improved significant storage stability with commercial detergent powder making it suitable for commercial exploitation. The alkaline keratinase of P. woosongensis TKB2 showed a potential application in the laundry industry by removing the blood stains from the surgical cloths and gave a remarkable result towards removing the composite stain of blood, egg yolk and chocolate stain in a short period without changing texture, strength (27.18 g/tex) of cloths and cloths fibers. The effluents generates after cloth washing with this detergent formulation does not effect on aquatic ecosystem. Thus, this aqua-friendly detergent formulation can be used to avoid pollution problems associated with effluent generates after cloths washing.

Tannase production by Bacillus subtilis PAB2, was investigated under solid state fermentation using tamarind seed as sole carbon source and it was found as the highest titer (73.44 U/gds). The enzyme was purified to homogeneity, which showed the molecular mass around 52 kDa (Km = 0.445 mM, Vmax = 125.8 mM/mg/min and Kcat = 2.88 min–1). The enzyme was found stable in a range of pH (3.0–8.0) and temperature (30–70 °C) with an optimal activity at pH 5.0, pI of 4.4 and at 40 °C temperature. It exhibited half-life (t1/2) of 4.5 h at 60 °C. The enzyme comprised a typical secondary structure containing α-helix (9.3%), β-pleated sheet (33.6%) and β-turn (17.2%). The native conformation of the enzyme was alike a 44 nm spherical nanoparticle upon aggregation. Thermodynamic parameters of tannase revealed that it was stable at 40 °C and showed Q10, ΔGd and ΔSd values of 2.08, 99.37 KJ/mol and 252.38 J mol−1 K−1, respectively. Organic solvents were stimulatory with regard to enzyme activity. Moreover, the altered enzyme activity was determined to be correlated with the changes in structural conformation in presence of inducer and inhibitor. Tannase was explored to have no cytotoxicity on Vero cell line as well as rat model study.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) represents a promising candidate for fuel ethanol production in tropical countries because of their high availability and high biomass yield. Bioconversion of such biomass to bioethanol could be wisely managed through proper technological approach. In this work, pretreatment of water hyacinth (10 %, w/v) with dilute sulfuric acid (2 %, v/v) at high temperature and pressure was integrated in the simulation and economic assessment of the process for further enzymatic saccharification was studied. The maximum sugar yield (425.6 mg/g) through enzymatic saccharification was greatly influenced by the solid content (5 %), cellulase load (30 FPU), incubation time (24 h), temperature (50 °C), and pH (5.5) of the saccharifying medium. Central composite design optimized an ethanol production of 13.6 mg/ml though a mixed fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MTCC 173) and Zymomonas mobilis (MTCC 2428). Thus the experiment imparts an economic value to water hyacinths that are cleared from choking waterways.

The relationships between plant and plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) are an integrated part of earthborn ecosystem. We are in the era of global warming when excessive use of chemical fertilizers engulfs the entire environment and society. In this scenario, it is our paramount liability to exploit PGPMs in agricultural sector for their invaluable role in sustainable crop production. Though PGPMs are colonized at/near the root of the plant, their wave of efficacy hits the doorstep of major functional aspects of the entire plant. PGPMs provide a wide array of remunerative roles to their host plant, viz., betterment of seedling and seedling vigor, root and shoot growth, photosynthetic efficiency, flowering, crop yield, disease resistance, and so forth. In this review the major beneficial aspects of consortia of PGPM on the plant growth are comprehensively addressed.

The present study aimed to enzymatic deinking of waste papers and to valorize the effluent for biobutanol production. Application of fungal enzymatic cocktail (cellulase, amylase, xylanase, pectinase, lipase, and ligninase) on office used paper, newspaper, and ballpen written paper leading to improvement in brightness (84.91, 72.51, 76.69 % ISO), InKd (82.89, 68.95, 76.49%), κ-number (12.9, 13.6, and 13.1), opacity (27.91, 30.07, and 2.85%), tensile strength (49.24, 45.31, and 46.98 Nm/g), respectively and indices were consistent with chemical treated pulps. The quality of effluent generated during enzymatic deinking in respect to BOD and COD level was eco-friendlier than the chemical process. The enzyme-treated effluent was employed as supporting substrate for butanol (18.4 g/l) production by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824. Material balance and life cycle assessment of the whole processes were evaluated to validate its industrial and environmental relevance.

Pectin, a hetero polysaccharide, constitutes one of the major structural units of the middle lamella and primary cell wall of plants, where it is interwoven with the other structural polymers of the plant: celluloses and hemicelluloses. As the significant constituents of the middle lamella of plant cell walls, pectin serves as cementing and lubricating agents and occupies one-third of the primary cell wall's dry weight. Pectin substances are responsible for providing the characteristic texture of fruits and vegetables during growth and maturation. Additionally, they are responsible for several cellular functions of plants like growth and development, defence, seed hydration, ionic bonding, pH balance, lignification, accumulation of protease inhibitors, cellular expansion, abscission of leaf, and fruit development. The α-1,4-D-galacturonan partially esterified with a methyl group is present in the main chain of pectin. De-methylated pectin is designated as polygalacturonic acid or pectic acid (pectate). Pectin was first isolated and roughly characterized by Henri Braconnot in 1825.

A new colorimetric method of tannase (tannin acyl hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.20) assay has been developed using its specific substrate tannic acid. It is based on the changes in optical density of substrate tannic acid after enzymatic reaction at 530 nm. The residual tannic acid was measured by a modified BSA precipitation method. This assay is very simple, reproducible, and very convenient, and with it tannase activity can be measured in relation to the growth of the organism.

A tannase-producing soil bacteria has been isolated and identified as Bacillus cereus. It can degrade tannic acid and produce maximum tannase (0.22 U/ml) at stationary phases of growth (24 h). Maximum growth and enzyme production occurred with initial medium pH of 4.5-5.0. Partial purified tannase showed optimum activity at pH 4.5 and 40 degrees C. It remains stable up to 30 degrees C and pH 4.5 to 5.0. The enzyme is salt tolerant, stable up to 2 m of NaCl and retains 82% original activity in 3 m.

Tannase production by Bacillus licheniformis KBR6 under submerged fermentation was optimized following Taguchi orthogonal array (OA) design of experiment (DOE). An OA layout of L18 (21 × 35) was constructed with six most influensive factors on tannase biosynthesis like, carbon source (tannic acid), phosphate source (KH2PO4), nitrogen source (NH4Cl), metal ion (Mg2+), incubation temperature and initial medium pH at three levels for the proposed experimental design. Tannase yield obtained from the 18 batches fermentation with the selected levels of each factors were processed with Qualitek-4 software at bigger is better as quality character and obtained a specific combination of factors with a predicted tannase production of 0.362 U/ml. The optimal combinations of factors (tannic acid, 1.0 g%; KH2PO4, 0.45 g%; NH4Cl, 0.35 g%; MgSO4, 0.05 g%) obtained from the proposed DOE methodology was further validated by fermentation experiment and the obtained result revealed an enhanced tannase yield of 2.18-fold (from 0.163 U/ml to 0.356 U/ml) from its unoptimized condition. Taguchi approach of DOE resulted in evaluating the main and interaction effects of the factors individually and in combination.

Currently research is centered towards replacement of costly toxic chemicals with the bio-products. This review explores application of bacterial keratinolytic protease to the leather and detergent industries. Keratinolytic proteases, are super proteolytic enzymes, that possesses the ability to degrade the insoluble keratinious waste. They display a huge divergence in physico-chemical properties which makes them superior for leather and detergent industries. In the leather processing industry, enzyme-based products are currently being explored in pre-tanning and tanning processes causing almost 80% reduction in the total pollution like noxious gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, as well as solid wastes, such as lime and chrome sludge. The keratinolytic protease as detergent additives makes it more exciting for green biotechnology. The major-bottleneck in protease research is the improvement of enzyme efficiency and protease stability at the time of marketing. Integrated bio-approach will not only solve the disposal of proper biomass and costly effluent treatment, but also more importantly create a goal-win-goal state for profit, people and climate the three builders of sustainability.

This paper reports two strategies to mobilize phenolic antioxidants from lyophilized and oven-dried black grape (Vitis vinifera x (Vitis labrusca x Vitis riparia)) pomace, and apple (Malus domestica cv. Jonagold) and yellow pitahaya (Hylocereus megalanthus) peel, core, peduncle and seed mixtures: a solid-state Rhizomucor miehei NRRL 5282 fermentation-based process and a carbohydrate-cleaving enzyme treatment using R. miehei NRRL 5282 cellulase and Aspergillus niger pectinase cocktails. Both methods proved to be suitable to increase the extractable phenolic content and improve the antioxidant properties of the phenolics as determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical inhibition or ferric reducing antioxidant power analyses. During solid-state fermentation, maximal phenolic yields obtained in lyophilized grape, apple and pitahaya residues were 1956 ± 31, 477 ± 37 and 495 ± 27 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry matter (DM), respectively, while they were 1385 ± 71, 362 ± 27 and 615 ± 26 mg GAE/100 g DM in oven-dried samples, respectively. The major individual phenolics produced enzymatically from the substrates were identified by HPLC as gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, (+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin, with yields ranging from 0.58 ± 0.06 to 215.81 ± 17.17 mg/100 g DM depending on the substrate and the pretreatment. The obtained phenolic-enriched extracts could potentially be applicable as sources of natural antioxidants.

A comparative study on the simultaneous production of extra and intracellular tannase was made from newly isolated fungal strain Aspergillus aculeatus DBF 9. This strain produced five times more intracellular enzyme within 24 h in liquid culture than the extracellular form. Maximum tannase production occurred in the culture broth containing 1–2% (w/v) tannic acid and 0.05–0.1% (w/v) glucose. The pH and temperature optima of both the enzymes were found at 5.0 and 50–60 °C, respectively. Extra and intracellular tannase showed good stability at higher temperature, pH values and salt (NaCl) concentration. These properties make the enzyme suitable for pollution control and bioprocess industry.

A tannase producing bacterial strain KBR 6 has been isolated from lateritic soil and identified as Bacillus licheniformis. It is capable of producing tannase in the medium containing only tannic acid. The rapid degradation of tannic acid and production of extracellular tannase was observed in three different media containing tannic acid (M1), tannic acid + basal salt (M2) and tannic acid + basal salt + glucose (M3). Maximum enzyme production and growth of the organism was obtained at 18–21 h and 30–36 h, respectively. The increased order of enzyme production in relation to different media is as per the following sequence, M3 > M2 > M1. The maximum growth and enzyme production was observed at pH 5.0. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme activity were found to be at 5.75 and 60 °C respectively. Paper chromatographic analysis indicates that gallic acid is the enzymatic degradative product of tannic acid.

A strain was selected by its highest extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production ability compare to other isolates from the same rhizospheric soil. The selected strain was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and designated as SSB81. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene sequence showed its close relatedness with Azotobacter vinelandii and Azotobacter salinestris. Maximum EPS (2.52 g l(-1)) was recovered when the basal medium was supplemented with glucose (2.0%), riboflavin (1 mg l(-1)) and casamino acid (0.2%). The EPS showed a stable viscosity level at acidic pH (3.0-6.5) and the pyrolysis temperature was found to be at 116.73 degrees C with an enthalpy (DeltaH) of 1330.72 J g(-1). MALDI TOF mass spectrometric result suggests that polymer contained Hex(5)Pent(3) as oligomeric building subunit. SEM studies revealed that the polymer had a porous structure with small pore size distribution indicating the compactness of the polymer. This novel EPS may find possible application as a polymer for environmental bioremediation and biotechnological processes.

An amylase (est. Mw 150 kDa) was purified 27.39-folds from the culture broth of Bacillus megaterium VUMB109. The purified enzyme was not inhibited by p-chloromercuro benzoate and iodoacetamide (10 mM), it rapidly decolorized the blue color of starch–iodine complex and produced α-anomeric products from starch hydrolysis, thus, it is an endo-attacking α-amylase. The enzymatic activity was not affected by any metal ion and EDTA, therefore, it is not in the class of metalloenzyme. The purified α-amylase showed higher affinity (Km = 1.5 μM; Vmax/Km = 0.38 and Kcat/Km = 2.5 × 106) to starch than other tested substrates like amylose, amylopectin and glycogen. Maltooligomer mixture with high proportion of maltopentaose (G5) and maltotriose (G3) was produced during hydrolysis of starch, amylopectin and amylose. It exhibited high degree of hydrolysis on raw potato starch than wheat, rice and corn starches. Thus the studied α-amylase could be exploited as a useful catalyst in the bioprocessing of maltooligomer mixture as food supplement for baby and aged people.

The main objective of this study was to obtain chitin in pure form from a new crustacean waste material for industrial applications. Black tiger shrimp shell wastes are a rich source of protein and valuable bioactive carbohydrate polymers such as chitin. After removal of carotenoid, Black tiger shrimp shell wastes (BTSHWs) were treated with chemicals and protease enzyme to extract chitin. Box-Behnken response surface methodology was applied to optimize the deproteinization process to obtain chitin. At optimal pH (8.82), temperature (50.05 °C), agitation speed (100.98 rpm), enzyme substrate ratio of 1:8 (wv-1) and 72 h of incubation with Paenibacillus woosongensis TKB2 crude protease cocktail, 80 % deproteinization was found along with 77.28 % recovery of chitin. The valuable oligopeptides were determined by MALDI-TOF analysis and analysis of adequate amount of free amino acids in protein hydrolysate from BTSHW, indicating a high nutritional value used for food, feed or as a nitrogen source in growth medium for microorganisms. The chitin obtained was compared with the commercial chitin using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffraction and 13C CP/MAS-NMR. Chitin obtained from crude protease treatment showed comparable physicochemical and structural properties to those of the commercial chitin. The carotenoid obtained after treatment can be used for medicinal purpose.

An organocatalytic redox isomerization strategy has been developed for the synthesis of 1,4-ketoaldehydes. DABCO was found to be the best catalyst for the isomerization of γ-hydroxy enones. With 20 mol % of DABCO as catalyst and DMSO as the solvent high yields have been achieved for different 1,4-ketoaldehydes.

In this study, an isolated yeast strain AKP1 was selected (out of 10 isolates) on the basis of the cumulative probiotic score. Genotypic characterization confirmed that it was a Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gastroprotective effect of AKP1 was evaluated by cold-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. Prior supplementation of AKP1 along with the food led to significant reduction of the cold-induced gastric lesion in stomach. The histological study clearly showed that the mucosal columnar epithelial cells of the stomach were protected from cold injury. The relative expressions of some inflammatory marker genes such as up-regulation of IL-10 and down-regulation of IL-12, IFN-γ, IFN-λ of gastric mucosa also supported the anti-inflammatory activity of AKP1. Therefore, the newly isolated yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae AKP1 might be a novel candidate of probiotic with an anti-ulcerogenic potential and can be used as a therapeutic component to prevent this widespread disease.

This study aimed to optimize the biodegradation of shrimp shell waste by Aeromonas hydrophila SBK1 for the co-production of chitinase and chitosaccharides (CS) under submerged fermentation and evaluation of their bioactivities. Canonical analysis and parametric optimization wrought the peakest production of chitinase (21.48 U/ml) and CS (124 μg/ml) after 66.4 h of fermentation at 37.6 °C. The medium containing 2.64% (w/v) shrimp shell powder, 0.38% (w/v) NaCl, 6.86 × 106 cfu/ml inoculum concentration and an agitation speed of 120 rpm were found best. These optimized parameters were also authenticated by scale up of fermentation in 5 L fermentor and a reproducible results obtained with specific yield of chitinase (YP/Schi) of 958.82 U/g and CS (YP/SCS) 5.5 mg/g. A 59 kD chitinase was purified from culture filtrate by sequential chromatography techniques. The enzyme exhibited high degree of antifungal activity particularly against pathogenic Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium oxysporum by dissolving their cell wall components. The IC50 values for A. flavus and F. oxysporum were 3.7 and 4.5 U/ml of purified chitinase, respectively. Chitosaccharides were extracted from the culture filtrate, quantitatively identified as admixture of N-acetylglucosamine monomer (57.5%) and dimer (39.2%). These chitosaccharides have potential antioxidant activity as detected by in vitro free radical scavenging assay.

The multidimensional approach for ethanol production from rice straw was opted by three distinct phases: firstly, statistical optimization of β-glucosidase production from co-culture of Aspergillus fumigatus ABK9 and Trichoderma reesei SAP3 through mixed substrate (wheat bran and rice straw) fermentation; secondly, enzymatic saccharification of pretreated rice straw for high yield of reducing sugar and finally, statistical optimization of bioconversion of the sugar to ethanol by mixed fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 173 and Zymomonas mobilis MTCC 2428. In optimized media, maximum β-glucosidase yield of 265.4 U g−1 was achieved. Enzymatic treatment (40 U g−1) of NaOH pretreated rice straw produced maximum reducing sugar of 24.9 g L−1. It also showed maximum enzyme adsorption (Emax) by 2 fold and decreased the absorption coefficient (Kad) by 37.64% relative to untreated straw. During ethanol fermentation, inoculum ratio became most influencing factor to maximize ethanol production of 40.1 g L−1, indicating the influencing effect of the perpetrator strains.

The present study was aimed at finding the optimal conditions for immobilization of Bacillus licheniformis KBR6 cells in calcium-alginate (Ca-alginate) beads and determining the operational stability during the production of tannin-acyl-hydrolase (tannase) under semicontinous cultivation.The active cells of B. licheniformis KBR6 were immobilized in Ca-alginate and used for the production of tannase. The influence of alginate concentration (5, 10, 20 and 30 g l(-1)) and initial cell loading on enzyme production were studied. The production of tannase increased significantly with increasing alginate concentration and reached a maximum enzyme yield of 0.56 +/- 0.03 U ml(-1) at 20 g l(-1). This was about 1.70-fold higher than that obtained by free cells. The immobilized cells produced tannase consistently over 13 repeated cycles and reached a maximum level at the third cycle. Scanning electron microscope study indicated that the cells in Ca-alginate beads remain in normal shape.The Ca-alginate entrapment is a promising immobilization method of B. licheniformis KBR6 for repeated tannase production. Tannase production by immobilized cells is superior to that of free cells because it leads to higher volumetric activities within the same period of fermentation.This is the first report of tannase production from immobilized bacterial cells. The bacterium under study can produce higher amounts of tannase with respect to other fungal strains within a short cultivation period.

Haria is a rice-based fermented beverage that is popular among tribal and low income people in lateritic West Bengal and East-Central India. The principal ingredient of this beverage is low grade boiled rice ( Oryza sativa L.), which is mixed with a traditional starter, called bakhar, and fermented within a heat-sterilized earthen pot for 3-4 days. The main aim of this study was to investigate the ethnobotanical importance and traditional process of haria preparation. The method adopted for this study was based on interactive questionnaires and laboratory experiments. It was found that the pH decreased during the course of fermentation with increased titratable acidity of 1.42%. The alcohol content was 2-3% (v/v) in the consumable beverages. This documentation will be useful for further exploitation of haria as a health drink.

Donor–acceptor cyclopropanes were engaged in a [3+3]‐annulation reaction with γ‐hydroxyenones. Sc(OTf) 3 was found to be the best catalyst, and 2,4,4,5‐tetrasubstituted tetrahydropyran products were obtained in good yields under mild reaction conditions. The generality of the reaction permitted the synthesis of tetrasubstituted tetrahydropyrans bearing aryl, alkyl, and heteroaromatic groups. A catalytic asymmetric variant of this process was also studied preliminary with a chiral PyBOX ligand.

Crude keratinolytic protease produced from Bacillus tequilensis hsTKB2 was screened for its ability to clean milk foul generated upon the stainless steel panels as deposit in dairy plants. Enzyme yield was maximized by optimizing the culture conditions of a low-cost culture medium under solid culture condition with a try bed reactor. The highest keratinolytic protease activity of (1770.6 U g−1) was obtained by maintaining fermentation conditions of keratinase production at 45 °C, chicken feathers moisture ratio of 1:1 and an initial pH of 10 of the media. The crude keratinase was active in broad range of pH (8–11) with keratin as a substrate. However, it exhibited highest activities at pH 10.5. The crude keratinase which was strongly inactivated by Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) indicated that it was a serine type protease. The crude enzyme showed remarkable stability with Triton X-100 making it suitable for CIP process. The surface immobilized enzyme alginate beads prepared by 3% glutaraldehide fixation with beads improved significant cleaning activity rendering it suitable for commercial exploitation. The proteases produced were assessed on a lab-scale in terms of their potential suitability for cleaning-in-place (CIP) in the dairy industry. Cleaning performance was assessed by determining the ability of the enzymes to remove an industrial-like milk fouling deposit from stainless steel. Satisfactory cleaning, judged by quantification of residual organic matter and protein on the stainless steel surface after cleaning, was achieved using the developed CIP procedure at 70 °C. In addition this CIP procedure based on biodegradable enzymes working at high temperature is more environmentally favorable than conventional CIP methods using caustic based cleaning solutions. Potential environmental benefits of the developed enzymatic CIP procedure include decreased chemical usage of the resultant waste prior to release. This cleaning not only produces alkaline and acidic waste water with detergents but also takes significant time and reduction of odorous compounds.

An organocatalytic asymmetric domino Michael/acyl transfer reaction has been developed between γ/δ-hydroxyenones and α-nitroketones. Cinchona alkaloid derived bifunctional amino-squaramide catalysts were found to be the best catalysts for this reaction. The products having nitro, keto, and ester functionalities were obtained in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities, and also a few synthetic transformations have been demonstrated.

The agricultural residues are the most plentiful renewable bioresources in our earth as they enriched with a good amount of polysaccharides like cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and starch. A newly isolated soil fungus Aspergillus fumigatus SKF-2 produced a cocktail of carbohydrate debranching enzymes under solid-state fermentation (SSF) using a mixture of sugarcane bagasse, wheat bran and orange peel in equal amount as inducible substrates. During optimization of fermentation condition through one factor at a time approach and subsequently by response surface methodology cellulase [CMCase (1447.89 U/gds), FPase (1401.98 U/gds), β-glucosidase (1461.23 U/gds)], xylanase (1897.43 U/gds), pectinase (1456.95 U/gds) and amylase (1821.34 U/gds) were evolved in higher titer. Most of the enzymes were optimally active at pH 7.0, stable up to pH 7.0-9.0 and at 30°-40 °C. The molecular weight of the CMCase, amylase, xylanase, pectinase, and β-glucosidase was determined as 21, 32, 50, 60 and 70 KDa, respectively. The kinetic indices like Km and Vmax were also in favorable ranges. Chemical as well as FE-SEM-EDX, FTIR and XRD analysis of the SSF substrates revealed a considerable structural deformation occurred by the action of enzymes evolved in the course of fermentation. The produced enzymatic combination mixture may have considerable industrial potentialities for complete saccharification of plant polysaccharides containing bioresources.

The present study was focused on the potentiality of agro-based residues for the production of pectinase to meet the growing market demand by improving the yield with low cost of production. Among the agro-based residues used for the production of pectinase, apple pomace was able to produce the maximum of 1366.30 ± 36.71 U/ml using Aspergillus parvisclerotigenus KX928754 in liquid static surface fermentation, followed by sugarcane bagasse (973.12 ± 22.43 U/ml) and used tea (686.7 ± 45.06 U/ml). The process parameters optimization using a single variable at a time affirmed that pH 7.0, incubation period of 168 h, 30°C temperature, sucrose 2% as carbon source and peptone 3% as nitrogen source was found to be optimum for better production. The crude filtrate was purified by precipitation, dialyzed, eluted on Sephadex G-100 column followed by lyophilization and stored at −20°C. A. parvisclerotigenus KX928754 pectinase was purified to 2.10-fold, 2.91% of yield rate and having a specific activity of 1081.66 U/mg. Moreover, the electrophoretic analysis through sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed 37.4 kDa of protein from the purified pectinase. Thus, the use of apple pomace as a substrate for scaling up pectinase with efficient recovery could reduce the price of the enzyme and increase its avenue for different industrial exploitation.

A xylanase producing fungi has been isolated from soil and identified as Trichoderma reesei SAF3. Maximum growth of the organism was found at 48 h under submerged condition in xylan containing enriched medium, whereas highest enzyme production (4.75U/mL) was recorded at 72 h. No detectable cellulase activity was noted during whole cultivation period. The partially purified enzyme hydrolyzed xylan into xylopentose and xylose. All these properties of xylanase highlighten its promising uses in industrial scale.

Rhizobium-legume symbiotic interaction is an efficient model system for soil remediation and reclamation. We earlier isolated an arsenic (As) (2.8 mM arsenate) tolerant and symbiotically effective Rhizobium strain, VMA301 from Vigna mungo and in this study we further characterized its efficacy for arsenic removal from the soil and its nitrogen fixation capacity. Although nodule formation is delayed in plants with As-treated composite when the inoculum was prepared without arsenic in culture medium, whereas it attains the significant number of nodules compare to plant grown in As-free soil when the inoculum was prepared with arsenic supplemented medium. Arsenic accumulation was higher in roots than root nodules. Nitrogenase activity is reduced to almost 2 fold in plants with As-treated soil but not abolished. These results suggest that this strain, VMA301, has been able to establish an effective symbiotic interaction in V. mungo in As-contaminated soil and can perform dual role of arsenic bioremediation as well as soil nitrogen improvement.

Production and optimization of β-N-acetyl glucosaminidase and chitinase by Ca-alginate immobilized Aeromonas hydrophila SBK1 was carried out using prawn shell as cost-effective substrate. Beads prepared with 5.0% Na-alginate (containing 2.0% colloidal chitin) and 1.0 M CaCl2 showed considerable beads integrity and supported maximum production of chitinolytic enzymes. Bead diameter, 3 mm; temperature, 35°C; pH 7.0; agitation, 90 rpm were found ideal for the maximum production of the enzymes. The fermentation and thermodynamic indices revealed the feasibility of immobilized cells over free cells for enzymes production. Reasonable amount of chitosaccharides (degree of polymerization; 1-6) accumulated in the production media which have paramount antioxidant activity. Scale up experiment was successfully carried out in 5 L fermentor. In immobilized state, the chitosaccharides yield and antioxidant activity increased about 44.76% and 22.22%, whereas specific productivity of β-N-acetyl glucosaminidase and chitinase increased by 22.86% and 33.37% over free state. The cell entrapped beads can be reused upto ten cycles without marked loss of its biocatalytic efficiency. High level of protoplast of Aspergillus niger was generated by treating mycelia with 10 U/ml of crude chitinase after 4 h at pH 7.0 and in the temperature 35-40°C, and 67% of the protoplasts were found to be regenerated.

Valorization of shrimp shells as the sole C/N source for chitinase biosynthesis by Aeromonas hydrophila SBK1 was carried out in solid state fermentation. Chitinase (58.6 kDa) was purified from the ferments to homogeneity have Km and Vmax of 5.5 mg/ml and 39.2 µmol/min for colloidal chitin, respectively. The enzyme was found stable in a range of pH (5.0–10.0), high NaCl concentration (5 M) and at 50 °C temperature. It showed optimal activity at pH 7.0 and 40 °C temperature and contains 52.9% α-helix, 21.5% β-pleated sheet and 10.1% turn in this condition. The enzyme is not a metallo-enzyme, inhibited by Hg2+, marginally activated by Tween 60, Tween 80 and SDS (at 1% level), and reasonably stable in presence of DMSO, β-mercaptoethanol, PMSF, sodium azide. The stability of the chitinase at varied conditions assures its employment in industrial sectors.

Journal of Food BiochemistryVolume 44, Issue 11 e13448 FULL ARTICLE Anti-obesity potentiality of Tapra fish (Opisthopterus tardoore) oil Shrabani Pradhan, Shrabani Pradhan Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorTitli Panchali, Titli Panchali Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorBani Paul, Bani Paul Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorAmina Khatun, Amina Khatun Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorSreenivasa Rao Jarapala, Sreenivasa Rao Jarapala Food Chemistry and Nutrient Analysis, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorKeshab Chandra Mondal, Keshab Chandra Mondal Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorKuntal Ghosh PhD, Corresponding Author Kuntal Ghosh PhD micro.kuntal@gmail.com Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, India Correspondence Sudipta Chakrabarti and Kuntal Ghosh, Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India. Email: sudiptadna@gmail.com (S. C.) and micro.kuntal@gmail.com (K. G.)Search for more papers by this authorSudipta Chakrabarti PhD, Corresponding Author Sudipta Chakrabarti PhD sudiptadna@gmail.com orcid.org/0000-0002-4867-160X Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, India Correspondence Sudipta Chakrabarti and Kuntal Ghosh, Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India. Email: sudiptadna@gmail.com (S. C.) and micro.kuntal@gmail.com (K. G.)Search for more papers by this author Shrabani Pradhan, Shrabani Pradhan Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorTitli Panchali, Titli Panchali Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorBani Paul, Bani Paul Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorAmina Khatun, Amina Khatun Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorSreenivasa Rao Jarapala, Sreenivasa Rao Jarapala Food Chemistry and Nutrient Analysis, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorKeshab Chandra Mondal, Keshab Chandra Mondal Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorKuntal Ghosh PhD, Corresponding Author Kuntal Ghosh PhD micro.kuntal@gmail.com Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, India Correspondence Sudipta Chakrabarti and Kuntal Ghosh, Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India. Email: sudiptadna@gmail.com (S. C.) and micro.kuntal@gmail.com (K. G.)Search for more papers by this authorSudipta Chakrabarti PhD, Corresponding Author Sudipta Chakrabarti PhD sudiptadna@gmail.com orcid.org/0000-0002-4867-160X Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, India Correspondence Sudipta Chakrabarti and Kuntal Ghosh, Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India. Email: sudiptadna@gmail.com (S. C.) and micro.kuntal@gmail.com (K. G.)Search for more papers by this author First published: 03 September 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13448Citations: 3 Funding information The authors are grateful for the financial assistance from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Govt. of India (Sanction No. 5/9/1223/2019-Nut. dated July 23, 2019). Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract In this present investigation, we have extracted and characterized the Tapra fish oil as well as applied it to evaluate anti-obesity potentiality. The Tapra fish oil had 1.14 ± 0.10 mg KOH/g of acid value, 129.8 ± 5.09 mg KOH/g of saponification number, 2.67 ± 0.67 mEq/kg of peroxide value, 121.9 ± 2.14 mg of iodine value, and 17.67 ± 1.45 totox value. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric analysis clearly revealed the presence of nine different fatty acids. When the fish oil was applied to high-fat diet-induced obese mice, it showed significant reduction of body weight, Body Mass Index, and serum lipid profiles compared to the high-fat diet-induced obese mice. The levels of leptin and TNF-α were moderately reduced in fish oil treated high-fat diet-induced obese mice than control obese mice. In conclusion, the Tapra fish oil was enriched with essential fatty acids and it could be used as an antiobese food supplement. Practical applications Considering the adverse effects of drugs used for the treatment of obesity, there is always a need to find out the alternatives. While the anti-obesity potentialities of different sea fish oil have been documented, the same for the Tapra fish (Opisthopterus tardoore) oil has not been studied at all. The extracted Tapra fish oil was found good in quality. Administration of fish oil in the mice exhibited anti-obesity effect in terms of lowering body weight, Body Mass Index, and serum lipid profiles, leptin, and TNF-α in mice model. These findings are fostering new therapeutic approaches to obesity treatment. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Citing Literature Supporting Information Filename Description jfbc13448-sup-0001-FigS1.docxWord document, 43.2 KB Fig S1 Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Volume44, Issue11November 2020e13448 RelatedInformation

Cellulose is the utmost plenteous source of biopolymer in our earth, and fungi are the most efficient and ubiquitous organism in degrading the cellulosic biomass by synthesizing cellulases. Tailoring through genetic manipulation has played a substantial role in constructing novel fungal strains towards improved cellulase production of desired traits. However, the traditional methods of genetic manipulation of fungi are time-consuming and tedious. With the availability of the full-genome sequences of several industrially relevant filamentous fungi, CRISPR-CAS (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) technology has come into the focus for the proficient development of manipulated strains of filamentous fungi. This review summarizes the mode of action of cellulases, transcription level regulation for cellulase expression, various traditional strategies of genetic manipulation with CRISPR-CAS technology to develop modified fungal strains for a preferred level of cellulase production, and the futuristic trend in this arena of research.

In the present study, the optimum conditions for the production of xylanase by immobilized spores of Trichoderma reesei SAF3 in calcium alginate beads were determined. The operational stability of the beads during xylanase production under semi-continuous fermentation was also studied. The influence of alginate concentration (1, 2, 3, and 4%) and initial cell loading (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 beads per flask) on xylanase production was considered. The production of xylanase was found to increase significantly with increasing concentration of alginate and reached a maximum yield of 3.12 ± 0.18 U ml−1 at 2% (w/v). The immobilized cells produced xylanase consistently up to 10 cycles and reached a maximum level at the forth cycle (3.36 ± 0.2 U ml−1).

This study was aimed to evaluate the pattern of cellulase biosynthesis from Aspergillusfumigatus ABK9 under submerged fermentation. Production was increased concomitantly with fungal growth up to 72 h and reached maximum (Xmax -6.72 g/l) with specific growth rate (mu max) of 0.126/h. Highest specific rate of enzyme production (q ) was found at initial medium pH of 5.0 and incubation temperature of 30 degrees C. At the same time, in the presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose concentration of 0.5 mg/ml, the production of cellulolytic enzymes, viz, carboxymethyl cellulase activity (CMCase), filter paper degrading activity (FPase) and P-glucosidase activity reached maximum of 132.2, 21.3 and 28.9 U/ml, respectively. Cellulase biosynthesis was induced in respect to higher volumetric production rate (Qp), specific rate of enzymes production (qp, U/g biomass/h) and enzyme/biomass yield (YE/X) when grown in carboxymethyl cellulose in comparison to other saccharides as sole carbon source. Induction ratios (IR) of cellulases were between 12.3 and 24.4 in the presence of 1.5% (w/v) CMC in the culture media. The strain was quite resistant to catabolic repression by glucose up to 0.4% (w/v). Cellulases production was greatly influenced in the presence of yeast extract and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2POA) as nitrogen and phosphate sources in the culture media. C/N ratio of 10.0 and C/P ratio of 4.0 proved to be the best for the production of enzyme cocktail. Along with the high production yield, the crude enzymes showed a promising cellulose hydrolyzing efficiency of rice straw, indicating the enzyme could be beneficial for its large scale industrial exploitation.

Cellulolytic, lipolytic and proteolytic enzyme production of zygomycetes Mucor corticolus, Rhizomucor miehei, Gilbertella persicaria and Rhizopus niveus were investigated using agro-industrial wastes as substrates. Solid-state cultures were carried out on untreated corn residues (stalk and leaf) as single substrate (SSF1) or corn residues and wheat bran in mixed fermentation (SSF2). Rapid production of endoglucanase (CMCase) was observed with maximal activity reaching after about 48-h fermentation, while cellobiohydrolase (CBH) and β-glucosidase enzymes generally had their peak after 72-h incubation. Highest filter paper degrading (FPase), CMCase, CBH and β-glucosidase activities obtained were (U g⁻¹ dss) 17.3, 74.1, 12.2 and 158.3, for R. miehei, G. persicaria, M. corticolus and Rh. niveus, respectively. M. corticolus proved to be the best lipolytic enzyme producer in SSF1 presenting 447.6 U g⁻¹ dss yield, while R. miehei showed 517.7 U g⁻¹ dss activity in SSF2. Rh. niveus exhibited significantly greater protease production than the other strains. Suc-AAPF-pNA hydrolyzing activities of this strain were 1.1 and 1.96 U g⁻¹ dss in SSF1 and SSF2, respectively. We conclude that the used corn stalk and leaf residues could potentially be applicable as strong inducers for cellulase and lipase production by Mucoromycotina fungi.

Chhurpi is a traditional cottage cheese found in different hilly regions of India including Sikkim, Darjeeling, Ladakh, etc. The main aim of this study was to explore the preparation process, microbial, and chemical compositions of chhurpi in Ladakh. There are mainly two types of chhurpi found in Ladakh: soft and hard (sun dried). Results showed that yeast, mold, lactic acid bacteria, and Bifidobacterium sp. were the major participating microbes in Ladakhi chhupri. The amount of riboflavin (162.71 μg/g), thiamine (64.48 μg/g), and vitamin C (23.53 μg/g) were higher in soft chhurpi than the hard chhurpi. However, lactic acid and acetic acid contents in hard chhurpi (0.23 mg/g and 0.16 mg/g, respectively) were higher than the soft chhurpi (0.12 mg/g and 0.06 mg/g, respectively). It also contains a very good amount of protein (60–63%) and carbohydrates (23–24%); and a low amount of fat (7–8%). Very low amounts of ethanol and methanol were also detected. This study clearly demonstrated that microbial interaction during fermentation of milk makes it more nutritious as it enriches the fermented material with vitamins and organic acids.

Hydrolysis of olive, rapeseed, linseed, almond, peanut, grape seed and menhaden oils was performed with commercial lipases of Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus oryzae, Rhizopus niveus, Rhizomucor miehei and Candida rugosa. In chromogenic plate tests, olive, rapeseed, peanut and linseed oils degraded well even after 2 h of incubation, and the R. miehei, A. niger and R. oryzae lipases exhibited the highest overall action against the oils. Gas chromatography analysis of vegetable oils hydrolyzed by R. miehei lipase revealed about 1.1 to 38.4-fold increases in the concentrations of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and α-linolenic acids after the treatment, depending on the fatty acids and the oil. The major polyunsaturated fatty acids produced by R. miehei lipase treatment from menhaden oil were linoleic, α-linolenic, hexadecanedioic, eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, with yields from 12.02 to 52.85 µg/mL reaction mixture. Folin-Ciocalteu and ferric reducing power assays demonstrated improved antioxidant capacity for most tested oils after the lipase treatment in relation to the concentrations of some fatty acids. Some lipase-treated and untreated samples of oils, at 1.25 mg/mL lipid concentration, inhibited the growth of food-contaminating bacteria. The lipid mixtures obtained can be reliable sources of extractable fatty acids with health benefits.

In recent times, obesity and overweight has been increasing day-by-day and has become a worldwide public health issue due to the changes in living standards, genetic disorders, and mental stress. Many studies have revealed that obesity is directly linked to other major diseases like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and is related with other systemic diseases. In 2019, over 38.2 million children below the age of 5 years were obese according to the World Health Organization. In recent years, to decrease obesity a focus has been given to reducing plasma lipid concentrations or fat droplet absorption from the intestinal tract. At present fat-lowering medicines (chemical drug treatment) and surgical methods are therapies to combat obesity. Though these treatments showed good effects, adverse effects to human health are also becoming apparent and the methods are not satisfactory for all age groups. To avoid this, the supplementation of dietary fiber, such as chitosan, pectin, and psyllium, with a natural diet showed potent hypocholesterolemic or cholesterol-lowering activity. Among these, chitosan, a natural biopolymer of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine showed high potential. Recent human studies have suggested the effectiveness of lowering body weight by consuming a high dose of chitosan supplementation. To overcome this situation, the preparation of chitosan nanoparticles and their use are of prime concern. In this current chapter the effects of chitosan nanoparticles in terms of reducing obesity are thoroughly discussed.

Bioprospecting of novel probiotic strains from traditional food (Chhurpi) of high-altitude areas of the Himalayan region was undertaken in this study. A group of lactic acid bacteria were isolated from cottage cheese, their cumulative probiotic score was compared, and one potent bacterium was identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus BAC L7. The selected strain synthesized a bacteriocin (pediocin) having molecular weight of 4.178 kDa. Along with thermostability, its stability in presence of acid, trypsin, lysozyme and in simulated gastro-intestinal condition was documented. Production of pediocin was maximum (28,147 AU/ml) at the logarithmic phase of growth. The peptide showed strong antimicrobial effect against Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella dysenteriae and Candida albicans. The selected strain exhibited strong in-vitro antioxidant activity and was experimentally demonstrated as safe. Thus, the newly explored probiotics will be an effective natural therapeutic against gastroenteritis, a common malady at high altitude.

We conducted an in vivo experiment to investigate the effect of hyperbarometric air pressure on the quantity and composition of the cultivable microflora of the large intestine. Using selective culture-based methods, we enumerated from the large intestine total aerobes and total anaerobes, and indicator bacteria such as Escherichia coli, other Enterobacteriaceae, Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp. and Clostridium perfringens, and studied their quantitative variation. Total aerobes and facultative anaerobes (E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae) were increased with an increase in air pressure, whereas the increase caused a drastic reduction in the numbers of total anaerobes and Clostridium perfringens. Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. were affected slightly by the altered air pressures. Variation in the numbers of these groups of bacteria was correlated to dose and duration of hyperbaric treatment. We conclude from our results that air pressure is an important exogenous factor that strongly modulates bacterial colonization of the large intestine and the composition of the intestinal microflora, and that the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders during hyperbarism is a result of alteration in the indigenous microflora.

Chitosaccharides (CS) of varied size were prepared from shrimp shell through sequential catalysis, using crude protease and chitinase enzymes immobilized on agar beads. In the optimized state, immobilization yield and activity yield for protease were 84% and 62%, and for chitinase were 75% and 57%, respectively. Immobilized protease and chitinase treatment improved CS yields (101 μg/ml) and retained 63% and 52% of activities after 10 reuses, respectively. Stronger radical-scavenging activity (RSA) of CS against ABTS, DPPH and hydroxyl radical was noted with EC50 values 19.1, 26.4 and 29.6 μg/ml, respectively. Peroxyl and superoxide RSAs of 96.8% and 88.6% were noticed at 70 μg/ml of CS. Singlet oxygen quenching, reducing power and ferrous ion-chelating activities of CS were also pronounced. CS reasonably reduced oxidative damage of DNA, protein and RBC by inhibiting H2O2 and AAPH radicals. Reversible CS-DNA condensation leads to DNA stabilization without changing its conformation and advocates its employment in gene therapy.

Termitomyces heimii is a highly cherished wild edible mushroom in India for its pleasant delicacy, rich proximate compositions and profound ethno medicinal applications. A water soluble crude polysaccharide fraction (THP-I) was isolated from dried fruit bodies of T. heimii and purified by GPC. The 1H- NMR spectrum of THP-I exhibited anomeric protons within chemical shifts (δH) between 3.40 to 4.0, indicating that the compound possess –CH and –CH2 functional groups, which resonate with the oxygen atoms of the –OH group, confirmed it as a polysaccharide. THP-I exhibited the MIC values of 62.5 and 125 <mu>g/ml against Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella flexneri respectively. DPPH and FRAP assays showed effective radical scavenging potential by THP-I. In vitro cytotoxicity of THP-I was evaluated by MTT assay and showed notable cellular toxicity against HCT cells at a dose concentration 200 <mu>g/ml. It is first time reported herein that, THP-I has effectively diminished hyperplasia in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) induced colon cancer of Swiss albino rats along with sprouting of goblet cells. Through the present study it is evident that polysaccharide from T. heimii exhibited manifold bioactivities and therefore could be exploited further for its undiscovered potential applications.

Tannins are water-soluble polyphenolic compounds found in plants as secondary metabolites. The presence of these substances in the barks of eight different plants was initially examined and their crude extracts were used separately as a substrate for production of tannase through submerged fermentation by Bacillus licheniformis KBR6. Tannase production as well as biodegradation of the substrate reached a maximum within 15 to 18 h against crude tannin extract obtained from Anacardium occidentale. Among different concentrations of the crude tannin tested, 0.5% (w/v) induced maximum synthesis of enzyme. Tannase production was higher by almost two-fold in the presence of crude tannin compared to pure tannic acid used as a substrate. It seems that industrial production of tannase, using bark extract of A. occidentale can be a very simple and suitable alternative to presently used procedures.

Purified α-amylase from a soil bacterium Bacillus sp. SKB4 was immobilized on coconut coir, an inexpensive cellulosic fiber, with the cross-linking agent glutaraldehyde. The catalytic properties and stability of the immobilized enzyme were compared with those of its soluble form. The enzyme retained 97.2% of its activity and its catalytic properties were not drastically altered after immobilization. The pH optimum and stability of the immobilized enzyme were shifted towards the alkaline range compared to the free enzyme. The optimum temperature for enzymatic activity was 90°C in both forms of the enzyme. The soluble and immobilized enzyme retained 19% and 70% of original activity, respectively, after pre-incubation for 1 h at 90°C. Immobilized amylase was less susceptible to attack by heavy metal ions and showed higher Km and Vmax values than its free form. The bound enzyme showed significant activity and stability after 6 months of storage at 4°C. All of these characteristics make the new carrier system suitable for use in the bioprocess and food industries.

A new low cost adsorbents, pottery granules coated with cyst of Azotobacter and portland cement has been developed for aqueous arsenic removal. The developed granule is solid and porous structure forms a stable complex of Fe-Al-Si-O2 allied with cyst biomass. Batch experiments were revealed that As removal was up to 96% using PGAC beads, whereas 65% by cyst biomass. Immobilization of cyst biomass to pottery granules through portland cement improved the stability of granules and adsorption capacity. Kinetics studies revealed that Langmuir isotherm was followed with a better correlation than the Freundlich isotherm and adsorption was first order diffusion controlled. Presence of Fe-Al-Si-O2 and polysaccharide complex on the granule surface may be responsible for the adsorption of arsenic and preferentially binds to biomass containing composite than only biomass. Thus, this recently developed cost-effective novel biocomposite, PGAC granule can be used as household level to mitigate the arsenic problem.

Abstract The first stereoselective synthesis of ( Z )‐β‐(tosyloxy)alkenyl iodide has been developed from (aryl)[( E )‐β‐(tosyloxy)alkenyl]iodonium tosylates by using a Cu I catalyst. The products of this reaction have been utilized for the diversity‐oriented synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes, and a formal synthesis of the anticancer compound ( Z )‐tamoxifen is described.

At high altitude (HA) hypobaric hypoxic environment manifested several pathophysiological consequences of which gastrointestinal (GI) disorder are very common phenomena. To explore the most possible clue behind this disorder intestinal flora, the major player of the GI functions, were subjected following simulated hypobaric hypoxic treatment in model animal. For this, male albino rats were exposed to 55 kPa (approximately 4872.9 m) air pressure consecutively for 30 days for 8 h/day and its small intestinal microflora, their secreted digestive enzymes and stress induced marker protein were investigated of the luminal epithelia. It was observed that population density of total aerobes significantly decreased, but the quantity of total anaerobes and Escherichia coli increased significantly after 30 days of hypoxic stress. The population density of strict anaerobes like Bifidobacterium sp., Bacteroides sp. and Lactobacillus sp. and obligate anaerobes like Clostridium perfringens and Peptostreptococcus sp. were expanded along with their positive growth direction index (GDI). In relation to the huge multiplication of anaerobes the amount of gas formation as well as content of IgA and IgG increased in duration dependent manner. The activity of some luminal enzymes from microbial origin like a-amylase, gluco-amylase, proteinase, alkaline phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase were also elevated in hypoxic condition. Besides, hypoxia induced in formation of malondialdehyde along with significant attenuation of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activity and lowered GSH/GSSG pool in the intestinal epithelia. Histological study revealed disruption of intestinal epithelial barrier with higher infiltration of lymphocytes in lamina propia and atrophic structure. It can be concluded that hypoxia at HA modified GI microbial imprint and subsequently causes epithelial barrier dysfunction which may relate to the small intestinal dysfunction at HA.

Traditional leavened wheat based flat bread khambir is a staple food of high altitude people of the Western Himalayan region. The health promoting abilities of two types of khambir, yeast added (YAK) and buttermilk added (BAK) were evaluated. A group of microbes like yeast, mold, lactic acid bacteria, and Bifidobacterium sp. were abundant in both khambir but in varied proportion. Both are enriched with phenolics and flavonoids. The aqueous extracts of both bread strongly inhibited the growth of enteropathogens. Molecular docking experiments showed that phenolic acid, particularly p-coumaric acid blocked the active sites of -glucosidase and acetylcholine esterase, thereby inhibited their activities. YAK and BAK showed antiradical, and antioxidant activity ranging from 46% to 67% evaluated by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. The aqueous extract of both khambir samples protected arsenic toxicity when examined under in situ rat intestinal loop model study. The arsenic induced elevated level of superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation and transmembrane mitochondrial potential alleviated by khambir extract. These results scientifically supported its age-old health benefit claims by the consumer at high altitude and there are enough potentialities to explore khambir as a medicinal food for human welfare.

AbstractThe cultivable microflora of the intestines in rat have been examined after exogenous administration of tannic acid, a major dietary component found in plant materials. Normal counts of total bacteria, total coliform and Escherichia coli per mg of faeces in experimental rats were 6.1×103, 1.7×103 and 1.5×103 respectively, present at a ratio of 4:1.1:1. Ingestion of tannic acid (at a dose of 45 mg per 100g of body weight per day) into male albino rats reduced the bacterial population in 6 days and after that their number increased. The body weight of the animals decreased by about 22% after 21 days of tannic acid treatment. The changes in microbial population indicate that tannic acid can impair the ecological balance of gastrointestinal flora.Keywordstannic acidgastrointestinal floratotal coliformE. coli

The present study was aimed at finding the optimal conditions for tannin biodegradation by Bacillus subtilis PAB2, a newly isolated soil bacterium, and to study its fermentative byproducts. Tannase production by B. subtilis PAB2 in optimum level was studied by one variable at a time (OVAT) approach followed by Box–Behnken response surface methodology (RSM) using six important variables. The maximum tannase production (10.69 U/ml) was achieved in the presence of 0.47% (w/v) tannic acid, 0.23% (w/v) ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), 0.1% (w/v) potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) and 0.046% (w/v) magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) with the initial medium pH of 5.9 and incubation at 34.1 °C for 36 h under shaking condition (120 rpm). An overall 2.06 fold increase in tannase production was achieved after RSM global formulation. One of the major end product of tannin degradation i.e. gallic acid, was accumulated in the highest level (6.45 mg/ml) in 36 h of fermentation. Liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy results indicated the presence of both gallic acid and pyrogallol in the fermentative end product. Purification of gallic acid and pyrogallol was achieved through high pressure liquid chromatography followed by crystallization and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Associated production of tannase as well as gallic acid and pyrogallol by B. subtilis PAB2 makes it obvious in different biotechnological interest.

In the present study the bioactivities of chitooligosaccharides of fermented shrimp-shell hydrolysate (SSH) in respect to hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant and prebiotic activity were tested in male albino rat. Rats were treated with four different diets, viz., (i) cholesterol-rich (5%) basal diet (ChB), (ii) ChB+10% chitin, (iii) ChB+10% SSH and (iv) control group (without cholesterol). After 4 weeks of treatment, body mass index, liver weight, serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in groups (ii) and (iii) were decreased significantly than group (i). SSH supplementation significantly resists oxidative stress by reducing the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and by increasing catalase, superoxide dismutase and free radical scavenging activity. The colonization of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium population in small and large intestine were more in group (iii) than other groups. Reduction of Clostridium perfringens population and non-significant changes of E. coli was also noted in SSH supplement group. Histological study revealed that the villus height and villus:crypt of the small intestine were increased significantly in SSH supplemented group (iii) without any diarrheal symptoms. The results demonstrated that the shrimp-shells hydrolysate has hypocholesterolemic effect, can resist lipid peroxidation and can influence the growth of health beneficial microbes, hence can be used as functional food for hypercholesterolemic patients.

Background: There is paucity of information in regards to prevalence of bacteria in urinary tract infection (UTI) in tribal population. Objectives: This study was conducted to observe dominant organisms causing UTI in tribal community of Medinipur, West Bengal, India and evaluate their sensitivity to common antibiotics. Patients and Methods: A total number of 4,416 urine samples of clinically suspected UTI attending outpatient department and hospitalized tribal patients of West Medinipur zone were collected. Urine samples were inoculated on Blood agar, MacConkey’s agar, and cystine lactose electrolyte deficient (CLED) agar and incubated at 37oC for 24 hr and extended up to 48 hr in cases of negative growth. Antibiotic susceptibility testing against the most common causative bacteria was also performed. Results: A total number of 1,190 samples revealed positive bacterial growth. Seven types of dominant organisms were isolated as causative agents like Escherichia coli (63.44%), Klebsiella sp. (14.62%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.53%), Proteus sp. (4.62%), other Gram negative bacteria (5.79%), Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative Streptococci (5.21%), and other Enterococcus sp. (1.76%). E.coli was the most common pathogen of UTI in tribal population with female susceptibility predominantly more than male patients. Among16 antibiotics, amikacin (14.30%) and meropenem (12.0%) were shown to be the most sensitive to and Tobramycin (0.66%) the least effective on E.coli. Conclusions: Females are more susceptible to UTI than males and the most effective drug (sensitive against isolated E. coli) is Amikacin. Therefore, culture and antimicrobial drug sensitivity testing are essential procedures for proper management of UTI in tribal population.

A convenient synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted furan was developed by employing donor–acceptor oxiranes in a new reaction with γ-hydroxyenones. Sc(OTf)3 was found to be the best catalyst, and 2,5-disubstituted furans are obtained in moderate to good yields under mild reaction conditions. The scope of the reaction is quite decent, allowing for the synthesis of disubstituted furans having aryl and heteroaromatic groups.

Use of natural tannin in the screening of tannase producing microbes is really promising. The present work describes about the possibility and integrity of the newly formulated method over the previously reported methods. Tannin isolated from Terminalia belerica Roxb. (Bahera) was used to differentiate between tanninolytic and nontanninolytic microbes. The method is simple, sensitive and superior for the rapid screening and isolation of tannase-producing microbes.

Background & aimsChronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly heading towards epidemic proportion globally, requires dialysis or kidney transplantation. No generally applicable therapies to slow progression of renal disease are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate Lactobacillus plantarum AD3 as an effective probiotic strain for acetaminophen induced uremic patient.MethodsPlasma uremic profiles, oxidative stress marker, DNA fragmentation assay of kidney tissue and kidney histological studies were investigated on acetaminophen-induced uremic rats (Wister strain albino male). Limited fecal matter analysis and HPLC of intestinal fluid were also performed.ResultsIn APAP treated rats, plasma urea, creatinine (Cr), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and malonaldehyde (MDA) level elevated significantly compared to negative control. However, level of plasma urea, creatinine, GOT and MDA in tested rats were significantly lower in comparison to uremic control (p < 0.05). Electrolytes profile of the tested plasma samples were in acceptable range. Glomerular necrosis, DNA damage of uremic rats were also significantly lowered. In contrast, SCFAs have been associated with attenuated kidney damage by protecting against oxidative stress.ConclusionThe urease positive probiotic L. plantarum AD3 strain have the antioxidative and antiuremic efficacy in acetaminophen induced experimental rats.

In the current study, probiotic yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae AKP1 was assessed for its potential as a starter culture in multi-grain (rice, pulses, and soybean, 3:1:1) substrates fermentation. The impact of fermentation of multi-grain-based food on proximate composition, antinutrients, and antioxidants was evaluated. Fermented product showed significant increments (P <.05) in protein (13.6%) and fiber (1.8%) content. Moreover, the rapidly digestible starch (27.5%) and resistant starch (15.0%) levels were found to increase significantly (P <.05) while the slowly digestible starch level decreased (87.7%) in the fermented food sample. After 4 days of fermentation, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents increased by 83.0% and 69.8%, respectively, with a greater antioxidant potential of 85.9%. The fermented food sample showed a significant reduction in the phytate (64.5%) and trypsin inhibitor activity (19.9%) (P <.05) with a substantial increase in phytase level (P <.05). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy clearly revealed the alteration of physico-chemical properties during fermentation with S. cerevisiae AKP1. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis detected the presence of 38 volatile compounds in the fermented food material with the prevalence of fatty acids such as palmitic acid, linoleic acid, among others; alcohols such as isoamyl alcohol, 2,3-butanediol, among others; and esters such as ethyl-2-methylbutanoate. Thus, probiotic yeast S. cerevisiae AKP1 could improve the dietary and functional characteristics of multi-grain substrates and could be regarded as a potential starter for multi-grain substrates fermentation.

Probiotic bacteria are now becoming an effective natural medicine for alleviating many non-communicable lifestyle-related diseases. The present study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and antitoxicant properties of a foodborne probiotic Bifidobacterium sp. MKK4 and its rice fermented beverage. The extracts of culture broth, whole cells, fermented beverage, and it’s heat-inactivated counterparts subjected to in vitro antioxidant/antiradical assays by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP analysis. Except for heat-inactivated states, all samples exhibited strong antioxidant activity. In the experimental rat model, both Bifidobacterium sp. MKK4 and its rice fermented beverage significantly prevented arsenic toxicity by inducing a higher level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione and preventing lipid peroxidation (LPO) and DNA fragmentation, and transmembrane mitochondrial potential. Besides, the organism supported systematic protection by improving the level of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, urea, creatinine, and uric acid. The inherent antioxidant nature of the isolate can be exploited as an ingredient in functional food and an effective antidote against arsenic toxicity.

In the current study, one thermostable endoglucanase was purified from Penicillium notatum NCIM NO-923 through mixed solid state fermentation of waste cabbage and bagasse. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 55kDa as determined by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme had low activation energy (Ea) of 36.39KJ mol-1 for carboxymethyl cellulose hydrolysis and the enthalpy and entropy for irreversible inactivation was 87 kJ mol −1 and 59.3 J mol −1 K−1 respectively. The enzyme was quite thermostable with a Tm value of 62.2˚C. The pKa1 and pKa2 of ionizable groups of the active sites were 2.5 and 5.3 respectively. Apparent Km, Vmax and Kcat of the enzyme were found to be 5.2 mg mL-1, 80 U/gds and 322.4 sec-1 respectively. The enzyme showed about 1.4 fold increased activity in presence of 10mM MgSO4. Adsorption of endoglucanase on Avicel at wide pH range was studied at different temperatures. Langmuir type adsorption isotherm at 10˚C showed maximum adsorption strength of enzyme at pH 3.0, which was in a range of optimum pH of the enzyme.

Abstract An endoglucanase from Aspergillus fumigatus ABK9 was purified from the culture extract of solid‐state fermentation and its some characteristics were evaluated. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme (56.3 kDa) was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, zymogram analysis and confirmed by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. The enzyme was active optimally at 50 °C, pH 5.0 and stable over a broad range of pH (4.0–7.0) and NaCl concentration of 0–3.0 M. The p K a1 and p K a2 of the ionizable groups of the active sites were 2.94 and 6.53, respectively. The apparent K m , V max , and K cat values for carboxymethyl cellulose were 6.7 mg ml −1 , 775.4 µmol min −1 , and 42.84 × 10 4 s −1 , respectively. Thermostability of the enzyme was evidenced by the high activation energy (91.45 kJ mol −1 ), large enthalpy for activation of denaturation (88.77 kJ mol −1 ), longer half‐life ( T 1/2 ) (433 min at 50 °C), higher melting temperature ( T m ) (73.5 °C), and Q 10 (1.3) values. All the characteristics favors its suitability as halotolerant and thermostable enzyme during bioprocessing of lignocellulosic materials.

A method for the organocatalytic, highly enantioselective, and moderately diastereoselective dimerization (redox isomerization/acetal formation) of γ‐hydroxyenones is disclosed. The stereogenic acetal products were obtained via hemiacetal intermediates followed by a cyclization reaction. With bifunctional thiourea catalysts, high yields and excellent enantioselectivities were achieved for a variety of acetal products under mild reaction conditions. In addition, detailed DFT calculations were performed to investigate the mechanism of this reaction, and these calculations suggested that the diastereoselectivity was due to a kinetically controlled process.

Chitin is the world’s second most abundant polysaccharide (after cellulose) and most plenteous amino-polysaccharide in environment. Its recalcitrant structure contributes mechanical strength to the chitin-bearing organisms. Chitinolytic enzymes or chitinases are group of glycosyl hydrolases which collectively and ultimately breaks chitin to its building block N-acetylglucosamine. Chitinolytic enzymes are ubiquitous among most of the living taxa, starting from bacteria to human beings, where they play different imperative biological functions. In spite of its cosmopolitan distribution in nature, chitinase from microorganisms are extensively explored. Chitinase has engrossed worldwide colossal attention due to its widespread applicability in biocontrol, biomedical, waste management, and pharmaceutical sectors, and owing to these employments, there is a steady increment in the demand of chitinases in present scenario. Perusal of literature attested that among the reports on microbial chitinase, a fungus contributes a lion’s share. In fungi, chitinase plays multiple physiological roles including degradation of indigenous and exogenous chitin. Classical fermentation method in optimized condition is generally applied for the production of chitinase, whereas with the advent and advancement of genetic engineering, overproduction/overexpression of chitinase is now becoming a fascinated approach. In the present deliberation, biosynthesis of fungal chitinolytic enzymes, their classification, physiological role, potential applications, and future perspectives are outlined and highlighted.

Haria , a rice fermented alcoholic beverage, is prepared and consumed by the vast number of Indian tribal people as a staple drink. Lactic acid bacteria are the dominant microbial community in this beverage. Participating lactic acid bacterial diversity in this beverage were determined by using PCR denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lysinibacillus sp., Lysinibacillus fusiformis , and a group of uncultured Bacillus sp. The beverage was enriched with a significant amount of lactic acid (17.63 mg/g), acetic acid (0.18 mg/g), folic acid, thiamine, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid. The phytase activity in this beverage was shown highest (18.93 U/g) at the fourth day of fermentation. The beverage was also augmented with essential minerals like calcium, ferrous, magnesium, and sodium, whereas the quantity of chromium, lead, cobalt, and nickel were gradually decreased during the course of fermentation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis clearly revealed that three types of esters were produced during fermentation. This study clearly demonstrated that a group of lactic acid bacteria along with other microorganism provide a wide array of bioactive substances make this beverage more nutritious.

In view of the wide spread emergence of antibiotic resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates, the antigonococcal activity of ten Nepalese folk medicinal plants commonly used by the ethnic groups of peoples was evaluated. Among ten plant extracts, the ethanolic extracts of four plants and hexane extracts of one plant were very sensitive to N. gonorrhoeae. The maximum mean zone of inhibition by agar well diffusion method was seen for Eupatorium odoratum and the minimum was for Syzygium cumini. Similarly, the minimum inhibitory concentration by test tube dilution method for Eupatorium odoratum was the least followed by Ocimum sanctum, Sapindus mukorossi, Allium sativum and Syzygium cumini. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of the extracts reveals the presence of bioactive components. Thus, the result of this study justified the folkloric usage of the studied plants and concluded that these plants extract have great potential in finding new clinically effective antigonorrhoeal compounds.

Chitin, the crystalline polymer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is the world’s second most abundant carbohydrate and principal structural component of cell wall of fungi, yeasts and algae, insect exoskeletons, shells of crustaceans and the microfilarial sheath of nematodes. GlcNAc is present in peptidoglycan, hyaluronic acid and keratin sulfate. In nature, chitin rich waste biomass get re-utilized by an array of microbes producing chitinases and proteases, but the presence of the microbes as well as activity of the enzymes depend on the abundance of the bioresource. Chitin polymer, chito-oligomers and GlcNAc have engrossed colossal attention due to their innumerable potential applications in food, biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, cosmetics and environmental cleanup. Owing their immense and versatile appliances, extraction of chitin and production of chito-oligomers and GlcNAc in large scale is necessary to meet the market demand. In this context, chemical extraction/degradation of crustacean shell at elevated temperature is the traditional practice results in the formation of undesired byproducts, creates large quantities of toxic waste as well as associated with high cost, low yield and also deteriorates environmental health. In this perspective, microbial biotransformation and enzymatic treatment are alternative environment friendly ‘green technology’ for generation of chitin, chito-oligomers and GlcNAc in large scale in economical way by valorizing natural chitinous bioresources using potential organic acid, chitinase and protease producing microbes. Moreover, genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering was implemented in recent ages. Altogether, in the present assignment, cutting edge strategies of bioextraction of chitin and production of chito-oligomers and GlcNAc by microbial means as well as their multifaceted appliances in biological and biomedical sector are thoroughly discussed.

Background and Objective: Traditional fermented rice beverages consort many health beneficial microbes and impose properties to be potential industrial strain for bioprocessing engineering.Here, the main aim was to evaluate the probiotic properties of a Bifidobacterium strain and its functional features and to study its fermentation behavior.Materials and Methods: A traditional fermented beverage origin isolate MKK4 was identified by the 16S rDNA sequencing and tested for tolerance to gastric acid and bile salts, antimicrobial susceptibility.The isolate was tested for survivability in gastric acid suppressive pharmaceutical formulations and stability.The fermentation and acidification kinetics were also studied with evaluating the amylolytic byproducts and mineral content of the rice gruel.Results: The isolate MKK4 was identified as Bifidobacterium sp. and durably survived in simulated gastrointestinal environment, stable with the gastric acid suppressive pharmaceutical formulations and susceptible to most of the commercial antibiotics.The fermentation dynamics revealed the well growth of the organism (specific growth rate 1.174) with the Monodʼs constant (K s ) of 5.721 g LG 1 in rice gruel by degrading starchy substrate (Y x/s 0.233) with a peak of amylase production (3.758U mLG 1 minG 1 ) at 5 h of incubation.Lactic acid accumulation was 0.483% logG 1 CFU mLG 1 hG 1 (< lactate ) with Y lactate/s 0.087 and acidification rate was 0.11 U pH hG 1 .The isolate was able to fortify the gruel with maltoligosaccharides as well as multivalent essential minerals like zinc, calcium and iron.The isolate showed significant viability (91.30 and 95.65%, p<0.05) in fermented rice gruel supplemented with inulin and fructooligosaccharide tested as per the modified ICH stability guidelines.Conclusion: Results of this study suggested the formulated rice gruel as a potential non-dairy food adjunct for delivery of the probiotic isolate Bifidobacterium sp.MKK4 as well as nutraceuticals and may help in human wellness to combat life-style related diseases.

The discovery of several fungal strains as probiotics is expanding a new era in the probiotic family. Because of their unique cellular architecture and better survivability in the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract, fungi are significant probiotic candidates. As the exact mechanism of action, efficacy, and dosage level are not fully understood, the implementation of new fungal strains in a therapeutic approach is not completely validated. Among the fungal strains isolated as probiotic candidates, Saccharomyces boulardii var. cerevisiae is the most promising commercialized probiotic yeast: it exerts several health beneficial effects in both normal and adverse physiological states of the host body. Researchers around the world have tried to evaluate the efficacy of newly isolated probiotic fungi for better bioavailability as well as safety issues. This chapter mainly focuses on newly isolated probiotic fungal stains, their mechanism of action, their health benefits, and also their efficacy in the treatment of various diarrheal, skin, and vaginal complications. Some future prospects regarding safety issues and better industrial application are also covered in this chapter.

The present study is concerned with the evaluation of tannase and gallic acid production efficacy of Bacillus licheniformis KBR6 under different environmental conditions through submerged fermentation. Results have shown that different environmental conditions and mineral sources have differential influences on tannase and gallic acid production. Highest tannase and gallic acid yield was observed at incubation period of 18 h and 22 h, respectively. At tannic acid concentration of 15 g/l, maximum cell mass (0.75 g/l), cell yield coefficient (0.08 g/g), specific growth rate (37.5 mg/g/h), tannase yield (16.3 U/g) and specific tannase production rate (0.80 U/g/h) were observed, however, at higher tannic acid concentration a decrease in tannase yield and production rate were observed, but gallic acid production increased with increasing tannic acid concentration. Additional carbohydrate sources like glucose, fructose, and lactose showed positive influence on enzyme yield. Among the studied nitrogen sources urea and NH4Cl, and of the phosphate sources KH2PO4 showed favourable effects on cell growth and simultaneous enzyme and gallic acid production. Temperature of 35 °C was found to be optimum for tannase and gallic acid production. Of all the studied metal ions Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ showed positive effect whereas, Co2+, Ag2+, Pb2+, Hg2+ showed inhibitory effects.