002345   Talwar I;Bajwa P (Dep of Anthrop, Punjab Univ, Chandigarh) : Fatness and regional distribution of body fat among adolescent Brahmin girls. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 143-51.

Total body fat and fat distribution pattern was studied in adolescent Brahmin girls (N=282) in age range 10 to 17 years, living in Bhimtal Block, District Nainital, Uttranchal. Body weight, height, four circumferences and six skinfolds were measured on each subject. Total adiposity body mass index (BMI), grand mean thickness (GMT), total body fat and percent fat were computed statistically. Ratios of upper to lower and central to peripheral skinfolds and waist hip ratio (WHR) were used as index of fat patterning. Girls witnessed a higher value of BMI after peak height velocity and showed accelerated growth of muscle and fat components all through the adolescence. It was also evident from the higher mean values of grand mean thickness, percent fat, fat mass and fat free mass after 13 years. Waist/hip ratio in Brahmin females indicated gynoid fat distribution during adolescence. Ratios of upper to lower and central to peripheral skinfolds indicated their proportionate growth. It is apparent from the study that adult fat distribution starts manifesting itself from early pubertal period.

5 tables, 43 ref

002344   Subbannayya K;J Udayalxmi (NO, Kasturba Med Coll, Mangalore-575 001, Email: dr_s_kotigadde@yahoo.co.in) : Fishmeal extract agar-a medium to inhibit swarming of proteus spp.. Curr Sci 2005, 89(10), 1666-7.

1 illus, 1 table, 2 ref

002343   Sridevi M;Mallaiah K V (Dep of Microbiol, Acharya Nagarjuna Univ, Nagarjuna Nagar-522 510) : Growth and exopolysaccharide production by rhizobia of Sesbania species. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 635-8.

Rhizobia isolated from the root nodules of Sesbania rostrata, S. procumbens, S. grandiflora, S. sesban and S. aculeata vary in their ability to utilize different carbon sources, production of acid and exopolysaccharides (EPS). The Rhizobium strains isolated from S. rostrata (SRR) and S. procumbens (SPR) showed maximum growth on mannitol, while those from S. grandiflora (SGR), S. sesban (SSR) and S. aculeata (SAR) showed maximum growth on glucose, mannose and arabinose respectively. All the isolates produced acid in YEM broth, while the isolate from S. sesban (SSR) produced acid in all the 12 carbon sources. Although the isolate produced acid, the growth was very less in some of the carbon sources. Maximum EPS production is observed in isolate from S. grandiflora (SGR) and minimum by isolate from S. rostrata.

3 tables, 14 ref

002342   Sivraj R;Gnanambal V S;Selvi S (Dep of Biochem, Karpagam Arts and Sci Coll Eachanari Post, Coimbatore-21) : Novel uses of Parthenium sps. in medicine, agriculture and industries. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 749-52.

Parthenium is an exotic need introduced in India. It is known more for its economic and health hazards. Describes the potential uses of Parthenium, which will help as an incentive for its ecofriendly control.

27 ref

002341   Sinha R;Kapoor S (Dep of Anthrop, Univ of Delhi, Delhi-110 007) : Fat patterning among Indian adolescent boys and girls. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 135-41.

Eight hundred and twenty six adolescent children (ll-17Years) constituted the data for the fat patterning. A consistent increase in fatness with age is found in both the sexes, more pronounced in girls than in boys, with redistribution of fat away from extremity towards the trunk. The increase in BMI with age was more dominant in girls than in boys. A continuous increase in GMT among girls was found but not in adolescent boys. The Trunk/Extremity ratio establishes the trend in favor of increase in trunkal fat, more marked in boys than in girls.

3 tables, 27 ref

002340   Singh Z (Dep of Anat, G.G.S. Med Coll, Faridkot-151203) : Skeletal maturation of the hand bones of Punjabi jat-sikh boys. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 169-76.

Times of appearance of epiphyseal centres and their fusion with the diaphyses are of great medico-legal importance and serve as reliable indices for determining the age of an individual. The fusion times are known to have racial and regional variations. The epiphyseo-diaphyseal fusion times in the metacarpals and phalanges of the left hand have been investigated radiologically in 450 Jat-Sikh school/college going boys of apparent normal health. Jat-Sikhs form a large, prominent and distinct endogamous group of Punjab population. The sample of study consisted of 9 age-groups of yearly interval, aged 12 to 20 years (decimal age), with 50 boys in each age-group. Their ages were ascertained by personal questioning and verified from school/college records. Radiographs of the left hand in antero-posterior position were obtained. The easily followed criteria of 'non-fusion', 'partial-fusion' and 'fusion' was followed to study the radiographs for the state of fusion. Median ages were calculated through probit analysis. The median age for fusion in metacarpals and phalanges extended from 16.06 years to 17.07 years (decimal age). The first metacarpal resembles the proximal phalanges in its ossification. The median age of fusion in the rest of the metacarpals show a gradation from radial to ulnar side. Distal phalanges are the first to show fusion, followed by the proximal phalanges and the middle phalanges being the last to show fusion as revealed by their median ages of fusion. These findings on fusion times have been compared with findings on other population groups.

3 tables, 25 ref

002339   Singh S K;Vijay B;Mediratta V;Ahlawat O P; Kamal S (NO, Natn Res Cent for Mushroom, Chambaghat, Solan-173 213, Email: sksingh1111@hotmail.com) : Molecular characterization of Humicola grisea isolates associated with Agaricus bisporus compost. Curr Sci 2005, 89(10), 1745-9.

Composite compost samples were collected from Solan, Sonepat, Gangtok, Kaithal, Phagwara and Ooty, at different stages of Agaricus bisporus compost preparation by long and short methods using a variety of agro-waste substrates. Eight isolates of Humicola grisea were retrieved on yeast agar medium at 45 and 52°C. PCR amplification of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 5.8S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was done using ITS-1 and ITS-4 primers. An ITS fragment of approximately 550 bp was amplified from all the eight H. grisea isolates with no intra-specific diversity in the ITS region of 5.8S rRNA gene. RAPD genotyping was performed using five decamer primers. Combined phylogenetic analysis of RAPD profiles of H. grisea by five primers depicted intra-specific variation amongst the eight isolates and divided these into five distinct sub-clades. Molecular analysis carried out in the study would suggest that isolates within this species exhibit genetic differences, which correlates well with morphological variations.

^ssc4 illus, 1 table, 23 ref

002338   Singh R (NO, , 79, Vaishali, Pitampura, Delhi-110 088) : Time trends in height and weight of college boys and girls in Delhi and relationship between menarcheal age and body size in college girls and adult woman. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 243-52.

Mean values and standard deviations of height, weight, arm girth, weight/height ratio, body mass index (BMI) and ponderal index of 95 college boys, aged 17-21 years, 817 college girls, aged 17 to 22 years, and 362 adult women, aged 20-59 years, working in different government offices in Delhi and New Delhi are presented. Measurements of height and weight of college boys and girls of this study were compared with the corresponding measurements of boys and girls of similar age groups in Delhi reported by the ICMR (1972). A positive secular trend towards increase in the mean height and weight of the college boys and girls of this study is observed. The mean ages at menarche of college girls and adult women are reported. Relationship between age at menarche and body weight, and height of the subjects is also reported. Early maturers tend to be heavier and late maturers tend to be lighter in weight. Classification of body mass index (BMI) of college boys, college girls and adult women is also presented. Over weight is more frequent in adult women and least frequent in college girls. Correlations of arm girth with body weight, weight/height ratio, and body mass index (BMI) are reported. Arm girth shows high positive correlation with BMI. Weight/height ratio shows extremely high, positive correlation with BMI.

6 tables, 19 ref

002337   Singh R (NO, , 79, Vaishali, Pitampura, Delhi-110 088) : Nutritional measurements and body mass index (BMI) of college boys in Chennai and Ooty and the Badaga men at the Nilgiri Hill. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 231-41.

Mean values and standard deviations of height, weight, girth, bicristal and skinfold measurements at triceps and biceps of 202 Tamil speaking college boys in Chennai; 231 Tamil speaking college boys at Ooty (Nilgiri hills) and 262 adult Badaga men (Tribal group) residing in the villages near Ooty (Nilgiri hills) are presented. Weight/height ratio, body mass index (BMI) and Ponderal index (weight/height) were also calculated for each subject. Correlations between arm girth : weight; arm girth : weight/height ratio and arm girth: BMI are also reported separately for each group of subjects. Measurements of the elderly Badaga men are also reported. Height, weight, arm girth and skinfold measurements were significantly higher in Chennai boys than those of the Ooty boys but bicristal diameter measurements were significantly higher in Ooty boys. Badag men had almost similar mean height as the Ooty boys had but the skinfolds at triceps as well as biceps were lower in the Badaga men than the Ooty boys. Bicristal diameter measurements, however, were significantly higher in the Badaga men than the college boys at Ooty. In all the four groups of subjects arm girth shows high positive correlation with BMI and still better correlation with weight/height ratio. The weight/height ratio shows extremely high positive correlation with BMI.

5 tables, 15 ref

002336   Singal P;Mahal R K;Sidhu L S (Dep of Hum Biol, Punjab Univ, Patiala) : Auxology of preschool slum children of Ludhiana. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 219-29.

Study has been conducted on 582 children (296 boys and 286 girls) ranging in age from 1 to 5 years residing in four slums (Vardhman, Transport Nagar, Shanti Nagar and Tajpur) of Ludhiana city of the state of Punjab. Eleven anthropometric measurements viz., weight, length/stature, biacromial diameter, circumferences (head, chest, upper arm and calf) and skinfolds (Triceps, subscapular, suprailiac and calf) have been taken on each individual by following standard techniques. While assessing physical growth of children, it has been observed that there has been a regular increase with age in all anthropometric measurement in both the sexes. The boys have been found to be heavier, taller with broad shoulders and larger circumferences in all age groups. The skinfolds are more in boys upto 3 years of age, however, after that the girls have shown larger skinfolds. The slum children of the study have been found to be far below the ICMR standards for weight and height. From 12 to 24 months, children have been following 10th percentile; however, afterwards they are seen to move upwards to 25th percentile till 5 years of age. The crossing over of chest circumference over head circumference has occurred at 2 1/2 years, whereas, it has been reported to occur between 12 to 24 months in most of the populations.

2 illus, 4 tables, 20 ref

002335   Sidhu S ; P Rabhjot (Dep of Hum Genet Guru Nanak Dev Univ, , Amritsar-143 005) : Growth performance of affluent Punjabi children. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 213-18.

Cross-sectional survey was conducted in order to determine whether an affluent population in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, had a growth performance similar to that in developed countries and to identify socioeconomic factors that militated against optimal growth in this population. The weight and lengths of 400 children aged 12-23 months were measured. Information was obtained on family socioeconomic status and child feeding practices. Children born prematurely i.e. before 37 weeks of gestation and those with illness adversely affecting growth were excluded from analysis. In 350 children included in the analysis, the Z-scores for weight for age, length for age and weight for length were calculated. About 7% of the children were under weight (weight for age Z score œ2), 4% were wasted (weight for length Z score). The factors that were significantly associated with higher length for age were non-vegetarian diet and education of parents. It is very important aspect of the study that the children of this affluent Punjabi population were close to NCHS/WHO reference population with regard to anthropometric measurements.

5 tables, 12 ref

002334   Sharma K;Shandilya S (Dep of Anthrop, Punjab Univ, Chandigarh-160 014) : Growth patterns of human pelvis and body traits, menarcheal status, menstrual patterns and nutritional status of adolescent scheduled castes girls from Naraingarh (Haryana). Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 153-68.

Growth and development based on nine anthropometric dimensions of body and pelvis were analysed from a cross-sectional sample of 194 adolescent girls between 11 to 18 years of age belonging to scheduled caste communities from Naraingarh (Haryana State). Peak growth velocity occurred between the age of 11 and 12 years. The median and mean ages at menarche was 13.40 years by status-quo method and 13.57 years by retrospective method, respectively. The mean length of the menstrual cycle was 31.02 days (S.D. 2.71). The mean duration of menstrual flow was 3.98 days (S.D. 1.04). The irregularity of menstrual cycles decreased with increase in chronological/gynaecological age. The intensity of the menstrual flow was mild in 11.8%, moderate in 78.7% and severe in 6.2% girls. The frequency of moderate flow increased and mild flow decreased with increase in chronological age till 16 years of age. The pelvic growth was slower compared with stature till 11 years of age. But rapid acceleration in later years compensated the earlier lag and adult dimensions were attained by the age of 16 years both for stature and pelvic size. The accelerated growth seemed to have affected the nutritional status of the females. These results indicate that immaturity of birth canal of the pelvis may have significance for obstetric risk among young teenage primiparous girls before the age of 15 or 16 years. The study affirms the association between age at menarche and the attainment of adult pelvis dimensions. The age at menarche precedes skeletal maturation.

5 tables, 41 ref

002333   Sanyal A;Ahmad A;Sastry M (Mater Chem Div Nanoscience Grp Natn Chem Lab, , Pune-411 008, Email: msastry@tatachemicals.com) : Calcite growth in Cissus quadrangularis plant extract, a traditional Indian bone-healing aid. Curr Sci 2005, 89(10), 1742-5.

Cissus quadrangularis, a plant that has been customarily used in the Indian subcontinent to hasten the process of healing in bone fractures, has been studied and exploited to synthesize calcite crystals. The plant extract serves as a rich source of calcium ions, which when reacted with CO₂, leads to the formation of calcite crystals of highly irregular morphology indicating that bioorganic molecules present in the extract modulate the crystal morphology.

^ssc4 illus, 22 ref

002332   Reddy S R;Pindi P K;Reddy S M (Dep of Microbiol, Kakatiya Univ, Warangal-506 009, Email: sanditi_ramreddy@yahoo.co.in) : Molecular methods for research on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in India: problems and prospects. Curr Sci 2005, 89(10), 1699-1709.

Research on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), presently, is at the crossroads. Some aspects like their beneficial role in overall plant growth under diverse edaphic conditions, have been thoroughly investigated and further, there is no second opinion to the advocacy of their development as bioinoculants. However, the biosystematics, culturability and field performance evaluation of this group of fungi are still some areas lagging behind for want of suitable techniques, which have become hurdles for further progress of research. Having exhausted all the options to resolve the issues, the mycorrhizologists are looking towards molecular aspects of this group of organisms. rDNA region of the genome, with its variable and conserved regions, has been found to be an ideal location to offer solution to the issues. PCR-based techniques have become mandatory to obtain sufficient quantities of DNA, as these organisms are nonculturable and thus only a small quantity of DNA could be isolated from spores and infected roots. Employing DNA-based molecular markers, some advancements and success have already been achieved in areas like phylogeny, taxonomy and functional symbiosis. The next one or two decades are going to witness tremendous increases in molecular level research on this group of organisms, which hopefully will help resolve many issues being confronted today. This article reviews the molecular investigations carried out during the last two decades all over the world and also project areas for future research in India.

^iia1 illus, 3 tables, 110 ref

002331   Ravichandran S;Kannupandi T (Cent of Advd Study in Mar Biol, Annamalai Univ, Parangipettai-608 502) : Total heterotrophic bacterial load in decomposing mangrove litter and gut of crabs. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 861-4.

Studies on microbial load in the mangrove crabs and their environment revealed that Total Heterotrophic Bacterial (THB) count was higher in decomposed mangrove leaves than in undecomposed ones. High bacterial load was observed in the omnivorous feeder, Metapograpsus messor and low in herbivorous feeders (Sesarma andersoni, S. brockii and S. plicatum). The bacteria isolated from the crabs, water and sediment samples were identified as the species belonging to Bacillus, Micrococcus, Corynebacterium, Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium and Enterobacter.

3 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref

002330   Ramana T V;Reddy M P M (NO, Coll of Fishery Sci, Muthukur-524 344) : Distribution of phytoplankton in the Arabian sea along Dakshina Kannada coast. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 653-64.

Paper describes the monthly distribution of phytoplankton in the Arabian Sea off Mangalore, of Malpe and off Gangolli covering the entire Dakshina Kannada coast. The quantitative distribution of phytoplankton revealed maximum values in September and minimum values in January/ April for both wet weight and dry weight for the entire region during 1979-80 and 1987-88. The qualitative distribution of different phytoplanktonic taxa found in the investigation has been discussed.

16 illus, 11 ref

002329   Poonkothai M;Iswarya S H;Kavitha D; Vallikkannu K (Dep of Biochem and Biotechnol Avinashilingam, Deemed Univ, Coimbatore) : Antibacterial activity of the leaves of Galinsoga ciliata. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 747-8.

Galinsoga ciliata is a small annual herb, which has a wide traditional use. The leaves and inflorescence in dressing the fresh wounds or cuts as well as saddle sores and rawness of the skin to faster quick healing. Petroleum ether, benzene, ethyl acetate and acetone extracts of the leaves were found to be completely active against the bacteria tested. The leaf extracts displayed higher activity against the Gram positive (Stapliylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) rather than the Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The toxicity against microorganisms may be due to the high amount of phenolic compounds present.

1 table, 17 ref

002328   Pandit B R;Pandya U (Dep of Life Sci, Bhavnagar Univ, Bhavnagar-364 002) : Nutrient distribution in the acacia senegal in the reserved forest near bhavnagar. Adv Pl Sci 2005, 18(2), 685-90.

Investigations deal with the status of minerals in Acacia Senegal (L) Willd, in reserved forest Victoria Park near Bhaynagar. The soil of the area was sandy loam with alkaline pH and higher amount of calcium. The mineral content decrease with depth. Fraction wise pattern of nutrient content was leaves<62>branches<62>bole; while element wise pattern was different at all the fractions: Leaves showed N<62>Ca<62>Mg<62>K<62> Na<62>P; Bole showed Ca<62>Mg<62>N<62>K<62> Na<62>P; Branches showed Ca<62>N<62>K<62>Mg<62> Na<62>P. All the fractions had maximum value of Ca and minimum of P.

6 tables, 13 ref

002327   Nwachukwu E;Ezeronye O U (Dep of Microbiol, Michael Okpara Univ of Agric, Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State Nigeria) : Microbial flora of streams and their seasonal variations. Envir Ecol 2005, 23(4), 907-11.

Microbiological and chemical characteristics of Stream water sources and their seasonal fluctuations were studied. The results of microbial examination of water samples from various stream water sources revealed high values of total heterotrophic bacteria count, total coliforms and yeast cells count. It was observed that the microbial flora showed seasonal variation with increase generally during the rainy season and decrease during the dry season. Chemical parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate and phosphate concentrations also exhibited seasonal fluctuations. The results suggest that the stream water quality may be poor at certain times of the year and the risk of supplying water of unsatisfactory quality appear to be greatest during the rainy season.

6 illus, 14 ref

002326   Nirmala A.R.C.;Eliza J (Dep of Zool, Holy Cross Coll, Trichy-620 001) : Effect of phosphamidan on the carbohydrate, protein and lipid contents in Cirrhina mrigala. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 813-14.

Fresh water teleost fish Cirrhina mrigala were exposed to phosphamidan for a period of 20 days. Pesticide toxicity on the organic constituents of the muscle tissue were studied. The results showed that all the three organic constituents such as carbohydrate, protein and lipid were reduced remarkably. Statistical analyses of the data revealed that increasing concentration of phosphamidan has decreased all the three organic contents progressively.

1 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

002325   Nawange S R;Singh S M;Naidu J;Vishnoi S (Dep of Biol Sci, R.D. Univ Med Mycol Lab, Jabalpur-482 001) : Examination of soil from household garbage in Jabalpur, India for hyphomycetes fungal pathogens by the mouse passage technique and direct plating method. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 705-11.

Reports on an examination of residential garbage soil in Jabalpur, for Hyphomycetes fungi by mouse passage ana direct plating methods has been presented. A total of 389 isolates represented 39 genera and 95 species of which Aspergillus was the most frequent (59.15%) followed by Candida (21.15%), Fusarium (21.9%), Mucor (18.43%), Rhizopus (16.5%), which were most frequently isolated. Maximum colonization of hyphomycetes fungi was found in the lungs, spleen, kidney and heart. Mouse passage technique particularly using cortisone treated animals was found very effective in detecting a broad spectrum of Hyphomycetes fungi.

4 tables, 37 ref

002324   Naik U G;Rathod J L;Bhat U G;Kusuma N (Dep of Mar Biol, PG & Res Cent Karnatak Univ, Karwar-581 303) : Studies on sediments of Binaga and Karwar bay, west coast of India. Envir Ecol 2005, 23(4), 826-30.

Sediments were collected from the Binaga and Karwar bay to study the temporo-spatial variation in their texture during November 1991 and November 1992. Karwar bay was comparatively more silty in dominance (60.26%) during monsoon while maximum sand (20.88%) at station 1 and clay (30.26%) at site 2 recorded during pre-monsoon season. It was observed that in both study sites, interstitial water (33.36 and 35%) and organic matter (2.53 and 2.69%) exhibited a direct relationship but relatively more values were noticed at station 2. Both the study stations exhibited an uniform alkalinity (8.05-8.15) during post-monsoon season.

3 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

002323   Midha I G;Malik S L (Dep of Anthrop, Univ of Delhi, Delhi-110 007) : Independent and combined influence of age and sex on physical fitness tests among the Jats of Delhi. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 109-21.

Selecting a representative random sample of 580 Indian Jat school children of Delhi in the age range of 10 to 18 years, their physical fitness components, viz. health related and motor fitness were assessed using a battery of tests, including AAHPER (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation) tests. The article focuses to examine the individual and combined influence of age and gender on physical fitness among the Jats of Delhi. Jats is an endogamous group. Results indicate that Jat males have greater physical fitness than Jat females. Based on two-way ANOVA results, age alone has a significant contribution in all the physical fitness tests among both males and females with older individuals showing better performance except in flexibility. Similarly, gender alone contributes significantly towards better performance in all the tests of physical fitness except in plate tapping. Apart from rapid fitness index, shuttle run, fifty yard run, and balance tests, there is a significant combined influence of age and gender on rest of the physical fitness tests among the Jats.Both biological and social factors have a role to play in explaining the differences in physical fitness among the Jats.

3 tables, 28 ref

002322   Mathew J;Latha M S;Ravindran P C (NO, Sch of Biosci Mahatama Gandhi Univ, Priyadarshini Hills, Kottayam-686 560) : Production of alkaline protease from Bacillus pumillus k 242 by solid state fermentation. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 617-21.

Bacterium producing alkaline protease in high yields by solid state fermentation was isolated from alkaline soil. Various factors affecting the production of the enzyme by solid state fermentation were standardised. Wheat bran of particle size 500-710m, moisture level 64%, incubation temperature 37°C and incubation time 72 h were optimal for the production of alkaline protease. The optimum pH of moistening solution was 9.0. The best carbon source for supplementation was glucose at 2% (w/w of the moistened substrate) level. The SSF required no extra nitrogen sources. Incorporation of sodium chloride at a concentration 0.5%(w/v) into the moistening solution enhanced the production. The production could be increased more than two fold by optimization.

1 illus, 7 tables, 7 ref

002321   Lucyszyn N;Reicher F;Sierakowski M R (Laboratorio de Biopolimeros -Departamento de Quimica, , , Email: mariarita.sierakowski@ufpr.br) : Carbohydrate research at the UFPR. Metals Mater Process 2005, 17(3-4), 173-82.

In view of the industrial and/or biological interest, polysaccharides extracted from exotic Brazilian species are investigated in the Federal University of Parana, since 1973. Summarises some results of investigations in the last one decade related to the galactomannans and xyloglucans obtained from several Leguminosae seeds, the arabinogalactan from Pereskia aculeata leaves, and starches from different sources. The analysis of composition, structure, interactions with metal or tetraborate ions, specific modifications by oxidation/N-alkylation, sulphation, the application of modified carbohydrates as anticoagulant, antiviral and auxin activity, the thermogravimetric and thin films properties of polysaccharides in its natural or modified forms, are described. The galactomannan interactions with xanthan gum, the synergism of xyloglucan with carboxymethyl cellulose, agar or starches have been evaluated by rheological analysis, and the application of some mixtures as gelling agents showed positive effects in the plant tissue cultures.

50 ref

002320   Kulandaivel S;Ramalingam P;Mythili K; Nagendran N A (P.G. and Res Unit of Microbiol, Thiagarajar Coll, Madurai-625 009) : Antifungal activity of siderophore produced by Pseudomonas fluorescence. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 801-3.

Rhizobacterial strains belonging to fluorescent Pseudomonads were isolated from rhizosphere of groundnut and cotton. Among seven strains that were confirmed as Pseudomonas fluorescence, two strains were found to produced siderophore and also antagonize plant pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum.

2 tables, 16 ref

002319   Kharat A D;Deshpande A R;Musaddiq M (P.G. Dep of Microbiol, Shri Shivaji Coll, Akola) : Antifungal activity of some medicinal plants against two phytopathogenic fungi. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 743-5.

Considering the present day need for developing ecofriendly herbal antifunagal agents, the study was undertaken to evaluate the antifungal activity of some plant extract against two phytopathogenic fungi. Acetone extracts of five medicinal plants viz., Catunaregum spinosa, Psoralen corylifolia, Woodfordia fructicosa, Solanum virginianum and Syzygium cumini were tested by poisoned food technique against the standard fungal cultures of Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria alternata. All the plant extracts were found to be inhibitory for the growth of Fusarium oxysporum. The percent inhibition was maximum of Psoralea conjlifolia (42%) followed by Catunaregum spinosa (33%). All the plant extracts except Syzygium cumini were found to be inhibitory for growth of Alternaria alternata. Percent inhibition was maximum with Catunaregum spinosa and Solanum virginianum extract (32.7%).

1 illus, 2 tables, 13 ref

002318   Kaur G;Singh S P (Dep of Hum Biol, Punjabi Univ, Patiala) : Emotional deprivation and physical growth among adolescents of North West India. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 187-97.

A study was aimed at exploring the effect of emotional deprivation on the growth performance of adolescents. Data on a cross-sectional sample of 1074 adolescents (504 emotionally deprived children residing in orphanages and 570 of the control group) ranging in age from 11 to 17 years were collected during March, 2003 to August, 2004. Each child was measured for height and weight. The subjects were studied from the areas of Chandigarh (U.T.), Haryana and Punjab. The emotionally deprived males and females of the study, on an average, lagged behind their control coevals by 13.02 cm and 5.88 cm respectively for height and by 7.04 kg and 4.77 kg respectively for weight. The backlog in emotionally deprived males amounted to 8.41% in height and 15.61% in weight from that of the control group. The backlog in females was 3.90% in height and 10.60% in weight. The factors influencing the backlog in development were a combination of emotional deprivation, isolation and duration of stay in the orphanages. On comparison between the two sexes of emotionally deprived adolescents and controls, it was observed that sexual dimorphism was lesser in institutionalized group than that in the controls. The percentage differences for height were negligible in emotionally deprived ones compared to 4.21% in controls. The percentage sex differences for weight in the emotionally deprived adolescents was negligible whereas it was 5.21% in controls. The percentage backlog is greater in the males as compared to the females. The dwarfed sexual dimorphism in the institutionalised adolescents is an indication of the operation of stressful conditions on growth and development. The females being biologically superior to males seem to be better adapted than the males under the conditions of deprivaaon. The reduced sexual dimorphism is perhaps due to the fact that the males are much more affected due to emotional deprivation in comparison to the females who are naturally protected and lesser affected.

2 illus, 3 tables, 42 ref

002317   Kar A;Gogoi D K;Rabha B;Gogoi H K (Def Res Lab Post Bag No-2, , Tezpur-784 001) : In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial properties of stem with leaf extract of Curanga amara Juss. against human pathogenic microorganisms. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 759-62.

Crude stem with leaf extract of Curanga amara Juss. was screened in vitro against five human pathogenic microorganisms by Agar well diffusion method. Five different organic solvents were used to prepare stem with leaf extract of the plant and their efficacy was tested. The crude acetone extract was found most effective against the five test organisms e.g. Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella sp., Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans respectively. A comparative study against commercially available antibiotics were carried out by disc diffusion method where it was found that B. subtilis, E. coli and Klebsiella sp. are resistant to Penicillin G and Ampicillin. No other antibiotic except Albendazole was found active against C. albicans. But the crude acetone extract of C. amara was effective against all the test organisms. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of C. amara extract towards E. coli, B. subtilis and S. aureus was Img against 1 x 10⁸ cells as determined by tube dilution techniques. The MIC of acetone extract of C. amara for Klebsiella sp was 1.5 mg and towards C. albicans was 2 mg against 1 x 10⁸ cells. Finding suggests the usefulness of crude acetone extract of C. amara against human pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

3 tables, 13 ref

002316   Jisha M S;Mathur R S (NO, Sch of Biosci M.G. Univ, Kottayam, Kerala) : Effect of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) on mineral phosphate solubilization and on productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 609-12.

Twenty seven phosphate solubilizing microorganisms which included seventeen bacteria and ten fungi were isolated from rhizosphere soils of crop plants. The most efficient isolates from each group of microorganisms viz., two fungi identified as Aspergillns niger and Penicillium vermiculosum and four bacteria Bacillus sp, B₂, B₃ (unidentified isolates) and Psendomonas stutzeri were selected to test their ability to solubilize different insoluble inorganic phosphates in liquid medium. Inoculation effect of these isolates on yield and nutrient uptake of wheat crop was also studied and found to be significant. Inoculation of P-solubilizers with rockphosphate gave higher yield over superphosphate indicate the possibility of replacing the entire Sp with Rp.

2 tables, 12 ref

002315   Jaswal I J S;Jaswal S (NO, Punjab Agric Univ, Ludhiana) : Physical growth and nutritional status of rural children of western sub-Himalayan region. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 123-34.

A study was conducted on a cross-section of 3900 male and female children ranging in age from 6 to 18 years belonging to low socio-economic status. The sample was drawn from forty villages of western sub-Himalayan region of India. The nutritional status of each subject was assessed through weight for age index (Gomez classification) height for age and weight for height (Waterlow's classification). Indian standards (NIN) and American standard (NCHS) were used to determine the nutritional status of each subject. Dietary survey was carried out following weightment-cum-questionnaire method. The results indicate that as per Gomez classification about 30% boys and equal percentage of girls are normal with respect to Indian (NIN) standards, whereas only 11.64% boys and 17.60 girls fall in this category when compared to the American (NCHS) standards. A majority of the children have been seen to fall in Grade I malnutrition category and a very small fraction in Grade III category of malnutrition. However, in terms of Waterlow's classification the percentage of children falling in the normal range is much higher, where as Grade I and III have shown the lowest percentages of both boys and girls, nevertheless, a large number of children are seen to fall in grade II malnutrition. Children too have been assessed through clinical nutritional status and relationship between nutrient intake and weight has also been worked out. Nutritional intervention particularly in the case of Vitamin A, C, calcium and protein deficiency has been recommended. The raw material in the region which is cheap, readily and easily available and is practical has been recommended for the nutritional intervention.

7 tables, 24 ref

002314   Jaiswal P;Prasanna R;Singh P K (Cent for Conserv and Utilization of Blue Green Algae IARI, , New Delhi-110 012, Email: pranitajaiswal_1@hotmail.com) : Isolation and screening of rice field cyanobacteria exhibiting algicidal activity. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 767-70.

Twenty-eight cyanobacterial strains were isolated from IARI rice field soil samples, which included eight genera. These strains were screened for algicidal activity using lawn of Synechococcus/Synechocystis. Out of twenty eight strains only four strains showed inhibition zones indicative of algicidal activity and these strains belong to the genera Nostoc (N1, N2), Oscillatoria and Phormidium . Such algicidal compounds play a significant role in the abundance of the organisms and have immense potential as biocidal agents in agriculture and industry.

2 illus, 1 table, 15 ref

002313   Goel G;Kakkar M;Puniya A K;Teotia UVS;Singh K (Dairy Microbiol Div, Natn Dairy Res Inst, Karnal-132 001) : Microbilogical and chemical profiles of kanji: a naturally fermented product of carrot. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 815-17.

Natural fermentation of kanji was carried out with Dacus carota var. sativa at ambient temperature (30°C) for 7 days. The brine was evaluated daily for different chemical and microbiological parameters aside from organoleptic acceptability. A sharp increase in acidity (0.01% to 0.24%) well supported by decrease in pH was observed during fermentation. Most of the carrot sugars were released in early phases of fermentation with leaching in colour in brine. While studying the microflora of kanji Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Leuconostoc were found to be predominant organisms in fermented product. Based on sensory evaluations by panelist the kanji was acceptable after 4 to 5 days of fermentation.

2 tables, 9 ref

002312   Ghosh J R;Bhattacharjee P;Bandyopadhyay A R (NO, , ) : Age at menarche and its relationship with some anthropometric variables among Bengali females of West Bengal, India. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 177-85.

Menstruation in girls, or menarche, is the most commonly reported indicator of maturation during adolescence and also is well-known risk factors for non-communicable disease like, CVD, Type II diabetes, and cancer. It is also associated with infant morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to understand the relationship of age at menarche with adult body dimensions and body composition among 177 adult Bengali subjects from an under graduate college of Kolkata, West Bengal. Anthropometric measurements namely, height, weight, circumferences of minimum waist, maximum hip and skinfold thickness at triceps, biceps, subscapular, suprailiac, and medial calf were taken following standard techniques. BMI, FM, FFM and Log transformed sum of five skinfolds were computed subsequently. Correlation analysis were done in order to understand the relationship between age at menarche with each variable. The mean age was 20.40 years (SD ± 1.53) and the mean age at menarche was 12.03 (SD ± 1.26) years, which was lower than in other studies. Except height all other variables showed inverse associations with age at menarche. The results indicated that the most important anthropometric measures acting on age at menarche was medial calf skinfold measurement and also there was an association between menarcheal age, fatness and adult body size.

2 tables, 55 ref

002311   Gaur R;Singhal T (Dep of Anthrop, Punjab Univ, Chandigarh-160 014) : Stature, weight and BMI in relation to permanent tooth emergence among Rajput boys of Theog area, Himachal Pradesh. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 199-211.

Emergence of permanent teeth in relation to stature, weight and body mass index (BMI) was investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 6 to 13 year old Rajput boys of Theog area of Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh. Mean stature and weight of the boys showed a steady increase with increase in age; the age trend of BMI was variable. The incidence of caries was 13.36%. The median ages of tooth emergence were calculated with the help of probit analysis. The overall sequence of permanent tooth emergence was M₁,M¹,I₁,I¹,I²,P¹,P¹,P_{1,C1,C¹,P²,P2,M2,M². Bilateral differences did not show any definite pattern. Except for the premolars, mandibular teeth emerged earlier than their maxillary counterparts. The permanent definition in the present sample, by and large, emerged earlier than the Americans, Australians and Gujjars of Punjab and later than the Jats of Haryana, Khasis, Meiteis, Chinese of Hong Kong, Japanese and Canadian Eskimos. Partial correlation coefficients between the number of emerged teeth and stature and weight were statistically significant (pd¹¹0.05) at 7,8,10, and 13 years and also for the sample as a whole, indicating a positive correlation of stature and weight with the number of emerged teeth. The correlation was stronger with stature as compared to weight. The correlations of number of emerged teeth and body mass index were not significant statistically.}

6 tables, 50 ref

002310   Ganai B A;Masood A;Zargar M A;Bashir S M (Dep of Biochem, SP. Coll of, Srinagar, J&K) : Detoxifying of sulphite oxidase and its charcterization from various sources. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 891-4.

Enzyme sulphite oxidase (EC 1.8.3.1), believed to be responsible for the detoxifaction of sulphur dioxide sulphite to sulphate, till date has been purified and characterized from a variety of animal, microbial and plant sources. The enzyme obtained from majority of animal sources has been found to be a homodimer with each subunit having a molecular weight of 55 KDa wheras the ones obtained from plant sources ranges between 27-33 KDa. The prosthetic group associated with the animal and microbial sulphite oxidase is Cytochrome b5 whereas plant sulphite oxidase has been found to contain molybdenum. Stokes readius and frictional ratio of sulphite oxidase obtained from Malva sylvesteris are 2.29 mm and 1.16 nm respectively. The Km value of sulphite oxidase has been found variable rangine from 10-7 to 10-3 M and it shows absorption maxima of 210, 280, 413 and 570 nm with pH stability at 7.8.

^iia61 ref

002309   Eiben O G;Toth G A (Dep of Biol Anthrop, Eotvos Lorand Univ, Budapest, Hungary) : A Hungarian case of secular growth changes: the Kormend growth study. Indian J phys Anthrop Hum Genet 2005, 24(2), 99-108.

Based decades human biological activity of the senior author in Kormend (Western Hungary), an overview on the Kormend Growth Study has been presented. It is a series of repeated cross-sectional growth surveys. All healthy boys and girls between 3 and 18 years of age were investigated in 1958 (K-58), in 1968 (K-68), in 1978 (K-78), in 1988 (K-88), and in 1998 (K-98). Over this half-a-century, the small settlement developed from an agricultural village into a moderately industrialized town. Its population increased, and its infrastructure improved remarkably. The growth process of children also changed, however, there were findings, which evoked concern. Mean height and body mass increased during the above-mentioned period as compared to the recent Hungarian growth standards. Mean height and weight of Kormend boys and girls shifted from the approximately 25th percentiles to the 50th percentiles. Width measurements of the trunk, however, were not of step. Circumferences did not change remarkably, but skinfolds increased slightly. Age at menarche changed, also, in 1998 m=12.95 y. The physique of Kormend children became more linear but a bit fatter. These changes are mostly due to environmental factors covered by the concept of secular trend. Growth of Kormend children, demonstrated with body measurements, reacted upon to the unrepeatable changes of environmental factors very soon and sensitively.

2 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

002308   Edeoga H O;Jimoh M A (Dep of Biol Sci, Michael Okpara Univ of Agric, Umudike, P.M.B. 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria) : Leaf epidermis of Hyptis suaveolens and Ocimum gratissimum complex. Envir Ecol 2005, 23(4), 831-7.

Analysis of the characters of the epidermis revealed the immense value of some foliar epidermal characters to the taxonomy of H. suaveolens and O. gratissimum complex. These characters included the isodiametric shape of the epidermal cells of hybrid A and epidermal glands on the epidermis of O. gratissimum hybrids. The different types, shape and sizes of trichomes in both genera were also of significant importance. Other significant epidermal features were observed in the leaf lamina. These included multicellular epidermal hairs seen on the adaxial epidermis of hybrids C and D and on the epidermis of H. suaveolens. Multicellular hairs were also observed on H. suaveolens.

3 illus, 1 table, 27 ref

002307   Dubey C;Saxena N;Saxena N K;Srivastava A (Dep of P.G. Stud and Res in Chem, R.D. Univ, Jabalpur-482 001) : Characterisation of selected enzymes, toxic molecules and other macromolecules of a new hybrid soybean variety. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 849-001.

Seeds of soybean, (Glycine max Merill. L) JS 71-05 have been analyzed for lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and 2 main DNA dependent enzyme RNA polymerase of urease. RNA polymerase showed major fraction of mol. wt 220 Kda and 180 Kda whereas urease showed a major fraction of mol. wt. 280 Kda. Protein solubility profiles showed lowest solubility at 7.0 pH and highest at 12.0 pH. Four toxic molecules were also identified in the seeds, namely cyanide, trypsin inhibitor, haemaglutinating factor and tannin content were also found in seeds.

1 illus, 4 tables, 19 ref

002306   Devika R;Sangheetha R;Bhuvaneshwari B (Dep of Biotechnol and, Microbiol Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Coll, Thanjavur-614 904) : Lip gene transfer from Pseudomonas aeruginosa atcc 27583 to Escherichia coli. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 713-15.

Lipases are produced by many microorganisms and higher eukaryotes. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative soil bacterium which secretes lipolytic enzymes which are capable of degrading wastwater contaminants such as olive oil from oil mills. In the investigation transfer of lip gene was carried out from P. aeruginosa ATCC 27583 to E. coli and was successful and it could generate 350 transformant colonies from 18.5 ug of plasmid DNA.

002305   Deshpande A R;Mohd S P;Banole A M;Patil D P (P.G.Department of Microbiol, Shri Shivaji Coll, Akola) : Screening of some plant extracts for antibacterial activity. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 755-8.

Screening of twenty-five plants was undertaken for detection of antibacterial activity. Petroleum ether, acetone and 90% methanol extracts of parts of these plants were tested against standard bacterial cultures of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Appreciable antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria was detected in the acetone and methanol extracts of Abrus precatorius, Boswellia serrata, Careya arborea, Emblica officinalis, Soymida febrifuga, Syzygium cumini, Woodfordia fruticosa, and Sphaeranthus indicus. Extracts of some of the other plants were active only against Gram positive bacteria.

1 illus, 3 tables, 23 ref

002304   Christy A M V;Mohanlal J (Dep of Biotechnol, Thanthai Hans Roever Coll, Perambalur-621 212) : Isolation of beta lactamase producing soil microbes. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 753-4.

Beta lactam antimicrobial are the most heavily and commonly used treatment for bacterial infections. Resistance to penicillin emerged soon after it was first introduced in the 1940's. The most frequent and most efficient mechanism of resistant to β- lactamase is the production of β-lactamase enzymes, which are now seen in a wide variety of clinically important bacteria. Different types of soil samples that were used, sixteen penicillin resistant isolates were obtained via the enrichment method. Further screening of the isolates by qualitative (β-lactamase tests proved that seven of them have comparatively good 0- lactamase production and they are RRL4 Brown, RRL4 Yellow, RRLIO White, RRL6 White small, RRL20 Small white, RRL 21 a Big white and RRL 21b Small white. These cultures were also showed relatively higher level of penicillin tolerance, β-lactamases are usually produced by gram negative organisms in which this is the main method of resistance. Gram positive organisms also produce these enzymes, though their major line of resistance is due to the presence of altered penicillin-Binding proteins (PBP's).

2 illus, 1 table, 6 ref

002303   Bora L;Baruah I (Def Res Lab Post Bag No-2, , Tezpur-784 001) : Occurrence and extracellular enzymatic activity profiles of bacterial strains from hot springs of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 763-5.

Extra cellular enzymatic activities of mesophilic and thermophilic bacterial strains of hot springs of Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh have been studied. Bacterial strains of spring water and sediments were assessed on nutrient agar medium. Sediment samples consist of more thermophiles than mesophiles. About 75% of the isolates tested showed extra cellular enzyme activity. Out of 32 isolates screened, 22, 22 , 17 and 10 isolates exhibited lipase, protease, amylase and cellulase activities respectively. The study shows that bacterial strains from the thermal springs need further investigations in view of their bioactive compounds and enzymes.

2 tables, 18 ref

002302   Banerjee G;Mastan Singh;Goel N (NO, King George Med Univ, Lucknow, U.P.) : Characterization of Acinetobacter form clinical isolates at Gandhi Memorial and Associated Hospitals, Lucknow. J Commun Dis 2005, 37(1), 30-4.

Study was conducted in 4140 clinical samples sent to Microbiology department from different department of G.M. and associated hospitals. The samples included 2270 urine, 960 pus, 300 blood, 210 sputum, 180 CSF, 20 intercostal drainage tubes and 150 other swabs like vaginal and urethral, conjunctival smear 30, 10 ascitic fluids and 10 gastric aspirates. Apart from this, 30 specimens were collected from hospitals environment, like linen and trolley. From clinical samples, 43 acinetobacter strains (1.04%) were isolated. Seventeen strains (0.41%), were from pus, 12 (0.28%), from respiratory tract, 1, was (0.02%) from intercostal drainage secretions, urine 9 (0.22%), blood 1 (0.2%) and CSF 3 (.72%). From environmental samples, 7 strains (23.33%) were isolated. All the isolated strains were identified by routine biochemical tests. They were preserved in 1% agar media for characterization. Characterization was done on the basis of growth at 37°C, 41°C and 44°C, hemolysis, gelatin hydrolysis, acid from glucose, utilization of citrate, L-phenyl alanine, malonate, B-alanine, L-arginine, L-ornithine and L-aspartate. Among species identified Acinetobacter baumannii was 30 (69.67%), from clinical specimens and 5 (71.42%) from environment, Acinetobacter l woffh was 10 (23.25%) from clinical specimen and 2 from environmental specimen, Acinetobacter hemolyticus was 3 (6.97%) and none from the environment. All the strains were resistant to penicillin. The sensitivity pattern showed gentamycin 64% sensitive, cotrimaxazole 42% cefotoxin 32% ciprofloxacine 26% and tetracycline 16%.

4 tables, 5 ref

002301   Bahali D D (Conserv Biol and Molec Taxonomy Lab, Natn Bot Res Inst, Rana Pratap Marg, Email: ddbahali@yahoo.com) : Does Iris sikkimensis Dykes occur in India. Curr Sci 2005, 89(10), 1665-6.

^ssc16 ref

002300   Anupurba S;Sen M R (Dept of Microbiol, Inst of Med Sci Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005) : Antimicrobial resistance profile of bacterial isolates from intensive care unit: changing trends. J Commun Dis 2005, 37(1), 58-65.

Incidence of antimicrobial resistance has increased over the years resulting in limitation of therapeutic options. Strategies such as appropriate infection control measures and surveillance of resistance pattern are necessary to address the problem of resistance. Knowledge of the pattern of resistance in intensive Care Units (ICUs) can help to determine antibiotic prescribing policy. A retrospective study has been carried out to determine the bacterial spectrum and the antibiotic resistance pattern of clinical isolates collected from patients admitted to the ICU. The data was compared with a similar study conducted during 1996-97. Amongst the gram-positive organisms Staphylococcus aureus (23%) was the predominant isolate, while Pseudomonas (23%), Acinetobacter (20.8%), Citrobacter (11.7%) accounted for the majority of the gram-negative organisms. Both gram positive and gram-negative organisms exhibited high resistance to most antimicrobial agents used for testing susceptibility. The frequency of resistance has markedly increased as compared to the previous study.

3 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

002299   Angadi S B;Shiddamallayya N;Patil P C; Shakuntala P (Dep of P.G. Stud Phycology Lab and, Reasearch in Bot Gulbarga Univ, Gulbarga-585 106, Email: sbangadi@rediffmail.com) : Effect of some heavy metals on active transport of sodium and potassium in cyanobacteria Hapalosiphon stuhlemanni Hieron and Spirulina subsala 40308. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 887-9.

Effect of heavy metals such as Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), and Chromium (Cr) on active transport of Sodium (Na⁺) and Potassium Cyanobacteria Hapalosiphon stuhlmannii hieron and Spirulina subsala 40308 has been studied. The results indicated that low concentrations of heavy metals enhanced the Na⁺ and K⁺ contents in H. stuhlmannii, while low contents of Na⁺ and K⁺ was noticed in Cd at 5.0 ppm (Na⁺ = 14% and K⁺=03%) and Cr at 5.0 ppm (K⁺ = 0.6%). It was noted that all the concentrations of Cu and Cd enhanced the Na⁺ and K⁺ contents in S. subsala and the lower concentrations of Ni and Cr promoted intake of Na⁺ and K⁺; higher concentrations gradually reduced the levels of Na⁺ and K⁺.

1 table, 14 ref

002298   Anand S;Rati E R (Fd Microbiol, Cent Fd Technol Res Inst, Mysore-570 020, Email: reddiva@yahoo.com) : Ochratoxigenic fungal contamination of food commodities. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 843-7.

Samples of maize, sorghum, groundnut, rice, chillies, coffee beans, groundnut cake, poultry feed, cotton seed and dried coconut purchased from retail shops in the city of Mysore, Karnataka, India were screened for the presence of toxigenic Aspergillus ochraceus fungi and ochratoxin contamination. The incidence of Aspergillus ochraceus group of fungi in food and feed samples was 20.5% (15/73) with a load ranging 100-20,000 CFU/g. A. ochraceus group of fungi were dominant in maize, coffee and poultry feed samples. Twenty two isolates belonging to Aspergillus ochraceus group were isolated. Among them 59.2% (13/22) isolates were found to produce ochratoxin. The Penicillium spp and other fungal spp isolated from food samples did not elaborate ochratoxin. Of the food and feed samples tested for mycotoxin contamination, two samples showed the presence of both the aflatoxin B₁ and ochratoxin A and one sample of coffee had ochratoxin A and citrinin contamination. The sample of groundnut cake and poultry feed samples had aflatoxin BI (3.4 and 10 ppm respectively) and ochratoxin A (0.4 and 0.2 ppm respectively). A sample of coffee bean had citrinin mycotoxin and ochratoxin A (0.5 ppm and 1.25ppm respectively).

4 tables, 25 ref

002297   Aiyer P V;Modi H A (NO, S.P.T. Arts and Scinece Coll, Godhra 389 001) : Isolation and screening of alkaline amylase producing bacteria Bacillus licheniformis spt-27. Asian J Microbiol Biotechnol envir Sci 2005, 7(4), 895-7.

Alkaline amylase producing bacteria was isolated from the soil of Cambayl. The isolate was found to be producing amylase at alkaline pH and it showed optimum yields at pH 9. This isolate was identified to be Bacillus licheniformis SPT 27.

4 tables, 5 ref

002296   Agrawal A (Div of Biochem, Cent Drug Inst, Lucknow-226 001) : Drug metabolizing enzymes during arteether treatment of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis infected mice cerebral microvessels. J Commun Dis 2005, 37(1), 44-50.

Human cerebral malaria is caused by a protozoan parasitic with no cure till date. The isolation of brain capillaries i.e. microvessels has permitted the in vitro study related to cerebral function. Microvessels were isolated from normal and P. yoelii infected mice brain cortex and subjected to biochemical characterization by the following enzyme markers viz alkaline phosphatase, γr-glutamyl transpeptidase and monoamine oxidase and electron microscopically limited studies have been carried out in relation to drug metabolizing enzymes in cerebral microvessels of rodents. Studies have been carried out in relation to status of drug metabolizing enzymes during P. yoelii infection in cerebral microvessels of mice. The data obtained depicted a clear cut impairment of cytochrome P450 (a terminal monooxygenase) and related indices viz b5, benzopyrene hydroxylase, aminopyrene-n-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase except NADH cytochrome e reductase which increased during P. yoelii infection in mice as compared to normal. Further, the oral drug administration (arteether) treatment brought back the altered MFO system normal a week alter cessation of drug treatment.

1 illus, 2 tables, 22 ref