African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12433

AJB Articles

Water use efficiency in soybean crop after inoculation with Azospirillum brasiliense in the Cerrado of Tocantins State, Brazil

September 2017

Crops in the Cerrado experience short drought stress periods that affect cultivation development, especially the water use efficiency (WUE), which can be modified by the use of Azospirillum brasiliense bacteria. In this sense, this study evaluated soybean plants’ response to A. brasiliense inoculation, in relation to WUE, in the Cerrado of Tocantins State. During the growing season of 2015/2016, three experiments...

Author(s): Evandro Reina and Joenes Mucci Peluzio

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using wild Cucumis anguria: Characterization and antibacterial activity

September 2017

In the present study silver nanoparticles were synthesized using wild Cucumis anguria leaf extract using the green route which is a simple, cost-effective and an environmentally friendly technique. When the aqueous silver ions were exposed to the wild C. anguria leaf extract, they were reduced and this resulted in the formation of silver nanoparticles. The conditions of synthesis were optimized by adjusting the pH, time...

Author(s): Muchanyereyi-Mukaratirwa Netai, Moyo Joyce N., Nyoni Stephen, and Cexton Musekiwa

Evaluating chemical composition of Butia capitata pulp among various populations and locations using multivariate analysis

September 2017

There are many native species from Cerrado that are used as food supply. However, their nutritional constitution is still unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate and quantify the nutritional composition of coquinho-azedo fruits, obtained from different regions and populations in Northern Minas Gerais, using multivariate analysis. Ripe fruits of various B. capitata populations were obtained from four...

Author(s): Hélida Mara Magalhães, Telma Melo Brandão, Juliana Stracieri, Herick Fernando de Jesus, D`iemesson San Tiago Mendes and Moacir Pasqual

Cloning and expression of acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) lactonase genes of Bacillus cereus INT1c and Bacillus thuringiensis SGT3g in Escherichia coli

September 2017

Inhibition of virulence genes expression of phytopathogenic bacteria can be done by degrading the acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) compounds using AHL-lactonase. In this study, the AHL-lactonase genes were cloned and expressed from Bacillus cereus INT1c and Bacillus thuringiensis SGT3g in Escherichia coli, in order to understand the characteristics and biocontrol mechanisms of their AHL-lactonase. Amplification using aiiA...

Author(s): Iman Rusmana, Anja Asmarany and Aris Tri Wahyudi

The use of molecular markers in turtles: A technological prospecting

September 2017

The application of molecular markers stands out in studies on the genetic variability of animal and plant species. This tool contributes to studies on the history of some chelonian species, since it takes into consideration their longevity and the endangerment they are often exposed to. The aim of the current study is to perform a quantitative research to document and analyze the development of technological...

Author(s): Lígia Almeida Pereira, Helmara Diniz Costa, Lígia Tchaicka, Ana Lúcia Abreu Silva and Alana Lislea de Sousa

Characteristics of Bacillus subtilis HNMY-13 and HNMY-15 strains in aflatoxin B1 degradation and Astragalus bio-transformation

September 2017

Astragalus of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Bacillus subtilis are extensively used in animal feed and for production of various fermented compounds. In order to observe the characteristics of HNMY-13 and HNMY-15 B. subtilis strains, this study focused on the optimization of parameters in liquid fermentation of the two strains in aflatoxin B1 degradation, and Astragalus polysaccharide yield. The optimal...

Author(s): Hongxing Qiao,, Hongtao Shi, Zhen Zhang, Yale Jiang and Chuanzhou Bian,

Objective assessment of bull sperm motility parameters using computer vision algorithms

September 2017

The quality control of frozen semen samples from cattle is established by parameters such as percentage of progressive motility (% MP) because it is related to the fertilization capacity of bulls. Nowadays, sperm quality test is performed by direct visual inspection of sperm through a microscope in andrology laboratories. However, there is a high subjectivity in the observation and assessment depending on the observer;...

Author(s): Daniel Rodríguez-Montaña and Edgar Roa-Guerrero,

Biodegradation and toxicity of waste from anaerobic fermentation of stillage

September 2017

Several studies have been carried out to produce biofuels by anaerobic digestion of stillage from ethanol fermentation. This type of process, known as ABE Fermentation, generates by-products such as acetone, butanol and ethanol. This fermentation can use pure or mixed cultures of anaerobic bacteria, mainly of the genus Clostridium. In this context, there is the need for deeper studies for proper disposal of the residue...

Author(s): Mariane Aparecida Messetti, Ariovaldo José da Silva, Graciete Mary dos Santos, José Silvio Govone and Dejanira Franceschi de Angelis

Production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and biofilm by Azospirillum brasilense aiming at the development of liquid inoculants with high performance

September 2017

Azospirillum brasilense strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6 have been broadly and successfully used in commercial inoculants in Brazil, for both non-legumes and legumes, contributing to increases in grain yields with reduced applications of chemical fertilizers. Azospirillum survival, however, may be very low in liquid inoculant formulations and strategies such as the enrichment with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and biofilm may help...

Author(s): Mariana Sanches Santos, Mariangela Hungria, and Marco Antonio Nogueira

Polymorphism of -308 G/A TNF-α gene correlated with the concentration of TNF-α and lipid profile in obese subject of Javanese population

September 2017

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is an adipokine produced in adipocytes which acts as a marker of inflammation. Increased levels of TNF-α have been associated with obesity and abnormal lipid profile. This study aimed to examine the relationship between polymorphism in -308 G/A TNF-α with concentrations of TNF-α, lipid profile and obesity in a Javanese population. The study consisted of 200...

Author(s): Pramudji Hastuti, Demes Chornelia Martantiningtyas, Dewi Karita, Tasmini and Ahmad Hamim Sadewa

Expression and functional evaluation of Mytilus galloprovincialis foot protein type 5 (Mgfp-5), the recombinant mussel adhesive protein

September 2017

Mussel contains a variety of adhesion proteins, among which, Mytilus galloprovincialis foot protein type 5 (Mgfp-5) is one of the major proteins required for substrate adhesion. The labor-intensive nature and insufficiency of the extraction process have frequently resulted in very little purified recombinant Mgfp-5. These prompt technologies such as chemical synthesis and genetic engineering are employed to overcome...

Author(s): Yawei Lv, Yujing Zhang, Wenying Gao and Yingjuan Wang

Genetic diversity of Cameroonian bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars revealed by microsatellite markers

September 2017

The assessment of genetic diversity is a key prerequisite for studying the adaptation of populations to new environmental conditions, and therefore for the selection of new varieties. The present investigation aimed to estimate the levels and genetic structure within bread wheat varieties grown in Cameroon. Thus, genetic diversity was assessed in 17 hexaploid wheat cultivars, using 11 microsatellite markers. Genetic...

Author(s): Honoré Tékeu, Eddy M. L. Ngonkeu, François P. Djocgoué, Aletta Ellis, Venasius Lendzemo, Lezaan Springfield, Lionel Moulin, Agnieszka Klonowska, Diégane Diouf, Willem C. Botes and Gilles Béna

Phylogenetic characterization of East African cassava mosaic begomovirus (Geminiviridae) isolated from Manihot carthaginensis subsp. glaziovii (Müll.Arg.) Allem., from a non-cassava growing region in Tanzania

September 2017

Manihot carthaginensis subsp. glaziovii (Müll.Arg.) Allem., a wild relative of cassava, native to Brazil, is one of the popular agroforestry trees used for hedges and/or boundary plants surrounding homesteads and farms and also harbours cassava mosaic begomoviruses (CMBs) and cassava brown streak ipomoviruses. Sequences of the DNA-A component of East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV) isolates from M....

Author(s): F. Tairo, W. K. Mbewe, D. Mark, M. Lupembe, P. Sseruwagi and J. Ndunguru

Production, optimization and characterization of silver oxide nanoparticles using Artocarpus heterophyllus rind extract and their antifungal activity

September 2017

For the first time, the phytochemical fabrication of noble silver oxide nanoparticles was reported using Artocarpus heterophyllus rind extract as well as their characterization. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of the phytochemical-mediated reduced reaction mixture showed a surface plasmon peak at 428 nm, which confirmed the presence of silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticle production was ideal at pH 9 with 2.0 mL...

Author(s): Velu Manikandan, Pyong-In Yi, Palanivel Velmurugan, Palaniyappan Jayanthi, Sung-Chul Hong, Seong-Ho Jang, Jeong-Min Suh and Subpiramaniyam Sivakumar

Obtaining mutant fungal strains of Aspergillus niger with high production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) using ultraviolet light irradiation

August 2017

A strain of Aspergillus niger PR-142 native to northern coast of Peru was subjected to successive processes of mutagenesis by ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation at 253.7 nm to increase the production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS). An initial selection was made by considering the mutants with increased invertase activity followed by the measurement of β-fructosyltransferase (FTase) activity both in mycelium and...

Author(s): Boris Gutarra Castillo, Marina Díez-Municio, Juan Cisneros de la Cruz and Javier Moreno

Anaerobic and micro-aerobic 1,3-propanediol production by engineered Escherichia coli with dha genes from Klebsiella pneumoniae GLC29

August 2017

1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO) is a bifunctional molecule, and used in applications similar to those of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and 1,4-butanediol. The use of glycerol as a feedstock is an alternative to reduce production costs for both 1,3-PDO and biodiesel, since biodiesel glycerol can be used for the production of 1,3-PDO by bacteria. Also, using metabolic engineering, it is possible to...

Author(s): Paulo M. A. Neto, Lorenzo E. R. P. P. L. D. B. Briganti, Donovan Layton, Michael Wierzbicki, R. Adam Thompson, Henrique Ferreira and Jonas Contiero

Detection of enterovirus in mussels from Morocco by cell culture and real-time PCR

August 2017

The bivalve shellfish are filter feeders and they act as natural bio-filters in seawater and can thus efficiently bio-concentrate and bio-accumulate enteric viruses in their digestive tissue. In Morocco, shellfish sanitary quality analysis does not currently include enteric virus detection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to detect the presence of enterovirus in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected...

Author(s): Lalla Meryem Idrissi Azzouzi, Samira Senouci, Maria El Qazoui, Hicham Oumzil and Mariam Naciri

In vitro potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growth under different orientation and light/dark exposure conditions

August 2017

In vitro storage of prolific potato cultivars increases labour, space and material costs due to frequent sub-culturing. A method that reduces frequent sub-culturing can lower maintenance costs of potato storage. A study was undertaken to assess in vitro growth of potato under either (1) complete dark exposure, (2) dark exposure for three days only and then to light or (3) light exposure throughout. Also, micro shoots...

Author(s): Simon A. Mng’omba, Hellen Mwale, Brian Chimzinga, Kareem Longwe and Peter Muhota

Artificial spawn generation based on alginate encapsulated mycelium as inoculum for mushroom cultivation

August 2017

Spawn quality is an important factor that affects the final yield in mushroom production. One of the most common risks is the contamination of substrates and spawn by mitosporic fungi. Some species do not easily grow on grain substrate as traditional species do and these find it real difficult to produce spawn. A method was evaluated to produce spawn for mushroom production based on aseptically encapsulated mycelium...

Author(s): Gastón Ortiz, María Belén Colavolpe and Edgardo Albertó

In vitro plant regeneration from ovules of Taraxacum officinale and Taraxacum koksaghyz

August 2017

Taraxacum koksaghyz, the Russian dandelion, produces latex in its taproots and is an alternative to Hevea brasiliensis as a source for rubber. Studying the inheritance of rubber content and yield as well as breeding of T. koksaghyz could strongly benefit from haploid or doubled haploid techniques. Therefore, this study aimed at establishing the conditions to produce haploid and/or double haploid T. koksaghyz plants....

Author(s): Chandrasekera B. S. G., Fluess H., Zhao Y. C., Trigiano R. N. and Winkelmann T.

Post-harvest conservation of ‘Rubi’ grapes treated with abscisic acid

August 2017

Loss of mass, shatter and decay are undesirable for fresh grapes, as they decrease the cluster quality during post-harvest conservation. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of abscisic acid (S-ABA) application on ‘Rubi’ grapes’ loss of mass, shatter, decay incidence and conservation periods. ‘Rubi’ grapes’ clusters used in the experiment were gotten from a commercial...

Author(s): Francisco José Domingues Neto, Adilson Pimentel Junior, Daniel Callili, Silvia Regina Cunha, Fernando Ferrari Putti, Giuseppina Pace Pereira Lima, Renata Koyama, Sergio Ruffo Roberto and Marco Antonio Tecchio

Synergistic antibacterial effect of Lepidium sativum and Coriandrum sativum against standard and drug resistant clinically isolated pathogenic bacteria

August 2017

Emerging and increasing resistance to antibiotics has become a threat to public health globally. Spices and herbs are considered as rich source of bio-active antimicrobial compounds. Thus the aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial effect of Lepidium sativum and Coriandrum sativum seed extracts and their synergistic action against some selected pathogenic bacteria; namely: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus...

Author(s): Aragaw Zemene and Nega Berhane

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in popcorn (Zea mays L.) inbred lines

August 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate the production of embryogenic calluses and plant regeneration of seven popcorn inbred lines (Zea mays L.) in order to identify lines for further transference of genes to a generation of transgenic plants. The N6 medium with supplementation was used to induce calluses in immature embryos, and supplemented MS medium was used to stimulate plant regeneration of P11, P12, P15 and...

Author(s): Ana Luisa Monezi Lucena, Ivone Batista de Oliveira Eloi, Carlos Alberto Scapim, Claudete Aparecida Mangolin and Maria de Fátima P. S. Machado

Alkaline hydrolysis effect using NaOH on sugarcane bagasse from urban centers for ruminants

August 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the alkaline hydrolysis of chemical composition of sugarcane bagasse from urban centers. The experimental design was completely randomized design in split plots (5×4), composed of five application levels (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4%) and four NaOH exposure periods (24, 48, 72 and 96 h) in four replicates. Dry matter, ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and...

Author(s): Leonardo Fiusa de Morais, João Batista de Rodrigues Abreu, João Carlos de Carvalho Almeida, Delci de Deus Nepomuceno, Mirton José Frota Morenz, Fabio Teixeira de Pádua and Barbara Maria Gomes de Melo

The potentials of production of biogas from constructed wetland macrophytes

August 2017

This study investigated the potential of biogas production from three (3) constructed wetland macrophytes: Water hyacinth (WH), cattail (CT) and Cyperus papyrus (CP). The digesters used had capacity of 0.22 cm3 each. They were operated under anaerobic conditions with organic loading rate (ORL) of 0.2 kg VS/m3.day and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 5 days. Observations were made for a period of 128 days. The results...

Author(s): Adelere E. Adeniran and Uduoghene B. Onothoja

Outbreak investigation of Newcastle disease virus from vaccinated chickens in Eritrea

August 2017

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most important infectious viral diseases of poultry in Eritrea. Diagnosis of ND virus infection in Eritrea has been mainly based on clinical examination and post mortem lesions. This study describes ND diagnosis using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction PCR (RT-PCR), virus isolation and serological techniques (haemaglutination inhibition test) from two times vaccinated 40...

Author(s): Bereket Mihreteab, Beilul Gide, Fitsum Nguse, Yodahi Petros and Yohana Simon

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous extract of Moringa stenopetala leaves

August 2017

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is non-toxic and eco-friendly than commonly used physicochemical methods. The study focuses on synthesis, characterization, antibacterial and antioxidant activity of AgNPs synthesized using aqueous extract of Moringa stenopetala (M. stenopetala) leaves. Optimum heating time required for the preparation of aqueous extract of M. stenopetala leaves was 15 min. It was found...

Author(s): Abambagade Abera Mitiku and Belete Yilma

Antibacterial activity of Aspergillus isolated from different Algerian ecosystems

August 2017

Thirty two strains of Aspergillus genus were isolated from soil samples obtained from particular ecosystems: Laghouat endowed with a desert climate and Teleghma with a warm and temperate climate. Based on the morphological aspect, this collection was subdivided into ten phenotypic groups. This identification was confirmed by molecular analyzes using a molecular marker of the genu ribosomal 18s. This marker will allow us...

Author(s): Bramki Amina, Ghorri Sana, Jaouani Atef, Dehimat Laid and Kacem Chaouche Noreddine

Quorum sensing signal production by sponge-associated bacteria isolated from the Red Sea, Egypt

August 2017

Bacteria regulate their social activities and physiological processes through a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism. Many bacteria inhabit the mesohyl matrix of sponges. This symbiotic relationship is believed to contribute to the health and nutrition of sponges by production of protective antibiotics, the acquisition of limiting nutrients and nitrogen fixation. Marine isolates were analysed by bioassays using two different...

Author(s): Ramadan Yahia, Amro Hanora, Nora Fahmy and Khaled A. Aly

Review on factors affecting the quality and antioxidant properties of tomatoes

August 2017

Postharvest losses in tomatoes are not only quantitative but also qualitative losses which directly can have a negative impact on consumer’s preference, nutritional quality and income of producers. Therefore, it is important to identify factors that can affect the postharvest quality and antioxidant composition of tomatoes. Tomato quality is an outcome of several factors including cultivar selection, environmental...

Author(s): Shimeles Tilahun, Do Su Park, Mu Hong Seo and Cheon Soon Jeong

Purification and characterization of thermostable and alcohol tolerant lipase from Pseudoxanthomonas sp.

August 2017

An extracellular lipase from Psedoxanthomonas sp. was purified 47.3 folds with an overall yield of 27% through purification procedure of acetone precipitation, ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Protein precipitation using acetone fractionation showed that the enzyme was precipitated at the fraction of 0 to 40%. Further purification of the enzyme by ion exchange followed by gel filtration chromatography...

Author(s): Syifa F. Syihab, Fida Madayanti, Akhmaloka Akhmaloka, and Made Puspasari Widhiastuty

Evaluating auto-detoxification of Jatropha curcas Linnaeus, 1753 kernel cake with brine shrimp Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758) lethality test

August 2017

Jatropha curcas Linnaeus, 1753 is a plant with several uses for communities in Cameroon and other African countries. However, present methods of detoxifying J. curcas kernel cake (JKC) to add value to its further utilization are too sophisticated for cottage operations in rural areas. This study sought to evaluate two auto-detoxification methods using the shellfish brine shrimp, Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758). Two...

Author(s): Divine Ewane, Pius M. Oben, Kenneth J. N. Ndamukong, Benedicta O. Oben, Kingsley A. Etchu and Kennedy F. Chah

Exploring genetic diversity and structure of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. to improve its conservation in Niger

August 2017

The genetic diversity of African forest resources is poorly documented while it can be the basis for adapting these resources to climatic variations. This study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of the Acacia senegal (L.) Willd in its natural range in Niger. 252 individuals from 10 populations of the species, across three gum basins were analyzed with 9 nuclear microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity indexes...

Author(s): ELHADJI SEYBOU Djibo, ASSOUMANE Aichatou, ABDOU MAMAN Manssour, HASSANE ISSOUFOU Bil-assanou, MOUSSA Djibo, TIDJANI Moussa and ALZOUMA MAYAKI Zouberou

Genetic and phenotypic variations in egg shell colour of two ectotypes of Giant African Land Snail (Archachatina marginata var. saturalis)

August 2017

Data from the snail farm of the University of Calabar, Nigeria were collected and utilized to investigate the distribution and gene frequencies of egg shell colour of two ectotypes of Giant African Land Snails (Archachatina marginata var. saturalis), black skinned (BS) × black skinned mating group, and white skinned (WS) × white skinned mating group. The eggs collected were scored for the presence of yellow...

Author(s): Ibom L. A., Okon B.,  Akpe A. E. and Okon F. I.

Application of in-vitro micropropagation technique for sustainable production of four local taro cultivars [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] in Cameroon

July 2017

Taro leaf blight disease has recently been reported in Cameroon to cause between 50 and 100% yields loss of taro in most of the agro-ecological crop growing regions. This has led to a significant reduction in disease-free planting materials, edible crop and increased. The Meristem culture technique has been used to produce crop plants free of viruses and fungi especially in vegetative propagated colocassia plants. This...

Author(s): Manju B. Evelyn, Mbong A. Grace, Fokunang N. Charles, Tembe-Fokunang A. Estella and Rachid Hanna

Development of a sweet whey-based medium for culture of Lactobacillus

July 2017

In this study, the potential use of sweet whey as a base medium for lactic acid bacteria culture and its effect on the technological characteristics of lactobacilli was evaluated. Bacteria were grown on raw or deproteinized whey supplemented with different amounts of yeast extract and/or tomato juice. Results obtained showed that biomass production on whey supplemented with yeast extract was higher than those observed...

Author(s): Miloud BENAISSA, Halima ZADI-KARAM and Nour-Eddine KARAM

Evaluation of plant-growth promoting properties of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus and Gluconacetobacter sacchari isolated from sugarcane and tomato in West Central region of Colombia

July 2017

The genus Gluconacetobacter comprises different species with agricultural and industrial importance. This study aims at determining the presence of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus and Gluconacetobacter sacchari in sugarcane and tomato crops considering their potential biotechnological applications. Bacteria were isolated from roots, stems and leaf tissues and identified using phenotypic and biochemical evaluations, and...

Author(s): Gloria M. Restrepo, Óscar J. Sánchez, Sandra M. Marulanda, Narmer F. Galeano and Gonzalo Taborda

Influence of seasonality on the yield and composition of the essential oil of Siparuna guianensis Aublet

July 2017

The plant Siparuna guianensis is used in traditional medicine and has been the target of studies on the development of new drugs for the control of pests and vector insects. The present study was aimed to evaluate the seasonal influence on the content and composition of the essential oil of S. guianensis. The experiment was conducted for 12 months evaluating the yield of the essential oil of leaves throughout the...

Author(s): Taciano Peres Ferreira, Iohanna Gabrielle Ponki Kuckelhaus, Paulo Henrique Tschoeke, Alex Sander Cangussu, Jaqueline Cibene Moreira Borges, Wellington de Souza Moura and Raimundo Wagner de Souza Aguiar

Tommy Atkins mango (Mangifera indica L.) postharvest quality with cassava starch, chitosan and pectin based coatings

July 2017

Bearing in mind the use of natural and biodegradable products, this study aimed to evaluate physicochemical quality of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mangoes coated with a cassava starch, chitosan and pectin based edible coatings. The experiment was conducted using simplex-centroid mixture design. Compounds concentration corresponded to the independent variables studied, encoded as factors x1, x2 and x3: 1– cassava...

Author(s): Thiago Azevedo DE OLIVEIRA, Cristiane Alves de PAIVA, Ana Cláudia da SILVA, Tamara Lorena Eufrásio da COSTA, Luan Vitor NASCIMENTO, Ricardo Henrique de Lima LEITE and Edna Maria Mendes AROUCHA

Significance of fluorescent inter simple sequence repeat technique for distinguishing domestic animal breeds

July 2017

Conservation of farm animal genetic resources is of fundamental importance for the study of the relationships among breeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the nuclear fluorescence inter simple sequence repeat (FISSR) markers in order to shed light on the genetic biodiversity of domestic animals. Two modifications of the original technique were made so as to make it more suitable for routine...

Author(s): Gian Luca Dedola, Vittorio Farina, Casmir Igbokwe, Renato Robledo, Marco Casu, Daria Sanna, Marcella Carcupino, Michele Pazzola, Emanuela Pira, Giovanni Paolo Biggio, Raffaele Cherchi and Marco Zedda

Quantitative trait loci for resistance to spotted and African maize stem borers (Chilo partellus and Busseola fusca) in a tropical maize (Zea mays L.) population

July 2017

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the staple food in Kenya, and mapping the qualitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to maize stem borer pest is important towards marker assisted breeding for this quantitative trait. The objective of this study was to identify any QTL associated with resistance to Chilo partellus and Busseola fusca, the two important stem borer pests in maize production in Kenya. A total of 203 F2:3...

Author(s): Munyiri, S. W. and Mugo, S. N.

Characterization of cassava starch films plasticized with glycerol and strengthened with nanocellulose from green coconut fibers

July 2017

The aim of this study was to obtain and characterize biodegradable films of cassava starch plasticized with glycerol and reinforced with nanocellulose from coconut fibers. The mechanical and physical-chemical properties of the nano-biocomposites films obtained were evaluated. The method used to investigate the viability of incorporating coconut nanocellulose in films was applied through a statistical design of the...

Author(s): Bruna Aparecida Souza Machado, João Henrique de Oliveira Reis, Lindaiá Santos Cruz, Ingrid Lessa Leal,  Josiane Dantas Viana Barbosa, Joyce Batista Azevedo and Janice Izabel Druzian

Effect of resin from Commiphora swynnertonii on white blood cell and selected haematopoietic organs in albino mice (Mus musculus)

July 2017

Commiphora swynnertonii is among the most commonly used medicinal plants by pastoralist communities especially in northern regions of Tanzania. The effect of resin from this plant on white blood cells (WBC) and haematopoietic organs was studied using albino mice. Sixty adult mice were randomly assigned into four groups (n = 15). G1 acted as control whereas G2, G3 and G4 received oral doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg resin...

Author(s): Bakari G. G., Ceaser G., Max R. A. and Mbasa G. K.

Generation of gua1 deletion using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mediated gene disruption method in fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe

July 2017

Gua1 gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe encodes inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), which catalyzes the first step in de novo biosynthesis of guanosine monophosphate (GMP). Knock-out cassette was constructed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based gene targeting technique for deletion of gua1 gene in S. pombe and this knock-out cassette was transformed to S.s pombe wild type (972h-). Knock-out...

Author(s): Merve YILMAZER, Bedia PALABIYIK, Aysegul TOPAL SARIKAYA and Semian KARAER UZUNER

Silver nanoparticles biosynthesis and impregnation in cellulose acetate membrane for anti-yeast therapy

July 2017

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are nanoforms that express higher antimicrobial potential due to their shape and reduced size. The use of fungi to mediate the synthesis of AgNPs has increased the interest of scientists because of their rapid growth, large-scale cultivation and secretion of non-toxic molecules. The aim of this study was to synthesize AgNPs mediated by Aspergillus oryzae DPUA 1624 and evaluate the...

Author(s): Taciana A. Silva, Patrícia F. Andrade, Karen Segala, Larissa S. C. Silva, Larissa P. Silva, Silvia V. G. Nista, Lucia H. I. Mei, Nelson Durán, and Maria F. S. Teixeira

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) profiling of red pigment produced by Bacillus subtilis PD5

July 2017

Pigments play an important role in physiological and molecular processes such as photosynthesis, survival to oxidative damage and resistance to ultra violet radiation in microorganisms. This study isolated and characterized pigment produced by Bacillus subtilis PD5 from soil sample of rice field. The pigment was extracted using three solvent system, namely, methanol, n-hexane and ethyl acetate. Fourier transform...

Author(s): Neha Trivedi, Shishir Tandon and Ashutosh Dubey

Evaluation of antihyperglycemic, antiradical and acute oral toxicity activities of aqueous leaves extract of Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae) from Benin in normal rats

July 2017

Moringa oleifera is a commonly cultivated plant in the world. It has a high economic impact owing to its medicinal and nutritional values. Leaves of M. oleifera also contain various constituents that are useful for therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study is (i) to perform phytochemical screening, and to check antiradical and antihyperglycaemic activities of M. oleifera aqueous leaves extract (ii) to control the...

Author(s): LALEYE Obafèmi Arnauld Fernand, AZANDO Erick Virgile Bertrand,, OLOUNLADE Abiodoun Pascal,, TOHOUEGNON Théophile, LALEYE Anatole and AHISSOU Hyacinthe

Evaluation of hypolipidemic activity of different extracts of Chomelia asiatica (Linn) in rat fed with atherogenic diet

July 2017

In the present investigation, the hypolipidemic activity of different extracts of aerial parts of Chomelia asiatica (Linn) is shown. The evaluation dose of different extracts (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol) of C. asiatica was fixed at 200 mg/kg/day. Hypolipidemic activity was screened by inducing hyperlipidemia with the help of atherogenic diet (AD) in Wistar albino rats and plasma levels of different...

Author(s): Abdul Hameed Thayyil, Arumugam Kottai Muthu and Mohammed Ibrahim

Generating virus-free cassava plants by in vitro propagation with chemical and heat treatment

July 2017

Cassava production in eastern and Central Africa is severely threatened by the current epidemic of cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). The disease is caused by cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) of the genus Ipomovirus, family Potyviridae. Using virus-free planting material is one effective way to reduce CBSD yield losses in farmer fields. The effects of chemical and heat...

Author(s): Mohammed I. U., Ghosh S. and Maruthi M. N.

Molecular discrimination of Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense isolates of Nigerian origin

July 2017

The present study was conducted to assess the molecular discrimination of field isolates of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax of Nigeria origin in vitro (PCR) whether there will be genetic alteration of the parasites as the infections of the isolates in Yankasa sheep progresses from acute through relapses to chronic stages. A total of thirty Yankasa sheep were acquired from Kastina State in the northern part...

Author(s): C. I. Ogbaje, I. A. Lawal and J. K. P. Kwaga

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