Impact of glucosinolate in relation to leafminer,Liriomyza brassicae Riley (Diptera: Agromyzidae) infestation in crucifers

Eight species belonging to the Family Cruciferae were classified to lafminer resistant, tolerant and susceptible on the basis of leafminer infestation. They were analyzed for the glucosinolate content and correlated with leafminer infestation. Total glucosinolate content in general and sinigrin content in particular appeared to have the ability to repel the attack ofLiriomyza brassicae, while gluconapin appeared to attract them. The percentage of infestation, the number of mines and the number of living larvae were estimated for evaluating the glucosinolate efficacy againstL. brassicae on cabbage.     

The use of milk progesterone analysis to monitor reproductive activity in the camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Milk progesterone profiles were used to monitor the ovarian changes during the post-partum period of five she-camels. Milk samples were collected daily for 60 days from four suckling camels (1-4) and from one animal whose calf died on day 3. Progesterone was determined using the Ovucheck Bovine progesterone kits. The first increase of progesterone level in the five animals occurred on days 28, 26, 21, 24 and 20 respectively. At least two progesterone peaks of 6 +/- 2 SD days' duration occurred during the 60 days. An early one day peak was also noticed in three animals.     

Swine platelet antigens: section report.

A total of 14 antibodies were found to label resting and/or activated swine platelets. Six recognized CD previously characterized for swine (CD29, CD41/61 and CD46). One had been characterized for human cells (CD47). Two antibodies with CD14 and SLA class I specificity suggested by the donor as well as five blind antibodies were also positive on platelets. One antibody appeared to recognize the swine homologue to human CD47, and four remained unclustered.     

Application de la CCM à l'étude des huiles volatiles

Résumé Nous avons employé la méthode de chromatographie sur couche mince pour l'identification et la séparation des composants de quelques huiles essentielles bien connues comme Sandalwood, Patchouly et Vetiver huiles. Après avoir mis au point les meilleures conditions de séparation: (qualité, composition et préparation de l'adsorbant, composition de l'agent de développement, temps, température), on a choisi l'agent le plus approprié pour le développement des composants contenant de différents groupes fonctionnels.L'identification des principaux composants des huiles, faute d'agents de référence propres, a été exécutée d'une part en fonction des valeurs Rf de la littérature, d'autre part par l'élution et par chromatographie en phase gazeuse des composants séparés par chromatographie en couche mince.On a élaboré le spectrogramme des composants principaux de l'huile Patchouly pure et de ceux séparés par CCM, en employant un spectrophotomètre de type UR-20, pour déterminer la composition qualitative et quantitative de l'huile. La mise au point des procédés combinés employés pour la détermination de la composition qualitative et quantitative des huiles essentielles fera l'objet de notre prochain programme de travaux.

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Summary We employed the method of thin-layer chromatography for the separation and identification of some well-known essential oils as Sandalwood, Patchouly and Vetiver oils. After having cleared up the factors securing satisfactory separation (quality, composition and preparation of the adsorbent, composition of the developing agent, time and temperature), the most suitable reagent for the developing of the components containing different functional groups has been chosen.For want of pure reference agents, we identified the main oil components partly on the basis of the Rf values of the literature, partly by the elution and by gas-chromatography of the components separated by thin-layer chromatography.We registered the spectrogram of the main components separated by thin-layer chromatography and of those of pure patchouly oil, employing a spectrophotometer of Type UR-20, in order to determine the quality and quantity of the components of the oils. Detailed elaboration of the combined methods serving for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the composition of essential oils will be the program of our further research work.

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Zusammenfassung Die Methode der Dünnschichtchromatographie wurde für die Trennung und Identifizierung der Komponenten einiger wohlbekannter ätherischer Öle sowie Sandelholz-, Patchouly- und Vetiver-Öle verwendet. Nach Aufklärung der die entsprechende Trennung sichernden Umstände (Qualität und Zusammensetzung, sowie Vorbereitung des Adsorbens, Zusammensetzung des Anfärbereagenz, Zeit, Temperatur) wurde für die Entwicklung der die verschiedenen funktionellen Gruppen enthaltenden Komponenten das geeigneteste Reagenz gewählt.Die Identifizierung der Hauptkomponenten der Öle wurde, mangels Referenzsubstanzen, teils auf Grund literarischer Rf-Werte, teils durch die Eluierung und durch Gaschromatographie der mittels Dünnschichtchromatographie getrennten Komponenten durchgeführt.Wir haben auf dem UR-20 Typ Spektrophotometer das Spektrogram des reinen Patchouly- Öles und der durch Dünnschichtchromatographie getrennten Hauptkomponenten des Öles, zwecks qualitativer und quantitativer Aufklärung der ölbindenden Komponenten, aufgenommen. Das Programm unserer weiteren Arbeit bildet die ausführliche Ausarbeitung der für die Bestimmung der quantitativen und qualitativen Zusammensetzung der ätherischen Öle dienenden kombinierten Methoden.

     

A biochemical approach to potentiate the activity ofBacillus thuringiensis against corn borers

Due to the fact that the persistence ofBacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) is very short in the field as affected by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, some biochemical approaches have been adopted in an attempt to increase potentiation of the pathogen against the two lepidopterous corn borers,Chilo agamemnon andOstrinia nubilalis. These approaches were based on the incorporation of some selected non-toxic chemical compounds with different modes of action with the endotoxin ofB.t. fed to the larvae and thus resulting in its potentiation. Among the compounds tested, some representatives of inorganic salts, organic acids, protein and lipid solubilizing agents, amino acids and amides showed an obvious potentiation to the endotoxin activity against the target insects. Inorganic salts, such as, calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, zinc sulphate and potassium carbonate at 0.1% potentiated the activity of the product Dipel 2X (B.t. var.kurstaki) against the two tested species in varying degrees. With regard to protein solubilzing agents, urea, sodium thioglycollate and EDTA enhanced the potency ofB.t. againstO. nubilalis with a fold increase of 1.4–2.3. The lipid emulsifying agent Tween 80 (0.5%), caused 1.3 fold increase in the potency ofB.t. With respect toC. agamemnon, sodium thioglycollate and EDTA (0.1%) were effective in potentiating the activity ofB.t. with fold increase of 3.1 and 1.2, respectively, while urea caused a decrease in the potency ofB.t as compared with the control. The lipid emulsifying agent Tween 80 (0.5%) caused 1.3 fold increase in the potency ofB.t. The potentiating effect of aromatic compounds is not obvious with respect to the tested insect species. With amino acids and amides, it appears that some of the tested compounds enhanced the potency ofB.t. against the tested insect species but in varying degrees. The mode of action of the tested compounds has been discussed in the light of the results obtained.     

Serogrouping of United States and some African serotypes of bluetongue virus using RT-PCR

The diagnostic potential of RT-PCR for detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence in cell culture and tissue samples from infected ruminants from United States, Sudan, South Africa and Senegal, was evaluated. The non structural protein 1 (NS1) gene of North American BTV serotype 11 was targeted for PCR amplification. The United States BTV serotypes 2, 10, 11, 13 and 17 and the Sudanese BTV serotypes 1, 2, 4 and 16 and BTV serotype 4 from South Africa and BTV serotype 2 from Senegal were studied. RNAs from all BTV field isolates used in this study, propagated in cell cultures, were detected by the described RT-PCR-based assay. The first specific 790bp BTV PCR products were amplified using a pair of outer primers (BTV1 and BTV2). Specificity of the PCR products was confirmed by a nested amplification of a 520bp PCR product using a pair of internal (nested) primers (BTV3 and BTV4). The BTV PCR products were visualized on ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. Amplification products were not detected when the RT-PCR-based assay was applied to RNAs from closely related orbiviruses including, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) prototypes serotypes 1, 2, 4; RNA from Sudanese isolate of palyam orbiviruses serogroup and total nucleic acid extracts from uninfected Vero cells. Application of the nested BTV RT-PCR to clinical samples resulted in amplification of BTV RNA from blood and serum samples from goats experimentally infected with BTV4 and from naturally infected sheep, goats, cattle and deer. The results of this study indicated that this RT-PCR assay could be applied for rapid detection of BTV, in cell culture and clinical samples from susceptible ruminants during an outbreak of the disease, in the United States and African.     

Effects of irrigation interval and tillage systems on irrigated cotton and succeeding wheat crop under a heavy clay soil in the Sudan

A water crisis that occurs in Sudan during winter due to the competition for water to irrigate cotton (Gossipium barbadense L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and to produce hydroelectric power necessitates a search for efficient means and ways of conserving water. Tillage is one of the methods for soil moisture conservation. Experiments were conducted in Gezira, Sudan on a Vertisol to determine if tillage practices and the lengthening of irrigation interval beyond two weeks during the period October–February would conserve irrigation water and maintain cotton yields. The residual effects of cotton tillage systems on the following wheat were also evaluated. The cotton experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications. Three irrigation treatments of two-, three- and four-week intervals during the period October–February were used as main plots. Six tillage treatments were used as split plots (combinations of disc ploughing, cultivator and ridging). Treatments were compared by measuring cotton plant height and yields. Significant decreases in cotton yield were found between the four-week, and the two- and three-week irrigation intervals. However, no significant differences in cotton yields between the two- and the three-week irrigation intervals were detected. The lengthening of irrigation interval from two to three weeks during the period of irrigation water crisis (October–February) would result in conservation of about 3000 m³ ha⁻¹ of irrigation water. This corresponds to about 600 000 000 m³ of water for the cotton irrigated area in the Sudan. Therefore, the three-week irrigation interval during the period October–February has the potential for water conservation for cotton production in Gezira Vertisols, with the use of economical shallow tillage. The tested deep and shallow cotton tillage treatments did not have residual effects on the following wheat crop.     

Physiological and biochemical responses of two faba bean (Vicia faba L.) varieties grown in vitro to salt stress

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the most important legume crops worldwide. High salinity is a major constraint for faba bean productivity in many...     

Fertility evaluation in Egyptian buffalo bulls using zona pellucida binding and in vitro fertilization assays

This study aimed to develop a system of in vitro assays based on zona pellucida binding and in vitro fertilization for predicting male fertility in buffalo bulls. Frozen–thawed semen from nine bulls was tested for motility, viability index, acrosomal integrity, zona pellucida binding and in vitro fertilizing ability. Differences in post-thaw sperm motility between bulls were not significant. Differences in viability indices and percentage of spermatozoa with detached acrosome between bulls was highly significant (P < 0.001). Sperm attached per ovum, fertilization rates and polyspermy percentages varied significantly (P < 0.01) among buffalo bulls. A significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation coefficient of 0.69 was evident between normal acrosome and sperm attached per ovum, while between normal acrosome and fertilization efficiency it was 0.72. Sperm from different buffalo bulls differs in their ability to bind and fertilize oocytes. This study provides a basis to predict and maximize the in vitro fertilization performance of individual bulls.