Marine invertebrate tissue culture techniques and its application in pearl production

Tissue culture, in general, is being carried out in various fields of medical and agricultural research. The study has been commenced since long back to understand the cell type, cell behaviour, cell structure, cell multiplication, cell reaction to drugs etc. It has become a vital tool in miCro pathological and immunological studies aiming at finding solutions to certain diseases. Plant tissue culture has reached an advanced stage of achieving an entire plant from a single cell. All these studies are concerned with plants/animals which are related to freshwater species

Marine pearl production: CMFRI develops tissue culture technology

Marine pearl production: CMFRI develops tissue culture technolog

Tissue culture in pearl oyster

The first work on cell culture in marine molluscs started since 1960s. Many researchers attempted to improve the culture media composition by adding vertebrate sera as growth factor. In primary cultures, the tissue dissociation methods and medium composition were frequently complemented with homologous and heterologous substanc

Exploitation of windowpane oyster Placuna placenta (Linnaeus)

Exploitation of molluscs, producing marine pearl was done for the collection of natural / cultured pearls only, whereas, the exploitation of windowpane oyster was mostly for their shells. The pearls obtained from wiiidowpane oyster, Placuna placenta were mostly ivory or white in colour and small in size. The translucent shells are commercially and economically important in shell craft industry. Hence they are exploited in large quantities from the east and west coast of India

Studies on the growth of the marine microalga Dunaliella salina (Teodoresco)

The present paper reports on the growth pattern of Dunaliella salina cells cultured in different salinities and also in stressed conditions on exposure to mutagens (UV and PEG). The cultures were maintained in different salinities viz., 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 ppt for a period of two weeks in triplicates and the growth rate was monitored. The peak growth (14.29 lakhs) was observed in 35 ppt on eleventh day indicating the ideal salinity for the culture of this species. The cultures in mid-exponential growth phase were exposed to UV light for 30 and 60 minutes and PEG at four doses viz. 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 gm/ml. Poorest cell growth was observed for half an hour UV treated cultures (3.51 lakhs/ml). A proportionate decrease in cell count was noticed with increase in the concentration of PEG

Report of the Special Scientific Team to Andaman and Nicobar Islands to give research support to thrust areas in fisheries

Realising the importance and urgent need for judicious exploitation and utilization of the marine living resources of the Andaman and Nicobar seas, the Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as Chairman of the Central Coordinating Committee for Survery of Living Resources had recommended at the first meeting of the committee, held in May 1988 that the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) should depute its scientists to the Central Agricultural Research Institute for Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CARI), Port Blair on a fixed tenure basis to support the R&D thrust in fisheries in the region. Consequent to this, from 1-8 March 1989 the Director, CMFRI made a visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to make an on-the-spot study of the potentials and possibilities for marine fisheries development in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Bay Islands. Special attention was paid to the requirements of CARI in marine fisheries research. The Director also met and discussed with senior policy and decision makers in the Andaman and Nicobar Administration. As a result, two scientific teams with specific objectives were constituted. This is the report of the first team

Interpretation of genotype x environment interaction and stability analysis for grain yield of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.)

Fourteen pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) genotypes were evaluated for their yield performance at two locations during kharif season of 2009-10 and 2010-11. A significant genotypic difference for yield character was observed. Highly significant genotype–environment interaction indicated differential response of the genotypes to the environmental changes. The stability analysis showed significance of linear component of variation for grain yield. The genotypes TJT-501 (1728.667Kg/Ha) and GRG-2009-3 (1570.000 Kg/Ha) exhibited low meanperformance along with regression value nearer to unity (bi=1) and non significant deviation from regression (S2 di=0) indicating, the high stability and wider adaptability across the different environments. The genotype ICPH-2671 (3134.833 Kg/Ha) exhibited highest mean value and regression value (bi>1) and non significant deviation (S2 di < 0). But genotypes JKM-197 (3072.667 Kg/ha), GRG-2009 (29993.167 Kg/ha), TS-3R (2823.333 Kg / Ha) and ICP-8863 (2740.417 Kg/Ha) exhibited high mean performance but higher regression value (bi>1) and significant deviation (S2 di < 0) value indicating adapted for high performance environments showing these genotypes are sensitive to environments and give maximum yield when inputs are not limited

Oxygen consumption in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (Gould) and Pinctada sugillata (Reeve)

The rate of oxygen consumption of pearl oysters Pinctada fucata and P. sugillata from different localities namely pearl culture farm, pearl banks and near-shore waters of Tuticorin in the Gulf of Mannar has been studied. In P. fucata oxygen consumption was 1339 /l/hr. for oyster size range 40-50 mm; 1650 μl/hr for 50-60 mm and 1810 |il/hr for 60-70 mm. The rate of oxygen consumption of P. sugillata from the pearl banks as well as from the near-shore waters showed a linear relation with size of oyster. The rate of oxygen consumption of i>. sugillata from pearl banks (depth 12-21 m) was less when compared to that in the oysters of the near-shore waters (depth 0.5-1.S m). P. fucata from pearl culture farm survived after 21 hours of exposure to air. P. fucata from pearl culture farm could survive upto 19 hours, upto 24 hours in the case of P. sugillata from near-shore waters and upto 27 hours in P. sugillata from pearl banks, in anaerobic conditions. In all the oysters there was remarkable increase in shell activity and shell gape when there was a decline in the oxygen level

The comparisons of the efficacy of two fixed dose combinations, i.e. Salmeterol and Fluticasone vs. Formoterol and Tiotropium bromide in moderate to severe COPD patients

Background: Bronchodilators are essential for symptomatic management of all stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For patients whose COPD is not sufficiently controlled by monotherapy, combining a ß2-agonist with either inhaled steroid or anticholinergic drug is a convenient way of delivering treatment. Currently, there is no documentation to say that one drug is superior to other or the contrary, but a combination of two drugs is more effective than giving single drug alone in patients suffering from COPD.Methods: The study was prospective, open labelled, randomized, comparative interventional clinical study conducted by the Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, Basaveshwara Medical College and Hospital, Chitradurga in 60 moderates to severe COPD patients.Results: Both the treatments i.e. Salmeterol/Fluticasone and Tiotropium/Formoterol were equally effective as far as the improvement of the lung functions and Borg dyspnoea score are concerned. The difference in improvement with the combination of Salmeterol/Fluticasone was not statistically significant (p>0.05) compared to the combination of Tiotropium/Formoterol. However, Salmeterol/Fluticasone was found to be better than Tiotropium/Formoterol in improving the lung function of moderate to severe COPD patients.Conclusions: Salmeterol/Fluticasone is efficacious and better than Tiotropium /Formoterol combination for maintenance therapy in moderate to severe COPD patients

Effect of culture media and tissue extracts in the mantle explant culture of abalone, Haliotis varia Linnaeus

The study is aimed at developing appropriate media for the mantle explant culture of abalone Haliotis varia. The effect of different media viz., L-15, Ham's F12, M199 was studied in combination with 10% Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) and 10% tissue extracts of gonad, mantle and whole body of abalone, H. varia to understand cell behaviour, cell yield and cell adherence in mantle explant culture of H. varia. Cultures with L-15 media gave better cell yield and M199 promoted better cell adherence. Addition of mantle extract to all media enhanced the cell yield to a maximum followed by whole body extract. Addition of whole body extract facilitated in cell adherence followed by the addition of mantle extract