Green nano-emulsion intervention for water-soluble glyphosate isopropylamine (IPA) formulations in controlling Eleusine indica (E. indica)

This article describes the development of environmentally friendly nano-emulsion system for water-soluble herbicide application. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were established in the emulsion system of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)/alkylpolyglucosides (APG) and/or 3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-heptamethyltrisiloxane (organosilicone)/water encompassed with 41% (w/w) glyphosate isopropylamine (IPA) as herbicide active. Pre-formulations were selected from isotropic (L) region in the phase diagrams and their emulsion system characteristics were determined. The microemulsion systems were chosen and then dispersed into water using low-energy stirring method (200 rpm for 5 min). Oil-in-water (O/W) nano-emulsions were formed with particle sizes of diameter less than 200 nm. The nano-emulsion systems showed significantly lower surface tension than a commercial formulation (Roundup®). In the biological application study, treatments of nano-emulsion formulations and Roundup® were applied on narrow-leaved weed Eleusine indica. Multiple doses of glyphosate IPA of the treatments were applied for the construction of dose-response curves for determination of effective dose (ED₅₀). The nano-emulsion formulation showed lower ED₅₀ was 0.40 kg a.e./ha in controlling the weed than Roundup® was 0.48 kg a.e./ha. This finding suggested that the possibility of using nano-emulsion system to increase penetration and uptake of glyphosate IPA.     

Micronutrients (Fe,Mn, Zn and Cu) balance under long-term application of fertilizer and manure in a tropical rice-rice system

Purpose

The balance of micronutrients in soils is important in nutrient use efficiency, environmental protection and the sustainability of agro-ecological systems. The deficiency or excess of micronutrients in the plough layer may decrease crop yield and/or quality. Therefore, it is essential to maintain appropriate levels of micronutrients in soil, not only for satisfying plant needs in order to sustain agricultural production but also for preventing any potential build-up of certain nutrients.

Materials and methods

A long-term fertilizer experiment started in 1969 at Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha, India. Using this experiment, a study was conducted to analyze the balance of micronutrients and their interrelationship. The experiment was composed of ten nutrient management treatments viz. control; nitrogen (N); N + phosphorus (NP); N + potassium (NK); nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK); farmyard manure (FYM); N + FYM; NP + FYM; NK + FYM; and NPK + FYM with three replications. Micronutrients in soil (total and available), added fertilizers and organic manures and in rice plant were analyzed. Besides, atmospheric deposition of the micronutrients to the experimental site was also calculated. A micronutrient balance sheet was prepared by the difference between output and input of total micronutrients.

Results and discussion

Application of FYM alone or in combination with chemical fertilizer increased the diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA)-extractable Fe, Mn and Zn over the control treatment. The treatment with NPK + FYM had the highest soil DTPA-extractable Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu after 41 years of cropping and fertilization. Application of chemical fertilizers without P decreased the DTPA-extractable Zn over the control while the inclusion of P in the fertilizer treatments maintained it on a par with the control. The application of P fertilizer and FYM either alone or in combination significantly increased the contents of total Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in soil mainly due to their micronutrient content and atmospheric depositions. A negative balance of Zn was observed in the N, NP, NK and NPK treatments, while a positive balance observed in the remaining treatments. The balance of Mn was negative in all the treatments, due to higher uptake by the rice crop than its addition.

Conclusions

Long-term application of chemical fertilizers together with FYM maintained the availability of micronutrients in soil and, thus, their uptake by rice crop.

     

Changes in endogenous gibberellins during fruit growth in guava,with a general discussion

Levels of endogenous gibberellins were determined in seeded and seedless fruits of guava (Psidium guajava L.) in relation to fruit development. The gibberellin content in the seeded fruit was at all times higher than that in the seedless fruit. The peak concentrations of gibberellins in both kinds of fruits occurred at 15 days after pollination and thereafter declined rapidly. This suggests that these substances are involved in the early phase of fruit growth.     

Anti-viral activity of methyl 1-chloro-7-methyl-2-propyl-1h-benzo[d] imidazole-5-carboxylate against white spot syndrome virus in freshwater crab (Paratelphusa hydrodromous)

Shrimp farming industries are subjected to severe economic loss due to a disease called white spot syndrome, a viral disease caused by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in penaeid shrimp. Numerous active compounds in the market possess anti-viral activity against the white spot syndrome virus, yet the issue remains unsolved. The present study was carried out to determine the anti-viral activity of methyl 1-chloro-7-methyl-2-propyl-1h-benzo[d] imidazole-5-carboxylate (C₁₃H₁₅N₂O₂Cl) against WSSV. The anti-viral activity of the synthetic compound was determined in freshwater crabs. Crabs were divided into three different experimental groups: healthy control groups (N.C.) received NTE buffer, positive control group (P.C.) crabs received WSSV, and treatment group crabs received WSSV along with synthetic weight compound. Experimental groups were observed for 30 days post-infection. Three different organs (gills, muscles, and head soft tissue (HST)) were dissected from all three groups and analyzed using molecular-based techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blot, and histopathology. Clinical signs of WSSV were observed in the positive and N.C. groups; however, the treatment group showed a 100% survival rate. Confirmation was done using PCR, Western blot, and histopathology. These results demonstrated that the given synthetic compound has significant anti-viral activity against WSSV.

     

Bacillus subtilis B21 and Bacillus licheniformis B26 improve intestinal health and performance of broiler chickens with Clostridium perfringens‐induced necrotic enteritis

This study investigated the influence of Bacillus‐based probiotics on performance and intestinal health in broiler challenged with Clostridium perfringens‐induced necrotic enteritis. One‐day‐old Arbor Acre (n = 480) were randomly assigned to four treatments with 10 cages of 12 birds: (a) basal diet negative control (NC), with no probiotics nor antibiotics formulated to contain 2,930 and 3,060 kcal/kg with 24.07 and 15.98% CP, for starter and finisher diet, respectively, (b) basal diet + enramycin (5 mg/kg), an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); (c) basal diet + Bacillus subtilis B21 at 2 × 10⁹ CFU per g (BS); (d) basal diet + Bacillus licheniformis B26 at 2 × 10⁹ CFU per g (BL); growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal lesion scores, short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and mucosal barrier tight junction's (TJ) mRNA expression were assessed. NC‐ and BL‐fed groups showed higher (p = 0.005) average daily feed intake from d1 to d21 than AGP and BS, whereas BS‐ and AGP‐fed groups showed higher average daily weight gain from d22 to d42 and d1 to d42 of age. Higher mortality rate of (12.5%) and lower of (5.5%) were recorded in AGP and NC fed‐groups respectively, lesion score was higher in BS and BL than in AGP, while no lesion was observed in NC group, results revealed higher duodenum and jejunum villus height to crypt depth (VH:CD) compared with NC and BS. Probiotics‐fed groups showed higher total (SCFAs), acetic and butyric acid concentrations at d21 post‐challenge (PC) than other groups. The expression of claudin‐1 was upregulated in duodenum (d7) PC and in jejunum (d7) and (d21) PC in BL group, while at d21 PC, the expression of occludens was higher in jejunum and ileum by AGP and BL. The present study indicated both BS and BL have some similarity with AGP in preventing or partially preventing NE effect in broilers.     

Plasmid‐mediated antimicrobial resistance in motile aeromonads from diseased Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

For the sustainable farming of tilapia, proper maintenance of their health and adequate treatment for infections at appropriate time are inevitable. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics in aquaculture, as a part of treatment and as growth promoters, accelerates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among the fish pathogens. In the present study, we have isolated diverse aeromonads from Nile tilapia and studied their antibiogram and plasmid profiling. Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas veronii, Aeromonas sobria, Aeromonas dhakensis, Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas jandaei and Aeromonas aquatica were isolated from infected tilapia (n = 150), and their Shannon wiener diversity index was calculated as 1.926. A. veronii was found to be the most multiple antibiotic‐resistant pathogen with the MAR index of 0.46, and A. aquatica was noticed as the least resistant isolate. The minimum inhibitory concentration of resistant antibiotics was shown as >256 mcg/ml for most of the isolates. The virulent genes such as aerolysin and hemolysin were identified in all the isolates except A. aquatica. The detection of class 1 integrons, plasmid profiling and plasmid curing studies confirmed that AMR exhibited by most of the Aeromonas species is of plasmid mediated. This challenges the risk of wide spread of AMR among the pathogens and subsequent treatment of the infection.     

Reduction of ochratoxin A in broiler serum and tissues by Trichosporon mycotoxinivorans

The present study was planned to evaluate the possible transmission of ochratoxin A (OTA) in serum and targeted organs of broilers fed on two levels (500 and 1000 ppb) this toxin in the presence or absence of a toxin deactivator (containing a mycotoxin deactivating yeast Trichosporon mycotoxinivorans) at two inclusion levels (1 and 2 kg/ton of feed) to 270 day-old broiler chicks divided into nine groups (A-I) over a 42 days period. Serum samples were collected at 14, 28 and 42nd day of experiment, whereas, liver and kidney tissues were obtained from broilers slaughtered at 42nd day of experiment. The highest OTA levels were detected in serum, livers and kidneys of OTA treated groups without supplementation of toxin deactivator (groups D and G) at day 42 of experiment, while the residues were significantly (P<0.01) lower in treatment groups (F and I) supplemented with toxin deactivator at 2 kg/ton of feed. The order of OTA level was serum>kidneys>liver.     

Sequence analysis of Toll-like receptor genes 1-10 of goat (Capra hircus)

This study involved cloning and sequencing of the coding regions of all 10 Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes of goat. Goat TLR 1-10 gene sequences revealed a high degree of nucleotide identity with sheep and cattle sequences (>90%) and 75-85% with pig, mouse and human sequences. At the amino acid level, 85-99% similarity was observed with sheep and cattle and 60-85% with pig, mouse and human. TLR9c DNA of goat showed the highest amino acid identity to that of sheep (99%) while TLR8 cDNA showed the lowest identity of 88.7% to that of sheep. Variations were seen in the number of leucine rich repeats (LRRs) of goat TLRs as compared to other ruminant species with maximum differences in the TLR3 gene. Phylogenetic analysis through molecular evolution and genetic analysis (MEGA) software and multi dimensional scaling revealed a high degree of conservation of goat TLRs with those from other species. However when the TIR domain of all the TLRs were compared, goat TLR7 TIR alone showed a high divergence of 19.3 as compared to sheep sequences. This is the first report of the full-length cDNA sequences of all the 10 TLR genes of goats which would be a useful tool for the study of evolutionary lineages and for phylogenetic analysis.     

Poor maternal nutrition inhibits muscle development in ovine offspring

Background:Maternal over and restricted nutrition has negative consequences on the muscle of offspring by reducing muscle fiber number and altering regulators of muscle growth.To determine if over and restricted maternal nutrition affected muscle growth and gene and protein expression in offspring,36 pregnant ewes were fed 60%,100%or 140%of National Research Council requirements from d 31 ± 1.3 of gestation until parturition.Lambs from control-fed(CON),restricted-fed(RES) or over-fed(OVER) ewes were necropsied within 1 d of birth(n = 18) or maintained on a control diet for 3 mo(n = 15).Semitendinosus muscle was collected for immunohistochemistry,and protein and gene expression analysis.Results:Compared with CON,muscle fiber cross-sectional area(CSA) increased in RES(58%) and OVER(47%)lambs at 1 d of age(P 0.01);however at 3 mo,CSA decreased 15%and 17%compared with CON,respectively(P 0.01).Compared with CON,muscle lipid content was increased in OVER(212.4%) and RES(92.5%) at d 1(P 0.0001).Muscle lipid content was increased 36.1%in OVER and decreased 23.6%in RES compared with CON at 3mo(P 0.0001).At d 1,myostatin mRNA abundance in whole muscle tended to be greater in OVER(P = 0.07) than CON.Follistatin mRNA abundance increased in OVER(P = 0.04) and tended to increase in RES(P = 0.06) compared with CON at d 1.However,there was no difference in myostatin or follistatin protein expression(P 0.3).Phosphorylated Akt(ser473) was increased in RES at 3 mo compared with CON(P = 0.006).Conclusions:In conclusion,maternal over and restricted nutrient intake alters muscle lipid content and growth of offspring,possibly through altered gene and protein expression.