July 2010

The Indian green frog (Euphlyctis hexadactylus) is a common species existing in aquatic environment. The skin secretions of these frogs have potential antimicrobial peptides. It inhibited growth of pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and opportunistic fungal pathogens and also treated plant fungal diseases. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the peptide, against the human pathogenic bacteria and fungus ranging between 128 to 512 µg / ml and 32 to 64 µg / ml respectively. The result of growth inhibition against plant fungal pathogen, maximum zone was obtained from Fusarium oxysporum (36 ± 0.5 mm) and minimum zone of inhibition from Rhizoctonia solani (24 ± 01 mm). The results clearly indicate the crude skin secretions of green frog (Euphlyctis hexadactylus) contain strong antifungal activity and conclusively demonstrated that these frog secretions are having immense potential as agricultural antimicrobial agents. However, the nature and sequences of these peptides are yet to be elucidated.

In the present study we report a highly efficient and cost effective in vitro micropropagation protocol for dumb cane (Dieffenbachia compacta) an ornamental foliage plant of high commercial value. Stem nodal segment (0.5 - 1.0 cm) excised from vegetative stem obtained from mature plants was used as explants. The result of surface sterilization indicated that 100% of contamination-free nodal explants were obtained with 0.25% mercuric chloride (HgCl2). Sterilized explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations (0.25–10 mg/L) of benzyl adenine (BA), N6-2-isopentyl adenine (2iP), 6-Furfurylaminopurine (Kin) and Thidiazuron (TDZ) to determine the specific type and concentration of growth regulators suitable for multiple shoot induction. The highest number of multiple shoots (6.7 ±1.1) was obtained on explants cultured on MS medium containing 10.0 mg/L BA. The synergistic influence of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) with BA did not improve the number of shoots per explants. In vitro induced shoots were rooted on half-strength MS media without growth regulator. The well rooted plantlets were transplanted to plastic pots containing autoclaved garden soil and sand at ratio of 1:1, then hardened off and transferred to greenhouse where grown to maturity with 100% success.

A total of one hundred and ninety two day old broiler chicks were used to evaluate the growth and heamatological effects of Ascorbic acid (AA) supplementation on coocidia-challenged broiler chickens. The design was a 4 x 2 factorial in a completely randomized design. The main-factor was the period or length of time of administering ascorbic acid (AA), while the sub-factor was the dosage of AA used for the feed composition. The birds were challenged with oocysts of Eimeria tenella at the end of the third week; and started manifesting signs of coccidiosis four days after challenge. The oocyst count and percentage mortality were significantly (P<0.05) different for the main-factors and the interactions, but not for the sub-factors. At the end of eight weeks experimental period, percentage mortality were significantly (P<0.05) different for the main-factors and the interactions, but not for the sub-factors; while the oocyst count were significantly (P<0.05) different for the main-factors, sub-factors and interactions. The haematological parameters – Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), White Blood Cell (WBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were significantly (P<0.05) different for the main-factors, sub-factors and the interactions; except for the MCHC which was not significantly (P<0.05) different for the sub-factors and the interactions. The plasma constituents – plasma protein and plasma lipid were significantly (P<0.05) different for the main-factors and the sub-factors. Whereas plasma lipid was significantly (P<0.05) different for the interactions, it was not so for the plasma protein. It may be concluded that supplementing broiler diets with 150mgAA per Kg of feed has profound effect on growth and haematology which in turn leads to reduction in the severity of coccidiosis in birds.

To assess the nutritional status among urban poor children aged 1-5 years a cross sectional study was undertaken during February-June 2006 in three municipal wards of North 24-Parganas district, West Bengal, India. All information like age, sex, religion, caste, weight and height were collected from each subject through questionnaire following simple random sampling method. Nutritional status was assessed based on weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height z-score method. Undernutrition was defined as Z-score below -2.0 SD from the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference population. A total of 899 children (boys=517; girls=382) aged 1-5 years were included in the present study. Overall, the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 63.6 (95% CI: 60.5 - 66.8) %, 52.7% (95% CI: 49.5-56.0) and 22.0% (95% CI: 19.6-25.1). Overall, 16.7 % (CI: 14.1-19.0), 25.1% (CI: 22.3-28.0) and 5.3% (CI: 4.0- 6.9) children were found to be severely underweight, stunted and wasted, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of underweight was significantly higher among tribal (71.5%) children than Muslim (67.2%) and Hindu (57.6%) children. On the other hand, the prevalence of stunting and wasting was higher among Hindu and Muslim children, respectively. In addition, according to WHO (1995) criteria for severity of malnutrition, the overall prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting were very high indicating a critical situation. Therefore, appropriate health policies and measures must be implemented to reduce the burden imposed by poverty on childhood health and nutritional stress among these areas.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was induced in rats using a mixture of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol valerate (ratio 10:1). The fasting blood glucose levels, serum lipid profile and pro-atherogenic indices of the rats were estimated using standard procedures, and compared to those of rats in a control group. The results show that rats in the test group had significantly (p<0.05) lower fasting blood glucose and serum total cholesterol levels, while the other lipid and lipoprotein parameters and serum lipid pro-atherogenic indices were similar (p>0.05) in both groups. Though BPH is thought to be related to metabolic derangements, it appears that BPH can be induced without a collateral disruption of serum macromolecular metabolism.

The plant hormones are extremely important agent in the integration of developmental activities. Environmental factors often exert inductive effects by evoking changes in hormones in metabolism and distribution within the plant. Apart from it, they also regulate expression of intrinsic genetic potential of plants. Control of genetic expression has been demonstrated for the phytohormones at both transcriptional and translational levels. Also, hormones receptors and binding proteins have been identified on membrane surface that are specific for some hormones. Apart from nutrition, if plants hormonal balance can be made through chemical manipulation, there would be a benefit in economising the nutrients and augmenting oil seed production. One such group of chemical is thought to be plant growth regulators. Besides naturally occurring growth regulating substances, there are chemicals which may act as plant growth promoters or plant growth retardants. Chlorocholine Chloride (CCC) is gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor involved in the inhibition of cyclization of geranyl -geranyl pyrophosphate to copyallyl pyrophosphate. But the present study indicates that chlorocholine chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound type of growth retardant involved in a diverse array of cellular, developmental and stress related processes in plants. A number of examples of the role played by CCC in the growth and development of plants are described, plant height, leaf number, leaf area index, dry mass, chlorophyll and photosynthetic parameters, photosynthetic active radiation, nutrient uptake, seed yield, biological yield, oil yield, harvest index, amino acid and protein content. The study indicates that the process of growth and development in addition to the yield of plants is significantly affected by the chlorocholine chloride in both irrigated and non- irrigated conditions.

India depends more than any other nation on groundwater depletion for food security and must seek ways to increase crop water-use efficiency (WUE). One approach is to increase plant photosynthetic capacity and transpiration ration (TR). Our objective was to measure the effects of ethephon and N on photosynthesis and related physiological traits of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss, cv. Alankar). Field experiments were conducted in Aligarh, India under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. Four levels of N (0 to 80 kg ha-1) and three levels of ethrel (0 to 200 µl l-1) were used. Ethrel and N nearly always had additive effects on LAI and plant dry matter (PDM) in both irrigated and non-irrigated experiments. Similarly, most gas exchange traits responded linearly to ethrel and N addition. At 80 days after sowing (DAS), photosynthesis increased from 16.5 to 25.7 μmol m-2 s-1 due to N application, and from 19.5 to 24.7 μmol m-2 s-1 due to ethrel application. TR increased from 36 to 45 μmol mol-1 due to N, and from 36 μmol mol-1 to ~43.5 μmol mol-1 due to ethrel. The highest combination of ethrel and N gave TR values of 51 μmol mol-1. Carboxylation efficiency (CE) was nearly constant among treatments at ~0.095 μmol m-2 s-1 per μmol mol-1 increase of [CO2]. However all points above the 0.95 confidence level of the regression curve belonged to the 200 μl l-1 ethrel treatment, and all below to the 0 μl l-1 ethrel treatment, suggesting lower photorespiration and CO2 compensation point for ethrel treated plants. Results are consistent with reports that ethrel affects several cellular processes related to photosynthesis. Ethrel spray, either alone or in combination with N application, may provide a potential management tool for increasing water use efficiency (WUE) in India and other water-limited regions of the world.