Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Production and characterization of bacterial cellulose utilizing Iraqi vinegar’s mother pellicles
Get PDFBacterial cellulose is an exopolymer prepared of α-1, 4 D glucopyranose units, created by several bacteria belonging to several genera, available in a multitude of implementations because of its greater chemical, mechanical and thermal characteristics combined with good biocompatibility and biodegradability. This present study aimed to produce low-cost, environmentally friendly Bacterial cellulose utilizing Iraqi vinegar’s mother pellicle (BCIVMP) and to study its properties. Bacterial cellulose was purified by using 0.1M NaOH and distilled water to study the properties. The chemical composition, crystallinity, particle size and surface shapes were studied using various devices. Ultraviolet -Visible Spectroscopy (UV Vis spectra) showed the optical transmission of bacterial cellulose. The mean values observed for bacterial cellulose were 273 and 542 nm. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of the following functional groups –C–O and/or –C–C–, –C–O–C and/or –C–C–O and–O–H in the bacterial cellulose. The BCIVMP surface was examined by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At low amplification, the BCIVMP showed an extremely spongy construction with different levels of pore size. At higher amplification, both small and large clustered nanocrystals were seen. The average diameter was 17-29 nm. Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) analysis was performed to confirm the presence of the elements belonging to the functional groups present in the structure of bacterial cellulose. X-ray diffraction (XRD) diffractogram of (BCIVMP) showed the sample\u27s high crystallinity due to the narrow double peak. The crystallinity index of(BCIVMP was found to be 91.5%. The study concluded that bacterial cellulose production from the Iraqi vinegar’s mother pellicles is eco-friendly, recyclable, and inoffensive to humans.
Assessment of On-going tectonic deformation in the Goriganga River Basin, Eastern Kumaon Himalaya Using Geospatial Technology
Get PDFThe Goriganga river basin lies in the Northeast Kumaon Himalaya and is found suitable for assessing active tectonics at different scales. In addition, this study focuses on the assessment of ongoing tectonic activity through morphotectonic measurement of the Goriganga river basin, which is an ideal location for such analysis and Goriganga river basin transects with three major domains of Himalaya’s lithotectonic structures viz., Tethys, Vaikrita, and Lesser Himalayan Domain. To realize this task, the ASTER Digital Elevation Model was used and found suitable to extract different morphotectonic indices such as Stream Length Gradient (SL), Hypsometric Integral (HI), Length of Overland Flow (Lg), Drainage Density (Dd) and Channel Sinuosity (Cs). Results of these important indices, including SL (18- 4737) HI (0.26- 0.57), and Lg (0.08- 0.19) depict greater variability in the tectonics activity while these values are correspondingly high in the close proximity of lithotectonic units, showing strong tectonic activity. In the extreme south, the Rauntis Gad basin strongly influences tectonism due to transecting syncline and anticline as well as unknown active faults.
Human leukocyte antigen-DRB1 ( HLA-DRB1) serum level act as a protective gene among acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus patients
Get PDFExtremely diverse human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes may contribute in special ways to the immune system\u27s defense against CoV-2 infection caused by SARS. In the present investigation, the human leukocyte antigen was measured levels in the serum (HLA-DRB1). The severity of infection among acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus patients was compared with healthy controls. This case-control study was conducted on 180 acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus patients, including 40 cases of severe corona patients without pneumonia, 40 cases of severe corona patients with pneumonia, 40 cases of non-severe corona patients without pneumonia, 40 cases of non-severe corona patients with pneumonia and 20 cases healthy controls. HLA-DRB1 was identified among four cases and compared to healthy controls. The patients with SARS-CoV-2 had a reduced frequency of HLA-DRB1 when the results using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis were compared. The serum concentration for HLA-DRB1 through individuals with respiratory distress symptoms brought on by viral, and bacterial infections decreased, falling to 38.88 ng/L in severe corona patients without pneumonia, 34.35 ng/L in severe corona patients with pneumonia cases, 46.20 ng/L in non-severe corona patients without pneumonia cases, 51.13 ng/L in non-severe corona patients with pneumonia cases, and 59.95 ng/L in healthy controls ( P ≤0.02). HLA-DRB1 was also found at a reduced frequency in all acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus antibody-positive patients compared to controls. The SARS CoV-2 illness and HLA-DRB1 were related and may have protective properties in acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection. In addition, DRB1 was associated with protection from SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial infection.
Human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) serum level as an indicator of severity among acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus patients
Get PDFOne of the respiratory viruses with the highest rate of dissemination, the coronavirus, sparked a global pandemic that claimed the lives of roughly six million people. As a result, various vaccinations and medications to lessen disease severity and hasten patient recovery were developed quickly. The purpose of this study was for coronavirus patients with acute lung distress to have their serum levels measured and compared to healthy controls. One hundred eighty blood samples from respiratory infections syndrome coronavirus patients between the ages of (13-80) were included in this case-control research. Results showed that human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) serum concentrations were measured in patient groups compared to healthy groups. Patients with acute lung symptoms of coronavirus had higher serum levels of HLA-C, and the outcomes were contrasted using the Kruskal-Wallis. Upon testing, it was discovered that their serum levels for HLA-C showed a significant difference (P< 0.05). There were▫severe corona patients without pneumonia having a level of 40.03 ng/ml, severe corona patients with pneumonia having a level of 47.93ng/ml, non-severe corona patients without pneumonia having a level of 46.83 ng/ml, non-severe corona patients with pneumonia cases having a level of 61.15 ng/ml and with controls having a level of 17.65 ng/ml, (P ≤0.001). An increase in HLA-C serum level led to contribute to the immune storm that changes immunoregulatory▫such as including reducing the number ofˑallogeneic made by mixing lymphocyteˌcultures, death of the natural killer cell and CD8+ˌT lymphocytes, and inhibition of alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) activity
Development of bioformulations using plant extracts for the control of dengue vector, Aedes aegypti
Get PDFDengue fever is a life-threatening illness in humans caused by the dengue virus belonging to Flaviviridae, affecting mainly in tropical and subtropical countries. The spread of this disease is through the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. Development of biodegradable, environmentally safe, low-cost larvicides is essential to overcome the resurgence effects of chemical insecticides. The present study included the development of bioformulations from larvicidal polar solvent extracts of the plant leaves. The solvents used for the extractions were ethyl acetate for Aloe vera (A), ethanol for Carica papaya (B), and methanol for Parthenium hysterophorous (C). Bioformulations in different combinations like A, B, C, A+B, B+C, C+A, and A+B+C with the concentrations of 50ppm, 100ppm, 150ppm, 200ppm, 250ppm and 300ppm were tested against the IVth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and the results were recorded for every 24h 48h and 72h . The bioformulation extracts B+C (300ppm) showed 90 percent mortality of larvae after 72 h of treatment. It was concluded that the larvae\u27s mortality was caused by the presence of bioactive compounds of B+C extracts. This formulation can be considered an effective biopesticide for the dengue vector Ae. aegypti IVth instar larvae
Mitochondrial genetic homogeneity of South American leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Tamil Nadu, India
Get PDFThe South American leafminer, Tuta absoluta is an exotic devastative pest on solanaceous vegetables, including tomatoes, which leads to a cent per cent economic loss in India. The molecular markers assist in assessing gene flow, migratory frequencies, and genetic variety, as well as helping to evaluate the genetic makeup and diversification of an exotic species population to indigenous ones. With this, the present study aimed to investigate the genetic divergence of T. absoluta in different districts of Tamil Nadu, India. The study depicted the examination of genetic divergence of T. absoluta by aiding amplified region of mitochondrial DNA encoding cytochrome oxidase I (COI) from the T. absoluta samples gathered from Coimbatore, Dharmapuri and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu. The findings showed that the phylogenetic tree constructed from all sequences of T. absoluta acquired from the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) and BOLD (The Barcode of Life Data System) databases exhibited 99 percent identity and aggregated together into a single clade. . 5Hence, the present study revealed the great genetic uniformity in T. absoluta populations in India and corroborates that most of the globe rely on the partial COI gene, evidenced by minimal nucleotide diversity
Method validation and monitoring of emamectin benzoate in mature banana fruit with peel and pulp through Liquid chromatography-Mass spectrometry/ Mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
Get PDFEmamectin benzoate has been frequently used in the banana ecosystem to combat the damage of pseudostem weevil. Therefore, the present study was conducted to validate the method, to assess harvest time residues and monitor emamectin benzoate residues in mature banana peel and pulp samples through LC-MS/MS. The validated method was used to determine emamectin benzoate residue in market banana samples. The study used Waters Alliance LC and Acquity TQD with an electrospray ionization interface in the positive ion mode. An isocratic flow of 0.1% formic acid (HCOOH) in water and 0.1% HCOOH in acetonitrile (CH3CN) was utilised for separation. CH3CN was utilised to extract emamectin benzoate residue from the samples, and a dispersive solid-phase extraction technique was used for subsequent cleanup. Linearity tests were performed with standard solutions containing 0.01 to 0.1 g mL-1, with three replicates for each concentration. For mature banana peel & pulp and mature banana pulp matrices, satisfactory recoveries of 79.85 to 95.09% and 89.20 to 100.94%, respectively and high precision relative standard deviations of 0.56 to 2.34% and 2.33 to 6.88%, respectively were obtained. For mature banana (peel and pulp, pulp alone) fruits, the lower detection and quantification limits were (0.003, 0.008), and (0.002, 0.007). The validated approach was utilised to analyse mature banana fruit samples obtained from emamectin benzoate treated fields and banana samples purchased from the local market. Results showed satisfactory validation of parameters like linearity, the limit of detection and quantification, and recovery for determining emamectin benzoate residues in banana fruit
Optimization of hydrothermal-assisted alkali process for enhanced xylan recovery from banana fiber biomass
Get PDFBanana fiber is a rich lignocellulosic biomass source that has not been widely explored. The hemicellulose components (15 - 20 %) of banana fiber can be a feedstock for producing high-value commodity chemicals. Hemicellulose is extracted by physical, chemical, and biological methods, in which combining hydrothermal treatment with alkaline mode of extraction provides an enhanced recovery percentage. Thus, the present study aimed to optimize the hydrothermal-assisted alkaline method of xylan extraction from the banana fiber biomass. Initially, xylan was extracted with a conventional-based alkali method. A maximum of about 43 and 35 % was recovered from pretreated and raw banana fiber at 12% NaOH concentration when incubated at 55 °C for 24 h. To improve the xylan yield, the hydrothermal assisted alkali method experimented in which 67.1% and 58.3 % of xylan were recovered when treated at 121 °C for 1 h at 12% NaOH. To further enhance the xylan recovery, a two-step alkali process by combining conventional and hydrothermal-assisted alkali methods resulted in the highest xylan (81%) recovery from pretreated banana fiber when incubated with 12 % alkali for 8 h followed by steam treatment. On the other hand, a maximum of 73 % of xylan was recovered when steam treated after incubation for 24 h from raw banana fiber. Thus, the alkali incubation followed by steam treatment significantly showed the highest xylan recovery from the banana fiber biomass. The extracted xylan might be utilized as a source for various xylan-based products, including furfural, xylooligosaccharides, xylose, and xylitol, all of which have significant roles in the pharmaceutical and food industries
Enhacment of biomass, carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins content using co-culture of Glagah consortium and Lipomyces starkeyi
Get PDFMicroorganisms have a high potential as biofuel sources. Co-culture of microalgae and yeasts can result in high lipid production as a modification treatment. The goal of this study was to see how the co-culture of the Glagah consortium (diversity of associated microalgae and bacteria from Glagah Lagoon, Yogyakarta) and Lipomyces starkeyi affected the production of biomass, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. The culture was performed under airtight conditions on a shaker at 127 rpm, with a light intensity of 27.75 mol/m2/s and a temperature of 30°C. The culture was subjected to a dark: light (6:18) treatment. Biomass was measured by dry weight, lipids by the Bligh and Dyer method, proteins by the Bradford method and carbohydrates by the phenol-sulfuric acid method. On day 3, L. starkey culture produced the most biomass, yielding 2.21 g/L with a productivity of 0.49 g/L/day. On day 4, the highest lipids produced from co-culture treatment yielded 1.03 g/g with a productivity of 0.21 g/L/day. The highest protein yield was obtained from L. starkeyi culture treatment on day 4, yielding 0.60 g/g with a productivity of 0.12 g/L/day. On day 6, co-culture produced the total carbohydrates, yielding 4.78 g/g with a productivity of 0.68 g/L/day. The co-culture treatment produced the highest lipids and carbohydrates production (1.03 g/g and 4.78 g/g) and productivity (0.21 g/L/day and 0.68 g/L/day), while L. starkeyi culture produced the highest total biomass and protein production (2.21 g/L and 0.6 g/g) and productivity (0.49 g\L\day and 0.12 g/L/day). In microalgae culture, CO2 generally given directly through the aeration process. In this study, the source of CO2 was yeast, whereas yeast also obtained O2 from microalgae in the consortium for their metabolic process. This mutualism symbiosis will help in providing benefits in reducing the costs for the cultivation process, especially in optimizing the production of biomass an lipids.
Impact of alternate wetting and drying irrigation and brown manuring on water use, weed control and yield of drum seeded rice
Get PDFDirect-seeded rice (DSR) is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of crop establishment. Weed menaces in DSR considerably reduce the yield potential, which can be addressed by effective irrigation and weed management practices. Information on the impact of various water-saving irrigations and brown manure (BM) on water use, weed studies, and the yield of drum-sown rice is very limited. A field investigation was conducted to determine the effects of alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWDI) methods (10 cm, 15 cm dropped from FWT and farmers practices) and BM (Sesbania at 15, 20 and 25 kg ha-1, Pretilachlor 0.45 kg ha-1 as PE fbBispyribac Na 25 g ha-1 as PoE + hand weeding (HW) on 45 DAS, HW at 20 and 45 DAS, and weedy check. The results revealed that AWDI at 15 cm depletion of FWT with HW on 20 and 45 DAS increased the water use efficiency (5.3 kg ha mm-1), water productivity (0.53 kg m-3), water saving percentage (35.83%), and reduced the water consumption (770 mm). Continuous submergence with HW at 20 and 45 DAS significantly increased grain (4.4 t ha-1) and straw yield (6.5 t ha-1). At the same time, it reduced the grasses (53.3 and 58.4%) and sedges (76 and 75%), density and dry weight, respectively, over AWDI at 10 cm dropped from FWT. Thus, irrigation at 10 cm below FWT with sesbania BM at 20 kg ha-1 could be recommended for higher productivity of drum-sown rice under sodic soil conditions