May 2014
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) based detection of bacteria: A Review
Various diseases are caused by pathogenic bacteria and their diagnosis depends on accurate detection of pathogen from clinical samples. Several molecular methods have been developed including PCR, Real Time PCR or multiplex PCR which detects the pathogen accurately. However, every method has some limitations like low detection limit, whereas Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a powerful and novel nucleic...
May 2014
Advances in highly specific plant gene silencing by artificial miRNAs
Endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) are potent negative regulators of gene expression in plants and animals. Through artificially transformed miRNA (amiRNAs) to target one or several genes of interest is becoming a powerful tool for silencing genes. The characteristics and application prospect of artificial microRNA (amiRNA) technology were reviewed. Key words: Gene-silence, RNA interference, MiRNA,...
May 2014
Indigenous leafy vegetables (imifino, morogo, muhuro) in South Africa: A rich and unexplored source of nutrients and antioxidants
South Africa is endowed with agro-biodiversity that consists of different types of indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) with health benefits and rich source of nutrients to cater for over three million people suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the country. Unfortunately, the use of these vegetables is declining at an alarming rate due to negligence and lack of appropriate cultivation practices to improve yield,...
May 2014
Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) based assessment of genetic relationships among some Zimbabwean sorghum landraces with different seed proanthocyanidin levels
Knowledge of genetic distances between genotypes is important for efficient organization and conservation of plant genetic resources for crop improvement programs. In this study genetic distances between genotype pairs (complements of Jaccard's similarity coefficient) were estimated from Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data collected from 48 Zimbabwean sorghum landraces. These varieties showed variation in...
May 2014
Genotypic frequency of calpastatin gene in lori sheep by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method
Calpastatin is a natural occurring inhibitor of calpastatin (CAST) and consequently the balance of calpain-calpastatin activity in muscles is believed to dictate the rate of tenderization in post-mortem meat. Genomic DNA was extracted from 100 sheep blood sample. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to amplify a 622 bp fragment of this gene. Restriction reaction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was done...
May 2014
Effect of priming on germinability and salt tolerance in seeds and seedlings of Physalis peruviana L.
In some species, pre-germination treatments such as priming can increase germinability and the speed of the process, besides conferring tolerance to abiotic stress. The central effect of priming is the slow and controlled absorption of water in seed tissues, allowing the membranes to reorganize and synthesize protective substances against stress. This study was performed to assess the effects of priming on the...
May 2014
Effect of nodal positions, seasonal variations, shoot clump and growth regulators on micropropagation of commercially important bamboo, Bambusa nutans Wall. ex. Munro
An efficient protocol for in vitro micropropagation of Bambusa nutans Wall. ex. Munro has been described. Nodal explants obtained from 1½-year-old field-grown culms of B. nutans produced up to 7.0 multiple shoots per explant on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 6- benzylaminopurine (BAP, 1.0 mg/L). Continuous shoot proliferation up to 11.33 shoots was achieved by sub-culturing shoot clumps...
May 2014
Chemical characterization and local dispersion of slag generated by a lead recovery plant in Central Mexico
A toxic waste “slag” generated in a lead (Pb) recovery plant was characterized and its local “slag” dispersion was monitored. The major constituents of the “slag”, in increasing weight percent, were CaO (1.5), PbO (3.4), SiO2 (5.2), Na2O (17.8), SO3 (27.5) and Fe2O3 (40.7). The “slag” was alkaline with a pH of 10 and an electrical conductivity of 606 dS m-1. Tests for Pb...
May 2014
Assessment of the phytoremediation potential of Panicum maximum (guinea grass) for selected heavy metal removal from contaminated soils
Non-vascular plants have potential for rapid uptake of metals, but are rarely used for phytoremediation because of their short life cycle. This property can however be advantageously used in a number of metal removal cycles within a short time. The selection of promising plants is critical to success of phytoremediation. The potential for heavy metal uptake by Panicum maximum a non-vascular plant was investigated using...
May 2014
Application of mixed models for the assessment genotype and environment interactions in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars in Mozambique
In the process of introducing cotton cultivars, it is essential to assess their productive behavior for different environments for which they will be recommended. Knowledge of the magnitude of the genotype interaction with environment allows the evaluation of the stability and adaptability of genotypes where one intends to introduce them, in addition to enabling the evaluation of the production potential and possible...
May 2014
Influence of processing methods on mycoflora changes during storage of raw and processed Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)
Study assessed the influence of processing on mycoflora of kote fillet, skin, head and bones (SHB) during storage for 28 days at ambient temperature of (32 ± 2°C). Fish samples were prepared by smoking (wood and coal) and poaching using standard methods. Fungi associated with raw and processed fillets and SHBs included the species of Absidia glaucus. Absidia, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger,...
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