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.     

Interaction of textile parameters,wash-ageing and fabric softener with mechanical properties of knitted fabrics and correlation with textile-hand. I. Interaction of textile parameters with laundry process

This is a study of the influence of repeated laundering and the use of fabric softener in the context of mechanical properties of fabrics with respect to textile parameters. In the large competitive market of fabric softener, the fabric softener producers claim benefits for fabric hand as well as the mechanical properties of textiles. The main aim of this study is to investigate the influence of ageing and the use of fabric softener on the mechanical properties of textiles during their cradle to grave life with respect to fibre type, fibre fineness, knitting construction and number of wash cycles. The low stress mechanical properties were evaluated by means of the Kawabata Evaluation system for fabric (KES-F) and Universal Surface Tester (UST). The tensile, shear, bending, compression and surface properties and changes in these parameters due to wash-ageing and the use of fabric softener during laundry were evaluated. These mechanical properties or combinations of them are the deciding factors for comfort aspects of apparel during wear. Hence, these mechanical properties need to be correlated with the sensory attributes. In Part I, we examine the change in mechanical parameters due to wash-ageing and the use of softener, while Part II deals with Fuzzy-Logic modelling to correlate these mechanical parameters with sensory attributes.     

Antifungal activity of Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea and Azadirachta indica against Fusarium mangiferae and floral malformation in mango

Floral malformation caused by Fusarium mangiferae is a serious threat to mango cultivation in various countries. Different long-term measures suggested to control it were found to be unsuccessful. Present studies clearly showed strong antifungal activity of a concoction brewed from Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea, Azadirachta indica (neem) and cow manure (T₁) followed by methanol-water (70/30 v/v) extracts of Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea and Azadirachta indica (T₂) against Fusarium mangiferae. Optimal control of floral malformation was found in trees sprayed with T₁ followed by T₂ at bud break stage and again at fruit set stage when compared with the control. All the malformed buds or panicles completely dried two days after foliar spray with T₁ or T₂. In the trees treated with T₁ at fruit set stage, flower abscission was observed from the fourth day after spraying and all flowers dropped by the ninth day without requiring any manual de-blossoming, whereas in the control, the malformed panicles remained green and competed with the growing fruits for plant nutrients. In vitro culture of fresh malformed tissues in MS media along with T₁ or T₂ showed no growth of any fungus in the media. However, in vitro culture of the completely dry malformed tissues in MS media after foliar treatment with T₁ or T₂ revealed growth of F. mangiferae on the twenty fifth day indicating that the concoction-brewed compost (T₁) or methanol-water (70/30 v/v) extracts (T₂) could not completely eliminate the pathogen but helped in controlling malformation by suppressing the activity of F. mangiferae. Mango trees sprayed with T₁ and T₂ revealed significant differences in percent fruit set and retention when compared with the control. This could be due to observed higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese in T_1, followed by T₂ when compared with T₃ (control). Among the different fruit quality parameters analysed, the total flavonoids were found to be significantly higher in T₁ and T₂ when compared with T_3. The study proved that the concoction-brewed compost (T₁) is effective, inexpensive, easy to prepare and constitutes a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to control floral malformation in mango when it is sprayed at bud break stage and again at fruit set stage. In this present study, exogenous treatment of emerging buds with (T_c) further proved that with increase in the number of malformed panicles/tree the number of buds developing into healthy panicles/tree decrease.     

Establishment and characterization of macrophage cell line from thymus of Catla catla (Hamilton, 1822)

A continuous cell line has been developed from thymus explants of Catla catla and the cells have been subcultured for 63 passages. The cells exhibited optimum growth at 30°C in L‐15 medium containing 15% foetal bovine serum. The cultured cells engulfed yeast cells and fluorescent latex beads. These cells produced reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and phorbol esters. The culture supernatant from the cultured cells had lysozyme activity and these cells demonstrated Fc receptors. Almost all the cells were positive for alpha‐naphthyl acetate esterase enzyme suggesting that the cells are of macrophage lineage and therefore, the cell line was designated as catla thymus macrophage (CTM) cell line. CTM cells formed aggregates around zoospores of Aphanomyces invadans, but were unable to inhibit the germination of spores. The karyotype analysis of CTM cells at 25th passage revealed a typical diploid model with 50 chromosomes per cell. Partial amplification, sequencing and alignment of fragments of two mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 confirmed that the CTM cell line originated from C. catla. This cell line should be useful for studying the role of macrophages in differentiation and maturation of thymocytes and can be a source of macrophage‐specific enzymes and cytokines.     

Seaweed-based biostimulant improves photosynthesis and effectively enhances growth and biofuel potential of a green microalga Chlorella variabilis

Aquaculture International - The main aim of the present study was to determine the effects of a seaweed-based biostimulant’s supplementation on the growth of Chlorella variabilis. A liquid...     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas</Emphasis> sp. strain AKM-P6 enhances tolerance of sorghum seedlings to elevated temperatures

A thermotolerant strain AKM-P6 of Pseudomonas sp. possessing plant growth-promoting properties was isolated from rhizosphere of pigeon pea grown under semiarid conditions in India. The effect of inoculation with AKM-P6 on survival and growth of sorghum seedlings at elevated temperatures (ET) was investigated under sterile and nonsterile soil conditions. Inoculation with strain AKM-P6 helped sorghum (var CSV-15) seedlings to survive and to grow at elevated temperatures (47–50°C day/30–33°C night) up to 15 days while uninoculated plants died by the fifth day of exposure to elevated temperature. Under sterile and nonsterile conditions, significantly higher root and shoot biomass were recorded in inoculated seedlings as compared to uninoculated control at ET, but this difference was nonsignificant at ambient temperature. Inoculation induced the biosynthesis of high-molecular weight proteins in leaves under elevated temperature, reduced membrane injury, and improved the levels of cellular metabolites like proline, chlorophyll, sugars, amino acids, and proteins. Scanning electron microscopy studies confirmed the colonization and establishment of the organism on the root surface. The 16SrDNA sequence of the strain AMK-P6 showed 97% homology with that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the existing database. The results indicate that Pseudomonas sp. strain AKM-P6 can enhance tolerance of sorghum seedlings to elevated temperatures by inducing physiological and biochemical changes in the plant.     

Alleviation of drought stress effects in sunflower seedlings by the exopolysaccharides producing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas putida</Emphasis> strain GAP-P45

Production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) can be used as a criteria for the isolation of stress tolerant microorganisms. In the present study, EPS-producing fluorescent pseudomonads were isolated from alfisols, vertisols, inseptisols, oxisols, and aridisols of different semiarid millet growing regions of India and were screened in vitro for drought tolerance in trypticase soy broth supplemented with different concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG6000). Out of the total 81 isolates, 26 could tolerate maximum level of stress (−0.73 MPa) and were monitored for the amount of EPS produced under maximum level of water stress. The strain GAP-P45, isolated from alfisol of sunflower rhizosphere, showed the highest level of EPS production under water stress conditions, was identified as Pseudomonas putida on the basis of 16S rDNA sequence analysis, and was used as seed treatment to study its effect in alleviating drought stress effects in sunflower seedlings. Inoculation of Pseudomonas sp. strain GAP-P45 increased the survival, plant biomass, and root adhering soil/root tissue ratio of sunflower seedlings subjected to drought stress. The inoculated bacteria could efficiently colonize the root adhering soil and rhizoplane and increase the percentage of stable soil aggregates. Scanning electron microscope studies showed the formation of biofilm of inoculated bacteria on the root surface and this, along with a better soil structure, might have protected the plants from the water stress.     

Fate of [14C]Mancozeb in Egg Plants (Solanum melongena L.) during Summer under Sub-tropical Conditions

The fungicide mancozeb belongs to ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) group of fungicides which is used to control brown and black rust, leaf spot, leaf blight, downy mildew etc. on a variety of plants including egg plants, tomato, potato and others. [¹⁴C]mancozeb, when applied to the foliage of egg plants (Solanum melongena L.) during summer months, dissipated very rapidly with a half-life of only 10·6 days. Ethylenethiourea (ETU), ethyleneurea (EU), ethylenethiuram disulfide (ETD), ethylenethiuram monosulfide (ETM) were the metabolites of [¹⁴C]mancozeb detected in all the plant parts at different times after the treatment. The amount of ETU in fruits after fourteen days of treatment was only 206 μg kg^?1 which is below the maximum permissible level and ultimately came down to 4·6 μg kg^?1 after 42 days. EU was found to be the predominant metabolite, suggesting the breakdown of unstable ETU to relatively stable EU under subtropical conditions.