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: 3 April 2013; 12(14)

April 2013

Polyamines, peroxidase and proteins involved in the senescence process

  Senescence is the natural aging process at the cellular level or range of phenomena associated with this process. The objective of this review was to show the involvement of substances that may be related to senescence in plants, such as polyamines, peroxidase and proteins. These substances were related with the terminal stages of development of various plant organs (leaves, flowers,...

Author(s): Marcos Ribeiro da Silva Vieira Fernando Jose Freire⊃, Damiana Cleuma de Medeiros Fabiana Bezerra Moura, Thialla Laranjeira Amorim and Adriano Nascimento dos Simões

April 2013

General enumeration of RNA secondary structures based on new arc representation

  We have presented a new arc representation, which differentiates the Watson-Crick base pairs between AU and GC. Based on the new representation, this paper also computes the number of various types of constrained secondary structures taking the minimum stack length 1 and minimum size for each bonding loop as two parameters by virtue of the technique of generating function....

Author(s):   Wenwen Wang, Xiao Liu and Rui Liu      

April 2013

Physiological responses of donkeys (Equus asinus, Perissodactyla) to work stress and potential ameliorative role of ascorbic acid

  The review examines donkey as a draught animal, used mainly for carrying load from one place to another in Africa. Although, motorized transport has been thriving rapidly in the twentieth century, the use of donkeys for transport has not experienced a proportionate decline. Donkeys are often overused, neglected and exposed to various stressors, which eventually lead to their poor performance. This review also...

Author(s):   AYO, J. O., OLAIFA, F. H. and AKE, A. S.      

April 2013

Molecular marker analysis to differentiate a clonal selection of Centennial Seedless grapevine

  Microsatellite and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to differentiate Manjari Naveen, a clonal selection of Centennial Seedless variety of grape. Twenty one (21) microsatellite primers could not detect variation between parent variety and its clone. AFLP analysis with 40 primer combinations generated 1093 markers. Three AFLP markers were polymorphic; two markers were present only...

Author(s):   Manisha P. Shinde, Anuradha Upadhyay, Lalitkumar B. Aher and G. S. Karibasappa      

April 2013

DNA fingerprinting of spore-forming bacterial isolates, using Bacillus cereus repetitive polymerase chain reaction analysis (Bc-Rep-PCR)

  Bc-repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (Bc-Rep PCR) analysis was conducted on seven Bacillus thuringiensis isolates accessed from the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen (DSMZ) culture collection and on five local isolates of entomopathogenic spore-forming bacteria. The five isolates were three strains of B. thuringiensis, one strain of B....

Author(s):   N. Du Rand and M. D. Laing      

April 2013

Analysis of growth, yield potential and horticultural performance of conventional vs. micropropagated plants of Curcuma longa var. Lakadong

  Complete randomized block design was applied to evaluate and compare the growth, yield and field performance of in vitro derived turmeric plants with conventional rhizome under field condition. In vitro propagated plants manifest consistently superior horticultural performance over the conventional rhizome. Among the different lines ofin vitro propagated plants, plantlets treated with...

Author(s):   Th Dikash Singh, Ch Henary Singh, Kh Nongalleima, Sila Moirangthem and H. Sunitibala Devi    

April 2013

Assessment of possible hybridization between Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and other Malvaceae species (Abelmoschus spp. and Hibiscus spp.) cultivated in Burkina Faso

  The cultivation of transgenic cotton in Burkina Faso should consider the possible hybridizations with cultivated cotton relatives like okra (Abelmoschus spp.) and roselle (Hibiscus spp.), when these crops are often sympatric and co-flowering. The possibility for Bt cotton and these crops to outcross was investigated in Farako-Bâ research centre, in the south sudanian zone. The study was...

Author(s):   BOURGOU Larbouga, SANFO Denys, TIEMTORE C. Bernard, TRAORE Oula, SANOU Jacob and TRAORE Karim      

April 2013

The effects of silicon level in nutrient solution on the uptake and distribution of silicon in zucchini and zinnia, and its interaction with the uptake of selected elements

  The beneficial role of silicon (Si) in the growth of some plants is linked to its uptake and accumulation inside their tissue. However, the optimum level of Si in the nutrient solution that can provide maximum benefits and its interaction with other elements is less understood. A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different levels of soluble Si in nutrient solutions on the uptake and distribution...

Author(s):   H. B. Tesfagiorgis and M. D. Laing      

April 2013

Occurrences of pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Vellar estuary and shrimp ponds

  Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the predominant seafood pathogen associated with human gastroenteritis. Samples were collected from Vellar estuary, shrimp ponds and shrimp for characterization of V. parahaemolyticus. A total of 26 blue green centre (BG) Vibriostrains were isolated and characterized through biochemical tests, toxR gene and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on pathogenic...

Author(s):   K. M. Alagappan, B. Deivasigamani and S. Balamurugan      

April 2013

Spatio-seasonal physico-chemistry of Aiba stream, Iwo, Nigeria

  Seasonal variation of some physico-chemical parameters of Aiba stream at four locations was assessed in this study. Over the years, the stream has been subjected to various human interferences and water quality was getting deteriorated gradually. Major anthropogenic activities practiced in and around the river are as follows: irrigation activities, car wash, artificial pond, washing cloths...

Author(s):   Ebenezer Oluwatosin Atobatele and Godwin Oladele Olutona 

April 2013

Isolation of four hydrocarbon effluent-degrading Bacillaceae species and evaluation of their ability to grow under high-temperature or high-salinity conditions

  Four bacterial strains belonging to the family Bacillaceae were isolated from a polluted site and tested for their efficiency in degrading a refinery effluent highly polluted with hydrocarbons. Among 13 strains isolated, four were selected for their efficiency. Each of these four strains demonstrated a strong ability to grow as a single strain on a hydrocarbon effluent (HCE) as sole carbon source....

Author(s):   Saïd Ben Hamed, Abderrazak Maaroufi, Abdeljelil Ghram, Ben Ali Gam Zouhaier and Marc Labat      

April 2013

Biodeterioration of binding media in tempera paintings by Streptomyces isolated from some ancient Egyptian paintings

  Eight out of 46 Streptomyces isolates representing highest deterioration symptoms of disfiguration and scaling were isolated from mural paintings within tombs at Tell Basta and Tanis, Lower Egypt. These isolates were identified using traditional and 16S rDNA sequencing methods as Streptomyces albidofuscus, Streptomyces...

Author(s):   Akmal A. Sakr, M. F. Ghaly, M. F. Ali and M. E. F. Abdel-Haliem      

April 2013

Taxonomy of Streptomyces strains isolated from rhizospheres of various plant species grown in Taif region, KSA, having antagonistic activities against some microbial tissue culture contaminants

  This work was designed to identify and taxonomically classify Streptomyces strains isolated from the rhizospheres of various plant species; banana, rose, pomegranate and grape plants, having antagonistic activity against some microbial (bacteria and fungi) tissue culture contaminants. Streptomyces strains with the most potent antagonistic traits were identified using sequencing of 16S rRNA...

Author(s):   Mohamed S.H. , El-Helafiy Seham S.D., Ismail Mona A. and Sadik A.S.,      

April 2013

Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial studies on the methanolic bulb extract of Allium sativum L.

  Methanolic extract of the bulb of Allium sativum was screened for phytochemical and antimicrobial properties. The crude extract of A. sativum bulb showed positive results for carbohydrates, glycosides and proteins in high concentrations; alkaloids, saponins, reducing sugars, oils and steroids in medium concentrations, while flavonoids and acidic compounds were present in low amounts....

Author(s):   Ameh, G. I., Eze, S. C. and Omeje, F. U.      

April 2013

Keratinolytic activity exhibited in an indigenous non-dermatophytic fungus strain Cochliobolus lunatus isolated from Khairpur Sindh Pakistan

  Keratins are the widely distributed fibrous proteins of our environment. Keratinase are proteolytic enzymes responsible for hydrolyzing insoluble keratin largely produced by microorganisms including fungi. The isolation, identification and characterization of a non-dermatophytic keratinolytic fungal strain of Cochliobolus lunatus from the soils of Khairpur Sindh Pakistan were reported. The...

Author(s):   Yasmeen Faiz Kazi, Pardeep Kumar and Irshad Hussain Soomro      

April 2013

Inhibition of cholinesterases by phenolic acids detected in beer: A dose-response model approach

  This study tested the in vitro anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and anti-butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities of simple phenolic acids using Ellman’s spectrophotometric method. 15 phenolic acids (at levels found in beer) exerted differentiated anticholinesterase activities, with the most efficient being chlorogenic, p-coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic and caffeic acids. When present at levels...

Author(s):   D. Szwajgier    

April 2013

Insecticidal properties of materials used by resource-limited farmers to control fleas in free-range chickens in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  Fleas are obligate blood feeders that infest free-range chickens, thereby impeding their productivity. Commercial insecticides used in controlling fleas are expensive and inaccessible, hence making farmers to resort to low cost and easily available alternatives. The study was conducted to assess the insecticidal properties of ethno-veterinary medicine used in controlling fleas in free-range chickens in the...

Author(s):   S. Moyo and P. J. Masika      

April 2013

Evaluation of growth performance and nutritional quality of diets using digestive enzyme markers and in vitro digestibility in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens Regan, 1910)

  Digestive enzymes and their effects on in vitro digestibility of feeds and feedstuffs, as well as on growth performance quality were studied in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens Regan, 1910). The specific activities of total protease, amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin increased during development and were higher in females than in males at maturation (P < 0.05). The activity ratio of...

Author(s):   Karun Thongprajukaew,, Uthaiwan Kovitvadhi, Satit Kovitvadhi, Arunee Engkagul, and Krisna Rungruangsak-Torrissen,    

April 2013

Screening and identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from sorghum silage processes in west Algeria

  The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor. L.) silage were identified during different periods of evolution of sorghum silage in west Algeria. Morphological, physiological, biochemical and technological techniques were used to characterize lactic acid bacteria isolates. A total number of 27 representatives of lactic acid bacterial strains were retained and among them...

Author(s):   Chahrour W., Merzouk Y., Henni J. E., Haddaji M. and Kihal M.      

April 2013

In situ rumen degradability characteristics of rice straw, soybean curd residue and peppermint (Mentha piperita) in Hanwoo steer (Bos Taurus coreanae)

  This study was intended to evaluate in situ rumen degradability characteristic of soybean curd residue (SCR) and peppermint compared to rice straw, which are used as a functional feed source for beef cattle for high quality beef production. Two steerswere fitted with rumen and duodenum cannulae and in situ degradable and nylon bagswere used to...

Author(s):   Byong Tae Jeon#, KyoungHoon Kim#, Sung Jin Kim, Na Yeon Kim, Jae Hyun Park, Dong Hyun Kim, Mi Rae Oh and Sang Ho Moon      

April 2013

Efficacy of materials used by resource limited farmers in ethno-veterinary control of fleas in free-range chickens in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  Fleas are commonly controlled using commercial insecticides which are however expensive and inaccessible to resource-limited farmers. This has resulted in farmers resorting to the use of alternative remedies that are cheap and socially acceptable. However, information on the efficacy of these materials on fleas is lacking. The objectives of this study were to determine potential dermal irritation and efficacy...

Author(s):   S. Moyo⊃ and P. J. Masika