International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 28

Abstract: Plectranthus forskohlii (Willd). Briq. (Syn: Coleus forskohlii) is an important indigenous medicinal plant in India. It has been used in traditional Ayurveda medicine for curing various disorders and this is the only source of the diterpenoid forskolin. Forskolin is used for the treatment of eczema, asthma, psoriasis, cardiovascular disorders and hypertension, where decreased intracellular cAMP level is believed to be a major factor in the development of the disease process. A comprehensive account of the morphology, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, analytical methods and biotechnological approaches for forskolin production reported are included in view of the many recent findings of importance on this plant.

Abstract: Regulation and production of Fibrinolytic enzymes from bacterial sources especially from Bacillus strains has taken a leading role in the medical sciences for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders as it removes thrombus or clots adding to its significant role in curing human health issues saving millions. Significant progress has been made during the last few years on the studies of fibrinolytic enzymes in identifying, cloning, purification, characterization and overproduction of these for commercialization in medical sciences and in fields like detergents development. Production of fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus circulans was done using Nutrient broth medium. In addition, a strong fibrinolytic enzyme was purified from the cultivation media. The purified enzyme was almost homogeneous with other species of same genus, as examined by SDS−PAGE and sephadex G-75 column chromatography. The enzyme had an optimal pH of 7-12, an optimal temperature of 50 °C, for fibrin hydrolysis. The molecular mass estimated by gel filtration was 24 to36 KDa. Further studies for characterization and structural elucidation are necessary for their medicinal applications and molecular biological characteristics.

Abstract: Nucleic acid content in brain, liver, kidney and gonads of the freshwater fish Notopterus notopterus collected from different aquatic bodies were studied during pre-spawning phase of the reproductive cycle. The three different aquatic bodies selected were Saradgi nala, Bennithora River and Bheema River and their physiochemical parameters also studied. The present study of nucleic acid content in brain, liver, kidney and gonads of the fish Notopterus notopterus collected from aquatic body Bennithora River shows normal levels of the nucleic acid as compared to that of fish from other two aquatic bodies. The normal content of nucleic acid content of N. notoptuers in the aquatic body Bennithora may be due to favorable environmental condition for survival, growth, distribution and reproductive activity.

Abstract: Incomplete reduction of oxygen molecules is the primary source for the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during cytosolic metabolism or mitochondrial respiration. These phenomenons may be as a result of biotic or abiotic stress. Exposure to exogenous stimuli such as radiation might be an alternative pathway of ROS production. Thus plants require counter defense strategies to combat the increase of this toxic molecular build up in its cell cytoplasm. As a result they have devised an army of free radical scavenging enzymes which enable them to dissipate the oxidative stress imposed by the accumulation of these toxic moieties. Glutathione Peroxidase forms an important part of this arms race along with several catalases and organelle specific enzymes such as superoxide dismutase. Plant glutathione peroxidases (GPXs) have been studied exclusively for their evolutionary lineages since they represent a hybrid class of molecules in context of the presence and absence of selenocysteine at their catalytic centres, the former situation predominant in non vascular plant groups while the later a predominant feature of vascular plants. This analysis focuses on three important aspects of protein structure analyses – hydrophobic cluster analyses for identification of homologues, and acetylation and myristoylation sites which provide us with information regarding the post translational modifications of a particular protein group. Specific patterns of clusters along with acetylation and myristoylation site frequencies were obtained which indicate that GPXs of non vascular plant members possess less chances of getting myristoylated while acetylation was predominant in most land plant lineages but absent in aquatic members.

Abstract: The growth dynamics of two tall littoral helophytic plants, the narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia L.) and broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia L.; Typhaceae) were studied in the rapidly changing estuarine habitats in the Kokemäenjoki River delta, western Finland. The two cattails form uniform, single-species communities (monocultures) throughout the plant-covered estuary. Of the two taxa compared, the shoots were taller in T. angustifolia (mean 166 cm) than in T. latifolia (mean 120 cm). But due to the robust leaves, the relation in the average weight of individual ramets was opposite: The mean weight of T. angustifolia was 9.6 g (dry wt), and that of T. latifolia was 16.5 g. In a separate study, the leaf height was compared between the fertile (flowering) and sterile (non-flowering) ramets. In flowering ramets the average leaf length was 35 cm taller in Typha angustifolia than in T. latifolia. The differences were even more pronounced in sterile ramets, where the leaves of Typha angustifolia were 70 cm taller than those of T. latifolia. The differences were statistically highly significant. Interspecific competition between the two Typha species is negligible, because the microhabitats differ from each other. T. angustifolia grows in considerably deeper (mean depth 42 cm) waters than T. latifolia (mean depth 19 cm). The optimum range in the water depth is markedly stricter in T. angustifolia than in T. latifolia. The differences between the rooting depths of the two cattails were statistically highly significant. The physico-chemical characteristics of the rooting zones (rhizospheres) of the two cattails are similar, with the locally produced (autochthonous) organic matter dominating and determining the fertility of the habitats.

Abstract: The genus Plectranthus belongs to the family Lamiaceae is found in wild and cultivated condition. In the present work, the cultivars of Plectranthus forskohlii have been collected from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka at different places. The accessions collected from Karnataka showed high tuber size, length and volume when compared to accessions collected from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The most significant observation was made in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu cultivar accessions which were grown in the same soil in field condition have much branched root tuber with significant fresh weight as compared with accessions from Kerala. The Kerala accessions were observed with less diffused root tuber with low fresh weight. On the basis of the present research, it was concluded that the phenotypic variations present in leaf, stem and root characters might be due to some genetic heritable variation which may exist in the accessions collected from different locality, and this require further study with respect to their genotypic nature of Plectranthus forskohlii.