TOXOCARA VITULORUM INFESTATION AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS IN CATTLE AND BUFFALO AT MULTAN DISTRICT, PAKISTAN

ABSTRACT: Toxocara (T) vitulorum is a nematode, which residues in the small intestines o

Single nucleotide polymorphism and phylogenetic analysis of the exon 2 of leptin gene in Lohi sheep

Background: Leptin hormone, encoded by leptin (LEP) gene is involved in many biological and physiological processes in the body. Polymorphism in LEP gene has been observed and correlated with a variety of reproductive and productive traits in several sheep breeds worldwide, but its role has not been much studied in local sheep breeds of Pakistan. The present study was conducted to analyze polymorphism in LEP gene in Lohi breed of sheep.Methods: Subsequent to statistical analysis (generalized linear model), 18 animals were selected randomly from the flock for blood samples collection followed by DNA extraction, amplification using PCR prior to sequencing. The amplified product of exon 2 and partial intron 2 regions of LEP gene was 268bp.Results: Molecular analysis showed a heterozygous condition i.e. C>Y at position 15 and 18 in exon 2. The data on average daily weight gain (ADG) from birthday to 90 days were used for association study, while environmental effects were minimized by means of generalized linear model. Association of polymorphisms in LEP gene with ADG did not yield any significant results.Conclusion: In conclusion, analysis of LEP gene sequence verified the existence of genetic changes in Lohi sheep. Further investigations are needed to find variations that might be linked with traits of economic importance for upcoming breeding program sand marker-assisted selection.Keywords: DNA; Exon 2; LEP; PCR; Loh

Assessment of sublethal and transgenerational effects of spirotetramat, on population growth of cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) is a devastating pest of cruciferous crops causing economic damage worldwide and notably owing to its increasing resistance to commonly used pesticides. Such resistance prompts the development of integrated pest management (IPM) programs that include novel pesticides being effective against the aphids. Spirotetramat is a novel insecticide used against sap-sucking insect pests, particularly aphids. This study evaluated the toxicity of spirotetramat to adult apterous B. brassicae after 72 h using the leaf dipping method. According to the toxicity bioassay results, the LC50 value of spirotetramat to B. brassicae was 1.304 mgL−1. However, the sublethal concentrations (LC5 and LC15) and transgenerational effects of this novel insecticide on population growth parameters were estimated using the age-stage, two-sex life table theory method. The sublethal concentrations (LC5; 0.125 mgL−1 and LC15; 0.298 mgL−1) of spirotetramat reduced the adult longevity and fecundity of the parent generation (F0). These concentrations prolonged the preadult developmental duration while decreasing preadult survival, adult longevity and reproduction of the F1 generation. The adult pre-reproductive period was also extended by spirotetramat treatment groups. Subsequently, the population growth parameters such as the intrinsic rate of increase r, finite rate of increase λ and net reproductive rate R0 of the F1 generation were decreased in spirotetramat treatment groups whereas, the mean generation time T of the F1 generation was not affected when compared to the control. These results indicated the negative effect of sublethal concentrations of spirotetramat on the performance of B. brassicae by reducing its nymphal survival, extending the duration of some immature stages and suppressing the population growth of B. brassicae. Overall, we demonstrated that spirotetramat is a pesticide showing both sublethal activities, and transgenerational effects on cabbage aphid; it may be useful for implementation in IPM programs against this aphid pest

Digestion by saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal juices and in vitro fermentation by human gut microbiota of polysaccharides from cicer Arietinum L. hulls

In the present study, digestion and fermentation (in vitro) of chickpea hull (CHPS) polysaccharides were analyzed, and CHPS effects were determined on gut microbes by using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results revealed that saliva, artificial gastric, and small intestinal juices had no effect on CHPS, but after fermentation of CHPS by human gut microbiota the molecular weight, reducing sugar and carbohydrate content decreased significantly. CHPS significantly modulated the gut microbial composition reflecting the potential to reduce obesity risk. Moreover, the decrease in pH was observed in the fermentation system, while short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly increased. These results indicate that CHPS have potential and could be utilized as functional food components for the improvement of human gut health.The present work was partially supported by a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions. The first author would like to express his thanks to the Ministry of Education of China for financial assistance through the Chinese Government Scholarship Program.Peer reviewe

Chemical characterisation and hepatoprotective potential of <i>Cosmos sulphureus</i> Cav. and <i>Cosmos bipinnatus</i> Cav.

<p>This study was conducted to validate the hepatoprotective activity of <i>Cosmos sulphureus</i> and <i>Cosmos bipinnatus</i>. Aqua-methanolic extracts of both plants were evaluated for the presence of various phyto-constituents through HPLC. Different doses of both plant extracts were administered to rats for nine days. Standard control was silymarin 100 mg/kg. Paracetamol 1 gm/kg was administered 3 h post treatment on 9th day for induction of hepatotoxicity. Blood was collected for the evaluation of liver biochemical markers and livers were removed for histopathological evaluation 24 h post-paracetamol treatment. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid in both plant extracts. The extracts of both plants decreased the level of alanine aminotransaminase and total bilirubin significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05), dose dependently and protected hepatocytes from paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. It can be concluded that both plants may possess hepatoprotective activity possibly due to the presence of quercetin and phenolic compounds.</p

Imunomodulacijska aktivnost polisaharida iz ljuske slanutka (Cicer arietinum L.) vrste kabuli in vitro i in vivo

Research background. Polysaccharides isolated from plants, fungi and bacteria are associated with immunomodulatory effects. Chickpea hull, which is regarded as food industrial waste, contains considerable amounts of antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Experimental approach. In the present study, we investigated the immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides from kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) hull (CHPS). In vitro study was conducted with RAW264.7 cell line while in vivo study was carried out using specific pathogen-free BALB/c mouse animal model. Results and conclusions. In in vitro test with RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells, the three purified fractions of chickpea hull polysaccharides showed potent immunomodulatory activity. Sample CHPS-3 showed stronger effect on cell viability, promoted the phagocytosis index to a greater extent and had the best effect on acid phosphatase activity. Moreover, it was found that CHPS-3 significantly (p<0.05) enhanced the secretion of nitrogen monoxide and cytokine (interleukins IL-6, IL-1β and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)) levels. In in vivo study, CHPS-3 improved thymus and spleen indices in cyclophosphamide-induced immunodeficient mice. Increased activities of lysozyme, catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, serum haemolysin content and total antioxidant capacity were observed, while the amount of malondialdehyde in the liver decreased. Novelty and scientific contribution. The results suggest that chickpea hull polysaccharides enhanced the immune activity and could be developed as the ingredient of functional foods.Pozadina istraživanja. Polisaharidi izolirani iz biljaka, gljivica i bakterija imaju dokazani imunomodulacijski učinak. Ljuska slanutka, koja se smatra otpadom prehrambene industrije, bogata je antioksidansima i bioaktivnim spojevima. Eksperimentalni pristup. U ovom smo radu ispitali imunomodulacijsku aktivnost polisaharida iz ljuske slanutka (Cicer arietinum L.) vrste kabuli. Ispitivanje je provedeno in vitro na staničnoj liniji RAW264,7, a in vivo na BALB/c miševima, uzgojenim u uvjetima bez patogena specifičnih za miševe. Rezultati i zaključci. U ispitivanju in vitro na makrofagu sličnim stanicama RAW264,7, tri pročišćene frakcije polisaharida iz ljuske slanutka imale su izraženu imunomodulacijsku aktivnost. Uzorak iz treće frakcije imao je veći utjecaj na preživljavanje stanica, znatnije je poboljšao fagocitni indeks i u najvećoj mjeri utjecao na aktivnost kisele fosfataze. Osim toga, taj je uzorak bitno (p<0,05) poboljšao oslobađanje dušikovog(II) oksida i povećao razinu citokina (interleukina IL-6, IL-1β i faktora tumorske nekroze alfa (TNF-α)). U ispitivanju in vivo, uzorak iz treće frakcije poboljšao je indekse timusa i slezene u miševima s imunodeficijencijom uzrokovanom ciklofosfamidom. Opažena je povećana aktivnost lizozima, katalaze, superoksid dismutaze i glutation peroksidaze, udjela hemolizina u serumu i ukupnog antioksidacijskog kapaciteta, dok se količina malondialdehida u jetri smanjila. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Rezultati pokazuju da polisaharidi iz ljuske slanutka poboljšavaju imunološku aktivnost te da se mogu upotrijebiti kao dodatak funkcionalnoj hrani

Assembling a DNA barcode reference library for the spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Pakistan.

Morphological study of 1,795 spiders from sites across Pakistan placed these specimens in 27 families and 202 putative species. COI sequences >400 bp recovered from 1,782 specimens were analyzed using neighbor-joining trees, Bayesian inference, barcode gap, and Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). Specimens of 109 morphological species were assigned to 123 BINs with ten species showing BIN splits, while 93 interim species included representatives of 98 BINs. Maximum conspecific divergences ranged from 0-5.3% while congeneric distances varied from 2.8-23.2%. Excepting one species pair (Oxyopes azhari-Oxyopes oryzae), the maximum intraspecific distance was always less than the nearest-neighbor (NN) distance. Intraspecific divergence values were not significantly correlated with geographic distance. Most (75%) BINs detected in this study were new to science, while those shared with other nations mainly derived from India. The discovery of many new, potentially endemic species and the low level of BIN overlap with other nations highlight the importance of constructing regional DNA barcode reference libraries

Application of chitosan‐based chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) hull polysaccharides edible coating on cherry tomatoes preservation

Abstract Bio‐active food coating having natural antioxidants has attained great attention these days. Polysaccharides extracted from bacteria, fungi, and plants are considered rich in antioxidant biomolecules. Chickpea hull which is a food waste material contains a substantial quantity of antioxidants and bioactive compounds. In this study, chitosan (CS)‐based chickpea hull polysaccharides (CHPS) edible coating of cherry tomatoes was successfully fabricated. Cherry tomatoes were characterized in terms of physico‐chemical characteristics and shelf life. In comparison to the control, it was discovered that the CS‐incorporated CHPS coatings were successful at lowering the respiratory activity, total soluble solids, total polyphenols, firmness, weight loss, lycopene content, and vitamin C as well as improving the fruit's overall acceptability. The dose dependence of each of these effects was noticed. Conclusively, using CS‐incorporated CHPS coatings could preserve the shelf life of cherry tomatoes. A useful and different approach to enhance the postharvest quality of cherry tomatoes is to utilize CS‐CHPS composite coatings

Phytopharmacological evaluation of different solvent extract/fractions From<i> Sphaeranthus indicus</i> L. flowers:From traditional therapies to bioactive compounds

Sphaeranthus indicus L. is a medicinal herb having widespread traditional uses for treating common ailments. The present research work aims to explore the in-depth phytochemical composition and in vitro reactivity of six different polarity solvents (methanol, n-hexane, benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) extracts/fractions of S. indicus flowers. The phytochemical composition was accomplished by determining total bioactive contents, HPLC-PDA polyphenolic quantification, and UHPLC-MS secondary metabolomics. The reactivity of the phenolic compounds was tested through the following biochemical assays: antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelation) and enzyme inhibition (AChE, BChE, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, urease, and tyrosinase) assays were performed. The methanol extract showed the highest values for phenolic (94.07 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (78.7 mg QE/g extract) contents and was also the most active for α-glucosidase inhibition as well as radical scavenging and reducing power potential. HPLC-PDA analysis quantified rutin, naringenin, chlorogenic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, and epicatechin in a significant amount. UHPLC-MS analysis of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts revealed the presence of well-known phytocompounds; most of these were phenolic, flavonoid, and glycoside derivatives. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest inhibition against tyrosinase and urease, while the n-hexane fraction was most active for α-amylase. Moreover, principal component analysis highlighted the positive correlation between bioactive compounds and the tested extracts. Overall, S. indicus flower extracts were found to contain important phytochemicals, hence could be further explored to discover novel bioactive compounds that could be a valid starting point for future pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals applications