జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ బయోడైవర్సిటీ, బయోప్రోస్పెక్టింగ్ అండ్ డెవలప్‌మెంట్

In 2003-2005 and 2010-2011, experimental commercial cultivation of 14 species of hermatypic corals was carried out using the method of donor colony fragmentation. The transplants successfully survived on experimental frame installations. The coral colonies that were recovered from the fragments became attached to the frame installations in a similar way to their attachment on natural substrata. The research has established species-specific factors and others affecting regeneration of fragments and growth of new colonies in these coral species. The accretion of donor fragments and new branches averaged from 40 to 160 mm per year, depending on the coral species, colony size, and season of transplantation. An average monthly accretion of medium and larger transplants and growth of new branches were 1.2-1.3 times higher at spring cultivation than at autumn transplanting. When transplanted, coral fragments of medium and larger sizes survived well and showed higher growth rates in all species studied. After 1-1.5 year, the size of the transplants was found to have increased by 220-275%. The newly formed artificial coral community was colonized by the damselfish Dascyllus reticulates (Pomacentridae).

There are incomplete data about ant taxonomy and diversity in the Caribbean islands of Venezuela. In order to broaden myrmecological information in the Peri-Caribbean arid belt, ground-dwelling ant assemblage of the Macanao semi-arid peninsula (Margarita Island) was sampled with a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP). Two study sites on the northern slope of the peninsula were chosen, La Chica (LC) at 70 m of altitude and Cerro Macanao (CM) at 598 m of altitude. Sixty pitfall traps (30 per site) and 96 man-hours of manual collecting (48 man-hours per site) were employed. Overall, 40 species and 32 genera from eight subfamilies were recorded, twice the number of species previously reported for Margarita Island. Differences in ant species richness and structure were detected between both sites, with 31 species in CM and 25 species in LC. Such variations indicate that microclimatic conditions are more favorable in uplands than lowlands in Macanao. This situation may be attributed to the moisture gradient effect upon vegetation, and microclimatic conditions influenced by peninsular orography. Our findings corroborate that the pattern of higher diversity with higher altitude in arid zones also holds for the tropics, and suggest a continental origin for the Lesser Antilles ant fauna.

Higher plants are ubiquitously colonized with bacterial endophytes that often lack readily detectable structures. In the present study seven novel endophytic bacterial species viz; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (JNU-001), Burkholderia denitrificans (JNU-002), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (JNU-003), Xanthomonas campestris (JNU-004), Azotobacter tropicalis (JNU-005), Acetobacter xylinum (JNU-006) and Azospirillum lipoferum (JNU-007) has been recovered from native neem varieties at Sanganer areas namely Khonagorion, Muhana, Jagatpura, Goner, Watika, Kalwara and Bagru of Rajasthan state. In which Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was found dominant and associated endophytically in all the plants. Molecular characterization of the isolates was performed using 16S r-DNA restriction analysis. Similarity index in unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean programme clustered the isolates according to their geographical distribution and confirmed the endophytic association between these novel bacterial strains and neem varieties.

Climate change is one of the serious threats that the humanity is facing during the twenty first century and mass communication channels should go beyond their conventional roles of providing education, information and entertainment at a time when the humanity is confronting a serious challenge. Rising carbon emissions leading to global warming is resulting in unexpected changes in the climate and itis responsible for rising temperature, rise in sea levels, shrinking of river beds, and frequent outbursts of cyclones or postponement of rains. At a time when the mainstream public and private media are abscessed with the market driven messages or sensational political news, the role of community media, voicing the concerns of unheardis gaining significance. At a time when the majority living at grassroots are vulnerable to the phenomena called ‘climate change’, alternative, community level medium goes a long way in delivering climate change messages to the people at local levels.

Objective: The objective of this article is to demonstrate that the genetic code can be studied and represented in a 3-D Sphered Cube for bioinformatics and for education by using the graphical help of the ancient “Book of Changes” or I Ching for the comparison, pair by pair, of the three basic characteristics of nucleotides: H-bonds, molecular structure, and their tautomerism.

Methods: The source of natural biodiversity is the high plasticity of the genetic code, analyzable with a reverse engineering of its 2-D and 3-D representations (here illustrated), but also through the classical 64-hexagrams of the ancient I Ching, as if they were the 64-codons or words of the genetic code.

Results: In this article, the four elements of the Yin/Yang were found by correlating the 3x2=6 sets of Cartesian comparisons of the mentioned properties of nucleic acids, to the directionality of their resulting blocks of codons grouped according to their resulting amino acids and/or functions, integrating a 384 codon Sphered Cube whose function is illustrated by comparing six brain peptides and a promoter of osteoblasts from Humans versus Neanderthal, as well as to Negadi’s work on the importance of the number 384 within the genetic code.

Conclusions: Starting with the codon/anticodon correlation of Nirenberg, published in full here for the first time, and by studying the genetic code and its 3-D display, the buffers of reiteration within codons codifying for the same amino acid, displayed the two long (binary number one) and older Yin/Yang arrows that travel in opposite directions, mimicking the parental DNA strands, while annealing to the two younger and broken (binary number zero) Yin/Yang arrows, mimicking the new DNA strands; the graphic analysis of the genetic code and its plasticity was helpful to compare compatible sequences, while further exploring the wondrous biodiversity of nature for educational purposes.

Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) prefers dry deciduous forests, but these habitats are subjected to maximum anthropogenic disturbances. Habitat destruction is the major cause of disturbance for the hornbills population. Indian Grey Hornbill is a fairly common, mostly arboreal found throughout India. But it is not common to be sighted in towns. The regular observations for Indian Grey Hornbill was made during summer and early monsoon season in and around Haveri for two decades (March 1994 to July 2013). As hornbills depend on tree cavities for nesting, search for nest cavities was carried out. Prior to road widening works, density of these birds was high on the trees of highways. This study evaluated that, with the removal of trees in the name of development, the number of these birds increased in the recent months in Haveri town and this is due to suitable environment available for their survival.

The article describes and discusses unexpected feature of agrological structure of the moths' species assemblages on four small shelf islands in the Peter the Great Gulf (Sea of Japan, south of Russian Far East). Before insect fauna of these islands was almost unknown. The study was conducted according to standard entomological procedures of insect collecting and chorological analysis of local faunas. Statistical analysis was performed using the detrended correspondence analysis. Typification of areas was made following the principles by Gorodkov. As a result, it was found that geometrid fauna demonstrates high degree of patchiness between the islands and species richness at times lesser than in neighboring continental localities. Nevertheless, a high similarity of agrological structure of the moths inhabited the islands and the continental localities was explored. This is unexpected because of low species richness of geometrids on the islands and their mosaic distribution between them, being original current climatic conditions on the islands and their separation from mainland at beginning of Holocene in different climatic epoch. Starting from the theory of island biogeography, and taking into account geography of the gulf, this fact could be explained by assuming that the moths on the islands represented mainly by resident populations, which occasionally, but regularly over long time intervals, are replenished by random immigrants from mainland. This random immigration could alignment of areological structure of moths between islands and mainland. This model could explain both a high degree of patchiness of the species composition of the moths on the islands, as well as a high degree of compliance of their arealogical structure to neighboring continental localities. However, this hypothesis assumes an equivalence of distribution of migratory ability of moths in large arealogical groups, which requires special research.

Objective: The main aim of this study is establishing a research protocol for assessing the medicinal potential from the plant biodiversity in the plant association Thymo piperellae-Cistetum crispi Costa, Peris & Stübing 1986, an endemic scrubland.

Methods: The proposed protocol was a multidisciplinary study that it included: a literature review on the traditional use from characteristic plants in the plant community, appropriate pharmacological assays and antimicrobial tests for confirming medicinal properties and phytochemical analysis for studying the active substances. Finally, the percentage of scientifically studied medicinal plants was compared before and after the study for assessing the effect of protocol implementation for establishing the real potential medicinal in plant community.

Results: The review study of ethnobotanical literature showed that two of the characteristic species in plant community, E. scoparia and T. piperella, had traditional uses. The first species was used as medicinal plant for inflammations of the bladder and kidney and urinary tract disorders. The other one was used as preservative and flavoring of olives, and as an infusion for the tummy pain. After implementation the medicinal study protocol, medicinal properties of two species were demonstrated. E. scoparia showed analgesic and antiinflammatory activities and T. piperella presented spasmolytic and antimicrobial activities. In addition, the botanical characterization of the plant organs with medicinal activity was performed, and data, indumentum and other anatomical characteristics, allowed differentiating these specific plant drugs from another plant organ and other species, avoiding confusions and increasing the safety of medicinal herbal products. So the real percentage of scientifically studied medicinal plants increased in the studied vegetation after applied the proposed protocol for assessing its medicinal potential.

Conclusion: The proposed protocol for assessing the real medicinal potential in a plant community is valid for this aim.

Ships that have ballasted and de-ballasted in common world harbors, visited by numerous other ships, acquired a similar dominant population of biofilm-dwelling microbiota at their ballast tank walls and sediments. Secondary spread of the microorganisms to receiving waters has been demonstrated to occur by seeding from the biofilm to those waters and bounding surfaces, as well as by bioaerosol generation from ballast discharge plumes. This work was facilitated by installing, and subsequently analyzing, material test coupons within Ballast Organic Biofilm (BOB) samplers in the ships’ ballast tanks. Supplementary data were acquired from shipboard-mounted flow cells during the voyages. Five specific “benchmark” bacterial species were common in these retained biofilms in spite of the different substratum materials of coatings, tank walls, and re-suspendable sediments.

The main directions in insect biodiversity study are outlined on the base of analysis of entomological publications. There are three trends, each of which is determined by method used for research. The present paper concerns problem of importance of molecular method and its place in methodology used by taxonomy. Significance of biodiversity investigation and its structuring, as well as necessity of expert assessment are discussed.

Plants from the Western Ghats Mountains (a global biodiversity hot-spot) in western India are increasingly gaining importance for their newfound disease curative properties. One such example is an extract of the plant, Salacia chinensis Linn, the compound Salacinol which (along with related compounds) is increasingly being used in the treatment of diabetes. Of late, demand for this extract has increased at a rapid pace, leading to widespread overharvesting of Salacia roots (the plant part predominantly used for extraction) and consequent population decline by over 50%. Such overexploitation in a global biodiversity hotspot threatens the ecological sustainability of this fragile ecosystem and global health care, as well as local livelihoods. One strategy to relieve the harvest pressure on wild population while attempting to cater to the ever increasing demand of raw material by the pharmaceutical industry is to utilize alternative plant parts and raise viable commercial cultivation. With a view to developing a sustainable harvest strategy, this paper presents an assessment of anti-diabetic activity of alternative plant parts (stems, seeds, leaves). We present the results of in vitro evaluation of α- glucosidase inhibition activity by S. chinensis extracts with respect to parameters like plant part, age of plant and effective solvent system. Promising α- glucosidase enzyme inhibition results were obtained from crude extracts of stems and seeds. The highest inhibition levels demonstrated by aqueous extracts of roots and stems were 80.43 ± 1.14 % (IC50-22.17 μg/ml) and 81.2 ± 0.41 % (IC50- 22.23 μg/ml) respectively, whereas for successive aqueous extracts of seeds inhibition levels were 56.0 ± 1.30 % (IC50-79.04 μg/ml). By demonstrating that stems and seeds of S. chinensis can be used as an alternative to roots, our study has the potential to form the basis for a sustainable path forward for the harvesting of this plant for medicinal purposes.

Objective: There has been much concern and immense importance on xylanase due to its potential industrial applications in the manufacturing of pulp and paper, baking, food and beverages, textile and animal feeds production. There are continuously endeavors to turn xylanase into a profitable market with lower production costs using optimum fermentation medium and growth conditions. Thus, the main objectives of this study were to determine the optimum medium formulation and growth conditions for the production of xylanase by Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404 and to elucidate the correlation of xylanase synthesis with biomass, pH and protein concentration in submerged fermentation (SmF).

Methods: The effect of various carbon sources: sucrose, glucose, maltose, galactose, glycerol, lactose and ethanol and nitrogen sources: yeast extract, urea, peptone, ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride and sodium nitrate on xylanase activity were examined to obtain the optimum medium formulation for xylanase activity by A. brasiliensis. In addition, growth temperatures of 28 to 36°C and initial pH medium of 3 to 11 were also examined to elucidate the optimum growth conditions for the production of xylanase.

Results: The highest xylanase activity of 39.567 U/mL at 72 h was obtained using sucrose and yeast extract as the optimised carbon and nitrogen sources. Our results also showed that 30°C and pH 6.5 were the optimum growth condition of A. brasiliensis for xylanase synthesis. 38.528 U/mL of xylanase activity was observed at 72 h when the initial pH medium was adjusted to 5.0. Nevertheless, when the initial pH medium was increased to 6.5, the xylanase synthesis increased almost 3% at 72 h.

Conclusion: Hence, in our study, the optimum medium formulation and growth conditions for the production of xylanase by A. brasiliensis in SmF was achieved by growing the fungi in medium containing sucrose and yeast extract with the initial medium pH 6.5 at 30°C.

The development of agricultural biotechnology has led to the production of numerous types of genetically modified crops with improved traits. The prevalence of genetically modified food is increasing globally. The Rapid progress in the development of genetically modified food has significantly however increased public concern about food safety in recent years. The appearance of such foods in the global market has lately resulted in debate and scientific discussion. This debate is likely to continue, probably in the broader context of other uses of biotechnology and their consequences for human societies. To date, regulations and policies which mandate the labeling of genetically modified food are strictly adhered to in many countries to allow consumers both right for knowledge and freedom of choice. Nonetheless, several countries have not yet implemented policies that would oblige food producers to label modified food products. Main concerns about the safety of genetically modified food include allergenicity, emergence of antibiotic resistance and out-crossing of wild type crop. On the other hand, genetically modified crops can successfully reduce maturation time and improve quality by increasing tolerance to stress and some plant diseases. In fact many debate and believe that genetically modified food is the solution of world hunger because it increases food security every day and guarantees adequate nutrition. The debate would likely continue in the future but until clear evidence is provided, all concerns can be considered relative and dealt with transparency and objectivity to reveal both the good and evil side of biotechnology.

In December 2013, oak trees in Kermanshah province were visited. In this study, one specimen at symbiosis with roots of oak (Quercus infectoria) were found that based on morphological and cytological characteristics this fungus identified as Tuber Sibthorp.

This study examined the ecological distribution and abundance of mammals in the eastern Ethiope ecoregion of the Niger Delta area at three designated survey blocks over a period of six months. Mammals were surveyed by observing their habitat nests, burrows, faecal pellets, captured samples from hunters’ handbags and bush meat sales from men in the mapped out area. Survey block I was located at a commercial demanding area while survey block II and III were located southwards the commercial impacted area. Results of the ecological observations and checklists showed that the relative diversity and abundance of mammal species were significantly different (p<0.05) among the survey blocks mapped out. The vegetation cover, rate of habitat loss and hunting activities were different amongst the survey blocks examined. A total of twenty four species of mammals were identified with Cricetomys gambianus, the giant rat being the most abundant species followed by Cephalophus maxwelli the Maxwells Duiker, while Manis tricuspis, the White bellied Pangolin was only seldom observed. Conservation of this important habitat is recommended for sustainability and benefit to the local people.

Bamboo with its varied uses has historically been an integral part of livelihoods and lifestyles in India. The present study was carried out to characterize the bioactive constituents present in the leaf extracts of certain bamboo species using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR). The various solvent extracts of various bamboo leaves subjected to qualitative analysis showed the availability of phytoconstituents including alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, coumarins and phytosterols. Quinones were completely absent in all the five bamboo species. The FT-IR spectrum confirmed the presence of sulphides (SS), phenols (C-O), aromatic compounds, thiols (S-H), aliphatic compounds (C-Cl) and amines (NH) in different bamboo species. The present investigation has also opened avenues for further research into the development of potent phytomedicines from different bamboo species.

Sinocyclocheilus grahami, a troglophile species, is a cyprinidae fish endemic to Dianchi Lake, Yunnan, China. We have attempted the artificial propagation of S. grahami for several years and recorded the success of S. grahami artificial fertilization for six years and found that egg quality improved with enhanced broodstock management, with negligible effects on S. grahami artificial fertilization resulting from the injection of LHRH-A2. In this study, we also provide a comprehensive staging series of this species. The eggs have relatively large yolks (1.8–2.2 mm) and are strongly adhesive. The egg envelope is thick and transparent. The embryonic development of S. grahami can be divided into thirty stages based on morphological features visible using light microscopy. Stages can be further grouped into six periods: zygote, cleavage, blastula, gastrula, segmentation and hatching. Embryos hatched 144.0–168.0 h after fertilization (HPF). S. grahami embryonic development is generally similar to that of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Anabarilius grahami but is relatively slower.