August 2016 – INNSPUB edublog

August 31, 2016August 31, 2016

A study of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in relation to respiratory symptoms in mild to moderate asthma

Eizadi Mojtaba Bakhshi Somayeh, Abrifam Payman, Khorshidi Davood

Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran

Key words: C-reactive protein, asthma, spirometry, inflammation.

Abstract

To determine the role high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) as a inflammation cytokine in the severity of asthma, a resting spirometry test and fasting blood sampling was performed in 42 middle-aged males with mild to moderate severity of asthma for measuring serum CRP and respiratory functional. Also, a total 33 healthy males participated in study as control group. Pearson correlations were used to establish the relationship between serum CRP concentrations with spirometry markers in asthma patients. Serum CRP concentration in asthmatic patients was significantly higher than healthy subjects. Serum CRP correlated negatively with FEV1 (p = 0.021), FVC (p = 0.026) and FEV1/FVC (p = 0.034). Based on our results, we can say asthma is a inflammation disorder and these date support the hypothesis that the measurement of serum levels of hs-CRP may be useful tool for detecting systemic inflammation in asthma.

Get the original articles in Source: Volume 1, Number 5, October 2011 – IJB

Published By: International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)

August 28, 2016August 28, 2016

Incorporation of a dried maggots’ meal in growing rats diets: pathological risks?

Bouafou Kouamé Guy Marcel, Konan Brou André, Amonkan Kouao Augustin, Kouame Koffi Gabouet, Kati-coulibally Séraphin

Division of Life Sciences and Earth, Department of Science and Technology, Ecole Normale Supérieure d’Abidjan, 25 BP 663 Abidjan 25, Côte d’Ivoire

Laboratory of Nutrition and Pharmacology, UFR-Biosciences, Cocody University, 22 B.P. 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire

Key words: Dried maggots, meal-growing rats-plasma, biochemical parameters-organ, biometrics.

Abstract

Three groups of ten rats in growth fed with three diets differing only in the amount of dried maggots meal (DMM): 2.5%, 5% and 7.5%: DMM2.5, DMM5 and DMM7.5. Assay of plasma biochemical parameters of all the rats did not detect diseases or physiological abnormalities. However, biometrics kidneys and livers of rats showed changes. The kidneys of rats decreased weight of 4.00%, 1.30% and 2.70% respectively in diets DMM2.5, DMM5 and DMM7.5. As for the liver, their weight increased by 1.10%, 3.00% and 12.40% respectively with diets DMM2.5, DMM5 and DMM7.5. These observations may reflect histopathological abnormalities of the kidneys and livers of rats that are to detect.

Get the original articles in Source: Volume 1, Number 5, October 2011 – IJB

Published By: International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)

August 24, 2016

Studies on agar degrading Salegentibacter sp. and characterization of its agarase

R Vijayaraghavan, S Rajendran

Nehru Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India

Saraswathi Narayanan College, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India

Key words: Salegentibacter sp., extracellular agarase, molecular weight, kinetic parameters.

Abstract

The phenotypic and agar degrading features of an unidentified marine bacteria was investigated. The strain was Gram-negative, obligatory aerobic and non motile. On the basis of several morphological features and a phylogenetic analysis of the genes coding for the 16S rDNA, this strain was identified as Salegentibacter sp. On solid agar medium, this isolate produced extracellular agarase which causes agar liquefaction around the colonies. An extracellular agarase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The purified protein migrated as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and it had a molecular weight of 28 kDa. The enzyme exhibited maximal activity at pH 7.5. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme were Km = 3 ± 0.19 mM, Kcat = 160 ± 10 S -1 and Kcat / Km = 53 ± 10 S -1.mM -1. The purified agarase may be used for application in protoplast formation of agarophytes which can subsequently be used in algal biotechnology to evolve a superior strain of Gracilaria sp. yielding superior quality agar.

Get the original articles in Source: Volume 1, Number 5, October 2011 – IJB

Published By: International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)

August 22, 2016August 22, 2016

Genetic variability study for yield and associated quantitative characters in mutant genotypes of Dianthus caryophyllus L.

Rajib Roychowdhury, Jagatpati Tah

Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding Section, Botany Department (UGC-CAS), The University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, India

Key words: Dianthus caryophyllus, genetic gain, genetic variability, heritability, quantitative characters.

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the nine Dianthus genotypes, including normal and mutagen treated, to assess the magnitude of variability and to pick up the heritable component of variation present in the quantitative traits. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant (P< 0.05 or 0.01) differences for all the characters studied, indicating the presence of substantial genetic variability. The phenotypic co-efficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV) for all the characters studied, this shows the influence of the environmental effect on the characters. Highest GCV and PCV were noticed for total branches per plant and lowest for total no. of flowers per plant along with plant height (cm) at 50% flowering phase and flower diameter (cm) only in PCV. Broad sense heritability ranged from 33.33 (Days to seed germination) to 95.30 (Plant height at 50% flowering phase) per cent. Total leaves and branches showed high, plant height, days to branching and seeds per inflorescence showed moderate and flower per plant showed low genetic gain. Thus, these traits may serve as an effective selection parameter during breeding programme for crop improvement.

Get the original articles in Source: Volume 1, Number 5, October 2011 – IJB

Published By: International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)

August 20, 2016August 20, 2016

Review of some methods of calculating intercrop efficiencies with particular reference to the estimates of intercrop benefits in wheat/faba bean system

Ibrahim Yahuza

Crops Research Unit, Department of Agriculture, the University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, United Kingdom

Key words: LER, ATER, CPR, CPRT, MA.

Abstract

Intercropping (growing two or more crops together simultaneously) is increasing being adopted worldwide, probably because there have been suggestions that the system is beneficial in terms of land use efficiency compared to sole cropping. There are several indices for estimating intercrop performance compared to the component sole crops, but as reviewed in this paper, the land equivalent ratio (LER) is the most widely adopted. Yet the LER is constrained because it is not able to account for the relative duration each component in the intercrop spent in the field may have had on intercropping performance.

Area time equivalency ratio (ATER) appears to have solved this problem well. However, neither ATER nor LER can account for the physiological or physical basis for the intercropping performance. The crop performance ratio (CPR) is more appropriate in this regard, even though CPR ‘adjusted for time’, (CPRT) is more efficient where the component crops differ in growth duration. In addition, particularly for intercrops with commercial value, there may be a need to compute a monetary advantage (MA) for intercropping. This paper concludes that in addition to the LER, for certain intercrops such as wheat/faba bean system that has not been widely adopted, there may be a need to use other indices such as ATER, CPR, CPRT and MA as may be applicable in order to understand more fully the nature of intercrop benefits that may exist. Indeed such type of information may help to attract potential growers.

Get the original articles in Source: Volume 1, Number 5, October 2011 – IJB

Published By: International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)