June 2006
Expression of polyhedrin-hEGF fusion protein in cultured cells and larvae of Bombyx mori
For mass production of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), silkworm baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) was adopted in this study. hEGF gene was in-frame fused with polyhedrin (Ph) gene under the control of Ph promoter and was used to co-transfect BmN cell with the modified Bombyx moribaculovirus DNA to obtained recombinant virus. The ELISA showed a maximum expression on day 4 in larvae and pupae. Both...
June 2006
Overexpression AtNHX1 confers salt-tolerance of transgenic tall fescue
Saline soil is a serious problem worldwide, and it is necessary to improve the salt tolerance of plants so as to avoid the progressive deterioration of saline soil. Here we report that over-expression of AtNHX1 improves salt tolerance in transgenic tall fescue. The AtNHX1 gene driven with CaMV35S promoter was constructed into the plant expression vector pGreen0229, and introduced into the embryonic calli of...
June 2006
Lauric acid content and inhibitory effect of palm kernel oil on two bacterial isolates and Candida albicans
Palm kernel oil from various sources was assayed for lauric acid content and inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sp. and Candida albicans. The different palm kernel oil samples showed noticeable inhibitory effect on S. aureus and Streptococcus sp. while no significant inhibitory effect was observed on C. albicans. The highest zone of inhibition...
June 2006
Ploidy variation of Musa hybrids from crosses
Plantain and banana (Musa spp) breeding involves crossing 3x (triploid) landraces to 2x (diploid) accessions as female and male parents, respectively, selecting 4x (tetraploid) and 2x primary hybrids from the 3x - 2x progenies, and crossing 4x - 2x hybrids to produce secondary 3x hybrids. In these crosses, complex ploidy and genome arrays occur frequently making it difficult to predict the products of crosses. The...
June 2006
Inter-relations of growth and disease expression in pepper using principal component analysis (PCA)
Field reactions of 12 indigenous pepper lines (UNS2, UNS3, NSKY-LP, Atanukwu yola, Sombe, NSKY-SE, Tarugu, Tartasi, Dangarawa, Oshosho, NSKY-RW and a Hybrid between Sombe and NSKY-RW) for resistance to pepper veinal mottle virus (PVMV) were determined with principal component analysis (PCA). Genetically related genotypes tend to cluster, indicating that there is a significant genetic...
June 2006
Physico-chemical properties of a Haplic Acrisol in Southeastern Nigeria amended with rice mill waste and NPK fertilizer
The effect of rice mill waste (RMW) in combination with or without NPK 15:15:15 on some physico-chemical properties of a Haplic Acrisol in Umudike, Southeastern Nigeria, was studied. The experiment comprised 10 treatments (20, 10, 5 and 2.5 t/ha RMW combined with 200 or 400 kg/ha NPK, 30 t/ha RMW alone, 400 kg/ha NPK alone and a control). They were laid in a randomized complete block design replicated 3 times. Data...
June 2006
Evaluation of antidiarrhoeal activity of the stem bark of Cylicodiscus gabunensis (mimosaceae)
The ethyl acetate (EA) extract of the stem bark of Cylicodiscus gabunensis (CG) (Mimosaceae) was analysed for its anti-diarrhoeal activity. Like loperamide (3 mg/Kg body weight), a single oral dose of C. gabunensis ethyl acetate extract (CG-EA) (375, 750 mg/Kg body weight) produced a significant decrease in the severity of diarrhoea. To understand the mechanism of its anti-diarrhoeal activity, its...
June 2006
Susceptibility of common urinary isolates to the commonly used antibiotics in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria
Antimicrobial resistance in the treatment of urinary tract infections is a major health problem. This study evaluates the pattern of susceptibility of pathogens commonly responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs) to commonly used antimicrobial agents in Benin City. Midstream urine samples of 700 patients (300 males and 400 females), who were attending clinics in a 550-bed University of Benin Teaching Hospital,...
June 2006
Bacteriocinogenicity and production of pyocins from Pseudomonas species isolated in Lagos, Nigeria
A total of 52 strains of Pseudomonas identified as P. aeruginosa (27), P. putida(9), P. fluorescens (13) and P. stutzeri (3) were isolated from Nigerian patients with burns, wound and skin infections, UTI, diarrhoea and eye infections. 81.5, 55.6, 76.9 and 33.3% of these species produced pyocins at a range of 410 – 670 ïg/ml. High yields of pyocins at 35...
June 2006
Antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants used in folklore remedies in south-western
In south-western part of Nigeria Psidium guajava and Mangifera indica are commonly used for herbal preparations in the treatment of toothache, gastrointestinal disorders, dynsentery, diarrhoea, sore gums and sore throats. This has, therefore, led to the investigation of the antimicrobial activities of methanolic extracts of P. guajava and M. indica. Fifteen different bacterial...
May 2006
In vitro evaluation of the interaction between tea extracts and penicillin G against staphylococcus aureus
The herb-drug interaction between tea (Carmelia sinensis) extract and penicillin G (Pen G) was investigated against three strains of Staphylococcus aureus using pair combinations in an in vitro decimal assay for additivity test. Results showed that the interactions between penicillin G and tea extracts were mainly additive against the three strains of S. aureus. This suggests that the...
June 2006
Antibacterial and antifungal activity of Heracleum sphondylium subsp. artvinense
Ethanol and aqueous extract of Heracleum sphondylium subsp. artvinense was investigated for their antimicrobial activities against eight bacterial species (Enterococcus feacalis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Corynobacterium diphtheria) and two yeast (Candida albicansand C. krusei)....
June 2006
Isolation of Salmonella and Shigella species from house flies (musca domestica l.) in Uturu, Nigeria
Salmonella and Shigella species were isolated from House flies (Musca domestica L.) from various sampling sites using selective media. Out of 34 pooled samples Shigella species were isolated in all (100%) of the samples whileSalmonella species were isolated in 21 (61.7%) of the samples. The flies pooled from the refuse dump sites had higher load of these organisms. The infection rate...
June 2006
Antibacterial activity of aloe emodin and aloin A isolated from Aloe excelsa
June 2006
Extraction, chemical composition and nutrional characterization of vegetable oils: Case of Amaranthus hybridus (var 1 and 2) of Congo Brazzaville
Amaranthus hybridus is a vegetable which is eaten in Congo Brazzaville and in other countries. Two varieties of A. hybridus seeds (var 1 and 2) were selected for this study. Average oil content varies between 11 and 14%. A. hybridus seeds are also rich in proteins (17%) and minerals. Red oils obtained have a high saponification value (130-190) and the iodine value is between 100 and 113....
June 2006
Quality characteristics of bread produced from composite flours of wheat, plantain and soybeans
The use of soy flour (SF) and plantain flour (PF) substitution in wheat flour (WF), from 0 to 15% each, for the production of bread was investigated. The proximate analysis, sensory evaluation and aerobic plate count (APC) of the bread samples were determined. The crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract and ash contents of the soy supplemented breads (SSBs) increased with progressive increase in the proportion of soy...
June 2006
Hygienic status assessment of dish washing waters, utensils, hands and pieces of money from street food processing sites in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
During investigations on street food vendors’ materials, seventy samples of three types of dish washing water (E1, E2, E3), eighty-five pieces of money, eighty utensils were collected for microbiological assessment. Hands microbiological status of one hundred twenty-five consumers and seventy sellers were also assessed. The analysis revealed that 100% of E1 washing waters were very impure, while, 44.5% of...
June 2006
Toxicity of Neatex (industrial detergent) and Norust CR 486 (corrosion inhibitors) to earthworms (Aporrectodea longa) in naturally spiked soil
Ecological effects of indiscriminate disposal of industrial chemicals into soils of the Niger Delta environment of Nigeria were assessed using earthworms in spiked natural soil in the laboratory. Populations of indigenous epigeic adult earthworms,Aporrectodea longa, were exposed to varying concentrations of two chemicals (industrial detergent and corrosion inhibitor) in natural soil to determine the acute toxicity of...
June 2006
Evaluation of microorganisms transmissible through handshake
Microorganisms transmissible through handshake were experimentally isolated from samples collected from primary and secondary school students as well as undergraduates and staff of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Bacteria isolated include Staphylococcus aureus, S. epididimis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Actinobacillus sp while fungi isolated include Penicillum notatum,...
June 2006
Interaction of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis with polystyrene does not correlate with virulence in young chickens
Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis are the most frequently isolated serotypes in human and animal Salmonella infections. The in vitro surface colonization characteristics of S. typhimurium L1388 and S. enteritidis L1225 on hydrophobic surfaces were assessed with a view to understanding their surface preference in relation to in vivo virulence....
June 2006
Seperation, identification and analysis of pigment (melanin) production in Streptomyces
Nine strains among 180 Streptomyces isolates produce a diffusible dark brown pigment on both peptone-yeast extract agar and synthetic tyrosine-agar. They also show the positive reaction to L-tyrosine or L-dopa substrates. The pigment has been referred to be as merely as dark brown water-soluble pigment, as melanoid or melanin. The different carbon and nitrogen sources which influence the pigment production in...
June 2006
Optimization of xylanase biosynthesis by Aspergillus japonicus isolated from a “Caatinga†area in the Brazilian state of Bahia
The objective of this research was to investigate the potential of xylanase production by Aspergillus japonicus and to determine the effects of cultivation conditions in the process, aiming toward optimization of enzyme production. The best temperature, as well as the best carbon source, for biomass production was determined through an automated turbidimetric method (Bioscreen-C). The enzyme activity of this...
June 2006
Antioxidant activity, phenol and flavonoid contents of some selected Iranian medicinal plants
In present study, we carried out a systematic record of the relative antioxidant activity in selected Iranian medicinal plant species' extracts. The total phenol varied from 24.1 ± 1 to 289.5 ± 5 mg g -1 in the extracts. Flavonoid contents were between 25.15 ± 0.8 and 78.3 ± 4.5 mg g-1. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect of the extracts was...
June 2006
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Morchella conica Pers.
Antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activities of Morchella conica Pers. extracts obtained with ethanol were investigated in this study. Four complementary test systems; namely DPPH free radical scavenging, β-carotene/linoleic acid systems, total phenolic compounds and total flavonoid concentration were used. Inhibition values of M. conica ethanol extracts, buthylated hydroxyanisol...
June 2006
Antimicrobial activity and chemical compositions of Turkish propolis from different regions
The antimicrobial activity of propolis against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and its chemical composition were evaluated by the method of agar-well diffusion and GC-MS, respectively. Some typical compounds samples were identified in the propolis samples. Principal component analysis revealed that the chemical composition of propolis samples was distinct based on the geographical location of the samples....
June 2006
Comparative studies on Khaya. A. Juss (Meliaceae) in Nigeria
Comparative phytochemical, microscopical and chemomicroscopical studies were carried out on the genus Khaya with the aim of obtaining useful characters for the identification and delimitation of species boundaries. Tannins and saponins were present in all the species while phenols were detected in all except K. grandifoliola. Protein and anthraquinones were present in the bark of all the...
June 2006
Rearing the house fly predator Carcinops pumilio (Erichson) (Coleoptera: Histeridae) on an artificial diet
A number of concentrations of PRO-PLEX™, a protein rich food additive, were incorporated into an artificial diet to determine its effect on the predatory beetle,Carcinops pumilio (Erichson). The impact of this host-free artificial diet on developmental time, larval weight, oviposition and mortality was assessed. When C. pumilio is fed on a host-free diet, the total development of egg to adult was...
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