African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12474

Table of Content: 9 May 2011; 10(19)

May 2011

Assessment of genetic diversity of Brassica juncea germplasm using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

Genetic variability is of prime importance for the improvement of many crop species including Brassica. Genetic diversity was evaluated in fifteen lines of Brassica Juncea using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) as molecular marker. Four RAPD primers were used to estimate the genetic distances among the genotypes in all the possible combinations. The study of genetic diversity revealed...

Author(s): Wisal M. Khan, Iqbal Munir, Farhatullah, M. Arif, Aqib Iqbal, Ijaz Ali,Dawood Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmad, Afaq Mian , Jehan Bakht, Inamullah and Zahoor A. Swati

May 2011

Transgenic sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) developed by transformation with chitinase and chitosanase genes from Trichoderma harzianum expresses tolerance to anthracnose

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important food and fodder crop. Fungal diseases such as anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum sublineolumreduce sorghum yields. Genetic transformation can be used to confer tolerance to plant diseases such as anthracnose.  The tolerance can be developed by introducing genes encoding proteins such as chitinases and chitosanases that hydrolyse fungal cell...

Author(s): Linus Moses Kosambo-Ayoo, Maram Bader, Horst Loerz and Dirk Becker

May 2011

Comparative analysis of diversity based on morpho-agronomic traits and molecular markers in durum wheat under heat stress

The objectives of this study were to compare the application and utility of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) techniques for the analysis of genetic diversity among durum wheat genotypes under heat stress and to compare genetic diversity estimated using molecular markers with morpho-agronomic performance under heat stress. Six durum wheat...

Author(s): Abdullah Abdlulaziz Al-Doss, Adel Ahmed Elshafei, Khaled Ahmed Moustafa, Mohamed Saleh and  Mohamed Najeb Barakat

May 2011

Genetic diversity in Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. (Lauraceae) using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. is an important taxa cultivated in coastal plains for its stem bark, leaf, fruits and roots as spice and for its medicinal properties.Cinnamomum is an indicator plant of semi evergreen forest. In this study, RAPD-PCR analysis involving 11 decamer random primers was used to assess the genetic variation within C. zeylanicum in Western Ghats of southern India. Some primers...

Author(s): Sandigawad, A. M. and Patil, C. G.

May 2011

Association of Gln27Glu polymorphism of the β-2-adrenergic receptor with preeclampsia

The aim of the study was to assess the role of the β-2-adrenoceptor (ADRB2) polymorphisms occurring at amino acid positions 16 (arginin to glycine) and 27 (glutamine to glutamic acid) in preeclampsia. A group of 66 patients with preeclampsia and 72 control subjects were analyzed for the Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu polymorphisms of the ADRB2 by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)....

Author(s): Funda Dogulu, Mehtap Özkur, Ebru Dikensoy, Muradiye Nacak, Necla Benlier and Ahmet Sükrü Aynacioglu

May 2011

Erythropoietin protects the retinal pigment epithelial barrier against non-lethal H2O2-induced hyperpermeability

Erythropoietin (EPO) is not limited to hematopoiesis; it may act as a protective cytokine. In this study, the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell viability, cell monolayer integrity, RPE barrier permeability, distribution of the junction proteins ZO-1, occludin and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were monitored to evaluate the effect of EPO on non-lethal H2O2-induced...

Author(s): Hongmei Zhang, Yuanyuan Gong, Xingwei Wu, Yuhua Shi, Lili Yin and Yating Qiu  

May 2011

Effects of different dietary protein sources on cecal microflora in rats

The aim of this study was to test the effects of balanced diets respectively containing soya protein isolate, zein and casein as the sole protein source on the amount of total bacteria, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Escherichia in cecal digesta of growing rats. The casein increased the amount of Lactobacillus andBifidobacterium than the soya protein and zein. Soy protein was better...

Author(s): Hongwei Qi, Zhentian Xiang, Guoquan Han, Bing Yu, Zhiqing Huang and Daiwen Chen

May 2011

Molecular cloning and characterization of the plasma membrane aquaporin gene (OvPIP) from Orychophragmus violaceus

A plasma membrane aquaporin gene (OvPIP) from Orychophragmus violaceus(O. violaceus) was cloned. The full-length cDNA of O. violaceus gene (OvPIP) was 1314 bp and contained 1188 open reading frame encoding a protein of 395 amino acids. Homology analysis revealed that OvPIP strongly resembled other PIP genes. Southern blot analysis indicated that OvPIP gene was present...

Author(s): ShiZhan Du, Qi-lin Dai, ChenChen Bin Feng, Ting-ting Liu, Xia Tian, Yuan-ya Gong, Ying-kun Sun  and JinWang,

May 2011

Complementary DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP-cDNA) analysis of differential gene expression from the xerophyte Ammopiptanthus mongolicus in response to cold, drought and cold together with drought

In this study, we examine Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, the only desert ultra-broad-leaved evergreen shrub in Northwest China. During this study, A. mongolicus was exposed to drought 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG)), low temperature (4°C) and a combination of drought and low temperature (20% PEG and 4°C). Complementary DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technology was used to...

Author(s): Lili Guo, Dandan Wang, Hongshuang Ma, Weilun Yin and Xinli Xia

May 2011

Changes of micronutrients, dry weight and plant development in canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars under salt stress

This study was carried out to determine the effects of salt stress on the growth, dry weights and micronutrient contents of canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars grown in greenhouse conditions. 12 canola cultivars (Marinca, Kosa, Spok, Semu DNK207 NA, Tower, Liraspa, Star, Tobin, Helios, Semu 209/81, Regent and Lirawell) were exposed to salinity treatments (150 mM NaCl and control). Shoot, leaf and root dry weights...

Author(s): Murat Tunçtürk,  Rüveyde Tunçtürk,  Bünyamin Yildirim and Vahdettin Çiftçi

May 2011

High/low nitrogen adapted hybrid of rice cultivars and their physiological responses

Seventy (70) selective bred hybrid of rice combinations were treated with three levels of pure nitrogen (N1/2, 20.0mg/l; N1, 40.0mg/l; N2, 80.0mg/l) for two weeks for indentifying the adaptation of nitrogen. They were divided into six types with the cluster analysis as flowers: Type 1 with good adaptability of different concentrations of nitrogen, their ratio of root and stem (R/S...

Author(s): Li Xia, Sun Zhiwei, Jin Lei, Han Lei, Ren Chenggang, Wang Man and Lu Chuangen

May 2011

Mycelial compatibility groups and pathogenicity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) De Bary causal agent of white mold disease of greenhouse grown cucumber in Antalya-Turkey

Population variability of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the causal organism of white mold disease of greenhouse grown cucumber plants in Kumluca, Finike and Demre districts of Antalya, was determined by mycelial compatibility grouping (MCG) and isolate aggressiveness comparisons. MCG, host specificity and aggressiveness ofS. sclerotiorum isolates were assessed. Isolate pairs were designated compatible...

Author(s): Yusuf Yanar and Abdurrahman Onaran

May 2011

Molecular mechanism of methionine differentiation in high and low methionine maize lines

Since maize is a primary food stuff for humans and livestock, its amino acid balance is important for proper nutrition. Methionine, an essential amino acid and a primary source of sulfur, is lacking in maize endosperm. Several maize populations were developed through breeding with enhanced methionine content in comparison with normal maize populations. BS31HM (high methionine) and BS31LM (low...

Author(s): Muhammad Ali, Marvin Paul Scott and Jehan Bakht

May 2011

Expression analysis and characteristics of hypothetical protein BmLOC778500 from silkworm, Bombyx mori

We cloned a cDNA from silkworm pupal cDNA library and found that, it encodes LOC778500 protein (a “hypothetical protein” in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database). Thus, we named it BmLOC778500(Bombyx mori LOC778500). It contains an open reading frame of 489 bp encoding a polypeptide of 162 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 19.4 kDa. The gene codes...

Author(s): Wenping Zhang, Hanglian Lan, Tao Wu, Caiying Jiang, Zhengbing Lv, Zuoming Nie, Xiangfu Wu, and Yaozhou Zhang  

May 2011

Adaptation of regenerants of Vaccinium corymbosum L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. to ex vitro conditions

The benchmark analysis of the structured-functional particularities of regeneration has introduced varieties of Vaccinium corymbosum L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. under in vitro and ex vitro conditions. The anatomical structures of the leaves of introduced varieties of V. corymbosum and V. vitis-idaea, cultivated in aseptical culture, greenhouse and open...

Author(s): Elena Kutas

May 2011

Combined usage of testosterone and nandrolone may cause heart damage

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of combined application of testosterone and nandrolone on male rabbits during adolescence period for biochemical values which are indicators of damage to heart, liver and kidney. Seven male New Zealand white rabbits, 60-days old, were used in this study. Testosterone (10 mg/kg) + nandrolone deconoate (10 mg/kg) were injected simultaneously to the rabbits in an...

Author(s): Erdal Tasgin, Sefa Lok and Nagehan Demir

May 2011

Enhanced Fe2+ oxidation by mixed culture originated from hot spring: Application of response surface method

For maximum oxidation efficiency and minimum amount of jarosite, a total of 30 experimental runs were conducted and the experimental data fitted to the experimental quadratic model. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that the model was highly significant. Three dimensional plots were illustrated to depict the interaction between all the factors. The experimental results indicated that, the optimal...

Author(s): Maryam Khavarpour, Ghasem D. Najafpour, Ali-Asghar Ghoreyshi, Mohsen Jahanshahi and Bijan Bambai

May 2011

Ultrastructural description of the corpora allata of Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

The corpora allata, are endocrine glands which produced juvenile hormone. In this study, corpora allata of adult females of Pimpla turionellae were examined ultrastructurally by using the transmission electron microscopy. The gland is surrounded with thick fibrous capsule that penetrates into the gland as a stromatal ramification. The ultrastructure of gland cells had the same characteristic of...

Author(s): Aydin Özlük, Nursel Gül and Ahmed Muhammed

May 2011

Emission characteristics of a diesel engine using waste cooking oil as biodiesel fuel

In this study, the use of waste cooking oil (WCO) methyl ester as an alternative fuel in a four-stroke turbo diesel engine with four cylinders, direct injection and 85 HP was analyzed. A test was applied in which an engine was fueled with diesel and three different blends of diesel/biodiesel (B25, B50 and B75) made from WCO. The test engine was run at 18 different speeds with a full load, and the results were analyzed....

Author(s): Ridvan Arslan

May 2011

Effect of salt stress on antioxidant system and the metabolism of the reactive oxygen species in Dunaliella salina and Dunaliella tertiolecta

The physiological and biochemical adaptations of two chlorophytes Dunaliella salina and Dunaliella tertiolecta developed to extreme saline environment were assessed in the present study. Both Dunaliella cultures were treated with a range of NaCl concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 4 M NaCl and the influence of salinity on growth and antioxidant parameters were determined. Biomass yields, chlorophyll...

Author(s): Amel A.Tammam, Eman M. Fakhry and Mostafa El-Sheekh

May 2011

Phyllosphere bacterial communities associated with the degradation of acetamiprid in Phaseolus vulgaris

Much effort has been focused on microbes that inhabit soil and water and their degradation abilities to chemical pollutants. Few studies were performed on interactions between pollutants and phyllosphere microbes (phyllomicrobes) in plant leaves, although, plant leaves exert critical effects on the quality of agricultural product. In this study, acetamiprid degradation by phyllomicrobes and its ecological effects...

Author(s): Yu Zhou, Xiongwu Qiao, Wenjun Li, Junfeng Xu, Wei Wang and Xiaoyun Chen

May 2011

Priming against Asiatic citrus canker and monitoring of PR genes expression during resistance induction

Plant activators provide an appealing management option for Asiatic citrus canker. The ability of β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) and green tea extract (GTE) to induce resistance in lime (Citrus aurantifolia) plants against Xanthomonas citri subsp. Citri(Xcc) was investigated. Green house experiments showed that BABA (250 ppm) and GTE {5 % (w/v)} treatment protects lime plants against Xcc. Lime...

Author(s): G. R. Sharifi-Sirchi, B. Beheshti, A. Hosseinipour and M. Mansouri

May 2011

Saccharification with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ostreatus enzymatic extracts of pretreated banana waste

Lignocellulosic biomass has a great potential as raw material for second and third generation biofuels since it is the most abundant carbohydrate on earth and the main component of agricultural waste; however, saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass is crucial for the establishment of a carbohydrate-based economy. The use of fungal enzymes is the preferred procedure for lignocellulosic saccharification. Fungi such...

Author(s): Xenia Mena-Espino, Felipe Barahona-Pérez,   Liliana Alzate-Gaviria, Refugio Rodríguez-Vázquez, Miguel Tzec- Simá, Jorge Domínguez-Maldonado and Blondy B. Canto-Canché.

May 2011

Comparative study of antimicrobial activities of Aloe vera extracts and antibiotics against isolates from skin infections

Plants are of relevance to dermatology for both their beneficial and adverse effects on skin and skin disorders. One of the medicinal plants, Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller), is reputed to have medicinal properties. For centuries, it has been used for an array of ailments such as mild fever, wounds and burns, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, sexual vitality and...

Author(s): Asma Bashir, Bushra Saeed, Talat .Y. Mujahid and Nayar Jehan

May 2011

Drying kinetic and physical properties of green laird lentil (Lens culinaris) in microwave drying

The objective of this study was to study the drying kinetics of green laird lentil (Lens culinaris) in microwave drying method. The drying data were fitted to the various thin-layer models. All the models were compared using three statistical parameters, that is, coefficient of...

Author(s): EÅŸref IÅŸik, Nazmi Izli, Gamze Bayram and Ilhan Turgut

May 2011

Comparison of two different endurance training methods on glutathione s-transferase level

This study compared the effects of different training methods (continuous and interval) carried out in a hot environment on glutathione s-transferase level (GST). The study group comprised 30 male volunteers who do not exercise regularly. The participants were categorized into 2 groups, continuous running (CRG, n: 15) and interval running (IRG, n: 15). The participants followed a training program on 3 days per week for...

Author(s): Murat Tas

May 2011

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-source computed tomography in the detection of coronary chronic total occlusion: Comparison with invasive angiography

The present study is designed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dual-source computed tomography (CT) in the detection of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). Dual-source CT diagnosed 149 patients with 258 significant coronary artery lesions including CTOs. The diagnosis was redecided by subsequent invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Eighty seven CTOs were finally identified by ICA. Dual-source CT correctly...

Author(s): Jiayi Li, Xue Li, Mengqi Wei, Hongliang Zhao and Minwen Zheng

May 2011

A novel approach for rapid micropropagation of maspine pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) shoots using liquid shake culture system

Maspine (Ananas comosus L.) is currently the most preferred pineapple variety in Malaysia due to its pleasant aroma and applicability in caning. Large quantities of plant materials are needed to fulfill the market demand which could not be obtained from the conventional breeding method. Hence, in vitro procedure was developed as an alternative method to improve the multiplication rate of this special...

Author(s): Zuraida A. R., Nurul Shahnadz A. H., Harteeni A., Roowi S., Che Radziah C. M. Z. and Sreeramanan S.    

May 2011

Proximate analysis of female population of wild feather back fish (Notopterus notopterus) in relation to body size and condition factor

The present study was conducted to investigate the proximate body composition of fresh water wild female Notopterus notopterus relative to its body size and condition factors.  For this purpose, 54 specimens ranging from 18.50 to 27.90 cm in length and 53.07 to 179.06 g in weight were sampled from the Indus River Pakistan, during year 2007.  Fish were blotted dry and their sex distinguished. ...

Author(s): Muhammad Naeem, Azhar Rasul, Abdus Salam, Shahid Iqbal, Abir Ishtiaq, Muhammad Khalid and Mohammad Athar

May 2011

Assessment of MCF-7 cells as an in vitro model system for evaluation of chemical oxidative stressors

Studies have been carried out to establish an experimental in vitro model system for routine testing of oxidative stress inducers through biochemical analysis using human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell line. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O­2) has been chosen as a test chemical oxidant to assess the level of induced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, lactate...

Author(s): Saud Alarifi

May 2011

Enumeration and estimation of insect attack fruits of some cultivars of Punica granatum.

In this study, five cultivars of Punica granatum identified (two of which are endemic, while the other three are new) were grown in certain farms at Al-Taif, Saudi Arabia. Enumeration to the insects attack its' fruits illustrated that, there are three insects, namely, Virchola livia, Ectomyelois ceratonia and Pseudococcus maitimus (or/andPseudococcus citri) infested both...

Author(s): Sawsan S. Moawad , Soad A. Hassan and Amal M. Al Barty

May 2011

A novel polyclonal antibody against human cytomegalovirus: General characteristics and potential application in diagnosis

There is no vaccine available for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and the treatment is very limited; therefore, it is still an important cause of morbidity and occasional mortality in transplant recipients. An HCMV peptide was selected based on the GenBank sequence M60929. The peptide was conjugated with keyhole limpet haemocyanin and used to immunise New Zealand rabbits to prepare polyclonal...

Author(s): Jun Fan, Xuan Zhang, Yaping Huang, Xiaoming Chen, Jianhua Hu, Minhuan Li, Yadan Ma, Hangping Yao and Weihang Ma

May 2011

Increasing the alkaline protease activity of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus polymyxa simultaneously with the start of sporulation phase as a defense mechanism

In this research, the growth curve, curve of sporulation phase and alkaline protease activity of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus polymyxa were compared and examined simultaneously. These examinations showed that, the production of alkaline protease started with the beginning of the log phase in the growth curve simultaneously and after a small stop according to the stationary phase increased and then...

Author(s): Keivan Beheshti Maal, Giti Emtiazi⊃ and Iraj Nahvi⊃

May 2011

Fundamental concept of cryopreservation using Dendrobium sonia-17 protocorm-like bodies by encapsulation-dehydration technique

This study was carried out to evaluate the potential of using the encapsulation-dehydration technique on cryopreservation protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) ofDendrobium sonia-17. The survival of the PLBs was assessed based on the effects of 4 dehydration periods (0, 1, 3 and 5 h) and 4 different concentrations of 24-h sucrose pretreatment (0, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 M). Upon dehydration, moisture content was determined and the...

Author(s): Sreeramanan Subramaniam, Uma Rani Sinniah, Amir Ali Khoddamzadeh, Suranthran Periasamy and Jessica Jeyanthi James

May 2011

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Marrubium vulgare L. essential oil from Tunisia

In this study, the essential oil of the aerial parts of Marrubium vulgare L. obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in order to determine their chemical composition. Thirty-four(34) components in the oil of M. vulgare were identified. The results demonstrated that the major components of the essential...

Author(s): Adel Kadri,  Zied Zarai , Ahmed Békir, Néji Gharsallah, Mohamed Damakand Radhouane Gdoura

May 2011

Determination of genetic diversity among Turkish durum wheat landraces by microsatellites

Wheat landraces represent an important source of genetic variation that can be used for future wheat breeding program. The rich wheat landraces from Turkey have not been sufficiently analyzed genetically. For this reason, genetic diversity and relationship of the landraces must be determined. In this study, genetic diversity of 20 durum wheat landraces collected from different regions of Turkey were determined...

Author(s): Ahmet Yildirim, Özlem AteÅŸ SönmezoÄŸlu, Sabri Gökmen, Nejdet Kandemirand Nevzat Aydin

May 2011

Obestatin induces testosterone secretion from rat testis in vitro

In this study, the effect of obestatin (23 amino acid peptide) on testosterone secretion in vitro, in the rat testis was observed. For this purpose, two different doses of obestatin (10-9 M and 10-8 M) were used alone and in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in fasting and fed conditions in two age groups. Fasting induced a significant reduction in body weight (p < 0.05) and plasma...

Author(s): Hizbullah, Sarwat Jahan and Shakeel Ahmed

May 2011

Heat treated soybeans in the nutrition of high producing dairy cows

The main objective of this research was to study the effect of rations containing full-fat extruded soybeans or fat-extracted heat treated soybean meal, in the nutrition of dairy cows during the period of middle lactation. The study was carried out with two groups of 15 Holstein cows. The animal’s health was controlled on the basis of body condition score, results in production, general condition of animals and...

Author(s): Mihailo Radivojević, Goran Grubić, Horea Šamanc, Milan Adamović andNenad ĐorÄ‘ević

May 2011

Performance of taste enhancers mixed with cereal bases and evaluation of the most preferred bait composition for Bandicota bengalensis (Gray)

Baiting technique if appropriately applied is the most reliable strategy to control rodent pests. Behavior modifying components may play a significant role in developing the most attractive baits. An attempt was therefore made to investigate the behavior revolutionizing effect of taste enhancers including peanut oil, peanut butter, egg shell and fishmeal, on exploratory approaches of rodents. Precise role of additives...

Author(s): M. Naeem, I. Ahmed, I. Hussain and M. S. Ahmedani

May 2011

Length-weight relationships for fishes off the southwestern coast of Taiwan

Length-weight relationships are presented for 24 fish species representing 12 families captured monthly from February 2009 to March 2010, off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. 12 of these species are documented in fishbase, but no length-weight relationships were available. One record of maximum length was recorded. Among all estimated parameter b of 24 species, there was significant...

Author(s): Wu-Shan Chu, Jiang-Ping Wang, Yi-You Hou, Yih-Tsong Ueng and Pen-Hsun Chu,