July 2015

DNA characterization and polymorphism of KISS1 gene in Egyptian small ruminant breeds

Genetic information especially of the Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) which affect different performance traits is considered one of the most effective tools in the breeding programs of livestock. Several genes were reported as candidate genes that effect litter size performance and one of these genes is the KISS1 which is considered as a regulator of puberty onset. The polymorphisms of KISS1 gene have some relationships...

Author(s): Othman E. Othman, Hassan R. Darwish, Ahmed Abou-Eisha, Adel E. El-Din and Mohamed F. Abdel-Samad

July 2015

Genetic analysis of eight x-chromosomal short tandem repeat loci in Iraqi population using the Mentype® Argus X-UL PCR amplification kit

X-Chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) typing can complement existing DNA profiling protocols and can also offer useful information in cases of complex kinship analysis. This is the first population study of 8 X-linked STRs in Iraq. The purpose of this work was to provide a basic data of allele and haplotype frequency for x-linked markers and methods that are commonly used to analyze microsatellites, and the subsequent...

Author(s): Imad Hadi Hameed, Mohammed Abdullah Jebor and Muhanned Abdulhasan Kareem

July 2015

Citrus tristeza virus: An increasing trend in the virus occurrence and distribution in citrus fruits of Northwest, Pakistan

Citrus tristeza clostervirus (CTV) is one of the most damaging fruit viruses playing havoc in citrus orchards around the world. Here, we report, an ELISA-based indexing of citrus trees over a period of eight years (2002 to 2010) in Northwest Pakistan, revealing that the incidence of CTV is increasing mainly with the distribution of infected rootstocks, putting citrus industry at the verge of complete annihilation. The...

Author(s): Muhammad Arif, Waseemullah Khan, Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Fahim

July 2015

Estimation of optimal size of plots for experiments with radiometer in beans

An experimental error can lead to rework and, consequently, to the loss of financial and human resources. One way to reduce this problem is the estimation of the optimum size of experimental plot to carry out the treatments. The objective of this study was to estimate the optimal size of plots for reflectance measurements in beans by the modified maximum curvature method and the maximum distance method. Reflectance...

Author(s): Roger Nabeyama Michels, Marcelo Giovanetti Canteri, Ines Cristina de Batista Fonseca, Marcelo Augusto de Aguiar e Silva and Jose Alexandre de Franca

July 2015

Effect of some phytohormones on growth characteristics of Chlorella sorokiniana IAM-C212 under photoautotrophic conditions

The effects of some phytohormones [indole acetic acid (IAA), indole butyric acid (IBA), gibelleric acid (GA3), and kinetin] on cell dry weight, cell number, cell size, protein and chlorophyll contents of Chlorella sorokiniana IAM-C212 were investigated under photoautotrophic conditions. Treatment with IAA (15 mg/l) and IBA (15 mg/l) resulted in significantly higher dry cell weight and cell number than the control (P...

Author(s): Fabian U. Ozioko, Nneka V. Chiejina and James C. Ogbonna

July 2015

Fatty acid profile and bioactivity from Annona hypoglauca seeds oil

Plants from Annona (Annonaceae) genus are present in tropical regions, where they have economic and medicinal potential. Information on the fatty acids profile and bioactivity from seed oil of Annona species are incipient. The objective of this work was to investigate Annona hypoglauca seeds oil in terms of its yield, composition and biological activity (acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition, bactericidal and...

Author(s): Ricardo Carvalho dos Santos, Antonio Alves de Melo Filho,, Edvan Alves Chagas, Jacqueline Aparecida Takahashi, Vany Perpetua Ferraz, Ane Karina Porto Costa, Ana Cristina Gonçalves Reis de Melo, Ismael Fernández Montero and Pedro Romulo Estevam Ribeiro

July 2015

Simulated inhibitory effects of typical byproducts of biomass pretreatment process on the viability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and bioethanol production yield

The abundance of second generation feedstock reinforces the consideration of biofuel over fossil fuel, as bioethanol can be produced from lignocellulosic materials. However, the pretreatment required for oxidation of lignocellulose into hexose often results in the production of inhibitors likely to impede the activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during bioethanol production. This study aimed to investigate the...

Author(s): Elvis Fosso-Kankeu, Sanette Marx and Anton Meyer

July 2015

Assessment of the safety of aqueous extract of Aloe vera on haematology of Wistar rats

Aloe vera is used both traditionally and packaged commercially in many regions of the world for several medicinal and or cosmetic purposes. It is claimed to have rejuvenating, moisturizing, healing or soothing properties on the skin and gastrointestinal tract. This study focused on assessment of the safety of A. vera on blood parameters: packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration,...

Author(s): Bukola Ekanade, Olayinka Ayotunde Oridupa and Matthew Olugbenga Oyeyemi

July 2015

Biological, histological and ultra-structural studies of female mullet, Mugil cephalus, ovaries collected from different habitats during annual reproductive cycle

This study investigates some biological characters (oocyte diameter, fecundity, histological and ultra structural features) of female Mugil cephalus ovaries collected from three different natural habitats: marine (MW), brackish (BW) and fresh (FW) water. Monthly gonadosomatic index (GSI) values clearly showed that the time period of reproductive activity in female M. cephalus from marine and brackish water habitats was...

Author(s): Samira S. Assem, Soliman H. Abdel Rahman, Mohamed Abdel G. Al Absawey and Mona M. Mourad