Association of GSTP1 gene polymorphisms with performance traits in Deoni cattle

Heat stress directly and indirectly stimulate excessive intra/inter cellular toxicants such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTP1) plays the central role in the detoxification of ROS. In this investigation, we studied the genetic variation in GSTP1 gene using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique in 70 Deoni breed cows. All the seven exons of GSTP1 gene were amplified by PCR using a total of six sets of primers. The genetic variants were determined by PCR-SSCP technique. Two unique SSCP patterns were observed in fragment 1, 3, 5 and 6 of GSTP1 gene. Sequence analysis with reference to GenBank Acc. no AC_000186.1 revealed polymorphisms at position 210, 746, 2438, 2439, 2443, 2507, 2695 and insertions between positions 707 and 708, 2700-2701 and 2775-2776. All the observed variations in coding regions were silent mutations. The cows with SSCP pattern B of fragment-5 had higher age at first calving while the cows with pattern A had higher lactation length and lactation yield as compared to pattern B (P≤0.05). The animals with pattern A of fragment 6 in GSTP1 gene had higher lactation length and lactation yield as compared to animals with pattern B. There was no significant difference in enzyme activity and calving interval in cows with different patterns in different SSCP fragments.Keywords: Deoni, GSTP1, polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), heat stressAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(24), pp. 3768-377

Magnetic and electron transport properties of the rare-earth cobaltates, La0.7-xLnxCa0.3CoO3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Gd and Dy) : A case of phase separation

Magnetic and electrical properties of four series of rare earth cobaltates of the formula La0.7-xLnxCa0.3CoO3 with Ln = Pr, Nd, Gd and Dy have been investigated. Compositions close to x = 0.0 contain large ferromagnetic clusters or domains, and show Brillouin-like behaviour of the field-cooled DC magnetization data with fairly high ferromagnetic Tc values, besides low electrical resistivities with near-zero temperature coefficients. The zero-field-cooled data generally show a non-monotonic behaviour with a peak at a temperatures slightly lower than Tc. The near x = 0.0 compositions show a prominent peak corresponding to the Tc in the AC-susceptibility data. The ferromagnetic Tc varies linearly with x or the average radius of the A-site cations, (rA). With increase in x or decrease in (rA), the magnetization value at any given temperature decreases markedly and the AC-susceptibility measurements show a prominent transition arising from small magnetic clusters with some characteristics of a spin-glass. Electrical resistivity increases with increase in x, showed a significant increase around a critical value of x or (rA), at which composition the small clusters also begin to dominate. These properties can be understood in terms of a phase separation scenario wherein large magnetic clusters give way to smaller ones with increase in x, with both types of clusters being present in certain compositions. The changes in magnetic and electrical properties occur parallely since the large ferromagnetic clusters are hole-rich and the small clusters are hole-poor. Variable-range hopping seems to occur at low temperatures in these cobaltates.Comment: 23 pages including figure

Weeds and Weed Management of Rice in Karnataka State, India

Rice is one of the staple food crops of India, and Karnataka is one of the major rice-producing states. The primary method of rice establishment in Karnataka is transplanting, but farmers are opting to shift to direct-seeding of rice. Weed management is critical for realizing optimal yield of direct-seeded rice (DSR). The objective of this review was to synthesize the published literature on weeds and weed management in rice in Karnataka, identify improved weed-management technologies for delivery to farmers, and suggest research needs. Some 98 weed species are reported to be associated with rice in Karnataka. Weed control to date in Karnataka has mostly been based on herbicides. Hand-weeding was found to be effective in all methods of rice establishment. However, it is time-consuming, tedious, and costly because labor is becoming scarce and unavailable, and labor wages are higher. Several PRE and POST herbicides that were effective in other Asian countries were also found to be effective in managing weeds in rice established by different methods in Karnataka. Bensulfuron plus pretilachlor and pyrazosulfuron in aerobic rice and pendimethalin, thiobencarb, bispyribac-sodium, cyhalofop, fenoxaprop plus chlorimuron plus metsulfuron, and fenoxaprop plus ethoxysulfuron in dry-DSR were found effective in managing weeds. In wet-DSR, butachlor plus safener and pretilachlor plus safener were effective. Thiobencarb, pendimethalin, pretilachlor, azimsulfuron plus metsulfuron, bispyribac-sodium, butachlor, cinosulfuron, oxadiazon, and quinclorac were found promising for weed management in transplanted rice. Integration of herbicides with hand-weeding or intercultivation was found to be effective in rice established by different methods. Options that were found economical in managing weeds varied across the different rice-establishment methods. The need for developing location-specific, sustainable, integrated weed management and extension of available technologies for the farming community in Karnataka is emphasized

Rice Production Systems

Rice is grown in more than 100 countries spread across six continents and in varying agroecological and socioeconomic conditions. Rice production systems were classified over years differently depending on the context. In this chapter, the method of rice establishment is considered as criteria for classifying rice production systems across the globe. An attempt is made here to summarize the information on rice production systems, resources used, crop productivity attained, the challenges encountered, and possible research needs for improving productivity in rice production systems, to meet the future food demands. Based on the major methods of rice establishment of the world, the rice production systems are categorized as (a) transplanted rice (TPR) production systems and (b) direct-seeded rice (DSR) production systems. DSR production systems are further categorized as (i) dry-seeded rice (dry-DSR) production system, (ii) wet-seeded rice (wet-DSR) production system, and (iii) water-seeded rice (water-DSR) production system. The productivity of TPR and DSR was reported to be similar when the best management practices are adopted. As already occurred in the developed world, a shift in adoption toward DSR production systems is occurring in developing world, due to advantages of DSR production systems such as lesser cost of production, increased resource (water, labor, and energy) use efficiency, and income compared to TPR. Lower environmental footprint was found to be another advantage of DSR production systems when they were combined with other conservation agricultural practices. The need for continuous research efforts was stressed for understanding the evolving rice production systems across the globe and to develop practical integrated crop management strategies that improve rice productivity and production effectively, sustainably, and economically with minimal environment footprint

Assessment of genetic diversity among Malnad Gidda, Punganur and Vechur-dwarf cattle breeds of India using microsatellite markers

The genetic diversity among 3 dwarf breeds of cattle in India, viz. Malnad Gidda, Punganur and Vechur were analysed using 12 sets of microsatellite markers. All 11 amplified microsatellite loci were polymorphic with a mean number of alleles of 7.818±1.66 across breeds and in different breeds it ranged from 7.273 in Malnad Gidda to 3.546 in Vechur. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) value observed and expected heterozygosity values across the population were 0.642, 0.610 and 0.683, respectively. A moderate level of inbreeding was observed with the inbreeding estimates ranging from -0.027 (ILSTS6) to 0.271 (HAUT24). Among the 3 breeds the highest mean number of alleles (7.273), mean PIC value (0.639), observed heterozygosity (0.630) and lower inbreeding estimates at majority of loci were observed in Malnad Gidda cattle indicating high degree of heterozygosity compared to Punganur and Vechur breeds. Even though departure from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) was found in Vechur and Punganur cattle population at majority of the loci, the population combining the 3 breeds was maintained at HWE with respect to most of loci under study. The genetic distance analysis revealed highest genetic distance between Vechur and Punganur (0.331) and lowest between Malnad Gidda and Punganur (0.125)

Chemoprotective influence of <i style="">Zanthoxylum</i> sps. on hepatic carcinogen metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes and skin papillomagenesis in murine model

857-863In the present study, the putative potential of pericarp of dried fruit of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae Family), a common spice additive in India’s west coast cuisines, in protecting against carcinogenesis has been reported. Extract from dried fruit of Zanthoxylum was orally administered to mice at two dose levels: 100 and 200 mg/kg body wt. for 14 days. Results reveal bifunctional nature of Zanthoxylum species as deduced from its potential to induce phase-I and phase-II enzyme activities associated with carcinogen activation and detoxification in the liver of mice. Hepatic glutathione S-transferase and DT-diaphorase were found significantly elevated by the treatment. Zanthoxylum was also effective in augmenting the antioxidant enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase albeit significantly by high dose of the extract (PP<0.01). Reduced glutathione was also significantly elevated in the liver of treated animals (P<0.05). The present study also investigated peri-initiation application of acetone extract of Zanthoxylum on initiated mouse skin. Results showed a significant reduction in tumor incidence from 68% to 36% (P<0.05); as well as, a reduction in tumor burden per effective mouse from 3.87 to 0.72 (P<0.01). Cumulatively, the findings strongly suggest cancer chemo-preventive potential of Zanthoxylum sps

Effect of antidiabetic compounds on glyoxalase I activity in experimental diabetic rat liver

193-195The activity of glyoxalase I from the soluble fraction of diabetic rat liver was found to decrease as compared to the control. Sodium orthovanadate in drinking water and Trigonella foenum graecum seed powder when administered to these diabetic animals were found to reverse the activity of glyoxalase [to control values. A combination of the above two antidiabetic compounds showed a better reversal. Vanadate and Trigonella seed powder treatment separately to diabetic rats also normalized hyperglycemia together with glyoxalase I activity. A combination of vanadate and Trigonella seed powder also restored the other general parameters of the diabetic animals

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Not AvailableSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Alpha-Lactalbumin gene in Murrah and South Kanara Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis).Not Availabl

Chemomodulatory potential of <i style="">Glycine max </i>against murine skin and cervical papillomagenesis

864-870In the present study, chemopreventive potential of Glycine max (G. Max) seeds was examined against DMBA-induced skin and MCA-induced cervical papillomagenesis in Swiss albino mice. Different doses (2.5, 5, and 7.5% w/w) of G. max were provided to animals in feed. Results exhibited a significant reduction in skin as well as cervical tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity (up to 75%) at all doses of test diet as compared to the control. Relatively, 7.5% test diet was most effective in protecting the animals against carcinogenesis. Further, detoxifying enzymes and antioxidative status was also evaluated in the liver of mice to understand the role of G. max in prevention of cancer. It was observed that the test diet containing G. max significantly elevated the specific activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), DT-diaphorase (DTD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glyoxalase I (Gly I). The test diet also elevated the content of reduced glutathione whereas it decreased the level of the peroxidative damage along with the specific activity of lactate dehydrogenase. It appeared that G. max seeds provided chemoprevention against skin and cervical papillomagenesis probably by modulating the detoxifying and antioxidative enzymes. It could be inferred that intake of G. max might help in reducing the risk of cancer