Studies on Impact of Processing on Physiochemical and Biochemical Properties of Osmodehydrated Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L) Merr.) Cuboid and Its Storage Stability

Osmotic dehydration of pineapple cuboids were conducted to study the effect of sugar concentration of osmotic solution on mass transfer, weight reduction, vitamin-C, total phenol content and antioxidant property of samples pretreated with steam blanching and microwave heating. As treatment time went on, there was an increase in water loss, weight loss, and solids accumulation. The sample treated with 60°B experienced the highest mass transfer during the osmotic dehydration of pineapple cuboids, whereas the sample treated with 30°B experienced the lowest mass transfer. The pineapple cuboids immersed in 60˚B sugar syrup and dried in a tray drier resulted maximum weight loss. Microwave heated samples dipped in 60˚B sugar syrup showed better retention of nutritive value(total phenol content, vitamin C and antioxidant activity) as well as better color, texture, taste and mouth feel .According to the sensory analysis, the samples treated with 60°B solution received the highest acceptability for color, flavour, texture, mouth feel, and taste. Osmodried samples were stored for 3 months at ambient condition without any adverse effect on sensory and nutritional parameters.

Comparison of foetomaternal circulation in normal pregnancies and pregnancy induced hypertension using color doppler studies.

The aim of present study was to assess fetomaternal blood flows in normal and abnormal pregnancies using color doppler indices. Subjects were divided into two groups as: Group A of 25 subjects of normal pregnancy as controls and group B of 25 subjects of pregnancy induced hypertension. All the subjects were lying in the age-group of 25-35 years and having 28 to 34 weeks of gestation; the patients were evaluated by detailed history and were subjected to complete general examination. Blood pressure was taken on two occasions at least 6 hours apart. Systemic examination and obstetrical examination was done in all subjects. All cases were subjected to pathological tests- Haemogram, Test for proteins in urine. Ultrasound assessment of fetal growth was done by measuring BPD (Biparietal diameter), HC (Head circumference), FL (Femur length) and AC (Abdominal circumference). Average gestational age and effective fetal weight was then calculated by ultrasound machine. Color Doppler was used to assess the various doppler indices indices: Pulsatility index (PI), Resistive index (RI) and Systolic diastolic ratio (S/D ratio) in bilateral uterine, umbilical and middle cerebral arteries and compared to the standard normograms. Percentage of subjects having abnormal doppler indices were calculated. Assessment of percentage of SGA (small for gestational age) fetuses was done in all the three groups. Decline in mean values of all doppler indices was found with advancing gestational age in normal pregnancy suggesting decreased vascular resistance and increased blood flow in fetomaternal circulation. In pregnancy induced hypertensives, the mean values of doppler indices showed a decline as in normal pregnancy but showed an increase (more than 2 S.D. of the mean) for that gestational age in comparison to the control group suggesting increased impedance to blood flow in uteroplacental and fetomaternal circulation. Umbilical artery doppler indices were found to be the most sensitive indicator of uteroplacental and fetoplacental insufficiency in pregnancy induced hypertensives (P=0.001). Thus we concluded that color doppler can detect changes in fetomaternal circulation which correlate strongly with the fetal growth and therefore associated with pregnancy outcome.

Enteric fever in an HIV/AIDS patient: atypical manifestations

Bloodstream infections with Salmonella typhi, is uncommon in human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]-infected persons. The symptoms in such patients are often non-specific and have a rather insidious onset and progression. We report a patient with sepsis and lower limb gangrene due to Salmonella typhi infection in an HIV-infected patient.

Clinicopathological profile of hepatic involvement in type-2 diabetes mellitus and its significance.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Involvement of liver as an organ complication in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is known. Studies are few about their baseline parameters from our country. Study the disease burden and clinicopathological profile of hepatic involvement in T2DM, find the associations with known risk factors and thus try to identify simple markers of advanced disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A screened group of randomly selected 47 patients of T2DM without other liver diseases (viral, alcoholic, drug, autoimmune, etc.) was selected. Their clinical (age, sex, body mass index, family history, blood pressure), biochemical (transaminases, lipid profile), and hepatic ultrasonographic (USG) and histopathological (HPE) profiles were studied. Segregation was done according to the histological severity and duration of diabetes (< 5 yrs, 5-10 yrs, > 10 yrs). RESULTS: On histology, normalcy was maintained in 17%, only fatty change was present in 43%, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) could be identified in 40% with more advanced disease in 23%. Prevalence of cirrhosis was low. Positive family history, hypertension, longer duration, female sex and increased body mass index were significantly associated with NASH; more advanced disease was associated with male sex only. Incident lipid profile and transaminases levels were non-contributory. In the early stage, USG detected abnormality correlated poorly with HPE. CONCLUSION: The burden of hepatopathy in T2DM is high; with improving cardiovascular mortality, a higher burden awaits us in the next decade or so. Naturally, it becomes imperative to the treating clinician for targeting this aspect of diabetic complication from the very beginning of therapy.

Role of GFR estimation in assessment of the status of nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: Study the status of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation vis-a-vis other noninvasive modes of assessment of renal involvement in Type2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and assess the temporal profile of the prevalence of nephropathy with a cross sectional cohort. METHODS: A total of 100 patients of T2DM were selected after screening and segregated into 3 groups according to duration of T2DM. Duration of < 5 years constituted group A and had 31 patients, group B duration was between 5-15 years and had 40 patients, rest belonged to group C with duration > 15 years. The parameters studied and compared were (1) various grades of albuminuria--normal, micro and macro by 24 hrs. urinary albumin excretion rates (UAER- gm/24 hr), (2) sonologically detected renal size(normal, small, large) and morphology (loss or presence of corticomedullary differentiation, (3) serum creatinine level (</> 1.4 mg/dl) and (4) different levels (high, normal, low, very low) of GFR (ml/min) by DTPA renal scan. RESULT ANALYSIS: There was high prevalence of nephropathy in all durations. Microalbuminuria had a high prevalence in patients of shorter duration (group A-74.2%). Albuminuria increased with duration but plateued off with longer duration (> 15 yrs) (UAER - 0.0842 +/- 0.083 vs. 0.906 +/- 0.84 vs. 1.346 +/- 1.28). Sonographic loss of corticomedullary differentiation and azotemia were late feature only and none had a contracted kidney. Only the parameter of GFR showed a graded and rather linear decrement with duration (132.57 +/- 19.3 vs. 76.33 +/- 20.8 vs. 40.08 +/- 17.1). Hyperfiltration had a high prevalence in patients of early detection (61.3%) and was the earliest change noted before change in any other parameter. GFR shows wide variation in various grades of albuminuria, especially microalbuminuria, and azotemia. A value in the normal range was uncommon (8%). CONCLUSION: GFR estimation is probably the most rational noninvasive mode of assessing the renal status in patients of T2DM, irrespective of the status of the other noninvasive methods as they express significant variation in inception and progression.

Effect of tight glycaemic control on fetal complications in diabetic pregnancies.

AIMS: To find the incidence of fetal complications in Indian diabetic mothers with tight glycaemic control (TC), its comparison with other levels of glycaemic control, i.e., acceptable control (AC), uncontrolled (UC), and relevant international data. METHODS: A total of 240 mothers with diabetes mellitus (DM) and pregnancy were risk-matched and selected from the Antenatal Clinic of NRS Medical College, 176 of whom had gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 64 had pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM), and were put on exercise, diet and or insulin therapy. Glycaemic parameters monitored include fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 hr. postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG) and HbA1C. TC had - FPG < 70 mg/dl, PPPG < 100 mg/dl, HBA1C < 6.5%; AC with FPG 70-95 mg/dl, 2 hr. PPPG 100-120, HBA1C 6.5-7.5% and UC had FPG > 95 mg/ dl, 2 hr. PPPG > 120 mg/dl and HBA1C > 7.5%. Fetal parameters monitored included large-for-date babies (LGA), small-for-date babies (SFD), birth asphyxia, perinatal death, neonatal hypoglycemia, neonatal hypocalcaemia and congenital anomalies. RESULTS: (i) LGA-AC had the best results (0% vs. 12.5 and 22.29%); (ii) SFD-TC and AC had worst results (16.7% and 18.18% vs. 0%); (iii) Birth asphyxia-AC fared worse 18.18% vs. 4.16% and 0%; (iv) perinatal death and congenital anomalies showed significant reduction with tight control (4.16% and 0% respectively); (v) Neonatal hypoglycemia is lowered in TC compared with UC while neonatal hypocalcaemia does not show any alteration. For PGDM patients there is little intra-group variability of the parameters. The UC subgroups of GDM fared better than PGDM as far as all complications and congenital anomalies were concerned. Compared with international data, there is a dichotomy of the results of GDM and PGDM. CONCLUSION: For GDM patients all parameters may not be uniformly affected by the same degree of glycaemic control. A tight control may not be theonly factor to decide on the outcomes for PGDM patients.

Incidence of adenomatous hyperplasia in postmortem cirrhotic livers and study of cellular proliferative indices by light microscopy.

BACKGROUND: Adenomatous hyperplasia (AH) or dysplastic nodule in the liver is considered a preneoplastic lesion. A wide range in its incidence has been reported. AIMS: To study the incidence of AH nodules in autopsy cirrhotic livers and to carry out a comparative study of the cellular proliferative indices. MATERIALS: Retrospective study of 150 cases with cirrhosis of variable etiology at autopsy, over a 15-year period. METHODS: We identified AH on gross examination and studied the morphology. We compared cellular proliferative indices in AH nodules with other liver nodules by using PCNA monoclonal antibody and AgNOR. RESULTS: Alcohol was the commonest etiology (30%), followed by HBsAg positivity (38%). Most patients belonged to the 30-60 years age group, with male predominance. Sixty of the 150 livers showed AH nodules; there were one to four nodules, measuring 6 mm to 50 mm, per liver. 115/122 AH nodules were studied. Ordinary AH (OAH) was seen in 104 and atypical AH (AAH) in 11, with malignant focus (MF) in four. Associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was seen in 7 cases. A gradual increase in the proliferative indices from surrounding regenerating nodules (SRN) and OAH to AAH to AAH with MF to HCC was observed. In addition, AAH also showed relatively less reticulin fibers. CONCLUSION: The incidence of AH was 40%. In addition to the cellular proliferative indices, relatively less reticulin fibers could be a distinguishing feature for AAH from SRN, OAH and HCC.

Transformation and regeneration of mung bean (Vigna radiata).

The procedure relied on a protocol in which shoot organogenesis was induced on cotyledons of mung bean genotypes selected for susceptibility to agrobacterium seems to work reproducibly if not efficiently. Approximately 4-5% of the shoots produced on the kanamycin selected cotyledons are transgenic based on assays on kanamycin resistance and GUS activity. This demonstrated that transformation and regeneration in mung bean are possible. However, raising the transformed plants in field condition is yet to be perfected.