International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 17

Abstract: Bambusa balcooa.Roxb. is one of the most commercially important bamboo species. Some varieties of bamboo are being grown in the company’s green house. However this species is very rare and it was not cultured until now due to lack of demand and maintenance problems. In this work B. balcooa ex-plants have been established and propagated by the axillary shoot bud proliferation method. Earlier several works have been done on this plant and a protocol has been. This work emphasizes on effects of phytohormones at different concentrations and combinations upon the novel propagules that develop from the bamboo explants on placing them in multiplication media. The propagules placed in media containing cytokinins BAP (2 mg/L) and Kinetin (1 mg/L) exhibited best results of linear as well as radial growth. The other propagules in media with combinations of BAP, Kinetin and NAA were found to be dried out and did not depict noticeable growth. Comparatively next best growth pattern to the former was observed in control media that lacked phytohormones. This experiment was helpful in estimating the

Abstract: Shigella species are intracytosolic Gram-negative invasive enteropathogenic bacteria, causing the rupture, invasion and inflammatory destruction of the human colonic epithelium. They utilize the host cytoskeletal components to form propulsive actin tails. The so-called invasive phenotype of Shigella is linked to expression of a type III secretory system (TTSS) injecting effector proteins into the epithelial cell membrane and cytoplasm, thereby inducing local but massive changes in the cell cytoskeleton that lead to bacterial internalization into non-phagocytic intestinal epithelial cells. The molecular and cellular bases of this invasive phenotype essentially encompass crossing of the epithelial lining, apoptotic killing of macrophages, entry into epithelial cells, and escape into the cytoplasm, followed by cell-to-cell spread. Intracellular colonization is likely to protect the micro-organisms from killing by humoral and cellular effectors of the innate immune response. Concurrently, the capacity of Shigella to reprogram invaded epithelial cells to produce proinflammatory mediators plays a major role in the strong inflammatory profile of the disease. This profile is likely to impact on the nature and quality of the adaptive response, which is dominated by humoral protection at the mucosal level. In recent years, a large amount of information has been generated regarding the host, pathogen and environmental factors that impact the pathogenesis of shigellosis at the cellular and molecular level. This review summarizes what is currently known about Shigella, detailing those factors that contribute to pathogenesis and examining the current progress in the development of a vaccine

Abstract: The nutritional effects of marine food have increased far and wide due to the beneficial effects of consuming marine food, fats and oils. In general, the proximate composition is well known as a proportion composition of basic elements such as protein, lipids, carbohydrate, minerals and water. The puffer fish Lagocephalus lunaris and Lagocephalus inermis were collected at Mudasal odai fish landing centre and the skin and visceral organs like gonads and intestines were removed the edible portion only took for the analysis. Species of the fish sample was oven-dried in an electric oven at between 70 – 80 °C until the samples had constant weight. The protein, carbohydrate, fat, ash and moisture content of green -rough-back puffer fish and smooth-backed blow fish were investigated. L. lunaris and L. inermis were has 9.22 %, 8.92 %, 1.96 %, 1.87 %, 11.25 %, 11.98 %, 80.32 %, 86.05 %, 0.96 %, 1.27 % respectively. Totally seven saturated fatty acids; ten Mono unsaturated fatty acids and two poly unsaturated fatty acids were found as the major components on the investigated puffer fish. Polyunsaturated fatty acid like n-3 has 31.17 %, 31.19 and n-6 7.26 %, 7.29 % of PUSFA found as the dominant composition on puffer fish. This study revealed that these species are having high saturated fatty acid and protein content and able to compete with more commercially utilize species in terms of nutritional value, and they can definitely also compete when it comes to taste. It can act as a good source of nutritional and economic value when it is carefully handled and properly cooked.

Abstract: A field trial was conducted to evaluate the residues of Bispyribac sodium 10 % SC on rice crop during Kharif season 2013 at Kandikai in Thiruvallur District, Tamilnadu, India. Randomized block design was followed withthree treatments forthree replicates. Bispyribac sodium 10 % SC 200 g a.i./ha, 500 g a.i./ha and control (water spray) was sprayed using hand operated Maax battery sprayer with a spray volume of 300 litres per hectare at 15 days after transplantation of rice crop (ADT 45). At harvest, samples of grain, straw and soil were collected replicate wise from each treatment along with the control. These samples were stored in icebox and transfer to the laboratory under cooled condition for analysis.All the residues samples were analyzed for Bispyribac sodium content by a validated HPLC method at the minimum detectable concentration of 0.01 ppm. The result revealed that no detectable level of Bispyribac sodium in straw, grain and soil at harvest. Thepost treatmentand pre-harvest intervalwas 60 days after transplantation.

Abstract: Flower visiting insects attract by the flowers colour, shape, size and fragrance as pollinator. This is a mutual relationship between flowers and insects. The present study aims to know behavioural response or ethology of flower visiting insect in relation to particular flower and/or probable atmospheric changes in two managed parks, Kolkata, India. The study areas were selected as per heavily-populated neighborhoods, nearby office buildings, nearby roads and continuous vehicular movements, human interactions as visitors. The study was carried out at 2 sampling stations viz (i) Elliot park and (ii) Agri-Horticulture Society. The flower species were selected viz. Helianthus annuus (sunflower), Petunia sp. (petunia) and Buganvilia spectabilis (Buganvilia) planting above mentioned areas because these species are more common among other species. In each flower, behavioural response or ethology of visiting insects were studied by visual observation and total 10 flowers of each species were observed randomly. The present results clearly indicate that various insects were majorly showed foraging and feeding behaviour and only mating behaviour was found in two species. This study is a preliminary assessment of flower visiting insects’ ethology but further researches are needed in relation to pollination efficiencies of flower visiting insects in the particular flower and air pollution load nearby area by using instruments. It was concluded that insect visitors are showing foraging and feeding behavior but only two species were showed mating behaviour, which may be due to the vehicular air pollution because two parks are located nearby roads and continuous vehicular movements were observed.

Abstract: Lignicolous fungi include many wood decay fungi. Studies on molds and decay fungi are necessary to enable us to control their growth on wood and wood products. A survey was undertaken during 2012-2013 to detect the various ligniclous fungi in Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada and Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. In a recent study, lignicolous fungi were collected from living trees and fallen branches from Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, India. On the basis of occurrence Coriolopsis aspera (Junghuhn) Teng. Fulvifomes nilgheriensis (Montagne) Bondartseva & S. Herrera, Ganoderma australe (Fr.) Pat., G. lucidum (Curtis) P. Karsten, Hexagonia apiaria (Pers.) Fr. Phellinus linteus (Berk. & Curt.) Teng. Trametes cingulata Berk. Hook., T. cotonea (Pat. & Har.) Ryv. T. gibbosa (Pers.) Fr. Schizophyllum commune Fr. were reported from Krishna district for the first time. F. nilgheriensis (Montagne) Bondartseva & S. Herrera is recorded for the first time from India. Even though being preliminary, our results point to the necessity of conservation and protection of recent fungal diversity but, in our opinion, not by making so-called “Red list of endangered species", which, due to the lack of information and very poor evidence on this group of organisms in the region under the consideration, are extremely unreliable and therefore disputable, but rather through the very short list of few not endangered species, conditionally called “White list of not endangered fungal species", if such species recently exist at all

Abstract: The present study was performed for the period of one year from June 2012 to May 2013 in order to understand the physico-chemical properties of sediments samples collected along the Mahim Creek of Mumbai. The annual average pH value of the creek sediments was recorded as 9.22. It is feared that such conditions may increase the alkalinity of Creek water which according to USEPA will increase the physiological stress of many aquatic species resulting in decreased reproduction, decreased growth, disease, or death thereby reducing the biological diversity of the Creek. The total organic matter in the creek sediments was found to be maximum of 10.30 % with an annual average concentration of 6.29 %. Although organic matter is a primary source of food for benthic organisms and is important in maintaining a viable ecosystem, too much of organic matter deposited in the sediments will be responsible for depletion in dissolved oxygen content of the creek water causing unpleasant odours and may also increase the rate of eutrophication. From the results it appears that as India moves towards stricter regulation of industrial effluents to control water pollution, greater efforts are required to control the discharge of pollutants into the ecosystems.

Abstract: Proteomics is the large scale of study of proteins, particularly their function and structure. Proteomics is an excellent approach for studying changes in metabolism in response to different stressconditions. In the present review focused on different types of techniques for the analysis of expressedproteins. The techniques includes 2-D gel electrophoresis, MALDI-TOF/MS etc., play a vital role forthe analysis of novel proteins and their role in disease maintenance and treatment. The review also concentrated on applicative perspective of proteomics in the fields of biomedical, agriculture and food.

Abstract: The physico-chemical parameters of the content in the effluents from Rajasree sugar factory of Villupuram district have been explored and its impact on the germination and growth patterns of black gram varieties has been studied. Physico-chemical parameters included color, odour, pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, suspended solids, dissolved solids, BOD, COD, chloride, sulphate, calcium, oil and grease concentration. Germination studies was conducted with black gram seed varieties (ADT-3, ADT-5, Vamban-3, Vamban-5 and Co-6) treated with different concentrations (control, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % ) of sugar mill effluent. Germination studies parameters such as germination percentage, germination index, shoot length, root length, fresh and dry weight of seedlings were found to be increased up to 10 % concentration of effluent. Vigour index, tolerance index, percentage of phytotoxicity and germination index were also calculated. The above mentioned parameters were decreased with the increase of effluent concentrations (25-100 %)

Abstract: Water pollution is a matter of great concern in lentic and lotic ecosystems. Generally water pollutants like heavy metals, organic compounds, etc. generate from industries and domestic activities. All of these pose serious threat to the fish population in freshwater as well as marine water bodies. An impact caused by water pollutants especially genotoxins depend not only upon its concentration, but also on the duration (acute and chronic exposure) and showed individual and/or combination of pollutants or genotoxins. Genotoxicity of fish with special reference to micronucleus induction in the erythrocytes of fish is an easy screening of water pollution. The present review deals with past and present research works of major water pollutants discharge and their impact on several fish species from available literatures.