International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 24

Abstract: Ayurvedic medicines are considered to be the best systems of treatment in India and this system is spreading now globally. Natural products are also a part of our everyday life. Ethno veterinary medicine is developed by farmers in field and barns rather than and in scientific laboratories. It is less systematic, less formalized and usually transferred by word of mouth rather than writing. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 10 selected sites of Villupuram district. Twenty six plant species belonging to fourteen families were documented in the present study, to cure different diseases in animals. Interviews and detailed personal discussions were conducted with the traditional healers and local people to identify the plants and their medicinal information for six months. The study revealed that the different parts of these plants were used for treatment of different diseases. Leaves are the mostly used part to prepare medicine

Abstract: The present study was aimed to develop a cost-effective and efficient protocol for mass propagation of high-quality seedlings through tissue culture by using seaweed extract as biostimulants instead of synthetic chemicals. The nodal explant of field grown W. somnifera estabilised on Murashige and Skoogs medium (MS) and Gamborg B5 medium supplemented with six concentration of 2,4 D. The percentage of culture response from the nodal explant ranged from 44 to 80 and 3.0 mg l-1 2,4 D found to be best for callus induction. MS media containing different concentration of seaweed extract (10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 %) were tested individually for shoot induction. The medium supplemented with 40 % seaweed extract exhibited maximum number of shoots with about 8.6 shoots/ callus and 80 % seaweed extract exhibited 4.3 shoots/ callus. It is evident from this study that seaweed extracts can be used as substitute for synthetic growth hormones for micropropagation of medicinally important plant W. somnifera for clonal propagation and conservation.

Abstract: The objective of the present investigation was to study the chemical composition of leaves of Carica papaya belonging to family Caricaceae growing in semi-arid region of Kachchh district, Gujarat, India. The leaves of C. papaya were subjected to Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and were analyzed for different mineral composition. As the X-ray Fluorescence is one of the most reliable and accurate, as well as it is also a consistent and non-destructive method for analysis of major and trace elements using a single pressed pellet. During the study it was found that Oxygen, Calcium, Magnessium, Potassium were noted in higher amounts, compared to that of other elements like Silicon, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Chloride, Strontium, Stanous, Aluminium, Cromium and Mangenese, whereas the elements which were not detected in leaves of C. papaya are Vanadium, Titanium, Cobalt and Tantalum.

Abstract: Seafood is an excellent provider of protein with high biological values. Fish, shellfish and other aquatic organisms are appropriate for food and have world-wide importance. They‟re wonderful sources of high quality proteins, superior to those in red meat and poultry foods. The human dietary amendments that characterize the “nutrition transition” include every quantitative and qualitative change in the human diets. The present study Meretrix casta meat is used for the preparation of excellent recipes like cake, soup and mint stuffed tomato with yellow clam using M. casta meat, that have the potential to be become a regular food item in the house hold diet with consumer acceptance. The differences in food habits over the length and breadth of the nation are most that available food resources are not being used properly due to the lack of information regarding their importance. The panel of judges vouched safe for taste and delicacy of the dishes in the present study. The panel detected that the dishes were a lot of as good as those created out of the much sought after seafood in taste, smell and flavor

Abstract: Dermatophytic infection is a common infection that constitutes public health problem among children. Anti dermatophytic activity of aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) was investigated against isolates of dermatophytic fungi obtained from sixty primary school children in Aba. The well in agar diffusion technique was used to determine the sensitivity patterns of the test organisms. The results were compared with the activity of a known antifungal drug nystatin. The isolates included Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton verrucosum and Epidermophyton floccosum. The result of the antifungal activity of garlic showed high but varied levels of antifungal effectiveness on the different species of the dermatophytes at four different concentrations of 12.5 %, 25 %, 50 % and 100 % used. T. rubrum was the most susceptible followed by M. gypseum, T. mentagrophytes, T. verrucosum and E. floccosum respectivey. The diameter zones of inhibition exhibited by the extracts against test fungal species ranged between 4.50 mm and 30.67 mm. Further purification and extraction of active principle of garlic would give an antidermatophytic activity comparable to standard antifungal drugs

Abstract: Gujarat has a coast line of approximately 1700 Km, varying in different habitat conditions. The state has two gulfs viz., gulf of Khambhat and gulf of Kachchh. Edaphic conditions of different habitats in ‘Bhal’ region of Gujarat state which falls in two districts viz. Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar district of Gujarat state. The coastal vegetation depends on the edaphic conditions of the region. The coastal flora of the ‘Bhal’ region belonging to Bhavnagar district has species like Suaeda nudiflora, Prosopis chilensis, Dichanthium annulatum, etc. The ‘Bhal’ region has marshy, wetland and semi-arid habitat. The present study investigates different physico-chemical parameters like Electrical Conductivity, pH and Sodium Adsorption Ratio, as well as mineral ion Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnessium and Chloride concentration in the soil of ‘Bhal’ region.