Glomus fasciculatum alleviates transplantation shock of micropropagated Sesbania sesban.

Investigations were carried out using the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus fasciculatum, to improve the success in transplanting micropropagated plantlets of Sesbania sesban. Plantlets were developed from somatic embryos and/or adventitious buds (induced from various explants on Gamborg's medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine), in the presence of 10 M α-naphthaleneacetic acid and 5×10 M gibberellic acid. Subsequent to nodulating the roots with Rhizobium, plantlets were transplanted into sterile garden soil and inoculated with or without G.

Protective effect of Liv.52 and Liv.100, ayurvedic formulations on lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate--an in vitro study.

Liv.100 is an improvised herbal formulation of Liv.52.

Fluorescein diacetate and ethidium bromide staining to determine the viability of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Escherichia coli.

The ability of the fluorescein diacetate and ethidium bromide fluorescent staining method to assess the percentage of viable bacterial cells in suspension was compared with the plate counting method. Mycobacterium smegmatis and Escherichia coli bacterial cell suspensions were incubated at 60 degrees C. At different time intervals samples were taken and the percentage of viable cells in each sample was assessed by the fluorescent staining method and compared with the plate counting method.

Degradation of Alpha-, Beta-, and Gamma-Hexachlorocyclohexane by a Soil Bacterium under Aerobic Conditions.

A Pseudomonas sp., isolated from sugarcane rhizosphere soil, readily metabolized not only alpha and gamma isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane, but also the thermodynamically more stable beta isomer, under aerobic conditions. Bacterial degradation of the three isomers led to the accumulation of a transitory metabolite and eventual release of covalently linked chlorine as chloride in stoichiometric amounts.

Mineralization of carbofuran by a soil bacterium.

A bacterium, tentatively identified as an Arthrobacter sp., was isolated from flooded soil that was incubated at 35 degrees C and repeatedly treated with carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate). This bacterium exhibited an exceptional capacity to completely mineralize the ring-labeled C in carbofuran to CO(2) within 72 to 120 h in a mineral salts medium as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen under aerobic conditions.