Supplemental selenium improves wheat grain yield and quality through alterations in biochemical processes under normal and water deficit conditions.

The paper mainly reported the effects of exogenous selenium (Se) supply (Se seed priming, Se fertigation and Se foliar spray) on physiological and antioxidant system of wheat aiming to clarify its effect on yield and nutritional quality of wheat under both normal and water deficit conditions. Water stress markedly decreased the grain Se, iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) contents. Supplemental Se (Na2SeO4) improved the yield and quality of water stressed plants due to enhancement in the production of osmoprotectants and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes.

Effect of selenium foliar spray on physiological and biochemical processes and chemical constituents of wheat under drought stress.

Selenium (Se) is considered an essential micronutrient for humans, animals and plants due to its physiological and antioxidative properties. The positive role of Se in attenuation of drastic effects of various environmental stresses in plants is, however, still unclear and need to be explored. The present study aimed at investigating the physiological and biochemical changes induced by Se foliar spray to improve the drought tolerance potential of wheat.

Suppression of cadmium concentration in wheat grains by silicon is related to its application rate and cadmium accumulating abilities of cultivars.

Background: Cadmium concentration in food grains could be minimised through application of beneficial plant nutrients such as silicon. Therefore, the impact of silicon application on immobilisation of Cd in soil and its concentration in low and high shoot-Cd (LSCd and HSCd, respectively) cultivars of wheat were evaluated in a pot experiment. Selected LSCd cultivars (Iqbal-2000 and Lasani-2008) and HSCd cultivars (Inqlab-91 and Sehar-2006) were grown on artificially Cd contaminated soil at 10 mg Cd kg(-1) .

Citric acid improves lead (pb) phytoextraction in brassica napus L. by mitigating pb-induced morphological and biochemical damages.

Phytoextraction is an environmentally friendly and a cost-effective strategy for remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. However, lower bioavailability of some of the metals in polluted environments e.g.

Ovulation induction in pre-pubertal Sahiwal-Friesian cross bred heifers by the use of clomiphene citrate and hCG.

In this study, an attempt was made to induce ovulation in crossbred pre-pubertal heifers by the use of clomiphene citrate (an anti-estrogen) and hCG. The hypothesis was that the clomiphene citrate, being anti-estrogen, would remove negative feedback effect of estrogen on the release of pituitary gonadotropins. Elevated gonadotropins would support ovarian follicular growth to a point where hCG would induce ovulation.

Chemical composition, antioxidant activities and protein profiling of different parts of Allamanda cathartica.

The phytochemical screening and protein profiling of Allamanda cathartica was performed. Biochemical analysis revealed that peroxidase (8730 ± 307 units/g), superoxide dismutase (181 ± 3.79 units/g), catalase (529 ± 28.

Citric acid assisted phytoremediation of cadmium by Brassica napus L.

Phytoextraction is an eco-friendly and cost-effective technique for removal of toxins, especially heavy metals and metalloids from contaminated soils by the roots of high biomass producing plant species with subsequent transport to aerial parts. Lower metal bioavailability often limits the phytoextraction. Organic chelators can help to improve this biological technique by increasing metal solubility.

Assessment of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in breakfast cereals.

Aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEN) were analysed in 237 breakfast cereal samples collected from central areas of Punjab, Pakistan. According to the results, 41% of the samples were found contaminated with AFs, out of which 16% and 8% samples were found to be above the European Union (EU) maximum content for AFB1 and total AFs, respectively. About 48% samples were found contaminated with OTA and 30% samples were found to be above the EU maximum content.

Enhancement of natural radioactivity in fertilized soil of Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND, GOAL, AND SCOPE: Natural radioactivity in phosphate rock (PR) is transferred to phosphate fertilizer (PF) during the manufacturing process of the PF. The continuous addition of the PF to the cultivated soil accumulates the radionuclides in the land and increases the level of radioactivity in the soil. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the enhanced level of accumulated radioactivity due to the continuous addition of the PF in the farmlands of Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) at Faisalabad in Pakistan.

Differential changes in antioxidants, proteases, and lipid peroxidation in flag leaves of wheat genotypes under different levels of water deficit conditions.

Changes in enzymatic antioxidants and oxidative injury were evaluated in flag leaves of seven wheat genotypes under well watered (WW), medium watered (MW), low watered (LW) and soil stored moisture (SSM) conditions maintained in lysimeters through neutron moisture prob. Genotypes behaved differentially in terms of antioxidant response and stress induced injury under above indicated water deficit levels. In general, antioxidant enzymes were rarely enhanced under MW condition, often increased under LW condition while remained unchanged, elevated or diminished under SSM condition (severe stress).

Improvement of penicillin G acylase expression in Escherichia coli through UV induced mutations.

We used ultraviolet (UV) radiation to induce mutation in three locally isolated strains of Escherichia coli. Different dilutions of bacterial cultures were exposed to UV lamp of 254 nm wavelength for different time intervals at varied distances ranging from 5 to 210 sec and 5 to 100 cm. Viable colonies were screened for mutants with an increased production of penicillin G acylase (PGA) and a reduced production of β-lactamase, which are the desired properties of PGA producing industrial strains.

Comparative production of 6-aminopenicillanic acid by different E. coli strains and their acridine orange (AO) induced mutants.

The present study was conducted to see the difference in production of 6-APA I) between wild strains of E. coli collected from local environment and their acridine orange (AO) induced mutants and ii) between mutants and E. coli strains (ATCC 11105 and ATCC 9637) of American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) used commercially for enzymatic production of 6-APA.

Comparison of in-house-developed ELISA with HPLC techniques for the analysis of atrazine residues.

In-house developed ELISA was standardized to monitor atrazine residues in different environmental samples. The standard curve was linear, indicating an increase in log concentration with decrease in absorbance (%B/B(0)=1.075-0.

Assessment of reproductive parameters in female Dwarf goat (Capra hircus) on the basis of progesterone profiles.

A study was undertaken to look into the reproductive performance of female Dwarf goats reared under traditional conditions at NIAB Farm, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The serum progesterone profile was used to monitor various reproductive parameters (length of postpartum period, resumption of cyclicity, gestation period, prepartum period, parturition) in two lots of goats. Litter size, birth weight of kids and kidding interval were also observed.

The use of cell membrane stability (CMS) technique to screen for salt tolerant wheat varieties.

Cell membrane stability (CMS) technique was used to screen salt tolerant (V1, V2), salt sensitive (V5) and two salt/water deficiency tolerant wheat genotypes (V3 and V4) using 100-250 mM NaCl salinity maintained in pots containing gravel and nutrient solution. The objectives were to study: (i) the reliability of CMS technique for screening wheat under high salinity, (ii) factors that impart stability and/or injury to the cell membrane, and (iii) the relationship of CMS with other physiological parameters affected by the salt stress. Generally, cellular injury increased with increasing salinity levels.

Mutagenic effect of acridine orange on the expression of penicillin G acylase and beta-lactamase in Escherichia coli.

Aims: The present work aimed to improve the production of penicillin G acylase (PGA) and reduce the beta-lactamase activity through acridine orange (AO) induced mutation in Escherichia coli.

Methods And Results: Three wild E. coli strains BDCS-N-FMu10, BDCS-N-S21 and BDCS-N-W50, producing both the enzymes PGA and beta-lactamase were treated by AO.

Manipulation of estrous cycle in dwarf goat (Capra hircus) using estrumate under different management conditions.

A study was conducted to elucidate the effectiveness of exogenous estrumate (prostaglandin F(2alpha)) treatment as a synchronizing agent for Dwarf goats and to establish the progesterone levels at different reproductive stages under two different environmental and nutritional conditions. Female Dwarf goats of various ages were raised, 10 each at two sites, viz. the Bio-Saline Research Substation (BSRS), Lahore and at the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad.

Production of low input and stress tolerant wheat germplasm through the use of biodiversity residing in the wild relatives.

Agricultural biodiversity adds value to crop, induces resistance, contributes enormously to human foodstuff, removes fear of genetic uniformity and ensure food security of the world. For these reasons, NIAB initiated a programme on collection, evaluation, and utilisation of agro-biodiversity related with wheat and wheat wild relatives. The focus of the programme was on the addition of stress tolerance from wild species to cultivated wheat.

Co-existence of salt and drought tolerance in Triticeae.

Cell membrane stability (CMS) technique was used to screen for drought tolerance, salt tolerant accessions of three Aegilops species, Ae. tauschii, Ae. cylindrica, Ae.

Development of ELISA technique for the analysis of atrazine residues in water.

A highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay is described for the detection of atrazine residues in water. Atrazine derivative was conjugated to Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) to obtain an immunizing antigen and to Horseradish Peroxidase enzyme (POD) to obtain a marker for immunoassay. The formation of these conjugations was confirmed by UV spectroscopy as well as by gel-electrophoresis.

Genetic basis of variation of yield, and yield components in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek).

Additive, dominance, and epistasis genetic basis of seed yield per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and 1000 seed weight in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) have been examined, using Triple Test Cross (TTC) analysis. The material for TTC test was evaluated in two seasons i.

Attachment, colonization and proliferation ofAzospirillum brasilense andEnterobacter spp. on root surface of grasses.

Root colonization studies, employing immunofluorescence and using locally isolated strains, showed thatEnterbacter sp. QH7 andEnterobacter agglomerans AX12 attached more readily to the roots of most plants compared withAzospirillum brasilense JM82. Heat treatment of either root or inoculum significantly decreased the adsorption of bacteria to the root surface.