INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE SCIENCES

1-21

Authors: Tesfay Gebrekirstos Gebremariam | Getaneh Woldeab | Thangavel Selvaraj

Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks and Henn.) is one of the most important foliar diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in South eastern zone of Tigray in Ethiopia. Regular surveying, race identification and searching for resistant genes plays significant role to develop resistant varieties against leaf rust. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the distribution and intensity of wheat leaf rust to identify physiologic races of P. triticina and also to evaluate the seedling reaction of commonly grown wheat varieties to virulent races of leaf rust. The results of this study were based on leaf rust survey to compute the prevalence and intensity of the disease; race identification through inoculation of leaf rust populations, isolation, multiplication of mono pustules of the pathogen and determination of races by inoculating on leaf rust differential hosts; and evaluating ten wheat varieties to virulent and dominant races (TKTT, THTT and PHTT) at seedling stage in greenhouse. During the survey, a total of 108 farmers’ wheat fields and experimental plots were assessed in five districts of South Eastern Tigray, of which 95 of the fields (88%) were affected with leaf rust. The overall mean incidence and severity of the disease were 48.4 and 18.2%, respectively. The highest intensity of leaf rust was recorded in Wukro wheat fields with incidence of 63.2% and severity of 37.3%. In contrast, the lowest incidence and severity of the disease were recorded in D/ Temben district with mean values of 7.4 and 4.1%, respectively. The characterization of 40 mono pustules of P. triticina was resulted for the identification of 22 races. Races PHTT and PHRT were predominant with frequencies of 20 and 15%, respectively, followed by THTT and FHRT with a frequency of 10% each. The remaining 18 races were confined to specific locations and detected once with a frequency of 2.5% each. The broadest virulence spectrum was recorded from TKTT race, making all Lr genes except Lr 9 was ineffective. About 81% of the Lr genes were ineffective to more than 55% of P. triticina isolates. High virulence was observed on Lr3, Lr10, Lr B and Lr18 with frequencies of 90, 95, 97.5 and 100%, respectively. However, Lr genes 9, 24 and 2a were found effective to 100, 95 and 82.5 of the tested isolates, respectively. The variety evaluation revealed that, Mekelle-3, Mekelle-4, Picaflor, Dashin and local showed susceptible reactions to TKTT, THTT and PHTT races. Mekelle-1 and Mekelle-2 were susceptible to races TKTT and THTT, but resistant to PHTT. Digalu was only susceptible to TKTT race. Unlike bread wheat varieties, the durum varieties, Ude and Dembi were resistant to these races. The results of this study showed that most bread wheat varieties did not have adequate resistance for leaf rust. Hence, the gene pyramiding of Lr9, Lr24 and Lr2a has paramount importance as the additive effects of several genes offer the variety a wider base for leaf rust resistance.

29-43

Authors: Sowjanya M | Kiran Kumar M | Sandeep BV

The exploration was to evaluate the phytochemical ingredients and antioxidant activities of annual herb Leucas indica methanolic leaves and flowers extracts. These were estimated by distinguished methods. Phytochemical constituents and non enzymatic antioxidants showed enhancement in increasing concentration from 25 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml. All the assays were carried out in triplicate and the results uttered as mean values ± standard deviations. The levels of phytochemical, explicitly phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins, vitamin C, β-Carotene and lycopene, evidently exposed that methanolic leave extract had elevated phytochemical constituents than methanolic flower extract, except alkaloids. Same pattern was observed for antioxidant capacity assays, specifically DPPH, FRAP, reducing power assay, Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity, this may be due the presence of high phytochemical ingredients. Even though, leave extract had superior activities than flowers extract, they both have profound therapeutic potential.

57-61

Authors: Unegbu Chika C | Njoku SC | Ajah Obinna | Nnaoma IE

Traditionally in Nigeria, lime juice (Citrus aurantifolia) is added to honey and often used as a cough medicine. The present study is aimed at determining the effect of the temperature on the mixture of lime juice and honey and its antimicrobial activity on selected bacteria isolates. The lime juice is squeezed out of the fruit and then mixed with honey in the ratio of 1:1, 2:1 and 1:2 respectively, the mixture are then heated for 15minutes at various temperature (40, 60, 80 and 100oC). The result shows that the mixture still has antibacterial activity on heating. The heating temperature of 40oC, 60oC and 80oC at the ratio of 1:1 and 2:1 showed zones of inhibition when compared with the unheated but the heating temperature of 100oC has no zone of inhibition on the isolates. This indicates that heating can affect the antibacterial activity of the mixture and the evidence suggests that the lime is majorly responsible for the antibacterial activity.

71-77

Authors: Jatinderpal Singh

In Haemonchus contortus, the concentration of various metabolites differs in various stages of oogenesis. Though an adequate quantity of carbohydrates is evidenced in ovarian epithelium, perinuclear spaces of oogonia, oocytes and rachis but the protoplasmic processes connecting the oogonia to the rachis are completely devoid of the same. Developing oocytes imbibe large concentrations of glycogen from the ovarian epithelium and subsequently use it for the formation of chitinous layer of the egg shell. The mature ovum gets surrounded by an additional resistant layer of acid mucopolysaccarides. High nucleic acid activity has been detected in both oogonia as well as oocytes and fertilized ova show a spurt of ribosomes in them. The secondary oocytes are full of proteinaceous granules and show an intense activity of RNA indicating the occurrence of rapid protein synthesis at this stage. The lipids seem to be a major constituent of the egg shell envelope of the fertilized ova.

83-88

Authors: Marathe Vishal R | Umate Satish K

HPTLC method was developed for the quantitative estimation of gallic acid, rutin and querecetin from methanolic extract of Portulaca quadrifida L. a potential wild edible plant. Precoated silica gel GF254 used as stationary phase and mobile phase for gallic acid was Toulene: Formic acid: Ethyl acetate: Methanol [3:3:8:2, V/V/V/V] and Mobile phase for rutin and querecetin was Ethyl Acetate: Formic acid: Glacial Acetic acid: Water [10:0.5:0.5:1.3, V/V/V/V]. Detection and quantification were performed densitometrically at wavelength λ 254. The Rf values of gallic acid, rutin and quercetin are 0.41, 0.19 and 0.94 respectively. The total peak areas of the standards (gallic acid, rutin and querecetin) and the corresponding peak areas of extract were compared and the gallic acid, rutin and quercetin content were estimated to be 790.9, 2029.7 and 4326.0.

97-106

Authors: Lavanya SN | Amruthesh KN

Seed treatments with synthetic elicitor DCA were evaluated for their potential to induce resistance in pearl millet against downy mildew disease caused by Sclerospora graminicola Schroet. Disease resistance in plants is associated with the activation of a wide variety of defense responses that serve to prevent pathogen infection. Pearl millet seeds were treated with DCA at different concentrations viz., 10, 20, 50, 100µM for 4h. Among these, 100 µM was found to be optimum, and recorded significant disease protection compare to other concentrations, which revealed maximum germination of 93.7% and seedling vigor 1480 compare to control seedlings. DCA treatment also exhibited anti-sporulation activity under laboratory conditions. Under In-vivo conditions DCA primed seeds exhibited intense decline in downy mildew incidence with significant protection of 64.1% in 100 µM. Vegetative growth parameter studies revealed the enhanced growth of pearl millet when compare to control. Restorative activity of Seedlings sprayed with DCA solution reduced the severity of disease incidence of 33.9% with significant increase in disease protection. Time-gap studies revealed, seed treatment increased disease resistance four days after inoculation. Additionally, Pearl millet seedlings raised after seed treatment with 100µM DCA showed an increased level of the defense-related enzymes: Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity and Lipoxygenase, compared with the untreated control. The significant PAL activity was observed at 12h with 4.05U hai and enhanced LOX activity of 5.7U hai was found at 48h.

116-120

Authors: Neelima Bagde

The Earth is full of natural resource needed for the development of mankind. The day by day increased demand has developed new methods of water quality assessment and management. The study was carried out for the ground water quality assessment of 9 Tahsil/Blocks of Chhindwara district. Water is the basic resource for sustaining all human activities, so its provision in desire quantity and quality is most important. For assessment of water quality of the district were selected Junnardeo, Chhindwara, Chourai, Tamia and Pandhurna. Samples of ground water were collected from 5 blocks of the affected area and analyzed for physico chemical parameters like pH, Electrical conductivity, alkalinity, total hardness, fluoride ion were analyzed. Some water sample show higher fluoride ion concentration, higher turbidity. Over all some parts of bore well/tube well water and hand pump water needed treatment for drinking purpose due to hardness and fluoride are present in desirable limit. The present study is focused on measuring the quality of ground water in rural areas of Chhindwara district and its effect on human health. The sample were found to have high pH, indicating alkalinity, high fluoride concentration is mainly found in Tamia, Chhindwara, Jamai, Pandhurna and Chaurai on the contrary these findings, majority of people living in these areas were suffering from fluoride related disease, so the study argues about the need of proper analysis and importance of water treatment and management system in current times.

125-128

Authors: Kar S | Kar D

Narsingtola pond is located at Silchar, Cachar district of Assam having rich diversity of aquatic vegetation though situated amidst the highly polluted area of the town. The present study deals with the Zooplankton diversity of the Narsingtola pond in Cachar district of Assam. The survey was carried out four times in a month during morning hours from September 2014 to August 2015. During the study, 42 genera of Zooplankton were recorded from the site of which 13 genera belongs to Cladocera, 4 genera belongs to Copepoda and 25 genera belongs to Rotifera. Abundance status and population density of the Zooplankton groups were also recorded. Rotifera was the dominant group among Zooplankton community constituting 42% of the Zooplankton population. Higher population density of Zooplankton were recorded during winter season and lower during the summer season.

133-136

Authors: Pedge Sudarshan S and Ahirrao Sunil D

The Indian sub-regions hosts about 1,504 species of butterflies of which peninsular India hosts 351, and the Western Ghats 334. Lonar Lake (19o59’N & 74o34’E) is situated about 155km from Parbhani town in Buldhana District of Maharashtra State. The Lonar crater has a circular outline with a diameter of 1,830 m and a depth. This is the only one meteorite crater made by the basaltic rock in India. In the present investigation, 20 Arthropod species were found out of which 13 species of butterflies were reported and they belonging to 4 families of order Lepidoptera, 5 species of order Orthoptera and 2 species of order Odonata. Compare to previous studies of order Lepidopterans present conditions was drastically declining Lepidopteron diversity in the Lonar Lake.

140-144

Authors: Venugopalan Nambiar M

Two new species of echinostomecercariae, Cercaria malabariI n.sp. found in pilid snails, Pilavirens and Cercaria malabari IIn. sp. In Bellamyadissimilis, collected from different freshwater bodies of Malabar, Kerala are described. Descriptions of metacercariae are also given.

148-150

Authors: Baviskar RN | Dekate HM

Two Penicillium expansum toxins viz. patulin and citrinin were found to be associated with P. expansum rotted apples. Both toxins were detected in very high amounts. Patulin was detected up to 35 mg/kg whereas citrinin level was comparatively lesser up to 6 mg/kg of the fruit. These amounts are very high in comparison to WHO recommended tolerance level. Present research work, therefore, suggested that proper storage and sorting of apples before marketing is very necessary, so that P. expansum rotted fruits are not consumed.