Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums

The resin of Boswellia species has been used as incense in religious and cultural ceremonies and in medicines since time immemorial. Boswellia serrata (Salai/Salai guggul), is a moderate to large sized branching tree of family Burseraceae (Genus Boswellia), grows in dry mountainous regions of India, Northern Africa and Middle East. Oleo gum-resin is tapped from the incision made on the trunk of the tree and is then stored in specially made bamboo basket for removal of oil content and getting the resin solidified. After processing, the gum-resin is then graded according to its flavour, colour, shape and size. In India, the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are the main source of Boswellia serrata. Regionally, it is also known by different names. The oleo gum-resins contain 30-60% resin, 5-10% essential oils, which are soluble in the organic solvents, and the rest is made up of polysaccharides. Gum-resin extracts of Boswellia serrata have been traditionally used in folk medicine for centuries to treat various chronic inflammatory diseases. The resinous part of Boswellia serrata possesses monoterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, tetracyclic triterpenic acids and four major pentacyclic triterpenic acids i.e. β-boswellic acid, acetyl-β-boswellic acid, 11-keto-β-boswellic acid and acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid, responsible for inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes. Out of these four boswellic acids, acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid is the most potent inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme responsible for inflammation.

The functional role and commercial importance of insect pigments have been studied for well over a century. They are classified into those synthesized by insects, which include anthraquinones, aphins, pterins, tetrapyrroles, ommochromes, melanins and papiliochromes, and those sequestered from their host plants, the antioxidative carotenoids and water-soluble flavonoids. They can also be categorized into those that are produced by cyclization of linear precursors, e.g. anthraquinones, aphins and tetrapyrroles and those derived from cyclic precursors such as pterins, ommochromes, melanins and anthocyanins. Anthraquinones and aphins are derived by cyclization of linear polyketides via successive condensation of simple carboxylic acid metabolites and occur in two major Superfamilies of Hemiptera, the Coccoidea and Aphidoidae, respectively. Ommochromes, tetrapyrroles and melanins are derived from different amino acid precursors, tryptophan, glycine and tyrosine, respectively. Apart from providing body colouration, ommochromes are visual pigments, melanins act as a protectant against UV and tetrapyrroles facilitate oxygen transport to cells. Papiliochromes are synthesized using both, the essential amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan. Pterins are derived from guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and are also present in ommatidia of eyes. The sequestered pigments, anthocyanins and carotenoids, are synthesized from phenylalanine and by condensation of two isoprene units, respectively, in plants. The biosyntheses of chemochromes in insects are governed by a complex set of enzymes, pathways and genetics. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the molecules that are not only responsible for the striking colours but also provide functional benefits for insects. The commercially important pigments are also discussed.

Three hundred and sixteen households in 20 western Kenyan villages — 19% of all households in these villages — managed successfully to escape from poverty in the past 25 years. However, another 325 households (i.e. 19% of all households of these villages) fell into abiding poverty in the same period. Different causes are associated with households falling into poverty and those overcoming poverty. Separate policies will be required consequently to prevent descent and to promote escape in future. Results from these 20 Kenyan villages are compared with results obtained earlier from a similar inquiry conducted in 35 villages of Rajasthan, India. Some remarkable similarities are found, but also several important differences.

Various authors have identified the potential relevance of innovation system approaches for inclusive innovation, that is, the means by which new goods and services are developed for and by the poor. However, it is still a question how best to operationalize this. Innovation platforms (IPs) represent an example of putting an inclusive innovation system approach into practice by bringing different types of stakeholders together to address issues of mutual concern and interest with a specific focus on the marginalized poor. This paper explores the formation and functioning of IPs with the aim of providing lessons on the conditions and factors that play a role in making them effective. The study shows the importance of social organization, representation, and incentives to ensure a ‘true’ participatory innovation process, which is based on demand and embedded in the context. Critical to this is a flexible planning process stimulating incremental change through so-called innovation bundles (i.e. combinations of technological, organizational, and institutional innovations) and reflexive learning (systematically challenging constraining factors). Furthermore, local institutions embedded in norms and values are crucial to understand people's decisions. Due to weak linkages between value chain actors, innovation brokers have a vital role in facilitating the innovation process. Overall, IPs are a promising model for inclusive innovation, but they require a careful assessment of and adjustment to the institutional context.

Currently, one of the major problem affecting the world is solid waste management, predominantly petroleum-based plastic and fish solid waste (FSW). However, it is very difficult to reduce the consumption of plastic as well as fish products, but it is promising to convert FSW to biopolymer to reduce eco-pollution. On account of that, the bioconversion of FSW extract to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) was undertaken by using Bacillus subtilis (KP172548). Under optimized conditions, 1.62 g/L of PHB has been produced by the bacterium. The purified compound was further characterized by advanced analytical technologies to elucidate its chemical structure. Results indicated that the biopolymer was found to be PHB, the most common homopolymer of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). This is the first report demonstrating the efficacy of B. subtilis to utilize FSW extract to produce biopolymer. The biocompatibility of the PHB against murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 demonstrated that, it was comparatively less toxic, favourable for surface attachment and proliferation in comparison with poly-lactic acid (PLA) and commercially available PHB. Thus, further exploration is highly indispensable to use FSW extract as a substrate for production of PHB at pilot scale.

Crop residues (CR) have become a limited resource in mixed crop-livestock farms. As a result of the increasing demand and low availability of alternative resources, CR became an essential resource for household activities, especially for livestock keeping; a major livelihood element of smallholder farmers in the developing world. Farmers’ decisions on CR use are determined by farmers’ preferences, total crop production, availability of alternative resources and demand for CR. Interaction of these determinants can result in pressures and trade-offs of CR use. Determinants, pressures and trade-offs are shaped by the specific socio-economic and agro-ecological context of these mixed farms. The objective of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of the determinants of CR use and to examine some options to cope with pressures and trade-offs in 12 study sites across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Drawing on socio-economic data at household and village level, we describe how cereal intensification and livestock feed demand influence use, pressures and trade-offs of CR use across study sites, specifically cereal residue. Our results show that in low cereal production and livestock feed demand sites, despite a low demand for CR and availability of alternative biomass, pressures and trade-offs of CR use are common particularly in the dry season. In sites with moderate cereal production, and low–moderate and moderate livestock feed demand, alternative biomass resources are scarce and most residues are fed to livestock or used to cover household needs. Subsequently, pressures and potential trade-offs are stronger. In sites with low cereal production and high livestock feed demand, pressures and trade-offs depend on the availability of better feed resources. Finally, sites with high cereal production and high livestock feed demand have been able to fulfil most of the demand for CR, limiting pressures and trade-offs. These patterns show that agricultural intensification, better management of communal resources and off-farm activities are plausible development pathways to overcome pressures and trade-offs of CR use. Although technologies can largely improve these trends, research and development should revisit past initiatives so as to develop innovative approaches to tackle the well-known problem of low agricultural production in many smallholder mixed systems, creating more sustainable futures.

L.) is a bulbous flowering plant belongs to the family of Amaryllidaceae and is a predominant horticultural crop originating from central Asia. Garlic and its products are chiefly used for culinary and therapeutic purposes in many countries. Bulbs of raw garlic have been investigated for their role in oral health, which are ascribed to a myriad of biologically active compounds such as alliin, allicin, methiin, S-allylcysteine (SAC), diallyl sulfide (DAS), S-ally-mercapto cysteine (SAMC), diallyl disulphide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS) and methyl allyl disulphide. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA statement. Scopus, PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Science direct databases were searched between 12 April 2021 to 4 September 2021. A total of 148 studies were included and the qualitative synthesis phytochemical profile of GE, biological activities, therapeutic applications of garlic extract (GE) in oral health care system, and its mechanism of action in curing various oral pathologies have been discussed. Furthermore, the safety of incorporation of GE as food supplements is also critically discussed. To conclude, GE could conceivably make a treatment recourse for patients suffering from diverse oral diseases.

Stevia is a natural source of commercially important steviol glycosides (SGs), which share biosynthesis route with gibberellic acids (GAs) through plastidal MEP and cytosolic MVA pathways. Ontogeny-dependent deviation in SGs biosynthesis is one of the key factor for global cultivation of Stevia, has not been studied at transcriptional level. To dissect underlying molecular mechanism, we followed a global transcriptome sequencing approach and generated more than 100 million reads. Annotation of 41,262 de novo assembled transcripts identified all the genes required for SGs and GAs biosynthesis. Differential gene expression and quantitative analysis of important pathway genes (DXS, HMGR, KA13H) and gene regulators (WRKY, MYB, NAC TFs) indicated developmental phase dependent utilization of metabolic flux between SGs and GAs synthesis. Further, identification of 124 CYPs and 45 UGTs enrich the genomic resources, and their PPI network analysis with SGs/GAs biosynthesis proteins identifies putative candidates involved in metabolic changes, as supported by their developmental phase-dependent expression. These putative targets can expedite molecular breeding and genetic engineering efforts to enhance SGs content, biomass and yield. Futuristically, the generated dataset will be a useful resource for development of functional molecular markers for diversity characterization, genome mapping and evolutionary studies in Stevia.

Ever since the development of Hybridoma Technology in 1975 by Kohler and Milstein, our vision for antibodies as tools for research for prevention, detection and treatment of diseases, vaccine production, antigenic characterization of pathogens and in the study of genetic regulation of immune responses and disease susceptibility has been revolutionized. The monoclonal antibodies being directed against single epitopes are homogeneous, highly specific and can be produced in unlimited quantities. In animal disease diagnosis, they are very useful for identification and antigenic characterization of pathogens. Monoclonal antibodies have tremendous applications in the field of diagnostics, therapeutics and targeted drug delivery systems, not only for infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and protozoa but also for cancer, metabolic and hormonal disorders. They are also used in the diagnosis of lymphoid and myeloid malignancies, tissue typing, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, radio immunoassay, serotyping of microorganisms, immunological intervention with passive antibody, antiidiotype inhibition, or magic bullet therapy with cytotoxic agents coupled with anti mouse specific antibody. Recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid technology through genetic engineering has successfully led to the possibility of reconstruction of monoclonal antibodies viz. chimeric antibodies, humanized antibodies and complementarily determining region grafted antibodies and their enormous therapeutic use.

Abstract Polymerization of acrylic acid in aqueous solution initiated by permanganate‐oxalic acid redox pair has been studied at 32 ± 0.2°C in nitrogen atmosphere. The rate of polymerization has been found to be nearly independent of oxalic acid concentration within the range 1.87 to 9.33 · 10 −3 mole/l. and decreases only at higher concentrations of the oxalic acid. The rate has also been found to vary with the first power of the monomer concentration (within the range 1.44 to 5.76 · 10 −2 mole/l.) and the first power of the catalyst concentration (8.0 to 28.0 · 10 −5 Mole/l.). It is, however, proportional to half power at relatively high catalyst concentration, at fixed concentrations of oxalic acid (1.03 · 10 −2 mole/l.) and the monomer (5.76 · 10 −2 mole/l.). At higher concentration of monomer the catalyst exponent has been found to be nearly unity for both the higher and lower concentrations of the catalyst. The initial rate of polymerization increases with increase in temperature. The overall energy of activation has been found to be 19.56 kcal/mole within the temperature range 30 – 45°C. Organic solvents and salts (KCI, Na 2 SO 4 , and Na 2 C 2 O 4 ) depress the rate but MnSO 4 4H 2 O has been found to increase the initial rate but depress the maximum conversion.

Abstract The polymerization of acrylamide initiated by permanganate/oxalic acid redox pair has been studied in aqueous media at 35 ± 0.2°C in nitrogen atmosphere. The rate of polymerization is independent of activator (oxalic acid) concentration (0.75·10 −3 to 7.5·10 −3 mole/l.) except at very high (above 7.5·10 −3 mole/l.) or very low (below 0.75·10 −3 mole/l.) concentrations of the activator. The rate varies linearly at low monomer concentration. The catalyst exponent decreases from nearly unity to 0.65 with the increase in the concentration of catalyst (KMnO 4 ) probably due to participation of primary radicals in the termination of the growing chain. The initial rate increases with increase in the polymerization temperature. The overall energy of activation has been found to be 11.97 Kcal/mole within the temperature range 25‐50°C. Organic solvents (water miscible only) and salts (KCI, Na 2 SO 4 ) depress the initial rate but small amounts of manganous salts (MnSO 4 ) can increase the initial rate to a considerable extent. High concentration of salts (Na 2 SO 4 , KCl, and MnSO 4 ) causes termination of the growing chain. A complexing agent, NaF, decreases the initial rate but the limiting conversion is increased. Introduction of new catalyst at intermediate stages of polymerization increases both the rate and the limiting conversion.

Abstract Vinyl acetate/(VAc)‐butyl acrylate/(BuA) copolymer latex films of various copolymer compositions were investigated for their morphological properties by electron microscopy techniques, and for their mechanical properties by dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile strength measurements. Batch copolymer latex films showed domains of PBuA dispersed in PVAc matrix; the domain sizes were increased with increased BuA content. Semicontinuous latex films were homogeneous in composition. Glass transition temperatures T g determined from DMS and DSC indicated the presence of two, low and high, transition temperatures for batch latex films. The two temperatures approached the individual homopolymers, with increased PBuA content up to 51 mol %. Semicontinuous latex films showed only one single T g . Tensile properties of the batch copolymer films showed a higher ultimate tensile strength, higher Young's modulus, and lower percent elongation to break compared to semicontinuous latex films. These differences were found to reflect the effect of mode of monomer addition during the emulsion copolymerization process on the particle morphology, and confirmed earlier data on bulk, colloidal, and surface properties of the same copolymer latexes.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is an important soil characteristic that controls water moves through the soil. On the other hand, its measurement is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive; hence Pedotransfer Functions (PTFs) are commonly used for its estimation. Despite significant development over the years, the PTFs showed poor performance in predicting Ks. Using Genetic Algorithm (GA), two hybrid Machine Learning based PTFs (ML-PTF), i.e. a combination of GA with Multilayer Perceptron (MLP-GA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM-GA), were proposed in this study. We compared the performances of four machine learning algorithms for different sets of predictors. The predictor combination containing sand, clay, Field Capacity, and Wilting Point showed the highest accuracy for all the ML-PTFs. Among the ML-PTFs, the SVM-GA algorithm outperformed the rest of the PTFs. It was noticed that the SVM-GA PTF demonstrated higher efficiency than the MLP-GA algorithm. The reference model for hydraulic conductivity prediction was selected as the SVM-GA PTF paired with the K-5 predictor variables. The proposed PTFs were compared with 160 models from past literature. It was found that the algorithms advocated were an improvement over these PTFs. The current model would help in efficient spatio-temporal measurement of hydraulic conductivity using pre-available databases.

A boron loaded super-absorbent hydrogel (BLSAH) was developed through in situ incorporation of boron (B) in a guar gum-based hydrogel and characterized with FTIR, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and swelling studies, showing maximum absorption up to 356 g/g. The release pattern of B from the BLSAH and its kinetics was studied in water as well as soil. The B release pattern of the BLSAH was also compared with the commercial B fertilizer, boronated single super phosphate (bSSP). The BLSAH, following the Fickian mechanism, released 38% B, as compared with 51% of the bSSP, during the incubation period of 30 days in soil. The half-life period for the BLSAH (96.25 days) in soil was almost triple that of the bSSP's half-life (33.32 days), which is indicative of the slow and controlled release of B from the BLSAH. Thus, owing to its sustained nutrient release ability, the synthesized BLSAH exhibited wide potential for applications in agriculture sector.

only penetrated filamentous JGTA-S1. Together, these results demonstrate an interkingdom interaction that improves rice N nutrition.

The utility of calcium oxide nanoparticles in the biomedical and physical fields has instigated their biocompatible synthesis and production. Moreover, it is important to investigate their biocompatibility at the molecular level for biomedical and ecotoxicological concern. This study explores the green synthesis of calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONP) using Crescentia cujete leaf extract. The synthesized CaONP were found to have a size of 62 ± 06 nm and a hydrodynamic diameter of 246 ± 12 nm, as determined by FE-SEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS). CaONP was stable in fish medium with a zeta potential of −23 ± 11 mV. The biocompatibility of the CaONP was investigated with adult zebrafish bearing an LC50 of 86.32 µg/mL. Cellular and molecular investigation revealed the mechanism of biocompatibility as a consequence of elicited reactive oxygen species leading to apoptosis, due to accumulation and internalization of CaONP in exposed zebrafish. The study provided detailed information about the mechanistic biocompatibility and a defined horizon of green synthesis of CaONP for biomedical and ecological purposes.

In the world of highly processed foods, special attention is drawn to the nutrient composition and safety of consumed food products. Foods fortified with probiotic bacteria confer beneficial effects on human health and are categorized as functional foods. The salubrious activities of probiotics include the synthesis of vital bioactives, prevention of inflammatory diseases, anticancerous, hypocholesterolemic, and antidiarrheal effects. Soy foods are exemplary delivery vehicles for probiotics and prebiotics and there are diverse strategies to enhance their functionality like employing mixed culture fermentation, engineering probiotics, and incorporating prebiotics in fermented soy foods. High potential is ascribed to the concurrent use of probiotics and prebiotics in one product, termed as “synbiotics,” which implicates synergy, in which a prebiotic ingredient particularly favors the growth and activity of a probiotic micro-organism. The insights on emended bioactive profile, metabolic role, and potential health benefits of advanced soy-based probiotic and synbiotic hold a promise which can be profitably implemented to meet consumer needs. This article reviews the available knowledge about strategies to enhance the nutraceutical potential, mechanisms, and health-promoting effects of advanced soy-based probiotics. Traditional fermentation merged with diverse strategies to improve the efficiency and health benefits of probiotics considered vital, are also discussed.

BACKGROUND: A pandemic poses a significant challenge to the healthcare staff and infrastructure. We studied the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among armed forces doctors in India during the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors that contribute to these symptoms. METHODS: The study was conducted from March 30, 2020, to April 2, 2020, using a self-administered questionnaire questionnaire using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), which was sent through Google Forms. Responses were received from 769 respondents. Data were analyzed for demographic details and HADS scores using the chi-square test and backward logistic regression. RESULTS: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were seen in 35.2% and 28.2% of the doctors, respectively. In doctors with anxiety symptoms, significant associations were observed with age (20-35 years, 39.4%, P = 0.01), gender (females, 44.6%, P < 0.001), duration of service (0-10 years, 38%, P = 0.03), and clinical versus non-clinical specialties (non-clinical, 41.3%, P < 0.001) as opposed to marital status, education level, and current department of work.In doctors with depressive symptoms, significant associations were observed with age (P = 0.04), clinical versus non-clinical specialties (P < 0.001), duration of service (0-10 years, 30.1%, P = 0.03), and doctoral degree (P = 0.04) as opposed to gender, marital status, education level, and current working department. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a high prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among armed forces doctors. The main contributing factors are female gender, young age group, non-clinical specialties, and having a doctoral degree.

ABSTRACT Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) were dried by microwave-vacuum drying (MVD) technique to a moisture content of about 6% (d.b.), and the dried mushrooms were compared with hot-air and freeze-dried (FD) products on the basis of different quality attributes such as color, texture, rehydration ratio and sensory score. Statistical analysis of data revealed significant difference among the drying methods for all the attributes at P ≤ 0.05. Although FD produced the best quality dehydrated products having maximum rehydration ratio, highest instrumental color (L value) and lowest hardness, the MVD mushrooms were rated as equal to FD samples by a sensory panel in terms of appearance, color and overall acceptability. MVD mushrooms had significantly higher rehydration potential, lower density, better color and softer texture than those obtained by air drying (AD). The effect of drying methods on the water sorption properties of dehydrated products was also evaluated at 20, 30 and 40C. It was found that FD products absorbed maximum water vapor and MVD products had a higher sorption capacity than conventional AD products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Microwave-vacuum drying (MVD) has been investigated as a potential method for obtaining high quality dehydrated food products including fruits, vegetables and grains. MVD combines the advantages of both microwave heating and vacuum drying. The low temperature and fast mass transfer provided by vacuum combined with rapid energy transfer by microwave heating generates very rapid, low temperature drying and, thus, it has the potential to improve energy efficiency and product quality. Several researchers have reported microwave assisted drying of foods, where considerable improvements in the drying process and product quality have been found. Good quality dehydrated button mushrooms, having properties comparable to freeze-dried products, can be obtained by MVD method within 30–40 min of drying time. The commercial application of this technology for large-scale drying of mushrooms may be examined for economic viability.

In this paper, we propose a closely spaced two-port microstrip patch antenna system with significant isolation enhancement (> 90 dB), which can be deployed for MIMO as well as full-duplex transceiver systems. We deploy a resonant combination of rectangular defected ground structure (DGS) and a near-field decoupling structure (NFDS) in the vicinity of a closely spaced (inter-element spacing = 0.01λ0) two-port microstrip patch antenna system at 5.85 GHz. This drastically reduces the port-to-port mutual coupling (< -90 dB), which can help in self-interference cancellation for full-duplex point of view without any additional circuitry, while still preserving desired impedance matching performance (< -15 dB). The broadside gain of individual antennas in the two port MIMO system is 7.11 dBi, with 97% efficiency and co-to-cross-polar level < 25 dB. The proposed concept is validated by full-wave simulation in CST Microwave Studio, as well as experimental results on fabricated prototype. Moreover, MIMO performance metrics such as total active reflection coefficient (TARC), envelop correlation coefficient (ECC) and channel capacity loss (CCL) are analysed using simulation and measurement.