Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida): A high-value crop suitable for the cold desert of Himachal Pradesh, India
Get PDFAsafoetida (Ferula asafoetida) also known as heeng, Devil’s drug, ferula, food of Gods, incense of Devil, stinking gum is an important spice crop belonging to family Apiaceae. It is native to Iran and Afghanistan. Its dried latex (gum oleoresin) is generally used for flavouring curries, sauces, and pickles. Therapeutically, it stimulates the intestinal and respiratory tracts as well as the nervous system. It is beneficial in asthma, whooping cough, and chronic bronchitis. Its essential oil is also used in medicines, food and cosmetic industries. Besides, it is also used as an alternative for pesticides in organic farming. The major constituents of asafoetida are the resin (40–64%), gum (25%) and essential oil (10–17%). The butyl propenyl disulphide is responsible for the aroma of asafoetida. The asaresinotannol is the major constituent present in the resin. It can be grown on unproductive cold deserts of dry temperate areas of Himalayas. It is mainly propagated by seeds. The seeds are sown either in winters or spring. It becomes ready for harvesting after 5 years of planting and yields around 900g per plant. The oleo gum resin and essential oil derived from this plant are sold at premium prices in the international market. The small and marginal farmers of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba can benefit from this new emerging crop
Modelling the Hydration kinetics of kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in sodium salts using Response surface methodology
Get PDFThe present work investigated the effect of salt solutions of sodium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate on the water uptake by kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) at different temperatures (30, 45 and 60 0C). Thirty-five soaking solutions were prepared using NaCl and NaHCO3 to find the optimum soaking treatment and time to maximise the hydration. Hydration kinetics of kidney beans was studied in different concentrations of the salt solutions and at different temperatures by the method of weight gain until equilibrium conditions were attained. Response surface methodology was used to design the experiments and to optimize the levels for minimum soaking time and to maximize the hydration. The soaking solutions affected the mass transfer in both seed coat and cotyledon, demonstrating changes on both proteins and polysaccharides. Increasing the temperature from 30 to 60 0 C in sodium chloride solution and sodium bicarbonate solution (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% concentration) decreased the soaking time from >225min and 225 min to 82.5 min and 73.5 min respectively to achieve around 80% hydration. Beans soaked in sodium bicarbonate solution exhibited higher hydration rates than in distilled water followed by sodium chloride solution at the same salt concentration. Soaking for about three hours at 300C resulted in maximum hydration. The optimum soaking treatment was found to be in a salt solution containing 1.10% NaCl and 0.92% NaHCO3 at 300C which resulted in a soaking time of 193.45 min. This work demonstrated a simple and non-tedious approach for enhancing the hydration process of grains.
 
The Assessment of land use land cover and carbon sequestration in forests of Joida Taluk of Uttar Kannada district using Remote sensing technique
No full textThe study was conducted in Joida Taluk of Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka to assess the land use land cover (LULC) and carbon sequestration of the forest during the year 2019-20. The ground truth data for different LULC was collected using GPS, and data was used for classification of IRS LISS 4 data using maximum likelihood classifier in ERDAS imagine software. The sample plots of 23.2 m X 23.2 m were laid out randomly in forests and growth parameters (tree height and diameter) were recorded, and biomass was estimated using the standard formula. There are eight LULC classes’ viz., dense forest, moderately dense forest, open/sparse forest, scrub forest, agriculture, settlement, horticulture plantation and waterbody. The overall accuracy of the classification was 97.09%. The total biomass in Joida Taluk from four forest classes (dense forest, moderately dense forest, open/sparse forest and scrub forest) was 44.16 million m3 and carbon sequestered was 15.57 million tonnes. The NDVI values ranging from -0.23 to 0.74, indicating a higher value for dense forest. Based on this study, it is concluded that forests have potential in carbon sequestration, which in turn helps in mitigating the climate change
Efficacy of Withania somnifera on lipid profile of endosulfan induced toxicity in Swiss albino mice
Get PDFIndia is an agrarian country with crops cultivated at a huge scale. Pesticides in recent times have caused serious health hazards in the population which are widely used by the farmers for the better yield of crops. Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide, which is widely used by the farmers. But, in the present times, it has caused serious health hazards in the exposed population causing various diseases, including cancer. Hence, the present study on animal aims to observe the protective effect of Withania somnifera against endosulfan induced toxicity in Swiss albino mice. Endosulfan at the dose of 3mg/Kg body weight per day was administered orally to Swiss albino mice for 4 weeks. Then after, W. somnifera at the dose of 1000 mg/Kg b.w. was orally administered for 4 weeks. Mice were sacrificed after the completion of the entire treatment. After dissection, the blood samples were collected for biochemical assay, especially for lipid profile analysis. The lipid profile study showed inclination in the Total cholesterol level (117±6.686 mg/dl), Cholesterol (LDL) (78.83±4.151mg/dl), level and Triglycerides level (60.83±2.613mg/dl), while declination in Cholesterol (HDL) (13.50±1.33mg/dl), level after Endosulfan exposure. But, upon W. somnifera treatment to the endosulfan treated group showed significant (p<0.001) normalisation in the lipid profile levels. Therefore, it was concluded that W. somnifera played a vital role to control the endosulfan induced toxicity
Application of Electro kinetic technique to remediate fly ash for its sustainable use
Get PDFFly ash is a by-product of coal combustion in thermal power plants which is classified as hazardous waste and a serious threat to environment. The study was conducted to determine the potential and examine the efficacy of electro kinetic technique (EKT) using variables like pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), e concentration of chlorides (Cl-), sodium (Na+),magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), ammonia (NH3+) and calcium (Ca2+) on fly ash as a low-cost treatment for enhancing the use of fly ash in a more sustainable manner. The probability of removing heavy metals and chlorides from fly ash suspended in water using electro dialysis was studied as they are highly dependent on pH and conductivity of the fly ash. The voltage gradient and duration indicated significant effect in the change of pH values showing a range from 4.6 to 7.7 at cathode and anode respectively, while the Total dissolves solids (TDS) varying from 72.33±5.6 to 146±5.4 showed the enhanced availability of ions post electro dialysis. In terms of chlorides, Cl- the content was observed to be 265.06 mg/l which was high enough to cause corrosion problems in later stages of reuse of fly ash. The concentration of cations like Na+, K+, NH3+, Mg2+, Ca2+ were observed to be notably influenced by the duration of study and pH in electro dialysis. The experimental results of the study showed that the proposed technique based on the fundamentals of electro kinetics and dialysis could efficiently improve the remediation process which would remove metals by converting them to available form in fly ash
Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus
Get PDFCymbopogon species from the Poaceae family are widely distributed in the Himalayan region of India and commonly used as flavors, fragrances, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. It is known to contain compound citral, which give the lemon scent to many of the plants of the cymbopogon genera. The essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus has high polyphenolic content which is responsible for antioxidant properties. Beside citral is also used for the synthesis of vitamin B and Ionones. The bioactive potential of Lemongrass and constituent are rapidly increasing which is reflected from growing number of reports being published. The present study was to know the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of essential oil of C. flexuosus from Uttarakhand. The essential oils of Cymbopogon collected in the region of Uttarakhand were obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves and analyzed for chemical composition by GC/MS. The antioxidant activity of essential oils at different concentrations was determined against DPPH radical activity and vitamin C as the standard antioxidant compound. The IC50 value and percentage of DPPH inhibition were recorded. Twenty-five compounds were identified in essential oil extracted from leaves representing 93.15% of the oil composition. The yield of essential oil of Cymbopogon was 0.6 + 0.1 %and the major compound in the essential oil was citral (a racemic mixture of two isoforms geranial and nearl) followed by heptenone(1.98%) , linalool(1.65%), geraniol (1.47%), ?-caryophyllene (1.14% ) , limonene (0.92%), nearl acetate (0.82%), citronellal(0.44 %) and citronellol (0.22%). Radical scavenging capacity (Inhibition, %) of the C. flexuosus essential oil was high (78.19+1.11) at the concentration level of 150 ?g/ml and IC50 value of the essential oil was 43.67?g/ml. The data of this study encourages to consider the essential oil of C. flexuosus as a source of bioactive compounds which may add great industrial value to this crop
Improvement in seed germination by priming treatments in Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.)
Get PDFThe seeds must be viable and non-dormant for the efficient cultivation of the species of medicinal plants. The seeds of Solanum nigrum possess primary dormancy, which restricts germination. Hence, a laboratory experiment was conducted during 2019 in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The S. nigrum seeds were primed by soaking in different chemicals viz.,GA3 100ppm, Thiourea1%, KNO3 0.5%, Succinic acid 100 ppm, Ascorbic acid 100 ppm, hydro and dry control with soaking durations of 12h and seeds were dried under shade to bring back to their original moisture content and used for assessing the seed quality studies. The results revealed that among the different priming treatments Thiourea 1% recorded higher seed quality parameters viz, speed of germination (5.6), germination (88 %), seedling length (5.92 cm) and vigour index (520) and the enzyme activity of dehydrogenase (0.072 OD value) and lower values of electrical conductivity( 0.027 dsm-1), amino acids (0.119 ?gg-1 ) and sugars ( 0.175 ?gg-1 ). Hence it could be recommended as pre-sowingg seed priming treatment in S. nigrum
Comparison of quality of anardana (dried arils) prepared in mechanical cabinet and solar tunnel drier from wild pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits procured from different locations of Himachal Pradesh, India
Get PDFThe dried arils (anardana) prepared from wild pomegranate fruits (Punica granatum L.) are widely used as an acidulant in culinary purposes and in formulations of various ayurvedic medicines which are helpful in curing a number of ailments. As there is a wide variation among the quality of fruits which is due to geographic conditions, climatic factors and genetic variability so anardana was prepared from the fruits of different locations under different drying modes. The prepared product was further compared for its physico-chemical, antioxidant and sensory characteristics. Anardana prepared under mechanical cabinet drier and solar tunnel drier was comparable in terms of its various quality characteristics. While comparing the locations for the procurement of raw material, best quality anardana in terms of various quality attributes like colour, TSS [(total soluble solids) (40.35 oB)], total sugars (26.15 %), anthocyanins (37.97 mg/100 g), total phenols (176.46 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (39.45 mg QuE/100 g), antioxidant activity (59.53 %), starch (2.87 %) and sensory characteristics was prepared from the fruits of Karsog location (1265 meters above mean sea level) of Himachal Pradesh, India
Effect of organic manures on growth, yield and quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa L)
Get PDFThe use of organic manures in the agricultural plays a vital role in improving the quality of turmeric as well as improving the soil health. Turmeric is having a close relation with human health; hence demand of organically grown turmeric is increasing tremendously. A field trial was conducted to study the effect of different organic manures (generally recommended fertilizer dose, farmyard manure, vermicompost, press mud compost, poultry manure, sugarcane trash, wheat straw, turmeric trash and jeevamrut ) on the yield and curcumin content of turmeric Cv. Phule Swarupa on Inceptisol at Agricultural Research Station, Dist-Sangli, Maharashtra, India. The trial was conducted on the fixed site of soil for the continuous of five years (2009-2013). The maximum dry yield (62.42 q ha-1) of the turmeric was recorded by application of the general recommended dose of fertilizer (GRDF) i. e. 25 MT FYM + 200:100:100 kg N:P2O5:K2O ha-1 which was at par with the vermicompost (11.36 T ha-1). The highest number of leaves per tiller and number of tillers per plant, plant height and curcumin content was recorded in the GRDF, which was at par with vermicompost. The highest benefit: cost ratio (1.59) was also noticed in GRDF, which was at par with the application of vermicompost (1.54) on a nitrogen basis. The soil available nutrient status was taken into consideration during experimentation. The application of vermicompost (11.36 T ha-1) along with Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria and Azospirillium @ 5 kg ha-1, respectively at the time of planting was found superior for higher dry yield (55.45 q ha-1), net monetary returns (Rs. 137035) and maintenance of soil fertility for organic cultivation of turmeric
Diagnostic SWOT appraisal of the wicker handicraft entrepreneurship development in Kashmir, India
Get PDFCritical analyses of the perceptions on SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) have become a fundamental element of multi-criteria decision making for developing wicker handicraft entrepreneurship. The study examined the effectiveness and prioritization of entrepreneur\u27s perceptions towards SWOT categories and factors and provided insights for developing wicker handicraft entrepreneurship in Pulwama district of Kashmir. Data were collected through structured interviews and focus group discussions of 100 wicker handicraft entrepreneurs of 20 villages selected by multi-stage random sampling. Simple descriptive statistics were used for the data analysis. Results showed that the factors like income generation (19.30%) and employment generation (19.00%) were viewed as most important strengths while labour intensive and less remunerative livelihood (18.80%) and seasonal subsistence (18.70%) were identified as main weaknesses. Further, poverty alleviation (20.70%), preservation of traditional art craft (19.00%) and improvement in public-private relations (17.50%) were adjudged as strong opportunities whereas limited marketing facilities (20.70%), lack of co-operative societies (18.90%) and harassment by officials in withies collection (16.50%) were seen as chief threats. The challenges (weaknesses and threats) (50.40%) for wicker handicraft entrepreneurship outweighed the prospects (strengths and opportunities) (49.60%) while the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) (54.80%) prevailed over the external factors (opportunities and threats) (54.20%). F statistics (p<0.05) indicated significant differences between the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats). The results projected the basis to the policymakers to prioritize and address the prominent challenges and reinforce the prospects for conceptualizing, formulating and implementing the strategies for strengthening the wicker handicraft entrepreneurship