Prediction of Ovulation in Women through the Occurrence of Salivary Fern Prototype

-- S Alagendran, G Archunan and Sanjay S Achiraman

The present study aims at determining the scientific reliability of salivary ferning pattern as a method to detect ovulation in normal women. The saliva was collected from unmarried women in the age group of 20-30 years. The saliva, collected at three different phases (i.e., preovulatory (6^th-12^th day), ovulatory (13^th-14^th day) and postovulatory (15^th-28^th day)), was smeared in the glass slide and observed under microscope. The salivary fern pattern was compared with the different phases of the menstrual cycle. In the ovulation phase, estrogen crystals which formed clearly were observed in saliva, whereas in other phases few crystalline structures were visible. The results suggest that the appearance of fern formation may be due to the appearance of surge of estrogenic activity. This is confirmed by the estimation of electrolytes namely sodium, potassium, and subsequently estrogen. The present study emphasizes, that the salivary fern pattern can be used for ovulation prediction, and the test may, therefore, be clinically useful in the prediction of ovulation after suitable modification.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Compatibility of Quality Protein Maize and Sesame Seed Meal as a Substitute for Synthetic Amino Acids in Broiler Rations

-- Tekeba Eshetie, R P Moudgal and Alemu Yami

Ration formulation to meet the nutritional requirements of monogastric animals has become a challenge, since the ban of the use of animal protein as feed. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the compatibility of Quality Protein Maize (QPM) and Sesame Seed Meal (SSM) as a substitute for Synthetic Amino Acids (SAAs) and their economic advantage over the commercial feed. Four each of iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous starter and finisher broiler treatment rations (T₁-T₄) containing four different combinations of QPM and SSM were studied with 360 commercial broiler chicks in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 3-replications, using commercial ration (T₆) and treatment ration containing SAA (T₅) as control. Both QPM and SSM were included to contribute 50% of the total Crude Protein (CP) requirements of the broilers in each of the four treatments. At the end of the experiments, two broilers (one male and one female) from each replication were selected and scarified to evaluate the development of different cut ups and abdominal fat. The result obtained indicated that there was no significant difference (P >0.05) between the groups fed with SAA treatment and the treatment containing 36% QPM and 17.3% SSM in feed consumption, body weight gain, and mortality during the entire experimental period. However, the rate of survival, uniformity and posture of birds are affected as the level of SSM inclusion is beyond 17.3% during the first phase of brooding. Biological and economic efficiencies as measured by the amount of feed and feed cost required per kg live weight gain was significantly lower for the groups fed on the treatments (T₁ and T₂) containing 30-36% QPM plus 15-17.3% SSM during the entire study period. There was no significant (P> 0.05) difference in abdominal fat and breast weight and in average drumstick and thigh percent between all the groups, although the abdominal fat tends to increase with the increase in the level of SSM. In summary, the results of this study indicated that 30-36% of QPM plus 15-17.3% SSM could safely and economically be used to substitute SAA in broiler ration. Moreover, the inclusion of 30-36% QPM plus 15-17.3% SSM in broiler ration has a significant economic advantage over the use of commercial ration.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Effect of ABA and CaCl₂ on Fiber Elongation and Enzyme Activities in Gossypium arboreum

-- Pushp Sharma and C P Malik

This study investigates the influence of ABA, Calcium, along with chloropromazine (CPZ, Calcium antagonist), Ethylene Glycol Tetraacetic Acid (EGTA, Calcium chelator), Fluridone (Inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis), and combination of ABA with calcium chloride and fluridone on growth related enzyme activities during fiber development at 15 and 35 Days After Anthesis (DAA). CaCl₂ and F enhance the esterase activity, and the inhibition by ABA was alleviated in the combination treatments with CaCl₂ and F. ABA treatment inhibited acid invertase activity at both the stages in G. arboreum, whereas Ca²⁺ proved to be stimulatory, thus indicating that ABA and Calcium act independently of each other in the regulation of acid invertase activity. The role of stimulation of this enzyme was supported by the observations that EGTA and CPZ markedly decreased acid invertase activity. ABA, CPZ, and EGTA inhibited a-galactosidase activity at 15 and 35 DAA, whereas CaCl₂, F and the combination treatments enhanced the a-galactosidase activity. ABA inhibited both Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺-ATPases, in contrast the calcium treatments markedly enhanced both the enzyme activities, the enhancement being more in the Ca²⁺-ATPases. It may be inferred that Ca²⁺ may be regulating a preferential activity of ATPases to the cell wall, its activation or synthesis during fiber elongation. Exogenous application of EGTA and CPZ appreciably enhanced the activities at both the stages, thus supporting the non-involvement of Calcium Calmodulin in their regulation.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Antigenotoxic Potential of Gingerol in Cultured Mammalian Cells

-- Tanveer Beg, Yasir Hasan Siddique and Mohammad Afzal

6-Gingerol, a naturally occurring plant phenol, is one of the major pharmacologically active components of fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale). In the present study, we have tested 5, 10, and 20 mM of gingerol against 60 mM of Methyl Methanesulphonate (MMS) induced genotoxic damage in the presence as well as absence of metabolic activation system (S9 mix). The experiments were performed using Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCEs) and Chromosomal Aberrations (CAs) as parameters in cultured human lymphocytes. Gingerol was found to reduce the genotoxic damage both in the presence as well as absence of S9 mix for all the tested doses. The results of the present study show that gingerol could reduce the genotoxic damage induced by methyl methanesulphonate.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

An Efficient Hydrolysis of Raw Starches by a Thermostable Bacterial a-amylase from Solid-state Cultures of Bacillus sp. I-5

-- Nidhi Goyal, Jugal Kishore Gupta and Sanjeev Kumar Soni

A new strain of Bacillus sp. I-5 isolated from natural soil samples, showed a high digesting activity towards different types of raw starches including potato, wheat, maize, and rice. Upon optimization of various environmental and cultural conditions employing solid state fermentation of wheat bran, the a-amylase yield of 825 mg^-1 dry substrate was achieved. The kinetic characterization of the enzyme exhibited the maximum activity at 65 ^oC and revealed a high thermostability in the presence of 10 mM CaCl₂.2H₂O where it could retain more than 80% residual activity at 80 ^oC after 2½ h. At 90 ^oC and 100 ^oC, the enzyme retained 48% and 52% of its maximum activity after 1 and ½ h respectively. The enzyme preparation had a strong affinity towards various raw starch granules and was almost completely adsorbed. It also hydrolyzed these starches at a concentration of 12.5% significantly with highest digestion of potato starch followed by wheat starch.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Activity of Plant Derived Extracts and Essential Oils Against Four Genera of Bacteria

-- Pathipati Usha Rani, Jyothi Supriya and Madhusudana Murthy

The antibacterial activities of different plant extracts and few essential oils were evaluated in the laboratory by agar-gel diffusion and disc diffusion techniques against bacteria belonging to four genera. The four strains of bacteria are Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli I and Escherichia coli II. Leaf extracts from the plants Bougainvillea spectabilis wild (Nyctaginaceae), Tagetus erecta (Compositae), and Breynia retusa (Euphorbiaceae), and the essential oils at concentration of 3.0% (w/v)—pine, clove, eucalyptus, tagetus, and neem were the test compounds. Results from the antibacterial tests demonstrated that all the essential oils except neem oil and B. retusa extract (at 500 mg/ml concentration) have an excellent inhibitory effect against bacteria at a fixed dosage of 50 ml. These results suggest that these plant materials have potential as antibacterial compounds and can be exploited for medicinal purpose.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Research Note

Occurrence of Vesicular-Arbascular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Catharanthus roseus L.

-- A Misra and M L Gupta

Catharanthus roseus L. of family Apocynaceae is an important medicinal value plant containing anticancerous biomolecule compounds of high yielding vinblastine and ajmalcine and vincristine alkaloid contents containing compounds (Verpoortee et al., 1997). It is commonly known as madagaskar origin periwinkle, and it is extensively used in drug industries for extracting a number of anticancerous compounds (Misra and Kumar, 2000). It is widely grown in the gardens and obtained in the natural surroundings of the tropical and subtropical areas (Neuss, 1980). It often grows in degraded soils at low altitude, which is having non-availability of Ferrum (Fe) and poor fertility of Phosphorous (P) and Zinc (Zn). In this context, the presence of the Vesicular-Arbascular Mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus, Glomus fasiculatum (Thaxt. sensu Gerd.) with Taxus influences the growth and productivity in P and Zn depleted soil with unavailable Fe.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.

Salt Tolerance Genes: Nature's Answer to Global Warming

-- Supriya A Dalvi,
Varsha Kelkar-Mane and Sanjay V Deshmukh

Biodiversity, which embraces a great variety of forms within, has evolved over thousands of years in a dynamic interaction between nature and careful selection and breeding by farmers. Biodiversity is also the feedstock of biotechnological enterprises. It is, therefore, noteworthy that the diverse traditional cultivars, domesticated and conserved in-situ and on-farm by farmers over the years, have global significance because they constitute the fundamental genetic pool for modern plant breeding to meet the food requirements of a growing global population.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.