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Highlights A novel hierarchical structure constructed by encapsulating cobalt sulfide nanowires within nitrogen-doped porous branched carbon nanotubes (NBNTs) is designed for lithium-ion batteries.The unique hierarchical Co9S8@NBNT electrode displayed a reversible specific capacity of 1310 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40820-019-0259-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users., Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered new generation of large-scale energy-storage devices. However, LIBs suffer from a lack of desirable anode materials with excellent specific capacity and cycling stability. In this work, we design a novel hierarchical structure constructed by encapsulating cobalt sulfide nanowires within nitrogen-doped porous branched carbon nanotubes (NBNTs) for LIBs. The unique hierarchical Co9S8@NBNT electrode displayed a reversible specific capacity of 1310 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, and was able to maintain a stable reversible discharge capacity of 1109 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 with coulombic efficiency reaching almost 100% for 200 cycles. The excellent rate and cycling capabilities can be ascribed to the hierarchical porosity of the one-dimensional Co9S8@NBNT internetworks, the incorporation of nitrogen doping, and the carbon nanotube confinement of the active cobalt sulfide nanowires offering a proximate electron pathway for the isolated nanoparticles and shielding of the cobalt sulfide nanowires from pulverization over long cycling periods. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40820-019-0259-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction: Nanoparticles (NPs) have become very important owing to their various uses. In this research, an environmentally friendly biological technique was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles with Coriandrum sativum L. The objective of this research to use the source for the fabrication of silver NPs from C. sativum L., and to check the activity of the fabricated silver NPs was determined versus a couple of gram negative and a couple of gram positive bacteria in the presence of antibiotic viz. gentamicin to judge their impact. Methodology: A silver nitrate solution, which served as the reducing and capping agent, was mingled with coriander leaf extract. The solution’s temperature and pH were maintained at 75 °C and 8.6, respectively. The observed mean particle size (z-average) and polydispersity index were 390.2 nm and 0.452, respectively. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized using different techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) analysis. The globular shape of the silver nanoparticles was depicted in SEM illustrations. Results: XRD data revealed the mean size of the particles was 11.9 nm. The FTIR analysis showed the existence of various functional groups, including CO and OH. When their antibacterial ability was tested, it was found that the fabricated Ag NPs inhibited Bacillus subtilis, Pasteurella multocida, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, with a greater effect against B. subtilis and P. multocida compared to E. aerogenes and S. aureus. Conclusion: It has been concluded small silver NPs benefited from a higher surface area ratio, as shown by the results of experiments where smaller particles had a better bactericidal proficiency than large silver-based NPs. Silver-based NPs infiltrate bacterial cells, as well as interfere with their exterior membrane. Silver ions also have the potential to interact with bacterial DNA, inhibiting the reproductive system of the cell. Keywords: Silver nanoparticles, Coriander leaf extract, Antimicrobial activity

This study was conducted to assess the effect of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Sn) on the fatty acid profiles of Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala collected from two polluted sites in the Chenab River and Jhelum River (non-polluted site). The heavy-metal levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results showed that the levels of Cd, Hg, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Sn in the river water exceeded the permissible limits recommended by various international agencies. Some important fatty acids were not detected in the muscle samples of the fish species collected from the highly polluted site (HPS). Caprylic acid (C8:0) and lauric acid (C12:0) were undetectable in Catla catla and Cirrhinus mrigala. Palmitoleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid were present in Catla catla alone, and they were not found in Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala harvested from a less polluted site (LPS). More saturated fatty acids and less fatty acids were detected in the muscle samples of Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala collected from HPS than in those collected from LPS. The untreated discharge of domestic and industrial waste probably causes a reduction in the fatty acids in the biomass of microalgae and zoobenthos and, ultimately, adversely affects the upper links of the food chain in the river.

Genetic variation in fish stocks decreasing due to water pollution in the freshwater rivers, streams and canals. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic diversity and polymorphism in Oreochromis niloticus collected from the Wadi Hanefah Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by using RAPD-PCR. Total thirty fish specimens were harvested from each of four pre-determined locations of the reservoir which were designated as H1, H2, H3, and H4. Five random decamer primers were used to assess the diversity in the stock of O. niloticus. In this fish stock 48 bands were polymorphic and 12 were monomorphic. The maximum polymorphism (100%) was recorded in the fish samples procured from H4, followed by 88.75, 87.33 and 76.12% of the tilapia collected from H3, H2, and H4, respectively. Nei’s genetic distance value was ranged as 0.0005 to 0.1006. Maximum and minimum genetic distance was recorded as 0.1006 and 0.005 in tilapia harvested from H1 and H2 locations. Average heterozygosity was ranged from 0.3009 to 0.3744. This information about the genetic polymorphism of O. niloticus may be used by the concerned authorities to evolve strategies to conserve the diversity of tilapia in the country. Keywords: Genetic diversity, Tilapia, Primers, RAPD

In this study, the concept of phytoplankton functional groups was used to assess phytoplankton community structure in an attempt to better understand their spatial and seasonal variation in extremely alkaline Dali Nur Lake. Samples were collected for analysis during spring, summer and autumn for a period of two years. We identified 13 phytoplankton functional groups (Lo, S1, H1, P, C, MP, X3, Y, X2, W1, J, F, and T) among 37 species out of which 7 groups Lo, H1, P, C, MP, X2, and F were dominant. The biomass of phytoplankton functional groups in the Lake exhibited a strong seasonal variation with the highest biomass value observed in autumn and lowest in spring. Functional groups MP, P, and C were dominant in spring when the temperatures were very low. Groups H1 and X2 were the dominant in summer corresponding to higher temperatures. In autumn groups Lo and X2 were the dominant corresponding to high levels of total phosphorus (TP). Our study revealed that alkalinity, pH, arsenic, chemical oxygen demand, and TP are the most important physical–chemical variables structuring the phytoplankton functional groups in Dali Nur Lake. Functional groups Lo and X2 were mainly influenced by TP while groups MP and P flourished better under high conditions of arsenic. This study reveals the importance of physical–chemical variables in the spatial and seasonal gradient, in structuring phytoplankton functional groups, and consequently in the assessment of environmental status of the lake.

In this study, the concept of functional traits was used to classify zooplankton into functional groups and their seasonal dynamics were determined in relation to physico-chemical factors in a highly turbid and nutrient-rich wetland. This study revealed a seasonal variation of both physico-chemical factors and biomass of zooplankton functional groups. Water temperature (TEP), total phosphorus (TP), ferrous ion (Fe2+) and total carbon (TC) were significantly higher in summer while water transparency (SD) was notably higher in spring. Zooplankton functional group biomass was higher in summer (5.11 mg/L) followed by winter, autumn and spring (0.91, 0.72 and 0.28 mg/L, respectively). Large copepods and cladoceran carnivore (LCC) was the dominant functional group in spring accounting for about 86.7% of the total biomass. In summer, MCF (Middle copepods and cladocerans filter feeders) was the dominant group probably because of the optimal temperature and availability of nutrients. Pearson correlation and RDA analysis results suggested that Fe2+, TP and TEP were the major factors influencing zooplankton functional groups. Notably, turbidity was not the main factor despite the fact that Small Xingkai Wetland Lake is a very turbid lake. The variation of zooplankton functional groups among seasons highlights the role of physico-chemical factors in structuring zooplankton composition.

In this present scenario, hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanostructures were synthesized through green routes for biomedical applications, particularly remediation towards human pathogens and cancer cells. The present study aims at forming non-toxic and eco-friendly silver (Ag

Polypropylene microplastic particles are one of the predominant pollutants in marine ecosystems and their toxic effects are unknown in aquatic biota. The study aims to prepare the spherical shaped polypropylene microplastics (size range 11.86 μm-44.62 μm) and assess their toxic effects (1, 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/mL) in various life stages (nauplii, metanauplii and juvenile) of marine microcrustacean Artemia salina within 48 h. In addition, microplastics ingestion by Artemia nauplii was proved by FTIR analysis. The results revealed, microplastics accumulation in their tract leads to change in their homeostasis, as followed increase in the oxidative burst causes mortality in nauplii (LC

In forensic science, the human identification is the major goal in criminal cases and in paternity dispute, based on DNA profiling of individual. Analysis of short tandem repeat (STRs) markers used as a reliable technique for this purpose. In this study the main objective was to develop a human identification based on DNA fingerprinting using Human Identification Barcode System (HIBS). HIBS may be used to provide a unique molecular signature of human in the form of a barcode. DNA was isolated from blood by using PCR technique to detect bands to design human barcode using self-designed system. HIBS is a web based application that can be accessed via www.hibs.com.pk. HIBS can be accessed with internet access and may be introduced on security checkpoints to identify an individual based on his own DNA instead of conventional procedures of identification. The barcode generated through DNA fingerprinting will be stored in a HIBS, and may also be a part of CNIC. It may be successfully used against suicide bombers, target killers, etc., as even a single blood spot, a few skin cells, root of the hair etc., to identify such culprits. It may also be effectively used to relieve the individuals with false accusations. Keywords: DNA profiling, Human identification, Barcode, HIBS

Carbon dioxide gas is the key element of the carbon cycle and a major source for photosynthesis, but for the past 150 years, the atmospheric CO2 has been increased drastically from 250 to 418 ppm due to the extreme utilization of fossil fuels. This accelerated release of CO2 acts as a major source for climatic change due to the greenhouse gas effect resulting in global warming and melting of polar ice caps, alteration in biogeochemical cycles, altered rainfall, ocean acidification, eutrophication of lakes, imbalance in the ecological communities and extinction of some species, effects on soil fertility, changes in the metabolism and at the molecular level. Reduce, reuse and recycle strategy can be applied to control elevated CO2 levels by preventing deforestation, using renewable energy as an alternative for fossil fuels and reusing the atmospheric CO2. Carbon capture and storage (CCS), Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) are the two technologies adapted to capture the atmospheric CO2, utilize it, and focus on permanent storage in the geological sites. Captured CO2 is used to produce many value added products such as polymers, biofuels, reactants etc. Plants and microorganisms act as a natural CO2 filter. Several biomolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are produced due to the biological carbon fixation process using photosynthesis. Six different photosynthetic pathways and some non-photosynthetic pathways to fix atmospheric CO2 have been reported in diverse species of plants and microbes such as bacteria, fungi, yeast, algae etc. Algae are the most potent microbe in CO2 utilization and biological carbon fixation compared to other microbes and used widely on a large industrial scale for biofuel production. Algal biofuel production using captured CO2 is the best productive method to recycle and reduce atmospheric CO2.

This study was conducted to estimate the diversity and the occurrence of commercially important finfish species collected by twenty fish sampling site of Sindh and Baluchistan coasts of the Arabian Sea in Pakistan from January to December 2019. Additionally, physicochemical characteristics of seawater were analyzed from these selected sites and found to be within suitable ranges required for fish growth and survive. A total of 81287 fish individuals were collected and identified as 49 species belonging to 26 families in our study. The most diversified family was Sparidae (13 species) followed by Carangidae and Lutjanidae (4 species), Mullidae, Serranidae, Ariidae (3 species), and Sciaenidae (2 species). The remaining 20 families were represented by only one species. The values of Shannon diversity index calculated for the four selected habitats revealed that high fish diversity was reported at Sonmiani Coast (H'=1.81), while less at Ormara Coast (H'=0.23). Likewise, Evenness index (E) was high at Sonmiani Coast (E=0.50) and less fish diversity was reported at Ormara Coast (E=0.06). Reducing risks to threatened marine species in coastal habitats also requires conservation actions at multiple scales. Thus, it was concluded that our study could be valuable in providing the more information’s regarding to the diversity of finfish species and their occurrence along the Pakistan Coast. Further, to better understand the effects, regular monitoring and conservation measures should be taken to mitigate the influence of anthropogenic activities and protect finfish diversity from further decline Resumo Este estudo foi conduzido para estimar a diversidade e a ocorrência de espécies de peixes comercialmente importantes coletadas por vinte locais de amostragem de peixes nas costas de Sindh e Baluchistão do mar da Arábia, no Paquistão, de janeiro a dezembro de 2019. Além disso, as características físico-químicas da água do mar foram analisadas a partir desses peixes locais selecionados e considerados dentro dos intervalos adequados necessários para o crescimento e sobrevivência dos peixes. Um total de 8.1287 indivíduos de peixes foi coletado e identificado como 49 espécies pertencentes a 26 famílias em nosso estudo. A família mais diversificada foi Sparidae (13 espécies), seguida por Carangidae e Lutjanidae (4 espécies), Mullidae, Serranidae, Ariidae (3 espécies) e Sciaenidae (2 espécies). As 20 famílias restantes foram representadas por apenas uma espécie. Os valores do índice de diversidade de Shannon calculados para os quatro habitats selecionados revelaram que uma alta diversidade de peixes foi relatada na costa Sonmiani (H' = 1,81), enquanto menos na costa Ormara (H' = 0,23). Da mesma forma, o índice de regularidade (E) foi alto na costa de Sonmiani (E = 0,50) e menos diversidade de peixes foi relatada na costa de Ormara (E = 0,06). A redução dos riscos para as espécies marinhas ameaçadas em habitats costeiros também requer ações de conservação em várias escalas. Assim, concluiu-se que nosso estudo pode ser valioso para fornecer mais informações sobre a diversidade de espécies de peixes finos e sua ocorrência ao longo da costa do Paquistão. Além disso, para compreender melhor os efeitos, medidas regulares de monitoramento e conservação devem ser tomadas para mitigar a influência das atividades antropogênicas e proteger a diversidade de peixes finos de um declínio maior.

Graphical abstract, Introduction Researchers worldwide with great endeavor searching and repurpose drugs might be potentially useful in fighting newly emerged coronavirus. These drugs show inhibition but also show side effects and complications too. On December 27, 2020, 80,926,235 cases have been reported worldwide. Specifically, in Pakistan, 471,335 has been reported with inconsiderable deaths. Problem statement Identification of COVID-19 drugs pathway through drug-gene and gene−gene interaction to find out the most important genes involved in the pathway to deal with the actual cause of side effects beyond the beneficent effects of the drugs. Methodology The medicines used to treat COVID-19 are retrieved from the Drug Bank. The drug-gene interaction was performed using the Drug Gene Interaction Database to check the relation between the genes and the drugs. The networks of genes are developed by Gene MANIA, while Cytoscape is used to check the active functional association of the targeted gene. The developed systems cross-validated using the EnrichNet tool and identify drug genes' concerned pathways using Reactome and STRING. Results Five drugs Azithromycin, Bevacizumab, CQ, HCQ, and Lopinavir, are retrieved. The drug-gene interaction shows several genes that are targeted by the drug. Gene MANIA interaction network shows the functional association of the genes like co-expression, physical interaction, predicted, genetic interaction, co-localization, and shared protein domains. Conclusion Our study suggests the pathways for each drug in which targeted genes and medicines play a crucial role, which will help experts in-vitro overcome and deal with the side effects of these drugs, as we find out the in-silico gene analysis for the COVID-19 drugs.

Graphical abstract, The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic infecting millions of people globally has given rise to serious public health threats. The need for early detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in asymptomatic pregnant women is compelling to detect vertical transmission timely. Here, 11 SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic pregnant cases from Wuhan China were investigated. All the patients were initially tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR, so a chest CT scan was performed. Also, serum antibody (IgM and IgG) titers were estimated. CT scan of patients revealed typical abnormalities related to SARS-CoV-2, indicating ground-glass opacity and infection lesions suggesting viral pneumonia. Elevated IgM and IgG antibodies levels (p

Objective: The primary aim of the study is to augment the biogas production from flower waste through optimization and pretreatment techniques. Methods: Enhancement of biogas production by using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) was done. The time for agitation, the concentration of the substrate, temperature and pH were considered as model variables to develop the predictive models. Pretreatment of withered flowers was studied by using physical, chemical, hydrothermal and biological methods. Results: The linear model terms of concentration of substrate, temperature, pH, and time for agitation had effects of interaction (p

The study is intended to deliver the incidence of heavy metals in the feathers of shorebirds from two important Central Asian Flyway (CAF) migratory shorebirds wintering sites such as the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary (PWLS) and Pichavaram Mangrove Forest (PMF), India. Feathers of fifteen species of shorebirds and seven different metals viz., Cu, Cr, Co, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn were analyzed. Zn was highest in Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, and Common sandpiper, Ni showed highest in Little ringed plover, and Common sandpiper, Co, Cr, and Cu were maximum in Little stint, Marsh sandpiper, and Dunlin, respectively. The Hg was higher in Black-winged stilt, Common redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Eurasian curlew, Lesser Sand-plover, Temminck’s stint, Kentish plover, Spotted redshank, and Wood sandpiper, the Pb found highest in Kentish plover, Painted stork, Spotted redshank, Wood sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, and Lesser sand-plover. The concentration of metals showed significant variations among the species of shorebirds studied (P Ni > Co > Cr > Cu > Pb > Hg. Nevertheless, the current study revealed that the level of metals in the shorebirds is alarming; since the PWLS and PMF are located along the CAF routes, it needs intensive studies on various pollutions to manage both the resident as well as migratory shorebirds.

Reproductive success is attained by various mechanisms in insects. Prolonged post insemination association is one such mechanism to increase the reproductive success. The present study was conducted to assess the role of post insemination association of mating partners on reproductive performance in Chrysomelidae beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister. The matings were disrupted at different time intervals and fecundity and percent egg viability of the females were recorded. In addition, the mounting attempts, mating attempts, time to commencement of mating and latent period were also recorded. It was hypothesized that: (1) the mounting and mating attempts would not exist, (2) copulation duration, would not affect the reproductive performance, and (3) the beetle would not exhibit the mate guarding behaviour. Interestingly, results revealed that 6.00 ± 1.3 and 6.59 ± 0.93 mounting and mating attempts are needed to establish successful mating. The results revealed that males improved their percent egg viability with a mating duration ranging from nearly 30–50 min. While fecundity increased with a mating duration of above 30 min and up to a duration of 60 min. This result concluded that males of this beetle display post copulatory mate guarding behaviour after 60 min in which male rides on female’s back with his aedeagus inserted in the female genital tract.

A simple method has been needed to synthesize nanoparticles (NPs) to avoid environmental pollution, an alternative chemical and physical method. This current study deals with phytosynthesis of gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) metal doped with titanium oxide (TiO2) NPs using Enterolobium saman bark extract. This extract plays a vital role in reducing and stabilizing Au and Pt doped into the TiO2 NPs lattices. Phytosynthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, ED-XRF, TEM, FTIR, Raman, and UV–vis-DRS analyses. The metal doping effect has decreased bandgap energy and particle size, whereas increased conductivity for TiO2/M-Au and TiO2/M-Pt NPs compared to pristine TiO2 NPs. Phytosynthesized NPs were fabricated for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and photocatalytic behaviour against methylene blue (MB) dye was studied. An obtained result demonstrates that TiO2/M-Au NPs have excellent feasibility for applying DSSC and photocatalytic application due to particle size, crystallite size, absorption ability, and bandgap energy. Besides, synthesized samples were measured with cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy found that the metal doping is drifted the dielectric and increases that the metal doping is drifted the dielectric increases electro-catalytic of the TiO2. Different concentrations of all NPs were tested against Escherichia coli MTCC 40 and S. aureus ATCC 6633 bacteria by a well-diffusion method. The 10 mg concentration of all NPs showed better antibacterial activity. However, we believe that the proposed simple phytosynthesized method provides an efficient way to overcome the chemical and physical methods.

This study presents ethanol's fabrication by fermenting the golden trumpet flower (Allamanda schottii L) with the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The changes in different parameters during fermentation were studied and optimized while producing the ethanol and the end product was subjected to emission test study by blending petrol and ethanol. The Allamanda floral substrate contains 65% polysaccharides. The strain S. cerevisiae was obtained in the form of baker’s yeast from a domestic shop. For 100 ml of slurry, the highest bioethanol yield recorded was about 18.75 ml via optimization of different culture conditions, including a 1:8 ratio for slurry preparation, maintained under 35 ⁰C, 5.5 pH, 72 h. old inoculum with a quantity of 3.75 g 100 ml−1, fermented for120 h. The highest yield of bioethanol was acquired under the addition of urea. This technique & design is capable of industrial-scale fabrication of bioethanol by using A. schottii floral substrates. This research was conducted to fabricate ethanol by fermentation (A. schottii L) floral substrate with S. cerevisiae. The optimum physiochemical parameters required to obtain the highest yield of bioethanol from A. schottii flower by fermentation was studied. The immobilization strategy with a cheap agricultural substrate and magnetic nanoparticles were also studied. The engine performance and emission studies were done with different blends of petrol and bio-ethanol.

Copper nanoparticles were synthesized using Manilkara zapota leaf extract. The synthesis of the nanoparticle was primarily visualized when the colour of the reaction mixture turned into reddish-brown. Biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis, FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EDX. The UV spectra showed maximum absorption at 584 nm. FT-IR studies showed stretching frequency at 592.76 cm−1, which is the fingerprint region for Cu-O bond. The crystallinity of the synthesized copper nanoparticles (Mz–Cu NPs) was revealed through XRD analysis. The synthesized Mz–Cu NPs were spherical with an average size of 18.9–42.5 nm and it was shown by SEM analysis. EDX analysis displayed that the nano sample contains 58 % of copper. The antimicrobial property of the synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated against fungal plant pathogens Rhizoctonia solani (MTCC 12232), Sclerotium oryzae (MTCC 12230) and bacterial species, namely Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 23857), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Vibrio harveyi (ATCC 35084), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (ATCC 33845). In in-vitro haemolytic assay, the particle showed 5.73, 3.34, 0.5 % hemolysis at 100, 50, 25 μg/mL concentration respectively. In the antiproliferative assay, the IC50 values of MCF7 and Vero cells were found to be 53.89 and 883.69 μg/μl. The particle degraded Methyl violet, Malachite green and Coomassie brilliant blue by 92.2, 94.9 and 78.8 %, within 50, 40 and 60 min, respectively, through its photocatalytic activity.

Study aimed to evaluate the effect of replacing fish meal with different levels of full fat soybean meal (FFSBM) on growth and digestive enzyme activities in the stomach, Liver and intestine for Clarias gariepinus. Four diets (D1, D2, D3 and D4) were formulated with 0, 15, 20 and 20 g 100-1 protein + DL-methionine by alternating FFSBM with fish meal. The growth of C. gariepinus was found to be significantly decreased when FFSBM replacement increased. Final body weight was 89.69, 79.70, 70.82 and 68.29 g for fish fed on D1, D2, D3 and D4, respectively, with significant differences between treatments. Specific growth rate (SGR) ranged between 3.11 to 2.78%. Proteolytic activity was higher only with alkaline pHs, whereas only very low activity was shown with acidic. Results of liver showed approximately similar results at acid and alkaline. In contrast, higher proteolytic activity in the stomach was observed at acid pHs 3.0 and 4.0 μg tyrosine-1 minute-1 mg-1 protein) whereas lower values were observed at neutral pH 7.0 g tyrosine-1 minute-1 mg-1 protein for catfish fed on the experimental diets. Moreover, trypsin activity was higher for the stomach, followed by the intestine and liver. However, higher amount of amylase observed in the liver than intestine and stomach. Resumo Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da substituição da farinha de peixe por diferentes níveis de farelo de soja integral (FSI) sobre o crescimento e atividades de enzimas digestivas no estômago, fígado e intestino de Clarias gariepinus. Quatro dietas (D1, D2, D3 e D4) foram formuladas com 0, 15, 20 e 20 g 100-1 proteína + DL-metionina, alternando FSI com farinha de peixe. O crescimento de C. gariepinus foi significativamente reduzido quando aumentou a substituição de farinha de peixe por FSI . O peso corporal final foi de 89,69, 79,70, 70,82 e 68,29 g para peixes alimentados com D1, D2, D3 e D4, respectivamente, com diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos. Taxa de crescimento específico (TCE) variou entre 3,11 a 2,78%. A atividade proteolítica foi maior apenas com pHs alcalinos, enquanto que atividades muito baixas foram somente mostradas com ácido. Os resultados no fígado mostraram valores aproximadamente semelhantes tanto em meio ácido quanto alcalino. Em contraste, observou-se maior atividade proteolítica no estômago em pH ácido (3,0 e 4,0 g de tirosina-1 minuto-1 mg-1 de proteína), ao passo que valores mais baixos foram observados em pH neutro (7,0 g de tirosina-1 minuto-1 mg-1 de proteína) para os bagres que se alimentaram com as dietas experimentais. Além disso, a atividade da tripsina foi maior para o estômago, seguida pelo intestino e pelo fígado. No entanto, observou-se maior quantidade de amilase no fígado,intestino e estômago.

Thimerosal is an organomercurial compound, which is used in the preparation of intramuscular immunoglobulin, antivenoms, tattoo inks, skin test antigens, nasal products, ophthalmic drops, and vaccines as a preservative. In most of animal species and humans, the kidney is one of the main sites for mercurial compounds deposition and target organs for toxicity. So, the current research was intended to assess the thimerosal induced nephrotoxicity in male rats. Twenty-four adult male albino rats were categorized into four groups. The first group was a control group. Rats of Group-II, Group-III, and Group-IV were administered with 0.5µg/kg, 10µg/kg, and 50µg/kg of thimerosal once a day, respectively. Thimerosal administration significantly decreased the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH), and protein content while increased the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels dose-dependently. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, urobilinogen, urinary proteins, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels were substantially increased. In contrast, urinary albumin and creatinine clearance was reduced dose-dependently in thimerosal treated groups. The results demonstrated that thimerosal significantly increased the inflammation indicators including nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activities, DNA and histopathological damages dose-dependently. So, the present findings ascertained that thimerosal exerted nephrotoxicity in male albino rats. Resumo O timerosal é um composto organomercurial, utilizado na preparação de imunoglobulina intramuscular, antivenenos, tintas de tatuagem, antígenos de teste cutâneo, produtos nasais, gotas oftálmicas e vacinas como conservante. Na maioria das espécies animais e nos humanos, o rim é um dos principais locais de deposição de compostos de mercúrio e órgãos-alvo de toxicidade. Assim, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar a nefrotoxicidade induzida pelo timerosal em ratos machos. Vinte e quatro ratos albinos machos adultos foram categorizados em quatro grupos. O primeiro grupo era um grupo de controle. Ratos do Grupo II, Grupo III e Grupo IV receberam 0,5µg / kg, 10µg / kg e 50µg / kg de timerosal uma vez ao dia, respectivamente. A administração de timerosal diminuiu significativamente as atividades de catalase (CAT), superóxido dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutationa redutase (GR), glutationa (GSH) e conteúdo de proteína, enquanto aumentou as substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) e peróxido de hidrogênio (H2O2) níveis dependentes da dose. Os níveis de nitrogênio ureico no sangue (BUN), creatinina, urobilinogênio, proteínas urinárias, molécula de lesão renal-1 (KIM-1) e lipocalina associada à gelatinase de neutrófilos (NGAL) aumentaram substancialmente. Em contraste, a albumina urinária e a depuração da creatinina foram reduzidas de forma dependente da dose nos grupos tratados com timerosal. Os resultados demonstraram que o timerosal aumentou significativamente os indicadores de inflamação, incluindo fator nuclear kappaB (NF-κB), fator de necrose tumoral-α (TNF-α), interleucina-1β (IL-1β), níveis de interleucina-6 (IL-6) e atividades da ciclooxigenase-2 (COX-2), DNA e danos histopatológicos dependentes da dose. Portanto, os presentes achados verificaram que o timerosal exerceu nefrotoxicidade em ratos albinos machos.

This study explored the effects of natural growth promoters (phytogenic feed additives and organic acids) on animal performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, gut microflora composition, and microbe–host interactions in broiler chickens over a 42-day feeding period. Two-hundred-fifty-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to one of five treatments: (i) control diets (CON); (ii) control diets + 40 g/tons antibiotic growth promoter (AB); (iii) control diets + 3 kg/tons organic acids (ORG); (iv) control diets + 3 kg/tons phytogenic feed additives (PHY); (v) control diets + 3 kg/tons organic acids + phytogenic feed additive combination (COM). A non-significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in broiler performance among treatments at 21 days of age; however, a gradually increasing body weight gain and reduced feed conversion ratio were observed at 42 days in treatments versus control group. Biochemical indices were non-significant (p > 0.05) except for decreased cholesterol (p

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of fermented poultry by-product meal (FPBM) on growth performance, digestive enzymes activity, innate immunity, and antioxidant capacity in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A basal diet containing fish meal and soybean meal was considered as a control (Con), and four other diets were produced by inclusion of 10, 20, 30, or 40% FPBM (FPBM10, FPBM20, FPBM30, and FPBM40 diets). The experiment was done in triplicates (20 fish per replicate) and the fish were fed the test diets to visual satiety twice daily for 8 weeks. The groups of fish fed the FPBM10 and FPBM20 diets showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher weight gain and specific growth rate, and lower feed conversion ratio than those fed the Con and FPBM40 diets. Moreover, inclusion of 40% FPBM led to significant reduction of feed intake compared to the other treatments. FPBM at all the tested levels improved intestinal protease activity and lipase activity was enhanced at 10–30% inclusion levels. Furthermore, the FPBM10 and FPBM20 groups revealed significantly higher amylase activity than the other treatments. The FPBM10 group exhibited significantly higher phagocytic activity than the control group and phagocytic index was enhanced by dietary inclusion of 10–30% FPBM. However, inclusion of over 30% FPBM led to significant reduction of lysozyme, phagocytic, and bactericidal activities compared to the control group. Further, FPBM10 and FPBM20 diets increased the serum IgM levels, while NBT was significantly increased by feeding FPBM10 diet compared with FPBM30 and FPBM40 groups (P < 0.05). The group fed the FPBM30 diet showed significantly higher glutathione peroxidase activity than the control group. According to the analysis of the data by the polynomial regression, the inclusion of FPBM at 11.17–25.14% can be applied effectively in the diets of tilapia for better growth performance and health condition.

A novel enzyme-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) based on the DNA-mediated nanoscale zirconium-porphyrin MOFs (NMOFs). By virtue of the intrinsic coordination between unsaturated zirconium sites of the NMOFs frameworks and phosphonate groups, the 5'-phosphorylared ss-DNA-tagged antibody (Ab-DNA) conjugate with a consecutive stretch of guanines as a spacer could be loaded on the NMOFs easily, obtaining a novel type of Ab-DNA-functionalized NMOFs complex. Additionally, as a photocathode PEC active nanomaterial, NMOFs exhibited a significant enhanced photocurrent response with the presence of dopamine under oxygen-containing aqueous media at -0.3 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Furthermore, with the aid of the electrochemical grafting of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers functionalized interface, the novel type of Ab-DNA-NMOFs further served as a PEC signal nanoprobe for the ultrasensitive PSA immunoassay. Under optimal conditions, the corresponding immunosensor possessed a wide calibration range of 1 pg mL

This investigation is aimed to study an impact of habitat degradation on proximate composition and amino acid (AAs) profile of Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala collected from polluted, non-polluted area (upstream) and a commercial fish farm. The amino acid profile was estimated by the amino acid analyzer. C. catla collected from the polluted environment had highest lipid, protein and ash contents (12.04 ± 0.01, 13.45 ± 0.01 and 0.93 ± 0.03%, respectively). The high protein content (14.73 ± 0.01 and 14.12 ± 0. 01%) was recorded in C. catla procured from non-polluted (upstream) wild habitat of River Chenab and controlled commercial fish farm. Farmed fish species showed comparatively higher moisture contents followed by upstream and polluted area fishes. C. mrigala showed significant differences in amino acid and proximate composition collected from a polluted site of the river Chenab. C. catla collected from non-polluted site of the river showed an excellent nutrient profile, followed by L. rohita (wild and farmed) and C. mrigala (polluted area), respectively. All fishes from the polluted areas of the River Chenab indicated a significant decrease in the concentration of some AAs when compared to farmed and wild (upstream) major carps. Omitting of some important AAs was also observed in the meat of fish harvested from polluted habitat of this river. C. mrigala and L. rohita exhibited a significant increase in the concentration of some of non-essential amino acids such as cysteine in their meat. The results indicated that wild fish (upstream) and farmed fish species had highest protein contents and amino acid profile and hence appeared to be the best for human consumption. The proximate composition and AAs profiles of fish harvested from the polluted area of the river clearly indicated that efforts shall be made for the restoration of habitat to continue the requirement of high quality fish meat at a low cost to the human population. Keywords: Habitat, Polluted, Non-polluted fish, Commercial, Amino acids

Owing to white meat production Labeo rohita have vast economic importance, but its population has been reduced drastically in River Chenab due to pollution. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry showed a merciless toxicity level of Cd, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, Sn and Hg. Comet assay results indicated significant (p

Recently, medicinal plants are achieving great interest because of their use in ethno medicine treatment of different common diseases and also other medicinal assertions are now reinforced by comprehensive scientific evidence. Almost 82 research articles and abstracts published, so far, were screened for evaluating antiviral efficiency of various plant samples and 23 different plants were found to be traditionally used against Newcastle disease (ND). ND is a most transmissible viral disease of avian species caused by virulent strain of Avula virus from the Paramyxoviridae family. The first epidemic of ND was perceived in Java, Indonesia and England in year 1926. ND causes great economic loses to the commercial poultry farmers around the world. Medicinal plants are traditionally used in the control of viral or other diseases and infections. Plants have been found useful in treating many microbial diseases in man and animals caused by bacteria and viruses. The ability to synthesize compounds retaining antiviral potential by secondary metabolism makes plants a vital source of pharmaceutical and therapeutic products, which can reduce chemotherapeutic load in birds. Current studies signify that the natural products posses a rich potential source of new antiviral compounds. Further ethnobotanical studies and laboratory investigations are established to identify species having potential to improve ND control.

The cyto-nephrotoxicity in fishes induced by dyes is a global issue. Fluorescein dye has a wide range of applications in industry and biological laboratories. In vivo experiment was planned to assess the sublethal effects of Fluorescein dye, Eosin Y, and Eosin B in Labeo rohita. This freshwater fish was exposed to increasing concentrations (0.0011, 0.0023, and 0.0047 mg/L) of both dyes in the aquarium for definite time intervals. A dye-free trial was set as a control. Fish was anesthetized and dissected by cutting on the ventral side to remove a kidney. Cyto-nephrotoxicity was detected through histopathology. The fish's significant mortality was observed when exposed to 0.0023 mg/L (LC50) and 0.0047 mg/L concentration of Eosin Y dye. These trial groups showed many kidney tissues alterations such as glomerular, tubular epithelial cell's degeneration, a reduced lumen of tubules, vacuolation, absence of bowmen's space, necrosis, glomerulonephritis with increased per tubular space, shrinking of the glomerulus, congestion, clogging, and degeneration of tubules. Eosin B showed less mortality and tissue damage, including glomerular contraction and increased space between glomerulus and capsule. ANOVA showed a highly significant reduction in weight gain of fish at different treatments levels of Eosin Y, but less or none in the case of Eosin B. Increase in fish weight was found to be 66.3 ± 0.38 g when exposed to Eosin Y at 0.0047 mg/L, but it was 69.05 ± 0.63 g when exposed to Eosin B while it was almost identical 69.2 ± 0.23 g for both dye-free trial groups. The pair-wise comparison showed that exposure of the Eosin Y at treatment level 0.0047 mg/L was found to be highly toxic for the kidneys of Labeo rohita. Although both classes of dye are cytotoxic at small concentrations, Eosin Y is acute cyto-nephrotoxic and was found to be involved in growth retardation. To prevent society from fatal consequences, usage of dyes having acute toxicity must be banned or switched to alternates having no effects.

Naturally-occurring seasonal saltpans serve as a major foraging ground for migratory shorebirds. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of various environmental factors in determining the density, diversity and species richness of shorebirds and their prey in India. This study was designed to collect quantitative data for the first time on the role of season, salinity, water depth, and prey availability in influencing the density, diversity, and species richness of migratory shorebirds in the eastern coastal saltpans of Tamilnadu, India. Selected sites were classified as seasonal saltpans and hypersaline saltpans based on the concentration of salinity in water. Shorebirds were counted systematically from (August) 2012 to (May) 2015 using the total count method. The measurement of salinity level and water depths of each sighting was also collected. The density, diversity and species richness of shorebirds showed highest in the seasonal saltpans than the hypersaline saltpans. The monsoon season attracted more shorebird density, diversity species richness when compared to other seasons. Calidris alpine was only the migratory shorebird species recorded in both types of saltpans and across seasons. The micro and macro-invertebrate prey species showed the highest in the seasonal saltpans. The Chironomid larva showed the highest turnover than other species recorded in the studied saltpans. The multiple regression models showed that the year, season, salinity, and water depth influence the shorebird density, diversity, species richness, and prey species' density with a more significant percentage. The study results found that saltpans are also an ideal habitat for migratory shorebirds and their diverse prey species seasonally.

The heavy metal ions originating from the various point and nonpoint sources seriously threatening the lotic ecosystem by posing severe health crises to the aquatic organisms of higher trophic levels. The freshwater turtles with delicate body structure and devoid of any hardcovers are prone to higher heavy metal bioaccumulation risks. The present study was conducted to determine heavy metals bioaccumulation in three soft-shelled and hard-shelled freshwater turtle species in Pakistan. We collected the water samples and cadaver turtle bodies at both sites and transported them to the laboratory for heavy metal content evaluation. The skeletal muscles (1 g) and water samples (100 ml) were processed by acid digestion and prepared metals analyses by AAS. The results indicated that the mean concentrations of Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd) were significantly lower, while Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr) were significantly higher at both sites compared with world health organization (WHO, 2004) standards. Muscles of softshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) showed the maximum bioaccumulation of targeted metals than other two species of hard-shell turtles i.e. Cu (7.61 ± 1.88), Zn (49.17 ± 4.11), Ni (2.77 ± 0.41), Cd (0.21 ± 0.02), Co (3.31 ± 0.43), Pb (4.70 ± 0.62) and Cr (6.09 ± 0.39). The mean concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cr were maximum in water and turtle species muscles collected from Trimmu Barrage. In conclusion, the heavy metal loads in water and bioaccumulation patterns in the skeletal muscles of freshwater turtle species illustrated species and location-based variations with overall similar pattern corroborations among the sequence of heavy presence levels.

Shrimp culture economics has a significant influence on the socio-economic status of coastal communities. Here, we investigated the shrimp farmers' financial and perceptual reactions to analyze shrimp farming's direct impact on their socio-economic status, sustainability, resilience, and the cultural environment. Our outcomes alluded that the farming community's satisfaction level was higher than their concern for environmental impacts. Local shrimp farming communities expressed satisfaction about their present income from shrimp farming compared to pre-farming socio-economic status. Recently, shrimp farming has improved the financial gains of farming communities than in the past, which encouraged them to excel in shrimp culture than agriculture. The household construction style and materials used improved after shrimp farming. The shrimp farmers (56 %) expressed salinity and abridged rice production as the leading reason for the shift to shrimp farming. The income level showed a 72 % satisfaction level among the farmers. Profitability and daily fish demand were the positive impacts, while the lack of fodder and destroying vegetation were listed as negative impacts of shrimp farming. There was a decline in livestock and homegrown poultry farming and trees, which could also be linked with increasing shrimp farming activities. Shrimp farming helped increase the income level from 26 % to 36 % for the income range groups of USD 101–150 and > USD 150. The 78 % of participants strongly agreed that shrimp farming was more profitable than rice culture, while 60 % expressed a preference for shrimp farming on freshwater fish culture, especially for better production. In conclusion, shrimp farming has brought socio-economic improvements in the household and lifestyles of the shrimp farming communities. This example is of great learning for the marginalized and financially threatened coastal communities in developing and underdeveloped nations.

Flatfish metamorphosis denotes the extraordinary transformation of a symmetric pelagic larva into an asymmetric benthic juvenile. This unique process involves eye migration, a 90° rotation in posture, and asymmetrical pigmentation for adaptation to a benthic lifestyle. In the present study, we used genetics to map a metamorphosis-related locus (q-10M) in the male linkage group (LG10M), a small interval of 0.9 cM corresponding to a 1.8 M-bp physical area in chromosome 9 in the Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Combined with single-marker analysis, ribosomal protein S6 kinase 2 (rps6kb2) a member of the family of AGC kinases was identified as a novel metamorphosis-related candidate gene. Its expression pattern during metamorphosis was determined by quantitative RT-PCR and whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis. rps6kb2 gene was significantly expressed in metamorphic climax stage larvae and distributed in all the tissues transforming during metamorphosis, including tail, jaw, eye and skin of larvae. The results suggest that rps6kb2 has a general role in tissue transformations during flatfish metamorphosis including tail changes, skull remodeling, eye migration, and asymmetrical pigmentation.

Feed efficiency is an economically important trait in aquaculture, which can be measured traditionally as feed conversion ratio (FCR). Because of the difficult measurement, genome-wide selection using quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting FCR may be an alternative for genetic improvement. In the present investigation, QTLs for FCR based on two mapping panels (mirror carp and hybrid carp panels) were found in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). After that, candidate genes were identified by comparative genomics. A total of nine QTLs, two genome-wide and seven linkage group-wide, were detected in eight linkage groups (LGs) in the mirror carp panel (FAM-A, n = 68) and nine QTLs, four genome-wide and five linkage group-wide, were detected on eight linkage groups of the hybrid carp panel (FAM-B, n = 92). Two genome-wide QTLs affecting FCR were identified in two LGs (Lg1 and Lg21) in FAM-A, which explained 32.3% and 35.6% of the phenotypic variation respectively; four genome-wide QTLs affecting FCR were detected in four LGs (LG5, LG21, LG24, and LG33) in FAM-B which explained 29.3%–33.4% of the phenotypic variation. All of eight QTL regions from FAM-A were aligned to the high-resolution linkage map with whole genomic scaffold and all genes mapped on, and 18 genes associated with growth or metabolic function were identified using the whole-genomic browser on http://www.carpbase.org/gbrowse.php . We believe that these 18 genes are valuable candidate genes affecting feed efficiency, that might be used in MAS programs to improve performance in common carp. Statement of relevance All animal experiments was carried out in accordance with the National Institutes of Health guide for the care and use of Laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978) and it is hereby clearly indicated that such guidelines had been followed.

This study was conducted to assess water pollution by examining DNA fragmentation in selected fish organs (kidney, liver, gills, and muscle tissue) from Wallago attu, Sperata sarwari, Vulgaris vulgaris, and Labeo rohita collected from a known polluted section of the Chenab River, Pakistan, and from a control site. The fish were caught using a gill net and were assigned to three different weight groups (W1, W2, and W3) to study the degree of variation in DNA fragmentation in relation to body weight. In fish from the polluted site, DNA fragmentation was higher in kidney, liver, gills, and muscles, compared to the control. No significant DNA fragmentation was observed in fish collected from the control site. Highly significant (P < 0.01) relationship between body weight and DNA fragmentation was found in the organs of fish procured at the contaminated site. DNA fragmentation in body organs was found to be affected by the concentrations of lead, copper, nickel, and cadmium in W. attu, S. sarwari, L. rohita, and V. vulgarus harvested from Chenab River. DNA fragmentation in different freshwater fish species is therefore a reliable biomarker of water pollution. Resumo Este estudo foi conduzido para avaliar a poluição da água examinando a fragmentação do DNA em órgãos de peixes selecionados (rim, fígado, brânquias e tecido muscular) de Wallago attu, Sperata sarwari, Vulgaris vulgaris e Labeo rohita coletados de uma conhecida área poluída do rio Chenab, Paquistão e de um local de controle. Os peixes foram capturados usando uma rede branquial e foram divididos em três grupos de pesos diferentes (W1, W2 e W3) para estudar o grau de variação na fragmentação do DNA em relação ao peso corporal. Nos peixes do local poluído, a fragmentação do DNA foi maior nos rins, fígado, brânquias e músculos, em comparação ao controle. Não foi observada fragmentação significativa do DNA em peixes coletados no local de controle. Relação altamente significativa (P

In the present study, a simple and a selective colorimetric method for pheromone detection to diagnose estrus in cattle was established based on the l-tyrosine functionalized silver nanoparticles (l-TyrAgNPs). The synthesized silver nanoparticles was spotted by color change (colorless to pale yellow) due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In order to confirm, Ag nanoparticles was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV- Vis spectrophotometer. It was found that the pre-colored Ag colloids could be turned from yellow to reddish-brown by the addition of the sex pheromones such as acetic acid or propionic acid, which may have potential application in the colorimetric sensor. The augmented optical nature of nanoparticles furnishes a suitable base to develop a colorimetric sensor for bovine sex pheromones detection. In addition, the computational analyses are critically required to validate residual interactions of bovine odorant-binding protein (OBP) with pheromones. The method was successfully applied to the detection of acetic acid or propionic acid using a biological molecule l-Tyr AgNPs. These results clearly indicate that the biosynthesis of l-Tyr AgNPs can be used as a promising colorimetric sensor for accurate time of estrus prediction in bovine.

Recent trends in anticancer therapy is to use therapeutic agents which not only kill the cancer cell, but are less toxic to surrounding normal cells/tissue. One approach is to cut the nutrient supply to growing tumor cells, by blocking the formation of new blood vessels around the tumor. As the phytochemicals and botanical crude extracts have proven their efficacy as natural antiangiogenic agents with minimum toxicities, there is need to explore varieties of medicinal plants for novel antiangiogenic compounds.Rumex vesicarius L. (Humeidh), is an annual herbal plant with proven medicinal values. The antiangiogenic potential, and developmental toxicity of humeidh in experimental animal models has never been studied before. The crude extracts were prepared from the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of Rumex vesicarius L. in methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-hexane. The developmental toxicity screening in zebrafish embryos, has revealed that Rumex vesicarius was not toxic to zebrafish embryos. The chloroform stem extract showed significant level of antiangiogenic activity in zebrafish angiogenic assay on a dose dependent manner. Thirty five (35) bioactive compounds were identified by gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry (GC–MS) analysis in the stem extract of Rumex vesicarius. Propanoic acid, 2-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]-, trimethylsilyl ester, Butane, 1,2,3-tris(trimethylsiloxy), and Butanedioic acid, bis(trimethylsilyl) ester were identified as major compound present in the stem of R. vasicarius.The anticancer activity of roots, stem, leaves and flowers crude extract was evaluated in human breast cancer (MCF7), human colon carcinoma (Lovo, and Caco-2), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. Most of the crude extracts did not show significant level of cytotoxicity in tested cancer cells line, except, chloroform extract of stem which exhibited strong anticancer activity in all tested cancer cells with IC50 values in micro molar range.Based on these results, it is recommended that formulation prepared from R. vesicarius can further be tested in clinical trials in order to explore its therapeutic potential as an effective and safe natural anticancer product. Keywords: Rumex vasicarius L., Angiogenesis, Phytochemical screening, Developmental toxicity, Zebrafish embryos

The study was implemented to actuate the qualitative and quantitative phyto constituents of Iresine herbstii extracts and its antiviral efficacy against avian ND virus. Among four tested solvents, the ethanolic extract of Iresine herbstii revealed the presence of highest quantity of all tested phytochemicals while petroleum ether extract showed the least. Folin-Ciocalteu method assessed the range of TPC extended from 81.01 ± 0.67 to 126.35 ± 0.45 µg GAE/mg. Acetonic extract showed the highest amount among all extracts and petroleum ether possessed the lower quantity. TFC ranged from 54.37 ± 0.45 to 88.12 ± 0.26 µg QE/mg followed by colorimetric method. From all extract ethanolic extract showed highest quantity and petroleum ether revealed the lower. HPLC analysis of ethanolic extract of I. herbstii confesses the presence six bioactive components by using the HP5-MS column. To check the antiviral potential of plants, different prepared treatments of plant extract and live virus were inoculated at 9 days old SPF embryonated chicken eggs. Results exposed that all plant extracts produce antiviral activity against NDV in ovo according to their potential and phytochemical profile. The highest survival rate was observed in the ethanolic extract at 400 µg/mL and acetonic extract at 300 µg/mL as it controls the NDV activity completely, evidence of absence of embryo death and HA titre. Dichloromethane and petroleum ether could not inhibit the virus completely. 600 µg/mL concentration was proved as toxic in all extracts except petroleum ether extract which showed a dose dependent pattern.

The aim of this study was to determine the level of contamination and genotoxic impact through micronucleus assay and histopathology in Wallago attu and Cirrhinus mrigala procured from the polluted site of the River Chenab at industrial and sewage waste disposal. The water sample was found viciously contaminated with heavy metals i.e. Ni, Cr, Mn, Co, Pb, Hg, Zn, Sn, Cu while all other physio-chemical variables crossed the suggested limits of WHO. The heavy metals load induced histopathological alterations were correlated to environmental degradation and the productivity of this biological system. W. attu and C. mrigala harvested from contaminated sites of the river indicated higher intensity of DNA damage through micronucleus induction and nuclear abnormalities with 5.46 ± 0.17, 1.23 ± 0.08 and 4.2 ± 0.11, 0.4 ± 0.04‰ respectively. Muscle sections of W. attu and C. mrigala harvested from the polluted section of river demonstrated the necrosis, degeneration of muscle fibers, intra-fibular edema and release of the blood into the tissues due to the bursting of blocked of the blood vessels. Dermal layers showed degeneration of the collagen bundles those were found loose or collapsed in some regions. Photomicrography also revealed vacuolar degeneration in muscle tissues and atrophy of muscle bundles. Intra fibular edema and splitting of muscle fibers were also seen along with bioaccumulation of toxicants. W. attu showed maximum incidence of alterations with highest histopathological alteration index related to environmental degradation. Control fish samples showed normal muscle tissues with normal equally spaced muscle bundles and myotomes.

The phylogeny of Isopoda, a speciose order of crustaceans, remains unresolved, with different data sets (morphological, nuclear, mitochondrial) often producing starkly incongruent phylogenetic hypotheses. We hypothesized that extreme diversity in their life histories might be causing compositional heterogeneity/heterotachy in their mitochondrial genomes, and compromising the phylogenetic reconstruction. We tested the effects of different data sets (mitochondrial, nuclear, nucleotides, amino acids, concatenated genes, individual genes, gene orders), phylogenetic algorithms (assuming data homogeneity, heterogeneity, and heterotachy), and partitioning; and found that almost all of them produced unique topologies. As we also found that mitogenomes of Asellota and two Cymothoida families (Cymothoidae and Corallanidae) possess inversed base (GC) skew patterns in comparison to other isopods, we concluded that inverted skews cause long-branch attraction phylogenetic artifacts between these taxa. These asymmetrical skews are most likely driven by multiple independent inversions of origin of replication (i.e., nonadaptive mutational pressures). Although the PhyloBayes CAT-GTR algorithm managed to attenuate some of these artifacts (and outperform partitioning), mitochondrial data have limited applicability for reconstructing the phylogeny of Isopoda. Regardless of this, our analyses allowed us to propose solutions to some unresolved phylogenetic debates, and support Asellota are the most likely candidate for the basal isopod branch. As our findings show that architectural rearrangements might produce major compositional biases even on relatively short evolutionary timescales, the implications are that proving the suitability of data via composition skew analyses should be a prerequisite for every study that aims to use mitochondrial data for phylogenetic reconstruction, even among closely related taxa.

This research work was carried out to determine the effects of water contamination on the fatty acid (FA) profile of periphyton, zoobenthos, two Chinese carps and a common carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Ctenopharygodon idella and Cyprinus carpio), captured from highly polluted (HP), less polluted (LP), and non-polluted (NP) sites of the Indus river. We found that the concentration of heavy metals in the river water from the polluted locations exceeded the permissible limits suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Fatty acid profiles in periphyton, zoobenthos, H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio in the food web of river ecosystems with different pollution levels were assessed. Lauric acid and arachidic acids were not detected in the biomass of periphyton and zoobenthos from HP and LP sites compared to NP sites. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosadienoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid were not recorded in the biomass samples of periphyton and zoobenthos in both HP and LP sites. Caprylic acid, lauric acid, and arachidic acid were not found in H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio captured from HP. In this study, 6 and 9 omega series FAs were identified in the muscle samples of H. molitrix, C. idella and C. carpio captured from HP and LP sites compared to NP sites, respectively. Less polyunsaturated fatty acids were observed in the muscle samples of H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio collected from HP than from LP. The heavy metals showed significant negative correlations with the total FAs in periphyton, zoobenthos, and fish samples.

The present study aimed to assess the appropriate level of replacement of fish meal (FM) with alternative plant sources in the feed fed to Oreochromis niloticus to evaluate the growth performance. Three isoproteinious (40% crude protein) diets were prepared from different ingredients viz., fish meal, corn gluten meal, wheat gluten meal, and bagasse kenna meal. O. niloticus showed a maximum increase in weight as 9.70, 11.09, 8.53 and 8.32 g during the 2nd, 2nd, 3rd and 2nd fortnight with feeding treatment A, B, C and D, respectively. The growth performance of the fish in terms of weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the fish fed with 20% replacement of fishmeal in diet B. The worst growth performance was observed in fish fed with commercial diet, designated as diet D. It was concluded that the fish meal can be replaced up to 20 percent with other plant protein sources without any negative impact on fish health. The replacement of fish meal with local plant sources (corn gluten meal, wheat gluten meal, soybean meal and bagasse kenna mix) will not only be beneficial to achieve better growth performance in O. niloticus, it will be a value addition as well. Resumo O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o nível adequado de substituição de farinha de peixe (FM) com fontes alternativas de plantas na alimentação alimentada a Oreochromis niloticus para avaliar o desempenho do crescimento. Três dietas isoproteiniosas (proteína de 40% de proteína bruta) foram preparadas a partir de diferentes ingredientes, como farinha de peixe, farinha de glúten de milho, farinha de glúten de trigo e farinha de bagaço de bagaço. O. niloticus apresentou um aumento máximo de peso como 9,70, 11,09, 8,53 e 8,32 g durante a 2ª, 2ª, 3ª e 2ª quinzena com o tratamento de alimentação A, B, C e D, respectivamente. O desempenho de crescimento do peixe em termos de ganho de peso, taxa de crescimento específico, razão de conversão alimentar e relação de eficiência protéica foi significativamente maior (P

Specimens of Heteropneustes fossilis were treated with various levels of malathion and its 96 h LC50 value was determined. The effects of sub-lethal concentrations of insecticide on hematological and biochemical profile of Heteropneustes fossilis were also registered. The 96 h LC50 value obtained was 8.81 mg/l. Exposure of sub-lethal doses (0.44, 0.88 and 1.76 mg/l which are 5, 10 and 20% of the LC50) of malathion to Heteropneustes fossilis for 3 weeks demonstrated that the toxicant had a detrimental effect on the blood profile of fish. Blood cell (Erythrocyte and leucocytes) counts (from 1.66 to 1.44 cell × 106 × mm3 and 37.93 to 30.24 cell × 103 × mm3; respectively), haemoglobin (Hb) level (from 6.21 to 3.54 g/dl) and haematocrit (Ht) estimates (from 34.26 to 30.52%) were reduced in the fishes exposed to malathion. Elevated level (from 46.25 to 92.45 mg/100 ml) of glucose and decreased quantity (29.95 to 24.25 g/dl) of protein in plasma was registered. Glycogen content in muscle and liver was also decreased. The activity of enzymes glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were high in the fish treated with pesticide. The possible causes for variations in the different parameters were identified and discussed.