Performance of Strawberry Cultivars under different Growing Environments in Nilgiris

Strawberry, an important berry fruit crop with high value and nutritional properties is picking up in the South Indian conditions, especially in Tamil Nadu under temperate region of Nilgiris district. Since the fruit is directly consumed by the children and all group of categories, the choice of varieties and its performance in terms of fruit yield and quality particularly sugar and acidity level will decide the marketability and preference. The field evaluation of strawberry varieties collected from different places and suitability will help the farmers to cultivate and get benefit and profitability out of the crop. A collection of nine strawberry varieties was done and assessed for the performance under greenhouse growing environment, in Nilgiris condition with randomized block design having three replications during the year 2018 to 2020 in Horticultural Research Station, TNAU, Ooty, Nilgiris.The variety Rania recorded better performance for plant height (33.81 cm), plant spread(E-W) [45.38 cm], (N-S) [43.96 cm] during 120 days after planting. Flavia recorded more number of leaves (24.80). Rania recorded a fruit length (4.05 cm), fruit width (11.29 cm), fruit weight (27.62 g). The variety Capri recorded more number of fruits per plant (68.86) which is on par with Flavia (68.80). The fruit quality parameters Total Soluble Solids (TSS) is high with 12.43o brix in Nabila and acidity (0.98 %) in Flaminia. The highest yield per plant (1190.20 g) was recorded in Flavia and with lowest yield in Capri (563.46 g). The variety Flavia recorded maximum in fruit parameters like fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight and highest yield whereas fruit quality parameters of TSS and acidity is highest in Nabila and Flaminia respectively.

Evaluation of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc) Genotypes under Coconut Ecosystem

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance ginger genotypes under coconut ecosystem at Coconut Research Station, Aliyar Nagar, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and Coimbatore during the period from 2017- 18and 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications and the treatments included viz., Rejetha, Ashwathy, Maran, Karthika, GCP 49, IISR 1 (GB), Mahima, ACC 578, Athira, ACC 581, Rio de Janeiro, Varadha, Thadimaram and local Gudalore. data were recorded from five randomly selected plants on plant height, shoot diameter, number of shoots, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf breadth, yield per plot and hectare and was analyzed using analysis of variance. Results showed the highest plant height (92.70 cm),shoot diameter (3.27cm), no. of leaves (30), leaf length (27.89 cm) registered in Thadimaram, whereas the highest no. of shoots (8.10), leaf width (3.78 cm), yield per plot (13.64 kg) and yield (24.80t/ha) was recorded in Athira followed by Rejethawhich recorded the highest yield per plot (12.15 kg) and yield (22.09t/ha) during 2017-18.During 2018-19the highest plant height (99.90 cm),shoot diameter (3.60cm), leaf length (29.10 cm) was registered in Thadimaram, whereas the highest no. of shoots (8.30), no. of leaves (36.0), leaf width (3.90 cm), yield per plot (14.20 kg) and yield(25.50 t/ha) was recorded in Athira followed by Rejethawhich recorded the highest yield per plot (12.70kg) and yield (22.80t/ha). Athira and Rejetha genotypes outperformed the other genotypes and could be considered as the most suitable genotypes for cultivation under the coconut ecosystems of Coimbatore district.

DEVELOPMENT OF A PREDICTION TOOL FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ACENOCOUMAROL

Objective: To develop a statistical predictive model to ensure the safest use of oral anticoagulant (Acenocoumarol) therapy.Methods: It is a retrospective observational single-center study done at PSG Hospitals in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. The data were collected from 2019 to 2020 from Hospital Information System (HIS). The statistical analysis was done using Chi-square and Multinomial logistic regression.Results: The study includes 82 patients who were treated with Acenocoumarol. The results were calculated using a student t-test and the P-value was<0.0001, which is significant as it is less than 0.05, and the prediction tool is developed by using Multinomial Logistic Regression.Conclusion: The Risk Assessment tool was developed. As the sample size increases, the accuracy of predictability also increases. So further validation of the tool is required for more accuracy and the data input should also be increased.

Effects of acrolein on rat liver antioxidant defense system.

Effect of acrolein (2.5 mg/kg body wt/day) on the rat liver antioxidant defense system was investigated. Following 45 days of acrolein exposure, the levels of glutathione, ascorbic acid and the activity of catalase were decreased whereas the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were increased. The increase in the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the acrolein treated rats showed oxidative damage. The results indicate that acrolein interferes with the antioxidant defense system of rat liver.

Purification and partial characterization of a type V like collagen from the muscle of marine prawn, Penaeus indicus.

The muscle collagen of marine prawn, Penaeus indicus, was isolated by limited pepsin digestion. Based on selective salt precipitation, amino acid composition and gel electrophoretic pattern, the major collagen was found to be a homotrimer of á 1 chain, similar to type V collagen of vertebrates. Electron microscopy of reconstituted fibrils, made for the first time from a crustacean species, revealed a characteristic 64 nm periodicity. Biochemical studies indicate a less than normal amount of associated carbohydrates and an increased alanine content The major collagen had a denaturation temperature of 37°C with an intrinsic viscosity of 11·3 dl/g. Spectral characteristics of the major collagen were studied. Results suggest the presence of genetically distinct collagen types and acid resistant cross links in crustacean muscle.