011233   Ganesan M;Jayabalan N (Dep of Pl Sci, Bharathidasan Univ, Tiruchirappalli-620 024, Email: jayabalan54@yahoo.co.in) : Carbon source dependent somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. SVPR2 through suspension cultures. Indian J expl Biol 2005, 43(10), 921-5.

Highly reproducible and simple protocol for cotton somatic embryogenesis is described by using different concentrations of maltose, glucose, sucrose and fructose. Maltose (30 g/l) is the best carbon source for embryogenic callus induction and glucose (30 g/l) was suitable for induction, maturation of embryoids and plant regeneration. Creamy white embryogenic calli of hypocotyl explants were formed on medium containing MS basal salts, myo-inositol (100 mg/l), thiamine HCl (0.3 mg/l), picloram (0.3 mg/l), Kin (0.1 mg/l) and maltose (30 g/l). During embryo induction and maturation, accelerated growth was observed in liquid medium containing NH₃NO₄(1 g/l), picloram (2.0 mg/l), 2 ip (0.2 mg/l). Kin (0.1 mg/l) and glucose (30 g/l). Before embryoid induction, large clumps of embryogenic tissue were formed. These tissues only produced viable embryoids. Completely matured somatic embryos were germinated successfully on the medium fortified with MS salts, myo-inositol (50 mg/l), thiamine HC1 (0.2 mg/l), GA₃ (0.2 mg/l), BA (1.0 mg/l) and glucose (30 g/l). Compared with earlier reports, 65% of somatic embryo germination was observed. The abnormal embryo formation was highly reduced by using glucose (30 g/l) compared to other carbon sources. The regenerated plantlets were fertile but smaller in height than the seed derived control plants.

2 illus, 1 table, 24 ref

011232   El-Ghannam A R (Dep of Rur Sociology, Agric Ext & Rur Dev Res Inst, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt) : An examination of factors affecting fertility rate differentials as compared among women in less and more developed countries. J hum Ecol 2005, 18(3), 181-92.

Fertility rate among the Less Developed Countries (LDC's) is at least triple as high as among the More Developed Countries (MDC's). The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between fertility rate differentials and child mortality, female life expectancy, age at the first marriage for women, Mean years of women education, and participation of women in labor force among LDC's and MDC's Countries. The study tries to determine empirically which of these factors are most significant in affecting fertility rate differentials. The interpretation of data is based on the demographic transition theory. The sample was involved 106 countries. According to World Bank report (1999), 53 of these countries are considering as LDC's, low-income group, while others 53 are considering as MDC's, high-income group. The statistical methods used in this study are descriptive analysis, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. The results of descriptive analysis show that the mean of total fertility rate for LDC's was 6.1, while the mean in MDC's was 2.1. The results suggest that increase total fertility rate in LDC's are more occur among women who are have more children die, more number of years of life expectancy, more participate in labor force. R², 727, regard to LDC's group explains 72.7% of the variance in total fertility rate. Moreover, the result implies that total fertility rate decrease among women's in MDC's that have more number of years of female life expectancy and more participation in labor force. The R₂ for MDC's model was .590, meaning that the set of independent variables included in this equation explained 59.0 % of the variance in total fertility rate.

3 illus, 4 tables, 34 ref

011231   Duchok R;Kent K;Khumbongmayum A D;Ashish Paul;Khan M L (Dep of For, North East Regional Inst of Sci and Technol, Nirjuli-791 109) : Population structure and regeneration status of medicinal tree Illicium griffithii in relation to disturbance gradients in temperate broad-leaved forest of Arunachal Pradesh. Curr Sci 2005, 89(4), 673-6.

Illicium griffithii is exploited for its medicinal and spice properties in the industry. Population structure of I. griffithii Hook. f. Thoms, was studied by observing number of individuals of the species during 2003-2004 in three stands experiencing different degrees of disturbance in temperate broad-leaved forest of Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. Individuals were categorized based on diameter classes, i.e. seedlings (0-2 cm), saplings (<62> 2-6 cm) and trees (<62> 6 cm). The stand density of trees (<62> 6 cm diameter) ranges from 564 ha^-1 in disturbed stand to 904 ha^-1 in undisturbed stand while basal area was recorded highest in undisturbed stand, (12.55 m²ha^-1) and lowest in highly disturbed stand (6.04 m² ha^-1). The density-diameter class distribution (individuals per hectare) follows the trend: seedlings <60> saplings <60> trees in all the three stands. This clearly indicates that the regeneration status of I. griffithii is poor. The diameter distribution pattern indicates decreasing number of individuals in higher diameter classes. This may be due to the harvesting of higher girth individuals for firewood and other purposes by local people. The overall population structure of I. griffithii reveals the dominance of adult individuals in the three stands, which emphasized the negative role of disturbance adversely impacting the regeneration of I. griffithii. On the other hand, due to free access, there is unchecked exploitation. Anyone can extract as much as (s)he can. Therefore, a policy should be made to protect the species legally. Also, local people should be made aware about its importance and the need for conservation by addressing the prevalent factors which affect natural regeneration of the species.

4 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

011230   Dubey R K;Tripathi D N (Laser & Spectroscopy Lab Dep of Phys, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi- 221 005, Email: dtn@bhu.ac.in) : A study of thermal denaturation/renaturation in DNA using laser light scattering: a new approach. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(5), 301-7.

Thermal denaturation/renaturation processes in E. coli and eukaryotic DNAs have been studied using the laser light scattering (LS) technique. The differential scattering intensity curve has been utilized to determine the transition temperature T_m. The effect of solution pH on DNA thermal denaturation has been examined. It has been shown clearly that LS is an extremely sensitive method (more than the UV absorption method) and reveals even the subtler effects such as the pre-transition fluctuations, and that the DNA denaturation is prominently affected by pH. The dependence of melting temperature (T_m) on composition of DNA, number of base pairs and base sequences has also been investigated. It has been observed that depending upon its base sequence, the T_m decreases in the case of renatured DNAs. The results have been compared with the UV absorption studies.

5 illus, 34 ref

011229   Dineshbabu A P (NO, Mangalore Res Cent of Cent Mar Fish Res Inst, Mangalore-575 001) : Growth of kiddy shrimp, Parapenaeopsis stylifera (H. Milne Edwards,1837) along Saurashtra coast. Indian J Fish 2005, 52(2), 165-70.

Age and growth of kiddy shrimp, Parapenaeopsis stylifera was investigated during September, 1995-May, 2000 from Veraval Fisheries Harbour. The average annual catch of the species during 1996-1999 was 1,940 t, which formed about 45% of the total penaeid shrimp landing. The species was caught throughout the fishing season, with a major peak during October-January. The total length ranged from 56 to 108 mm in males and from 56 to 140mm in females. Males and females of P. stylifera attain a total length of 96 mm and 111 mm respectively at the end of one year. The size at maturity of the female is estimated at 93 mm which is attained in 9 months.

2 illus, 3 tables, 15 ref

011228   Dhingra R;Manhas S;Kaina A (P.G. Dep of Hom Sci, Univ of Jammu, Jammu-180 004, Email: rajni-dhingra@rediffmail.com) : Play pattern in preschool setting. J hum Ecol 2005, 18(1), 21-5.

The study was conducted to assess the play pattern of children in the preschool setting. The aspects covered included studying the play equipments available to these children, the nature and content of their play activities and the adult supervision available. The sample consisted of 40 play sessions comprising of children in the age group of 2-5 years, studying in 20 preschools across Jammu city. The adults present were also observed for their direct or indirect participation. A combination of random and event sampling was used for sample selection. The tools used included non-participant observations and interviews. The results revealed that the play behaviour of the children did not undergo any alterations in the preschool setting. Opportunities for free play and outdoor activities were available at all the preschools. The play activities underwent alterations due to availability of space and play equipments. The children indulged in pretend, associative and constructive play in a number of play sessions. They also exhibited cooperative, solitary and onlooker play but to slightly lesser extent. Gender and age differences were noted in the play behaviour of the children and were especially evident in homogenous groups. Presence of teachers helped in making the play activities more organized and stimulating.

15 ref

011227   De M;Das K P;Chakrabartty P K (Dep of Microbiol, Bose Inst, P1/12 C.I.T. Scheme VII-M, Kolkata-700 054) : Purification and characterization of Alpha-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NCIM2829. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(5), 287-94.

α-Amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) was purified to homogeneity (specific activity 58,000μmole min^-1 mg protein^-1) from the culture filtrate of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NCIM 2829. Its molecular mass was found to be 67.5 kDa. The activity of the enzyme increased by almost 50% in the presence of Co⁺² ion. Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ acted as strong inhibitors of the enzyme. The tryptophan moities of the enzyme were fairly protected from the aqueous environment. However, the globular interior of the protein was somewhat loosely packed. The protein had nearly an equal amount of α-helical and β-sheet structure in dilute solution. In concentrated solution, its secondary structure had a higher proportion of β-sheet at the expense of some random coil structure. The protein showed a molten globule state at a low concentration of chaotropic agent. The denaturation profile of the protein showed no cooperativity. Co²⁺ enhanced the structural stability of the enzyme.

4 illus, 1 table, 45 ref

011226   Choudhuri J;Aleem M;Padwal V;Das Gupta P; Souza R D;Pathak S;Balasinor N;Gill Sharma M K (Dep of Neuroendocrinology, Natn Inst for Res in Reproductive Hlth, J.M. Street, Parel, Mumbai 400 012, Email: manjitgil_sharma@hotmail.com) : Effect of estradiol on expression of cytoskeletal proteins during spermatogenesis in testis of sexually mature rats. Indian J expl Biol 2005, 43(11), 1068-79.

Earlier studies had shown that long term treatment with estradiol arrests spermatogenesis in adult male rats, at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day. The study was therefore undertaken to ascertain the causes underlying the reduction in sperm counts by administering estradiol for a short term, at the dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day. Estradiol valerate was injected at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day, for a period of 10 days to one group of adult male rats, which were administered saline for 12 days prior, to estradiol injection, and sacrificed after 22 days. The control group was administered saline for 22 days. The sera were analyzed for testosterone and FSH levels. One testis of each male was immersion fixed for histology, and for immunohistochemistry of two testicular cytoskeletal proteins, vimentin and vinculin. The contralateral testes were used for analysis of vimentin and vinculin gene expression by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) and western blotting. Another group exposed to estradiol for 10 days was injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day, to ascertain the effect on germ cell proliferation, and sacrificed 12 days later, while estradiol treatment was continued till sacrifice. BrdU, at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day was injected i.p. to a group of control rats treated with saline for 10 days, and sacrificed 12 days later. The testes from both groups were immersion fixed for immunohistochemical detection of BrdU. Histology of estradiol treated testis showed predominance of tubules with round spermatids with accumulation of lipid droplets in Sertoli cell cytoplasm and decreased cell height, whereas controls showed elongating spermatids. BrdU immunolocalization in the testis, irrespective of treatment, indicated its incorporation in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) suggesting that estradiol sustained germ cell proliferation. Both vimentin and vinculin could be immunolocalized to the testis. The testicular levels of vimentin and vinculin, quantified after western blotting, were unaffected. The testicular expression of vimentin and vinculin seen by RTPCR was also unaffected. The study suggested that estradiol induced reduction in sperm counts was not due to adverse effects on proliferation. The observed predominance of seminiferous tubules showing round spermatids, accumulation of lipid droplets as compared to controls suggested that reduction in elongated spermatids occurred through reduced spermiation and phagocytosis. The study also suggested that reduction in Sertoli cell height after short-term estradiol treatment was not due to reduced expression of vimentin and vinculin, which could be maintained by estradiol. However, reduction in Sertoli cell height could have been due to suppression of FSH and testosterone, implicated in the polymerization of vimentin and organization of vinculin, two cytoskeletal proteins involved in inter-Sertoli or Sertoli-germ cell junctions. The study suggested that disorganization of Sertoli cell cytoskeleton and reduction in the volume of Sertoli cells could be an important factor for reduced efficiency of spermatogenesis after exposure to estrogenic molecules.

1 illus, 57 ref

011225   Chattopadhyay D;Dungdung S R;Das K;Saha S; Mandal A B;Majumder G C (ICMR Virus Unit, Infectious Dis & Beliaghata Gen Hosp, General Block 4, 1st Floor, 57 Dr. Suresh Chandra Banerjee Road, Kolkata 700 010z, Email: majumdergc@yahoo.com) : Sperm motility inhibiting activity of a phytosterol from Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC. leaf extract: a tribal medicine. Indian J expl Biol 2005, 43(11), 1104-9.

Role of methanolic extract and n-butanol fraction of A. macrophylla leaves was investigated on the forward motility of goat spermatozoa. The methanol extract (600 μg/ml) and one n-butanol fraction (Fraction A; 100 μg/ml) showed marked inhibition of sperm forward motility, tested by microscopic and spectrophotometric methods. Approximately, 50-60% of the spermatozoa lost their motility when treated with 600 μg/ml of methanol extract or 100 μg/ml of Fraction A. The Fraction A at 400 μg/ml concentration showed complete inhibition of sperm forward motility at 0 min. The inhibitory activity increased with the increasing concentrations of the fraction. The motility inhibitory activity of the Fraction A was stable to heat treatment at 100°C for 2 min. The compound showed high inhibitory effect in the pH range 6.7-7.6. Fraction A also showed high efficacy for inhibiting human sperm motility, assessed by the microscopic method. The phytochemical analysis of methanolic extract of A. macrophylla leaves revealed the presence of sterols, triterpene, flavonoid, alkaloid, tannin and reducing sugar, while the Fraction A contains p-sitosterol, a common phytosterol. The results demonstrate that Fraction A (bita-sitosterol) is a potent inhibitor of sperm motility and thus it has the potential to serve as a vaginal contraceptive.

4 illus, 2 tables, 44 ref

011224   Bigoniya P;Rana A C (Dep of Pharm Sci, Dr H S Gour Univ, Sagar-470 003, Email: p_bigoniyaz@hotmail.com) : Psychopharmacological profile of hydro-alcoholic extract of Euphorbia neriifolia leaves in mice and rats. Indian J expl Biol 2005, 43(10), 859-62.

Leaf extract of E. neriifolia significantly reduced apomorphine-induced stereotypy in mice at all doses (100, 200, 400 mg/kg body weight) in mice and rats and was devoid of catalepsic effect thereby, suggesting specific dopaminergic receptor modulating activity. The extract (400 mg/kg) potentiated pentobarbitone-induced hypnosis. It showed protection against maximal electro-shock-induced convulsion at 400 mg/kg. E. neriifolia leaf extract had anxiolytic action at 400 mg/kg by increasing the percentage of time spent in open arm in elevated plus-maze. The extract did not reverse scopolamine-induced amnesia on elevated plus-maze. It increased transfer latency at 200 and 400 mg/kg and also in combination with scopolamine. These results indicated anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic and anti-convulsant activity of E. neriifolia leaf extract in mice and rats. Phytochemical study showed the presence of steroidal saponin, reducing sugar, tannins, flavonoids in the crude leaf extract.

2 illus, 1 table, 24 ref

011223   Bhatia D;Suman ;Pundir C S (Biochem Res Lab Dep of Bio-Sciences, M D Univ, Rohtak-124 001, Email: pundirs@rediffmail.com) : Preparation of a reusable enzyme strip for determination of serum cholesterol. Indian J Biotechnol 2005, 4(Oct), 471-5.

Reusable enzyme strip for the determination of cholesterol was prepared by co-immobilizing cholesterol esterase (CEase), cholesterol oxidase (COD) and peroxidase (POD) onto alkylamine glass beads affixed on a plastic strip by a non-reactive fixative. The co-immobilized enzymes retained 71.42% of initial activity of free enzymes with a conjugation yield of 11.0 mg g^-1 beads and showed optimum activity at pH 6.6, when incubated at 32øC for 6 min. The strip was employed for direct determination of total cholesterol in serum. The minimum detection limit of the method was 2.14 mg dL^-1 reaction mixture. The within batch and between batch coefficient of variation (CV) were <60>7.0% and <60>19.0%, respectively. The serum total cholesterol values as determined by the strip, were in good correlation (r=0.885) with those by commercial enzo-kit method employing free enzymes. The method is characterized by reuse of co-immobilized enzymes with great ease and unaffected by various serum substances.

1 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

011222   Bharati P;Itagi S;Megeri S N (NO, Coll of Rur Hom Sci Univ of Agric Sci, Dharwad, Karnataka) : Anthropometric measurments of school children of Raichur, Karnataka. J hum Ecol 2005, 18(3), 177-9.

Nutritional status of school age children of Raichur region was assessed using the anthropometric measurements of the 560 children, 50 percent belonged to rural area and other half to schools of urban area. The nutritional status of children from rural and urban areas was lower than the NCHS standard, girls showing lower measurements than boys. The children from urban area were better than their rural counterparts in all the measurements though the percentage of wasted and stunted children was in rural areas.

3 tables, 4 ref

011221   Bharadwaj G;Sharma S;Nagar S (Dep of Hum Dev, Coll of Hom Sci CSKHPKV, Palampur-176 062, Email: sn123plp@yahoo.com) : Intervention and its impact on home environment of rural male infants in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. J hum Ecol 2005, 18(3), 231-3.

Study was undertaken to assess the impact of comprehensive intervention programme in relation to home environment of rural male infants in the age group of seven to twelve months. Out of the total sample of 60 male infants belonging to low socio economic status families, 30 each were taken as experimental and control groups. The experimental group was provided with age appropriate intervention on the aspects of home environment. The infants in both the groups were pre tested and post tested through a modified version of Bradley and Caldwell's HOME inventory. Results showed significant impact of intervention on the home environment scores of infants belonging to experimental group.

2 tables, 10 ref

011220   Beydemir S;Gulcin I;Hisar O;Kufrevioglu O I; Yanik T (Dep of Chem, Fac of Arts and Sci, University of Ataturk, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey, Email: ohisar@atauni.edu.tr) : Effect of melatonin on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) erythrocytes in vitro and in vivo. J appl Anim Res 2005, 28(1), 65-8.

The in vitro and in vivo effects of melatonin on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) were investigated. G6PD was purified with a specific activity of 16.7 EU/mg protein and 1,852-folds in a yield of 60.6% by using ammonium sulphate precipitation and 2',5'-ADP Sepharose 4B affinity gel. In vitro studies showed that G6PD enzyme activity increased up to 0.22 mM melatonin concentration and was inhibited at higher levels. In vivo studies showed that though initial G6PD activity was 8.33±1.13 EU g^-1 Hb, it was inhibited (P<60>0.05) 3h after injection of 10 mg kg¹ melatonin. It is recommended that intramuscular dose of melatonin for rainbow trout should be less than 0.22 mM.

2 illus, 17 ref

011219   Akbar M;Kim H Y (Sect of Mass Spectrometry, Lab of Membrane Biochem and Biophys NIAAA, NIH, Rockville, MD 20852, USA, Email: akbarm@exchange.nih.gov) : Green fluorescent protein tagging: A novel tool in biomedical research. Indian J Biotechnol 2005, 4(Oct), 466-70.

In recent years, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) isolated from the jellyfish, Aequorea victoria, has become a novel tool in biomedical research. The tagging of GFP to proteins of interest has widely been used in studies involving various biological events both in vitro and in vivo. The utility of GFP tagging for studying localization of protein kinase C (PKCcα), and pleckstrin homology (PH) domains of phospholipase C (PLCδ1), and Akt in mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro 2A) cells have been demonsfratid. It has also been show that the real time translocation of PKCα and Akt-PH-EGFP to the membrane upon stimulation with either 12-phorbal myristate acetate (PMA) or insulin growth factor (IGF). Pretreatment of cells expressing PKCα-EGFP or Akt-PH-EGFP with staurosporine (a protein kinase inhibitor) or wortmanin (a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor), prevented the translocation of these proteins to the membrane. These data demonstrate that, GFP tagging could be employed as a tool to study sub cellular localization and distribution of signaling proteins in response to external stimuli in real time.

4 illus, 20 ref

011218   Adereti F O (Dep of Agric Ext and Rur Sociology, Fac of Agric Obafemi Awolowo Univ, Iie-Ife, Nigeria) : Rural women's access to and control over productive resources: implications for poverty alleviation among Osun-State rural women, Nigeria. J hum Ecol 2005, 18(3), 225-30.

Study is focused on the rural women's access to and control over productive resources and the implications of these variables on poverty alleviation among them. The population consisted of all the rural women in Osun State and stratified random sampling technique was used to select the 360 respondents used for the study. Some of the results revealed that a significant relationship existed between poverty alleviating strategies and respondents' access to productive resources such as family members labour (r = 0.15, p<60>0.05) and capital (r=0.19, p<60>0.05). it was recommended among others that rural women should be given the opportunity to have access and some degree of control over productive resources in order to alleviate poverty in the rural areas.

4 tables, 10 ref

011217   Acharyya S;Kanjilal S;Bhattacharyya A K (Dep of Biochem, Univ of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, Email: ashok.bhattacharyya@rediffmail.com) : Does human sperm nuclear DNA integrity affect embryo quality?. Indian J expl Biol 2005, 43(11), 1016-22.

Abnormalities in the male genome are a clear potential reason for post fertilization failure. Male infertility may arise due to high levels of loosely packaged chromatin and damaged DNA. The achievement of a correct chromatin packaging level is essential for successful fertilization. The chromatin contained in the nuclei of mammalian spermatozoa is an extremely compact and stable structure. The reports on mammalian spermatozoa indicate that available volume is insufficient to contain sperm chromatin packed in nucleosome like structure and thus is organized in a special way. Different unique properties of sperm DNA like high degree of inertness and stability, absence of transcription, replacement of somatic histone by protamine etc have made the study of sperm chromatin more interesting. Increased levels of sperm nuclear DNA damage exist in infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters (i.e. concentration, motility and morphology), and various assay techniques have been developed to evaluate sperm chromatin maturity/DNA integrity. These assays are based on the facts that defects in chromatin structure have been shown to lead to increased DNA instability and sensitivity to denaturing stress. DNA integrity in the sperm is essential for the accurate and successful transmission of genetic information. Importance of sperm DNA has also become more obvious in the context of assisted reproductive techniques. While recent advances in assisted reproductive technologies have made possible and practical for many infertile men to become father, the risk of transmission of genetic mutation to the offspring, however, still remains. Further research is necessary to devise techniques for identification and selection of sperm with undamaged DNA for ICSI or to remove sperm with damaged DNA from the semen sample to improve the pregnancy outcome in ICSI.

3 tables, 75 ref

011216   Aaseri G K;Rao A V;Meghwal P R (NO, Cent Arid Zone Res Inst, Jodhpur-342 003) : Effect of biofertilizer on the cultivation of ber and pomegranate in desert area. Bhartiya Vaigyanik Evam Audyogik Anusandhan Patrika 2005, 13(2), 145-8.

Nitrogen fixing bacteria (Azotobactor and Azospirillum) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus fasciculatum and G. mosseae) have been isolated from the rhizosphere soil and roots of ber Zizyphus mauritiana Lam. var rotundifolia) and pomegranate puni granatum L.), and maintained as pure cultures. Upon inoculation in the nursery soil, per cent seed germination, plant height, root length and plant dry weight were improved significantly as compared to that of uninoculated ones. Three years after, transplantation of 31/2 month old seedling in the field, fruit prodction was started. The fruit production was significantly enhanced upon inoculation with these biofertilizers with maximum production upon dual inoculation with Azotobacterl Azospirillum and G. mosseae.

3 tables, 15 ref

010331   Tripathi Y K;Gurha P;Ghosh D;Kumar R V; Goswami H K;Gowswami R;Yadav V P;Singh N (Genet Dep, Barkatullah Uniersity, Bhopal) : Amplification based nucleic acid scanning of Isoetes pantii using random primer. Pl Archs 2005, 5(2), 465-8.

Isoetes pantii, an important lycopod was selected for the isolation of genomic DNA and PCR (Polymerae Chain Reaction) amplification with 10 random primers. Out of ten RAPD primers four primers generated a good amplification products. The size of these polymorphic markers ranged approximately from 240bp. The RAPD show that there is a high degree of genetic variation among the strains of Isoetes pantii. Therefore, this study indicates that RAPD is a sensitive and powerful tool for assessment of diversity at a molecular level among strains of this lycopod.

4 illus, 2 tables, 3 ref

010330   Subudhi H N;Panda S P (NO, Cent Rice Res Inst, Cuttack-753 006) : New record of weeds from rice fields of Orissa. Geobios 2005, 32(4), 315-16.

^ssc8 ref

010329   Shibu S;Ritakumari S D;Balakrishnan Nair N (Aqu Biol & Fish Dep, Univ of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram-695 581) : Trend of fisheries in the Paravur lake - a tropical temporary estuary of Kerala. J advd Zool 2005, 26(1), 47-9.

A study was made to assess the fishery resources of the Paravur lake. Twenty four species of fishes belonging to 17 families and 4 species of prawns belonging to 2 families have been recorded from the three distinct zones. The major trend in the fisheries and ways for augmenting production are discussed.

1 table, 10 ref

010328   Saboury A A;Kordbacheh M;Sanati M H;Mizani F; Shamsipur M;Yakhchali M B;Moosavi-Movahedi A A (Inst of Biochem and Biophys, Univ of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, Email: saboury@chamran.ut.ac.ir) : Thermodynamics of binding copper(II) ion by human growth hormone. Asian J Chem 2005, 17(4), 2773-82.

Interaction of humana growth hormone (hGH) with divalent copper ions in aqueous solution was studied using different methods. The binding isotherm for hGH-Cu²⁺ was obtained by two techniques of -selective membrane electrode and isothermal titration calorimetry. There is a set of three identical and non-interacting binding sites. The intrinsic association equilibrium constant is 117 mM^-1 and the molar enthalpy of binding is -16.7 kJ/mol. Although the binding process of copper ions to the surface of protein do not change the secondary structure of hGH significntly, however, thermodynamic stability of the protein decreases considerably due to the binding of metal ions.

7 illus, 24 ref

010327   Parihar D K;Ramteke P W (Biotechnol Dep, Allahabad Agric Institute-Deemed Univerity, Allahabad-211 007) : Bacterial contamination of radish available in Allahabad market. Geobios 2005, 32(4), 257-62.

Radish samples collected from three different markets at Allahabad, were analyzed for total heterotrophs and coliforms. Reduction of bacterial load was studied by subjecting radish for three successive washings. The bacterial isolates were then subjected to heavy metal and antibiotic resistance test. A significant microbial load was recorded in the samples even after third washing, of which large number of isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance and tolerance to high concentration of heavy metals. Impact of consumption of raw radish on human health is discussed.

3 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

010326   Meerabai R S;Vennilamani G;Srinivasan P (Pl Biol Dep, P.S. G.R. Krishnammal Colelge for Women, Peelamedu, Coimbatore-641 004) : Gas choromatography and mass spectral analysis of acetone extract of the petroplant, euphorbia tirucalli degraded by hydrocarbon assimilating fungi. Geobios 2005, 32(4), 263-4.

GC-MS spectral studies on the acetone extract of Euphorbia tirucalli suggested the presence of straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbon, Penicillium chrysogenum, Syncephalastrum racemosum and Aspergillus oryzae could degrade this hydrocarbon, when supplied as sole carbon source along with a mineral medium. Possibily of using this extract as substrate for microbial biosurfactant production is suggested.

1 table, 2 ref

010325   Katircioglu H;Beyatli Y (Biol Educ Dep Fac of Educ, Gazi Univ, Teknikokullar, Ankara, Turkey, Email: hturk@gazi.edu.tr) : Metabolic activity of lactic acid bacteria isolalted from rainbow trout and mirror carp. Indian vet J 2005, 82(11), 1135-7.

Studies were conducted on the isolation and determination of metabolic activities of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacilli) present in gut of O. mykiss (rainbow trout) and C. carpio (mirror carp). The amounts of acid produced by the cultures obtained from the isolations ranged form 1.11.7 mg/ml. The amount of hydrogen peroxide production determined ranged from 0.15-0.45 μg/ml. In addition to this analysis, proteolytic activity was not found in 5 strains and in rest of the strains it ranged from 0.003-1.787 mg/ml. The strains (L. casei HS25) with high metabolic activity are preferable for the preparation of fish silage as probiotic and may reduce the need to use antibiotics in future aquaculture.

1 table, 8 ref

010324   Gade S K;Khadilkar M V (Antitoxin and Sera Dep, Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Pimpri, Pune-411 018) : Biochemical profiles of Indian mules. J Remount vet Crop 2005, 44(2), 43-6.

Study was therefore undertaken to record some biochemical indices of healthy Indian mules for its use as reference values.

1 table, 8 ref

010323   Devi R S;Nagrani A;Panneerselvam A (Biochem Dep, Sengamala Thayar Educ Trust Women's Coll, Mannargudi) : Stuy of Aflatoxin and associated Mycoflora contamination in neem seeds. Geobios 2005, 32(4), 301-2.

^ssc2 tables, 8 ref

010322   Albert S;Mullya V;Daniel M (Bot Dep Fac of Sci, The M.S.University of Baroda, Vadodara-390 002) : Phytochemical investigations on Ceriops tagal (Perr.) Robin, a mangrove. Geobios 2005, 32(4), 291-2.

Phytochemical analyses of stem and leaf of Ceriops tagal, a mangrove found growing along Gujarat coastline revealed that rhamnose and ribose are presented in stem and leaf but sugar alcohols are absent.

1 table, 8 ref

008960   Verma S K;Das D;Satapathy S S;Buragohain A K; Ray S K (Molec Biol and Biotechnology Dep, Tezpur Univ, Tezpur-784 028) : Compositional symmetry of DNA duplex in bacterial genomes. Curr Sci 2005, 89(2), 374-84.

Computational analysis of seven bacterial genomes revealed that both the DNA strands in a genome exhibit compositional symmetry in terms of the abundance of a non-palindromic oligonucleotide (di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa, hepta and octa). This symmetry in DNA duplex suggests that both strands in the duplex possess similar compositional characteristics, though the nucleotide sequences in the DNA strands are different (complementary). This compositional symmetry between DNA strands in genomes may be due to the abundance of coding sequences in both the strands and to ensure the synchronous completion of replication of the two strands.

2 illus, 3 tables, 17 ref

008959   Tirkey J;Adhikary S P (Postgrad Dep of Bot and Biotechnology, Utkal Univ, Bhubaneswar-751 004, Email: adhikary2k@hotmail.com) : Cyanobacteria in biological soil crusts of India. Curr Sci 2005, 89(3), 515-21.

Species of filamentous, sheath-forming cyanobacteria were the major component in the blackish-brown crusts on the upper millimetre of soils in different regions of India. Chlorophyll a density of these biological crusts on lateritic soils of Bhubaneswar, Orissa, brown forest soils of Salbani, West Bengal, arid soils of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu and sandy soils of old Goa ranged between 248 and 282 mg m^-2, which is of the same order as in the leaves of higher plants. The species composition of cyanobacterial community in these soil crusts of India has been documented. Organisms in the crust absorbed water rapidly, regained photosynthesis and nitrogenase activity, which were stabilized within 48 to 72 h of wetting. The dominant cyanobacteria in the crust were rich in carotenoid pigment, absorbing at 507 nm and mycosporine amino acid-like substances absorbing in UV only when desiccated and simultaneously exposed to bright sunlight. It is concluded that the highly active upper layers of arid soils contain certain sheathed cyanobacteria that bind with soil particles forming a matrix protecting them from wind erosion. In addition, they are finely tuned in their physiology to the natural environmental conditions contributing organic matter and nitrogen through carbon and nitrogen fixation, thus increasing soil fertility.

4 illus, 3 tables, 27 ref

008958   Suchalatha S;Srinivasulu C (Dep of Biochem, Univ of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600 025, Email: ccsdevi@yahoo.com) : Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Terminalia chebula fruit against fruit against isoproterenol-induced oxidative stress in rats. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(4), 246-9.

Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of fruits of Terminalia chebuta (500 mg/kg body wt, orally for 30 days) against isopretcrenol-induced oxidative stress was investigated in rats. The levels of serum lipid peroxides, iron, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, plasma iron-binding capacity, and the activities of ceruloplasmin and glutathione were assayed, in addition to the activities of the anlioxidant enzymes-glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the heart tissue. Administration of isoproterenol increased the levels of lipid peroxides and iron, with corresponding decrease in the activities of the enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants. The pre-treatment with ethanolic exrract of fruits significantly prevented the alterations induced by isoproterenol, and maintained a near normal antioxidant status. Results suggest thai the cardioproteclive effect of T chebuta fruit may partly be attributed to its antioxidani properties.

1 illus, 1 table, 38 ref

008957   Sinha S;Galasaraswathi R;Selvaraju K; Shanmugasundaram P (Dep of Pl Molec Biol and Biotechnology, CPMB Tamil Nadu Agric Univ, Coimbatore-641 003, Email: rbsara@rediffmail.com) : Molecular and biochemical markers associated with leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis G.) resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(4), 228-32.

Association of molecular markers namely isozymes and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and various biochemical markers to leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis G., a predominant insect pest of rice resistance were studied in rice (Oryza sativa L). Recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of F₈ generation obtained by crossing IR36 (susceptible parent) and TNAULFR831311 (moderately resistant parent) were used in this study. Soluble protein content, protein profile, and peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activities were the various biochemical markers studied. Decrease in soluble leaf protein content was observed in all lines, due to insect infestation. Protein profiling revealed an enhanced expression of a high molecular mass (<62>97 kDa) protein in all the infested lines. Besides, there was an increased induction of a 38 kDa protein in infested resistant parent and resistant RILs. A significant increase in peroxidase and PAL activities was observed after infestation. In peroxidase isozyme analysis, carried out after infestation, "isoform 1" was found to be more prominent in the susceptible lines and "isoform 2" in the resistant lines. Bulk segregant analysis (BSA) with twenty-five rice microsatelliies (RM) resulted in identification of three polymorphic markers between bulks RM11 and RM432 located on chromosome 7 and RM271 on chromosome 10 of rice. These markers may be associated with leaffolder resistance in rice and can be used in marker-assisted selection for leaffolder resistance in rice.

4 illus, 1 table, 26 ref

008956   Sarkar K K;Bhutia K S;Roy S K (Dep of Pl Breed, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia-741 252) : Genetic diversity for yield and its attributing traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Indian J Envir Ecoplann 2005, 10(1), 63-6.

Genetic divergence between 41 genotypes of rice (Oryza sativa L.) from diverse sources was assessed using Mahalanobis D² statistics. The genotypes were grouped into five clusters. Cluster I consisted of highest number of genotypes (33) followed by cluster III which four genotypes, cluster II with two genotypes and cluster IV and V with a single genotype each respectively. The desirable yield and its attributing traits were mainly distributed in clusters III and V respectively. Owing to their highest inter-cluster divergence and possession of desirable traits, the genotypes from clusters III (Satabdi, Pusa Basmati, IR 69739-5-1-2 and IET 13546) and V (Addey) may be used in a hybridization programme to exploit heterosis and develop transgressive segregants.

3 tables, 6 ref

008955   Ravindhran R;Xavier A;Ignacimuthu S (NO, Ent Res Inst Loyola Coll, Chennai-600 034) : Effect of synthetic pyrethroids on some biochemical constituents of cotton seed. Pestology 2005, 29(7), 46-8.

Synthetic pyrethroids Deltamethrin, Fenvalerate and Cypermethrin were sprayed on three Cotton varieties (LRA 5166, MCU 5 and SAVITA) to control insect pests. After the harvest, the seeds of insecticide treated Cotton varieties were subjected to biochemical analysis. Defatted seeds were used for electrophoretic separation (SDS-PAGE) of total proteins. Pyrethroids induced greater accumulation of total sugar, amino acid and protein content and depletion of phenol and gossypol content. Electrophorogram of seed protein did not show much variation in banding pattern. The variety SAVITA responded to Deltamethrin with high total sugar, amino acid, protein and low level of total phenol and gossypol content. The decrease in gossypol content was highly significant in SAVITA.

1 illus, 2 tables, 11 ref

008954   Rana R S;Dhillon B S;Khetarpal R K (NO, Natn Bureau of Pl Genetic Resources, New Delhi) : Invasive alien species: the Indian scene. Indian J Pl Genet Resour 2003, 16(3), 190-213.

The international importance of invasive alien species (IAS) is highlighted by the Article 8h of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1992, which emphasizes on prevention of the introduction of species which threaten other species habitats or ecosystems. A Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) was launched to assemble and identify practices for the prevention and management of IAS. Among the various international instruments, CAB International plays a key role to provide technical support at international and national level in identification of new alien species, publication of distribution maps and databases. In India, invasive weeds infest extensive tracts of agricultural and forest land. Various aspects of control of alien weeds' and pests are being dealt with by a number of authorities. Recently, several initiatives have been taken at national level to identify specific actions to mitigate the threat of IAS. The present study highlights the national and global status, regulatory mechanisms and management options of invasive aliens. A national strategy for their management in line with the 15 Guiding Principles given by CoP 5 and 6 has been proposed with several steps involved in its mode of implementation. Legislative measures like the Destructive Insects and Pests Act (1914} have been reviewed and the Plant Quarantine Order (Regulation of Import into India) 2003 has been enforced from January 1, 2004 and Environment (Protection) Act (1986) has also been reviewed and amended periodically, but still there is a lack of cohesive policy and action plan to deal with IAS. An overview on the national system for management of IAS has been proposed involving all the stakeholders to deal with biological invasions in a Step-wise manner and future line of action recommended.

1 table, 29 ref

008953   Natarajan A T;Kesavan P C (Dep of Toxiogenetics, Leiden Univ Med Cent, Leiden, The Netherlands) : Cytogenetics for dosimetry in cases of radiation accidents and assessing the safety of irradiated food material. Curr Sci 2005, 89(2), 360-5.

One of the many areas of research initiated by Swamina than at the Botany Division of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi was radiation cytoge netics, which involves study of induced chromosomal aberrations. These studies had impact not only on elucidating basic mechanisms involved in the formation of chromosomal aberrations, but also several practical applications related to human health. In the review, authors has briefly summarized two applications, namely biological dosimetry following radiation accidents and safety of irradiated food material.

46 ref

008952   Natarajan A T (Dep of Toxicogenetics, Leiden Univ Med Cent, Leiden, The Netherlands, Email: natarajan@lumc.nl) : Chromosome aberrations: plants to human and feulgen to fish. Curr Sci 2005, 89(2), 335-40.

Chromosome aberrations and their impact on human health have been recognized for a long time. In the 1950s, in India, studies on induced chromosome aberrations in plants were initiated by Swaminathan and his students. Author has traced the impact of these initial studies on further developments in this field. The studies which were started in plants have been extended to mammals (including human) and the simple squash and solid staining have been improved by molecular cytogenetic techniques, thus enabling accurate identification and quantification of different types of chromosome aberrations. These studies have also thrown light on the mechanisms of chromosome aberration formation, especially following exposure to ionizing radiation.

1 illus, 58 ref

008951   Natarajan A T (Toxicogenetics Dep, Leiden Univ Med Cent, Leiden, The Netherlands) : Chemical mutagenesis: from plants to human. Curr Sci 2005, 89(2), 312-17.

Review deals with progress of chemical mutagenesis studies, which started with plants and has been extended to rodents and humans over the years.

51 ref

008950   Narasimhan R (NO, CMC Limited, 11/2 Palace Road, Bangalore-560 052, Email: rn@ncb.ernet.in) : Mimesis and the evolution of language behaviour: Some research issues. Curr Sci 2005, 88(5), 712-15.

One of the central open questions concerning the biology of human language behaviour is its evolutionary history. Systematic studies of the sign (= gestural) languages developed and used by the deaf lead one to argue that speech is not indispensable to language behaviour. Gesture-based language behaviour could plausibly have been the evolutionary precursor to speech-based language behaviour. It has been recently argued at length that mimesis (= mime or pantomime based on non-standardized gestures) could have been an earlier evolutionary stage. A whole list of open questions are raised by these speculations. Some of these are discussed.

9 ref

008949   Mittal V;Mukesh Kumar;Rajesh Chandra (Dep of Vet Epidemiol and Prev Med, G. B. Pant Universtty of Agric and Technol, Pantnagar-263 145) : A cross sectional study of seroprevalence of IBR in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttaranchal. Pantnagar J Res 2004, 2(2), 90-1.

12 ref

008948   Mallick B;Chakrabarti J;Das S;Ghosh Z (Computational Biol Grp Theory Dep, Indian Ass for the Cultivation of Sci, Kolkata-700 032) : tRNomics: A comparative analysis of Picrophilus torridus with other archaeal thermoacidophiles. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(4), 238-42.

In the euryarchaeal thermoacidophile Picrophilus torridus DSM 9790, identified a copy of rare tRNAlle (TAT) gene, along with the other 47 tDNAs with the help of our in-house program. Further, tRNAs of P. torridus were also compared with other archaeal thermoacidophiles Thermoplasma acidopliilum, T. volcanium, Sulfolobus solfataricus and S. tokodaii.

1 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

008947   Maheswari R (Dep of Biochem, Indian Inst of Sci, Bangalore-560 012, Email: fungi@biochem.iisc.ernet.in) : Life at high temperatures. Resonance 2005, 10(9), 23-36.

Amazing microorganisms thrive at high temperatures incompatible with the familiar forms of life. A few species from hot springs or from the vicinity of hydrothermal vents at the floor of the oceans are the basis of a multimillion dollar industry. An entirely new form of animal life has been discovered around the volcanic eruptions from the sea floor. This animal life thrives in the permanently dark environment only because it harbors symbiotic bacteria that synthesize food molecules from inorganic chemicals in the emissions. Thermophilic microorganisms are involved in composting and humification in terrestrial habitats.

12 ref

008946   Luqman S;Kumar Navneet;Rizvi S I (Dep of Biochem, Univ of Allahabad, Allahabad-211 002) : Dependence of erythrocyte osmotic fragility on membrane fluidity. Univ Allahabad Stud-Sect A 2004, 3(1), 29-30.

The activity of membrane bound enzymes depend on the fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer. Alteration in membrane fluidity has been reported in several human disorders. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility is a parameter, which can be easily determined and also reflects the tensile strength of the plasma membrane. Reports the effect of changes in erythrocyte membrane fluidity, induced by treatment with benzyl alcohol, on the osmotic fragility of human erythrocytcs. An increase in membrane fluidity exerts a stabilizing effect on the erythrocytes subjected to hypotonic stress.

14 ref

008945   Lopamudra;Kuila R K (Dep of Dairy Bacteriology, West Bengal Univ of Anim and Fishery Sci, Mohanpur-741 252) : Incidence of different types of sporeforming bacteria in pasteurised market milk supplies. J Dairying Fd Home Sci 2005, 24(1), 20-3.

Total of 51 pasteurised milk samples from different organised dairies in and around Kolkala were collected and analysed for enumerating the population of different groups of spore forming organisms. Tryptone glucose yeast extract agar was used for plating purpose and temperature time combinations of 55° ± 1°C for 48 h, 37° ± 1°C for 24 h, 22° ± 1°C for 3-5 d and 7° ± 1°C for 7-10 d were used for incubating thermophilic, mesophilic, psychrophilic and psychrotropic spore forming bacteria, respectively. The average counts of spore forming bacteria in pasteurised milk were between 1784.75 and 2908.67 cfu/ml, of which the mesophilic spore forming bacteria was highest (823.72 cfu/ml) in population. The counts of thermophilic (572.74 cfu/ml) and psychrophilic spore formers (633.13 cfu/ml) were medium in population. The psychrotropic spore forming bacterial count (88 cfu/ml) was comparatively less than that of other three groups.

1 illus, 1 table, 28 ref

008944   Li M;Ge H;Kong X ;Zheng W;Liu Z (Dep of Biol, Coll of Life Sci Nanjing Univ, Nanjing-210 093, Jiangsu, China, Email: liuzl@nju.edu.cn) : Induction of apoptosis in pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells exposed to eicosapentaenoic acid in vitro. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(4), 222-7.

Effect of different concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), on rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells were evaluated using cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, flow cytometric DNA analysis and electronic microscopy. A time- and dose-dependent decrease in the cell viability was observed in the cultures of PC12 cells, supplemented with EPA. The incubation with 200 μM EPA for 48 and 72 hr induced a decrease in the cell viability by 53.40 and 53.43%, respectively. Treatment of PC12 cells with EPA induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, as evidenced by flow cytometry analysis. The highest percentage of apoptotic cells accumulated to 30.32%, following treatment with 200 μM EPA. The LDH levels increased significantly on treatment with 100 and 200 μM EPA, by 144.4 and 197.3%. respectively, compared with the untreated control. In addition, the cell morphology change was also observed by electron microscopy. The results suggest that EPA mediates its effect on the PC12 cells, at least in part via the induction by apoptosis.

6 illus, 29 ref

008943   Kumar A;Chakrabarty R;Thomas G (NO, dCardamom Res Stn, Pampadumpara-685 556) : Occurrence of trypsin-like protease in cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton). Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(4), 243-5.

Occurrence of trypsin-like protease in fresh cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) seeds, as evidenced by the benzoyl-arg-p-nitroanilide (BApNA) hydrolyzing ability of the seed enzyme preparation under alkaline condition is reported for the first time. The enzyme has a pH and temperature optima as 8 and 45°C, respectively. It is inhibited by aprotinin and phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) in a dose-dependent manner suggesting the presensce of serine residues at the active site. The enzyme had a V_max of 98.01 nmoles p-nitroaniline released per min per mg protein and Km of 0.0684 mM with BApNA as substrate. Addition of aprotinin (75.75μM) increased Km value by three-folds, whereas the V_max was reduced by 23%.

2 illus, 8 ref

008942   Kesavan P C (NO, M S Swaminathan Res Foundation, Third Cross Street, Taramani, Chennai-600 113) : Oxygen effect in radiation biology: Caffeine and serendipity. Curr Sci 2005, 89(2), 318-28.

The 'hit theory' developed in 1920s to explain the actions of ionizing radiation on cells and organisms was purely physical, and its limitation was its inadequacy to address the contemporary findings such as the oxygen enhancement of radiobiological damage, and the increased radio-sensitivity of dividing compared to non-dividing cells. The textbooks written prior to 1970s did not either refer at all to oxygen as a radiosensitizer, or had mentioned it only in a passing manner; yet 'oxygen effect' was emerging as the central dogma in radiation biology! The oxygen effect in radiation biology is highly interdisciplinary encompassing atomic physics (i.e. interaction of photon with matter), radiation chemistry (formation of reactive oxygen species), molecular signalling, gene expression and genetic alterations in cells (mutation, cancer) or the cell death (apoptosis, necrosis, mitotic catastrophe, etc.). Cell death in higher organisms is now recognized as the precursor of possible error-free cell replacement repair.

3 illus, 7 tables, 56 ref

008941   Kaushal V;Sharma S;Brar A P S;Soni G (Dep of Biochem and Chem, Punjab Agric Univ, Ludhiana-141 004) : Impact of dietary protein quality on the toxic effects of N-nitrosodiethylamine in albino rats. Ann agric biol Res 2005, 10(1), 109-15.

Study the effect of dietary protein quality on the toxicity of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), rats were fed diet containing poor quality protein isolated from chickpea, moderate quality protein (casein) and good quality protein (egg albumin) alongwith NDEA (100 mg/kg diet) and sacrificed after three weeks of feeding. The immical effects of NDEA were considerably of lower degree with good quality dietary protein source, whereas with poor quality, the effects were more pronounced. The growth depressing effect of NDEA was prominent with chickpea dietary protein, and marginal with good quality protein and intermediary with moderate quality dietary protein. Osmotic fragility and lipid peroxidation (LPO) of erythrocytes increased significantly on NDEA administration and the effect was prominent with poor dietary protein quality. Effect on tissue lipid peroxidation was also prominent in rats maintained on poor quality protein diet. The activities of defense enzymes viz., catalase and peroxidase tended to increase and the increase was significant with good quality protein. With good quality protein dietary conditions, the defense enzymes tended to adapt the oxidative stress created by NDEA.

4 tables, 22 ref

008940   Kar R K;Mandaokar B D;Kar R (NO, Birbal Sahni Inst of Palaebotany, Lucknow-226 007) : Mycorrhizal fossil fungi from the miocene sediments of Mizoram, Northeast India. Curr Sci 2005, 89(2), 259-63.

2 illus, 21 ref

008939   Kanwar S S;Kaushal R K;Jawed A;Gupta R;Chimni S S (Dep of Biotechnology, Himachal Pradesh Univ, Summer-Hill, Shimla-171 005, Email: kanwarss2000@yahoo.com) : Methods for inhibition of residual lipase activity in colorimetric assay. Indian J Biochem Biophys 2005, 42(4), 233-7.

A comparative study of various treatments for inhibition of the residual activity of a lipase (obtained from Bacillus coagulans MTCC-6375) in a colorimetric assay using p-nitrophenyl palmitate (pNPP) was made. Direct chilling of contents of reaction mixture or addition of chilled mixture of ethanol: acetone (1:1) decreased the residual lipase activity by 94.0 and 95.0% respectively, as compared to lipase incubated at 45°C for 20 min (control). Amongst various ionic and non-ionic detergents, Triton X-100 (0.07%, v/v) and sodium lauryl sarcosine or SLS (0.25%, w/v) partially, and SDS (0.05%, w/v) completely blocked the residual lipase activity of B. coagulans lipase in colorimetric assay. Addition of a serine protease inhibitor, PMSF (15 mM) or EDTA (200 mM) inhibited residual lipase activity by 99.5 and 100%, respectively. However, addition of reducing agents viz., 2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol caused decomposition of chromogenic substrate (pNPP) thus rendering the colorimetric method unfit for lipase assay. EDTA (200 mM) and SDS (0,05%, w/v) were also highly effective in inhibiting the residual activities of lipases of pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC-4713, P. cepacia and commercial grade lipolytic preparations such as lipozyme, lipolase and porcine pancreatic lipase. However, PMSF (15 mM) completely inhibited the residual activity of lipase of P. aeruginosa.

^iia2 illus, 22 ref