August 2011
Plant glutathione S-transferase classification, structure and evolution
Glutathione S-transferases are multifunctional proteins involved in diverse intracellular events such as primary and secondary metabolisms, stress metabolism, herbicide detoxification and plant protection against ozone damages, heavy metals and xenobiotics. The plant glutathione S-transferase superfamily have been subdivided into eight classes. Phi, tau, zeta, theta, lambda, dehydroascorbate reductase and...
August 2011
Biological advances in Bergenia genus plant
Bergenia, a genus belonging to Saxifragaceae family, is one of the most important medicinal plants, has high application values for human. Currently, wild Bergenia is becoming lacking, due to destruction of ecological environment and excessive excavation; furthermore, the study on it is not deep enough, many related important problems have not been resolved. To protect and utilize more...
August 2011
Cloning and expression of human immunoglobulin G4 (hIgG4) hinge region cDNA from blood sample
Human immunoglobulin G4 (hIgG4) is increasingly being used for the detection of various infectious diseases and in allergy-related immunoassays, thus, anti-hIgG4 antibody is of interest in the development of diagnostic tests. The present study was conducted to produce a recombinant peptide antigen that can be used to generate monoclonal antibodies specific to hIgG4. The cDNA coding for the hinge region of...
August 2011
Characterization of genetic structure of alfalfa (Medicago sp.) from trans-Himalaya using RAPD and ISSR markers
Twenty five (25) accessions of Lucerne (Medicago sp.) collected from Leh valley of trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir) were analyzed using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).The results of this study revealed that the level of genetic variation in the collectedMedicago ecotypes were relatively high...
August 2011
The stability of transgene expression and effect of DNA methylation on post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in birch
In this paper, we selected transgenic birch (Betula platyphylla Suk) plants, which included non-silencing plants, transcriptional silence plants including TP96, TP74, TP73 and the post-transcriptional silence ones (TP67 and TP72). The transcription of the bgt gene in different tissues and organs were significantly different. The transcriptional level of bgt gene in the different...
August 2011
Differentiation studies of predominant lactic acid bacteria isolated during growol fermentation by using polyphasic taxonomic characterization
Twelve isolates known as weakly amylolytic lactic acid bacteria were isolated from different time during growol fermentation, a cassava based product from Indonesia. Differentiation tests of these strains were performed using molecular and phenotypic characterization. 16S subunit of the ribosomal RNA and phenylalanyl tRNA synthase (pheS) gene sequences of all isolates showed similarity withLactobacillus...
August 2011
Identification and expression analysis of CYP4G25 gene from the Chinese oak silkworm (Antheraea pernyi)
CYP450 plays an important role in physiological metabolism. A CYP4G25 gene of P450 family was cloned from Antheraea pernyi using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE-PCR). Sequence analysis revealed that this gene was 2112 bp long and has 97.5% identity with Antheraea yamamai CYP4G25. Semi-quantitative polymerase chain...
August 2011
Molecular cloning and characterization of a cytoplasmic cyclophilin gene in sugarcane
Cyclophilins are ubiquitous proteins with an enzymatic activity of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase), which play important roles in a variety of stress responsiveness. In this study, we reported the cloning and characterization of a full-length cytoplasmic cyclophilin gene in sugarcane. Sequence analysis showed the cDNA of this gene (GenBank accession number:GQ246462), termed as Sc-CyP, was 904...
August 2011
A new method for promoting lily flowering
FT is thought to be the florigen in plants. In this research, a new method for promoting lily flowering was introduced. The function of FT gene cloned fromArabidopsis on promoting lily flowering was analyzed. pET-30a-FT vector was constructed to indicate the expression of FT:eGFP fuse protein in prokaryotic cells. FT:eGFP was also constructed into plant virus vector-pGR106. AgrobacteriumGV3101 harboring...
August 2011
Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl-hydoxylase attenuated by HCG-induced vascular endothelial growth factor expression in luteal cells
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the corpus leteum formation and their functional maintenances in mammalian ovaries. We recently reported that the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α signaling contributes to the regulation of VEGF expression in the luteal cells (LCs) in response to hypoxia and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)....
August 2011
Expression analysis of the 35S CaMV promoter and its derivatives in transgenic hairy root cultures of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) generated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes infection
The cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter is the most commonly used viral-based promoter to drive transgene expression in plants. Although, many studies have demonstrated the constitutive nature of this promoter, some reports have suggested varied expression levels in different parts of the plant. Therefore, our aim was to study the activity of the CaMV 35S promoter in the hairy root system. The CaMV 35S...
August 2011
Assessment of genetic diversity in Sudanese maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers
The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) molecular markers were used to assess genetic diversity in 27 Sudanese maize genotypes. Ten primers were used, resulting in the amplification of 59 fragments, of which 53 (89.33) were polymorphic. The maximum number of fragment bands (10) were produced by the primer A-1 with 100% polymorphism, while the minimum numbers of fragments (3) were produced by the primer OPA-20....
August 2011
Detection of serum midkine levels in cancer patients using rabbit anti-human midkine monoclonal antibodies
Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding growth factor and was found to be highly expressed in many types of human carcinomas. MK may become a novel tumor marker. In this study, we used the rabbit specific antibodies against human MK to establish a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of MK system and applied it to detect serum MK levels in different types of cancer patients. The...
August 2011
Genetic loci mapping for ear axis weight using recombinant inbred line (RIL) population under different nitrogen regimes in maize
Ear axis weight (EAW) is one of the important agronomic traits in maize (Zea maysL.), related to yield. To understand its genetic basis, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, derived from the cross Mo17 × Huangzao4, was used for quantitative trait locus mapping (QTL) for EAW under high and low nitrogen (N) regimes. The results showed that a total of three QTLs were mapped on chromosomes 2 (two) and 4 (one)...
August 2011
Genetic variation at Exon2 of TLR4 gene and its association with resistant traits in chicken
This study was conducted to analyze the polymorphisms of chicken Toll-like receptors 4(TLR4) gene and aimed to provide a theoretical foundation for a further research on correlation between chicken TLR4 gene and disease resistance. Genetic variations at exon 2 of TLR4 gene in 14 chicken breeds and the red jungle fowl were detected by PCR-SSCP method and two alleles and three genotypes were found, Tibetan chicken and red...
August 2011
Three R2R3 MYB transcription factor genes from Capsicum annuum showing differential expression during fruit ripening
Three R2R3-MYB genes, designated CaMYB1, CaMYB2 and CaMYB3, were isolated from hot pepper (Capsicum annuum. L). CaMYB1, CaMYB2 and CaMYB3encode polypetides consisting of 340, 262 and 345 amino acids respectively, containing R2R3 domain and the signature motif specific for the interaction between MYB and bHLH proteins in the R3 domain. Phylogenetic analysis based on the...
August 2011
Effects of sulfur and nitrogen on nutrients uptake of corn using acidified water
A greenhouse experiment was carried out with elemental sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer using acidified water (pH 6.5) to determine nutrients uptake and growth of maize plants grown in calcareous sandy soil. Four levels of elemental sulfur (0, 1, 5 and 10 t ha-1), two levels of N (0 and 0.34 t N ha-1) were tested at Al Foah Agricultural Experiment Farm, United Arab Emirates (UAE) University. In Al Semaih soil, the...
August 2011
Allelopathy of root exudates from different resistant eggplants to Verticillium dahliae and the identification of allelochemicals
Three eggplant cultivars were inoculated with Verticillium dahliae Kleb. to assess their resistance to Verticillium wilt. Solanum tor was resistant, “Liyuanziqie” was tolerant, and “Xi’anlvqie” susceptible. The disease incidence and disease index of Verticillium wilt and the amount of V. dahliae in rhizospheric soil, variation of microbial composition, the allelopathy of...
August 2011
In vitro antifungal evaluation of various plant extracts against early blight disease (Alternaria solani) of potato
Antifungal activities of 27 plant extracts were tested against Alternaria solani (E. & M.) Jones and Grout using radial growth technique. While all tested plant extracts produced some antifungal activities, the results revealed that Circium arvense, Humulus lupulus, Lauris nobilis and Salvia officinalis showed significant antifungal activities. The leaf extract of L....
August 2011
Rhizosphere of rice plants harbor bacteria with multiple plant growth promoting features
114 diazotrophic bacteria from the rice rhizosphere of five districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh (India) were isolated and screened for plant growth promoting (PGP) activities employing standard microbiological and biochemical techniques. All these isolates showed nitrogenase activity in the range of 0.23 to 1.72 µmol C2H4 mg-1protein h-1. Further analysis showed that 84 (73.68%) isolates were...
August 2011
Exploring storage protocols for yam (Dioscorea spp.) pollen genebanking
Implementation of pollen genebanks allows the conservation of plant genetic resources at the haploid level, pollen genetic manipulations, scheduling of hybrid seed production and improvement of breeding efficiency. To establish pollen storage protocols for various genotypes of West African yams, laboratory experiments were conducted on fresh pollen and pollen stored under various conditions at the Genetic...
August 2011
Volatile constituents and behavioral change induced by Cymbopogon winterianus leaf essential oil in rodents
Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt (‘Java citronella’) is an important essential oil yielding aromatic grass cultivated in India and Brazil and its volatile essential oils extracted from its leaves are used in perfumery, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and flavoring industries. However, there is no report on any psychopharmacological study of C. winterianus leaf essential oil (LEO) available to date. In...
August 2011
Evaluation of citrus, butternut and sprouting potato as mass rearing substrates for the oleander mealybug, Paracoccus burnerae (Brain) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)
Biological control programs of mealybug species have relied on sprouting potatoes, pumpkins and butternut for rearing of both mealybugs and their natural enemies. In this study, the suitability of sprouting potatoes, butternuts and citrus as mass rearing substrates for the oleander mealybug, Paracoccus burnerae was investigated. Developmental times, rate and fecundity on each substrate were determined and...
August 2011
The perception of corn farmers about biological control of Caradrina by Braconid in Dezful Township, Khouzestan Province, Iran
The purpose of this study was to analyze the perception of corn farmers about biological control of Caradrina by Braconid in Dezful Township, Khouzestan Province, Iran. The method used in this study was correlative descriptive and causal relation. A random sample of Dezful township corn farmers of Khouzestan Province, Iran (n = 350) was selected for participation in...
August 2011
Degradation of morpholine by Mycobacterium sp. isolated from contaminated wastewater collected from Egypt
The biodegradation of morpholine has attracted much interest because morpholine causes environmental pollution. Ten species belonging to nine genera were tested for their abilities to degrade morpholine in mineral salts medium containing morpholine (1 g/l). Mycobacterium sp. isolated from polluted water sample collected from Abu Za”baal lakes, effectively utilized morpholine as carbon, nitrogen and...
August 2011
Calcium carbonate precipitation by different bacterial strains
Bacteria are capable of performing metabolic activities which thereby promote precipitation of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite. In this study, it is shown that microbial mineral precipitation was a result of metabolic activities of some specific microorganisms. Concrete microorganisms were used to improve the overall behavior of concrete. It was predicted that bacterial calcium carbonate (CaCO3)...
August 2011
Evaluation of heavy metal uptake and translocation by Acacia mangium as a phytoremediator of copper contaminated soil
Many organic and inorganic pollutants, including heavy metals are being transported and mixed with the cultivated soils and water. Heavy metals are the most dangerous pollutants as they are non-degradable and accumulate and become toxic to plants and animals. An experiment was conducted in the glasshouse to evaluate the potential of Acacia mangium as a phytoremediator to absorb heavy metals from contaminated...
August 2011
Selection of resistance and sensitive cultivars of lentil in Ardabil region of Iran under irrigation and non-irrigation conditions
In order to evaluate drought tolerance indices of lentil cultivars in the Ardabil region, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was arranged at the Agricultural Research Station of Islamic Azad University, Ardabil branch, Ardabil, Iran, in 2010. The factors included two conditions of planting levels (irrigation and non-irrigation) and five lentil cultivars (ILL 1180,...
August 2011
Phenotypic and functional modulation of porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells for foot-and-mouth disease virus
Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in inducing primary antigen-specific immune responses to viral antigens. In this study, the peripheral blood monocyte-derived (PBMC) were cultured in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4. After 6 days of culture, immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) were generated. The addition of lipopolysaccharide...
August 2011
Antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Salvia officinalis L. collected in Syria
The essential oils of Salvia officinalis L. collected at two different altitudes in Syrian coastline were analyzed by gas chromatography. Plant’s development stage and the ecological factors had impact on the qualitative composition of S. officinalisessential oil. Although, the major components of the essential oils extracted from plants grown at both altitudes were 1,8-cineol, camphor,...
August 2011
Optimization of nutritional constituents for carbonic anhydrase production by Bacillus mucilaginosus K02
The objective of this study was to optimize the submerged cultured conditions of carbonic anhydrase (CA) production from the strain of Bacillus mucilaginosus K02 by mono-factor tests with blank control and orthogonal design methodology. When the bacteria was cultured under the condition of mono-factor tests with blank control and orthogonal designs, and conventional mono-factor test and...
August 2011
Type I collagen from bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) fallopian tube
Pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) was extracted from the fallopian tube of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) with a yield of 16.4%, on a dry weight basis. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacylamide-gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the PSC contained two alpha components (α1 and α2) and was classified as type I collagen. PSC was found to contain 19.5% of amino acids. PSC exhibited a maximum absorbance at...
August 2011
An optimum medium designed and verified for alcohol vinegar fermentation
In this article, a novel formula of nutrient salt for alcohol vinegar production was derived based on mass conservation theory of carbon source, nitrogen source and inorganic ions. Series of semi-continuous fermentations were successfully carried out in a Frings 10 L fermentation tank. The average acetification rate of semi-continuous fermentation was 2 g acetic acid/L*h within about 12 h, average stoichiometric yield...
August 2011
Effects of fermentation length and varieties on the pasting properties of sour cassava starch
The effects of length of fermentation (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days) on pasting properties of sour starches produced from six cassava varieties were investigated. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in pasting properties except pasting temperature and breakdown viscosity, irrespective of the length of fermentation. Peak viscosity ranged from 308.50 to 466.63 rapid visco unit (RVU), trough ranged from 67.25 to...
August 2011
Development and evaluation of a line immunoassay as a confirmatory test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1/2 infections
Serological methods are the main methods in diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and HIV-2 infection. The western Blot (WB) is considered as a gold standard test for the confirmation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or other rapid screened reactive results samples in the diagnosis of HIV infection. However, problems of WB, particularly in regard to the significance of indeterminate...
August 2011
Secondary metabolites of oil palm isolates of Ganoderma zonatum Murill. from Cameroon and their cytotoxicity against five human tumour cell lines
Three lanostane-type triterpenoids [lanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-3-one 15,26-dihydroxy, lanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-26-oic,3-hydroxy and ganoderic acid y], four steroids[ (22E,24R)-ergosta-7,22-dien-3β,5α.6β-triol, 5α,8α-epidiory (22E,24R-ergosta-6,22-dien-3β-ol, ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol,7 (ergosterol) and ergosta-7,22-dien-3β-ol,6] and a benzene derivative (dimethyl phthalate) were...
August 2011
Determination of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the extract of bamboo leaves using near-infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration
The content of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the extract of bamboo leaves (EBL) was determined using near-infrared spectroscopy. Optimal partial least squares models and least squares-support vector machine models were developed to enable rapid and non-destructive validation based on EBL contents as determined by photocolorimetric methods and high performance liquid chromatography. The least squares-support vector...
August 2011
Protective potential of methanol extract of Digera muricata on acrylamide induced hepatotoxicity in rats
This study was aimed to evaluate the probable protective effects of Digera muricatamethanol extract (DME) against acrylamide (AA) induced hepatocellular injuries in female Sprague-Dawley rat. Phytochemical screening for the presence of different bioactive chemical groups was also carried out. The daily dose (6 mg/kg bw i.p.) injection of AA for 15 days caused significant increase in serum level of liver marker...
August 2011
Anti-inflammatory activity and a new compound isolated from aerial parts of Myrsine africana
A new compound was isolated from the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the aerial parts of Myrsine africana. The compound was eluted with mobile phase of EtOAc and n-hexane at a ratio of 0.2:9.8. The structure of the compound was identified with the help of 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), nuclear overhauser effect...
August 2011
Infection of hepatitis C virus genotypes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients from rural areas of Faisalabad region, Pakistan
The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients from rural areas of Faisalabad region. Among 179 HCC subjects, men and women were 51 and 49%, respectively. All samples positive for HCV RNA by qualitative PCR were genotyped, applying genotype-specific PCR. They were confirmed using HCV 5’ non-coding region sequence...
August 2011
Chemical composition and toxic activity of essential oil of Caryopteris incana against Sitophilus zeamais
During our screening program for new agrochemicals from Chinese medicinal herbs, essential oil of Caryopteris incana aerial parts was found to possess strong insecticidal activities against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais. A total of 37 components of the essential oil were identified by GC and GC/MS. Estragole (24.8%) and linalool (14.0%) are the two main components of the essential oil followed by...
August 2011
Records of the genus Coccygidium Saussure (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), with description of a new species from Saudi Arabia
Coccygidium arabica sp. nov., (Hym., Braconidae, Agathidinae) is described from Saudi Arabia. Morphological diagnostic characters of the new species were figured and compared with those of the related species Coccygidium angostura. The genus Coccygidium Saussure is recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia. Key words: Coccygidium, Hymenoptera, Braconidae, new records, new...
August 2011
Effect of Listeria monocytogenes inoculation, sodium acetate and nisin on microbiological and chemical quality of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella during refrigeration storage
In this study, the microbiological quality and lipid oxidation of the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets treated by dipping in sodium acetate (0, 1 and 3%), nisin (0, 0.1 and 0.2%) or their combination were evaluated during 16 days of refrigeration storage. Antilisterial effect of nisin was enhanced with the increased concentration of sodium acetate. With increasing the concentrations of sodium acetate,...
August 2011
Factorial analysis of slaughter characteristics of fattening pigs fed different additives – Enzyme and probiotic in mixtures
To successfully investigate slaughter characteristics of fattening pigs fed in different ways, this experiment was carried out on Experimental Farm of the Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade-Zemun. Investigation of correlation between slaughter traits of pigs fed with different additives in their nutrition was done by factorial analysis. Slaughter characteristics in three groups of fattening pigs fed in...
August 2011
Introducing a simple and economical method to purify Giardia lamblia cysts
Direct microscopic examination of stool to diagnosis giardiasis (wet mount) has low diagnostic value, but immunologic methods (like IFA and especially ELISA) that are based on the determination of parasite antigens in fecal samples (antigen detection) have relatively high sensitivity and specialty. To prepare anti-Giardia lambliaantibodies needed to design diagnostic kits as well as parasite culture and other...
August 2011
Statistical experimental methods for optimizing the cultivating conditions for Rhodococcus erythropolis
Rhodococcus erythropolis was found to effectively degrade aflatoxin Bl produced byAspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. However, one problem of concern was the slow growth of this strain. In this study, Plackett–Burman design was used to select the most important variables, namely, temperature, pH, inoculum size, liquid volume, agitation speed and culture time that...
August 2011
Effects of phospholipids in the diet on biochemical factors of sturgeon fish (Huso-huso) juveniles
A study was carried out to determine the influence of dietary phospholipidsbiochemical factors parameters of beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) juveniles. Juveniles were fed formulated diet with four varying dietary levels of PL, that is, 0 (D1), 2 (D2), 4 (D3) and 6% (D4). At the end of the experimental period (56 days), there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) found for hepatic enzymes among treatments. The...
August 2011
Heavy metals and inorganic constituents in medicinal plants of selected Districts of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan
Heavy metals such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cu and Cd, and inorganic ions like HCO3-, CO3 2-, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, Na+, SO42-, NO3-, Fe2+ and F- were investigated in medicinally important plants: Taraxacam officinale, Cichorium intybus andFigonia critica, applying atomic absorption spectrophotometer techniques. In the studied herbs, there were variable amounts of heavy metals and...
August 2011
Screening of seven microsatellite markers for litter size in Xinong Saanen dairy goat
Seven microsatellite markers OarAE101, BM1329, OarHH55, BM143, BMS2508, OarAE129 and OarFCB11 closely associated with high reproduction trait in sheep were analyzed for polymorphisms in Xinong Saanen dairy goat. The results indicated that there were high genetic polymorphisms at six microsatellite loci. The number of effective alleles (Ne), polymorphism information content (PIC) and average heterozygosity...
August 2011
Some morphological and biological features of Megacephala (Grammognatha) euphratica euphratica Latreille and Dejean, 1822 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)
Some morphological and biological features of Megacephala euphratica euphraticawere examined. The life table of M. euphratica euphratica was investigated and the net reproduction rate (R0), length of generation (T0) and intrinsic rate of natural increase” (rm) were calculated in 2004 under labarotory conditions. The net reproduction rate (R0) of M. euphratica euphratica (6.02),...
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