ISSN 2169-3048
Research Article
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 4 (5), pp. 574-577, June 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Preliminary study in diet composition of Indian pond Heron during breeding season
R. Roshnath
Center for Wildlife Studies, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) diet consisted of Channa sp. (25%), Trachypauchen sp. (25%), Puntius mahecola (14%) and Mystus vittatus (8%). It preferred medium sized prey of sizes 4-7 cm. In terms of biomass Channa sp. and Trachypauchen sp. constituted greater percent (51%). Scavenging behavior of Indian Pond Heron was observed. The prey fish species such as Mystus vittatus and Etroplus maculatus are economically important species and are of human interest but considering size of fishes in observed prey item it is having negligible economic value. But, continued predation of a particular size class may later affect the population structure of the prey species.
Key words: Diet composition, Indian pond heron, prey, predation, heronry.
R. Roshnath
Page: 574 - 577
Research Article
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Vol. 4 (5), pp. 578-580, June, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Toxicity effect of Croton sparciflorus linn. (Euphorbiaceae) leaf extract against Culex quinquefasciatus say
M. Ramar1*, M. Gabriel Paulraj2 and S.Ignacimuthu2
1Department of Zoology, APSA, College, Thiruppattur, Sivagangai (Dist), Tamil Nadu, India.
2Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai-34.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
The effect of leaf extract of Croton sparciflorus (Euphorbiaceae) on larvae and pupae of Culex quinquefasciatus say was studied under laboratory conditions. Preliminary screening of hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts at 1000ppm showed that hexane extract was the most effective treatment, which killed 100 and 89 percent larvae and pupae after 24hours. At various concentrations, viz. 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400ppm, the hexane extract caused concentration dependent larval and pupal mortality. The LC50 and LC90 of hexane extract were 145.3 and 466.9 ppm respectively for larvicidal and 335.2 and 714.7 ppm respectively for pupicidal activities. The results suggest that the leaf extract of C. sparciflorus is an effective larvicidal and pupicidal agent against Cx. quinquefasciatus.
Key words: Croton sparciflorus, c. quinquefasciatus, larvicidal, pupicidal, leaf extract.
M. Ramar*, M. Gabriel Paulraj and S.Ignacimuthu
Page: 578 - 580
Research Article
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN 2169-3048 Vol. 4 (5), pp. 564-573, June, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Solid State Fermentation for the production of Laccase by Neurospora sitophila using agro-wastes and its partial purification
Saqib Hussain Hadri1*, Muhammad Javaid Asad1, Muhammad Gulfraz1, Muhammad Asghar3, Nasir Mahmood Minhas2, Raja Tahir Mahmood1, Shehnaz Zakia4 and Nasir Mahmood5
1Department of Biochemistry, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
2Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
3Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
4Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad, Pakistan.
5Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Corresponding Author. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Laccase is the enzyme that has many industrial and biotechnological. Keeping in mind the importance of this enzyme on commercial and industrial levels, the present study was designed to optimize laccase production by Neurospora sitophila using agro-wastes including rice straw, sugarcane bagasse and corn cobs. Among the different conditions optimized, for the enhanced production of the laccase, include fermentation period, moisture level and inoculum size and were found to be 96 hours, 70% (for corn cobs and rice straw), 60% (for sugarcane bagasse) and 5mL respectively. Peptone, yeast extract and tween-20 were used as nitrogen source, inducer and surfactant respectively, to check their effect on the production of laccase. Peptone had negative effect in all concentrations while 0.4 % yeast extract and 0.2 % tween-20 enhanced the laccase production. Ammonium sulfate was used for the partial purification of the laccase and 60% ammonium sulfate was found to be the best concentration for this purpose with a 7.5 fold increase in the laccase activity as compared to the crude extract while using corn cobs as agriculture waste. Protein concentration of crude extract and after each purification step was determined by Biuret-protein assay. Optimum temperature and pH for the laccase activity were found to be 30oC and 5 respectively. Km and Vmax using guaiacol were found to be 0.666mM and 20.8 µM/min respectively.
Key words: Laccase, Neurospora sitophila, Guaiacol, solid state fermentation, ammonium sulfate.
Muhammad Asghar, Raja Tahir Mahmood, Nasir Mahmood Minhas, Saqib Hussain Hadri*, Shehnaz Zakia and Nasir Mahmood, Muhammad Gulfraz, Muhammad Javaid Asad
Page: 564 - 573
Research Article
Full Length Research Paper
Microbial dilapidation of oxytetracycline in river water and sediment using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography
Morgan Tuku Fletcher
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Midlands State University, P. Bag 9055 Gweru, Zimbabwe.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 20 May, 2014
Abstract
The fate of oxytetracycline (OTC) in river water and sediment and control experiments was investigated. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation and identification method was used to separate, identify and quantify OTC and its major degradation products. Minimum degradation of OTC was observed in control experiments. Non microbial degradation observed up to day 26 contributed slightly above 20% of the degradation in exposed distilled water experiment. Increase in degradation of OTC after day 26 for both the covered and exposed distilled water experiments were attributed to microbial degradation due to contamination through the openings left in the set ups. Microbial degradation was observed in the river water and sediment experiment and two major degradation products were identified: 4-epi-oxytetracycline (4-epi-OTC) and β-apo-oxytetracycline (β-apo-OTC). β-apo-OTC was found to be the most stable degradation product as compared to the other main degradation products 4-epi-oxytetracycline (4-epi-OTC) and α-apo-oxytetracycline, (α-apo-OTC). The present results have shown that microbial degradation plays a major role in the removal of OTC in natural environments.
Key words: Oxytetracycline, microbial degradation, rephrased phase HPLC, river water and sediment.
Morgan Tuku Fletcher
Page: 556 - 563
Research Article
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN: 2169-3048 Vol. 4 (4), pp. 549-555, May, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Soil transformation resulting from enzymes activities on soil samples exposed to electromagnetic radiations (EMR) from mobile phone
Omonode Victor Onyikro
Department of Biochemistry, Niger Delta University, Wiberforce Island, Bayelsa, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]
Accepted 16 March, 2015
Abstract
This study aimed at investigating the changes in activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and alkaline protease of soil samples exposed to electromagnetic radiations (EMR) from mobile phone for the periods of 0, 30, 60 and 90 days. EMR-unexposed soil samples served as the source of control enzyme activities. The mean enzyme activities from the EMR-exposed soil were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those from the unexposed samples. The overall percentage changes in enzymes activities of the EMR-unexposed and exposed soil samples for dehydrogenase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and alkaline protease relative to their respective starting values were 124.42 and -65.15%, 138.01 and -13.87%, 94.09 and 19.70%, 101.01 and - 41.00%, and 162.55 and -21.71% respectively. The results show that EMR from mobile phones elicited significant negative impact on soil enzymes activities.
Key words: Electromagnetic radiations, mobile phones, enzymes.
Omonode Victor Onyikro
Page: 549 - 555
Research Article
International Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology ISSN: 2169-3048 Vol. 4 (3), pp. 544-548, April, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full length Research paper
Investigation of Genetic Diversity in Ethiopian Collections of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) as revealed by ISSR markers
*Baye Wodajo1, Feysal Bushira Mustefa2 and Kassahun Tesfaye3
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and computational science, Woldia University, P.O. box 400,Woldia,Ethiopia.
2Haramaya University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, School of Plant Sciences, Ethiopia.
3 Department of Microbial, Cellular, Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 10 November, 2014
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) is an oilseed crop that is valued as a source of high quality vegetable oil. Among the genus Carthamus, safflower is the only cultivated species. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of safflower accessions from Ethiopia using ISSR molecular markers. In this study, the genetic diversity of 70 safflower genotypes originated from different geographical regions of Ethiopia was evaluated using four ISSR primers. DNA was extracted from selected plants per accession using a triple CTAB extraction technique. The four selected ISSR primers produced a total of 43 bands of which 87.5% were polymorphic. Among regions, safflower population from Oromia showed 0.32 and 0.48 gene diversity and Shannon diversity index, respectively, with the highest percentage of polymorphism (86.1%).The highest gene diversity (0.37) and Shannon index (0.55) was shown by the only tetra-nucleotide [(GACA)4, primer 873]. Moreover, AMOVA showed that 98.9% of the variation is attributed to within population while only 1.1% is among populations variation. The results reveal the presence of higher genetic diversity that deserves conservation attention and sustainable use strategy to improve the productivity of safflower in Ethiopia.
Key words: Carthamus tinctorius L, genetic diversity, ISSR molecular marker, polymorphism, Ethiopia.
*Baye Wodajo, Feysal Bushira Mustefa and Kassahun Tesfaye
Page: 544 - 548