Central Tuber Crops Research Institute

About: Central Tuber Crops Research Institute is a facility organization based out in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Starch & Fermentation. The organization has 475 authors who have published 587 publications receiving 10285 citations.

Crop Diversification with Tropical Tuber crops for Food and Livelihood Security

Abstract: Tropical tuber crops like cassava, greater yam, lesser yam, elephant foot yam, taro, tannia and arrowroot are mostly grown in association with plantation/fruit/tree crops like coconut, arecanut, coffee, rubber, banana, mango, sapota, litchi etc. Intercropping tuber crops both at the immature and mature phases of these perennial crops is a common practice, especially in small and medium sized land holdings. This will help to augment the net income and employment opportunities, serve as insurance crop against risk and natural calamities, enhance the resource use efficiency and ensure food security. In such farms, the produce from the perennials generate the cash income, while the starchy root and tubers partially meet the food requirements of the farm family and the feed needs of farm animals. Cropping systems involving cereals, vegetables, pulses and oilseeds in tuber crops also enable higher employment and income generation. Extensive research in India has proved beyond doubt the agronomic and economic advantages of the cropping systems involving tropical root and tubers. The scope of such crop associations, growth performance, production potential of tuber crops in such systems, management practices for realizing higher tuber yield and economic feasibility of the systems are evaluated in this paper.

Protolichesterinic Acid: A Prominent Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Compound from the Lichen Usnea albopunctata

Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate the antimicrobial compounds present in the lichen Usnea albopunctata. Ethyl acetate extract was purified by silica gel column chromatography to obtain a major compound and the chemical structure was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, UV, and HR-MS spectroscopic methods as protolichesterinic acid. The antimicrobial activity was estimated by determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration by the broth microdilution method and agar disc diffusion method against thirteen human pathogenic bacterial and four fungal strains. Protolichesterinic acid recorded significant broad spectrum antimicrobial property. The best antibacterial activity was recorded against K. pneumonia (0.25 μg/mL) and V. cholerae (0.5 μg/mL). Significant antifungal activity was recorded against T. rubrum (0.12 μg/mL), which is significantly better than the standard antifungal agent. Protolichesterinic acid is reported for the first time from Usnea albopunctata. Antifungal activity of protolichesterinic acid against medically important fungi is also reported for the first time. Thus the results of the present study suggest that protolichesterinic acid has significant antimicrobial activities and has the strong potential to be developed as an antimicrobial drug after further clinical evaluation.

Process optimization by response surface methodology and quality attributes of orange fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) vacuum fried chips

Abstract: Vacuum frying is a promising technology for the production of healthy and nutritional snacks. The optimization of vacuum frying technology was carried out using oranged fleshed sweet potato slices by using a three-level Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology. The orange fleshed sweet potato chips were prepared using vacuum fryer. The effects of different processing conditions on nutritional and sensorial qualities were studies. The variables considered for the study were frying temperature—FT (110–130 °C), vacuum pressure—VP (14.79–17.46 Kpa) and frying time—Ft (7–9 min) while the responses were moisture content, oil content, total carotenoid content, change in colour and texture. It was observed that increasing FT and VP at constant Ft decreases moisture content and decrease in oil content in chips with increase in FT and VP at constant frying time during the vacuum frying process. FT, VP, Ft significantly (p < 0.05) affected the retention of carotene content in fried chips. The results confirmed the significant (p < 0.05) effect of VP and Ft on the color of chips. It was also found that, increasing FT and Ft when VP was held constant and increasing FT and VP at a constant Ft gave lower breaking forces. By using the numerical optimizer the optimal conditions for vacuum frying was determined such as frying temperature 110 °C, vacuum pressure 16.12 Kpa and frying time 7 min. Having maximum retention of carotenoids in fried chips. When optimized, vacuum fried samples were compared with atmospheric fried samples; the former absorbed about 50.32% less oil, and retained higher carotenoid (6.32 mg/g), with lower breaking force (0.69 N). Sensory evaluation results showed accepted optimized vacuum fried samples in all the sensory attributes investigated.

Effect of Tuber Crop Wastes/Byproducts on Nutritional and Microbial Composition of Vermicomposts and Duration of the Vermicomposting Process

Abstract: A pot culture experiment on vermicomposting of cassava and sweet potato wastes/byproducts was conducted for March–May (season I) and June–August (season II) during 2010 at the Regional Centre of Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, Orissa. The study revealed that the vermicompost prepared from biomass and byproducts of tuber crops had fairly higher levels of nitrogen (1.12–2.23%), phosphorus (0.26–0.88%), and potassium (0.33–1.29%) compared to initial status. The vermicompost prepared from sweet potato dry leaves had the highest nitrogen (2.23% and 2.03%), phosphorus (0.88% and 0.69%), and potassium (1.29% and 0.84%) content during both the years of study. Cassava thippi (tuber residue) required 40–43 days for the complete conversion into vermicompost, whereas all other biomass and byproducts needed more time (43–65 days). The rate of increase of earthworm weight and population was higher in vermicompost made from cassava and sweet potato thippi. Microbial counts indicated that populations of bacteria and fungi were higher in season I, whereas actinomycetes were higher in season II. The study indicated that all the biomass and byproducts of tuber crops can be effectively converted into high-value vermicompost.

Influence of Age of Explants and Genotype on Somatic Embryogenesis in African and Indian Cassava Cultivars

Abstract: Potential of eight cassava cultivars viz., TME3, TME4, TMS 30572, TMS 1089A, 96/0160, Albert,Kibaha and H165 for initiating somatic embryos was studied. Two different explants, young leaf lobe pre-cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and axillary bud pre-cultured on MS medium containing BAP were tried. The age of explants and type of cultivar highly influenced the frequency and quantity of somatic embryos. Axillary buds of cv. Albert and young leaf lobes of cv. H165 responded well, while the same results were observed for conversion and development. Hardening and establishment in green house was close to 100% for all the cultivars under study. This paper discusses the effect of juvenility of the explants used, duration of pre-treatments and culture on embryogenesis medium, cultivar and its preference of explant, health of the mother plants, on successful regeneration of cassava via somatic embryogenesis, which could be very resourceful for friable embryogenic calli production and successful genetic transformation.