Search

The study aimed to evaluate the effective role of Bacillus clausii on immunity and hepato-protection in broiler chickens. Total one hundred and twenty (1 2 0) day-old broiler chicks were alienated into four groups as group-A (Control), group-B {0.01 ml/ L (4 × 106 Spore)}, group-C {0.02 ml/ L (8 × 106 Spore)} and group-D {0.03 ml/ L (12 × 106 Spore)}. Each group was consisting of 3 replicate per group (10 birds/replicate). Immunization of birds was performed according to standard vaccination schedule of broiler chicks during the trial period of 35 days. The Serum biochemical parameters analyzed were liver function tests like Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the total proteins and alkaline phosphates (ALP). Similarly the Humoral antibody titers of Newcastle Disease (ND) Immunoglobulin-M (IgM), Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin-A (IgA) were also determined. The results showed that Bacillus clausii supplementation @ 0.03 ml/L significantly maintained the liver biomarkers (AST, ALT and ALP) at normal level as compared to control and other treated groups. Immuno-globulins (G, M and A) level was significantly elevated with highest supplementation (0.03 ml/L). No significant (p > 0.05) changes were observed for antigen specific antibody titer against ND. In conclusion, supplementation of Bacillus clausii @ 0.03 ml/L as probiotic in drinking water significantly improved the liver function and humoralimmunity of broiler chicks.

This study appraises pharmaceutical potential and phenolics profiling of various solvent extracts gained from bark and leaves of Calotropis procera plant. The extracts were obtained using various solvents including CH3OH, C4H8O2, CHCl3 (50 and 100% for each) and H2O. The extracts were evaluated for antioxidant potential, antibacterial, antianti-glycation and anti-inflammatory activities. The yield of extracts ranged from 5.61 to 48.16% of dry weight (DW) for different extraction solvents. The highest percentage extract yield was obtained with 100% CH3OH from leaves. Various solvent extracts from C. procera leaves and bark exhibited considerable total phenolic content (20.41 to 100.18 GAE mg/g DW and total flavonoid content (IC50 18.33 to 92.92 CE mg/g DW), radical scavenging activity (1.03 to 7.42 mg/mL) and reducing power (EC50 525.65 to 1157.74 mg/mL). The tested extracts showed notable antibacterial potential against bacterial strains such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli. The maximum antioxidant and antibacterial activities were exhibited by methanol extracts from both tested parts of C. procera plant. However, the anti-inflammatory activity (45.45% inhibition) was observed to be higher for 50% chloroform extract from the leaves. HPLC analysis established that the leaves and bark of C. procera contained considerable amounts of natural antioxidants such as sinapic acid (17.3 ± 2.11 to 9586.44 ± 0.78 mg kg-1), vanillic acid (9.43 ± 0.21 to 5051.7 ± 18.47 mg kg-1) and protocatechuic acid (2.46 ± 0.40 to 139.05 ± 1.37 mg kg-1). All extracts from the tested materials did not exhibit significant anti-glycation activity. Generally, the extracts from leaves of C. procera offered higher levels of phenolic acids and biological activities than the bark extracts.

Infestation of pink bollworm, which is generally considered monophagous continue to grow and spread. This study was conducted to record pink bollworm infestation on four host plants under field and laboratory conditions. Lucerne and tomato were free from pink bollworm damage while okra fruit and cotton flowers and bolls were highly infested. Pink bollworm showed strong affinity with cotton flowers with rosettes first appearing on 15th June and peaking at the end of season. Boll infestation started on 15th July and peaked on 15th October. In okra fruit, first infestation appeared on 30th August and peaked on 30th October. Pink bollworm individuals took 52.698 days to complete their life cycle when reared on okra and 54.775 days on cotton. The morphometric measurement of reared pink bollworm was also calculated.

Chickpea relies on inoculation with N2-fixing bacteria to fulfill its N requirement. The efficacy of the inoculation process hangs on the success of association between N2-fixing bacteria and Chickpea plants. Seed treatment with insecticides may kill the inoculated bacteria and result in poor establishment and upshot of the symbiosis. Survival efficacy of four rhizobial (Mesorhizobium ciceri) strains (CRI14, CRI20, CRI34 and CRI35) selected on the basis of preliminary study, was evaluated at increasing concentration of imidacloprid (0-200 µg L-1). Amongst four inoculated strains, the strain CRI20 and CRI35 showed better survival in the presence of Imidacloprid when compared to rest of two. Strain CRI35was able to tolerate insecticide above the recommended dose whereas the strain CRI20 showed relatively less growth at high concentration. So, for as the efficacy of these strains was concerned pertaining to improvement in growth of imidacloprid treated chickpea it was tested in a pot trial. Chickpea seeds were treated with recommended dose of imidacloprid and then inoculated with respective rhizobial strains as per experimental plan. Un-inoculated treated and untreated seeds were also used for comparison. The pots were arranged according to completely randomized design in two sets having three replications each. At flowering, plants from one set were uprooted and data regarding nodulation was recorded, whereas, the data regarding growth and yield parameters was calculated from other set at maturity. The results showed that inoculation not only improved nodulation but also caused a significant increase in growth and yield. Rhizobial strain CRI35 performed better than the other which might be due to its better growth promoting traits in addition to its ability to tolerate insecticide. Therefore, it is suggested to use only those rhizoidal strains that could tolerate agrochemicals and survive well in the rhizosphere and would consequently nodulate legume plants more efficiently.

The Indian bush rat, Golunda ellioti, is indigenous to the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Food habits of this bush rat were investigated using its stomach and fecal contents. Trapping was conducted every month from November 2013 to February 2016. This over 28 months generated a total of 2520 trapping nights. Sample slides from 82 stomach and 10 fecal samples were compared with the reference slides. Field observations along with feeding the Indian bush rat in captivity revealed that it preferably fed on 27 species of grasses with Digitaria sanguinalis [frequency of occurrence (FO) = 13.5%] being the most abundant one followed by Pennisetum orientale (FO = 8.5%). However, the Berger-Parker index revealed that D. sanguinalis (d = 0.148) was followed by Triticum aestivum (d = 0.145). Along with that, they also consumed tillers and seeds of wheat, gram seeds and young leaves of mustard. Considering the climatic changes, its success in adapting to the arid regions and dependence on grasses for food and cover may favor this species in future.

Raoultella planticola is a gram-negative, aerobic, nonmotile bacteria that can be found in soil and water. This is a relatively rare organism with few case reports on it and only three reports of R. planticola-induced urinary tract infection (UTI) have been reported. Here we present a case of acute cystitis caused by R. planticola in a woman with atrial fibrillation and recurrent UTIs.

Herbicide resistance and environmental pollution are the risks associated with chemical control of weeds. Allelopathic plant extracts may be exploited for weed management as an alternative to commercial herbicides. Before development of allelochemical-based eco-friendly herbicides, bioherbicidal potential of plants need to be evaluated. Present study was conducted to evaluate phytotoxic allelopathic impact of leaf extract from eight agroforestry and fruit plant species against Lepidium sativum. The results showed that all plant species delayed germination and inhibited root length, shoot length and seedling dry weight of Lepidium sativum. Four plant species such as Moringa oleifera, Mangifera indica, Albizia procera and Delonix regia were most phytotoxic with Lepidium sativum root growth inhibition of ≥85% as compared with control and seedling persistence index

ancer is the leading cause of death, accounting for approximately one out of six people dying with this disease worldwide. Among all, the breast and ovarian cancers are top-ranked causes of women mortalities compared to other disorders. Although, there is advancement in technologies, but still, there are unresolved concerns to overcome the global disease burden. Currently, plants are being explored as a natural remedy to cure disorders. This research was planned to explore phytochemicals in methanolic extracts of Zizyphus mauritiana and Triticum aestivum, and their pharmacological activities were studied through Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacteria, in vitro breast cancer cell line and ovarian cancer cell line to find out novel candidates in disease control and prevention. Eleven different types of bioactive compounds were analysed in the tested extracts. The highest crude extracts percentage (75±0.02) was observed with Z. mauritiana. The extracts showed promising cell growth inhibition and tumor initiation inhibition in potato disc assay. MTT assay and Incucytes imaging analysis revealed that Z. mauritiana extract had a higher anticancer potential with 40 ± 0.92 cell viability against breast cancer cells (SKBR3) and 45 ±0.29 against ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3). In conclusion, these extracts could be used as chemotherapeutics owing to their cheapness, and easy availability. While detailed study is required for further purification and characterization of bioactives/target compounds and in-vivo activity confirmations.

Fisetin, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dihydroxychromen-4-one, is a plant flavonoid initially isolated from Rhus cotinus L. This bioactive molecule often occurs in herbal teas and strawberry and has been extracted using aqueous methanol, water, and supercritical fluids. Besides keeping in view its pharmacological importance, microorganism such as yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and certain bacteria such as Escherichia coli have been successfully engineered for the enhanced production of fisetin from 4-coumaric acid and amino acids. The evaluation of available clinical records indicated that the oral administration of fisetin especially late in life (old age) can restore tissue homeostasis, inflammations, and certain type of cancers such as lung, bladder, breast, and blood cancer. Moreover, the administration of fisetin to wild-type mice late in life restored tissue homeostasis and control senescence-associated secretory phenotypes to extend the median and maximum lifespans.

Silybins, also known as silibinins (in pharmacopeias), are ubiquitous flavonolignans with promising health benefits against obesity, cancer, liver damages, and viral diseases. Initially, discovered in “silymarin” a generic name used for the methanolic extracts of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seeds. Besides, these plant metabolites have been isolated from white flowers bearing a variety of Silybum marianum, Gentiana apiata (whole plant), roots of Curcuma longa L., and Aspergillus iizukae (a fungal endophyte of milk thistle). Over the last couple of decades, silybins have received a great deal of research regarding extraction, biogenesis, metabolism, and clinical interventions in an effort to modulate the biological activities of silybin or to improve its physical properties, such as solubility. A fundamental breakthrough in silybin chemistry was the determination of the absolute configurations of silybin A and silybin B, and the development of the methods for their separation. Recently, this plant bioactive has shown promising analeptic potential against alcoholic, virial, mutation, and drug-induced liver damages. This chapter contains key facts dealing with silybin chemistry, sources, extraction, pharmacokinetics, and clinical applications.

Every plant available in the universe is not produced to be the part of biodiversity, but is also produced to obtain medicinal purposes. The medicinal value of the plant is due to the availability of various chemical compounds [1]. Since prehistoric time, the crude extract of plant is used to cure various diseases, although the biologically active components of the plant were unidentified [2]. In the present study the antibacterial activity is performed for various extracts of cerastium glomeratum. The plant cerastium glomeratum was collected from near kalpani river Mardan, Pakistan and was identified by lecturer Israr department of botany GPGC Mardan, Pakistan. The plant was dried under shade and grinded into powder form. The extraction process was done by using soxhlet apparatus, reflux condenser and maceration process using ethanol as a solvent. The extract was divided into different fractions of n-hexane, DCM, ethyl acetate and water. These four extracts were tested against gram positive (staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative (E.coli) bacteria using well diffusion technique. The water extract show a wide range inhibition zone against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria while n-hexane, DCM and ethyl acetate fractions show no zone of inhibition against bacteria. In effort to find new antibacterial compounds cerastium glomeratum seems to be a good plant for additional phytochemical studies.

In the present study, four silver based NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes (1c-4c) were designed and synthesized from their precursor salts (1b-4b). The successful synthesis of salts and complexes was assured through spectroscopic techniques (UV-visible, FTIR, 1H NMR) as well as mass spectrometry. The in silico ADMET study and molecular docking calculations predicted the compounds are good drug candidates having therapeutic potential against multiple cancer targets including COX-1, VEGFA, HIF as well as VGF. Results of in vitro study conducted through MTT assay confirmed that all test compounds have concentration dependent potency but silver complexes (1c-4c) have far superior activity than precursor, salts (1b-4b) and slightly lower than standard drugs (carboplatin and cisplatin) against various cancer cell lines. Among the studied compounds, 3c showed lowest IC50 value of 0.981± 0.09, 1.10± 0.14 and 0.973± 0.12 µg/mL against MCF-7, HCT-116 and A549 respectively. The test compounds were found good antibacterial agents, when screened against bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium), as well as antioxidant agents when tested against DPPH free radicals.

The present research work appraises the effect of different enzyme formulations (zympex-014, kemzyme dry-plus and natuzyme) under optimized set of experimental conditions such as time (30–90 min), temperature (25–75 °C), pH (6–9) and solid/enzyme ratio (0.5–6.5%) following central composite design (CCD) on extraction of phenolic bioactives from Momordica balsamina fruit (balsam apple). Out of enzyme complexes employed in this study, zympex-014 offered maximum extraction yield (42.6 g/100 g) at optimized conditions including time (60 min), temperature (50 °C), pH (7.5) and enzyme concentration (6.5%) using CCD. Artificial neural network (ANN) was trained computationally based on the experimental data to predict the optimum BAF extract yield for zympex-014. Significant morphological changes in the cell wall of balsam apple fruit (BAF) were elucidated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before (control) and after enzymatic treatment. Relatively a superior antioxidant activity was exhibited by extracts from enzyme-treated BAF relative to the control. GC/MS profiling authenticated the presence of ferulic acid (2.30), quercitin (1.48), benzoic acid (0.41) and gallic acid (0.26 μg/mL) as major potent phenolic bioactives in zympex-014 -assisted BAF extract. While p-coumaric (0.05), m-coumaric acid (0.03) and sinapic acid (0.01 μg/mL) were found in lesser amount. The results of the present study indicated that the devised RSM-based optimized enzyme-assisted extraction, using zympex-014 among others, had significant positive effect on liberation of bound phenolics and thereby enhancing antioxidant potential of BAF extracts.

The current study focuses on to the latent potential of Plant Leaf Extract (PLE) to induce growth and antioxidant character in radish root when applied as pre-sowing seed priming agents. The growth behavior in primed seed with PLE of mulberry leaf (mL), Brassica leaf (BL), Sorghum leaf (SL), Moringa leaf (MoL), was regularly monitored whereas, proximate composition, biochemical attributes and antioxidant potential was assessed after 60 days of emergence. Results revealed that PLE based seed priming affect growth physiology consequently improved total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging capacity (DPPH IC50) and reducing power of radish root. Overall, seed bio-priming with 3% of MoL for 6 h was found to be the most effective to optimize growth with improved biochemical and antioxidant attributes. So far, seed bio-priming with crude extracts of selected plant leaves may provide viable bioactive fortification choice.

In this study, by applying response surface methodology (RSM) maceration conditions including enzyme concentration (A), incubation time (B), temperature (C) and pH were optimized for the liberation of Cassia fistula pod phenolics (CFPP) along with their retained antioxidant character. Briefly, mature Cassia fistula pods (CFP) were macerated under various conditions: A: 3–5%, B: 60–90 min, C: 40–70 °C and D: 5.5–8.5 and extract obtained thus were simultaneously evaluated for their total phenolic content (TPC), free radical scavenging capacity (FRSC), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (ILP) and ferric reducing power (FRP). The solution having highest desirability endorsed treatment of CFP with 3.40% acid cellulose enzyme at 55.11 °C and 6.1 pH for 75 min, which offered an extract yield 31.66 g/100 g containing 165.63 milligram gallic acid equivalents TPC/g of CFP with appreciable level of FRSC (DPPH IC50 6.50 mg/mL), TEAC (282.64 mg TE/g of extract), ILP (55.61%), and FRP of 0.68.. Exclusively it could be acclaimed that a carefully optimized enzyme pre-treatment may furnish good quantity and quality of polyphenols.

The present study scrutinizes lipases of different origins, immobilization methods, carriers, and reaction solvents to accelerate the octyl octanoate synthesis. The acylation reaction parameters including temperature, moisture level, shaking speed and enzyme dose were subsequently investigated and optimized following fully rotatable central composite design. The initial screening revealed that lipases of Rhizopus arrhizus, when applied as a biocatalyst (lipase bearing dead mycelia) furnished the highest acylation activity (147 μM L(−1) min(−1)). Validation of reaction conditions disclosed that 250 I.U. of lipase based biocatalyst when incubated with 850 mM of acylating agent and 750 mM of the substrate at 35 °C, 3% moisture level and 150 RPM shaking speed produced 70% acylation yield with an acylation activity higher than 147 μM L(−1) min(−1). The observed results certify that lipase bearing dead mycelia of R. arrhizus might be an intelligent biocatalyst to manipulate the yield of acylation reactions encountered in the food industry. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s10068-018-0405-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Southeast Asian speciesMus (Mus) cookiiRyley 1914 has been previously reported from southern China, Nepal, northeastern and peninsular India, Myanmar, north and central Thailand and Vietnam. A cytochromeb(Cytb) gene analysis revealed the presence ofM. cookiiwhich significantly expands the known western range of this species. However, it is unclear whether theM. cookiipopulation in the Pothwar region represents a historical or recent westward range expansion or, on the contrary, a relictual source population that further experienced an historic eastward range expansion into Southeast Asia.

Traditional methods of weeds management have caused serious environmental and health concerns. Therefore, development of alternate strategies for effective management of weeds is becoming indispensable for sustainable agriculture. In this study, the comparative effectiveness of chemical and bio-herbicides for the management of weeds in wheat has been assessed under laboratory and field conditions. Two effective allelopathic rhizobacteria (6 K and 6) were selected from initial screening experiment which had abilities to suppress the growth of selective weeds as well as had potential to improve the growth of wheat. Based on 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing, the selected allelopathic rhizobacteria were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens strain 6 K and Bacillus sp. strain 6. Further, sorghum allelopathic water extract was also used in combination with selected allelopathic rhizobacteria as a bio-herbicide. Five treatments used for the laboratory and field experiments were control (T1: without herbicide), chemical herbicide (T2: mesosulfuron methyl + idosulfuron methyl; Atlantis® 6WG), sorghum allelopathic extract (T3), consortium of two different allelopathic rhizobacteria (T4) and combined application of allelopathic extract of sorghum and consortium of two allelopathic rhizobacteria (T5 = T3 + T4). Results of laboratory experiment showed that T5 significantly suppressed the seed germination percentage of four selected weeds i.e., Anagallis arvensis L., Phalaris minor Retz., Cynodon dactylon L. and Melilotus indicus L. and the same treatment (T5) also significantly improved seed germination of wheat as compared to all other treatments. Further evaluation under field condition showed that T5 significantly decreased the weed density and total weed biomass at 15, 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS) of all weeds as compared to T1 (control). Field trial results also indicated that T5 significantly increased the wheat growth traits including the biological yield (73%) and grain yield (53%) as compared to T1. Likewise, the economic analysis revealed that T5 improved the net benefits with a higher marginal rate of return than all other treatments. Our findings indicated that combined application of allelopathic rhizobacterial consortium and allelopathic extract of sorghum remained more effective for controlling weeds and improving the growth and yield traits of wheat as compared to their sole application. Therefore, co-application of allelopathic rhizobacterial consortium and sorghum allelopathic water extract could offer an economically viable lever for the biological management of weeds of wheat for sustainable production.

The State Bank of Pakistan introduced diversion from the individual Shariah advisory system to the Shariah board mechanism by issuing the Shariah governance framework in 2016 by making it mandatory for the Islamic banks to have an independent Shariah board. In this paper, it is examined whether the Shariah boards have any effective role in the improvement of the Shariah compliance environment of the banks or not? And how to make it more effective for the betterment of the Islamic banking industry? A questionnaire has been developed to study and inspect these issues. The results indicate that even though the role of sharia board could not be denied in the improvement of Shariah compliance in IBIs, however, the mechanism may be further strengthened. The study also suggests that Shariah board members should be involved regularly by making it obligatory on the IBIs to arrange frequent meetings of the board.

Field experiments were carried out for three consecutive Rabi seasons (2011-12 to 2013-14) at Pulses Research Institute, Faisalabad to study the effect of bacterial inoculation on grain yield and quality of chickpea (desi). One variety (Pb-2008) and four advanced lines viz. D-03009, D-06002, D-06003 and D-06052 were tested with and without bacterial inoculation (Mesorhizobium ciceri, Pseudomonas spp. and Bacillus spp.). On a loamy soil (EC = 1.8 dS m-1, pH = 7.6), a consortium of three bacteria spp. was applied as seed coating at the time of sowing. The experiments were laid out in split plot design with three replications. Results showed a significant increase in nodulation (17.5%), plant height (4.0%), number of pods per plant (7.8%) and grain yield (7.5%) due to bacterial inoculation. The increase/decrease in the number of branches per plant (3.8%), 100 grain weight (1.9%), protein (- 4.5%), carbohydrate (0.0%), crude fiber (2.0%) and mineral matter (2.5%), remained statistically non-significant. The interaction among local cultivar / advanced lines and microbial inoculation was significant for improving grain yield. The advanced line D-06052 yielded with highest grains (2890 kg ha-1) due to bacterial inoculation. Hence, it can be argued that the bacterial inoculation positively influenced the grain yield and its components without fading the quality of produce. Bacterial inoculation is recommended for better chickpea yield.

This paper describes in detail the selection and optimization of immobilized lipases for enhanced regioselective acylation of glucose into glucose monolaurate (GlcML). Initially, nature of biocatalyst, immobilization approach, reaction media, glucose, and lauric acid concentration were screened out. Finally, lipases from Rhizopus arrhizus immobilized on dead mycelia were investigated under various reaction conditions (Temperature, shaking speed, enzyme dose, and water content) following a fully rotatable central composite design (FRCCD) to optimize the activity of lipases. The immobilized lipases-based biocatalysts in the presence of polar solvents (tertiary alcohols) and higher concentrations of substrates i.e. glucose and lauric acid (100 and 300 mmol L−1, respectively) offered conversion rate of 1.5 mmolmin−1 L−1. Moreover, optimization of reaction conditions revealed that 162.5 lipase units/100mL at 31.25 °C, 3% water content, and 105 RPM shaking speed enhanced the conversion rate by 0.5 mmolm...

Knowledge of pest species’ population characteristics is of great importance for the development of effective management plans for their control. The present study was intended to determine the pop...

Marigold (Tagetes erecta), ethnobotanically falls among medicinal plants. Folk healers have used its parts as a herbal decoction to treat hangover, burns, sores, cuts, and light wounds, eye diseases or vision, ulcers, cold, and bronchitis. Unarguably, Supercritical Fluid based solvents (SCFs) offer immediate advantages over the traditional solvents; their extracts are benign, cleaner, and often contain more active ingredients. Supercritical fluid based extraction (SFE) has turned out to be the only choice for marigold extraction due to thermal marigold principles and substantially higher anti-inflammatory behavior of faradiol esters and essential oil constituents produced through SFE. This chapter contains evidence and advantageous justifications regarding SFE of marigold principle bioactives.

Evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds is among the serious challenges that agriculture face today. In Pakistan herbicide use over last 6 decades has enabled earlier planting of short-season crops and improved weed control in wheat as well as other cropping systems. This has greatly favored the use of more and more herbicides. Conversely, this exercise increased the evolution of resistant biotypes. Wheat being Pakistan's number one staple crop faces daunting weeds problem. In order to understand the status of herbicide resistant weeds in wheat fields, survey was conducted for two consecutive years (2015-2017) in different regions of Pakistan. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from three hundred farmers randomly selected in all four provinces of Pakistan on herbicides used in wheat, history of crop cultivation regimes and weed species that have seized to respond to field rates of herbicides. Seed of suspected biotypes were collected from the survey sites and preserved in our gene pool for the confirmation of the resistance in the laboratory by bioassay and molecular level in future. Farmers (96%) perceived that Phalaris minor Retz. was the most important annual weed of wheat crop followed by Avena fatua L. (94%). Customarily, three aryloxyphenoxy propionate herbicides, clodinafop-propargyl, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl and diclofop-methyl were used to control different grass weeds such as P. minor, A. sativa L. and A. fatua. In farmers' opinion, high yield of wheat was associated with the continuous use of these herbicides. Resistance-suspicious weeds were reported from all studied areas (Punjab, KPK, Sindh, and Baluchistan provinces) in fields with the herbicide use history of five to seven years or more. This study suggests that for long-term avoidance of herbicide resistance, in our wheat growing systems we will require embracing practices that decrease selection pressures favoring resistant weeds. Achieving these goals requires an understanding of the evolution and dynamics of resistant populations. It is recommended that for the effective management of resistant populations of P. minor and A. fatua, farmers' education on ecologically sustainable weed management is critically important. This study will provide a basis for examining the questions that are relevant to understanding herbicide resistance evolution in Pakistan and that may help determine appropriate weed management strategies.

Dragon fruits or Pitaya are the lithophytes or hemiepiphytes of Cactaceae family primarily distributed among tropical regions. This fruit initially attracted the researchers looking for natural food grade dyes for its striking color pigments (betalains), however, investigations established that dragon fruit pulp, peel, and seed contain potentially beneficial carbohydrates, phytoalbumin, biopeptides, vitamins, phenolics, and minerals. The seeds of dragon fruit are exceptionally small, so could not focused for their oleoginous compounds but research up to the date indicates that seeds of this fruit are rich in essential fatty acids principally omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as tocopherols. The levels of linoleic acid attributed to dragon seed oil (500 g/Kg of oil) are comparable with flaxseed, canola and sesame oils. The keen survey of literature available regarding the phytochemistry of dragon seed recommends that this oil may become a viable source of good quality oleonutrients for food and cosmetic industries. There is a prompt need to modernize and scale up seed separation and oil extraction methods to revalorize dragon seed phytochemicals.

Enzyme assisted solvent extraction (EASE) of phenolic compounds from watermelon (C. lanatus) rind (WMR) was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD). Four variables each at five levels i.e. enzyme concentration (EC) 0.5–6.5 %, pH 6–9, temperature (T) 25–75 °C and treatment time (t) 30–90 min, were augmented to get optimal yield of polyphenols with maximum retained antioxidant potential. The polyphenol extracts obtained under optimum conditions were evaluated for their in-vitro antioxidant activities and characterized for individual phenolic profile by RP-HPLC-DAD. The results obtained indicated that optimized EASE enhanced the liberation of antioxidant phenolics up to 3 folds on fresh weight basis (FW) as compared to conventional solvent extraction (CSE), with substantial level of total phenolics (173.70 mg GAE/g FW), TEAC 279.96 mg TE/g FW and DPPH radical scavenging ability (IC50) 112.27 mg/mL. Chlorogenic acid (115.60–1611.04), Vanillic acid (26.13–2317.01) and Sinapic acid (113.01–241.12 μg/g) were major phenolic acid found in EASEx of WMR. Overall, it was concluded that EASE might be efficient and green technique to revalorize under-utilized WMR into potent antioxidant phenolic for their further application in food and nutraceutical industries.

Hydrolysates of Trianthema portulacastrum in acidified methanol were evaluated for their total phenolic (TP) constituents and respective antioxidant activities using in vitro assays (i.e., 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, percent inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation, and ferric reducing power). The observed results indicate that root, shoot, and leaf fractions of T. portulacastrum contain 50.75∼98.09 ㎎ gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight of TP. In addition, these fractions have substantial reducing potentials (0.10∼0.59), abilities to inhibit peroxidation (43.26∼89.98%), and DPPH radical scavenging capabilities (6.98∼311.61 ㎍/mL IC 50 ). The experimental data not only reveal T. portulacastrum as potential source of valuable antioxidants, but also indicate that acidified methanol may be an ideal choice for the enhanced recovery of phenolic compounds with retained biological potential for the food and pharmaceutical industry.

l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) is a bioactive natural compound that inhibits the growth of several plant and weed species. However, its mode of action is not yet well understood in plants. The present study was conducted to explore the mechanism of growth inhibition by l-DOPA in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The results revealed that l-DOPA induced cell death and inhibited the root growth of lettuce. Moreover, 0.1 mmol L–1 l-DOPA enhanced the polyphenol oxidase activity, production of reactive oxygen species ( and H2O2) and lipid peroxidation in the lettuce roots. The results suggest that l-DOPA-induced growth inhibition in lettuce roots might be related to oxidative stress.

Intercropping is a viable option for weed management. Six maize–sorghum intercropping systems were compared in a two-year field study for the management of purple nutsedge. The intercropping systems included maize planting in 70-cm spaced rows intercropped with one row of dwarf or tall sorghum and maize in 105-cm spaced double-row strips intercropped with one or two rows of dwarf or tall sorghum; sole maize planted in 70-cm spaced single rows was used as a control. Two intercropping systems as maize in 70-cm spaced rows + one row of tall sorghum and maize in 105-cm spaced double-row strips + two rows of tall sorghum controlled purple nutsedge by 48 and 52% compared with the sole crop of maize, respectively. However, all the maize–sorghum intercropping systems decreased the maize grain yield compared with control. Maize planted in 105-cm spaced double-row strips + one row of dwarf sorghum was the best option because it reduced the maize yield by only 6%. However, the decrease in maize yield was compensated...

A series of Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) bimetallic complexes have been synthesized with the schiff base ligand 2-(bis-2-hydroxyl phenylidene) diimine (L) derived from the condensation of hydrazine and salicylaldehyde. The synthesized ligand and bimetallic complexes were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques. The characterization of ligand was carried out by FT-IR, H 1 NMR, C 13 NMR and MS while the bimetallic complexes were characterized by FT-IR and X-ray crystallographic techniques. The complexes and ligand were employed in vitro for antifungal and antibacterial activities using disc diffusion method. Different fungal strains such as Alternaria Alternate, Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus Niger were used to check antifungal activities of bimetallic complexes and ligand. Similarly, the bacterial strains used were Staphylococcus Aureus, Bacillus Subbtilis and Escheria Coli. The biological studies showedthattheligandexhibitedlowervalueofantifungalandantibacterialactivitiesthanbimetalliccomplexes.

AgNPs, over the past decades have attractive considerable interest because of their exclusive optical, electromagnetic, catalytic properties, and antifungal potency compared with other metal nanoparticles. This study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal effect of colloidal AgNPs gainst pathogenic Candida species such as Candida albicans, Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis using disc diffusion method. Biosynthesis of AgNPs was confirmed by appearance of greyish black color of the fungal filtrate and UV visible spectrometry analysis reveals maximum absorption at 430 nm. The obtained resulted suggested that AgNPs was found to be effective against Candida species based on the diameter of the inhibition zone thus have potential implications to be used as antifungal agent.

The toxic action of aqueous wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw extracts was investigated on germination, early seedling growth, some biochemical attributes and the antioxidant enzymes of horse purslane (Trianthemaportulacastrum). Aqueous extracts of wheat straw were prepared by soaking the wheat straw in distilled water in 1:10 w/v ratio and diluted to obtain the concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. These were used as pre and post emergence in laboratory and screen house trials. Wheat aqueous extracts exhibited phytotoxicity to horse purslane by inhibiting and delaying its germination and suppressing seedling growth. Wheat phytotoxins in its aqueous extracts suppressed the chlorophyll content and soluble protein, and enhanced soluble phenolics and the activity of antioxidant enzymes as catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the seedlings of horse purslane compared with the control. Such inhibitory activity is believed to originate from exposure to wheat phytotoxins that are present in its aqueous straw extract. The suppressive effects of wheat straw need to be investigated further under field conditions. A ação tóxica de extratos aquosos da palha de trigo (Triticum aestivum) foi investigada na germinação, no crescimento inicial da plántula, em alguns atributos bioquímicos e nas enzimas antioxidantes de beldroegas-cavalo (Thianthema portulacastrum). Extratos aquosos de palha de trigo foram preparados pela imersão deste em água destilada na proporção de 01:10 m/v e diluidos para obtenção de cinco concentrações (0, 25, 50, 75 e 100%). Estes foram usados como pré e pós-emergência em ensaios de laboratório e casa de vegetação. Os extratos aquosos de trigo exibiram toxicidade às beldroegas-cavalo, inibindo e retardando a sua germinação e suprimindo o crescimento das plántulas. Toxinas no extrato aquoso de trigo suprimiram o teor de clorofila e proteína solúvel, aumentaram os fenóis solúveis e a atividade de enzimas antioxidantes como catalase, peroxidase e superóxido dismutase em plántulas de beldroega-cavalo comparado ao controle. Acreditase que essa atividade inibitória origina-se da exposição das beldroegas-cavalo às toxinas presentes no extrato aquoso de palha de trigo. Efeitos supressivos da palha de trigo precisam ser investigados em condições de campo.

Soil incorporation of crop residues can lead to weed suppression by posing allelopathic and physical effects. Allelopathic potential of the crops sorghum, sunflower, brassica applied as sole or in combination for horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum) suppression was evaluated in a pot investigation. Chopped crop residues alone and in combination were incorporated at 6 g kg-1 soil (12 t ha-1), and a weedy check was maintained. Germination traits time to start germination; time to 50% emergence, mean emergence time, emergence index and final germination percentage were negatively influenced by residue incorporation. Crop residues also exerted a pronounced negative influence on the shoot and root length of horse purslane. Significant suppression in leaf and root score and leaf area per plant was also observed. A combination of sorghum and sunflower residues accounted for maximum (71%) seedling mortality. Soil incorporation of allelopathic crop residues can be employed for horse purslane management. A incorporação de resíduos vegetais pode levar à supressão de plantas daninhas devido a efeitos físicos, químicos e alelopáticos. O efeito alelopático potencial de resíduos de sorgo, girassol e canola, aplicados isolados ou em combinação, foi avaliado em relação à germinação e crescimento inicial de beldroegas-cavalo (Trianthema portulacastrum) em experimento em vasos. Os resíduos vegetais foram picados e incorporados no solo na quantidade de 6 g kg-1 de solo, que é equivalente a 12 t ha-1; manteve-se também um tratamento sem resíduos. O tempo para iniciar a germinação, tempo de emergência de 50% (E50), tempo médio de emergência, índice de emergência e porcentagem final de germinação foram influenciados negativamente pela incorporação dos resíduos. A palhada também exerceu forte influência negativa sobre o crescimento da parte aérea e comprimento radicular de beldroegas-cavalo. Também foi observada supressão significativa na contagem de folhas e raízes e área foliar. A combinação de resíduos de sorgo e girassol causou a máxima mortalidade de plântulas, que foi de 71%. A incorporação de resíduos vegetais de culturas pode ser utilizada para o manejo de beldroegas-cavalo.

Allelopathy has the potential to tackle the concerns associated with the indiscriminate use of synthetic herbicides. In search of a natural herbicide, the effects of mulberry (Morus alba) leaf water extracts on bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) were investigated. Four concentrations of extract (25, 50, 75, and 100%) were compared with a control (distilled water). The results revealed that the pregermination application of 100% mulberry leaf water extract resulted in the complete inhibition of bermudagrass and wheat germination. However, postemergence, two foliar sprays suppressed only the growth of bermudagrass and promoted wheat growth. The effect of the mulberry leaf water extract was concentration dependent. It is evident that the postemergence application of mulberry leaf water extract has the scope for use as natural herbicide for the control of bermudagrass and to promote the growth and yield of wheat.

BACKGROUND: To reduce herbicide use by 75%, integrated use of sorghum and sunflower extracts each at 18 L ha−1 combined with 1/4th (75% less) of label rates of four herbicides (mesosulfuron + idosulfuron, metribuzin, phenoxaprop-p-ethyl and isoproturon) were investigated for the management of wild oat and canary grass, the two pernicious weeds in wheat fields worldwide. RESULTS: The results revealed that sorghum + sunflower extracts combined with 1/4th (75% less) of label rates of herbicides inhibited dry matter production of wild oat by up to 89% and canary grass by up to 92%. The wild oat and canary grass persistence index in sorghum + sunflower extracts combined with 1/4th (75% less) of label rates of herbicides was either lower or equal to respective label rates of herbicides, except sorghum + sunflower extract + 1/4th phenoxaprop-p-ethyl. Lower herbicide rates + water extracts also produced wheat grain yield statistically equal with label rates of respective herbicides. Two treatments having water extracts + lower herbicides rates were economical and sorghum + sunflower + 1/4th mesosulfuron + idosulfuron produced the highest (4404%) marginal rate of return. CONCLUSION: Herbicides use can be reduced by 75% through integration with sorghum + sunflower extracts without compromising yield and net benefits for cost-effective and eco-friendly management of wild oat and canary grass in wheat. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

4 Abstract: A study was conducted to determine the effect of citrus peel essential oils on the microbial growth and sensory characteristics of bread. Citrus peel essential oils extracted by cold expression from malta (Citrus sinensis) and mossumbi (Citrus sinensis) were applied in different forms (treatments) separately. The essential oils significantly affected sensory characteristics such as symmetry of form, character of crust , colour of crumb, colour of crust, taste, texture, aroma and grain of bread. They also inhibited and delayed the microbial growth in the bread. Maximum inhibitory effect was achieved against molds and bacteria by spraying the malta peel essential oil on bread.

Bread dough is usually fermented with yeast but in the present study sourdough lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) alone and in combination with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were used to determine their effect on the shelf life and sensory characteristics of bread at different intervals of storage. Lactic acid bacteria improved the sensory characteristics of bread such as volume, evenness of bake, character of crust, grain of bread, colour of bread crumb, aroma, taste and texture of bread and extended shelf life of bread by inhibiting the growth of microbes.

We studied spatial differences in Barn Owl (Tyto alba stertens) diets in agroecosystems of six districts of central Punjab, Pakistan. Analysis of pellets collected over 3 years revealed the house shrew (Suncus murinus) dominated all diets. This species constituted 75.0% of the diet in the Sheikhupura District, 68.4% in the Okara District, 67.2% in the Faisalabad District, 65.6% in the Toba Tek Singh District, 59.3% in the Jhang District, and 56.3% in the Hafizabad District. Rats and mice together formed 28% of the overall diet while birds (4.2%) were consumed more than bats (2.0%). The greatest diversity in Barn Owl diets was in the Jhang District.

We investigated nesting of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in central Punjab, Pakistan, from 1999–2002. We also documented diet of Barn Owls in southern Punjab and southeastern Baluchistan, Pakistan. Of 40 nests found in central Punjab, 33 were located in tree hollows, four in buildings, and three in nest boxes. Egg-laying was observed primarily between the second week of August and October (N = 23), with a smaller number of nests started May–July (N = 5). Fledging of the autumn nests was completed by early January, and all breeding efforts observed in May–July were unsuccessful. During the August–January breeding period, clutch size averaged 5.83 eggs (SE = 0.47; range = 1–12; N = 23) and brood size 4.15 nestlings (SE = 0.28; range = 2–7; N = 20). Shrews (59%), birds (19%), rats and mice (13%), and insects (7%) were the main prey in southern Punjab, whereas rats and mice (93%), shrews (4%), and amphibians and reptiles (3%) were the main prey in southeastern Baluchistan.

Nidificacion Y Habitat Reproductivo De Athene brama En Punjab, Pakistan Estudiamos el habitat de nidificacion y de reproduccion de Athene brama en un ecosistema agricola de la provincia Punjab, Pakistan, desde diciembre de 2000 hasta noviembre de 2002. Veintiuno de 23 nidos se encontraron en huecos de arboles y los dos restantes en grietas de paredes. La puesta de huevos se registro desde la ultima semana de febrero hasta fines de abril. La eclosion ocurrio desde la ultima semana de marzo hasta mediados de mayo, y los polluelos salieron del nido desde fines de mayo hasta comienzos de junio. El tamano de la puesta vario entre 1 y 5 huevos, con un promedio de 3.8±0.2 (EE; N = 34 intentos de nidifcacion). El tamano promedio de la nidada fue de 3.3±0.2 (EE; N = 31 intentos de nidifcacion) y el 91% de los nidos fueron exitosos, produciendo por lo menos un volanton. [Traduccion del equipo editorial]

The present study was aimed to appraise the variations in biochemical, antioxidant and nutritional attributes of radish ( Raphanus sativus L.) under foliar application of plant leaf aqueous extracts i.e., mulberry leaf extract (MLE), brassica leaf extract (BLE), sorghum leaf extract (SLE) and moringa leaf extract (MoLE) as natural growth regulators. Samples were collected after three sprays of extracts and analyzed. Total phenolic constituents were determined using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method, whereas antioxidant potential was evaluated by 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Results revealed that application of MLE, BLE, SLE, and MoLE not only improved growth, but also enhanced biochemical and antioxidant activities. Foliar spray of MoLE furnished relatively three folds higher amounts of extractable bioactive compounds (37.65 ± 0.94%), phenolic constituents (54.51–182.71 mg GAE/g f.w). The radical scavenging capacity (RSC) and reducing potential were also enhanced considerably. Furthermore, the moisture, dietary fiber, crude protein, and carotenoids were also enhanced in response of foliar spray of plant extracts. From results, it is concluded that plant extracts are effective sources of natural growth regulars and might be useful for the production of vegetables with improved nutritional value and antioxidant activity.