June 2008
Why bacteria derived R-M nucleic enzymatic peptides are likely efficient therapeutic molecules for use in the design and development of novel HIV inhibitory strategies
In the past, we have identified, described and isolated over 200 bacteria derived Restriction Modification (R-M) nucleic enzymatic peptides as efficient therapeutic molecules for use in the development of novel HIV inhibitory strategies. In the issuing months of our publications, 3 questions have been directed to our work; (1) HIV is an RNA virus, thus restriction peptides are impotent as defense peptides....
June 2008
Assessment techniques of antimicrobial properties of natural compounds of plant origin: current methods and future trends
Medicinal plants have recently received the attention of the pharmaceutical and scientific communities and various publications have documented the therapeutic value of natural compounds in a bid to validate claims of their biological activity. Attention has been drawn to the antimicrobial activity of plants and their metabolites due to the challenge of growing incidences of drug-resistant pathogens. Some...
June 2008
Volumetric and viscometric behaviour of soya bean and gram proteins in aqueous methotrexate (anticancer drug) solution at 298.15 to 308.15K
Apparent molar volumes (Vf) and viscosities (h) for 0.00005 to 0.0004 kg.mol-1(50 to 400 mmol kg-1) aqueous methotrexate (MTX), gram (Gp) and soya bean (SBp) proteins, and similar compositions of Gp and SBp each in 50 to 400 mmol kg-1 aqueous MTX were determined at 298.15, 303.15 and 308.15K. The Vfvalues are positive except aqueous MTX and listed as SBp > Gp > MTX in...
June 2008
Inhibition of dehydrogenase activity in pathogenic bacteria isolates by aqueous extracts of Musa paradisiaca (var Sapientum)
Inhibition of dehydrogenase activity in pathogenic bacteria isolates by aqueous extract from the unripe fruit peels (called the bark) and leaves of Musa paradisiaca var sapientum were investigated via dehydrogenase assay using 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) as the electron acceptor. Pure cultures of Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas species were exposed to varied...
June 2008
Antioxidant activity in some selected Indian medicinal plants
The study was carried out to determine the antioxidant activity of selected medicinal plants namely Albizia amara, Achyranthes aspera, Cassia fistula, Cassia auriculata and Datura stramonium by inhibition of lipid peroxidation technique. The highest inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity was observed in A. amara (96%) followed by C. fistula...
June 2008
Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of maize yield and associate agronomic traits under semi-arid land condition
Drought is one of the major limiting factors in sustainable maize production all over the world. In order to develop maize variety with drought tolerance, it is necessary to explore the genetic basis and map the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling the yield and associate agronomic traits under semi-arid land condition. In this study the QTLs for flower time, plant height, yield and yield components...
June 2008
Genetic variation within a collection of Nigerian accessions of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) revealed by RAPD primers
African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa, Hochst. ex A. Rich, Harms) an indigenous food crop legume in tropical Africa, is highly under-exploited. Very little information is available on the nature and extent of genetic diversity of Nigerian accession of African yam bean (AYB) particularly using molecular markers. In this study, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were used to assess genetic...
June 2008
Genetic variation and trait correlations in a bird-resistant pearl millet landrace population
Genetic variation and correlations among traits within a Ghanaian bird-resistant pearl millet landrace population were investigated by evaluating S1 plants derived from the population, at two locations and for two years in Ghana. The objectives were to study genetic variation and correlations among traits in the population, determine the feasibility of selection and to suggest appropriate selection...
June 2008
Genetic sequences derived from suppression subtractive hybridization analysis provides insight into their possible roles in Xanthomonas albilineans
Leaf scald disease (LSD) is caused by the Gram-negative bacterium,Xanthomonas albilineans. Genomic DNA from X. albilineans and Xanthomonas hyacinthi were analyzed by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) using X. albilineans as the tester from which unique sequences were sought and X. hyacinthi as the driver. Following the SSH procedure, amplification products within the...
June 2008
Production, purification and characterization of two recombinant DNA-derived N-terminal ovine growth hormone variants: oGH3 and oGH5
Two recombinant DNA-derived variants of ovine growth hormone were produced, purified, characterized and compared with the authentic pituitary derived GH. The variants oGH3 and oGH5 were isolated by differential centrifugation method and were purified after refolding by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Both the proteins showed single band on SDS-PAGE and had molecular weight and iso-electric...
June 2008
Effect of natural and chemical insecticides on Hyalopterus pruni and Armeniaca vulgaris
Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of water extracts of Fagonia arabica, Salix alba and Anthmis pseudocotula and their mixtures with chemical insecticide (Malathion) on growth of Hyalopterus pruni and characters ofArmeniaca vulgaris plants and their soils. The data revealed that F. arabicaextract at 20% concentration was the most effective followed...
June 2008
Allelopathic effects of Juglone and decomposed walnut leaf juice on muskmelon and cucumber seed germination and seedling growth
In this study, effects of juglone and decomposed walnut leaf juice on muskmelon (Cucumis melo cv. Galia) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Beith Alpha) seed germination percentage and post-germination seedling growth were investigated. Decomposition was carried out by keeping the leaves in distilled water. Muskmelon and cucumber seeds were germinated in Petri dishes at 25°C. Seed germination,...
June 2008
In vitro micropropagation of almond (Amygdalus communis L. cv. Nonpareil)
White young shoots from albino tea cultivars have high level of amino acids and are rare and valuable materials for processing green tea. The effects of temperature on leaf colour, accumulation of chlorophylls and leaf ultrastructures of an albino tea cultivar ‘Xiaxueya’ were investigated. The study showed that the shoot albino phenomenon of ‘Xiaoxueya’ was controlled by temperature....
June 2008
Effect of temperature on accumulation of chlorophylls and leaf ultrastructure of low temperature induced albino tea plant
White young shoots from albino tea cultivars have high level of amino acids and are rare and valuable materials for processing green tea. The effects of temperature on leaf colour, accumulation of chlorophylls and leaf ultrastructures of an albino tea cultivar ‘Xiaxueya’ were investigated. The study showed that the shoot albino phenomenon of ‘Xiaoxueya’ was controlled by temperature....
June 2008
Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of plant extracts used in traditional medicine in Mexico
Twenty-two species of medicinal plants collected in the Mexican state of Morelos were selected to evaluate their free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities. The extracts from the aerial parts of the plants were obtained using hexane, acetone and methanol (66 extracts). The initial qualitative screening of antioxidants was made using two TLC methods against the stable DPPH...
June 2008
Optimization of fermentation conditions for red pigment production from Penicillium sp. under submerged cultivation
An extracellular pigment-producing ascomycetous filamentous fungi belonging to the genera Penicillium was obtained from soil and its optimal culture conditions investigated. The optimal culture conditions for pigment production were as follows; soluble starch 2% (670 units), peptone (880 units), pH 9.0 (900 units); temperature 30ËšC (950 units), agitation 200 rpm (920 units), and inoculums age...
June 2008
Rapid micro-propagation of Aloe vera L. via shoot multiplication
Aloe vera L. is a medicinal plant. Regeneration of A. vera in nature (in vivo) is too slow and insufficient to meet the industry demand. Therefore, it is necessary to use in vitro propagation for rapid plant production. Explant used for the in vitroculture was shoot tip. The shoot tip explants was disinfected with 2% NaOCl and washed thoroughly with sterile water. Then,...
June 2008
The effects of maxicrop leaf fertilizer on the yield and quality of soybean (Glycine max L. Merril)
The aim of this study which was conducted in the summer of 2001 on the trial fields of Van YYU (Yüzüncü Yıl University) was to determine the effects of Maxicrop leaf fertilizer, applied on Beason soybean at various stages, on the yield and yield components. Maxicrop doses of 500, 1000 and 1500 g.ha-1 per hectare were applied at three different stages of the plant (seed stage, four-leaf...
June 2008
Mass production of entomopathogenic fungi using agricultural products and by products
Various agricultural products and by products such as grains, vegetable wastes, seeds, rice husk, saw dust and liquid media such as coconut water, rice and wheat washed water and rice cooked water were evaluated for mass production of three entomopathogenic fungi; Beauveria bassiana, (Bals.) Vuil.Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown and Smith and Verticillium lecanii. (Zimm)...
July 2008
Farmers’ perception of the performance of the National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) in Enugu State, NIgeria
The study determined participating farmers’ perception of the performance of the National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) in Enugu State, Nigeria. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data from a sample of 147 farmers in the three SPFS sites in the state. Statistical analysis was accomplished by the use of frequency distributions, percentages and mean scores. Findings...
June 2008
Stimulation of taxane production in suspension cultures of Taxus yunnanensis by oligogalacturonides
When Taxus yunnanensis cells of 12-day-old cultures were exposed to oligogalacturonide (OGA) at 20-80 μg ml-1 for 3 days, it was found that paclitaxel and 10-deacetyl baccatin III (10-DAB III) content peaked at 23 and 24 μg g-1 dry wt, respectively. OGA treatment increased taxane release percentage (extracellular release ratio) from 10 to 90%. The maximum production of paclitaxel and...
June 2008
Isolation and characterization of diesel oil degrading indigenous microrganisms in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Uncontrolled releases of petroleum compounds that are carcinogenic, mutagenic and are potent immunotoxicants into soil and groundwater poses a serious threat to human and animal health. Biodegradation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils has been established as an efficient, economic, versatile and environmentally sound treatment. Ten indigenous microorganisms were isolated from contaminated soils using the...
June 2008
Evaluation of groundwater and stream quality characteristics in the vicinity of a battery factory in Ibadan, Nigeria
Well water and Oniyere stream in the vicinity of a factory manufacturing lead-batteries in Ibadan, Nigeria were analysed for the following general physico-chemical characteristics: pH, temperature, conductivity, total alkalinity, total hardness, solids, chloride, nitrate, ammonia, dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand. The samples were collected at six sampling locations along the stream network...
June 2008
Degradation of diesel oil in a polluted soil using Bacillus subtilis
Diesel oil, left standing in a laboratory for six months, was used as source for the isolation of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Trichoderma harzanium andTrichothercium roseum. These organisms were found to be hydrocarbon degraders. On further testing, it was found that B. subtilis had higher potential to utilize diesel oil as carbon source. Soil samples were polluted with diesel...
June 2008
Purification and properties of Rhizobial DehL expressed in Escherichia coli
The Rhizobium sp. DehL was produced by heterologous expression of the cloned gene in Escherichia coli. DehL enzyme was purified to homogeneity and characterized. The molecular weights were estimated to be 61 and 31 kDa by gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), respectively, suggesting that the enzyme is a dimer. The purified enzyme was specific to the...
June 2008
Expression of nitrogenase gene (NIFH) in roots and stems of rice, Oryza sativa, by endophytic nitrogen-fixing communities
Putative endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that actively express nitrogenase gene in rice were determined using reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) technique. The amplified portion of dinitrogenase reductase genes (nifH) from mRNA of rice roots and stems were cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of deduced amino acid sequences of isolated nifH clones (117 sequences) revealed that majority of...
June 2008
Evaluation of in vitro antibacterial property of seaweeds of southeast coast of India
The in vitro antibacterial activities of seaweeds belong to Chlorophyceae (Caulerpa racemosa and Ulva lactuca), Rhodophyceae (Gracillaria folifera andHypneme muciformis) and Phaeophyceae (Sargassum myricocystum,Sargassum tenneerimum and Padina tetrastomatica) were studied against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria. Methanolic extracts of all seaweed...
June 2008
Seasonal variation in the physicochemistry of a small tropical reservoir (Aiba Reservoir, Iwo, Osun, Nigeria)
Aiba Reservoir was sampled between March, 2004 and February, 2005 for physico-chemical studies. Air temperatures ranged from 20.00 – 30.50oC (mean ± s.e: 26.33 ± 0.26oC), water temperature ranged from 25.00 – 35.00oC (mean ± s.e: 29.26 ± 0.19oC), pH ranged from 5.53 - 9.48 (mean ± s.e: 7.98 ± 0.11), dissolved oxygen ranged from 1.75 – 11.20 mgO2/l...
June 2008
Ecological effects of some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr) pollution of phytoplanktonic algae and zooplanktonic organisms in Sarıyar Dam Reservoir in Turkey
Accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr) in water and plankton of Sarıyar Dam Lake (SDR) was seasonally studied from April, 2000 to December, 2004. In addition, seasonal changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton populations and species abundance were also determinate. Some physio-chemical parameters of water and their correlation with heavy metals were also determinated. The dominant phytoplanktonic...
June 2008
Isolation, identification and screening of potential xylanolytic enzyme from litter degrading fungi
Consortia of litter degrading fungal species were developed from different baiting substrates collected in and around Western ghat forest ecosystem, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. Fifty-three litter degrading fungal species were isolated by nylon litterbag technique. The production of endo-b-1,4-xylanase (1,4-b-D-xylan xylanohydrolase, E.C. 3.2.1.8), b-D-xylosidase (1,4-b-xylan xylanohydrolase, E.C....
June 2008
Autochthonous white rot fungi from the tropical forest: Potential of Cuban strains for dyes and textile industrial effluents decolourisation
Nineteen strains of wood-inhabiting pores fungi, representing thirteen species and ten genera, collected from both natural and “anthropic” (urban) ecosystems in Cuba were tested for their ability to decolourise the industrial anthraquinonic dye Acid Blue 62 (AB 62) in laboratory conditions, in both solid and liquid media. On the basis of their decolourisation rate and growth inhibition, seven...
June 2008
Purification and characterization of pectinmethylesterase from Aspergillus repens isolated from cultivated soil
Aspergillus repens isolated from cultivated soils released pectinmethylesterase (PME) into the liquid culture medium during growth. The enzyme preparation was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and dialysed. The ammonium sulphate-dialysate fraction of the enzyme was separated by molecular exclusion and ion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be...
June 2008
Biological studies on albino rats fed with Sorghum bicolor starch hydrolyzed with a-amylase from Rhizopus sp.
Partially purified amylase was extracted from the culture medium of Rhizopus sp. grown in potato dextrose broth for 48 h at room temperature by precipitation with 96.9% ethanol. The enzyme was used to hydrolyze sorghum starch. The hydrolyzed product was afterwards formulated into rat feed, which was fed to albino rats for a period of thirty days. The average daily body weight of the albino rats fed...
June 2008
Characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from poultry farms in Senegal
The group that includes the lactic acid bacteria is one of the most diverse groups of bacteria known and these organisms have been characterized extensively by using different techniques. In this study, thirty lactic acid bacterial strains were isolated from soils chicken faeces and feathers. A total of nineteen isolates were obtained and by sequential screening for catalase activity and Gram-staining, eight...
June 2008
Free radical scavenging activity and lipoxygenase inhibition of Woodfordia fructicosa Kurz and Betula utilis Wall.
Woodfordia fructicosa and Betula utilis were extracted with solvents of different polarities. Antioxidant activities and anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts were evaluated by a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH), 2,2’-Azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and lipoxygenase inhibition assay. Ascorbic acid, gallic acid and indomethacin were used as...
June 2008
Protoplast formation, regeneration and transformation from the taxol-producing fungus Ozonium sp.
The effects of some factors on protoplast isolation and regeneration from taxol-producing fungus Ozonium sp. BT2 were investigated, including the enzymolysis time and temperature, the osmotic pressure stabilizer, mycelial incubation time, the culture medium, the culture methods and preprocessing. The mycelia were digested by enzyme combination of 1.5% lywallzyme, 0.5% snailase, 1.5% cellulase...
June 2008
Amelioration of mangosteen micro propagation through leaf and seed segments (Garcinia mangostana l.)
A micro-propagation system was developed for mangosteen (Garcinia Mangostana L.) using leaf sections and mature seeds. This study investigated the effect of various modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurin (BAP) alone or in combination with α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on multiple shoot induction from leaf and half seed explants. Among the treatments,...
June 2008
In vitro regeneration of Turkish dwarf chickling (Lathyrus cicera L) using immature zygotic embryo explant
Dwarf chickling (Lathyrus cicera L) is an important forage legume crop. However, due to the presence of neurotoxin amino acid (b-N-oxalyl-L-a,b-diaminopropionic acid) in the dwarf chickling, its cultivation is limited. There is need to carry out studies for the development of varieties with reduced or none of this neurotoxin for beneficial and prolong consumption by animals. The study reports tissue...
June 2008
Evaluation of the activated carbon prepared from the algae Gracilaria for the biosorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions
The batch removal of copper (II) ions from aqueous solution and wastewater using the activated carbon prepared from Gracilaria by acid decomposition was investigated. The effect of pH, biosorption time, adsorbent dose, and metal ions concentration, were considered. The most effective pH was found to be 4.0. The biosorption capacities were solution pH dependent and the maximum uptake for copper with...
June 2008
Biodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol using Mycoplana dimorpha extracts and evaluation of kinetic parameters
Twenty seven combinations of process variables were developed and used to produce crude extracts of Mycoplana dimorpha. Crude extracts containing 2,4-dichlorophenol degrading enzymes, were immobilized on sodium alginate beads and degradation studies was conducted in a packed bed column. The rate of degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol by immobilized crude extracts of was measured at different time intervals...
June 2008
Effect of vitamin C on collagen biosynthesis and degree of birefringence in polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT)
Nearly one third of protein in the body consists of collagen. It plays a key role in providing the structural scaffolding for cells, tissues, and organs. With available literature, we show that prolonged exposure of cultures of human connective-tissue cells to ascorbate (vitamin C) induces an eight-fold increase in the synthesis of collagen with no increase in the rate of synthesis of other proteins. Making...
June 2008
Growth and viability of yogurt starter organisms in honey-sweetened skimmed milk
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB): Streptococcus thermophilus TA 040 andLactobacillus delbrueckii spp. bulgaricus Lb 340, were cultured in reconstituted (10%, w/v) skimmed milk with 5 or 10% (w/v) polyfloral or unifloral honey. Inoculated samples were incubated aerobically at 42°C until milk coagulation. Samples were collected at 2 h intervals and examined for biomass and pH changes....
June 2008
Enhanced lipase production by mutation induced Aspergillus japonicus
The purpose of the present investigation is to enhance production of the biomedically important enzyme, lipase, by subjecting the indigenous lipase producing fungal strain Aspergillus japonicus MTCC 1975 to strain improvement and random mutagenesis (UV irradiation, HNO2 and N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine). The isolation of mutants and the lipolytic activity of selected mutants were...
June 2008
Sublethal haematological effects of zinc on the freshwater fish, Heteroclarias sp. (Osteichthyes: Clariidae)
Laboratory study was undertaken to evaluate some haematological changes resulting from the exposure of a freshwater fish, Heteroclarias sp. to sublethal concentrations (5.0 and 10.0 mg L-1) of zinc in water for a period of fifteen (15) days. Three groups of ten fish were subjected to serial dilutions of the stock solution of zinc of 0 (control), 5.0 and 10.0 mg L-1 in three large plastic bowls...
June 2008
Phylogenetic analysis of anemone fishes of the Persian Gulf using mtDNA sequences
Anemone fishes are a group of 28 species of coral reef fishes belonging to the family, Pomacentridae; subfamily, Amphiprioninae and all have an obligate symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. Two species of these small ornamental fishes have been identified in the Persian Gulf including Amphiprion clarkii and Amphiprion sebae. The phylogenetic relationship betweenAmphiprion species of...
June 2008
Cast net design characteristics, catch composition and selectivity in tropical open lagoon
Cast net design characteristics, construction, operational techniques and selectivity in Lagos lagoon, Nigeria was examined between September and December 2005. Netting materials for cast net construction in Lagos lagoon were monofilament nylon, poly-ethylene (PE) and polyester (PES). The conventional ratio 1:2 of the number of meshes in the length of the apical panel to the second was not adopted by the...
June 2008
Changes in the serum profiles of lipids and cholesterol in sheep experimental model of acute African trypanosomosis
In an effort to further elucidate the possible effect of trypanosome infection on serum levels of some lipids and cholesterol, five sheep (the infected group) were each intravenously inoculated with 2 ml of blood containing 1 x 106 Trypanosoma congolense organisms. Another five uninfected sheep served as control group. Blood samples were collected from all the animals every other day from the day of...
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