International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 75

Abstract: This study is based on bioaccumulation of total hydrocarbon (THC) and heavy metals in body parts of the West African red mangrove crab (G. pelii), which inhabit polluted mangrove forests. Thirty crabs were captured in October, 2018 and sorted into male and female. Their lengths and widths were measured, and body parts dismembered and oven-dried at 70 ͦ C for 48 hours. Physicochemical analysis for Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb) and THC was measured by spectrophotometric method using HACH DR 890 colorimeter (wavelength 420 nm) and microwave accelerated reaction system (MARS Xpress, North Carolina) respectively. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in THC and heavy metals in the body parts of crabs.  However, Zinc was highest in claw (993.4±91.3 mg/l) and body tissues (32.5±1.9 mg/l), Pb was highest in carapace (34.6±2.8 mg/l) and gill (151.9±21.6 mg/l) while THC was highest in intestine (39.5±2.9 mg/l) and gut (52.4±13.4 mg/l). The order of concentration is Zn>Pb>THC>Cd. Male crabs had slightly higher THC and heavy metal concentration than female crabs probably because of their large size. There is negative correlation between carapace area and THC concentration (R = -0.246), meaning THC decreases with increasing carapace size. Internal parts of crab had higher THC and heavy metal concentration than external parts. These results show that there is high bioaccumulation of THC and heavy metals in crab, which is above WHO/FAO standard. This implies that the crabs are unfit for human consumption. The smaller the crab the better it is for consumption in terms of bioaccumulation of pollutants.

Abstract: This article reports the amino acid profiles of the innards of the male and female dry samples of N. maculatus collected from the Atlantic Ocean at Orimedu beach in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. The analytical results showed high values of amino acids being observed in both heterosexual samples (g 100g^-1 protein): 8.17-8.32 (Leu), 8.35-10.3 (Asp), 17.6-18.2 (Glu) and 7.76-9.55 (Arg) with total amino acid values being greater in female innards (97.6g100g^-1) than the male innards (95.5g 100g^-1). These quality parameters were instructive of the quality of the amino acids in the innards of N. maculatus: P-PER₁, (2.83-3.01), P-PER₂ (2.89-2.96), EAAI (88.7-89.0), BV (85.0-85.5), Lys/Trp (L/T) (3.00-5.01), Met/Trp (M/T) (1.78-3.50) and Phe/Tyr (1.04^-1.65). The pI values were close at 5.46-5.57. In the amino acid groups (classes), the following trend was observed: class I > IV >V > VI > II > III > VII. For the amino acid scores: serine (0.487-0.511) was limiting in both samples on the total hen’s egg scoring pattern; in provisional scoring pattern, Lys was limiting in both samples with values of 0.820-0.889 and in the pre-school amino acid requirements, Lys was also limiting at 0.778-0.843. In the statistical analyses total amino acid profiles as well as egg scores were significantly different between the two samples whereas quality scores in pre-school amino acid requirements and provisional amino acid scoring pattern were both not significantly different between the two samples all at r_=0.01. Among the EAAs, six out of nine (66.7%) were more concentrated in the male innards and three of nine (33.3%) were more concentrated in the female. Thus the overall summary showed the male innards amino acids were of better quality than in the female as shown: male innards EEA = 46.1 g100g^-1 and 46.0 g100g^-1 in the female with corresponding TNEAA of 49.3g 100g^-1 and 51.6g 100g^-1 respectively.

Abstract: I Intensively practices rice-wheat (R-W) cropping system (RWCS) in South-Asia is suffering from many sustainability issues such as micronutrient deficiencies, labour scarcity, production cost, declining land, declining groundwater level and water productivity along with declining soil health.  Climate change further complex the things in one or other way. Therefore, the intervention of climate smart technologies are urgent for improving water productivity in an enormous water use RWCS of South-Asia. Although, farmers are confused regarding picking of suitable climate smart technology (CST) viz., laser land leveling, un-puddled direct-seeded rice (UPDSR), soil matric potential based irrigation, double zero tillage in wheat followed by rice, raised bed planting, short duration cultivars and correct transplantation time, for enhancing their livelihoods through increasing land and water productivity on one side and mitigating global warming consequences on other. Performance of these technologies is both site and situation specific, and care must be taken in practicing them. Most of them cutting down the drainage losses, which further reduces recharging of soil profile which is not required in water stressed regions while these might be termed as energy-saving technologies; otherwise used to withdraw water from the deeper soil depths. These CST are also useful for waterlogged regions. However, CST viz. correct transplantation time and short duration cultivars partition higher fraction of ET water (evapotranspiration) from E (evaporation) to T (transpiration) component which further favour higher grain yields and thus, higher water productivity. Therefore, it is crucial for the introduction of CST for improving agricultural and water productivity in the era of climate change in an enormous water use RWCS of South-Asia.

Abstract: The Neyveli lignite is one of the largest brown coal field of India, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The lignite it is one of tertiary formation found in the Neyveli, So far many mega and micro fossils reported from this formation. The Neyveli lignite well preserved and recognizable entities are mainly woody and non-woody tissues of different angiosperm plants, spore and pollen, cuticles of leaves, resins, fungal spores and fungal fruiting bodies. The present study is about the charcoalified angiospermic wood is identified as Hopenium pondicherriensis (Dipterocarpaceae). This is a first report of Hopenium pondicherriensis from the Neyveli formation.

Abstract: The N-terminal domain of the ice-nucleation protein InaV (InaV-N) of Pseudomonas syringae was applied to display the DFPase on the cell surface. In silico techniques were used to generate a model in order to examine the possibility of DFPase exhibition on the cell surface. The secondary and tertiary structures of a chimeric protein were determined and then, the predicted model was subjected to several repeated cycles of stereochemical evaluation and energy minimization. The homology-modeled structure of the InaV/N-DFPase protein was docked to DFP. The optimized inaV/N-dfpase gene was translated to 519 amino acids. The minimum free energy of the best-predicted secondary structures was formed by RNA molecules (-215.45 kcal/mol). SOPMA analysis results showed that the main helix peak corresponded to the anchor fragment. Validation of the 3D model indicated that 86.1% of amino acid residues were incorporated into the favored regions. The moldock score was 360.22 for DFP. Results of this study indicated that according to in silico analysis, all of these findings were effective in targeting DFPase.