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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa

In the imperial Gazetteer of India 1878, Pusa was recorded as a government estate of about 1350 acres in Darbhanba. It was acquired by East India Company for running a stud farm to supply better breed of horses mainly for the army. Frequent incidence of glanders disease (swelling of glands), mostly affecting the valuable imported bloodstock made the civil veterinary department to shift the entire stock out of Pusa. A British tobacco concern Beg Sutherland & co. got the estate on lease but it also left in 1897 abandoning the government estate of Pusa. Lord Mayo, The Viceroy and Governor General, had been repeatedly trying to get through his proposal for setting up a directorate general of Agriculture that would take care of the soil and its productivity, formulate newer techniques of cultivation, improve the quality of seeds and livestock and also arrange for imparting agricultural education. The government of India had invited a British expert. Dr. J. A. Voelcker who had submitted as report on the development of Indian agriculture. As a follow-up action, three experts in different fields were appointed for the first time during 1885 to 1895 namely, agricultural chemist (Dr. J. W. Leafer), cryptogamic botanist (Dr. R. A. Butler) and entomologist (Dr. H. Maxwell Lefroy) with headquarters at Dehradun (U.P.) in the forest Research Institute complex. Surprisingly, until now Pusa, which was destined to become the centre of agricultural revolution in the country, was lying as before an abandoned government estate. In 1898. Lord Curzon took over as the viceroy. A widely traveled person and an administrator, he salvaged out the earlier proposal and got London’s approval for the appointment of the inspector General of Agriculture to which the first incumbent Mr. J. Mollison (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Bombay) joined in 1901 with headquarters at Nagpur The then government of Bengal had mooted in 1902 a proposal to the centre for setting up a model cattle farm for improving the dilapidated condition of the livestock at Pusa estate where plenty of land, water and feed would be available, and with Mr. Mollison’s support this was accepted in principle. Around Pusa, there were many British planters and also an indigo research centre Dalsing Sarai (near Pusa). Mr. Mollison’s visits to this mini British kingdom and his strong recommendations. In favour of Pusa as the most ideal place for the Bengal government project obviously caught the attention for the viceroy.

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Subject: Food and Nutrition × Author: Jati, Helena × End date: 2018 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of processing on the level of Zinc and Phytic Acid in Maize Flour for determination of Bio-availability of Zinc
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, 2018) Jati, Helena; Singh, Usha
    Maize (Zea mays L.) a monocotyledonous diploid angiospermic plant of Poaceae family, is used as a staple food worldwide. It is not only rich in protein and carbohydrate but also rich in minerals as well. Out of the total mineral matter, 2.8 mg/100g is Zinc. Maize also contains Phytic acid, which forms insoluble complexes with Zinc, reducing its bioavailability. Zinc can be made bioavailable by reducing the Phytic acid contents in maize. This can be achieved by the application of different processing like boiling, roasting and alkali treatment. The investigation was planned to determine the physico-chemical parameters, proximate composition, the level of Zinc, Phytic acid and bioavailability of Zinc in Normal maize and QPM before and after processing. The weight of freshlyharvested Normal maize grains was found to be 27.71 ± 0.86g whereas volume of the grains was recorded to be 23 cc. The density was 1.52 ± 0.01g/cc. The weight of freshlyharvested QPM maize grains was found to be 32.21 ± 0.77 g whereas volume of the grains was recorded to be 25 cc. The density was 1.61 ± 0.03 g/cc. The Normal control maize flour sample contains 9.92 percent moisture, 3.49 percent fat, 1.28 percent ash, 1.11 percent fibre, 10.93 percent protein and 73.27 percent carbohydrate. In boiled maize flour sample, the percentage of moisture, fat, ash, fibre, protein and carbohydrate were 7.64, 3.64, 1.18, 1.03, 11.76 and 74.75 respectively. In case of roasted maize flour sample, the proximate composition was 6.42 percent moisture, 3.96 percent fat, 1.20 percent ash, 1.04 percent fibre, 9.54 percent protein and 77.84 percent carbohydrate. In alkali treated maize flour sample, the percentage of moisture, fat, ash, fibre, protein and carbohydrate were 10.58, 4.01, 1.03, 1.09, 10.88 and 72.41 respectively. The QPM control flour sample contained 13.06 percent moisture, 3.23 percent fat, 1.14 percent ash, 3.87 percent fibre, 10.83 percent protein and 67.87 percent carbohydrate. In boiled maize flour sample, the percentage of moisture, fat, ash, fibre, protein and carbohydrate were 8.21, 3.28, 1.24, 3.79, 10.35 and 73.13 respectively. Roasted maize flour sample contained 3.65 percent moisture, 3.92 percent fat, 1.25 percent ash, 2.64 percent fibre, 10.77 percent protein and 77.77 percent carbohydrate. In alkali treated maize flour sample, the percentage of moisture, fat, ash, fibre, protein and carbohydrate were 4.80, 3.40, 0.93, 3.30, 10.85 and 76.72 respectively. The Normal control maize flour sample contained 4.53 mg/100g Zinc. In boiled maize flour sample, the Zinc content was 3.25 mg/100g. Roasted Maize sample contained 4.86 mg/100g Zinc. In alkali treated maize flour sample, the Zinc content was 4.60 mg/100g. The QPM control flour sample contained 3.78 mg/100g Zinc. In boiled maize flour sample, the Zinc content was 2.41 mg/100g. Roasted Maize sample contained 1.63 mg/100g Zinc. In alkali treated maize flour sample, the Zinc content was 1.89 mg/100g. The Normal control maize flour sample contained 233.01 mg/100g Phytic acid. In boiled maize flour sample, the Phytate content was 202.23 mg/100g. Roasted Maize sample contained 210.95 mg/100g Phytate. In alkali treated maize flour sample, the Phytic acid content was 206.71 mg/100g. The QPM control flour sample contained 291.18 mg/100g Phytic acid. In boiled maize flour sample, the Phytate content was 263.15 mg/100g. Roasted Maize sample contained 274.28 mg/100g Phytate. In alkali treated maize flour sample, the Phytic acid content was 267.13 mg/100g. The Phytate: Zinc molar ratio in the Normal roasted maize sample was the lowest (4.31) followed by alkali treated maize sample (4.47), control maize sample (5.11) and boiled maize sample (6.12). It can be concluded that in Normal maize flour, the control maize sample and the boiled maize sample had medium Zinc bioavailability. Whereas, the roasted maize sample and the lime treated maize sample had good Zinc bioavailability. The Phytate: Zinc molar ratio in the QPM control maize sample was the lowest (7.6) followed by boiling maize sample (10.75), lime treated maize sample (13.93) and roasted maize sample (16.69). It can be concluded that in QPM flour, the control maize sample, the boiled maize sample and the alkali treated maize sample had medium Zinc bioavailability whereas, the roasted maize sample had low bioavailability of Zinc. Therefore, it is recommended to use the Normal maize after Roasting and Lime treatment for good bioavailability of Zinc in the body.