Antioxidant Potential and Phenolic Compounds of Brown Seaweeds Turbinaria conoides and Turbinaria ornata (Class: Phaeophyceae)

ABSTRACT

Antioxidant potential, total phenolic content, and high performance liquid chromatography-based solvent extract fingerprints of phenolic constituents of brown seaweeds, Turbinaria conoides and Turbinaria ornata, were evaluated. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the seaweeds registered greater phenolic content and antioxidant activities. Salicylic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, and syringic acid were predominant in the EtOAc fraction of T. conoides, while the main components in EtOAc fraction of T. ornata were quercetin and salicylic acid. This study demonstrated the candidacy of Turbinaria spp. as a potential source of antioxidant phenolics for use as food supplements and nutraceuticals to deter deleterious free radical-induced disorders and diseases.     

Molecular and morphological delineation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Longidorus poessneckensis</Emphasis> Altherr, 1974 (Nematoda: Dorylaimida)

The plant–parasitic nematode Longidorus poessneckensis from the Czech Republic was morphologically and molecularly characterised. Molecular analyses were carried out using mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1—cox1) and ribosomal DNA (ITS2—second internal transcribed spacer, 18S gene and D2/D3 expansion segments of the 28S gene), which were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic relationship of L. poessneckensis with three morphologically closely related species, i.e. L. macrosoma, L. helveticus and L. uroshis, was inferred by using maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods, with a female of Xiphinema diversicaudatum and a bivulval female of X. vuittenezi as outgroups. All multiple alignments yielded similar basic trees supporting the uniqueness of L. poessneckensis and the validity of the four Longidorus species identified using morphological characters. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that L. poessneckensis is more closely related to L. macrosoma and L. helveticus than to L. uroshis. High inter-population diversity (19%) was observed across the cox1 gene between two populations of L. poessneckensis.     

Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphinema diversicaudatum,X. pachtaicum,X. simile</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">X. vuittenezi</Emphasis> (Nematoda,Dorylaimida)

Genetic analyses using sequences of partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of mitochondrial DNA were conducted to determine the extent of genetic variation within and among Xiphinema diversicaudatum, X. pachtaicum, X. simile and X. vuittenezi populations. Pairwise distance among the four species was 22.5 to 31.2%. Four different sequence variants of cox1 were determined among six populations of X. diversicaudatum and three variants among three populations of X. simile. Nucleotide variation was detected at 18 of 414 bp (1.9 to 2.7%) in X. diversicaudatum and 4 of 435 bp (0.2 to 0.9%) in X. simile. All changes were at silent sites. No nucleotide variation was detected within three populations of X. pachtaicum and within three populations of X. vuittenezi.     

Tapping the potential of Solanum lycopersicum L. pertaining to salinity tolerance: perspectives and challenges

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Crop breeding for abiotic stress tolerance entails introgression of stress tolerant genes into the cultivated types. With the augmentation in salt tolerance,...     

Potential of Bacillus altitudinis KMS-6 as a biocontrol agent of Meloidogyne javanica

Journal of Pest Science - Root-knot nematodes are among the most dangerous plant pathogens. Biological control is a safer and effective way to manage such pests. In this context, bacterial strain...     

Subchronic toxicity study of urea molasses mineral block in kids

A study was conducted on twenty indigenous goat kids allocated into two different groups. All animals were offered ad libitum rice straw and berseem hay (40:60). Group I (T₁) was fed concentrate mixture (100 g/d). Group II (T₂) was supplemented with urea molasses mineral block (200 g/d). The experiment lasted for 90 days. There was significant decrease in serum sodium (60.68 mEq/L), increase in serum potassium (34.50 mEq/L) and increased activity of AST (340.42 U/L) and ALT (164.96 U/L) was observed in kids of group T₂ in comparison to the controls (T₁). On histopathological examination mild degenerative changes in kidney of group T₂ with congestion in intertubular vessel, granular cytoplasm of the epithelial cells in PCT and DCT, necrosis and swelling of the epithelial cells, congestion of vessels and cloudy swelling was observed in PCT and DCT. Albuminious mass was also present in tubule. On histopathological observation of liver of kid of group T₂ oedema in liver parenchyma and proliferation of fibrious tissue in periportal area was observed.     

Variation in fatty acid composition of Artemia salina nauplii enriched with microalgae and baker's yeast for use in larviculture

The high content of the essential fatty acids in some microalgae and baker's yeast has made them excellent diets for boosting the fatty acid content of livefood Artemia. The influences of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and three microalgae, viz., Chlorella salina, Chaetoceros calcitrans, and Nannochloropsis salina, were tested as diet components in marine livefeed brine shrimp Artemia salina nauplii to improve the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition. Artemia nauplii submerged in these diets for four different enrichment intervals (3, 6, 8, and 24 h) were found to incorporate essential fatty acids, and the percentage composition of different fatty acids was measured in the enriched Artemia nauplii and enrichment diets. N. salina produced higher levels of arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n6, 9.50%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n3, 25.80%), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n3, 4.18%) as compared to other diets. The total PUFA content of the enriched Artemia by N. salina increased by 56.50% with enrichment periods up to 8 h, followed by a significant reduction in the final 24 h. N. salina yielded Artemia nauplii with considerable EPA (8.05%), AA (14.15%), and DHA (1.85%) after 8 h of enrichment, which are significantly higher levels than in nauplii fed with the other three diets (p = 0.05). The DHA/EPA values in Artemia enriched for 6 h by N. salina and C. calcitrans were found to be, respectively, 88.46 and 25% higher than freshly hatched Artemia. Artemia enriched by C. salina and baker's yeast exhibited a reduction in PUFA content even at 6 h of enrichment. Significant relative decreases in DHA, EPA, and total PUFA in Artemia enriched with all of the diets were apparent, with a corresponding increase in the total saturated fatty acid content (26.95 +/- 9.75%) in the final stages (24 h) of enrichment (p = 0.05).     

3-Bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde Isolated from Polysiphonia morrowii Suppresses TNF-α/IFN-γ-Stimulated Inflammation and Deterioration of Skin Barrier in HaCaT Keratinocytes

Polysiphonia morrowii is a well-known red alga that has promising pharmacological characteristics. The current study evaluates the protective effect of 3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (BDB) isolated from P. morrowii on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/interferon (IFN)-γ-stimulated inflammation and skin barrier deterioration in HaCaT keratinocytes. The anti-inflammatory effect of BDB in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes is evaluated by investigating nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines. Further, the interaction between BDB and the skin barrier functions in stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes is investigated. The findings of the study reveal that BDB dose-dependently increases cell viability while decreasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. BDB downregulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, -8, -13, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and chemokines, Eotaxin, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES), and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) by modulating the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes. Furthermore, BDB increases the production of skin hydration proteins and tight junction proteins in stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes by preserving skin moisturization and tight junction stability. These findings imply that BDB exhibits a protective ability against inflammation and deterioration of skin barrier via suppressing the expression of inflammatory signaling in TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes.     

Nitrogen recovery in reclaimed mine soil under different amendment practices in tandem with legume and non-legume revegetation: A review

Nitrogen (N) supply is the major limiting nutrient in most reclamation schemes. In reclaimed mine soil (RMS), examining the N dynamics can be especially informative for understanding constraints on recovery that restrict revegetation success. Scholarly studies worldwide have focused on exogenous N incorporation to alleviate N shortages in the agriculture, and forestry sectors. Currently, growing concerns for the negative consequences of mining have highlighted N deficiency as one of the most significantly identified abiotic limits. Only a few researchers have focused on the N transformation mechanisms in drastically altered mine soils. The review comprises the last 10 years’ research on mine reclamation approaches using legume and non-legume plant communities. Also the capacity of different amendments to alleviate N shortages in mine soils is emphasized. The major findings of the present review suggest: (i) Revegetation using legume and non-legume species is a self-sustaining and economical alternative to mineral N fertilizer application; however, they cannot fully activate the biological N cycle in RMS. (ii) A more biological amendment-assisted revegetation would enhance the key concepts of “soil-biomass N balance” and would be ideal for N recovery in imbalanced mine soil. Altogether, grass-legume seeding offers a potentially valuable mine reclamation tool for managing N and addressing the challenges of sustainable development.