African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12487

Table of Content: 27 December 2010; 9(53)

December 2010

Establishing inoculum threshold levels for Bean common mosaic virus strain blackeye cowpea mosaic infection in cowpea seed

  Bean common mosaic virus strain blackeye cowpea mosaic (BCMV-BlCM) is an important seed-borne virus infecting cowpea and is transmitted both by seeds and aphids. Infected cowpea seeds can act as primary source of inoculum for disease epidemics. Four field experiments were conducted during 2003 - 2006 to assess the role of different amounts of seed-borne inoculum in the dissemination of BCMV-BlCM...

Author(s): A. C. Udayashankar, S. Chandra Nayaka, H. Bhuvanendra Kumar, C. N. Mortensen, H. Shekar Shetty and H. S. Prakash  

December 2010

Genetic dissimilarities between wild olives by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay

  Olive, being a fruit of subtropical climate and recognized to have significant importance in terms of human health, is being investigated with different aspects. Wild olives are valuable in the sense that they contain the sources of stability and they can be separated by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. In this study, a total of 59 primers were used for the purpose of determining the...

Author(s):   Meltem Sesli and E. Dilsat Yegenoglu  

December 2010

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor derived from cottonseed protein hydrolysate

  Six proteolytic enzymes, including alcalase, flavourzyme, trypsin, neutrase, papain and pepsin, were employed to hydrolyze cottonseed protein to produce the hydrolysates of Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. The result indicated that the cottonseed protein hydrolysate (CPH) produced by papain had the highest ACE inhibitory activity. Therefore, papain was selected for...

Author(s): Dandan Gao, Tong Chang, Haixing Li and Yusheng Cao  

December 2010

Isolation, expression and comparison of a pectate lyase produced by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense race 1 and race 4

  Fusarium wilt is a devastating disease in banana production. For example, cultivar Gros Michel was destroyed by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense race 1 (FOC1) of the pathogen. Cultivar Cavendish is resistant to FOC1, but a newly occurring race 4 (FOC4) was found to be able to infect Cavendish. Studying the fungal pathogenicity is an important step towards the disease control. In this...

Author(s): Zhangyong Dong, Yang Yang, Zhenzhong Wang*, Shiwen Qin, Yanxia Jiang, Liping Xing and Biyan Zhao  

December 2010

Comparison of in vitro regeneration efficiency of leaf explants in response to different cytokinins and assessment of genetic uniformity of regenerated plants of Solanum surattense Burm.f.

  An efficient, genetically stable and rapid regeneration system via multiple shoot formation was developed for an endangered medicinal herb Solanum surattense. Leaves were cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentration of cytokinins; 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (Kn), thiadiazuron (TDZ), zeatin and inorganic phosphate (iP) alone or in combinations. Among five cytokinins used, TDZ...

Author(s):   Sandeep K. Yadav, Sumita Kachhwaha and S. L. Kothari  

December 2010

Effects of photoperiod on energy metabolism and thermogenesis in the Melano-bellied oriental vole (Eothenomys melanogaster)

  Seasonal changes in photoperiod are important environmental factors for small mammals to adjust some physiological processes. In order to further understand the adaptive physiological strategies in Melano-bellied oriental vole (Eothenomys melanogaster) and integrated changes from organism to cell levels, the responses of this species were studied in different photoperiods. Experiment data indicated that...

Author(s): Xiao-Lin Wang, Yi-Xin Bao, Jin-Song Liu, Jia-Ying Shen and Shuang-Qi Wang

December 2010

Spent bleaching clay (SBC) from oil refining as a substrate for the spawn production of shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes)

  While no effective (both in a technical and economic sense) methods exist so far to handle large quantities of untreated spent bleaching clay (SBC) in China, there are indeed great demands for low-cost alternatives for mushroom substrate. Hence, it is in the interest of both edible-oil-refining industries and mushroom producers to explore how partially substituting traditional shiitake substrate by SBC would...

Author(s):   Xiqin Wang, Jianqiang Zhang, Benhong Liu and Dunlian Qiu,  

December 2010

Production of a rhamnolipid-type biosurfactant by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBM10 grown on glycerol

  The work herewith investigated the effect of the culture medium composition on rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBM10, previously isolated from an estuarine environment in Southern Brazil. Experimental design and surface response methodology were used in order to improve biosurfactant production using glycerol, a renewable carbon source. The assays were carried out in a rotary shaker...

Author(s):   Célia Francisca Centeno da Rosa, Mariano Michelon, Janaína Fernandes de Medeiros Burkert, Susana Juliano Kalil and Carlos André Veiga Burkert  

December 2010

Effects of malting conditions on the amino acid compositions of final malt

  Barley has been widely used for the production of malt in the brewing industry.  Malt was the main raw material indispensable for beer brewing. The fermentability of malt wort is dependent on an adequate supply of the essential nutrients required by yeast. The amino acid content is an important malt parameter to the yeast growth and metabolism in malt wort. To increase brewing fermentability and...

Author(s): Cong Nie, , Changlu Wang, Guangtian Zhou, Fangjun Dou and Mengmeng Huang

December 2010

Analysis of combining ability and heredity parameters of glucosinolates in Chinese kale

  The study was carried out with six Chinese kale lines as materials. Complete diallel crossing was designed with 6 × 6 to calculate the combining ability and the main genetic parameters. The results are as follows: The GCA effect of P1, P2 and P5was excellent. They were used as parants to get hybrids, the heterosis of anti-cancer glucosinolates of their hybrid was very high. By analyzing the SCA...

Author(s): Guo-ju Chen, Yu Si, Bi-hao Cao, En-you Feng and Jian-jun Lei  

December 2010

In vitro antisickling activities and phytochemical evaluation of Plumbago zeylanica and Uvaria chamae

  The roots of Plumbago zeylanica (Plumbaginaceae) and Uvaria chamae(Annonaceae) have been used in folklore medicine in the management of sickle-cell disease (SCD) in South-West Nigeria. Using both crude methanol extract and its aqueous fraction, in vitro antisickling activities of these plant parts were evaluated using p-hydroxybenzoic acid and normal saline as positive and negative...

Author(s): Olufunmilayo. E. Adejumo, Adelodun. L. Kolapo, Oladimeji. P. Roleola and Lateef. S. Kasim

December 2010

Size selectivity of commercial (300 MC) and larger square mesh top panel (LSMTPC) trawl codends for blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou Risso, 1826) in the Aegean Sea

  In the present study, size selectivity of a commercial (300 MC) and a larger square mesh top panel (LSMTPC) codend for blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) were tested on a commercial trawl net in the international waters between Turkey and Greece. Trawling, performed during daylight was carried out at depths ranging from 124 to 230 m, and towing speed changed between 2.2 and 2.3 knots for a 13-day sea...

Author(s): Hakan Kaykaç

December 2010

Detection of genetic variation in sample of Iranian proofed Holstein cattle by using microsatellite marker

  This study describes genetic variation among samples of Iranian Holstein cattle (Bos taurus) by using microsatellite markers. Semen samples of individuals were taken followed by DNA extraction. A panel of 13 microsatellites was used for evaluation of 13 loci in 68 Holstein proofed bulls. Mean value for allele per locus detected is 6.615, ranging from 10 (SPS115) to 4 (ETH3). All the microsatellite DNA markers...

Author(s): Mohammad Reza Movahedin, Cyrus Amirinia, Alireza Noshary and S. Ahmad Mirhadi

December 2010

Modeling herbivorous animal digestive system as 3-continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and 1-plug flow reactor (PFR) in series with specific reference to Hippopotamus amphibious

  Herbivores contain microflora in their guts which digest lignocellulosics in their stomachs and intestines by secreting the essential enzymes that perform the function so efficiently that the guts of these animals have been described as the best fermentation tanks known. Hippopotamus amphibious, a herbivorous animal, has three stomach compartments together with small and large intestines which are of...

Author(s):   Awolu, Olugbenga Olufemi, and Layokun, Stephen Kolawole  

December 2010

Kinetic and equilibrium modeling of Cu(II) and Ni(II) sorption onto physically pretreated Rosa centifolia distillation waste biomass

  The removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) from aqueous solution by physically pretreated (boiled, heated and autoclaved) Rosa centifolia distillation waste biomass was conducted in batch conditions. The obtained results revealed that initial metal ion concentration, kinetics, and temperature affected the adsorption capacity of the physically pretreated R. centifolia distillation waste biomass. The...

Author(s):   Raziya Nadeem, Muhammad Asif Hanif, Muhammad Riaz, Abdul Aziz Azhar, Tahira Iqbal and Tariq Mahmood Ansari  

December 2010

Biological activities of a new compound isolated from the aerial parts of Vitex agnus castus L.

  A new compound trivially named vitexcarpan was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Vitex agnus castus. The structure of compound was elucidated with the help of spectroscopic techniques: 13C NMR, 1H NMR, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) and correlation spectroscopy (COSY). The isolated...

Author(s): Bashir Ahmad, Sadiq Azam, Shumaila Bashir, Achyut Adhikari and M. Iqbal Choudhary

December 2010

Chemical composition of chicken meat produced in extensive indoor and free range rearing systems

  The present study involves the analysis of the chemical composition of white meat (breast muscles) and dark meat (leg muscles) of broilers in extensive indoor and free range systems. The length of fattening period was 56 days. At 56 days of age, 6 male and 6 female broilers were randomly selected from each rearing system and slaughtered. Cooled carcasses were dissected into primal cuts. Breast and leg muscle...

Author(s):   Snezana Bogosavljevic-Boskovic, Sreten Mitrovic, Radojica Djokovic, Vladimir Doskovic and Vladan Djermanovic  

December 2010

Population genetic structure of Rufous-Vented Prinia (Prinia burnesii) in Pakistan

  The objective of the study is to ascertain genetic variation within Rufous-vented Prinia, Prinia burnesii an endemic species, by DNA fingerprinting applying randomamplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Genetic material was obtained from three distant sites along western bank of River Indus. These sites include Chashma barrage (32°50’N, 71°20’E), in the north; Taunsa...

Author(s):   Shahbaz Muhammad, Aleem Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Babar, Maria Riaz, Noreen Akhtar,  and Imran Khaliq,  

December 2010

Effects of combination of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and microbial phytase on the serum concentration and digestibility of some minerals in broiler chicks

  This experiment was conducted to evaluate the combined effects of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and microbial phytase (MP) on the serum concentration and digestibility of some minerals in broiler chicks. This experiment was conducted using 360 Ross-308 male broiler chicks in a completely randomized design with a 3×2 factorial arrangement (0, 0.1 and 0.2% EDTA and 0 and 500 FTU MP). Four...

Author(s):   Ebrahimnezhad Y, Ghyasigalekandi J, Farahvash T and Yeganeh A. R.