May 2008
Microbial production of raw starch digesting enzymes
Raw starch digesting enzymes refer to enzymes that can act directly on raw starch granules below the gelatinization temperature of starch. With the view of energy-saving, a worldwide interest has been focused on raw starch digesting enzymes in recent years, especially since the oil crisis of 1973. Raw starch digesting enzymes are ubiquitous and produced by plants, animals and microorganisms. However,...
May 2009
Gene technology and drought: A simple solution for a complex trait?
The successful use of gene technology for complex crop traits and responses to stress environments remains a challenging approach despite its potential. Stable crop yield in drought prone environments has been one of the most studied complex traits in recent years and transgenic crops with better performance have been repeatedly reported. We reviewed the experimental approach of contrasting case studies that...
May 2009
Transgenic strategies for improving rice disease resistance
Rice diseases are among the most significant limiting factors threatening food productivity. Genetic engineering provides promising strategies to develop and improve disease resistance in rice. This mini-review summarizes the recent progress on studies of genetic engineering for improvement of rice disease resistance against fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens. Improvement of virus resistance can be...
May 2009
Potential of bacterial fermentation as a biosafe method of improving feeds for pigs and poultry
The use of fermented liquid feeds in monogastric animal nutrition is regarded as one of the biosafe methods of animal production. This paper examines bacterial fermentation of feed substrates for production of fermented liquid feeds for pigs and moist feeds for poultry. Emphasis is placed on the interplay of factors affecting feed fermentation and their relationship to feed quality. The resistance of fermented feeds to...
May 2009
DNA based methods used for characterization and detection of food borne bacterial pathogens with special consideration to recent rapid methods
Detection of food borne pathogen is of outmost importance in the food industries and related agencies. For the last few decades conventional methods were used to detect food borne pathogens based on phenotypic characters. At the advent of complementary base pairing and amplification of DNA, the diagnosis of food pathogen became rapid and target specific. RNA based methods such as NASBA and Real Time RT-PCR...
May 2009
The efficacy and safety of bromacil based herbicide for the control of the invasive bush species in South African rangelands
The use of bromacil based herbicides in agriculture and environmental management is a growing practice with economic importance. Bromacil possesses broad toxicity to many plant species, although, different formulations exist that are used for different purposes in farming systems. There is increasing concern about its use for the control of invasive woody species on South African rangelands; especially its...
May 2009
Unsaturated fatty acid: Metabolism, synthesis and gene regulation
In both plants and animals, unsaturated fatty acids are considered to be essential membrane components. Also they play key roles in many cellular events. The synthesis and metabolism of unsaturated fatty acid are very complex processes, involving a variety of enzymes and regulated pathways. Most recently, research has focused on identifying genes modulating unsaturated fatty acids and studying the metabolism and...
May 2009
Laboratory scale production of the human recombinant iduronate 2-sulfate sulfatase-Like from Pichia pastoris
Clone IDS28 of the yeast Pichia pastoris expressing the human iduronate 2-sulfate sulfatase-Like (hIDS-Like) was employed for low-scale production of the recombinant enzyme in a saline culture media without phosphate. The biological activity found was between 7.3 and 29.5 nmol h-1 mg-1 of total protein. It is about 1.73 to 7 times higher than the result obtained with the same...
May 2009
Evaluation of acute and subchronic toxicity of Stachytarpheta angustifolia (Mill) Vahl (Fam. Verbanaceae) extract in animals
Stachytarpheta angustifolia is an important and a highly valued medicinal plant ethnobotanically used in the treatment of various diseases. The present study was carried out to evaluate acute and subchronic toxicity in animals and also evaluate the phytochemical profiles of hydroethanolic extract of S. angustifolia (Mill) Vahlplant. S. angustifolia attracted the attention of the researchers...
May 2009
Evaluation of acute toxicity in mice and subchronic toxicity of hydroethanolic extract of Parinari curatellifolia Planch (Chrysobalanaceae) seeds in rats
Parinari curatellifolia seeds are ethnobotanically used in the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. The seed drug preparations are administered over a long period of time in the treatment of certain disease conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of the seed extract through acute toxicity study. Also subchronic toxicity in the animals was carried out by assessing the effects on biochemical...
May 2009
AntiMtb activity of triterpenoid-rich fractions from Spondias mombin L.
Spondias mombin L. used in traditional medicine because of its antimicrobial properties was found to contain cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, and anthraquinones in the stem bark. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the methanol extract of S. mombin was carried out with VLC and HPLC. Isolates were evaluated for antimtb activity which led to the isolation of a series of potential molecules. A semi...
May 2009
Genetic variability of Artemisia capillaris (Wormwood capillary) by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) in Terengganu State, Malaysia
The genetic variability among individuals of Artemisia capillaris from state of Terengganu, Malaysia was examined by using the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. The samples were collected from differences regional in Terengganu State. The genomic DNA was extracted from the samples leaves. Fifthty-seven oligonucleotide primers were screened and ten primers were selected (OPA 04, OPA...
May 2009
Using current molecular techniques for rapid differentiation of Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Typhimurium
Typhoid fever is responsible for the deaths of many people annually. However, conventional and time-consuming detection methods for Salmonella Typhi still dominate. By using a molecular based approach, it was possible to identifySalmonella Typhi by amplifying two specific genes (viaB and tyv) and by using RFLP analysis on the 16S rRNA gene as a first step for identification. We were also able to...
May 2009
Genetic diversity of the monomeric prolamins and hordein in hulless barley genotypes and their relation with agronomical traits
In order to compare polymorphism resulting from monomeric prolamine and hordein, 63 genotypes of hulless barley from ICARDA were investigated. Also, to compare the patterns observed in the analyses of storage proteins and their relation with morphologic and phenologic traits, 20 agromorphological traits were recorded. In the analysis of the hordeins, no polymorphism was observed in the area D hordein....
May 2009
Bacillus halodurans RecA-DNA binding and RecA-mediated cleavage enhancing at alkaliphilic pH in vitro
In Escherichia coli, RecA protein catalyzes DNA pairing and strand exchange activities essential for genetic recombination. This is critical for normal cellular function under conditions that lead to altered DNA metabolism and DNA damage. The RecA proteins of E. coli and Bacillus halodurans both can bind to DNA and catalyze the specific proteolytic cleavage of LexA and lambda...
May 2009
Evaluation of genetic diversity between 27 banana cultivars (Musa spp.) in Mauritius using RAPD markers
Cultivated bananas (Musa spp.) are mostly diploid or triploid cultivars with various combinations of the A and B genomes inherited from their diploid ancestors Musa acuminata Colla. and Musa balbisiana Colla. respectively. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to establish the relatedness of 27 accessions in the Mauritian Musa germplasm. 15 decamer...
May 2009
Identification of intergeneric hybrids between Saccharum spp. and Erianthus fulvus with ITSs
Identification of “Saccharum spp. × Erianthus fulvus” F1 hybrids was performed with ITS analysis. Out of 6 pairs of ITS primers, ZM-02 and ZM-04 were found to be suitable to detect the hybrids. The rate of true hybrids tested by ZM-02 and ZM-04 was 74.6 and 73.8% respectively and the amplification products of ZM-04 were similar to the ones of ZM-02. Key...
May 2009
The role of RpoS, H-NS and AcP on the pH-dependent OmpC and OmpF porin expressions of Escherichia coli at different pH
It is generally accepted that OmpC and OmpF porin proteins have important roles to play in the survival of Escherichia coli under different environmental conditions. However, the influence of different environmental conditions on porin expression is not as well known. This work was carried out to find out the effect of envZ, ompR,rpoS, pta and hns mutations on the...
May 2009
Protein landmarks for diversity assessment in wheat genotypes
Grain proteins from 10 Pakistani registered wheat genotypes were evaluated for diversity assessment based on sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Genetic diversity was evaluated via UPGMA cluster analysis by constructing dendrogram of fractions of proteins, which were used for the calculation of similarity coefficients between these varieties. The greatest similarity...
May 2009
Regeneration of begonia plantlets by direct organogenesis
The economic importance of ornamentals worldwide suggests a bright future for ornamental breeding. Rapid progress in plant molecular biology has great potentials to contribute to the breeding of novel ornamental plants utilizing recombinant DNA technology. The plant cell, tissue or organ culture of many ornamental species and their regeneration are essential for providing the material and systems for their...
May 2009
Influence of environmental factors and salinity on phosphate solubilization by a newly isolated Aspergillus niger F7 from agricultural soil
Most agricultural soils contain large reserves of phosphorous, a considerable part of which accumulates as a consequence of regular applications of phosphate fertilizers. Nearly 95 - 99% is present in the insoluble form and hence cannot be utilized by plants. Fungi have been reported to possess greater ability to solubilize insoluble phosphates than bacteria. In the present study, fungal strains isolated from...
May 2009
Rapid plant regeneration of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium l.) through shoot tip culture
Shoot multiplication of chrysanthemum was achieved from shoot tip explant, using MS media supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators. Different parameters including shoot initiation percentage, average number of shoots per explant, length of shoots (cm), number of leaves per shoot and number of nodes per shoot were studied during the course of study. Low...
May 2009
The effects of physical and chemical changes on the optimum harvest maturity in some avocado cultivars
The aim of this study was to determine physical and chemical changes during fruit development and their relationship with optimum harvest maturity for Bacon, Fuerte and Zutano avocado cultivars grown under Dörtyol ecological condition. Fruits cv. Bacon, Fuerte and Zutano were obtained trees grafted on seedlings and planted 5 m x 6 m in Dörtyol Research Station of Faculty of Agriculture, Mustafa Kemal...
May 2009
Effect of phytohormones on growth and ion accumulation of wheat under salinity stress
A hydroponics experiment was conducted to assess the role of abscisic acid (ABA), benzyladenine (BA) and cycocel (CCC) on growth and ion accumulation of three spring wheat cultivars, cv. Wafaq-2001, cv. Inqulab-91, and cv. SAARC-1 under salinity stress. Seeds of all the cultivars were treated prior to sowing with ABA and BA each at 10-5 M and CCC at 10-6 M for 24 h. Three weeks old plants of both...
May 2009
Ecological properties of some Crocus taxa in Turkey
In this study, ecological properties of the areas where some Crocus taxa (C. ancyrensis, C. sieheanus, C. chrysanthus, C. flavus subsp. flavus, and C. flavussubsp. dissectus) grow naturally was considered. The plants together with in situsoil samples were collected in their flowering periods and data on the distribution areas of the plants and some physical and chemical...
May 2009
Genetic diversity assessment of wild and cultivated varieties of Jatropha curcas (L.) in India by RAPD analysis
The present study deals with evaluation of genetic diversity and pedigree analysis through RAPD analysis. A total number of 40 Jatropha curcas accessions collected from different geographical regions and 43 random decamer primers were screened to assess polymorphism. 10 primers were amplified and 94 polymorphic bands were found out of 125 scored. Accounting for 75.2 % polymorphism across the...
May 2009
Studies on the influence of Microcystis aeruginosa on the ecology and fish production of carp culture ponds
In many fish ponds, blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) constitute the greater part of the phytoplankton. Of the blue-green algae common in fish ponds, Microcystis aeruginosa is said to be a noxious species. It sometimes forms spectacular water blooms, often with harmful consequences such as depletion of oxygen, poor growth of fish and even mass mortality among the fish. The present study was aimed at...
May 2009
Genotoxic effects of industrial wastewater on Allium cepa L.
The aim of this research is to study the effects of different concentrations of water on both incoming and outgoing in central biological and chemical wastewater treatment plant in Manisa (Turkey) organized industrial zone (MOIZ) on the Allium cepa L. root meristems, having been rooted in distilled water for 48 h. The union bulbs were kept in the 100% concentrations of the refined water (RW)...
May 2009
Antimicrobial activity of Diospyros melanoxylon bark from Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Orissa, India
The antimicrobial activity of five extracts of Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. bark collected from Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Orissa was evaluated against human pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The extracts including both polar and non polar solvents; petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, methanol and aqueous were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against three gram positive and five gram...
May 2009
Monthly variation of some physico-chemical and microbiological parameters in Biga Stream (Biga, Canakkale, Turkey)
Water samples were collected from three different sites of the Biga Stream (Canakkale, Turkey) in the months of October 2007 – September 2008 for the analyzing of some physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of the stream. In the present investigation, the mean average value (mean ± SD) of the stream temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), pH, electrical...
May 2009
Physico-chemical and rheological properties of yoghurt manufactured with ewe’s milk and skim milk
Yoghurts were prepared with commercial strains "CHR HANSEN” Denmark using two types of milk, ewe's milk and skim milk, ‘’CELIA’’. A dose of 2.5% of commercial starters was used for the preparation of the yoghurt. Physico-chemical, organoleptic and rheological properties of yoghurts prepared with both types of milk were studied in order to determine the best preparation...
May 2009
Principal components analysis and age at harvest effect on quality of gari from four elite cassava varieties in Ghana
Four elite cassava varieties in Ghana released under the local names Afisiafi, Tekbankye, Abasafitaa and Gblemoduade were planted in June and harvested the following year at 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 months after planting, and processed into gari. The effect that age at harvest had on selected physicochemical properties indicative of gari quality was studied in the four varieties. The...
May 2009
Effect of Pleurotus ostreatus fermentation on cocoa pod husk composition: Influence of fermentation period and Mn2+ supplementation on the fermentation process
Cocoa pod husk (CPH) is a major agro-industrial residue in Ghana with a potential value as a low-cost unconventional feedstuff for livestock. However, its effective use is limited by poor nutrient composition, mainly due to its high lignocellulose or fibre and also low protein levels. White–rot fungi such as Pleurotus species are bio-catalytic systems for bioconversion processes such as the...
May 2009
Observations on antifertility and abortifacient herbal drugs
This communication presents first hand information gathered on 36 medicinal plants belonging to 23 families traditionally used by the tribal and rural women of northern areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan for birth control. Study provides information on local names, mode of administration and dosages as `practiced by rural and tribal women. Most effective plant species to induce abortion...
May 2009
High frequency callus induction and plantlet regeneration from different explants of Picrorhiza kurroa - a medicinal herb of Himalayas
Picrorhiza kurroa is a medicinal herb prevalent in the North-Western Himalayan region at an altitude of 3000 - 4300 m. It is a rich source of hepatoprotective picrosides; picroside-i and picroside-ii and other medicinal metabolites such as picroside-iii, picroside-iv, apocynin, androsin, catechol, kutkoside, etc. Being pharmacologically important and listed as an endangered herb, optimization of in...
May 2009
Responses of mRNA expression of PepT1 in small intestine to graded duodenal soybean small peptides infusion in lactating goats
To study the effect of circulation small peptides concentration on mRNA expression in small intestine, graded amount of soybean small peptides (SSP) were infused into lactating goats through duodenal fistulas. Peptide-bound amino acid (PBAA) concentration in arterial plasma and the mRNA expression of PepT1 was detected in the current study. The results showed that concentrations of all peptide-bound...
May 2009
Effect of a hyper-protein diet on Wistar rats development and intestinal function
This study was designed to investigate the long-term effects of a high-protein diet on the functional and histological structure of the intestinal epithelium. Sixteen adult male Wistar rats (180 ± 2.27 g) were divided into two groups: 1) the control group, (n = 30) were fed a normal diet of 14% protein; 2) the P50-group (n = 30) were fed a 50% protein diet. The effects of a high-protein diet were...
May 2009
Motility and fertilizing capacity of boar semen stored in raffia palm (Raffia hookeri) sap extender at 15°C
Two separate experiments were conducted to test the ability of new semen extenders containing various levels of tropical raffia palm sap in sustaining the motility and fertilizing capacity of boar spermatozoa during storage at 15°C. Highly significant variations (P < 0.01) occurred in the ability of extenders to sustain progressive motility from days 1 to 4 of storage. One of the new extenders, raffia...
May 2009
Pollination and yield responses of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) to the foraging activity of Apis mellifera adansonii (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at Ngaoundéré (Cameroon)
To determine the apicultural value of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabaceae) and evaluate the Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) activity on its pod and seed yields, the bee foraging and pollinating activities were studied in Ngaoundéré. The experiment was carried out within the University of Ngaoundéré Campus on 210 flowers...
May 2009
Acceptance of biotechnology and social-cultural implications in Ghana
Despite major scientific progress in the application of biotechnology in agriculture, public attitudes towards biotechnology in general and genetically modified food (GM food) products in particular remain mixed in Africa. Examining responses on acceptance of GM food through a stakeholder survey in Ghana, it was established that half of the 100 people sample interviewed were not in favor of GM foods. To this...
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