ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF THE WHOLE PLANT OF CARALLUMA NILAGIRIANA KUMARI ET SUBBA RAO – AN ENDEMIC MEDICINAL PLANT SPECIES.

The methanolic, aqueous and chloroform extracts of the endemic medicinal plant species of Caralluma nilagiriana were studied for antibacterial activities against five microorganisms. The zone of inhibition of various extracts was compared with standard tetracycline(30µg/ml). The antibacterial activity justifies its use in traditional medicine. In Salmonella typhi. Escherichia. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus all the three extracts(30µg/ml) was found to have significant antimicrobial activity, but less than that of standard tetracycline. In Klebsiella pneumonia all the three extracts were highly active when compared to standard. But in Pseudomonas aeroginosa the methanolic extracts strongly inhibited the colonial growth against the standard.The other two extracts found to have antimicrobial potency but less than that of standard

In vitro micropropagation of orchid, Oncidium sp. (Dancing Dolls)

A successful procedure was established for in vitro mass multiplication of orchid (Oncidium sp.). In vitro regeneration multiplication and rooting of plantlets were achieved from the immature seeds on Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with BAP (2.0 mg/l). Rooted plantlets were then transferred to perforated plastic pots and grown in the green house

In vitro micropropagation of Musa sapientum L. (Cavendish Dwarf)

A complete protocol for micropropagation of Musa sapientum using shoot meristems was developed. Multiple shoots were induced in vitro from shoot meristems. Murashige and Skoog’s medium supplemented with BAP and NAA (3.0 + 0.2 mg/l, respectively) was found to be most suitablecombination. Further multiplication of shoots required habituation of cultures up to 3 passages of 21 days each on the same medium after establishment of culture and initiation of shoot buds. Thereafter 3-fold multiplication rate was achieved during every subculture. For rooting the shoots were excised and transferred to same medium. Rooted plantlets were then transferred to primary and secondary hardening and grown in the green house. These hardened plants have been successfully established insoil

Distribution and seasonal changes of marine algal flora from seven localities around Mandapam

Studies on the distribution and seasonal changes in tHe marine aLgal flora was made for a period of one year from July '83 to June '84 by making fortnightly collection of algae from intertidal and subtidal regions upto 1.0 m depth at seven localities along Mandapam coast namely Rameswaram, Pamban, Krusai Island, Thonithurai, Seeniappa Darga, Pudumadam and Kilakarai. Totally 104 algal species belonging to the groups Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta and Cyanophyta were recorded from these places. A maximum number of 77 algal species at Krusadai Island and a minimum number of 35 species at Rameswaram were recorde

Studies on the agar content in Gracilaria arcuata Var. Arcuata and G. Corticata Var. Cylindrica

Studies on the yield and physical properties of agar was made for one year from March 1982 to February 1983 in Gracilaria arcuata Var. Arcuta and G. Corticata Var. Cylindrica growing in the intertidal belt at Kilakarai. In G. arcUilta var arCUllla, the agar content varied from 38.8 to 52.2% and gel strength from 11 to 67 gm/cm'. In G. corticola var. cylindrica the yield of agar ranged from 33.1 to 48.6% and gel strength from 12 to 67 gm/cm'

Present status of seaweed exploitation and seaweed industry in India

The survey of marine algal resources conducted by CMFRI along Tamil Nadu coast during 1971-76. The standing crop from the total area of 17,125 ha was estimated at 22,044 tonnes (wet wt.), consisting of 1,709 tonnes of agarophytes, 10,266 tonnes of alginophytes and 10,069 tonnes of other seaweeds. The resources of the commercially important species are 74 tonnes of Gelidiella acerosa, 914 tonnes of Gracilaria spp., 798 tonnes of Hypnea spp., 9,381 tonnes of Sargassum spp. and 714 tonnes of Turbinaria spp. The year to year fluctuation in the quantity of alginophytes landed was due to the variation in the demand of the major algin producing industries based on their supply orders for sodium alginate

Studies on the growth variation, Alginic acid and Mannitol contents in Padina gymnospora (Kuetzing) Vickers

The alginic acid content of some Indian brown algae has been studied by Valson (1955). Pillai (1957). Kappanna at. a/5. (1962) Umamaheswara Rao (1969). Umamaheswara Rao and Kalimuthu (1 972) and Kaliaperumal and Kalimuthu (1976). In recent years information on growth variations and mannitol and alginic acid contents in certain alginophytes was made available by the studies of Umamaheswara Rao (1969). Umamaheswara Rao and Kalimuthu (1972) and Kaliaperumal and Kalimuthu (1976) . In the present account variation in growth. and mannitol contents in Pad in. gymnospo,a observed over a period of 2 years (January 1975 to December 1976) are given

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of salt stress callus of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Ethanolic and methanolic salt stress callus extracts of Solanum melongena L. were tested for in vitro antimicrobial and free radical scavenging assayssuch as DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS+(2,2\u27Azinobis (3-ethyl benzo-thizoline-6-sulfonic acid) . In both the extracts the zone of inhibition is higher in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureusand Streptococcus pyogenesat 90 µl concentration against the control. The antifungal activity of these extracts also the zone of inhibition is higher at 90 µl concentration against the control. The DPPH activity of different concentration of solvent extracts (1 mg/ml to 5 mg/ml) along with standard ascorbic acid among the five different concentration (50 µg/ml to 250 µg/ml) of extracts tested, the higher percentage of inhibition was observed in 250 µg/ml of methanol extract followed by ethanolic extract against the standard ascorbic acid. In ABTS+ activity the absorbance was increased with the increasing concentrations of both methanolic and ethanolic callus extracts

Commercially important seaweeds of India, their occurrence,chemical products and uses

The seaweeds form one of the important marine living resources. They are primitive type of plants growing in the intertidal or sub-tidal regions of the sea. They flourish wherever rocky or coral substratum is available for their attachment with the help of the rhlzoids or holdfast. Some of the seaweeds grow in the estuary es and backwaters too. Depending upon the type of pigment present and the other morphological and anatomical structures, the seaweeds are broadly grouped into green, brown, red and bluegreen algae. Seaweeds are used as human food, live stock feed and fertilizer for land crops in many countries. Phycocolloids such as agar-agar and carrageenan are obtained from red seaweeds. Algin (Sodium alginate), mannitol and iodine are extracted from brown seaweeds. These phytochemicals are used in food, confectionary, pharmaceutical, dairy, textile, paper, paint and varnish industries as gelling, stabilizing and thickening agents. the seaweeds are now used mostly as raw materials for the production of agar-agar and sodium alginat

Semicontinuous Bioreactor Production of Recombinant Butyrylcholinesterase in Transgenic Rice Cell Suspension Cultures.

An active and tetrameric form of recombinant butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a large and complex human enzyme, was produced via semicontinuous operation in a transgenic rice cell suspension culture. After transformation of rice callus and screening of transformants, the cultures were scaled up from culture flask to a lab scale bioreactor. The bioreactor was operated through two phases each of growth and expression. The cells were able to produce BChE during both expression phases, with a maximum yield of 1.6 mg BChE/L of culture during the second expression phase. Cells successfully regrew during a 5-day growth phase. A combination of activity assays and Western blot analysis indicated production of an active and fully assembled tetramer of BChE