April 2008
Monoclonal antibodies in clinical diagnosis: A brief review application
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been an invaluable tool that has added to our biological knowledge for over a decade. mAb are important diagnostic reagents used in biomedical research, microbiological research in diagnosis of Hepatitis, AIDs, influenza, herpes simplex, Chlamydia infections and in treatment of such diseases as infections and cancer. The worldwide clinical...
April 2008
Lectins binding during alloxan-induced diabetes in rat soleus muscle
Membrane structural changes of soleus muscle of alloxan-diabetic rats were detected with a panel of six biotinylated lectins. Samples of muscles were obtained from normal and diabetic rats. The biotinylated lectins in staining were detected by avidin-peroxidase complex. Lectin stainning of soleus muscle cryostat sections from alloxan-diabetic rats were compared with similar cryostat sections from normal rats....
April 2008
First report of pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana RBL1034 to the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae s.l. (Diptera; Culicidae) in Cameroon
Malaria vector control has been successfully achieved by the use of chemical insecticides. However, the evolution of insecticide resistance is rendering the standard approaches unsustainable. Biological control agents such entomopathogenic fungi are being considered for adult African malaria vectors. In the present study, laboratory trials were carried out to determine the pathogenicity of Beauveria...
April 2008
Influence of the asexual parasite biomass on in vitro susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarial drugs in Abidjan
The in vitro activities of artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin (the biologically active metabolite of artemisinin derivatives), chloroquine and pyronaridine were assessed in 32 isolates of Plasmodium falciparum from Abobo in the northern of Abidjan district (Côte d’Ivoire) using a test based on the standard microtechnique recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The...
April 2008
Anti-inflammatory activity of Syzygium cumini seed
The Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) is a popular traditional medicinal plant in India. This study was intended to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of S. cumini seed in carrageenan induced paw oedema in wistar rats at the dose level of 200 and 400 mg/kg administrated orally. Both the extracts exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, which...
April 2008
Diversity and production methods of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.); Experience with vegetable farmers in Makurdi, Nigeria
Telfairia occidentalis is an indigenous vegetable consumed by millions of people in Nigeria. The seeds are in high demand as they serve as food oil for making margarine. However, commercial growers in the middle belt zone of Nigeria, source telfairia seeds from south-eastern states of Nigeria. The growers claimed that seeds of the accessions grown in the area are not as viable as those from...
April 2008
TDZ-induced plant regeneration in Astragalus cicer L.
We developed a regeneration protocol using thidiazuron (TDZ) with a high frequency in vitro root induction in Astragalus cicer. High in vitro germination ratio (75%) for hard-seeds of A. cicer was also achieved. For this, hypocotyl and cotyledon explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with different concentrations of TDZ. The highest...
April 2008
TDZ x IBA induced shoot regeneration from cotyledonary leaves and in vitro multiplication in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)
A high frequency adventitious shoot regeneration protocol for safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cv. Dinçer with high yield (Turkish cultivar) using cotyledonary leaves of 10 day-old seedlings were optimized by studying the influence of different combinations of thidiazuron (TDZ) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Cotyledonary leaves were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS)...
April 2008
Biological potantial of some Iranian Trichoderma isolates in the control of soil borne plant pathogenic fungi
In this study the in vitro potential of six selected Iranian isolates of three species of Trichoderma (Trichoderma hamatum T614, T. hamatum T612, Trichoderma harzianum T447, T. harzianum T969, Trichoderma virens T523 andTrichoderma sp. T) were evaluated against five isolates of soil borne phytopathogenic fungi (Fusarium...
April 2008
In vitro clonal propagation of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis and its evaluation of genetic stability through RAPD markers
The Mucuna pruriens var. utilis is an important legume cover crop. Almost all the parts of the plant are reported to contain L-3,4-dihydroxy phenylalanine (L-Dopa). Here we report a rapid and reliable method for high fidelity micro-propagation. Auxiliary bud explants from 14-day-old seedlings were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with different...
April 2008
Plant regeneration from immature embryos of Kenyan maize inbred lines and their respective single cross hybrids through somatic embryogenesis
Field grown, self pollinated maize genotypes were planted in KARI (Kiboko andKabete) research stations between January 2004 and May 2005. Immaturemaize embryos from twelve parental inbred lines and their respective single cross hybrids were evaluated for their ability form callus, somatic embryos and subsequent...
April 2008
Host range, symbiotic effectiveness and nodulation competitiveness of some indigenous cowpea bradyrhizobia isolates from the transitional savanna zone of Ghana
To identify indigenous rhizobia with potential as inoculants for increasing cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) yields, we have assessed the host range, symbiotic effectiveness and competitiveness for nodule occupancy among five (AII-2-1, AII-5-2, AI-4-3, AII-3-4 and BIII-2-2) indigenous cowpea bradyrhizobia isolates from the transitional savanna zone of Ghana. ERIC-PCR DNA fingerprinting patterns were used to...
April 2008
Shoot and plantlet regeneration from meristems of Dioscorea rotundata Poir and Dioscorea alata L.
In vitro culture media capable of regenerating moderate to high shoots and/or plantlets from meristems of two yam species – Dioscorea rotundata andDioscorea alata within comparable duration of 10 weeks as commonly obtained in other monocots and root and tuber crops were investigated. The study comprised 125 phytohormone combinations investigated in three factorial experiments each...
April 2008
Geometrical approach to length-biomass allometry in predominantly bidimensional seaweeds
Scosati studied experimentally length-biomass allometry in primary producers (vascular plants and unicellular microalgae), and found the allometric exponent (0.5, 95% confidence) differs significantly from the “universal” value, 0.25 suggested by Niklas and Enquist. Here, a geometrical similarity is proposed to elucidate Scosati’s findings. Key words: Length–biomass...
April 2008
Analysis and optimization of DNA delivery into chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seedlings by Agrobacterium tumefacience
The main purpose of this study was to develop a non-tissue culture basedAgrobacterium mediated transformation method for chickpea. The influences of several factors were investigated on the transfer of β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene into chickpea (Cicer arietinum) seedlings during the early stages ofAgrobacterium-mediated gene transfer, including cocultivation period in liquid induction medium (2, 8, 16 and 24 h),...
April 2008
A simple and efficient method for extraction of genomic DNA from tropical tuber crops
DNA extraction in many plants is difficult because of metabolites that interfere with DNA isolation procedures and subsequent applications, such as DNA restriction, amplification and cloning. We have developed a reliable and efficient method for isolating genomic DNA free from polysaccharide, polyphenols and protein contaminants from tropical tuber crops (Elephant foot yam, Cassava, Sweet potato Taro and...
April 2008
Determination of allele frequencies in nine short tandem repeat loci of five human sub-populations in Botswana
Allele frequencies for nine short tandem repeat (STR) loci from the AmpFlSTR®Profiler Plusä PCR Amplification Kit were determined in five subpopulations across Botswana and tested for suitability for use in individual identification. DNA was extracted from whole blood samples collected from 150 unrelated individuals. Targeted regions of DNA (vWA, FGA, D3S1358, D5S818,...
April 2008
Characterization of genetic structure of Podophyllum hexandrum populations, an endangered medicinal herb of Northwestern Himalaya, using ISSR-PCR markers and its relatedness with podophyllotoxin content
To obtain accurate estimates of genetic structure for purpose of conservation planning for wild Indian May apple (Podophyllum hexandrum) in the Northwestern region of Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, genetic diversity among and within 28 populations were analyzed. Eleven microsatellite DNA markers were isolated and used to quantify genetic structure. Out of 68 ISSR loci tested, 88.23% were polymorphic. The...
April 2008
Analysis of genetic variability among plantain cultivars (Musa paradisiaca L.) using arbitrarily primed PCR technique
The genetic variability among 6 cultivars of plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) grown in Jamaica and Nigeria was studied, using arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) technique. The cultivars included Maiden plantains and Horse plantain grown in Jamaica: Bini, Ayo and Igbiya plantains grown in Nigeria. DNA fragment band positions were obtained with fragment sizes ranging from 0.438 to 1.926 kb. The single distance...
April 2008
Biological hardening and genetic fidelity testing of micro-cloned progeny of Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand
The micro-cloned plantlets of Chlorophytum borivilianum registered more than 95% establishment in soil following treatment with various bio-inoculants namely;Glomus aggregatum, Trichoderma harazianum and Piriformospora indicawhereas Azospirullum sp. (CIM-azo) and Actinomycetes sp. (CIM-actin) showed only up to 85% plantlet establishment. The un-rooted shoots were also...
April 2008
Genetic diversity and germplasm resource research on tung tree (Vernicia fordii) cultivars, investigated by inter-simple sequence repeats
Tung tree is an important woody oil-rich plant in the world. In order to determine the genetic diversity, germplasm resource and breeding method on tung tree,inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) was used to investigate the cultivars in China. Among the total 110 bands amplified with 12 primers, 90 were polymorphic. The mean genetic similarity coefficient (Gs), the mean Nei’s gene diversity (h), and the...
April 2008
Analysis of genetic variation in different sheep breeds using microsatellites
Genetic variation in three Egyptian indigenous sheep breeds namely: Barki, Ossimi and Rahmani were investigated using fourteen microsatellite loci. The total number of alleles ranged from 6 in CSSM47 locus to 14 in TGLA 377 locus. The fourteen tested loci were all polymorphic in the three breeds. Major differences between the breeds were found at ten of the tested loci, where the alleles at the highest...
April 2008
Analysis of in vivo binding of yeast heat shock factor to promoter DNA
The in vivo binding of yeast heat shock factor (HSF) to promoter domains of stress-inducible genes was examined using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) combined with PCR. The promoter-specfic PCR amplification of DNA immunoprecipitated with antibodies against HSF showed that yeast HSF was bound constitutively to the promoters...
April 2008
Identification of sugarcane interspecies hybrids with RAPDs
Identification of “Saccharum officinarum × Erianthus fulvus” F1 hybrids was performed with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Of 280 RAPD primers used, two primers, OPA-19 and OPN-11, were found to be the most suitable for identification of the hybrids. And the hybrids facticity-check-out rate was 70.6 and 68.3%, respectively. Key...
April 2008
Studies on the diversity, abundance and succession of hydrocarbon utilizing micro organisms in tropical soil polluted with oily sludge
A research was carried out in a tropical region to study the population of hydrocarbon utilizers in soil polluted with oily sludge. Plots were prepared to receive treatments with neat and emulsified oily sludge. These plots were further treated with fertilizer and bioaugmented with a consortium of hydrocarbon utilizers for six months. Results obtained indicated that, the presence of oily sludge in soil caused...
April 2008
An analysis of biomechanical and anthropometric parameters on classroom furniture design
In this study, the necessary anthropometric measurements of classroom furniture used in Turkish higher education were carried out. The static anthropometric measurements of 13 dimensions from 1049 students were obtained while they are standing and sitting. The data obtained was analyzed to determine the limit values to be used in classroom and laboratory design. The dimensions of school desks and chairs were...
April 2008
Enzymatic recovery of platinum (IV) from industrial wastewater using a biosulphidogenic hydrogenase
It has been established that dissolved heavy metals escaping into the environment pose a serious health hazard. As a result, there is an urgent need for controlling metal emissions into the environment. The aims of this study were to purify and biochemically characterise hydrogenase(s) from sulphate reducing consortium (SRB) and investigate the potential of the purified enzyme(s) in the recovery of platinum...
April 2008
Production of β-galactosidase by Aspergillus oryzae in solid-state fermentation
Fungal culture exhibiting β-galactosidase activity was isolated and identified asAspergillus oryzae from soil polluted with milk dairy factory effluents. Optimization of β-galactosidase (E.C 3.2.1.23) was carried out in Solid State Fermentation (SSF). Wheat bran and rice husk supports the maximal growth and β-galactosidase production by A.oryzae. The fungal culture utilized...
April 2008
Influence of pretreatment of agriculture residues on phytase production by Aspergillus niger NCIM 563 under submerged fermentation conditions
The extracellular phytase production by Aspergillus niger NCIM 563 was evaluated in medium containing various agriculture residues under submerged fermentation conditions. Phytase production was affected by inorganic phosphate content of agriculture residues which ranged from 2.8 to 8 mg/g. The agriculture residues containing less than 4 mg/g inorganic phosphate supported phytase production...
April 2008
Experimental study of the production of biomass by Sacharomyces cerevisiae in a fed batch fermentor
The aim of this study is to investigate production of Baker’s yeast using a theoretically programmed fed-batch fermentor to produce as much as possible Baker’s yeast biomass using a minimal amount of substrate with low energy for stirring and aerating. Theoretical data obtained through material balance and kinetics equations were compared with experimental data and possible disagreements discussed...
April 2008
Optimization of medium composition for thermostable protease production by Bacillus sp. HS08 with a statistical method
Optimization of the fermentation medium for maximization of thermostable neutral protease production by Bacillus sp. HS08 was carried out. After screening various elements, carbon and nitrogen sources, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the medium constituents. A 24 full-factorial central composite design (CCD) was chosen to explain the combined effects of the four...
April 2008
Production of β-mannanase by Bacillus amylolequifaciens 10A1 cultured on potato peels
Different Bacillus species were screened for the production of 1,4-β- mannanase on solid media. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was selected as the most potent in producing enzyme of high activity. Utilization of various agro-industrial residues on mannanase production was evaluated. Potato peels at a concentration of 14 g/l was found to be the most effective carbon source. Maximum...
April 2008
Screening and assessment of laccase producing fungi isolated from different environmental samples
Laccase is a copper-containing polyphenol oxidase that acts on a wide range of substrates. This enzyme is found in many plant species and is widely distributed in fungi including wood-rotting fungi where it is often associated with lignin peroxidase, manganese dependent peroxidase, or both. Because of its importance in bioremediation, fungal cultures were screened for laccase positive production by plate test...
April 2008
Sensory evaluation of amala from improved water yam (Dioscorea alata) genotypes in Nigeria
Production of improved water yam (Dioscorea alata) genotypes that are suitable for the preparation of amala (a popular darkish Nigerian food) would likely enhance the economic importance of the crop in Nigeria. Fermented flour (oven dried and sun dried) made from tubers of eight improved D. alata genotypes (TDa 00/00364, TDa 00/00194, TDa 00/00103, TDa 00/00104, TDa 99/00240, TDa 99/01176, TDa...
April 2008
Effects of pre- and post harvest treatments on changes in sugar content of tomato
The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the combined effect of pre- and post harvest disinfection and evaporatively coolled storage on the changes in sugar content of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). The preharvest treatments used were ComCat®, manure, NP and the combinations of ComCat®with the two forms of fertilizers and a control. The tomatoes were periodically analyzed for...
April 2008
Phenolic changes during in vitro organogenesis of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) shoot tips
Browning and subsequent death of the cultured explants are major problems for many tissue culture non/hard-adaptive species and usually depended on the phenolic compounds and the quantity of total phenols. Many studies, using shoot tips as explant source indicated various problems such as phenolic exudation, media discoloration, rooting deficiencies and explant browning and death. The phenols are synthesized...
April 2008
Environmental, genetic and cellular toxicity of tenuazonic acid isolated from Alternaira alternata
Alternaria alternata, an important pathogen of many plants, produces tenuazonic acid (TeA) with bioactivity to microbes, plants and animals. TeA is one of the main mycotoxin to humans and other organisms. Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Vicia faba root tip and three mammalian normal cell lines as target materials, environmental toxicity, genetic toxicity and cytotoxicity of TeA were examined....
April 2008
Induction of callus and extraction of alkaloid from Yi Mu Cao (Leonurus heterophylus Sw.) culture
High efficient callus was induced from cotyledon and hypocotyls of Leonurus heterophyllus Sw. on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and 0.5 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The induction rate reached up to 94.2% in cotyledon explants and 99.2% in hypocotyls. They formed yellowish loose callus when they were subcultured on MS medium...
April 2008
Use of psyllium (isubgol) husk as an alternative gelling agent for the culture of prokaryotic microalgae (Cyanobacteria) Chroococcus limneticus Lemmermann and eukaryotic green microalgae (Chlorophyta) Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turpin) Brebisson
Agar is popularly used as gelling agent to obtain in vitro culture of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microalgae. Exclusive use of agar is resulting in over exploitation of its resources and makes it essential to look for alternative and cheap sources. The study reports in vitro culture of prokaryotic microalgae (Cyanobacteria)Chroococcus limneticus and eukaryotic green microalgae...
April 2008
Tebufenozide effects on the reproductive potentials of the mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella
The Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia Kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an important pest in stored products worldwide, and is one of the major pests in flour mills in Algeria. Because of environmental consideration, alternative approaches to neurotoxic insecticides, as well as safe, effective, and sound integrated pest management strategies pest control agents such as the insect...
April 2008
Nutritional evaluation of palm kernel meal types: 2. Effects on live performance and nutrient retention in broiler chicken diets
Studies were conducted to determine the effect of palm kernel meal (PKM) types on productive performance and nutrient retention of broiler chickens. The three PKM types used in this study were obtained from different sources and were processed using different methods or different types of kernel. The results obtained indicated that for the starter phase, Okomu and Presco PKM diets gave mean body weight gain...
April 2008
Changes in the quality of zobo beverages produced from Hibiscus sabdarifa (Linn roscelle) and the effects of extract of ginger alone or in combination with refrigeration
Quality changes in zobo beverage produced from Hibiscus sabdarifa during storage and the effects of extracts of ginger (Zingiber officinale) alone or in combination with refrigeration at 6â—‹C were evaluated for six (6) weeks duration. Results shows that the total viable bacterial count increased from 0.9 ± 0.01 log10 cfu/ml to 8.42 ± 0.1 Log10 cfu/ml at the 9th day of...
April 2008
Use of lactic strains isolated from Algerian ewe's milk in the manufacture of a natural yogurt
Fifty three strains of thermophilic and mesophilic lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the ewe’s milk. Identification reveals the presence of nineteen strains (36%) of Lactobacillus sp., seventeen strains (32%) of Lactococcus sp., nine strains (17%) of Streptococcus thermophilus and eight strains (15%) ofLeuconostoc sp. The strains were characterized for their...
April 2008
Integrating varietal resistance with Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Richard seed extract for the management of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky in stored maize
In search for alternatives to synthetic pesticides in maize (Zea mays, L.) storage, an integrated weevil management scheme involving varietal resistance andXylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Richard seed extract was evaluated in the laboratory. Varying rates of X. aethiopica extract were assessed on three maize varieties (Pajo White, Tsolo Yellow, and DMR-LSR-Y) with differing susceptibility...
April 2008
Bioconversion of palm kernel meal for aquaculture: Experiences from the forest region (Republic of Guinea)
Proteins and fats locked in palm kernel meal cannot be used directly by fishes. Enzyme from maggots (Hermetia illucens larvae) lyses and extracts those nutrients which are consumed as food. Biomasses of maggots produced can be used to feed fishes. This innovation opens a new hope for many African countries where so much agro-industry by-products exist such as palm kernel meal, groundnut meal, cotton seed...
April 2008
Use of an adsorbent and antioxidants to reduce the effects of leached phenolics in in vitro plantlet regeneration of faba bean
Development of a reliable in vitro regeneration protocol is necessary to facilitate genetic transformation of faba bean. However, leaching of phenolics from the explants of most genotypes of faba bean to the culture medium causes browning, and eventually kills the explants, hindering in vitro regeneration. This study is aimed to minimize the effect of phenolics and to identify the most...
Advertisement
Advertisement
