Redox-mediated decolorization of Direct Red 23 and Direct Blue 80 catalyzed by bioaffinity-based immobilized tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) peroxidase

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of concanavalin A (Con A)-cellulose-bound tomato peroxidase for the decolorization of direct dyes. Cellulose was used as an inexpensive material for the preparation of bioaffinity support. Con A-cellulose-bound tomato peroxidase exhibited higher efficiency in terms of dye decolorization as compared to soluble enzyme under various experimental conditions. Both Direct Red 23 and Direct Blue 80 dyes were recalcitrant to the action of enzyme without a redox mediator. Six compounds were investigated for redox-mediating property. Immobilized peroxidase decolorized both dyes to different extent in the presence of all the used redox mediators. However, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole emerged as a potential redox mediator for tomato peroxidase catalyzed decolorization of direct dyes. These dyes were maximally decolorized at pH 6.0 and 40 degrees C by soluble and immobilized peroxidase. The absorption spectra of the untreated and treated dyes exhibited a marked difference in the absorption at various wavelengths. Immobilized tomato peroxidase showed a lower Michaelis constant than the free enzyme for both dyes. Soluble and immobilized tomato peroxidase exhibited significantly higher affinity for Direct Red 23 compared to Direct Blue 80.     

Water,nitrogen and phosphorus in freshwater Plankton

Summary Mixed phytoplankton, zooplankton and Thermocyclops hyalinus collected from Fort Moat, at Aligarh (U.P.) India, were analysed for water, nitrogen and phosphorus. Results are generally in agreement with observations of earlier investigators.Phosphorus values are found to be very high. Nutritional condition of zooplankton is noticed to have improved during phytoplankton maxima in the lake.     

Studies on the age and growth of the bata,Labeo bata (Ham.) (Cyprinidae,Teleostei) from the river Kali,India

Age and growth of Labeo bata (Ham.) was studied by the analysis of annuli found on the scale and by length-frequency distribution. The fish attained lengths of 131, 194, 236, 277, 314, 341 and 364 mm at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th years of life respectively. The increase in length of scale bears a constant relationship with the increase in length of fish, and regression analysis yielded a straight line between scale and body length. Calculated values could be expressed as: Y = –2.534 + 0.064 XThe growth rate of the fish was found high during the 1st and 2nd years and decreased gradually afterwards till the 7th year. Both sexes showed more a or less similar growth rate and attained a similar longevity. Growth trend of the fish confirmed the von Bertalanffy growth equation: Lt = 450(l–e^{–0.2165(t+0.5963))} The seasonal growth curve was chiefly influenced by feeding intensity in fishes of 1st year class while in adults it was affected by feeding intensity as well as by maturation of the gonads.     

Pharmacological properties and preliminary phytochemical analysis of Pseudocaryopteris foetida (D.Don) P.D. Cantino leaves

Medicinal plants have significant contribution in pharmaceutical industries being producers of compounds utilized as precursors for drug development. A plant of Lamiaceae family; Pseudocaryopteris foetida had not been investigated for its biomedical potential. Current research was aimed to investigate phytochemical analysis, cytotoxic potential and antioxidant activity of crude methanolic extract and fractions of Pseudocaryopteris foetida (leaves). The preliminary phytochemical analysis of crude methanolic extracts and fractions of Pseudocaryopteris foetida revealed that plant is rich in phenolic and flavonoid classes of secondary metabolites while presence of tannin was observed only in crude methanolic extract. The cytotoxicity was determined using brine shrimp lethality test. Different concentrations (25, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 µg/mL) of crude methanolic extract and fractions exhibited dose dependent cytotoxicity. However, The LD₅₀ for all the extracts was more than 200 µg/mL indicating weak cytotoxic potential of Pseudocaryopteris foetida. The antioxidant capabilities of crude methanolic extract and fraction of Pseudocaryopteris foetida were analyzed by in vitro bio assays including DPPH, ABTS, Reducing power and phosphomolybdate antioxidant assays using ascorbic acid as standard. The crude methanolic extract showed IC₅₀ (256.38 ± 0.6 and 314.95 ± 1.1 µg/mL) for DPPH and ABTS respectively, while total antioxidant capacity was calculated as 55.79 ± 0.5 µg/mL for crude methanolic extract of Pseudocaryopteris foetida while ascorbic acid indicated total antioxidant capacity of 71.89 ± 2.3 µg/mL. Study concluded that leaves of Pseudocaryopteris foetida were the rich source of antioxidant phytochemicals. Based on preliminary investigations further research should be focused to isolate bioactive phytochemicals as leading source of clinical medicines in future.     

Therapeutic Potential of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts against Multi-Drug Resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi is Gram negative, rod shaped, facultative anaerobic bacterium, belongs to enterobacteriaceae family that causes typhoid fever in humans. This bacterium has become a super bug due to acquisition of multi drug resistance. Bacteria is transmitted through food and water contaminated with human feaces. Present study reports the screening of Adhatoda vasica, Amaranthus hybridus and Aloe barbadensis and their evaluation against multi-drug resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. Qualitative analysis of ten phytochemicals was conducted using chemical method and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). Antibacterial activity of plants was carried out by agar well diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar. Total tannins, total alkaloids and total flavonoids of different parts of three plants were estimated through spectrophotometer. Total tannins content in different parts of plants was present in the given order Amaranthus hybridus leaf > Aloe barbadensis leaf > Adhatoda vasica leaf > Adhatoda vasica flower > Adhatoda vasica stem. Whereas, the order of total flavonoid concentration was Amaranthus hybridus leaf > Aloe barbadensis leaf > Adhatoda vasica leaf > Amaranthus hybridus seed. Total alkaloids have order, Adhatoda vasica leaf > Amaranthus hybridus leaf > Adhatoda vasica flower > Amaranthus hybridus seed > Aloe barbadensis leaf. Results of phytochemical analysis suggested that plants have strong profile of antioxidants, total phenolic contents and various enzymes proposing them best alternate to cure bacterial infections. GC-MS analysis further confirmed stronger phytochemical profile that can be utilized as antagonists to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.     

Peroxidase mediated decolorization and remediation of wastewater containing industrial dyes: a review

In this article an effort has been made to review literature based on the role of peroxidases in the treatment and decolorization of a wide spectrum aromatic dyes from polluted water. Peroxidases can catalyze degradation/transformation of aromatic dyes either by precipitation or by opening the aromatic ring structure. Peroxidases from plant sources; horseradish, turnip, tomato, soybean, bitter gourd, white radish and Saccharum uvarum and microbial sources; lignin peroxidases, manganese peroxidases, vanadium haloperoxidases, versatile peroxidases, dye decolorizing peroxidases have been employed for the remediation of commercial dyes. Soluble and immobilized peroxidases have been successfully exploited in batch as well as in continuous processes for the treatment of synthetic dyes with complex aromatic molecular structures present in industrial effluents at large scale. However, recalcitrant dyes were also decolorized by the action of peroxidases in the presence of redox mediators.     

Improvement in drought tolerance in bread wheat is related to an improvement in osmolyte production,antioxidant enzyme activities,and gaseous exchange

Water deficit stress negatively affects wheat growth, physiology, and yield. In lab and hydroponic experiments, osmotic stress levels (control, −2, −4, −6 and −8 Bars) created by PEG-6000, caused a significant decline in germination, mean germination time, root, shoot, and coleoptile length in both wheat genotypes examined. Germination was inhibited more in Wafaq-2001 than in Chakwal-50. Wafaq-2001 showed a higher susceptibility index based on root and shoot dry weight than did Chakwal-50. Wheat plants exhibited osmotic adjustment through the accumulation of proline, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and free amino acids, and increased antioxidation activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and malondialdehyde. Increasing water deficit stress caused a linear decline in chlorophyll contents, leaf membrane stability, and relative water content in all wheat plants, with Wafaq-2001 showing a more severe negative impact on these parameters with increasing stress levels. The results suggest the possibility of utilizing some of these parameters as quantitative indicators of water stress tolerance in plants. Gas exchange measurements (photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance), leaf osmotic potential, water potential, and yield attributes decreased more abruptly with increasing water deficit, whereas leaf cuticular wax content increased in both genotypes, with more severe impacts on Wagaq-2001. More reduction in biochemical, physiological, and yield attributes was observed in Wafaq-2001 than was observed in Chakwal-50. Based on these results, we can conclude that Chakwal-50 is a more drought-tolerant genotype, and has excellent potential for future use in breeding programs to improve wheat drought tolerance.     

Impact of Cattaneo-Christov Heat Flux in Jeffrey Fluid Flow with Homogeneous-Heterogeneous Reactions

Two-dimensional stretched flow of Jeffrey fluid in view of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux is addressed. Effects of homogeneous-heterogeneous reactions are also considered. Suitable transformations are used to form ordinary differential equations. Convergent series solutions are computed. Impact of significant parameters on the velocity, temperature, concentration and skin friction coefficient is addressed. Analysis of thermal relaxation is made. The obtained results show that ratio of relaxation to retardation times and Deborah number have inverse relation for velocity profile. Temperature distribution has decreasing behavior for Prandtl number and thermal relaxation time. Also concentration decreases for larger values of strength of homogeneous reaction parameter while it increases for strength of heterogeneous reaction parameter.     

Occurrence and diversity of entomopathogenic fungi in cultivated and uncultivated soils in Pakistan

The distribution of entomopathogenic fungi in various geographical areas of Punjab, Pakistan, is poorly understood. The present study was planned to explore the occurrence and diversity of entomopathogenic fungi from soils collected from cultivated and non‐cultivated habitats. The detailed survey of different habitats (crop fields, fruits, vegetables, forests) was conducted to collect soil samples and the associated fungi were isolated using Galleria bait method. Among 210 soil samples, 168 fungal isolates were recovered and identified, with 98 from forests, 32 from vegetables, 30 from field crops and 8 from fruits. The major entomopathogenic fungi recovered from these samples were Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces lilacinus, B. brongniartii, P. chlamydosporia and Lecanicillium attenuatum. The diversity of entomopathogenic fungi was greater in soil samples from forests compared to crop fields, vegetables and fruits, respectively. The geographical attributes (altitude, longitude, latitude) greatly influenced the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi with the highest number of isolates found from >600 m altitude, 33°–34′N latitude, and 73°74′E longitude from soil samples. The results of the surveys clearly indicated that the entomopathogenic fungi are distributed in the soils which may be used in successful IPM programs in future.