April 2013
Industrial biotechnology for developing countries: The case for genetically modified biofuels in Kenya
Attempts to diversify the energy portfolios of developed countries with green technologies have brought competition between food and fuel for crop production resources to the forefront of public policy debates. Biofuel policies in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) mandate the long-term use of renewable energy in transportation, independent of production capacity and technical feasibility....
April 2013
Genomic DNA extraction from sapwood of Pinus roxburghii for polymerase chain reaction studies
A method for extraction of genomic DNA from sapwood tissues of mature tall trees ofPinus roxburghii, where collection of needle tissues is extremely difficult has been standardized. The extracted DNA was comparable to that obtained from the needle tissue in terms of yield and purity. The yield of extracted DNA ranged from 6.98 to 19.668 µg / 100 mg tissue and A260 / A280 ratio ranged from...
April 2013
Characterization of specific random amplified polymorphic (RAPD) DNA fragments related to catechin content for early detection methods in gambier plant (Uncaria gambir (Hunter) Roxb.)
The existence of a target DNA fragments associated with the potential high level ofcatechins in gambier plant was carried out preliminary using RAPD markers. Targetfragment was ligated and transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α strains usingpGem-T Easy vector. The purpose of...
April 2013
Tumor formation in hybrids between Solanum lycopersicum and S. habrochaites
Genetic tumors are neoplastic growths that arise spontaneously in particular genotypes in plants. In the present study, we observed the occurrence of tumors in interspecific hybrids between Solanum lycopersicum L. and Solanum habrochaites S. Knapp and D. M. Spooner. The hybridity of these plants was confirmed based on morphological characteristics, flow cytometry and random amplified...
April 2013
In vitro cell culture of Charybdis congesta for enhanced production of secondary metabolites: Proscillaridin A, Scillaren A and Scilliroside
Callus cultures of Charybdis congesta were initiated in vitro and the effect of growth regulators was tested on callus growth and secondary metabolite production. Among several standard media formulated for use in the present study, MS and B5 were found to be potentially active and facilitated the calculation of callus induction frequency (CIF). The CIF was higher in both MS (70%) and B5...
April 2013
Effects of natural long storage duration on seed germination characteristics of Periploca angustifolia Labill.
This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of long-term natural aging ongermination ability and several biochemical characteristics regarding soluble sugars and polyphenol matter contents and radical scavenging activity of Periplocaangustifolia Labill. (Asclepiadaceae) stored seeds for 1, 3, 7, 10, 11 and 15-years, dry storage compared to freshly collected seeds. The...
April 2013
Variation of gene effects of six agronomic traits with water regimes in durum wheat
This study was carried out to determine the relative importance of additive, dominance and epistatic effects of six agronomic traits evaluated in two crosses under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Separate generations mean analyses revealed that gene effects were dependent upon water regime. Under irrigated regime, only additive and dominance effects were implicated in inheritance of all traits, except plant...
April 2013
Growth, flowering and fruiting in vitro pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) in greenhouse conditions
The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, located in Tehran city, Iran. The objectives of this study was to evaluate the effects of fertilizer and acidic soil on the foliar and radicular growth of micropropagated plantlets of the pineapple cv. Merr (Ananas comosus L.). We evaluated the growth of that genotype in five different ages of acclimatizing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months in greenhouse. The...
April 2013
Overexpression of BrSAC1 encoding a phosphoinositide phosphatase isolated from Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L) improved tolerance to cold, dehydration, and salt stresses in transgenic tobacco
This study demonstrates the isolation and characterization of cDNA encoding aphosphoinositide phosphatase (PIP) from a stem cell cDNA library of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) seedling. The full length gene (BrSAC1; GenBank accession no., GU434275) contained 1999 base pairs (bp), with an open reading frame of 1785 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 594 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 65 kDa,...
April 2013
Sensitivity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars from Turkey to bacterial speck (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato)
The susceptibility of 93 different tomato cultivars that are commonly grown in greenhouses and field in the western Mediterranean region of Turkey have been assessed for resistance to bacterial speck disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strains. The disease severity indexes (DSI) varied between zero and four for the tomato cultivars. Seven tomato cultivars showed hypersensitive...
April 2013
Assessment of the protein quality of twenty nine grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp. L.) accessions using amino acid analysis and one-dimensional electrophoresis
Protein deficiency in diets adversely affects growth and development. Novel source of high quality protein and its utilization is essential in improving the nutritive status of the vulnerable groups. Total protein content and protein fractions of 29 amaranth accessions and a soybean cultivar used as reference were determined. The amino acid composition of ten representative accessions of amaranth was also...
April 2013
Agrobacterium mediated transformation of banana (Musa sp.) cv. Sukali Ndiizi (ABB) with a modified Carica papaya cystatin (CpCYS) gene
Conventional banana breeding for pest and disease resistance is a very difficult and slow process due to the limited sources of resistance, sterility of cultivated banana varieties, high polyploidy levels, long cropping cycle and the lack of rapid screening methods. Molecular breeding using the transgenic approach with candidate genes such as cystatins offers an alternative method to banana improvement....
April 2013
Genetic transformation of cry1EC gene into cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) for resistance against Spodoptera litura
Cotton is the chief fibre crop of global importance. It plays a significant role in the national economy. Cotton crop is vulnerable to a number of insect species, especially to the larvae of lepidopteron pests. 60% insecticides sprayed on cotton are meant to control the damage caused by bollworm complex. Transgenic technology has become a popular option for the development of bollworm resistant...
April 2013
Haematological changes due to bovine fascioliasis
This study determined the haematological changes due to the infection of fascioliasis in cattle. The haematological indices of blood samples collected from purposely selected Fasciola-infected and non-infected cattle were analyzed using standard methods. Statistical analysis revealed high significant differences between the packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) and...
April 2013
Sensory diversity of fonio landraces from West Africa
This study aims to establish if there is some sensory variability among fonio landraces. Fonio, the oldest indigenous and very tasty cereal growing in West Africa, is usually consumed as a couscous. Group interviews of consumers were conducted in Bamako, Mali to identify the main quality criteria of a cooked grain. Fonio grain must be swollen, not sticky with a soft consistency,...
April 2013
Lead induced dyslipidemia: The comparative effects of ascorbate and chelation therapy
To investigate the comparative effects of ascorbate and chelating agents on some markers of lipid metabolism in lead exposed rats, 35 male Wistar rats were used. They were grouped randomly into five (n=7); 28 of which were administered 75 mg/kg body weight lead acetate (PbAc) orally for 14 days after which their blood samples were assayed for lead. Three of the groups were further administered 30 mg/kg body...
April 2013
Potential effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) on cowpea seedling health and damping off disease control
Damping off caused by Sclerotium rolfsii on cowpea results in yield losses with serious socio-economic implication. Induction of defense responses by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is largely associated with the production of defense enzyme phenyl ammonia lyase (PAL) and oxidative enzymes like peroxidases (PO) and poly phenol oxidase (PPO). In the present study, the effect of plant...
April 2013
Studies on some active components and antimicrobial activities of the fermentation broth of endophytic fungi DZY16 Isolated from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.
Research into plant-derived endophytic fungi has grown in recent decades. Endophytic fungi still have enormous potential to inspire and influence modern agriculture. In this study, the endophytic fungi DZY16 isolated from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. was tested for its bioactive components and antimicrobial activities using phenol-sulfuric acid method, high performance liquid...
April 2013
Isolation and antibacterial activity of anabaena phycocyanin
The isolation and antibacterial activity of anabaena phycocyanin were investigated. The result indicates that three kinds of protein ingredients: PC-A, PC-B and PC-C were obtained using high performance liquid chromatography. The estimated molecular masses of PC-A and PC-B were 14 to 18 kD. PC-B and PC-C had certain antibacterial activity on Bibrio parahemolyticus, Bacillus...
April 2013
Evidence of high production levels of thermostable dextrinizing and saccharogenic amylases by Aspergillus niveus
The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of several nutritional and environmental parameters on amylase production by a novel, isolated from the thermotolerant filamentous fungus Aspergillus niveus. This strain produced high levels of amylolytic activity in Khanna liquid medium supplemented with commercial starch, initial pH 6.5, under static conditions for 72 h. Among the tested carbon sources,...
April 2013
Population of Tuta absoluta and natural enemies after releasing on tomato grown greenhouse in Turkey
The study was conducted to evaluate the population of tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and efficiency of natural enemies on tomato grown greenhouse in Mediterranean Region of Turkey during 2010 and 2011.Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) andNesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) were used for biological...
April 2013
Purification and characterization of angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide from the jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai
The Nemopilema nomurai hydrolysate was produced by the reaction of papain, and an angiotensin-Ι converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptide was purified by using the molecular cut-offs membrane filter, the gel filtration chromatography with Sephadex LH-20 and the reverse phase chromatographic method using C18and C12 columns. Purification yield of the active peptide was estimated to be 0.2...
April 2013
An improved method of DNA extraction from plants for pathogen detection and genotyping by polymerase chain reaction
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based applications in plant molecular biology and molecular diagnostics for plant pathogens require good quality DNA for reliable and reproducible results. Leaf tissue is often the choice for DNA extraction, but the use of other sources such as tubers, stems, or seeds, is not uncommon. The extraction of DNA from different tissue sources often requires different protocols. In...
April 2013
Effects of different levels of protein-to-energy ratios on nutrient digestibility and digestive enzyme activity in Leiothrix luteal
Effects of different levels of protein-to-energy ratios (PER) on nutrient utilization, digestive organs index and digestive enzymes activities in Leiothrix luteal were investigated in this research. It was found that different PER feedstuff had no significant effects on the utilization of dry matter (DM), calcium (Ca) and total phosphorus (TP). With the improvement of the...
April 2013
Research regarding the reproductive capacity and biotechnologies of cows
The decline of fertility in the last decades is a major concern in dairy farms being caused by a series of factors analysed in the present paper. Research took place on a number of 950 dairy cows exploited in a semi-intensive system in the North-East area of Romania. On the whole analysed population, the frequency of reproduction disorders were between 12 (in January) and 27% in July, with a greater intensity...
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