Foodoceuticals Ensuring Improved Well Being Beyond basic Nutrition

Adequate nutrition is very essential for Armed Forces in terms of maintaining the nutritional status. In the present review it was complied about dietary habit and required diet for Service personnel to become fit and control the life style disease such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular disease etc. It also focuses on functional foods rather than normal diet which are recommended as ration pack for armed forces. Functional foods enrich and improve the quality of dietary intake. It also represents promising avenues of nutritional in recent days of global dietetics. Functional ingredients such as essential fatty acids, antioxidants, dietary fibre, isoflavones, β-carotene etc are included in ration pack. It also provide large varieties of functional foods are made available to the consumers with the intension to provide dietary management of life style diseases while enhancing our overall well being conversely. It must be understood that these foods and ingredients are not instant medicine or ultimate remedies for imbalance dietary habits as proper diet management. It also provides comprehensive approach for good physical and mental health.   &nbsp

Optimisation of Processing Parameters for the Preparation of Vegetable Curd from Decorticated Sesame Seeds (Sesamum indicum)

Current study aims to develop and optimise the processing parameters for the preparation of imitated curd by using vegetable milk extracted from decorticated sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum). Experiments were planned to optimise curdling process for sesame milk with respect to inoculum (1-5%), lactose (1-5%), added proteins (1-3%). It was established that total solid content in a range of 9-10%, dispersion stability with 30-45% scored well (7.8±0.2) on preferential sensory test i.e. nine-point hedonic scale. Sesame milk supplemented with 5% lactose, 1% electrolyte salt mix, 1% sucrose was subjected to fermentation (10±1.0) hrs at 35±2°C) with 5% inoculum (lactic acid bacteria culture) resulted into a vegetable curd with desired consistency (855.6±47.5 g.sec), acidity (0.57±0.02% lactic acid equivalent; LAE), flavor and overall acceptability (OAA). The Solid Not Fat (SNF) content of optimised vegetable curd was found to be 22.20±0.40%, with protein, fat and ash content as 6.70±0.06%, 6.91±0.06% and 0.92±0.01% respectively. The characteristics of vegetable milk (non-dairy) and toned milk (dairy) were well comparable on various aesthetic parameters (fluidity, color, flavor and taste). Proportional characterisation of vegetable (non-dairy) curd with dairy curd relating to its nutritional profile, color analysis, textural and rheological parameters established its similarity. Such dairy analogues may be considered as substitute to various dairy products where milk-based products are scanty or non-available

EVALUATION OF TOXICITY PROFILE AND PROGNOSIS OF TREATMENT OF HPV ASSOCIATED HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA (HNSCC), WITH CHEMORADIOTHERAPY

Head and Neck cancer is generally referred as squamous cell carcinoma of Head and Neck and are located at the oral or nasal cavity. It has been one of the leading cause of death around the globe and has significantly increased epidemiological growth and rate of mortality over the last three decades. A significant subset of the 600,000 annual cases of HNSCC includes approximately 85,000 HPV associated (oropharyngeal) tumors, which means that the head and neck region is the second most common HPV+ tumor site. In 90% of the HPV associated tumors, HPV16 detection can be seen. The objective of the proposed study is to evaluate the effects of chemoradiotherapy and its toxicity profile for the treatment of HPV negative and HPV positive carcinomas. In a case-control study, 100 patients were enrolled and grouped into two groups with HPV negative and HPV positive carcinogenic tumor in the ratio of 50:50. All the patients are exposed to the treatment with concurrent chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy. From the study, it can be concluded that HPV- positive tumors have less cumulative exposure to multiple risk factors (tobacco chewing, alcohol, smoking). The association of tumor HPV status with treatment response observed in our study showed a trend of better treatment outcome, consistent in the design and analysis of current and future clinical trials of treatments for head and neck cancer patients

Design and Development of Modular Customised Ration Storage System Silo for Service Specific Applications during Peak Winters at High Altitude Area

Conceptualisation of design and development of modular and customised ration storage system for Army rations sustainable up to -40°C was carried out. The Indian Armed Forces operate under various climatic conditions, which are inhospitable for cooking, storing fresh/perishable food products and carrying rations for their survival during an emergency. Hence, there was an ever-existent demand for a customised, user-friendly ration storage system. Considering a number of user-friendly features, a system has been designed comprising modular unit structures with insulated wall panels containing Polyurethane foam (PUF) sandwiched between metallic and composite material claddings. An insulated structure is required to maintain the temperature at high altitudes during extreme low-temperature conditions. The temperature and humidity are regulated and maintained using solar panels and humidly modulators. The modular structure with individual temperature and humidity control is suitable for the safe storage and preservation of fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, and milk and animal products. In case of perishable commodities of Defense supplies inclusive of leafy and tender vegetables, juicy fresh fruits, egg, chocolates, meat carcasses stored in silo are safe as its insulated structure ensures no freezing even upto -25° Celsius hence protects them from quality damage due to subzero temperature exposure and abuse. Therefore, the normal convention of the expected shelf life for each such commodity was extended approximately double the normal shelf life expected. An extensive design process involving CAD modelling followed by mechanical load simulation and analysis resulted in a robust and capable system. Each compartmentalised segment caters for an average one-ton material depending on the nature of the material. The system is suitable to store 3 tons of ration at a time to address the requirement of 100 individuals for 60 days in monsoon cut off and peak winter cut-off posts. Total energy consumption under fully load condition is approx. 2KW to maintain peak temperature gradient of 45-50°C.The outer surface of the structure can be camouflaged. The well-insulated structure ensures zero leakage and is sturdy to withstand a wind velocity of 60 km per hour and a standing snow load of 2 meters above it

Changes in the Quality Attributes of Edible Vegetable Oils During Deep Frying Concerning Defence Ration

Deep fat frying is a popular cooking method that can significantly alter the physico-chemical properties of edible oils. This unit operation is very common both in civil as well as institutional level training, recreational and feeding centres owing to the high liking of fried products among all age groups. Frying is a high-temperature process where food material is normally exposed to longer periods depending upon its moisture content and results in the desirable colour, aroma and taste that is most acceptable to the consumers. But the quality of oil changes each after the frying cycle and leads to the onset of various physicochemical changes resulting in the accumulation of toxic compounds that may pose potential health risks. Various edible oils from plant sources have varied stability against high-temperature exposure, hence, the selection of appropriate edible vegetable oils for deep frying is critical to ensure its safety during repeated use. The current article summarizes the available literature on the changes in quality attributes of edible vegetable oils during deep frying along with the mechanisms of oil degradation, including oxidation and hydrolysis, formation of trans fats, and major concerns during deep frying. This also covers various methods of assessing the quality of frying oils, inclusive of measurement of free fatty acids, peroxide value, polar compounds, and oxidative stability. The impact of deep frying on the nutritional value of edible vegetable oils, such as changes in fatty acid composition, effects of different frying conditions, such as temperature and time, on the quality of the frying oil and the loss of antioxidant compounds is also discussed rationally The facts and finding covered under present manuscript will be useful to food manufacturers and consumers in selecting appropriate edible vegetable oils for deep frying, maintaining the desired food quality, and ensuring the safety of various edible oils and their blends concerning both civil and the Defence supplies

Nutritional Intervention during Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Environments A Dietary Perspective

The future war scenario is based on use and applications of various conventional and non-convectional agents which includes weaponised or non-weaponised chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN), toxic industrial materials, direct energy devices/ weapons, and or high yield explosives. These include nerve agents, blood agents, vesicants or skin blistering agents, lung irritants, asphyxiants or choking agents. Biological weapons are basically disease causing microorganisms and other replicating entities including viruses, infectious nucleic acids and prions. These agents have ability to infect host and are highly virulent, pathogenic and dangerous in nature. The interface between ammunitions and above agents is soldier whose physical and mental health is affected as enough precautionary measures are not adopted. The reducing environment thus created has various agents which enter into exposed body and lead to mild to serious damage to various vital parts of the human body. As food is important component for survival and intrinsic to basic human nutrition and health, therefore, it is imperative to develop certain kind of a wholesome meal system which can be consumed by the soldiers tasked with combating CBRN situations during such operations. Such meals can be in the form of solid or liquid type and packaged in suitable delivery system, compatible and amenable with the CBRN suit. Food can be contaminated during CBRN conditions by coming in direct or indirect contact with CBRN agents. Therefore, the food materials to be used under such conditions need to be protected in suitable coverings as consumption of contaminated food can be lethal. Designer meal for CBRN environment is not only suitable for soldiers but also to all human interface dealing with similar scenario viz. the low intensity conflicts and surgical operations, nuclear submarines, cosmonauts, pilots, individuals handling radiation equipment and patient undergoing chemotherapy for cancer

Effect of Packaging Material on Moisture Migration and Textural Attributes of Bread During Storage

Bread as a commodity is included in the special inventory of Defence Forces, particularly as a morning or evening snack item. The present investigation pertains to the studies on the effect of various packaging materials, e.g. metalized polyester (MP-99.8 µm), low-density polyethylene with lower thickness (LDPE-1-78.33 µm), multi-layer flexible pouches (MLFP-106.2 µm), low-density polyethylene with higher thickness (LDPE-2-125.12 µm), and paper foil polyethylene (PFP-124.6 µm) on textural attributes of bread. Textural properties were significantly influenced by the change in moisture content which was clearly shifted from crumb to crust to the extent varying from -25.89% to +24.90% in LDPE-2; -29.11% to +29.77% in MP; -22.22% to +21.11%; in MLFP; -19.46% to +19.67% in PFP; -20.42% to +20.55% in LDPE-1 at the end of its expected shelf-life i.e. five days. Though overall bread moisture content was not much affected in PFP and MP, the marked difference was primarily observed in the case of bread packed in LDPE-2, LDPE-1, and MLFP. This difference may be attributed to the thickness and permeable properties of the packaging material used for the study. The hardness and resilience of samples depicted opposite trends, respectively, during their storage. The current study gives insight into physicochemical changes occurring in the bread system when  variety commonly practiced packaging materials is used and a perspective strategy for its extended life during varied field conditions.

Analysis of cardiac autonomic modulation in normotensive obese and eutrophic adults of Nepal

Background: Obese people have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, though unknown mechanism, supposed to be due to autonomic dysfunction which is still in controversy. This study aimed to assess and compare heart rate variability (HRV) between normotensive obese and adults.Methods: The study was conducted on 30 normotensive obese adults (mean age 32.07±7.25 years) with BMI>30 and 29 age- and sex-matched normal weight controls (mean age 30.48±8.01 years) with BMI: 18-24 Kg/m2. Short-term HRV variables were assessed using standard protocol. The data were compared between the groups using Mann Whitney ‘U’ test.Results: In obese group, there was significant increase in the mean heart rate [79.17±8.80 Vs 71.48±8.41 beats/min, p=0.001], systolic blood pressure [121.20±9.89 Vs 113.24±11.07, mmHg, p=0.004] and diastolic blood pressure [84.97±7.87 Vs 74.83±10.31 mmHg, p=0.000]. The HRV parasympathetic indicators were less [RMSSD {28.75(16.72-38.35) Vs 41.55(30.6-56.75) ms, p=0.018}, NN50 {15.5(2-39) Vs 83.5(32.75-116.25), p=0.010}], and sympathetic indicator LF/HF ratio [1.2(0.65-2.20) Vs 0.79(0.5-1.02), p=0.004] was more in obese group.Conclusions: Obese persons have increased sympathetic activity with a reduction in parasympathetic (vagal) tone indicating poor autonomic cardiac rhythm control. Moreover, the altered autonomic activity could be the reason for increased mean heart rate and blood pressures in normotensive obese persons

Growth Dynamics of Rice: Effects of Sustainable Farming Practices on Plant Height and Plant Density under Sodic Soil Conditions

This study investigated the effects of sustainable farming practices and cropping systems on the growth dynamics of rice, with a focus on plant height and density under sodic soil conditions in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2023--24 and 2024--25) at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Ayodhya, India, following a split-split plot design with three replications. The treatments included four farming practices: 1. Biochar-based ecological farming (BBEF), 2. Climate-Resilient Organic Farming (CROF), 3. Low-Input Natural Farming (LINF), and 4. Conventional farming (CF), three cropping systems; (1. Rice–Wheat–Mungbean, 2. Rice–Mustard–Sesbania, and 3. Rice–Barley–Mentha), and two rice varieties (1. DRR Dhan-50, and 2. Kalanamak). The results indicated that farming practices significantly influenced plant height at critical stages. The greatest plant height was consistently recorded under the CF × Kalanamak treatment, which was up to 44% taller at harvest than the LINF × DRR Dhan-50 treatment. BBEF and CROF with Kalanamak exhibited competitive growth, attaining heights within 10–13% of the CF, highlighting the potential of sustainable systems to increase vegetative growth. The plant density remained statistically uniform across the treatments and stages, suggesting that establishment is governed more by sowing practices than by postsowing management. The findings underline that while conventional farming maximizes early growth in sodic soils, sustainable practices supplemented with organic amendments and resilient varieties can offer comparable establishment without compromising ecological sustainability. These insights advocate for integrative soil management approaches in sodic environments and emphasize the need for long-term assessments of yield, soil health, and resilience. &nbsp

The usefulness of ultrasonography for the early diagnosis of polyneuropathy in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

Background: Diabetic neuropathies, affecting over 50% of diabetes patients, present varied forms of polyneuropathy impacting somatic and autonomic nerves. Clinical assessments, laboratory findings, and nerve conduction studies (NCSs) aid in precise diagnosis, while recent technological advances highlight ultrasonography (US) as a promising, cost-effective diagnostic tool. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to assess the efficacy of US in early polyneuropathy diagnosis in type II diabetes, exploring its potential as an alternative to NCS. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, we enrolled 30 adult patients with type II non-controlled diabetes and 30 age-matched controls, comprising 15 controlled diabetic patients and 15 normal individuals. The comprehensive assessments encompassed history-taking for diabetes duration, hypertension, and diabetic complications, along with clinical examinations and investigations involving nerve electrophysiology and US on one upper limb based on patient complaints. Results: Significant increases in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve were observed in diabetic peripheral neuropathy groups compared to controls, with a P<0.001. Similarly, at the level behind the medial epicondyle, the ulnar nerve CSA exhibited a significant increase in the diabetic peripheral neuropathy group (11.7 mm2) compared to controls (6.7 mm2) with a P<0.002. In addition, a significant difference in cross-sectional values was found in the median nerve proximal to the carpal tunnel between the two groups (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were observed at other sites. Regarding the relationship between sonography and NCSs, NCSs showed higher sensitivity, but sonography demonstrated comparable specificity in evaluating diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Conclusion: Peripheral nerve US in the upper limb can be a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying and diagnosing diabetic peripheral neuropathy