Cobalt reduces nitrate inhibition of nodulation in mungbean (Vigna radiata)

 A cobalt-mediated decrease in ethylene production reduced the inhibition of nodulation by nitrate in Vigna radiata (mungbean). Nitrate increased the ethylene production in 5-day-old seedlings, while it caused a reduction in the nodulation status (nodule number and nodule weight) and nodule efficiency (acetylene reduction activity) in mungbean plants. The application of cobalt chloride inhibited nitrate-affected ethylene production and also decreased the inhibitory effect of nitrate on nodulation. The effect of cobalt was most marked on nodule number. Received: 6 August 1999     

Methods for detection of immune-mediated neutropenia in horses, using antineutrophil serum of rabbit origin

Equine neutrophil antibody was raised in rabbits inoculated with equine neutrophils isolated to purity greater than 99.0%, using Percoll density-gradient sedimentation. Neutrophil antibody was detected by use of agar gel diffusion, leukoagglutination, indirect immunofluorescence, staphylococcal protein A and streptococcal protein G binding, and phagocytic inhibition techniques. Precipitin lines and leukoagglutination were seen in antiserum dilutions of 1:4 and 1:64, respectively. The specific nature of leukoagglutination was characterized by the formation of rosette-like clumps of neutrophils. Specific bright membranous fluorescence was seen in neutrophils treated with the antiserum and exposed to fluorescein-conjugated goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin, and staphylococcal protein A and streptococcal protein G. Whereas the indirect immunofluorescence and protein G-binding tests were equally sensitive and resulted in titer of 1:256, the protein A-binding test was less sensitive and resulted in titer of only 1:32. Nonspecific binding of protein A and protein G was noticed as uniform or patchy cellular fluorescence in a small number of neutrophils. Treatment of neutrophils with antiserum up to dilution of 1:8 resulted in a significant (P less than 0.05) suppression of phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan particles. Thus, protein G-binding and indirect immunofluorescence tests are highly sensitive to detect neutrophil antibody and may be used to diagnose immune-mediated neutropenias in horses and, possibly, in other animal species.     

Haematological changes in buffalo calves inoculated with Escherichia coli endotoxin and corticosteroids

Haematological studies were conducted on 10 clinically normal water buffalo calves to determine leucocytic responses to Escherichia coli endotoxin, prednisolone and dexamethasone. Intravenous injection of 10 micrograms endotoxin induced minimal decreases in leucocyte numbers, whereas 20, 50 and 100 micrograms produced a marked leucopenia within one hour. Moderate to marked leucopenia, neutropenia and lymphopenia persisted for three to 14 hours. Significant rebound neutrophilia was evident at six to eight hours after inoculation in calves given only 10 and 20 micrograms. Intramuscular injection of prednisolone (100 mg) and dexamethasone (5 mg) produced increases in total leucocyte counts and neutrophil numbers within two hours. Moderate to marked leucocytosis and neutrophilia persisted for eight to 24 hours. Lymphocyte response was unlike that in other species in that lymphopenia was not a consistent feature of the corticosteroid response. A transient monocytosis was seen following administration of prednisolone but not of dexamethasone, while eosinopenia and basopenia developed in both cases. In conclusion, endotoxin and corticosteroid induced changes in total and differential leucocyte counts in water buffalo were largely similar to those seen in cattle.     

Shape changes in caprine erythrocytes exposed to chlorpromazine and lysolecithin

Stomatocytic and echinocytic transformations of caprine erythrocytes were studied in vitro using chlorpromazine as a stomatocyyic agent and lysolecithin as an echinocytic agent. Morphologic changes in erythrocytes generally varied with the cell shape and the concentration of the substances used. Discoytic, triangular, and pear-shaped red cells common to normal goats, exhibited classical stomatocytic and echinocytic changes with formation of spherostomatocytes, sphero-echinocytes, and spherocytes. In comparison, fusiform and spindle-shaped red cells found in certain Angora goats seemed less prone to shape changes and required greater concentrations of the inducing agents to effect such changes. Chlorpromazine at higher concentrations also inflicted localized membrane damage in form of tiny pits and lysolecithin likewise induced formation of fragile smooth or beaded filaments.     

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Industry Wastewater Treatment using UASB Reactor System with Recourse to Energy Recovery

The investigation was carried out on laboratory scale to assess the feasibility of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor system as a pretreatment for hydrogenated vegetable oil industry wastewater with recourse to energy recovery. The reactor system operated at 35°C, resulted in COD removal efficiency in the range 98.9–80.1% at organic loading varying in the range 1.33–10 kgCOD/m³ day. The specific methane yield varied from 0.295–0.345 m³CH₄/kgCOD_r. Hydraulic retention time, substrate concentrations, pH, and temperature were also varied to study the influence of operating parameters on reactor performance. The methane content decreased with increase in substrate loading rate, and varied from 53–66.7% under varying operating conditions. Impulse loading studies in terms of hydraulic, organic, and pH though resulted in destabilization of the reactor; however, the reactor rapidly achieved stable performance after steady operation.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated genetic transformation and regeneration of Morus alba L.

An efficient method was established for genetic transformation of Morus alba clone M5 using Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated gene transfer. Cotyledon explants from in vitro grown seedlings were co-cultivated with disarmed strain LBA 4404 harbouring the binary vector p^BI121 carrying chimeric β-glucuronidase (GUS) and neomycin phosphotransferase (npt II) genes. Maximum transformation frequency of 18.60% was recorded with 48 h of pre-conditioning followed by co-cultivation for the same duration. Expression and presence of transgene was confirmed by histochemical test and polymerase chain reaction. The transgenic plants were micropropagated and successfully acclimatised.     

Preliminary observations on the pharmacokinetics of CDRI compound 81/470 in calves

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Effect of the degree of processing on soy oil conjugated linoleic acid yields

Photoirradiation processing can be used to rapidly synthesize conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in large quantities in soy oil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the level of refining of soy oil on CLA yields and oxidative properties after photoirradiation. Crude, alkali-refined, alkali-refined bleached, and alkali-refined bleached and deodorized (RBD) soy oils were photoirradiated in a pilot-plant processing system for 12 h with 0.35% iodine catalyst at 47 degrees C. RBD soy oil gave the highest total CLA yield of 16.3% of total oil with 4.3% cis, trans- and trans, cis-CLA isomers. Oxidative stability as measured by weight gain during incubation at 64 degrees C showed that iodine decreased the induction time of soy oil samples by 2-4 days. Photoirradiation processing further decreased the induction time by 2 days as a result of loss of total tocopherols. Iodine addition increased the titratable acidity in all the samples of soy oil. However, the level of refining affects this increase of titratable acidity, and RBD soy oil was found to be the most stable. The study indicates that RBD soy oil was the most suitable candidate for photoirradiation processing. Thus, soy oil should be alkali-refined, bleached, deodorized, and then photoprocessed followed by a secondary adsorption step to remove the iodine catalyst to obtain a RBD CLA-rich soy oil.