Increasing the productivity of rajma through proper sowing date and plant geometry

Rajma (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation is gaining popularity in Terai to Hills of Nepal. The poor plant establishment and yield due to the results of unsuitable sowing time and row spacing are the main reasons for lower productivity of it. Therefore, the date of sowing and row spacing trials were conducted in two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018 at the Grain Legumes Research Program, Khajura, Banke. A widespread and registered variety of rajma PDR 14 was used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four sowing dates (a) 11th October, (b) 26th October, (c) 10th November and (d) 25th November as the main-factor, and three rows spacing (a) 30 cm, (b) 40 cm and (c) 50 cm as the sub-factor, consisted of three replications. The effect of the date of sowing on all the yield and yield attributing characters was found significant at a one percent significance level. Similarly, row spacing has resulted in a significant difference in grain yield. Rajma sown on 26th October (Kartik 9) produced 12, 38 and 64% higher grain yield than sown on 11th October, 10th November and 25th November, respectively. Moreover, rajma seeds sown on 26th October with 30 cm × 10 cm plant geometry produced the highest grain yield (2185 kg/ha). The narrow row spacing seemed well than the wider row in rajma production. There is a great potential to increase the production and productivity of rajma through an appropriate time of sowing and row spacing

ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIOXIDANT, CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS, AND CYTOTOXICITY EVALUATION OF TERMINALIA ARJUNA (ROXB. EX DC.) WIGHT AND ARN

ABSTRACTObjective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant prospective of Terminalia arjuna (leaves). The most activeextracts were examined for their chemical composition and cytotoxicity.Methods: The antibacterial activity of five different extracts were examined against 8 bacterial strains (5 Gram-positive and 3 Gram-negative) usingresazurin-based microtiter dilution assay (RMDA) and disk-diffusion assay. The antioxidant potential of five extracts was demonstrated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay. Chemical composition and cytotoxicity were assessed using gaschromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and hemolytic assay, respectively.Results: According to RMDA, the acetone extract (AE) exhibited highest antibacterial activity. The AE showed highest activity against Salmonellaenterica ser. typhi and Bacillus cereus with minimum inhibitory concentration, i.e., 195.31 μg/ml. In DPPH assay, AE showed the highest radicalscavenging activity with inhibition concentration50 23.09 μg/ml. In GC-MS analysis, the principal compound in AE was celidoniol (8.72 %). Accordingto the results of hemolytic assay, the AE showed non-toxic behavior upto 500 μg/ml.Conclusion: The present investigation represents T. arjuna as an incredible herb. The AE was found to possess promising antibacterial and antioxidantproperties.Keywords: Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Terminalia arjuna, Chemical composition, Cytotoxicity

IN VITRO ANTIMYCOTIC EVALUATION AND PRELIMINARY COMBINATORIAL STUDIES OF IBUPROFEN WITH STANDARD ANTIFUNGAL DRUGS AGAINST ASPERGILLUS SPP.

Objective: The prevalence of invasive mycoses is increased in the immunocompromised patients with an increase in resistance developed againstcurrent antifungal drugs. This has led to the need for discovering novel combinations of the antifungal drugs to combat against resistant pathogenic spp.This study mainly targets to evaluate the antifungal activity of ibuprofen (IBU) alone and in combination with the standard antifungal drugs (polyenesand azoles) against eight isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger.Methods: The study was performed using the disc diffusion assay (DDA), microbroth dilution assay and spore germination inhibition assay. Moreover,cytotoxicity was checked by heamolytic assay.Results: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of IBU against A. fumigatus and A. flavus using DDA is found to be in the range of 250-275 μg/disc while for A. niger isolates, the range was 500-575 μg/disc. Likewise, by broth microdilution assay and spore germination inhibitory assay, MICdetermined, were in the range of 500-750 μg/ml against A. fumigatus and A. flavus while for A. niger, it was 1000-1500 μg/ml.Conclusion: IBU demonstrated its antimycotic potential against all the eight isolates of Aspergillus spp. Moreover, preliminary combinatorialevaluation of IBU with the standard antifungal drugs reported by DDA revealed an increase in zone of inhibition as compared to the drugs alone.Further research regarding the confirmation of synergistic interaction between the selected drugs is in progress

The Transcriptomic Response of Rat Hepatic Stellate Cells to Endotoxin: Implications for Hepatic Inflammation and Immune Regulation

With their location in the perisinusoidal space of Disse, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) communicate with all of the liver cell types both by physical association (cell body as well as cytosolic processes penetrating into sinusoids through the endothelial fenestrations) and by producing several cytokines and chemokines. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), circulating levels of which are elevated in liver diseases and transplantation, stimulates HSCs to produce increased amounts of cytokines and chemokines. Although recent research provides strong evidence for the role of HSCs in hepatic inflammation and immune regulation, the number of HSC-elaborated inflammatory and immune regulatory molecules may be much greater then known at the present time. Here we report time-dependent changes in the gene expression profile of inflammatory and immune-regulatory molecules in LPS-stimulated rat HSCs, and their validation by biochemical analyses. LPS strongly up-regulated LPS-response elements (TLR2 and TLR7) but did not affect TLR4 and down-regulated TLR9. LPS also up-regulated genes in the MAPK, NFκB, STAT, SOCS, IRAK and interferon signaling pathways, numerous CC and CXC chemokines and IL17F. Interestingly, LPS modulated genes related to TGFβ and HSC activation in a manner that would limit their activation and fibrogenic activity. The data indicate that LPS-stimulated HSCs become a major cell type in regulating hepatic inflammatory and immunological responses by altering expression of numerous relevant genes, and thus play a prominent role in hepatic pathophysiology including liver diseases and transplantation

RHIZOSPHERE MICROBIOME: AN EMERGING FRONTIER IN CAUSING AND CURING INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in the rhizosphere causing infectious diseases in plants and humans has increased considerably due to a high content of nutrients. Such pathogenic infections are of huge concern in agriculture, health care, and medical arenas. Rhizosphere microbiome is a microbial hotspot,†not only for pathogenic microorganism but also for unlimited beneficial microorganisms. Therefore, this microbiome has immense potential in the shaping of earth from natural vegetation to the intense agricultural production to human health. Rhizosphere microorganism from unexplored habitats is a promising approach to overcome the escalating threat of such pathogenic infections. Hence, efforts are being made to isolate more and more rhizobacteria that are beneficial for better plant productivity and for treating human diseases. Thus, present review highlights and discusses the available literature on beneficial/pathogenic microorganisms belonging to rhizosphere and their impact on plants and human diseases. Furthermore, it sheds light on how this novel knowledge helps in deriving maximum benefits out of this naturally occurring population for the betterment of plant and human health

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Effect of LPS on the genes associated with HSC activation.

<p>(A, B, D) Microarray data show LPS-induced time-dependent changes in the indicated transcripts. For clarity control gene expression at 1 and 24h is offset to 0.5h and 24.5h respectively. Inset in (A) shows a Western blot for α-sma protein expression in unstimulated and LPS (10 ng/ml)-stimulated HSCs. (C) qPCR data showing mRNA expression of the indicated molecules at 24h following stimulation with 10 ng/ml LPS. The numbers are p values form 3 separate determinations from different batches of HSCs. Statistical significance was derived from student’s <i>t</i>-test using Microsoft-excel program.</p

Gene expression of MAPKs and NFkB signaling in LPS-stimulated HSCs.

<p>Microarray data show changes in the indicated transcripts for MAPK related (A) and NFkB-related genes (B) in HSCs stimulated with 10 ng/ml LPS. For clarity control gene expression at 1 and 24h is offset to 0.5h and 24.5h respectively.</p

Changes in interleukins, TNF family members, iNOS and functionally related genes in LPS-stimulated HSCs.

<p>(A-C) Microarray data show changes in the indicated transcripts for interleulins, TNF-related genes and NOS-related genes. For clarity control gene expression at 1 and 24h is offset to 0.5h and 24.5h respectively. (D) Release of cytokines as measured by ELISA and of NO2+NO3 (a measure of NO synthesis) in the culture supernatants of unstimulated and LPS (10 ng/ml)-stimulated cells at 24h. The values form 3 separate determinations from different batches of HSCs. Statistical significance was derived from student’s <i>t</i>-test using Microsoft-excel program.</p