Showing papers by "Aligarh Muslim University published in 2003"

Salicylic acid influences net photosynthetic rate, carboxylation efficiency, nitrate reductase activity, and seed yield in Brassica juncea

Abstract: Aqueous solutions of salicylic acid (SA) were applied to the foliage of 30-d-old plants of mustard (Brassica juncea Czern & Coss cv. Varuna). The plants sprayed with the lowest used concentration (10−5 M) of SA were healthier than those sprayed with water only or with higher concentrations of SA (10−4 or 10−3 M). 60-d-old plants possessed 8.4, 9.8, 9.3, 13.0 and 18.5 % larger dry mass, net photosynthetic rate, carboxylation efficiency, and activities of nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase over the control, respectively. Moreover, the number of pods and the seed yield increased by 13.7 and 8.4 % over the control.

Characterization of a New Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain NJ-15 as a Potential Biocontrol Agent

Abstract: Phylogenetic characterization of soil isolate NJ-15, based on sequence homology of a partial 746-bp fragment of 16SrDNA amplicon, with the ribosomal database sequences (http://www.msu.edu/RDP/cgis/phylip.cgi), validated the strain as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strain NJ-15 produced a substantial amount of indole acetic acid (IAA) in tryptophan-supplemented medium. Besides, the strain also exhibited significant production of both the siderophore and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) on chrome azurol S and King's B media, respectively. The data revealed lower HCN production under iron-limiting conditions vis-a-vis higher HCN release with iron stimulation. Significant growth inhibition of phytopathogenic fungi occurred in the order as Fusarium oxysporum > Trichoderma herizum > Alternaria alternata > Macrophomina phasiolina upon incubation with strain NJ-15 cells. Thus, the secondary metabolites producing new Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain NJ-15 exhibited innate potential of plant growth promotion and biocontrol activities in vitro.

Aphrodisiac activity of 50% ethanolic extracts of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) and Syzygium aromaticum (L) Merr. & Perry. (clove) in male mice: a comparative study

Abstract: Spices are considered as sexual invigorators in the Unani System of Medicine. In order to explore the sexual function improving effect of Myristica fragrans Houtt. (nutmeg) and Syzygium aromaticum (L) Merr. & Perry. (clove) an experimental study was conducted in normal male mice. The extracts (50% ethanolic) of nutmeg and clove were administered (500 mg/kg; p.o.) to different groups of male Swiss mice. Mounting behaviour, mating performance, and general short term toxicity of the test drugs were determined and compared with the standard drug Penegra (Sildenafil citrate). The extracts of the nutmeg and clove were found to stimulate the mounting behaviour of male mice, and also to significantly increase their mating performance. The drugs were devoid of any conspicuous general short term toxicity. The extracts (50% ethanolic) of nutmeg and clove enhanced the sexual behaviour of male mice.

Synthesis, characterization and analytical applications of a new and novel ‘organic–inorganic’ composite material as a cation exchanger and Cd(II) ion-selective membrane electrode: polyaniline Sn(IV) tungstoarsenate

Abstract: Composite materials formed by the combination of inorganic ion exchangers of multivalent metal acid salts and organic conducting polymers (polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, etc.), providing a new class of ‘organic–inorganic’ hybrid ion exchangers with better mechanical and granulometric properties, good ion-exchange capacity, higher stability, reproducibility and selectivity for heavy metals. Such a type of ion exchanger ‘polyaniline Sn(IV) tungstoarsenate’ was developed by mixing polyaniline into inorganic precipitate of Sn(IV) tungstoarsenate. This material was characterized using atomic absorption spectrometry, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, simultaneous thermogravimetry–differential thermogravimetry, X-ray and scanning electron microscopy studies. Ion-exchange capacity, pH-titrations, elution and distribution behavior were also carried out to characterize the material. On the basis of distribution studies, the material was found to be highly selective for Cd(II) and its selectivity was tested by achieving some important binary separations like Cd(II)–Zn(II), Cd(II)–Pb(II), Cd(II)–Hg(II), Cd(II)–Cu(II), etc., on its column. Using this composite cation exchanger as electroactive material, a new heterogeneous precipitate based selective ion-sensitive membrane electrode was developed for the determination of Cd(II) ions in solutions. The membrane electrode is mechanically stable, with a quick response time, and can be operated within a wide pH range. The selectivity coefficients for different cations determined by mixed solution method were found to be less than unity. The electrode was also found to be satisfactory in electrometric titrations.

Structure identification of generalized adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems

Abstract: This paper presents a method to identify the structure of generalized adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (GANFISs). The structure of GANFIS consists of a number of generalized radial basis function (GRBF) units. The radial basis functions are irregularly distributed in the form of hyper-patches in the input-output space. The minimum number of GRBF units is selected based on a heuristic using the fuzzy curve. For structure identification, a new criterion called structure identification criterion (SIC) is proposed. SIC deals with a trade off between performance and computational complexity of the GANFIS model. The computational complexity of gradient descent learning is formulated based on simulation study. Three methods of initialization of GANFIS, viz., fuzzy curve, fuzzy C-means in x/spl times/y space and modified mountain clustering have been compared in terms of cluster validity measure, Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and the proposed SIC.

Broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal properties of certain traditionally used Indian medicinal plants

Abstract: Ethanolic extracts of 22 traditionally used Indian medicinal plants were studied for their antimicrobial activity against seven bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, S. paratyphi, S. typhi, E. coli, Shigella dysenteriae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and five filamentous fungi (Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Rhizoctonia bataticola and Trichoderma viride) and a yeast Candida albicans of clinical origin. Of these, 16 plant extracts showed varied level of antibacterial activity against one or more test bacteria. Similarly antifungal and anticandidal activity was detected among 17 and 9 plant extracts respectively. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity (both antibacterial and antifungal) was detected among crude extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum (leaves), Caesalpinia bonducella (seeds), Delonix regia (flower), Hedychium spicatum (fruits), Mangifera indica (leaves), Murraya coenigii (leaves) and Syzgium cumini (seeds). Similarly extracts of Cichorium intybus (roots), Ficus religiosa (leaves) and Trigonella foenum-graecum (leaves) demonstrated more antibacterial activity with less antifungal activity. On the other hand Pistacia integerrima (stems) and Rheum emodi (roots) demonstrated more antifungal activity with less antibacterial activity.

Dietary methionine requirement of fingerling Indian major carp, Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton)

Abstract: Indian major carp, Cirrhinus mrigala fingerling (3.85 ± 0.50 cm, 0.50 ± 0.02 g) were fed isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets (40% CP, 4.28 kcal g−1, GE) containing casein, gelatin and crystalline amino acids with graded levels of L- methionine (0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50 and 2.00 g/ 100 g, dry diet) with 1.00% cystine fixed, to determine its dietary methionine requirement. A feeding trial was conducted in triplicate for six weeks. Diets were fed twice a day at 0800 and 1600 h at 5% of body weight/day. The ration size and feeding regime were worked out prior to the start of the feeding trial. Weight gain (158%) and food conversion ratio (1.45) were significantly (P 0.05) differences among the dietary methionine levels.

Rapid mass propagation of Tylophora indica Merrill via leaf callus culture

Abstract: An efficient protocol has been developed for rapid mass propagation of Tylophora indica from leaf derived callus. Optimal callus was developed from leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 10 μ 2,4,5-T. Adventitious shoots were regenerated (85%) from the surface of the callus on MS medium supplemented with 5 μM Kinetin. Individual elongated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 0.5 μM IBA. Regenerated plantlets with well developed shoots and roots were successfully transferred to soil. The study demonstrated a dedifferentiated callogenic propagation route via adventitious shoot development in T. indica, which could be useful for large scale multiplication of this endangered medicinal plant.

NaCl-Inhibited Chlorophyll Synthesis and Associated Changes in Ethylene Evolution and Antioxidative Enzyme Activities in Wheat

Abstract: Effect of NaCl was studied on chlorophyll (Chl) synthesis and its intermediates (protoporphyrin IX, Mg-protoporphyrin IX, and protochlorophyllide), dry mass, ethylene evolution, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (APX) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L) seedlings at 24, 48, and 72 h after germination A conspicuous decrease in Chl synthesis, associated with increase in ethylene evolution and SOD and APX activities, was noted as NaCl concentration was increased from 0 to 100 mM

Hector bases – a new class of heterocyclic corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in acid solutions

Abstract: Three heterocyclic compounds namely 3-anilino-5-imino-4-phenyl-1, 2,4-thiadiazoline (AIPT), 3-anilino-5-imino-4-tolyl-1, 2,4-thiadiazoline (AITT), and 3-anilino-5-imino-4-chlorophenyl-1, 2,4-thiadiazoline (AICT) were synthesized and their influence on the inhibition of corrosion of mild steel in 1 M HCl and 0.5 M H2SO4 was investigated by weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The values of activation energy and free energy of adsorption of these compounds were also calculated. Potentiodynamic polarization studies were carried out at room temperature, and showed that all the compounds were mixed type inhibitors causing blocking of active sites on the metal. The inhibition efficiency of the compounds was found to vary with concentration, temperature and immersion time. Good inhibition efficiency was evidenced in both acid solutions. The adsorption of the compounds on mild steel for both acids was found to obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was also used to investigate the mechanism of corrosion inhibition.

Multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains harbouring R‐plasmids and AmpC β‐lactamases isolated from hospitalised burn patients in a tertiary care hospital of North India

Abstract: The present study was designed to determine resistance rates and patterns in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from hospitalised burn patients in an Indian tertiary care hospital. To that end, we isolated plasmid(s) from the multidrug-resistant isolates, demonstrated the plasmid-mediated resistance by curing and transformation experiments, and screened all the isolates for the occurrence of AmpC β-lactamases. Thirty isolates of P. aeruginosa were analysed for the presence of antibiotic resistance. Plasmid-curing experiments and AmpC β-lactamase detection were performed on all the isolates and seven isolates showing the most common antibiotic resistance pattern were selected for plasmid isolation and transformation experiments. All 30 isolates were multidrug-resistant and the majority (83.3%) of isolates were resistant to seven or more antibiotics, out of 11 antibiotics tested including anti-pseudomonal and non-anti-pseudomonal antimicrobial drugs. The most striking feature was the presence of resistance to amikacin. A 48.5-kb plasmid was isolated from the isolates. Curing and transformation experiments showed that resistance to amikacin was plasmid-mediated. Phenotypic screening for the occurrence of AmpC β-lactamases showed that 20% of isolates were AmpC producers whereas 10% of isolates were characterised as ‘indeterminate’ for AmpC enzyme. In conclusion, a markedly high (56.7%) resistance to amikacin was noted in the present study. Amikacin resistance was determined to be plasmid-encoded and the presence of an AmpC β-lactamase was inferred in 20% of isolates. This is among the first reports regarding the emergence of plasmid-mediated resistance to amikacin and the occurrence of AmpC β-lactamases in P. aeruginosa strains from India.

Tolerance of pesticides and antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from wastewater-irrigated soil

Abstract: A total of 64 bacterial isolates (40 Pseudomonas spp, 12 Azotobacter and 12 Rhizobium spp) were characterized on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics All the isolates were tested for their tolerance to the pesticides endosulfan, carbofuran, and malathion 125% of the Pseudomonas isolates from soil tolerated concentrations of 1600 μg malathion ml whereas 75% of isolates tolerated the same concentration of carbofuran However, Pseudomonas isolates demonstrated a tolerance limit to endosulfan at a concentration of 800 μg/ml Asymbiotic N2-fixers (Azotobacter) and symbiotic N2-fixers (Rhizobium spp) were also able to tolerate concentrations of pesticides up to 1600 μg/ml All the isolates were further tested for their antibiotic susceptibility against seven different antibiotics, nalidixic acid, cloxacillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, amoxycillin, methicillin, doxycycline 100% of the Pseudomonas isolates were resistant to cloxacillin and 575% were resistant to methicillin 75% of the isolates exhibited multiple resistance to five different antibiotics in three different combinations whereas 25% of the isolates showed multiple resistance to four different antibiotics in seven different combinations Some of the resistant isolates were also screened for plasmid DNA and found to harbour a single plasmid

Growth and body composition of rohu (Labeo rohita) fed diets containing oilseed meals: partial or total replacement of fish meal with soybean meal.

Abstract: A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate growth, feed utilization and body composition of fingerling rohu, Labeo rohita (4.5 ± 0.2 cm; 2.58 ± 0.04 g), fed five isonitrogenous (350 g kg−1 crude protein) and isoenergetic (15.7 kJ g−1 metabolizable energy) diets in which the main protein contributors were: diet I, fish meal (FM); diet II, soybean meal (SBM); diet III, groundnut meal (GNM); diet IV, equal amounts of SBM, GNM and canola meal (CM); diet V, equal amounts of FM, SBM, GNM and CM. Fish were stocked in triplicate groups of 25 fish held in 70 L flow-through tanks (water volume 55 L) and fed twice daily (0900 and 1700 hrs) to apparent satiation. Fish fed diet I exhibited the highest (P 0.05) variation in growth, feed utilization and carcass composition for fish fed the different diets. In conclusion, SBM was more effective than GNM or CM, as FM was replaced in feeds for fingerling L. rohita and could completely replace FM when supplemented with methionine and fortified with minerals under the conditions of this study.

Characterization of a proteinase inhibitor from Cajanus cajan (L.).

Abstract: A protein proteinase inhibitor (PI) has been purified from pigeonpea Cajanus cajan (L.) PUSA 33 variety by acetic-acid precipitation, salt fractionation and chromatography on a DEAE-Cellulose column. The content of inhibitor was found to be 15 mg/20 g dry weight of pulse. The molecular weight of the inhibitor as determined by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions was found to be about 14,000. It showed inhibitory activity toward proteolytic enzymes belonging to the serine protease group, namely trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. The inhibitory activity was stable over a wide range of pH and temperatures. Estimation of sulfhydryl groups yielded one free cysteine and at least two disulfide linkages. N-terminal sequence homology suggests that it belongs to the Kunitz inhibitor family. Structural analysis by circular dichroism shows that the inhibitor possesses a largely disordered structure.

Effect of pH, temperature and alcohols on the stability of glycosylated and deglycosylated stem bromelain

Abstract: The biological significance of the carbohydrate moiety of a glycoprotein has been a matter of much speculation. In the present work, we have chosen stem bromelain from Ananas comosus as a model to investigate the role of glycosylation of proteins. Stem bromelain is a thiol protease which contains a single hetero-oligosaccharide unit per molecule. Here, the deglycosylated form of the enzyme was obtained by periodate oxidation. The differences in the glycosylated and deglycosylated forms of the glycoprotein have been studied at various temperatures and pH values, using probes such as loss of enzyme activity and by the changes in fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra. Deglycosylated bromelain showed decreased enzyme activity and perturbed fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra. In addition to this, a comparative study of their activities in different organic solvents showed a marked decrease in case of deglycosylated form of the enzyme. It is thus concluded that glycosylation contributes towards the functional stability of glycoenzymes.