June 2010

Aflatoxins, the most frequently studied mycotoxins, are produced by certain Aspergillus species/strains/isolates of fungi. The aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway studies have led to a number of discoveries. Several structural and their enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of aflatoxins have been discovered and purified. Aflatoxin production and contamination of agricultural crops are major causes of economic losses in agriculture. Thus, better methods of characterization/differentiation are required for both aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic isolates. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based, single sequence repeats (SSR) micro satellites analysis has been used successfully in the analysis of DNA relatedness of species of fungi, bacteria, plants and animals. SSR micro satellites analysis present in nuclear and organelles DNA can be used as molecular markers and has wide ranging applications in the field of genetics including kinship and population studies. These Inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) represent genome region between micro satellite loci. Sequences amplified by ISSR-PCR can be used for delimiting species. Dendograms which evaluate the likeness between different isolates has also been used.

The present studies have emphasizes on the correction of soil and water quality of china clay mines with the help of organic and inorganic fertilizer and become transfer to like a productive pond. After successful transformation of china clay mines like a productive one, fingerling stages of Indian major carps were released to the mine water and the growth performance was observed with minute care. At the initial stage, mortality rate was high and after acclimation it slowed down. Monthly variation of growth, biochemical composition and nutritional quality were estimated and recorded. After one year culture period the remaining experimental fishes were harvested by cast net and distributed among the local people for tasting the organoleptic quality. They could not find any deviation of taste in between fish reared in china clay mines and in general Indian major carps. Protein and lipid content of experimental fishes (Protein percentage of Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala was 11.55, 13.04 and 11.02 respectively and the lipid percentage was 4.59, 3.94 and 4.34 respectively) were slightly lower than the fish culture in highly productive pond (Protein percentage of Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala was 12.83, 14.47 and 11.86 respectively and the lipid percentage was 4.71, 4.23 and 4.52 respectively). There are various factors causing variation of protein and lipid in fish flesh. The factors like food, temperature, size or age, season, maturity, environment etc. are reported to have influencing effect on protein or lipid concentration in fishes. Therefore, moderate deviation of protein and lipid quality does not markedly vary the demand, taste as well as the market value of fish. Statistical analysis of experimental results reveled that the taste, flavour and biochemical composition are highly significant.

The anti hyperglycemic potentials of seven medicinal plants used in Nsukka area of Enugu state, Nigeria namely Bridellia micrantha, Oxythinia Abyssinia, Ixora brachypoda, Gmelina aborrea, Terminalia catappa, Hymenocardia acida and Cassytha filiformis were investigated on alloxan induced diabetic mice. The oral LD50 of the methanolic extracts in mice were greater than 2000 mg/kg. Phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of high levels of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides and saponins. Extracts of the plants screened for anti-diabetic activity in mice significantly (p<0.01) reduced the fasting blood glucose levels in alloxan diabetic mice. The leaves of Bridellia micrantha reduced the blood glucose levels by about 57.8%, Cassaytha filiformis by 46.8%, Terminalia catappa by 59%, Oxythina abyssinia by 71.5%, Ixora brachypoda by 67.6% , Gmelina aborrea by 30.1% while Hymenocardia acida provoked the highest anti-diabetic activity (72%) which appeared comparable to the standard control, Glibenclamide (71.7%).

A survey was conducted in Nanded and Beed district, for the ethno medicinal plants. The paper documents were prepared from ethnomedicinal uses of wild plant species in Nanded and Beed District. The plants parts are most commonly used in treatment of various diseases are roots, leaves, whole plant bark and seeds. Inspite of vast scientific development in modern age man is looking towards traditional medicines. Due to ethno medicines many diseases are cured like jaundice, snakebite, scorpion bite, leucoderma liver and many more challenging, incurable diseases which are not cured by the modern medical science are cured by traditional medicines. This knowledge still exists in the villages. So interviews of traditional Jantas were taken, the details of plants collected, identified were noted. It is suggested that local forest management with Forest Department and NGOs needs to pay attention for Conservation of commercially important species, with sustainable harvesting methods. The cultivation and detailed assessment of the economically valuable medicinal plants is the demand of present day. Hence it is to be collected, preserved, protected and propagated for future generation.

In the present study, an attempt has been made to assess whether the effect of benzene extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves on the spermatogenic pattern and ultrastructure changes in testis of albino rats. Wistar strain male albino rats were orally administered 250 mg/kg body weight of O.sanctum leaves followed by maintaining suitable controls for 48 days. Results indicate that spermatogenesis was arrested either at the primary spermatocytes or the spermatogonial stages. Damaged seminiferous tubules and abundance of vacuoles of varying size were observed. Total count and diameter of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and Leydig cells were reduced. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that intercellular spaces primarily, though not exclusively in the Sertoli cell cytoplasm, degeneration started within the nucleus of spermatocytes and from acrosomal granule or Golgi complex of round spermatids. Bridges between Sertoli cells–spermatocytes or spermatids were disturbed and most of mitochondria of cytoplasm were hypertrophied. Within the cytoplasm degenerating spermatids were with less electron dense matrix and commencement of vacuolization. The results suggest that the effect of benzene extract of O.sanctum leaves on the rat testis may be due to curtailing of androgen supply within the testis through its antispermatogenic and antiandrogenic property.

When HEK293 cells were transfected with a plasmid containing CMV promoter driven human wild-type PRND gene, the doppel protein was diffusely observed at the cytoplasm as seen in cancer cells. The transfected cells incubated with proteasome inhibitor N-acetyl-leucinal- leucinal- norleucinal (ALLN), resulted in apparent accumulation of the doppel protein. Furthermore, an alpha helix domain of the doppel protein appeared to be coimmunoprecipitated with ubiquitin related HSP70 protein. These findings suggested that the cytosolic doppel protein chaperoned with HSP70 could be subjected to ubiquitin proteasome degradation system.

This study was carried out to investigate the therapeutic role of the aqueous extract of Pleurotus florida (PF) on thioacetamide induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Thioacetamide at the dose of 600mg/kg body weight orally produced liver damage in rats as manifested by the significant rise in serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, cholesterol and decreases the protein level compared with control. The body and liver weight of each animal was determined, to assess any possible weight gain or loss in experimental animals compared with control groups. Oral administration of aqueous extracts of P. florida (100, 200, 400mg/kg) and silymarin (25mg/kg) once daily for 28 days to thioacetamide treated rats shows lowered significantly where as protein level increased. It also shows a significant increase in body weight and decrease in liver weight. The extract alone treated rats did not adversely affect the serum biochemical estimation. Treatment with P. florida (100, 200, 400mg/kg) of the extract revealed a antihepatotoxic action compared with the rats that were administered thioacetamide alone. This study has shown that the aqueous extract of P. florida possesses antihepatotoxic property.

Glaucidae is a taxonomic family of colorful sea slugs (blue ocean slugs). This is the first report presenting the occurrence of G. atlanticus and G. marginata in Nagapattinam coastal area, Bay of Bengal coastal shore (South East coast of India). All these animals float on the surface of the ocean being carried by the currents and the winds. Both species of G. atlanticus and G. matginata are closely associated with other open ocean invertebrates such as the Portuguese-man-of-war (Physalia physalis), the wind-sailor (Velella velella) and Porpita porpita. The nematocysts of Physalia pass unharmed through the digestive system and are used as defense system in the papillae. Male animals having its reproductive part (penis) with large looped and hook structure.

Three samples of green algal isolates were collected and purified from Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, India. The genomic DNA from the the isolates was isolated using CTAB method and 18S rRNA gene of each isolate was amplified using primers CV1 and CV2. The variation in the DNA sequence was detected through Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The phylogenetic placement of three isolates was investigated using sequences of the nuclear small subunit 18S rRNA gene and the results revealed that the isolated algal strains viz., ALAK 1, ALAK 2 and ALAK 3, were very close to Actinistrum hanzschii, Clamydomonad sp. and Nannochloris sp. respectively.

We have developed an artificial dual promoter cassette system called APRICOT-1-2-3, in which a target gene specific sequence is inserted between inverted two short artificial promoters. A single step PCR protocol has been developed by using this system that allows the production of this cassette in a high throughput manner. Actually, easily prepared APRICOT-1-2-3 constructs induced effective protein expression-silencing for p38MAPK and JNK. The flexibility of this unique design system suggests that additional modification can also easily be introduced into this siRNA expression cassette to improve the convenience applying RNAi.