<div>Background: Some of the heavy metals are considered beneficial, if intake of them is within permissible trace amount and some other are highly toxic even in trace amount. So, heavy metals intake is one of the major concerns. Heavy metals enter into body via air, water, food, clothing and some of them gets accumulate in body organs this leads to many disorders and causes life threatening diseases including cancer. All of our food comes from plants directly or indirectly. Tea the highly consuming beverage after water comes from the leaves of plant/shrub Camellia Sinensis. 
 
Methods: Aim of the present work is to determine the elements present in Tea brew (Chai, boiling the Tea leaves in water) made from black Tea leaves of major brands available in local Indian market, more specifically heavy metals Cobalt (Co), Arsenic (As), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Indium (In), mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb). Total eleven samples were investigated with the instrument Perkin Elmer NexIon-300x Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). &nbsp; 
 
Result: Results have shown that Cobalt, Arsenic, Cadmium, Indium and Lead were present in all samples. Cobalt concentration varies from lowest 71.9 &micro;g/kg to highest 214.3 &micro;g/kg; Arsenic concentration varies from lowest 1.2 &micro;g/kg to highest 53.7 &micro;g/kg; Cadmium concentration varies from lowest 15.4 &micro;g/kg to highest 75.03 &micro;g/kg; Indium concentration varies from lowest 0.054 &micro;g/kg to highest 0.70 &micro;g/kg; Lead concentration varies from lowest 61.0 &micro;g/kg to highest 2404.3 &micro;g/kg. Mercury was present in two samples only in S9 and S11 with concentration 6.2 &micro;g/kg and 1.4 &micro;g/kg respectively; Out of eleven samples only seven samples have shown the presence of Silver its concentration varies from lowest 10.3 &micro;g/kg to highest 193.0 &micro;g/kg; Samples S2, S7, S8 and S10 were shown the absence of Silver and Mercury; Lead was found to be most abundant with concentration 2404.3 &micro;g/kg and Indium was found to be least abundant with concentration 0.054 &micro;g/kg.</div>

<div>Estimation of Heavy Metals in Some Indian Black Tea Leaves by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and Associated Health Risks</div>

Background: Indiscriminate use of harmful synthetic preservatives to extend the shelf life of fish needs to be avoided. The objective of the present work was to study the qualitative and quantitative properties and bioactive properties of black tea powder found in local markets of Maharashtra. 
 
Methods: Low-value tea powder was selected through market survey and proximate analysis, total phenolic (Folin-Ciocalteau) and qualitative analysis (Agilent LC-MS system) for phenolic compounds including antioxidant properties was carried out using standard methods.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results for proximate content were protein (21.15%), lipids (1.3%), total ash (9.91%), crude fibre (18.35%) and moisture (3.3%). While total phenolic content was 220.02 mg GAE/g dry tea powder. Total 12 different bioactive compounds were identified by HR-LCMS. The antioxidant properties were DPPH (88.84%), ABTS (74.94%), FRAP (1398.24 &micro; mol Trolox/gram dry tea powder) and metal chelating activity (25.13%). Based on the findings of this preliminary study it is opined that, black tea powder can act as a promising source of low-cost tea polyphenols for incorporation as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent for fish meat value addition.&nbsp;

Phenolic Compounds and Bioactive Properties of Black Tea Powder

<div>Background:&nbsp;Live body weight (BW) of livestock animals is truly mirror image of all activities of genetics, nutrition, production, reproduction and health status. Thus, the knowledge of calculating BW is of great importance to the producer and critical for goat farming and business. However, there is an unavailability of suitable scales, leading to inaccuracies in decision-making. The present work aimed to predict the live BW of Indian Black Bengal goat using certain morphometric data.&nbsp; 
 
Methods:&nbsp;The live BW and eight body measurement data from 1427 disease free, non-pregnant goats aged 25.87&plusmn;10.47 months with 2.78&plusmn;1.21 number of parity were collected. The data were first subjected to stepwise regression analysis to achieve the best-fitted model for BW prediction by comparing coefficient of determination (R2) and determining the combination of body dimensions that explained variation in the dependent variable. Further, Recursive Partitioning and Regression Trees (RPART) model, a machine learning tool was deployed to predict BW using certain body measurements. 
 
Result:&nbsp;The results of stepwise regression model clearly indicated that heart girth (HG) and punch girth (PG) measurements influenced live BW mostly, but the predictive capabilities (Low R2) of this statistical model were low. The stepwise regression model could not satisfactorily predict BW due to the problem of multicollinearity. Out of eight independent variables, the most important variables emerged from RPART were only HG and PG based on the largest reduction in overall sums of squares error. RPART generated a decision tree with minimal expected error to precisely predict live BW. Hence, RPART model was found to provide better predictive result than stepwise regression model in accurately predicting BW from body measurement variables in Black Bengal goats.</div>

Body Weight Prediction using Recursive Partitioning and Regression Trees (RPART) Model in Indian Black Bengal Goat Breed: A Machine Learning Approach

<div style="text-align: justify;">This study was carried out to investigate the parasitic fauna in Indian cobra (Naja naja) and Indian rock pythons (Python molurus) under captive condition in Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bangalore, Karnataka during 2015-2016. A total of 18 fecal samples from Indian cobra and 8 from Indian rock pythons were collected and screened. From 8 fecal samples of python, 7 were found positive for ova of Ophidascaris nematode, 4 for ova of Bothridia cestode and 3 for coccidian oocysts. From 18 fecal samples of Indian cobra, 5 were positive for Rhabdias ova and 1 for coccidian oocysts. Lung impression smear taken from one Indian cobra after necropsy and stained with Giemsa stain demonstrated Rhabdias larvated ova. From necropsy of 4 Indian rock pythons, granulomatous pneumonia in lungs, haemorrhages, edema, mucosal necrosis and thickening with nodule formation in large intestine was observed due to Ophidascaris nematode, while Bothridia tape worms caused severe congestion and hemorrhage of small intestinal mucosa as well as thickening of submucosa due to inflammatory reaction. Both Ophidascaris and Bothridia are highly pathogenic and cause mortality in Indian rock pythons. The Rhabdias infestation in Cobra though not much pathogenic, heavy infestation may lead to respiratory failure. Confinement induces stress and dysecdysis affecting the health of snakes under captivity. Probably the host diet (live feed) and the hygiene maintained in the enclosures are the most important determinants of the helminthic fauna of snakes. Careful examination of live feed and cleanliness in the enclosure supported by regular deworming can control the parasitic infections in snakes.&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Demonstration of parasitic fauna in Indian cobra (Naja naja) and Indian rock python (Python molurus) reared in a Biological Park of Karnataka, South India</div>

The world&rsquo;s oldest and most widely consumed non-alcoholic caffeine-containing beverage is tea, a traditional Chinese brew manufactured from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Based on the oxidation process, there are three primary types of tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant: green tea, oolong tea and black tea. Monomeric and oligomeric catechins can be present in oolong tea. Oolong tea contains the highest concentrations of (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) among white, green, black and Puer teas while green tea contains the highest concentrations of total catechins, (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Various studies show that Oolong tea and other types of tea process assorted pharmacological properties to promote general health. Different in-vivo and in-vitro research explained that bioactive compounds of tea found to be anticariogenic, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, anti-oxidant etc. can be used as an effective preventive agent for common diseases. Oolong tea has unique polyphenol which is considered as source of healing and effective health-protecting substance. Oolong tea is effective in the control of body weight and fat oxidation of men. The present review will focus on major beneficial effects of Oolong tea, focusing on polyphenol, free radical scavenging, (-) -epigallocatechin etc.

Oolong Tea: Biochemical Properties and Health Benefits: A Review

<div>Background: Worldwide tea consumption as beverage ranks next to water. The high consumption of tea is attributed to richness in flavor, aroma, antioxidant properties and health benefits. Tea has complex chemical composition having catechins, flavonoids, alkaloids, carotenoids, chlorophyll, amino acids, polysaccharides, lipids, vitamins, minerals and more than 600 different volatile compounds.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The present study focuses on determining the physicochemical parameters, phyto-chemical assay and microbiological qualities of commercially packaged green and black tea samples within West Bengal following standard methods.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The values of proximate parameters like moisture, ash, acid insoluble ash and water extractive have complied with standard specifications. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis quantified significantly higher polyphenol content of green tea in compare to black tea samples respectively with 65.12 ppm and 18.58 ppm with gallic acid equivalence and green tea epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) content was found 449.28 ppm with respect to pure EGCG standard. In vitro antioxidant activity of green tea and black tea extracts as reported by IC50 value were found to be 192.97-301.08 &mu;g/ ml and 342.54-481.91&mu;g/ ml respectively.</div>

Assessment of Proximate Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Different Commercially Packaged Tea Samples in West Bengal

<div>Background: Black gram (Vigna mungo L.) is the member of Asian Vigna crop group and also known as urdbean grown in spring and Kharif season in the Indian subcontinent. It is the fourth most important short-duration pulse crop grown in India. Black gram crop is attacked by a number of insect pests from sowing to harvest in the field as well as in storage condition. Among these insect-pests pod borers i.e. spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Geyer) and gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) are serious insect-pests of black gram causing seed and pod damage. Therefore, keeping these views in mind, the present study aimed to study the population fluctuation of major pod borers (M. vitrata and H. armigera) in black gram. 
 
Methods: The research trials were conducted during two consecutive years i.e. Kharif, 2018 and 2019 at CRC of SVPUAT, Meerut to observe the population dynamics of major pod borers in black gram. A plot size of 200 m2 with black gram variety &lsquo;Pant Urd-31&rsquo; was sown manually 5-7 cm deep on 18 August, 2018 for the first year experiment and on 20 August, 2019 for the second year experiment, by following standard agronomical practices and the crop was maintained without insecticide application. 
 
Result: The study on the seasonal incidence of pod borers viz., M. vitrata and H. armigera start from 39th to 44th standard week and both the larvae attain their peak in 41st and 42nd standard week during Kharif, 2018 and 2019.</div>

Impact of Abiotic Factors on Population Fluctuation of Major Pod Borers in Black Gram under Western U.P. Conditions

<div style="text-align: justify;">Black Soybean is highly nutritious legume of Uttarakhand but its hard seed coat reduces the nutrient availability to consumer. Attempt was made in this experiment to study effect of processing method on proximate composition of black soybean. Four Kilograms of black soybean was taken and subjected to three different processing methods like germination, roasting and cow urine treatment while one group was taken as control. Results indicated highly significant (Pd&rdquo;0.01) differences in dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, ash and crude fibre content of black soybean among different groups compared to control. All processing methods were effective in improving nutritional value of black soybean thereby increasing its utilization in foods and food formulations.</div>

Effect of processing method on nutritional quality of black soybean

<div>Background: Indian domesticated chickens have a wide variety of phenotypes. Unlike other chicken breeds, Kadaknath chicken has black meat and is used by indigenous tribal people for its invigorating and therapeutic properties. To look for the functional traits that might be contributing towards the acclaimed benefits, free radical scavenging capacity and metal chelating ability of Kadaknath meat were explored for the first time in comparison to the commercial Cobb broiler.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: During the period 2018-2020, breast and thigh meat were collected from chickens (n=20/ group) at their commercial slaughter age. Meat extract was used for qualitative evaluation of protein as well as the antioxidant capacity utilizing diverse in vitro methods corresponding to different antioxidation mechanisms. 
 
Result: Protein concentration (g/100g of tissue) in Kadaknath breast (25.25 &plusmn; 0.31) and thigh (19.98 &plusmn; 0.29) meat was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher than the Cobb. Breast meat had better scavenging capacity than the thigh. The superiority of the antioxidant capacity of Kadaknath meat was explicitly established by more than one in vitro assay. Free radical scavenging assays viz. 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS); 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) had significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher values for Kadaknath in comparison to the Cobb broiler meat. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values (mM Fe2+/g of tissue) were also more in breast meat of Kadaknath (26.97&plusmn;0.37) than the Cobb (15.24&plusmn;0.40). Similarly, FRAP values were higher in Kadaknath (33.85&plusmn;0.47) than the Cobb (19.2&plusmn;0.31) thigh meat. Kadaknath had higher antioxidant capacity as reflected by metal chelation inhibition value. These findings help to explain the unique nutritional and functional characteristics of Kadaknath black-bone chicken and provide basic research data for exploring the commercial potential of its meat in the fields of functional foods, cosmeceuticals and nuutraceuticals.</div>

<div>First Report on Better Functional Property of Black Chicken Meat from India</div>

<div>Background: Among the traditional dairy products, burfi is the most popular khoa based confection in Indian subcontinent. Burfi has special importance in different functions like birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. Consumers in India are becoming more health conscious and demand for healthier food because of rise in disposable income, educational level and awareness of nutrition. In wedding ceremony, now a days, besan burfi is famous instead of laddoos because of nutrition in pulses. Therefore, black gram can be also used in burfi due to it is rich in protein and having best results against many diseases in humans. 
 
Methods: Burfi was prepared from milk with constant level of sugar (30 per cent by weight of khoa) and different levels of black gram flour (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 per cent by weight of khoa). Properly blending khoa and sugar with black gram flour on low flame and then cut into pieces after setting. 
 
Result: The overall acceptability score for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 8.27, 8.38, 8.51, 8.03 and 7.64 respectively. Burfi sample was evaluated for storage study conducted at room (30&plusmn;2oC) temperature and refrigerated (7&plusmn;2oC) temperature conditions.&nbsp;The cost of production of burfi with black gram powder was Rs. 255.38, Rs. 252.45, Rs. 249.62, Rs. 246.90 and Rs. 244.28 per kg for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively.</div>