International Journal of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology

79-84

Authors: Birendra Prasad Gupta, K. D. Manandhar, R. Malla, C. Tamarakar, S. K. Mishra, R. Rauniyar

This article reviews Dengue, a common viral disease in humans and is an emerging public health problem in Tarai Region of Nepal. The most affected are among the poorest populations living in remote, rural areas and urban slums who have even no access for medical treatment, acquired by bite of infected mosquito. Aedes Aegypti infected with dengue virus is the major source of infections for humans and cannot be transmitted from person-to-person because human are the dead end host. DENV-1 was first isolated by Ren Kimura and Susumu Hotta in Japan in 1943. An epidemic of DF involving at least 200,000 cases had occurred between 1942 and 1944 during World War II in Japanese port cities such as Nagasaki, Kobe, and Osaka. First case of dengue was reported in 2004 in Nepal. The seroprevalence study were done in different part of Nepal by IgM antibody capture ELISA and positive rate was highest (50.0%) in Biratnagar, and lowest (19.6%) in Chitwan male to female ratio was 2:1. IgM-positive rate was 29.0% at ages 21-30, 25.4% at ages 11-20 and 23.6% at ages 0-10, but 10.9% at ages 31-40, and ages over 40. There was not significant association between occupation of the patients and positive rate among farmer, labour, service, business and student. The epidemiological studies of Dengue virus infection and the knowledge of the pattern of the disease outbreak can guide therapy and effective preventive measures against this disease.

90-96

Authors: Ram Nath Prasad Yadav

A series of hiteherto unreported solid salts of hexa-coordinated anions of the general formula [(Rf)2SbCl3X]- , where Rf = C6F5 ; L = Cl and X = Cl, Br, I, N3, NCS and SeCN have been prepared in the presence of tetraorgano ammonium, phosphonium, arsonium and stibonium counter ions. The complexes have been formulated and characterised on the basis of elemental analysis, molar conductances, molecular weights and solid state IR, solution state 1H NMR and 19F NMR spectral data. The physico-chemical data are consistent with six-coordinate antimony complexes.

106-109

Authors: H K Tamang, U Timilsina, K P Singh, R Shrestha, K Bist, L Maharjan, S Shakya

Background- Lipoprotein(a) is a variant form of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) which comprises of an LDL like particle in which apo B-100 is firmly linked to apo-a glycoprotein. A large number of genetic and epidemiologic studies have identified Lipoprotein(a) as a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Based on our knowledge, this is the first study comparing Lipoprotein(a) with lipid profile and lipid ratios in Nepal. Aim & Objective- To compare the serum Lipoprotein(a) and Lipid panel concentrations in myocardial infarction patients and normal healthy control subjects. Materials & Methods- Study was carried out in 45 myocardial infarction patients as cases and 45 healthy subjects as controls. Lipoprotein(a) and Lipid profile tests were measured in serum using HumaStar 600 fully automated analyzer, Human, Germany. Results- Mean serum Lipoprotein(a) concentration in myocardial infarction group was significantly higher as compared to healthy controls. Lipid panel assays were not statistically significant among the groups. Conclusion- Our study revealed that myocardial infarction patients have elevated levels of serum Lipoprotein(a) as compared to healthy subjects. High concentration of serum Lipoprotein(a) is strongly associated with the risk of coronary heart disease.

118-126

Authors: Anant Gopal Singh

The study was conducted during 2009-2011 using semi-structured, open-ended questionnaires, informal interviews, and group discussions with traditional healers and senior citizens having thorough knowledge about plants and plant based remedies. During present study ten phytotherapeutic practices for management of different types of fever using 50 plant species as antipyretic agent were identified and documented. These species may be used for the development of new, cheap, and effective antipyretic agent of herbal origin. Further investigation of these plant species for herbal antipyretic agents will require safety and efficacy testing. There is an urgent need to formulate suitable conservation strategies for wildly growing medicinal plants to overcome their depletion from natural resources.

132-136

Authors: U. K. S. Kushwaha, S. K. Ghimire, N. K. Yadav, B. R. Ojha

Ninety six lentil accessions from different origins were collected from National Grain Legume Research Program, Rampur; Regional Agriculture Research Station, Nepalgunj and National Agriculture Genetic Resource Center, Khumaltar, Lalitpur. Among them; four lines were Nepal Local, forty two lines were Nepal Cross; forty seven lines were ICARDA Line and finally three lines were Indian Line. All ninety six accessions were analysed by DNA fingerprinting using thirty three selected polymorphic SSR markers. The characterization was performed in Biotechnology Unit, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Khumaltar, Lalitpur by using standard protocols. Molecular variance analysis showed that 14 % genetic variation was found between population and 86 % genetic variation was found within population with estimated variance 0.23 between population and 1.35 within population. Highest genetic distance (9) was found between landrace ILL-7979 and RL-20. In the same way, highest Nei genetic distance (0.03) between population was shown by population 1 and population 4; and lowest genetic distance were observed within the same population accessions. The heterozygosity was probably due to the introgression of genes or duplication of microsatellite motif during the breeding and or the course of lentil line evolution. All the accessions included in this study displayed significant amount of genetic variability and genetic relatedness due to different center of origin and different genetic constitutions. The diversity detected in this study may constitute the new materials for future systematic lentil breeding programs.

145-153

Authors: Valentine Enyinna Anyanwu, Phillip O. Okerentugba

Microbial production of citric acid by a novel Aspergillus niger EE-12 and its UV – treated strain (UV-1) were carried out in shake flask cultures using mineral salt media containing sucrose or fructose as the carbon and energy sources. The highest citric acid concentration (36.1g/l) was obtained with the UV – treated strain UV-1 after 144 hours in medium containing sucrose and this was significantly higher (p<0.05) than the concentration produced by its parent strain EE-12. Citric acid production using medium containing sucrose (Sucrose salt medium) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than from medium containing fructose (Fructose salt medium) for both organisms. Product and growth yield coefficients (YCA/S, YCA/F, YCA/X, YX/S, YX/F) and volumetric rates (QF, QS, QCA, QX) were studied and compared for each of the test organisms based on the media (sucrose and fructose salt media) using students t-test analysis. This research indicated that the fungi strains are efficient for citric acid production using sucrose based medium.