The present research was aimed to isolate potential probiotic organisms from dairy products locally made in and around the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. A total of 224 colonies were screened for primary attributes. Based on the results, 70 isolates were carried further for secondary screening. Out of these, only 23 isolates were further tested for antioxidant activities. Only 6 potential probiotic strains were found to have all the probiotic attributes. These isolates demonstrated survivability up to 4 h at pH ≤ 3, bile concentration ≥ 1.5%, autoaggregation ability ≥ 81.08%, and cell surface hydrophobicity more than 70% while using toluene as the test hydrocarbon. The promising six isolates were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing for species‐level identification and found to be belonging to the genus Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Lactobacillus. The isolates demonstrated higher antioxidant potential as determined by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP methods. For all three methods, L. rhamnosus was taken as a positive control that showed 85.61%, 39.56%, and 78.18% reduction of free radicals as determined by the ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP methods, respectively. Compared to this, Limosilactobacillus fermentum BAB 7912 demonstrated the highest reduction of ABTS radicals (83.45%), while Bacillus subtilis BAB 7918 reduced 29.95% DPPH free radicals and Bacillus spizizenii BAB 7915 reduced 80.93% ferric ions as determined by the FRAP method. Isolates were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing for species‐level identification and found to be belonging to genus Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Lactobacillus.

The infant gut microbiota significantly influences health outcomes, impacting digestion, immunity, and metabolic processes. Identifying beneficial microbes from this source offers promising avenues for novel probiotic development. This study aimed to identify and characterize potential probiotic bacterial isolates from infant fecal samples using 16S rRNA–based identification and in vitro experimental evaluations. A total of 47 isolates were initially screened. Two promising candidates, Lb. paracasei IF5YR and Ent. faecium IF5RW2, were selected and evaluated for gastrointestinal resilience (acid and bile tolerance), functional properties (autoaggregation, cell surface hydrophobicity, bile salt hydrolase activity, antioxidant activity via FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH assays), and safety (antibiotic susceptibility). Their genetic affiliations were confirmed using 16S rRNA sequencing, followed by bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses. Both Lb. paracasei IF5YR and Ent. faecium IF5RW2 demonstrated strong acid (pH 1.5) and bile (2%) tolerance, high autoaggregation (>70%), and notable cell surface hydrophobicity (>90% for xylene). Comparative analysis of antibiotic susceptibility confirmed their safety. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequencing supported the taxonomic affiliation of the isolates. Functionally, both strains exhibited bile salt hydrolase activity and strong antioxidant potential, with FRAP values exceeding 75%. These findings suggest Lb. paracasei IF5YR and Ent. faecium IF5RW2 may be considered potential candidates for probiotic applications related to gut health and oxidative stress modulation. They hold potential for development as novel functional food ingredients or health-promoting supplements, although in vivo or clinical studies are needed to confirm any therapeutic effects.

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) remains a critical global health challenge, characterized by impaired nutrient absorption and chronic gut inflammation. While probiotics offer a potential therapeutic avenue, the efficacy of single-strain interventions is often limited. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a Bacillus -based multi-strain probiotic consortium (MSPC) specifically tailored for PEM. Three strains— Bacillus spizizenii BAB 7915, Bacillus tequilensis , and Bacillus rugosus -were selected based on their non-antagonistic, synergistic growth profiles. The MSPC demonstrated superior functional attributes compared to individual strains, exhibiting significant proteolytic activity (0.52 ± 0.03 U/mL) and robust anti-inflammatory potential (5.33 ± 0.06 U/mL). Additionally, the consortium showed high tolerance to gastrointestinal conditions and strong antioxidant properties. These results suggest that the MSPC can effectively enhance protein hydrolysis and mitigate gut inflammation, providing a scientifically validated, low-cost formulation for the nutritional rehabilitation of PEM patients.

Saffron is composed of four active major ingredients name Crocin-I, Crocin-II Picrocrocin and Safranal. Crocin’s are related to produce golden red color whereas picrocrocin and safranal are responsible for the taste and aroma. Spectrophotometric analysis of saffron is available but methodology of HPLC analysis is not readily available for quality checking of saffron. In this study each component of saffron was identified and analyzed by HPLC for better quality assessment. Methods: 200 ppm of saffron sample was prepared in 50% methanol and filtrated through 0.22 µm syringe filter. Crocin I and II were determined at 440 nm where methanol:0.1% phosphoric acid (55:45) was used as mobile phase. Picrocrocin was determined at 257 nm and mixture of acetonitrile:water (13:87) was used as mobile phase. Determination of safranal was done at 330 nm where gradient mixture of acetonitrile, phosphoric acid and water was used as mobile phase. Separations were done by using C18 250×4.6, 5 µm HPLC columns and injection volume was 20 uL. Column temperature was set at 25°C. Result: According to ISO 3632 protocols crocin concentration of saffron samples was found 246.00 picrocrocin was found 98.48 and safranal was found 41.965 which belongs to grade I, whereas in HPLC analysis crocin I was found 24.256 mg/g, crocin II was found 9.825 mg/g, picrocrocin was found 32.295 mg/g and safranal was found 0.512 mg/g. Conclusion: HPLC is the most suitable analytical techniques used for qualitative and quantitative determination of different chemical constituents, mixtures of organic components and biological extracts etc. HPLC will be the most suitable and alternative analytical technique for qualitative and quantitative estimation of saffron constituents.

The production of green hydrogen (H ₂ ) is a sustainable approach to addressing the current energy crisis without contributing to long‐term greenhouse gas emissions. Many semiconductors based photocatalysts have shown great promise for light‐driven H ₂ generation. However, nanostructured powder form suffers from slow electron transfer kinetics, material loss, poor recyclability, and non‐uniform light distribution, resulting in inconsistent hydrogen production performance. In this work, interface‐mediated hierarchical heterojunctions, designed as a stable and efficient photocatalytic scaffold for solar hydrogen production and investigate their performance and structural stability by examining a series of Si _x Zr _{1− x} MgO photocatalysts. A hydrogen generation yield of 694 μmol cm ⁻² h ⁻¹ was obtained for Si _0.9 Zr _0.1 MgO which is approximately 9 times higher than that of Si _0.1 Zr _0.9 MgO (76 μmol cm ⁻² h ⁻¹ ). The system maintained high H ₂ production activity after 7 h of irradiation, demonstrating excellent stability and potential for practical applications. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of Si _0.9 Zr _0.1 MgO is attributed to its oxygen‐vacancy‐rich heterojunction structure, which improves visible‐light absorption, facilitates charge separation, and accelerates interfacial electron transfer, thereby promoting efficient photocatalytic H ₂ evolution. The concept of interface‐mediated hierarchical heterojunctions introduces a novel strategy for structural and functional optimization in multi‐component photocatalysts. This work highlights a promising strategy for designing next‐generation, earth‐abundant photocatalysts for scalable solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion applications.