Search results for: P. Wild

Authors: Muhammad Shahzad Iqbal, Zobia Sarwar, Salah-ud-Din

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Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) belongs to the genus Tospoviruses (family Bunyaviridae). It is one of the most devastating pathogens of tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) and heavily damages the crop yield each year around the globe. In this study, we retrieved 329 mature miRNA sequences from two microRNA databases (miRBase and miRSoldb) and checked the putative target sites in the downloaded-genome sequence of TSWV. A consensus of three miRNA target prediction tools (RNA22, miRanda and psRNATarget) was used to screen the false-positive microRNAs targeting sites in the TSWV genome. These tools calculated different target sites by calculating minimum free energy (mfe), site-complementarity, minimum folding energy and other microRNA-mRNA binding factors. R language was used to plot the predicted target-site data. All the genes having possible target sites for different miRNAs were screened by building a consensus table. Out of these 329 mature miRNAs predicted by three algorithms, only eight miRNAs met all the criteria/threshold specifications. MC-Fold and MC-Sym were used to predict three-dimensional structures of miRNAs and further analyzed in USCF chimera to visualize the structural and conformational changes before and after microRNA-mRNA interactions. The results of the current study show that the predicted eight miRNAs could further be evaluated by in vitro experiments to develop TSWV-resistant transgenic tomato plants in the future.

Keywords: tomato spotted wild virus (TSWV), Solanum lycopersicum, plant virus, miRNAs, microRNA target prediction, mRNA

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Authors: Charalampos N. Bompas, Eleni Poulou-Sidiropoulou, Martina Samiotaki, Alexios Vlamis-Gardikas

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Ιn all living organisms, antioxidant defenses are orchestrated by the thioredoxin (Trx) and glutaredoxin (Grx) systems. The Trx system of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is comprised of Trx1 and Trx2, both reduced by thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). The Grx system consists of four Grxs (Grx1, Grx2, Grx3, and Grx4), all reduced by glutathione (GSH) except for Grx4, which is reduced by TrxR. Under normal conditions, the GSH reductase of the Grx system keeps GSH at its reduced state. NADPH+ provides the electrons for all reductions in the Trx and Grx systems. Although the role of the E. coli Trx system is widely known, the function of the Grx system reflects the main property of Grx1, which is the reduction of ribonucleotide reductase Ia (RRIa). E. coli Grx3 (encoded by grxC) may also reduce RRIa in vitro but with slow kinetics. The molecule may account for up to 0.4% of total soluble protein and has been the subject of extensive structural studies. Its biological function, however, remains unknown. Herein, affinity chromatography with monothiol Grx3 serving as bait was used to detect the interactions of Grx3 with other proteins. Different types of interactions were identified (covalent, weak, and strong non-covalent) that suggested novel functions for Grx3. In silico approaches were employed to validate selected interactions. In addition, total protein extracts from the null mutant for grxC and the wild-type strain were compared. The overall findings suggest that Grx3 is involved in various metabolic processes, protein synthesis, and stress responses, expanding the recognized functions of Grx3 beyond the possible reduction of RRIa.

Keywords: escherichia coli, glutaredoxin 3, interactome, thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase

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Authors: Hamish de Nett

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On 23rd June 2018, twelve young footballers from the Wild Boar Academy and their coach went to explore the Tham Luang cave in the Doi Nang Non mountain range in Chiang Rai Province, Northern Thailand. Whilst they were inside the cave, monsoon rains hit, and the complex became partially flooded. In the following days, Thai Navy SEALs and an international team of expert divers assembled at the cave complex in order to rescue the boys. Although it was only marginally reported in the Western press, Buddhism and ritual activities played a major role in the rescue and its aftermath. This paper utilises numerous news articles and books written by reporters who covered the cave rescue to uncover what the place of Buddhism was in the Tham Luang cave rescue. This paper initially sets out the development of Thai Buddhism and the Thai nation state, paying particular note to the tension in Thai Buddhism between Buddhism as it is popularly practised and normative, state-favoured Buddhism. Secondly, this paper demonstrates that, during the Tham Luang cave rescue, Buddhism helped people cope with the disaster, provided an explanation for its occurrence, and allowed bystanders some efficacy in the process. Thirdly, this paper discusses how Buddhism helped people to give thanks after the rescue, achieve reconciliation, and gain closure. Finally, this paper analyses how the government and the political sphere utilised Buddhism during the rescue. The conclusion reached is that the Buddhism practiced during the Tham Luang cave rescue and its aftermath is representative of the wider tension between popular Buddhism and normative state-favoured Buddhism that is currently present within Thai Buddhism and has been for centuries.

Keywords: cave rescue, contemporary Buddhism, lived religion, Thai Buddhism, Tham Luang cave rescue

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Authors: Abdelouahab Dehimati, Fatiha Bedjou

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This study focused on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of four extracts from the plant Matricaria pubscens (Asteraceae) harvest in the region of Ghardaia, the northern Sahara of Algeria. The different extracts were analyzed for their content of phenolic compounds and their biological activities. The ethanol extract expresses a better extraction yield (44.22%). We have first performed the quantitative colorimetric methods for total polyphenols. Wherein the aqueous extract shows the highest total polyphenol content and total flavonoid (216.66±2.58 mg Eq GA/g and 111.04±0.49 mg Eq Q/g E, respectively) and ethanol extract 50% total tannins content (68.88±2.72 mg Eq AT/g E). The evaluation of the antioxidant activity of extracts of Matricaria pubscens by the arbitrary value IC50. The ethanol 50% extract is expressed strong activity with an IC50 14.19±1.25 mg/m against the DPPH radical and 11.66±0.53 mg/ml against the ABTS radical). In addition, the aqueous extract showed strong reducing power with an IC50 (48.61±1.14 mg/ml). However, the results obtained by the reducing power of phosphomolybdat the test are calculated by the iron maximum absorbance where ethanol extract 50% gives an absorbance of about 1.641 ± 0.01nm. Otherwise, methanol 70% and butanol 80% extracts gave a very large chelating effect of iron with an IC50 (38.38±0.01 μg/ml and 38.58±0.04 μg/ml respectively). By the method of disc Diffuson, the results of the antimicrobial activity are achieved butanolic extract 80% shows high activity towards MRSA (MIC: 3.51mg/ml; BMC>100 mg/ml). Their shares, the extracts were the most active for the antifungal test, the butanol 80% extract was the most active against A. niger (MIC: 12.5 mg/ml; FMC>100 mg/ml). These preliminary results could be used to justify the traditional use of this plant and their phenolic compounds could be exploited for therapeutic purposes, such as antioxidants and antimicrobial effects.

Keywords: Matricaria pubscens, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, IC50, MIC

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Authors: Milda A. Cruz-Huaranga, Natalí Carbo-Bustinza, Javier Linkolk López-Gonzales, K. Depaz, Gina M. Tito T., Soledad Torres-Calderón

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The objective of this study was to improve water quality in the “La Mansión” pond in order to irrigate green spaces on the Peruvian Union University campus (Lima, Peru) using the aquatic species Eichhornia Crassipes. Furthermore, tree trimming and cleaning activities were performed that reduced water pollution caused by organic deposits and feathers from wild birds. The impaired waterbody is located on the campus of the Peruvian Union University, 580 meters above sea level, with a volume of 6,405.336 m3, an area of 3,050.16 m2, 256.81 m perimeter, and 0.12 m3/s input flow. Seven 1.8 m2 floating systems were implemented, with 12 common water hyacinth plants in each system. Before implementing this system, a water quality analysis was performed to analyse the physical-chemical, microbiological, and organoleptic parameters. The pre-analysis revealed the pond’s critical condition, with electrical conductivity: 556 mg/l; phosphate: < 0.5; pH: 7.06; total solids: 412 mg/l; arsenic: <0.01; lead: 0.115; BOD5: 14; COD: 16.94; dissolved oxygen: 13; total coliforms: 24000 MCL/100 ml; and thermo-tolerant coliforms: 11000 MCL/100 ml. After implementing the system, the following results were obtained: EC: 495 mg/l; DO:9.2 mg/l; TS: 235 mg/l; BOD5: 7.7; COD: 8.47; Pb: 0.001 mg/l; TC: 460 MCL/100 ml; FC: 240 MCL/100 ml. Thus, we confirmed that the system is 78.79% efficient regarding the Peruvian ECA (Environmental Quality Standards) established for water according to DS #015-2015-MINAM. Therefore, the water is suitable for plant irrigation. Finally, we concluded that treating wastewater with the species Eichhornia Crassipes is efficient since an improvement was achieved in the impaired waterbody.

Keywords: Eichhornia crassipes, plantlets, cleaning, impaired waterbody, pond

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Authors: Oseni Margaret Oladunni, Ogundele Joan Olayinka, Olusanya Olalekan Samuel, Akinniyi Modupe Olakintan

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The world's growing population is pushing humans to look for alternative food sources among underutilised or wild plants. One of these food sources has been identified as Canavalia enisiformis, or jack beans. The only issue with using jack beans is that they contain anti-nutrient chemicals, which must be removed or diminished in order for them to be fit for human consumption. The objective of this study is to determine the nutritional and industrial utility of Canavalia enisiformis by analysing the anti-nutrient, phytochemical, and antioxidant composition of raw whole seed and soaking dehusked seeds using established procedures. Phytate (23.48±0.24, 15.24±0.41 and 14.83±0.00), oxalate (4.32±0.09, 3.96±0.09 and 2.88±0.09), tannins (22.77±0.73, 18.68±0.03 and 17.50±0.46), and lectins (6.67±0.04, 6.20±0.01 and 6.42±0.07) exhibited the highest anti-nutrient values in raw whole seed and, at the very least, in dehusked, soaked seeds. The samples were subjected to phytochemical screening, which detected the presence of cardiac glycosides as well as anthraquinones, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phlobatannins, and flavonoids. Due to the reduction in phytochemical contents quantified as a result of dehusking and soaking, phenolbatannins and anthraquinones were not found in the samples. The research findings also demonstrated elevated concentrations of several plausible phytochemical components with potential medical value, with the raw whole seed exhibiting the greatest capacity to scavenge free radicals. Accordingly, the study's findings validate the seed's therapeutic applications and imply that it might be an inexpensive source of antioxidants for humans and animals alike.

Keywords: dehusking, soaking, anti-nutrients, antioxidants, jack bean

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Authors: Ganesh K. Maurya, Reema Chaudhary, Neha Pandey, Hari S. Misra

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PprA, a pleiotropic protein participating in radioresistance, has been reported for its roles in DNA replication initiation, genome segregation, cell division and DNA repair in polyextremophile Deinococcus radiodurans. Interestingly, expression of deinococcal PprA in E. coli suppresses its growth by reducing the number of colony forming units and provides better resistance against γ-radiation than control. We employed different biochemical and cell biology studies using PprA and its DNA binding/polymerization mutants (K133E & W183R) in E. coli. Cells expressing wild type PprA or its K133E mutant showed reduction in the amount of genomic DNA as well as chromosome copy number in comparison to W183R mutant of PprA and control cells, which suggests the role of PprA protein in regulation of DNA replication initiation in E. coli. Further, E. coli cells expressing PprA or its mutants exhibited different impact on cell morphology than control. Expression of PprA or K133E mutant displayed a significant increase in cell length upto 5 folds while W183R mutant showed cell length similar to uninduced control cells. We checked the interaction of deinococcal PprA and its mutants with E. coli DnaA using Bacterial two-hybrid system and co-immunoprecipitation. We observed a functional interaction of EcDnaA with PprA and K133E mutant but not with W183R mutant of PprA. Further, PprA or K133E mutant has suppressed the ATPase activity of EcDnaA but W183R mutant of PprA failed to do so. These observations suggested that PprA protein regulates DNA replication initiation and cell morphology of surrogate E. coli.

Keywords: DNA replication, radioresistance, protein-protein interaction, cell morphology, ATPase activity

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Authors: Ahlem Nefzi, Rania Aydi Ben Abdallah, Hayfa Jabnoun-Khiareddine, Nawaim Ammar, Sined Medimagh-Saidana, Mejda Daami-Remadi

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In the present study, leaf, stem, and fruit aqueous extracts of native wild Solanum linnaeanum L. were screened for their ability to suppress Fusarium Crown and Root Rot disease and to enhance tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) growth under greenhouse conditions. Leaf extract used at 30% w/v was the most effective in reducing leaf and root damage index by 92.3% and the extent of vascular discoloration by 97.56% compared to Fusarium oxyxporum f. sp radicis lycopersici -inoculated and untreated control. A significant promotion of growth parameters (root length, shoot height, root and shoot biomass and stem diameter) was recorded on tomato cv. Rio Grande seedlings by 40.3-94.1% as compared to FORL inoculated control and by 9.6-88.8% over pathogen-free control. All S. linnaeanum aqueous extracts tested significantly stimulated the germination by 10.2 to 80.1% relative to the untreated control. FORL mycelial growth, assessed using the poisoned food technique, varied depending on plant organs, extracts, and concentrations used. Butanolic extracts were the most active, leading to 60.81% decrease in FORL mycelial growth. HPLC analysis of butanolic extract revealed the presence of thirteen phenolic compounds. Thus, S. linnaeanum can be explored as a potential natural source of antifungal and biofertilizing compounds.

Keywords: antifungal activity, HPLC-MS analysis, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, tomato growth

Procedia PDF Downloads 121

Authors: Ganesh K. Maurya, Reema Chaudhary, Neha Pandey, Hari S. Misra

Abstract:

PprA, a pleiotropic protein participating in radioresistance, has been reported for its roles in DNA replication initiation, genome segregation, cell division and DNA repair in polyextremophile Deinococcus radiodurans. Interestingly, expression of deinococcal PprA in E. coli suppresses its growth by reducing the number of colony forming units and provide better resistance against γ-radiation than control. We employed different biochemical and cell biology studies using PprA and its DNA binding/polymerization mutants (K133E & W183R) in E. coli. Cells expressing wild type PprA or its K133E mutant showed reduction in the amount of genomic DNA as well as chromosome copy number in comparison to W183R mutant of PprA and control cells, which suggests the role of PprA protein in regulation of DNA replication initiation in E. coli. Further, E. coli cells expressing PprA or its mutants exhibited different impact on cell morphology than control. Expression of PprA or K133E mutant displayed a significant increase in cell length upto 5 folds while W183R mutant showed cell length similar to uninduced control cells. We checked the interaction of deinococcal PprA and its mutants with E. coli DnaA using Bacterial two-hybrid system and co-immunoprecipitation. We observed a functional interaction of EcDnaA with PprA and K133E mutant but not with W183R mutant of PprA. Further, PprA or K133E mutant has suppressed the ATPase activity of EcDnaA but W183R mutant of PprA failed to do so. These observations suggested that PprA protein regulates DNA replication initiation and cell morphology of surrogate E. coli.

Keywords: DNA replication, radioresistance, protein-protein interaction, cell morphology, ATPase activity

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Authors: M. Knezevic, V. Marecic, M. Ozanic, I. Kelava, M. Mihelcic, M. Santic

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Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious, gram-negative intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of tularemia. The bacterium has been isolated from more than 250 wild species, including protozoa cells. Since Francisella is very virulent and persists in the environment for years, the aim of this study was to investigate whether Acanthamoeba castellanii-grown F. novicida exhibits an alteration in the resistance to disinfectants. It has been shown by other intracellular pathogens, including Legionella pneumophila that bacteria grown in amoeba exhibit more resistance to disinfectants. However, there is no data showing Francisella viability behaviour after intracellular life cycle in A. castellani. In this study, the bacterial suspensions of A. castellanii-grown or in vitro-grown Francisella were treated with three different disinfectants, and the bacterial viability after disinfection treatment was determined by a colony-forming unit (CFU) counting method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence microscopy as well as the leakage of intracellular fluid. Our results have shown that didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) combined with isopropyl alcohol was the most effective in bacterial killing; all in vitro-grown and A. castellanii-grown F. novicida were killed after only 10s. Surprisingly, in comparison to in vitro-grown bacteria, A. castellanii-grown F. novicida was more sensitive to decontamination by the benzalkonium chloride combined with DDAC and formic acid and the polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB). We can conclude that the tested disinfectants exhibit antimicrobial activity by causing a loss of structural organization and integrity of the Francisella cell wall and membrane and the subsequent leakage of the intracellular contents. Finally, the results of this study clearly demonstrate that Francisella grown in A. castellanii had become more susceptible to many disinfectants.

Keywords: Acanthamoeba, disinfectant, Francisella, sensitivity

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Authors: Prakriti Chand, Binayak Prasad Rajbhandari, Ram Prasad Mainali

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Local indigenous community in Lalitpur, Nepal, use Ignored, Underutilized and Uncommercialized Horticultural Species (IUUHS) for medicine, food, spice, pickles, and religious purposes. But, research and exploration about usage, status, potentialities, and importance of these future sustainable crops are inadequately documented and have been ignored for a positive food transformation system. The study aimed to assess the use and diversity of NUWHS in terms of current status investigation, documentation, management, and future potentialities of IUUHS. A wide range of participatory tools through the household survey ( 100 respondents), 8 focus group discussions, 20 key informant interviews was followed by individual assessment, participatory rural assessments and supplemented by literature review. This study recorded 95 IUUHS belonging to 43 families, of which 92 were angiosperms, 2 pteridophytes, and 1 gymnosperm. Twenty seven species had multiple uses. The IUUHS observed during the study were 31 vegetables, 20 fruits, 14 wild species, 7 spices, 7 pulses, 7 pickle, 7 medicine, and 2 religious species. Vegetables and fruits were the most observed category of IUUHS. Eighty nine species were observed as medicinally valued species, and 86% of the women had taken over all the agricultural activities. 84% of respondents used these species during food deficient period. IUUHS have future potential as an alternative food to major staple crops due to its remarkable ability to be adapted in marginal soil and thrive harsh climatic condition. There are various constraints regarding the utilization and development of IUUHS, which needs initiation of promotion, utilization, management, and conservation of species from the grass root level.

Keywords: agrobiodiversity, Ignored and underutilized species, uncultivated horticultural species, diversity use

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Authors: Hager Elsheikh, Matthias Sendler, Juliana Glaubnitz

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In pancreatitis, an inflammatory reaction occurs in the pancreatic secretory cells due to premature activation of proteases, leading to pancreatic self-digestion and necrotic cell death of acinar cells. Acute pancreatitis in patients is characterized by a severe immune reaction that could lead to serious complications, such as organ failure or septic shock, if left untreated. Chronic pancreatitis is a recurrence of episodes of acute pancreatitis resulting in a fibro-inflammatory immune response, in which the type 2 immune response is primarily driven by AAMs in the pancreas. One of the most important signaling pathways for M2 macrophage activation is the IL-4/STAT6 pathway. Pancreatic fibrosis is induced by the hyperactivation of pancreatic stellate cells by dysregulation in the inflammatory response, leading to further damage, autodigestion and possibly necrosis of pancreatic acinar cells. The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of STAT6 knockout in disease severity and development of fibrosis wound healing in the presence of different macrophage populations, regulated by the type 2 immune response, after inducing chronic and/or acute pancreatitis in mice models via cerulean injection. We further investigate the influence of the JAK/STAT6 signaling pathway on the balance of fibrosis and regeneration in STAT6 deficient and wild-type mice. The characterization of resident and recruited macrophages will provide insight into the influence of the JAK/STAT6 signaling pathway on infiltrating cells and, ultimately, tissue fibrosis and disease severity.

Keywords: acute and chronic pancreatitis, tissue regeneration, macrophage polarization, Gastroenterology

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Authors: Abhimanyu Thakur, Youngjin Lee

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Glioma is a lethal brain cancer whose early diagnosis and prognosis are limited due to the dearth of a suitable technique for its early detection. Current approaches, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and invasive biopsy for the diagnosis of this lethal disease, hold several limitations, demanding an alternative method. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been used in numerous biomarker studies, majorly exosomes and microvesicles (MVs), which are found in most of the cells and biofluids, including blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and urine. Remarkably, glioma cells (GMs) release a high number of EVs, which are found to cross the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and impersonate the constituents of parent GMs including protein, and lncRNA; however, biophysical properties of EVs have not been explored yet as a biomarker for glioma. We isolated EVs from cell culture conditioned medium of GMs and regular primary culture, blood, and urine of wild-type (WT)- and glioma mouse models, and characterized by nano tracking analyzer, transmission electron microscopy, immunogold-EM, and differential light scanning. Next, we measured the biophysical parameters of GMs-EVs by using atomic force microscopy. Further, the functional constituents of EVs were examined by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Exosomes and MVs-derived from GMs, blood, and urine showed distinction biophysical parameters (roughness, adhesion force, and stiffness) and different from that of regular primary glial cells, WT-blood, and -urine, which can be attributed to the characteristic functional constituents. Therefore, biophysical features can be potential diagnostic biomarkers for glioma.

Keywords: glioma, extracellular vesicles, exosomes, microvesicles, biophysical properties

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Authors: Ismail Mahdi, Nidal Fahsi, Mohamed Hafidi, Abdelmounaim Allaoui, Latefa Biskri

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To meet the worldwide demand for food, smart management of arable lands is needed. This could be achieved through sustainable approaches such as the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms including bacteria. Phosphate (P) solubilization is one of the major mechanisms of plant growth promotion by associated bacteria. In the present study, we isolated and screened 14 strains from the rhizosphere of Chenopodium quinoa wild grown in the experimental farm of UM6P and assessed their plant growth promoting properties. Next, they were identified by using 16S rRNA and Cpn60 genes sequencing as Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Enterobacter. These strains showed dispersed capacities to solubilize P (up to 346 mg L−1) following five days of incubation in NBRIP broth. We also assessed their abilities for indole acetic acid (IAA) production (up to 795,3 µg ml−1) and in vitro salt tolerance. Three Bacillus strains QA1, QA2, and S8 tolerated high salt stress induced by NaCl with a maximum tolerable concentration of 8%. Three performant isolates, QA1, S6 and QF11, were further selected for seed germination assay because of their pronounced abilities in terms of P solubilization, IAA production and salt tolerance. The early plant growth potential of tested strains showed that inoculated quinoa seeds displayed greater germination rate and higher seedlings growth under bacterial treatments. The positive effect on seed germination traits strongly suggests that the tested strains are growth promoting, halotolerant and P solubilizing bacteria which could be exploited as biofertilizers.

Keywords: phosphate solubilizing bacteria, IAA, Seed germination, salt tolerance, quinoa

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Authors: Jacob Medupe

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Life as we know it has changed since the global outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and business as usual will not continue. The human impact of the COVID-19 crisis is already immeasurable. Moreover, COVID-19 has already negatively impacted economies, livelihoods and disrupted food systems around the world. The disruptive nature of the Corona virus has affected every sphere of life including the culture and teaching and learning. Right now the majority of education research is based around classroom management techniques that are no longer necessary with digital delivery. Instead there is a great need for new data about how to make the best use of the one-on-one attention that is now becoming possible (Diamandis & Kotler, 2014). The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated an environment where the South African learners are focused to adhere to social distancing in order to minimise the wild spread of the Corona virus. This arrangement forces the student to utilise the online classroom technologies to continue with the lessons. The historical reality is that the country has not made much strides on the closing of the digital divide and this is particularly a common status quo in the deep rural areas. This will prove to be a toll order for most of the learners affected by the Corona Virus to be able to have a seamless access to the online learning facilities. The paper will seek to look deeply into this reality and how the Corona virus has brought us to the reality that South Africa remains a deeply unequal society in every sphere of life. The study will also explore the state of readiness for education system around the online classroom environment.

Keywords: virtual learning, virtual classroom, COVID-19, Corona virus, internet connectivity, blended learning, online learning, distance education, e-learning, self-regulated Learning, pedagogy, digital literacy

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Authors: Uttam Kumar Sahoo, K. Lalhmingsangi, J. H. Lalremruati

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Non-timber forest resources particularly the high-value, low volume NTFPs has drawn interest as an activity all over the world during the past three decades that could raise standards of living for the rural folks while being compatible with forest conservation. This is particularly true for the people living in and around or fringes of protected areas. However, the economics that plays between resources’ stock and its utilization by the humans is yet to be validated and evaluated logistically. A study was therefore designed to understand the linkages between resource (especially NTFPs) availability and their utilization, existing threats to this biodiversity conservation and the role of NTFPs within the livelihood systems of those households that are most directly involved in creating conservation threats. About 25% of the households were sampled from the two sites ‘resource-rich’ and ‘resource poor’ area of Dampa Tiger Reserve (Western boundary). Our preliminary findings suggest that the collection of relatively high-volume and low value NTFPs such as fuelwood, fodder has caused degradation of forest resources while the low-volume and high-value NTFPs such as wild edible mushrooms, vegetables, other specialty food products, inputs to crafts, medicinal plants have resulted into species promotion/conservation through their domestication in traditional agroforestry systems including home gardens and/or collateral protection of the Tiger Reserve. It is thus suggested that proper assessment of these biodiversities, their direct and indirect valuation, market and non-market profits etc be carried out in greater details which would result in prescribing effective management plans around the park.

Keywords: household economy, livelihood strategies, non-timber forest products, species conservation

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Authors: Ojo F. M., Nwekeocha C. C., Faluyi J. O.

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Morphological studies were carried out on Andropogongayanus-Andropogontectorum complex collected in Southwestern Nigeria to provide full characterizationof the two species of Andropogon; elucidating their population dynamics. Morphological data from selected accessions of A. gayanus and A. tectorum from different parts of Southwestern Nigeria were collected and characterized using an adaptation of the Descriptors for Wild and Cultivated Rice (Oryza spp). Preliminary morphological descriptions were carried out at the points of collection. Garden populations were raised from the vegetative parts of some accessions, and hybrids were maintained in Botanical Garden of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife. The data obtained were subjected to inferential tests and Duncan’s multiple range test. This study has revealed distribution pattern of the two species in the area of study, which suggests a south-ward migration of Andropogongayanus from the northern vegetational zones of Nigeria to the southern ecological zones. The migration of A. gayanus around Igbeti with occasional occurrence of A. tectorum along the roadsides without any distinct phenotypic hybrid and Budo-Ode in Oyo State has been established as the southern limit of the spread of A. gayanus, the migration of A. gayanus to the South is not an invasion but a slow process. A. gayanus was not encountered in Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Ogun States. Andropogongayanus and Andropogon tectorum not only emerge from the rootstocks rapidly but can also produce independent propagules by rooting at some nodes. The plants can spread by means of these propagules even if it does not produce sexual or apomictic seeds. This potential for vegetative propagation, in addition to the perennial habit, confer considerable advantage for colonization by the Andropogongayanus-AndropogontectorumComplex.

Keywords: accessions, distribution, migration, propagation

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Authors: A. Cheriguene, F. Chougrani

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A total of 153 wild lactic acid bacteria were isolated from goat’s milk collected from different areas in Western Algeria. The strains were identified using phenotypical, biochemical and physiological properties. API system and SDS-PAGE technique was also used in identification of the strains. Six genera were found Enterococcus (41.83%), Lactobacillus (29.40%), Lactococcus (19.60%), Leuconostoc (4.57%), Streptococcus thermophilus (3.26%) and Pediococcus (1.30%). The most abundant species were Enterococcus faecium (24 isolates), Enterococcus durans (22 isolates), Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (25 isolates), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (09 isolates) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (07 isolates). The strains were screened for production and technological properties such as acid production, aminopeptidase activity, autolytic properties, antimicrobial activity and exopolysaccharide production. In general most tested isolates showed a good biomass separation when collected by centrifugation; as for the production of the lactic acid, results revealed that our strains are weakly acidifying; nevertheless, lactococci showed a best acidifying activity compared to lactobacilli. Aminopeptidase activity was also weak in most strains; but, it was generally higher for lactobacilli compared to lactococci, where we recorded 30 units for Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus M14. Autolytic activity was generally higher for most strains, more particularly lactobacilli where we recorded values of 71.13% and 70% of autolysis rate respectively in Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains 9S10 and 9S7. Antimicrobial activity was detected in 50% of the isolates, particularly in lactobacilli where 80% of strains tested were able to inhibit the growth of other strains. Two strains could produce exopolysaccharides, E. faecium 8M6 and E. durans 7S8. Some strains were able to maintain two or three technological characteristics together.

Keywords: lactic acid bacteria, technological properties, acidification, aminopeptidase acivity (AP), autolysis

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Authors: Karla Cautivo, Thomas Riley, Daniel Knight

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Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalised humans. C. difficile colonises the gastrointestinal tract, causes disease in a variety of animal species and can persist as a spore in diverse environments. Genetic overlap between C. difficile strains from human, animal and environmental sources suggests CDI has a zoonotic or foodborne aetiology. In Australia, C. difficile PCR ribotype RT014 (MLST clade 1) and several ST11 (MLST clade 5) RTs are found commonly in livestock. The high prevalence and diversity of ST11 strains in Australian production animals indicates Australia might be the ancestral home for this lineage. This project describes for the first time the ecology of C. difficile in Australian native animals, providing insights into the prevalence, molecular epidemiology and evolution of C. difficile in this unique environment and a possible role in CDI in humans and animals in Australia. Faecal samples were collected from wild/captive reptiles (n=37), mammals (n=104) and birds (n=102) in Western Australia in 2020/21. Anaerobic enrichment culture was performed, and C. difficile isolates were characterised by PCR ribotyping and toxin gene profiling. Seventy isolates of C. difficile were recovered (prevalence of C. difficile in faecal samples 28%, n=68/243); 27 unique RTs were identified, 5 were novel. The prevalence of C. difficile was similar for reptiles and mammals, 46% (n=17/37) and 43%(n=45/104), respectively, but significantly lower in birds (7.8%, n=8/102; p<0.00001 for both reptiles and mammals). Of the 57 isolates available for typing, RT237 (clade 5) and RT002 (clade 2) were the most prevalent, 15.8% (n=9/57) and 14% (n=8/57), respectively. The high prevalence of C. difficile in reptiles and mammals, particularly clade 5 strains, supported by previous studies of C. difficile in Australian soils, suggest that Australia might be the ancestral home of MLST clade 5.

Keywords: Clostridium difficile, zoonosis, molecular epidemiology, ecology and evolution

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Authors: Lin Li, P. G. R. N. I. Pussella

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When representing spatial data and their attributes on different types of maps, the scale plays a key role in the process of map generalization. The process is consisted with two main operators such as selection and omission. Once some data were selected, they would undergo of several geometrical changing processes such as elimination, simplification, smoothing, exaggeration, displacement, aggregation and size reduction. As a result of these operations at different levels of data, the geometry of the spatial features such as length, sinuosity, orientation, perimeter and area would be altered. This would be worst in the case of preparation of small scale maps, since the cartographer has not enough space to represent all the features on the map. What the GIS users do is when they wanted to analyze a set of spatial data; they retrieve a data set and does the analysis part without considering very important characteristics such as the scale, the purpose of the map and the degree of generalization. Further, the GIS users use and compare different maps with different degrees of generalization. Sometimes, GIS users are going beyond the scale of the source map using zoom in facility and violate the basic cartographic rule 'it is not suitable to create a larger scale map using a smaller scale map'. In the study, the effect of map generalization for GIS analysis would be discussed as the main objective. It was used three digital maps with different scales such as 1:10000, 1:50000 and 1:250000 which were prepared by the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, the National Mapping Agency of Sri Lanka. It was used common features which were on above three maps and an overlay analysis was done by repeating the data with different combinations. Road data, River data and Land use data sets were used for the study. A simple model, to find the best place for a wild life park, was used to identify the effects. The results show remarkable effects on different degrees of generalization processes. It can see that different locations with different geometries were received as the outputs from this analysis. The study suggests that there should be reasonable methods to overcome this effect. It can be recommended that, as a solution, it would be very reasonable to take all the data sets into a common scale and do the analysis part.

Keywords: generalization, GIS, scales, spatial analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 305

Authors: Rauza Sukma Rita, Katsuya Dezaki, Yuko Maejima, Toshihiko Yada

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Oxytocin is a nine-amino acid peptide synthesized in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus. Oxytocin promotes contraction of the uterus during birth and milk ejection during breast feeding. Although oxytocin receptors are found predominantly in the breasts and uterus of females, many tissues and organs express oxytocin receptors, including the pituitary, heart, kidney, thymus, vascular endothelium, adipocytes, osteoblasts, adrenal gland, pancreatic islets, and many cell lines. On the other hand, in pancreatic islets, oxytocin receptors are expressed in both α-cells and β-cells with stronger expression in α- cells. However, to our knowledge there are no reports yet about the effect of oxytocin on cytosolic calcium reaction on α and β-cell. This study aims to investigate the effect of oxytocin on α-cells and β-cells and its oscillation pattern. Islet of Langerhans from wild type mice were isolated by collagenase digestion. Isolated and dissociated single cells either α-cells or β-cells on coverslips were mounted in an open chamber and superfused in HKRB. Cytosolic concentration ([Ca2+]i) in single cells were measured by fura-2 microfluorimetry. After measurement of [Ca2+]i, α-cells were identified by subsequent immunocytochemical staining using an anti-glucagon antiserum. In β-cells, the [Ca2+]i increase in response to oxytocin was observed only under 8.3 mM glucose condition, whereas in α-cells, [Ca2+]i an increase induced by oxytocin was observed in both 2.8 mM and 8.3 mM glucose. The oscillation incidence was induced more frequently in β-cells compared to α-cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that oxytocin directly interacts with both α-cells and β-cells and induces increase of [Ca2+]i and its specific patterns.

Keywords: α-cells, β-cells, cytosolic calcium concentration, oscillation, oxytocin

Procedia PDF Downloads 161

Authors: P. S. Dhananjaya Swamy, B. Chinnappa, G. B. Ramesh, Naveen P. Kumar

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Kodagu district is one of the most densely forested districts in the India as around sixty five per cent of geographical areas under tree cover. Nearly 53 per cent of the flora of Kodagu is endemic. The district is also a hotspot of endemic orchids found mainly in the Thadiandamol. Shade grown, eco-friendly coffee farms are perhaps a selected few places on this planet where nature runs wild. The Kodagu accounts for more than 8.8 per cent of floral diversity of Karnataka state. Estimation of unit cost of cultivation plays a vital role in determining the governmental program their market intervention policies. On an average, planters incurred around Rs. 17041 per acre. The extent of production risk was highest among small category of planters (66 %) compared to other two exhibiting production instability. The result shows that, the coffee productivity in medium plantations was 1051.2 kg per acre as against 758.5 and 789.2 kg in the case of small and large plantations. An annual net return per acre was highest in the case of medium planters (Rs. 26109.3) as against Rs. 20566.7 and Rs. 18572.7 in the case of small and large planters. Cost of production was lowest in the case of small planters (Rs. 18.9 per kg of output) followed by medium planters (Rs. 21.2 per kg of output) and large planters (Rs. 22.5 per kg of output). The productivity of coffee is less whenever it is grown under high shade and native tree cover; it is around 6 quintals per acre when compared with low shade conditions, which is around 8.9 quintals per acre, without a significant difference in the amount invested for growing coffee. Net gain was lower by Rs. 15.5 per kg for the planters growing under high shade and native trees cover when compared with low shade and exotic trees cover.

Keywords: coffee, cultivation, economics, Kodagu

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Hana Tadesse, Marika Grillini, Giulia Simonato, Alessandra Mondin, Giorgia Dotto, Antonio Frangipane Di Regalbono, Bersissa Kumsa, Rudi Cassini, Maria Luisa Menandro

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Dogs are known to host several tick-borne pathogens with zoonotic potential; however, scant information is available on the epidemiology of these pathogens in low-income tropical coun- tries and in particular in sub-Saharan Africa. With the aim of investigating a wide range of tick- borne pathogens (i.e., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma spp., Erhlichia spp., Borrelia spp., Hepatozoon spp. and Babesia spp.), 273 blood samples were collected from dogs in selected districts of Ethiopia and analyzed by real-time and/or end-point PCR. The results of the study showed that Hepatozoon canis was the most prevalent pathogen (53.8%), followed by Anaplasma phagocythophilum (7.0%), Babesia canis rossi (3.3%), Ehrlichia canis (2.6%) and Anaplasma platys (2.2%). Furthermore, five samples tested positive for Borrelia spp., identified as Borrelia afzelii (n = 3) and Borrelia burgdorferi (n = 2), and two samples for Rickettsia spp., identified as Rickettsia conorii (n = 1) and Rickettsia monacensis (n = 1). The finding of Anaplasma phagocythophilum and different species of the genera Borrelia and Rickettsia with zoonotic potential was unexpected and alarming, and calls for further investigation on the roles of dogs and on the tick, species acting as vector in this specific context. Other pathogens (Hepatozoon canis, Babaesia canis rossi, Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia canis) are already known to have an important impact on the dogs’ health but have minor zoonotic potential as they were rarely or never reported in humans. Dogs from rural areas were found to be at higher risk for different pathogens, probably due to the presence of other wild canids in the same environment. The findings of the present study contribute to a better knowledge of the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens, which is relevant to human and animal health.

Keywords: Dogs, Tick-borne pathogens, Africa, Ethiopia

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Ahlem Nefzi, Rania Aydi Ben Abdallah, Hayfa Jabnoun-Khiareddine, Ammar Nawaim, Rabiaa Haouala, Mejda Daami-Remadi

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Seven endophytic fungi were isolated from the wild Solanaceous species Lycium arabicum growing in the Tunisian Centre-East and were assessed for their ability to suppress Fusarium Crown and Root Rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis lycopersici (FORL) and to enhance plant growth. Fungal isolates were shown able to colonize tomato cv. Rio Grande roots, crowns, and stems. A significant promotion in all studied growth parameters (root length, shoot height, and roots and shoots fresh weight) was recorded in tomato plants treated with fungal conidial suspensions or their cell-free culture filtrates compared to FORL-inoculated or pathogen-free controls. I15 and I18 isolates were shown to be the most effective leading to 85.7-87.5 and 93.6-98.4% decrease in leaf and root damage index and the vascular discoloration extent, respectively, over FORL-inoculated and untreated control. These two bioactive and growth-promoting isolates (I15 and I18) were morphologically characterized and identified using rDNA sequencing gene as being Alternaria alternata (MF693801) and Fusarium fujikuroi (MF693802). These fungi significantly suppressed FORL mycelial growth and showed chitinolytic, proteolytic and amylase activities whereas only F. fujikuroi displayed a lipolytic activity. This study clearly demonstrated the potential use of fungi naturally associated with L. arabicum as biocontrol and bio-fertilizing agents.

Keywords: biocontrol, endophytic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, tomato promotion, Lycium arabicum

Procedia PDF Downloads 141

Authors: Eleni Poulou-Sidiropoulou, Charalampos N. Bompas, Martina Samiotaki, Alexios Vlamis-Gardikas

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The glutaredoxin (Grx) and thioredoxin (Trx) systems keep the intracellular environment reduced in almost all organisms. In Escherichia coli (E. coli), the Grx system relies on NADPH+ to reduce GSH reductase (GR), the latter reducing oxidized diglutathione to glutathione (GSH) which in turn reduces cytosolic Grxs, the electron donors for different intracellular substrates. In the Trx system, GR and GSH are replaced by Trx reductase (TrxR). Three of the Grxs of E. coli (Grx1, 2, 3) are reduced by GSH, while Grx4 is likely reduced by TrxR. Trx1 and Grx1 from E. coli may reduce ribonucleotide reductase Ia to ensure a constant supply of deoxyribonucleotides for the synthesis of DNA. The role of the other three Grxs is relatively unknown, especially for Grx2 that may amount up to 1 % of total cellular protein in the stationary phase of growth. The protein is known as a potent antioxidant, but no specific functions have been attributed to it. Herein, affinity chromatography of cellular extracts on immobilized Grx2, followed by MS analysis of the resulting eluates, was employed to identify protein ligands that could provide insights into the biological role of Grx2. Ionic, strong non-covalent, and covalent (disulfide) interactions with relevant proteins were detected. As a means of verification, the identified ligands were subjected to in silico docking with monothiol Grx2. In other experiments, protein extracts from E. coli cells lacking the gene for Grx2 (grxB) were compared to those of wild type. Taken together, the two approaches suggest that Grx2 is involved in protein synthesis, nucleotide metabolism, DNA damage repair, stress responses, and various metabolic processes. Grx2 appears as a versatile protein that may participate in a wide range of biological pathways beyond its known general antioxidant function.

Keywords: Escherichia coli, glutaredoxin 2, interactome, thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase

Procedia PDF Downloads 16

Authors: Mara F. Müller, Simon C. Griffith, Tara L. Crewe, Mirjam Kaestli, Sydney J. Collett, Ian J. Radford, Hamish A. Campbell

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The intensity and frequency of heat waves have been progressively increasing because of climate change. Passerines that inhabit very hot regions are already close to their physiological thermal limit and are thus considered highly susceptible to increased ambient temperatures. However, the extent by which passerines behaviorally compensate for extreme heat in their natural habitat has rarely been assessed due to monitoring challenges. To address this knowledge gap, coded VHF-nano transmitters were attached to a tropical passerine (Gouldian finch, Chloebia gouldiae). Fine-scale activity and movement were monitored throughout the hottest and driest period of the year using an array of static VHF-receivers. The finches were found to typically show a peak activity for a few hours at sunrise and remained relatively quiescent for the rest of the day. However, on extremely hot days (max temperature >38ºC), finches showed higher activity levels earlier in the morning and presented a second peak in the afternoon. Gouldian finches are physiologically challenged when ambient temperatures exceed 38ºC, suggesting the shift in movement activity reflects a behavioral mitigation strategy to extreme heat. These tropical finches already exist on an energetic knife-edge during this time of the year due to resource scarcity. Hence, the increased energetic expenditure to mitigate thermal stress may be detrimental. The study demonstrates the value of VHF-telemetry technology in monitoring the impact of global change on the biology of small-bodied mobile species.

Keywords: animal tracking, biotelemetry, climate change, extreme heat, movement activity, radiotelemetry, VHF-telemetry

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Sankaran Potti Narasimhan

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Costal Karnataka is sandwiched between Arabian Sea and the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats. This has provided a rich vegetation, canopy and humidity for the sustainable growth and evolution of many orchid populations. Similar to many other biodiversity hostpot regions of India and the world, this region also faces threat from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Hence, there is a need to study the current orchid diversity and trends in population as well as an effective conservation strategy. Costal belt of Karnataka state of India extends over 325 kilometers and an area of 18,000 km2. The region encompasses two national parks such as the Anshi National Park and the Kudremukh National Park. The study regions also include two Wild Life Sanctuaries such as the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary. The estimated number of orchids in the region includes 30 genera and 45 species. Both terrestrial and epiphytic orchids are found in this region. The region contains many red listed orchids such as Trias stocksii (Critically endangered), Eriad alzellii (Lower risk vulnerable) and Dendrobnium ovatum (Vulnerable). The important terrestrial orchids of the region are Geodorum, Habenaria, Lipparis, Malaxis, Nervilia, Pachystoma, Pectelis, Peristylus, Tropidia and Zeuxine. The epiphytic forms includes Acampe, Aerides, Bulbophyllum, Cleisostoma, Conchidum, Cottonia, Cymbidium, Dendronium, Eria, Flickingeria, Gastrochilus, Kingidium, Luisia, Oberonia, Phalaenopsis, Pholidota, Porpax, Rhynchostylis, Sirhookera and Trias. The current paper discusses the population strength and changes in the population structure of these orchids along with proposed conservation strategies.

Keywords: orchid diversity, bulbophyllum, dendrobium, orchid conservation

Procedia PDF Downloads 367

Authors: C. S. Jeba Samuel

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Soil, especially from oil field has posed a great hazard for terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The traditional treatment of oil contaminated soil cannot degrade the crude oil completely. So far, biodegradation proves to be an efficient method. During biodegradation, crude oil is used as the carbon source and addition of nitrogenous compounds increases the microbial growth, resulting in the effective breakdown of crude oil components to low molecular weight components. The present study was carried out to evaluate the biodegradation of crude oil by hydrocarbon-degrading microorganism Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from natural environment like oil contaminated soil. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an oil degrading microorganism also called as hydrocarbon utilizing microorganism (or “HUM” bug) can utilize crude oil as sole carbon source. In this study, the biodegradation of crude oil was conducted with modified mineral basal salt medium and nitrogen sources so as to increase the degradation. The efficacy of the plasmid from the isolated strain was incorporated into E.coli DH5 α host to speed up the degradation of oil. The usage of molecular techniques has increased oil degradation which was confirmed by the degradation of aromatic and aliphatic rings of hydrocarbons and was inferred by the lesser number of peaks in Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The gas chromatogram again confirms better degradation by transformed cells by the lesser number of components obtained in the oil treated with transformed cells. This study demonstrated the technical feasibility of using direct inoculation of transformed cells onto the oil contaminated region thereby leading to the achievement of better oil degradation in a shorter time than the degradation caused by the wild strain.

Keywords: biodegradation, aromatic rings, plasmid, hydrocarbon, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)

Procedia PDF Downloads 337

Authors: Dharshika Rajalingam, Jeffery W. Peng

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Acinetobacter baumannii is a challenging threat to global health, recognized as a multidrug-resistant pathogen. -lactamase is one of the principal resistant mechanisms developed by A. baumannii to survive against -lactam antibiotics. OXA24/40 is one of the types of -lactamases, a well-documented carbapenem hydrolyzing class D -lactamases (CHDL). It was revealed that OXA24/40 showed resistivity against doripenem, one of the carbapenems, by two different mechanisms as hydrolysis and -lactonization. Furthermore, it undergoes genetic mutations to broaden the -lactamase activity to survive against antibiotic environments. One of the crucial characterizations of prokaryotes to develop adaptation is post-translational modification (PTM), mainly phosphorylation. However, the PTM of OXA24/40 is an unknown feature, and the impact of PTM on antibiotic resistivity is yet to be explored. We approached these hypotheses using NMR and MS techniques and found that the OXA24/40 could be phosphorylated in vitro. The Ser81 at the active STFK motif of OXA24/40 of catalytic pocket was identified as the site of phosphorylation using 1D 31P NMR experiment, whereas S81 is required to form an acyl-enzyme complex between enzyme and -lactam antibiotics. The activity of completely phosphorylated OXA24/40 wild type against doripenem revealed that the phosphorylation of active Ser inactivates the -lactamases activity of OXA24/40. The 1D 1H CPMG NMR-based activity assay of phosphorylated OXA24/40 against doripenem confirmed that both deactivating mechanisms are inhibited by phosphorylation. Carbamylated Lysine at the active STFK motif is one of the critical features of CHDL required for the acylation and deacylation reactions of the enzyme. The 1D 13C NMR experiment confirmed that the K84 of phosphorylated OXA24/40 is de-carbamylated. Phosphorylation of OXA24/40 affects both active S81 and carbamylated K84 of OXA24 that are required for the resistivity of -lactamase. So, phosphorylation could be one of the reasons for the genetic mutation of OXA24/40 for the development of antibiotic resistivity. Further research can lead to an understanding of the effect of phosphorylation on the clinical mutants of the OXA24-like -lactamase family on the broadening of -lactamase activity.

Keywords: OXA24/40, phosphorylation, clinical mutants, resistivity

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Authors: Suhas Kadam, Vishal Chandanshive, Niraj Rane, Sanjay Govindwar

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Fimbristylis dichotoma, Ammannia baccifera, and their co-plantation consortium FA were found to degrade methyl orange, simulated dye mixture, and real textile effluent. Wild plants of Fimbristylis dichotoma and Ammannia baccifera with equal biomass showed 91 and 89% decolorization of methyl orange within 60 h at a concentration of 50 ppm, while 95% dye removal was achieved by consortium FA within 48 h. Floating phyto-beds with co-plantation (Fimbristylis dichotoma and Ammannia baccifera) for the treatment of real textile effluent in a constructed wetland was observed to be more efficient and achieved 79, 72, 77, 66 and 56% reductions in ADMI color value, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total dissolve solid and total suspended solid of textile effluent, respectively. High performance thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Ultra violet-Visible spectroscopy and enzymatic assays confirmed the phytotransformation of parent dye in the new metabolites. T-RFLP analysis of rhizospheric bacteria of Fimbristylis dichotoma, Ammannia baccifera, and consortium FA revealed the presence of 88, 98 and 223 genera which could have been involved in dye removal. Toxicity evaluation of products formed after phytotransformation of methyl orange by consortium FA on bivalves Lamellidens marginalis revealed less damage in the gills architecture when analyzed histologically. Toxicity measurement by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique revealed normal banding pattern in treated methyl orange sample suggesting less toxic nature of phytotransformed dye products.

Keywords: constructed wetland, phyto-bed, textile effluent, phytoremediation

Procedia PDF Downloads 454