African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12497

Table of Content: 14 February 2012; 11(13)

February 2012

Genetic relationships and diversity of Jatropha curcas accessions in Malaysia

This study has been undertaken to assess the extent of genetic diversity in a representative set of 16 accessions of Jatropha curcas. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis was used to establish the genetic relationship among the accessions.From the eight ISSR primers used, the number of amplicons per primers varied from 2 (I7) to 14(UBC834) and the amplicon size from 151 bp to 2779 bp. Out of...

Author(s): Noor Camellia, N. A., Thohirah Lee, A. and N. A. P. Abdullah    

February 2012

Genetic diversity of Indonesia milkfish (Chanos chanos) using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis

Genetic diversity of milkfish (Chanos chanos) from Indonesia was investigated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 255 loci were detected by combination of seven primers from 130 individuals collected at seven locations. AFLP analysis provided useful information in determining genetic variation for milkfish from different locations. The proportion of polymorphic loci and heterozygosity...

Author(s): Yudha Trinoegraha Adiputra, Jan-Lung Chuang and Jin-Chywan Gwo    

February 2012

Genotypic variation of rape in phosphorus uptake from sparingly soluble phosphate and its active mechanism

Phosphorus deficiency is one of the most growth-limiting factors in soils in various parts of the world. Two rape cultivars, which differed in Phosphorus (P) uptake from Fe-P (FePO4·4H2O) and Al-P (AlPO4), were investigated to elucidate the contributions of root morphology and organic acids exudation to P uptake by rape from iron phosphate and aluminum phosphate. By solution...

Author(s): Zhou Xin-Bin,, Huang Jian-Guo, Zhou Yong-xiang and Shi Wei-Ming    

February 2012

Effect of irrigation and nitrogen on yield, yield components and water use efficiency of eggplant

The effects of irrigation interval and nitrogen fertilizer on eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in a field trial at Astaneh Ashrafiyeh, Guilan, Iran during 2009 were studied. Experiment was conducted in split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Irrigation levels were the main-plots consist of three irrigation intervals (no irrigation, 6 days interval and 12 days interval). Nitrogen...

Author(s): Ebrahim Amiri, Ali Abdzad Gohari and Yaser Esmailian

February 2012

Effects of sulphur and zinc applications on growth and nutrition of bread wheat in calcareous clay loam soil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sulphur (S) and zinc (Zn) on soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), nitrogen (N), S, iron (Fe), Zn, N:S ratio; and straw and grain dry weight of wheat grown in a calcareous clay loam soil. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions. Sulphur was applied at 0, 10, 50, 250 mg Skg-1 (as CaSO4.2H2O) and zinc at 0, 5 mg...

Author(s): Åžule Orman and Hüseyin Ok    

February 2012

Medicinal plant diversity in the flora of Leepa Valley, Muzaffarabad (AJK), Pakistan

Plants are inevitable and indispensable in the life of mankind. They are a major source of nutrition and medicament in the world. In this regard, the Leepa valley (LV), Muzaffarabad Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was identified as the case study. The main objectives of this research were to explore and document the medicinal plant diversity (MPD) in the area. In this study, irrespective of gender, age,...

Author(s): Muhammad Ishtiaq, Abdul Samad Mumtaz, Tanveer Hussain and Abdul Ghani    

February 2012

Study of yield and yield components of corn (Zea mays L.) inbred lines to drought stress

Several strains of bacteria were successfully isolated from effluent storage pools of factories producing pesticides and from soil moisture around them. The isolates were capable of utilizing chlorpyrifos (Cp) as the sole source of carbon, phosphorus and energy. Isolates were identified based on16SrRNA sequence analysis and were named IRLM.1, IRLM.2, IRLM.3, IRLM.4, and IRLM.5. IRLM.1 was able to grow at concentrations...

Author(s): Zahra Khodarahmpour and Jahad Hamidi    

February 2012

In vitro induction of multiple buds from cotyledonary nodes of Balsam pear (Momordica charantia L.)

In this study, cotyledonary nodes of Changbai, Dabai and Youlv Balsam pear (Momordica charantia L.) were used for tissue culture to establish regeneration system, and the effects of different genotypes of Balsam pear, hormone combinations, seedling ages, dark period and AgNO3 concentrations on the bud regeneration were compared. The results show that eight-day old seedling was the best for multiple...

Author(s): Chao Ma, Yi Tang, Xiaomei Li, Juan Li, Li Wang and HuanXiu Li    

February 2012

cDNA- AFLP analysis of the response of tetraploid black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) to salt stress

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that limits plant growth. In this study, to understand the tolerance mechanism associated with salinity stress in tetraploid black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), 2-year-old plants were treated by salinity. cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to study the gene expression...

Author(s): Lei Liu, Feng-Lan Huang , Qiu-Xiang Luo, Hong-Ying Pang and Fan-Juan Meng    

February 2012

Humic acids of vermicompost as an ecological pathway to increase resistance of rice seedlings to water stress

This paper discussed the potential role of humic acids (HA) in preventing oxidative stress in rice plants submitted to water stress. The rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. cv. IACUB-30) was grown in nutrient solution and HA were extracted from vermicompost and analysed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and chemical methods. Changes in plant anatomy and morphology before and after stress...

Author(s): Andrés Calderín García, Ricardo Luiz Louro Berbara, Liane Portuondo Farías, Fernando Guridi Izquierdo, Orlando Lázaro Hernández, Reinier Hernández Campos and Rosane Nora Castro    

February 2012

Microbiological quality of water collected from boreholes sited near refuse dumpsites in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

This study assessed and compared the water quality of six selected bore holes used around dumpsite and non-dumpsite areas in Obio-Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas, Port Harcourt. Water quality monitoring and analyses of the bio-physico-chemical variables (pH, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), colour, total coliform, faecal coliforms and some water borne pathogens) were carried out on...

Author(s): C. I. Uzoigwe and O. K. Agwa    

February 2012

Isolation and characterization of five chlorpyrifos degrading bacteria

Several strains of bacteria were successfully isolated from effluent storage pools of factories producing pesticides and from soil moisture around them. The isolates were capable of utilizing chlorpyrifos (Cp) as the sole source of carbon, phosphorus and energy. Isolates were identified based on16SrRNA sequence analysis and were named IRLM.1, IRLM.2, IRLM.3, IRLM.4, and IRLM.5. IRLM.1 was able to grow at concentrations...

Author(s): Ali Mohammad Latifi, Samaneh Khodi, Morteza Mirzaei, Mohsen Miresmaeili and Hamid Babavalian    

February 2012

Influence of storage temperatures on physicochemical sensory and nutritional properties of chemically preserved mango pulp

Storage stability of mango pulp (Mp) was determined at room (r) 25 to 35°C and refrigerated (ref) 4°C with the addition of potassium sorbate (PS), sodium benzoate (SB) and potassium metabisulphite (PMS). The statistical analysis viz factorial analysis and least significant square design (LSD) verified the temperatures effect on different treatments: T0 (Mp), T1 (Mp + PS 0.1%), T2 (Mp + SB 0.1%), T3 (Mp + PMS...

Author(s): Yasser Durrani, Alam Zeb, Ye Xingqian, Muhammad Ayub, Waseem Tahir, Ali Muhammad and Said Wahab    

February 2012

Long-term effects of water pH changes on hematological parameters in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of water pH changes on certain hematological parameters of fingerlings of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), in water with different pH (acidic and alkaline). Fingerlings of common carp were subjected to acidic (pH 5.5 and 6.5) and alkaline (pH 8.0, 8.5 and 9.0) water for 21 days. Control groups were maintained at neutral pH. The result showed that exposure to both acidic and...

Author(s): Mahdi Ghanbari and Mansoureh Jami    

February 2012

Molecular characterization of rpoB gene encoding the RNA polymerase β subunit in rifampin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from south India

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mediated direct DNA sequencing was evaluated for rapid detection of Rifampicin resistance (RMPr) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After amplification of the rpoB gene, the product was sequenced using ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer and the rifampicin resistance in M. tuberculosis were assessed using the sequence pattern. Among the 100 isolates, 83 isolates were...

Author(s): A. Nisha, S.Govindarajan, M. Muthuraj, S. Manupriya, B. Usharani, S. Kamatchyammal and V. Saroja    

February 2012

Evaluation of the lethality of Porophyllum ruderale essential oil against Biomphalaria glabrata, Aedes aegypti and Artemia salina

The essential oil of flowers and leaves of Porophylum ruderale (Asteraceae) was investigated for its molluscicidal and larvicidal activities, and its toxicities to brine shrimps. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). GC/MS analysis showed a total volatile content of 99.98% in the P. ruderale oil (PREO). The major components in PREO were identified as (E)-β-ocimeno (93.95%),...

Author(s): Ulzias R. Fontes-Jr, Cledison S. Ramos, Mairim R. Serafini, Sócrates C. H. Cavalcanti, Péricles B. Alves, Gabriele M. Lima, Paulo H. S. Andrade, Leonardo R. Bonjardim, Lucindo J. Quintans-Jr and Adriano A.S. Araújo    

February 2012

The effect of pre-application of salicylic acid on some physiological and biochemical characteristics of tomato seedling (Lycopersicon esculentum L) growing in cadmium containing media

In this study, the role of pre-application with salicylic acid on induced physiological andbiochemical changes and the possible induction of oxidative stress on tomato grown in a cadmium-containing medium were investigated. This present study examined the effects of salicylic acid pre-application on the responses of twenty-five-day-old tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) seedlings to cadmium. For this purpose,...

Author(s): Songül Çanakci and Bahar Dursun    

February 2012

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescence-based capillary electrophoresis for identification of deer species from antlers

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescence-based capillary electrophoresis (CE) of blood and tissue samples have been used to distinguish between deer species such as red deer, sika deer, wapiti and reindeer. We constructed 4 species-specific primers by using the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA and cytochrome b as an internal PCR control. The amplified species-specific product lengths of 199, 299,...

Author(s): Eung Soo Kim, Young Hwa Kim, Byoung Seob Ko, Seung Eun Oh, Eui Jung Do and Mi Young Lee    

February 2012

Plasma malondialdehyde, bilirubin, homocysteine and total antioxidant capacity in patients with angiographically defined coronary artery disease

Oxidative stress has been implicated in coronary artery disease (CAD).Malondialdehyde (MDA) is lipid peroxidation end product. Bilirubin may act as an antioxidant that suppresses lipid oxidation. The role of MDA and antioxidant capacity and their inter-relationship in patients with and without CAD was investigated. Thirty-eight consecutive patients with angiographically diagnosed...

Author(s): Ali Movahed, Dariushn Iranpour, Iraj Nabipour, Mojtaba Jafari, SamadAkbarzadeh, Majid Assadi, Kamran Mirzaei and Najmeh Hagian    

February 2012

Dynamics of photosynthetic activity of cyanobacteria after gut passage through crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) and goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus)

The photosynthetic activity of cyanobacteria (predominantly Microcystis spp.) after passage through crucian fish and goldfish was determined by photo-PAM (pulse-amplitude-modulated) during a 17-day cultivation of fish faeces in filtered lake water. The Microcystis exhibited a significant reduction of activity after passage through both crucian carp and goldfish, whereas there was a...

Author(s): Qing-fei Zeng, Xiao-hong Gu, Yin-ping Wang, Zhi-gang Mao, Ming-bo Sun, and Xian-kun Gu,    

February 2012

Carrying capacity of Chaetoceros gracilis in Homa Lagoon and the bay of Izmir

Marine diatom Chaetoceros gracilis has been investigated for its potential use as food in mariculture. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature, salinity andnutrient on the growth of C. gracilis. The possibility for nutrient limitation to affect C.gracilis was assessed from two different ecosystems (Izmir Bay and Homa Lagoon). Our goal was to determine...

Author(s): Banu Kutlu, F. Sanem Sunlu and H. Baha BüyükiÅŸik    

February 2012

The content of mineral elements on whole blood and hair in Moschus sifanicus

The mineral content of forage, whole blood and hair samples of Moschus sifanicuswere analyzed and compared with those of local goats. The results indicated that the selenium content of 10 kinds of foliage was lower than the nutrient standards set for herbivores by the National Research Council. The Cu, Mn, Zn, Ca and Mg content of hair was significantly higher than those in whole blood; however, Fe content was the...

Author(s): H. Lu, Y. D. Huang, B. Y. Zhao and J. Y. Wang    

February 2012

Polymorphism investigation of calpastatin gene in Zel sheep population of Iran by PCR-RFLP method

Meat tenderness is an important quality characteristic for which consumers are interested. ‍Calpastatin is the calpain inhibitor enzyme and plays an important role in muscle growth and meat quality. The calpastin gene is located on sheep chromosome 5 and its polymorphisms are associated with economic traits. This study was performed to identify calpastatin gene polymorphisms using polymerase...

Author(s): Shahabodin Gharahveysi, Hossein Ali Abbasi, Mehrdad Irani, Ruhollah Abdullahpour and Soheil Mirhabibi