African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12496

Table of Content: 29 August 2011; 10(48)

August 2013

Nature and role of root exudates: Efficacy in bioremediation

Root exudate is one of the ways for plant communication to the neighboring plant and adjoining of microorganisms present in the rhizosphere of the root. The chemicals ingredients of the root exudates are specific to a particular plant species and also depend on the nearby biotic and abiotic environment. The chemical ingredient exuded by plant roots include amino acids, sugars, organic acids, vitamins, nucleotides,...

Author(s): Keshav Prasad Shukla, Shivesh Sharma, Nand Kumar Singh, Vasudha Singh, Kirti Tiwari and Sphoorti Singh

August 2013

A review on non-stereospecific haloalkanoic acid dehalogenases

Haloalkanoic acid dehalogenases remove halides from organic haloacids and have potential as bioremediation agents. DehE from Rhizobium sp. RC1, DehI fromPseudomonas putida PP3 and d,l-DEX 113 from Pseudomonas sp. 113 are non-stereospecific dehalogenases that invert the configurations of d- and l- carbons bound to a halogen. The kinetics of DehE has been partially...

Author(s): Tengku Haziyamin Tengku Abdul Hamid, Azzmer Azzar Abdul Hamid and Fahrul Huyop

August 2013

Acclimation of morphology and physiology in turf grass to low light environment: A review

This short review elucidated the significance of the research on acclimation of the morphology and physiology in turf grass to low light environment, the mechanism of physiological response and the photosynthetic regulation and control of turf grass to suit low light environment. We also discussed current research problems and provided insight into future relevant research.   Key words: Low light,...

Author(s): Yue-fei Xu, Hao Chen, He Zhou, Jing-wei JIN, and Tian-ming Hu

August 2013

AtCCX1 transports Na+ and K+ in Pitch pastoris

Compartmentation of Na+ into vacuoles is an important way for cells to avoid the toxic effects of salt. Here, Arabidopsis AtCCX1 was studied in Pitch pastorisGS115. Yeast expressing AtCCX1 grew better in high H+ concentration medium and high salt medium than original strain and increased Na+ accumulation and decreased K+ accumulation. AtCCX1 was located in tonoplast in yeast....

Author(s): hiyuan Chen, Yongjun Wu, Lijun Di, Yufang Shen and Guodong Wang

August 2013

Molecular characterization of HbEREBP2, a jasmonate-responsive transcription factor from Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.

Transcription factors of AP2/ERF superfamily are generally involved in defense responses of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. Although, defense proteins are present in abundance in laticifers of rubber tree, little is known about their transcriptional regulation. In this study, a full length cDNA, referred to asHbEREBP2 was characterized by means of bioinformatic analysis and quantitative real-time...

Author(s): Yue-Yi Chen, Li-Feng Wang, Shu-Guang Yang, Wei-Min Tian

August 2013

Optimized system for plant regeneration of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thumb.)

The objective of this study was to establish an efficient and reproducible in vitroplant regeneration for Citrullus lanatus cv. Zaojia. To achieve optimal conditions for adventitious shoot induction, five explants (entire cotyledons, distal cotyledons, proximal cotyledons, cotyledonary node A and cotyledonary node B) were tested on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations...

Author(s): J. Li, X. M. Li, Y.G. Qin, Y. Tang, L. Wang, C. Ma and H. X. Li

August 2013

Natural genetic variation in Calligonum Tunisian genus analyzed by RAPD markers

The Calligonum genus is one of the most economically important resources of the Tunisian desert, playing an important role in the lives of desert local population. A great range of genetic diversity could be seen in diverse populations of this genus which are spread all over Tunisian areas. DNA-based molecular markers are playing increasingly important role in the analysis of genetic diversity in wide range of...

Author(s): Adel Dhief , Ferdaws Guasmi , Tibra Triki , Neffati Mohamed and Samira Aschi-Smiti  

August 2013

Effects of exogenous ABA on antioxidant enzymes in detached citrus leaves treated by rapid freezing

Two-year-old seedlings of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.) and lemon (Citrus limonia Osbeck.) were sprayed with 0.1 mmol.L-1 abscisic acid (ABA) and then their leaves were collected randomly to expose to freezing stress. Specifically, these detached leaves were treated at 0, -3, -6, -9 and -12°C for 1 h respectively.The concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), percentage of...

Author(s): Hua Yang, Huang Li, Li-qun Rao, Gui-you Long, Guo-rong Shi and Guo-ping Peng

August 2013

Physiological basis for allelopathic potential of different wheat cultivars in heading period on the Loess Plateau of China

The relationship between fluorescence kinetics and allelopathic expression of four winter-wheat ecotypes in heading period was discussed. With the breeding history from No. 1 Bima, No. 3 Fengchan, No. 1 Ningdong to No 22 Xiaoyan and agronomic properties of winter wheat like thousand seed weight and yield, etc increased gradually. Meanwhile, allelopathic potential was also enhanced. It was explained well...

Author(s): S. P. Zuo, L. T. Ye and H. Mei

August 2013

Extraction of Jatropha curcas fruits for antifungal activity against anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) of papaya

Extracts from seeds and leaves of Jatropha curcas have shown molluscidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties. J. curcas extracts were found to inhibit the mycelium growth of Colletotrichum musae that causes anthracnose disease in bananas. The antimicrobial activity of crude methanol extracts of J. curcas fruits, pulp and seeds were...

Author(s): Muklesur Rahman, Siti Hajar Ahmad, Mahmud Tengku Muda Mohamedand Mohamad Zaki Ab. Rahman

August 2013

Nature of ergastic substances in some Poaceae seeds

Seeds of 48 species of Poaceae were examined for the presence of alkaloid, protein, fats and oil, inulin, starch and tannins. All taxa investigated indicated the presence of starch, fats and oils and protein and were devoid of tannins and inulin. Only 12 seed samples indicated the presence of alkaloids. The Positively indicated taxa are suggested for further investigation.   Key words: Poaceae, starch,...

Author(s): Idu, M. and Onyibe, H. I.

August 2013

Application of numerical modeling for optimization of selective hot water extraction of taxifolin from ‘milk thistle’ seeds

The term flavonoid is used for a class of plant chemicals known for their activity as highly potent antioxidants and accordingly their ability to protect the body against oxidative and free radical damage. Taxifolin has attracted our attention because it constitutes the flavonoid moiety in ‘milk thistle’ seeds. In this research, a novel optimization-extraction method of taxifolin from...

Author(s): Hala El-Adawi, Yasser Abdel-Fattah and Abeer Abd El-Wahab

August 2013

Comparison of various pulping characteristic of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. wood

This study was carried out in order to investigate the suitability of ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.), a native tree (species) in Turkey, for pulp and paper making. Four pulping methods, which included NSSC, cold soda, kraft and kraft + anthraquinone pulping processes, were used for this study. The test materials were supplied from two different stands found in Istanbul Bahcekoy region. When ash wood samples as...

Author(s): Gulnur Mertoglu Elmas

August 2013

Diagnostic radiographic examinations in Saudi Arabia based on thermoluminescent dosimetery

This study was performed as part of a comprehensive project to establish national diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs), for the first time, in Saudi Arabia. The study consisted of 240 patients who were referred for x-ray examinations at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) in Saudi Arabia. Patients’ information and exposure parameters for eight of the common x-ray examinations (12 standard projections) were...

Author(s): Mohamed Anwar K. Abdelhalim

August 2013

Tillage and manure effect on soil physical and chemical properties and on carbon and nitrogen mineralization potentials

The objective of this work was to study the effects of tillage and liquid manure applications on some physical and chemical properties and also on the carbon and nitrogen mineralization potential from a meadow soil. Our results indicated that tillage and manure applications had no effect on the concentration of Cu, Mn, total N and organic C in the 0 - 15 cm layer of soil after 15 years of treatment. However soil P,...

Author(s): H. Kheyrodin and H. Antoun

August 2013

Removal of nitrogen from anaerobically digested swine wastewater using an anoxic/oxic (A/O) process complemented with a sulfur-packed biofilter

A modified lab-scale anoxic/oxic process was designed incorporating an upflow sulfur-packed biofilter for the treatment of anaerobically digested swine wastewater. In this study, chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+-N and NOx--N removal efficiencies were investigated. The experimental results showed that by increasing the internal recycle ratio from 1 to 3, the overall performance of the system improved. Organics removal...

Author(s): Gurung Anup, Kang Woo-Chang and Oh Sang-Eun

August 2013

A novel fermentor system optimized for continuous production of pullulan

A novel fermentor system containing Aureobasidium pullulans in polyurethane foam was designed to achieve continuous production of pullulan. A. pullulans cells were immobilized in 10 to 20 g polyurethane foam with pore size of 1000 Ǻ. The system has specialized aeration provision with 80 perforations of 4 mm. Pullulan production achieved was approximately 37g/l in 18 cycles at 42°C, pH 5.5 and at...

Author(s): Ranjan Singh, Rajeeva Gaur, Farrukh Jamal and Manogya Kumar Gaur

August 2013

The effect of mucA allele on biofilm architecture and the biofilm-related proteomes

In this study, a unique mucA mutation (designated mucA56) was introduced, which was characterized by deletion of bases 166-333, encoding MucA56 protein with the deletion of the trans-membrane region, which then was proved to be cytoplasmic with phoA-mucA fusion method. PAOmucA56 was constructed with homologous recombination; two PAO1 derivatives PAOmucA22 (PDO300) and PAOmucA56 displayed mucoid phenotype on...

Author(s): Anqun Chen, Linka Xie, Ming Ni, Mathee Kalai and Deying Tian

August 2013

The effects of applied nitrogen fertilizer and leaf positions on levels of micronutrients, anti-nutrients and toxic substances in Amaranthus cruentus

The presence of antinutrients and toxic substances in vegetables limits the nutritional benefits of vegetables. The effects of age of plant and application of nitrogen fertilizer on the bioaccumulation of antinutrients (oxalate), toxic substances (cyanide and nitrate), micronutrients (vitamin C, β-carotene -provitamin A) and mineral elements (Fe, Mg, Cu, Zn, Ca Na and K) in Amaranthus...

Author(s): Amanabo Musa, Johnson A. Oladiran, Matthew I.S. Ezenwa, Helmina O. Akanya and Emmanuel O. Ogbadoyi

August 2013

Evaluation of the antifungal activity of the Iranian thyme essential oils on the postharvest pathogens of Strawberry fruits

Postharvest diseases cause considerable losses to harvested fruits and vegetables during transportation and storage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal potential of Thymus danensis and Thymus carmanicus against fourpostharvest pathogenic fungi (Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus niger and Botrytis cinerea) which can reduce the...

Author(s): Amrollah Nabigol and Hosein Morshedi

August 2013

Sensorial, chemical and microbiological quality of anchovy cake

In this study, fish cake prepared using raw anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and its products were stored in a locked bag at a cold temperature of 4 ± 1°C. Moisture, ash, fat, protein, salt, pH, TVB-N, number of TBA, TMA-N and histamine values, number of total aerobic microorganisms (at 5 and 30°C temperature of incubation) and yeast-mold were determined in the raw material during the production period....

Author(s): AyÅŸe Gürel Inanli, Nermin Karaton and Özlem Emir Çoban

August 2013

Chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, proximate analysis and mineral content of the seed of Detarium senegalense JF Gmelin

Detarium senegalense JF Gmelin (Caesalpiniaceae), commonly known as tallow tree, is used traditionally for the treatment of bronchitis, pneumonia, internal complaints and skin diseases in Tropical Africa. The seed is used as a soup thickener in Eastern Nigeria. Analysis of the petroleum ether extract of the seeds with GC-MS produced ten constituents of which oleic and linoleic acids were the most prominent (30.8...

Author(s): A. A. Sowemimo, C. Pendota, B. Okoh, T. Omotosho, N. Idika, A. A. Adekunle and A. J. Afolayan

August 2013

Production of lignin peroxidase by Ganoderma leucidum using solid state fermentation

The main objectives of this study were to optimize the culture conditions for theproduction of lignin peroxidase by Ganoderma leucidum, economic utilization of waste corn cobs as inducers substrate by pollution free fermentation technology and to optimize the solid state fermentation (SSF) process for lignin peroxidase (LiP) production. Growth medium employed for the culture of G....

Author(s): Nazia Mehboob, Muhammad Javaid Asad, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Gulfraz, Feroza H. Wattoo, Saqib H. Hadri and Muhammad Asghar

August 2013

Effect of the Chinese herb Mesima Reishi UE-1 on invasion of human ovarian cancer cells in vitro

To study the effects of Mesima Reishi UE-1 on the metastatic phenotype of the human ovarian cancer cell line HO8910. HO8910 cells were pretreated with different concentration of Mesima Reishi UE-1 in vitro. Using cell proliferation assay, spreading and adhesion assay, cell migration and invasion assay, zymography, immunocytochemical staining and RT-PCR, we examined the effects of Mesima Reishi UE-1 on cell...

Author(s): Jian He, Xu He, Hai-ying Zhang, Xu-fang Yang, Jin He, Li-hong Zhang, Yu-lin Li

August 2013

In vivo, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of Citrullus colocynthis pulp extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The study was designed to evaluate the effect of Citrullus colocynthis pulp hydro-ethanol extract on alloxan-induced hyperlipidemia in diabetic rats. 24 albino rats with body weights of 150 to 200 g were divided into one control and three experimental groups. Group 1 was the normal control rats, orally administered physiological saline. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were diabetic rats orally administered...

Author(s): Mohammad Dallak

August 2013

Relationship among sera lipoprotein abnormalities in healthy individuals with background of diabetic sibling

As the prevalence of lipoprotein abnormalities in adolescents is increasing dramatically, the identification of relevant risk factors is a major public health challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a family history of diabetes could be a risk factor for lipid abnormalities in healthy individuals. This study is a cross-sectional case control study. 179 men and women were studied in two...

Author(s): Samad Akbarzadeh, Iraj Nabipour, Seyed Mojtaba Jaffari, Niloofar Motamed, Ali Movahed, Mostafa Mirzaei and Ali Reza Rahbar

August 2013

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Karak, Pakistan: Report of an outbreak and comparison of diagnostic techniques

A total of 339 patients with clinically suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) were studied from March to April, 2010 in three villages of Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan where an epidemic of the disease was in question. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 78.17% (265/339) were observed having CL. Microscopically, however, only 43.06% (146/339) were diagnosed with the disease. This study reports and confirms...

Author(s): Sultan Ayaz, Sanaullah Khan, Shahid Niaz Khan, Sumaira Shams, Muhammad Saqalain, Jan Ahmad, Afshan Bibi, Mansoor Ahmad, Sumera Noreen and Mubashir Hussain

August 2013

Effect of diethyl maleate on toxicity of linalool against two stored product insects in laboratory condition

Essential oil extracted from plants has been widely investigated for pest control properties, with some proving to be toxic in insect pests. In this study, effect of the synergist diethyl maleate (DEM) on toxicity of one monoterpenoids, linalool was studied against two most common stored-product insects such as Callosobruchus maculatus and Rhyzopertha dominica. Diethyl...

Author(s): Arezo Davoudi, Nouraddin Shayesteh, Davood Shirdel, Abbas Hosseinzadeh

August 2013

Effect of stocking density on growth, maturity, fecundity, reproductive behaviour and fry production in the mouth brooding cichlid Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters)

Growth and reproductive performance of Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) in relation to stocking density was evaluated in indoor aquaria. Juveniles weighing 978 ± 370 mg were held in densities of 10, 20, 30 and 40 aquarium-1 (429, 858, 1287 and 1716 juveniles/m3) in aquaria (size: 46 × 23 × 23 cm) each containing 12 L freshwater. They reared on dry Tubifex tubifex worms and dry...

Author(s): Mundodu Shubha, and Sarjapur R. Reddy

August 2011

Evaluating the toxicity of permeability enhanchers of polyethylene glycol brij ethers surfactants group on cellular membranes and some of their physicochemical properties

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of polyethylene glycol brij ethers surfactants group on red blood cells as a model for biological membranes. Also in this study, physicochemical properties including emulsification index (E24), foam producing activity (Fh) and critical micelle concentration (cmc) were studied. Surfactant solutions were prepared in McIvan’s buffer in specific concentrations. 0.2 ml of...

Author(s): Gholamreza Dehghan Noudeh, Payam Khazaeli, Effat Behravan, Masoud Ahmadi Afzadi, Ali Dehghan-Noudeh and Masih Hassani

August 2011

Immunogenicity of novel sulfadimethoxide conjugates

Sulfadimethoxine (SDM) is an antibiotic commonly added to animal feeds. Anti-SDM antibodies are useful for the detection of residual SDM in foods, feeds and biological fluids by ELISA. In this study, we show that SDM is immunogenic in rabbits when it is conjugated with soy 11S globulin or with β-amylase. Rabbit anti-SDM antibodies obtained by immunization with SDM-11S and SDM-beta-amylase displayed low...

Author(s): Lei Chen, Jianyu Su, Xiangzhai Zhang, Lin Li and Xiaowei He

August 2011

Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of Tangkening granule using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

This study was designed to establish the quality standard of Tangkening granule in order to effectively control the quality of this new Chinese traditional patent medicine in the process of production, in addition to ensure the good clinical application.Fructus gardenia, Herba gynostemmatis, Dioscorea batatas, and Polygonatum odoratum in Tangkening granule were identified by thin layer...

Author(s): Qiang Yuan, Lan He and Lei Mao

August 2011

Characterization of carbohydrate fractions and fermentation quality in ensiled alfalfa treated with different additives

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of adding fast-sile (FS), previous fermented juice (PFJ), sucrose (S) or fast-sile + sucrose (FS + S) on the fermentation characteristics and carbohydrates fractions of alfalfa silages by the Cornell net carbohydrates and proteins systems (CNCPS). Silages quality were well preserved determined by pH, lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA), propionic acid (PA), butyric...

Author(s): Chun-sheng Bai#, Rui-zhong Zhang#, Chao Jiang,  Rong Yan, Jian-guo Han, Yu Zhu and Ying-jun Zhang   #These authors contributed equally to this work.

August 2011

Morphological and histochemical observations of the red jungle fowl tongue Gallus gallus

Morphological and histochemical study of the tongue of ten adult red jungle fowl (RJF), Gallus gallus were carried out at macroscopic and microscopic levels. The tongue was triangular with a wide dorsal and ventrolateral surface with median groove at the rostral part. Between the body and the roots appears a transverse row of the lingual conical papillae which was directed backwards. Behind the laryngeal...

Author(s): Khalid K Kadhim⊃, ABZ Zuki, SMA Babjee, MM Noordin and Zamri-Saad, M

August 2011

Ameliorative effects of ascorbic acid on rectal temperature, excitability score and liveweight of rabbits transported by road

This experiment was performed with the aim of investigating the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) on stress due to road transportation of rabbits. Nine rabbits administered AA served as the treated animals, while seven others given sterile water were used as the controls. All the rabbits were transported by road for 2 h under standard conditions, and their rectal temperature (RT), excitability score and liveweight values...

Author(s): J. O. Ayo, N. S. Minka and E. S. Idoga