Microbiological profile of milk: Impact of household practices.

Background: Milk is susceptible to contamination by many microorganisms including microbial pathogens responsible for causing diseases. Various processes including pasteurization, boiling or storage under refrigerated conditions are undertaken to minimize the microbial contamination of milk. Objective: This study was undertaken with an objective to evaluate the effect of household practices on the microbiological profile of milk. Materials and Methods: Milk samples of pasteurized, ultra heat treated (UHT) as well as unpasteurized milk (Vendor's milk) were collected. The effect of different storage practices and treatments on the microbiological profile (standard plate count (SPC), coliform, E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and moulds, anaerobic spore count, and Listeria monocytogenes) of milk was studied using National/ International Standard Test Methods. Results: Average SPC in vendor's milk was found very high as compared to pasteurized milk. Coliform, yeast and moulds, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in the samples of vendor's as well as pasteurized milk. Boiling the milk reduces SPC and kills the other microorganisms. Storage of boiled milk under room temperature or refrigerated condition resulted in a similar increase in SPC at the end of 24 h, but storage of un-boiled milk even under refrigerated conditions increased SPC manifold after 24 h. Conclusion: The pasteurization process and hygienic conditions at the milk processing units along with cold chain of milk from suppliers to end users needs improvement. Currently, even pasteurized milk does not match the microbiological standards. It is recommended that milk should be boiled before consumption and refrigerated for storage to improve its shelf life/keeping quality.

Impact of household practices on the nutritional profile of milk.

Background: It is a common practice to process milk before consumption. Processing generally involves boiling, addition of sugar and/or condiments, dilution with water, etc. The boiled milk is stored for subsequent use either at room temperature or under refrigerated conditions. Objective: The purpose of this study was to see the effect of household practices on the nutritional profile of milk. Materials and Methods: Different types of pasteurized milk samples: standardized, double toned, full cream, and unpasteurized milk were analyzed. The effect of household practices on the nutritional profile of all these milk samples was studied using National/International methods. Results: Boiling of milk increased the concentration of most of the components and minerals except for vitamins A, B 3 , B 5 , and B 12 where the decrease observed was 21%, 13%, 3%, and 21%, respectively. Addition of water decreased the concentration of minerals and vitamins. Addition of sugar increased the energy and condiments increased total solids, carbohydrate and minerals content but led to a decrease in the vitamin content. Storage of milk led to a decrease in total solids by 19% and vitamins A, B 3 , B 5 , and B 12 by 26%, 17-19%, 23%, and 18-26%, respectively. The pH was not influenced by any of the household practices. Conclusion: Every step during household practices in the handling of milk reduces its nutritional profile and significantly affects the quality. Vitamins play a very important role in health and loss during household processing becomes an interesting attribute that requires further research in detail.

Bovine milk usage and feeding practices for infants in India.

Background: Milk and dairy products from animal sources (cow's milk or buffalo's milk) are an important part of Indian diet and its consumption starts at an early age. Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand the processing, storage and modifications carried out before bovine milk is fed to the infants and compare it with recommendations by Health Care Professionals (HCPs). Materials and Methods: The study involved assessments involving HCPs and mothers of children below 1 year of age through both qualitative and quantitative methods. Feeding recommendations by HCPs were assessed through a quantitative method. Results: The children are commonly initiated on bovine milk post 3 months of age. The milk is not covered while boiling in 70% cases and boiled at suboptimal temperature (moderate: 62% or low: 31%). Half of the families store milk outside refrigerators openly in the kitchen or rooms. The milk is modified in the majority of cases (81%) before being fed. Modification of the milk was often done with sugar (85%), followed by water (49%), biscuits, fennel seeds, cardamom or infant cereals before feeding the baby. Addition of water was more prevalent among mothers of infants between 3 and 6 months. HCPs do not advise consumption of bovine milk by infants unless there is no other option available. Conclusion: A clear gap exists between recommended and actual practices for infant feeding in India. There is a huge opportunity to educate mothers on importance of breast feeding and benefits of implementing appropriate processing, storage, and consumption practices of bovine milk.

Protective association exhibited by the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1052133 in the gene human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) with the risk of squamous cell carcinomas of the head & neck (SCCHN) among north Indians.

Background & objectives: Imbalances in compactly regulated DNA repair pathways in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within vital DNA repair genes may result in insufficient DNA repair and increase in DNA breaks thus rendering the human system vulnerable to the debilitatory effects of grave diseases like cancers. The present study involves investigation of association of the non-synonymous SNP rs1052133 (C8069G/Ser326Cys) located in the exonic region of the gene human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) with the risk of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). Methods: Case-control based genetic association study was performed among 575 (250 SCCHN cases and 325 normal healthy controls) sub-population cluster-matched (Indo-Europeans linguistic subgroup + Caucasoid morphological subtype) samples from the north Indian States of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing analysis. Results: Our results demonstrated statistically significant protective association for the heterozygous CG [Odds Ratio (OR) 0.6587, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.4615 to 0.9402, P=0.0238], homozygous mutant GG (OR 0.2570, 95% CI 0.1070 to 0.6175, P=0.0013) and combined mutant CG + GG (OR 0.6057, 95% CI 0.4272 to 0.8586, P=0.0059) genotypes. Interpretation & conclusions: The results indicate that the polymorphism rs1052133 is strongly associated with SCCHN susceptibility and the mutant (G) allele might be a protective factor for SCCHN among north Indian subpopulations.

Role of antioxidants in chronic fatigue syndrome in mice.

The present study was carried out using mice model of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in which mice were forced to swim everyday for 7 days for a 6 min session. There was a significant increase in despair behavior (immobility period) in saline treated mice on successive days. Treatment with potent antioxidants carvedilol (5 mg/kg, i.p.) and melatonin (10 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a significant reduction in immobility period. Similar results were observed with herbal products St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L) (10 mg/kg, p.o.) and GS-02 (20 mg/kg, p.o.). Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor produced a significant effect only on first and second day of its treatment. Biochemical analysis revealed that chronic swim test significantly increased lipid peroxidation and catalase levels in whole brains of mice. There was a decrease in the levels of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GSH) in the brain. Administration of carvedilol, melatonin, GS-02 and St. John's Wort restored the levels of lipid peroxidation and glutathione. The enzymes SOD and catalase were also restored. Fluoxetine affected the biochemical variables not to the same extent as other treatments. The findings of the present study suggest that oxidative stress might play a significant role in the pathophysiology of CFS. Thus antioxidants and herbal products like St. Johns wort and GS-02 could be useful in the treatment of CFS.