African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12496

Table of Content: 15 May 2013; 12(20)

May 2013

Rubisco activity and gene expression of tropical tree species under light stress

Tropical rain forests contain an ecologically and physiologically diverse range of vegetation and habitats. Sun-acclimated plants can be divided into two groups, shade-tolerant and shade-intolerant, according to the plant’s physiological and genetic responses. Some tropical species have potential capacity for light damage in a shaded environment as well as shade-tolerance to compensate for the impaired light...

Author(s): Keum-Ah Lee, Seong Han Lee and Su Young Woo

May 2013

Micropropagation of important bamboos: A review

Bamboos are versatile, arborescent, perennial and non-wood forest trees with tremendous eco-sociological and commercial importance. Different propagation techniques are available for bamboo, such as seed propagation, clump division, rhizome and culm cuttings, but these classical techniques suffer from serious drawbacks for large or mass scale propagation. For mass scale propagation, these are largely insufficient and...

Author(s): Kalpataru Dutta Mudoi, Siddhartha Proteem Saikia, Adrita Goswami, AnimeshGogoi,  Debashish Bora and Mina Borthakur

May 2013

Lipoxygenase and carotenoids: A co-oxidation story

Lipoxygenases (LOXs), widely found in plants, fungi, and animals, are a large family of monomeric proteins with non-heme, non-sulphur, iron cofactor containing dioxygenases that catalyze the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acid to yield hydroperoxides. Some LOX isoenzymes have the capacity to co-oxidise also the carotenoids. Carotenid biosynthesis occurs only in...

Author(s): Veronica Sanda Chedea and Mitsuo Jisaka

May 2013

Genotypic stability and correlation among quantitative characters in genotypes of aromatic pepper grown over years

Breeding efforts for fruit yield improvement in Capsicum annuum have gradually shifted from individual trait selection to simultaneous improvement of several traits which contribute to yield. The objectives of this research were to assess the correlation among quantitative characters and to determine stable pepper genotypes for fresh fruit yield in derived savanna ecology of Nigeria. Ten genotypes...

Author(s): Abu, Ngozi E, Uguru, M. I. and Obi, I .U.

May 2013

BTN1A1 , FABP3 and TG genes polymorphism in East Anatolian red cattle breed and South Anatolian red cattle breed

The aim of the study was to determine butyrophilin, thyroglobulin and fatty acid binding protein  genes in East Anatolian Red cattle breed and South Anatolian Red cattle breed. In the study, unrelated 50 South Anatolian red and 50 East Anatolian red cattle were used. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood using standart salt-out protocol. The polymerase chain reaction technique was used for gene amplification....

Author(s): Hasret Yardibi, Feraye Esen Gürsel, Atila Ates, Iraz Akıs, Gulhan Turkay Hosturk and Kemal Oztabak

May 2013

Assessment of the genetic diversity conservation in three tall coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) accessions regenerated by controlled pollination, using microsatellite markers

Controlled pollination process is used during the regeneration of ageing accessions in the International Coconut Genebank for Africa and Indian Ocean (ICG-AIO). The effectiveness of this process has not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of controlled pollination method by investigating the level of molecular resemblance between the regenerated (G1) and parental (G0) populations of...

Author(s): YAO Saraka Didier Martial,, KONAN Konan Jean Louis, POKOU N’Da Désiré, KONAN Kouamé Jean Noel, ISSALI Auguste Emmanuel, SIE Raoul Sylvère and ZORO Bi Irié Arsène

May 2013

Genetic diversity analysis of Nardostachys jatamansi DC, an endangered medicinal plant of Central Himalaya, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

The genetic diversity analysis of eight populations of Nardostachys jatamansi DC.collected from different altitude of Central Himalaya has been attempted using 24 sets of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers. These sets of RAPD marker generated a total of 346 discernible and reproducible bands across the analysed population with 267 polymorphic and 75 monomorphic bands. The unweighted pair...

Author(s): Uma M. Singh, Dinesh Yadav, M. K. Tripathi, Anil Kumar and Manoj K. Yadav

May 2013

Genetic structure and diversity of the neem germplasm bank from Brazil Northeast

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is a tree species with known value to agriculture. Our aim was to evaluate, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, the genetic diversity of 54 accessions from Germplasm Bank (GBN) of Embrapa Coastal Tablelands (Sergipe, Brazil). The acces-sions were analyzed using a model-based Bayesian procedure (Structure), molecular variance analysis (AMOVA) and Jaccard...

Author(s): Ana Veruska Cruz da Silva, Allívia Rouse Carregosa Rabbani, Camila Santos Almeida and Débora Clivati

May 2013

Analysis of genetic diversity within and among four rabbit genotypes using biochemical and molecular genetic markers

Genetic variations were detected in four different rabbit genotypes; Animal Production Research Institute (APRI) line, New-Zealand White (NZW), Baladi Black (BB) and Gabali (GAB) breeds. Ten individuals from the first three genotypes and seven individuals from GAB, were blood sampled. Isozymes (esterase and peroxidase) andsodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-protein markers were used to detect the genetic variations...

Author(s): Ola A. Galal, Medhat Rehan and Ragaa E. Abd El-Karim  

May 2013

Proteome level changes in the root of Brassica alboglabra induced by alachlor herbicide

Chinese kale (Brassica alboglabra) is a famous and extensively grown vegetable in Southeast Asia. Despite its nutritional values, pesticides are heavily applied to it. In this study, changes in protein expression due to alachlor treatment on B. alboglabrawere investigated by using the 2-dimensional PAGE. Differential protein expressions were determined by using Image Master Software with volume (%) ≥2 fold as...

Author(s): Zuraifah Asrah Mohamad, Daranee Chokchaichamnankit, Kisana Bhinija, N. Monique Paricharttanakul, Jisnuson Svasti, Pattana Srifah Huehne and Chantragan Srisomsap

May 2013

Co-inoculation effects of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Azospirillum sp. on competitive nodulation and rhizosphere eubacterial community structures of soybean under rhizobia-established soil conditions

Bradyrhizobial inoculants used for soybean seed inoculation to maximize the benefit of N2-fixation should include bradyrhizobial strain with high N2-fixation rates and ability to compete with the indigenous rhizobial populations. In this study, co-inoculation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Azospirillum sp. with either ofBradyrhizobium japonicum CB 1809 or USDA 110 increased shoot and root...

Author(s): Thi Thi Aung, Panlada Tittabutr, Nantakorn Boonkerd, David Herridge and Neung Teaumroong

May 2013

In vitro mass multiplication of pomegranate from cotyledonary nodal explants cv. Ganesh

For surface sterilization of explants, treatment involving HgCl2­ (0.1 %) for 3 min gave better sterilization of cotyledonary nodal explants. The maximum percentage establishment of cotyledonary node explants was observed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium + 1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) + 0.5 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). However, MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg/l BAP + 1.0 mg/l kinetin + 200 mg/l...

Author(s): Pushpraj Singh, R. M Patel and Smita Kadam

May 2013

Nature of gene action for fruit quality characters of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Nature of gene action for three important fruit quality characters of tomato viz., total soluble solids (TSS), β-carotene and lycopene contents were determined by analyzing one 7 x 7 half diallel population and six genetic populations (P1, P2, F1, F2 , BC1 and BC2) of two cross combinations. The nature of gene action determined from two biometrical methods matched well and it appeared that the fruit...

Author(s): Shirin Akhtar and P. Hazra

May 2013

Induced gene expression in wheat seedlings treated with a crude extract of Agapanthus africanus L. prior to leaf rust infection

It was previously shown that a crude extract of Agapanthus africanus L. (Hoffman), applied as a foliar spray to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings, significantly increased the in vitro activities of three pathogenesis related (PR) proteins (β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase and peroxidase). This was the case in both susceptible and resistant wheat lines whether the plants...

Author(s): Cawood, M. E., Pretorius, J. C., Visser, B. and van der Westhuizen, A. J.

May 2013

Antioxidant activity in selected tomato genotypes cultivated in conventional and organic culture systems

The present study is a compilation of results obtained at the Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacau regarding the influence of the culture system on the quantitative and qualitative yield of tomatoes. The present study provides comparative information regarding yield achievements of tomato genotypes cultivated in two different culture systems (conventional and organic), in order to highlight the...

Author(s): P. M. Brezeanu, N. Munteanu, C. Brezeanu, S. Ambarus, E. Draghici, M. Calin and T.O Cristea

May 2013

In vitro induction of tuber formation for the synthesis of secondary metabolites in Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand

Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand an endangered herb is valued for several medicinal properties in its tuberous roots. An efficient and reproducible method for inducing in vitro tubers from stem disc explant has been developed. Stem disc possessing shoot buds were induced to develop multiple shoots in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with vitamins, 3% sucrose, 0.8% agar and...

Author(s): Gulab S. Thakur, Rohit Sharma, Bhagwan S. Sanodiya, Rakesh Baghel, Radhika Thakur ,Bansh N. Singh, Ashish Savita, Avinash Dubey, Latasha Sikarwar, Pallavi Jaiswal ,Gunja Khatri, G.B.K.S Prasad and Prakash S. Bisen

May 2013

Streptomyces noboritoensis isolated from rhizosphere soil and its use in controlling banana-tissue culture contaminants

In this study, the role of Streptomyces noboritoensis (14) isolated from the rhizosphere of banana plant and having antagonistic activity against the bacterial- and fungal-tissue culture contaminants was determined in vitro. Results show that the filtrate was more effective against the fungal-tissue culture contaminants than the bacterial-tissue culture contaminants. This was...

Author(s): Mohamed, SH, El-Helafiy, SS, Ismail Mona, A and Sadik, AS,

May 2013

Chemical composition of essential oil from the leaves of Premna coriacea Clarke

In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oil of Premna coriacea leaves was investigated. Extraction by hydrodistillation followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) yielded 27 compounds representing 99.89% of the oil. The major volatile components of the oil were aromadendrene (23.51), caryophyllene (19.27), tetracontane  (11.90), 17-pentatriacontene (6.61),...

Author(s): C. T. Sadashiva, P. Sharanappa, Y. Naidoo and Indira Balachandran

May 2013

Antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized by the fungus Curvularia inaequalis

Silver nanoparticles have been widely reported in literature due to their vast industrial application in different areas. In this work, we explored a simple procedure for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles at room temperature from the action of Curvularia inaequalis as reduction agent. The degree of aggregation and size of biosynthesized particles were optimized from a factorial design involving combined...

Author(s): Helinando P. de Oliveira, Leonardo S. Cavalcanti, Noelly B. Cavalcanti, Ismara de S. Nascimento, Sergio F. Pascholati, Luis F. P. Gusmão, Alan Greison C. Macêdo and Mateus Matiuzzi da Costa

May 2013

Molecular characterization of Lepidopteran specific Bacillus thuringiensis strains isolated from Hilly Zone Soils of Karnataka, India

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains pathogenic to Lepidopteran insects and native to hilly zone soils of Karnataka (India) were explored. 19 strains were isolated from the soils and identified by morphological and microscopic characters. Toxicity level of the Bt isolates was tested by treating third Instar larvae of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) and mulberry leaf roller (Diaphania pulverulentalis). Mortality rate of...

Author(s): Kundan Kumar, Yashaswini, K. S. and Earanna, N.

May 2013

Enhancement of ultraviolet water disinfection process

The aim of this study was to examine the efficiency of phages in combination with physical water treatment process to ensure optimal disinfection without subsequence water recontamination. The use of phages’ cocktail was used instead of chemical reagents to overcome the non remanent effects of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection procedure and to enhance the worth of this clean and safe technology. This combination...

Author(s): Myriam BEN SAID and Masahiro OTAKI

May 2013

Potential of wastewater grown algae for biodiesel production and CO2 sequestration

Algae have been proposed as a potential renewable fuel source. Photosynthetic CO2fixation to substrates that can be converted to biodiesel by microalgae is thought to be a feasible technology with energy-saving and environment-friendly approach. In the present study, potential of microalgae, from wastewater stabilization pond, as a feedstock for biodiesel production and CO2 sequestration was...

Author(s): Abhay B. Fulke, Komal Y. Chambhare, Lalita N. Sangolkar, Manisha D. Giripunje, K. Krishnamurthi, Asha A. Juwarkar and Tapan Chakrabarti

May 2013

Antibacterial activity and probiotic properties of some lactic acid bacteria isolated from dairy products

Several lactic acid bacteria strains were screened for the production of antibacterial substances active against some pathogenic bacteria. The inhibitory mechanism was investigated and was shown to be dependant of bacteriocin production. The objective was to isolate LAB with antibacterial activity from raib and to select strains that could be used for the determination of probiotic properties. Results showed that 6...

Author(s): Abdelkader Mezaini and Abdelkader Dilmi Bouras

May 2013

Isolation, purification and characterization of phytase from Bacillus subtilis MJA

In this study, three strains of bacteria were isolated from soil. Among the three isolated strains, one was identified morphologically and confirmed by the molecular techniques as Bacillus subtilis MJA with high phytase activity. The phytase-producing bacteria were isolated using phytate screening agar media (PSM) with only 1.5% glucose and 0.5% sodium phytate as only source for carbon. In order to optimize...

Author(s): Nabil M. K. El-Toukhy, Amany S. Youssef and Mariam G. M. Mikhail

May 2013

Antibacterial activity of seaweed (Kappaphycus) extracts against infectious pathogens

Natural products represent a potential source for the search of new drug. Among them, seaweeds can be highlighted because of its abundance in nature and richness in bioactive compounds. Screening of these for antimicrobial compounds is vital due to increasing demand of therapeutic drugs in treatment of pathogenic infection. In this study, the antibacterial activity of seaweeds...

Author(s): Prasad, M. P., Sushant Shekhar and Babhulkar, A. P.

May 2013

Impact of polyphenolic extracts on resistance to fungal contamination in dry bean grains

From their significant roles against the biotic and abiotic stresses, polyphenols have aroused a growing interest for a possible application in food industry. The aim of this study was the evaluation of antifungal activity of polyphenols extracted from two varieties of dry bean, presenting white (Tima) and red (MGT djedida) color. Determination of moisture for the two varieties showed that these grains are favorable for...

Author(s): DJABALI Saliha and BARKAT Malika

May 2013

Physicochemical stability and sensory acceptance of a carbonated cashew beverage with fructooligosaccharide added

The objective of this research was to determine the shelf life of a carbonated cashew beverage with fructooligosaccharides added using two different processing methods: by using additives (potassium sorbate/sodium benzoate) without pasteurization and by using pasteurization at 90°C for 1 min with addition of preservatives. Physicochemical analyzes (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids (°Brix), vitamin C,...

Author(s): Luciana C. Nogueira, Rafael T. Parmanhane, Adriano G. Cruz and Maria Ivone M.J. Barbosa

May 2013

Characterisation of selected volatile organic compounds in Rwandan indigenous beer ‘Urwagwa’ by dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The volatile organic compound profile of alcoholic beverages consists of a wide range of compounds, comprising of acids, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and other trace level aroma compounds. These compounds play an important role as they provide relative information on the product quality and enhance product acceptability. In this study, two brands of commercially available traditional banana beer samples were collected...

Author(s): K. Shale, J. Mukamugema, R. J. Lues, P. Venter and K. K. Mokoena

May 2013

Changes in proximate, biochemical and microbiological characteristics of dried Labeo gonius fillets during storage at room temperature

An experiment was carried out to assess the changes in proximate, biochemical and microbiological characteristics of dried Labeo gonius fillets stored at room temperature. Moisture, crude protein, total lipids, nitrogen free extract (NFE) and ash content of the product were 77.46, 17.94, 2.2, 1.59 and 0.81%, respectively. Total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) content was found below the range suggested by...

Author(s): Anup Kumar, Prabjeet Singh and Mohd Danish

May 2013

Molecular composition and antibacterial effect of essential oil of Nigella sativa

The aim of this work was to test the antibacterial effects of essential oil extracted fromNigella sativa strains on gram positive and negative (Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia) bacteria. This study was based on extraction by steam distillation and analysis of organoleptic and physico-chemical properties of the essential oil of Nigel. The examination of the...

Author(s): Bessedik Amina and Allem Rachida

May 2013

Impact of 2-bromopropane on mouse embryonic stem cells and related regulatory mechanisms

2-Bromopropane (2-BP), a cleaning agent, is used as an alternative to ozone-depleting solvents. Previously, 2-BP was shown to have cytotoxic effects on mouse blastocysts and is associated with defects in their subsequent development, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, it was found that 2-BP also has cytotoxic effects on oocyte maturation and subsequent pre- and post implantation development in...

Author(s): I-Meng Huang and Wen-Hsiung Chan

May 2013

Parasitic infestation of Synodontis batensoda (Rüppell, 1832, Siluriformes, Mockokidae) at Rivers Niger-Benue Confluence, Nigeria

The Mockokid, upside down catfish, Synodontis batensoda caught with various fishing gears were studied for parasites for a period of 12 months (March 2007 to February 2008) in Rivers Niger and Benue at the Confluence. Out of 84 fish specimens examined, 61 (72.6%) fish hosts were infected, while 23 (27.4%) were uninfected. The total parasites recovered were 1196, comprising one protozoan ciliate (Trichodinids),...

Author(s): Eyo, J. E., Iyaji, F. O. and Obiekezie, A. I.

May 2013

Biologic characteristics of Scomber japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782) in Tunisian waters (Central Mediterranean Sea)

Some biological parameters of chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus, were studied in the Tunisian waters. A total of 368 specimens were collected between January 2009 and December 2010. The fork lengths ranged between 16.3 and 31.8 cm. Overall female: male ratio was 1:1.03. In the report of gonadosomatic index (GSI) and gonad macroscopic observation, spawning season was estimated to be from December to February and...

Author(s): Hassen ALLAYA, Abdallah HATTOUR, Ghailen HAJJEJ and Monia Trabelsi

May 2013

Purification and characterization of xylanase from Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from soil

The objectives of the present study were to purify and characterize xylanase enzyme from the fungus obtained from soil. A total of 40 fungi were isolated from 25 soil samples collected after primary screening on Potato Dextrose Agar. In the secondary screening (malt extract agar, 0.5% birch wood xylan), based on the diameter of the clear zone, the fungus was identified as Aspergillus fumigatus by microbial...

Author(s): Asad Amir, Mohommad Arif and Veena Pande

May 2013

The effect of depth variation on size and catch rate of green tiger shrimp, Penaeus semisulcatus (De Haan, 1884) in Bushehr coastal waters, Northern Persian Gulf

Catch data of Penaeus semisulcatus were collected for three years (2009-2011) during the period of June to August to estimate the effect of depth variation on length frequency and catch rate (Kg h-1) of the species. No difference was observed between the shallow and deeper catch rate (ANOVA test, P > 0.05). However, the size composition of green tiger shrimp were affected by depth variation...

Author(s): Moslem Daliri, Seyed Yousef Paighambari, Mohammad Javad Shabani and Reza Davoodi

May 2013

Evaluation of binder and disintegrant properties of starch derived from Xanthosoma sagittifolium in metronidazole tablets

The aim of the study was to formulate metronidazole tablets using starch fromXanthosoma sagittifolium as binder and disintegrant in metronidazole tablets. Metronidazole tablets were produced by wet granulation method using X. sagittifoliumstarch as binder at concentrations of 5, 10, 15 and 20% w/w, and as disintegrant (5% w/w). The micromeritic properties of the granules were determined using the direct and...

Author(s): Onyishi Ikechukwu V., Chime Salome A. and Ugwu Jonathan C.

May 2013

Altered gene-expression profile in rat plasma and promoted body and brain development by environmental enrichment

Environmental enrichment (EE) refers to the exposure of laboratory animals to physical and social stimulation, which can improve animals’ well-being. The study was aimed to explore how the prenatal EE impacts affect the development, behavior, hormones and gene expression of the offspring. 28 pregnant rats were randomized into an EE group (EEG) housed in cages with EE or a control group (CG) housed in normal cages....

Author(s): Xiangeng Zhang, Hui Zhang, Dezhong Peng, Lin Lin, Jing Gao, Yiqing Yang, Qin Liu, Hongyan Wang, Yujia Mao and Miqu Wang,

May 2013

Use of Aspergillus niger for improving the feeding value of rice offal

Undegraded and degraded rice offals (RO) were used to compound rations for broiler birds for eight weeks. The undegraded was used at 7% inclusion level and the degraded was used at 3, 5 and 7% inclusion levels. A hundred and sixty five (165) day old chicks were randomly selected and allotted to five (5) treatments. Each treatment had three replicates and each replicate had eleven birds. Aspergillus niger was...

Author(s): T. E. Lawal, S. G. Ademola, A. Owoseni, O. E. Atobatele and L. O. Oriye