Abstract A study was conducted to record the effect of modified atmospheric packaging (MAP), storage conditions (ambient, zero energy cool chamber and refrigerated) as well as storage period on shelf-life and quality of tomatoes produced through Subhash Palekar natural farming (SPNF) and chemical farming (CHEM) systems. Freshly harvested tomatoes (SPNF and CHEM) packed in LDPE pouches (25.40 μm and 10 pin holes/100 cm2 area) and without packaging were stored under ambient (27±2 °C and 70±2% RH), zero energy cool chamber (ZECC) (17±2 °C and 82 ±2 % RH) and low temperature conditions (10±2 ºC and 90 % RH) for shelf-life studies. The shelf-life comparison was done at every two days’ interval up to 24 days based on physiological loss in weight (PLW) and spoilage percentage. SPNF and CHEM tomatoes were compared on the basis of quality attributes (firmness, acidity, TSS, sugars, total phenols, antioxidant activity etc.), mineral content and sensory characteristics. Results revealed that tomato stored in refrigerated condition had significantly (p ˂0.05) lowest PLW and spoilage incidence and highest sensory acceptability up to 24 days and was at par with ZECC stored tomatoes. Quality evaluation indicated that tomatoes grown under SPNF system contained a higher amount of total solids, total sugars, reducing sugars, ascorbic acid, total phenols and ash. The results showed that tomatoes with MAP and stored under refrigerated storage condition retained maximum quality up to 24 days followed by tomatoes stored under ZECC (18 days) compared to 12 days at ambient conditions.

Abstract Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) fruit is good source of many nutraceutical compounds and possess antioxidant, anti-diabetic and hypoglycaemic activities. However, its utilization in the preparation of beverages is limited due to its bitter after taste. Therefore, to realize the functional and therapeutic benefits of bitter gourd, an attempt was made to optimize nutritious and low caloriebitter gourd based beverage by blending with kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), a store house of bioactive compounds and substituting sugar with stevioside (steviol glycoside). The standard (sugar sweetened) bitter gourd (BG)-kiwifruit (K) blended beverage was developed by utilizing 30% fruit part of BG:K blended juice (80: 20) with 40oB TSS and 1.3% acidity. Further, to develop the low calorie beverage, sucrose (table sugar) was replaced with 25, 50, 75 and 100% equi-sweetness level of stevioside (steviol glycoside). Results revealed that 75% substitution of sucrose with stevioside resulted in shelf stable beverage with identical taste, good antioxidant potential (68.80%) and strong antimicrobial activity (26 mm ZOI) with reduced calorie values (28.5 Kcal/100g) compared to the sugar sweetened control sample (150.60 Kcal/100g). Hence, the developed beverage can be commercialized as low calorie beverage with additional health benefits of natural compounds of bitter gourd and kiwifruit with highest bioactivity.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated whether the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) can be used as a vital marker in combination with peanut agglutinin (PNA) - labeling in fresh and cryopreserved spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human sperm populations were exposed to a hypo-osmotic medium for 60 minutes, and then incubated in a 1 µg/mL solution of the fluorescent dye Hoescht 33258 (H33258) for 10 minutes. Excess stain was removed by washing in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution, and the pellet was resuspended in 100 µL of culture medium. Twenty microliters of this solution were subsequently smeared on a microscope slide, and fixed in ice-cold methanol to permeabilize the sperm membranes. The fixed smears were finally incubated in a 40-µg/mL FITC-PNA solution for 20 minutes. Simultaneous assessment of acrosome and viability scores was done in a fluorescent microscope equipped with appropriate filters and phase contrast illumination. The same slide was examined for FITC-PNA labeling, tail swelling, and for Hoechst-33258 staining by interchanging the filters and phase contrast optics. RESULTS: In fresh specimens, HOST was found to provide viability assessments comparable to those obtained using the H33258 method (r = 0.95). However, the results of HOST and H33258 were not correlated in cryopreserved specimens (r = 0.22). There was no alteration of PNA-labeling due to the HOST or H33258. CONCLUSIONS: FITC-PNA labeling in conjunction with the visualization of the morphological change induced by exposure to hypo-osmotic solution provides a simple but effective method for establishing the state of acrosomal membrane and viability in fresh human spermatozoa, but this technique is not reliable for cryopreserved ones.

OBJETIVO: Determinar se pacientes portadores do fator de infertilidade masculina podem ser precisamente identificados através do cálculo de um novo escore de qualidade de sêmen e pela medida de espécies reativas de oxigênio durante uma avaliação rotineira de infertilidade. MÉTODOS: Amostras de sêmen de 133 pacientes e de 91 doadores saudáveis foram avaliadas através de análise manual e computadorizada de sêmen. Um modelo de análise do componente principal foi empregado para calcular o escore de qualidade de sêmen, utilizando logaritmos base 10, multiplicados por ponderações variáveis de 9 parâmetros espermáticos. Os níveis de espécies reativas de oxigênio foram medidos através de testes de quimiluminescência. RESULTADOS: O escore de qualidade de sêmen apresentou sensibilidade de 80.45% e precisão de 77% para um "cutoff" de 93.1 na identificação do fator de infertilidade masculina. A área sob a curva "receiver operating characteristic" para o escore de qualidade de sêmen foi de 84.28% (95% intervalo de confiança: 65.22%-100%). Os níveis de espécies reativas de oxigênio [log10 (espécies reativas de oxigênio +1)] foram siginificativamente mais elevados nos pacientes portadores de fator de infertilidade masculina. A medica de espécies reativas de oxigênio apresentou sensibilidade de 83.47% e especificidade de 60.52% com uma precisão (definida como pacientes portadores do fator de infertilidade masculina com diagnóstico positivo e doadores corretamente excluídos) de 75% para um "cutoff" de 1.25 na identificação de pacientes portadores do fator de infertilidade masculina. A área sob a curva "receiver operating characteristic" para níveis de espécies reativas de oxigênio foi de 78.92% (95% intervalo de confiança: 72.60%-85.23%). Os escores de qualidade de sêmen correlacionaram negativamente com os níveis de espécies reativas de oxigênio tanto nos doadores e nos pacientes portadores do fator de infertilidade masculina. CONCLUSÕES: O escore de qualidade de sêmen e os níveis espécies reativas de oxigênio nas amostras de sêmen parecem associar-se fortemente com o fator de infertilidade masculina. Na medida em que os dois parâmetros mostraram-se mais sensíveis que parâmetros espermáticos individuais na identificação do fator de infertilidade masculina, deveriam ser incluídos na avaliação rotineira de infertilidade.

PURPOSE: To determine whether patients with male factor infertility can be accurately identified by calculating a novel semen quality score and measuring levels of reactive oxygen species during routine infertility screening. METHODS: Semen samples from 133 patients and 91 healthy donors were evaluated with manual and computer-assisted semen analysis. A principal component analysis model was employed to calculate a semen quality score. In brief, this score was calculated by base 10 logarithms multiplied by varying weights given to 9 sperm parameters. Reactive oxygen species levels were measured using chemiluminescence assay. RESULTS: The semen quality score had a sensitivity of 80.45% and accuracy of 77% at a cutoff of 93.1 in identifying patients with male factor infertility. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the semen quality score was 84.28% (95% CI: 65.22%-100%). Reactive oxygen species levels [log10 (reactive oxygen species +1)] were significantly higher in male factor infertility patients. Reactive oxygen species had a sensitivity of 83.47% and specificity of 60.52% with an accuracy of 75% at a cutoff of 1.25 in identifying male factor infertility patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for reactive oxygen species levels was 78.92% (95% CI: 72.60%-85.23%). semen quality scores were significantly and negatively correlated with reactive oxygen species levels in the donors and the male factor infertility patients. CONCLUSIONS: The semen quality score and reactive oxygen species levels in semen samples appear to be strongly associated with male factor infertility. Because both of these parameters are more sensitive than individual sperm parameters in identifying male factor infertility, they should be included in routine infertility screening.