Self-assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in aqueous solution, in the presence of two inorganic salts viz, NaNO 3 and NaClO 3 was investigated by steady-state fluorescence, electrical conductance, surface tension, viscosity, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryogenic transmission microscopy (cryo-TEM). The counterions located at short enough distances to CTA ? micellar surface experience a very strong electrostatic attraction and thus become condensed. This counterion condensation plays a significant role in deciding the effective charge on the micelle, their screening interaction and structural transition of the micelles. In the present work, the probable mechanism of the salts' action in aqueous solution of CTAB is explained. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), area per molecule (Å 2 ), micelle hydrodynamic diameter (D h ), and aggregation number (N agg ) of CTAB micelles in the absence and presence of the salts are reported. The addition of both salts followed the lyotropic series and showed a remarkable decrease in CMC. A detailed investigation of the structural transitions from spherical to rod or even to entangled wormlike structures is presented from cryoTEM.

Nanogels (NGs) are considered as one of the most suitable nanocarrier matrices for drug, gene and protein delivery. There are many methods of synthesis of NGs but polymerizable bioionic liquids are not being applied so far for the synthesis of such nanocarriers. The synthesis of a stimuli-responsive NG system having average hydrodynamic size of 41 ± 15 nm is reported here, obtained by the simultaneous polymerization and crosslinking of a polymerizable biobased ionic liquid. The NG thus obtained shows prolonged drug delivery for 5-fl uorouracil, an anticancer drug, at pH 1.2 (stomach pH) for 10 days at physiological human body temperature (37 °C). However, no substantial drug delivery is observed at pH 5 and 7.4. Such a prolonged drug release profi le makes the reported NG system a potential candidate in the formulation of a pH-sensitive drug nanocarrier vehicle for in vivo delivery of stomach-specifi c therapeutic agents.

India is a leading paddy (Oryza sativa L.) producing country with a production of 157.20 MMT in the year 2014-15 from the crop area of 43.40 million hectare [1]. The contribution of India towards world paddy production is one fifth with a consolidated production figures of 22.69 ± 1.79 % and 20.71 ± 1.64 % for Asia and world, respectively. The trends of changes in the crop area and production figures for the paddy in India in comparison to the Asia and the world are depicted in Figs. 1 and 2. Asian countries produce more than 90 % paddy produced in the world. The edible monocotyledon, the starchy kernel obtained as rice from the processing of paddy available in abundance becomes a common staple food item of Asian people. Rice being a common food item of the region, therefore, rice based various ready to eat food relishes are produced locally at small or home scale levels [2-5]. Importance of physical properties in designing various food processing equipments for the purpose of harvesting, threshing, drying, handling, conveying, storage and aeration are very well recognized [6,7]. Our research on different characteristics of paddy to rice are reported elsewhere but associated research data for the development of technologies related to the mass productions of various rice based products are still lacking and not readily available [8-16].

Cultivation of the wild-type red strain and green natural mutant strains of Gracilaria debilis (Forsskål) Børgesen (RD and GD) and Gracilaria edulis (Gmelin) Silva (RE and GE) was attempted by raft method from August, 2014 to May, 2015 at Thonithurai, southeastern coast of India, for 180 days in order to evaluate color stability, growth rates, pigment composition, sap components, and the agar yield and quality. Coloration pattern of green and red strains of G. debilis and G. edulis was fixed, and no interchange in color occurred during the cultivation. Red strains of both G. edulis (RE) and G. debilis (RD) showed higher performance in biomass yield and phycoerythrin content over their green counterparts. Maximum biomass yields of 12.458 ± 1.24 kg fresh wt m −2 and 5.49 ± 0.26 kg fresh wt m −2 were observed in G. debilis and G. edulis, respectively. Higher DGR of 5.82 ± 0.57 % day −1 and 5.42 ± 1.73 % day −1 were observed in G. edulis and G. debilis, respectively. Highest gel strength recorded in G. debilis was 800 ± 15 g cm −2 and followed by G. edulis 695 ± 15 g cm −2 . Green and red strain of G. debilis (GD and RD) and G. edulis (GE and RE) showed similar pattern in DGR, phycocyanin and allophycocyanin content, agar yield, gel strength, gelling temperature, melting temperature, sulfate content, and mineral composition of sap (p > 0.05). The growth rates observed in green and red strains of both species were considered adequate for commercial farming, and the present agar-related data fulfilled the industrial and pharmaceutical requirements.

No abstract

The wild silkworm (Cricula trifenistrata) reared under nutritional humidity and environmental stress condition to determine growth and dietary efficiency, compared with a control indicated that consumption of leaves is significantly influenced by humidity.