African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12481

Table of Content: 6 July 2011; 10(33)

July 2011

Pharyngitis and sore throat: A review

  Pharyngitis is a sore throat caused by inflammation of the back of the throat. It is one of the most common reasons for visits to family physicians. Throat may be scratchy and swallowing can be painful. Usually, a sore throat is the sign of another illness, such as a cold or the flu. In this review article, epidemiology, national perspective, regional perspective, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis,...

Author(s):   Aamir Somro, Muhammad Akram, M. Ibrahim khan, H. M. Asif, Abdul Sami, S. M. Ali Shah, Ghazala Shahen, Khalil Ahmed and Riaz Ur Rehman

July 2011

Multiple-trait genetic evaluation using genomic matrix

  Accuracy of the multiple-trait genetic evaluation based on genomic matrix obtained from allelic relationships was estimated through computer simulation and was compared with the accuracy of traditional Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP). Firstly, a base population (Ne = 100) was simulated and for each animal in the base population, three chromosomes were created. On each chromosome, 200 markers and...

Author(s):   Mahboubeh Rostami-Angasi and Ahmad Sodagar-Amiri

July 2011

Isolation and screening of alkaline protease producing bacteria and physio-chemical characterization of the enzyme

  Soil samples from different habitats including tanneries, soap industries, garden soil and soil compost were screened for the presence of alkalophilic Bacillus isolates capable of producing alkaline protease in large quantities. One hundred and eighteen (118) isolates were found having proteolytic activity on skim milk agar plates. Isolates forming larger zones, as a result of casein...

Author(s):   Mohsin Ahmad Khan, Nadeem Ahmad, Ahmad Usman Zafar, Idrees Ahmad Nasir and Muhammad Abdul Qadir

July 2011

Developing markers for Sigatoka leaf spot disease (Mycosphaerella musicola Leach) resistance in banana (Musa spp.)

  Sigatoka leaf spot (Mycosphaerella musicola Leach) disease is a limiting factor in banana production in India and other places. Breeding for resistance is the most effective method to control Musa diseases. However, Musa improvement using conventional methods has been hampered due to lack of genetic variability, resulting to biotechnological approaches. In this regard, marker-assisted...

Author(s):   Nwauzoma, Akagbuo Barth, Uma, S., Saraswathi, M. S. and Mustaffa, M

July 2011

Effect of different light quality on DNA methylation variation for brown cotton (Gossypium hirstum)

  DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating gene expression during plant development. We studied the effects of different light quality on DNA methylation patterns of brown cotton (Gossypium hirstum) by using the methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP). We selected 66 pairs of MSAP selective amplification primers to assess the status of cytosine methylation, with diverse patterns...

Author(s):   Tingchun Li,#, Honghong Fan#, Zhengpeng Li, Jun Wei, Yongping Cai and Yi Lin

July 2011

Effects of deficit irrigation on yield and yield components of vegetable soybean [Glycine max L. (Merr.)] in semi-arid conditions

  Vegetable soybeans [Glycine max L (Merr.)] are very sensitive crops to environmental conditions during their growth stages, especially in term of water scarcity. Water scarcity is one of the major environmental factors influencing sustainable agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions. Careful management irrigation strategies need to save irrigation water with marginal yield reduction. The...

Author(s):   Comlekcioglu, N. and Simsek, M.

July 2011

Determination of mycoflora of pea (Pisum sativum) seeds and the effects of Rhizobium leguminosorum on fungal pathogens of peas

  Mycoflora of pea seeds and the effectiveness of Rhizobium leguminosarum on important seed-borne pathogens were determined. Mycoflora were changed according to seed groups with or without surface sterilization. The most common isolated fungi were Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp., Macrophomina phaseolina, Phytophthora megasperma, Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium...

Author(s):   Hulya Ozgonen and Merve Gulcu

July 2011

Analysis of a gum from the exudates of Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Am

  Only little research is currently underway on gums from African plants, yet Africa imports a lot of gums for pharmaceutical and food industries. This study was aimed to investigate the rheological properties, and the moisture and ash contents of the isolated gum resins from Dichrostachys cinerea. The gum from this plant exhibited low shear stress even at high concentrations of the gum. The moisture...

Author(s):   M. Gundidza, V. Mmbengwa, S. R. Sibambo, M. L. Magwa, O. Mushisha, E. Gundidza and A. Samie

July 2011

Estimation of the nutritive value of grape pomace for ruminant using gas production technique

  The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and estimation of nutritive value of white grape pomace (WGP) using in vitro gas production technique. Fermentation of WGP samples were carried out with rumen fluids obtained from three mature cannulated steers. The samples were collected from a factory in Urmia, Iran. The amount of gas production for WGP at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72...

Author(s):   Afshar Mirzaei-Aghsaghali, Naser Maheri-Sis, Hormoz Mansouri, Mohammad Ebrahim Razeghi, Abdolahad Shaddel telli and Abolfazl Aghajanzadeh-Golshani

July 2011

Estimation of the nutritive value of tomato pomace for ruminant using in vitro gas production technique

  An abundance of agricultural by-products have been used to feed dairy and beef cattle in Iran, in order to reduce the cost of livestock production. The aim of thisstudy was to determine the chemical composition and estimation of nutritive value of dried tomato pomace (DTP) using in vitro gas production technique. Fermentation of DTP samples were carried out with rumen fluid obtained from three...

Author(s):   Afshar Mirzaei-Aghsaghali, Naser Maheri-sis, Hormoz Mansouri, Mohammad Ebrahim Razeghi, Amir Reza Safaei, Abolfazl Aghajanzadeh-Golshani and Kamel Alipoor

July 2011

Waste to wealth: Industrial raw materials potential of peels of Nigerian sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

  Orange fruits have been part of human diet for ages due to its nutritional and medicinal values. But consumption of orange fruits generates orange peel wastes that could bring about environmental pollution if not properly handled. Towards recycling of wastes and avoiding littering and waste-related environmental degradation, this study was carried out to explore the components of orange peels with a view to...

Author(s):   Tobias I. Ndubuisi Ezejiofor, N. V. Eke, R. I. Okechukwu, R. N. Nwoguikpeand C. M. Duru

July 2011

Effects of acetochlor (herbicide) on the survival and avoidance behaviour of spiders

  This study was designed to evaluate the potential effects of acetochlor (herbicide) on the survival and avoidance behaviour of lycosid spiders example Lycosa terrestris. During the topical toxicity experiment, P. birmanica was found to be more susceptible to acetochlor than L. terrestris. Although, there was 10% mortality at field rate concentration by topical exposure, we...

Author(s):   Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, Abida Butt, Shafaat Yar Khan, Kawaja Raees Ahmad, Muhammad Arshad and Sadia Nawaz

July 2011

The effect of hydro and osmopriming on alfalfa seed germination and antioxidant defenses under salt stress

  Seeds of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) varieties, cv. Hamedani and Yazdi, were used to investigate the effects of osmo- and hydro-priming on seed germination, growth parameters, biochemical changes and antioxidant enzymes activities under high-level salt concentration (150 mM NaCl) stress. Seeds were primed with water and mannitol (4%) for 12 h at 25 ±...

Author(s):   R. Amooaghaie

July 2011

Antibacterial action of an aqueous grape seed polyphenolic extract

  The potential of a polyphenolic grape seed extract for use as a natural antibacterial agent was evaluated. Pure catechin (CS) and a previously LC-MS characterized grape seed phenolic extract (PE) were evaluated as antibacterial agents againstEscherichia coli and Brevibacterium linens on solid and in liquid culture media. After 48 h incubation on solid medium, PE had a...

Author(s):   Veronica Sanda Chedea, Cornelia Braicu, Flore ChirilÇŽ, Ciprian Ober and Carmen Socaciu

July 2011

Physicochemical properties of germinated brown rice (Oryza sativa L.) starch

  Physicochemical properties of white rice (WR), brown rice (BR) and germinated brown rice (GBR) starches from a mixed variety of MR219 and MR220, commonly consumed Malaysian varieties, were compared in this study. The granular size of the starch particles, measured using scanning electron microscope (SEM), varied from 2 to 8 µm for all starches and appeared in polyhyedral shapes. Amylose content in WR,...

Author(s):   Asma S. N. Musa, Imam Mustapha Umar and Maznah Ismail,

July 2011

Different response of phytochelatins in two aquatic macrophytes exposed to cadmium at environmentally relevant concentrations

  Phytochelatins (PCs) have been proposed as potential biomarkers for an evaluation of metal toxicity. However, most studies have been generally limited to high concentrations of metals. In this study, two submerged macrophytesCeratophyllum demersum L. and Elodea canadensis Michx. were adopted to investigate the response of phytochelatins (PCs) and its relationship with cadmium (Cd) toxicity upon...

Author(s): Qin Sun, Wang Bin Liu and Chao Wang

July 2011

Comparative study of peroxidase purification from apple and orange seeds

  This paper reports the isolation and purification of peroxidase from low cost material; moreover, no significant work has been done on the isolation and purification of peroxidase from such cost effective sources (apple and orange seeds). Peroxidases had attracted considerable interest in recent years because of their activities towards a wide variety of chromogenic substances. Peroxidase activity in crude...

Author(s):   Muhammad Anjum Zia, Mamoona Kousar, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Hafiz Muhammad Nasir Iqbal and Rao Zahid Abbas

July 2011

Kinetin (N6-furfuryladenine): Cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and interaction with bovine serum albumin

  N6-furfuryladenine (kinetin) is a cytokinin growth factor with several biological effects observed in human cells and fruit flies. Kinetin exists naturally in the DNA of almost all organisms tested so far, including human cells and various plants. The cytotoxicity effect of kinetin on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines was measured by the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay and the results showed...

Author(s):   Jamshid Mehrzad and Mehdi Rajabi

July 2011

Clinical and histopathological observations of autologous bone marrow stromal cells implantation on the regeneration of sciatic nerve neurotmesis in rabbit

  The peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) is due to stretching and laceration. Therefore, the epineural repair technique is currently accepted as a standard method for peripheral nerve repair. Thirty-two (32) rabbits were divided equally into perineural nerve sutures as control group (CG) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) as thetreatment group (TG). The aim of this study was to investigate the...

Author(s):   Al-Timmemi Hameed, Ibrahim R, Al-Jashamy Karim, Zuki Abz and Azmi Ti

July 2011

Predictors of childhood severe malaria in a densely populated area: Douala, Cameroon

  The physiopathology of malaria is complex. More understanding would be useful for a better management of the disease. This study was undertaken to describe clinical presentation and some biochemical parameters in childhood malaria in order to identify some factors of disease severity. Eighty six (86) children (0 to 15 years old) were recruited in Douala, clinical data recorded and blood sample collected....

Author(s):   Dongho Dongmo F. F., Ngono Ngane R. A., Gouado I., Pankoui Mfonkeu J. B., Mbackop Kwemba V., Ngwa V., Fotso Kuate H. and Amvam Zollo P. H.

July 2011

Antibiotic susceptibility pattern and multiple antibiotic resistances (MAR) calculation of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species in Pakistan

  The aim of this study was to check for the antibiotic susceptibility pattern and multiple antibiotic resistances (MAR) of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species. All methods used in this study were according to the standard criteria of NCCLs. It was shown that there was high rate of resistance, which was alarming for health...

Author(s):   Saba Riaz, Muhammad Faisal and Shahida Hasnain

July 2011

Length-weight and length-length relationships of the Mediterranean shad Alosa agone (Scopoli, 1786) from the Northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey

  The relationships between total length (TL), fork length (FL) and standard length (SL), and between TL and weight were investigated for Mediterranenan shad, Alosa agone, from two estuary localities (Karaduvar and Samandag), North-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. A total of 297 specimens, 150 males and 147 females, were captured by gill net and trammel net between September 2006 and May 2007...

Author(s):   Deniz Erguden, Cemal Turan, Mevlut Gurlek, Funda Turan and Sibel Alagoz Erguden

July 2011

Study of possible reduction or withdrawal of vitamin premix during finisher period in floor and battery cage broiler raising systems

  The effect of dietary vitamin premix withdrawal or reduction between 29 and 35, 36 and 42, and 29 and 42 days of age on broiler chicken performance and immunocompetence was evaluated. The diets were formulated based on wheat and barley, and the experiment was conducted in floor pens (experiment 1) and battery cage (experiment 2) rearing systems in 7 treatments and 4 replicates for each treatment. The results...

Author(s):   Majid Alahyari Shahrasb, Hossein Moravej, Mahmood Shivazad and Abbas Gerami

July 2011

Evaluation of the genetic structure of the urban dwelling species of Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginisnus) using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis

  We used the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to decipher the genetic structure of the Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginisnus) in Pakistan. The samples were collected from four cities namely: Dera Ghazi Khan, Jahanian, Khanewal and Gujranwala. The analysis showed a high genetic diversity at species level (H = 0.318, S = 0.467) but low levels at population levels (H = 0.047, S =...

Author(s):   Noreen Akhter, Aleem Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Babar, Maria Riaz, Ayesha Imtiaz and Imran Khaliq,