December 2011
Biological remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the environment by microorganisms and plants
The environment is suffering severe contamination as a result of various uncontrolled activities of man and chemicals in the biosphere. This widespread contamination of air, soil and water by metals, chemicals and metalloids causes environmental concerns, which if left unchecked will be detrimental to man and other organisms. Biological methods for the cleaning of the environment especially our soil have been...
December 2011
Dynamics of environmental gradients on plant functional groups composition on the northern slope of the Fu-Niu Mountain Nature Reserve
The dominant and companion species in plant functional groups composition may reflect associations among plant functional groups and species replacement along environmental (elevation) gradients on the northern slope of the Fu-Niu Mountain Nature Reserve. Using community ecology techniques, these researchers examined the influences of elevation on plant functional group (PFG) dynamics and...
December 2011
Karyotype analysis of three Solanum plants using combined PI-DAPI staining and double fluorescence in situ hybridization with 45S and 5S rDNA probes
In this study, mitotic metaphase chromosomes of Solanum surattense Burm.,Solanum lyratum Thunb. and Solanum photeinocarpum Nakam. were well prepared using an advanced chromosome preparation method. The chromosomes were distinguished by combined PI-DAPI (CPD) staining and double fluorescence in situhybridization (FISH) with 45S and 5S rDNA probes and their molecular...
December 2011
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based molecular characterization of popular wheat varieties of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KPK) region of Pakistan
Wheat breeders in Pakistan relied upon phenotypic traits as indices of genetic variation among different wheat varieties which may genotypically be closely related or vice versa. The main objective of the current study was to determine the genetic diversity among different popular wheat cultivars grown in the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KPK) region of Pakistan, which was previously not fully understood. 13 wheat...
December 2011
Identification of zygotic and nucellar seedlings in citrus interspecific crosses by inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers
Interspecific sexual hybridizations were conducted between Yashar [(Citruschangsha) × (C. paradisi × C. reticulata)] as maternal parent and five different genotypes as parental including Page [(C. clementina) × (C. paradisi × C. reticulata)], Changsha (C. changsha), Ponkan (C. reticulata), Marrs (C. sinensis) and Hamlin (C. sinensis) in an effort to...
December 2011
Methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) reveals that alkali stress triggers more DNA hypomethylation levels in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) roots than salt stress
Cytosine-5 hypomethylation or hypermethylation have been shown to regulate plant development and abiotic stress-responsive genes expression. However, some combinatory stresses in plants like saline and alkaline could have varied responses that could contribute to their adaptive evolution trends. We evaluated root and leaf DNA methylation patterns of cotton in salt (S, 9:1 molar ratio of NaCl to Na2SO4, pH...
December 2011
Genetic diversity and relationships detected by inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis among Polygonum species growing in North of Iran
The phylogenic relationship within four species of Polygonum (including Polygonum hyrcanicum Rech. f. (three samples), Polygonum persicaria Boiss & Bushe Boiss, Polygonum avicular L., and Polygonum hydropiper L. subsp. Hydropiper) was investigated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. All the...
December 2011
Direct organogenesis of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. from cotyledon explants
December 2011
Proteomic analysis of cold stress responses in tobacco seedlings
Cold stress is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting the productivity and the geographical distribution of many important crops. To gain a better understanding of cold stress responses in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), we carried out a comparative proteomic analysis. Five-week-old tobacco seedlings were treated at 4°C for 4 h. Cold treatment resulted in stress phenotypes of smoothing and shallowing...
December 2011
Embryo rescue of crosses between diploid and tetraploid grape cultivars and production of triploid plants
Five cross combinations Jumeigui×Xinghua No.1, 87-1×Kyoho, Kyoho×Muscat Hamburg, Jumeigui× Hongqitezao and Red globle×Kyoho were used as the testing materials. Factors that affect embryo rescue from crossed seeds between diploid and tetraploid grape were studied applying L25(55) orthogonal experiment design. The effect of inoculation time, medium type and phytohormone...
December 2011
Physiological and biochemical responses to low temperature stress in hybrid clones of Populus ussuriensis Kom. × P. deltoides Bartr
Cuttings of three hybrid clones of P. ussuriensis × P. deltoides were exposed to different low temperatures (cold and freezing) for 24 h, or consecutive low temperatures (5°C, 0 to 120 h), to determine physiological and biochemical responses to cold stress in these woody plants. Soluble sugar and protein contents increased in the three clones under cold (10, 5°C)...
December 2011
Improving maize productivity through tillage and nitrogen management
Continuous cultivation of fields with same implement (cultivator) creates a hard pan in the subsoil which adversely affects crop productivity. In addition to tillage, nitrogen management is a key factor for better crop growth and yield. Impact of different tillage systems and nitrogen management on yield attributes and grain yield of hybrid maize was evaluated by conducting experiments at the Agronomic...
December 2011
Cloning and characterization of ATP synthase CF1 α gene from sweet potato
ATP synthase CF1 α subunit protein is a key enzyme for energy metabolism in plant kingdom, and plays an important role in multiple cell processes. In this study, the complete atpA gene (accession no. JN247444) was cloned from sweet potato(Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This atpA gene contains an open...
December 2011
Effect of metabolic enzyme on organic acids in developing ‘Dangshansuli’ pear leaf
Changes in the content of citric and malic acids and the activities of enzymes involved in the metabolism of these two organic acids, including citrate synthase (CS), cytoplast aconitase (Cyt-ACO), NAD-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), NAD-malate dehydrogenase (NAD-MDH) and NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), were examined during the process of leaf development in...
December 2011
Analysis of Rhizoctonia solani isolates associated with sugar beet crown and root rot from Serbia
Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most important sugar beet pathogens worldwide with anastomosis groups (AGs) 2-2 and 4 as the most pathogenic strains on sugar beet. AG 2-2 (intraspecific groups IIIB and IV) can cause both root and crown rot and damping-off, while AG-4 is typically associated only with seedlings damping-off. A total of 20 isolates of Rhizoctonia spp. from sugar beet roots,...
December 2011
Effect of plant growth regulators on in vitro germination of coffee zygotic embryos
Coffee propagation is performed by seeding. However, germination in coffee seed is slow and uneven. Indeed, the production of plants in field is affected by environmental factors, which retards the germination rates and, in consequence, the number of plants obtained. Plant tissue culture provides the possibility of applying different growing conditions, such as different types of media and using...
December 2011
Sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers-based rapid molecular typing and identification of Cunninghamia lanceolata
Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) is the main timber and afforestation tree species in South China. C. lanceolata clones, with similar morphological characteristics, make their exact identification very difficult. A simple and effective method is required to distinguish these clones in the clonal selection and breeding of C. lanceolata. However, C. lanceolata clones...
December 2011
An Ethnobotanical Survey on Fuel Wood and Timber plant Species of Kaghan Valley, Khyber pakhtoonkhwa Province, Pakistan
A survey was conducted to explore the fuel wood species and timber producing species of Kaghan valleys, Pakistan. Consumption pattern and impact on the forest resources were also taken into consideration. A questionnaire was used as a survey instrument to obtain desired data. For this study, 10 villages were randomly selected. In each village, 10 persons that were randomly selected were interviewed. Only one person was...
December 2011
Effect of osmopriming on antioxidant activity of Bersim clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.)
In this study, the adequacy of β-galactosidase (β-gal) as marker for models that requires durable and high level gene expression in the absence of selective pressure was investigated. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were transfected with expression vector pcDNA4/HisMax-TOPO/lacZ containing lacZ and zeocin resistant genes. 26 recombinant CHO cell lines were established using lipid cationic...
December 2011
Embryogenic competence of calli and embryos regeneration from various explants of Dahbia cv, a Moroccan olive tree (Olea europaea L.)
The olive (Olea europaea L.) is an economically important species in the Mediterranean basin. Studies on the improvement of the olive using biotechnological techniques as somatic embryogenesis were always hampered by the recalcitrant aspect of its explants to regeneration in vitro. Thus, we carried out this investigation in order to test the embryogenic capacity of different types of explants of the Moroccan...
December 2011
Morphological and pomological characteristics of fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars from Varamin, Iran
In this study, physical characteristics and quality parameters of some local cultivars of fig (Ficus carica L.) grown in Varamin, Iran were determined. The main cultivars grown in Varamin were Bidaneh, Paizeh, Zard, Siah bolol riz, Siah zoodras, Siah diras, Morabaii, Hallavi riz and Hallavi dourosht. In the pomological characteristics, fresh fruit weight ranged from 8.0 to 43.5 g. Fruit diameter ranged from...
December 2011
Seed oil content and fatty acid composition of annual halophyte Suaeda acuminata: A comparative study on dimorphic seeds
Suaeda acuminata produces two morphologically distinct types of seeds on the same plant. This study was conducted to compare oil content and fatty acid composition of the two seed morphs. Though oil characteristics between dimorphic seeds showed statistically significant difference, these differences were relatively small. The seed oil content of this species ranged from 14.3 to 15.5% by...
December 2011
Use of anthocyanin extracted from natural plant materials to develop a pH test kit for measuring effluent from animal farms
The aim of this work was to study the optimal conditions for anthocyanin extraction from natural plant materials in order to develop a pH test kit. The plant materials used were butterfly pea flower (BPF), roselle red flower (RRF) and dragon fruit peel (DFP). The solvents used in this study were distilled water, 1% HCl/95% ethanol (HE), 0.1 N acetic acid, 0.5% vinegar and 20% white liquor. A plant material-to-solvent...
December 2011
Vegetation characteristics and water purification by artificial floating island
Wetland restoration is commonly presented as an important strategy for maintaining and enhancing water quality and ecosystem capital. Artificial floating island (AFI) withsoftstem bulrush (Scirpus validus Vahl), spiked loosestrlfe (Lythrum salicaria Linn.), yellow-flowered iris (Iris wilsonii) and dwarf cattail (Typha minima) were monitored on an experimental scale from June to July 2011....
December 2011
Some engineering properties of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Some engineering (physical and mechanical) properties of white kidney bean grains (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were determined as a function of moisture content in the range of 10.01 to 25.00% dry basis (d.b.). The average length, width and thickness were 8.638, 16.747 and 4.958 mm, at a moisture content of 10.01% d.b., respectively. Nonetheless, the thousand grain mass increased...
December 2011
Enzymatic production of high fructose syrup from Agave tequilana fructans and its physicochemical characterization
The conditions for producing high fructose syrup from the fructans contained in the head of the Agave tequilana Weber var. blue were determined and their physicochemical properties were compared with those of commercial corn syrup (Frudex-55®). Both syrups behave as Newtonian fluids and showed no significant differences (p < 0.05) in density, moisture, water activity, total solids,...
December 2011
Optimization of extraction parameters for trehalose from beer waste brewing yeast treated by high-intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF)
High-intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) was applied to treat beer waste brewing yeasts (BWBY) to improve the permeability of yeast cell membrane in order to extract trehalose. Several independent variables such as pH (3 to 7), electric field strength (0 to 50 kV/cm), pulse numbers (0 to 10) and liquid-solid ratio (20: 1 to 60: 1) were investigated. The optimal parameters were obtained by one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT)...
December 2011
Characterization and stability of d-amino acid oxidase and catalase within the permeabilized recombinant Pichia pastoris cells
An effort was devoted to the detailed characterization and stability analysis of d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) and catalase (CAT) in the permeabilized cells, involved in a summary of our previous works. It was observed that the culture conditions, the permeabilization treatments, the enzyme leakage and pH value of solution except the enzyme expression levels, displayed a significant effect on the enzyme...
December 2011
Induction of callogenesis in Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker-Gawl, a little known medicinal plant
The present study was undertaken to explore the potentiality of in vitromicropropagation (by callus induction) of Ipomoea obscura (Convolvulaceae), a perennial herb. This medicinal plant grows widely throughout Indian subcontinent. Axenically grown cotyledonary leaves regenerated into profuse calli, in various combinations of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid...
December 2011
Antitumor activity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi total flavonoids on mice bearing U14 cervical carcinoma
Some studies have shown that Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi total flavonoids (STF) could inhibit the growth of carcinoma cells. However, the effect and mechanism of STF on cervical cancer in vivo was not studied in detail presently; so, our study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of STF on cervical cancer. The mice models bearing U14 cervical cancer were established in...
December 2011
Antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid content of Astragalus squarrosus Bunge.
The antioxidant capacity of the flowering aerial parts of Astragalus squarrosus was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric thiocyanate methods. The phenolic and flavonoid content was also measured. A. squarrosus showed weak free radical scavenging activity with the DPPH method which might be due to its low phenolic constituents (23.3 mg/g) and flavonoid...
December 2011
Length-weight relationships, condition factors and relative weight of five fish species of Bushehr waters, Northern Persian Gulf
The aim of this study was to record the length-weight relationship parameters and condition factors for some commercially important fish of Bushehr coastal waters of Persian Gulf. The length-weight relationships were calculated for five species caught during fishing surveys using different types of fishing gears (trawls, pots and gill net with different mesh size) during April 2008 to December 2010....
December 2011
Long-term stability of β-galactosidase protein expression in the absence of selective growth conditions in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cell
In this study, the adequacy of β-galactosidase (β-gal) as marker for models that requires durable and high level gene expression in the absence of selective pressure was investigated. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were transfected with expression vector pcDNA4/HisMax-TOPO/lacZ containing lacZ and zeocin resistant genes. 26 recombinant CHO cell lines were established using lipid cationic...
December 2011
Determination of antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities and luteolin contents of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat extracts
Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities as well as luteolin contents were analysed in extracts of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat (CM), which is a traditional medicinal plant and an important oriental herbal medicine for the treatment of eye diseases in China and Japan. In this study, the results show that the maximum solvent extract yield (35.5%) and luteolin concentration...
December 2011
Detection and partial identification of proteins in pearls formed in Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea)
Pearl and nacre (mother of pearl) have similar chemical compositions. However, more than 20 proteins have been identified in nacre, yet none have been detected in pearl thus far. This study aimed to detect and identify protein in pearl. Two batches of pearls formed in Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea) were purchased from two pearl farms. They were ground into a powder of >10,000 mesh followed by ultra-sonication and...
December 2011
Levels of inflammatory markers (complement C3, Complement C4 and C-reactive protein) in smokers
The study aimed to discover the relative significance of selected inflammatory markers in smokers. Serum levels of complement C3, C4 and C-reactive protein were determined in 24 male smokers (18 to 73 years). A group of 24 healthy non-smokers was taken as control. C3 and C4 were measured by using radial immunodiffusion technique and CRP was determined by latex agglutination technique. The statistical analysis was...
December 2011
Analysis of genetic divergence for classification and evaluation of 37 productive performances in 54 oval cocoon strains of Iran silkworm germplasm
The purpose of this experiment was to analyse the genetic divergence for theclassification and evaluation of 37 productive performances in all 54 oval cocoon strains of Iran silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) germplasm. The newly hatched larvae of all strains were reared for experiment under same standard conditions. Studied strains are ranked based on the average of...
December 2011
Application of probiotic on egg production and egg quality of chukar partridge
A total of 304 mixed sex chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) chicks were reared in an environmentally controlled cages, which were divided into two groups, control (not supplemented) and probiotic (PrimaLac® supplemented) treatments with four replicates per treatment. The birds were fed PrimaLac® at the rate of 1.0 and 0.5 g/kg of feed from 1 to 3 and 4 to 40 weeks of age, respectively. At 32 weeks of...
December 2011
The effects of Nigella sativa powder (black seed) and Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extract on performance, some blood biochemical and hematological parameters in broiler chickens
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Nigella sativa (NS) powder and Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extract (EP) on performance and some bloodbiochemical and haematological parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 144, one day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were divided into three treatment groups, with four replicates per treatment and 12 chicks per replicate. Chicks in...
December 2011
Combustion properties of wood impregnated with commercial fertilizers
The objective of this study was to determine some combustion properties of Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) wood specimens impregnated with aqueous solutions of commercial fertilizers. Ammonium sulphate (AS) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) were used as commercial fertilizers. Diammonium phosphate andammonium...
Advertisement
Advertisement
