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Gelatin is a highly purified animal protein of pig, cow, and fish origins and is extensively used in food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. However, the acceptability of gelatin products greatly depends on the animal sources of the gelatin. Porcine and bovine gelatins have attractive features but limited acceptance because of religious prohibitions and potential zoonotic threats, whereas fish gelatin is welcomed in all religions and cultures. Thus, source authentication is a must for gelatin products but it is greatly challenging due to the breakdown of both protein and DNA biomarkers in processed gelatins. Therefore, several methods have been proposed for gelatin identification, but a comprehensive and systematic document that includes all of the techniques does not exist. This up-to-date review addresses this research gap and presents, in an accessible format, the major gelatin source authentication techniques, which are primarily nucleic acid and protein based. Instead of presenting these methods in paragraph form which needs much attention in reading, the major methods are schematically depicted, and their comparative features are tabulated. Future technologies are forecasted, and challenges are outlined. Overall, this review paper has the merit to serve as a reference guide for the production and application of gelatin in academia and industry and will act as a platform for the development of improved methods for gelatin authentication.

This study was designed with a view to investigate the prevalence of poultry diseases in Gazipur district of Bangladesh. A total of 679 poultry birds (313 layers, 338 broilers and 28 cockrels) either dead or live were brought for diagnosis of diseases at Gazipur Sadar Upazilla Veterinary Hospital. The diseases were diagnosed on the basis of history, clinical signs and post-mortem findings. The diseases encountered in layers were bacterial diseases 52.29% (salmonellosis 38.56%, colibacillosis 6.7%, fowl cholera 4.79% and necrotic enteritis 1.60%), viral diseases 23.95% (avian influenza 2.56%, Newcastle disease 16.61%, infectious bronchitis 3.19% and avian leucosis 0.64%), mycoplasmal disease (mycoplasmosis 14.70%) and protozoal disease (coccidiosis 5.75%). Salmonellosis was most prevalent disease in age group of >20 weeks, while Newcastle disease most common in 8 to 20 weeks of age group. In case of broiler, bacterial diseases 28.99% (salmonellosis 21.30% and colibacillosis 7.69%), viral diseases 53.24% (infectious bursal disease 28.99%, Newcastle disease 8.87% and infectious bronchitis 15.38%), mycoplasmal disease (mycoplasmosis 7.1%) and protozoal disease (coccidiosis 6.5%). In cockrels, the most prevalent disease was colibacillosis 35.71% followed by salmonellosis 28.57%, Newcastle disease 14.28% and mycoplasmosis14.28%. So among the diseases, salmonellosis is most prevalent disease followed by infectious bursal disease and mycoplasmosis in different kinds of poultry of Gazipur district of Bangladesh.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. March 2016, 2(1): 107-112

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Fruits and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet. They are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, dietary fibre and a host of beneficial non-nutrient substances including plant sterols, flavonoids and other antioxidants. It has been reported that reduced intake of fruits and vegetables may increase the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Chili pepper, is a common and important spice used to enhance taste and nutrition. Over the years, reports have shown its potential as antioxidant and an anti-obesity agent. Obesity is a serious health concern as it may initiate other common chronic diseases. Due to the side effects of synthetic antioxidants and anti-obesity drugs, scientists are now focusing on natural products which produce similar effects to synthetic chemicals. This up-to-date review addresses this research gap and presents, in an accessible format, the nutritional, antioxidant and anti-obesity properties of different chili peppers. This review article serves as a reference guide for use of chili peppers as anti-obesity agents.