Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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A review on scientific technologies in practice to innovate plant based molecules and to improve herbal drug quality to overcome health problems
Get PDFMedicines obtained from drug plants and other sources are commonly called traditional medicines. They have played an important role in the treatment of several human diseases since ancient times. India possessed a great wealth of traditional health care system known as Ayurveda related to the use of plant species. The global market of herbal drugs has a great potential around the world. Demand of plant based medicines is also increasing among western countries because of a general consideration that most allopathic drugs are associated with more or less side effects. Many pharmaceutical companies are now manufacturing Ayurvedic phytopharmaceutical products. However, enough efforts have not been made to get suitable substitute of modern allopathic medicines from these traditionally used drug plants and herbal drugs. This traditional system of healthcare in India still needs extensive evidence-based scientific researches in promoting its therapies. This review paper deals with modern scientific approaches to find out new plant based molecules and to develop new technologies in a continuous process and should be applied in the practice to improve the quality of herbal drugs in Indian pharmaceutical industries. Critical assessment of quality assurance including researches on pharmacognosy, chemistry, pharmacology, antimicrobial activity and clinical studies carried out on various Ayurvedic medicinal plants are also being presented
Response of Strawberry plant (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma viride
Get PDFThe present paper represents the positive role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi as biofertilizers in strawberry. Experiments were carried out to assess the effectiveness of Trichoderma viride and AM fungi (Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora laevis) alone or in combination, on the growth and biomass production of strawberry. After 120 days, dual inoculation of A. laevis + T. viride showed maximum increase in plant height (30.5±0.3), fresh shoot weight (10.16±0.20), dry shoot weight (2.82±0.02), fresh root weight (6.70±0.10), total chlorophyll (0.841±0.05) and phosphorus content in root (1.13±0.02) as compared to control. However root colonization and AM spore number were maximum in G. mosseae + A. lavies (90.76±1.32) and in G. mosseae (211.16±2.56) respectively as compared to uninoculated plants. Triple inoculation of G. mosseae + A. laevis + T. viride (12.33± 057) was effective in increasing the leaf area
Two new black mildews from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India
Get PDFThis paper gives an account of two new black mildews, namely, Asterina prataparajii and Meliola mahamulkarii, infected the leaves of Tylophora dalzelli and Osyris arborea, respectively, were found new and are described and illustrated here in detail
Redescription of Steinernema scapterisci Nguyen and Smart, 1990: (Steinernematidae)
Get PDFPresent communication deals with redescription of the insect parasitic nematode, Steinernema scapterisci Nguyen and Smart, 1990, collected from the mole cricket, Gryllotalpa africana at Khurja, district (U.P.). The original description suffers from some morphological variations in the testis, tail and vulvular region
Parental combining ability as a good predictor of productive crosses in sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]
Get PDFThe exploitation of heterosis through the development and deployment of hybrids for commercial cultivation is one of the effective approaches for genetic enhancement of crop plants for traits of economic importance. Developing an objective criterion of choosing the parents for developing and testing hybrids is essential for maximizing the success of heterosis breeding. A set of 18 crosses produced from parents differing in their gca effects for bio-energy traits such as millable cane yield, juice volume and juice sugar content (as indicated by Brix %) were evaluated in replicated trial in the experimental plots of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore during 2006-07. The utility of parental general combining ability for producing high frequency of superior crosses for a set of bio-energy traits in sweet sorghum was investigated. The study suggested that parents with contrasting gca effects produce crosses with higher sca and heterotic potential for the bio-energy traits. The use of female parents with higher gca effects is important for realizing greater probability of crosses with sca effects and heterosis in desirable direction for bio-energy traits
Effect of phenolic compounds on nematodes- A review
Get PDFThe term, phenolics has been used to describe a group of structurally diverse plant secondary metabolites. This group includes metabolites derived from the condensation of acetate units (terpenoids), those produced by the modification of aromatic amino acids (phenylpropanoids, cinnamic acid, lignin precursor, catechols and coumarins), flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and tannins. The occurrence and metabolism of phenolic substances in plants, in response to injury or invasion by pathogens, such as fungi, bacteria and viruses have already been studied. Oxidised compounds produced in plants after invasion by pathogens often show considerable biological activity and are a common mechanism of resistance to plant pathogens. The present review gives information regarding the effects of different phenolic compounds on nematode system. It is found that these compounds are involved in plant defense and hence provide resistance against nematode attack
Copper sulphate induced changes in scaphognathite oscillations and oxygen consumption of fresh water prawn, Macrobrachium lamarrei (Crustacea- Decapoda)
Get PDFFresh water prawns, Macrobrachium lamarrei were subjected to acute concentration, 0.304 mg/l (96h LC50) of Copper sulphate to evaluate its effects on scaphognathite oscillations and oxygen consumption rate. Scaphognathite oscillations showed initial increase after 24h, thereafter significantly (t = 9.24; P<0.001) decreased up to 72h and finally tend to increase after 96h but remained below the controls where as oxygen consumption showed continuous decreasing trend through out the experiment up to 96h (t = 16.53; P<0.001) than control ones. Possible interaction of copper in relation to respiration of these economically important crustaceans has been discussed
X-ray structure and activity analysis of 3-bromomethyl -2-chloro-quinoline
Get PDFThe structure of 3-bromomethyl-2-chloro-quinoline crystallizes in the triclinic crystal space group P‘1 with unit cell parameters a=6.587(2), b=7.278(3), c=10.442(3) Å, a= 83.59(3)°, b= 75.42(2)°, g= 77.39(3)°, Z= 2, V= 471.9(3)Å3. The structure has converged to a final R-value of 0.0734. The phenyl Ring-B has normal geometry while the pyridine Ring-A has slightly distorted conformation. The asymmetry parameter calculations, i.e., DC2 and DCs for the pyridine ring indicates that the structure is planar. There exists one intramolecular hydrogen bonded interaction of the type C-H…Cl and one C-H…N intermolecular interaction. The structure is stabilized by Van der Waals forces
Behavioural shift of estuarine mudcrab as biomarker of arsenic exposure in Sundarbans estuary of West Bengal
Get PDFMudcrab Scylla serrata (Crustacea: Decapoda) in an ecologically and economically important species of Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve was studied for its behaviour under the exposure of toxic arsenic - a common xenobiotic of this area. The behavioural profile of aquatic animals exposed to diverse toxicants are considered as an index to estimate the degree and nature of stress experienced by the animals both in nature and in experimental conditions. Present investigation involved study of selected behavioural shift of S. serrata under the sublethalconcentrations of 1, 2 and 3 ppm of sodium arsenite for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days in controlled laboratory condition. Exposure to arsenic resulted an appearance of selected abnormal behavioural manifestation including tendency of avoidance, hypersecretion of mucoid element and release of excess excretory products. Toxin induced alteration of studied behaviour is indicative to possible shift in the overall physiological functions and biological activities of this important species in its natural habitat. Chronic exposure to 3 ppm of sodium arsenite for 30 days may lead to decline this economically important species in Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve
Biosorption technology for removal of metallic pollutants-An overview
Get PDFThe main sources of metallic pollutants to the environment are the diffuse sources such as forests and agricultural soils as well as industrial and municipal wastes, which are either discharged directly or transported in to the environment. Various conventional technologies such as chemical precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange, membrane separation, electrochemical treatment etc. have been employed to remove metal pollutants from aqueous solution. The exploration of new technologies involves the removal of toxic metals from wastewater with the use of biological adsorption technology. The biosorption is the selective appropriate process for removal of metal ions uptake that may involve the contribution of diffusion, adsorption, chelation, complexation, coordination, or micro-precipitation mechanisms, depending on the specific substrate (biomass). In this overview, the use of the various low cost, easily available and eco-friendly biosorbents used for removal of metallic pollutants from contaminated water and their mechanism are discussed