An improved protocol for in vitro propagation of the medicinal plant Mimosa pudica L.
March 2017
This work aimed to develop a protocol for the in vitro establishment, multiplication, rooting and ex vitro acclimatization of Mimosa pudica L., a species used in folk medicine and with pharmacological activity. Aseptic cultures were established from seeds inoculated in MS medium, without growth regulators, followed by an in vitro stabilization phase in culture medium supplemented with 2.22 μM BAP. The cultures were...
Biodegradation of monocrotophos by bacteria isolated from soil
March 2017
Bacteria were isolated by enrichment culture technique from groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) soils and tested for their ability to degrade monocrotophos in mineral salts medium under aerobic conditions in the laboratory. Based on some of the morphological and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolates were identified as Rhodococcus phenolicus strain MCP1 and Rhodococcus ruber strain MCP-2. The initial (0-day) recovery...
Silver nanoparticles biosynthesized by secondary metabolites from Moringa oleifera stem and their antimicrobial properties
March 2017
Biological extracts have recently shown a great potential for rapid biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antibacterial activity. AgNPs were synthetized by reduction effect of secondary metabolites produced by the Nigrospora sp. fungus, from Moringa oleifera stem as a reducing agent and silver nitrate (AgNO3) (1 mM) as salt precursor. The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) was monitored through analysis of the...
Effect of the essential oils of Thymus vulgaris, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Mentha piperita on fungal growth and morphology
March 2017
This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of essential oils of Thymus vulgaris L., Cinnamomum zeylanicum B. and Mentha piperita L. on some saprophytic fungi. Essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation, and chemical composition was analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). T. vulgaris had as major components, Thymol (35.12%), p-cymene (25.36%) and γ–terpinene...
Comparative study of native microorganisms isolated from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) waste and commercial microorganism (Clostridium thermocellum) used for bioethanol production
March 2017
This study was to examine the efficiency of native microorganisms, in relation to the commercial bacterium Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 for bioethanol production from waste watermelon on a pilot scale. The raw material was subjected to a grinding process for the later stage of hydrolysis under different temperatures using Aspergillus fumigatus and Leuconostoc dextranicum native microorganisms. This was followed...
Hybrids performance of doubled haploid lines derived from 10 tropical bi-parental maize populations evaluated in contrasting environments in Kenya
February 2017
The doubled haploid (DH) technology enables maize breeders to develop a large number of homozygous lines rapidly and test them in hybrid combinations early in the breeding cycle. The objectives of this study were to evaluate testcross performance of 556 DH lines derived from 10 diverse tropical backcross (BC1) populations, and to estimate variance components and broad-sense heritability under both well-watered and...
Identification of superior soybean lines by assessing genetic parameters and path analysis of grain yield components
February 2017
This study estimated genetic parameters, identified traits of direct and indirect correlation with the grain yield through path analysis and select superior lines, maximizing genetic gain. Two experiments were conducted in 2012/2013 season in randomized blocks with three replications. 23 lines (experiment I) and 44 lines (experiment II) were seeded. For all traits analyzed in both experiments, there was a significant...
Evaluation of some biological activities of Euglena gracilis biomass produced by a fed-batch culture with some crop fertilizers
February 2017
The feasibility of growing Euglena gracilis in some crop fertilizers was investigated and some biological activities of the produced biomass were evaluated. A fed-batch mixotrophic culture was done in an airlift photobioreactor operated at an aeration rate of 0.2 vvm. A final biomass concentration of 2.6 gL-1 obtained with NPK15:15:15 after 96 h of cultivation was significantly lower than the 5.7 gL-1 obtained with BGII...
Genetic diversity and population structure of traditional sweet cassava accessions from Southern of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, using microsatellite markers
February 2017
Sweet cassava is a food culture of great importance because it is a source of nutrition and energy for millions of people in tropical and sub-tropical regions. For that reason, genetic diversity and population structure studies are necessary in order to obtain more information regarding the evaluated genotypes, reassuring their use in future breeding programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic...
Blood biochemical profile of Sudanese crossbred repeat breeder cows
February 2017
Repeat breeder (RB) is a cow that fails to conceive from three or more successive insemination, but with normal estrus and absence of detectable clinical abnormalities. It is one of the major problems in dairy production. In the present study, the plasma biochemistry of Sudanese crossbred RB cows was examined. Plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), total protein (TP) and urea nitrogen were...
Effect of mineral salts and nitrogen source on yeast (Candida utilis NOY1) biomass production using tubers wastes
February 2017
The deficiency of protein in human food and animal feed is well recognized due to the rapid growth of population. It is therefore, important to increase protein production by utilizing all the available ways and means. In the light of this, an attempt was made in this study by selecting Candida utilis NOY1. This yeast was used to determine the optimum concentration of different minerals salts and nitrogen source on...
Assessment of genetic variations of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) in the Volta Lake of Ghana using microsatellite markers
February 2017
A study was conducted to investigate genetic diversity and population structure among populations of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Cichlidae) in the Volta Lake of Ghana using microsatellite markers. Four hundred (400) fish specimens were obtained from nine naturally occurring subpopulations and one selectively bred strain, ‘Akosombo strain’. These were characterized using 15 microsatellite loci. Twelve...
Uses and technological prospects for the mangaba, a native fruit of Brazil
February 2017
Mangaba (Hancornia speciosa Gomes - Apocynaceae) is a native fruit of Brazil which is of great importance in its areas of occurrence. This species has been subjected to habitat fragmentation that is mainly due to human activity, and requires conservation. The aim of the present review was to evaluate the biotechnological advances in the species. This paper deals with recent studies on the genetic diversity and bioactive...
Qualitative detection of genetically modified material in crops and food products containing maize and soybean in Algeria
February 2017
The present study was carried out to ascertain the genetic status of soybean and maize crops introduced in Algeria and to test local and imported products containing maize and soybean for the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMO into the food and feed chain). Samples from crops and processed food products were selected, randomly sampled and screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of the...
Algae for Africa: Microalgae as a source of food, feed and fuel in Kenya
February 2017
Microalgae are unicellular photosynthetic organisms that inhabit diverse ecological habitats ranging from freshwater and brackish water to seawater and wastewater. They are also especially equipped to thrive in extreme temperatures and pH conditions. Decades of research have highlighted their potential as sources of biofuels, foods, feeds and high-value bio-actives. However, industrial-scale cultivation of microalgae is...
Tradescantia pallida as a biomonitoring tool to assess the influence of vehicle exhaustion and benzene derivatives
February 2017
Air pollutants affect their quality, making, inappropriate, harmful and damaging to health in general. The air quality can be measured by the use of higher plants as bioindicators in environmental biomonitoring. In this study, we evaluated the increased frequency of micronuclei (MN) in Tradescantia pallida exposed to potentially toxic environments. The vegetables were implanted in five points (4 test and 1 control) for...
The ameliorative role of cranberry extract and bone marrow cells against chlorambucil cytotoxicity in rat fertility
February 2017
The objective of the current study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of cranberry extracts and bone marrow cells against chlorambucil (CHB) effect on rats' fertility. Forty adult male albino rats were divided randomly into eight equal groups as the following; normal control, rats injected orally with 0.2 mg/kg of CHB for 14 days, rats injected orally with 100 mg/kg of cranberry extract (CB) for ten days,...
Influence of Suillus luteus on Fusarium damping-off in pine seedlings
February 2017
The role of the ectomycorrhizal (Myc) fungus Suillus luteus as a biological control agent against damping off caused by Fusarium verticillioides (Fo) and Fusarium oxysporum (Fm) on Scots (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) was studied in a greenhouse experiment. The vegetative mycelium of S. luteus in a vermiculite/peat carrier was added to potting substrate before inoculation with Fo or Fm spores...
Expression stability of reference genes in the skeletal muscles of beef cattle
February 2017
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relative expression stability of five candidate reference genes in the semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus thoracis (LT) of beef steers, heifers and young bulls. The mRNA levels of Beta-Actin, eukaryotic initiation factor-2B Subunit 2, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, peptidylprolyl isomerase-A and succinate dehydrogenase complex-subunit A were quantified using...
The potential of Aspergillus species in transformation of agricultural products for sustainable production of textile and leather industries in Tanzania
February 2017
Manufacturing industries contribute about 8% of the gross domestic products (GDP) whereas leather and textile industries supply 18% employments of manufacturing industries in Tanzania. Manufacturing industries merely depend on agriculture for raw materials and other inputs. However, processing of leather and textiles requires a lot of inputs, many of them supplied from agricultural produce and some are imported from...
Selection of filamentous fungi producing lipases from residual waters of slaughterhouses
February 2017
The exploration and use of lipases produced by microorganisms are in line with societal concerns since they provide clean development options within the standards of environmental sustainability. The objective of this work was therefore to isolate microorganisms with the potential of producing lipases, which could be used in the waste water treatment systems of slaughterhouse units. Waste water samples were collected...
Optimization of biomass and glucoamylase production by Candida famata using response surface methodology
February 2017
Glucoamylase is among the most important enzymes in biotechnology. The present study aims to determine better conditions for growth and glucoamylase productivity by Candida famata and to reduce the overall cost of the medium using central composite design (CCD) with one central point and response surface methodology. A three-level central composite design (CCD) factorial design based was employed to obtain optimal...
Effect of activators and inhibitors on extracellular thermostable alkaline protease isolated from Bacillus subtilis obtained from eastern province of Saudi Arabia
February 2017
Alkaline proteases need some ions to achieve highest activity. These metallic ions help in, enzyme stability and activity through its thermal stability at high degrees. This protects the enzyme from being destroyed by heat. The results show that the ideal condition for enzyme activity was, using Mn2+ ions as the activator with 1112.5 U/ml activity, while MgSO4.7H2O has lower effectiveness of an enzyme activity...
Use of biosurfactant surfactin produced from cassava wastewater for anaerobic treatment of effluent from a poultry slaughterhouse
February 2017
The use of a biosurfactant surfactin produced by Bacillus subtilis LB5a in cassava growth medium (cassava wastewater) was evaluated to treat anaerobically, the effluent from a poultry slaughterhouse. During the effluent pretreatment, effects of surfactin concentration factors were evaluated, considering the ones which were superior and below its critical micelle concentration (CMC = 28 mg L-1): 6, 13, 27, 31, 48, 73 and...
Plant physiological stimulation by seeds salt priming in maize (Zea mays): Prospect for salt tolerance
February 2017
Nowadays to lessen the influence of salinity on crop performances such as germination, seedling growth and yield, several actions are undertaken; for example the use of different priming methods, antioxidants and plant growth controllers. Seed priming, best fits in this study on maize crop and is controlled by hydration process followed by re-drying that allows pre-germination which enhanced metabolic activities to...
Nanoscale development and its application in multidisciplinary area: An African perspective
February 2017
The need to fulfil and address the United Nations millennium goals in developing countries is essential and recently nanotechnology has proved and shown potential to change and improve many sectors of African industry, from consumer products to health care to transportation, energy and agriculture. In addition to these societal benefits, nanotechnology presents new opportunities to improve how we measure, monitor,...
Phytochemical importance and utilization potential of grape residue from wine production
February 2017
Grapes are placed at a distinct position, both in the economy and at nutritional and phytochemical levels. The number of studies performed aimed at identifying the various bioactive compounds of grapes, how their cellular structures are linked, efficient methods of extraction and its effect on human health are rather relevant. The use of grapes for wine production is a worldwide activity, therefore a great quantity of...
Genetic diversity among Sawakni, Berberi and Najdi sheep breeds in Saudi Arabia using microsatellites markers
January 2017
The present study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of three sheep populations namely; Sawakni (SW), Berberi (BR) and Najdi (NJ), in Saudi Arabia, utilizing 45, 18 and 31 individual blood DNA extractions, respectively. Seventeen microsatellite markers were used to genotype these 94 sheep individuals. There were 195 alleles generated employing the 17 microsatellites loci with...
Molecular identification, micronutrient content, antifungal and hemolytic activity of starfish Asterias amurensis collected from Kobe coast, Japan
January 2017
The starfish Asterias amurensis is one of the common species in Japanese coastal area. The species is considered an extremely rich source of biological active compounds, including saponin. Saponins are secondary metabolites and exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activities. The species of starfish caught in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, Japan, was analyzed for species identification and micronutrient content. The starfish...
Relationship analysis between gene expression profiles and rat liver cirrhosis occurrence
January 2017
Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a kind of liver disease which is pathologically characterized by abnormality and necrosis of hepatic cells, proliferation of fibrous tissue, nodular regeneration and pseudolobule formation. To explore the mechanism of LC occurrence at the level of mRNA, Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array was used to detect gene expression profiles of rat fibrotic livers in 3, 6 and 9 weeks after CCl4 treatment in this...
Microbial production of carotenoids – A review
January 2017
Carotenoids are natural pigments that can be synthesized by various microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi and microalgae. These pigments comprise around 700 different structures with peculiar colors and biological properties that are beneficial to health. Advantages of biotechnological production of carotenoids include the ability of microorganisms to use low cost substrates, the optimized...
Composting of sugar cane bagasse by Bacillus strains
January 2017
Composting of sugar cane bagasse with Bacillus sp. CMAGI2 and Bacillus subtilis JCM 1465T strains was carried out during five months at horticultural center. Chemical, biochemical and microbial parameters were followed during this process. There was a difference between inoculated composts and non-inoculated compost. These bacterial additives allowed greater biodegradation compared to control compost. The inoculated...
Effect of processing methods on the nutritional values and anti-nutritive factors of Adenanthera pavonina L. (Fabaceae) seeds
January 2017
This research aimed at determining the effect of processing on the nutritional and anti-nutritional values of “food tree” [Adenanthera pavonina L. (Fabaceae)] seeds, a highly nutritional and underutilized legume. The seeds were separated into three groups namely, boiled, roasted and raw. Quantitative analysis was carried out to measure their proximate, minerals, vitamins and anti-nutrients compositions....
Protection of Lactobacillus acidophilus under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions employing binary microcapsules containing inulin
January 2017
In this research, microcapsules based on low acyl gellan (LAG) and sodium alginate (SA) containing inulin were developed in order to assess its protective effect on the viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions.The results showed that microencapsulated cells display significantly (P<0.05) higher resistance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions (SGIC) than free cells....
Kinetic models and parameters estimation study of biomass and ethanol production from inulin by Pichia caribbica (KC977491)
January 2017
The growth kinetics and modeling of ethanol production from inulin by Pichia caribbica (KC977491) were studied in a batch system. Unstructured models were proposed using the logistic equation for growth, the Luedeking-Piret equation for ethanol production and modified Leudeking-Piret model for substrate consumption. Kinetic parameters (X0, μm, m, n, p and q) were determined by nonlinear regression, using...
Characterization and optimization of lipase activity produced by Pseudomonas monteilli 2403-KY120354 isolated from ground beef
January 2017
A total of 56 Gram negative bacterial isolates were recovered from twenty ground beef samples and were screened for their potentiality to produce lipase. Forty four bacterial isolates were recorded as positive producers for lipase on tween as carbon source in solid medium. Also, the highly producer isolates were screened for lipase activity in submerged culture using olive oil as carbon and the most active isolate was...
Factors affecting reproductive performance of dairy cow in Algeria: Effects of clinical mastitis
January 2017
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of clinical mastitis at the beginning of lactation on reproductive performance of dairy cows in Algeria. Calving to first insemination and calving to conception intervals, number of insemination per conception and conception rate at the first artificial insemination were recorded for 432 cows from 16 dairy herds in Algeria. Cows were examined for clinical...
Protocol optimization for in vitro shoot multiplication of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.)
January 2017
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) is a cross pollinated fruit tree valued mainly for its fruit and timber wood. Although the crop has been introduced to Ethiopia and adapted well to the Jimma area, its potential for production has not been exploited due to the absence of an efficient method for large scale propagation. Micropropagation is a method for production of large number of genetically uniform planting...
Effects of regionally applied heating on the respiration of wild type and transgenic soybean (Glycine max) plants grown under ambient and elevated CO2 environments
January 2017
Nocturnal dark respiration (Rn) in wild type and transgenic soybean plants grown at SoyFACE research facility, Illinois, USA under ambient and elevated CO2 conditions was examined in this study. Transgenic plants were transformed to overexpress a key Calvin cycle enzyme sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (SBP) which is thought to improve yield in the field by at least 11%. Heating was applied using infrared heaters...
Antibacterial potential components of Bacillus species and antibiotics residues in branded and unbranded honey samples from Nigeria
January 2017
Honey is a sweet viscous liquid produced by honey bee, Apis mellifera from the nectar of plants. Honey is a natural product that has been used from ancient times till now as food and for medicinal purpose. This study was carried out to determine the mode of action of Bacillus species and antibiotics residues in branded and unbranded honey samples from Nigeria. Bacilli spp. count was carried out by initially heating...
Extraction and characterisation of gelatin from the skin of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) and studies on its colour improvement
January 2017
Functional properties of gelatin from skin of striped catfish with and without bleaching for 48 h by 5% H2O2 (w/v)) were studied. Gelatin from skin bleached with 5% H2O2 for 48 h showed the highest yield (16.18 g). Bleaching not only improved the colour of gelatin gel by increasing the L* (lightness)-value and decreasing a*(redness/greenness)-value, but also enhanced the bloom strength and the emulsifying and foaming...
Electrolyte ions and glutathione enzymes as stress markers in Argania spinosa subjected to drought stress and recovery
January 2017
Understanding the mechanisms underlying Argania spinosa responses to drought stress is essential for its regeneration and domestication. Toward that end, an integrative study of tolerance responses to drought stress in four A. spinosa ecotypes (2 contrasting coastal ecotypes (Adm and Rab) and 2 contrasting inland ecotypes (Alz and Lks)) have been conducted. Responses to soil drying and re-watering were measured at...
Molecular detection of disease resistance genes to powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) in wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars
January 2017
A study was conducted to detect the presence of disease resistance genes to infection of wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) in selected wheat cultivars from China using molecular markers. Genomic DNA of sixty cultivars was extracted and tested for the presence of selected prominent resistance genes to the fungal disease using molecular markers linked to Pm genes. Results showed that 17 cultivars...
Generation of bioethanol from common date by-products, “Teggaza and Lebghel†in Southern Algeria
January 2017
Date by-products constitute the principal food for the oasis populations in Middle East and North Africa. Dates contents consist of 70 to 80% of reducing sugars, and do not require an intensive energy and labour for thermophysical pre-treatment. They can serve as a good feedstock for bioethanol generation through fermentation and distillation. Algeria is among the top sixth producers of dates in the world with more than...
Isolation and characterization of heavy metal tolerant bacteria from Panteka stream, Kaduna, Nigeria and their potential for bioremediation
January 2017
Panteka stream is a flowing stream polluted with wastes from the activities of mechanics. Water samples collected at different points of the stream were analysed in order to determine the level of heavy metal contamination and bacteria diversity with the view to elucidating the bioremediating potentials of the bacteria isolates. Four bacteria, tolerant to heavy metals, were isolated from Panteka stream. These were...
Comparison of growth and yield adaptability indicators of two maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars under planting basin technique in Zimbabwe
January 2017
In eastern semi-arid Zimbabwe, planting basins are mostly used to boost maize yields, but still low yields are often obtained due to poor choices of varieties to grow. A comparative study of growth and yield of the only two locally and commonly grown Pioneer cultivars (P2859W and PHB3253) under planting basin technique (PBT) was carried out to determine a more adaptable cultivar in Guhune, eastern Zimbabwe (NR IV). The...
Optimizing Bacillus circulans Xue-113168 for biofertilizer production and its effects on crops
December 2016
In this study, Bacillus circulans Xue-113168 biofertilizer was produced through solid state fermentation processes using food waste and feldspar. Results confirmed that solid state fermentation has considerable advantages compared to complex process (solid-state and bio-bleach). The control of pH, temperature, and humidity effectively led to the formation of 2×109 cfu/g spore and dissolution of potassium at a rate...
Effect of solarization with fresh chicken manure on verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Klebb) and yield in eggplant
December 2016
The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of reducing wilt disease through the medium of fresh chicken manure (FCM) mixed with soil before solarized and then artificial Verticillium dahliae (V.d) inoculation on yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) under field conditions. According to the split-plot design, solarization of main plots, sub-plots with fresh chicken manure and V dahliae inoculation were...
Nucellar embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration in monoembryonic and polyembryonic mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars
December 2016
Biotic and abiotic stress particularly fungal diseases and salinity are major challenges facing mango cultivations in Oman. Micropropagation technique for multiplying disease resistant and salinity tolerant elite cultivars could be utilized to replace dead and infected plants in mango orchards but standardize in-vitro regeneration protocol via somatic embryogenesis is prerequisite. Nucellar tissues from immature mango...
Genetic diversity and population structure of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) germplasm of Ethiopia as revealed by microsatellite markers
December 2016
The Ethiopian genetic center is considered to be one of the secondary centers of diversity for the common bean. This study was conducted to characterize the distribution of genetic diversity between and within ecological/geographical regions of Ethiopia. A germplasm sample of 116 landrace accessions was developed, which represented different common bean production ecologies and seed types common in the country. This...
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