International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (3), pp. 001-005, March, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Molecular Analysis of Maize Streak Virus Resistance in Local Maize Hybrids via SSR Markers

Jedida Danson*, Martin Lagat, Jane Ininda and Michael Kimani

Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, P.O Box 57811, Nairobi, Kenya.

Accepted 22 November, 2025

Simple sequence repeat markers were used to study S6 recombinant inbred lines originating from a single cross between two inbred lines OSU 23i and EM12-210, for resistance to maize streak virus disease. A total of 115 recombinant inbred lines belonging to three families previously selected using conventional methods were screened using 52 SSR markers contained between Bin 1.04 and 1.05 of maize chromosome 1. Of these, only three markers were chosen on the basis of their polymorphism content for use in the study. This paper discusses the results of combined selection with both artificial inoculation and the three selected SSR markers. The use of artificial inoculation detected 78 resistant lines and 36 susceptible lines. On the other hand, the SSR markers detected 40 resistant lines, and 74 susceptible lines. But a combination of both the artificial inoculation and SSR marker selection reduced the number of resistant lines to 29 and increased the number of susceptible lines to 85. With these findings it was concluded that, a conventional maize breeder requires the use of molecular markers in order to improve selection intensity and maximize genetic gain.

Key words: simple sequence repeats (SSRs), maize streak virus disease, resistance, marker assisted selection

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-014, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Phytoremediation Potential of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. for Groundwater Nitrate Mitigation

Mehrdad Mohammadnia¹ Sayyed Ahang Kowsar² and Che Fauziah Ishak³

^1,2Fars research center for agriculture and natural resources, Shiraz, I.R.Iran.
3University Putra Malaysia.

Accepted 01 December, 2025

Geologic and fertilizer N negatively impact the groundwater in the Gareh Bygone Plain (GBP) in southeastern I.R. Iran. Moreover, the floodwater used since 1983 for the artificial recharge of groundwater (ARG) to alleviate the water crisis in the GBP contains 60.30 ± 21.60 mg L-1 geologic NO3¯ on average. This has the potential to intensify the contamination. As the Agha Jari Formation, which supplies the NO3¯contaminated runoff, covers 27680 km2 in the southern I.R. Iran, an untold number of people will be affected with nitrate poisoning where such waters are inevitably used for the ARG. Dissolved NO3¯ concentrations were monitored monthly for a year in 30 shallow wells in a sandy-gravelly aquifer in the GBP to quantify the effects of different landuse and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. on nitrogen retention. A laboratory experiment was also conducted to verify the potential nitrate absorption of the eucalyptus and NO3¯ surface adsorption potential of the calcareous sand. Our results suggest that landuse and management practices significantly impacted groundwater NO3¯ (P<0.05), EC (P<0.01), and its pH (P<0.05) in the GBP. Floodwater NO3¯ was highly reduced when passed through the vadose zone where NO3¯ was absorbed by the eucalyptus roots and adsorbed by the free CaCO3 in the calcareous alluvium. The amount of NO3¯ retained by the roots was 770fold the amount retained by the free CaCO3 particles on the surface area basis. Therefore, establishing forested filter zones within the ARG systems using more efficient and native plant species supplies safer drinking water for rural inhabitants and desert-dwellers.

Keywords: Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, NO3¯ Concentration in Groundwater.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-015, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Anthropogenic Drivers of Structural Change in the Duekoué and Scio Protected Forests, Côte d'Ivoire

François N’guessan Kouamé¹*, Emmanuel Yapi Amonkou², Maxime N’takpé Kama Boraud³, Eddouard Kouakou N’guessan³

¹Laboratoire dee Botanique, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny
²Soociété de Développement des forêts
³Laboratoire dee Botanique, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

Accepted 27 October, 2025

This manuscript analyses the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on trees, shrubbs and lianas mean DBH, density and basal area in two protected rain forests in Southwestern Côte d’Ivvoire. These forests have been under timber harvesting since their protection in 1929. The Forestry Servvice had developed plantations of indigenous timber species and Teak since 1996 to increase their producctivities for timbers. Additionally, they host many plantatioons of cash crop among which Coffee, Cocoa and Rubber are the most important. To understand how thhese plantations affect the local vegetation structure, trees, shrubs and lianas with DBH ≥10 cm were analyzed through the mean DBH, density and basal area. Plots were of 20 m x 50 m size and a total of 10 per vegetation type. Highest mean DBH and basal areea in both plots and vegetation types were found in the nattural forests and the undergrowth cleared forests which had similar values of these parameters. Yet densitty showed both lowest and highest values in plantations. Density in plantations was influenced by the site location of the plantation and the nature of croop while mean DBH and basal area were influenced only byy the nature of crop.

Keywords: Forest protection, cash crops, agroforestry, vegetation structure, South-West Côtte d’Ivoire
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Morphogenic Potential of Fluted Pumpkin Zygotic Embryos Under In Vitro Conditions

S. Adesola Ajayi¹*, Patricia Berjak², Joseph I. Kioko², M. Ehsan Dulloo³ and Raymond S. Vodouhe⁴

¹Seed Science Laboratory, Department of Plant Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 220005 Nigeria.
²School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041 South Africa.
³International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Rome, Italy.
⁴IPGRI West and Central Africa, c/o IITA Benin Research Station, Cotonou, Benin.

Accepted 17 November, 2025

Fluted pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis Hook. f., is an important leaf and seed vegetable and a local medicinal plant across West Africa. Many biological constraints have become potent threats to the existence of the plant necessitating an urgent need to collect and conserve the existing narrow genetic diversity. However, conservation by seed storage is impossible because the seed is recalcitrant, that is desiccation- and chilling-sensitive. Micropropagation is the only immediate alternative option for the conservation of fluted pumpkin germplasm. In order to facilitate this, the behaviour of excised embryonic axes and shoot tips of fluted pumpkin under in vitro conditions were investigated. Systemic infection of seeds from field led to frequent and high microbial contamination in culture. There was interaction between the type of microbial contamination and the storage environment of seeds prior to excision of the axes. Axes greened under low light intensity and root growth was dependent on the orientation of the axes. In general, zygotic axes of the plant are easy to grow in vitro under a range of nutrient media and culture conditions.

Key words: Fluted pumpkin, embryonic axes, greening, microbial contamination.
 

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Molecular Mechanism of Flowering Induction via DNA Methylation in Photoperiod-Sensitive Rice

Theerachai Thanananta^1,2*, Pradit Pongtongkam², Amara Thongpan², Lilly Kaveeta³, Surin Peyachoknagul²

¹Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani 12121, Thailand.
²Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10903, Thailand.
³Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10903, Thailand.

Accepted 23 November, 2025

Methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique was adapted to screen a photoperiod- responsive gene of rice KDML105. Six out of thirty-two primer combinations gave twelve EcoRI/HpaII- generated MSAP markers from the genomic DNA of KDML105 after exposure to short-day (SD) photoperiod. These MSAP fragments were cloned and used as probes to hybridize to MSAP fingerprints. Positive fragments generating the signals correlated to the MSAP fingerprints were sequenced and aligned to the database. Ten out of twelve MSAP markers showed 93-100% homology to database sequences and the best homology fragment (F1) was chosen for complete gene cloning, sequencing, and alignment. This candidate gene fragment showed 98% homology to the sequences of rice genomic DNA gi|23237916 and rice cDNA gi|32986083. It also has an open reading frame (ORF) of 402 bp and deduced a polypeptide of 134 amino acid residues, while those of gi|23237916 and gi|32986083 have a deduced polypeptide of 137 amino acid residues resulting in the overall homology of 97%. In addition, RT-PCR products and the Southern blot hybridization of the genomic DNA of KDML105 digested with HpaII or MspI indicated that the expression of this candidate gene depends on DNA demethylation, which is induced by 10 days of SD photoperiod. It is speculated that this gene might belong to another class of regulatory gene for the flowering time or heading-time loci in rice or it is a downstream product of flower initiation.

Key words: DNA methylation, photoperiod, rice, Oryza sativa L., MSAP, methylation sensitive AFLP.

International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 15 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of Methoprene and Fenoxycarb on the Commercial Traits and Fiber Quality of Bombyx mori (L) Cocoons

D. M. Mamatha¹*,    H. P. P. Cohly², A. H. H. Raju¹ and M. Rajeswara Rao^1
1Division of Sericulture, Department of Zoology, S.V. University, Tirupati-517 502, A.P., India.
²Department of Surgery, University Medical Centre, Jackson M.S. 39216, U.S.A.

Accepted 10 July, 2025

Juvenile hormone analogues (JHA s) are known to prolong larval life in insects, and these have been tried for the improvement of silk production in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (L). In the cocoons and silk from 5th instar B. mori treated with selected doses of methoprene and fenoxycarb, quantitative parameters like cocoon weight, shell weight, shell percentage, filament length and denier followed by qualitative characters of the silk like non-breakable filament length, reelability, winding capacity, tenacity, elongation percentage, cohesiveness, sericin and fibroin contents were determined. The cocoon from 1.0 mg methoprene and 3.0 fg/larvae treated on days one and two showed improved quantitative characters of cocoons followed by qualitative characters of the silk over the control. The use of juvenile hormone like methprene and fenoxycarb during summer season will help to get improved cocoon yield.

Key words: Silkworm, methoprene, fenoxycarb, cocoons and silk.