Studies on the proteinaceous gel secretion from the skin of the catfish, Arius maculatus (Thunberg, 1792)

The Catfish Arius maculatus (Thunberg, 1792) causes injury to the fisherman while handling the fish and it was proven that the skin mucus of the fish have several properties including the toxicity. In the present study, the biochemical property of the catfish skin mucus was characterized and it was found that the protein content of the soluble and insoluble fractions were 9.34 and 12.64 ìg/g, respectively. The total lipid was 0.005 ìg/g and the total carbohydrate was 0.08 ìg/g. Of the total 17 amino acids recorded, cysteine availability was very low; 0.01 and 0.02 mole % in the soluble and insoluble fractions, respectively. Leucine was available in high quantity (9.8 mole %) in the soluble fraction and aspartic acid (9.0 mole %) was high in the insoluble fraction. On SDS-PAGE analysis, seven and six bands with a distinct band at 35 KDa in the soluble and insoluble fractions, respectively, were observed. On haemolytic activity, lysis was observed by 50 ìg/ml of insoluble fraction and 25 ìg/ml of soluble fraction. Both soluble and insoluble fractions showed maximum and minimum activities against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aueruginosa, respectively

Morphological, micro and macro nutrient analysis of the medicinal plant glory lily (Gloriosa superba L.)

In this study the three different treated tuber and seed samples of Glory lily were collected from farmer field's of Udayarpalayam and analyzed for the possible presence of colchicines using SEM technique. The results of SEM have shown that the presence of elements Ca and Fe are found only in Organic Manure Treatment. Also the quantitative estimation of EDX spectra observation confirms the percentage of Zn in Organic Manure Treatment (T3) was the highest among all the treatments. In conclusion from the results, Glory Lily may be considered as colchicines sources for the chemical constituents of medicine industry. Further it would be useful of producing high amount of colchicines for pest control based on natural products

FTIR spectroscoptc study and antifungal activity of the medicinal plant glory lily (Gloriosa superba)

In this present study, the presence of the phyto compound (i.e.) Colchicine and other chemical constituents present in three different treated tuber and seed samples of Glory Lily (Gloriosa superbd) was confirmed using FTIR. An attempt has been made to correlate the extinction coefficient (K) values of all the samples. And also the samples were extensively studied for their antifungal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella phemoniae, and Salmonella typhi. The results indicated that the Organic Manure treated samples were highly active against the three fungi

Nature’s protection: Harnessing essential oils for sustainable plant pathogen control

Essential oils (EOs) are volatile, aromatic compounds obtained from different plant parts. They contain bioactive compounds, including terpenes, phenolics and aldehydes. phenylpropanoids and other aromatic and aliphatic compounds. Due to the presence of these bioactive compounds, EO possess strong antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, making EOs effective at combating a wide range of plant pathogens. Typically, EO is composed of two to three primary components and a mixture of numerous minor components, each of which contributes to its biological activity, such as the disruption of microbial cell membranes, the induction of oxidative stress, the impairment of mitochondrial activity and the inhibition of spore germination and biofilm formation. These diverse modes of action contribute to the broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy of EOs against plant pathogens. For instance, essential oils extracted from Cymbopogon spp. (lemongrass), Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) and Thymus vulgaris (thyme) have shown significant antimicrobial activity against pathogens such as Magnaporthe oryzae (rice blast fungus), Pseudomonas syringae (a bacterial plant pathogen) and Tomato leaf curl virus (a viral disease affecting tomato crops). Due to their potent monoterpenes, EOs are considered promising candidates for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Their biodegradability and relative safety further enhance their potential as plant-protective agents, underscoring their role in promoting agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability

Nano-preservation- A revolutionary approach to improve the shelf-life of fruits: A comprehensive review

Fruits and vegetables can lose their freshness after harvesting due to various factors, including physical damage during harvesting, moisture loss, unfavorable weather conditions and microbial infestations by pests, molds and bacteria. Fruits, particularly, are more prone to spoilage and loss than vegetables. Several preservation techniques are used to enhance the postharvest quality and extend the shelf life of produce. A key emerging method is nano-preservation, which involves advanced technologies such as nano-edible coatings, active packaging, innovative packaging, nanocomposites, nanofilms and nano-biosensors. These techniques aim to improve the preservation of fruits and vegetables, ensuring they stay fresh longer. One of the significant benefits of nanotechnology in food preservation is the design of functional packaging materials that offer superior mechanical properties, better gas permeability and lower bioactive component levels. These materials help extend shelf life while having minimal impact on the sensory attributes like taste, texture and colour of the produce. Compared to traditional preservation methods, nano-preservation provides a more controlled environment around the produce, preventing spoilage, reducing waste and maintaining nutritional value. Additionally, these technologies help reduce the use of chemical preservatives. This review focuses on various nano-preservation techniques and their applications, indicating that nanotechnology is revolutionizing food preservation, offering sustainable development

Harnessing vibrational resonance to identify and enhance input signals

We report the occurrence of vibrational resonance (VR) and the underlying mechanism in a simple piecewise linear electronic circuit, namely the Murali-Lakshmanan-Chua (MLC) circuit, driven by an additional biharmonic signal with widely different frequency. When the amplitude of the high-frequency force is tuned, the resultant vibrational resonance is used to detect the low-frequency signal and also to enhance it into a high-frequency signal. Further, we also show that even when the low-frequency signal is changed from sine wave to square and sawtooth waves, vibrational resonance can be used to detect and enhance them into high-frequency signals. These behaviors, confirmed by experimental results, are illustrated with appropriate analytical and numerical solutions of the corresponding circuit equations describing the system. Finally, we also verify the signal detection in the above circuit even with the addition of noise.Comment: Accepted for Publication in Chao

Effect of Industrial Effluent on the Growth of Marine Diatom, Chaetoceros simplex (Ostenfeld, 1901)

The marine centric diatom,Chaetoceros simplex (Ostenfeld, 1901) was exposed to five different concentrations of industrial effluent for 96 hrs to investigate the effect on growth. The physico-chemical parameters viz. colour, odour, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, alkalinity, hardness, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, inorganic phosphate, total phosphorous, reactive  silicate, calcium and magnesium were estimated in the effluent. The Ammonia  (326 μg. L-1), Nitrite (19.53 μg. L-1) and Nitrate (471.4 μg. L-1) were observed at higher levels. About 50% of the cell density of C. simplex reached a lesser dilutions of effluent viz. 1:625 and 1:1250 than the control. The highest cell density (14.3 × 104 cell ml-1) was recorded in 1:10000 diluted effluent followed by control and the lowest cell density was observed in 1:625 diluted effluents. From the results, it is evidenced that the lower volume of effluent discharge into higher volume of water could not affect the growth rate of phytoplankton. It is more important that to reduce the effect of pollution and environmental sustainability. @JASEMJ. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. December, 2010, Vol. 14 (4) 35 - 3