International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (4), pp. 001-008, April, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Kinetic Evaluation of Lead and Nickel Adsorption Using Raw and Modified Agricultural Waste

Abia, A. A.* and Asuquo, E. D,

Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt. P. M. B. 5323, Choba, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Accepted 21 January, 2026

This paper discusses the kinetics of lead (II) and Nickel (II) ions adsorption from aqueous solutions using chemically modified and unmodified agricultural adsorbents at 28°C, pH 6.2 and 0.01M NaCl ionic strength. The removal of the two metals were found to increase with increase in chemical modification, the sequence being 1.0MOPF>0.5MOPF>UOPF. In addition Nickel (II) had a higher percentage removal than lead (II). The intraparticle diffusion rate constant (Kid) were determined to be 63.023 min-1 (Ni2+) and 38.212 min-1 (Pb2+) for the 1.0MOPF adsorbent. The results show that the intraparticle diffusion model fits the sorption of lead (II) with higher coefficient of determination (r2) than Nickel (II), thereby indicating that the intra-particle diffusion may be the rate limiting step for Pb2+ sorption. The results from this study indicates that a good adsorbent for the removal of Ni2+ and Pb2+ can be obtained from both chemically modified and unmodified oil palm fruit fibre.

Key words: oil palm fruit fibre, mercaptoacetic acid, intraparticle diffusion, adsorbent, chemical modified and agricultural-by-product.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (4), pp. 001-005, April, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Hormonal Regulation of In Vitro Flowering in Somatic Embryo Cultures of Kinnow Mandarin

B. Singh1, S. Sharma1, G. Rani1, G.S. Virk1, A.A. Zaidi2 and A. Nagpal1*

¹Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, India.
²Floriculture Division, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, C.S.I.R., Palampur 176 061 (H.P), India.

Accepted 28 Jauary, 2026

Embryogenic cultures of Kinnow mandarin (C. nobilis Lour × C. deliciosa Tenora) were raised from unfertilized ovules dissected from unopened flower buds of this plant inoculated on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L kinetin (KN). In vitro flowering was induced in these cultures by using different concentrations of KN and sucrose as well as subjecting these cultures to different photoperiods. Maximum percentage (31.94%) of cultures producing flowers and maximum number (5.58) of flowers per culture was observed on MS medium supplemented with KN (2 mg/L) and sucrose 40 g/L at 12-h photoperiod.

Key words: Embryogenic callus, in vitro flowering, Kinnow (Citrus nobilis ´ C. deliciosa), ovule culture.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (4), pp. 001-004, April, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Cytomixis as the Mechanism for Diploid and Polyploid Microspore Formation in Sorghum bicolor (Poaceae)

Ghaffari, S.M.

Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 13145-1384, Tehran, Iran. Tel:++98-21- 61113379. Fax: ++98-21- 66404680. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 17 January, 2026

Colchicine is used in this investigation to increase chromosome doubling in Sorghum bicolor Line IS4546. Of a total of 500 plants which were treated, eight of them showed the occurrence of cytomixsis at meiotic stages. No polyploids were found in the treated plants. The results obtained from meiotic studies on control plants showed the 10 bivalents in majority of pollen mother cells at diakinesis and first metaphase. In eight treated plants, occurrence of cytomixis and chromosome migration were observed. Analysis of 230 pollen mother cells at first metaphase stage showed 73.91% haploid (n=10), 10.43% diploid (n=20), 7.82% triploid (n=30), 4.34% tetraploid and 3.47% pentaploid (n=50) number of chromosomes. Pollen diameters showed that the cytomictic cells differed from the normal cells. These results indicate that cytomixis can really be an effective mechanism for the production of polyploid gametes.

Key words: Sorghum bicolor, colchicine, cytomixis, pollen mother cells.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (4), pp. 001-007, April, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Water Effects on Cowpea Rhizobia Competition and Nodule Occupancy

Tatiana Krasova-Wade¹*, Omar Diouf², Ibrahima Ndoye¹, Ciré Elimane Sall³, Serge Braconnier², and Marc Neyra^1,4

¹Laboratoire Commun de Microbiologie IRD/UCAD/ISRA, (LCM), Centre de Recherche de Bel Air, B. P. 1386, C.P.
18524 Dakar, Sénégal

²Centre d’Etude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), B. P. 3320, Thiès Escale, Thies, Sénégal

³Institut Sénégalais de Recherche Agricoles (ISRA), B. P. 3120, Dakar, Sénégal
⁴Present address : Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes (LSTM), Campus de Baillarguet, TA10/J, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France

Accepted 27 January, 2026

Two indigenous bradyrhizobia strains displaying different natural behaviours towards water regime (strain ORS 3257, nodulating more frequently in favourable-water conditions and strain ORS 3260, in limited-water conditions) were studied for their competitivity for nodulation of cowpea (Mouride cultivar) under favourable and limited water conditions in non-sterile soil. The nodule occupancy was studied by PCR-RFLP analysis. Both strains showed good competition with other indigenous rhizobia populations under favourable- and limited-water conditions. Competition between the inoculated strains in the mixture varied between water regimes. In non-limited-water conditions, strain ORS 3257 was the best competitor, whereas in limited-water conditions, strain ORS 3260 was the best competitor. Results indicated that screening of strains according to their environmental origin could ensure successful rhizobia inoculation.

Key words: Vigna unguiculata, bradyrhizobia, inoculation, competition, limited-water conditions.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (4), pp. 001-009, April, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Molecular Characterization of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Germplasm in Southern Cameroon Using SSR Markers

M.I.B. Efombagn¹*, O. Sounigo², S. Nyassé¹, M. Manzanares-Dauleux³, C. Cilas2, M. A.B. Eskes² and Kolesnikova-Allen⁴

¹Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), P.O. Box 2067 or 2123, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
²CIRAD-CP, TA 80/02, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
³Agrocampus de Rennes, 65 Rue de St Brieuc, 35042, Rennes, France.
⁴Central Biotechnology Laboratory, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria.

Accepted 19 January, 2026

The range of polymorphism of about 194 cocoa accessions collected in farms in Southern Cameroon during field surveys and 71 Trinitario and Upper Amazon clones available in genebanks on-station was assessed using 13 SSR markers. The gene diversity, genetic differentiation and genetic similarities were analysed for the different populations. In total, 282 alleles were detected within all the populations studied. The farm accessions were strongly differentiated based on their geographical origin, with accessions coming from the East province clustering together with local Trinitario accessions from the genebank. Accessions from the Centre-South provinces clustered with Amazon and hybrid accessions, suggesting more uptake of seed garden materials in farms in these provinces. The genetic diversity parameters indicate that the farmers’ planting material is not highly diverse, and is genetically close to parental genotypes available in genebanks. However, some promising Upper Amazon clones (T-clones) that have also been used as parents of released hybrid varieties were genetically distant from the accessions. This result suggests that the progenies of these parents have so far been poorly used in the cocoa farms surveyed. The consequences of these findings for cocoa breeding in Cameroon are discussed.

Key words: Cocoa, SSR markers, polymorphism, agronomic traits, breeding.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (3), pp. 001-006, March, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

In Vitro Callus Induction and Plant Regeneration Dynamics in Deepwater Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Landraces of Bangladesh

L. Khaleda and M. Al-Forkan*

Department of Genetic Engineering, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.

Accepted 13 November, 2025

Experiments were carried out to induce embryogenic callus and plant regeneration from five different deepwater rice cultivars. Using mature embryos as explant, all the cultivars demonstrated high callus induction and plant regeneration frequencies. When coleoptile and root segments used as explants, they had low frequencies of embryogenesis. Depending on different genotypes, the best plant regeneration was obtained on LS (Linsmaier and Skoog, 1965) based medium supplemented with 2 mg l-1 BAP + 1.5 mg l-1 2,4-D. Large variabilities in callus growth and plant regeneration potential were revealed among the cultivars tested. Cultivar HA-8 formed a high frequency (78%) of callus than that of other cultivars. In contrast cv. HA-1 produced the highest percentage (72%) of plant regeneration. The callus growth potential was not correlated with the plant regeneration potential. Coleoptiles and root segments produced calli, which did not develop any shoot bud in regeneration media. Moreover, the calli turned blackish, watery and translucent after 25-28 days of culture. It is clear that mature seed scutellum (MSS) is the best explant for callus induction and plant regeneration.

Key words: Callus, regeneration, embryogenesis, genotypic variability, deepwater rice.