Patterns of subspecies genetic diversity among oilseed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica rapa</Emphasis> as revealed by agro-morphological traits and SSR markers

Brassica rapa (2n = 20, AA genome) is an important oil yielding species of the family Brassicaceae and characterized by wide range of genetic and morphological subtypes suitable for cultivation under diverse agro-climatic regions of India. In this study, genetic diversity among three subspecies of B. rapa including yellow sarson, toria and outlier brown sarson was estimated using various agro-morphological traits and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Maximum variability was recorded for siliqua angle (Coefficient of variation = 30.9%), followed by seeds/siliqua (CV = 18.8%), leaf length (CV = 10%) and plant height (CV = 16.8%). Principal component analysis explained more than 50% of the total observed morphological variability for first two components. Of the 107 SSR markers tested, 80 generated reproducible, clear and distinct amplicons of which, 65 (81.25%) were found polymorphic. The number of alleles at each locus ranged from 2 to 7, with an average of 3.03 alleles per marker. A total of 197 alleles were detected at 65 SSR loci with average PIC value of 0.457 and a mean resolving power of 3.04. Neighbor-Joining cluster analysis based on morphological traits and SSR markers separately classified all the 28 genotypes into five major groups. The population structure analysis resulted into three sub-populations with certain extent of admixture among the earlier established taxonomic sub-groups. Twenty-three unique alleles were detected in thirteen B. rapa varieties. The clustering analysis and principal coordinate analysis outlined the genetic relationships among different varieties belonging to the three subspecies of B. rapa. Genetically diverse genotypes as illustrated by score plots and from the clustering patterns brought out the wide range of diversity present among B. rapa genotypes and the underlying options available for selecting parental genotypes for hybridization and developing high yielding cultivars suitable for Indian conditions.     

Amino acid profiling of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorghum bicolor</Emphasis> vis-à-vis <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chilo partellus</Emphasis> (Swinhoe) for biochemical interactions and plant resistance

Amount of certain amino acids required by herbivores, and their availability in host plants are of crucial importance for insect growth, development, and life processes. Therefore, we carried out profiling and quantification of 17 amino acids in diverse sorghum genotypes, and on the Chilo partellus larvae reared on them, to understand the association and contribution of different amino acids in plant resistance to insects. Sorghum germplasm lines IS 2205 and IS 2123 had severe detrimental effects on the development and survival of C. partellus followed by varieties ICSV 700 and ICSV 708 in comparison to susceptible check, Swarna. Profiling of sorghum seedlings, seeds, and the C. partellus larvae fed on these genotypes for 17 amino acids revealed that Arginine, Glycine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Proline, and Valine in sorghum seedlings and the C. partellus larvae had significant and positive association, suggesting their role in the development and survival, while negative association of Cystine indicated its contribution in plant defense. Furthermore, C. partellus acquired less of cyclic and aliphatic amino acids per unit amount from the test resistant genotypes, while more from the susceptible check, than their presence in the seedlings. Present studies suggest that Alanine, Cystine, Glycine, and Proline contents in C. partellus larvae; Cystine and Proline contents in sorghum seedlings; and Methionine content in sorghum seeds, have significant and negative association, and contribute to explain?>93% and >96%, respectively, of the variability in antibiosis mechanism and overall resistance to C. partellus. These studies have implications for antibiosis and nutritional mechanism of host plant–insect interactions in sorghum against C. partellus.     

Studies on Horseradish Peroxidase Immobilized onto Arylamine and Alkylamine Glass

Peroxidase from horseradish has been immobilized onto zirconia coated arylamine and alkylamine glass through the process of diazotization and glutaraldehyde coupling, respectively. Arylamine glass bound enzyme retained 77% of the initial activity with a conjugation yield of 18 mg g^-1 support, while alkylamine glass bound enzyme retained 38% of the initial activity with a conjugation yield of 16 mg g^-1 support. The immobilized enzyme showed an increase in optimum pH, temperature for maximum activity, energy of activation (Ea), and thermal stability but decrease in time for linearity and Km for H₂O₂. Vmax value of arylamlne conjugated enzyme decreased but Vmax of alkylamine conjugated enzyme was unaltered compared to free enzyme. Both arylamine and alkylamine bound enzyme showed higher stability in cold compared to that of free enzyme. The application of glass bound peroxidase in discrete analysis of serum urate is demonstrated.     

Modelling of Lipase Catalysed Transesterification Reactions

Transesterification of substituted ethanols with ethyl acetate is studied in the presence of two different lipases. The steric bulk of the substituent group plays a more important role than the electronic factors in the reaction. The reversible reaction is modelled mathematically, and the rate parameters in the model estimated by a transient parameter estimation procedure. The effect of lipase quantity, reaction temperature and substrate concentration on the reaction is studied independently. Product quantity exhibits a maxima for increasing substrate concentration which is modelled successfully with a substrate product inhibition model, and compared with the experimental data     

Indium-111-oxinate labeled swine platelets and their survival in vivo

Since the fibrinolytic system of the swine is close to that of human, the use of a swine model may assume increasing prominence in future studies of thrombosis. Swine platelets were labeled with 111In in a modified Tyrode's solution, suspended in plasma, then injected intravenously into swine. The average radioactivity incorporated into the platelets was 44 +/- 27%. The recovery of labeled platelets at 5 minutes post-injection was 81.7 +/- 5.3%. The platelets retained their label throughout their life span. The survival of 111In-platelets was described by a one component exponential equation, with a life span of 157.9 +/- 25.3 hrs.     

Estimation of Lead Elimination Rates for Liver and Kidney Using a Physiologically- Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Improved Human Risk Analysis

This research has studied the uncertainties in a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model that describes uptake, accumulation, and elimination of Pb in the human body and to estimate the model's parameters. The model's application required probabilistic Pb exposure to humans which was accomplished by determining Pb content in various food items and food consumption patterns in a rural site near Kanpur, India. The important model parameters that varied were excretion constants, KE_LI and KE_KI (1/d), for elimination of Pb from liver and kidney. For estimating these parameters, the PBPK model's equations were reorganized by incorporating steady state conditions. Measured blood and urine Pb levels were used for estimating these parameters. A significant variability was observed in estimated parameters, KE_LI (0.112 to 0.248/day) and KE_KI (0.390 to 0.794/day). This research suggested that excretion parameters must be taken in a stochastic sense for obtaining proper estimates of human risk. In addition to KE_LI and KE_KI, variability (food quantity, Pb concentration in food items, and bodyweight) was considered for estimating blood Pb concentrations through PBPK modeling and Monte-Carlo simulation. It was demonstrated that by not considering the variability, health risk was underestimated (compare 8.98 × 10^?5 [no variability] to 9.34 × 10^?3 [with variability]).     

Effect of feeding protected fat and proteins on milk production,composition and nutrient utilization in Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

Objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding protected fat and proteins on milk production, composition and nutrient utilization in Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Eighteen buffaloes were divided into two groups (9 each) on the basis of most probable production ability. Buffaloes in control group (C group; most probable production ability 2204 kg) were fed chaffed wheat straw, chopped maize fodder and concentrate mixture as per requirements. Buffaloes in supplemented group (S group; most probable production ability 2211 kg) were fed same ration as C group plus 2.5% rumen protected fat (on dry matter intake basis) and formaldehyde treated mustard and groundnut oil cake (1.2 g formaldehyde/100 g crude protein) in place of unprotected cakes. Group S buffaloes were supplemented rumen protected fat and protein 60 days pre-partum to 90 days postpartum and persistence of milk production was monitored up to 210 days of lactation. Milk yield during supplementation period (90 days) in S group was 13.11 kg/d and was 19% higher (P<0.01) than the C group (11.01 kg/d), whereas after supplement withdrawal (120 days), it was 11.04 kg/d and was 15% higher (P<0.01) than the C group (9.61 kg/d). There was no effect on total solid, protein, solid-not fat (SNF) and lactose contents in the two groups, whereas milk fat yield was increased (P<0.05) and level of milk urea nitrogen was decreased (P<0.01) in S group. Moreover, the supplement produced noticeable changes in the fatty acid profile of the milk fat, i.e., reduction in the concentration of saturated fatty acids (SFA) by 19% and an increase in that of unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) by 36%. Besides, digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber were not affected, whereas ether extract digestibility was higher (P<0.05) in S group. There was no effect on plasma glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations between two groups, whereas blood urea nitrogen concentration was lower (P<0.01) in S group. Supplementation of protected nutrients to buffaloes increased milk production and unsaturated fatty acids content in milk fat and persistence of lactation after supplements were withdrawn.