African Journal of Immunology Research

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 2756-3375 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2021. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of stabilizers on the physico-chemical and sensory attributes of thermized yoghurt

Alakali, J. S.¹*, Okonkwo, T. M.² and Iordye, E. M.¹

¹Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria.

²Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Accepted 12 September, 2020

Abstract

Stabilized thermized yoghurt was produced by the addition of gelatin, carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) and corn starch, into yoghurt mix as stabilizers, each at 0, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0% concentrations. The yoghurt samples produced after pasteurization of the mix, cooling, inoculation of starter culture and incubation for about 16 h were thermized at 75^oC for 60 s followed by immediate cooling. Results show that titratable acidity value of the control samples (0% stabilizer) was 0.92 ± 0.03. CMC, when added to yoghurt mix at levels of 0.5% and above, depressed lactic acid production (compare 0.92 ± 0.03 of the control with 0.90 ± 0.01 of samples containing 0.5 and 0.75% CMC). This observation is in contrast to effects of corn starch and gelatin which enhanced lactic acid production (at least up to 0.75% concentration). This was also mirrored (in reverse order) in the pH values; as samples with higher titratable acidity had, expectedly, lower pH values. Addition of stabilizers decreased percent protein and ash contents due to dilution effect but increased total solids and specific gravity of the thermized yoghurt samples. Sensory results showed that addition of corn starch produced the most desirable flavour and taste which differed significantly (p < 0.05) from flavour and taste produced by gelatin but did not differ significantly (p ≥ 0.050) from that produced by CMC at 0.5 and 0.75% concentrations. Yoghurt containing CMC had the best mouth feel/consistency as well as appearance which did not differ significantly (p ≥ 0.05) from the mouth feel and appearance of yoghurt containing corn starch but differed significantly from yoghurt containing gelatin. Yoghurt containing CMC at 0.75% concentration was the most generally accepted.

Key words: Stabilizers, thermized yoghurt, sensory attribute, physco-chemical.

Key words: Measles, cellular immunity, tuberculosis, Iraq.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 7 (3), pp. 001-010, March, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Autoantibodies against reactive oxygen species modified immunoglobulin G in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Naila Rasheed^1,4, Nadeem A. Ansari², Lokendra Kumar³, Trivendra Tripathi² and Rizwan Ahmad³ and Zafar Rasheed^3,4*

¹Division of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.

²Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, J. N. Medical College, A.M.U., Aligarh, India.

³Department of Biochemistry, SBSPGI, Balawala, Dehradun, India.

⁴Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Qassim University, P.O. Box 6655, Buraidah-51452, KSA.

Accepted 16 October, 2019

Abstract

The role of hydroxyl radicals (^.OH) damaged immunoglobulin G (IgG) in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus has been investigated. IgG was isolated from normal human serum and modified by hydroxyl radicals, generated by UV irradiation of hydrogen peroxide. ^.OH-induced modification on IgG has been studied by ultra-violet (UV) absorption spectroscopy, tryptophan/tyrosine fluorescence, circular dichrosim, SDS-PAGE and carbonyl groups estimations. ^.OH caused extensive damage to IgG. The binding characteristics of circulating antibodies in type 1 diabetes patients against native and modified IgG were assessed. Type 1 diabetes patients (n = 36) were examined by direct binding ELISA and the results were compared with healthy age-matched controls (n = 22). High degree of specific binding of diabetes sera towards ^.OH modified IgG, in comparison to its native analogue (p < 0.05). Sera from normal human subjects showed negligible binding with either antigen. Our results conclude that ^.OH-modification of IgG causes structural perturbations, resulting in the generation of neo-epitopes and making it a potential immunogen. IgG modified with ^.OH may be one of the factors for the induction of circulating type 1 diabetes autoantibodies.

Key words: Autoantibodies, hydroxyl radicals, immunoglobulin G, ^.OH-IgG, type 1 diabetes mellitus.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 7 (3), pp. 001-009, March, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of five medicinal plants used in Indian system of medicines on immune function in Wistar rats

Anita Tilwari^1,2*, Shukla N.P.¹ and Uma Devi P.³

¹Centre of excellence in Biotechnology, MP Council of Science and Technology, Vigyan Bhawan, MACT Hills, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

²School of Biotechnology Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (State Technological University), Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, India.

³Jawahar lal Nehru Cancer Hospital and Reasearch Centre Bhopal Madhya Pradesh, India.

Accepted 22 October, 2019

Abstract

Today, the use (which we can say ‘return to nature’) of traditional herbal medicines, herbal health products, pharmaceuticals food supplement, cosmetics, etc. is increasing due to the growing recognition that natural products are safe; have either no or negotiable side effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory properties of five different medicinal plants used in Indian system of medicines on the Wistar rats. The activity was investigated by phagocytic carbon clearance, antibody titre and delayed type hypersensitivity test. The control group received 0.1% carboxyl methyl cellulose and other groups received the different doses of all the five plants extracts such as Tribulus terrestris, Cassia tora, Achyranthes aspera, Mucuna prurians and Abrus precatorius intraperitoneally for 7 consecutive days. All the five plants exhibited immunostimulatory activity and out of the five plants, T. terrestris showed significant dose dependent increase in the ‘humoral antibody titre and DTH response’ as indicated by increase in footpad thickness. It also showed significant increase in the ‘phagocytic index’ in rats. The investigation revealed that all the mentioned plants have immunomodulatory activities.

Key words: Medicinal plants, antibody titre, delayed type hypersensitivity, phagocytosis.

African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 7 (2), pp. 001-017, February, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Mitogen activated protein kinase Influence the immune response of a prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical strain of the Indo-Oceanic Clade

Palaniappan Natarajan, C. Ponnuraja and Sujatha Narayanan*

Department of Immunology, Tuberculosis Research Centre, Mayor V.R. Ramanathan Road, Chetput, Chennai - 600 031, India.

Accepted, 28 September, 2019

Abstract

Different strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) are known to modify the host immune response in a strain-specific manner. However, studies linking M. tuberculosis strain-specific impact upon the regulation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK)-induced monocyte activation are limited. We have studied the immunomodulation, induced by a prevalent Indo-Oceanic Clade clinical strain S7, isolated from the Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) trial area of Thiruvallur district, South India, in comparison with a low prevalent Beijing strain. It was shown that p38, stress-activated protein kinase/c-jun N-terminal kinases (SAPK/JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) of the MAPK pathways were not activated via cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) and Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR (HLA-DR) receptors, upon infection of human monocytic cell line (THP-1) with clinical strain S7. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines, surface expression of CD44 and CD25 receptors, and the production of anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), varied between the strains. Inhibition experiments showed that the clinical strains use different signaling pathways to induce interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion and surface expression of CD44. In addition, contrasting patterns were observed between strain-induced tumour necrosis alpha (TNF-α) and Bcl-2 levels. These data provided a precedent for effects of M. tuberculosis strain-specific factors upon the mechanisms involved in MAPK-mediated immune activation.

Key words: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, clinical isolate S7, Beijing strain, mitogen-activated protein kinases.