Physicochemical and functional properties of freeze-dried egg powders (egg white, egg yolk, and whole egg) from Japanese quail and white Leghorn chicken were studied comparatively. All egg powders had protein content in the range of 91.13-97.03 g/100 g powder. The quail egg powder had higher mineral and essential amino acid contents, but lower fat content as compared to chicken egg powders (P < 0.05). Moreover, egg white powder from both quail and chicken presented higher total amino acids content than corresponding whole egg and egg yolk powders, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic study revealed that β-sheet is the major secondary structure of all egg powders. Based on differential scanning calorimetry analysis, quail egg powders showed slightly lower denaturation temperatures than corresponding chicken egg powders (P < 0.05). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis study showed the slight difference in protein patterns of corresponding quail and chicken egg powders. The quail egg powders presented higher protein solubility than corresponding chicken egg powders at all pH tested. Furthermore, quail egg powders exhibited higher emulsion activity index and emulsion stability index with higher foam expansion and stability than the corresponding chicken egg powders. Therefore, Japanese quail egg powders could be used as an alternative to white Leghorn chicken egg in the preparation of foods and diets that require high protein content with positive health benefits.

Like Southeast Asian countries fermented fish is a well known strategy of food preservation in the Northeast region of India. Shidals are mostly preferred salt-free fermented fish product amongst all. Chemical and microbial composition, antioxidative potential, fatty acid profile and proteins profile in gel electrophoresis of shidals were studied. pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) have been found as 5.86 ± 0.11, 0.115 ± 0.01 and 6.62 ± 0.07, 0.092 ± 0.01 in punti and phasa shidal respectively. DPPH · radical scavenging activity of punti and phasa shidal was determined as 80.15 ± 5.67 and 68.30 ± 3.22 respectively. Presence of eicosapentaenoic, docosahexaenoic, arachidonic, linolenic and linoleic acid indicate the nutritional significance of shidal. However, the result showed that punti shidal was rich in omega-3 but poor in omega-6 fatty acid, whereas, reverse was observed in respect of phasa shidal. Poly acrylamide gel electrophoretic study of protein revealed disappearance of myosin head chain (MHC) in the dry puntius fish (raw material of shidal). Proteins or peptides with low molecular weight between 45 and 29 kDa and between 45 and 66 kDa were noticed in both the shidals and indicative of intensive protein degradation during fermentation. Therefore, fermented fish product, shidal could be used as a potential source of nutrients and natural antioxidants.

Ngari and hentaak are the two most preferred traditional salt-free fermented fish products of North-Eastern (NE) states of India. Chemical and microbial composition, antioxidative potential, fatty acid profile and electrophoretic pattern of protein in ngari and hentaak were studied. pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) of the products justified their stability at ambient temperature. Both ngari and hentaak showed higher contents of calcium (362.79 ± 26.89, 472.11 ± 62.7); sodium (199.66 ± 24.92, 94.0 ± 12.78); potassium (58.20 ± 7.36, 75.74 ± 6.62) and magnesium (16.056 ± 3.89, 21.125 ± 3.78) respectively. Iron, copper and zinc were found in lesser amount. DPPH · radical scavenging activity was close to 87 % in both the products and the ferric chloride reducing power assay was dose dependent in both the products. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were found in ngari; whereas, only omega-3 fatty acids were observed in hentaak. Linoleic acid (11.68 %) and arachidonic acid (0.65 %) were the n-6 PUFA in ngari; while, in hentaak, it was only arachidonic acid (8.54 %). Apart from essential fatty acids, essential amino acids were also found in considerable quantity in both the products. Micrococcus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were found to be the dominant bacterial genus in both the products; while Ngari also had lactic acid bacteria group. The nutritional properties afforded by these products justify their preference by the population.

No abstract

Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide that governs the reproductive axis upstream to GnRH. We wanted to study whether kisspeptin modulates plasma LH and FSH levels and ovarian follicular dynamics in buffaloes and whether kisspeptin can be used for fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI). We carried out these studies in comparison with buserelin, a potent GnRH agonist. Kisspeptin dose-dependently increased plasma LH levels. However, the kisspeptin-induced increase in LH was short-lived as the peak reached in 15–30 min returned to basal values by 1–2 h. The kisspeptin-induced increase in LH level was less compared to buserelin-induced increase in LH level which sustained over time. Kisspeptin did not enhance FSH release while buserelin resulted in a gradual increase over time. LH response to repeated injections of kisspeptin was greater than that induced by buserelin. While buserelin induced an increase in the number of follicles, kisspeptin induced an increase in the growth rate of the follicle. In adult cycling animals, while both the drugs increased plasma LH levels, the increase was greater in buserelin group compared to kisspeptin group. In contrast to the findings in pre-pubertal animals, kisspeptin induced an increase in both the number as well as the size of follicles compared to buserelin. Our studies on oestrus synchronization, using either kisspeptin-PGF2α-kisspeptin protocol or buserelin-PGF2α-buserelin Ovsynch protocol on day 0, 7, and 9, respectively, revealed that kisspeptin increased the number of follicles at wave emergence and the diameter of dominant follicle after 2nd dose of drug, the oestrus response rate and duration of oestrus, compared to buserelin. However, conception rate was not significantly different among the groups. From our studies, it appears that Kp and Buserelin differentially modulate follicular dynamics depending on the reproductive age of the animals.However, studies in a larger herd are required to confirm whether kisspeptin can be used for oestrous synchronization in buffaloes.