000985   Rajendra Prasad V;Rao K V;Prasad A R (Dep of Chem Engng, Andhra Univ, Visakhapatnam-530 003) : Java based computer package for correlation of binary vapour liquid equilibrium data. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 44-6.

A computer package in JAVA language has been developed to correlate the binary vapour liquid equilibrium data using the activity coefficient models of Margules, Van Laar, Wilson, UNIQUAC and CLC by the Gauss Newton method to predict vapour composition from P-T-x data. The working of the program is tested by processing published data of sixteen binary systems and comparing the results with those of Dortmund Data Bank, obtained by the Nelder Mead Optimization.

5 tables, 20 ref

000984   Raghu Prasad P K;Priya M N;Palanivelu K (Cent for Environmental Stud, Anna Univ, Chennai-600 025, Email: kpvelu@hotmail.com) : Nitrate removal from groundwater using electrolytic reduction method. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 164-9.

Nitrate (NO₃) contamination of groundwater is a major concern throughout intensive agricultural areas. In the present laboratory scale study, an electrolytic reduction method employing copper cathode and insoluble triple mixed oxide anode was studied for the denitrification of groundwater in a divided cell. Influence of process parameters such as pH, current density and time were studied and the optimal conditions of operation were found to be at pH 8, at 0.89 mA/cm² for 7 h. It is possible to remove nitrate below the limit of the drinking water standard using this method. The denitrification was found to follow pseudo first order kinetics with a k value of 0.23 h^-1.

5 illus, 21 ref

000983   Praveenkumar B;Kumar H H;Kharat D K (PZT Cent, Armament Res and Dev Establishment, Pune-411 021, Email: tircarde@vsnl.com) : Characterization and microstructure of porous lead zirconate titanate ceramics. Bull Mater Sci 2005, 28(5), 453-5.

Porous lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics are widely used because of their low acoustic impedance, high figure of merit and high hydrostatic sensitivity. In the work, porous PZT ceramics were fabricated by incorporating polyethylene oxide (PEO) as pore-forming agent. Both PZT powder and PEO were mixed with a binder at different ratios and compaction was carried out. The samples were slowly heated to remove the pore-forming agent and binder without cracks, followed by controlled sintering and electrode forming. Samples were poled using corona poling technique. The ferroelectric properties and microstructure of the prepared ceramics were characterized. The correlation of porosity with microstructure and ferroelectric properties were discussed.

4 illus, 10 ref

000982   Patel H G;Prajapati J P;Upadhyay K G (Dep of Dairy Technol SMC Coll of Dairy Sci, Gujarat Agric Univ, Anand Campus, Anand-388 110) : Suitability of different packaging materials for extension of shelf-life of basundi. Indian Fd Packer 2005, 59(1), 58-66.

Three packaging materials were tried to check the feasibility of delivery of Basundi from the production centre to the consumers in good condition. The packages were: (a) Glass bottles, (b) Heat sealable polypropylene (PP) cups with laminated aluminium foil lid and (c) Co-extruded HD/LD/HDPE pouches. The product after packing in hot condition (~55°C) was cooled to 7°±2°C and evaluated for its shelf life at an interval of 5 days, up to the end of 30 days of storage. It was observed that Basundi packed either in glass bottles or PP cups caused minimum changes in physico-chemical properties such as acidity, pH, FFA, HMF, viscosity, insolubility index, alcohol stability tendency to clot-on-boiling, NPN and soluble N contents culminating in significantly better shelf-life than PE pouches. The microbial population of Basundi packed in glass bottles followed by PP cups had mimimum increase during storage. The glass-bottled product had the maximum organolertic score followed by PP cups, both of which differed significantly from product packaged in PE pouches. The overall score of Basundi declined progressively with advancement of storage period, which was significant from 10th day and beyond.

4 tables, 31 ref

000981   Ozhan N;Coksoyler N (Dep of Fd Engng, Mersin Univ, Ciflikkoyu Kampusu, Mersin/Turkey, Email: coksoyler@hotmail.com) : Survival of Escherichia coli in traditional fermented turnip juice. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 67-9.

Turnip juice is a fermented traditional and popular Turkish soft drink. It is produced generally under the primitive conditions and sold without any heat treatment. So, the survival of any human-born contaminant becomes important from food safety reasons. In this study, survival of Escherichia coli in turnip juice was investigated at different pH and storage temperature combinations. Turnip juices pH were adjusted approximately to 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 and stored at 5, 20, 30 and 35°C. Each pH/temperature combination was inoculated with 18 h old E. coli culture at the level of 10⁷ - 10⁸ cfu/ml. Turnip juices were sampled for cultural count at predetermined intervals. First order reaction kinetic was accepted for inactivation. Linear regression of log (survivals/initial count) vs time (h) was used for determining D-values (min) for each combination. Significant decrease in number of the survivals was either not observed or not confirmed statistically at pH 4.5 (4.47-4.54), pH 3.5-4.5 at 5°C and pH 3.54 at 20°C. In the other 9 temperature pH combinations (5°C, pH 3.02; 20°C, pH 3.01 and 4.00; 30°C, pH 3.00, 3.50 and 4.00; 35°C, pH 3.03, 3.50 and 4.03) the D-values decreased with the temperature, increased with the pH and changed between 11.98 and 225.23 min. 5D-values changed between 7.33 and 18.79 h for pH range 3.00-4.00 and at 20°C storage temperature. If E. coli, and similar pathogens are the health risks in a food processing operation and the process causes 4D or 5D reduction in the number of these microorganisms (in the case of Clostridium botulinum 12D is necessary), then it is accepted as sufficient for the food safety purposes. Thus, according to the results of this study, turnip juice with pH <60>4.0 did not pose any risk of E. coli contamination after storage for 19 h or more at ambient temperature. On the other hand, the time lapsed from production line to market shelves is higher than 19 h, this will further decrease survival of E. coli.

4 illus, 1 table, 8 ref

000980   Okieimen F E;Okieimen C O;Ojokoh F I (Dep of Chem Engng, Univ of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria) : Rubber seed shell carbon as sequestrant of heavy metals and organic compounds from aqueous solution. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 181-6.

Powdered activated carbon was prepared from ammonium chloride activated rubber seed shell at 500°C and characterized in terms of pH, bulk density, surface area, abrasion resistance and total surface charge. The sorption behaviour of zinc ions and alcohols (methanol, ethanol and n-propanol) on the shell carbon was studied. The removal efficiency of the metal ions was found to depend upon the initial metal ion concentration, with efficiency decreasing with increase in concentration of the metal ions. By fitting the equilibrium sorption data obtained into the Langmuir isotherm equation, values for maximum metal ions binding capacity and affinity (binding) constant of 0.425 mmol/g and 2.614 respectively were determined. The sorption data also fitted the Freundlich isotherm equation, but with relatively lower correlation coefficient, and values for the coefficient and exponent of the isotherm equation of 0.19 and 0.59 respectively were determined. The removal efficiency of the alcohols was measured in terms of changes in the chemical oxygen demand of solutions containing various volume fractions of the alcohols before and after treatment with the shell carbon. Removal efficiency was generally lower than 30%: and corresponded to about 5.82 mg/L/g decrease in chemical oxygen demand; and was highest for n-propanol and lowest for methanol.

3 illus, 3 tables, 34 ref

000979   Nagaraja K V;Padma S (NO, Natn Res Cent for Cashew, Puttur-574 202) : Studies on coated cashew kernel baby bits. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 89-92.

Cashew kernel baby bits (CKBB) coated with sugar and flavours such as vanilla, cardamom and ginger could be stored at ambient temperature in sealed LDPE pouches (300 gauge) for 12 months without any quality deterioration. CKBB coated with honey and combination of cardamom flavour and apple green colour were preferred organoleptically over other combinations of flavour and colour. Deep frying of CKBB in vegetable oils did not affect organoleptic accptability after coating with sugar. Deep fried defatted CKBB coated with sugar and combination of cardamom flavour and saffron colour were organoleptically preferred over other combinations. During coating colours bind to protein depending on the concentration of protein and colours.

8 tables, 9 ref

000978   Mohan Roa S V M;Rao I N;Subba Reddy T R; Sastry C S P (Dep of Organic Chem Foods Drugs and Wat, Sch of Chem Andhra Univ, Visakhapatnam-530 003, Email: svmurali@rediffmail.com) : Assay of bromhexine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulations by extraction spectrophotometry. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 170-4.

Three simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods (A-C) for the assay of bromhexine hydrochloride in pure and dosage forms based on the formation of chloroform soluble ion-associates under specified experimental conditions are described. Three acidic dyes, namely, Tropaeolin oo (TP oo, method A), Naphthalene blue 12BR (NB 12BR, method B) and Azocarmine G (ACG, method C) are utilized. The extracts of the ion-associates exhibit absorption maxima at 420, 620 and 540 nm for methods A, B and C respectively. Regression analysis of Beer-Lambert plots showed good correlation in the concentration ranges (2.0-10)μg/mL for method A, (5.0-25) μg/mL for methods B and C respectively. Beer's law and the precision and accuracy of the methods are checked by the UV reference method. The results are reproducible with an accuracy of ± 1.0%. The methods are found to be suitable for the determination of bromhexine hydrochloride in the presence of the other ingredients that are usually present in dosage forms.

1 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

000977   Mleko S;Janas P;Pielecki J (Dep of Fd Technol, Agric Univ Akademicka 13 20-950, Lubin, Poland, Email: dairywhey@hotmail.com) : Study on stress relaxation behaviour of rennet cheeses at different temperatures. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 58-60.

Influence of temperature on stress relaxation of different rennet cheeses produced in Poland was investigated. Lubricated uniaxial compression to 20% of sample height was performed and changes of force were noted for 10 min at stress relaxation mode. Stress relaxation was performed at 20, 40, 60 and 80°C and relaxation times were calculated. Activation energy of relaxation was found from linear dependence of the relaxation time (τ) on 1/T (K^-1). All samples behaved as viscoelastic solids and the compression force decreased asymptotically to the point, where the remaining force represented an equilibrium. Relaxation time decreased with increase in temperature. Higher value of activation energy observed in Pulawski and Morski cheeses could be due to the processing factors resulting in lower molecular mobility and more cross-linked protein matrix.

2 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

000976   Mehta A;Ranote P S;Bawa A S (Dep of Fd Sci and Technol, Punjab Agric Univ, Ludhiana-141 004) : Processing of kandi lemon (Galgal) peel waste for candy making. Indian Fd Packer 2005, 59(1), 67-74.

The investigation was carried out to study the suitability of two galgal varieties viz. GS-6 and K-1 for preparation of peel candy and to investigate the physico-chemical changes during storage in order to assess acceptability as well as shelf-life of the product. Out of three levels tested, the 8% brine treatment was found optimum for getting desired results. Ascorbic acid was totally lost during treatment and product preparation. After storage period of 24 weeks, overall acceptability sensory scores were found in the following pattern: treated K-1 (7.9) <62> treated GS-6 (7.1) <62> untreated K-1 (6.7) <62> untreated GS-6 (6.4). The product from treated peel of variety K-1 was found superior, shelf stable and most acceptable on the basis of physico-chemical and sensory analysis among the treated and untreated products of either variety.

2 illus, 8 tables, 8 ref

000975   Masoodi F A;Sapra V;Bakshi P (Div of Pomology and Post Harvest Technol, Sher-e-Kashmir Univ of Agric Sci & Technology-Jammu, Udheywalla, Talab Tillo, Jammu, J & K-180 002) : Use of carrot and tomato as biocolorants in guava jelly. Indian Fd Packer 2005, 59(3), 87-90.

Tomato and carrot were incorporated in guava jelly with an objective of improving its colour. The product was prepared by replacing 10, 20 and 30% of guava fruit with tomato and carrot for jelly preparation. Replacement to the extent of 30 and 20% with carrot and tomato respectively was not found to alter the setting characteristics of jelly drastically. There were only minor changes in physicochemical parameters of jelly during two months storage at room temperature. Incorporation of carrot as well as tomato resulted in colour improvement over control. Jelly containing carrot as a colouring source was found slighly better than that containing tomato. The former was also found to be more stable with respect to its colour during storage.

1 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

000974   Mandal S;Chakrabarti S;Ghatak S;Das S K (Clay and Traditional Ceramics Div, Cent Glass and Ceram Res Inst, Kolkata-700 032, Email: swapan@cgcri.res.in) : Ultra low and negative expansion glass-ceramic materials produced from pyrophyllite and blast furnace slag. Bull Mater Sci 2005, 28(5), 437-43.

Ultra low and negative explansion glass-ceramic materials have been obtained from pyrophyllite and blast furnace slag. The batch composition was modified with the addition of lithium carbonate, hydrated alumina, boric acid and nucleating agent (titania). The batch was melted at 1400°C followed by casting in the form of bars and annealed at 510°C for 4 h. The annealed specimens were subjected to heat treatment at predetermined temperatures selected from DTA study of the parent glass. Thermal expansion measurement and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the specimen nucleated at 545°C for 4 h and crystallized at 720°C for 2 h which resulted in negative coefficient of thermal expansion [(-) 9 to (-) 2 x 10^-7/°C] over the temperature range (30-600°C) due to the formation of β-eucryptite while other heating schedule showed the formation of spodumene and lithium aluminium silicates. The samples showed excellent flexural strength value and varied in the range 120-200 MPa depending upon the phases present.

5 illus, 6 tables, 19 ref

000973   Majumdar B;Akhtad D (Defence Metallurgical Res Labratory, , P.O. Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad-500 058, Email: bhaskar@dmrl.ernet.in) : Structure and coercivity of nanocrystalline Fe-Si-B-Nb-Cu alloys. Bull Mater Sci 2005, 28(5), 395-9.

Crystallization behaviour and magnetic properties of melt-spun Fe-Si-B-Nb-Cu alloys have been investigated. It was found that the primary phase changes from α-Fe(Si) to Fe₃Si (DO₃) on increasing the Si content. The coercivity of the alloys containing the Fe₃Si phase is significantly lower as compared to the alloy containing α-Fe(Si) phase. A heat treatment temperature-time-coercivity map has been obtained for optimization of the coercivity.

6 illus, 15 ref

000972   Krishna Murty A S R;Kulshresta U C;Rao T N; Talluri M V N K (Analyt Chem Div, Indian Inst of Chem Tecnology, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: akella@iict.res.in) : Determination of heavy metals in selected drug substances by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 229-31.

Heavy metal contents in dicyclomineHCl, ethambutol, pyra-zinamide and furazolidone drugs were determined by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) - mass spectrometry (MS). The drugs were analyzed for Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb metals by selecting a suitable isotope. Cr, Fe, Ti and Cu were observed to be highest in dicyclomineHCl, ethambutol, pyrazinamide and furazolidone respectively. Ni and Hg were absent in all the four drugs, while traces of Cd were present in ethambutol and pyrazinamide. Analytical results showed that ICP-MS method is useful for monitoring inorganic impurities present in such drugs.

3 tables, 25 ref

000971   Khanam S;Mohanty B (Dep of Chem Engng, Indian Inst of Technol, Roorkee-247 667) : Synthesis of mass exchange network using supertargeting approach. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 8-12.

Presents technique for optimization of networks, based on Supertargeting Approach, which was successfully applied for targeting and designing of heat exchange network (HEN), for the synthesis of mass exchange network (MEN). The problem undertaken for demonstration is related to the etching of copper from spent liquor, using ammoniacal etching solution followed by rinsing with water an important operation for the manufacturing of printed circuit boards for microelectronics industries. Two mass separating agents (MSAs), LIX63, aliphatic α-hydroxyoxime and P, aromatic β-hydroxyoxime, are proposed to recover copper from spent liquor by solvent extraction. The minimum composition difference (ε) between operating condition and equilibrium condition is found to be a key optimization parameter. Describes the targeting and designing procedure for the above problem. The optimum targeted total annual cost (TAC) and ε for MEN comes out to be Rs. 59,02,071/ year and 0.002 respectively. The MEN is finally designed for optimum value of ε equal to 0.002. The optimum designed MEN consists of 3 units in total, one packed and 2 tray type extraction columns. The designed MEN fully meets the targets set for the above problem.

4 illus, 6 tables, 11 ref

000970   Kadavarayar M T;Radhakrishnan T K;Arumugam S (Dep of Phys, Natn Inst of Technol, Tiruchirappalli-620 015) : Development and tuning of fuzzy controller for nonlinear processes. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 13-17.

A real-time control of liquid level in a conical tank is studied. Fuzzy logic control is used in the control of the liquid level of a laboratory conical tank, which is a highly nonlinear system. System identification of this nonlinear process and tuning of the fuzzy system are undertaken. Genetic algorithms are used to tune the membership functions of the fuzzy system. A controller based on Mamdani type of fuzzy control is designed. The performance of the tuned fuzzy controller is compared to a well tuned proportional integral controller to evaluate the performance of the genetic algorithm tuned fuzzy controller. The performance of the controller is tested under the presence of load and set point changes for the level system. The control of the nonlinear process by means of fuzzy logic control proves to be much better than control using proportional-integral control.

7 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

000969   Jindal A R;Malkiat Singh;Shukla F C (Dep of Fd Sci and Technol, Punjab Agric Univ, Ludhiana-141 004) : Utilization of chhana and Paneer whey in the preparation of kadhi and pakoras. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 31-5.

Whey from 5 different sources was substituted in kadhi at different whey:buttermilk and in pakoras at different whey:water ratios (0:100, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20, 90:10 and 100:0). The sensory quality of kadhi and pakoras revealed that cow milk chhana whey scored highest with respect to appearance, body and texture, flavour and overall acceptability followed by mixed milk chhana whey and buffalo milk paneer whey. However, the commercial samples were awarded poor scores due to their unhygienic production. Slight sweetness in kadhi with 80:20, 90:10 and 100:0 (whey:buttermilk) and in pakoras with 90:10 and 100:0 (whey:water) levels was observed. Fat, protein, ash and total solids content of pakoras increased with increase in level of whey. Whereas in case of kadhi there was slight increase in fat percentage but protein, ash and total solids of kadhi decreased by substituting whey. Kadhi when served along with pakoras as filler all the sensory qualities were improved.

3 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

000968   Jeena V R;Janardanan C (P G Dep of Chem and Res, Sree Narayana Coll, Kannur-670 007, Email: jeeje_dianthus@yahoo.com ) : Copper and thorium selective new chelating ion exchange resin of mandelic acid. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 225-8.

A new copper and thorium selective chela ting ion exchanger has been synthesized by condensing mandelic acid with formalin (37%) under alkaline condition using resorcinol as cross-linking agent. The characterization of the resin was done by determining the moisture content of the resin, distribution coefficients for various metal ions, base exchange capacity, pH titration and IR spectra. The sorption and desorption cycles have been examined using a column packed with the resin without any loss of column performance, which indicates the possibility for its reuse. The developed column technique has been used for the binary separations Mg²⁺/Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺/Pb²⁺, Mg²⁺/Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺/Th⁴⁺, Al³⁺/Th⁴⁺, Mg²⁺/Al³⁺ and Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺. The separation performed on the ion exchange column is very important for the environmentalists.

3 illus, 2 tables, 12 ref

000967   Jadhav H S;Talawar M B;Dhavale D D;Asthana S N;Krishnamurthy V N (Dep of Chem, Univ of Pune, Pune-411 007, Email: mbtalawar@yahoo.com) : Synthesis, characterization and thermal behavior of hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF) and its new N-alkyl substituted derivatives. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 187-92.

Two new derivatives of hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF) viz., mono methyl hydrazinium nitroformate (MMHNF) and dimethyl hydrazinium nitroformate (DMHNF) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental, spectral and thermal analysis. The nitration of isopropanol using fuming nitric acid and sulphuric acid yielded nitroform which on neutralization with equivalent quantities of hydrazine hydrate yielded HNF, whereas neutralization with methyl hydrazine and dimethyl hydrazine solution in xylene solvent gave title compounds MMHNF and DMHNF respectively. MMHNF and DMHNF were thermally stable up to 128-137°C whereas the decomposition of HNF commenced at 120°C. The impact sensitivity data established relatively less susceptibility of MMHNF and DMHNF than that of the HNF. Performance of MMHNF and DMHNF was also predicted theoretically by applying Linear Output Thermodynamic User friendly Software for Energetic Systems (LOTUSES) code. Out of the three compounds synthesized, HNF finds potential application as a eco-friendly oxidizer and MMHNF may find application as a potential high performance energetic material and DMHNF appears to be potential ingradient for melt castable high explosive formulations.

2 tables, 31 ref

000966   Hossain Sk M;Das M;Anantharaman N (Dep of Chem Engng, Mohamed Sathak Engng Coll, Kilakarai-623 806, Email: skmhossain@yahoo.co.in) : Studies on chromium biosorption using thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 50-5.

Acidophilic bacteria Thiobacillus ferrooxIdans accmulates chromium (III & VI) from its aqueous solution. The maximum biosorption of chromium (III) and chromium (VI) is 74.65 percent (w/w) and 82.70 percent (w/w) within 3 days of moculation time with optimum pH 4.5 and temperature 40° C for 600 ppm initial chromium (III) loading and 500 ppm initial chromium (VI) loading respectively. Seven day-old and 30 percent (v/v) inoculum culture is used in the studies. The aerobic condition is maintained by supplying atmospheric air to the biosystem. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms fit the experimental data reasonably well and give a better understanding of biosorption process simulations. The Monod equation for microbial growth fits the experimental data reasonably well and gives a better understanding of growth rate design.

10 illus, 1 table, 21 ref

000965   Gupta N;Kochar G K (Dep of Home Sci, Kurukshetra Univ, Kurukshetra-136 119) : Organoleptic evaluation of groundnut flour supplemented traditional cereals and pulses based food preparations. Indian Fd Packer 2005, 59(3), 75-9.

Traditional food preparations namely halwa, chapati, pakora and biscuits were prepared by supplementing with expeller pressed groundnut seedmeal flour at 10, 20 and 30 per cent levels. Sensory evaluation showed that the acceptability of these food preparations varied with degree of supplementation. As the levels increased in food preparations, the score for colour, appearance, flavour, texture, taste and overall acceptability decreased, apparently but not at significant level. Thus, supplementation at 10 per cent level in cereals and legumes based preparations is found to be the desirable limit for better utilization of seed meal as human food source. The high protein content of groundnut seedmeal flour can serve as a good supplement for overcoming protein energy malnutrition among vegetarian population of India. Groundnut seedmeal also has the potential of being used for preparation of infant foods and protein foods.

2 tables, 7 ref

000964   Gupta M;Bajwa U;Sandhu K S (Dep of Fd Sci and Technol, Punjab Agric Univ, Ludhiana-141 004) : Optimization of variables associated with the processing of carrot-milk cake. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 16-22.

The effect of different carrot shred (CS) lengths (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 cm.), cooking methods (open pan and closed pan), levels of khoa (10 to 80%), sugar (20, 22.5 and 25%), fat (0, 5, 10 and 15%), and stages of fat addition (before and after cooking of CS) were studied. The processing technique and variables were optimized on the basis of cake forming properties and highest overall acceptability scores obtained through sensory evaluation of the finished product. The CS length of 1.0 cm, open pan cooking of CS, 30% khoa, 22.5% sugar and 5.0% fat addition after cooking of CS resulted in a carrot-milk cake with highest overall acceptability scores. The physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics of carrot, khoa, milk and carrot-milk cake were also studied. The effect of all the processing variables was tested statistically.

2 illus, 10 tables, 16 ref

000963   Gupta H O;Singh N N (Directorate of Maize, Res Cummings Laboratory, Indian Agric Res Inst, New Delhi-110 012) : Preparation of wheat and quality protein maize based biscuits and their storage, protein quality and sensory evaluation. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 43-6.

Two types of wheat flour and quality protein maize (QPM) based biscuits were prepared with and without processed defatted maize germ cake (PDMGC) supplementation and compared with wheat flour based biscuits as standard. These biscuits were subjected for protein quality, in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), shelf-life and organoleptic studies. Both protein quality and quantity improved in wheat flour and wheat flour + QPM based biscuits with supplementation of PDMGC at the cost of slight decrease in IVPD. Although less increase in acid values and moisture contents were found to improve the shelf-life in both types of biscuits after PDMGC supplementation than without PDMGC supplemented biscuits, respectively which show improvement in keeping quality under ambient conditions durng 60 days of storage.

1 illus, 4 tables, 11 ref

000962   Dutta S;Das A K (Dep of Chem, Univ of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan-713 104, Email: arabindakdas@rediffmail.com) : Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of a new chelating resin functionalized with 2-aminothiazole: Application in trace level cadmium-mercury separation in biological samples. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 139-44.

Chloromethylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer has been functionalized with 2-aminothiazole by using microwave irradiation. The resulting resin has been characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectra, water regain and metal sorption capacity. Various parameters like pH, equilibriation rate and sorption and desorption of metal ions, and effect of diverse ions have been studied. The maximum sorption capacities for Cd(II) and Hg(II) are 0.15 (pH 1) and 0.51 mmol.g^-1 (pH 6) respectively. The concentration of Cd(II) was measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry while Hg(II) was measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The limits of quantification (l0σ) values were found to be 5.70 and 0.14 ng mL^-1 for Cd(II) and Hg(II) respectively. The procedure has been applied to the determination of cadmium and mercury in certified biological samples after their dissolution by microwave-assisted treatment. The method is simple, rapid and free from interference and can be used routinely.

3 illus, 5 tables, 34 ref

000961   Doble M;Sunitha R (Dep of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, Chennai-600 036, Email: mukeshd@iitm.ac.in) : A comparative study of aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation processes. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 33-43.

Microbial degradation or transformations of organic compounds may involve either the aerobic or anaerobic condition. Aims to compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic processes in terms of definition, degradation pathway, reactor design, energy consumption and economics. A few case studies comparing both the technologies for the treatment of waste effluent from various industries are also discussed.

11 illus, 6 tables, 30 ref

000960   Dhingra D;Ashwani Kumar (NO, Cent Inst of Post Harvest Engng and Technol, Post Office P.A.U., Ludhiana-141 004) : Post harvest technology of ginger. Indian Fd Packer 2005, 59(1), 87-9.

3 tables

000959   Das I;Gupta S K;Lall R S (Chem Dep, DDU Gorakhpur Univ, Gorakhpur-273 009, Email: ishwar_das@rediffmail.com) : Light induced electropolymerization of aniline. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 198-204.

Electropolymerization of aniline has been carried out in the presence of light. The kinetics of polymer growth has been studied in terms of weight of the aggregate as a function of time in the absence and presence of ZnSO₄ and found that zinc sulphate inhibited the polymer growth by incorporating itself in the polymer network. An empirical equation w = ce^mt was obeyed in acid-aniline system while a different equation w₁² = m₁t + c was obeyed when zinc sulphate was admixed. It indicated that a different mechanism is operative for the polymerization of aniline in the presence of zinc sulphate in acid-aniline system. TG studies reveal that zinc sulphate increases the stability of the polymer. The aggregates were characterized by IR, FAB mass, TG and XRD studies. Analysis of mass spectra shows the possibility of cross linked fragments in the polymer. Oscillatory characteristics have been studied in HCl-aniline system and its dependence on light of different wavelengths, zinc sulphate, applied potential, aniline, HCl and acetonitrile concentrations has also been studied. Polymerization was found to be reduced by 70% in complete darkness.

8 illus, 4 tables, 15 ref

000958   Dalvi S D;Narayanan S S (Dep of Chem Engng, Indian Inst of Technol, Madras, Chennai-600 036, Email: ssn@iitm.ac.in) : Simulation studies on size reduction of rice husk using a pin mill. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 3-7.

Rice husk is a most dependable biomass and a number of reports has been recently published on the effective utilization of rice husk for power generation in a number of developing countries. The particle size of rice husk fed to the combustion process is extremely important to achieve optimal combustion efficiency. A pin mill has pin breakers on a rotor which rotates against a stator with pins arranged in a certain circular configuration and it is suitable for size reduction of rice husk which is a fibrous and light material. Experiments were conducted using a laboratory pin mill to investigate the milling characteristics of rice husk at different feed size, feed rate and impeller speed at a given pin configuration. The performance of the mill was described using a process model consisting of breakage distribution function which describes the material property and classification function which describes the flow property of material through the mill. The classification parameters were related to process variables such as feed-rate, feed-size and impeller speed to simulate the mill performance. The energy consumption of the pin mill was related to process variables. The simulation could accurately predict the pin mill performance within the range of operating conditions studied.

8 illus, 8 ref

000957   Dadarwal R;Beniwal B S;Singh R (Cent of Fd Sci and Technol, Dep of Livestock Products Technol, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agric Univ, Hisar-125 004, Email: rdadarwa@uoguelph.ca) : Process standardization for preparation of fruit flavoured shrikhand. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 22-6.

Banana (Musa balbisiana), guava (Psidium guajava) and sapota (Achras sapota) pulps were added in milk as well as in chakka to explore the possibility of using fruit pulps for improving and varying the flavour of shrikhand without adversely affecting overall acceptability of the product. Addition of 5% fruit pulps in milk before pasteurization and lactic fermentation enhanced drainage of whey. Banana and sapota pulps added in milk increased the recovery of fat and proteins in chakka, preventing loss of valuable milk ingredients in whey. The products prepared by addition of 5 to 10% pulp in milk and 10 to 20% pulp in chakka were acceptable in organoleptic qualities. However, the products with 5% pulp addition in milk and 10% pulp addition in chakka were equivalent or superior to the shrikhand made from milk alone in sensory attributes. Microbiologically, the products formed by addition of pulps in milk were free from coliform. However, coliforms were detected when banana pulp was added in chakka. Also, shrikhand prepared by direct addition of pulps in chakka had higher microbial load.

7 tables, 16 ref

000956   Dabas D;Mahabir Singh;Rajendra Singh (Cent of Fd Sci and Technol, CCS Haryana Agric Univ, Hisar-125 004) : Processing of barley and chickpea for making Sattu. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 60-4.

Processing parameters for barley and chickpea were optimized for making the traditional food sattu. Soaking of grains increased the roasting time with improved flavour and colour development. About 30% moisture in the grain is most suitable for barley ana chickpea. Roasting for about 5 min is best for both grains. A dehulling efficiency (DE) of about 75% for barley gave dehulling yield (DY) of 92% with acceptable product. Flour extraction rate (PER) of 76% with 60 mesh yielded a better product. DE, DY and FER for chickpea were 90, 74 and 85%, respectively. Protein and reducing sugars increased on roasting whereas moisture, crude fibre, ash and non-reducing sugars reduced. Replacement of barley flour with chickpea in sattu was acceptable at all levels but a 40% substitution may be optimum from nutritional point of view.

6 tables, 8 ref

000955   Chowdhury S;Choudhury P;Surendra Kumar (Deptt. of Chem. Engg., Madhav Inst of Technol & Sci, Gwalior-474 005, Email: sancharicl@rediffmail.com) : Monte carlo simulation of different dispersed liquid-liquid system. Indian chem Engr 2005, 47(1), 18-24.

The interfacial area available for effective mass transfer is directly related with drop size distribution produced by the dispersion of two immiscible liquid-liquid systems. The drop size distribution is determined by balance of breakage and coalescence processes. which are equilibrium in steady state. In the work a simulation program based on Monte Carlo simulation method has been developed to predict steady state drop size distribution in the two phase liquid-liquid continuous flow stirred tank. The simulation procedure is validated for different dispersed liquid-liquid systems like (i) Toluene dispersed in water, (ii) kerosene dichlorobenzene dispersed in water, (Hi) Dowtherm E-shell No. 3747 base oil dispersed in water, (iv) Cydohexane/Carbon tetrachloride dispersed in (iodine) water, (v) Oleic acid -water system, and, (vi) isoamyl alcohol water system. The simulation result compares well with the available experimental data with maximum absolute error of 10. Thus this technique is proved to be viable to predict steady state drop size distribution for different liquid-liquid system. The effect of different physical properties and operating parameters on drop size distribution are also studied. The main advantage of this simulation program is the simplicity of algorithm compared to population balance model (PBM).

10 illus, 2 tables, 11 ref

000954   Chimmad B V;Naik R K;Rao M (Dep of Fd Sci and Nutri, Univ of Agric Sci, Dharwad-580 005) : Nutritional quality of black bean (Phaseolus) seeds. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 53-5.

Physico-chemical characteristics, cooking quality, nutrients, antinutrients, domestic processing effects and protein quality of black bean (Phaseolus) were investigated. The nutrient composition was similar to other conventional legumes with protein content of 29.33%. The antinutritional factors in raw seeds such as tannins (10.71 mg/g), free phenols (2.27 mg/g), phytates (2.16 mg/g), and trypsin inhibitors could be substantially eliminated by soaking, pressure-cooking, discarding the broth after pressure-cooking and decortication. Although the protein quality was lower than the reference protein diet, the grain has promising food value in traditional composite diets.

1 illus, 4 tables, 16 ref

000953   Chatterjee S;Acharjee D K (Dep of Chem Engng, Indian Inst of Technol, Kharagpur-721 302, Email: dka@che.iitkgp.ernet.in) : A mass transfer model for the prediction of permeate concentration during ultrafiltration of methyl violet dye solution. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 205-11.

A mass transfer mode is proposed for prediction of permeate concentration and percent rejection at different inlet pressures and feed dye concentrations in membrane ultrafiltration. A differential equation in cylindrical co-ordinates considering the spiral wound membrane equivalent to a cylindrical module is derived which coupled with mass balance and permeate flux equations are solved to yield the theoretical permeate concentration. As the mass transfer coefficient used from literature gave high values for predicted permeate concentration, an empirical correlation for mass transfer coefficient was obtained based on experimental data on the dissolution of solid in aqueous solution from the wall of a hollow cylindrical tube where the mass transfer occurred in the boundary layer. The experimental permeate concentrations agreed reasonably well with those predicted from the model developed.

6 illus, 2 tables, 24 ref

000952   Chandra A K;Lahari D;Mukhopadhyay S (Dep of Physiol Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiol Laboratory, Univ Coll of Sci and Technol, Univ of Calcutta, 92 Acharya Prafulla Chandra Rd, Kolkata-700 009, Email: amark_chandra@yahoo.co.in ) : Goitrogen content of cyanogenic plant foods of Indian origin. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 95-8.

Goitrogen content of fresh and cooked commonly consumed cyanogenic plant foods/vegetables viz. cabbage, cauliflower, radish, mustard, turnip, soybean, peanut, maize, bamboo shoot, papaya and cassava of Indian origin is reported. Most of these vegetables were collected from different regions of West Bengal and Tripura where endemic goitre was found during post-salt iodization phase and cassava (tapioca) was collected from Meghalaya and Kerala of India. Goitrogenic constituents of cyanogenic origin viz. cyanogenic glucosides, glucosinolates (thioglucosides) and thiocyanate were found in all the studied plants with varying concentrations. Cyanogenic glucoside content was highest in bamboo shoot followed by cassava, cauliflower, radish, cabbage, turnip and papaya; glucosinolates was maximum in cauliflower, followed by cabbage, bamboo shoot, turnip, radish, cassava, soybean, mustard etc., and thiocyanate content was highest in bamboo shoot followed by mustard, turnip, papaya, cabbage, radish, peanut, cauliflower, cassava, soybean and maize. After cooking the selected plant foods cyanogenic glucosides content was reduced markedly, glucosinolates content was decreased to a certain extent while thiocyanate content remained slightly increased or almost same in comparison to their uncooked / fresh counterparts. These results showed that the studied plant foods have the goitrogenic/ anti-thyroid constituents that are capable of interfering thyroid function. Cooking does not reduce the goitrogenic content of the cyanogenic plant foods completely.

^ssc1 table, 30 ref

000951   Chanda M;Pillay S A (Dep of Chem Engng, Indian Inst of Sci, Bangalore-560 012, Email: chanda@chemeng.iisc.ernet.in ) : A novel fibre-coated sorbent for rapid removal of heavy metals from wastewater. Sorption of Zinc(II) from dilute aqueous solutions in the presence of high concentrations of common salts. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 156-63.

The commercial acrylic fibre "Cashmilon" was partially hydrolyzed to convert a fraction of its nitrile (-CN) groups to carboxylic acid (-COOH) groups and then coated with polyethylenimine (PEI) resin and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to produce a novel gel-coated fibrous sorbent with multiple functionalities of cationic, anionic and chelating types, and significantly faster sorption kinetics than bead-form sorbents. The sorption properties of the fibrous sorbent were measured using Zn(II) in aqueous solution as the sorbate to determine the effects of pH and the presence of common ions in the solution on the sorption capacity. The rate of sorption on the gel-coated fibre was measured in comparison with that on Amberlite IRA-68 weak-base resin beads, to demonstrate the marked difference between fibre and bead-form sorbents in their kinetic behaviour.

9 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

000950   Basavaiah K;Chandrashekar U;Nagegowda P (Dep of Chem, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore-570 006, Email: basavainhk@yahoo.co.in) : Rapid titrimetric and spectrophotometric determination of frusemide (furosemide) in formulations using bromate-bromide mixture and methyl orange. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 149-55.

Two methods based on titrimetric and spectrophotometric techniques using bromate-bromide mixture and methyl orange as reagents are described for the determination of frusemide in bulk drug and formulations. In titrimetry, an acidified solution of frusemide is titrated directly with bromate-bromide mixture using methyl orange as indicator. Spectrophotometry entails adding a fixed and known amount of bromate-bromide mixture to an acidified solution of drug and determination of the residual bromine by reacting with a fixed amount of methyl orange and measuring the absorbance at 520 nm. The amount of bromine reacted corresponds to drug content. The quantification in titrimetry is based on a 1:0.333 reaction stoichiometry (Frusemide: KBrO₃) and the method is applicable over 2-20 mg range. In spectrophotometry, the calibration graph is found to be linear over 0.25-3.50 μg mL^-1 range with a molar absorptivity of 6.11 x l0⁴ L mol^-1 cm^-1 and a Sandell sensitivity of 5.18 ng cm^-2. The limits of detection and quantification are calculated to be 0.07 μg mL^-1 and 0.24 μ mL^-1, respectively. The statistical evaluation of the methods was examined by determining the intra-day and inter-day precision. The methods were applied to the determination of frusemide in tablets and the results were found to agree well with the declared amounts. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed methods were further ascertained by parallel determination by a reference method and by recovery studies using standard addition technique.

1 illus, 4 tables, 45 ref

000949   Barwal V S;Sharma R;Rajinder Singh (Post-harvest Technol Dep, Dr Y S Parmar Univ of Hort and Forestry, Nauni-Solan-173 230) : Preservation of cauliflower by hurdle technology. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 26-31.

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. 'Botrytis) was preserved by low-cost and low-energy processing technology (hurdle technology) involving different concentrations and combinations of salt (5, 10 and 15%), potassium metabisulphite (KMS) (0.2%) and citric acid (CA) (1.0%) after blanching. Physico-chemical, sensory and microbial observations were recorded on the preparation day and subsequently after 15, 45, 90 and 180 days of storage. Preserved cauliflower after 90 and 180 days of storage was reconstituted in running water for half an hour and evaluated for the preparation of pickle and pakora. The cauliflower samples steeped in 10 and 15% salt solution containing 0.2% KMS were rated best among treatments during the entire period of storage. The cost of production of steeped cauliflower in 10 and 15% salt solution (along with KMS 0.2% and CA 1.0%) were worked out to Rs. 4.03 and 4.15 per jar, respectively. Sensory profile of steeped cauliflower after reconstitution and also on preparation of pickle and pakora, was ranked above acceptable range by the panel of judges for various quality attributes.

1 illus, 5 tables, 17 ref

000948   Baldev Raj;Kalyanasundaram P;Jayakumar T;Babu Rao C;Venkataraman B;Kamachi Mudali U;Joseph A;Anish Kumar;Rajkumar K V (Metallurgy and Mater Grp, Indira Gandhi Cent for Atom Res, Kalpakkam-603 102, Email: tjk@igcar.ernet.in) : Nondestructive evaluation of the Delhi iron pillar. Curr Sci 2005, 88(12), 1948-56.

Results obtained on nondestructive evaluation of the Delhi iron pillar using various non-destructive techniques such as ultrasonics, impact echo, radiography, radiation gauging, X-ray fluorescence, in situ metallography and electrochemical analysis have been discussed. The microstructural analysis of the ornamental portion of the pillar indicated the presence of forged structure in the main body of the pillar, whereas the top platform consists of microstructure similar to 'as cast structure'. Further, the radiation gauging, radiography, ultrasonics and impact echo testing indicated the presence of voids at different locations in the pillar. The large aspect ratio (axial to radial) of the voids indicated that the pillar could have been forged in the radial direction rather than in the axial direction. The passivation current density for the 'passive' rust scales of the pillar formed on the surface clearly indicated the protective nature of the oxide structure developed and its stability against corrosion.

6 illus, 16 ref

000947   Badhe V T;Powar A G (NO, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli-415 712) : Development and evaluation of jackfruit carpel slicer. Indian Fd Packer 2005, 59(3), 80-6.

One of the popular methods of utilizing jack fruit in the Konkan Region is to make fried finger chips, which fetch a high price. For this , carpels of raw jack fruits are sliced, fried and salted to form fried finger chips. Presently, there is no machine available to perform the slicing operation. In order to solve the problem of the large quantity of jackfruits available in the region, a power operated jackfruit carpel slicer was developed. The machine consists of feeding tray, carpel-slicing mechanism with cutting blades, and wooden rollers for cutting support, slice separating blades, electric motor of half hp, belt, pullies, gears and mainframe. The seed nuts are to be removed from the carpels before slicing. The machine was exhaustively tested for carpel slicing. The capacity of carpel slicer was found to be 0.08 q/hr or 0.56 q/day. The average length of sliced carpels was observed to be 57.4 mm having average width of 5.9 mm. The cost of operation of slicing comes to Rs. 147/- per quintal. The machine was compared with manual slicing. Maximum capacity of manual slicing was only 0.02 q/hr or 0.14 q/day/labour. The cost of operation of manual slicing was recorded to be Rs. 318/- per quintal. Results indicate that the carpel slicing machine is four times more efficient over manual slicing and saves around Rs. 170/- per quintal in the cost of operation of carpel slicing.

5 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref

000946   Ahuja P;Agrawal H;Sethi A K;Raj U (Dep of Chem Engng & Technol, Inst of Technol Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: p_ahu@yahoo.co.in) : Chaotic analysis of pressure fluctuations in a gas-solid fluidized bed. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 212-9.

The aim of the work is to determine the superficial gas velocity range for which chaos occurs in a gas-solid fluidized bed for various static-bed-height to bed diameter ratios and sand/plastic-bead mixtures and to observe the change in deterministic chaos parameters. Four piezo-resistive pressure transducer along the height of fluidized bed have been used to record pressure fluctuations at 600 Hz. Amplitude Adjusted Fourier Transform (AAFT) technique has been used for generating surrogate data. Data have been analyzed for the superficial gas velocity range of 0 to 16 times the minimum fluidization velocity. For the various static bed heights and sand plastic-bead mixtures it is seen that chaos is observed in the superficial gas velocity range of 8 to 12 times the minimum fluidization velocity. The Hurst exponent rises with superficial gas velocity and then falls after a maximum. The change in the fractal dimension between surrogate and original time series also follows the same trend. The superficial velocity range for which chaos occurs is confirmed when there is change in fractal dimension between original and surrogate series greater than 0.55, Hurst exponent is above 0.5 and Lyapunov exponent is positive.

14 illus, 18 ref

000945   Ahmad S;Ashraf S M;Kumar S;Alam M;Hasnat A (Dep of Chem, Mater Res Laboratory, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110 025, Email: sharifahmad_jmi@yahoo.co.in) : High performance paints from a sustainable resource. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 193-7.

Epoxy based paints are widely formulated from diglycedyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA). They are foremost anticorrosive industrial paints but show poor outdoor weatherability, low resistance to acids and are susceptible to chalking. In view of the fast depleting stocks of petroleum, DGEBA, one of the petroleum-derived chemicals in paints can be partially or fully replaced by a vegetable oil epoxy, which is a sustainable based resource material. Attempts to obtain usable paints from pure vegetable oil epoxy like epoxidised linseed oil (LOE), by authors have been unsuccessful as it does not form rigid film. To overcome this problem, the oil epoxy was blended with hard polymers like polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS), with a low weight percentage to obtain LOE based compatible blend paints. Such a low quantity of PMMA and PS were found to yield fast setting paint films of good physico-mechanical and anticorrosive characteristics. It was observed that LOE-PMMA-MF paint showed improved performance than DGEBA-Polyamide (PA) paint except against alkali.

1 illus, 3 tables, 15 ref

000944   Agarwal M;Chandra M;Sharma G;Singh B R (Natn Salmonella Cent (vet), Indian Vet Res Inst, Izatnagar-243 122, Email: singh_br1762@rediffmail.com) : A study on virulence markers as epidemiological tool for strains of Salmonella enterica subsp enterica serovar paratyphi B from animal origin foods. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(1), 46-52.

A study on 22 Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B (S. paratyphi B) var 'Java' (SPVJ) and 13 classical S. enterica serovar Paratyphi B (CSPB) strains isolated from poultry meat (12 SPVJ), fish (9 SPVJ, 11 CSPB), milk products (1 CSPB, 1 SPVJ) and pork (1 CSPB) revealed that all strains except one CSPB strain of fish origin, were lethal to mice on intraperitoneal inoculation with 10⁸ organisms from overnight grown culture. Only 5 strains revealed presence of a heavy plasmid (<62>35.8 MDa ) however, 35.8 MDa plasmid was common in all isolates. None of the isolates produced lecithinase, gelatinase, casienase, phospholipase A or C but many of the isolates produced DNase. Variable results were observed in salt aggregation assay with indices ranging from 0.6-2.2 M. All produced brick red colonies on Congo Red dye agar in <62>24 h of incubation without any effect of 0.15% bile salt addition in the medium. All strains haemolysed washed erythrocytes of horse, guinea pig and human blood group B. The best haemolysis was evident on blood agar having horse or guinea pig erythrocytes. No correlation could be established between haemolysis of RBC of different origin and mouse lethality. Multiple drug resistance (MDR) pattern of S. Paratyphi B isolates revealed their resistance to dicloxacillin, cefazolin, colistin sulphate and ceftazidime and sensitiveness to augmentin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, enrofloxacin, tetracyclin, lomefloxacin, crystal violet, acriflavin and mercuric chloride. Other frequently resisted drugs were nitrofurantoin, streptomycin and cephalexin. Though different in vitro virulence markers have no or little correlation with mouse-lethality, but can be used for epidemiological typing during paratyphoid outbreaks of food origin, particularly haemolysin production and DNase test appears to be of immense value.

5 tables, 37 ref

000943   Adak A;Pal A;Bandyopadhyay M (Dep of Civ Engineeirng, Indian Inst of Technol, Kharagpur-721 302, Email: anjalipal@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in) : Spectrophotometric determination of anionic surfactants in wastewater using acridine orange. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(2), 145-8.

A simple and rapid spectrophotometric method for the determination of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), an anionic surfactant (AS) is developed. SDS forms a yellow coloured complex with acridine orange (ACO), a cationic dye. The complex is extracted in toluene. The absorbance of the complex in toluene layer is measured at maximum wavelength (λ_max) of 467 nm. The calibration curve is linear in the range of 0 - 6.0 ppm of SDS concentration. The method is compared with the standard MBAS method in terms of time, ease and accuracy. It is noticed that the present method is much easier and less time consuming. The method requires chemicals, which are less toxic than those required for the standard method. The method is applicable to wastewater analysis.

1 illus, 2 tables, 22 ref

024993   Vasanthy M;Thamaraiselvi C;Mangalasundari R (P.G. and Research Department of Environmental Sciences, Govt. Arts College, Ariyalur-621 713) : Effective treatment of spent wash diluted with sugar effluent by using chemical agents. Nat Envir Pollut Technol 2006, 5(3), 361-5.

Paper deals with the removal of colour, odour, TDS and COD from the spent wash using chemical agents such as calcium oxide and hydrogen peroxide. Odour has been completely removed from the diluted 10% spent wash when treated with calcium oxide and hydrogen peroxide. Three different treatments were performed with calcium oxide, hydrogen peroxide and both these in combination. Treatment with combination of the two chemicals has shown highest removal of colour (95%), TDS (54.5%) and COD (63.7%) from the diluted spent wash.

4 tables, 6 ref

024992   Sreenivas K N;Ramakrishna B M;Anjanappa M; Bhanu Prakash B E (Horticulture Div, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore-56006, Email: seenuprocess@rediffmail.com) : Essential oils as a potential source in enhancing shelf life of minimally processed vegetables. Biomed 2007, 2(1), 31-6.

Laboratory studies were conducted on minimally processed French bean, carrot and cauliflower to evaluate the Physico-chemical characters using essential oils of mint, rosemary, clove and coriander. The results of the trial revealed significantly minimum cumulative Physiological Loss in Weight (per-cent) (0.11, 0.10.0.20) in French bean, carrot and cauliflower respectively. Higher ascorbic acid content (1.72mg/100gm and 20.45 mg/100gm) in packed French bean and cauliflower, treated with rosemary and coriander oil at two per cent. Shelf life was highest in coriander oil treatment (4.17, 4.50, 6.17 days) in beans, carrot and cauliflower respectively.

4 illus, 13 ref

024991   Shilpa Shree M;Sreenivas K N;Ramakrishna B M; Anjanappa M (Horticulture Div, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065) : Storage stability of medicinal Indian aloe (Aloe vera L.) squash. Biomed 2007, 2(1), 17-22.

Squash of 45° B and 50° Brix was prepared with 25, 30 and 40 per cent pulp, respectively. Physico chemical and sensory characteristics were studied upto 90 days of storage period. It was found that squash of 50° Brix with 25 per cent pulp of aloe showed highest taste, aroma, flavour and acceptability score during storage period.

3 tables, 7 ref

024990   Sharma N;Yadav I (Zoology Dep, Government College, Ajmer-305 001) : Primary productivity of Kayad lake in Ajmer Rajasthan India. Nat Envir Pollut Technol 2006, 5(3), 417-19.

Study deals with the primary productivity of Kayad Lake, Ajmer. The investigation was done from October 2003 to September 2004. The result of the study indicated high levels of primary productivity, especially in September 2004 during the postmonsoon period. The NPP/ GPP ratio and respiration in terms of percentage of gross production was also computed. The productivity pattern in Kayad Lake is bimodal with ups in May and September. The magnitude and higher values of primary productivity suggest that Kayad lake is eutrophic in nature.

1 table, 12 ref

024989   Sharma C;Kapila S;Kumar S S (Botany Dep, Panjab Univ, Chandigarh-160 014) : Effect of heavy metals copper and iron on chlorophyll content of moss genotypes. Nat Envir Pollut Technol 2006, 5(3), 343-6.

Due to the lack of root system, mosses are not entirely dependent on absorption from ground. Their unistratose leaves facilitate surface absorption of minerals into photosynthetic cells through ionic exchange. Increasing concentrations of heavy metals in the atmosphere adversely affect the photosynthetic apparatus. Effect of various concentrations of Cu and Fe on the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and chlorophyll a/b ratio is studied in the haploid as well as the diploid genotypes of Bryum argenteum Hedw. and Thuidium cymbifolium (Doz. et Molk.) Doz. et Molk. The reduction in chlorophyll content was observed with increasing concentrations of both the heavy metals. Chlorophyll b content was more adversely affected than the chlorophyll a content resulting in increased chlorophyll a/b ratio. Diploid genotypes of both the species showed better tolerance to the two heavy metals than the haploid ones.

5 tables, 10 ref

024988   Reddy Babu G;Chandrasekhar b;Reddy B D;Reddy I V (Civil Engineering Dep, S.V.U. College of Engineering, Tirupati-517 502) : Sorption of some reactive chemical dyes using powdered activated carbon. Nat Envir Pollut Technol 2006, 5(3), 375-80.

Colour pollution is a problem of formidable dimensions with considerable impact on various segments of the environment. Its origin is mostly from the discharge of partially treated or untreated effluents generated from industries like textile, dye manufacturing, tanning, pulp and paper, paints and varnishes. Development of effective treatment technology for colour removal is difficult due to multitude of dyes in the waste water as well as its complex chemical nature. The situation is acute for textile industry, since industry alone was more than 80% of the 1.3 million tons of 9000 distinct types of chemical dyes in use world over and the effluent change continuously in colour and characteristics, as dyes are continually being upgraded to suit market demands. Various physico-chemical processes, viz., adsorption, chemical coagulation/flocculation and ion exchange, etc., have been well documented for treating textile dye wastes. Of these, adsorption appears to have much potential. Therefore, in the present study an attempt has been made to investigate the feasibility of adsorption for removal of colour from simulated reactive textile dye effluents employing powdered activated carbon (PAC). Batch sorption experiments have been conducted with established procedures. The results indicate that sorption isotherms are favourable in the removal of colour bodies by PAC. Further, it is observed that PAC is effective in treating reactive dye effluents. The maximum colour removal efficiency is about 73% to 84% at a dose of 1 g/L to 1.5 g/L of PAC.

5 illus, 4 tables, 15 ref

024987   Rao B V S K;Subbarao R (Lipid Science and Technol Div, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: raobvsk@yahoo.co.uk) : Synthesis and surface active properties of disodium salts of long-chain 1,4-alkanedisulfates. J Lipid Sci Technol 2006, 38(4), 185-91.

1, 4-Alkanediols of various chain lengths were prepared in 86-94% yields for the corresponding E-3-alkenoic acids via γ-alkyl-γ-butyrolactones by reduction with NaBH₄ and ZnCl₂ in presence of N,N-dimethylaniline in THF. The purified products were characterized as such and as diacetyl derivatives by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Mass Spectral Studies. Disodium salts of a series of 1, 4-alkanedisulfates were prepared by sulfation of the 1, 4-alkanediols with chlorosulfonic acid and subsequent neutralization of the sulfates with aqueous NaOH. The disodium salts of 1, 4-alkanedisulfates were examined for various surfactant properties such as surface tension, critical micelle concentration, and wetting, emulsifying and foaming properties, and calcium tolerance.

4 illus, 4 tables, 18 ref