January 2006
Bioprospecting and antifungal potential of chitinolytic microorganisms
Fungal plant diseases are one of the major concerns to agricultural food productionworld wide. Soil borne pathogenic fungi such as Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia andPhytopthora attack most of the economically important crop plants (either through seed root before germination or seedling after germination) resulting in loss of billions of dollars. Moreover, the management of chitinous...
January 2006
Detection of GMO in food products in South Africa: Implications of GMO labelling
Genetically modified (GM) crops currently account for 29% of crop production worldwide. South Africa is currently the only country in Africa to commercially grow GM crops. Despite a lack of regulations to provide for food labelling that allows for consumer preference, many products carry negative or positive labels with regard to genetic modification. The aim of this study was to test different maize...
January 2006
Optimization of ISSR markers for African edible-seeded Cucurbitaceae species’ genetic diversity analysis
We applied a molecular approach using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers on three African edible-seeded cucurbits (Citrullus lanatus L. Matsumura and Nakai, Cucumeropsis mannii L. Naudin and Cucumis melo var. agrestis L. Naudin). To obtain clear and reproducible bands on 1.5% agarose gels, we screened 21 ISSR primers and three parameters (annealing temperature, gel tray, and...
January 2006
Factors affecting delivery and transient expression of β-glucuronidase gene in Dendrobium Sonia protocorm-like-body
The effect of the biolistic device parameters and other factors affecting delivery and expression of uidA gene in Dendrobium Sonia was investigated. Three week old protocorm like body (PLB) were bombarded with gold microparticles coated withpAHC25 plasmid harbouring the uidA gene which encodes β-glucuronidase. The factors investigated were the helium pressure, target...
January 2006
Molecular cloning and differential IgG responses to a histidine-rich antigen (OvL3.C1) of Onchocerca volvulus by selected residents of onchocerciasis endemic regions in Cameroon and Ecuador
In order to further investigate host-parasite interactions in onchocerciasis, a majorOnchocerca volvulus histidine rich antigen termed OvL3.C1 was isolated from an O. volvulus cDNA library using antibodies from putatively immune subjects living in onchocerciasis endemic communities in Cameroon. Analysis of its sequences predicted the protein to be helix-rich with a single transmembrane region. Recombinant...
January 2006
High level production of the recombinant gag24 protein from HIV-1 IN Escherichia coli
The gag24 gene of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) was expressed under the control of the tryptophan promoter in Escherichia coli. The effect of several parameters on the production of gag24 was studied. The expression level achieved (25%) depended on the host strain and the induction conditions. The developed fermentative process was scaled-up to 50 L, where 417 mg/L of volumetric production...
January 2006
Reproducibility testing of RAPD and SSR markers in Tomato
Article Retracted by Author. The authors Rajput S.G., Wable K.J., Sharma K.M., Kubde P.D. and Mulay S.A., have requested the retraction of their article titled “Reproducibility testing of RAPD and SSR markers in Tomato” which was published in Vol. 5 (2), pp. 108-112, 16 January 2006 from the journal’s website and publisher’s database. The retraction is based on the fact that...
January 2006
Genetic diversity of Capsicum using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAs
Pepper (Capsicum sp.) is one of the most popular and widely grown vegetables in Nigeria. A total of one hundred and fifty germplasm collections were characterised, evaluated and conserved in the National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan Nigeria. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was performed on selected forty accessions of Capsicum annum and Capsicum fructences to...
January 2006
Clonal propagation of Pelargonium sidoides: A threatened medicinal plant of South Africa
Pelargonium sidoides is used in herbal medicine for the treatment of various infections. Apart from the local uses, the roots are being indiscriminately harvested for local and export trade. A study was conducted to determine the appropriate plant part and the minimum vine length suitable for the clonal propagation of P. sidoides in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, three vine tip...
January 2006
Analysis of B-genome derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in Musa spp.
A study was conducted to investigate the genetic variability between 40 Musagenotypes maintained at the Musa germplasm collection of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan using nine B-genome derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The nine primers produced reproducible and discrete fragments and generated a total of 23 alleles with an average of 2.1. The hierarchical cluster...
January 2006
Effect of two commonly used herbicides on soil microflora at two different concentrations
The effect of two commonly used herbicides (atrazine and atrazine + metolachlor) on non-target soil microflora was investigated over a period of 8 weeks. One kilogram soil samples each from maize farm were treated with the herbicides separately at company recommended and one and half (X1.5) recommended rates. Effects of the herbicides on soil pH and percentage organic matter were also investigated. Significant changes...
January 2006
Increased heavy metal tolerance of cowpea plants by dual inoculation of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixer Rhizobium bacterium
Through biological inoculation technology, the bacterial-mycorrhizal-legume tripartite symbiosis in artificially heavy metal polluted soil was documented and the effects of dual inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus and Rhizobium (N-fixing bacteria, NFB) on the host plant cowpea (Vigna sinensis) in pot cultures were investigated at six concentrations of Zn (0.0 – 1000 mg/kg dry soil) and Cd...
January 2006
A reproducible protocol for regeneration and transformation in canola (Brassica napus L.)
The objective of the present study is to develop an efficient protocol for shoot and plant regeneration using five commercial canola cultivars grown under the Egyptian agricultural conditions. The regeneration efficiency from hypocotyl explants was examined. The data indicated that embryonic calli were formed within two weeks in the presence of 1 mgl-12,4-D. Adventitious shoots emerged from the embryonic callus in the...
January 2006
GA3 improves flower yield in some cucurbits treated with lead and mercury
Present study reveals florigenic effects of growth hormones (i.e. gibberellic acid, GA3) and heavy metals (i.e., Pb(NO3)2 and HgCl2) in Cucumis sativus L. and Momordica charantia L. Applied GA3 at 400 ppm caused precocious flowering, increasing the number of pistillate and staminate flowers in both plants. Application of Pb(NO3)2 and HgCl2 caused significant delay in...
January 2006
Biolistic inoculation of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) with South African cassava mosaic virus
Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is undoubtedly the most widespread disease in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in sub-Saharan Africa. While African cassava mosaic virus-Kenya (ACMV-KE), African cassava mosaic virus-Uganda (ACMV-UG), African cassava mosaic virus-India (ACMV-IC), East African cassava mosaic virus-Cameroon (EACMV-CM) and a recombinant East African cassava mosaic virus-India/Cameroon...
January 2006
An assessment of the microbiological safety of dry yam (gbodo) processed in South West Nigeria
The microorganisms involved in dry-yam (gbodo) and water used in parboiling from different source (well, pipe-borne, river, stream and pond) were investigated. There was predominance of Staphylococcus aureus, fungi and coliforms in the gbodo samples. Coliforms were also observed in all the parboiling water. In gbodo, the total viable bacterial count was generally high, ranging from 1.1 x 106 cfu/ml from Oyo...
January 2006
Carrier rate of enteric bacteria associated with diarrhoea in children and pupils in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
One hundred stool samples were collected from children and pupils in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. These were examined for the presence of enteric bacteria associated with diarrhea. Seventy of the samples were collected from apparently healthy pupils in some public primary schools in Akure, while thirty samples were collected from children in the Children’s Ward of the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Akure. All the...
January 2006
Degradation of anthracene: Influence of adsorbents from inorganic activation
The use of rice and melon husks in their raw, carbonized (at 400°C and 600°C) and activated (using 10%, v/v orthophosphoric acid) form to catalyze the degradation of anthracene in sandy soil was investigated. Rice husk carbonized at 600°C and activated was found to be a better adsorbent than melon husk under same condition. After five weeks of degradation experiment the anthracene reduced from an initial...
January 2006
Flower pigment analysis of Melastoma malabathricum
Anthocyanin is among the permitted pigments that can be used for food colourant and having been considered a potential replacement for synthetic dyes. The objective of this study is to analyse the colour pigment, anthocyanin, that can be detected in flower and their stability in extracted form. All the analysed results will be used in the next study for the production of new food colouring material. From the...
January 2005
Activities of invertase and cellulase as influenced by the application of tridemorph and captan to groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) soil
A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of selected fungicides, tridemorph and captan, at concentrations ranging from 0 to10 kg ha-1 on the activity of invertase and cellulase in a vertisol. The activities of invertase and cellulase were significantly more at tridemorph and captan levels of 2.5 and 5.0 kg ha-1, respectively. But at higher concentrations of 7.5 and 10 kg ha-1respectively, tridemorph and...
January 2006
Study on the modified triphenyl tetrazolium chloride – dehydrogenase activity (TTC-DHA) method in determination of bioactivity in the up-flow aerated bio-activated carbon filter
The study applied triphenyl tetrazolium chloride-dehydrogenase activity (TTC-DHA) method to detect the activities of attached biofilm on bio-activated carbon (BAC) samples in the up-flow aerated biological activated carbon filter (UABACF) treating textile secondary effluent. Modification to the conventional TTC-DHA determination method was proposed. In the modification, BAC samples were used directly to measure TTC-DHA...
January 2006
Activity enhancement of ligninolytic enzymes of Trametes versicolor with bagasse powder
Suspended cultures of white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, supplemented with bagasse powder showed a concentration dependent enhancement in the ligninolytic enzymes activity in liquid shake cultures. 2% (w/v) bagasse powder improved greater stability to the enzymes. The optimum pH is 3.5 and the optimum temperature is 40°C for maximum lignonolytic enzymatic activity. The optimum shaking speed is 60 rpm for...
January 2006
Nutritional improvement of an Egyptian breed of mung bean by probiotic lactobacilli
Germination and/or fermentation processes for Egyptian breeds of mung seeds were carried out with three Lactobacillus strains namely, L. reuteri, L. case, and L. heleviticus. Results revealed increase in protein content, nitrogen solubility and in vitro digestibility for all treated mung meals. Treated mung proteins contained most of the essential amino acids in concentrations comparable to those recommended by the...
January 2006
Antibacterial activity of alkaloids from Sida acuta
Sida acuta is a shrub indigenous to pantropical regions. The plant is widely used for its various pharmacological properties. Among compounds of pharmacological interest occurring in the plant, are indoloquinoline alkaloids. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of alkaloids of S. acuta from Burkina Faso. The alkaloids had a good antimicrobial activity against the test...
January 2006
Sensory attributes, microbial quality and aroma profiles of off vine ripened mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit
The need to develop the best off vine mango ripening technique for both consumption and processing was investigated. Sensory quality and microbial contamination was studied on mature green Dodo mangoes before and during a 3- and 6-day ripening period by Smoked Pit Ripening (SPR), Ethylene (fruit generated) Pit Ripening (EPR), Untreated Pit Ripening (UPR) and Room Temperature Ripening (RTR) as a control method. The post...
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