Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Buffalo colostrum- A novel substitute of human serum for the cultivation of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro
Get PDFIn vitro cultivation of erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum requires supplementing the culture medium with human serum. The present study was carried out to explore an alternative to human serum. Different human serum samples were found to vary considerably in their ability to support the growth of erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum in vitro. These results strongly suggested the use of pooled human serum for comparing the growth of parasites in medium augmented with other supplements. Parasites could multiply for a few cycles only in RPMI (Roswell Park Memorial Institute) medium supplemented with serum obtained from pig, goat, sheep or buffalo. Continued cultivation could not be achieved using any one of these animal sera. Ability of bovine colostrum was investigated as an alternative to human serum. Buffalo colostrum, 10%(v/v) \u27suitably prepared\u27 supported the continuous growth and multiplication of P. falciparum . Morphologically both asexual and sexual stages appeared normal and healthy, but the multiplication rate of parasites grown in colostrum augmented medium was found to be lower than that in serum-supplemented medium. The one month of uninterrupted cultivation of P. falciparum registered 106 fold increase in parasite density compared to 1010 fold multiplication recorded in control culture with 10% serum supplement. Cow colostrum failed to support the growth and multiplication of parasites beyond 6 days in culture. The initial positive results with buffalo colostrum hold promise and should be explored further as a potential substitute for human serum for continuous in vitro propagation of erythrocytic stages of the malignant malaria parasite
Ecological impact of heavy metals on aquatic environment with reference to fish and human health
Get PDFHeavy metals have a high density that is harmful even in low quantity. These metals enter aquatic habitats through various sources, home effluents, including industrial waste, atmospheric sources, and other metal-based businesses, as well as E-Waste. Heavy metal pollution is responsible for degenerating aquatic species, creating physical abnormalities in creatures and contaminating the aquatic environment. These poisonous heavy metals cause a variety of fish ailments like decrease in hatching rate, teratogenesis and bioaccumulation in the tissues etc. The contamination of heavy metals in aquatic bodies and ecosystems has a significant influence on the food chain. Because fish people consume fish, it has an indirect impact on their health. These heavy metals also have a higher impact on the environment because they remain for longer periods and have bio-accumulative capabilities, leading water health to deteriorate. This study offers insight into the disruption of fish and human physiology, their reproductive ability by heavy metals. This review provides baseline data on the heavy metals and aquatic environment, especially fish and human health. The data will increase sensitivity to preventing and managing aquatic environmental pollution, particularly heavy metal contamination
Dissipation kinetics, decontamination and dietary risk assessment of imidacloprid residue in bitter gourd and soil
Get PDFImidacloprid is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid class insecticide with systemic action, widely used on vegetables in India for the management of sucking insect pests. The overall pesticide usage profile in gourds growing districts of Tamil Nadu showed that imidacloprid as the most commonly used insecticide. The present study aimed to develop and validate an analytical approach for detecting imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid residues in bitter gourd fruit, juice and soil using LC-EI-MS (liquid chromatography coupled with electron ionization mass spectrometry) was undertaken. The persistence pattern, effect of household processing and risk assessment of imidacloprid on bitter gourd was studied by conducting field trials at single and double doses of 20 and 40 g a.i ha-1. Calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r2>0.99) with the concentrations (0.0025–0.5 µg mL-1) of imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid. The limit of detection and quantification of the method were 0.008 and 0.025 mg kg-1, respectively. Accuracy of imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid residue recovery was in the range of 88–101 per cent with RSD of less than six per cent in all the matrices of bitter gourd. Initial deposits of imidacloprid at 20 and 40 g a.i ha-1 were 0.68 and 1.25 mg kg-1 and the residues persisted up to 10 and 15 days with their respective half-lives of 2.51 and 3.13 days. Simple decontamination techniques showed 33 to 80 per cent reduction of residues in samples collected up to 10 days after treatment. The estimated RQ was less than one indicating the level of risk to the consumer is negligible
Ecological study of two gastropods species Melanoides turbuculata and Melanopsis preaemorsa from Euphrates river - Basrah, Iraq
Get PDFBiological and taxonomic studies of snails in the waters of Iraq\u27s desert have been enhanced through seasonal recording of them, and it is one of the means to follow their distribution and determine the density. Aiming to determine occurrence and density of two snails Melanoides tuberculata and Melanopsi preaemorsa, in two stations at the Euphrates river-Basrah, Governorate, in Al-Madina and Al-Qurna. Three replicates within each station were chosen for sample collection of these two species using the quadrate (25 × 25) cm. Many environmental factors including temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and organic material in sediment were measured, 5,330 samples were obtained from the stations. The highest annual density was recorded by snail M. turbuculata with 2,745 and 1,072 ind/m² in two stations respectively, while M. preaemorsa with 912 and 601 ind/m² in (St.1 and 2), respectively. The densities of snail M. turbuculata from 480 ind./m2, June 2019 at (St. 1) to 57 ind./m2 in December 2019. And in (St. 2) from 256 ind./m2 in May 2019 to 0 ind./m2 in August - December 2019. While snail species M. preaemorsa (Linnaeus, 1758) in (St. 1) from 128 ind./m2 in June and July to 0 ind./m2 in January-February, November-December 2019 and in (St. 2) from 144 ind./m2 in April to 0 ind./m2 in August-December 2019. The statistical analysis found significant differences in DO, temperatures, and snail density in two stations. This is the first study in the region on these two species in particular, and their abundance
Effect of copper, nickel and lead on callus growth dynamics of Solanum lycopersicum
Get PDFSolanum lycopersicum cv. (Punjab Kesar Cherry) (Tomato) belonging to family Solanaceae has been priced for the presence of lycopene, low sugar content and curative properties. However, the productivity of tomatoes has been observed to be low due to both biotic as well as abiotic stress. Considering the toxicity of copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) as environmental contamination and the economic importance of S. lycopersicum, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of these heavy metals on various growth parameters of callus cultures and plantlet regeneration. Callus induced through nodal segments was inoculated on Murashige and Skoog medium containing different concentrations (0 µM, 50 µM, 100 µM, 200 µM, 300 µM, 400 µM and 500 µM) of copper, lead and nickel. Decrease in different growth parameters was observed as 91.66-16.66 %, 76.38-11.11 %, 81.94-13.88 % for percent callus survival, 90.90-25 %, 72.72-37.50 %, 79.66-20 % for percent callus multiplication, 79.54-0 %, 82.75-33 %, 63.8-50 % for percent root regeneration and 73.33-33 %, 72.50-33 %, 79.6- 20 % for percent shoot generation with increasing concentrations of Cu, Pb and Ni, respectively. Decrease in the average fresh and dry weight of callus was observed for all the metals. The order of toxicity was observed as Pb > Ni > Cu at the highest concentrations used for treating S. lycopersicum. The present study revealed that all three metals induced stress in the studied plant and need attention to developing methods to mitigate the consequences of metal toxicity in crop plants.
Contribution to developing a new environmental risk management methodology for industrial sites
Get PDFA fundamental requirement of any environmental management system for industrial sites is the identification and assessment of risk. To meet international standards in terms of environmental protection and preservation, industrial sites should ensure that a comprehensive environmental risk management process is in place by systematically identifying and managing risks arising from internal and external factors. The purpose of this study was to develop a new methodology to determine the significance of environmental hazardous situations associated with a process or activity. It uses qualitative or quantitative techniques to pinpoint weaknesses in design, operation, and lines of defense provided by engineering and administrative controls, which can lead to an environmentally hazardous event. It may also provide an assessment of risk resulting from the magnitude of the consequence and the probability of the environmental event occurring. The fundamental principle of this new risk-based hazard methodology is that whilst risk cannot be eliminated, it should be possible to reduce to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable), and the environmental risk matrix could be a useful tool for establishing if an environmental risk rating is tolerable or not based on the likelihood and consequences. The outcome of this study is developing a new environmental risk matrix based on different consequences (health, environmental, reputation, and business interruption) with likelihood criteria. This matrix could be applied by industrial sites to identify and control their environmental risks
Biometrics analysis of the stem fibers of some local Algerian plant species
Get PDFStudying the biometric characteristics of the stems of plant species has been of great interest to researchers in the wood and paper industry. The use of plant fibers has been widespread in the fields of composites, buildings, insulation, plastics and automobiles. The present study aimed to investigate the biometric characteristics of the stem fibers of local Algerian plant species, viz. Group 1 (Lygeum spartum and Stipa tenacissima), Group 2 (Linum usitatissimum in the greenhouse and Linum usitatissimum in natural conditions), Group 3 (Retama monosperma and Retama raetam) and Group 4 (Phoenix dactylifera and Ricinus communis). The extraction process was carried out using 1 M NaOH at 60 °C for 48 hours, and the fiber length was calculated for all the species using a micrometer. The fiber length of stems of all the species ranged from 0.36 to 5.18 mm. Then, the difference between each of the two species was approximated using Student\u27s test. The results obtained showed that the t value ranged from 0.50 to 1.79 for Groups 4 and 1, respectively. There was no significant difference between them. These results suggest that these species are promising raw materials for paper production due to their adequate fibre length
Assessment and impact of alien species - Mimosa invisa L. on the biodiversity and pattern of vegetation at Dhoni hills, Western Ghats of Palakkad, Kerala-A case study
Get PDFMimosa invisa is a widely adapted weed from tropical America that has invaded the Dhoni hills of Palakkad District, Kerala. They were established as monocultures in grasslands, agricultural fields, plantations and forest areas of Palakkad, causing threats to other species. In this juncture, the present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Mimosa invisa on the natural biodiversity and floristic compositions of native species of Dhoni hills, Palakkad. Vegetation analysis was carried out using random-systematic design and gradient methods, including the importance value index, species richness, dominance index, diversity, similarity and dissimilarity index, using standard protocols, followed by soil parameters such as pH and nutrient content and phenols in the invaded and uninvaded areas. It was noticed that in the Mimosa invaded area, the mean species number and the α diversity declined by 32.10% and 41.21%, respectively. Similarly, fresh and dry plant weight displayed remarkable variation (decreased by 35.9 and 49.9%, respectively) in the intruded zones. Out of 135 species recorded, 63 species were common in the control and intruded zones. Eleven species were growing exclusively in the invaded areas. The total phenolic content was 45%, the ion conductivity was 32%, the % of organic carbon and organic matter was 51%, the nitrogen content was 55.7%, and the phosphorus, potassium and sodium contents were 48, 38.5 and 24.4%, respectively, in the invaded soil compared to the control. Similarly, the calcium, magnesium and chloride contents were increased by 38.4, 30.6 and 33.5% respectively. Hence, it could be concluded that the invasion of M. invisa drastically affected the productivity and diversity of the invaded areas in the Dhoni hills of Palakkad
Screening of plant growth-promoting Rhizobium tarimense from root nodules of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)
Get PDFPlant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are favourable bacteria that colonize the plant roots and enhance plant growth by direct and/or indirect mechanisms. This study aimed to screen rhizobial isolates of chickpea and evaluate their multiple plant growth-promoting traits. A total of twelve rhizobia-like-bacterial isolates were collected from the root nodules of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) from different regions of Madhya Pradesh, India, characterized by morphological, biochemical, and identified by the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Out of twelve, one rhizobial isolate designated as RH17 was confirmed as Rhizobium tarimense by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which showed 98% similarity with the strain PL-41. The phylogenetic study was done by using MEGA-X to confirm the identity of RH17 isolate and the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of RH17 isolate was submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database under Genbank with accession number OM996100. The RH17 isolate showed multiple plant growth-promoting traits like nitrogen fixation, solubilization of phosphate (15mm), indole acetic acid (IAA) production (1µg/ml), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase (0.5nmol), ammonia (NH3), siderophore, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production and antagonism against phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Macrophomina phaseolina. Therefore, the present study suggests that R. tarimense (RH17) isolate can be used as PGP bacteria and a biocontrol agent to enhance the growth, productivity and yield of chickpea
Unveiling the structural features of CysE: a novel target for therapeutic interventions against persistent mycobacteria
Get PDFWorld Health Organization (WHO) reports that one-third of the world’s population is infected with a persistent form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), the causative bacterium responsible for causing the dreaded tuberculosis disease. Targeting mycobacterial persisters is important for achieving WHO’s End TB target. The de-novo cysteine biosynthetic pathway is a novel target for addressing M.tb persistence. The two-step pathway comprises of serine acetyltransferase/CysE and O-acetyl-serine-sulfhydrylase/OASS/CysK. The present study is an attempt to understand the structural features of mycobacterial CysE by investigating the divergence amongst orthologous through phylogenetic analysis. Mapping of mycobacterial CysE sequences on the whole orthologous (COG1045) tree segregated the species into four clusters and several isoforms leading to their descendants identification. Interestingly the analysis revealed that the extended C-terminal α-helix believed unique to M.tb is also present in other organisms such as: Campylobacter ureolyticus, Bacillus cereus, Geminocystis herdmanii and Paenibacillus borealis. Further, the Hidden Markov model search against the whole Uniprot database suggests a plausible role of C-terminal α-helix of CysE in strengthening the substrate and/or co-factor binding. In addition, phylogenetic analysis of CysE sequences from the Mycobacteriaceae family facilitates grouping them under ten well-formed and six monophyletic clades, each based on characteristic features with respect to domain architecture, oligomeric assembly, C-terminal tetra-peptide tail, regulatory and feedback mechanism etc. Employing molecular phylogeny in conjunction with structural analysis has provided detailed insights for mycobacterial CysEs as drug target