Influence of tea and coffee beverages on prostacyclin synthesis by the rat aorta

Influences of 2.5 and 5% (w/v) aqueous tea and coffee beverages administered ad lib. to rats for two weeks on PGI2 synthesis by the rat thoracic aorta in vitro were investigated using a rat platelet antiaggregatory bioassay and HPLC methods. The 2.5% beverages did not affect PGI2 synthesis; however, the 5% beverages significantly decreased PGI2 synthesis. The observed decreases were significantly abolished in presence of exogenous arachidonic acid suggesting a beverage-induced inhibition of precursor release. The ability of the beverages to inhibit PGI2 synthesis may partly contribute towards better understanding of the biochemical mechanisms underlying some of the beverages-induced actions in vivo.     

Activation of nylon by alkaline glutaraldehyde solution for enzyme immobilisation

Summary Nylon tube was directly activated by alkaline glutaraldehyde solution. PEI was utilised as a spacer molecule. Glucose oxidase was immobilised to the nylon tube after reactivating the spacer molecules with glutaraldehyde. On immobilising glucose oxidase there was more protein binding and higher immobilised enzyme activity when compared to immobilised enzyme tube activated by triethyloxonium salt. The optimal condition for direct glutaraldehyde activation of nylon was incubation with 18.5% (w/v) glutaraldehyde in 0.12M borate pH 9.0 for 15 min at 90 °.     

The length of the Y chromosome in Nubian males and its location in metaphase spreads

Summary A total of 242 metaphase plates from the peripheral blood of Nubian males living near Aswan, Egypt were studied with respect to the length of the Y chromosome and its location in metaphase spreads. The length of the Y was similar to that found in American Negroes, and the Y chromosome was peripherally located in 79 of the 242 cells.     

Screening and identification of extracellular lipase-producing thermophilic bacteria from a Malaysian hot spring

Seven lipase-producing thermophilic bacteria (ST 1, ST 4, ST 6, ST 7, ST 8, ST 9 and ST 10) were isolated from the Setapak hot spring in Malaysia. The crude extracellular lipases recovered by ultrafiltration of cell-free culture supernatant were reacted in an olive oil mixture and their lipolytic activities were compared. Identification of the bacteria was carried out using the Biolog system and biochemical tests. Strain ST 7 that exhibited the highest lipolytic activity of 4.58 U/ml was identified as belonging to the Bacillus genus. Strain ST 6 with an activity of 3.51 U/ml, was identified as Ralstonia paucula. The lipolytic activities of strains ST 1, ST 4, ST 8, ST 9 and ST 10 were 2.39, 1.84, 2.38, 1.80 and 2.62 U/ml respectively. Strains ST 1, ST 4, and ST 10 were identified as Ralstonia paucula while strains ST 8 and ST 9 were Bacillus spp. Strains ST 7 and ST 9 were tentatively identified as Bacillus thermoglucosidasius, Bacillus stearothermophilus or Bacillus coagulans, whereas strain ST 8 was tentatively identified as Bacillus subtilis.     

Length-weight relationships of six Nemacheilid fish species (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) from different rivers of Manipur,India

The length-weight relationships (LWRs) of six Nemacheilid species (Schistura chindwinica, S. fasciata, S. khugae, S. minuta, S. reticulata and S. rubrimaculata) have been analyzed. Fish samples were collected on quarterly basis from March 2018 to February 2019. Sampling was performed using cast nets (mesh size 5–10 mm; about 50 sq m area covered each time and water depth was 4 ft approx.), and electrofishing (Ultrasonic Inverter Electro Fisher, 24 volts, 4 m) in the day time. The total length (TL) of individual fish was measured to 0.1 cm with a digital caliper and body weights (BW) were measured to 0.001 g with digital electronic balances. The parameters for the LWR equations were calculated, and the respective statistics such as the 95% confidence interval for parameters “a” and “b” are provided as well as the coefficient of correlation. For five species a new maximum total length has been documented.     

Small and overlooked: Phylogeny of the genus Trigonodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with the first record of Trigonodactylus arabicus from Jordan

Geckos of the genus Trigonodactylus are widely distributed in the sand deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Three species of this genus are currently recognized, with a fourth one, Stenodactylus pulcher, which placement within Trigonodactylus has been tentatively suggested, but not yet confirmed. We present a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Trigonodactylus with new specimens collected in central Saudi Arabia and southern Jordan. New genetic data has been generated from three mitochondrial markers to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of all species of the genus and to assess the putative generic assignment of S. pulcher. Our results confirm that S. pulcher indeed belongs within Trigonodactylus, branching as a sister lineage to all other species of the genus. The new samples cluster within Trigonodactylus arabicus, thus confirming the genetic homogeneity of the species across its large and seemingly inhospitable range. The new specimen collected in southern Jordan represents the first record for the country and a considerable range extension to the northwest from all previously reported localities. Our findings and discovery of a new species for Jordan highlight the need of more field surveys to be carried out in the underexplored parts of Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia, as these places still hold a potential for new discoveries and are crucial for understating the biogeography of the Arabian herpetofauna.     

Nutrient sequestration potential of water primrose Ludwigia stolinefera (Guill. & Perr.) P.H. Raven: A strategy for restoring wetland eutrophication

The current work investigates the capacity of the water primrose (Ludwigia stolinefera) to sequester inorganic and organic nutrients in its biomass to restore eutrophic wetlands, besides its nutritive quality as fodder for animals. The nutrient elements and nutritive value of the water primrose were assessed seasonally in polluted and unpolluted watercourses. The water primrose plants’ highest biomass was attained during summer; then, it was significantly reduced till it reached its lowest value during winter. In the polluted canal, the plant root and shoot accumulated higher contents of all nutrient elements (except Na and Mg) rather than in the unpolluted Nile. They accumulated most investigated nutrients in the growing season during summer. The shoots accumulated higher contents of N, P, Ca, and Mg than the root, which accumulated higher concentrations of Na and K. Therefore, summer season is the ideal time to harvest water primrose for removing the maximum nutrients for restoring eutrophic watercourses. The aboveground tissues had the highest values of ether extract (EE) during spring and the highest crude fibers (CF) and total proteins (TP) during summer. In contrast, the belowground tissues had the lowest EE, CF, and TP during winter. In spring, autumn, and winter seasons, the protein content in the grazeable parts (shoots) of the water primrose was within the range, while in summer, it was higher than the minimum requirement for the maintenance of animals. There was a decrease in crude fibers and total proteins, while an increase in soluble carbohydrates content in the below- and above-ground tissues of water primrose under pollution stress. The total protein, lipids, and crude fibers of the aboveground parts of water primrose support this plant as a rough forage.