Bio Technology

Treatment of crop residues with some species of fungi can enhance their digestibility. This study investigated changes in the nutrient composition of Cassava Starch Residue (CSR) biodegraded with two selected fungi: Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma viride. The experimental designed was a 3x4 factorial arrangement. Biodegradation of CSR for 21days at 30⁰C recorded a significant biomass loss of 33.11% (A. niger), followed by 30.01% (combination of A. niger x T. viride) compared to 27.44% (T. viride). The crude protein  increased significantly (P>0.05)  from 4.05% to 7.16%, 6.84% and 6.88% within 14days for A. niger, T. viride and combination of  A. niger x T. viride respectively. Similarly, the fibre in Cassava Starch Residue decreased from 17.07% to 10.31%, 12.83% and 11.89% for the A. niger, T. viride and combination A. niger x T. viride treatments respectively with a corresponding effect of 2897.1%kcal/kgDM, 2719.2kcal/kgDM and 2739.1kcal/kgDM in the level of metabolisable energy. Cellulose was extensively degraded in all the treatments (P>0.05) than the hemicellulose.  Results of this study suggests that fungal biodegradation of whole cassava starch residue is regulated by a complex combination of various factors and consequently enhanced its nutritional profile.

The phenotypic analysis and correlations of the eggs laid by black-skinned and white-skinned ectotypes of giant African land snails (Archachatina marginata var. saturalis) in Calabar, Nigeria were evaluated. Two hundred (200) snails, One hundred (100) each of black-skinned and white-skinned ectotype were used to generate eggs used for this study. The snails were divided into two mating groups, black-skinned x black-skinned and white-skinned x white-skinned. The results of the study on phenotypic traits of the eggs revealed a high significant (P<0.05) mean number of egg, mean egg weight, mean egg length and mean egg width between the black-skinned and white-skinned ectotypes. The variations in mean egg traits between the two ectotypes in this study may indicate variation in genetic composition of the snails. The results of correlation among the egg traits revealed positive and highly significant phenotypic correlation (rp) within egg traits for the two ectotypes studied. The correlation could suggest that there are direct relationships between the traits, and that selection for one trait will lead to improvement in the other trait. It is recommended that intensive production and domestication of black-skinned be carried out since it seems to have high production rate to meet the animal protein supply of the populace then the white-skinned. This is due to its larger size.

The marine micro organisms are the store house of a wide variety of biologically active products. Among the vast population of microorganisms which include algae, bacteria, actinomycetes etc., marine fungi are considered as the most useful microorganisms in biotechnology field. The marine environment conditions the micro flora to generate metabolites that have antimicrobial qualities as a self- defending mechanism. The objective of this paper was to isolate the Zinc resistant fungal strains from marine samples like wood , seashore sand , sea water and wooden boat and identify the isolated cultures morphologically till the genus level. The antimicrobial compounds were extracted using different organic solvents and their antibacterial activity was cheked on the selected pathogenic bacteria at different varying concentration. A confirmatory test was performed for each test organism in their selective media. The fungal cultures were found to belong to the genus Aspergillus, Mucor and Fusarium. The extracts of hexane and chloroform on mucor showed very good activity on E.coli while average activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia and least activity in S. aureus cultures was found.

Caralluma atteunata extract have been reported to have antihyperglycemic effect. White albino rats were rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal administration of alloxan (120 mg/kg body weight). Oral administration of ethanolic extract of Caralluma atteunata 500 mg/kg body wt was given orally for 30 days. Experimental results showed that, alloxan significantly elevated the blood sugar level whereas treatment with ethanolic extract of Caralluma atteunata (500 mg/kg body wt.) depressed the alloxan induced high blood sugar level and also it shows the marked changes in the level of Insulin, Hemoglobin, Glycosylated hemoglobin, urea, protein, Hexokinase, Pyruvate kinase, Glucose-6-phophatase, Fructose 1, 6 biphosphatase and glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase. This study strongly suggests that the ethanolic extract of Caralluma atteunata attributed its prominent hypoglycemic activity on experimental diabetic rats through suppression of gluconeogenesis and stimulation of glucose oxidation using the pentose phosphate pathway.

For many years, actinobacteria were best known as a source of large numbers of antibiotics. More recently, they have been found to be a promising source of a wide range of important enzymes. Studies on proteolytic marine actinobacteria especially in the southeast coast of Tamilnadu have not been carried out adequately. Actinobacteria were isolated from the flesh content of the Mud crab, Scylla serrata. This is first report on isolation of protease producing actinobacteria from crab. These crabs have a high tolerance to both nitrate and ammonia. Partial purification of the enzyme by DEAE Cellulose yielded 2.16-fold purity. Streptomyces nigellus showed highest enzyme activity at pH7 and 40°C. Out of the 7 morphological different strains, the strain LK-3 which was tentatively identified as Streptomyces nigellus showed protease activity. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to isolate the proteolytic actinobacteria from the crab.

In mineral bio-beneficiation, it is very important to understand the microbial surface characteristics and its behaviour onto the mineral surface. Bacillus cereus bacterium has never been used before as a bio-reagent for separation of different mineral systems. In this paper, complete characterization of such type of bacteria, isolated from Egyptian iron ore surface, including gram stain, growth curve, Biolog microbial identification, Zeta potential measurements, FTIR measurements, Scanning Electron Microscope, SEM as well as protein and polysaccharide analysis have been studied. The results confirmed that Bacillus cereus is a gram positive bacterium, rod shaped, smooth and circular with different types of by-products as polysaccharides, carboxylic acids and amino acids that gives an amphoteric behaviour on the cell surface. The results of zeta potential showed that the iso-electric point (IEP) of iron oxide (? 6.3) is significantly displaced to lower values (? 2.2) after treatment with the bacterial isolates which indicates the bacterial hydrophobic effect. This is in agreement with FTIR results which confirmed the formation of hydrogen bond between OH group (of the polysaccharides part) and/or the COOH group of both the polysaccharides or the protein fractions of the bacteria with the positively adsorption sites of hematite lead to a reduction in the zeta potential of its surface to be close from that of the bacteria itself. The results obtained showed a better affinity of Bacillus cereus to hematite mineral and could be used in separation of such mineral from its associated gangue minerals.

The army worm Spodoptera litura is one of the most damaging pests of cotton, tobacco and castor in India. Synthetic pyrethroids and organophosphate pesticides are used for controlling this pest. Due to continuous use of these chemicals there are reports of insecticide resistance among S. litura. In the present study we analyzed the mechanisms involved in the development of pyrethroid resistance and organophosphate resistance in S. litura using biochemical marker enzymes. The result shows an increased carboxylesterase activity, GST and AChE activity in organophosphate and pyrethroid treatments in field population as compared to laboratory populations. The data presented in this work shows the occurrence of pyrethroid and organophosphate resistance in S.litura may confer through estrases and glutathione complexes.

Phyllanthus niruri L belongs to family Euphorbiaceae is a field weed. In the present investigation sequential solvent extracts of various plant parts and tissue isolates of P. niruri were analyzed for their non enzymatic antioxidant activity using various standard protocols such as DPPH free radical scavenging method and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP). Results were expressed as antiradical efficiency (AE), which is 1000/ IC50.

Paenibacillus polymyxa was used in pretreatment of hematite to facilitate the flocculation removal of quartz and pyrolusite minerals. The adsorption results showed that the affinity of P. polymyxa to the three minerals according to the order: pyrolusite> quartz >hematite all over the pH range. On applying P. polymyxa bacterial strain, to be used as sole flocculating reagent, to selectively separate hematite from its mixture with pyrolusite at pH 6.5 and 5x109 cell/ml succeeded in the removal of 73.5 % of MnO2 as a concentrate containing about 2.65% MnO2 was obtained from a feed containing about 9.97 % MnO2 with 77 % Wt. % flocculated. Applying the same conditions for flocculation of a natural iron ore yielded a concentrate containing 2.54% MnO2, 0.25% SiO2 and 74.40% Fe2O3 with a recovery of 75% from a feed containing 8.79% MnO2 , 0.49% SiO2 and 67.90% Fe2O3. In this paper, the role of Paenibacillus polymyxa on the surface properties of the three single minerals has been studied through zeta potential measurements as well as the adsorption experiments. Complete characterization of both single minerals and bacteria strain have been done using XRF, SEM, and FTIR.

Magnesium plays important roles in physiological function of the body organs because magnesium is an essential mineral. Present study was to determine magnesium levels in serum of fifty pulmonary tuberculosis patients and fifty controls magnesium was determined using a Hitachi atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Tokyo, Japan). Magnesium level was significantly decreased in pulmonary tuberculosis patients as compared with the controls. In order to better understand the role of magnesium in pulmonary tuberculosis further clinical studies are required