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: 6 March 2013; 12(10)

March 2013

Regulation of gene expression in entomopathogenic fungi in three different environmental conditions: A review

  The entomopathogenic fungi are subject to regulation system known as signal transduction that regulates the expression of the different genes required for each life stage, first comprising cuticle adhesion and degradation, later the survival in the hemolymph, and finally the fungal growth in soils. There are two signal-transduction mechanisms identified in the entomopathogenic...

Author(s): E. Barranco-Florido, L. A. García-Hernández, S. Rodríguez-Navarro, A. Flores-Macías and M. A. Ramos-López

March 2013

Genes and quality trait loci (QTLs) associated with firmness in Malus x domestica

  Fruit firmness, a quality quantitative trait, has long been established as a key textural property and one of the essential parameters for estimating ripening and shelf life of apples. Loss of firmness, also referred to as fruit softening, is undesirable in apples and represents a serious problem for growers in many countries. This results in the reduction of apple shelf life and in turn influences its...

Author(s): Claudius Marondedze, and Ludivine Thomas

March 2013

Genetic diversity study of important Indian rice genotypes using biochemical and molecular markers

  Rice is a staple food for 90% of the world. Genetic characterization of natural resources is an essential step to understand genetic resources. In the present study, commonly using 25 Indian rice genotypes were collected / procured from four different states of India. Genetic variation was assessed using isozyme and RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers. A total of 25 isozyme putative loci and 273...

Author(s): R. Siva, Kunal Kumar and C. Rajasekaran

March 2013

Karyomorphotypic variation in Eriospermum abyssinicum Baker

  The karyomorphology of the cotton seed lily, Eriospermum abyssinicum Baker (family Eriospermaceae) was investigated through mitotic and meiotic studies. The chromosome complement was karyotypically analysed based on chromosome arm ratio and centromeric indices. The somatic chromosome complement of 2n = 24 recorded at metaphase I and the 12 bivalents at prophase I of meiosis suggested x = 6...

Author(s): Adeigbe O. O., Omoloye A. A., Aliyu O. M., Adewale B. D.  and Oyewole S. O.

March 2013

Characteristics of binding sites of intergenic, intronic and exonic miRNAs with mRNAs of oncogenes coding intronic miRNAs

  The interaction of 784 intergenic (ig-miRNA), 686 intronic (in-miRNA) and 49 exonic miRNAs (ex-miRNA) with mRNAs of 51 oncogenes coding in-miRNAs wasinvestigated. Out of the studied genes, 44 were targets for 94 ig-miRNAs, 29 were targets for 44 in-miRNAs and 7 were targets for 7 ex-miRNAs. The density of miRNA binding sites was higher in 5'-untranslated regions than it was in coding...

Author(s): Olga A. Berillo, Assel S. Issabekova, Mireille Régnier and Anatoliy

March 2013

Molecular characterization of the Indian Andigena potato core collection using microsatellite markers

  Twenty-four (24) microsatellite (SSR) markers of a new PGI kit were used to validate the genetic diversity of the 77 Indian Andigena potato core collections. In SSR analysis, polymorphic information content (PIC), allelic richness per locus of microsatellite loci and cluster analysis showed the high diversity of core collection. In total, 214 SSR alleles were detected in the core collection, out of which 208...

Author(s): Jagesh K Tiwari, B. P Singh, Jai Gopal, Poonam and V. U Patil

March 2013

Analysis of TNF-a and IL-10 gene polymorphisms in Zimbabwean children exposed to malaria

  Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the cytokine genes, TNF-a (-308 G/A), and IL-10 (-1082 A /G and -819 T/C) associated with protection and susceptibility to parasitic infections were examined in samples from school aged children in the Eastern district of Zimbabwe. Whole blood specimens were obtained from 491 children between the ages of 5 – 16 years, of which 26.9% were...

Author(s): Takafira Mduluza, Elizabeth Gori, Paradzai Chitongo, Nicholas Midzi, Tinashe Ruwona, White Soko, Godfree Mlambo, Susan L. Mutambu and Nirbhay Kumar

March 2013

Genetic diversity and population structure of sweet cassava using simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers

  The objective of this study was to evaluate the population structure and genetic diversity among 66 sweet cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) traditional accessions collected in Maringa, Parana, Brazil, using microsatellite molecular markers. Population structure was analyzed by means of genetic distances and probabilistic models; allelic frequencies were used in order to assess the genetic diversity...

Author(s): Tiago Ribeiro da Costa, Pedro Soares Vidigal Filho, Maria Celeste Gonçalves-Vidigal, Marta Zulema Galván, Giselly Figueiredo Lacanallo, Luciano Ivano da Silva and Marcus Vinicius Kvitschal

March 2013

Biochemical aspects of single-node cuttings of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) in relation with rooting

  1Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine Research Centre, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies (IMPM). P.O. Box 6163 Yaounde, Cameroon. 2Laboratory of General Biology, Higher Teacher Training College. P. O. Box 42 Bambili, Cameroon. 3Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Wakwa, P. O. Box 65 Ngaoundere, Cameroon. 4Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Higher...

Author(s): Nehemie Donfagsiteli Tchinda, Hubert Jean Claude Mbita Messi, Fotso, Germo Nzweundji, Doungous Oumar, Bernard Dongmo, Sanonne, Gabriel Agbor Agbor and Denis Omokolo Ndoumou

March 2013

Micropropagation of Dioscorea alata L. from microtubers induced in vitro

  A new method made up of different steps was established for micropropagation ofDioscorea alata. First plantlets were regenerated from shoots proliferating on nodal cuttings cultured on half strength Murashige and Skoog salt medium (MS/2) (basal medium) supplemented with 0.5 mg l-1 BAP and 1 mg l-1 NAA. These plantlets were used to induce microtubers on the basal medium supplemented with 1 to 5 mg...

Author(s): Fotso, , Ngo Ngwe Marie Florence Sandrine, Mbouobda Hermann Désiré, Djocgoue Pierre François, and Omokolo Ndoumou Denis

March 2013

Comparison of mechanical properties of wheat and rice straw influenced by loading rates

  This study investigates the comparison of mechanical properties of wheat and rice straw such as shear strength, specific shearing energy and cutting forces. The experiments were conducted at three loading rate of 15, 20 and 25 mm min-1 and three internode positions 70 (N1), 130 (N2) and 190 (N3) mm down from the ear. Results show that by increasing the loading rate, strength of wheat and rice straw...

Author(s): Farman Ali Chandio, , Ji Changying, Ahmed Ali Tagar, Irshad Ali Mari, T. Guangzhao and Do Minh Cuong

March 2013

Effect of coloured polyethylene mulch and harvesting stage on growth and yield of industrial sugarcane in Nigeria

  Plastic mulch increases soil temperatures and accelerates plant growth and development. Field trials were conducted in 2010 and 2011 at the National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi to assess the effect of mulching and harvesting time on the agronomic performance of a sugarcane variety named NCS 008. The treatments consisted of three-coloured polyethylene mulches (black, red, and green) with one treatment...

Author(s): M. Ahmed, K. P. Baiyeri and B. C. Echezona

March 2013

A rapid two step protocol of in vitro propagation of an important medicinal herb Centella asiatica Linn.

  The present investigation aimed at developing rapid micro propagation protocol, which can be used for conservation of Centella asiatica and mass multiplication of a valuable medicinal plant to meet out the pharmaceutical demand and its conservation. Attempts were made to evolve a rapid in vitro technology to conserve, as well as, mass propagate this valuable medicinal...

Author(s):   Chandrakant Tiwari, Meena Bakshi and Ankur Vichitra  

March 2013

Detoxification of hexavalent chromium by an indigenous facultative anaerobic Bacillus cereus strain isolated from tannery effluent

  A chromate resistant facultative anaerobic bacterial strain (FA-3) was isolated from the treated tannery effluent of Jajmau, Kanpur (India) and was identified as Bacillus cereus. FA-3 was tolerant to 1400 μg/ml of Cr (VI) and reduced a maximum of 72% Cr (VI) at 1000 μg/ml chromate concentration. The rate of growth of B. cereus decreased with the increase in Cr (VI) concentration of the...

Author(s): Neha Singh, Tuhina Verma and Rajeeva Gaur

March 2013

Characterization of rhodanese produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus brevis isolated

  Wastewater from numerous cassava processing industries contains cyanide which is toxic to several forms of life. This effluent constitutes serious hazards to the environment and aquatic life in receiving water bodies. Enzymatic remediation of polluted environment presents advantages over traditional technologies and also over microbial remediation. Extracellular rhodanese of strains...

Author(s): Olaoluwa Oyedeji, Kehinde O. Awojobi, Raphael E. Okonji and Olufemi O. Olusola

March 2013

Haptoglobin gene polymorphism influences the effect of malaria infection on host haptoglobin plasma level but not susceptibility to the disease

  A cohort of 344 children aged less than five years were followed for one year to establish the relationship between haptoglobin genotype, haptoglobin plasma level and malaria infection and susceptibility. Haptoglobin genotyping was undertaken using PCR, with plasma haptoglobin levels measured using indirect ELISA. The number of children carrying the genotypes Hp1-1, Hp1-2 and...

Author(s): Benigni Alfred and Paul Gwakisa

March 2013

Chemical composition and some functional properties of soluble fibro-protein extracts from Tunisian date palm seeds

  This study is a contribution to give value addition to date palm seeds by extracting an enriched fibro-protein fraction (DSFPE) and to examine the effect of pH on some of its functional properties. For this purpose, DSFPE was prepared from water soluble extracts of defatted Deglet Nour and Allig seeds and obtained by precipitation at pH 4.5. Then, DSFPE was examined for their proximate...

Author(s): Mohamed Ali Bouaziz, Souhail Besbes, Christophe Blecker and Hamadi Attia

March 2013

In vitro antifungal activity of Argemone ochroleuca Sweet latex against some pathogenic fungi

  The in vitro antifungal activities of crude latex of Argemone ochroleuca Sweet against four clinical isolates of Candida (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida kruseiand Candida tropicalis) and six isolates of plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria alternate,Drechslera halodes, Fusarium oxysporum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Pythium...

Author(s): Mahmoud F.M. Moustafa, Saad A. Alamri, Tarek H. Taha, and Sulaiman A. Alrumman

March 2013

Fingerprint motifs of phytases

  Phytate is the major form of phosphorus storage in plant seeds and the soil organic phosphorus. The phytase is a class of enzymes which catalyzes the hydrolysis of phytate and release free orthophosphoric acid. Motifs provide insight into protein structure, function and evolution. 39 fingerprint motifs were obtained in phytases through multiple EM for motif elicitation (MEME) analysis...

Author(s): Cheng-Ming Fan#, Ya-Hui Wang#, Chang-Ying Zheng and Yong-Fu Fu

March 2013

Performance of diesel cycle engine-generator operating on dual fuel mode with gasification gas

  The Brazilian Federal Government aims to expand the electrical energy supply to the low income Brazilian citizen through Light for Everyone Program. The objective of this study was to use the program as a vector of social and economical development. One of the obstacles was to reach even the isolated communities. In this work, the performance of a cycle diesel motor generator running in...

Author(s): Paulo Job Brenneisen, Luiz Inácio Chavez, Angélica Buzinaro Avaci, Carlos Eduardo Camargo Nogueira, Deonir Secco, Reinaldo Prandini Ricieri and Reinaldo Aparecido Bariccatti

March 2013

Effects of Taraxacum mongolicum on in vitro response of milk somatic cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide and subclinical mastitis in dairy cows in vivo

  The anti-inflammatory effects of Taraxacum mongolicum (TM) were investigated in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, isolated milk somatic cells were pretreated with various concentrations (31 to 500, μg/ml) of TM extract (TME) and subsequently incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/ml). The results show that TME...

Author(s): Kuo-Hua Lee, Chia-Chou Yeh, Jai-Wei Lee, Jih-Yih Chen, Chu-Li Chang, Tin-Yun Ho, Lu-Yuan Liu and Chau-Hwa Chi

March 2013

Impact of feed withdrawal and addition of acetic acid in drinking water during preslaughter phase on intestinal microbiota of broilers

  This study investigated the impacts of feed withdrawal and addition of acetic acid in drinking water on the pH and microflora of gizzard, cecal and feces in preslaughter broiler chickens. Twenty four (24) individually caged 42 days old male Ross 308 broilers with almost equal weight were randomly divided into six treatments with four replicates each. The control group had free access to...

Author(s): Mohammed Hassan Alzawqari, Hassan Kermanshahi, Hassan Nassiri Moghaddam, Mohammad Hossein Tawassoli and Ali Gilani