Volume 3 | Issue 1 | January

 Abstract

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 Keywords

seaweeds; THB strains; antimicrobial activity; Amphiroa anceps

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 Abstract

The uses of insecticide for mosquito control are increasingly becoming limited. The control measure were largely based on the use of chemical pesticides which develop resistance in the target population The problems in continued long term use of toxic insecticide include pest resistance and negative impact on natural enemies, which suggest a clear need for alternatives. Biolarvicides are biological products that are added to water to kill mosquitoes at the larval stage. Biological control is the most effective way to fight against larva as it prevents the birth of new mosquitoes and does not pollute the environment or pose health risks. Aedes aegypti, is responsible for dengue fever and yellow fever, in India where the number of these fever cases has increased significantly in recent years. Seaweeds have shown a wide range of bioactive properties. In this connection, the present study was an attempt to find out the larvicidal activity of different solvent extracts of two seaweeds Ulva fasciata and Grateloupia lithophila against the dengue and yellow fever causing mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

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 Keywords

Ulva fasciata, Grateloupia lithophila, larvicide, seaweeds, pesticides

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Odontella aurita is a promising nutracuetical being rich in omega fatty acids and fucoxanthin. A strain of O. aurita was isolated from the waters of Bay of Bengal and a pure culture was established. The identification of the isolate was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy. The pigment profile of O. aurita was analyzed through HPLC. The isolate was found to be very rich in fucoxanthin and had moderate levels of ? carotene. The culture medium was optimized. Urea and ammonium chloride were found as the most suitable sources of nitrogen for culture. Supplementation of the nutrient medium with Nualgi, a commercial formulation of micronutrients on a silica base was found to promote growth.

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 Keywords

Bay of Bengal, cosmetic, urea, nutracuetical, Odontella aurita

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 Abstract

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seaweed, Chaetomorpha antennina, phytochemicals, flavonoid

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

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In the present investigation, variability induced by gamma rays and Ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) for different quantitative traits viz., plant height, days to 50% flowering, cluster/ plant, pods/plant, seeds / pod, 100-seed weight (g) and yield/plant (g) was studied in M3 generation of green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek). A significant shift in mean values in the positive direction was observed for all the quantitative traits studied. Estimate of genetic parameters (genotypic coefficient of variation, heritability and genetic advance) for the yield and its components were higher than the control in M3 generation. The increased genetic variance in the treated material is a reliable indication of the effects of mutagens.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

gamma rays, EMS, mutagens, green gram, M3 generation

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

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Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common and important pathogen, responsible for the majority of nosocomial infections. Nasal carriage is a major risk factor for S.aureus infection that differs from person to person. 200 nasal swabs (100 from hospitalized patients and 100 from healthy individuals) have been collected as per standard policy protocols. Detailed history was collected and only those personnel were included in the study who had not taken any antibiotic 7 days before sample collection. S.aureus isolates were confirmed by various biochemical tests as per latest CLSI guidelines. Cefoxitin Disk Diffusion test was performed for the detection of methicillin resistance and antibiotic susceptibility was performed against different antibiotics as per CLSI guidelines. Out of the 100 healthy subjects 49% S.aureus and 8.16% MRSA isolates were obtained while as out of 100 hospitalized subjects 71% S.aureus and 39.4% MRSA isolates have been detected from the nasal swabs. Penicillin was found to be the most resistant drug in both groups of isolates where as Vancomycin and Linezolid have been the drugs of choice. A significant difference was analyzed when the resistant rate of HA-MRSA against HA-MSSA was compared (p<0.0001). Significant difference was noticed while comparing resistant patterns of CA-MRSA against CA-MSSA (p<0.0001). A significant difference was verified when we compared the resistant rate HA-MRSA against CA-MRSA (p<0.0001). Prevalence of nasal carriage MRSA was higher in hospitalized patients as compared to healthy subjects.

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CA-MRSA, HA-MRSA, nasal carriage, soft tissue infection

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Jatropha is a large genus comprising over 170 species. Recent years it has gained tremendous importance due to its medicinal properties and use in the production of biodiesel. For long plants have been a valuable source of natural products for maintaining human health, especially in the last decade the use of plant compounds for pharmaceutical purpose has gradually increased. In the present study, an attempt has been made to standardize a method for rapid callus culture of Jatropha curcas using different combinations of growth hormones in the nutrient medium. In the second phase of the study a comparative study was performed to find out the presence of certain phytochemicals present as secondary metabolites present in the wild species and the callus developed by tissue culture. Along with the phytochemical screening their antimicrobial sensitivity was also tested.

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Jatropha curcas, in vitro propagation, phytochemical screening, anti-microbial activity

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The present study deals with the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the leaf broth of Merremia tridentata (L) Hall. f. (Family: Convolvulaceae). The leaf broth was prepared and resuspended in aqueous solution of silver nitrate and it is known as reaction medium. This reaction medium was kept in an incubator cum shaker with 250 rpm at 270C for 24 hrs to reduce the silver nitrate in to silver nanoparticles. The colour change in reaction mixture (Pale yellow to dark brown colour) was observed during the incubation period. The formation of silver nanoparticles in the reaction medium that enables to produce colour change due to their specific optical properties. The formation of silver nanoparticles was evaluated and characterized by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) Spectroscopic analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It is evident that the synthesized silver nanoparticles are capped by biomolecules which are responsible for reduction of silver ions. Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles. This type of phyto-mediated synthesis appears to be cost effective, ecofriendly and easy alternative to conventional, physical and chemical methods of silver nanoparticle synthesis.

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 Keywords

Merremia tridentata, silver nanoparticles, surface plasmon resonance

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Field experiments were conducted from June to August during 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons at the Research Farm, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria, to evaluate the yield performance of maize-okra mixture as affected by varying methods of planting. The experiment consisted of three methods of planting which include: maize planted in a single row on top of ridge while okra was planted in a single row by the side of ridge (MtOs); okra planted in a single row on top of ridge while maize was planted in a single row by the side of ridge (OtMs); okra planted in between stands of maize in a single row, both on top of ridge (OtMt). Sole maize and sole okra planted in a single row on top of ridge constituted the fourth and fifth treatments, which also served as controls. The five treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. The results obtained showed that the greatest intercrop yields of maize and okra were obtained in MtOs. Planting maize and okra in MtOs not only recorded lowest competitive pressure but gave the highest land equivalent ratio (LER) values of 1.58 and 1.60, respectively, in years 2011 and 2012, indicating that greatest productivity per unit area was achieved by growing the two crops together in MtOs than by growing them separately. With these LER values, 36.7% and 37.5% of lands were saved respectively, in 2011 and 2012. Both crops were found most suitable in mixture when maize was planted in a single row on top of ridge while okra was planted in a single row by the side of ridge (MtOs). This should be recommended for Makurdi location, Nigeria.

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 Keywords

intercropping, maize, okra, planting methods, guinea savanna

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

cropping system, sowing density, soybean, okra, Nigeria

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition