June 2014
Microbes as interesting source of novel insecticides: A review
Microbes are ubiquitous, survive in all sorts of environments and have a profound influence on the earth. In the present day plant protection scenario, development of resistance to chemical pesticides is the major hurdle in insect pest management. In recent years, several microbes with potential insecticidal properties have come to light. Viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa that are known to produce an array of...
June 2014
Approaches to bioremediation of fossil fuel contaminated soil: An overview
A reliance on fossil fuels as a source of energy has resulted in the generation of pollutants which have entered the environment. Health of humans, animals, plants and microorganisms has been compromised due to activities linked to fossil fuel extraction, processing and use. Coal conversion to value added products has been investigated in an effort to reduce the cumulative effects of waste generated during mining. Clean...
June 2014
Molecular marker screening of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) germplasm for Meloidogyne arenaria resistance
Meloidogyne arenaria (Neal) Chitwood race 1, along with visual evaluation following root staining were used to screen four breeding populations and three lines of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in a root-knot nematode infested field. COAN and Florunner peanut cultivars were used as resistant and susceptible controls, respectively. Genomic DNA was isolated from young leaves of plants during the growing season, and Southern...
June 2014
Genetic divergence of roundup ready (RR) soybean cultivars estimated by phenotypic characteristics and molecular markers
The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic diversity in 74 RR soybean cultivars from different Brazilian breeding programs. Analyzes were based on multivariate statistical techniques from phenotypic characteristics and microsatellite molecular markers (SSR). Ten agronomic traits were used in the analysis of the Euclidean distance, Tocher’s clustering, UPGMA clustering and principal component analysis....
June 2014
Chemical analyses, antibacterial activity and genetic diversity assessment of some Egyptian Citrus spp. cultivars
Citrus species are among the most important fruit trees in the world and are considered as a major export product of Egypt. Forty-eight Citrus L. accessions representing six citrus groups (orange, mandarin, lemon, sour orange, grape fruit and pummelo) were collected. Chemical proprieties including pH, total acidity, total soluble solids and ascorbic acid of different fruit juices were determined. Eight accessions...
June 2014
In vitro development and regeneration of microcorms in saffron (Crocus sativus L)
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) being triploid in nature is propagated by vegetative means through corms. The natural propagation rate of such plant species is relatively low; therefore an in vitro multiplication technique like micropropagation has been used as an alternative method of propagation for saffron. In the present investigation, apical bud explants were cultured on different nutrient media supplemented with...
June 2014
Larvicidal efficacy of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) leaf and seed aqueous extracts against Culex pipiens L.
Culex mosquitoes play a vital role in transmitting pathogens which continue to have a harmful impact on human beings. Indeed, Innovative vector control strategy like use of plant extracts as alternative sources of insecticidal and larvicidal agents against vector-borne diseases has become unavoidable. In this context, the purpose of the present search was to explore the larvicidal properties of Jatropha curcas L. leaf...
June 2014
Genetic analysis of antibiotic production and other phenotypic traits from Streptomyces associated with seaweeds
The Gram-positive bacterium such as streptomycetes known for its production of a diverse array of biotechnologically important secondary metabolites, have major application in health, nutrition and economics of our society. There are limited studies on the genetics of streptomycetes, especially seaweed associated Streptomyces sp. So, the present study made an attempt to study the genetics of production of antibiotic and...
June 2014
Effects of wall materials and lyophilization on the viability of Weissella confusa
The effects of wall materials and encapsulation by lyophilization on the viability of Weissella confusa were evaluated. Aloe vera gel, sodium casein at 5 and 15% p/v, sodium alginate at 2% p/v, buffer phosphate, and a mixture (Aloe vera gel, sodium casein, and sodium alginate) as wall materials, were used. Bacteria without encapsulation (W. confusa) as control were used. Encapsulated bacteria were freeze dried for 48 h,...
June 2014
Pigment production from a mangrove Penicillium
A mangrove Penicillium producing red pigment was cultured in an optimized medium that was designed by the authors previously and used in this study. The purpose of this study was to identify the pigment and also to study the effect of bio elements on pigment production. Pigment from the medium was efficiently extracted using chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. Most of the red pigment was extracted into ethyl...
June 2014
Total aflatoxin, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol contamination of busaa in Bomet county, Kenya
Mycotoxin contamination is a common problem in developing countries, particularly in cereals, and this poses a serious health risk to its consumers. Busaa is a Kenyan traditional brew whose cereal ingredients are prone to mycotoxin contamination. This study aimed at detecting the presence and subsequently quantifying aflatoxin, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol (DON), in busaa in Bomet county, Kenya. Busaa samples were...
June 2014
Hepatoprotective effects of Allium cepa (onion) extracts against paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats
Liver damage due to paracetamol hepatotoxicity is a major health challenge worldwide. It is against this background that this study was designed to determine the hepatoprotective effects of the increasing dosage of Allium cepa methanolic extracts on paracetamol induced hepatotoxic rats. Fifty-four (54) adult male albino rats comprising of nine normal and 45 paracetamol hepatotoxic rats were used for this study. The...
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