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Defence Materials Stores and Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur is working in the field of nonmetallic materials. This paper tries to evaluate the usage statistics of Science direct material science package of M/s Elsevier in terms of number of downloads of full text articles available to users of DMSRDE. Usage data of science direct material science package from 2005 to 2015 is analysed to assess the usability of journals in terms of highly utilised or non-utilised journals, average cost per article, and the impact of the online availability of journal articles on the library services. The study reveals that only 12 per cent of the highly used titles of package accounts for 65-66 per cent usage. The cost per article study supports package subscription over individually selected highly used titles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil of Artabotrys odoratissimus R.Br. was evaluated for antifungal activity against some storage fungi causing contamination of food stuffs. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the oil was found to be 750 μL L−1 against Aspergillus flavus Link. It was found superior over different prevalent synthetic fungicides which inhibited the growth of A. flavus between 1000–5000 μL L−1. The oil exhibited broad fungitoxic spectrum against fourteen different storage fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus was inhibited at 1000 μL L−1 whereas Cladosporium cladosporioides, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium oryzae, Macrophomina phaseolina, Microsporum gypseum, Mucor racemosus, Penicillium italicum, Pythium debaryanum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii and Trichoderma viride at 500 μL L−1. Aspergillus niger was found to be inhibited only 84.9% at 1000 μL L−1. In addition, the oil showed significant efficacy in arresting aflatoxin B1 secretion by the toxigenic strain (Navjot 4NSt) of A. flavus at 750 μL L−1. The efficacy of A. odoratissimus oil as aflatoxin suppressor is being reported for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils from different parts of 12 plants belonging to eight angiospermic families were extracted and tested for activity against two toxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus link. through the poisoned food technique. The oil of the spice plant Amomum subulatum Roxb. (Fam. Zingiberaceae) was found effective against two strains of A. flavus, completely inhibiting their mycelial growth at 750 μg mL-1. This level of activity was superior to that of the synthetic fungicides tested. In addition, the oil exhibited a broad fungitoxic spectrum against all the tested fungi (A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. terreus, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium herbarum, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium oryzae, and Trichoderma viride), significantly inhibiting their growth at 750 μg mL-1. The essential oil displayed excellent antiaflatoxigenic efficacy, completely inhibiting aflatoxin B1 production at 500 μg mL-1. Hence, A. subulatum oil may be recommended as a novel, botanical antimicrobial and aflatoxin suppressor as an alternative to synthetic preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]