Aquaporin 5 promotes corneal wound healing.

Aquaporins (AQPs), ordinarily regarded as water channels, have recently been shown to participate in other cellular functions such as cell-to-cell adhesion, cell migration, cell proliferation etc. The current investigation was undertaken to find out whether AQP5 water channel plays a role in corneal epithelial wound healing. Expression of AQP5 in mouse cornea and transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells was detected using immunofluorescence or EGFP tag.

Survival of a native toxigenic isolate of Listeria monocytogenes CFR 1302 during storage of milk-based foods can be a potential cause of health risk.

The ability of a native toxigenic culture of Listeria monocytogenes CFR 1302 to survive and elaborate associated toxigenic trait in ice cream and mango pulp-based lactic fermented milk was studied. The culture of L. monocytogenes inoculated at two initial levels of 4.

Soy whey based medium for optimized phytase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 5421 and α-D-galactosidase and antibacterial activities in Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 5422 by response surface methodology.

Soy whey based growth medium for yeast enabled the native isolate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 5421 to produce 198 U/ml of phytase activity against that of 135 U/ml in potato dextrose broth. In the same medium for lactic acid bacteria, the isolate of Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 5422 was able to elaborate α-D-galactosidase activity of 10.6 U/ml in comparison to 6 U/ml in Lactobacillus MRS broth.

Prevalence of Very Low Numbers of Potential Pathogenic Isolates of Yersiniaenterocolitica and Yersinia intermedia in Traditional Fast Foods of India.

In this study, an incidence pattern of 1.7% for Yersiniaenterocolitica and 2.5% for Y.

Spatial expression of aquaporin 5 in mammalian cornea and lens, and regulation of its localization by phosphokinase A.

Purpose: Aquaporins (AQPs) play a significant role in the movement of water across the plasma membrane. In the eye, the cornea and lens are avascular with unique microcirculatory mechanisms to meet the metabolic demands. We have previously shown that AQP0 and AQP1 water channels participate in maintaining lens transparency and homeostasis.

Behavioural pattern of vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus as affected by time-temperature combinations used in processing of Indian traditional foods.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the behaviour of vegetative cells and spores of four potent native toxigenic food isolates of Bacillus cereus as affected by selected time-temperature combinations used in processing of Indian traditional foods. The vegetative cells of B. cereus when subjected to sublethal heat treatments, individually, in different heating menstra showed a sigmoidal inactivation pattern, with D-values in the range of 3.

Molecular characterization of native isolates of lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria and yeasts for beneficial attributes.

In a changing scenario of food habits being associated with wellness factors through the concepts of probiotics and prebiotics, an attempt has been made to characterize on molecular basis, the desirable benefits associated with natural isolates of lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and yeasts. From a diverse range of foods and related samples, based on conventional microbiological protocols, three well-characterized natural isolates of Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 5422, Bifidobacterium adolescentis MTCC 5423 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae MTCC 5421 were selected. The cultures of L.

Low molecular weight chitosan--preparation with the aid of pepsin, characterization, and its bactericidal activity.

Pepsin (EC 3.4.4.

Low molecular weight chitosans--preparation with the aid of pronase, characterization and their bactericidal activity towards Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli.

The homogeneous low molecular weight chitosans (LMWC) of molecular weight 9.5-8.5 kDa, obtained by pronase catalyzed non-specific depolymerization (at pH 3.

Characterization of chito-oligosaccharides prepared by chitosanolysis with the aid of papain and Pronase, and their bactericidal action against Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli.

Papain (from papaya latex; EC 3.4.22.

Chitooligosaccharides--preparation with the aid of pectinase isozyme from Aspergillus niger and their antibacterial activity.

An isozyme of pectinase from Aspergillus niger with polygalacturonase activity caused chitosanolysis at pH 3.5, resulting in low-molecular weight chitosan (86%), chitooligosaccharides (COs, 4.8%) and monomers (2.

Cultural conditions for the production of bacteriocin by a native isolate of Lactobacillus delbruecki ssp. bulgaricus CFR 2028 in milk medium.

The effect of growth parameters and the molecular basis for antibacterial activity by a natural isolate of Lactobacillus delbruecki ssp. bulgaricus CFR 2028 was studied. The inhibition was tested against a toxigenic strain of Bacillus cereus F 4810.

Low molecular weight chitosans: preparation with the aid of papain and characterization.

Low molecular weight chitosans (LMWC) of different molecular weight (4.1-5.6 kDa) were obtained by the depolymerization of chitosan using papain (from Carica papaya latex, EC.

Staphylococcal accessory gene regulator (sar) as a signature gene to detect enterotoxigenic staphylococci.

Aims: To evaluate the use of a staphylococcal accessory gene regulator (sar) as a means of detecting enterotoxigenic staphylococci.

Methods And Results: SarA gene-specific primers were designed and applied in PCR, which resulted in the detection of 49 sar-positive isolates from a total of 67 natural food isolates of staphylococci. Colony hybridization using PCR-generated Digoxigenin (DIG)-labelled sarA probe tested in spiked samples of khoa (a traditional heat-concentrated milk product) comprising a mixed microflora ensured the specificity of the probe.

Application of a convenient DNA extraction method and multiplex PCR for the direct detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica in milk samples.

The application of PCR for the direct and sensitive detection of food-borne pathogens is largely affected by the quality of the template DNA prepared from food samples. In the present study, a chemical extraction method of bacterial DNA from spiked milk samples for the direct detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica was evaluated by PCR. Gene specific primers were designed to target the nuclease (nuc) and the attachment invasion locus (ail) genes of S.

Detection of Bacillus cereus in foods by colony hybridization using PCR-generated probe and characterization of isolates for toxins by PCR.

Isolates of Bacillus cereus from traditional Indian foods were detected by colony hybridization using the PCR-generated phospholipase (PL-1) probe. In all, 29 isolates picked up by the probe were confirmed as B. cereus by conventional cultural and biochemical characteristics.

Predicting the behavior of Escherichia coli introduced as a postprocessing contaminant in shrikhand, a traditional sweetened lactic fermented milk product.

The increasing popularity of traditional milk-based foods has placed emphasis on the need for microbial safety in food-chain establishments, as there are ample possibilities for foodborne pathogens to occur as postprocessing contaminants. The behavioral pattern of an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli D 21 introduced as a postprocessing contaminant in shrikhand, a traditional sweetened lactic fermented milk product, was studied with variables of initial inoculum (4.3, 5.

Plantaricin LP84, a broad spectrum heat-stable bacteriocin of Lactobacillus plantarum NCIM 2084 produced in a simple glucose broth medium.

Lactobacillus plantarum NCIM 2084 produced an antibacterial substance when grown at 40 degrees C for 36 h in a laboratory medium. The antibacterial substance was active against a wide range of bacteria comprising Gram positive and negative foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. However, related mesophilic lactobacilli were not inhibited, except for L.

Antimicrobial activity of neutralized extracellular culture filtrates of lactic acid bacteria isolated from a cultured Indian milk product ('dahi').

Neutralized extracellular culture filtrate obtained from isolates of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbruecki ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis from 'dahi' showed weak to moderate inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus brevis, Bacillus circulans, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa when tested by the diffusion agar well assay method.

Carryover of preformed staphylococcal enterotoxins and thermostable deoxyribonuclease from raw cow milk to Khoa--a heat-concentrated Indian milk product.

Preformation of enterotoxins and thermostable deoxyribonuclease by Staphylococcus aureus in raw cow milk and their carryover to Khoa--a heat-concentrated (98 degrees C for 15 to 20 min) Indian milk product--was evaluated. Detectable enterotoxins and deoxyribonuclease, as evidenced in the zone diameters of 10 to 16 mm, were performed in 10 h incubation of milk samples inoculated with strains of Staphylococcus aureus at 1 X 10(6) cfu/ml of milk. Both preformed enterotoxins and thermostable deoxyribonuclease were carried over to Khoa from raw milk.