Effect of growth regulators and Physiological Gradients on the High frequency plant regeneration from the long-term callus cultures of different germplasms of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Callus cultures of rice were initiated from mature embryos of different cultivars on LS medium containing 2 mg/L 2,4-D. Increasing concentrations of 2,4-D and 2,4-5T also increased the frequency of callus initiation in all the cultivars tested. Of different cultivars, Tellahamsa was found to be superior for callus initiation. Genotypic differences for plant regeneration were also observed. Cultivar Tellahamsa showed the highest (65-75%) frequency of plant differentiation followed by DGWG, Yerragaluvadlu, Surekha, Basmati-370, Bala, Chakko amubi, Jaya and IR-8. Callus cultures of rice cultivar Bala grown on a shoot-forming medium (LS + 1 mg/L IAA + 4 mg/L KN + 2% sucrose) were exposed to gibberellic acid and abscisic acid for varying lengths of time and at different periods during culture. Gibberellic acid totally suppressed the organogenesis in callus cultures of rice. The results suggest that if the tissue accumulated sufficient gibberellic acid prior to the initiation of meristemoids and shoot primordia, repression of shoot formation occurred. This repression was not reversed by increasing the levels of IAA and KN in the medium, but abscisic acid could partially overcome the gibberellic acid repression of shoot formation in rice callus. It has been observed in rice that shoots usually emerge from the basal portions of callus. This observation suggested that perhaps physiological gradients of materials were operative during the organ initiation process. To test this hypothesis, starch content and the enzyme activity of malate dehydrogenase in upper and lower portions of shoot-forming and non-shoot-forming callus were determined. Starch began to accumulate in both upper and lower portions of the shoot forming tissues within 4 days of culture. The rate of accumulation however, was faster and more in the lower portion of the callus leading to a peak of accumulation on day 8 in culture, i.e., prior to shoot formation. Non-shoot-forming callus cultures accumulated little starch during the same period of culture. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity was examined in order to know the overall rate of respiration. In the upper segment of shoot-forming callus, the activity of MDH was very high by day 4 but declined continuously thereafter. The rate of activity of the enzyme was significantly higher beyond four days in culture in case of the lower portion of the shoot forming callus. Enzyme activity was lower in the non-shoot-forming portions (both upper and lower) of the callus. The higher rate of enzyme activity for the upper portion of the tissue could be attributed to increased oxygen availability. Thus, the evidence for the idea that concentrations of gradients or physiological gradients of substances into the callus tissue may be the operative factors promoting organ initiation in vitro is presented

A newly recorded Rickettsia of the Torix group is a recent intruder and an endosymbiont in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci

The bacterium Rickettsia is found widely in phytophagous insects and often exerts profound effects on the phenotype and fitness of its hosts. Here, we decrypt a new, independent, phylogenetically ancient Torix Rickettsia endosymbiont found constantly in a laboratory line of an economically important insect Asia II 7, a putative species of the Bemisia tabaci whitefly complex (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and occasionally in field whitefly populations. This new Rickettsia distributes throughout the body of its whitefly host. Genetically, compared to Rickettsia_bellii_MEAM1 found earlier in whiteflies, the new Rickettsia species has more gene families and pathways, which may be important factors in shaping specific symbiotic relationships. We propose the name ‘Candidatus Rickettsia_Torix_Bemisia_tabaci (RiTBt)’ for this new endosymbiont associated with whiteflies. Comparative genomic analyses indicate that RiTBi may be a relatively recent intruder in whiteflies given its low abundance in the field and relatively larger genome compared to Rickettsia_bellii_MEAM1

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Not AvailableThis Extension Leaflet is about The need for backyard gardens is to plan for Comprehensive nutrient availability.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThis Extension Leaflet is about Important Nutritional deficiencies in children.Not Availabl

SODIUM ALGINATE–LOCUST BEAN GUM IPN HYDROGEL BEADS FOR THE CONTROLLED DELIVERY OF NIMESULIDE-ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG

Objective: The objective of this study was to formulate and evaluate the drug release studies using locust bean gum (LBG) and sodium alginate (NaAlg) and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde for the controlled release (CR) of nimesulide, an anti-inflammatory drug.Methods: Locust bean gum (LBG) and sodium alginate (NaAlg) blend hydrogel beads were prepared by an extrusion method using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker. Nimesulide an anti-inflammatory drug was encapsulation within LBG/NaAlg blend hydrogel beads. Morphology, size, encapsulation efficiency and drug release from these hydrogel beads were evaluated by different characterization techniques such as fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (X-RD) studies.Results: Drug-loaded hydrogel beads were analyzed by FTIR, which indicates the interaction between drug and polymers. DSC thermograms on drug-loaded microbeads confirmed the polymorphism of nimesulide and indicated a molecular level dispersion of the drug in the hydrogel beads. SEM confirmed the spherical nature and rough surface of the hydrogel beads produced. X-RD study was performed to understand the crystalline nature of drug after encapsulated into the hydrogel beads and confirmed the complete dispersion of the drug in the polymer matrix. In vitro release studies conducted in pH-7.4 which indicated a dependence of release rate on the amount of drug loading and the amount of LBG/NaAlg, but slow release rates were extended up to 48 h. The cumulative release data were fitted to an empirical equation to compute diffusion exponent (n) which indicated the non-fickian trend for drug release.Conclusion: These results clearly demonstrated that the ability of these newly developed hydrogel beads containing nimesulide for its sustained release could possibly be advantageous to patient compliance with reduced dosing interval

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Not AvailableField experiments were conducted with three tillage treatments viz., CT: Conventional tillage (3 ploughings + 3 intercultures), RT: Reduced tillage (2 ploughings + 2 intercultures) and MT: Minimum tillage (one ploughing + one interculture) in combination with three nitrogen levels viz., F1: 100% N (organic), F2: 50% N (organic) + 50% N (inorganic) and F3: 100% N (inorganic) to identify the best management practices for improving soil fertility and sustain yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) under semi-arid Alfisols during 2003 to 2011. The results revealed that CTF2 gave significantly higher mean finger millet yield of 2613 kg ha-1 and rainwater use efficiency (RWUE) of 4.48 kg ha mm -1, while CTF1 gave significantly higher pigeonpea yield of 907 kg ha-1 and RWUE of 4.10 kg ha mm-1 over years. Further, CTF2 gave maximum net returns of ` 31639 ha and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 3.65 with sustainability yield index (SYI) of 59.0% from finger millet, while CTF1 gave net returns of ` 43801 ha-1 and B:C ratio of 3.26 with SYI of 56.6% from pigeonpea. Based on the effects of tillage and nitrogen on soil parameters observed in 2003 and 2011, there was a decrease in the pH, soil P and organic carbon, while there was an increase in the electrical conductivity, soil N and K. Application of N through organics or as combination of organics and inorganics, maintained maximum soil fertility compared to inorganic N alone. We conclude that CT + 50% N (organic) + 50% N (inorganic) for finger millet and CT + 100% N (organic) for pigeonpea under rotation are efficient for attaining maximum yield, RWUE, monetary returns and SYI in semi-arid Alfisols.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableField experiments were conducted with three tillage treatments viz., CT: Conventional tillage (3 ploughings + 3 intercultures), RT: Reduced tillage (2 ploughings + 2 intercultures) and MT: Minimum tillage (one ploughing + one interculture) in combination with three nitrogen levels viz., F1: 100% N (organic), F2: 50% N (organic) + 50% N (inorganic) and F3: 100% N (inorganic) to identify the best management practices for improving soil fertility and sustain yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) under semi-arid Alfisols during 2003 to 2011. The results revealed that CTF2 gave significantly higher mean finger -millet yield of 2613 kg ha-1 and rainwater use efficiency (RWUE) of 4.48 kg ha mm , -1 while CTF1 gave significantly higher pigeonpea yield of 907 kg ha-1 and RWUE of 4.10 kg ha mm over years. Further, CTF2 gave maximum net returns of ` 31639 ha-1 and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 3.65 with sustainability yield index (SYI) of 59.0% from finger millet, while CTF1 gave net returns of ` 43801 ha -1 and B:C ratio of 3.26 with SYI of 56.6% from pigeonpea. Based on the effects of tillage and nitrogen on soil parameters observed in 2003 and 2011, there was a decrease in the pH, soil P and organic carbon, while there was an increase in the electrical conductivity, soil N and K. Application of N through organics or as combination of organics and inorganics, maintained maximum soil fertility compared to inorganic N alone. We conclude that CT + 50% N (organic) + 50% N (inorganic) for finger millet and CT + 100% N (organic) for pigeonpea under rotation are efficient for attaining maximum yield, RWUE, monetary returns and SYI in semi-arid Alfisols.Not Availabl

Genome wide analysis and comparative docking studies of new diaryl furan derivatives against human cyclooxygenase-2, lipoxygenase, thromboxane synthase and prostacyclin synthase enzymes involved in inflammatory pathway

In an effort to develop potent anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drugs, a series of new 4-(2-phenyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl) benzene sulfonamide analogs were designed and docked against homology models of human cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase and thromboxane synthase enzymes built using MODELLER 7v7 software and refined by molecular dynamics for 2 ns in a solvated layer. Validation of these homology models by procheck, verify-3D and ERRAT programs revealed that these models are highly reliable. Docking studies of 4-(2-phenyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl) benzene sulfonamide analogs designed by substituting different chemical groups on benzene rings replacing 1H pyrazole in celecoxib with five membered thiophene, furan, 1H pyrrole, 1H imidazole, thiazole and 1,3-oxazole showed that diaryl furan molecules showed good binding affinity towards mouse COX-2. Further, docking studies of diaryl furan derivatives are likely to have superior thromboxane synthase and COX-2 selectivity. Docking studies against site directed mutagenesis of Arg120Ala, Ser530Ala, Ser530Met and Tyr355Phe enzymes displayed the effect of inhibition of COX-2. Drug likeliness and activity decay for these inhibitors showed that these molecules act as best drugs at very low concentrations.status: publishe