International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 54

Abstract: The results of using the waste water from recirculating aquaculture system for phyto- and zooplankton cultivation are presented in the article. The physico-chemical parameters of the aquaculture system’s waste water and comparative culture media were recorded during hydrobionts cultivation. The indicators of productivity and the biochemical composition of investigated cultures were determined. The biochemical analysis of studied cultures included the investigations of the content of total proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, carotenoids and photosynthetic pigments. Using aquaculture system’s waste water as a medium for the cultivation of phyto- and zooplankton can significantly reduce the cost of technology for live feed biomass increase in the aquaculture industries.

Abstract: Organochlorine pesticide residues in dried cocoa beans from selected towns from Ondo and Osun States, Nigeria were determined. Four towns Ondo and Idanre (Ondo State) and Ife and Ilesa (Osun State) were selected to represent cocoa producing areas in the states. Samples were extracted and cleaned-up on silica gel adsorbent. Pesticide residues were detected using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Five organochlorine pesticides were detected in the samples from Ondo state which includes alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, delta-HCH, endrin and p p’ DDT. The levels of p p’ DDT (0.108 mg/kg and 0.107 mg/kg) detected in samples from Ondo and Idanre towns were lower than the EU MRL (0.5 mg/kg), while other detected organochlorine pesticide residues from the State were higher than the EU MRL. In Osun State, alpha-HCH, lindane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor-epoxide, endosulfan I and p p’ DDT were organochlorine pesticide residues detected, with lindane (0.074 mg/kg), endosulfan I (0.099 mg/kg) and p p’ DDT (0.235 mg/kg) being lower than EU MRLs. Higher levels of organochlorine pesticide residues than the EU MRLs suggest that the produce were not safe for human consumption because of the tendency of the pestsides to persist for a long period of time and as well bioaccumulate within the environment. The produce can also face trade threat in international market. Measures were suggested to ameliorate this situation.

Abstract: In this work, radiological assessment of atmospheric release from Tehran’s Research Reactor (TRR) stack and assessment of public exposures under normal operation has been studied. To perform tasks mentioned above, Pc-Cream computer code which simulates Gaussian Dispersion air transport plume model as well as laboratory analysis of the soil and leaves samples and TLD (Thermo Luminescent Dosimeter) monitoring around the TRR site was used. Results of the Pc-Cream code showed that the annual committed and external dose received by the individual in the vicinity of the reactor is below the regulatory limit. Also, the results of laboratory analysis of available radionuclides in the soil and leaves samples showed that the concentrations are close to the background (K40=635, Th232=28, Cs137=0.29 up to 28.82, Ra226=25 (Bq[1]/Kg) in soil and K40=457, Be7≈70 (Bq/Kg) in leaves) and confirm the code results. The monitored dose values of the TLD detectors were positioned around the reactor within 500 m radius shows that the background dose in vicinity of TRR (113 μSv up to 150 μSv) is consistent with the background dose in Tehran province (125 μSv).

Abstract: Many information of biological study as stained cells analysis under microscope cannot be obtained rich information like detail morphology, shape, size, proper intensity etc. but image analysis software can easily be detected all these parameters within short duration. The cells types can be yeast cells to mammalian cells. An attempt has been made to detect cellular abnormalities from an image of metronidazole (MTZ) treated compared to control images of peripheral erythrocytes of fish by using non-commercial, open-source, CellProfiler (CP) image analysis software (Ver. 2.1.0). The comparative results were obtained after analysis the software. In conclusion, this image based screening of Giemsa stained fish erythrocytes can be a suitable tool in biological research for primary toxicity prediction at DNA level alongwith cellular phenotypes. Moreover, still suggestions are needed in relation to accuracy of present analysis for Giemsa stained fish erythrocytes because previous works have been carried out images of cells with fluorescence dye.

Abstract: This study was aimed for removal of phenol from water using activated carbon synthesize from avocado kernel seeds by adsorption onto it. For adsorption process cleaned and washed avocado kernel seeds (Persea americana) were dried at 100°C in an oven overnight and carbonization was carried out by increasing the furnace temperature at a rate of 5 °C/min to a final temperature of 800 °C for 160 minutes. Then, the activated carbon was powdered and sieved, washed with distilled water until the solution pH reached 7.0. Optimization of activated carbon was performed through effects of solution pH, contact time; initial phenol concentration and temperature of the adsorption. The kinetic studies of the adsorption process were achieved by verifying various models and the data obtained was best fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The isotherms models were analyzed with Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin to validate the adsorption process. It was found that Langmuir model was best fitted to the obtained result for both adsorbents.

Abstract: The present study evaluated the protective effect of bergenin on high fat diet (HFD) induced diabetic mice. C57BL/6J mice were segregated in two groups, one fed standard diet (NC) and the other fed HFD for 16 weeks. Mice were fed continuously with high fat diet for 16 weeks and subjected to intragastric administration of bergenin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg body weight (BW)), metformin (25 mg/kg BW) 9 to 16 weeks. At the end of the treatment nephritic markers, lipid peroxidation product, antioxidant and histopathological examination were carried out to assess the efficacy of the treatment. HFD fed mice showed increased plasma glucose, insulin, altered nephritic markers, antioxidant and histopathological abnormalities. Oral Treatment with bergenin (40 mg/kg BW) showed near normalized levels of plasma glucose, lipid peroxidation product, antioxidants, improved insulin and reduced kidney damage. The effects of bergenin were comparable with standard drug, metformin. These data suggest that bergenin protect kidney from deleterious effect of glucose.

Abstract: Modern broiler chickens are genetically selected for reaching higher weights in shorter life spans. In addition to this, they are raised in crowded housing conditions with less opportunity for movement. Understanding movement patterns, migration and use of space is essential in determining welfare of the birds in commercial farms. In this study, migration behaviour of broiler chickens in semi-commercial farms of 1800 chickens was studied. Observations were repeated in six growth periods each on 12 chickens once a day during their growth period of 42 days. It was seen that the activity of broilers was not decreasing during the growth period. Travelled distances of the chickens in total were not reduced in the last 3 weeks of their growth period (p > 0.05 in 89% of the observed birds, Mann-Whitney U test). Chickens preferred to be in the zones next to the wall farthest to the entrance of the house. The observed birds did not restrict themselves only around the feeders and the drinkers but used the whole surface area available during the whole growth period. The results of the study seem to be encouraging in achieving welfare of broiler chickens even in commercialised houses with high stocking density. Reported mobility of chickens is important for their survival and has therefore considerable impact on efficient production on farms.

Abstract: Wetland pollution due to inputs from crude oil is one of the most prevalent environmental problems facing the aquatic ecosystem in the world. The present study was intended to investigate the effectiveness of combination of cow lumen and NPK fertilizer in stimulating the degradation of crude oil polluted fresh water wet land. Soil samples were collected from unpolluted plots, crude oil polluted plots and crude oil polluted plots that were treated with the remediating agents. After fifteen days and sixty days of remediation, the soil samples were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (E.C), phosphate, PO^3-₄, phosphorous, P, % organic carbon, % total nitrogen N, carbon/nitrogen ratio and total petroleum hydrocarbon, TPH. The result indicates that combination of the inorganic and organic manure was more efficient in stimulating the degradation of the crude oil than the use of either the cow lumen or NPK fertilizer alone. The physiochemical properties of the soil in all the treated plots were observed to have been improved when compared with that of the untreated plots.

Abstract: The antioxidant capability and phenolic contents of ethanol extracts (free phenolics) and ethyl acetate extracts (bound phenolics) of three Quercus species were estimated in this work. The antioxidant activities were examined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) free radical, reducing power and b-carotene bleaching methods. HPLC was employed to detect major phenolic acids. The leaf extract of Q. salicina contained maximum total phenolics while the highest total flavonoid content was found in the leaf extract of Q. serrata. The antioxidant activities varied among three species. Bark extract of Q. salicina was the most potential and it was closed to levels of the standard antioxidative dibutyl hydroxytoluene (BHT). The bark extract of Q. serrata also showed promising antioxidant activities despite their eminence was negligibly lower than Q. salicina. Stronger antioxidant activities of free phenolics than those of the bound phenolics may be attributed to higher quantities of free phenolics in the barks of Quercus species, however total flavonoids may not contribute a critical role. By HPLC analysis, thirteen phenolic acids were detected in the leaf and bark extracts. Of them, Q. salicina showed maximum in number (ten compounds) and quantities of detected phenolic acids. Ellagic, chlorogenic and benzoic acids were dominant in Quercus species. Findings of this study revealed that leaves and barks of three Quercus species are rich source of antioxidants, and Q. salicina is the most promising and should be elaborated to exploit its pharmaceutical properties.

Abstract: This study aimed at the simultaneous treatment of wastewater obtained from swine and generation of bioenergy in form of electricity from the energy stored in the organic component of the wastewater. The Open circuit voltage, current, power density and microbiological and physicochemical parameters were monitored. An initial Open circuit voltage of 516mV, Current of 0.29mA, and Power density of 32.74mW/m² were recorded, which increased to give maximum Open Circuit Voltages of 836mV, Current of 0.49mA, and Power density of 88.45mW/m². The results revealed that The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Organic carbon, Total Soluble solids (TSS), Ammonia, Ammonium and Ammonium-Nitrogen all showed percentage decrease of 85.92%, 51.74%, 78.16%, 98.87%, 55.87%, 55.79% and 55.90% respectively while parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrogen, Phosphates, Phosphorus and Orthophosphates however increased after treatment to give a percentage increase of -273.60%, -131.65%, -134.85%, -168.77%, -159.26%, and -157.03% respectively. Bacteria isolates identified at the biofilms on the anode were Corynebacterium specie, Bacillus specie, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus faecalis. The results from this study further exacerbate the Bioelectricity production as well as wastewater treatment potentials of the Microbial Fuel Cell technology.