Pectin rich wastes and waste dump yard soils were screened and eighty pectinolytic fungal isolates were obtained by enrichment culturing and ruthenium red plate assay. Eight isolates with higher zones of pectin hydrolysis were selected and tested for polygalacturonase production. One isolate identifi ed as Aspergillus awamori MTCC 9166 with highest polygalacturonase activity was tested for utilization of raw pectins for enzyme production. Polygalacturonase production was high in raw pectin sources like Orange peel (16.8 U/ml ) Jack fruit rind (38 U/ml) Carrot peel (36U/ml) and Beet root peel (24U/ml). Selected Aspergillus awamori MTCC 9166 was found to be having good polygalacturonase, xylanase, cellulase and weak amylase and protease activities. This isolate with multi-enzyme production could have application for enzymes production and degradation of fruit and vegetable waste in the process of urban waste disposal.

Family is an important social agency that meets the various needs of its members. By building on the strengths of family when it is facing challenges, one can enhance the value of families. Empowerment is a part of strengthening the families. It refers to a state where in the individuals experience feelings of being worthy and competent, having power and control. The strengths perspective based on an empowerment approach compels the social workers and clients to collaborate as partners. Families with mentally ill certainly face many challenges. Yet, they also have the resources, knowledge and skills to call upon in times of crisis. Hence by recognizing and building on the families strengths and empowering them , one can help families in improving their lives.KEY WORDS: family resilience; empowerment; the mentally ill; the strength's perspective.

Vanilla is a tropical orchid belonging to the family Orchidaceae and it is mainly used in food, perfumery, and pharmaceutical preparations. The quality of the bean depends on the volatile constituent's, viz., the vanillin content, the species of the vine used, and the processing conditions adopted. Hence, proper pollination during flowering and curing by exercising utmost care are the important aspects of vanilla cultivation. There are different methods of curing, and each one is unique and named after the places of its origin like Mexican process and Bourbon process. Recently, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore has developed know-how of improved curing process, where the green vanilla beans are cured immediately after harvest and this process takes only 32 days, which otherwise requires minimum of 150-180 days as reported in traditional curing methods. Vanillin is the most essential component of the 200 and odd such compounds present in vanilla beans. Vanillin as such has not shown any antioxidant properties, it is along with other compounds has got nutraceutical properties and therefore its wide usage. The medicinal future of vanilla may definitely lie in further research on basic science and clinical studies on the constituents and their mechanism of action.

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There is an increasing trend worldwide towards using natural flavours. Vanilla being an important food flavouring agent, the demand for natural vanilla is increasing. Hence, the present study was an attempt to evaluate the utilization of vanilla extract as a source of flavorant as well as an antioxidant in biscuits. Biscuit doughs were incorporated with 0.4% vanilla extract and synthetic vanillin 0.2%. The biscuits were powdered, extracted with aqueous ethyl alcohol and screened for radical scavenging activity. Natural vanilla and synthetic vanillin biscuit extracts at a concentration of 200 ppm showed 70% and 43% of radical scavenging activity, respectively, by the DPPH method in comparison to a corresponding value of 93% for BHA. The extract was profiled by HPLC. The effect of moisture content on retention of flavour in biscuits was studied. The loss of flavour in packed and stored biscuits with time was also studied. Addition of vanilla extract showed higher antioxidant activity and lowered the peroxide value in biscuits. The results revealed that the natural vanilla extract 0.4% level could be used in glucose biscuit preparation, since this concentration imparted considerable antioxidant properties to the biscuits.