Applied Botany

The climate of Bihar remains warm and humid for most part of the year. Regular visit of flood and drought along with fluch factors as high level of illiteracy, socioeconomic backwardness and use of primitive agronomic practices in field and storage enhance mycotoxin risk in Bihar drastically. 75 samples of 15 common drug plants were collected from different flood prone districts of Bihar. Vital parts, used for medicinal purposes, of these plants were chemically analysed for the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in them. Most samples contained mycotoxin as a natural contaminant. Among the mycotoxins, aflatoxins occurred most frequently. Other mycotoxins reported to be present were ochratoxin, citrinin, zearalenone and fumonisin. These mycotoxins are very harmful to both man and animals. Some of these mycotoxins are carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or teratogenic. This is a matter of great concern as these plants are used for the preparation of traditional medicines. Treatment of one disease will be the unintentelyded cause of another which is still more dangerous. The problem needs our serious attention.

The study deals with survey of Aeromycoflora of commercial complexes like shopping malls of Raipur city and other commercial buildings like restaurants, hotels, educational building, gyms, parlors, bakery, shops etc was done to find out fungal spore types present in air and how they affect humans by spreading variety of allergic diseases. Raipur is the capital city of Chhattisgarh is an industrial and commercial hub. Fungal spores are abundant in nature and much evidence is now available to show that fungi can cause atopic clinical illnesses. Many of these fungal spores are lesser than 10 microns in diameter and their deposition into lower airways is common. Fungal sensitization is a significant risk factor for developing asthma in later part of life. Molds grow in indoor and outdoor environments. An experiment was conducted during the session 2013-2014 in commercial complexes to see the aeromycoflora of Raipur city and to explore the different forms of fungi. In present investigation in Malls less number of fungal spores were found as compared to other commercial buildings. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Mucor, Curvularia and Alternaria were found more prevalent in different commercial areas of the city. The present aerobiological investigation was carried out by using gravity petriplate method. Some important allergenic fungus like Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria,Curvularia, Fusarium, Cladosporium were found more prevalent in other commercial complexes. Study of this fungal spores in commercial areas play an important role in tracing number of respiratory allergies and cause a wide range of symptoms, including allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, Atopic dermatitis etc. in human beings. Key words- Aeromycoflora, Allergic diseases, respiratory allergies, allergic rhinitis, Gravity Petri Plates.

Induced mutations through physical and chemical mutagens is one of the sophisticated and convenient approach to induce desirable variability in plants compared to the conventional methods. Induced mutagenesis has served an important source in producing high yielding mutants. The present experiment was conducted to induce, isolate and analyse the high yielding mutants of Vicia faba L. var. Vikrant and PRT-12 of M3 generation using single and combination treatments of gamma rays and ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). The leaves of plants are known to carry out the most important processes of plants relating to yield and productivity. The pigments like chlorophyll and carotenoids play key roles in the process of photosynthesis. Biochemical analysis like estimation of chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and protein profiling of the leaves of high yielding mutants were carried out using different methods and approaches. High yielding mutant plants were selected from the lower doses/concentrations of both single and combined treatments of ?-rays and ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). Increased levels of pigments and NR activity were observed in the variety Vikrant as compared to PRT-12, after treatment of the mutagens. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE analysis of leaf proteins of the mutants of the variety Vikrant showed higher polymorphism and number of protein bands as compared to variety PRT-12. Altogether, the increase in leaf protein content may enhance crop yield.

Whiteflies are very common in study areas and the experiments were conducted to study the feeding pattern of insect vector to develop control of virus transmission by understanding feeding pattern of vector. Optimum acquisition period was found to be 12 hour once the vector has acquired the virus it is able to transmit virus for as long as ten days and optimum infection feeding time is 24 hours, after which it transmit virus to other plants in intermittent manner. Even the post acquisition fasting has little effect on the efficiency of virus transmission although when post acquisition fasting was increased, decrease in efficiency of transmission is seen. Increasing the number of whiteflies per plant decrease the incubation period Virus persist in the vector for longer duration, which indicates it to be 'persistent type', virus acquisition and inoculation increases efficiency with increasing access time.

Nickel is a metal of widespread distribution in the environment: there are almost 100 minerals of which it is an essential constituent and which have many industrial and commercial uses. Nickel and nickel compounds belong to the classic noxious agents encountered in industry but are also known to affect non-occupationally exposed individuals. The general population may be exposed to nickel in the air, water and food. Inhalation is an important route of occupational exposure to nickel in relation to health risks. Most nickel in the human body originates from drinking water and food; however, the gastrointestinal route is of lesser importance, due to its limited intestinal absorption. The toxicity and carcinogenicity of some nickel compounds (in the nasal cavity, larynx and lungs) in experimental animals, as well as in the occupationallyexposed population, are well documented. The objective of this paper is to summarize the current overview of the occurrence and sources of nickel in the environment, and the effect of this metal and its compounds on living organisms.

An attempt has been made to determine a distribution pattern of watermoulds in slightly acidic (pH 6.5 – 7.0), near neutral (pH 7.0 – 7.5), slightly alkaline (pH 7.5 – 8.0) and moderately alkaline (pH 8.0 – 8.5) soils in Gorakhpur (India). The watermoulds, belonging to Saprolegniaceae and Blastocladiaceae families, have shown a variable occurrence in the soils of varying pH from slightly acidic to moderately alkaline. Pythiopsis cymosa has been classified under slightly acidic soil type whereas Allomyces arbuscula, Allomyces moniliformis and Allomyces javanicus, all belonging to family Blastocladiaceae, have been found to be distributed within slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.5 – 7.5) soils. Saprolegnia diclina and Saprolegnia ferax were restricted to neutral to slightly alkaline (7.0 – 8.0) soil pH whereas Achlya orion, Achlya diffusa and Brevilegnia spp. (unidentified species of Brevilegnia) have been classified as constant type. The present studies indicate Aphanomyces laevis to be characteristic of neutral to moderately alkaline (7.0 – 8.5 pH) soils and Brevilegnia bispora and Brevilegnia indica as slightly alkaline type (7.5 – 8.0 pH). In vitro variable pH experiments have shown that the watermoulds itself modify the pH of the medium and, then develop different stages of their life cycle or vice versa. Temperature has been found to modify the pH of pure water, pond water and soil-extract water and therefore, this distinctly identifies the importance of temperature in pH mediated distribution of watermoulds.

In the present study antioxidant potential of the moss Barbula javanica Doz. et Molk was evaluated. The total phenolic content (TPC) was found to be 30mg±0.96 GAE/gdw. The radical scavenging activity as IC50 against DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), NOSA (Nitric oxide scavenging assay) and DDA (deoxyribose degradation assay) was evaluated to be 100±1.12, 80±0.90 and 35±0.50 ?g/ml, respectively. The reducing activity was assayed using FRAP (Ferric Reduction Antioxidant Potential) was found to be 1259±1.56 ?M/l. The results show the potential of B. javanica as novel antioxidant, which has been reported for the first time.

The present investigation was aimed at screening twenty diverse wheat genotypes for their thermo tolerance potential at the seedling stage. The seedlings were raised in the germination boxes kept at 250C in an incubator. One week old seedlings were subjected to gradual heat pre-treatment (with rise of 50C/ hr) to achieve 350C +10C. The acclimatized seedlings were exposed to 400C for different durations to find lethal temperature (LT50 ), on the basis of wilting of the primary leaf. Wheat seedlings reacted differently to high temperatures in terms of the coleoptile length and seedling emergence. On an average coleoptile length (C.L) decreased by 29 % and total shoot length (T.S.L) by 12 % due to high temperature pulse in wheat. Highest decline in C.L was noted in NIAW34 (54 %) and minimum 6 % in WH711. In terms of the T.S.L maximum decrease was noted in P1626 (34 %) and minimum in WH712 (0.70 %). The detrimental effect of high temperature on the seedling emergence also got reflective in terms of the growth parameters resulting in reduction of fresh and dry weight of the seedlings. On an average seedling fresh weight reduced by 64 %, dry weight by 74 % and RWC by 20% due to high temperature pulse in wheat.

Time of sowing is one of the important factors that govern crop physiology, phenological development along with efficient partitioning of biomass production into economic yields. Due to prolonged duration of preceding crops like rice, cotton, sugarcane and on account of untimately rains, the sowing of succeeding wheat crop gets delayed and is exposed to sub-optimal temperature (High temperature) at establishment, resulting in reduction of not only crop duration but also crop yield. This low yield is due to growth acceleration reduction in duration of crop development stages and carbon starvation due to reduced net assimilation. Genetic progress in increasing the yield potential is closely associated with an increase photosynthetic activity (Rees et al.1993 and Fisher et al.1998).Therefore the present study was conducted to screen photo-synthetic efficient wheat genotypes under delayed sowing condition.

From the primitive period medicinal plants have occupied a distinct place in human’s life. They have been the backbone of traditional herbal medicines and have been extensively studied because of their pharmacological importance. Orchids are one of the largest groups of Angiosperms belonging to the family Orchidaceae. A number of constituents obtained from different parts of orchid suggest biological activity. Alkaloids are nitrogenous organic heterocyclic molecules that have pharmacological effects on humans and other animals..In orchids, 214 species in 64 genera contain 0.1% or more alkaloids. Besides alkaloids, they also possess flavanoids, phenanthrenes, terpenoids, bibenzyl derivatives and other biologically active compounds. The present review deals with the phytochemicals present in orchids and their medicinal properties.