Airborne pollen survey of central calcutta,india, in relation to allergy

A continuous aeropalynological survey at Central Calcutta for two consecutive years (1985–1987) was done by using a Burkard Seven Day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap. A total of 65 pollen taxa was identified of which pollen of Trema orientalis showed a maximum frequency (about 68%) followed by Poaceae and Cyperaceae. A pollen calendar was prepared and seasonal periodicities were recorded. Some entomophilous pollen types (e.g., Delonix regia, Bougainvillea spectabilis) were also observed. The presence of pollen of Pinus, Podocarpus, and Alnus in the air of Calcutta is probably due to long distance transport from Eastern Himalayas where these plants grow. Routine skin tests were performed by using the antigenic extracts of 22 pollen types where grass, Catharanthus roseus, Cocos nucifera, Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Albizia lebbek, Shorea robusta, Eucalyptus sp., Terminalia sp., were proved to be allergenically potent.     

Effect of fermentation ensilaging on recovery of oil from fresh water fish viscera

Fish viscera are an important source for biomolecules such as protein and lipids. Studies were carried out to assess fermentation ensilaging as a method for recovery of oil from fresh water fish viscera. The total lipid content in the viscera ranged from 19% to 21% and upto 85% of this could be recovered by fermentation. Fermentation using added lactic cultures (Enterococcus faecium HAB01 and Pediococcus acidilactici K7) did not show any advantage over natural fermentation with respect to recovery of oil and no differences were observed in fatty acid composition of oil recovered by fermentation using different cultures. Activity of acidic, neutral and alkaline proteases decreased during fermentation. Eventhough degree of protein hydrolysis increased during fermentation with highest (62.3%) being in fermentation using Pediococcus acidilactici K7 no differences were found in oil recovery. With decrease in protease activity the rate of change in degree of hydrolysis also decreased.