Various process parameters for the production of polygalacturonase by Streptomyces lydicus under solid-state fermentation were optimized. The optimum particle size of wheat bran for polygalacturonase production was in the range of 500-1000 μm. Initial moisture content of 70% was found to be the optimum for enzyme production. The most suitable inoculum size was 1.25 × 10(5) CFU/mL and the optimu...

This study investigated some quality attributes of unripe cooking banana (UBF), pigeon pea (PPF), and sweetpotato (SPF) flour blends. Simplex centroid mixture design was used to obtain 17 blends from the flours. The nutrient composition, color, and functional properties of the blends were evaluated using standard methods. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means were comp...

From the last few decades, study of natural fiber composite materials has been gaining strong attention among researchers, scientists, and engineers. Natural are becoming good alternatives to conventional because their lightweight, high specific strength, low thermal expansion, eco-friendly, manufacturing cost, nonabrasive bio-degradable characteristics. It is proven that a great alternative sy...

Phenylphenalenone-type compounds accumulated in the tissues of two banana cultivars-Musa acuminata cv. "Grande Naine" (AAA) and Musa acuminata × balbisiana Colla cv. "Bluggoe" (ABB)-when these were fed on by the banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus (Germ.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)) and the banana stem weevil (Odoiporus longicollis (Oliver) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)). The chemical constitue...

Lectins are a group of proteins of non-immune origin that recognize and bind to carbohydrates without modifying them. Banana is the common name for both herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. They are indeed a promising source for many medicinal applications. Banana lectins have the potential for inhibiting HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity, suppressing cancer ce...

The effects of pineapple juice (PJ), pineapple shell extract (PSE) and rice bran extract (RBE) on browning in the banana slices and puree compared with citric acid solution (pH 3.8) (PH) and distilled water (DW) were investigated by measuring the color changes of the banana slices and puree. RBE treated banana slices had lower browning value than those treated with PJ, PSE, PH and DW after stor...

Methyldopa, an antihypertensive, is a very close analogue of DOPA. Drug interaction accompanied by degradation in a banana juice mixture was reported for DOPA. However, the effect of banana on methyldopa has not been reported. Therefore, we have investigated the impact of banana juice on methyldopa. The drug and supernatant of banana pulp were mixed, and the mixture was observed for changes in ...

Banana Crown Rot Postharvest Disease Banana is one of the most important tropical crops and is affected by several fungal diseases, such as crown rot postharvest disease [1]. Crown rot is responsible for significant losses in banana fruits [1, 2]. Predominantly, Colletotrichum musae and Fusarium spp. are its causative agents [1, 2]. Inoculum sources include mainly infected flowers but also deca...

Fusarium wilt (also known as Panama disease) is one of the most destructive banana diseases, and greatly hampers the global production of bananas. Consequently, it has been very detrimental to the Chinese banana industry. An infected plant is one of the major causes of the spread of Fusarium wilt to nearby regions. It is essential to develop an efficient and environmentally sustainable disease ...

This study assessed how pictorially naïve nonhuman primates understand pictures. Fifty-five baboons with no prior exposure to pictures were trained to grasp a slice of banana presented against a pebble in a two alternative forced choice task. Post-training testing involved three stimulus pairs: (1) real banana slice vs. its picture, (2) the banana picture vs. a real pebble and (3) banana pictur...