A study on composition and hypolipidemic effect of dietary fibre from some plant foods

Dietary fibre content of foods namely,khejri beans (Prsopsis cinceria),peepalbanti (Ficus religiosa),barbanti (Ficus bengalensis),gullar (Ficus glomerata) andteent (Capparis decidua) varied from 38.5% to 55.7%. Cellulose and lignin were predominating constituents inpeepalbanti,barbanti andgullar; hemicellulose inteent and pectin inkhejri beans. Fibre from all these plant foods, fed at the 10% dietary level to rats, induced a greater resistance to hyperlipidemia than cellulose.Teent had the most pronounced hypocholesterolemic effect which appeared to operate through increased fecal excretion of cholesterol as well as bile acids. Dietary hemicellulose showed a significant negative correlation with serum and liver cholesterol and a significant positive correlation with fecal bile acids. The dietary fibre influenced total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids of the liver to varying extents.     

Characterisation of peach (Prunus persica L.) cultivars using isozymes as molecular markers

Six enzyme systems were surveyed in 12 peach cultivars using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of leaf extracts. Variation between cultivars was observed in four enzymes: peroxidase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase. Genetic variation parameters revealed that the maximum proportion of polymorphic loci was 46.1%. Out of 15 loci studied, 9 were monomorphic and 6 were polymorphic for 20 alleles. A dendrogram showed the grouping of cultivars on the basis of genetic distance values. The use of isozyme electrophoresis to find the inter-relationship of cultivars is discussed.     

Accumulation and metabolism of DDT and its metabolites byTetrahymena

Tetrahymena pyriformis readily accumulated DDT and its metabolites from the medium initially containing 1 ppm of each compound. These compounds were accumulated in a decreasing order of DDD, DDE, o,p′-DDT, DDMU, and p,p′-DDT. DDT was metabolized to DDE, o,p′-DDT, and DDMU. DDD was metabolized to DDMU whereas o,p′-DDT, DDE and DDMU were not metabolized. When the organisms were transferred to toxicant free medium excretion of p,p′-DDT and its metabolite occurred in two phases: (a) rapid phase of elimination which was completed during the first 3 h and (b) slow phase of elimination which continued for another 21 h. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Genetic diversity analysis of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) populations using microsatellites and chloroplast sequences

The agricultural landscape of the United States could soon be changed by planting of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivars to meet government-mandated targets for lignocellulosic bioenergy production and consumption. This alteration could affect the genetic structure of wild switchgrass populations, which are native to the eastern half of North America through cultivar introgression. In this study, PCR amplification of microsatellite fragments as well as chloroplast gene-specific markers were utilized to quantify the genetic diversity and structure of five native populations and three agronomic fields (hereafter ‘populations’) planted with switchgrass cultivars. Microsatellite polymorphism across all the switchgrass populations ranged from 91.4 to 100 %. Overall, natural switchgrass populations had significantly higher mean genetic diversity than agronomic switchgrass cultivars (0.262 ± 0.102 and 0.201 ± 0.082 respectively, t test p < 0.008). Natural switchgrass populations had significantly higher total genetic diversity within (H_S) and among (H_T) as compared to agronomic switchgrass cultivars. A clear separation of natural and agronomic switchgrass populations was noted using principal component analysis and STRUCTURE analysis. A grouping pattern similar to that obtained in the microsatellite study was observed when chloroplast nucleotide sequence variation was assessed. In the realm of bioenergy sustainability, our results highlight the need to consider the genetic structure of cultivars for bioenergy when they are grown in proximity to native switchgrass populations.     

Ovarian morphology and internal vis-à-vis non internal laying in relation to triacylglycerol,hormones and their receptors concentration around the age of sexual maturity in broiler breeder hens

1. Ovarian morphology, serum hormone concentrations of 17-β-estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and triacylglycerol (TAG) were investigated at 23 and 26 weeks of age in broiler breeder hens provided with ad libitum access to feed. Progesterone, oestrogen-β, thyroid-α and -β receptor mRNAs were also quantified in the infundibulum at the same ages.

2. A large variation in the ovarian morphology was observed at 23 weeks of age including hens with undeveloped ovaries, non-laying hens with post ovulatory follicles (POF) and a predominance of non-laying hens without a POF.

3. Serum concentrations of triglyceride, 17-β-estradiol and progesterone at 23 weeks of age were lower in hens with an undeveloped ovary compared with other groups of hens, whereas testosterone, triiodothyronine and thyroxin were higher.

4. At 26 weeks of age, the average number of hierarchical yellow follicles in normal layers was 7.64?±?0·41 whereas in internal layers, the follicular numbers were significantly greater at 8.66?±?0·53. The higher follicular numbers in internal layers were associated with higher serum triglyceride and progesterone concentrations.

5. Oestrogen receptor-β and thyroid receptor-β mRNA was up regulated in the infundibulum of internal layers compared with normal laying hens at 26 weeks of age.     

Molecular characterization and expression profile of ghrelin gene during different reproductive phases in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Ghrelin, a novel motilin-related endogenous ligand for growth hormone secretagouge receptor, is implicated in various biological functions, including regulation of female reproduction. But the presence of ghrelin and its role in reproductive functions in buffalo, a species with poor reproductive efficiency, is not known. In the present study full-length ghrelin cDNA was isolated from bubaline abomasum, which encodes the entire prepropeptide of 116 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of ghrelin of buffalo showed >95% and 31% identity with that of ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goat) and humans, respectively. Analysis of synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions in the coding region of ghrelin indicated that these sequences of different species have been under purifying selection. The 3995-bp amplicon of ghrelin gene consisting of 4 exons and 3 introns was cloned with genomic DNA from buffalo. Further, ghrelin expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry in bubaline endometrial tissues at different stages of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Our results indicated the persistent expression of ghrelin mRNA and protein in the endometrium during stage I (day 3–5), stage II (day 6–15), and stage III (day 16–21) of the estrous cycle and also during early (∼day 30–40) pregnancy. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR experiments indicated the relatively higher expression of ghrelin in the endometrium during stage II (day 6–15) of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy than during stage I (day 3–5) and stage III (day 16–21) of the estrous cycle, but no statistically significant difference in ghrelin expression was observed among stages. To conclude, the results of the present study indicate the persistent expression of ghrelin in the uterine endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and in early pregnancy which might be helpful in determining its role in buffalo reproduction.     

Alterations in the intestinal brush border membrane structure and function in chronic DDT-exposed monkeys

Intestinal uptake of d-glucose, l-leucine, and glycine is considerably enhanced in monkeys exposed to subacute doses of DDT for 100 days. The brush border sucrase and lactase activities were also significantly elevated but there was no change in alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and Mg²⁺-ATPase activities in the pesticide-administered animals compared to controls. Kinetic evidence revealed that augmentation of disaccharidases in the pesticide-treated animals is because of an increase in the enzyme content. Cholesterol and triglyceride fractions of the brush border membrane were also elevated but sialic acid content was reduced in the insecticide-treated animals compared to control group. These results suggest that observed changes in the functional activity of the enterocytes in DDT toxicity are possibly related to the alterations in the brush border membrane structural organization.