<div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Reducing the sugar content of processed products has been claimed to be one of the most efficient strategies for decreasing sugar intake. To investigate what level of sugar reduction is accepted in set-type yogurt, we conducted a hedonic test focusing on the sensory attributes and assessed the nutritional quality of the yogurt.&nbsp; Methods: We prepared a total of 12 set-type yogurt samples using four sugar concentrations (viz. 0, 4, 5 and 12%). The starter culture was used as a 1:1 ratio mixture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The sensorial, chemical and microbiological analyses were performed. Result: From the investigation, yogurt containing at least 4 and 5% added sugar was found acceptable based on overall sensory score. On the hedonic scale, yogurt containing 12% sugar was more often described as too sweet compared with yogurt containing 4 and/or 5% sugar. On the other hand, the sweetness and aroma intensity for yogurt containing 0% sugar was judged as too low. The 4 and 5% added sugar yogurt was recorded highest with protein content 4.35 and 4.53%, respectively. The initial total viable count (TVC) of the yogurt made was found highest in 4 and 5% sugar yogurt each with &raquo; 5 log10 cfu/mL. These results indicate that consumers would accept set-type yogurts with 4 to 5% added sugar instead of 12 to 15%, but 0 to 3% sugar would be too low.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Optimization of Sugar Reduction in the Formulation of Set-type Yogurt Using Pure Lactic Acid Bacterial Culture</div>

<div>Background: This paper has attempted an economic analysis of tissue-culture pointed gourd and non-tissue culture pointed gourd. As we know that vegetables are rich and comparatively cheaper source of vitamins. Consumption of these items provides taste, palatability and fiber for digestion. Their consumption in plenty provides fair amount of protein and also play a key role in neutralizing the acids produced during digestion of fatty foods. While pointed gourd contains 2 per cent protein, 0.3 per cent fat, 2.2 per cent carbohydrate, 153 IU vitamin A and 29 mg vitamin C per 100g edible portion (www.agrifarming.in). 
 
Methods: This study was conducted in the year 2017-18. The study has been conducted in the Anand and Kheda districts of Middle Gujarat using personal interview method. And 4 talukas were selected. Total 80 respondents were selected, out of them 40 were cultivating non-tissue culture and 40 were cultivating tissue culture variety of pointed gourd. Cost and return analysis had been done by using cost concepts. The Garrett ranking technique was used to study the adoption behaviour of farmers.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The study revealed that tissue-culture pointed gourd is more beneficial as compared to non-tissue culture pointed gourd. The cost of cultivation (Cost C2) of pointed gourd per hectare for tissue culture and non-tissue culture was ₹ 306655 and ₹ 237216, respectively. The average yield of tissue culture and non-tissue culture pointed gourd was 483 q and 248.49 q, while gross income was ₹ 597595 and ₹&nbsp;324741 respectively. Per hectare net returns in tissue culture pointed gourd for Cost C2 was ₹ 290940 whereas for non-tissue culture pointed gourd the per hectare net return over Cost C2 was ₹ 87525. The overall per hectare farm business income, family labour income and farm investment income for tissue culture farmer were found to be significantly higher compared to their counterpart non-tissue culture farmers. The overall input-output ratio on Cost C2 was 1.95 for tissue culture and 1.37 for non-tissue culture. &lsquo;Higher yield&rsquo; was the main reason for adoption of tissue culture technology followed by &lsquo;high quality fruit&rsquo; and &lsquo;higher income per hectare&rsquo;. On the whole, the analysis has revealed that the tissue culture technology in pointed gourd cultivation can go a long way in enhancing the farmers income which is the need of the hour.&nbsp;</div>

An Economic Analysis of Technology Change in Tissue Culture and Non-tissue Culture Pointed Gourd in Anand and Kheda Districts of Middle Gujarat

Background: Composting and vermicomposting are sustainable methods of organic waste management, which are catalyzed by complex microbial communities. Microbiota in the compost and earthworm&rsquo;s gut play an important role in nutrient cycling and decomposition, but the relative ability of these microbial communities to stimulate composting efficiency has not been studied vastly. The present research cultured bacterial isolates of mushroom compost, vermicompost and earthworm gut and evaluated their biochemical properties, plant-growth-promoting abilities and enzyme degrading potential. 
 
Methods: Bacterial cultures were isolated from mushroom compost, earthworm gut and vermicompost collected from different composting units at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa. The distinct morphological colonies formed on various agar plates were tested for Gram staining. The isolates were screened for cellulose and hemicellulose degradation and the ability to solubilize phosphorus, potassium and zinc, production of siderophores were further biochemically characterised using IMViC test. The data was analyzed by using Origin Pro 2023b, version 10.0.5.157. 
 
Result: A total of 80 isolates were obtained by culturing on different media: 20 from mushroom compost, 40 from vermicompost and 20 from earthworm gut. The isolates obtained in mushroom compost had the highest cellulose and hemicellulose degradation index, the earthworm gut isolates had the highest phosphorus and zinc solubilization index and vermicompost isolates produced the highest siderophore. Thirty-one promising isolates, demonstrating multiple degradation and solubilization activities, were further characterized through IMViC tests and substantial diversity was observed. These bacterial isolates hold potential for enhancing composting efficiency, promoting faster decomposition and nutrient release. 
&nbsp;

Evaluating Bacterial Isolates for Enhanced Composting Efficiency: A Comparative Study of Mushroom Compost, Vermicompost and Earthworm Gut Bacteria

<div>The microbiota of dairy products is composed of starter and non-starter lactic acid bacteria, as well as other bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi that form secondary microbiota and play an important role in cheese ripening. The use of combined LAB strains based on compatibility and/or coexistence tests plays an important role in food production and preservation, while combinations of strains that exhibit mutually inhibitory properties must be avoided. For centuries, researchers have focused on the exploration of autochthonous LAB biodiversity from various ecological dairy niches in order to address its role in texture and flavour formation and to select strains for use as starter cultures. Recent advanced technological tools like next-generation sequencing machines have played a significant role in the fast and accurate characterization and isolation of microbial communities from dairy products. However, the characterization and isolation of LAB using culture-independent methods is also a reliable and cost-effective method for studying a bacterial community without prior cultivation. These methods include single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP-PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), thermal gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE), real-time PCR (qPCR), terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), length heterogeneity PCR (LH-PCR), automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Therefore the goal of this review is to compare and describe the most recent culture-independent molecular-based methods for the characterization and isolation of LAB in dairy products.</div>

​Identification of Lactic Acid Bactria in Dairy Products using Culture-independent Methods: A Review

<div>In vitro culture of plant cells/tissues is now routine using a range of explant types from many of the important vegetable and fruit crops. Successful technologies include isolation, culture of tissues, cells, protoplasts, organs, embryos, ovules, anthers and microspores and regeneration from them of complete plantlets. The development of plant tissue culture technology represents one of the most exciting advances in plant sciences. For example, the prospect of being able to introduce, develop, produce, transfer and conserve the existing gene pool of plant sciences by using tissue culture methods opens up new opportunities for researches and entrepreneurs. The term plant tissue culture should denote in vitro cultivation of plant cells or tissues in an unorganized mass, i.e., callus culture. Plant tissue culture techniques, in combination with recombinant DNA technology, are the essential requirements for the development of transgenic plants. However, culture techniques like anther/pollen/ovule culture, meristem culture can themselves be utilized for crop improvement or may serve as an aid to conventional breeding. In recent, isolated microspore culture has developed as a breeding tool and an experimental system for various genetic manipulations. The inherent potentiality of a plant cell to give rise to a whole plant, a capacity which is often retained even after a cell has undergone final differentiation in the plant body, is described as &lsquo;cellular totipotency&rsquo;. On the other hand, production of virus-free plants via meristem culture can reduce losses caused by phyto-pathogens. Embryo culture has many potential uses ranging from overcoming seed dormancy to facilitation of inter-specific hybridization. Protoplast fusion technique can be used for the transfer of cytoplasmic male sterility from one species to another in a short period of time. In cabbage, male sterile cybrids are being utilized by seed companies to produce hybrid seeds on commercial scale and at competitive rates. Plant tissue culture and cell culture are providing useful methods for germplasm storage either by low temperature storage of organized tissue, or cryopreservation of cell or embryo culture.</div>

<div>Plant Tissue Culture- A New Tool for Vegetable Improvement (Indian scenario): A Review</div>

<div>Background: Heavy metals contaminated soil and water samples were collected from the Tigris River Power Plant, Baghdad. The bacterial isolation was performed by using the culturing technique on proper nutrient media prepared with low a concentration of heavy metals such as lead and mercury. The isolated strains were tested for their growth capability in heavy metal-polluted media by the polymerase chain reaction method for the identification of genes that provide resistance or degradation of heavy metals. Isolation and determination of heavy metal-resistant bacterial strains from genera like Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Streptomyces, which showed high tolerance to lead and cadmium. 
 
Methods: The aim to analyze environmental factors like pH, temperature, carbon sources and nitrate that would affect bacterial growth. Efficiency of bacteria in the removal of heavy metals from contaminated water was also determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy by comparing the concentration of metals before and after treatment. 
 
Result: The study showed that significant soil and water contamination was present around the power plant area, emanating from industrial activity: lead concentration ranged from 100-500 ppm and cadmium from 5-30 ppm in soil. Water concentrations were above the safety limits set by WHO for lead and cadmium, ranging between 0.1-1 ppm and 0.01-0.1 ppm, respectively, showing slight decreases after discharge into the Tigris River but remaining above natural levels. Some of the bacterial strains, like Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Streptomyces, which are resistant to heavy metals (Pb: 50-100 ppm and Cd: 5-20 ppm), were isolated. Genetic detection identified genes that code for resistance, including czcA and merA; however, it lacked the gene pbrT. Thus, the capability for lead removal is very limited.</div>

Applications of Bacterial Biotechnology in the Bioremediation of Water Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Background: This study investigates bacterial contaminants and pathogenic species isolated from fish pond wastewater (FPWW) in Bechar province, Southwestern Algeria and assesses their antibiotic resistance propfile. 
 
Methods: A total of 21 FPWW samples were analyzed using different culture media to isolate bacterial contaminants via the membrane filter technique. Following purification, all bacterial isolates were identified through biochemical tests and subjected to susceptibility testing by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar and the broth microdilution technique. Antimicrobial residue detection was also carried out using the microbiological tube test method (MTT). 
 
Result: We successfully isolated 68 bacterial isolates, classified into six bacterial groups: non-Enterobacteriaceae (41.18%), Enterobacteriaceae (38.24%), Streptococcaceae (8.82%), Pseudomonadaceae (7.35%), Erwiniaceae (2.94%) and Neisseriaceae (1.47%). According to the Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test, this distribution was highly significant (p &lt; 0.001). The isolated species included Aeromonas hydrophila hydrophila, Streptococcus spp., Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp., Escherichia coli, Citrobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Plesiomonas shigelloides, Kluyvera spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pantoea spp., Chromobacterium violaceum, Salmonella choleraesuis and Vibrio spp. Susceptibility testing of the bacterial contaminants revealed variable responses among the strains, with increased resistance to &beta;-lactam antibiotics. Multidrug resistance results showed that 17 strains (25%) exhibited resistance to three to six different antibiotic classes, with Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) indices ranging from 0.28 to 0.68. The variability in MAR indices among bacterial groups was statistically significant (ANOVA, p = 0.0498). Furthermore, no growth-inhibiting substances were detected in the wastewater samples using the MTT method.

Antibiotic Resistance of Pathogenic and Bacterial Contaminants Isolated from Fish Pond Wastewater in Bechar Province, Southwestern Algeria

<div style="text-align: justify;">Crayfish, commonly known as freshwater lobster, have been scientifically distributed in three genuses, which are as follows: - Cumberfish, Oronectes and Phalisaberus. Crayfish breeding and rearing techniques in China and some Adapted and practiced in South-East Asian countries. The proper ratio of broodstock female and male is 3: 1. Adult males are comparatively larger than females. The mating season of crayfish is usually from May to September. Larvae are stored in cultured ponds. Crayfish are cultivated in paddy fields with carp fish or eel fish in lotus and polyculture. The size of crayfish transported to the market is 20&ndash;60h in a period of 3 to 7 months, and is sold alive in most markets. Productivity varies from 750h to 3,000h per ha depending on the type of farming. It is possible that the farmer can earn up to 7000 to 14,000 rupees per day.</div>

Crayfish: A Culture Species for Freshwater Bodies

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a vital crop with significant economic importance globally, primarily for its sugar and bioenergy production. Tissue culture techniques have emerged as valuable tools for sugarcane improvement, offering rapid multiplication, genetic transformation and germplasm conservation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in sugarcane tissue culture, focusing on protocol optimization, genetic transformation, somaclonal variation and their applications in sugarcane breeding programs. Various factors influencing the success of tissue culture protocols, such as explant selection, culture media composition, growth regulators and environmental conditions are discussed. Furthermore, the paper highlights the challenges and future prospects of sugarcane tissue culture, including the development of stress-tolerant cultivars, enhanced production of bioenergy and the integration of molecular techniques for precise trait manipulation.

Advancements in Sugarcane Tissue Culture: A Review

<div style="text-align: justify;">Background: The occupation of soil by plants is known to induce changes in the soil chemical and physical properties by shoot decomposition and root growth and secretion.&nbsp; Methods: In this study we investigate the degree to which the total and the phytate mineralising rhizospheric communities bacteria are affected by the growth of six Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The six RILs tested were contrasted on adaptation to P (phosphorus)-deficiency from sensitive to tolerant. Rhizosphere samples were taken three times during the plant developmental stage and the changes in the density and the phytase activity of those communities relative to the P content were studied. Bacterial community was followed by culturing and measuring total community DNA of soil to allow a cultivation- independent analysis, by amplification of the 16S rRNA gene using real time PCR. Result: Our results showed that successional moves in the rhizosphere bacterial density as plant mature confirmed that plants select their own rhizosphere community. Moves of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere were more pronounced in mature common bean and phytase enzymatic activity confirmed the ability of this plant to mobilise a functional bacterial community when the bean needs high quantities of phosphorus. This study demonstrates that common bean selects a microbial community and its density change in response to plant growth.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Do Phaseolus vulgaris Development Stages Influence the Total Rhizospheric Bacterial and the Phytate Utilising Community?</div>