Abasyn Journal of Life Sciences
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Screening of Strobilanthes urticifolia Wall.ex Kuntze for Antitermite and Insecticidal Activities
No full textLeaves, stem, roots and flowers of this plant were extracted with methanol and fractionated with different solvents i.e., n-Hexane, Chloroform and Ethyl acetate. Screening of the individual extract and fractions showed that Strobilanthes urticifolia Wall.ex Kuntze has significant effects against termite and different insects. The extract and their fractions were evaluated against Odontotermes obesus, the test termite. Between the tested extracts, crude methanolic extract (CME) displayed the highest anti-termite potential (100% mortality on day 2) while aqueous fraction showed the lowest mortality rate (64% on day 3). CME and individual fractions were also tested against various insects. CME showed highest result (80%) in terms of mortality against Tribolium castenum, while n-hexane fraction showed moderate result (60%) in terms of mortality against Callosbrachus analis and all other fractions have no or low activity against tested insects. The results obtained from the experiments suggested the potential of Strobilanthes urticifolia in the control of termite and insects
Isolation and Identification of the Potential Novel L-asparaginase producing Bacillus Strains from Soil
Get PDFL-Asparaginase is a well know enzyme for its antineoplastic potential and is widely used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphosarcoma. The present work describes the isolation and characterization of novel L-asparaginase producing Bacillus strains from soil. Soil samples were collected from three different locations such as fruit garden, dairy farm and agricultural land in Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The isolates were screened to produce L-asparaginase in growth medium supplemented with 1% L-asparagine using a phenol red indicator. Among 30 bacterial isolates, only two strains initially coded as A5 and FG7 showed L-asparaginase activity. Based on biochemical and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, the isolate A5 and FG7 were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus proteolyticus respectively. Different factors like pH and time were optimized for maximum L-asparaginase activity. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens showed maximum asparaginase activity at pH 7 after 24 hours incubation at 30oC, while Bacillus proteolyticus showed optimum activity at pH 7 after 48 hours of incubation at 30oC. The present study first time reported the production of L-asparginase enzyme from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus proteolyticus
Assessing the genetic potential of mustard genotypes for water stress through PEG-6000 treatments
No full textWater stress is a primary constraint to achieve the goal of sustainable crop production. Water stress severely affects the seed production and oil yield of mustard genotypes. To overcome this problem, the development of water stress resilient mustard cultivars with potential seed and oil yield is a sustainable solution. Therefore, in vitro screening of mustard genotypes through PEG-6000 treatments were carried out on ten mustard genotypes. Along with control, two PEG-6000 levels were set to impose osmotic stress, such as, 6% and 10% PEG-6000. Data analyses depicted significant differences among all genotypes and between PEG-6000 treatments for all the studied traits, such as, shoot and root length, shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight, K+ content, Ca++ content and K+/Ca++ ratio, demonstrating the availability of genetic differences in mustard genotypes for future stress breeding. Under PEG-6000 (6% and 10%) treatments, the genotypes like AARI-Canola, Khanpur Raya, Dhoom-1, Super Raya, Galaxy and Coral-432 exhibited high performance for seedling traits and less reduction due to PEG-6000 treatments. Hence, these mustard genotypes tend to provide useful genetic potential for water stress breeding
Description of a new species in the Genus Cosella Newkirk and Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) From China
Get PDFEriophyoid mites are the most common groups of phytophagous mites found on various plants in Zhejiang Province of China. These mites are usually found on agricultural, horticultural, ornamental, and medicinal plants, including fruit and forest trees. Zhejiang Province is famous for its renowned mountains consist of Yandang, Putuo, Xuedou, Tianmu, Tiantai and Qingliang covered with green forest and wide range of vegetation due to which it is called as a treasure house of plants in China, which provide ecologically suitable living environment for eriophyoids species richness. Because of the diversity of host plants in Zhejiang Province, there is a dire need to investigate the presence of these minute creatures-especially those species that can be harmful to economic crops. Prior to this study genus Cosella Newkirk and Keifer held 43 species worldwide. Further one new leaf vagrant eriophyoid mite species in the genus Cosella was found from Zhejiang Province, China. A survey was carried out to determine the eriophyid mite fauna on natural vegetation of Linan City, Zhejiang Province China. One new species Cosella linanensis sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Rhododendron ovatum (Ericaceae). There was no apparent damage found on host plants where the new species was collected
Isolation and Purification of Thrombolytic Enzyme Extracted from Earthworm Punjab, Pakistan
Get PDFThe Cardiovascular disease due to thrombus (clot) formation is the major factor of death throughout the world. Earthworms being the eco engineers has thrombolytic enzyme that can be used for thrombolysis. The thrombolytic enzyme was isolated and purified from supernatant of earthworm Apporectodea longa by column chromatography. Six Strain BKT 11, BKT 15, BKT 17, BKT 26, BKT 27 and BKT 28 shows the thrombolytic activity 791.64 U/mg, 1362.39 U/mg, 1205.4 U/mg, 710.63 U/mg, 529.66 U/mg and 625.00 U/mg respectively. Thrombolytic activity was confirmed by blood clot lysis method. Different concentrations 50 μl,100 μl, 150 μl, 200 μl and 250 μl of extracted enzyme were applied on 25mg of wet blood clot along with control where distill water used. These fractions of extracted enzymes represent the dissolution of clot (thrombolysis). The molecular weight 32 KDa was determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results show that extracted elute have potential of fibrinolytic activity in this specie of earthworm and it can serve as a suitable therapeutic agent
Transferring of Lactobacillus antibiotic resistant genes to Salmonella
Get PDFAntibiotic resistance is a worldwide issue and becoming more problematic due to extensive misuse of antibiotics. The present study was aimed to analyze role of Lactobacillus in transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (tetM, ermB, sul2) to Salmonella and verification of these genes by real time polymerase chain reaction. A total of thirty fecal samples (15 were indigenous and 15 were broilers) were collected and analyzed by real time polymerase chain reaction. The results indicated that there was high expression of antibiotic resistance genes in Lactobacillus in case of broiler chicken than indigenous ones indicating Lactobacillus as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes but found to be non-significant in transferring these genes to Salmonella. In conclusion, the excessive use of animal growth promoters in poultry assists in acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes by normal micro-biota
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization and Foliar Zinc Spraying on the Yield, Yield Components, and Seed Recovery of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.)
Get PDFDomestic production of berseem seed is very low; therefore, we import many seeds. Seeds of berseem can be produced in the country for which research on seed production is preferred, as most research works on berseem conducted on forage production only. Thus, an experiment comprising four levels of nitrogen (0. 15, 30, and 45 kg ha-1) and four levels of foliar zinc (0, 400, 600, and 800 g ha-1) was designed with the purpose to find out appropriate levels of nitrogen and foliar zinc to get maximum seed yield of berseem. The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar during winter 2014-2015 by using a randomized complete block design replicated three times. The results indicated that both nitrogen and foliar zinc application significantly (P˂0.05) influenced fresh (13219.41 kg ha-1) and dry fodder yield (5538 kg ha-1), head m-2 (1963), number of seeds head-1 (50), biological yield (8535.4 kg ha-1), thousand seed weight (2.6 g), seed yield (261 kg ha-1), seed recovery (68%). A significant effect was recorded only by different nitrogen levels on the number of flower head-1 (78) and harvest index (3.19%), whereas zinc significantly influenced plant height (80 cm). Both nitrogen and foliar zinc application increase fresh and dry fodder yield, plant height, head m-2, seed head-1, thousand seed weight, seed yield, and seed recovery. It was concluded that the application of nitrogen (45 kg ha-1) and zinc (600 g ha-1) in foliar spraying produces the maximum yield of the berseem crop
Repellent potential of medicinal oils against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) under laboratory conditions
Get PDFLaboratory experiments were conducted to determine repellency of five local medicinal oils i.e., neem Azadirachta indica A. Juss., castor Ricinus communis L., rapeseed Brassica napus L., lettuce Lactuca sativa L. and chamomile Anthemis cotula L. against Tribolium castaneum Herbst, each applied at 0.1, 0.5- and 1.0-ml doses. A glass cylinder divided into A, B and C sections with one end close was used. Fifty grams of wheat flour was placed at A and C ends. Twenty freshly emerged T. castaneum was released at the center of cylinder (B). The data was recorded after one-, two- and three-days to count number of T. castaneum at A and C for calculating percentage repellency. All the oils showed repellent potential against T. castaneum as their repellency increased with dose and time exposure. After three days, 100% repellency of T. castaneum was recorded in 0.5- and 1.0-ml doses of neem oil, followed by 6.67±3.33% repellency at 0.1 ml neem oil. After three days, the maximum repellency of T. castaneum in rapeseed, castor, chamomile, and lettuce was 86.67±7.26, 76.67±6.01, 76.67±4.41, and 75.00±7.64%, respectively, all recorded at 1.0 ml dose. Overall, neem oil exhibited significantly more repellency of T. castaneum, whereas castor, lettuce, rapeseed and chamomile were found non-significant with each other. Among doses, although highest repellency was recorded at 1.0 ml dose, but not significantly different from 0.5 ml dose of the individual oil. Therefore, 0.5 ml should be applied per 50 grams of wheat flour to get effective repellency of T. castaneum
Crispr/Cas9 Endonucleases: A New Era Of Genetic Engineering
No full textIn modern genetic engineering, there is always development towards better ways for therapies of different diseases in the most efficient way. Genetic engineering approaches use the nucleases to cut the DNA. Meganucleases, ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR i.e. clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats determine PAM sequence. These sequences are present as direct repeats that are separated by specific Spacers and have Cas genes which are present adjacent to the spacer regions. Microbe’s immunity is related to the presence of CRISPR sequences, which can cleave and bind the DNA at specific sequences. CRISPR is classified into two classes that are further divided into 5 types. Most commonly used class is type 2 which work along the CRISPR associated protein called Cas 9 obtained from Streptococcus pyogene. Cas 9 is a multi-subunit protein with two nuclease domains called HNH and RuvC like domains. The presence of a smaller sequence upstream to the DNA that is to be targeted is important for specific cleavage and is called the Seed Sequence. CRISPR have many applications in genome editing and beyond genome editing
Invitro antimicrobial efficiency of Lawsonia inermis L (Henna) extracts against Multidrug Resistant Microorganisms
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Antibiotics are becoming less effective as drug resistance spreads throughout the world, making it ever more difficult to treat the disease. The effect of biotic stress on antimicrobial activity of Lawsonia inermis L. (Henna) was studied as an alternate to antimicrobial agents against multidrug resistant microorganisms. The study was carried out in Molecular Biochemistry Lab, Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The plant seedlings were given biotic stress with Fusarium solani. The induced extracts were harvested at different time intervals and the antimicrobial activity was investigated by disc diffusion method. The induced plant extracts revealed highest susceptibility against S. aureus (30±0.02) and Pasteurella multocida (30±0.01) at 12 hpi. The least activity was shown against all the strains at 0 hpi. The highest antifungal activity was found against Ganoderma lucidum (55±0.05) at 24 hpi. The results demonstrated a significant difference in the antimicrobial activities of all the strains with and without fungal stress (P<0.05). The fungal induced extracts of Lawsonia inermis L (Henna) with enhanced antimicrobial activity may have the potential of being alternative and cost- effective agents against antimicrobial resistance