Search

The richness and diversity of protein rich fermented foods are chiefly observed in many Asian countries. They are potential source of wide range of biologically active peptides depending on the protein source and starter culture used for fermentation. The major protein rich fermented foods popularly consumed in Asian countries include fermented soybean, fermented milk and fermented fish products. These foods are fermented using different starter cultures including lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Bacillus species, yeast and filamentous fungi. Fermentation by individual starter culture results in unique products by a series of enzymatic hydrolysis, leading to production of a diversity of bioactive peptides responsible for health benefits. Bioactive peptides in Asian protein rich fermented foods have been reported for exhibiting antihypertensive, antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic and anticancer properties. This review is focused on Asian protein rich fermented foods, associated microbes and bioactive peptides responsible for health benefits.

Black soybean was fermented with four different potential Bacillus spp., including Bacillus licheniformis K1G, Bacillus subtilis K2B, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens K2G and Bacillus subtilis K2M, isolated from kinema, a traditionally fermented soybean product of Sikkim. Enhancement of antioxidant activity was observed with DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power potential and total antioxidant activity in methanolic as well as water extracts. Overall antioxidant activities were found to be higher in fermented black soybean in comparison to yellow soybean, showing its potential for production of kinema. Further, black soybean fermented using different starter was subjected to gastrointestinal digestion using pepsin and pancreatin. Upon gastrointestinal digestion of fermented black soybean changes in antioxidant activity was observed that was found to be reliant on the species and strains applied for fermentation as starter culture. Among different starters used for fermentation, black soybean fermented using B. subtilis K2M had higher DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power activity on gastrointestinal digestion. This study concludes that B. subtilis K2M can be applied for fermentation of black soybean for production of kinema as well as bioactive protein hydrolysates.

Climate change could impact nutrient bioavailability in aquatic environment. To understand the interaction of nutrient bioavailability and elevated CO2, Chlorella vulgaris cells were grown in ambient air or 5% CO2 in different concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in a photobioreactor. The chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and respiration rates increased in 5% CO2 to support higher biomass production. The nutrient limitation in the growth media resulted in reduced photosynthetic rates of the algal cells and their PSI, PSII, and whole chain electron transport rates and biomass production. Conversely, their lipid content increased partly due to upregulation of expression of several lipid biosynthesis genes. The order of downregulation of photosynthesis and upregulation in lipid production due to nutrient limitation was in the order of N > P. The N-50 and 5% CO2 culture had only 10% reduction in biomass and 32% increase in lipids having 85% saturated fat required for efficient biofuel production. This growth condition is ideal for generation of biodiesel required to reduce the consumption of fossil fuel and combat global warming.

The essential oil (EO) from the leaves of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Grey was investigated to determine chemical composition and fumigant toxicity against two major stored grain pests rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). A total of 78 compounds were identified by GC-MS of which α-Pinene (63.62%), Bicyclo [3.1.0] hexane, 4-methylene-1-(1-methyl ethyl)- (14.68%) and 1,6,10-Dodecatrien-3-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-, (E)- (2.34%) were most abundant. EO from leaves of T. diversifolia showed strong fumigant activity against S. oryzae adults with LC50 values of 95.12, 77.00 and 74.68 µL/L air after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure whereas for T. castaneum the LC50 values were 102.67, 98.12 and 81.54 µL/L air, respectively. Mortality rates increased with increasing exposure periods and increasing concentration. These naturally occurring materials derived from EO of T. diversifolia could be used to manage the populations of S. oryzae and T. castaneum. It was found that the EO’s of T. diversifolia is very effective as a fumigant against stored grain insect pests and can also be used as an alternative to the synthetic fumigants.

Cheese is a product of ancient biotechnological practices, which has been revolutionized as a functional food product in many parts of the world. Bioactive compounds, such as peptides, polysaccharides, and fatty acids, have been identified in traditional cheese products, which demonstrate functional properties such as antihypertensive, antioxidant, immunomodulation, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Besides, cheese-making probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) exert a positive impact on gut health, aiding in digestion, and improved nutrient absorption. Advancement in biotechnological research revealed the potential of metabolite production with prebiotics and bioactive functions in several strains of LAB, yeast, and filamentous fungi. The application of specific biocatalyst producing microbial strains enhances nutraceutical value, resulting in designer cheese products with multifarious health beneficial effects. This review summarizes the biotechnological approaches applied in designing cheese products with improved functional properties.

With the rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions, the development of stress tolerant plants has become a priority for sustaining agricultural productivity. Therefore, studying the process of stress tolerance in naturally tolerant species hold significant promise. Phragmites karka is an invasive plant species found abundantly in tropical and sub tropical regions, fresh water regions and brackish marshy areas, such as river banks and lake shores. The plant possesses the ability to adapt and survive under conditions of high salinity. We subjected P. karka seedlings to salt stress and carried out whole transcriptome profiling of leaf and root tissues. Assessing the global transcriptome changes under salt stress resulted in the identification of several genes that are differentially regulated under stress conditions in root and leaf tissue. A total of 161,403 unigenes were assembled and used as a reference for digital gene expression analysis. A number of key metabolic pathways were found to be over-represented. Digital gene expression analysis was validated using qRT-PCR. In addition, a number of different transcription factor families including WRKY, MYB, CCCH, NAC etc. were differentially expressed under salinity stress. Our data will facilitate further characterisation of genes involved in salinity stress tolerance in P. karka. The DEGs from our results are potential candidates for understanding and engineering abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Plant essential oils contained secondary metabolite chemicals showing toxicities on stored grain insects. The main aims of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal efficacies and chemical compositions of essential oil from C. flexuosus, C. winterianus, C. martini, and P. cablin against Sitophilus oryzae (L.). The GC-MS analysis results showed that, the essential oils of four aromatic plants are rich in citral, neral, geranyl acetate, geraniol, citronellal, geraniol, citronellol, photocitral B, azulene and α-guaiene respectively. The essential oils of C. flexuosus with LC50 values are 44.5 and 26.1 μl/L air after 24 and 48 h exposure which was found to be most potent fumigant than C. winterianus followed by C. martini and P. cablin respectively. Further, in contact toxicity, C. martini oil being the most effective against adults of S. oryzae with LC50 values of 2.6 and 1.8 μl/cm2 after 24 and 48 h exposure respectively, whereas moderate toxicity was observed in S. oryzae from the essential oils of C. winterianus and P. cablin. These results suggested that the essential oils extracted from C. flexuosus, C. winterianus, C. martini, and P. cablin can be used as in the management of S. oryzae in order to decrease the harmful effects and risk of synthetic insecticides on human beings.

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is one of the major destructive pests to stored milled products. It has developed resistance to chemical fumigants. Therefore, finding an eco-friendly biofumigant for the management of the pest is of great importance. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal efficacy of essential oil from Cymbopogon flexuosus (lemongrass), Cymbopogon winterianus (citronella), and Cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) against T. castaneum and its chemical composition. GC–MS analysis was conducted and results showed that the essential oils of C. flexuosus, C. winterianus and C. martini are rich in citral, neral, cironellol, D-lemonene, geraniol and geranyl acetate respectively. The essential oils from C. flexuosus, C. winterianus and C. martini had a very strong repellent activity to adults of T. castaneum and were significantly repellent at 1.41 µL/cm2. The essential oil of C. flexuosus had a high fumigant activity against adults of T. castaneum with LC50 values of 27.1 and 4.23 µL/L after 24 and 48 h exposure. Furthermore, essential oils of C. winterianus had a high contact toxicity to T. castaneum with LD50 values of 2.1 and 1.5 µg/L after 24 and 48 h exposure, followed by 2.5 and 1.6 µg/L of C. martini and 4.09 and 2.07 µg/L of C. flexuosus after 24 and 48 h exposure respectively. The results show that essential oils extracted from the Cymbopogon species are natural insecticides and can be used as an efficient management tool against T. castaneum.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and pyrolysis (Py) of Loktak lake biomass mixture of water hyacinth (WH) and para grass (PG) were carried out at 260–300 °C and 300–500 °C to compare the products yield and chemical characteristics of the products. In case of HTL, the maximum bio-oil yield was obtained 13.34 wt.% at 280 °C while for Py, the maximum bio-oil yield was observed 38.8 wt.% at 350 °C. The obtained bio-oils and bio-chars were analyzed using GC–MS, FT-IR, NMR, TGA, TOC, and SEM. GC–MS analysis of the bio-oils were showed that the HTL bio-oil majorly contains of nitrogen containing compounds whereas the Py bio-oil contains majority of phenolic compounds. Other compounds like ketones, alcohols, acids were also observed in bio-oil. Higher intensity broad band at 3300–3500 cm−1 was observed in the Py bio-oil compared to HTL bio-oil. TGA and proximate analysis of bio-char revealed the higher devolatilization occured during the HTL compared to Py process. The surface morphology of the HTL bio-char was found to be rough and fragmented as compared to the pyrolysis bio-char, clearly showing the biomass macromolecules breakdown differently in HTL and Py process. Keywords: Hydrothermal liquefaction, Pyrolysis, Aquatic biomass, Bio-oil, Functional compounds, Bio-char

Efficient post-harvest handling storage can tremendously contribute to socio-economic empowerment in developing nations. Farmers use traditional storage containers for storing food grains for their own need. These storage structures are comparatively cheap, eco-friendly and impart high shelf life to the stored commodities. These traditional storage systems could be applied in modern storage areas with minor modification, could save food commodities that would be damaged by insects. Although chemical methods of management of stored produce pests are highly successful, they leave behind toxic residues. The traditional wisdom and methods of storage can protect commodities from insect infestation for substantially longer periods. Keywords: Traditional methods, Preservation, Storage system, Insect infestation, Stored product commodities

The present study provides the first comparative fatty acid profiling of the three Indian seabuckthorn species, collected from varying altitudes (2900–4300 masl) of Trans-Himalayas (Hippophae rhamnoides, H. tibetana) and Sikkim Himalayas (H. salicifolia) regions. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed variability in fatty acid composition of different seabuckthorn populations. Sikkim populations showed higher (1.28–1.6 folds) palmitic acid than Trans-Himalayan populations which possess higher linoleic (1.3–1.5 folds) and linolenic (1.6–1.8 folds) acids. Interestingly, a strong altitudinal gradient associated positive correlation was observed with the degree of unsaturation and PUFA content while negative correlation was observed with saturated fatty acids content of different seabuckthorn populations. H. salicifolia collected from Sikkim showed healthy ω-6:ω-3 ratio (closer to 1:1) of functional lipids exhibiting its better nutraceutical potential than other commonly used seed oils. Interestingly, H. tibetana from Losar showed higher (5.81) degree of unsaturation than Sikkim populations (3.5) suggesting its better stress tolerance trait. Chemo-taxonomic diversity analysis also formed two broad clusters of Trans-Himalayan and Sikkim populations which correlated with earlier taxonomic studies. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12298-019-00720-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A new species of Heterostemma, H. barikiana, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to Heterostemma xuansonense in the absent or very reduced peduncle and in the presence of a pubescent staminal corona.

Monodopsis subterranea, a unicellular yellow-green freshwater microalga, is widely known for its ability to produce high amount of therapeutically beneficial ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentanoic acid (EPA; C20:5Δ5,8,11,14,17). Currently, no genomic information is available on M. subterranea despite its nutraceutical and commercial applications. Analysis on fatty acid methyl esters from M. subterranea strain CCALA 830 demonstrated accumulation of 28% EPA. In order to obtain better understanding of EPA biosynthesis and to identify genes involved in the process of lipid metabolism and accumulation in this alga, de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly was performed using Illumina Hiseq 2000 sequencing. A total of 35,954 transcripts were obtained through final transcriptome assembly with an average transcript length of 769.36 bp. BLAST similarity searches for assembled transcripts were performed followed by annotation using Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthology identifiers. Transcripts involved in lipid biosynthesis including various fatty acid desaturases and elongases involved in PUFAs biosynthesis were identified during the study. In addition, sequences for several transcription factors and a number of simple sequence repeats were also ascertained which can be used as powerful genetic markers for further genetic analysis. This study would provide a useful resource for future research on M. subterranea genome.

The role of microflora is an indispensable part of the living organisms. Plants actively recruit specific microbial community to establish favorable habitat with the distinct microbiome, essentially unique for each species, offering new opportunities for plant growth and productivity. Umorok, an indigenous chili variety of northeastern India, production is highly affected by various factors; therefore, rhizosphere bacteria and their relationship with the root exudates released were analyzed to demonstrate rhizosphere bacterial impact on plant growth and health. Culturable and metagenomic bacterial DNA was characterized and the chemical nature of the root exudate was analyzed using chemotaxis assay after its basic analysis in HPLC. Juvenile stage exhibited diverse bacterial species of gammaproteobacteria, alphaproteobacteria, and actinobacteria but lacked the betaproteobacteria while the microbial diversity was reduced in flowering and fruiting stages. However, every growth stage maintained a similar amount of bacterial population regardless of diversity. The population of Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Burkholderia species was increased several folds in flowering and fruiting stage. Further, the chemotaxis assay unveiled the advantage of root exudate chemical composition for specific microbial recruitment. The chemical composition analysis of root exudates showed substantial variation in the concentration of organic acids, phenolics, and flavonoids that are favoring unique bacterial species. Thus, root exudates confer and limit the related microbial population besides typical plant-bacterial synergetic association. This study emphasized information about the type of microbial load present in each growth stage, which is essential to develop a microbial consortia package for Umorok overall crop improvement.

The aim of the present study was to develop an eco-friendly biological process for the production of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-hydroxy methylfurfuraldehyde (HMF) using microorganisms. Microorganisms were isolated from the soil samples and evaluated for its biotransformation efficiency. Among the isolates, Aspergillus flavus APLS-1 was found to be potent for efficient conversion of HMF to FDCA. The bioconversion parameters were optimized by Box-Behnken design. The optimization resulted in 67% conversion efficiency where 1 g/L HMF (8 mM) was transformed to 0.83 g/L (6.6 mM) FDCA in 14 days at pH6.5 with biomass size of 5.7 g/L and biomass age 60 h. This is the first report on Aspergillus sp., capable of detoxifying HMF and produces FDCA.

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an industrially important chemical which is a starting material in the production of plenty of platform chemicals. In this study, a complete biotransformation of HMF was achieved using a novel isolate, Acinetobacter oleivorans S27. This strain could tolerate up to 3000 mg/L of HMF concentration and convert to other furan derivatives. The conversion products includes high-value chemicals like 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA), a known interleukin inhibitor and 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), an alternate of terephthalic acid in polyester industries. The biotransformation efficiency was found to be 100%, as there is complete conversion of HMF to other chemicals. Most importantly, it is an environmental friendly process for the production of furan derivatives.

Capitalist development and its fallout dispossession have been contested in various place-based struggles in India. It has intensified capital accumulation, enforcing the vast majority of population, particularly the Adivasis (tribal people) in resource-rich territories, to displace and has affected their livelihoods by accumulating their cultural rights to land, water, and forests. The prerequisite capitalist logic of investment-induced dispossession has been contested in various place-based local struggles raising important questions about mass mobilization, resistance, politics of protest, identity, and solidarity. The study provides theoretical and empirical insight of the interrelationship between culture, power, and politics of corporate state developmentalism and the way it works in Adivasi resource-rich region. By discussing how different ploys and tactics employed by corporate to establish clientelist relation with nature, backed by the state through policy, have led to poverty and dispossession of the commons, this article argues that accumulation of the growth and national development subsume various discourses facilitated by different players involving populist belief and intentions which gradually develop a class character that corresponds with dialectic of the capitalism under the rubric and politics of imperial stage of capitalism. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and case studies, the article explores the process of how the Adivasis as a class encounter neoliberal capitalist development in Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex and West Singhbhum. Initiatives like everyday resistance ‘from below’ in response to corporate land accumulation for developmental projects have further enhanced the ecological politics and class politics that will also be discussed in shadow of different theories of political economy and critical agrarian studies.

Chitinases are glycosyl hydrolases which hydrolyse β-1,4-glycosidic bonds between N-acetylglucosamine residues of chitin. Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), a cold desert plant, is a storehouse of many cold-tolerant proteins including dual-functioning antifreeze proteins (AFPs) possessing both hydrolytic and antifreeze activities. Herein, we report the purification and characterization of antifreeze chitinases from seedlings grown in laboratory conditions. Chitin-affinity chromatography led to homogenous purification of two acidic chitinases HrS CHT1a (33 kDa) and HrS CHT1b (38 kDa) from seedlings. Antifreeze activity of purified AFPs was confirmed by the formation of hexagon-shaped ice crystals using nanolitre osmometer. Similarly, sucrose sandwich splat assay also confirmed their ice recrystallization inhibition activity (1.6-fold decrease in mean ice crystals). The chitinase activity of AFPs was confirmed by chitin hydrolytic assay where higher activity (1.8-fold) was observed in HrS CHT1b (500 U/mg) than HrS CHT1a (222 U/mg). MS identification showed homology of HrS CHT1b with provicilin while HrS CHT1a was identified as uncharacterized protein. In silico analysis showed that purified AFPs differ significantly in biochemical properties which suggests their different physiological roles. Protein association network analysis using string showed interaction of HrS CHT1b with enzymes involved majorly in pathogenic protection (pectinesterase, glycosyl hydrolase protein with chitinase domain). However, HrSCHT1a showed interaction with proteins associated with growth and energy regulation (glycine and purine synthesis, vitamin B metabolism) thereby indicating differential functional roles of both the chitinases. Conserved domain analysis also supported that these AFPs are multifunctional and exhibit differential regulatory roles in enabling the plant growth and defense responses. Further validation of these targets may open gates for commercial utilization of this plant growing abundantly in the Himalayan regions of India for protection of freeze-susceptible crops or biomedical applications.

Solid state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) of water poor feedstock may be a promising technology for energy recovery. Feedstocks having high solid concentration like lignocellulosic biomass, crop residues, forestry waste and organic fraction of municipal waste may be the appropriate feedstock for its biochemical conversion into energy carries like biomethane through SSAD. Compared to liquid state anaerobic digestion (LSAD), SSAD can handle higher organic loading rates (OLR), requires less water and smaller reactor volume and may have lower energy demand for heating or stirring and higher volumetric methane productivity. Besides these, pathogen inactivation may also be achieved in SSAD of biodegradable waste. Around 60% of recently built AD systems have adopted SSAD technology. However, the process stability of an SSAD system may have several constraints like limited mass transfer, process inhibitors and selection of digester type and should be addressed prior to the implementation of SSAD technology. In this article, a comprehensive overview of the key aspects influencing the performance of SSAD is discussed along with the need for mathematical modelling approaches. Further to this, reactor configuration for SSAD and digestate management requirement and practice for solid-state condition are reviewed for a better insight of SSAD technology.

This study reports the whole-genome sequencing and sequence analysis of a bacterial isolate Brevibacterium casei strain LS14, isolated from Loktak Lake, Imphal, India. The de novo assembled genome reported in this paper featured a size of 3,809,532 bp, has GC content of 68% and contains 3602 genomic features, including 3551 protein-coding genes, 46 tRNA and 5rRNA. A biosurfactant biosynthesis gene cluster in the genome of the isolated strain was identified using AntiSMASH online tool V3.0.5 and KAAS (KEGG Automatic Annotation Server). The presence of biosurfactant was demonstrated by drop collapse, oil displacement and emulsification index. Subsequent chemical characterization using FTIR and LC–MS analyses revealed surfactin and terpene containing biosurfactant moieties. Also, the presence of genes involved in terpenoid synthesis pathway in the genome sequence may account for biosurfactant terpenoid backbone, but genes for later-stage conversion of terpenoid to biosurfactant were not ascertained.

Alzheimer is a neurodegenerative disorder common in elderly patients causing neuronal cell death in patient’s brain cell which is responsible for memory and cognition impairment. Ethnobotanical studies have shown that many medicinal plants used in traditional medicine system across the globe have shown significant results in enhancing the memory functions. The traditional knowledge can be a potential source for drug discovery against Alzheimer’s disease. Phytochemical analysis have shown that bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, sterols, alkaloids, flavanoids, lignans, tannins and triterpenes are present in these plants which are used traditionally against Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the medicinal plants have been studied and shown to have beneficial effect by animal studies and clinical trials, without any side effects. In this chapter where we will discuss about few very common medicinal plants and their effects on AD along with the gaps and challenges faced for the transformation of traditional knowledge to drugs in the market.

This study reports the whole-genome sequencing and sequence analysis of a bacterial isolate Brevibacterium casei strain LS14, isolated from Loktak Lake, Imphal, India. The de novo assembled genome reported in this paper featured a size of 3,809,532 bp, has GC content of 68% and contains 3602 genomic features, including 3551 protein-coding genes, 46 tRNA and 5rRNA. A biosurfactant biosynthesis gene cluster in the genome of the isolated strain was identified using AntiSMASH online tool V3.0.5 and KAAS (KEGG Automatic Annotation Server). The presence of biosurfactant was demonstrated by drop collapse, oil displacement and emulsification index. Subsequent chemical characterization using FTIR and LC–MS analyses revealed surfactin and terpene containing biosurfactant moieties. Also, the presence of genes involved in terpenoid synthesis pathway in the genome sequence may account for biosurfactant terpenoid backbone, but genes for later-stage conversion of terpenoid to biosurfactant were not ascertained. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02867-9.