A Review on the Potential Uses of Ferns

Man has been using plants as a source of food, medicines and many other necessities of life since ancient times. Even to this day the primitive tribal societies that exist depend on the plant life in their surroundings. Though there were investigations of the edible economic values of the higher plants, especially the pteridophytes and angiosperms have been unfortunately ignored. The pteridophytes are used in Homoeopathic, Ayurvedic, Tribal and Unani medicines and provides food, insecticides and ornamentations

How specific is the immune response to malaria in adults living in endemic areas?

It is documented that people living in malaria endemic areas acquire immunity against malaria afterrepeated infections. Studies involving passive transfer of IgG from immune adults to the nonimmunesubjects have shown that circulating antibodies play an important role, and that immuneadults possess protective antibodies, which susceptible malaria patients do not. Through a differentialimmunoscreen, we have identified several novel cDNA clones, which react exclusively andyet extensively with immune sera samples. Specific antisera raised against the immunoclones inhibitthe growth of parasites in culture. The clones studied so far turn out to be novel conserved Plasmodiumgenes. In order to study the response of sera of adults from malaria endemic areas of Indiaand Africa to these immunogens, we carried out ELISA assays using these immunopeptides, otherP. falciparum specific antigens, peptides, antigens from other infections such as mycobacterial infectionsand other proteins such as BSA. Children from the same areas and normal healthy urbanpeople showed very little activity to each of these categories. A large percentage of adults from endemicareas responded positively to all the malarial immunogens tested. However, the same personsalso showed high response to other antigens and proteins as well. The implications of theseresults are reported in this paper

Hairy roots induction and artemisinin analysis in Artemisia dubia and Artemisia indica

Transformation of two Artemisia species (Artemisia dubia and Artemisia indica) was carried out by using two Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains LBA 9402 and 8196 for hairy roots production. Induction of hairy roots was higher in both Artemisia species when infected with LBA9402 as compared to 8196. When biomass of roots along with their artemisinin content was evaluated, a significant effect of Agrobacterium strain on fresh weight of roots was observed. While artemisinin content was significantly affected by both plant species as well as Agrobacterium strains used for infection. However roots of A. dubia infected either with LBA9402 or 8196 produced maximum artemisinin (0.603% and 0.753, respectively). When transformed roots were cultured in liquid medium, highest root fresh weight as well as artemisinin content (3.9 g and 0.042%, respectively) was observed in hairy roots of A. indica induced by Agrobacterium 819

Technology Trends and Future Opportunities in Development of NBC Protective Clothing

This article reviews a detailed and timely evolution of Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) protective clothing. The increased threat of NBC weapons underlines the need for NBC protective clothing for first responders, service personnel as well as civilians. The material selection criteria for protective clothing have been changed considerably with the development of advance technical fibers to sustain the threat of CWA and fulfill precisely need for the NBC suits. Because of advancement, in the use and delivery of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA), the evolution of the NBC suit is presented. The chemical protection of NBC protective clothing needs to be precisely evaluated and thereby related standard test methods are also duly accommodated. This review documented the journey of the NBC suit right from charcoal based to activated carbon spheres (ACS), and recent developments on the materials aspects of various protective clothing