Selection of Lactobacillus strains newly isolated from Algerian camel and mare fermented milk for their in vitro probiotic and lipolytic potentials
October 2019
The main objective of this study was the characterization of new lactobacilli probiotic strains belonging to lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Eighty-eight strains were isolated from different Algerian camel and mare fermented milks; three of them were pre-selected for their stability, fast growth and resistance to acidity and bile salts. Cell viability was assessed in simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. On the other...
Genetic diversity assessment of yams (Dioscorea spp.) from Ethiopia using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers
October 2019
The genetic diversity and relationships of 70 accessions of yam belonging to Dioscorea cayenensis/Dioscorea rotundata complex (55), Dioscorea bulbifera (13) and Dioscorea alata (2, as a reference) were assessed using six inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. DNA was extracted from a bulk of two plants per accession using a modified cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Six ISSR primers amplified 77...
Development and validation of an analytical method for quantification of total flavonoids in Alternanthera brasiliana by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrophotometry
October 2019
Alternanthera brasiliana is popularly known in Brazil as "penicillin" or "benzetacil" and is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of infections and for the healing of wounds. It is also used as an ornamental plant due to the characteristic purple coloration of its leaves when cultivated in shade. The objective of this study was to develop and validate an analytical methodology by...
Variable DNA methylation in Ensete (Ensete ventricosum) clones associated with developmental stage revealed by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) with Methylation-Sensitive enzyme
October 2019
Ensete (Ensete ventricosum) is an important perennial species in Ethiopia. It is used for food and fiber. The mode of propagation is asexual and sexual. Asexual form of reproduction is by natural and anthropogenic induced sucker. This research aims to investigate and measure the methylation diversity of natural and anthropogenic induced sucker forming Ensete. Twenty-seven individuals from Hawassa University research...
Nutritional enhancement of cocoa pod husk meal through fermentation using Rhizopus stolonifer
October 2019
This study evaluated the effect of fermentation period on the proximate composition, anti-nutritional content, fibre fractions and amino acid profile of cocoa pod husk meal (CPHM). Cocoa pod husk was taken through a solid state fermentation process involving Rhizopus stolonifer as its starter culture for a period of two weeks. The fermented CPHM was dried and analyzed for its proximate composition, anti-nutritional...
Comparison of embryo developmental rates in Nguni, Bonsmara and Boran beef cattle breeds following in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination
October 2019
The aim of this study was to compare the embryonic developmental rates in the Southern African cattle breeds. To do this, cryopreserved semen straws from Nguni, Bonsmara, and Boran bulls were thawed at 38°C and evaluated for sperm motility characteristics using Sperm Class Analyser (SCA). The fertilizing ability of frozen/thawed sperm was evaluated by performing artificial insemination (AI) and in vitro...
Scientific applications and prospects of nanomaterials: A multidisciplinary review
October 2019
Nanotechnology is the science of objects <100 nm in size. Research into the development and application of nanomaterials takes a material science and engineering-based approach to nanotechnology. Nanomaterials often possess interesting optical, electronic and mechanical properties. The capacity to construct large, intricate structures with nanometer precision is rapidly increasing and consists several top-down...
Economic viability of the biogas produced on pig farms in Brazil for electric power generation
October 2019
Electric energy generated by clean and renewable sources, such as biogas, is a subject widely discussed and of global importance. Biogas, besides being an alternative to other fuels uses a raw material, which in many cases is considered disposable, worthless and harmful to the environment when not correctly disposed of. Several factors influence the design, operation and collection of the final product. This paper is a...
Characterization of three full Iris yellow spot virus genes of a garlic-infecting isolate from Zimbabwe using next-generation sequencing technology
October 2019
Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) is an important pathogen of Allium species worldwide. It has a tripartite genome consisting of the large (L), medium (M) and small (S) RNA segments. Despite its worldwide distribution, very few complete gene and genome sequences are available in public databases. The aim of this study was to obtain full gene sequences of a garlic-infecting IYSV isolate by next-generation sequencing (NGS)...
Molecular identification of acetic acid bacteria isolated from fermented mango juices of Burkina Faso: 16S rRNA gene sequencing
September 2019
Acetic acid bacteria are known for their ability to oxidize ethanol to acetic acid. This study investigated to identify dominant strain acetic acid bacteria involving in fermented juice of mango and capable to produce Vinegar, total of 4 bacteria (CRSBAN-BVA1, CRSBAN-BVK1, CRSBAN-BVK2, CRSBAN-BVI1) bacteria strains were preselected ¶for the analyses. The strains were examined with biochemical, physiological and...
Phylogenetic analysis of bluetongue virus serotype16 based on genome segment 5 (encoding NS1)
September 2019
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the ‘type’ species of the genus Orbivirus within the family Reoviridae. The BTV genome is composed of ten linear segments of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), each of which codes for at least one of ten distinct viral proteins. Phylogenetic analysis based on VP2, VP3, VP5, VP7 and NS3 gene has been advocated by different researchers around the world. However, very little information...
Cytogenetic and molecular assessment of some nanoparticles using Allium sativum assay
September 2019
One of the primary objectives in agriculture is providing high-quality crops to consumers. Multiple techniques and methods are utilized to achieve this objective, including nanotechnology that depends on the use of very small materials, which will help in decreasing the amounts usually used with similar effects. Nanomaterials are used as fertilizers and also as component of nano-pesticides for plants. Despite their...
Biotechnological tools for detection, identification and management of plant diseases
September 2019
Detection and identification of plant pathogens is one of the most important strategies for sustainable plant diseases management. For this reason, the availability of fast, sensitive and accurate methods for detection and identification of plant pathogens is increasingly necessary to improve disease control decision making process. In other words, new technologies and improved methods with reduced/fair cost and...
Biopreservation of meat using the essential oil from Hyptis suaveolens Poit. (Lamiaceae) in Burkina Faso
September 2019
Essential oils are natural substances which can be used as natural conservators for foods. The present work aimed to evaluate biological properties of essential oil of Hyptis suaveolens and its effect on shelf-life of beef. The extraction was carried out by hydro-distillation. Antioxidant activity was determined by method of DPPH and FRAP. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the microdilution and agar diffusion...
Characterization of products from sawdust biodegradation using selected microbial culture isolated from it
September 2019
Characterization of products from sawdust degradation using selected microbial culture isolated from it was carried out. A composite sawdust waste sample was collected from MCC timber market in Calabar. The sample was diluted using serial dilution method and inoculated on Nutrient agar and Sabauraud dextrose agar using pour plate technique and incubated at 370C and 270C respectively. Five bacteria species and 3 species...
Aqueous Extracts of Pericopsis angolensis and Swartzia madagascariensis with High Antimicrobial Activities against Escherichia coli O157, Shigella spp. and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (Serovar typhi)
September 2019
This study determined the potential antidiarrhoeal potential of Pericopsis angolensis and Swartzia madagascariensis extracts against Escherichia coli O157, Shigella species and Salmonella Typhi. Extracts were obtained using the following methods: (i) hot water extraction (90°C) (LHWE), (ii) cold water extraction (CWED) and (iii) ethanolic extraction (EED). Antimicrobial effects of the extracts were determined using...
Extreme resistance to late blight disease by transferring 3 R genes from wild relatives into African farmer-preferred potato varieties
September 2019
Three late blight resistance (R) genes from wild potato species were transferred as a stack into the farmer-preferred varieties ‘Tigoni’ and ‘Shangi’. Transgenic events were tested by detached-leaf assays (DLA) and whole-plant assays (WPA) with isolates of Phytophthora infestans using 20,000 sporangia / mL inoculum. For the first DLA, 9 out of 13 ‘Tigoni’ and 10 out of 12...
Recombination fraction and genetic linkage among key disease resistance genes (Co-42/Phg-2 and Co-5/“P.ultâ€) in common bean
September 2019
Anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum), Angular leaf spot (Pseudocercospora griseola) and Pythium root rot are important pathogens affecting common bean production in the tropics. A promising strategy to manage these diseases consists of combining several resistance (R) genes into one cultivar. The aim of the study was to determine genetic linkage between gene pairs, Co-42/Phg-2, on bean-chromosome Pv08 and...
Potential of Opuntia stricta Haw (Mexican elephant ear) in removing cyanobacteria in surface water
September 2019
In this study, assays were carried out to evaluate the efficiency of cactus Opuntia stricta cladodes as a coagulant for removal of cyanobacteria cells. To carry out the coagulation assays, water from eutrophic reservoir Bodocongó, in Brazilian semiarid, with cyanobacteria bloom of Microcystis aeroginosa, Plankthotrix isothrix and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii were sampled. This water was submitted to coagulation...
Phenotypic characterization of selected Kenyan Khat (Catha edulis) cultivars based on morphological traits
September 2019
Khat (Catha edulis Vahl) is an evergreen shrub habitually ingested for its euphoric and stimulatory effects. The crop is grown in the Middle East, Somalia, East Africa and Ethiopia. It is referred to as Miraa in Kenya, while in Yemen it has several names like Qat, Kat, Kath, Gat, Chat and Tschat. It belongs to the sub-order Rosidae, family Celastraceae and characterized by astringent taste. Despite the daily use and...
Effect of explant source and different hormonal combinations on in vitro regeneration of Heracleum candicans Wall: An important medicinal herb
August 2019
In vitro regeneration of plants is influenced to a great extent by genotype, the type of explant used, media composition and plant growth regulators. This research was devised to study the effect of explant source and different hormonal combinations on the in vitro regeneration of Heracleum candicans. Two different explants viz; leaf and petiole were used to investigate their morphogenic response on MS medium...
Effects of salt stress on antioxidant system activity and peroxidation damage in root tip cells of strawberry
August 2019
In this study, strawberry seedlings were treated with 250 mmol·L-1 NaCl solution; then the O2- production rate, the content of H2O2 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), electrolyte leakage (EL), the enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) in the root tip cells were determined to be used for analysis after salt stress. The results revealed that the O2-...
Comparative study of fatty acid composition and nervonic acid contents of four tropicals plants: Ricinodendron heudelotii, Cyperus esculentus, Citrullus colocynthis and Irvingia gabonensis from Côte d’Ivoire
August 2019
This work was carried out to compare the potential applications of Ricinodendron heudelotii, Cyperus esculentus, Citrullus colocynthis and Irvingia gabonensis oil seeds by investigating their physicochemical parameters. Physicochemical parameters of the extracted oils were respectively as follow: Refractive index (1.49; 1.46; 1.45 and 1.44), acid value (1.35±0.02; 1.87 ± 0.45; 13.85 ± 0.02...
The urothelium enhancive polarization in CfTX-1 peptide intervened toad urinary bladder
August 2019
Toad urothelium barrier is the model to mimic and investigate urothelium permeability. Thiazide blocked ionic transportation in polarized membrane state. Jellyfish venom causes pores to be adjusted to urothelium permeability which improved polarization. This study aimed at CfTX-1 peptide in urothelium permeability evoked polarizations. Thiazide pretreated toad urothelium permeability to ions were investigated in...
Morphological and molecular characterization of Jatropha curcas L. germplasm in Botswana
August 2019
Jatropha curcas L. is an undomesticated plant species that has recently received great attention for its utilization in biofuel production in many countries including Botswana. The experiment investigated 30 J. curcas accessions, and the results revealed high significant differences (P<0.01) among accessions for peduncle length, number of seed per fruit, length of fruit stalk, fruit length, fruit width, seed length,...
Preparation and physicochemical characteristics of cross-linked resistant starch under heat-moisture treatment
August 2019
Sweet potato starch was subjected to cross-linking to achieve high content of resistant starch (RS) under heat-moisture treatment and the physicochemical properties of cross-linked sweet potato starches were investigated. The cross-linking agent was sodium trimetaphosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate (STMP/STPP). A maximum RS content (72.45%) was obtained after 10% STMP/STPP (99/1% w/w) at 120°C and pH 11.5...
Antioxidants enhance banana embryogenic cell competence to Agrobacterium mediated transformation
August 2019
Gene transfer into the plant cell is a key step towards its successful genetic modification and its efficiency is heavily dependent on plant and bacterial cell biological status and a wide array of physical conditions. Gene transfer efficiencies in East African Highland Banana (EAHB) cell lines remains low compared to other monocotyledonous crops like rice and wheat due to factors such as high oxidative stress. The use...
Anti-Xanthomonas activity of Antarctic fungi crude extracts
August 2019
Agriculture suffers considerable losses in its production caused by plant diseases. In the citrus culture some problems were associated with citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. That same way, sugarcane plantations are impaired to leaf scald disease caused by Xanthomonas albilineans. One of the measures used to contain citrus canker is the spray of cupric bactericides; however for scalding leaves...
Studies on the sod culture and the management of soil moisture for the improvement of waxapple quality
August 2019
In Taiwan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung districts are the main cultivating areas of waxapple in Taiwan. The quality of waxapple is commonly involved in appropriate fertilization. Therefore, the demonstration orchards were established in Kaohsiung and Pingtung districts. This research was conducted to the effects of sod culture and management of soil moisture on the improvement of waxapple quality. The results showed that soil...
Optimization studies of chitin and chitosan production from Penaeus notialis shell waste
July 2019
Optimization studies of extraction of chitin and chitosan from pink shrimp (Penaeus notialis) shell waste and of the degree of deacetylation (DDA) of extracted chitosan were investigated via the Box-Behnken design of experiments using response surface methodology. Robust quadratic models for predicting the extraction yields of chitin and chitosan and DDA of chitosan were obtained. These models were verified by...
Genomic sequencing and recombinant expression of proinsulin isolated from cow and buffalo in Pakistan
July 2019
This study was conducted to determine the heterologous expression of eukaryotic gene in Escherichia coli variable. The expression of Pakistani buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and cow (Bos taurus) proinsulin genes in BL21 codon plus cells is 30% of total cellular protein. Total RNA was isolated from pancreatic tissues of local (Pakistani) breeds of buffalo (B. bubalis) and cow (B. taurus), converted to cDNA and cloned in a T/A...
Modified protocol for RNA isolation from different parts of field-grown jute plant suitable for NGS data generation and quantitative real-time RT-PCR
July 2019
High quality RNA extraction from field-grown jute plants can be difficult due to the presence of complex polyphenolic, polysaccharide and waxes. But isolation of RNA in high quality is a basic need in plant genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, molecular biology and related physiological investigations. Here, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) based modified RNA isolation protocol suitable for isolating high quality...
Somatic embryogenesis and regeneration of Kenyan wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes from mature embryo explants
July 2019
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) improvement via genetic transformation depends on an efficient regeneration system for recovery of transgenic events. This study reports a somatic embryogenesis-based regeneration system for two Kenyan wheat genotypes (Eagle 10 and Njoro bread wheat II) from mature embryos. The study investigated the efficiency of mercuric chloride, commercial bleach, and chlorine gas in surface sterilizing...
Effective method to control Vibrio mimicus infection in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus
July 2019
Recently, a skin ulcerative disease caused by Vibrio mimicus has led to heavy economic losses in catfish, including yellow catfish, southern catfish, and Zhengchuan catfish in China. Currently, there was no effective method of controlling the outbreak of this disease. In this study, the bacterial isolates were obtained from dying channel catfish and identified as V. mimicus, which consist of formalin-inactivated V....
Molecular characterization of some bacteria isolated from munitions contaminated sites in Kachia Military Firing Range, Kaduna State, Nigeria
July 2019
Environmental pollution is principally caused by human activities that usually result in the release of man–made pollutants such as biological, chemical and radioactive in such states as solid, liquid and gaseous substances into the biosphere via, land, water and air. Globally, the increasing rate of environmental contamination by ammunition/explosives resulting from their increasing deployments in the rising...
Role of mucous cell and p53 protein in gastroprotective activity of methanolic extracts of Ageratum conyzoides Linn in rats
July 2019
Ageratum conyzoides Linn is a medicinal plant used for diverse ethnomedicinal applications including anti-ulcer treatment. Usually, protection of gastric mucosa from injury or ulceration is dependent on the efficacy of intrinsic or induced protective factors against erosive effects of aggressive factors. In this study, our aim was to ascertain the gastroprotective activity of methanolic leaf extracts of A. conyzoides L....
Genetic diversity in some Ghanaian and Malian sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench] accessions using SSR markers
July 2019
The study was carried out to assess genetic diversity among forty-one sorghum accessions obtained from Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Nyankpala, Northern Region of Ghana and the germplasm collection of Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Cape Coast. Genetic diversity and relationship among the forty-one accessions were evaluated using 22 microsatellite primers. The 22...
Review of microfluidics approaches to mimic the kidney
July 2019
The use of microfluidics and nanotechnology in bioscience is gaining favor among the next generation of bioscience and clinical researchers, and this field has expanded to include organ-specific applications and modeling. While certain organ-specific microfluidic chips/applications, such as those in the heart and liver, are ubiquitous in the peer-reviewed literature, the kidneys require more focus and attention to drive...
Enhancement of phytoremediation efficiency of Acacia mangium using earthworms in metal-contaminated soil in Bonoua, Ivory Coast
July 2019
In this paper, the impact of Pontoscolex corethrurus on Acacia mangium growth and its phytoremediation efficiency in metal-contaminated soils were studied in a greenhouse pot culture under four treatments: non contaminated soil-non inoculated, control (C); non contaminated soil-inoculated (NcI); contaminated soil-non inoculated (CNi); contaminated soil-inoculated (CI). The results showed that A. mangium growth...
Morphological and molecular screening of rice accessions for salt tolerance
July 2019
The ever-increasing demand for rice raises the need to increase productivity by using salt tolerant varieties on saline soils. In this study, 12 rice accessions were screened for tolerance to salt at seedling stage using morphological and molecular methods. The study was carried out in a hydroponic system using Hoagland solution. Scoring was done using the modified standard evaluation score (SES) system after 14 days of...
DNA barcoding of Ghanaian fish species: Status and prospects
July 2019
Ghana’s waters are biologically diverse with different fish species due to different ecological habitats and niches harboring several cryptic fish species. However, the fish production has reduced over the past decade; hence an urgent conservation and management strategies are required to save Ghanaian fishery such as accurate identification of species to formulate species-specific conservation and management...
A comparative assessment of the performance of a stay-green sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) introgression line developed by marker-assisted selection and its parental lines
June 2019
A glasshouse experiment was conducted to compare the performance of a stay-green QTL introgression line (RSG 03123) and its parental lines (B35, a stay-green and R16, a high yielding cultivar with rapid senescence) after flowering, when water-limited (WL) or well-watered (WW). Flowering time and plant height were similar in RSG 03123 and the recurrent parent, R16. Under WW conditions, retention of green leaf area (GLA)...
Microencapsulation of Aspergillus niger phytases produced in triticale by solid fermentation and microencapsulates characterization
June 2019
This paper aimed to carry out the stabilization of phytase produced in solid-state fermentation by means of Aspergillus níger 7A-1 in triticale as substrate. The crude extract obtained in liquid state was stabilized with glycerol and maltose. These materials presented a synergic effect that improve phytase stability around 80% with ki of 0.031 and a shelf-time of 156 days (22.35 weeks) with glycerol 30% and...
Notice of Retraction: Sodium metabisulfite-induced polymerization of sickle cell hemoglobin incubated in the extracts of three medicinal plants (Anacardium occidentale, Psidium guajava, and Terminalia catappa)
June 2019
The editors of the African Journal of Biotechnology (AJB) are retracting the article, “Sodium metabisulfite-induced polymerization of sickle cell hemoglobin incubated in the extracts of three medicinal plants (Anacardium occidentale, Psidium guajava, and Terminalia catappa)” published in 2011 (Vol. 10(32), pp. 6154-6161, 4 July). This is based on Dr. Paul C. Chikezie’s...
Explant type and hormone regime influences somatic embryogenesis and regeneration of cassava
June 2019
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a tropical root crop that serves as a food staple and a vital income source to resource deprived farmers in the tropics. Despite its importance, cassava production and consumption is faced by a myriad of biotic/abiotic constraints. Genetic transformation which can be applied to mitigate these challenges however has as a prerequisite the availability of robust regeneration systems....
Efficient low cost seesap (CSUP) technique for micropropagation of newly introduced sweetener plant, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni
June 2019
Stevia rebaudiana is a non-caloric sweetening herb, which has a high potential for commercialization. During this study low cost media sterilization, seesap (CSUP) technique which applies sodium hypochlorite was used as an alternative to autoclaving. In vitro cultures were established using nodal segments collected from stevia mother plants. These in vitro shoots were cultured on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium...
Physicochemical properties of rhodanese from the kidney of cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus)
June 2019
We report the properties of partially purified rhodanese, a cyanide detoxifying enzyme isolated from the kidney of the greater cane rat commonly known as grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus). T. swinderianus kidney rhodanese had a specific activity of 1.43 µmole/min/mg protein, a fold of 2.31 and a 55% recovery. The apparent Km values of 0.408 and 0.316 mM were obtained for both sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3) and...
Characterisation of volatile compounds and flavour attributes of Lablab purpureus bean accessions
June 2019
The Lablab bean (Lablab purpureus) has potential of being an outstanding resource for human food and animal feed in tropical agricultural systems. The bean is however grossly underutilized due to anti-nutritional factors, which may affect its nutritive value and organoleptic properties. In this study, twenty-four (24) lablab bean accessions were assayed for sensory flavor characteristics and volatile compounds to...
Bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soils by lipopeptide producing Bacillus subtilis SE1
June 2019
Hydrocarbons released into ecosystems have led to environmental pollution and generated a serious threat to human health. Bioremediation is an effective method to break down hazardous hydrophobic environmental contaminants with avoiding economic and technical disadvantages. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Bacillus subtilis SE1, a lipopeptide biosurfactant producer isolated from a petrochemical...
Nano Selenium: Reduction of severe hazards of Atrazine and promotion of changes in growth and gene expression patterns on Vicia faba seedlings
June 2019
Atrazine is a widely used herbicide on many crops and is considered one of water pollutant with approved biological hazards on plants, animals and human. Vicia faba seedlings as a biological system, is used to investigate the genotoxicity of Atrazine. Also, Nano selenium (N-Se), a Nano particle with reactive oxygen species scavenging activity was applied to reduce the genotoxicity of Atrazine. Atrazine treatment at...
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