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Characterization of Clay Modified with Alkali Extracted from Plantain Peels
No full textModification of clays and clay minerals by using chemical reagents is receiving research attention due to the use of clay in various industrial applications where it may be utilized as adsorbent and catalyst carriers among others. The employed synthetic chemicals, however, unavoidably result in high costs and generate negative impact within the environment. The option to replace the synthetic compounds with non-synthetic materials to cut down cost and to reduce environmental impact has not been properly explored. In this study, the effect of KOH extracted from plantain peel obtained locally on clay modification was investigated. A varying concentration of the extracted KOH was used to treat the clay obtained at Asa River valley in Kwara State in Nigeria. Characterization of the modified clay samples was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Florescence (XRF) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The micro structural images of the modified clays clearly showed the effect of KOH concentrations on porosity enhancement in the selected samples. X-ray fluorescence analysis of the Kaolin showed a high silica and aluminum content while an appreciable increase in K2O was also observed in the modified clay compared to the raw Kaolin. The FTIR spectra of the modified clay showed the formation of some functional groups (O-H, C-H, C=C, C-O, Al-O-Si,) within the band range of 500 to 4000 cm-1. It can be concluded that the clay treated with alkali obtained from green source can effectively replace those produced via conventional methods which involve the use of synthetic materials
Effect of Storage Temperatures on Phenotypic and Gene Expression of Maize (Zea mays L.) Genotypes
No full textIntroduction: Maize is an important cereal grown globally across wide range of altitude and latitude. Temperature is one of the factors that affect the viability of maize under storage conditions.
Aim: This study, therefore, assessed the effect of different temperature storage levels on the morphological characters and molecular variability of maize genotypes.
Materials and Methods: The seeds of maize genotypes: TZLCOMP4C3, EVDT-W200STRCO, POP66SR/ACR94, POOL18SR QPM, TZM 132, TZM 1291, EVDT- Y2008 STR and TZM 1326 obtained from the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) Ibadan were stored at different temperature conditions of -80°C, -20°C, 5°C, 50°C, and 25°C for 6 hours. The stored maize was sown in perforated polythene bags containing 7 kg of soil and replicated thrice in a complete randomized design. The molecular variability was also investigated on the maize genotypes stored under the varying temperatures. The effect of storage temperature was significantly higher at 50°C for all growth characters but was not significant at -80°C.
Results: The genotypic effect on the growth characters was significantly (p< 0.05) higher in TZM 132 with plant height (99.09 cm), leaf length (46.54 cm), leaf width (3.05 cm), number of leaves (6.25) and stem length (50.12 cm). The contribution of principal component axis (PCA) showed that PC 1 had the height variation with a proportion of 47.17% and eigen value of 2.83 across the growth characters. Molecular evaluation showed that EVDT-W200STRCO had the highest DNA concentration of 4885.7 ng/μl at storage temperature of 25°C, while EVDT-W200STCO at -20°C recorded the least DNA concentration of 26.60 ng/μl. The highest DNA concentration across the maize varieties were recorded at -20°C (POOL18SR QPM, TZM 132 and TZM 1326), 5°C (TZLCOMP4C3), 25°C (EVDT-W200STRCO and EVDT- Y2008 STR) and 50°C (POP66SR/ACR94 and TZM 1291). OPB 10 had the highest allelic no, gene diversity and polymorphic information content of 15, 0.97 and 97.0% respectively. The genetic distance matrix established relationship among the stored maize genotypes.
Conclusion: Maize seeds can therefore be stored at temperature range of -20°C to 50°C depending on the variety, without losing its viability and molecular constituents
Microencapsulation: Toward the Reduction of the Salinity Stress Effect on Wheat Plants Using NPK Rhizobacteria
No full textSalinity is one of the most vicious environmental factors controlling the productivity of crop plants as most of the crop plants are sensitive to salinity affected by high concentrations of salts in the soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the inoculation with the encapsulated and liquid culture of three halo-tolerant plants growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains of Paenibacillus polymyxa MSRH5, Bacillus nakamurai MSRH1 and Bacillus pacificus MSR H3 on the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The three strains MSRH1, MSRH3 and MSR H5 were characterized as salt-tolerant bacteria. P. polymyxa MSRH5 had nitrogen fixation ability while B. nakamurai MSRH1 and B. pacificus MSRH3 were able to solubilize phosphate and K respectively. All strains can produce indole acidic acid (IAA) and exopolysaccharides (EPS) under saline conditions. Encapsulated beads were observed under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Colonization of encapsulated bacteria on the root of the wheat plant was studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Under soil salinity conditions in two consecutive field tries, results cleared that strains in two forms succeed to colonize the plant root, the reduction in shoot proline was 35.8% with capsules inoculation as well as improved relative water content (%) to 60.57% and improved the electrolyte leakage recorded 18.1% respectively compared to control. Generally, halo-tolerant PGPR inoculation increased DHA (?), acidic and alkaline phosphatase activities compared to control, inoculation with capsules exhibited a reduction in catalase enzymes 46.00%, 37.5% in ascorbate peroxidase and 40% in superoxide dismutase respectively in shoots of the wheat plant. There is a significant increase in all yield parameters, the highest plant height 115.8 cm, spike length 21 cm and 1000 grains 71.3 g respectively recorded with capsules inoculation, it had considerable effects on the content of N, P, K and Na in shoots of wheat plants and reduced the value of Na/K ratio in all treatments inoculated compared to un-inoculated wheat plant
Distribution, Importance and Diseases of Soybean and Common Bean: A Review
No full textThe crops belonging to the family Leguminosae are the second to cereal crops of agricultural significance due to their high nutritional value. Soybean is native to East Asia and was originated in China while common bean is native to Central and Southern America originated in Peru. Both soybean and common bean are erect, bushy annual herbaceous plants growing up to 150 and 40 centimeters in height, respectively. They have enormous food and medicinal values. Soybean and common bean are important leguminous crops which are excellent source of high-quality proteins, minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fats, and other nutrients for both human and other animal feeds. Soybean is beneficial for weight loss, diabetics as dietary supplements, bone loss in women and minimizing cancer risks while common bean is useful for preventing constipation, lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart diseases. Pests, pathogens and weeds cause harmful effect resulting in low production of both the legume crops. The present review focuses on the overview, different importance and diseases of soybean (Glycine max) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). In addition, attention has been paid on various aspects of these two legumes namely taxonomy, morphological features, origin and distribution along with their pests and diseases
Identification and Expression Analysis of Stress Responsive Genes in Lentil (Lens culinaris)
No full textPlants during their growth, experience periodic stress conditions both abiotic (adverse environmental conditions) as well as biotic (infection by pathogens). They appear to respond to these adverse conditions by modulating the expression of many genes. One of the pronounced effects of stress on plant is the enhanced synthesis of a set of proteins-termed \u27 stress proteins\u27. Lentil contains asset of genes/proteins which helps this crop to overcome abiotic stresses. In the present study, HSP70 (Heat Shock Protein), LEA (Late Embryogenesis Abundant) and Aldolase genes were identified and cloned in pTZ57RT vector followed by sequencing. Expression analysis was done through Q-PCR which was assessed by using cDNA from all the heat, drought and salinity stressed and unstressed lentil cotyledons. The highest level of transcript of HSP70 was realized upon exposure to heat at 45°C for 3 hour followed by at 45°C for 2 hour and lowest at 40°C for 1hour. LEA gene was identified under drought and salinity stress and highest transcript was at 20% PEG for 3 hour (drought stress) and in salinity stress highest transcript was at 150 mm for 6 hour. For Aldolase gene highest transcript was recorded after 3, 6 and 12 hr at 100 mM, 150 mM, 200 mM of salinity stress respectively. From these studies it can be concluded that heat shock protein gene, LEA, and aldolase present in lentil which can be exploited in overcoming the abiotic stresses for obtaining the higher productivity in crop plants through genetic engineering
In silico Analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in INHA Gene of Sheep and Goats
No full textInhibin A (INHA) a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family has been implicated in the negative feedback control mechanism of the pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Inhibin has been reported to be associated with litter size, milk yield, fertility and reproductive traits in ruminants.
A total of ten amino acid sequences (four sheep and six goats) were downloaded from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp). The amino acid sequence alignment was carried out using ClustalW algorithm of Molecular Evolutionary Genetic Analysis software version 6.0. The functional effects of eighteen (18) amino acid substitutions of INHA gene in each of sheep and goats were predicted computationally using Polyphen-2, PROVEAN and SIFT algorithms while INHA gene functions and interactions with associated genes were investigated using GeneMANIA. Variants that were consensually predicted to be deleterious by the three algorithms utilised were referred to as ‘Cmutant’ and ‘Dmutant’ in sheep and goats, respectively. The MutPred was further used to determine the tolerance degree for each amino acid substitution of both the ‘Cmutant’ and ‘Dmutant’.
GeneMANIA revealed 20 genes that co-localised, co-expressed with, play functionally similar role or has physical or genetic interaction with INHA gene. Out of the studied eighteen (18) amino acid substitutions; there was a consensus by SIFT, PROVEAN and PolyPhen-2 algorithms in the prediction of variants C99R, C264D, L237T and F14C as being deleterious in sheep and variants D77F, L190K, R223D, L240N, C322T and P326C in goats. In goats, MutPred revealed that variants R223D and D77F were not harmful while, L190K, R223D, L240N and P326C mutations were observed to be highly harmful. In sheep, the ‘Dmutants’ (C99R, C264D, F14C and L237T) were predicted to be highly harmful. The obtained findings would be useful in planning research aiming at exploring the association between INHA gene variants and economically important traits of small ruminants
Isolation, Screening and Identification of Cellulolytic Bacteria from Soil
No full textBackground: Cellulose is the most abundant carbohydrate on earth and is considered as a good candidate for production of second generation biofuel (ethanol) and many other products of routine use. For degradation, cellulases are used which are mostly secreted by microbes such as fungi. Cellulases also play an important role in senescence of plants and in host-parasite relationship for invading the plant cell wall. However, comparatively lesser studies have been carried out on cellulase producing bacteria. Therefore, present study was aimed to isolate cellulase (Endo-β-1,4-D-glucanase; EC. 3.2.1.4.) from bacterial sources.
Methodology: To isolate thermophilic/ mesophilic cellulase producing bacteria, soil samples were collected from wood furnishing area and agricultural farm around Indore. Besides, soil sample was also collected from the vicinity of Amlai Paper Mill in Budhar district, Madhya Pradesh. These soil samples after suitable dilutions were streaked on different nutrients agar petri-dishes having carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as an inducer. After screening, four colonies were isolated capable of producing good amount of cellulase. Screening was done using Congo red staining and confirmation was done after growth of the bacteria in liquid nutrient medium having CMC. These colonies individually were grown in suitable nutrient media having CMC as an inducer and enzyme activity was determined in the nutrient media after harvesting bacterial cells by centrifugation.
Results: The highest enzyme producing bacteria were identified as Bacillus lichenoformis and Ochrobactrum anthropi after biochemical analyses, 16S rRNA sequencing and subsequently phylogenetic tree analysis
Preliminary Production and Partial Purification of Laccase from a White Rot Fungus and Its Application in Dye Degradation
No full textIn this study, a laccase producing white rot fungus from the wood degrading family of dermatophytic Trichophyton sp. was isolated. The laccase which was produced via solid state fermentation using rice bran as the lignocellulosic support was partially purified before its effectiveness in degrading an azo dye (methyl orange) was examined. Time course study showed that day nine (day 9) gave the maximum enzyme production. The crude laccase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialyzed against sodium phosphate buffer pH 7. Optimum pH and temperature of the were 4.5 and 55°C respectively as assayed using ABTS (2,2 azino bis-3-ethyle benzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid) as substrate. Dye degradation assay was carried out by introducing 0.5 ml of the enzyme into three dye concentrations: 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L and 200 mg/L and monitoring them for up to 48 hours by taking their absorbances at intervals at 5mins, 5hours, 24hours and 48 hours after enzyme introduction. At the end of the experiment, good dye degradation by laccase from Trichophyton sp. was observed to be positive with 50 mg/L being the most effective concentration during the study. The result are positive indicators of the fact that locally isolated white rot fungi has the capacity to be used for many biotechnological dye degradation and removal studies
Impact of Drifts Resulting from Pesticide Application on Soil Microorganisms around Waste Receptacles in Port Harcourt City, Nigeria
No full textPesticides are toxic substance used to reduce or kill pests but the deposits on soil environment can remain there for long period of time causing adverse effects on soil microorganisms which are responsible for soil health conditions. This study was carried out to determine the impact of pesticide drifts on soil microorganisms in a waste receptacle around Port Harcourt city. Soil samples were obtained from various depths around waste receptacles with hand auger using standard analytical procedures. Microbial analysis was done according to prescribed standard methods. Characterization and identification of the isolates were based on their cultural, morphological, and cellular characteristics. Results obtained showed that the bacterial isolates were identified as Staphylococus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas sp and Micrococcus sp while fungal isolates include Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp, Fusarium siculi, and Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulas, Microsporium canis and Yeast. The results of the microbial counts revealed that Total Heterotrophic Bacteria (THB) had 2.08 ×109 cfu/g at a depth of 30-45 cm while Total Heterotrophic Fungi (THF) had 6.0×106 cfu/g before application with a mean value of 1.02×109 and 2.8 × 106 cfu/g respectively while after application THB had 4.1 × 108 and 4.6 × 108 cfu/g for 0-15 and 30-45 cm respectively while the THF recorded 1.0 × 106 and 0.6 × 106 cfu/g for 0-15 cm and 30-45 cm respectively. However there was a drastic decrease in the number of microbes in the soils after pesticide application especially at the surface soil depth of 0-15 cm. This shows that the pesticides application affected microbial population by reducing their numbers in the soil and this may in turn affect soil health and physiological status of their habitat. It is therefore recommended that proper surveillance during pesticide application should be considered to avoid drift to non-target organisms and that concentrations of pesticides to be used should be taken into account to avoid reduction in the number of microorganisms in soils because of the vital roles they play in maintaining soil health
Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic and Neuroprotective Activities of Extracts from Fruits Native to the Amazon Region: A Review
No full textThe Amazon forest has the largest biome on the planet, and it is estimated that only 16 to 20% of the identified animal, and plant biodiversity. Considering plant diversity, we will highlight the biological properties of the fruits extracts of Arecaceae, Caryocaraceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Sapindaceae, and Solanaceae’s families due to their significant biological actions. This review presents the antioxidant, glycemic control, and neuroprotective activities from ten fruit extracts distributed in six botanical families in the Amazon region. We obtained 801 publications (described from 2010 to 2020), of which 64 articles were selected by the benchmark previously chosen. The antioxidant effect was the dominant effect observed in the studies used for this review, followed by glycemic control and protective actions in neurons. This review provides a synopsis of the recent literature exploring the extracts from native fruits to the Amazon region that could efficiently prevent pathologies associated with oxidative stress, and cellular maintenance mechanisms.